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It was a double delight for Hamad Nasser al-Qadi as the impressive rider clinched both the first and second place in the feature class of the second leg of Hathab Equestrian series yesterday. At Al Shaqab’s indoor arena, Hamad was in great form as he piloted two of his horses to podium finishes in the Big Tour 130/140 class. Riders were allowed to compete with two horses and Hamad grabbed the opportunity with both the hands. First, in the company of 12-year-old gelding SIEC Lonnie, Hamad flew around a tricky course to stop the clock in 44.67 seconds. Then he returned with St. Lucia, a 15-year-old grey mare, to snatch the second place as well, clocking 45.21 seconds. To make it a grand celebration for al-Qadi family, Hamad’s brother Saeed completed the podium, taking the third place with Daydreamer, the pair coming home in 45.41 seconds.  It was an excellent two days for Hamad, who leapfrogged the overall leaderboard. He had also finished second and third in two separate events on Friday. “I’m very thrilled with my results today,” said Hamad, who scooped a combined prize money of QR 15,300 for the double finish. “I was first and second today. Also yesterday I finished second and third, which has put me on the top of points table. All the riders today were very strong competitors and were well prepared. I am really honoured to compete against with such riders,” he added. Hamad praised Hathab series for giving an opportunity to riders like him to gain valuable experience. “All the riders were really strong and ready to compete. Someone like Faleh al-Ajmi (who finished fifth and seventh) has a great experience in such championships and I admire him. This competition gave a great opportunity to exchange experience with well-established national riders. I am looking forward for the next leg of Hathab,” the Qatari noted. Al-Qadi family dominated in the Medium Tour 120/130cm class too, as Saeed emerged triumphant with Jessico 4. Mohamed Sultan al-Suwaidi (Numero Uno T) came second, while Bandar Mansoon al-Hoban (Tagfart 111 Z) was third. In the Dressage competition, women riders excelled as five of them finished on the podium in two events. In the Level 1 class, Amana Ahmad al-Saffar (Drum Mousse) topped the score sheets with 69.792 points. Iris Nijboer (Wait and Seeze, 68.958) and Jessica Waldon (Jacquard, 68.750) took the second and third place respectively Amana was delighted with her win. “I am very happy with my results. I would like to thank the organising committee for this great opportunity as this is the first national dressage event in Qatar,” she said. Meanwhile, Saad Ahmed al-Saad (Toberlina T) bagged the first place in the Level 2 class. He was followed by Mennatallah Hesham Mourad (Quick Dance) in second place and Aisha Ahmed al-Ahmadi (Juste D’adaelle) in third.   Amana al-Saffar poses with her trophy after winning the dressage competition yesterday. PICTURE: Mohamed Tinakicht Results Big Tour Table A, Special two phases 130/140cm Prize money: QR 30,000 1. Hamad Nasser al-Qadi (SIEC Lonnie) Time: 44.67 seconds. Prize money: QR 8,4000 2. Hamad Nasser al-Qadi (St. Lucia) 45.21 secs. QR 6,900 3. Saeed Nasser al-Qadi (Daydreamer) 45.41 secs. QR 5250 Medium Tour: Table A, One round against the clock 120/130cm 1. Saeed Nasser al-Qadi (Jessico 4) Time: 64.36 seconds. Prize money: QR 5,000 2. Mohamed Sultan al-Suwaidi (Numero Uno T) 62.27 secs. QR 4,000 3. Bandar Mansoon al-Hoban (Tagfart 111 Z) 68.18 secs. QR 3,000 Dressage level 1 1. Amana Ahmad al-Saffar (Drum Mousse) 69.792 score. Prize money: QR, 2,800 2. Iris Nijboer (Wait and Seeze) 68.958. QR 2,300 1. Jessica Waldon (Jacquard) 68.750. Q 1,750 Dressage Level 2-Results 1. Saad Ahmed al-Saad (Toberlina T) 2. Mennatallah Hesham Mourad (Quick Dance) 3. Aisha Ahmed al-Ahmadi (Juste D’adaelle)

Lina Batuleviciute of Lithuania emerged as the International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM) Champion of Champions, winning the women’s title at the Qatar Foundation Recreation Centre and Al Shaqab Arena yesterday. Batuleviciute topped in the swimming and riding events, while finishing a creditable fourth in the combined (shooting and running) event. She was a distant 14th in the swimming, but the 28-year-old tallied 1273 points to clinch the title.  Italian Alice Sotero, one of the contenders, came second with 1266 points, seven behind the winner. The 2016 Olympic silver medallist Elodie Clouvel of France took the final podium spot with 1261 points. The result continued an intriguing season of transition in women’s pentathlon, with a number of athletes claiming their first major titles such as world champion Gulnaz Gubaydullina of Russia and World Cup Final gold medallist Tamara Alekszejev of Hungary. Yesterday, in the absence of Gubaydullina, the Olympic champion Chloe Esposito of Australia and her celebrated compatriot Laura Asadauskaite, Batuleviciute seized her chance to scale the top of the podium. Batuleviciute was delighted having won her second individual title of her career in Doha. “I am surprised that I won,” said the beaming  28-year-old. “This is the second title of my career and the first was last month in the World Military Championships. I know that I am a good fencer but I am surprised that my riding went so well after a bad day yesterday at the jumping test. The facilities are very good here in Doha, probably the best of anywhere I have competed. It’s is a very high level of completion in Doha. There are some strong competitors out there, so I am glad I could win the title,” added Batuleviciute. The Lithuanian had already claimed victory in one UIPM Category A competition this year when she won gold at the CISM World Military Championships in Drzonkow, Poland. She also finished 14th in the World Cup Final in Vilnius in her homeland, where the 2012 Olympic champion Asadauskaite was the star attraction. Only three of the 17 participating athletes managed a clean round in Riding, but one of them was Batuleviciute  whose perfect round kept up her momentum in the race for gold. Sotero could have snatched the title from Batuleviciute if the Italian had finished higher than the Lithuanian in the combined event, but she could only manage a fifth spot. Sotero performed consistently well in all her events yesterday but never managed to take a top spot in any of the five Olympic disciplines. The Italian’s best finish came in swimming, where she was second. Clouvel, meanwhile, was delighted to have come third. The Rio Olympic silver medallist too had a chance to grab the winner’s trophy. But the Frenchwoman could only manage 12th place in the combined shoot and run using a laser pistol. Clouvel started Laser-Run in first place 15 seconds ahead of Sotero and 16 more than Batuleviciute. Clouvel protected her lead until the second shooting range, where Sotero and Batuleviciute stole the initiative. Batuleviciute proved she had the greater composure on the day as she edged ahead of Sotero to win by seven seconds, with Clouvel crossing the line five seconds later. Clouvel, however, was content to have finished in the podium. “It was a very good competition. I love Qatar, it’s an amazing place. I had just a one week of training for this event. I wanted to finish in podium this year because it’s my second time in Qatar. I want do much better next year,” Clouvel said. “Having said that, I am happy with my performance here. My fencing was good today, swimming was ok. I loved competing with my horse. I want to come back here again win gold,” she added. The 28-year-old Clouvel has already set her sights on the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. “Now I have to start preparing for the next season. My main goal is to do well in the 2020 Olympics. I want a gold medal this time as I have won silver in Rio Games,” she noted. Meanwhile, the men’s competition will be held today, with another strong field of 18 athletes battling for the honours. The 2016 Olympic champion Alexander Lesun of Russia will be the star attraction, who will look to dethrone last year’s champion Patrick Dogue of Germany. The 29-year-old Lesun has also won gold at the World Championships in Rome (2012) and Warsaw (2014). Frenchman Valentin Belaud, who is currently ranked No. 9, will also be seeking his revenge from Dogue, having finished second to the German last year. Qatar will have no representation this year as Khalid al-Nuaimi, who had participated in the last edition, is out with a shoulder injury. Qatar is hosting the event for the fourth consecutive year. This is the first time the Qatar Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon Federation will organise the event after both the bodies merged earlier this year. Top 10 Results 1. Lina Batuleviciute (Lithuania) 1273 points; 2. Alice Sotero (Italy) 1266; 3. Elodie Clouvel (France) 1261; 4. Shino Yamanaka (Japan) 1241. 5. Janine Kohlmann (Germany) 1237; 6. Ekaterina Khuraskina (Russia) 1236; 7. Anna Maliszewska (Poland) 1226; 8. Ronja Steinborn (Germany) 1217; 9. Sophia Hernandez (Guatemala) 1205; 10. Gloria Tocchi (Italy) 1182.

