CCRICKETRICKET | Page 7 ATHLETICS | Page 6 ‘Never felt Semenya loses so calm’, appeal against says Kohli CAS ruling over ahead of IPL testosterone Wednesay, September 9, 2020 BOTTOMLINE Muharram 21, 1442 AH Mother’s daughter: GULF TIMES Serena to teach Olympia tennis SPORT Page 2 FOOTBALL/QNB STARS LEAGUE Benyettou nets as Wakrah shock champions Duhail Al Ahli beat Al Arabi 2-0, while Umm Salal and Al Khor play out a goalless draw in the second week of the tournament By Sports Reporter Doha ohamed Benyettou scored the only goal of the match as Al Wakrah shocked Mreigning champions Al Du- hail in Week 2 of the 2020-21 QNB Stars League at the Education City Stadium yesterday. Benyettou scored the all-important goal in the 11th minute, as Al Wakrah put behind their 1-2 loss to Al Ahli in Week 1. Al Duhail, who had beaten Umm Salal 3-0 in their opener, will now head into the 2020 AFC Champions League, which will resume on September 14 with all West Zone matches being scheduled in Doha. Al Duhail were on the attack from beginning, whereas Al Wakrah took time to settle down. New recruit Ramin Rezaein skied a shot in the fi fth minute to signal The Red Knights’ intentions. Almoez Ali, Mohamed Muntari, an- other new signing Eduardo Rodriguez (Dudu) all looked like making up for the injury-forced absences of Ka- Mohamed Benyettou of Al Wakrah (9) is congratulated by Riadh Nasir after he scored against Al Duhail yesterday. Al Ahli’s Jasem Mohamed Omer (left) and Al Arabi’s Mohamed Salah Elneel vie rim Boudiaf, Edmilson Junior, Yousef for the ball during the QNB Stars League match at the Hamad Bin Khalifa Msakni, Bassam al-Rawi and Assim The Blue Wave goalkeeper Saoud al- Al Wakrah resorted to counter-attacks. points, having earlier held Al Arabi to a Stadium yesterday. Madibo. Khater had an outstanding game below Mehdi Benatia’s shot which was 2-2 draw. However, it was Al Wakrah who got the bar as Al Duhail failed to score a palmed away by al-Khater in stoppage Umm Salal made the fi rst attempt Both teams continued to make a aged to stay in the top fl ight by defeat- into the scoring act, with Benyettou, goal. time best spoke about the proceedings at the goal in the fourth minute with a breakthrough in the second half. ing Al Markhiya 2-0 in play-off . one of the top scorers in last season’s The script was no diff erent in the as Al Wakrah coasted to a famous vic- shot from Yannick Sagbo, who is back Around the 70th minute, Sagbo The play-off pitted 11th-placed team QNB Stars League, fi nding the target second half. Al Duhail’s Ali Afi f, Ismail tory. in their fold this season. However, Al missed an opportunity to score as his in the QNB Stars League against Sec- capitalising on a mistake by the Al Du- Mohamed and Abdelrahman Mohamed In another match, Umm Salal and Al Khor goalkeeper Baba Djibril saved it. bicycle kick, off a pass from Walid ond Division runners-up of 2019-20 hail defence, especially Luis Martin. came off the bench to give impetus to Khor shared points following a goalless Al Khor’s fi rst opportunity came in Mesloub, went narrowly wide. season. Al Wakrah then tightened their de- their attack. Mohammed Moosa also draw at the Al Ahli Stadium on Tues- the 11th minute when Ibrahim Amada The striker from Ivory Coast soon In the third match of the day, Al Ahli fence, with Ali Karami, Lucas Mendes, took the fi eld to strengthen their de- day. dodged more than one player in the headed wide. Umm Salal’s Mesloub beat Al Arabi 2-0. Hamdi Harboui net- Ousmane Coulibaly and Murad Naji fence, but to no avail. It was the fi rst point of Umm Salal, Umm Salal defence and passed the ball and Kesse Amangoua too made tries at ted an own goal to give Al Ahli the lead staying strong against an onslaught of Walid Regragui’s wards did every- who had lost 0-3 to Al Duhail in their to Said Brahimi at the goal, but the lat- the goal. in the 58th minute, while a Nabil El Zahr attacks by Al Duhail. thing as the game wore on. Meanwhile, opener, while Al Khor moved on to two ter hit wide of the target. It may be recalled that Al Khor man- strike consolidated two minutes later. TENNIS/ US OPEN Brady routs Putintseva to reach Open semis Reuters Up next for Brady will be the winner New York of the clash between former champion Done crying aft er loss, Kenin