AALL NASHAABNASHAAB | Page 4 CCRICKETRICKET | Page 7 Al-Marri wins Southee leads horseback NZ charge to archery leave Pakistan championship on the ropes Wednesday, December 30, 2020 FOOTBALL Jumada I 15, 1442 AH PSG sack Tuchel, GULF TIMES Pochettino favourite to take over SPORT Page 3 QATAR INTERNATIONAL HANDBALL TOURNAMENT TENNIS Former boys’ singles Qatar fi nish second, champs headline Australian Open qualifi ers in Doha By Sports Reporter ond round at the 2020 edition, get vital prep ahead Doha making him the AO’s oldest sin- gles match winner since Austral- ia’s Ken Rosewall in 1978. ising stars and former Australians Alex Bolt, Bernard Australian Open boys’ Tomic, Andrew Harris, Thanasi singles champions Se- Kokkinakis and Aleksandar Vu- bastian Korda (2018) kic are also on the entry list. Rand Lorenzo Musetti (2019) “We are grateful to our friends of World C’ships headline a thrilling entry list of in Qatar for hosting the Austral- talents that will be on display at ian Open 2021 men’s qualifying the Australian Open 2021 men’s event in Doha,” Australian Open With two wins and a draw, Spain finish on top of the four-nation friendly league qualifi ers in Doha. Tournament Director Craig Tiley By Sports Reporter The tournament, to be held said. Doha from January 10-13 at the Khalifa He also said: “Staging the AO International Tennis and Squash qualifying event, and providing Complex in Doha, will feature a players with the opportunity to atar went down fi ght- total of 128 players who will be both earn prize money and win ing to Spain 26-28 in competing for sixteen qualify- the chance to play Grand Slam their fi nal match of the ing spots in the Australian Open tennis during this diffi cult time Qatar International main draw to be held in Mel- has been a key objective in all our QHandball Tournament at the Al bourne from February 8-21. planning. “ Duhail Indoor Hall yesterday. World No.118-ranked Korda, “I’d particularly like to thank The hosts put up a valiant a 20-year-old American who Nasser al-Khelaifi , Karim Alami fi ght against the European made the fourth round at Roland and Qatar Tennis Federation who champions, but fell short in the Garros as a qualifi er earlier this have led the charge to help us end. At half-time Qatar were year, is the son of 1998 Austral- stage this event due to the cur- just a point behind Spain at 12- ian Open champion Petr Korda. rent travel restrictions into Aus- 13. World No.128-ranked Musetti, tralia,’ he added. Spain by virtue of winning aged 18, also enjoyed a breakout Players will need to win three two matches and drawing one, 2020 season, winning his maiden qualifying matches to qualify for topped the four-nation friendly ATP Challenger title and scoring the main draw and all matches event with fi ve points. Asian his fi rst top-20 victory against are best of three sets. Following champions Qatar were second Stan Wawrinka in Rome. the event the 16 qualifi ers will be with four points, having won Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, a joined by a further six alternate two matches prior to their loss 17-year-old ranked No.141 who players and travel to Australia to to Spain. won three ATP Challenger ti- undertake 14 days of mandatory Argentina fi nished third after tles in 2020 and was voted the quarantine with other main draw they edged past Tunisia 28-27 ATP Tour’s Newcomer of the players. yesterday. Year, and France’s Hugo Gaston, Qatar Tennis Federation (QTF) The friendly tournament was a 20-year-old who made the Board Member Karim Alami said, being conducted as Qatar and Roland Garros fourth round in “We are very delighted to host three other teams prepare for the 2020, are also on the list of play- the 2021 Australian Open quali- World Championship in Egypt ers to watch. fying matches – the fi rst time it to be held from January 13-31. More familiar names in the is being held outside its tradi- At next month’s IHF event, Al draw include former world No.5 tional home in Melbourne. Se- Annabi, drawn in Group C, open and 2007 Australian Open quar- lecting Doha as hosts is further their campaign against Angola ter-fi nalist Tommy Robredo, proof of the confi dence the ten- in what will be a rematch of one and 36-year-old Italian Andreas nis family have in us as wonder- of the most memorable matches Seppi, a former world No.18 who ful hosts, and we are grateful for from the 2019 World Champi- Qatar’s Rafael Da Costa Capote (left) is poised to score against Spain in the Qatar International Handball Tournament at the Al Duhail Indoor advanced to the Australian Open the opportunity. All the partici- onships. Hall