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THURSday, JANUARY 2, 2020

Stars arrive as gears up for ExxonMobil Open 2020

Tribune News Network Doha

World tennis stars have be- gun arriving in Doha for Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2020 to be held at the Khalifa Interna- tional Tennis & Squash Com- plex from January 6 to 11. Three-time Grand Slam champion Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland and 2012 cham- pion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France are among the stars, set to open their season in Qatar. In all, 21 players made the entry list for the singles event of the annual ATP World Tour 250 series tournament with three slots allotted for wild card entrants and four for qualifiers while 16 teams are taking part in the doubles event. Other key players expected to feature at the event include 2013 champion Richard Gas- quet, 2018 finalist Andrey Rublev, 2016 Wimbledon final- ist Milos Raonic, and Doha-res- ident Fernando Verdasco, the 2009 Australian Open semi- finalist and finalist at the 2010 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. Three-time Grand Slam champion Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland (left), and Milos Raonic of Canada being greeted on their arrival in Doha for Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2020 on Wednesday. Coaches upbeat as QNB Stars League Week 12 action kicks off tonight

Tribune News Network Doha Round 12 fixtures Thursday (January 2) With the QNB Stars League vs Al Sadd (16:10hrs, Al Wakrah moving into an exciting phase, Stadium); Al Ahli vs Al Arabi (18:20, Al Ahli coaches of almost all teams Stadium) expressed desire for a strong Friday (January 3): Al Shahania vs Al Gharafa (16:10, Al Arabi Stadium); Umm return to action in the New Salal vs (18:20, Al Gharafa Year with the start of Week 12 Stadium) matches from Thursday. Saturday (January 4): vs Al Sailiya While Al Wakrah will meet (16:10, Al Khor Stadium) ; Al Duhail vs Qatar defending champions Al Sadd, SC (18:20, Al Gharafa Stadium) Al Ahli will play Al Arabi on Thursday. Al Shahania face Al Gharafa, and meet We’d be ready to face Umm Al Rayyan on Friday. Saturday’s Salal: Rayyan coach Aguirre action will see Al Khor play Al Al Rayyan coach Diego Agu- Sailiya, and the formidable Al Al Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez and player Nam Tae-hee addressing the media on Wednesday. Wakrah coach Marquez Lopez (right) with a team official. irre said: “We hope to be ready Duhail take on Qatar SC. to bring out our best in the Opening the big action because Al Shahania have al- second leg of the tournament. weekend will be the current- QNB Stars League Standings ways been an organised team “I know that Al Duhail ly 9th placed Al Wakrah (12 Club MP W L D GF GA GD Pts and give a good fight to their have recruited Croatian Mario points) against the strong Al 1. Al Duhail 11 9 0 2 24 10 14 29 competitors. We should be at Mandzukic. I was surprised. It Sadd, who have thus far collect- 2. Al Rayyan 11 7 0 4 24 9 15 25 our very best if we are to bag is a great deal for Al Duhail be- ed 18 points from nine games. 3. Al Gharafa 11 6 3 2 21 16 5 20 three points. cause he is a player with huge Here’s what the coaches 4. Al Sadd 9 6 3 0 26 17 9 18 “Absences are normal in capabilities and will be useful had to say before their teams’ football. Our team will miss a to the team. 5. Al Sailiya 11 5 4 2 14 14 0 17 matches ahead: number of players who are do- 6. Al Arabi 10 4 3 3 19 13 6 15 ing duty for the Qatar Olympic We must be ready for Al We’re looking to beat 7. Qatar SC 11 4 6 1 14 17 -3 13 team. Khor: Sailiya’s Trabelsi Al Sadd: Al Wakrah 8. Al Ahli 11 4 6 1 16 20 -4 13 “Our rivals also have ab- Al Sailiya coach Sami Trabelsi coach Marquez 9. Al Wakrah 11 3 5 3 16 20 -4 12 sences. We are now trying to said his team has been prepar- Al Wakrah coach Marquez 10. Al Khor 10 1 6 3 11 19 -8 6 work with the existing players, ing well. “Ahead of our game Lopez said his team has im- 11. Al Shahania 11 0 6 5 9 23 -14 5 Al Gharafa coach Slavisa Jokanovic (right). who number 14 in addition to against Al Khor, as a coach, proved since they played the 12. Umm Salal 11 1 8 2 7 23 -16 5 Under-23 players. I must give an evaluation of Wolves in the first leg and will phase, against Al Gharafa in “I believe a team is not of our work and what we have be aiming for a positive result. Their star player Nam Tae- must maintain the quality of the first round of second-leg 11 players. Everyone should done to correct the mistakes. “Our team has undoubted- hee, while saying his team was performance. matches. They are undoubt- be ready to play anytime. I We have been preparing for a ly improved from the time we all set to clinch three point “Aron (Gunnarsson), who edly a good team. We hope to have great confidence in all large number of matches that played against Al Sadd in the against Al Wakrah, added, “I was out of action with an injury record our first victory. Our players working with me,” we will play during this month first leg. We want to get a good am not satisfied with my per- for long, is back in training, but I morale is high after the