SPORTMonday 18 February 2019

PAGE | 12 PAGE | 13LeBron says owning NBA

club ‘would have to be right fit’

Wawrinka stuns Nishikori to reach second Rotterdam final

Stage set for Amir’s Golden Sword ChampionshipTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The region’s top riders will feature in the annual three-day Amir’s Golden Sword Champi-onship set to be held at Qatar Equestrian Federation (QEF) Outdoor Arena from February 21-23.

According to the schedule released by QEF yesterday, the traditional Vet Check will be carried out on Wednesday at 4:00pm while the actual event will kick off with competitions in the Small Tour (110/120cm) with an overall prize bag of QR5,000.

The Small Tour will start at 4:00pm, organisers said.

On the same day, the Medium Tour - with an overall prize bag of QR10,000 - will see riders starting competition at

6:30pm in the 125/125cm category.

The last event on the opening day of Amir’s Sword Championships will see the battle for top honours in the Big Tour competition set to begin at 8.30pm. The overall prize money for Competition three is QR 15,000.

On Friday, young entries will feature in two Future Riders competitions to be held at QEF’s Indoor Arena. The first compe-tition for the juniors will start at 1:30 whereas the second will kick off at 2:00pm.

On day two, senior riders will jostle for top finish in the Small Tour (110/120cm, one round against the clock) that will carry prizes worth QR 10,000. The Medium Tour (125/125cm one round against the clock) will be worth QR 20,000.

The Big Tour, the last event of the day, (140/150cm, one round against the clock) will start at 8:00pm.

The Big Tour will be worth QR30,000.

On Saturday, the final day of the championships, A couple of

dressage competitions will be held followed by the Big Tour (140/150cm, one round against the clock) worth QR 50,000 and

brand new car for the winner. The Big Tour event will start at 2:30pm.

The Small Tour (110/120cm, one round against the clock, QR20,000) will start at 4:00pm while the Medium Tour (125/135cm, one round against the clock, QR35,000) will kick off at 6:00pm.

According to championships rules, each rider can compete in only one category with number of horses allowed per athlete is two.

The starting order in each competition will be determine by a new draw, organisers said.

Each participant rider and horse needs to have a valid QEF License to accept his entry.

The deadline for entries is 7:30 pm tomorrow and the entry requests should be send by email to hathabentry@qf.org.qa.

Slow and steady does it for new ‘Queen of Doha’

Belgian Elise Mertens poses

with the trophy as she celebrates

after winning the final of the

Qatar Total Open against Romania’s

Simona Halep at the Khalifa Tennis Complex in Doha,

on Saturday.

Qatar Equestrian Federation to host prestigious annual show jumping event this weekend

Young Mertens takes Qatar Total Open by storm

My back was a little bit blocked.

After playing so many matches,

it can happen sometimes. I really

needed the physio on court.

They did a tape on my back. That

helped for me to rotate better.

After that, I didn’t really want

to keep my mind on my back so

I stepped up in the game again

and just tried to focus on the

points: MertensRIZWAN REHMAT THE PENINSULA

Not quite the poster girl of the

tennis world just yet but Bel-

gium’s Elise Mertens knew a

steady game would help her beat

three top-10 players in Doha last

week.

The 23-year-old on Saturday

stunned former champion

Simona Halep 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to lift

the Qatar Total Open in a battle

that lasted more than two hours

at the Khalifa Tennis Complex.

“I was really happy the way

I played this week. I’m happy

about the process that I made.

Maybe at the start playing less

well and then get better every

match,” Mertens said after

beating the 2014 champion in

Doha.

It was Mertens’ fifth Tour title

win in six finals.

“You know, that’s why you

do it, beating those top 10

players, getting the victory at the

end,” the Belgian added.

“I think it’s the process of

this week, giving me confidence,

beating those three top 10

players,” Mertens said of her wins

over No.8 Kiki Bertens, No.6

Angelique Kerber and No.3 Halep

in the final.

“I found my way,” Mertens

said of her loss in the first set in

the title clash.

“I didn’t really look good

(during the) first set. I think it’s

just the process. She’s a great

player. I just kept believing that

I could actually do it.

“I didn’t expect to be in a

final this week. Of course you

work for it, but (in) tennis (it)

could go either ways. I mean,

they were all amazing players in

this draw.

“Consistency is one of the

key things to be a top player. I

think Kiki Bertens already did a

good job last year and this year.

