THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2014 SPORTS LONDON: Czech Republic’s Tomas Berdych returns to Croatia’s Marin Cilic during their Group A singles match on day four of the ATP World Tour Finals tennis tournament. — AFP Berdych batters Cilic for place in semis LONDON: Tomas Berdych thrashed US Open losing the first match in the past and I know six games in his two matches. former Wimbledon runner-up had also won the game. Berdych had the momentum and even champion Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-1 yesterday to how to come back. I think that was the biggest The 26-year-old made a whopping 30 next tie on each previous occasion and once when Cilic earned two break points in the remain in the hunt for a place in the semi-finals difference.” unforced errors over the course of a woeful 74- again showed he could respond well to adversi- eighth game, the Czech was able to scramble of the ATP Tour Finals. Czech world number sev- Quizzed during an on-court interview about minute meltdown. “It’s disappointing to play ty. Cilic, making his Tour Finals debut, had out of trouble. en Berdych had been routed by Stan Wawrinka the daunting task of facing world number one like this. I was not expecting it. But my body enjoyed important Grand Slam victories over He sealed the opening set with another in his opening match at London’s O2 Arena, but Djokovic, Berdych jokingly asked the crowd: feels a little bit tired on the court,” Cilic said. Berdych at Wimbledon and then the US Open break and used his booming serve to escape he bounced back in style and could qualify for “Any tips? I will need some. “Especially with these guys at this kind of this year. But Berdych got a measure of revenge when Cilic brought up two more break points the last four with a victory over defending “I just want to try to bring my best tennis level, even small mistakes, or if you’re not at for those losses with a dominant display. After early in the second set. Cilic’s shoulders champion Novak Djokovic in his final Group A and we’ll see what happens. I hope I can have a your best, the outcome is not going to be going winning a combined four games between slumped after that failure and the Croatian tie tomorrow. “I think today was more about great match.” Cilic’s second straight-sets defeat in your favour.” them in dismal opening match defeats, both looked a spent force when he tamely directed a fighting and getting through it,” Berdych said. at the season-ending event means the Croatian Berdych has lost his opening match of the players needed a fast start, and it was Berdych forehand wide to gift Berdych a 3-1 lead which “It’s not my first year. I have the experience of has no chance of qualifying after winning just Tour Finals in all five of his appearances, but the who seized the initiative as he broke in the first effectively ended the one-sided contest. — AFP CAF in race against time to find Nations Cup hosts PARIS: The Confederation of African Football (CAF) are set to announce the new hosts for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in the next two or three days after Morocco was stripped of the right to stage the tournament. Morocco had said since early October that its call for a postponement was due to the deadly Ebola pandemic, but CAF, led by long-serving President Issa Hayatou, lost patience with the North Africans and threw them out as hosts and participants with a heavy fine likely to follow. The fact that Morocco are also set to host the Club World Cup, only 25 days before the scheduled January 17 kickoff, threw further doubts over Morocco’s reasons prompting Hayatou and his members to pull the plug. “To postpone the Africa Cup of Nations would be like stopping African football dead,” Hayatou told France 24. “Once you postpone this event, it will open the door for every- body to ask for a delay of any competition and we will no longer be credible.” added the 68-year-old Cameroonian who has been in office since 1988. Now, the question is who has the capacity to step in at such a late hour with organisation and logistics thrown into chaos, just weeks ahead of the 30th rendition of the competition. Angola, who hosted the 2010 tournament that was marred by a separatists’ gun attack on the Togo team bus, are in the running as are Gabon who co-hosted the 2012 edition with Equatorial Guinea. Rumours however that the three-week continental showpiece could be moved outside Africa with 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar an unprecedented option were dismissed by Qatar Football Association vice-president Saud al-Muhannadin. “It