Sports Monday, March 9, 2020 15 Davis Cup China’s Zhendong, Meng rule at ITTF Qatar Open ITTF/TNN DOHA CHINA’S Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng emerged the re- spective men’s and women’s singles champions at the 2020 ITTF World Tour Platinum All over for India’s Leander Paes in Davis Cup. Qatar Open in Doha. Success for Fan Zhendong, once again he proved himself safe and secure; underling the Paes’ 30-year dream fact that currently he is surely the most consistent player on planet earth. ends as Ecuador, Italy On the concluding day, Zhendong battled players who had nothing to lose; he was enjoy empty feeling rock solid in his semi-final win against Wang Chuqin (7- AFP good after the US Open in Sep- 11, 8-11, 11-6. 14-12, 11-7, 11-9) PARIS tember, Bob Bryan said they and in the final when facing were pleased to have a chance England’s Liam Pitchford (11- INDIA’S Leander Paes went to end a Davis Cup career that 9, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 6-11, 11-7). down fighting as his dream of began in 2003 on a high note. Having won three men’s crowning his 30-year Davis “We’ve played some of the singles titles in succession on Cup career with a place at the most important matches of the 2019 ITTF World Tour in finals ended on Saturday while our lives (in Davis Cup),” he Japan, South Korea and Aus- Ecuador and Italy reached told daviscup.com. “These are tralia, as well as earlier this the November showpiece, the matches we’ll remember. year claiming gold in Germa- triumphing in empty arenas Today was a great way to end ny. Xu Xin, having never pre- locked down because of the this part of our career.” viously lost to Liam Pitchford, coronavirus crisis. John Millman was Aus- was odds on favourite in the Men’s champion Fan Zhengdong of China and runners-up Liam Pitchford of England on the podium at Aspire Dome on Sunday. Paes, 46, has played for tralia’s star in Adelaide, wear- men’s singles semis clash. India in every Davis Cup sea- ing down Thiago Monteiro 6-7 Time and again we see tober when she was soundly son bar one since his debut in (6/8), 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/3) to Chinese players make a good beaten in the second round 1990 but went to the qualifier give the 28-time champions start; their technique is so well at the 2019 ITTF World Tour tie in Zagreb against two-time victory over Brazil. honed they relax and move to Platinum German Open by Sin- champions Croatia having al- Ecuador swept past Japan new heights. They become an gapore’s Feng Tianwei (11-6, ready announced that 2020 in Miki in a tie played behind unstoppable juggernaut but 11-2, 11-4, 11-8). Meng has now would be his last year on tour. closed doors due to fears over stay close, believe, ask ques- gone 150 days without defeat. With India trailing 2-0 the spread of the coronavirus. tions and like anyone else they China’s Ma Long and Xu overnight, Paes rolled back the The hosts were without feel the pressure, they become Xin claimed the gold in the years, linking up with 40-year- injury-hit Kei Nishikori and their adversary’s equal. Liam men’s doubles event, beating old Rohan Bopanna to defeat Yoshihito Nishioka, who de- Pitchford proved the point, England’s Paul Drinkhall and Mate Pavic and Franko Sku- cided not to join his team to in a crisis they can make mis- Pitchford 3-1 (11-8, 8-11, 11-1, gor 6-3, 6-7 (9/11), 7-5 to keep avoid a possible virus quar- takes like anyone else. 11-6) in the final. their country’s faint hopes of antine on his return to the Chen Meng underlined the Top seeds Japan’s Jun Mi- making the finals alive. United States. fact that she is the complete zutani and Mima Ito secured However, former US Open Gonzalo Escobar and player, she beat Mima Ito in mixed doubles gold defeating champion Marin Cilic then Diego Hidalgo outplayed Ben the final in emphatic style (3- China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun ruthlessly crushed that ambi- McLachlan and Yasutaka 11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7, 11-7). Yingsha 3-1 (11-8, 7-11, 11-4, tion with a quickfire 6-0, 6-1 Uchiyama 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 to Not only did she display 15-13) in the mixed doubles fi- demolition of Sumit Nagal. give Ecuador, without a sin- perfection in her technical nal, while China’s Wang Man- “This was going to be my gles player in the world top skills, mentally she was sound; yu and Zhu Yuling, the No. 2 last match but the captain 150, a shock victory. she maintained her perfect re- seeds, beat top seeds Japan’s (Rohit