OOLYMPICSLYMPICS | Page 4 TTABLEABLE TTENNISENNIS | Page 6 Decision on Levenko stuns foreign fans at Pitchford, Tokyo Games Harimoto this month cruises Thursday, March 4, 2021 FOOTBALL Rajab 20, 1442 AH Al Sadd set up GULF TIMES Al Arabi clash in Amir Cup semis SPORT Page 3 TENNIS / QATAR TOTAL OPEN Muguruza sends Sabalenka packing; Svitolina advances Spaniard beats defending champ in the first three-setter of the 2021 edition; Ukrainian top seed downs Japan’s Doi By Sports Reporter Doha ormer World No. 1 Gar- bine Muguruza stunned defending champion Aryna Sabalenka to enter Fquarter-fi nals of the Qatar Total Open yesterday. In the fi rst three-set singles match of the tournament this year at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, the former Wimbledon and French Open champion ousted No.3 seed Sabalenka 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3. Muguruza showed grit and It’s an important win for Kvi- composure in big pressure mo- tova, who has played a handful of ments to earn the hard-fought matches this season so far. win in two hours and 18 minutes. “I have a disappointing Aus- The Spaniard converted seven of tralian Open outing I have 17 break points, while Sabalenka worked a lot on and off the court was only won four of 13. and I think today, I played pret- For Sabalenka, the close loss ty solid from the baseline, and ended her undefeated record at I think I moved well, as well. I Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in action against Japan’s Misaki Doi (not the event, after winning the title hope it helped me for the future, pictured) during their Qatar Total Open match yesterday. last year in her tournament de- for sure,” Kvitova said. but. Muguruza quickly led 4-0 in PEGULA BEAT OSTAPENKO the fi rst set and closed out the Australian Open quarter-final- set without dropping serve, al- ist Jessica Pegula’s rich vein of though she did have to fend off Spain’s Garbine Muguruza celebrates her win over Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka (right) during their Qatar Total form continued with a 6-2, 7-5 breakpoints in the last game be- Open match at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex yesterday. win over 2016 runner-up Jelena fore doing so. Ostapenko. In a contest of ag- That tricky fi nal game was guruza. Sabalenka converted that entered the quarter-fi nals with 6-2, 6-2 in 68 minutes to claim gressive baseline ball-striking, a precursor to the topsy-turvy chance with an error-forcing straight-sets wins earlier in the her spot in the elite eight. punctuated by the occasional second set, where Sabalenka backhand, lining up a decisive fi - day. Azarenka came through 6-4, The 2018 Doha champion Kvi- dropshot, the American quali- wrested control from Muguruza nal set for the fi rst time all week. 6-2 over qualifi er Laura Siege- tova was in scorching form in the fier was more consistent and with a big return to break for Sabalenka took the early lead mund, before No.4 seed Kvitova 13th edition of a rivalry dating better able to rely on her second 5-3. However, Sabalenka then in the decider, cracking a back- beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova back to 2008. serve. dropped serve in her next two hand winner to go up 3-2. But 6-1, 6-3. Eight of Kvitova’s previous en- Ostapenko’s combination of a service games, giving Muguruza Muguruza gritted out a re-break Top seed Elina Svitolina and counters with Pavlyuchenkova 56% fi rst serve percentage while a chance to serve for the match with her depth and power in the Maria Sakkari claimed quarter- had gone the distance, but there winning only 36% of the points at 6-5. lengthy following game. Mugu- fi nal spots with comfortable was little danger of that yesterday. behind her second serve was nev- Muguruza, though, was unable ruza grabbed all the momentum wins yesterday evening. Svitolina The Czech fi red 31 winners, kept er going to work out well for her. Jessica Pegula of the US returns a shot to Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko to close, and the pair advanced from that point forward, clinch- breezed past lucky loser Misaki her unforced error count to 19 and The Latvian wildcard did hit a (not pictured) during their Qatar Total Open match yesterday. to a pivotal tiebreak. There, ing the fi nal four games to obtain Doi, 6-1, 6-2, to reach her third posted a 76% fi rst serve percent- thrilling purple patch in the sec- Sabalenka also saw a 5-3 lead slip victory. quarter-fi nal of the season. age. On three of the four break- ond set, threatening a comeback was all too brief. 