Hassan the One to Watch As In-Form Qatar Seek Solid World Cup Rehearsal in UAE
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SPORT Sunday 30 December 2018 PAGE | 05 PAGE | 07 Cook, Thomas Ronaldo brace and Southgate seals new honoured in UK record for New Year’ list Juventus The Secretary-General Qatar ExxonMobil Open draw ceremony of the Qatar Tennis Federation (QTF), Tariq Darwish Zainal, is seen with Vice President and Human Resources Manager, ExxonMobil, Abdul Latif Al Naimi, Tournament Director Karim Alami, QTF Executive Director Saad Al Mohannadi, ATP Tour official Lars Graff and QTF referee Ashraf Hamouda at the draw ceremony conducted at Four Seasons Hotel in Doha yesterday. Participating players Marius Copil of Romania, Pierre- Hugues Herbert of France, Robin Haase of the Netherlands and Marco Cecchinato of Italy were also present at the draw ceremony. Hassan the one to watch as in-form Qatar seek solid World Cup rehearsal in UAE REUTERS Qatar pulled off one of the most complete their preparations against a QATAR AT THE ASIAN CUP MUMBAI impressive results in their history when Carlos Queiroz-coached Iran, the top side they won 1-0 in Switzerland and five days in the continent, in Doha tomorrow. REUTERS An in-form Qatar will be hoping to use later, they fought back to earn a 2-2 draw Our preparations have been “The four friendly matches will be a the 10th Asian Cup in nearby United Arab against 2016 UEFA Euro quarter-finalists good opportunity to prepare the players,” Factbox on Qatar ahead of the Asian Cup, Emirates as a platform for a successful Iceland. very good. We played two Sanchez told reporters. which takes place in the United Arab Emirates maiden World Cup campaign as the hosts “The Asian Cup is a very important high-intensity matches in “I have several players to choose from January 5 to February 1: of soccer’s biggest event in 2022. tournament, and we want to give it our Europe and did well and from the preparatory camp and I will wait The January 5-February 1 tournament best,” Qatar goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb hopefully, we can continue till the friendly matches to decide on the FIFA world ranking: 93 will be Qatar’s last major competition told sports weekly Doha Stadium Plus. final squad. Ranking in Asia: 13 ahead of the next World Cup and they “Our preparations have been very in the same way at the Asian “Everyve y team tea goes into to any a y compe- co pe PreviousPrevious AsianAsian Cups: 9 will look to improve on their Asian Cup good. We played two high-intensity Cup: Coach Felix Sanchezanchez tition eyeing the title. The Qatari team’s BestBest pperformance:erformance: Quarter-finalsQua (2000, 2011) quarter-final appearances of 2000 and matches in Europe and did well and goalgoal is no different.different. 2015: Group stastagege 2011. hopefully, we can continue in the same ““II kknownow Qatari Nickname:Nickname: The MaroMaroons,o Al Annabi Comprised largely of players from way at the Asian Cup.” played in Belgium and Spain,ain, and scored fansfans have big Coach:Coach: FelixFelix SSanchezanchez BasB 2018 AFC Champions League semi- Qatar’s defence will be boosted by the winning goal againstt SwitzerSwitzerland,land, hopeshopes fromfrom thethe RegularRegular captain: HassanHass Al-Haydos finalists - Al Sadd and Al Duhail - the Al the presence of Abdelkarim Hassan, who breaking clear and roundingunding homehome currentcurrent batchbatch of PlayerPlayer to watch: AbdulkarimAbdu Hassan Annabi have been pooled alongside was named 2018 AFC Asian Player of the keeper Yvon Mvogo too finishfinish withwith playersplayers andand I RecentRecent fform:orm: Lebanon and Saudi Arabia in Group E, Year after the left back played a pivotal aplomb. hhopeope we can OctoberOctober 1616 (in Tashkent)Tashkent Uzbekistan 2-0 Qatar with only North Korea below them in the role in Al Sadd’s run to the Asian Cham- The Qatari midfielder, whowho primarilyprimarily deliver.deliver. Having November 14 (in LugaLugano)no Switzerland 0-1 Qatar FIFA rankings. pions League semi-finals this season. operates behind the attack,ck, will look to saidsaid thatthat we areare NovemberNovember 20 ((inin Eupen)Eupen Qatar 2-2 Iceland However, Felix Sanchez’s men will However, Hassan’s club team-mate cement his status as onee ooff Asia’s totopp inin a toughtough group, DDecemberecember 23 (i(inn DohaDoha)) Qatar 2-0 Jordan be confident of advancing deep into the Akram Afif is likely to be the most rec- talents during his first Asianan Cup. andand allall thethe teams DDecemberecember 2255 (in Doha) Qatar 1-0 Kyrgyzstan tournament, having been boosted by two ognisable face in the squad after his Qatar have also won twowo more recent deserve the DecemberDecember 2277 (i(inn DoDoha) Qatar 0-1 Algeria impressive