Naomi Osaka, the fourth seed, and un- seeded American Shelby Rogers. keen to look at brighter side merican upstart Jennifer On Monday as top men’s seeds Do- Brady continued her surpris- minic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev New York: Sofia Kenin said she was al- ing surge at the US Open with Jennifer Brady of the United sailed through to the last eight at ready done crying over her one-sided Aa 6-3 6-2 victory over Kaza- States reacts during her Flushing Meadows. loss to Elise Mertens in the fourth khstan’s Yulia Putintseva yesterday to quarter-final against Yulia Thiem raced into the round of eight round of the US Open on Monday and reach her fi rst Grand Slam semi-fi nal. Putintseva of Kazakhstan at with a three-set demolition of Cana- the second seed will instead focus on The 28th-seeded Brady, who has yet the US Open yesterday. dian rising star Felix Auger-Aliassime. the positives from her campaign at her to drop a set at this year’s US Open, Thiem dismantled the 20-year- home Grand Slam. used her massive forehand and impres- old 15th seed 7-6 (7/4), 6-1, 6-1 in 2hr Australian Open champion Kenin, 21, sive court coverage to deny Putintseva 7min. had not dropped a set, won 26 of her in her bid to become the fi rst Kazakh “I played a great match today, the 28 service games and was the highest woman to reach the fi nal four of any best one from my whole America trip,” surviving seed at Flushing Meadows major. said Thiem. He will play Australia’s coming into Monday’s match against “I came out with nerves obviously... 21st seed Alex de Minaur for a spot in an opponent she had defeated both so I just tried to treat it like all the other the semi-fi nals after the Australian times in their previous meetings. matches and pretend like it was a fi rst- breezed past unseeded Canadian Vasek But an error prone performance Elise Mertens of Belgium celebrates round match,” said Brady. Pospisil 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 6-2, in 2hr 17 under the lights at the Arthur Ashe match point during her match “I was happy with the way I started min. Stadium court from Kenin meant 16th against Sofia Kenin on Monday. and I think I was able to keep the mo- Third seed Medvedev blew away un- seed Mertens barely felt any pressure mentum and build off that.” seeded American France Tiafoe 6-4, during a 6-3 6-3 win in less than 75 in Melbourne at the start of the year Brady, whose lead-up to the US Open 6-1, 6-0 in only 1hr 38 min. minutes. and then added a WTA title in Lyon, included a maiden WTA title at Lexing- “I’m pleased with the fact that I’ve “I did better at US Open than I usually days before the circuit came to a halt ton, had all facets of her game clicking won all of these sets and didn’t have to do, fourth round, that’s better,” Kenin, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. early as she broke twice on the Arthur stay long on the court. who lost in the third round in the She had largely flown under the radar Ashe Stadium court to race to a 4-0 That’s always good when you’re previous three editions at Flushing at the US Open amid her more illustri- lead before wrapping up the fi rst set in playing a Grand Slam,” said the Rus- Meadows, told reporters in a video ous compatriots like Serena Williams. 34 minutes. sian. Medvedev will face compatriot conference. The Russian-born Kenin was already Putintseva, seeded 23rd, had no an- Andrey Rublev for a spot in the last “This is not funny, but somehow you looking forward to the claycourt swing swer in the second set as Brady broke four after the 10th seed ousted Italy’s have to joke around. I’m going to take in Rome and the French Open in Paris, three times for a 5-2 lead before secur- was like I really hope it is out. season. sixth seed Matteo Berrettini 4-6, 6-3, the positives from here, try to forget and said she will leave for Europe in ing the win on her fi rst match point I didn’t want to play another point “Last couple of times I played her I 6-3, 6-3. The men’s competition was this match. Yeah, I cried after already. a few days. “I hate losing,” she said. when she successfully challenged a after that to be honest.” Brady, 25, en- got caught into playing her game,” said blown wide open on Sunday after Just trying to hold it back right now.