That was a really tough match

for me (in the quarter-finals). I

think it was all good, the

progress that I made this week,”

Mertens said.

Mertens said coach David

Taylor’s advice during breaks was

key to her beating Halep.

“He said, ‘stay positive, stay

in the game’, that I ‘deserve to

be here’, that I ‘deserve to be in

the final’ after this week. He said

that I’m ‘playing well this week’,”

Mertens revealed.

“(He asked me) to be

aggressive on the court. I think

that was the main thing. To not

step back, to let me play. That

was the main thing, not to get

back behind the line,” she added.

“(He kept telling me) to keep

accelerating, to let her run, to

come in maybe sometimes with

a volley, he said.

“That mindset was right and

necessary. He told me to stay

positive. And on the side also he

kept on cheering for me even

though I was losing,” Mertens

said with a smile.

“I was a set and a break

down. She (Halep) played well at

that time. I really had to step up

in the court and play better tennis

than before. She was really hitting

the ball pretty clear and clean.

“I just kept on fighting. I think

holding serve was a big process,

especially (after) the first set

didn’t really go well, but I think

the positivity kept me going,”

Mertens said.

Mertens said she misfired

with her baseline shots to lose the

first set against Halep.

“I wouldn’t say I was really

nervous, but I think my shots went

long. I really had to accelerate a

little bit better to keep it in the

court,” Mertens explained.

“I think she started pretty

good, pretty clean on those shots.

She pushed me back a little bit. I

had to step up in the court a little

bit more from the beginning,

which I didn’t do,” she said.

Mertens said winning the title

in Doha felt good.

“Of course it’s a big moment

for me, getting that victory.

Playing in a Grand Slam and

getting the semis is

also really a great

achievement, but I

wanted a step

further to getting

this trophy,” the

world No.21 said.

“ E s p e c i a l l y

playing against those

top 10 players, which I

did back-to-back this week.

I think this one would be the

nicest one, nicest victory,”

Mertens said.

“I had a pretty good run last

year throughout the year. I’m

really working hard. You have to

keep working and both feet on

the ground every week,” Mertens

said.

When reminded that the

tournament promo photos had

her photo with word “Victory”

written across, Mertens smiled

and said: “I saw that the first day

I arrived. I was like, Oh, I really

have to win this first round.”

The Belgian didn’t just win

the first round but went all the

way to lift the golden Falcon

Trophy on Saturday.

I didn’t expect to be in

a final this week. Of

course you work for

it, but (in) tennis

(it) could go

either ways.

I mean, they’re all

amazing players

in this draw:

Mertens

Champion Elise Mertens poses with the Qatar Total Open winner’s trophy on the podium next to President of the Qatar Tennis Federation Nasser Al Khelaifi, on Saturday.

SPORT FA Cup, 5th Round: Chelsea

vs Manchester United La Liga: Huesca vsAthletic Bilbao

FOOTBALL FOOTBALL

12MONDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2019

It’s a big relief to reach my first final since my surgery. It’s really

important to see that I can play a full week of matches. I’m glad to

be in a final again.

Stan Wawrinka after beating top seed Kei Nishikori in Rotterdam Open semi-final.

TO

DA

Y’S

AC

TIO

N

Overdrive Racing begins FIA World Cup quest with top trioOverdrive Racing will be

hoping to win back the FIA

World Cup title it last held

in 2017 and will be entering

two or three cars at each

round of the series this

year in Qatar, Abu Dhabi,

Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan

and Morocco.

This is my home event and that is

always special. It is a very difficult

event and throws up numerous

challenges. I have a good record

here but last year shows that

anything can happen and we need

to be fully focused from the start to

give ourselves the best chance of

winning: Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah

AFP CHARLOTTE

LeBron James says that following fellow NBA superstar Michael Jordan into owning an NBA club is “more of an aspiration” than dream as he prepares for a 15th NBA All-Star Game.

The 34-year-old Los Angeles Lakers playmaker will captain Team LeBron against Team Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Mil-waukee Bucks in the annual talent showcase Sunday at Charlotte, North Carolina.

Jordan, who won six NBA titles in the 1990s with the Chicago Bulls, now owns the Charlotte Hornets and while James once said there was “no maybe about it” that he would be the majority owner of a team one day, he was more hesitant about the prospects on Saturday.

“It’s not that it’s intoxicating to me, and I don’t think about it on a day-to-day basis,” James said.

