THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2019 16 Federer to play on clay at Madrid Kvitova, Halep advance Open Kerber capitulates as Pliskova, Halep and Kvitova blow into quarters in windy Dubai Petra Kvitova relieved• to win second straight match despite not playing her best tennis KNOW WHAT Roger Federer hits a return AFP | Dubai during the Australian Open (file Petra Kvitova reached photo) ormer winners Petra Kvi- her fourth successive tova and Simona Halep WTA quarter-final AFP | Madrid Fbattled through brisk desert winds to advance into oger Federer’s come- the quarter-finals of the Dubai Rback on clay will fea - Championships yesterday. ture a return to the Madrid Second seed Kvitova outlast- middle of a workday by scores of Open for the first time since ed American qualifier Jennifer chanting, enthusiastic local Ro- 2015, it was confirmed Brady 7-5, 1-6, 6-3. manian fans and her country’s yesterday. Crowd favourite and third ambassador to the UAE as she For the last two years, the seed Halep coped with the gusty rolled over Tsurenko in tricky 37-year-old has chosen to conditions the Aviation Club as conditions. skip the clay-court season she beat Lesia Tsurenko 6-3, 7-5, “The wind was difficult to- completely to preserve en- breaking seven times. day. It didn’t feel like last week,” ergy for tournaments on his Ukraine’s Tsurenko managed Halep said. “I know how she’s preferred surfaces of grass just a single point over the last playing, it’s not my favourite and hard. three games as former number Simona Halep of Romania in action against Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine style because she doesn’t give But Federer indicated in one Halep demonstrated her any power (on the ball). January that he would play superiority by taking a 7-0 lead Fifth seed Angelique Kerber, come a 5-1 deficit in the first set since reaching the St Petersburg “I’ve had many matches with at the French Open this in their head-to-head record. a semi-finalist on her last two on the way to victory. quarter-finals a fortnight ago. her and won them. I feel confi- year while the Madrid Open Fourth-seeded Karolina Plisk- appearances here, lost to Hsieh But she was not impressed “When I came here, I didn’t dent when I play her.” has announced he will be ova was tested by Alison Riske, Su-Wei 5-7, 6-4, 6-0. with her own effort. really have many days of prac- The Romanian, who is with- among those competing at with the Czech taking more than The German former world “I didn’t play good today. I tice, to be honest,” the two-time out a coach, was more than the Caja Magica too. two hours to produce a 7-6 (7/3), number one dropped serve sev- started badly,” the world num- Wimbledon winner said. pleased with her strong finish “Federer is one of the best 7-6 (7/5) victory. en times in the one-and-three- ber 26 said. “Sometimes is not “I had something different to to the match. players in history, it’s no se- The 2015 finalist won a mon- quarter hour contest. easy take the confidence back do in my life. I wasn’t really that “My mindset now is just to cret,” said Feliciano Lopez, ster game late in the second set, Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro again. prepared for this tournament. finish the points as quick as the Madrid Open’s tourna- holding for 5-5 after seven deuc- made quick work of Kristina “But, well, point by point, “But I’m happy I was able to possible. I’m trying to be more ment director. es plus two set points for her Mladenovic, surprise conqueror game by game, I just tried to get two wins. It’s great when aggressive. “We are happy because American opponent. of Australian Open champion fight, tried to relax a little bit. you’re not playing your best and “I’m more relaxed. I don’t put his return to Madrid is a Pliskova broke a game later Naomi Osaka, sending the Du- “In the second set I felt tired you still find a way to win.” pressure on myself. Also I have gift for the tournament but but dropped serve herself to bai-based Frenchwoman out -- I didn’t enjoy the match at all.” no expectations. I feel that my above all for the fans, be- force a tie-breaker; the decider 7-5, 7-5. Meanwhile, Kvitova, who won Halep delights Romanian fans game is pretty strong. cause they will be able to ended on a first match point Suarez Navarro started on the the