Two-day event will see top athletes compete in five Olympic disciplines Qatar will host the annual International Federation of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM) Champion of Champions event, tomorrow and on Sunday at the Qatar Foundation Recreation Centre and Al Shaqab arena. The tournament, first hosted by Doha in 2013, will see the top 34 UIPM ranked athletes – 17 men and women each – compete to claim the crown for the best modern pentathletes in the world. The women’s competitions will be held tomorrow, while the men will be in action on Sunday. The two-day competition will see top athletes from 16 countries compete in five Olympic disciplines –- Swimming, Fencing, Riding, Running and Shooting. Last year, the Germans dominated the event with Patrick Dogue winning the title, while Annika Schleu emerged as the women’s winner. In fact, Schleu has won the last two editions of the competition. The event is organised by the Qatar Equestrian & Modern Pentathlon Federation for the first time after both the bodies merged earlier. At a press conference yesterday, Ali al-Rumaihi, Event Director of Champion of Champions, said the aim is to stage the event successfully like in the previous years. “We are excited for this fantastic opportunity to host this event in Qatar again, allowing us to build on previous editions of the Modern Pentathlon Champion of Champions competition. Working closely with the International Federation of Modern Pentathlon, we hope to showcase this sport in Qatar and across the whole of the Middle East, supporting Qatar national vision 2030 to develop Qatar into an international sporting hub,” he said. “In addition to being an international world class sports event, our hosting of the COC competition, provides the opportunity for the community to discover and understand the sport, especially those who are not familiar with it,” the Event Director of QEF added. Al-Rumaihi also reckoned the event was an Ideal stage to encourage the youth in Qatar through the sport. “Promotional plans are being put together to encourage the younger generation to attend such a competition, to generate an interest in sports among the young and develop a healthy lifestyle. Through organising such international competitions, we hope to inspire the community and realise more participation from local residents in Qatar,” he added. President of UIPM, Dr Klaus Schormann was effusive in his praise of Qatar for hosting the event successfully in the last three years. “The magical city of Doha is staging this competition for the fourth time and we know that this is always a highlight of the season for our athletes, coaches and fans watching all around the world,” he said yesterday. “One year ago during the 2016 Champion of Champions, we witnessed a very special moment of sportsmanship and also this year I welcome you all to celebrate together wonderful moments through Modern Pentathlon in the spirit of friendship and peace. “For the first time we saw an athlete from Qatar participate at this high level and when he completed his final lap of the Laser-Run, all the other athletes gathered at the finish line to applaud him. This was a true expression of the values of Olympic sport, as established by the founder of the Modern Olympic Games and Modern Pentathlon, Baron Pierre de Coubertin. These values remain central to our sporting movement today,” he added Schormann said the high class field will be in action in Doha. “These are top class athletes of our sport. They all have participated in the Olympics are one of the toughest contenders. We can expect a high-class Modern Pentathlon event amid the high-quality facilities in the Qatar Foundation Recreation Centre and Al Shaqab Arena. Doha is a special pillar of our movement and I thank our hosts for conducting this magnificently over the last three years,” added the German, who has been the head of the global Modern Pentathlon movement since 1993. Schedule Tomorrow Women: Swimming (at QF Recreation Centre 9am) Fencing round-robin  (QFRC 10am) Fencing bonus round (Al Shaqab at 1.15pm) Riding competition (Al Shaqab at 2.55pm) Running & Shooting Combined event (at Al Shaqab, 5pm) Award ceremony (Al Shaqab; 5.45pm).

Qatar sealed their spot in the 2018 AFC U-23 championship after a 1-1draw against Syria in their final qualifying match yesterday. The hosts needed just a point to progress to the next year’s event in China as the Group C toppers, and they achieved it after a gruelling battle against Syrians at the Al Sadd stadium. Sultan al-Breik gave Qatar the lead in the 37th minute with a sublime free kick, before Mohamed Muhtadi gave the Syrian dugout a sigh of relief by scoring through a header in the 61st minute.  Around 300 Syrians who cheered for their side at the Al Sadd were also delirious in the end as Syria too qualified for the main event as one of the five best runners-up across all groups. A loss would have been disaster for Syria but they managed to hung in right till the end. While Qatar were clearly a superior side, the physical nature of the game played by Syrians left the hosts exhausted. The game was interrupted many a time with Syrian players lunging at the Qataris and couple of them had to be substituted after picking injuries. The first casualty was Qatar captain Ahmed Moein, who had to be stretchered off the field in the 20th minute with a shoulder injury. Qatar had more possession and threatened the Syrian defence on a number of occasions. They had their first real chance in the 28th minute, but Akram Afif’s shot sailed well above the post. The breakthrough for Qatar came in the 37th minute after Almoez Ali was brought down just outside the box. Qatar had been poor in set-pieces so far in the tournament, but Sultan al-Breik produced an immaculate free kick to the right of the top post, with Syrian goalkeeper Mohamed Yazan Ourabi’s outstretched hands failing to even come close to the ball.  Syria responded with some quick counter-attack, but Qatar defender Tarek Salman, who was outstanding on the night, cleared the danger on two occasions in the 42nd minute. In the very next minute, Syria had a chance to equalise. Substitute Mohamed Srour played a perfect through ball to Al Rahman Barakat, who only had to beat the goalkeeper. But the midfielder while attempting to control the ball handled the ball, which was spotted by the linesman. After the break, Syria started to press more in search of an equaliser and their wait to came to an end in the 61st minute. Moumen Naji wreaked havoc on the left, catching the Qatari defenders unawares. And one such moment came when Naji lobbed into the box, where Mohamed Muhtadi leapt between Qatar defenders Salman and Tameem al-Muhaza to head the ball into the net.  The Syrians, knowing well that a draw would be enough to confirm their ticket to China, were overjoyed as they joined their supporters in celebration. Understandably, both the teams tightened their defence thereafter and were happy to play out a draw.  Syria, however, still had a chance to snatch the game from Qatar. In the 79th minute, Barakat made a delightful pass to Najii, but the forward failed to react quickly as the ball went out of play. Qatar coach Felix Sanchez was pleased with his team’s qualification. “I am very happy for my team. They worked hard during the tournament. Tonight we were good in the first half, but they came back strongly in the second. I want to congratulate the Syrian team too for their qualification,” he said. The Spanish coach said the next year’s AFC Championship will be a golden opportunity for the Qatar under-23 players to learn and graduate to the next well. “My players are fortunate to play in these kinds of tournaments. It will only make them better players. Most of them are born after 1995, so they are still young and they have a lot to learn by playing at this level,” Sanchez said.

