SUNDAY, JANUARY 3, 2016 SPORTS Djokovic begins 2016 season in Qatar DOHA: Six weeks after completing one of competition to take three majors, make form at my best in this season opening months ago when he crashed out in the statement released ahead of the tourna- the greatest seasons in tennis history, 15 consecutive tour finals and win more tournament, stay tuned!” first round, losing to Germany’s Michael ment. Also playing this year are the world Novak Djokovic begins his 2016 campaign than $21 million (19 million euros) in prize Last year though, Doha represented Berrer in three sets. number 29 Andreas Seppi and Argentina’s and warm-up for his Australian Open money. He also became the third man to one of his rare failures. The big serving The previous year, Nadal, 29, had won Leonardo Meyer, ranked 35. defence in Qatar. The Serbian, also cur- reach all four Grand Slam finals in a year, Croatian Ivo Karlovic beat him in three in Qatar. The Qatar Open is played outdoors on rent holder of Wimbledon and the US losing out only in the French Open to Stan seats in the quarter-finals. a hard court and lasts from January 4-9. Open, heads a strong field at the Qatar Wawrinka. Given his achievements last The other big story in Doha is Rafael BIG PRIZE MONEY Temperatures for the week are predict- Open starting in Doha tomorrow, which season, Djokovic must be looking to Nadal. Now the world number five, Qatar This year’s defending champion is ed to be around the low 20s Celsius, (high also includes Rafael Nadal, Tomas Berdych become the first player since Rod Laver, in should give some indication if the Nadal’s dogged compatriot David Ferrer, 60s, low 70s Fahrenheit). and defending champion David Ferrer. All 1969, to win all four Grand Slams in a sin- Spaniard is returning to form as he sug- so he may feel himself a little unlucky to Given the riches of Qatar, it is unsur- eyes though, at least at the start, will be gle season. gested he might be at the end of last sea- be seeded fourth. Ferrer beat the Czech prising that total prize money for the on Djokovic to see if he can maintain the There is also the extra prize of a “fifth son. Nadal said he’s had a great pre-sea- Berdych, this year’s number three seed, in event is $1,189,605, the largest purse for exceptional heights he achieved last year major” this season, with an Olympics gold son training at home in Mallorca and told straight sets in January 2015, one of five an ATP World Tour 250 event. The draw and to gauge his form ahead of the first medal up for grabs in Rio in August. “Here journalists in the UAE at the end of last tournaments he won last year as the 33- for the first round takes place on January Grand Slam of the year, which begins in we come again to a new season,” Djokovic month that he aims to be “very competi- year-old showed no signs of slowing 2. The tournament has been held since Melbourne on January 18. said in an upbeat statement before arriv- tive” during 2016. down. 1993 when a 25-year-old Boris Becker tri- The 28-year-old dominated men’s ten- ing in Qatar on December 30. He is the number two seed in Doha “I will be there to defend my title and I umphed beating Goran Ivanisevic in the nis last year, all but sweeping away the “I’m so excited to come back and per- and could barely do worse than he did 12 hope I will be able to do so,” he said in a final in three sets. — AFP Tough tennis act to follow: Can Serena dominate again? BRISBANE: There may be no tougher act HIGH-QUALITY MATCH to follow in any sport in 2016 than Andy Murray and Heather Watson, Serena Williams’ attempt to match her representing Britain, also play their open- nearly perfect season of tennis last year. ing match Monday against France’s Williams, who won the first three Caroline Garcia and Kenny De Schepper. majors in 2015 and lost in the US Open The Hopman Cup begins today when the semifinals - 26 consecutive wins in Australia Green team - Nick Kyrgios and majors, just missing a calendar-year Daria Gavrilova - play Germany’s Sabine Grand Slam - will begin that attempt Lisicki and Alexander Zverev. In the other when she teams with Jack Sock for the match, the Australia Gold team, featuring American team at the Hopman Cup in Lleyton Hewitt, who will retire after the Perth, Western Australia. Australian Open, and Jarmila Gajdosova, The Americans play their first match play Karolina Pliskova and Jiri Vesely of Monday against Ukraine. The tourna- Czech Republic. ment is part of the Australian Open At Brisbane, top-seeded