displays in international breakthrough year. warm-up matches againstnst Jordan and respect.”respect.” friendlies last month. Despite being just 22, Afif has already Kyrgyzstan, lost narrowly to AlgeriaAlgeria and Fixtures:Fixtures: GroupGroup E JanuaryJanuary 9: Qatar vs Lebanon in AlAl AinAi JanuaryJanuar 13: North Korea vs QatarQatar in Al Ain JanuaryJanua 17: Saudi Arabia vs QatarQata in Abu Dhabi Qatar arrive in the UAE forfor their 10th Asian Cup on theth back of some strong resultsre in international friendliesf and hoping to makem an impression on thet soccer community aheada of their maiden WorldW Cup appearance in 2022 as hosts. The tournament will be Qatar’s last before the 20222022 World Cup and the tiny butbut wealthyw Arab state will looklook toto better their best-ever Asian CupC show of reaching Qatari player thethe quarter-finals.qua Abdelkarim FelixFeli Sanchez’s men Hassan (left) would hopeho to advance deep takes part inin thethe tournament,tourna having been in a practice boostedboosted by twotw stellar perform- session with ances in recentre international team-mates. friendliesfriendlies againstaga Switzerland and Qatar coach Felix Sanchez Iceland.Iceland. 06 SPORT SUNDAY 30 DECEMBER 2018 The Centre Court at the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha. The Qatar ExxonMobil Open starts at the same venue tomorrow. Djokovic clinches Wawrinka faces tough test fourth Mubadala title AFP as Djokovic gets easy draw ABU DHABI ARMSTRONG VAS Tomas Berdych is one of the two World number one Novak THE PENINSULA star players who arrived early Djokovic won a fourth in Doha to get use to the local Mubadala World Tennis Grand Slams star Stan conditions. Championship title yesterday, Wawrinka - seeking to bounce Djokovic, tops the entry list coming back from a set down back to top-10 - faces an uphill of star players at this year’s to beat Kevin Anderson 4-6, task to his Qatar Open campaign event and will be joined by the 7-5, 7-5. as top seed Novak Djokovic, the likes Dominic Thiem of Austria, Djokovic claimed victory 2018 Wimbledon and US Open Nikolov Basilashvili of Georgia, on a fifth match point against champion, was yesterday David Goffin of Belgium, Italian his South African opponent handed a relatively easy draw. Marco Cecchinato, Spaniards who won the pre-season The former World No.3 from Roberto Bautista Agut and exhibition tournament in Switzerland, a runner-up at the Fernando Verdasco, who are the 2018. 2008 edition, faces World No.11 seeded players at the $1.4m The 31-year-old Djokovic Karen Khachanov of Russia in tournament. previously claimed the three- the first round tie while World Second seed Thiem will face day event in the UAE in 2011, No. 1 Djokovic starts his Qatar World No. 55 Pierre-Hugues 2012 and 2013 and has now campaign against No. 26 Damir Herbert of France, who is matched Rafael Nadal’s Dzumhur from Bosnia. making his Doha debut. The record of four titles. The draw ceremony for the Frenchman is looking forward “I’m a bit tired. We ATP World Tour 250 series tour- to the challenge of facing Thiem. weren’t expecting to play two nament which kicks off from “Yes I do have a tough draw. hours and 30 minutes just tomorrow at the Khalifa Interna- Not easy to play the second seed before the start of the tional Tennis and Squash in the first round. Dominic season,” said Djokovic who Robin Haase of the Netherlands, Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France, Complex was held yesterday. The (Thiem) is an amazing player, with the winner taking on is building towards an assault Marius Copil of Romania and Marco Cecchinato of Italy during event ends on January 5, 2019. he finished the year among the Djokovic. Copil, one of the four on a possible seventh Aus- Wawrinka, who underwent top ten, so a tough opponent to players present for yesterday’s the draw ceremony in Doha tralian Open title next month. two surgeries to treat a knee beat but i am looking forward draw ceremony, said facing his cartilage injury in August 2017 to this match and will give my double partner and friend Fuc- had slipped to ATP Rank of 263 best,” Herbert said yesterday. sovics will be a ‘tough task’. in June but has since bounced Herbert said he is determined “We were a few hours late back to 66. to give his best in the new season in registering as a double pair in Tough matches expected Wawrinka has shown that and notch his first ATP title. Qatar so we would not be he is well on his way to returning “Last year I came close to playing together the doubles. We to his very best and he will keen winning the title. Hopefully I will had to switch partners for the to do well in Doha. win my first ATP Tour title this double event in Qatar. We will at Qatar ExxonMobil Throughout 2018, Wawrinka season.