Qatar took a giant step towards qualifying for the Asian Under-23 championship after overcoming a resolute India 1-0 in their Group C qualifying match yesterday. The victory at Al Sadd stadium put Qatar in a pole position to qualify for next year’s championship in China, after Syria were held to a 0-0 draw by Turkmenistan in another Group C match. Qatar and Syria were jointly occupying the top spot after their opening fixtures. But after last night’s win over India, the hosts will just need to draw against Syria tomorrow to book their ticket to China. Only group winners will automatically qualify for the AFC U-23 Championship. The five best runners-up across all groups will also qualify for the finals. However, if hosts China win their group or are among the best five runners-up, the sixth best runner-up will also qualify. Despite the victory, it was a lacklustre performance from Qatar, with the inexperienced but spirited Indian team making Felix Sanchez’s side sweat for victory. Qatar wasted plenty of opportunities, and were especially poor in converting corners and set-pieces. Qatar were lucky to get the breakthrough after a lapse of concentration from the Indian goalkeeper, rather than any individual brilliance. After having kept his composure to thwart the Qatari attack in the first half, Vishal Kaith’s misjudgement resulted in a goal for the hosts in the 53rd minute. After receiving a long ball, Ahmed Mohamed al-Sadi headed the ball into the box, where Almoez Ali was stationed. Kaith at that moment rushed in to collect the bouncing ball but only to miss it completely as Ali positioned himself to slot the ball into an open goal. It was much-needed a strike for Qataris but the game was not over yet. Unlike during their loss against Syria, where Indian players fizzled out in the second half after a competitive first-half performance, Stephen Constantine’s boys did not let their guard down this time. They went on offensive in search for an equaliser and were unfortunate not to find the net on couple of occasions. The last ten minutes were particularly frantic as Qatari defenders were kept on tenterhooks. India came closest in the 80th minute when substitute Manvir Singh’s fierce shot hit the crossbar. As the ball bounced back into the box, Qatar were let off again as Jerry Lalrinzuala’s header just went over the bar. With around 1,000 Indian supporters cheering on vociferously, Indians intensified their attacks but were unable to get past Qatar goalkeeper Mohamed al-Bakari. In the 83rd minute, Golui Sarthak went for a header from a corner but al-Bakari managed to latch on to it. The visitors had a couple of goal-scoring chances in the dying minutes from corners and free kicks but failed to deliver a knockout blow. Despite a resolute show, Constantine’s men will miss out on a qualification after having lost both their encounters, with the match against Turkmenistan tomorrow an inconsequential one. For Qatar coach Sanchez the result was bitter-sweet as his star striker Akram Afif, who had a quiet night, went off in the 79th minute after sustaining what looked like an ankle injury. “It was a tough match but we got all three points,” said a relieved Sanchez after the match. “India played a tough game and we didn’t play our game. In the second half we had some good moments but in the last twenty minutes, we had a tough time. Our aim is to ensure qualification in the next game. Syria have very strong potential and it’s going to be a tough game against them,” the Spaniard added. Constantine, who is India’s senior team head coach but took charge of the young guns for the qualifiers in order to ensure a place in the continental elite, was left frustrated after having come so close to taking a point. “Congratulations to Qatar. They were fortunate to score a goal. I am proud of my players,” said the 54-year-old. The British coach rued a silly mistake, albeit a costly one from his goalkeeper, but took heart from another brave performance from his boys. “Some of the boys were playing international football for the first time and they didn’t deserve to lose this game. We lost because of another silly mistake. Another day it would have hit the crossbar and gone inside. They have shown fantastic determination,” Constantine said.

Despite blowing many chances, Qatar scored a comfortable 2-0 win over Turkmenistan in the AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers here yesterday. In sweltering conditions at the Al Sadd stadium, Qatar were off to an impressive start, opening up a 2-0 lead within 15 minutes. But as the match progressed, the hosts wasted plenty of opportunities to score, which would have frustrated coach Felix Sanchez on the night. Qatar’s both goals came from the highly-rated Akram Afif, who showed his calibre with a slick display of technique as he found the net with ease. However, the 20-year-old benefited from some impressive build-up play and passing from his teammates. Afif first found the net in the fourth minute but Qatar were lucky to keep the goal, after the ball had clearly gone out of play. A throw-in from the touchline by Abdulrahman Anad was collected by Moez Ali, who ran past two Turkmenistan defenders into the box. But in doing so the Qatar forward clearly took the ball out of play, which was not picked up by the officials. Ali then picked up an unmarked Afif with a great pass, and the forward slotted home to the right of the top post to give Qatar a head-start. Qatar’s play brimmed with belief, with Afif, Moez Ali and skipper Ahmed Moein troubling the opposition. Moein had a golden chance to double the lead, but the captain fired wide, from just inside the box. The second goal, however, was around the corner and it was gifted by the Turkmenistan skipper Atayev Selim in the 15th minute. Anad intercepted a mistimed pass from Selim and laid it on to Moein, who played a perfect through ball to the waiting Afif, who took a couple of deft touches and found the net with ease. From thereon, it looked like it would rain goals from Qatar. But to the dismay of Sanchez and a sizeable home crowd Qatar wasted numerous chances to increase the lead. Moez Ali, playing as central forward, ran in hard with his speed catching the opposition unaware on many occasions but he lacked the finesse to finish as he glanced his header wide off the post, with plenty of open space available. Moez Ali was also brought down in the box couple of times, but the referee waved off the penalty shouts much to the relief of Turkmenistan.  With just three minutes remaining for the half-time, Qatar’s Bassam Alrawi came close in the 43rd minute but his free kick sailed just wide of the right post. Qatar continued to threaten after the break, with Afif carrying much of the workload. Five minutes into the second half, Afif, who plies his trade for Belgian club KAS Eupen on loan from Villarreal, found Moein with just goalkeeper to beat. But the captain sent the ball wide. Turkmenistan, which played most of the game in their own half, defended stoutly, relying on counterattack to score. And their first real chance came in the 53rd minute, when Rejebov Berdimyrat’s left-footed shot was well saved by Qatar goalkeeper Mohammed Ahmed al-Bakari. Afif, meanwhile, was prowling in the opposition box for his hat-trick and he almost had it in the 58th minute. But his low shot was anticipated by keeper Berdiyev Dovletyar, who dived to the left to make a neat save. In the 66th minute, Afif once again looked dangerous as he ran past Turkmenistan defenders after a nice pass from Abdullah Abdulsalam. But Dovletyar was there to deny Qatar’s talisman his much-deserved hat-trick. Sanchez soon replaced Afif by bringing in Nasser Ibrahim al-Nasr, as the Qatar coach chose to preserve his star striker’s energy from the sapping humidity for future matches. Even in the closing stage, Qatar had slew of chances but failed to find the net, which left Sanchez shaking his head in disbelief at the touchline. Qatar’s next match is tomorrow against India, who lost to Syria 0-2 earlier in the day. While Qatar will go into that match too as the overwhelming favourites, Sanchez will hope his boys will show more clinical display than they did against Turkmenistan.

Stephen Constantine is used to the underdog tag. The Indian football national team coach, presently in charge of the India U-23 team, doesn’t mince words when he says his main focus is to produce fine talent than qualify for the AFC U-23 Championship.  Constantine and his boys are in Doha for the AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers, where they will battle with hosts Qatar, Syria and Turkmenistan for a place in the main event in China next year.  Only group winners will qualify automatically, with the five best runners-up across all groups also making it through. But Constantine knows what is in front of him and his boys and says he prefers the ‘long-term goals’ rather than churn out quick results.  “I’ve been a person who have always preferred to build a team for the future. I’m working with this bunch of guys so that a few may come up the ranks and land up with the senior national team in the coming days,” said Constantine ahead of his team’s Group C opener against Syria today at Al Sadd stadium.  Unlike in Qatar, where the Under-23 teams play plenty of matches home and away in preparation for the big tournaments, Constantine only had three weeks to assemble the team. A proposed tour to United States was cancelled and they had to contend with two friendly matches against Singapore, in which they won one and lost another.  Unlike Syria, who appeared at the 2014 and 2016 U-23 finals, India are yet to progress further than the qualifiers. And Constantine was keeping the expectations to bare minimum. “There will be difficult matches for us over the next five days, but these are the games you want to play. We will give everything we have and hopefully we can get some positive results,” he said.  The Englishman has been the bedrock of Indian football in his two stints. Under Constantine’s tutelage, India have risen to 96th spot in the FIFA rankings, which is their best in the last two decades.  India were ranked 171 when Constantine took over for the second time in February 2015 but under the 54-year-old there has been meteoric rise. Still more needs to be done, especially at the age-group level, says the Indian senior coach. “India’s FIFA ranking doesn’t have anything to with Under-23 level. It’s a completely different aspect,” said Constantine as a matter of fact. “The reason India doesn’t do well at U-23 level is because we don’t give importance to age groups as we should. In the league we don’t have too many U-23 players.  “We have players with us here who don’t have teams. We have some players who have played just maybe 5-6 games the whole season,” the Englishman, who has also coached Sudan, Malawi, Rwanda and Nepal national teams, noted.  “So if you don’t give importance to these age groups, then we won’t qualify for the major tournaments. This time we have assembled the boys barely three weeks ago. There are players with whom I have not worked before. So it will be very difficult for our players against bigger teams. From this group I expect one or two players to come into the national team and that will be the objective,” Constantine added. The weather in Qatar has been extremely hot throughout but that hasn’t bothered Constantine much. “I don’t think the weather will be a problem. It has been hot in India and we are physically ready for the games,’’ he stated. India have two or three players to watch out for in the tournament. One such player is forward Lalianzuala Changte. The teen sensation from Mizoram, having trained at Liverpool’s youth academy at Kirkby, made his mark, when aged 18, he became the second youngest Indian to score in an international match against Nepal in the SAFF Championship in 2015.  Changte has already made four appearances for the senior side and has drawn comparisons with the Indian great Baichung Bhutia. Top scorer in his debut season in the U-19 I-League, Changte did, though, suffer a setback with the national side when they failed to qualify for the 2016 AFC U-19 Championship in Qatar. However, with football on the rise in India – headlined by the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup the nation will host in October– a new star to lead the beautiful game’s revolution is needed: Changte could be that man. India’s 23-member squad  Goalkeepers: Vishal Kaith, Kamaljit Singh, Sukhadev Patil Defenders: Salam Ranjan Singh, Lalruatthara, Jerry Lalrinzuala, Davinder Singh, Nishu Kumar, Sairuathkima, Sarthak Golui, Kamalpreet Singh Grewal Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Nikhil Poojari, Nandha Kumar, Germanpreet Singh, Mawihmingthanga, Vinit Rai, Robinson Singh, Lallianzuala Changthe Forwards: Hitesh Sharma, Alen Deory, Manvir Singh, Daniel Lalhlimpuia.