“It would have to be the right fit. It would have to be the right city. It would have to be the right situation. It’s not like it’s a dream of mine. It’s more of an aspiration.

“See if it happens. If it don’t, I won’t be disappointed in anything I’ve done off the floor.”

James said he feels that if he decides ownership is what he wants, he would be able to assemble the investors needed to purchase a club.

“I believe if I wanted to, I could own a team or be part of a basketball team. I know I got so much knowledge of the game that I don’t want to, once I stop playing, just to get away from the game.

“Obviously I’m going to be along with my sons, because they’re going to play the game. But if I can give back to this league in any way shape or form, and continue to make this league as great as it is today, then I would love to.”

Forbes values an average NBA club at $1.9bn and says James has net worth beyond $450m. The 34-year-old forward, a three-time NBA champion, also figures he has many more years on the court before own-ership becomes a consideration.

“I got a lot more game to play,” James said.

“A ton more years to play this game and suit up and be in a Lakers uniform. Once we get to that point, we’ll cross that path. Hope-fully I can sit up here and answer questions as a player for a long time.”

James ranks fifth on the NBA all-time scoring list with 32,082 points while Jordan is fourth on 32,292.

“It’s kind of hard to talk into the future. I kind of live in the moment,” James said regarding how it would feel to pass Jordan.

“One thing I can tell you is anytime I’m mentioned with one of the greats, if not the greatest that ever played this game, it’s crazy to me. It really is. You talk about MJ, who I looked up to and always believed was the greatest.”g

LeBron James

BRIEF SCORES

On Friday, 5th Matchi n Dubai

Lahore Qalandars 138/6 (Sohail Akhtar 39, AP Devcich 28, Umar Khan 2-25) Karachi Kings 116 all out in 19.5 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 34, Babar Azam 28, Haris Rauf 4-23, Rahat Ali 3-19)Qalandars won by 22 runs

Player of the Match: Haris Rauf

Yesterday, 6th Matchin Dubai

Islamabad United 157/8 (WD Parnell 41,Asif Ali 36, Sohail Tanvir 4-21, Fawad Ahmed 3-15) Quetta Gladiators 161/3 in 18.2 overs (Shane Watson 81, Umar Akmal 44, SR Patel 1-15)Quetta Glad won by 7 wickets

(with 10 balls remaining)

Player of the Match: Shane Watson

Shane Watson shines in win over Quetta Gladiators.

Sri Lanka sensation Perera hailed for Durban heroicsAFP COLOMBO

Kusal Perera became a national hero in Sri Lanka on Sunday after scoring an unbeaten 153 to guide his country to a sensational first Test victory in South Africa.

The country’s cricket legends and politicians lauded Perera, who has become a linchpin for the ailing national side since fighting off doping charges in 2016.

Former skipper Kumar Sangakkara, who had staunchly defended Perera when he was suspended in December 2015, called the performance at Kingsmead in Durban on Saturday “unreal”.

“What an amazing win,” Sangakkara said on Twitter. “One of the best if not THE best overseas win by (Sri Lanka). Kusal Janith Perera was unreal.”

Sangakkara stood by Perera when he was wrong-fully accused of doping in 2015. The International Cricket Council lifted the suspension in 2016 and apologised for the botched testing.

Another former Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jaya-wardena said on Twitter: “What a beauty! One of the best innings under pressure.”

Jayawardena said Perera, who put on a last wicket partnership of 78 had shown “intelligence and mental strength”.

Perera scored 67 in an unbroken last-wicket stand with Vishwa Fernando

which gave his underdog team a sensational victory.

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wick-remesinghe also took to Twitter to hail the win.

“Congratulations to our

cricket team on snatching a victory from the jaws of defeat,” Sirisena said.

“Kusal Janith Perera makes mother Sri Lanka very proud today! Keep fighting!

“Great spirit by @kusalj-perera and all the youngsters #SAvSL,” added Wickremes-inghe while thanking the national side which has been the butt of jokes due to poor recent results.

“U beauty”, said Sports minister Harin Fernando on Twitter.

Sri Lanka won the World Cup in 1996 and since has been plagued by man-agement scandals, allega-tions of corruption and player squabbling.

They were swept 3-0 in a home Test series against England last year and were then beaten in Australia and New Zealand.

Sri Lanka’s Kusal Perera celebrates the victory after hitting the winning runs against South Africa in Durban on Saturday.

