SPORTS Saturday, February 17, 2018 23 Cort sprints to victory Bahrain-Merida’s Giovanni Visconti clinches second place Muscat agnus Cort (Astana) sprinted to victory on stage 4 of the , beating Bahrain- Results MMerida’s Giovanni Visconti and Alberto Bettiol (BMC) to the line at the Ministry of Stage four: Yiti (Al Sifah) to Ministry of Tourism, 117.5km Tourism. 1. Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Astana, in 2 hrs 57 min 36 secs The stage included three laps over the stiff climb of Al Jabal Street, which meant that a 2. Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Bahrain-Merida reduced peloton contested the sprint finish. 3. Alberto Bettiol (Ita) BMC Racing Peter Stetina (Trek-Segafredo) led the race by 30 seconds on the approach to the final ascent 4. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing of Al Jabal Street, having dropped his breakaway companion Jacques Janse Van Rensburg 5. Rui Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates (Dimension Data), but the searing pace in the bunch behind meant that the American was 6. Nathan Haas (Aus) Katusha-Alpecin brought to heel before the summit. 7. Mark Christian (GBr) Aqua Blue Sport Bahrain-Merida’s leader Vincenzo Nibali was among the riders to accelerate on the final 8. Merhawi Kudus (Eri) Dimension Data time up the climb, but Astana’s pace-making meant that it was difficult for any rider to go clear. 9. Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) Wanty-Groupe Gobert Gorka Izagirre led Astana’s Alexey Lutsenko and Miguel Angel Lopez over the top, but the 10. Jesus Herrada (Esp) , all same time Basque was unable to get away. General classification On the run-in to the line, both Astana and the BMC team of race leader Greg Van Avermaet 1. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing, in 15 hrs 54 min 20 secs worked to ensure the 26-strong leading group came to the finish together. 2. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana, at 9 secs Cort, who performed so well at the Dubai Tour last week, delivered a powerful sprint to 3. Nathan Haas (Aus) Katusha-Alpecin, at 13 secs claim the stage honours, while Visconti beat Bettiol to second. 4. Gorka Izagirre (Esp) Bahrain-Merida, at 19 secs Van Avermaet retains the red jersey after placing fourth ahead of Rui Costa (UAE-Team 5. Miguel Angel Lopez (Col) Astana, at 24 secs Magnus Cort celebrates Emirates) and stage 2 winner Nathan Haas (Katusha-Alpecin). (Cyclingnews) (Pic courtesy: Velonews) I’m still not at Kerber fends off Konta to my best’: Froome round out Doha q’finals Doha trying to go for it in the third event since ngelique Kerber came back set.” her Australian from a set down to edge past The German’s victory Open second AJohanna Konta 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 and against the No.11-ranked round exit. book a quarterfinal clash with Konta extends her 2018 record She came World No.1 against Top 20 players to 4-1, into the matchup at the Qatar Total Open. after notching wins over No.5 trailing 1-2 in the “I think in the first set I was and No.19 pair’s head-to-head not playing my and en route to record, with Kerber needed a bit of time to find lifting the trophy in winning both of their my rhythm,” Kerber said in her and beating No.20 Madison previous two on-court interview. Keys during her Australian matches but bolstered “From the second set I was Open semifinal run. by a win in their trying to play my game, playing Her opponent, No.10 seed most recent point by point. It’s always tough Konta, was making her Doha clash in 2017 to play against Johanna, she’s tournament debut this year . such a good player so I was and competing in her first (Wtatennis) Wozniacki complains about opponent’s grunting Doha “I just tried orld number one to let him [the Caroline Wozniacki umpire] know to Chris Froome (file pic) hasW complained about pay attention to her ’s grunting because she’ll Andalusia “disturbing” grunting after hit the ball and two hris Froome says that he is still not at his best coming into the beating her in the third seconds later when the 2018 season with the ongoing investigation into his adverse round at the Qatar Open. ball is on my side and analyticalC finding at the Vuelta a España. The I’m right about to hit, Team Sky‘s star, even if not at his best, still managed to ride to champion won 7-5 6-1 but she’ll start grunting seventh on the summit finish stage in the Ruta del Sol yesterday accused the Romanian of and make a noise, and in Andalusia, Spain. In addition, team-mate Wout Poels won and making too much noise she’ll change the grunt took the race lead. and spoke to the umpire. according to what she In Portugal a few hours later at the Volta ao Algarve, Sky’s Wozniacki, 27, feels like,” Wozniacki Michal Kwiatkowski won stage two and Geraint Thomas, finishing continued her criticism claimed. serves (Pic courtesy: third, donned the leader’s jersey. off-court, calling Niculescu “It’s disturbing. It’s in Xinhua) Attention, however, was on four-time Tour de France winner “a player that tries to get the rules that they’re not Chris Froome’s season debut in Spain, his first race since news into your head”. supposed to do that so I of the UCI anti-doping investigation into his test at the Vuelta The WTA has said was just making sure a España broke in December. He won this five-day stage race in umpires can act on the umpire was paying 2015, launching a season that included his second Tour title. grunting if it is deemed attention to that. And “I called it pretty early,” Froome explained. “I said to the guys, Caroline Wozniaki of Denmark hits a return to affect an opponent she stopped doing that ‘We need to get behind Wout here.’ I’m not feeling my absolute through a ‘deliberate act’. after.” (BBC) best and obviously it’s my first race.” (Cyclingweekly)