Felix Sanchez looked unperturbed on the eve of the Asian Under-23 Championship qualifier yesterday. The Spanish coach has too many things on his plate these days. Besides managing the Under-23 Qatar team, Sanchez has also been the given the task of overseeing the Qatar national team, albeit temporarily, after Uruguayan Jorge Fossati resigned abruptly last month. Sanchez will prepare Qatar for their remaining 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Syria and China. But before that, the Spaniard has tough task of ensuring his U-23 team qualify for next year’s AFC U-23 Championship in China 2018. With the Group C qualifying matches to be held in Doha over the next five days, starting from today, the pressure will be on Sanchez to deliver. However, on the tournament eve, the Spanish coach was calm and composed, confident his team can deliver on the home turf.  “We have been training for the last few weeks for the competition. All the three matches are going to be tough but we are ready in terms of preparation. We want to win all three matches and qualify for the Asian Cup,” said Sanchez in the press conference yesterday.  Qatar will take on Turkmenistan in their opening match today at Al Sadd stadium today, followed by India on Friday and Syria on Sunday. Only group winners will automatically qualify for next year’s main event. The five best runners-up across all groups will also qualify for the finals. However, if hosts China win their group or are among the best five runners-up, the sixth best runner-up will also qualify. Sanchez, who has been involved with U-23 boys for a long time, having coached them at the U-16 and U-18 level, said his team had the ability to win all three matches and take the direct route to the qualification. “The boys are very motivated to play these matches. A lot of these players played for Qatar in the under-18 and under-16 age groups and they know what they are going to face. And they are looking forward to playing the first game tomorrow,” he said. The Qatar coach said his boys were ready after intense preparations which included a few practice matches.  “We have been preparing for these games for the last few weeks and we are looking forward to the qualifiers. These three games are surely going to be tough, but we’ll try to perform well and we’ll try to reach our first objective which is to qualify for the Asian Championships. We have to stay very competitive for that,” said Sanchez. In the previous edition of the championship held in Qatar, the hosts finished fourth, losing to Iraq in extra-time in the third place play-off. And some of the players who featured in the 2016 tournament, will also be available this time, which will give Qatar much-needed experience of big competitions. Asim Madiboo and Akram Afif again form the core of the team and Sanchez said their experience would be invaluable. “The boys have performed well last edition but this is a new tournament and we’ve to start from the scratch. It’s time for us to execute our plans on the pitch. There are few players who play in the senior national team. While for the rest it’s an opportunity to show they can also represent the senior team,” Sanchez said. Turkmenistan are missing few players to injuries but coach Agamyradov Ahmet was hopeful the available squad can spring some surprises in the tournament.  “We have three difficult matches. We have some players who have not travelled because of injuries. But we will try to do well with the players we have,” said Ahmet.   “Qatar has some good players. I have some information and know some of their players. I know Afif is very a good player but there are others too. It will be a good match. They have players with good mentality and it will be a huge challenge for my side,” added the Turkmenistan coach.   Schedule  Today:   India vs Syria at 5pm Qatar vs Turkmenistan at 8pm  Friday      Turkmenistan vs Syria at 5pm India vs Qatar at 8pm Sunday  India vs Turkmenistan at 5pm Qatar vs Syria at 8pm (All matches at Al Sadd Sports Club)

CHI Al Shaqab has always been a go-to event for the riders in the equestrian world. And once again the leading riders of the world are in attendance for the prestigious equestrian competition, which begins today at the magnificent Al Shaqab arena. This year’s event assumes even more significance. This is the 25th year since the inception of Al Shaqab, which has become a leading global centre for equine professionals. So understandably the excitement level is on a high among the organisers and riders. CHI Al Shaqab is itself in just its fifth year but in short time has become a major equestrian event. Six of the top-10 ranked riders will be in attendance over the next three days, with the competition offering three and five-star showjumping, as well as international dressage and para dressage. It is the only para dressage competition in the Arab world. In showjumping, World No.1 Daniel Deusser will be hoping to better his second place finish at last year’s Grand Prix. The German will be one of 50 riders and their elite horses eyeing Saturday’s big money event. The 35-year-old Deusser’s closest challenger will be compatriot and second-ranked Christian Ahlmann, who finished third in Doha in 2016 Grand Prix. The other top 10 riders in the field are Simon Delestre (France), Kevin Staut (France), Marcus Ehning (Germany) and Scott Brash (Britain). Brash, the 2012 Olympic champion, has been to Doha few times and is expecting a high class competition. “All the top quality riders and horses come here, so it will be challenging with some technical courses. I think the Grand Prix will be of high standard. There are some riders in great form and anyone can win,” said Brash, who will be on mount Hello Annie, Hello M’Lord and Ursula XII this weekend. “I find the competition fascinating in Chi Al Shaqab. It provides an excellent opportunity for me to compete with other leading competitors and to test my horses in a rather unique climate. I am fascinated by the venue here and our horses are well taken care of throughout the event,” added the Scottish jumper.   Brash also tipped Qatar’s Sheikh Ali bin Khalid al-Thani to be a strong contender. Sheikh Ali has been in fine form recently, having tasted double success with his 11-year-old Mare, Carolina 31. The pair won at the HH The Emir’s Sword International Showjumping championship on Saturday, and had also triumphed at the Al Rayyan Championship in December at the Qatar Equesterian Federation arena. Sheikh Ali, who finished sixth at the Rio Olympics last year, will be hoping Carolina 31 and his other ride First Devision will help his good run continue. The other Qatari riders who will be in action are Bassem Hassan Mohamed, Faleh Suwead al-Ajami, Hamad al-Attiyah and Khalid al-Emadi. Meanwhile, Patrik Kittel of Sweden won both the Grand Prix and the Freestyle test last year, and he will look to repeat the feat this time too. Other dressage riders to watch out include world No. 1 Isabell Werth and Carl Hester of Britain, number five, and sixth-ranked Inessa Merkulova of Russia. Several riders will be defending their 2016 crowns in para-dressage, including 1b winner Nicole Den Dulk, III winner Rixt van der Horst (both from Netherlands), and Philippa Johnson-Dwyer of South Africa, who won the Freestyle III. Claudia Dorpmans, the Belgian Dressage rider, is competing at CHI Al Shaqab for the first time and she was excited for the weekend. “This is my first time attending Chi Al Shaqab. I am excited for the competition to start and to experience competing among the world’s top athletes. I would like to thank Al Shaqab and the competition’s organizers for inviting me here and providing us with such an amazing facility. We are pleased that our horses are being looked after so well,” Dorpmans said. Like last year, Doha Tour will run concurrently with the other international competitions at Al Shaqab. The three star event is part of Qatar Equestrian Federation’s calendar and will competitions will be held in CSI3*. Today’s competition begins at 9:30am in the outdoor arena with jumping 3*. Para-dressage follows at 10:45am in the indoor arena, and riders will compete in classes based on the extent of their physical or visual disabilities. Jumping 3* continues at 12:45pm, and jumping 5* begins at 3 pm, also in the outdoor arena.   Khalifa al-Attiya, Al Shaqab Executive Director, said: “This year’s competition brings together riders from more countries than ever before, and we are expecting the highest levels of sportsmanship to be on display.” Other than watching top riders in action, spectators can look forward to number of exciting activities during the competition.   THE SCHEDULE Today 9:30 am: Jumping CSI 3*, outdoor arena 10:45 am: Para-Dressage CPEDI 3*, indoor arena 12:30 pm: Jumping CSI 3*, outdoor arena 3:30 pm: Jumping CSI 5*, outdoor arena 6:30 pm: Jumping CSI 5*, outdoor arena Tomorrow 8:30 am: Para-Dressage CPEDI 3*, indoor arena 9:30 am: Jumping CSI 3*, outdoor arena 2:30 pm: Jumping CSI 3*, outdoor arena 3 pm: Dressage CDI 5* Grand Prix, indoor arena 4:45 pm: Jumping CSI 5*, outdoor arena 7:15 pm: Jumping CSI 5*, outdoor arena   Saturday 8:30 am: Dressage CDI 5* Grand Prix Special, indoor arena 9 am: Jumping CSI 3*, outdoor arena 10:15 am: Para-Dressage CPEDI 3*, indoor arena 11:30 am: Jumping CSI 5*, outdoor arena 2:15 pm: Jumping CSI 3*, outdoor arena 2:30 pm: Dressage CDI 5*, Grand Prix Freestyle, indoor arena 5:00 pm: Jumping CSI 5*, Grand Prix, outdoor arena Qatar’s Sheikh Ali bin Khalid al-Thani (left) will be one of the strong contenders at CHI Al Shaqab. Picture on right shows Omar al-Mannai (centre), event director of Chi Al Shaqab with para-dressage riders Pepo Puch (third right) of Austria, Claudia Dorpmans of Belgium, British show jumper Scott Brash (right) and other officials. Picture: Lotfi Garsi

