SPORT Saturday 12 January 2019 PAGE | 18 PAGE | 19 Djokovic India suspend favourite in Pandya and Big Four’s final Rahul ahead showdown of the ODIs Qatar’s focus is only on DPR Korea: Afif THE AFC “In the second half I think AL AIN they got tired, because you can’t defend for 90 minutes and you Akram Afif has insisted he and his can’t attack for 90 minutes. We Qatar team-mates are focusing on We are playing our tried our best and we scored the one game at a time, not only style, our performance first goal. during the current AFC Asian Cup and everything is how “We tried to do that in the UAE 2019 but all the way through first half but we couldn’t, we had until the country hosts the FIFA we have learned. We to wait until the second half. World Cup in 2022. will do our best in each “They had to play with four Afif and his compatriots game, even if we have at the back and that gave us some notched up a 2-0 win over in six months the Copa space and we scored the second Lebanon in Al Ain on Wednesday goal. We tried to keep a clean thanks to goals from Bassam Al America in Brazil and sheet and we took the three Rawi and Almoez Ali as Qatar there are a lot of other Qatar’s Akram points and we did our best.” made a winning start to the con- tournaments. We’ll do Afif (left) and The win was Qatar’s first in tinental championship for the first our best: Akram Afif his team-mates an AFC Asian Cup opener since time in almost 40 years. during a practice 1980 and sets them up to take on The victory ensures Felix session held a DPR Korea team that lost 4-0 Sanchez and his team joined Saudi in Al Ain, UAE to Saudi Arabia in their opener Arabia at the top of the early yesterday. after playing much of the game standings in Group E and that the with only 10 men. Qataris go into their next game “I think it’s important that we against DPR Korea knowing years’ time, with the team also due “We will do our best in each DPR Korea, we will go to the next urgency into the team and Al get these three points,” said Afif. victory will effectively seal their to travel to Brazil in June to play game, even if we have in six one. We finish the next one, then Rawi scored soon after with a “But now we have to forget the spot in the Round of 16. in the Copa America. Afif, though, months the Copa America in we’ll go to the next, all the way curling free-kick before Ali netted Lebanon game and focus on the But while Qatar are stresses he and his teammates are Brazil and there are a lot of until the World Cup.” the decisive second when he DPR Korea game. attempting to reach the knockout looking no further ahead than to other tournaments. We’ll do our Qatar were given a stern test pounced from close range. “It’s not that the Koreans lost phase of the AFC Asian Cup for just the next game. best. by the Lebanese in their tour- “The first half, it wasn’t easy 4-0 and that it will be an easy the third time, the issue of the “For us there’s no pressure “We have the World Cup in nament opener, with Sanchez’s to create chances but we tried our game. All the games will be hard team’s ongoing development in and people are not saying that 2022 and the World Cup is the side forced to remain patient in best,” said Afif. “We have to be for us, (even) if we play the the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar will win the Asian Cup,” said highest competition in the world, their quest for a win that came patient. Lebanon played a great highest team or the lowest team lingers in the background. the winger. but we’re not focusing on the after the introduction of AFC game, they defended very well in the ranking. All of them are the The AFC Asian Cup forms part “We are playing our style, our Copa America or the World Cup, Player of the Year Abdelkarim and tried to play on the counter- same and we will try to win the of Qatar’s long-term plan to performance and everything is we’re focusing on DPR Korea. Hassan just after the hour mark. attack and using throw-ins and next game so it’s easier for us to prepare for the tournament in four how we have learned.” “And when we finish against Hassan injected greater free-kicks.” qualify.” Australian Open could be the final appearance of British great Tearful Murray fears end Qatar’s Rafael Capote (right) prepares to of his illustrious career shoot at the goal during his team’s AFP dominated the game for years, Murray’s opening match of MELBOURNE ranking has slumped to 230. the IHF Handball He hasn’t reached a Grand Slam final World Championship A tearful Andy Murray yesterday announced since winning his second Wimbledon title in yesterday. he would likely retire this year due to severe 2016, but has nevertheless enjoyed a glit- pain from a hip injury, saying next week’s tering career since turning professional in Australian Open could be the last tournament 2005, with not only three Grand Slam titles, of a glittering career. but two Olympic gold medals and 45 ATP Angola stun Qatar The former world number one and three- crowns. time Grand Slam winner broke down at a Notably, in 2013 Murray became the first press conference in Melbourne as he said the British man to win Wimbledon for 77 years, in thrilling opener pain had become almost unbearable. ending the nation’s obsession with finding a “I can play with limitations. But having champion to follow in the footsteps of Fred CHINTHANA WASALA at 17-17 in the 44th minute. the limitations and the pain is not allowing Perry. THE PENINSULA The debutants, Angola con- me to enjoy competing or training,” the emo- World number five Juan Martin del Potro, tinued to trouble Al Annabi but tional Scot said. who has also struggled with injuries and will With just few seconds Qatar managed to be in front in Thirty-one-year-old “Sir Andy” said he miss the Australian Open, told Murray to remaining for the full time the scoreboard once again in the would like to finish at his home Grand Slam “keep fighting”. whistle, Angola scored twice to final few minutes of the game in Wimbledon, but ruefully admitted he might “We love you @andy_murray and we shock 2015 finalists Qatar in (22-23 in 56’). not make it that far. want to see you happy and doing well,” he their opening match of the IHF The last minute of the match He will be remembered as the first British added. Handball World Championship provided maximum enter- man to win Wimbledon in 77 years and as a Billie Jean King called him “a champion yesterday. tainment for the spectators. player who battled his way to the top in a on and off court”, referring to Murray’s long- The Group D match which Angola’s Rome Hebo equalised golden era for the game alongside Roger time support of women’s equality in tennis. took place at the Royal Arena with just 22 seconds left. Unfor- Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. “So sorry you cannot retire on your own in Copenhagen, Denmark, saw tunately for Qatar, Rafael “Wimbledon is where I would like to stop terms, but remember to look to the future. Angola registering a thrilling Capote’s last shot was saved by playing, but I am not certain I am able to do Your greatest impact on the world may be 24-22 win. the goalkeeper and, on the fast that,” he said. yet to come. Your voice for equality will Angola gained an early break, Claudio Chicola was on “I’ve been struggling for a long time. I’m inspire future generations,” she said. advantage to lead 12-8 at the target to give Angola their first not sure I can play through the pain for Top Australian coach Darren Cahill, who end of half time break. victory of the tournament in a another four or five months. until recently was mentoring world number However, Qatar finally dramatic way in the last second “Pretty much done everything that I could Andy Murray of Great Britain breaks down one Simona Halep, said Murray was an caught up and tied the match of the match. to try and get my hip feeling better and it during a press conference in Melbourne example of the never-say-die attitude that hasn’t helped loads.” yesterday. The injury-plagued former separated the best from the average. He pulled out of last year’s Australian world number one yesterday said he is “When you search for examples of Open to have hip surgery and only returned set to retire this year. ‘emptied the bucket to be as good as they in June at Queen’s Club in London. could be’ there should be a picture of Andy He ended the season at Shenzhen in Sep- Murray sitting under that quote,” he tweeted.