drawn said Jokanovic. and have worked on improv- result against our opponents, formances so far.” am not sure if he will play against match against Al Khor in the ing the fitness of players. who are a great team. We’re Al Ahli. The club management last round. Team needs time to correct “We look at the Al Khor looking to beat Al Sadd. Our target is to beat is working in a systematic way “Al Gharafa, despite their some mistakes: Umm Salal match as a preparation for our “We lost important points Al Ahli: Al Arabi coach and the team’s future is bright,” loss to Al Sadd in the last coach Ben Askar Qatar Cup 2020 semi-final against Al Arabi, Umm Salal Hallgrimsson Hallgrimsson explained. round, are always a strong Umm Salal coach Aziz Ben against Al Duhail and we tar- and Al Rayyan. Our team had Al Arabi coach Heimir Hall- team. They will miss some Askar said his team will have to get full points,” said Trabelsi. to be a little lucky. Had we not grimsson was confident of a We’re prepared to provide players, but they have others work hard against Al Rayyan. dropped those points, our po- better show from his team our best: Al Ahli coach Al Arabi coach Heimir Hallgrimson to replace the absentees. “This is the first confron- Our players must stay sition in the table would have against Al Ahli. Nebojsa (right). “We know that Al Shaha- tation for us in the second leg focused against Al Duhail: been different. But this is foot- “It will be difficult because Al Ahli coach said: “It will be nia are a lesser side compared and we did a lot of work. We Qatar SC goalkeeping ball,” he said. Al Ahli are playing under a an exciting game from start to improve our team from this to Al Gharafa, but we will play brought in some players. I do coach Wesner “We miss some players new coach, who has a different till the end, regardless of the stage to a higher level. to win and take three points. not need time, but the team Qatar SC goalkeeping coach because they are with the Qa- style. He is experimenting with teams’ rankings. We are pre- “Now, we have before us a We went through difficult pe- needs time to correct some Wesner asked his players to tar Olympic team. If we were different ways in order to find pared to provide our best and new stage of 11 games. Each of riods, but we are a team trying mistakes and get set. brace for the challenge against playing against Al Sadd two the best possible combination. achieve a positive result. them is a new opportunity. Al to fight. We will play with en- “We are expecting a lot Al Duhail. “Al Duhail are the weeks ago, the situation would For us, we gain confidence af- “This will be an important Arabi is the first test. We will thusiasm. We can win against from our new players. Who- league leaders and they have have been different. ter every game. I think we will start for the team. I have felt a work to improve our position Al Gharafa. If that happens, ever left can play in any other solid strength in all departments “The matter of changing win the next game and get three good atmosphere since my ar- in the ranking table. I look at we may move up in the table.” team. I saw that it was very of the game, right from defence any player belongs to the team points,” said Hallgrimsson. rival here, a great understand- all matches as cup matches and important to change. The situ- through the middle and into the management. Bruno Yuvini is “I was happy with the ing by the players with my phi- this is what I tell my players,” We should be at our very ation demands that we must attack. We must accept the chal- a good player who provides a positive results and the perfor- losophy. Now, we have started said Nebojsa. best: Al Gharafa coach work harder. lenge and play with high con- convincing performance on mance that the team showed work and every day I notice Jokanovic “We are in the process centration from the beginning the field,” added Marquez. at the beginning of the season. an improvement in the team’s We hope to record our Al Gharafa coach Slavisa Jo- of building up a team, so the of the game until the end. And Their task would, however, When you start the season in performance. first win: Al Shahania kanovic said despite some of break can serve us well in our fight the battle with intelligence be not easy. this way, everyone expects you “We may have some nor- coach Murcia the team’s players being away bid to find solutions. and as a group. Our coach has Al Sadd coach Xavi Her- to achieve more successes. mal problems that exist in all Al Shahania coach Jose Mur- for national duty at the FIFA “I do not put responsibility trust in the capabilities of all nandez said, “Gharafa are When they don’t come, frus- clubs, such as injuries and cia said Week 12 was star of a U-23 tournament, they will on one party and I am confi- his players and knows how to strong opponents and a tough tration will creep in among players joining the national new phase for his team. still come up with their best. dent that we will overcome the prepare them psychologically game can be expected.” players and fans. The players teams. We will work in order “We are starting a new “We might face problems tough situation,” said Askar. for such big matches.”