In a tournament that was hit by repeated rain interventions, Karolina Pliskova wasted little time as the Czech strolled to her maiden Qatar Total Open title yesterday. The second seed was in sublime form and hardly put a foot wrong, outplaying Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 6-4 in the one-sided final. Though the rain — that wreaked havoc at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex the whole week — stayed away, the chilly conditions that prevailed meant that margin of error was minimum. Her history in Doha and head-to-head against former World No. 1 Wozniacki was both against Plisokva. The 24-year-old had never gone past the second round in Doha and Wozniacki had won all three of her previous matches against Pliskova. But their last encounter came in 2014 before Pliskova reached last year’s US Open final and became a top-10 player. And Pliskova is a much-improved player right now and Wozniacki found that the hard way. Having showed tremendous mental strength and fitness, while winning both her quarter-final and semi-final match Friday, Pliskova took charge right from the beginning yesterday. The World No.3 was up 4-0 in the first set even before the spectators had taken their seats in the centre court. Her service was on fire during her win over third seed Dominika Cibulkova, with 21 aces powering the Czech to victory in the semi-final, where she set a personal record for most aces in a single match. While it wasn’t on the same level against Wozniacki, she packed a punch with solid forehand and some aggressive game.   After holding serve for the first time, Wozniacki did manage to break Pliskova and then held again to make it 3-4. However, Pliskova nipped the comeback in the bud by holding her serve and then breaking Wozniacki in the ninth game to pocket the first set. Wozniacki did change her strategy by running Pliskova from side to side of the court, forcing her to opponent to move, which is regarded as the weakest point in Czech’s game. But Pliskova played well in the big moments to stay ahead of the Dane. Wozniacki was equal to the task in the second set, but failed to capitalise on a break point. On the other hand, Pliskova grabbed a chance to break in the 10th game and duly wrapped up the match, when Wozniacki buried a lob into the net. “It’s amazing. It means so much to me winning this tournament because it’s not easy beating these two girls (Cibulkova in semis and Wozniacki in the final). You saw last night and even today given the way they fight,” said Pliskova, as she took the falcon trophy and $132,740 in prize money. “Also the weather has been taxing with all the rain and rescheduling of matches. I was trying to play my natural game which is aggressive. Also, the serve was really important and for me it was working, so I was happy about that. I also wanted to win here in Doha since I had been losing in the early rounds the last three years. Finally I won some new fans here,” she added. Pliskova has only lost one match so far in 2017, to Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in the Australian Open quarter-finals, and won the title in Brisbane prior to her run to the last-eight in Melbourne. If she continues her fine form, she can challenge Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber for the No.1 ranking. However, Pliskova, played down the talk of top spot and said her main target is to win a Grand Slam this year. “I have other goals than being No. 1 right now and it’s to win a Grand Slam. I was in the final (at US Open last year), so now the next step would be to win it,” she said. “Well, there’s just three (Grand Slams) left now. One of them is on clay. It would be really difficult. Then I’ll just prepare myself the best I can for Wimbledon. Then the US Open, it’s going to be difficult. I’m defending a lot of points there. I would love to win a Slam this year. If not, I still think I have a good chance the next few years,” she added. For Wozniacki, it was another loss in the final in Doha, the last time was in 2011. “Well, it’s a tournament I’ve never won. Clearly I’m a disappointed right now. It’s a goal of mine to pretty much have won everything,” said the 26-year-old, who will jump four places to No. 14 in rankings. “But she played really well today. I thought I played well too. I did my best. It’s been a tough week. Yesterday I had two matches late at night. I just tried to recover as well as I could. I feel like I’m playing really good tennis. I can still improve on some things. I’m really feeling positive and confident moving forward,” added Wozniacki, who will be in action in Dubai this week along with Pliskova. Meanwhile, fourth seeds Abigail Spears of US and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia clinched the doubles title, defeating Ukraine’s Olga Savchuk and Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan 6-3, 7-6(7) in the final.

Karolina Pliskova powered her way into the Qatar Total Open final yesterday, the No. 2 seed beating third seed Dominika Cibulkova 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the semi-finals. Pliskova had never defeated Cibulkova in their three previous meetings but the Czech was on fire at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex on a damp night. The World No. 3 served an astonishing 21 aces and showed tremendous mental strength and fitness in overcoming the Slovak. While Cibulkova had finished her quarter-final match on Thursday, Pliskova on the other hand was forced to play the quarters and semis on the same day, due to repeated rain interventions. The momentum was clearly with Pliskova as she overcame many a difficult moments, especially in the first set, to seal her place in today’s final. The 24-year-old will either face Olympic champion Monica Puig or former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, who were playing the second semi-final late last night, a few hours after winning their quarter-final matches. After rain battered the courts for most of yesterday, the tournament organisers were relieved to see the clouds clear up at night as the players were put on double duty. Today’s forecast is for clear skies, which means the rain-hit tournament will most likely get over on schedule, which didn’t seem the case even till yesterday evening. Earlier, Pliskova had outplayed Shuai Zhang 6-2, 6-0 to set-up a semi-final date with Cibulkova. Zhang, who had shocked fifth seed Garbine Muguruza in the second round, had no answers to Pliskova’s power game. Zhang was broken by Pliskova twice as the Czech took a 5-2 lead, before another rain delay meant that the players again had to scamper for cover. On resumption, Pliskova wrapped up the first set, and broke Zhang again in the opening game of the second set. But heavy downpour ensued that the players had a lengthy break of almost five hours. When they finally returned to the courts, Pliskova was in a hurry to close out the match. Two further breaks put her firmly in charge and she served out to love to put Zhang out of her misery. Earlier, Puig entered the semis, the Puerto Rican’s first since her historic gold in Rio last August.  The 23-year-old has not had a great start to the year, as she bowed out in the first round in Sydney and Brisbane. She did marginally better at the Australian Open, where she reached the second round. But the 47th-ranked Puig’s loss in Melbourne came to 181st-ranked Mona Barthel. Here in Doha, Puig has meant business from day one. After her second-round victory over Yulia Putintseva, where the Kazakh girl had to retire midway, Puig was back in business. Her hard work seems to be bearing fruit. Yesterday, she completed a fighting win over promising Russian teenager Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 5-7, 6-4. The quarter-final was carried over from Thursday, when the match was locked at a set apiece before the players were finally called off court due to rain. On resumption in the afternoon, Puig wasn’t in the mood to hand around for a long time. She was off the blocks quickly, converting her fourth break point to move 3-2 ahead. Puig saved two further break points in her next service game to keep her hopes alive before breaking back to level the match at 4-4. A wayward stroke from Kasatkina, serving at 4-5, handed the 23-year-old a victory. “At our match in Indian Wells I also had match points and lost the match but against her it’s always going to be tough,” Puig said. “We’re both up and coming and she’s such a great player so it was a good match and I loved the fight out there.” Meanwhile, Wozniacki, ranked 18th, beat American qualifier Lauren Davis 7-5, 6-1 in the last quarter-final.