One of the best if not THE best overseas win by (Sri Lanka). Kusal Janith Perera was unreal, tweets former captain Kumar Sangakkara

Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah in action in last year’s event in Qatar.

THE PENINSULA DOHA

Fresh from clinching victory in the gruelling Dakar Rally for the first time in January in association with Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa, Overdrive Racing has entered three Toyota Hiluxes in the Manateq Qatar Cross-Country Rally.

The opening round of the 2019 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country

Rallies takes place on Feb-ruary 21-26 and will be

fought out over five stages across the

length and breadth of Qatar.

Overdrive Racing will be hoping to win back the FIA World Cup title it last held in 2017 and will be e n t e r i n g two or three cars at each round of the series this year in

Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Morocco.

The FIA has, this year, split cross-country events into two cham-pionships for longer distance Mar-athon-type rallies and the shorter Baja events.

Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah, Dutchman Bernhard Ten Brinke and Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al Rajhi will drive the three Toyota Hiluxes in Qatar, the trio offering a wealth of international experience to the Belgium-based team that runs under

the management of Jean-Marc Fortin.

Al Attiyah is the Arab world’s leading off-road driver and is a three-time winner of the Dakar Rally and a five-time champion on his home event in Qatar. He and French navigator Matthieu Baumel missed out on the FIA World Cup title in 2018 and are keen to get the 2019 campaign underway with a potential sixth victory for Al Attiyah on home sand.

“This is my home event and that is always special,” said Al Attiyah.

“It is a very difficult event and throws up numerous challenges. I have a good record here but last year shows that anything can happen and we need to be fully focused from the start to give our-selves the best chance of winning.”

Ten Brinke was Al Attiyah’s team-mate in the Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa team and is reu-nited with his former co-driver Tom Colsoul for the first of two Middle Eastern events in the space of less than two months.

Ten Brinke failed to finish the recent Dakar Rally, but is relishing the new challenge of the Qatar deserts and will need to call upon all his navigator’s experience to overcome the event’s notoriously tricky navigation and deceptive desert trails.

Colsoul is the defending FIA World Cup champion navigator and finished fourth overall in the recent Dakar Rally. He was also the winning co-driver in Qatar last season on the way to a memorable title success with Jakub Przygonski and is looking forward to working with Ten Brinke again.

Yazeed Al Rajhi is Saudi Arabia’s most successful ever rally driver and returns to the Overdrive Racing team

with whom he raced in the FIA World Cup in 2014.

The Riyadh driver will also have a new co-driver reading his road book and navigational waypoints, with the former Dakar-winning German Dirk von Zitzewitz replacing fellow countryman Timo Gottschalk in the passenger seat of the third Toyota.

Jean-Marc Fortin, CEO of Over-drive Racing, said: “I am delighted to announce our programme of events to enable us to challenge for honours in the FIA World Cup this year. We will enter two or three cars at each round and have a very strong line-up for Qatar, which is, perhaps, the most challenging event in the calendar for both the driver and co-driver with the navigation and numerous tracks in the desert.

“The season got off to a perfect start with the team’s first win at the Dakar Rally, but we need to build on that success now and win back the FIA World Cup for Toyota.”

New iconic Pearl island start for Qatar event The Manateq Qatar Cross-Country Rally gets underway with a ceremonial start on the iconic Pearl on Thursday (February 21).

The competitive action then fires into life with a 102km stage on February 22 and that will define the starting order for the first of four further desert selective sections.

The subsequent two timed sec-tions run for 313km and 338km and the fourth is planned for 350km, with a short road liaison of 56km built into the day’s timetable.

The fifth and final stage takes place on February 26 and runs for 270km before the ceremonial finish on The Pearl-Qatar.

In a route of 2,059km, teams will tackle around 1,367km against the clock.

LeBron says owning NBA club ‘would have to be right fit’

13MONDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2019 SPORT

Real suffer shock home defeat to Girona as title bid keeps fadingREUTERS MADRID

Real Madrid’s resurgent La Liga run skidded to a halt as they fell to a shock 2-1 defeat at home by struggling Girona in which captain Sergio Ramos was sent off in added time, leaving them nine points adrift of leaders Barcelona.

Real looked on course for a sixth consecutive league win when Casemiro leapt highest to meet a Toni Kroos cross and head them in front midway through the first half.

But Girona, who had not won in the league since November, came out with a vengeance in the second half, levelling in the 65th minute with a Cristhian Stuani penalty after a handball by Ramos.

