NHL League set for Phelps suspended smooth start to for six months 2014-15 season WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER17 8, 2014 19 NCAA needs to drop anti-celebration rule Page 15 SHANGHAI: Andy Murray of Britain returns a shot to Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia during the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament. — AP Murray wins Shanghai opener SHANGHAI: Andy Murray’s bid to make the end of season The Briton finally drew the scores level to 5-5 after he said Wang. “I practised with him in Beijing, so I knew a bit Qizhong Tennis Center. ATP World Tour Finals remains on course as he powered forced Gabashvili to drag his shot wide as the pair engaged about him.” “I was in the hospital on Sunday,” said Nadal who begins through his Shanghai Masters opener yesterday, defeating in a tense rally. Elsewhere, 12th seed Ernests Gulbis came up against a his Shanghai campaign against compatriot Feliciano Lopez Russia’s Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-1, 7-5. The 27-year-old Scot Gabashvili’s confidence then evaporated and Murray serving masterclass from his opponent Mikhail Youzhny, today. “Yesterday the nurse came to my room to give me is desperate to book his place in next month’s tournament, took the next game without dropping a point, before who dropped just 10 points on serve to dump out the the treatment again. Today I was at the hospital in the which features the world’s top eight players, and would charging to 40-0 in his opponent’s final service game. He Latvian in two sets. morning again. I had again the antibiotics. It seems like need a deep run in Shanghai to help his cause. then sealed victory on his second match-point. Murray The Russian world number 35 — who had previously everything is under control now. “I’m not going to go for The 11th seed in Shanghai, who is currently ninth in the made the semi-finals at the China Open last week, losing to not won a match on the ATP Tour in three attempts-con- surgery. That’s great news for me today. That’s why I’m here Race for London, took one hour 25 minutes to overcome a dominant Novak Djokovic after beating US Open champi- verted three of his four break points to win 6-4, 6-1. practising for 45 minutes and trying to play tomorrow. But the 29-year-old qualifier in a game in which he got off to a on Marin Cilic convincingly in the quarters. Canada’s Vasek Pospisil squandered a 5-2 lead in a sec- obviously I am not in my best condition. flying start. He is aiming to win his second title in China this year ond set tie-break as his opponent Santiago Giraldo forced a “The positive thing is I am feeling better today than yes- Murray raced to 4-0 ahead without dropping a point in after winning the ATP World Tour 250 Shenzhen Open at decider in their match. But the 44th ranked player fought terday. Yesterday I felt a little bit better than the day before. his first two service games in a remorseless show of deter- the end of last month. back ruthlessly to wrap up a 6-2, 6-7(5/7), 6-1 victory. I hope tomorrow I will feel better than today.” mination. Both players traded serves in the first two games Meanwhile, Fabio Fognini, the 17th ranked player in the Meanwhile, Rafa Nadal will play in this week’s Shanghai Nadal said he would consult his doctors back in Mallorca of the second set, before Gabashvili took a 4-2 lead after world, suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of 553- Masters despite being diagnosed with appendicitis which before deciding when to remove his appendix. “I have to Murray hit a routine return into the net. ranked Wang Chuhan of China, who showed great compo- will require a surgery, the world number two said yesterday. talk with my doctors when I get back home. It is true that Murray, a two time winner in Shanghai, fought back two sure under pressure to seal a 7-6(7/5), 6-4 victory. The Spaniard went to hospital on Sunday after com- the doctor here told me that (eventually) I have to take it games later, gaining two break points which were saved as The 22-year-old wildcard saved four of the five break plaining of stomach pains and was given antibiotics which out. Because when you have it once, the normal thing is his opponent played with confidence, sensing an upset points he faced against the Italian 15th seed. “I wanted to seem to have worked as the 