NNBABA | Page 5 CCRICKETRICKET | Page 3 Boston Celtics South Africa stumble past on top despite Minnesota Pandya Timberwolves heroics Sunday, January 7, 2018 FOOTBALL Rabia II 20, 1439 AH Mourinho hits back GULF TIMES at Conte, raises match-fi xing SPORT Page 7 TENNIS/ QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN Monfi ls fi nally a champ in Qatar Monfils came to Qatar as a wildcard after missing out on the action for several months in 2017 with injury problems By Anil John Doha ver the years the centre court at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex has proven a fi eld of dreams Ofor some of the fi nest players in the his- tory of the game. But for one man the very mention of it would evoke painful memories – of heartbreak and despair, of broken promises and shattered confi dence. Not any more. Gael Monfi ls has had enough. He is a champion at last. The opening week of the 2018 tennis couldn’t have concluded in better fash- ion. Monfi ls, the runner-up in 2006, 2012 and 2014, fi nally broke his title jinx at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open with a clinical 6-2, 6-3 demolition of Russia’s 20-year-old sensation Andrey Rublev. It was an anti-climactic aff air, no doubt, but not many who watched the Gael Monfils receives the winner’s cheque from Qatar Tennis Federation President Nasser Ghanem al-Kheleifi as ExxonMobil match would have complained. Sen- Qatar President and General Manager Alistair Routledge (left), legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri (fourth from left) and timental favourite Monfi ls deserved it the tournament director Karim Alami (right) look on. thoroughly, even though the proceed- ings ended in 61 minutes fl at. sian’s undoing. He lost the fi rst set in just the way it is. I just pray every day “I’m very happy. I like this tourna- under half hour after being broken in that He gives me strength for all the RESULT ment so much, you know. I always come the fourth and eighth games. It doesn’t year, and then I see what He gives me.” Singles Final: [WC] Gael Monfils back. And I was very close and fi nally help when you commit as many as eight Rublev admitted he was a bit off col- (FRA) d Andrey Rublev (RUS) 6-2, 6-3 get it. So I’m just very happy and very errors on your forehand alone. It was a our yesterday. proud,” said the 31-year-old Frenchman. sign that the match was for Monfi ls to “I think I was completely tired today. for me. He was reminded that when he lost lose. I mean, you can see that even my shots “You can see that he was much in 2006 to Roger Federer he was only 19 He didn’t. He stayed back most of were not the same energy like previous fresher. He was moving much better years old, while his opponent yesterday the time in the second set and allowed matches. I was doing a lot of mistakes, than me. He was missing less. You can was himself barely 20. Rublev to self-destruct, securing his a lot of wrong shots. You can see even see that it was, I think, diff erent men- “I think he’s young. He’s coming. fi rst break in the fourth game after the I was really slow today on the court,” tally and energy for both of us. He was He’s going to be very strong. He had Russian fi red a forehand wide and put said the runner-up. more ready to compete and I was a lit- very solid end of the year last year. We another one long. “Every time he moved me to one side tle low.” could see already that he could beat the Monfi ls was 3-1 up, and although he and most of the time it was almost over, But he was clearly disappointed and top players for sure,” added Monfi ls. retained his serve in the fi fth game af- or if I could catch one point then he was made no eff ort to hide it. “I mean, for sure he’s going to be def- ter a few wobbles of his own, it was not always killing me with the second. “Of course I’m disappointed. It’s initely in another fi nal and maybe win long before he wrapped up the match. “You can see that today I was really always tough to lose, especially in the it. I have no doubt about it.” He was asked if his style of play – he had no energy, no power in the legs and fi nals. Sometimes it’s even tougher to Monfi ls came to Qatar as a wildcard Gael Monfils of France pose with the trophy after winning the Qatar ExxonMobil is always stretching and diving to re- the speed of the ball was not even close recover when you lose in the fi nal then after missing out on the action for sev- Open at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha yesterday. trieve seemingly impossible balls – in like it was in previous matches. I mean, when you lose some semi-fi nals or fi rst eral months in 2017 with injury prob- PICTURES: Jayan Orma any way contributes to his injuries. previous matches was much faster and rounds. Congrats to Gael because he lems. He grabbed the chance with both “Not really. You know, I think I get all this stuff and really tough for me.” was not missing, I think he was serving hands, fought his way through, had his Rublev learnt the valuable lesson to pull through in three sets after saving injured because I’m unlucky about Rublev added nevertheless that really great today. It was really tough to share of luck when his semifi nal op- that when one overplays his strong a match point. Yesterday, against a bet- stuff . I think I’m just working the way the experience would help him in the return. During the rallies he was mak- ponent and top seed Dominic Thiem point it could sometimes lead to fatal ter and seasoned opponent, he simply I am. future. “I mean, all the fi nals it’s ex- ing all the balls. He was not missing.” withdrew with illness, and then let his consequences. In his semifi nal against couldn’t. “I mean, God gave me such great perience. I mean, but here is tough. I Monfi ls won US dollars 218,180 and racquet do all the talking in the decider, Argentinian Guido Pella on Friday, Ru- Banking almost exclusively on his abilities and sometime that’s a strength mean, we play only one hour. I guess 250 ATP ranking points while Rublev serving and returning brilliantly. blev risked that but somehow managed sensational forehand proved the Rus- and sometime it’s not a strength. So it’s the match was almost without chances earned dollars 114,900 and 150 points. SPOTLIGHT Qatar’s al-Attiyah claims opening stage of Dakar Agencies sive throughout the stage. Pro- Lima, Peru portionally, we lost a lot of time to Nasser. Two minutes in 30 kilo- metres is a lot, but we need to ease into the race, it’ll work out,” said atari ace driver Nasser the Peugeot driver. al-Attiyah started his Nine-time world rally champion 14th Dakar Rally cam- Sebastien Loeb had a day to for- paign in style, win- get after the brakes on his Peugeot Qning the opening stage in Lima failed just 3 kilometres into the yesterday. special. The driver from Alsace lost The two-time winner, in 2011 over fi ve minutes to al-Attiyah. and 2015, racing for Toyota Gazoo The 40th edition of the clas- team was the fastest in the 31km sic endurance event, the tenth to stage, ahead of title rivals Nani be held in South America since it Roma and defending champion was shifted from terror-hit sub- Stephane Peterhansel of Peugeot. Sahara Africa will end in Argen- Al-Attiyah relied on his French tina’s second city of Cordoba on co-driver Mathieu Baumel as the January 20. pair excelled on the fast stage. Meanwhile, Britain’s Sam Sun- “I do not want to do strategy, derland got the defence of his because I have complete confi - Dakar motorcycling title off to dence in my co-driver Matthieu. a winning start yesterday when Tomorrow’s stage I know will be he won the opening stage of the diffi cult. But I am especially happy 9,000km race from Lima to Pisco. with our victory today; tomorrow Sunderland, on a KTM, fi nished it could be something else. But we ahead of France’s Adrien Van will do our best,” said al-Attiyah. Beveren, on a Yamaha, and Pablo The defending champion Peter- Quintanilla of Chile on a Husq- hansel started the Dakar outside varna. The British rider fi nished top 10 and wasn’t happy with his the 31km desert sprint in 20 min performance. 56 sec with his rivals 32 sec and 55 “I didn’t feel comfortable with sec further back. the headlights so high. I wasn’t The second stage of the two- very confi dent, so I drove like a week event takes place in and Toyota Gazoo team driver Nasser al-Attiyah of Qatar (right) and co-driver Matthieu Baumel of France on the podium during the departure ceremony of Dakar Rally 2018 in Lima, granny and stayed on the defen- around the town of Pisco today.