NBA | Page 6 FOOTBALL | Page 3 Whiteside Tabata shines as To Advertise here Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 helps Heat Rayyan dominate survive scare the Mavs from Kharaitiyat Sunday, January 3, 2016 CRICKET Rabia I 23, 1437 AH Late Stokes blitz GULF TIMES gives England over South Africa SPORT Page 10 Stay tuned, Djokovic tells fans as he starts 2016 in Doha AFP The other big story in Doha is Rafael Nadal. Doha Now the world number fi ve, Qatar should give some indi- cation if the Spaniard is returning to form as he suggested he might be at the end of last season. ix weeks after completing one of the greatest seasons Nadal said he’s had a great pre-season training at home in tennis history, Novak Djokovic begins his 2016 in Mallorca and told journalists in the UAE at the end of last campaign and warm-up for his Australian Open de- month that he aims to be “very competitive” during 2016. fence in Qatar. He is the number two seed in Doha and could barely SThe Serbian, also current holder of Wimbledon and the do worse than he did 12 months ago when he crashed out US Open, heads a strong fi eld at the Qatar Open starting in in the first round, losing to Germany’s Michael Berrer in Doha tomorrow, which also includes Rafael Nadal, Tomas three sets. Berdych and defending champion David Ferrer. The previous year, Nadal, 29, had won in Qatar. All eyes though, at least at the start, will be on Djokovic This year’s defending champion is Nadal’s dogged com- to see if he can maintain the exceptional heights he achieved patriot David Ferrer, so he may feel himself a little unlucky last year and to gauge his form ahead of the fi rst Grand Slam to be seeded fourth. of the year, which begins in Melbourne on January 18. Ferrer beat the Czech Berdych, this year’s number three The 28-year-old dominated men’s tennis last year, all but seed, in straight sets in January 2015, one of fi ve tourna- sweeping away the competition to take three majors, make ments he won last year as the 33-year-old showed no signs 15 consecutive tour fi nals and win more than $21 million (19 of slowing down. million euros) in prize money. “I will be there to defend my title and I hope I will be able He also became the third man to reach all four Grand Slam to do so,” he said in a statement released ahead of the tour- fi nals in a year, losing out only in the French Open to Stan nament. Wawrinka. Also playing this year are the world number 29 Andreas Given his achievements last season, Djokovic must be Seppi and Argentina’s Leonardo Meyer, ranked 35. looking to become the fi rst player since Rod Laver, in 1969, The Qatar Open is played outdoors on a hard court and to win all four Grand Slams in a single season. lasts from January 4-9. There is also the extra prize of a “fi fth major” this season, Temperatures for the week are predicted to be around the with an Olympics gold medal up for grabs in Rio in August. low 20s Celsius, (high 60s, low 70s Fahrenheit). “Here we come again to a new season,” Djokovic said in an Given the riches of Qatar, it is unsurprising that total upbeat statement before arriving in Qatar on December 30. prize money for the event is $1,189,605, the largest purse for “I’m so excited to come back and perform at my best in an ATP World Tour 250 event. this season opening tournament, stay tuned!” The draw for the fi rst round takes place on January 2. Last year though, Doha represented one of his rare failures. The tournament has been held since 1993 when a 25-year- The big serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic beat him in three old Boris Becker triumphed beating Goran Ivanisevic in the seats in the quarter-fi nals. fi nal in three sets. ‘I’m so excited to come back and perform at my best in this season opening tournament, stay tuned!’ BOTTOMLINE Djokovic, Nadal get easy fi rst round matches By Sahan Bidappa jors, and making it to 15 successive tour fi nals tered in doubles, pairing up with country mate As far as home hope is concerned, Mu- Nadal (ESP) / F. Verdasco (ESP) vs. T. Gabashvili Doha to pocket more than $21 million in prize money. Verdasco and will face Teymuraz Gabashvili and barak Shannan Zayid, the 1761th ranked (RUS) / A. Ramos-Vinolas (ESP); [4] P. Petzschner The 28-year-old, however, had a disappoint- Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the fi rst round. Qatari has received a wild card. The (GER) / A. Peya (AUT) vs. [WC] M. Zayed (QAT) / ing Qatar Open last year, as he suff ered his only Meanwhile, defending champion and fourth 20-year-old has drawn a tougher oppo- M. Zayid (QAT); D. Marrero (ESP) / A. Seppi (ITA) uite expectedly, top seed Novak Djok- pre-fi nal loss of 2015 at the event when he was seed David Ferrer, who is in the same half of the nent as he is slated to face seventh seed Jer- vs. P. Andujar (ESP) / L. Mayer (ARG) S. Bolelli ovic and second seed Rafael Nadal beaten by Ivo Karlovic of Croatia in three seats in draw as Nadal, will face Illya Marchenko, the mey Chardy of France in the opening round. (ITA) / S. Stakhovsky (UKR) vs. J. Knowle (AUT) were drawn in the opposite side of the quarter-fi nals. No 94th ranked Ukrainian. Czech Republic’s First round draw / A. Sa (BRA); W. Koolhof (NED) / M. Middelkoop the bracket for the Qatar ExxonMobil If Djokovic gets past yet-to-be-decided qual- Thomas Berdych, last year’s fi nalist, is seeded Singles (Seedings in bracket): [1] N. Djokovic (NED) vs. [3] F. Lopez (ESP) / M. Lopez (ESP); J. QOpen, with them potentially meeting only in the ifi er, which he should comfortably, he does face number three this time and will face Sergiy (SRB) vs. Qualifier; F. Verdasco (ESP) vs. [WC] M. Chardy (FRA) / P. Mathieu (FRA) vs. [WC] J. Ali fi nal. a potentially tricky second round match against Starkhovsky of Ukraine. This will be the seventh Jaziri (TUN); P. Andujar (ESP) vs. P. Lorenzi (ITA); Mutawa (QAT) / M. Jaziri (TUN); R. Albot (MDA) / At the draw ceremony held yesterday, Serbian Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, who has dropped meeting between the two, with Berdych having Qualifier vs. [8] L. Mayer (ARG); [3] T. Berdych M. Klizan (SVK) vs. [2] J. Murray (GBR) / B. Soares Djokovic, who is on a hot streak, was drawn to down to 49th in the ranking. won all the previous meetings. (CZE) vs. S. Stakhovsky (UKR); M. Cecchinato (BRA) open his 2016 ATP World Tour season campaign The left-hander, a semifi nalist at the 2009 Starkhovsky, who present at the draw cer- (ITA) vs. D. Dzumhur (BIH); Qualifier vs. M. Klizan Qualifying first round results against a qualifi er in the opening round, while Australian Open, has a career-high ranking of 7 emony yesterday, was hoping he can break the (SVK); D. Muñoz de la Nava (ESP) vs. [5] F. Lopez Mirza Basic (BIH) bt Inigo Cervantes (ESP) 3-6, second seed Nadal of Spain will meet compatriot but has dropped down the radar. Verdasco will duck against Berdych. “It’s a tough match for (ESP); [7] J. Chardy (FRA) vs. [WC] M. Zayid 6-2, 7-5; R. Bemelmans (BEL); B. Becker (GER) Pablo Carreno Busta, ranked No 69 in the world. meet wild card Malek Jaziri of Tunisia in the fi rst sure. We played three times last year, two times (QAT); A. Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) vs. P. Mathieu bt Flavio Cipolla (ITA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-1; Kyle Edmund The main round of the $1,189,605 Qatar Exx- round. in hard court and once in Clay, but unfortu- (FRA); T. Gabashvili (RUS) vs. S. Bolelli (ITA); I. (GBR) bt Andrea Arnaboldi (ITA) 6-4, 6-3; Aslan onMobil Open, which was fi rst played in 1993, Nadal, the 2014 Qatar Open winner, will nately I didn’t win any. But I had my chances Marchenko (UKR) vs. [4] D. Ferrer (ESP); [6] A. Karatsev (RUS) bt Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) 6-3, will begin tomorrow and go on until Saturday, square up against Busta, who the former World there. It going to be a tough match to start the Seppi (ITA) vs. R. Berankis (LTU); [WC] M. Ilhan 6-3; Lukas Lacko (SVK) bt Jan Hernych (CZE) January 9. The four qualifying slots will be de- No1 had beaten in 2015, in their only meeting season, and I hope I can change the results this (TUR) vs. A. Kuznetsov (RUS); R. Haase (NED) vs. Jan Hernych 6-1, 6-4; Michael Berrer (GER) bt cided tomorrow, with the fi rst round matches so far. Now No 5, Nadal will be keen to start on year,” said the 62nd ranked Starkhovsky. Also Qualifier; P. Carreno Busta (ESP) vs. [2] R. Nadal Jabor Mohammed Ali Mutawa (QAT) 6-0, 6-1; being held yesterday at the Khalifa Complex. a good note in Doha, having been ousted in the playing this year are the world number 29 An- (ESP) Dustin Brown (GER) bt Marek Michalicka (CZE) Djokovic had a dream 2015 season, as he very fi rst round here last year by Germany’s dreas Seppi and Argentina’s Leonardo Meyer, Men’s Doubles:[1] J.