Spanish striker Cristian Portu gave Girona an unlikely lead 10 minutes later, nipping in front of Madrid’s lacklustre defender Marcelo to nod in on the rebound after Thibaut Courtois could only parry a shot from visiting forward Anthony Lozano.

Madrid substitutes Gareth Bale and Vinicius Jr each squandered opportunities to level and things got worse when Ramos earned a second yellow card in stoppage time and was sent off for the 25th time in club football.

Real goalkeeper Courtois came close to salvaging an equaliser late on but headed wide, leaving Real third in the standings on 45 points, nine behind table toppers Bar-celona and seven back from second-placed Atletico Madrid.

Madrid had eased to a 7-3

aggregate win over Girona in the Copa del Rey last month, and with the Catalans sitting one point above the rele-gation zone and having lost their six previous games, a home win seemed highly likely.

Girona attacked Marcelo’s right wing throughout the

second half, with Portu enjoying particular freedom, thumping the near post moments before he headed in the winning goal.

Midfielder Aleix Garcia had blazed a golden chance to equalise over the bar early in the second but Girona finally were rewarded for

their bold attacking approach when Ramos blocked a goal-bound shot with his hand and a penalty was given.

Girona’s confidence rocketed after equalising while Madrid lacked com-posure in their attempts to find a way back in the game.

FA Cup: Man City down Newport to advanceREUTERS MANCHESTER

Manchester City endured some anxious moments but escaped from fourth-tier Newport County with their FA Cup hopes intact as Phil Foden scored twice in an ultimately comfortable 4-1 fifth-round victory on Saturday.

Newport, 82 rungs below City on the English football ladder, rattled Pep Guardiola’s aristocrats in the first half and Tyreeq Bakinson almost gave them the lead at a rocking Rodney Parade.

But City’s class showed in the second half and once Leroy Sane’s powerful shot from a tight angle put them in front after 51 minutes the chances of a seismic Cup shock faded away.

Foden’s 75th-minute shot crept in at the near post to subdue the home fans but when Padraig Amond main-tained his run of scoring in every round with an 88th minute lob it seemed pos-sible Newport’s fairytale might have a late twist.

But a second goal for youngster Foden arrived 71 seconds later before Riyad Mahrez rubbed salt into New-port’s wounds with virtually the last kick of the game as City claimed a 12th win in 13 matches in all competitions.

Newport’s historic Rodney Parade stadium was packed to the rafters long

before kickoff as the home fans gathered in hope of witnessing what manager Michael Flynn claimed would be the greatest FA Cup shock of all time.

At times during the first half Guar-diola’s City slickers, who put six goals past Chelsea last week, appeared decidedly uncomfortable under a barrage of long throw-ins.

From one such delivery Newport seemed certain to take the lead when the ball bounced up invitingly for

Bakinson who had all the goal to aim for with a close-range header, but City keeper Ederson appeared from nowhere to make a stunning save.

City dominated possession with Sane grazing the bar and Mahrez going close but Newport were always a threat and Joss Labadie skewed a half chance wide from another long throw.

Six minutes after the break City went ahead when Sane’s fierce shot smashed Joe Day straight in the face on its way into the net -- the

keeper getting a bloody nose for his trouble.

Day, who sprinted off the pitch to attend the birth of his twins following Newport’s fourth-round win over second-tier Middlesbrough, was at fault as Foden made it 2-0.

The 30-year-old Amond took advantage of a lapse to dink Newport’s reply, briefly restoring the decibel-level in the stadium, but Foden’s sweet left-foot strike and Mahrez’s cool finish spared City any late anxiety.

Wawrinka stuns Nishikori to reach second Rotterdam finalAFP ROTTERDAM

Three-time Grand Slam title winner Stan Wawrinka reached his second Rotterdam Open final on Saturday by knocking out top seed Kei Nishikori 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

Switzerland’s 2015 champion needed almost two and a quarter hours to defeat the Japanese star who was playing at the Dutch event for the first time.

Wawrinka will face off for his first title since Geneva in May 2017 when he plays against good friend Gael Monfils in Sunday’s final.

The French showman returned to the final as he overhauled Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Nishikori suffered only his second loss of the season against 11 victories, which included the Brisbane title and a quarter-final run at the Australian Open.

Wawrinka, 33, won the first set from a 4-0 lead, trailed 0-4 as Nishikori levelled in the second before he broke in the final game of the third.