Rajpal) said something Uchiyama said it was hard cord against the player who has Women’s singles champion Chen Meng with runner-up Mima Ito and officials at the presentation ceremony. Miyuu Kihara and Miyu Naga- to me after the match,” Paes to concentrate while playing in a been touted to be the greatest saki 3-1 (11-4, 7-11, 11-8, 11-9) told daviscup.com, hinting nearly empty arena, “but I don’t threat to Chinese excellence. being the top seed, she fulfilled in such company. women’s singles match on the to secure the women’s doubles that he could still play in the want to use it as an excuse”. She was expected to win expectations; that’s never easy The last time she lost a international stage was in Oc- top prize. September play-offs. A limited number of jour- “I will leave it to the cap- nalists and backroom staff tain because whoever plays, were permitted to enter the the best thing needs to be done arena once they had their body and the best decision needs to temperature checked. be made.” Italy shrugged off the ab- Qatar Gymnastics Federation hosts club championship It was a sweet Davis Cup sence of fans in Cagliari to farewell for US doubles duo defeat South Korea with Fabio TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK horse, parallel bars and rings. Bob and Mike Bryan in Hawaii. Fognini and Simone Bolelli DOHA The event was attended by The twin brothers, play- easily beating Nam Ji-sung Ali al Hitmi, President of the ing what they said would be and Song Min-kyu 6-3, 6-1 in THE Qatar Gymastics Fed- QGF, and heads of the clubs of their last Davis Cup tie, de- the doubles to seal their place eration successfully hosted the Iraq and Oman. feated Sanjar Fayziev and in the Madrid finals. Gymnastics Club Champion- Hitmi thanked the heads Denis Istomin 6-3, 6-4 in just “Fabio was very calm, ship, which was held for the of the delegations. He also 67 minutes to give the United very collected. We joked that first time in Qatar, with the thanked championship com- States an unassailable 3-0 lead maybe he should play behind participation of clubs from mittees’ members, in par- over Uzbekistan. closed doors all the time,” said Iraq, Oman, and Qatar. As ticular Samira Saeed, the ad- Reilly Opelka had beaten Italian tennis federation match many as 83 gymnasts from ministrative director of the Istomin 6-2, 7-5 and Taylor Fritz director Sergio Palmieri. Qatar Academic Club, Qatar tournament, Mazen Taha, beat Fayziev 6-1, 6-2 on Friday Meanwhile, Colombia Club, Victoria Club, Khawla technical director of the tour- to put 32-time winners United made the most of Bogota’s Club, Maysan Club, Baghdad nament and competition man- States on the road to victory. high altitude to defeat 2016 Club and Muscat Club com- agers Captain Muhammad al Although the Bryans plan champions Argentina for the peted in individual appara- Dulaimi and Captain Mohsen to hang up their racquets for first time. tus of floor exercise, pommel Talaat for their efforts. Qatar Gymnastics Federation President Ali al Hitmi with young gymnasts at club championship. RAM Cycling League returns to rural town of Al Guwayriyah TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK DOHA THE Royal Air Maroc (RAM) Cycling League returned to the rural town of Al Guwayriyah in Qatar for its penultimate stage, bringing with it a guest star in the form of MotoGP racer, Aleix Espargaro. Espargaro had already travelled to Qatar prior to his event being scratched from the program due to many of the sport’s top bikers being unable to travel since coronavirus hit Italy. Aleix, who travels with a bicycle to stay fit, was put It’s a lot less close in C in shedding Forchino but they first time Qatari women, could in contact with Qatar Cycling grade, where Jamison Ca- still carried Jamison Carino, take some inspiration from Federation by local cyclist/ rino (Bike to Work Qatar) has who outsprinted both to take triathlete Daniela Sposi (Tri- motor bike racer, Mashel al dominated this season’s rac- a win in his rookie race in the Club Doha). Dani has learned Naimi and both joined the A ing to the point where nobody higher grade. race craft over her two years of race on Friday. stands in his way of the title. Pia Sundstedt finally also road racing and on this outing In A grade’s five lap race, At the same time, Axel Dop- al, including Espergaro, putting teammate, Bilal al Saadi edging He stepped up to the B race rode away from a peloton ex- found herself contesting the the lack of wind proved most fer (Rasen Adventure Shop) in some attacks to test those out Aleix Espargaro into 4th.