Dubai trophy in 2013, had Halep, a finalist in Doha last “I feel close to my highest see a player that is unique after Riske double-faulted. back foot but rallied to over- not played on the WTA Tour week, was supported even in the level.” and unparallelled.” Raikkonen pushes Ferrari off Southee, Taylor inspire Black the top of test timesheets Caps whitewash of Bangladesh AFP | Dunedin, New Zealand Tom Latham pressed his im Southee snared a claim for a World Cup spot with Tsix-wicket haul and Ross a solid 59 while Colin de Grand- Taylor tore up the record books homme and Jimmy Neesham as New Zealand dominated both scored 37 as they seek Bangladesh to seal a 3-0 series all-rounder berths. whitewash with an 88-run vic- Bangladesh made a horror tory in the final one-day inter- start to the run chase when national in Dunedin yesterday. Tim Southee claimed a trio of Sabbir Rahman’s gallant top-order wickets in his open- maiden ODI century saved Bang- ing two overs to leave the vis- ladesh from total humilation itors reeling on two for three. Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen in action during testing after they lost three wickets with just two runs on the board New Zealand Reuters | Barcelona Champions Mercedes con- chasing New Zealand’s impos- M. Guptill c Iqbal b Saifuddin 29 lfa Romeo driver Kimi Rai- tinued to keep their powder ing target of 331. C. Munro lbw Mortaza 8 Akkonen produced the fast- dry, with Finland’s Valtteri The tourists were 242 all out H. Nicholls c Iqbal b Hasan 64 est lap so far in Formula One’s Bottas the slowest of the nine in 47.2 overs after the Black Caps R. Taylor c Mamdullah b Rubel 69 pre-season testing to push his cars on track but doing more New Zealand’s Ross Taylor plays a shot were sent into bat and made 330 T. Latham c Sarkar b Rahman 59 previous team, Ferrari, off the laps than anyone else — 88 to for six at University Oval. Stead said, adding that Munro His 47th ODI half-century J. Neesham b Rahman 37 top of the lunchtime leader- Vettel’s 80, both on the same It was final New Zealand out- might make the trip as injury saw Taylor reach 8,026 runs, C. de Grandhomme not out 37 board yesterday. medium C3 tyre. ing before the Cricket World cover. overtaking Stephen Fleming’s M. Santner not out 16 It was the first time since Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg Cup and players were desperate Ross Taylor became New Zea- previous record of 8,007. Extras: (lb 3, nb 2, w 6) 11 testing started on Monday at was third fastest in 1:18.800. to impress coach Gary Stead land’s highest-scoring one-day The 34-year-old, who made Total: (for 6 wickets; 50 overs) 330 the Circuit de Catalunya that McLaren, whose perfor- even though the fixture was a international batsman as his 69 his ODI debut in 2006, reached Bangladesh Ferrari had not led at the end mance has been encouraging dead rubber. off 81 balls took him past 8,000 his milestone in 203 innings T. Iqbal c Latham b Southee 0 of a session. over the first two days, missed Paceman Tim Southee, over- runs in th 50-over format. with a superb average of 48.34. L. Das lbw Southee 1 The Finn, returning to the the first two hours after what looked in New Zealand’s past S. Sarkar b Southee 0 Swiss-based team previous- they described as “some over- six ODIs, took six for 65 to guar- ‘Got a few years left’ M Rahim c Munro b Boult 17 ly known as Sauber, lapped night changes” to the car but antee himself almost certainly a “I definitely would have tak- Mahmudullah c Munro b de Grand- with a best time of one minute managed to get Spaniard Car- berth at the tournament. Henry’s shown he’s en that when I played my first homme 16 17.762 seconds on the softest, los Sainz out for 27 laps before Henry Nicholls looks to have a versatile player match donkey’s years ago,” he S. Rahman c and b Southee 102 and fastest, C5 tyre compound. lunch. secured an opening batting slot for us... he’s a key said. M. Saifuddin c Guptill b Boult 44 Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, Williams continued to be with a sparkling 64, but out- “If you play long enough I M. Mortaza c Boult b Southee 2 his team mate last season, was absent from the track but were of-form rival Colin Munro was component of our guess these records come along M. Hasan c Guptill b Southee 37 second fastest in 1:18.350.