Exactly a week after she landed in Doha, Angelique Kerber finally hit the court at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex yesterday. It had been a frustrating wait for the top seed as she waited for rain to relent to play her first match. But the off-court frustration would carry on to the court as the German crashed out of the Qatar Total Open. It was an error-strewn performance from Kerber, failing to get any sort of momentum as she fell to Daria Kasatkina in the second round. The Russian teen won 6-4, 0-6, 6-4 to seal her place in the quarter-finals. It was the second time this year that Kasatkina has won against the former World No.1 after beating her at the Sydney International last month, 7-6, 6-2. Kerber, who lost her No. 1 ranking to Serena Williams after she failed to defend her Australian Open crown last month, was looking at the Middle East swing – here in Doha and next week in Dubai to recapture her form. But the 29-year-old moved gingerly yesterday and was clearly struggling with her movements. “I was not feeling the best today; I’m trying to find my rhythm,” Kerber said. “But she (Kasatkina) plays good. I made too many mistakes in the important moments. I think it was, for sure, not my day.” The 32nd-ranked Kasatkina, on the other hand, is a rising star in the women’s game. The 19-year-old is in her second year on the tour and will be fancying her chances of a maiden WTA title. Kerber missed six break point chances in the first set, and Kasatkina capitalised on it. But Kerber bounced back, blanking the Russian in the second set to get herself back on level terms. Seemingly in command heading into the decider, Kerber couldn’t get the momentum going and fell 6-4 in the third. It wasn’t easy for Kasatkina, who needed four set points to complete the upset. It meant that Kerber’s underwhelming start to the 2017 season only got worse, as she stands at 4-4. And none of her four victories have been over players ranked inside the top 50. Kerber was bewildered by her poor form and was keen to turn her fortunes in Dubai. “Of course, the weather, it can happen like this,” she said. “We have to wait a lot, but this is not a big deal. I have to get ready again and feel good because, I was not feeling very good in the last few days. I think this is the most important thing for me right now. Then, of course, looking forward to doing well next week in Dubai,” she admitted. Kasatkina was playing Olympic champion Monica Puig last night in the quarters, before rain brought a halt to the proceedings. Puig of Puerto Rico was leading 2-1 in the decider after both players had taken a set each. After a lengthy delay, play was suspended for the night, with the players scheduled to return today morning to complete their match. Meanwhile, former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki dumped her close friend and fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland out of the tournament with a straight-sets 7-5 6-3 win. Denmark’s Wozniacki, who has slipped to No. 18, has looked in good rhythm so far in Doha and she was once again impressive yesterday. This was the 16th time the pair had faced off, with the Dane now leading 10-6 in the head-to-head. “We always have great matches. The last two times we’ve played I’ve lost to her,” said Wozniacki. She was back on court in the evening for her last-eight clash against qualifier Lauren Davis and was leading 1-0 before rain forced them indoors. Third seed Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia got lucky as she escaped rain for the second successive day and booked her spot in the semi-finals. The current WTA Finals champion ousted former World No.4 Samantha Stosur 7-5, 6-4, finally breaking her drought against the Australian. Cibulkova had lost all five of her previous matches against Stosur – all in straight sets, but the Slovak has made vast improvements since their last meeting in 2014. She hit 18 winners to just 10 unforced errors and converted five of the eight break point opportunities throughout the rain-affected match. “She was fighting and really into the match,” said Cibulkova after winning the 400th match of her career. “It came down to a few points here and there; you can see from the scoreline that it was very tight. The conditions are tough here, but I’m happy to have got lucky this week so far.” “I tried to have a new tactic against Sam because I’d never beaten her before, and it was really working hard today. I have to say, I was playing well,” the Slovak added. Up next for the World No.5 is Chinese Zhang Shuai or second seed Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic. The last quarter-final match was to take place last night but now will be played today morning. Earlier, Pliskova had made it through to the last eight, after beating France’s Caroline Garcia 7-5, 6-4. Zhang on Wednesday had upset fifth seed Garbine Muguruza.   Results Quarter-finals 3-Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) beat Samantha Stosur (Australia) 7-5 6-4    Second round Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat 4-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) 7-5 6-3     Darya Kasatkina (Russia) beat 1-Angelique Kerber (Germany) 6-4 0-6 6-4      Samantha Stosur (Australia) beat 8-Barbora Strycova (Czech Republic) 6-3 3-6 6-4 2-Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) beat Caroline Garcia (France) 7-5 6-4    Lauren Davis (US) beat 6-Elena Vesnina (Russia) 7-5 6-2

After a near-total wash out on Tuesday at the Qatar Total Open, the organisers heaved a huge sigh of relief after rain relented and most of the scheduled matches were completed yesterday. To compensate for the loss of play on the second day, many players were listed to play two matches, some even three — having signed in for doubles too. The burden of playing two matches showed on some, while others were able to get through it. For fifth seed Garbine Muguruza, the tournament ended early as the reigning French Open champion crashed out in the second round at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex. The Spaniard had opened her campaign in the morning and had little trouble in a routine 6-3, 6-2 win over Cagla Buyukakcay of Turkey. But Muguruza came up against a determined Shuai Zhang in the second round and the Chinese No.1 prevailed in three sets 7-6, 3-6, 7-5. For Zhang, ranked No. 31 in the world, last night’s win over No. 7 Muguruza is one of her biggest result on the WTA circuit as she booked her place in the quarter-finals in Doha. Like her opponent, Zhang had won her first round match in the morning, beating Timea Babos of Hungary 7-6(3) 6-3.  Against Muguruza, the 28-year-old wrested the advantage from the beginning — in the first meeting between the pair. Zhang secured back-to-back breaks to take a surprise early 4-1 lead, thanks to some fine shots off the baseline. Muguruza’s fighting spirit helped her break back to love and restore parity as a tight opening set went to a tie-break. Zhang found her groove right when it mattered, acing her first serves to take the first set, even as Muguruza had double faulted on set point. In the second set, Muguruza made a crucial break at 4-2 as Zhang hit a forehand long. The single break was enough for the Spaniard to serve out and take the match to a deciding set. In a see-saw third set, Zhang took advantage of Muguruza’s weak second serve, to break and take a 5-2 lead. But Muguruza fought back, the 23-year-old pulling things back to level with some breath taking shots. But the Spaniard fizzled out when it mattered, the fatigue catching up with her, having played Fed Cup ties on the weekend. Zhang, making only her third appearance in Doha, made a further break at 6-5 to seal the victory for her best showing till date. Up next for Zhang is either No.2 seed Czech Karolina Pliskova or Caroline Garcia of France. For Muguruza, though, it is back to drawing board as she said she is looking forward to doing well in Dubai next week. “I woke up thinking that I was going to have a very tough day,” Muguruza said after her loss. “I warmed up at 9 in the morning. I played pretty good the first match. The second one, Zhang played very well. The conditions were difficult. There was a lot of wind. She was finding her shots. At the end I think it was two points difference and they went to her,” the Australian Open quarter-finalist added. While the early schedule meant first round matches were completed yesterday, only three second round matches were possible after heavens opened up to halt the evening session. ‘Tough one’ Third seed Dominika Cibulkova and Olympic champion Monica Puig were lucky ones to guarantee their place in the last eight. Slovakia’s Cibulkova, who had a bye in the first round, survived a scare against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia before she came through 7-5, 2-6, 6-2. “I knew it’s going to be a tough one,” said Cibulkova. “She’s in a great form and played in the quarter-finals at the Australian Open. I knew when she’s in good form, it’s going to be really tough.  I was really happy with the way I closed the match and with the way I played in the third set.” Puig of Puerto Rico also made it through to the quarter-finals, after Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan retired in the third set of their match with the score at 6-4, 4-6, 2-1. In fact, Putintseva had entered the second round in the morning after seventh seed Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland withdrew from the tournament due to thigh injury, having lost the first set 1-6. Puig faces a potential next round clash with top seed Angelique Kerber, who was listed to play Russian teen Daria Kasatkina late last night, but will only kick-start her tournament today. Close friends Caroline Wozniacki and Agnieszka Radwanska were also lined up to play at the centre court, but they could only warm-up before they had to walk off the court. Earlier yesterday, Denmark’s Wozniacki twice came from 0-2 down to beat Kiki Bertens, 6-2, 6-3 in the first round. This was the first time the pair had met since 2012 and World No. 18 Wozniacki picked up from where she left off in Montreal a little over four years ago as she completed an easy win. With only three days of competition remaining, the organisers are racing against time to complete the matches. There are still five second round matches to be played and with rain not showing any signs of letting up over the next two days, the organisers have a huge task on their hand. Results Third day results of the Qatar Open (x denotes seeding): 2nd rd Mónica Puig (PUR) bt Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 6-2, 4-6, 2-1 - retired Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x3) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 Shuai Zhang (CHN) bt Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP x5) 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 7-5 1st rd Darya Kasatkina (RUS) bt Irina Begu (ROM) 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 Mónica Puig (PUR) bt Laura Siegemund (GER) 6-0, 6-1 Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) bt Timea Bacsinszky (SUI x7) 6-1 - retired Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) bt Kiki Bertens (NED) 6-2, 6-3 Lauren Davis (USA) bt Roberta Vinci (ITA) 6-2, 6-3 Elena Vesnina (RUS x6) bt Christina McHale (USA) 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) Barbora Strýcová (CZE x8) bt Fatma Al Nabhani (OMA) 6-3, 6-0 Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP x5) bt Çagla Büyükakçay (TUR) 6-3, 6-2 Shuai Zhang (CHN) bt Tímea Babos (HUN) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 Caroline Garcia (FRA) bt Madison Brengle (USA) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3

