GOLF | Page 3 FOOTBALL | Page 7 DeChambeau France and PGA Tour’s fi rst Germany to back-to-back launch Nations champ in 2018 League Wednesday, September 5, 2018 CRICKET Dhul-Hijja 25, 1439 AH Pakistan leaves GULF TIMES Hafeez out of Asia Cup squad SPORT Page 4 SWIMMING Le Clos and Sjostrom to lead Doha’s stellar line-up Over 100 swimmers from 20 countries have confirmed for the second leg of the FINA Swimming World Cup 2018 By Sports Reporter winner – and Hungary’s Katin- Doha ka Hosszu, famous as the ‘Iron Lady’ will also return to Doha, promising top-notch action. uperstars Chad Le Clos Hosszu’s compatriot Zsuzsanna and Sarah Sjostrom will Jakabos, Dutchwoman Ranomi lead an array of world’s Kromowidjojo and China’s Yifan best swimmers who will Yang are among the other female Sfeature in the second leg of FINA stars who will also be seen in ac- Swimming World Cup 2018 to be tion at the Hamad Aquatic Centre. held in Doha later this month. Over 100 swimmers represent- QATARI SWIMMERS SET TO ing 20 countries, with almost all GAIN VALUABLE EXPERIENCE the prominent names in the sport Host Qatar will fi eld as many have confi rmed their participa- as 20 swimmers who will battle tion for the Doha leg (long course), against the big names during the which will take place at state-of- three-day competition. the-art Hamad Aquatic Centre The Qatar squad mostly in- from September 13 to 15. cludes swimmers who carried the Swimmers will fl y to the Qa- national fl ag in the recently-con- tari capital after competing in the cluded Asian Games in Indonesia. opening leg of this year’s FINA The team also includes Yousef Ab- World Cup, scheduled in Kazan, dulaziz al-Khulaifi , Omar Ashraf, Russia from September 7 to 9. Noah Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi and Doha leg will conclude Cluster Abdulrahman Mohamed. 1 comprising long course con- Meanwhile, the Organising tests, with the remaining two Committee has decided to hold clusters of the FINA Swimming the pre-event press conference World Cup to be competed on at Villaggio Mall to give fans short course. The Cluster 2 in- a chance to see their favourite cludes Eindhoven (Netherlands) swimmers. The press conference and Budapest (Hungary) meets will be at 11:30am on September while legs in Beijing (China), To- 12 and will be attended by top kyo (Japan) and Singapore form FINA and QSA offi cials along Cluster 3. with the leading swimmers. Qatar, the host country for 2023 FINA World Champion- QATAR SQUAD: Abdalla Mo- ships, has been hosting the hamed Aboughazala, Abdulaziz FINA World Cup legs success- Hassan al-Obaidly, Firas bin fully since 2012 and, the Qatar Mourad Said, Abdulla Nabil Swimming Association (QSA) al-Khaldi, Ahmad Tarek Samara, president Khaleel al-Jabir said Abdulaziz Abdulla Buhendi, the Organising Committee was Mohamed Ali al-Khanji, Naser confi dent of delivering another Yaser, Kareem Salama, Youssef blockbuster event. South African swimmer Chad Le Clos has won six medals including four golds last year in Doha. Hesham, Mohamed Mahmoud, “The Qatar Swimming Asso- Abdulrahman Mohamed, Yacob ciation is honoured to welcome we fi rst hosted the event back in and its partners for their contin- Olympic and world champion sian world record holder Vladimir Nationals this year, and Aussie Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi, Noah Ab- the world’s best swimmers in 2012 was to promote swimming ued support, which has helped us Le Clos – the last year’s overall Morozov and his compatriot Kirill Mitchell Larkin have also con- dulaziz al-Khulaifi, Omar Ashraf, Doha for the FINA Swimming in Qatar and in the region as a in achieving our mission. winner at FINA World Cup – will Prigoda will join the South African fi rmed their participation. Tameea Mohamed, Abdelrahman World Cup 2018,” al-Jabir said in whole, to inspire new athletes “This year’s FINA Swimming continue his love aff air with Doha maestro in men’s battles. The women line-up also of- Hesham, Mohammed Fahad, a statement yesterday. and to introduce new fans to this World Cup will continue to build where he picked six medals in- American Michael Andrew, fers a treat for fans as Sweden’s NourEddine and Yousef Ab- “One of our main goals when exciting sport. We thank FINA on this success,” he added. cluding four golds last year. Rus- who won four titles at the US Sjostrom – the last year’s overall dulaziz al-Khulaifi TENNIS Defending champion Stephens knocked out of US Open AFP New York Heat, age and Millman combine to fl oor