The Swiss world number 68 sent a stinging service return winner down the line to clinch victory, which comes almost a year and a half after he underwent two knee surgeries in the summer of 2017.

“It’s a big relief to reach my first final since my surgery,” Wawrinka said.

“It’s really important to see that I can play a full week of matches. I’m feeling good phys-ically, I’m glad to be in a final again and glad to do it here.”

The Swiss won his last meeting with Monfils at Roland Garros two years ago.

Wawrinka ended with eight aces and 35 winners while breaking Nishikori five times.

The Ambassador of Qatar to Mexico, H E Mohamed bin Jassim Al Kuwari, presenting medals to winners of the Qatar - Mexico 2019 football tournament, held at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Mexico, recently. The tournament was organized by the Embassy of Qatar in Mexico under the auspices of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy to celebrate Qatar’s National Sport Day. Apart from the top officials from the Embassy of Qatar, a number of prominent sports personalities in Mexico were also present at the occasion.

Qatar Embassy in Mexico celebrates National Sport Day

Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos (second right) is shown a red card by the referee during the La Liga match against Girona in Madrid, Spain, yesterday.

REUTERS MADRID

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos entrenched his reputation as the bad boy of Spanish football by earning a staggering 25th red card for the club in yesterday’s 2-1 defeat at home by Girona which scuppered Real’s hopes of a late push for the La Liga title.

The red card saw Ramos, 32, become the first player to be sent off 20 times in La Liga but fortunately for him and Real, he will only serve a one-game ban, missing next week’s trip to Levante but returning against Bar-celona on March 2.

The Spain defender has played 601 games for Real since joining from Sevilla in 2005 for €27m ($30.49m), earning four red cards in his first season with the club, including two in his first month.

However, he has never been sent off in 161 appearances for the Spanish national team.

Ramos receives record 25th red card

Schnur’s dream run continues; Opelka outguns Isner againAFP NEW YORK

Canadian qualifier Brayden Schnur punched his ticket to the ATP New York Open final by outlasting US journeyman Sam Querrey 7-6 (9/7), 4-6, 6-3 on Saturday.

Schnur, a 23-year-old from Montreal ranked 154th in the world, defeated 10-time ATP title-winner Querrey in one hour and 54 minutes in the semi-finals.

He will try to complete a fairy-tale cham-pionship run Sunday against American Reilly Opelka, who outgunned top seed John Isner in three sets 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (16/14), 7-6 (7/4) in the other semi-final.

The all-American showdown set a Tour record for the most combined aces in a three set match with 81. The previous record was 71 set by Nick Kyrgios and Ryan Harrison earlier this year in Brisbane.

Schnur, the last alternate in the qualifying draw, had been winless in five career tour-level matches.

World number 49 Querrey, 31, was in his first ATP semi-final since last year in New York, when he lost to South African Kevin Anderson in the final.

Schnur denied Querrey’s first four break chances on set points in the 10th game then held to 5-5 on his fifth ace of the match as they battled into a tie-breaker.

Querrey double faulted to 4-4 and Schnur grabbed three set points before finally breaking through to claim the first set after 53 minutes.

Schnur broke Querrey in the second game of the second set on the way to a 3-0 lead, but the US veteran roared back to win six of the next seven games and force a third set.

The Canadian jumped ahead 3-0 in the final set, fired his 12th ace to hold for a 5-2 lead and held again in the last game to advance.

In the other semi, Opelka survived five match points in a second set to send the contest to a third and final set.

The two hour, 31 minute serving duel saw Opelka blast 43 aces compared to 38 for the hard-hitting Isner.

Opelka, who also beat Isner in the opening round of the 2019 Australian Open, won 91 percent of his first serve points and was never broken.

Isner was seeking his 15th ATP title and first since winning last year in Atlanta.

But Isner failed to capitalize on numerous chances to close out the match in the second set tiebreaker.

Opelka won the tiebreaker 16-14, hitting a running crosscourt forehand to take the set 7-6.

Manchester City’s Leroy Sane (centre) scores their first goal past Newport’s Joe Day during their FA Cup Fifth Round match played in Newport, Britain on Saturday.

14 MONDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2019SPORT

AFC Champions League: Al Rayyan and Al Gharafa eye play-off winsTHE PENINSULA

Qatar football giants Al Rayyan and Al Gharafa will be hoping for victories as they meet Iranian clubs tomorrow in the respective AFC Champions League play-off matches.