yesterday. PICTURES: Shemeer Rasheed fourth round on four occasions pants are assured of a very safe The EURO 2020 runners-up and boasts wins over Roger Fe- tournament and our top-notch Croatia and Japan are the other pandemic meant Qatar had to events,” he added. derer and Nick Kyrgios at Mel- hospitality as usual. We look for- teams in their group. train at home. Qatar player Wagdy Sinan bourne Park. ward to welcoming everybody to Qatar coach Valero Rivera had Meanwhile, Qatar Handball said the tournament was a vital Former world No.10 Ernests Doha.” hoped to test the squad against Association president Ahmed rehearsal for the World Champi- Gulbis, former world No.12 The qualifying draw will take tough opponents ahead of the al-Shaabi said the tournament onships. Viktor Troicki and big-serving place at 3pm January 9 and will Worlds and he would have been had achieved its goals. “The tournament was a former world No.14 Ivo Karlovic be streamed live on all QTF and pleased with what he saw from “The tournament achieved strong dress rehearsal for the will also rely on their experience AO social media accounts as well. his players. Rafael Da Costa Ca- its objectives, which was to World Championship next at the top of the game to progress Live scoring and live streaming pote, Youssef Benali and Ahmed provide teams with game time. month. We came away with to the main draw. Karlovic, aged of qualifying, where available, Madadi all impressed in the The tournament witnessed high some useful match practice 41 and the tallest top-20 player will be hosted via ausopen.com tournament, while goalkeeper quality matches from top teams. against some tough opponents. in history, advanced to the sec- and the AO app. Medan Abdi also stood out with All the teams that participated We succeeded in achieving the his terrifi c saving skills. have benefi ted from the tourna- goal we had set out and we look In the last few months, the ment and the international fed- forward to working hard ahead Qatar team underwent several eration (IHF) has praised the or- of the Worlds,” Sinan said. training camps besides featuring ganisation of the tournament,” in a number of friendly matches, al-Shaabi said. including games against top “We have received praise from Action from the match between clubs of Qatar. Rivera wanted offi cials of the IHF for hosting Spain (in white) and Qatar (in to have a camp in a European this tournament in the diffi cult maroon) in Qatar International country but the travel restric- times. Qatar, is always a safe Handball Tournament at the Al tions in place due to Covid-19 place to host various sporting Duhail Indoor Hall yesterday. SPOTLIGHT Doha to host Judo Masters in Jan, Worlds in 2023 By Sports Reporter needs and expectations of all our stake- Championships” to Qatar. anyone preventing us,” he said. Doha holders. We are very pleased to welcome “We remain convinced that the Mas- “In that regard, I would like to thank our best judokas and guests in our hos- ters will have a great impact on judo the commitment of the Qatar Judo Fed- pitable city of Doha,” al-Attiyah said. promotion and development in Qatar. eration, whose eff ort has been enormous, he world’s top judokas will be “Doha has always been a lively and We wish the participants all the best,” ensuring everything is ready on time. The seen in action at the Doha Mas- dynamic place to discover and stage he added. Masters is therefore ready to begin! ters to be organised by the Qa- high-performance events. We are very Meanwhile, Vizer praised Qatar’s The Doha Masters is an important tar Taekwondo, Judo and Kara- grateful to our highest authorities for enthusiasm and commitment to sports qualifying tournament for the Tokyo Tte Federation from January 11 to 13. The all their continued backing,” he added. despite the complications stemming Olympic Games, with the crème de la event is part of the World Judo Tour. The Doha Masters precedes the from the Covid-19 pandemic. crème of the World Judo Tour battling Federation president Khalid Hamad World Championships which Qatar will “As you all know, this is a compli- to earn the valuable points. al-Attiyah said in a statement that Qa- host in 2023. cated year. The coronavirus pandemic “It will happen in Doha, a place tied tar will provide the strictest of health Al-Attiyah thanked International has forced us all to modify established fi rmly to its history but that bets on the protocols to the athletes and offi cials Judo Federation president Marius Viz- plans, for the good of judo and the future, with its avant-garde architec- taking part in the prestigious event.