Federer Reuters to Tommy Robredo in 2013. loane Stephens’ US Open New York “When you feel like that, title defence ended with everything is off ,” off ered Fed- a 6-2, 6-3 quarter-fi nal erer. “But, look, I’ve trained in defeat to Anastasija Sev- eat, age and a relentless tougher conditions. I’ve played Sastova yesterday as the Latvian John Millman combined in the daytime, you know, at avenged a 2017 loss to the Ameri- Hin a perfect storm to 120 (degrees Fahrenheit, 49 can at the same stage. drive Roger Federer to the US Celsius). Sevastova, through to the semi- Open exit on Monday, leaving “Some days it’s just not the fi nals of a Grand Slam for the fi rst the winner of a record 20 Grand day where the body can cope time, will face either 23-time ma- Slam titles looking every bit the with it.” jor champion Serena Williams or 37 year old he is. For years fans and pundits have eighth-seeded Czech Karolina More shocking than his depar- been watching for signs of de- Pliskova for a place in the fi nal ture was the manner of the 3-6, Australia’s John Millman (right) shakes hands with Switzerland’s cay in Federer’s game and there after toppling Stephens in brutal Sloane Stephens (right) and Anastasija Sevastova (left) shake hands fol- 7-5, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (3) loss to the Roger Federer after defeating him on Monday. (AFP) were hints of fading greatness heat and humidity on Arthur Ashe lowing their match yesterday. (AFP) Australian, with Federer simply to be seen on Monday. Stadium. wilting in the suff ocating hu- tonight. It’s one of the first times the US Open had Federer lost There was no surrender — he “I think it was very physical “I showed some nerves at the Sevastova said of the contrast of midity and exiting a Grand Slam it’s happened to me.” to someone ranked outside the wrestled with Millman through today. It’s tough to play, so hot in end but it’s normal,” Sevastova playing on the shady or sunny end before the quarter-finals for just The numbers were damning top 50, previously posting a two tie-breaks — but in the here. The fi rst set was so impor- said. of the court. “The last games, it was the fifth time since 2004. with the Swiss second seed, in 40-0 record in such matches at end Federer simply ran out of tant,” said the 19th-seeded Sev- With the heat, humidity and good that I played in the shade. The “I just thought it was very hot many eyes the greatest male Flushing Meadows. energy and ideas. astova, who broke Stephens in the blazing sun combining to make sun was not comfortable and it was tonight,” Federer said after his player of all time, committing Both streaks came to a While Federer suffered in the fi nal game to pocket the opening conditions hazardous enough hot.” fourth-round defeat. “It was a shocking 77 unforced errors jaw-dropping end in front of oppressive conditions at the set. that organisers suspended junior Now number three in the just one of those nights where I and 10 double faults, including stunned crowd on Arthur Ashe other end of court 29-year-old She earned the last of fi ve breaks matches, the scraps of shade on the world, Stephens joined an exodus guess I felt I couldn’t get air. two in the final tie-break. Stadium as the five-time cham- Millman, who lives and trains in the second set to take a 5-3 lead massive Ashe court were invalu- of women’s seeds that saw top- “There was no circulation at all. Never before had the 55th pion made his earliest depar- in the heat and humidity of and served it out on her third match able. ranked Simona Halep and number I don’t know, for some reason I ranked Millman beaten a top ture from the year’s final Grand Brisbane, looked perfectly at point when a weary Stephens put a “When the shade was there it two Caroline Wozniacki exit in the just struggled in the conditions 10 player and never before at Slam since a fourth-round loss home. backhand into the net. was so hot here and amazing there,” fi rst two rounds. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, September 5, 2018 SPORT FOCUS My worst time? This is not even close, says beaten Sharapova AFP Those traumatic days have meetings against the Russian. New York long since given way to one of The defeat was also Shara- sport’s most powerful rags-to- pova’s fi rst in 23 matches played riches stories which has seen under the Flushing Meadows aria Sharapova Sharapova earn a personal for- lights — 22 of those on the show- laughed off sugges- tune estimated to be in the region piece Arthur Ashe Stadium.