Al Rayyan will take on Iran’s Saipa, with the match to kick off at 6pm at the Al Sadd Stadium.

Qatar’s Al Duhail and Al Sadd directly qualified for the group stage of 2019 AFC Champions League by virtue of having fin-ished as winners and runners-up of 2017-18 season QNB Stars League.

Al Rayyan and Al Gharafa, who finished third and fourth in the standings, went into play-off. If they win, they will book a berth in the group stage.

Al Rayyan are on a high after beating Al Arabi 3-1 in Week 16 of the QNB Stars League. In the process, The Lions jumped from fourth to third in the table with 30 points.

New recruit and Vene-zuelan striker Gelmin Rivas carries much of Al Rayyan’s hopes as he made his debut in Qatar memorable by scoring two goals and setting up the other against Al Arabi.

Al Rayyan will be bolstered by the presence of captain Rodrigo Tabata, who has been suspended for two QNB S t a r s

League matches as a result of the decision against him by the Qatar Football Association’s Disci-plinary Committee for his action during the match against Al Kharaitiyat in the QSL Cup.

Tabata had missed their Al Arabi match and will also miss their Qatar Clasico against Al Sadd on February 23.

Al Rayyan, under Turkish coach Bulent Uygun, also have the likes of Lucca Borges, Gonzalo Viera, Koh Myong-Jin and Sebastian Soria.

Saipa qualified for play-off after fin-ishing fourth in the Iranian league last season. T h e y t h e n b e a t

India’s Minerva Punjab to qualify for Al Rayyan. The winners will enter Group B, w h i c h includes the UAE’s Al

Wahda, Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan champions Lokomotiv.

Meanwhile, Al Gharafa target a group-stage berth in this year’s AFC Champions League, face Zob Ahan of Iran in play-off. The kick-off is at 6pm at the Al Gharafa Stadium.

Qatar’s Al Gharafa will look to confirm their second suc-cessive appearance in the AFC Champions League.

The Iranian side is attempting to qualify for the group stage for the fourth year in a

r o w a f t e r

reaching the Round of 16 last

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League runners-up Zob Ahan saw off three-time AFC Cup winners Kuwait SC 1-0 after extra time in the preliminary stage.

Al Gharafa, c o a c h e d b y F r e n c h m a n

Christian Gourcuff, will look to put behind the disap-pointment of losing to Umm Salal in Week 16 of the QNB Stars

League. The Cheetahs, who slipped one place to eight in the standings with 18 points, indeed have the potential to beat Zob Ahan, the runners-up in the Iranian league.

If Al Gharafa win, they will join teams such as Al Wasl of the UAE and Al Zawraa of Iraq in Group A.

Al Gharafa are expected to field a full squad, with the return of Vladimir Weiss and Diogo Amado from injury.

They will also be served by goalkeeper Yousef Hassan, Tamim Al Muhaysa, Abdulaziz Hatem, Fahd Al Shammari, Yousef Muftah, Mehdi Taremi, Othman Al Yahri and Ahmed Alaaeldin.

Al Rayyan will take on Iran’s Saipa, with the match to kick off at 6pm at the Al Sadd Stadium.

Al Gharafa will meet Zob Ahan of Iran in play-off. The kick-off is at 6pm at the Al Gharafa Stadium.

Al Rayyan will be bolstered by the presence of captain Rodrigo Tabata in match against Saipa.

Al Gharafa are expected to field a full squad, with the return of Vladimir Weiss and Diogo Amado from injury.

match to kick off Sadd Stadium.

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Al Rayyan, underTurkish coachBulent Uygun, alsohave the likes of Lucca Borges,Gonzalo Viera, Koh Myong-Jin and Sebastian Soria.

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India’s Minerva Punjab to qualify forAl Rayyan. The winnerswill enterGroup B, w h i c hincludes the UAE’s Al

to confirm their second successive appearance in theAFC Champions League.

The Iranian side isattempting to qualify forthe group stage for thefourth year in a

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reaching the Round of 16 last

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League runners-up Zob Ahan sawoff three-timeAFC Cup winners Kuwait SC 1-0after extra time in the preliminary stage.

Al Gharafa, c o a c h e d b yF r e n c h m a n

Christian Gourcuff,will look to putbehind the disap-pointment of losing to Umm Salal in Week 16 of the QNB Stars

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AFP MADRID

Lionel Messi scored a penalty and missed another as La Liga leaders Barcelona ground out an unconvincing 1-0 win over Real Valladolid, while Antoine Griezmann surpassed Fernando Torres with his 130th goal for Atletico Madrid.

