Mayweather dominates Japanese kickboxing star in exhibition fight PAGE 19 TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2019 India’s Mandhana crowned ICC’s women’s cricketer of the year PAGE 18 TENNIS QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN 2019 Qatar ExxonMobil Open Verdasco makes a breezy start, Rublev gets rolling Berdych wins RESULTS & ORDER OF PLAY SINGLES (1ST ROUND) Karen Khachanov (RUS) & Stan wawrinka (SUI) 7-5, on return; Big 8-Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Paulo Lorenzi (ITA) 6-3, 6-3. 6-4 7-Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) bt Matteo Berrettini (ITA) TODAY’S ORDER OF PLAY stars to hit the 6-1, 6-4 First round (prefix denotes seeding) 5-Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) bt Albert Ramos-Vinolas Centre Court 3:30 Pm: courts in singles (ESP) 6-1, 1-6, 6-1 (6) David Goffin vs (Q) Ricardas Berankis Tomas Berdych (CZE) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) Followed By: (3) Karen Khachanov vs Stan Wawrinka today 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) (1) Novak Djokovic vs Damir Dzumhur Nicolas Jarry (CHI) bt Robin Haase (NED) 6-7 (7-9), Pierre-Hugues Herbert vs (2) Dominic Thiem 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) Court 1 3:30PM VINAY NAYUDU Andrey Rublev (RUS) bt Andreas Seppi (ITA) 7-5, 6-1 Guido Pella vs (WC) Cem Ilkel DOHA Maximilian Marterer (GER) bt Peter Gojowczyk (GER) Followed By: (WC) Mubarak Shannan Zayid vs (Q) 6-1, 6-4 Guillermo Garcia-Lopez Marton Fucsovics vs Marius Copil EIGHTH-SEEDED Fer- DOUBLES Court 2 3:30PM nando Verdasco made a Damir Dzumhur (BIH) & Dusan Lajovic (SRB) bt 1-Mate Sergiy Stakhovsky vs (4) Marco Cecchinato whirlwind start to his $1.4m Pavic (CRO) & Oliver Marach (AUT) 6-4, 1-6, 10-7 Followed By: Dusan Lajovic vs Adrian Mannarino Guido Pella (ARG) & Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Marco Cecchinato and Andreas Seppi vs Santiago Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2-Jamie Murray (GBR) & Bruno Soares (BRA) 6-3, 6-4 Gonzalez and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi 2019 campaign register- 3-Alexander Peya (AUT) & Nikola Mektic (CRO) bt Court 3: 3:30 PM ing a straight sets win over Marius Copil & Horia Tecau (ROU) 6-4, 7-6 (4) 1st Rd: Robin Haase and Matwe Middelkoop vs (4) Italian Paulo Lorenzi at the Marco Djokovic & Novak Djokovic (SRB) bt Mubarak Dominic Inglot and Franko Skugor Shannan Zayid (QAT) & Cem Ilkel (TUR) 6-3, 3-6, 10-6 Followed By: Maximo Gonzalez and Nicolas Jarry vs Khalifa International Tennis David Goffin (BEL) & Pierre-Hughes Herbert (FRA) bt Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Fernando Verdasco. & Squash Complex on Mon- day. The Spaniard, who is a his country having picked with two tie-breakers. The Doha resident, displayed two ATP Tour titles in 2018 23-year-old Jarry eventually good form as he unleashed besides a career-high rank- prevailed 6-7 (7-9), 6-4, 7-6 nine aces, winning six ing. (7-4). games in a row to subdue The Georgian, however, The action will get more his unseeded opponent. The had a challenging start hav- thrilling on Tuesday when 35-year-old will next meet Fernando Verdasco of Spain returns the ball to Paolo Lorenzi of Italy during the ATP Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha on Monday. ing dropped a set before the big guns get into the German Maximilian Mar- overcoming Spaniard Albert action. World No. 1 No- terer, who prevailed over his Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 1-6, 6-1. vak Djokovic, second seed fancied opponent and com- Chilean Nicolas Jarry Among the other seeds Dominic Thiem, sixth seed patriot Peter Gojowczyk fought past Dutch man to move up was 7th placed david Goffin and three-time 6-1, 6-4. Robin Haase after being Roberto Bautista Agut of Grand Slam champion Stan- Also making a good taken the distance with Spain, who dismissed Ital- islas Wawrinka will be play- start to the tournament was ian Matteo Berrettini in ing their first rounds, but 21-year-old Russian and fi- two tie-breakers. The straight sets. expect some tough challenge nalist at last year’s Qatar 23-year-old Jarry eventu- Wild card entrant Tomas being thrown at them. ExxonMobil Open Andrey ally prevailed 6-7 (7-9), Berdych of Czech Republic Swiss, Wawrinka will Rublev. The 6’1” tall Rublev, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). served notice of his pres- surely face a big test against who was the last to qualify ence with a straight