Karolina Pliskova enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2016, reaching the final of the US Open, where she lost to Angelique Kerber in three sets. She also picked up two WTA titles and moved up from No. 11 to No. 5 in the world rankings. The lanky Czech has continued her fine form this year, as she romped to victory at the Brisbane International and looked a serious contender at the Australian Open. But the 24-year-old suffered a shock loss in the quarter-finals in Melbourne, as her nine-match winning streak in 2017 came to a halt against Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. But Pliskova was back to her best for her country, as she led Czech Republic to the semi-finals of the Fed Cup last weekend. Now in Doha, for the Qatar Total Open, Pliskova is one of the favourites for the title. Seeded second in Doha, Pliskova will open her campaign against either a qualifier or Caroline Garcia of France. The World No. 3, compared to other top seeds has a favourable draw here. Her potential quarter-final opponent is reigning French Open champion Garbine Muguruza, who Pliskova beat easily at Fed Cup last week. Having linked with Petra Kvitova’s former coach David Kotyza last October, Pliskova is the most exciting player to watch out for this year and a glimpse of her potential will be on display this week in Doha.   Excerpts from an interview Usually Fed Cup is quite an emotional few days. How did you wind down from that and how do you feel heading into the Qatar Total Open? Well, it was little bit emotional. It was a tough weekend for all of us, especially for me and Barbora (Strycova). But we were really happy that we won the singles, and then we didn’t have to play the doubles. Overall I think I had a good week there with the practices, with two wins in the weekend, which was important. I travelled to Doha yesterday so I had a day off. Today I was back on court practising and I felt quite good. So excited to be here in Doha and I am ready for the tournament.   How do you describe your game? You have a big swing, big serve and huge potential, and made it to the US Open final last year. I think my tennis has improved so much in the last year. I had some good matches last year. Obviously, 2016 has been my best year so far, as I reached the final of a Grand Slam at US Open. Unfortunately, I lost to Angie (Kerber), but still it was a really good tournament for me. Since then, I think, I have improved a little bit and am trying to get even better. I have a new coach (David Kotyza), so there are a few new things happening around my game. My movements are actually the worst part of my game, but it’s still improving. Everything is going well so far.   You will play either Caroline Garcia or Madison Brengle in the next round. What do you think about them? I will watch a little bit of their match. I have played both of them before. I played Caroline last year in the Fed Cup and she was playing very well there. Obviously, a WTA tournament is a different competition from Fed Cup. So definitely, against Caroline, it will be a different match. And Madison, I know she beat my sister in the qualifiers here, so she has been playing well. She has won three rounds in the qualifiers here, so she’s kind of probably used to the conditions here. So against both of them it is going to be tough. But, like I said, I’m ready for the match.     How is it to have your twin sister (Kristyna) on Tour? It’s good to have someone on the Tour so close to you, like my sister. There is no one closer to me on the Tour, so I don’t need any other friends. We always talk about everything, not only about tennis, but about all the other stuff around tennis. Yes, unfortunately she was in quallies here. She’s in quallies in Dubai. It’s still not that we see each other that often, but it’s better than before. Now we are in the same tournaments, but different hotels. So hopefully it can get a little bit better and see each other more often. But I like this, it’s better than it was. Hopefully I can see her in Dubai. I didn’t see her here because I came late and she left quite early. But definitely she’s going to Indian Wells, Miami, so there’s going to be more chances to see her in the next few weeks.   Caroline Garcia chose to not play the Fed Cup this year but you played. What do you think about her choice? It’s tough always to decide if to play or not. We played at home this time, which was much easier for me, so we didn’t have to travel anywhere far. But still I came here pretty late. I don’t think it’s a bad idea that Caroline didn’t play. Sometimes it can help you, but sometimes, it’s difficult to put it in the schedule because there’re lot of tournaments. The Fed Cup week is not easy as you have lot of tough matches, and it can really take away some power from your game. I think both decisions are fine. There is always something positive about it. But I think this week I’ve played good, I had two wins. But maybe it’s also good to prepare for the tournament like Caroline did.   Are you surprised by the weather here in Doha, with persistent rain interrupting matches? It doesn’t look it’s going to be better during the week. Obviously the weather can change so fast. In Czech it is minus 10, so with me this weather is fine. Just the rain is not good for tennis, so hopefully it can get better and we can finish all the matches in time.

The holiday crowd, which expected to enjoy the National Sport Day at the Qatar Total Open yesterday, was left frustrated after persistent rain played a dampener to their plans. The Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex was drenched as relentless rain disrupted the proceedings, and officials were forced to cancel 11 first round matches. Today, the action will begin at 11am, with the tournament running way behind schedule and the organisers facing a huge task to complete a chunk of matches. Only one match could be completed yesterday, before heavens opened up again. After a lengthy delay, Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova registered an easy win over Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-1, 6-4 to book her place in the second round. Jankovic, who made it to the main draw after winning three matches in the qualifiers, ran out of energy against Pavlyuchenkova. Having slipped to 50th in the world, Jankovic is making a comeback into the Tour after serious shoulder injuries she sustained last year. Despite the loss, the former World No.1 should be happy with the workout she had in Doha, considering the troubles she had the previous year. Against Pavlyuchenkova, ranked 23rd, Jankovic struggled from the beginning, failing to match the power of her younger opponent. The 25-year-old, who had a 5-2 advantage over the Serb coming into the match, broke thrice in the first set before closing it out easily. She took a 3-2 lead in the second set, before rain halted the proceedings. After the break, the Russian closed out the match with ease. Even though she faced two break points in the 10th game, Pavlyuchenkova served out the match with a fierce forehand. She will play third seed Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia in the second round. Pavlyuchenkova came in hot after a run to the Australian Open quarter-finals, completing a career set of last eight appearances at major tournaments. But stormy weather threatened to cool off the big-hitting Russian. Even with multiple rain delays, Jankovic ultimately had few answers against Pavlyuchenkova, who hit 23 winners to just 14 unforced errors while Jankovic went 0/5 on break point opportunities. “It was quite a long day, but I’ll take it,” Pavlyuchenkova said after the match. “I’m happy to be one of the first ones done today, and it’s a nice present for myself, as well.” “I didn’t do much,” Pavlyuchenkova said of how she spent the time between play. “I was just talking with my coach, and some players as well. But I tried not to expend too much energy so I could keep as much as I could for the court. I don’t know how I managed, so I’m happy to finish this match.” Apart from the top four seeds – Angelique Kerber, Karolina Pliskova, Cibulkova and Radwanska – who received a first round bye, only Pavlyuchenkova and Samantha Stosur have reached the second round. Late Sunday night, a two-hour rain stoppage did not unduly delay Stosur as she beat Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia 7-5, 6-4. The match was suspended by rain with Stosur 7-5, 4-3 up. But the Australian needed just 11 more minutes of action once the rain stopped. The World No.21 will play either eighth seed Barbora Strycova of Czech Republic or wild card Fatma al-Nabhani of Oman in the second round.