Messi’s fitness was again in the spotlight on Saturday after a niggling thigh strain in recent weeks, but he completed the full 90 minutes at the Camp Nou and hit the 30-goal mark at Bar-celona for the 11th straight season.

The Argentine coolly dis-patched a spot-kick just before half-time, drilling beyond the reach of Jordi Masip after Gerard Pique was bundled to the ground by Valladolid midfielder Michel.

Masip brilliantly tipped over

a Messi volley soon after the interval and Luis Suarez wasted a huge opportunity to double the lead shortly after replacing Kevin-Prince Boateng with an hour gone.

Griezmann scored a second-half winner in Atletico’s 1-0 victory at neighbours Rayo Val-lecano to provide a timely boost going into next week’s showdown with Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus.

The French forward sur-passed Torres for fifth all-time on the Atletico goalscoring charts as they shook off two suc-cessive defeats, including last week’s 3-1 loss at home to Real Madrid.

Griezmann struck for the ninth time in his last 11 outings, forcing home from six yards on 74 minutes after Alvaro Morata laid off a high, looping ball inside the area.

Messi penalty lifts Barca as Griezmann eclipses Torres

Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (left) celebrates after scoring a penalty kick against Real Valladolid’s Spanish goalkeeper Jordi Masip on Saturday.

Take golf lessons and turn pro, says ECGC officialARMSTRONG VAS THE PENINSULA

Education City Golf Club (ECGC) is a place where both the young and adults can hone their skills and fulfil their professional dreams, says an official of the r e c e n t l y - i n a u g u r a t e d facility.

Speaking of the state-of - the-ar t fac i l i t ies Mohammed Al Naimi called upon residents of Qatar to take up the sport not just as a leisure activity and keep themselves fit, but take it to the next level by turning professionals.

“There is no age bar to play golf. So anyone can turn up at the golf course and take golf lessons. It does not matter what your age is, our professional coaches will

teach you golf,” said Al Naimi, Deputy General Manager at ECGC.

“We are committed to take golf as a sport to the masses. We urge people of all ages to take up the sport as a fun activity, which goes along with the Qatar Olympic Committee’s slogan of Sport for All,” he added.

ECGC is a landmark project for Qatar and the world of golf, offering a rev-olutionary and holistic approach to golf.

The facility includes a state-of-the-art learning and practice facility housed in the Centre of Excellence along with a TrackMan driving range.

Al Naimi , who dabbled into a few sports like ath-letics, gymnastics and football before switching to

golf three years back said the gains of the project will show in the next few years.

“It’s a dream come true for many. It is something for the community for the future - a trend setter not only for the Gulf region but for the entire world as some of the features at the golf course like the Centre of Excellence is a unique one and the first of its kind for golf.”

The facility features 3 golf courses, including an 18-hole championship golf course, a floodlit 6-hole championship course and a floodlit 9-hole par-3 course all designed by two-time major winner Jose Maria Olazabal.

Uniquely the 6-hole championship course has 7 teeing ground options per hole for quick and

multi-generational golf supporting the devel-opment of golf.

Al Naimi said they have tried to make the course envi-ronmentally sustainable.

“We are offering a family oriented experience for the golfers to come to the venue with their fam-ilies, be fit, have fun and enjoy this sport,” he added. The ECGC official said that education and golf will go hand in hand at the venue.

“We have contacted a number of universities at the Qatar Foundation. The facil-ities at the golf course are like copy paste of education. We have the (golf coaching) nursery and we go all the way to the sophisticated training methods and analysing, all which you will find at the Centre of Excellence.”

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

World-class practice facilities are at the heart of Education City Golf Club. The Centre of Excellence is a state of the art learning facility for golf develop-

ment in Qatar. This state-of-the-art facility is education-driven, combining ultramodern technology with expert, PGA golf training. Golfers can receive

golf lessons in one of our five private swing studios, or putting studio. These 6 x 8m rooms open out towards the driving range and offer the latest in

camera and ball flight technology. The Centre of Excellence is the most inno-vated golf-learning hub in today’s modern era of golf.

A trip to Education City Golf Club

Statistics

FACILITIES

Golfers in action at the practice range of Education City Golf Club during the media familiarisation trip, yesterday. PICTURES: BAHER AMIN/THE PENINSULA

16 MONDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2019SPORT