BASEBALL | Page 5 CRICKET | Page 6 Dodgers draw Pakistan fi rst blood in should trust World Series youth, says Cubs’ rematch Malik Monday, October 16, 2017 MOTORCYCLING Muharram 26, 1439 AH Dovizioso wins GULF TIMES Japan Grand Prix to cut Marquez lead SPORT Page 2 TENNIS Federer makes short work of Nadal to win Shanghai title ‘It’s been a tough week, five straight matches is always a test and a challenge for anybody’s body’ AFP in sets two and three and now these two Shanghai sets here today. “In a way not surpris- ing because I felt good all week... I was ready.” oger Federer said he “saved the Federer, fondly known as “Cow” in best for last” after he beat great China for his laid-back personality, rival Rafael Nadal for the fi fth started the better in grabbing the break time in succession to win the and then rattled through his own service RShanghai Masters yesterday. game for 2-0. The surprisingly one-sided 6-4, 6-3 Federer, a 19-time Grand Slam cham- victory over the world number one from pion, was in full fl ow under the Qizhong Spain brought a 94th title for the Swiss Tennis Center roof, which was closed legend, drawing him level with the great because of downpours in Shanghai. Ivan Lendl. Nadal, 31, fresh from winning the US Nadal, who admitted afterwards that Open and China Open, groaned while he had been defeated by the better man lashing many of his shots while Federer on the night, was ahead in their over- was all quiet effi ciency. all head-to-head record going into the Somewhere in the stadium somebody clash — 23 wins to Federer’s 14. rattled a cow bell and Federer responded But this time he was up against it al- by making it 4-2 with two booming aces most right away. in a row. Number two Federer put the Spaniard In contrast, Nadal — a 16-time Grand under the cosh in breaking him in the Roger Federer of Switzerland Slam winner who has never won the fi rst game, to roars of approval from the gestures after beating Rafael Nadal Shanghai Masters — was labouring majority inside the arena. of Spain in their final match at the through his service games. Another break to 36-year-old Federer Shanghai Masters tennis There were suggestions that Federer in the fi fth game of the second set put tournament yesterday. might not be quite as fresh as his young- him in reach of a second Shanghai Mas- er foe, having been pushed to three sets ters crown — and a sixth title in 2017. a day earlier in the second semi-fi nal Federer, who has been managing his against Juan Martin del Potro. schedule to wring the best out of his The timeless Federer rubbished that ageing body, said he had improved as the notion as he seared his way to a 5-3 fi rst- week went on and felt he hit peak form set lead. just when it mattered. Nadal sent down his fourth ace for “It’s been a tough week, fi ve straight 5-4, only for Federer to seal the set with matches is always a test and a challenge his seventh ace of the match. for anybody’s body, especially with the There was little between the great ri- pressure rising,” he said. vals in the early exchanges of the second “I felt I was playing well all week and set until the fi fth game. that settled my nerves because I was re- Nadal saved the fi rst break point but turning well from the match here against could not survive the second one, to put (Diego) Schwartzman (in his opener). Federer in touch of the title. “The serve only got better and I saved Nadal’s defeat sees Federer close the the best for last — I played some great gap at the top of the world rankings as matches, against (Juan Martin) del Potro the year approaches its climax. FOOTBALL El Arabi’s 4-goal blitz powers Duhail past Ahli By Sports Reporter Doha Results Al Duhail 6 (Yousef El Arabi 26, 54, 64, pen, ousef El Arabi played the dem- 68; Msakni 39, Nam Tae-hee 90+1) Al Ahli 1 olition man to perfection with ( Christian Nazarit 46) a four-goal blitz as Al Duhail Al Rayyan 4 (Hamdallah 2, Attia OG 26, Ythrashed Al Ahli 6-1 in the Tabata 71, Soria 79) Al Markhiya 1 (K. QNB Stars League yesterday. Karikari 80) The Moroccan striker, who along with Al Sadd 3 (Janpour 24, Bounedjah 62, al- Korean Nam Tae-hee was instrumental Haydos 86) Qatar SC 1 (Tayebi 60) in Lekhwiya winning their fi fth title last year, proved far too good for Al Ahli to contain, making a mockery of their de- cheer about. fence at regular intervals and scoring at Earlier, former champions