12 of the last 14 points to reach to 5-5, but she earned a set point Former champions Victoria Sakkari also had a swift day at points she faced, she would bail as she reeled off 12 consecutive Ostapenko relapsed into error her second quarter-fi nal of the after a netted backhand by Mu- Azarenka and Petra Kvitova also the offi ce, ousting Madison Keys, herself out with clutch serving. points from 2-4 down – but it just as suddenly, and Pegula took season. SPOTLIGHT Kontaveit blitzes into quarters with win over Kerber By Yash Mudgal today and happy with the way I Kerber converted only one working out these two match- Doha served out the match, as well,” break point, compared with Kon- es,” she said. Kontaveit said. taveit, who managed four out of Talking about facing tougher Kontaveit wrapped up the fi rst fi ve. opponents as the tournament nett Kontaveit seems to set yesterday in 23 minutes after This was Kontaveit’s fourth progresses, she said there is no have developed a habit breaking Kerber’s serve twice. victory over Kerber in fi ve pressure on her. of winning games in a The German, ranked two places matches, with the latter’s sole “I think the tournament is very jiff y. behind the Estonian, managed to victory in Cincinnati in 2019. strong, so I don’t feel like there AThe Estonian fi rst defeated win only one game. The 25-year-old, who reached is any pressure on me at all. I Australian Open runner-up Jen- Set two started in a similar the Australian Open third round can just enjoy being out here and nifer Brady 6-1, 6-2 in 56 min- way, with Kontaveit soon 4-1 before losing to American Shelby playing good tennis,” the World utes in the fi rst round on Tues- up until Kerber started to fi ght Rogers in the third round, is off to No. 24 said. day and yesterday, she defeated back, breaking Kontaveit’s serv- a very good start this season. She “Defi nitely I have to take it Angelique Kerber 6-1, 6-4 in yet ice unexpectedly and soon fi nd- also reached the Grampians Tro- match by match. I feel confi dent another sub-hour encounter to ing herself just a game behind at phy fi nal in Melbourne in the fi rst with the way I have been playing, enter quarter-fi nals of the Qa- 5-4. Kontaveit, however, held her week of February, but the fi nal and of course I want to do well tar Total Open at the Khalifa In- serve in the tenth game, and with was not held due to a Covid-19 and every time I step on the court ternational Tennis and Squash the set and the match. case emerging at a tournament I want to win,” she said. Complex. Kontaveit took 77.4 percent of quarantine hotel. Kontaveit, whose previous “I don’t think you really think her fi rst service points and won “I think I have put in good best result in Doha was reach- about or expect if it’s going to be 50 percent of her second serves work in the offseason, and I feel ing the second rounds in 2019 a fast match or a long match. But – the corresponding fi gures for like I have been playing confi- and 2020, will meet World No. 10 I feel I’m playing good tennis. I Kerber were 56.3 percent and 31.3 dently and positively this week. Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova in Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit hits a return during the match against Germany’s Angelique Kerber (not pictured) was happy with the way I played percent, respectively. I think, you know, it’s been the quarter-fi nals. at the Qatar Total Open at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex yesterday. Gulf Times 2 Thursday, March 4, 2021 SPORT TENNIS / QATAR TOTAL OPEN Olympic medal is the target even as Mirza reaches Qatar semis with a straight sets 6-2, 6-0 win so my body is getting used to it a nis, I feel like if I look back, prob- By Yash Mudgal I feel like when I sort Doha over their higher-ranked rivals, little bit,” the 34-year-old said. ably an Olympic medal is some- fourth seeds Anna Blinkova and of close this chapter of Mirza is also looking at a new thing that I would have loved to Gabriela Dabrowski. my life, which is tennis, season ahead with the Tokyo Ol- win if I was supposed to close my ontinuing her winning It was Mirza’s fi rst tournament I feel like if I look back, ympics an added motivation.