28-year-old, after two days of that it is going to come back. Sooner or later I have to take could be on the cards win this match, but I never actually thought I could do it,” resting in his hotel room, had a 45-minute practice at the it out.” — Agencies Australia rout Pakistan DUBAI: Steven Smith scored a maiden one day hun- dred while paceman Mitchell Johnson took three wick- SCOREBOARD ets to help Australia beat Pakistan by 93 runs in the first day-night international yesterday. DUBAI: Scoreboard of the first day-night international between Smith, who had never scored a half-century in one- Pakistan and Australia played at Sharjah stadium yesterday. day games before, managed a sedate 118-ball 101 to Australia guide Australia to a challenging 255-8 before bowlers A. Finch c Shahzad b Irfan 0 D. Warner c Akmal b Afridi 43 exposed Pakistan’s fragile batting to bowl them out for S. Smith Riaz b Afridi 101 162 in 36.3 overs at Sharjah stadium. G. Bailey c Afridi b Alam 18 Johnson (3-24) combined with off-spinners Glenn G. Maxwell c Irfan b Babar 21 Maxwell (2-29) and Nathan Lyon (2-33) bowled with F. Faulkner lbw b Afridi 11 B. Haddin not out 23 venom and guile to derail Pakistan’s chase for Australia’s S. Abbott c Ali b Riaz 3 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Only Umar Akmal 46 M. Johnson b Riaz 21 and Sarfraz Ahmed (34) offered some resistance in a K. Richardson not out 2 poor batting display. Pakistan lost opener Ahmed Extras: (lb3, w9) 12 Total: (for eight wkts; 50 overs) 255 Shahzad early for four but make-shift opener Ahmed Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Finch), 2-86 (Warner), 3- 123 (Bailey), 4-158 and Asad Shafiq (13) put on 50 for the second wicket (Maxwell), 5-196 (Faulkner), 6-216 (Smith), 7-221 (Abbott), 8- before Pakistan lost three wickets for just four runs. 253 (Johnson) Lyon had Sarfraz caught behind off a miscued sweep Bowling: Irfan 10-2-35-1 (1w), Riaz 10-0-61-2 (7w), Babar 9-0- 35-1, Ali 8-0-52-0 (1w), Afridi 10-0-46-3, Alam 3-0-23-1 and the next ball had Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul Haq, playing in his 150th one day international, caught at SHARJAH: Pakistani batsman Fawad Alam (left) prepares to play a shot during their first One Day International cricket match Pakistan leg-slip by a diving David Warner. against Australia yesterday.— AFP Ahmed Shahzad c Smith b Johnson 4 Johnson, who had recovered fully from a rib injury, Sarfraz Ahmed c Haddin b Lyon 34 turn a bit, our spinners were effective, good pace from ond wicket stand with Warner (43) and another 37 with Asad Shafiq c Haddin b Johnson 3 then had Shafiq off a rising delivery to leave Pakistan the quicks, backed up well in the field,” said Bailey. Bailey (18) for the third wicket. Warner fell to Afridi while Misbah-ul Haq c Warner b Lyon 0 reeling at 63-4. Misbah was left rueing another poor batting per- Bailey holed out to part-time spinner Alam. Dashing all- Fawad Alam c Warner b Maxwell 7 Akmal and Fawad Alam (seven) were all at sea formance by his team. “The kind of batting performance rounder Maxwell (21) failed to take advantage of two Umar Akmal b Richardson 46 against some vicious spin from Lyon as runs were hard Shahid Afridi c Faulkner b Abbott 5 we have had, we need to do a lot of things to improve,” dropped catches as he gave away his wicket to debu- Anwar Ali c Haddin b Johnson 8 to come by. As the pressure built up Alam fell to Glenn said Misbah. tant spinner Zulfiqar Babar. Wahab Riaz c and b Maxwell 5 Maxwell while Shahid Afridi made just five before hol- “Nobody is getting scores right from the top. That is a Afridi was the best Pakistani bowler with 3-46, after Zulfiqar Babar not out 12 ing out off Sean Abbott. big worry for us. We need to come to the next game going wicket-less in his last six matches. Smith too Mohammad Irfan run out 12 Allrounder Anwar Ali made just eight before being Extras: (b4, lb5, w7) 16 with a positive attitude.” It was Smith who helped holed out off Afridi in the 45th over, leaving Haddin Total: (all out; 36.3 overs) 162 caught by Brad Haddin off Johnson to cap a good Australia recover from a poor start in an innings stud- (23 not out) and Johnson (21) to add the final touches. Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Shahzad), 2-59 (Ahmed), 3-59 (Misbah), 4- return for the bowler. ded with six boundaries and two sixes.