sets but Karen Khachanov. The for the tournament follow- a grinding win over German 22-year-old and world num- ing a withdrawal, showed and will now meet fifth- Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, ber 11 Russian is seen as both intent and intensity in seed Nikoloz Basilashvili of 7-6 (7-5). the ‘next big thing’ having overcoming Italian Andreas Georgia. In one of the absorbing ended Djokovic’s 22-match Sippi 7-5, 6-1. As tall as Rublev but contests of the day, Chilean streak in November and de- World-ranked 68, Rublev ranked much higher at No. Nicolas Jarry fought past feated three top 10 players had lost to Frenchman Gael 21, the 26-year-old Basilas- Dutch man Robin Haase af- on way to capturing the ATP Monfils in the final last year hvili is seen as the pride of Fans turn out to watch top players at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex on Monday. ter being taken the distance Masters 1000 Paris title. Novak Djokovic & bro end Qatar lose to Iran in friendly 2018 with doubles win VINAY NAYUDU it was a great learning curve for DOHA me. I really appreciate the pro- cess and I am very grateful that YEAR-ENDS and new years I have been through that.” can be delightful and strange at The 14-time Grand Slam times, given the situation one is champion will swing into the in. For World No.1 Novak Djok- singles action on Tuesday when ovic it was an end of a mixed yet he plays Bosnian Damir Dzum- memorable 2018 on the tennis hur in the opening round. court on Monday as he won the opening round of Qatar Exxon- Wawrinka ready for Mobil Open teaming with his singles after doubles loss younger brother Marko. While, Novak Djokovic got The Serbian duo prevailed lucky in the doubles, it wasn’t over Qatar’s Mubarak Shannan the case for three-time Grand Zayid and Cem Ilkel of Turkey Slam singles champion Stan- 6-3, 3-6, 10-6. islas Wawrinka of Switzerland. “I’m glad to end up 2018 Wawrinka and his Russian with a win with my brother. partner Karen Khachanov were That was a very special mo- beaten by David Goffin (BEL) ment. We’ve played four or five and Pierre-Hughes Herbert tournaments together in dou- (FRA) 7-5, 6-3. bles and we had never won a Interestingly, the Swiss- match! So today was a day we man, who’s back in Qatar after will remember together,” said a decade, will be playing the a smiling Novak addressing world number 11 Khachanov in the media at the Khalifa In- the singles. ternational Tennis & Squash “For sure it’s an interesting Complex. draw. We played against each Having endured a tough other last year. He’s a great start to 2018, Novak came back player. He played really well stronger winning two Grand Novak and Marko Djokovic during their doubles match against Qatar’s at the end of the year. He is in Slams before returning to Qatar Mubarak Shannan Zayid and Cem Ilkel of Turkey in the Qatar Exxon- top form. He played already a as world number one. Mobil Open on Monday. few matches in Abu Dhabi so Looking ahead, he said, it will be interesting. He is a “Just starting the new year with can really go with my career.” in February and it obviously good friend. We play doubles a good intention, good energy, Reflecting on the year gone required more time for me to together. Tomorrow we play trying to be present, be happy by, he further said, “There was get back on a desired level and against each other. It will be a with everything that I have that always a part of me that kind of I thought I was ready. tough match to start the year. is happening to me. believed that I can make that “But I wasn’t. I was ready in For me, most important is to be “You know, I’m obviously breakthrough and say if you terms of pain. I didn’t have pain fit, to be ready. I’m happy with very blessed to play the tennis. want to call it a comeback very so I could play. But in terms of a what I’m doing on the practice Qatar lost to Iran 1-2 in their last friendly match ahead of the AFC Asian Cup. The Maroons have had a I love this sport. And I keep on quickly and I think because of level of tennis, it took me sever- court, so I know that the year is series of friendlies as they prepare to take on Asia’s best in the UAE. Mehdi Taremi and Sadar Azmon striving in a way to accomplish that mindset I probably was a al months to get on that level on long and I look forward for it,” scored for the Iranians while Hassan al Haydos grabbed the hosts’ only goal. great things and see how far I bit impatient after my surgery which I am on right now. Yeah, said Wawrinka..