Established 1961 Sport THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018 Loeb’s Dakar dream Rabada set to wait for opening Aguero to Man City’s rescue 12flounders in the dunes 14 chance despite rapid rise 15 against valiant Bristol City MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic of Serbia hits a return during his match against Dominic Thiem of Austria at Kooyong Classic tennis tournament in Melbourne yesterday. — AFP Djokovic back with a bang at Kooyong Muguruza pulls out of Sydney after win MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic made a resounding be ready for the Open.” While pleased with his A week after retiring from the Brisbane International of the match. I’ll sleep, eat and train and not do too return yesterday after six months out with an elbow progress, Djokovic-who has dropped to 14 in the world with cramps, leading Australian Open contender much. I’ll be fine for the Open.” Australian Matthew injury, declaring he felt “great” after beating world rankings-admitted he still had work to do ahead of the Muguruza had an early medical timeout for a thigh Ebden, back on court after an injury-marred 2017, number five Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-4 at the Kooyong opening Grand Slam of the year. injury before beating Bertens 6-3, 7-6 (8/6). defeated Marin Cilic 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 7-5 in another Classic. The Serbian 12-time Grand Slam winner was in “I don’t want to be But the win came at a match at the exhibition tournament. good form, and full of optimism, after his first competi- over-confident, but I’m cost. The Wimbledon World number six Cilic won the opener but found his tive outing since losing a Wimbledon quarter-final to very, very happy with champion later game not quite up to competitive level as Ebden Tomas Berdych last July. “I feel great, I was eager to how it went today,” Novak chasing announced she would be sneaked out the second set and then won a tight third. get onto the court,” he said after playing with a flesh- added the 30-year-old. pulling out of the tour- Cilic, last year’s losing Wimbledon finalist against Roger coloured sleeve on his right arm. “I don’t say I’m at 100 record seventh nament, handing Federer, heads into his final practice days for the “I had a great opponent, it was a test for me to see percent, I can only say Australian Daria Australian Open content with his form. “The most where I am, how the work we did pays off on court. It that when I get the feel Australian Gavrilova direct passage important thing is to feel the conditions, to get comfort- worked pretty well.” The former world number one, of a tournament. Ideally I to the semi-finals. able,” he said. “It’s important to find a good rhythm. who will be chasing a record seventh Australian Open would have had another Open crown Muguruza’s decision “Overall, I’m quite happy with my level. I was feeling crown next week, had pulled out of a warm-up tourna- tournament before the comes less than a week the ball well and hitting cleanly from both sides.” ment in Abu Dhabi, raising concerns over whether he start of the Open, but it out from the Australian Former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis of would be fit enough to play at Melbourne Park. was not meant to be. “I’ll Open in Melbourne. Cyprus beat US Open runner-up Kevin Anderson 6-4, “There was a doubt, especially after I pulled out of take whatever I can-one Thiem, who only 3-6, 6-3. In a women’s tuneup, Hopman Cup winner the first week of the year,” he admitted. “I personally or two matches here will be good preparation.” arrived in Melbourne on Monday night from Doha after Belinda Bencic beat 16-year-old Wang Xinyu of China didn’t know what’s going to happen. We did some Meanwhile, Spain’s world number three Garbine four days in bed with a virus, presented only a minimal 7-6 (7/5), 6-4. treatment and obviously gave it a lot of thought,” Muguruza was forced out of the Sydney International challenge to the recharged Serb. “It was tough... with the wind,” the Swiss said. “She’s Djokovic said. “Luckily... I’m here and so I’m hoping in with an injury following her win over Kiki Bertens “I’m free of fever and healthy again,” the Austrian a big hitter and there were not many rallies. You had to the next four, five days everything will go well and I’ll yesterday. said. “I’m still jet-lagged and was slow at the beginning play the court and try to hit hard.” — AFP afloat until he gets back.” put the Raptors in front again, setting up Trail Blazers McCollum sparked a Portland surge in the third Ellington’s clutch heroics. quarter that kept Oklahoma City at bay the rest of Slovenian guard Dragic led Miami with 24 the way, “I just try to play at my pace, let the points and 12 rebounds while Ellington had 15 silence Thunder game come to me and when I have to take a big points off the bench, Heat reserve Bam Adebayo shot I’m not afraid of it,” McCollum said. “Guys added 16 and Hassan Whiteside had 13 points and while Heat did a great job of setting me screens and I was 15 rebounds. able to get to the middle.” Russell Westbrook and Spanish forward Serge Ibaka of Toronto and Paul George each had 22 points to lead the Miami forward James Johnson were ejected for edge Raptors Thunder, with Westbrook adding game highs of 12 throwing punches at each other during a third- assists and nine rebounds, while Carmelo Anthony quarter altercation that began when the two LOS ANGELES: C.J. McCollum scored 27 points contributed 19 points and New Zealand center began wrestling with each other. The Raptors fell and passed off seven assists to lead the Portland Steven Adams had 16 in a losing cause. to 28-11, second in the Eastern Conference and Trail Blazers over Oklahoma City 117-106 in an In a thriller at Toronto, Miami’s Wayne three games behind Boston, while Miami climbed NBA matchup Tuesday. Shabazz Napier added 21 Ellington scored inside with 0.3 of a second to 23-17, matching Washington for fourth in the points and Bosnian big man Jusuf Nurkic had 20 remaining to give the Heat a 90-89 victory. Back- East. German star Dirk Nowitzki and Dennis for the Trail Blazers (22-18), who edged ahead of to-back baskets by DeMar DeRozan gave the Smith Jnr each scored 20 points to power the the host Thunder (22-19) for fifth place in the host Raptors an 87-86 edge with two minutes to Dallas Mavericks over visiting Orlando 114-99. Western Conference. play, but Miami’s Goran Dragic answered on a Nowitzki played in his 1,435th NBA game, all with Damian Lillard missed his second game in a driving layup with 19 seconds remaining to lift the the Mavericks, moving past Karl Malone into sec- OKLAHOMA CITY: Shabazz Napier #6 of the Portland Trail row with a strained right calf, Napier starting in Heat ahead 88-87. ond on the all-time list of most games with one Blazers shoots the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder on his place. “That was a big win. It was for fifth But DeRozan, who led the Raptors with 25 club, just 69 games behind John Stockton’s Tuesday at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, place,” McCollum said. “Damian will be coming points, wasn’t finished yet. He answered by tipping record. Malone and Stockton set their marks with Oklahoma. — AFP back any day now. We’ve got to keep the ship in his own miss with three seconds remaining to the Utah Jazz.— AFP .