Federer and Series that includes the Brisbane second-seeded Kei Nishikori are among International, which begins today and those with first-round byes, while includes defending champions Roger Sharapova will play fellow Russian Federer and Maria Sharapova, and next Ekaterina Makarova in a replay of last week’s Sydney International and Hobart year’s Australian Open semifinal. International, culminating in the start of “For a first match, it’s a pretty high- the Australian Open on Jan. 18 at quality match against a pretty tough Melbourne Park. opponent,” Sharapova said. In between, Auckland, New Zealand Sharapova and top-seeded Simona will also host separate women’s and Halep are both in the top half of the men’s tournaments over the next two Brisbane draw. Halep, after a first-round weeks. This week, Shenzen, China hosts a bye, could face two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, who WTA tournament and Doha, Qatar plays a qualifier in the first round, in the (Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are the second round. Garbine Muguruza is the headliners) and Chennai, India (with Stan No. 2 seed. Sharapova said the hot and Wawrinka) hold ATP events. humid weather in subtropical Brisbane is Last year, Williams began her 53-3, the perfect preparation for the often FOXBORO: Tuukka Rask #40 of the Boston Bruins makes a save in the third period against Paul Byron #41 of the Montreal Canadiens during the five-title season with a win over scorching conditions in Melbourne dur- 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium on Friday in Foxboro, Massachusetts. — AFP Sharapova in the Australian Open final. ing the Australian Open. She followed that with a win on clay in “I started this event quite late in my the French Open and on grass at career, but once I did I just felt it was the Wimbledon before losing in a shocking Canadiens spoil Boston’s best preparation I could have going into upset to Roberta Vinci in the US Open the first Grand Slam,” Sharapova said. semifinals. Federer arrived in Brisbane yesterday. Williams and playing partner John The 34-year-old Swiss, winner of a record outdoor party in 5-1 rout Isner lost in the Hopman Cup final last 17 Grand Slams, won his last major at year. Her singles opponent in Perth on Wimbledon in 2012. Novak Djokovic won Monday, Elina Svitolina, is winless in FOXBOROUGH: Boston native Mike Condon saves to help Vancouver beat Anaheim. injury. three Grand Slam titles last year while stopped 27 shots to lead the Montreal Burrows whipped a shot past Frederik Kesler, a former Canuck, put Anaheim ahead three matches against Federer’s best efforts were reaching the Canadiens to a 5-1 victory over the Boston Andersen, and then Markstrom stopped Ryan 7:24 into the second period on a power play. Williams, who was named Associated Wimbledon and US Open finals. Bruins on Friday in the Winter Classic at the Kesler, Jakob Silfverberg and Corey Perry to end Kesler was checked down by Matt Bartkowski Press female athlete of 2015. The “I’ve come so close, I’ve played very home of the Super Bowl champion New England Anaheim’s three-game win streak. while taking in a feed from Chris Stewart atop Ukrainian, who will team with Alexandr well, but I don’t feel any frustration Patriots. Christopher Tanev tied it with 9:36 left on a the crease but still tipped the puck in past Dolgopolov, says it’s always best to try to because of it,” Federer said. “I’m still hap- Paul Byron scored twice, and Brendan wrist shot from the blue line that slipped Markstrom. get to Williams early in a match. py with how I’m playing. It was Novak’s Gallagher returned from two broken fingers and through traffic and past Andersen. Tanev had The Canucks won for the first time this season “Sometimes she starts slowly,” year ...” “But at the same time I don’t feel had a goal and an assist for Montreal. David missed the previous two games with a foot when trailing after two periods.— AP Svitolina said. “It makes it really tough sorry for myself. I’ve won so much Desharnais and Max Pacioretty also scored for because you never know if she’s going to throughout my career, I feel like if I keep the Canadiens. NHL results/standings serve an ace, or a double fault, or it’s pushing forward it might happen. If not, Tuukka Rask stopped 25 shots for the Bruins, going to be a normal point.” it’s OK.” — AP and Matt Beleskey scored in the third period to Vancouver 2, Anaheim 1 (SO); Boston 1, Montreal 5 avert the first shutout in Winter Classic history.