Al Rayyan will. produced a slick performance to beat Al He opened the account for Al Du- Markhiya 4-1. hail in the 26th minute and added three Michael Laudrup’s boys picked up full more in the second half (54, 64-68) points through goals from Abderrazzaq while Yousef Msakni 39 and Nam Tae- Hamdellah (second minute), Mahmoud Morteza Janpour struck against Qatar hee 90+1) scored once each to complete Attiya (own goal, 26th), Rodrigo Tabata Sports Club. the formalities. (71st) and Sebastian Soria (79th). Christian Nazarit reduced the mar- Striker Kwame Karikari reduced the captain’s armband, tried to control gin for Al Ahli in the 46th minute but the defi cit for Al Markhiya in the 80th an aerial cross inside the Al Markhiya that was little consolation for them lan- minute. box. In the process, the ball got knocked guishing as they in the second-last spot With star striker Rodrigo Tabata, re- into the net by Attiya resulting in an own with just one point from four matches. cuperating from a surgery, on the bench goal. Duhail’s emphatic win took them to 12 at the start of the game, Al Rayyan, Tabata, who was brought in at the points from four matches and they now coming off a 3-5 loss to Al Duhail in the start of second half, underlined Al Rayy- lead Al Sadd on goal diff erence, while previous round, wasted little time in an’s domination by netting their third Umm Salal are third with 10. Rodrigo Tabata returned from injury to scoring the opening goal. Hamdellah’s goal in the 71st minute after a cross from Meanwhile, Al Sadd also maintained score for Al Rayyan. superbly-taken free-kick found the Hamdellah. their unbeaten run, easing past Qatar back of the net. Eight minutes later, Tabata spotted Sports Club 3-1. made it 2-0 with a thundering 35-yard Al Rayyan then added a bit of bite Soria in the Al Markhiya box and the tall Iranian pro Morteza Janpour put Al shot in the 62nd minute and al-Haydos into their attack, this time through Mo- striker clipped the ball into the top cor- Sadd ahead in the 24th minute with a made good of a Xavi pass in the 86th to hamed Ali, whose bullet was parried by ner to round off the Lions’ tally. fi ne header from close following a great put the result beyond doubt. goalkeeper Mohamed Khuroob. Al Markhiya’s consolation came in pass from Hassan al-Haydos on the left. Mohamed Tayebi’s 60th minute goal Al Rayyan doubled the lead in the the form of Karikari, who tapped the ball Yousef El Arabi (R) celebrating one of his four goals against Al Ahli yesterday. The prolifi c Baghdad Bounedjah then for Qatar SC gave them something to 26th minute when striker Soria, wearing into the Al Rayyan goal from close. Gulf Times 2 Monday, October 16, 2017 SPORT MOTORCYCLING TENNIS Dovizioso wins Sharapova fi ghts to claim Japan thriller to fi rst title since cut Marquez lead doping ban Dovizioso made a blistering start from ninth on the grid as he joined Marquez in chasing down early leader Danilo Petrucci. Maria Sharapova of Russia holds her trophy after beating Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the Tianjin Open yesterday. Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso of Italy (L) celebrates after finishing ahead of Honda rider AFP solved when she won four games in a Marc Marquez of Spain (R) during the Japanese Tianjin, China row to go 4-1 up. Grand Prix at Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Motegi, Sharapova’s coach Sven Groeneveld Tochigi prefecture, yesterday. urged her to use the body serve, and ive-time Grand Slam winner momentum immediately shifted as she Maria Sharapova was made to held the next game and then edged a fi ght by 102nd-ranked teenager nine-minute game seven to wrestle it Aryna Sabalenka at the Tian- back on serve. Fjin Open yesterday before winning her Sabalenka angrily slammed her rac- AFP daring lunges to recapture the lead, “Marc was behind me but I closed Suzuki’s Andrea Iannone and Alex fi rst title since her 15-month doping quet down as she double-faulted to be Motegi, Japan the triple world champion entering the door and made it very diffi cult for Rins with former champion Jorge ban. broken for a third time and with Shara- the penultimate lap in front. him to overtake me. Fighting Marc is Lorenzo’s Ducati sixth and Aleix Es- The former world number one, who pova serving at 6-5, the Belarusian But just when it looked as though always big tension,” he added.