is illogical, the news is false.” he told AFP. Angola, with their extensive oil resources have the money and the stadiums in place, but the attacks on Togo which led to two deaths in the restless north- ern enclave of Cabinda may work against their bid. South Africa, Ghana and Algeria have declined CAF’s approaches while Nigeria’s name has been whispered although the country is in the midst of an unstable political climate. The Ebola disease has claimed almost 5,000 lives, essentially in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, ironically countries with whom Morocco have maintained incoming and outgoing flights, unlike many other countries. Morocco have also hosted Guinea’s qualifying matches with the Western African nation banned from staging matches in their own country. The CAF also confirmed that qualifica- tion matches for the tournament will go ahead as planned on November 14-15 with the final round of matches set four days later. Those matches will determine which 15 teams will join the new KUWAIT: Kuwait handicapped basketball team took a huge step by defeating Egypt’s team 54-53 in a very exciting match yesterday. The championship will be hosts for the final stages which are set for January 17 to February 9, concluded today in the presence of Italian and Egyptian ambassadors as well as the Handicapped Club Chairman Shafi Al-Hajiri and board members. Deputy dates that CAF have adamantly said will not be changed. Chairman of the Club Nasser Al-Ajmi said the tournament witnessed strong competition between Egypt, Kuwait and Torino. He said Kuwait team benefited in Moroccan officials and fans reacted with mixed feelings on the preparing for the basketball Gulf Cup to be held in December. shock announcement but sports minister Mohamed Ouzzine defend- ed their stance and said they had simply asked for a postponement, until the disease was brought under control. “The CAF statement said we refuse to organise the Nations Cup, Irish girl fights Ibrahimovic and it’s wrong. We want the tournament in our country, but we main- tain our demand to postpone it,” Ouzzine told parliament. “Morocco has not breached any contract because of the force majeure (Ebola epidemic). We will not rush to answer, but everyone and Rodriguez for best goal should know that we are prepared for all eventualities,”. “The WHO (World Health Organisation) says that every country PARIS: Superstars James Rodriguez and Zlatan Also featuring in Wednesday’s list released by FIFA Premier League (October 21,, 2013) has the right to take the necessary measures to protect its citizens. Ibrahimovic lead a list of ten candidates for the Puskas was one woman with Ireland’s Roche getting the nod Stephanie Roche (IRL), Peamount United-Wexford The whole world is incapable to find some treatment or some solu- Prize for the best goal of 2014 but face competition for her juggle and strike for Peamount United against Youths, Irish women’s championship (October 20, tion for that disease (Ebola), so isn’t it a force majeure? from little-known Irish women’s international Wexford Youths in the Irish women’s league in October 2013) “We can talk about sanctions now, but we should not forget what Stephanie Roche. 2013. James Rodriguez (COL), Colombia-Uruguay, 2014 would happen in case we have not taken our decision.” Morocco’s Paris Saint-Germain striker Ibrahimovic, won the The vote will be an online poll with the winning World Cup (June 28, 2014) stance is set to see them face further sanctions, notably financial but award in 2013 for his spectacular long range goal goal and top three to be announced on January 12 at Camilo Sanvezzo (BRA), Vancouver Whitecaps- there is also the threat they could be banned from further CAN com- against England in a friendly, and is back in the run- the ceremony for the Ballon d’Or. Portland Timbers, Major League Soccer (October 6, 2013) petitions. CAF executive committee member Constant Omari defend- ning this year thanks to his back-heeled volley against Hisato Sato (JPN), Sanfrecce Hiroshima-Kawasaki ed the decision to strip the 1976 winners of the right to stage what Bastia in a French league game. Top 10 goals Frontale, Japanese J-League (March 8, 2014) would have been their second tournament, after 1988, when they Rodriguez, who joined Real Madrid from Monaco in Tim Cahill (AUS), Australia-Netherlands, 2014 World Robin van Persie (NED), Spain-Netherlands, 2014 reached the semi-finals. “The CAF put no pressure on Morocco but the off-season, thanks in part to his skilful control and Cup (June 18, 2014) World Cup (June 13 2014) they are a member who belong to the CAN.