Having plummeted to 50th in the world rankings, it almost feels unreal that Jelena Jankovic was once ranked No.1. The Serbian was a major force in 2008, when she reached the summit of women’s tennis. Jankovic was once touted as the challenger to Serena Williams; in fact she then led the rivalry with the American 3-2. That year, Jankovic became the first player to top the world rankings without reaching a Grand Slam final. However, later that year, she made a maiden appearance in the US Open final, but went down against Williams. At 22, the world was at her feet. But in the next nine years, Jankovic’s fortunes nosedived as she neither made it to another major final, nor back to No.1. Last year was even more frustrating for Jankovic, as she battled poor form and two ruptures in her shoulder muscles. Now 31, the Serbian is keen to mount back in the circuit as she targets a top-10 finish in 2017. And she will be hoping her fortune changes in Doha. Playing in the qualifiers for the first time since 2004, Jankovic sealed her place in the main draw of the Qatar Total Open, which began yesterday. The Serbian rolled back years at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in chilly conditions as she beat Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova 6-1, 6-7, 6-4 in a match lasting over two and a half hours. As rain threatened to interrupt the proceedings and extreme wind made it uncomfortable for the players and spectators alike, Jankovic held her nerve to get past a plucky Pironkova, who saved two match points in the second set. Jankovic came into the match boasting an impressive 6-0 head-to-head record against Pironkova, and she began the match in a dominating fashion. She wrapped up the first set in quick time, breaking three times while Pironkova, with 13 unforced errors, struggled to find her range and timing. But Pironkova broke first in the second set to jump into a 4-1 lead, before Jankovic regained her focus. The Serb got back on level terms and forced a tiebreak and looked to be firmly on course for the main draw. But she squandered two match points at 5-4, to lose the next four points and with it the set. Jankovic, however, come out on top of a topsy-turvy final set and notch a seventh win over Pironkova. In her first round match today, Jankovic will take on Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who has a 5-2 advantage over the Serb, having also won their last two matches. “I am glad I was even able to play in the qualifiers because I was not even in the draw as I got a wild card. I am thankful for that opportunity and luckily I was able to win the three rounds and here I am in the main draw again,” said Jankovic, who lost in the second round in Doha last year. “It’s been a long time (2004) since I have played in the qualifiers. I had a tough last year with lot of injuries. Now, I need to make a comeback and get my ranking up,” she added. Three other qualifiers were decided yesterday, with Americans Christina McHale, Madison Brengle and Lauren Davis sealing their spots in the main draw. McHale beat Sweden’s Johanna Larsson 7-6, 6-4 in the final round of qualifying. In her opening round today, the American will play sixth seed Elena Vesnina of Russia, who is ranked No. 15 in the world. Brengle brushed aside Chinese Zheng Saisai 6-2, 6-1 to make it into the main draw. She will take on Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia next. Davis had an easy passage as her opponent Camila Giorgi of Italy was forced into retirement with the score at 7-5, 2-5. Davis is set to face veteran Roberta Vinci of Italy. The top four seeds — Angelique Kerber, Karolina Pliskova, Dominika Cibulkova and Agnieszka Radwanska — will not in been in action today, having received a first round bye. Order of Play Centre Court (Starting at 2pm) * Q-Jelena Jankovic (SRB) vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) * Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) vs Kiki Bertens (NED) * 5-Garbine Muguruza (ESP) vs WC-Cagla Buyukakcay (TUR) * 8-Barbora Strycova (CZE) vs WC-Fatma al-Nabhani (OMA) Not before 8pm * Laura Siegemund (GER) vs Monica Puig (PUR) Court 1 (Starting at 2pm) * Roberta Vinci (ITA) vs Q-Lauren Davis (USA) * Q-Madison Brengle (USA) vs Caroline Garcia (FRA) * Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) vs 7-Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) Court 2 (Starting at 2pm) * Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU) vs Daria Kasatkina (RUS) * Q-Christina McHale (USA) vs 6-Elena Vesnina (RUS) Not before 5pm (TBA after suitable rest) * Katerina Bondarenko (UKR)/Elena Vesnina (RUS) vs Gabriela Dabrowski (CAN)/Darija Jurak (CRO)

A star-studded field is in attendance at the Qatar Total Open which begins today at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha. The line-up boasts five of the top-seven players, and each one of them will be eager to bounce back from the agony of their failure at the Australian Open. It was a disappointing start to the year for the likes of Angelique Kerber, Karolina Pliskova, Dominika Cibulkova, Agnieszka Radwanska and Garbine Muguruza – as Serena Williams swept to her 23rd Grand Slam title in Melbourne. At 35, Serena showed how it’s done as she marched on to the history books as her title challengers fell by the wayside, failing to even make it to the semi-finals. Now after a well-earned break, the stars of the Doha field will be hoping to recapture their form in the Middle East swing. No one more than Kerber will be keen to reassert herself as the one to beat. The German, top seed in Doha, endured a double disappointment last month. The 29-year-old was knocked out in the fourth round at the Australian Open by American Coco Vandeweghe and then saw Serena dethrone her from the World No.1 ranking. Kerber will get back to top spot if she reaches the final in Doha and Dubai in the next two weeks, or if she wins in Dubai. But the German is eager to get back to winning ways, than worry about the number one ranking. “For me it’s really important to play good tennis, to try to improving my tennis. This is actually my goal always,” Kerber said yesterday. “I will do my best in the next few weeks, few months. If you play good tennis, then you have results. This is actually for me the most important thing, to win matches again, getting the confidence back, and then we will see what’s happen in the next few months,” she added. Kerber, who arrived in Qatar last week to acclimatise to the conditions here, has been given a first round bye. The top seed awaits the winner of the match between Russian teen Daria Kasatkina and Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania’s. If Kasatkina does prevail through, it will set up an interesting duel with Kerber. The talented Kasatkina, ranked 28th, shocked Kerber in Sydney last month and could be a major threat again. Last year Kerber lost in the second round in Doha in straight sets to China’s Zheng Saisai. And also playing this week in Doha are the world numbers three, five, six and seven – Pliskova, Cibulkova, Radwanska and Muguruza. Out of the four, Radwanska is handed a tough draw. The Polish No. 6 will be playing her first match since her shock Australian Open second round exit and the road to the final will not be easy for her. Radwanska will either face former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki or Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens in the second round. “Of course, is not easy draw. We’ll see after that match who’s going to win. Caroline is playing good tennis at the moment. She’s definitely starting to be more confident. Playing really better than before. I guess it’s going to be her. Yes, we played couple times the end of the last year. That was really three good, long matches. So we’ll see,” said Radwanska. One player to watch out is Elena Vesnina. The Russian was ranked outside the top 100 just over a year ago, but is currently career-high 15. The 30-year-old will play a qualifier today and could possibly face Radwanska in the quarters.

Agnieszka Radwanska had a wry smile on her face when her possible second round opponent at the Qatar Total Open was revealed yesterday. The fourth seed from Poland will have a Monday off when the tournament begins at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, as she has been given a bye in the first round. But on Tuesday, she is all set to run in to close friend and former World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki in the second round. Of course, Denmark’s Wozniacki has to first win her opening round match against Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands, with not much separating the two in the rankings. Wozniacki has slipped to World No.18, while Bertens is 24th, but the Dane is fancied to get through. Over the last few years, Radwanska and Wozniacki’s close friendship has gone through many testing times. The duo has faced each other 15 times, with Wozniacki coming out triumphant on nine occasions. However, Radwanska has had the better of her buddy in the last two matches and will be hoping, if she has to face Wozniacki again, she can make it a hat-trick of wins. “It’s really tough draw for me,” said Radwanska after the draw ceremony yesterday. “Probably I will face Caroline in the second round and I am expecting a tough one. But will see how it goes.” Last year in Doha, Radwanska made it to the semi-finals before being knocked out by eventual winner Carla Suarez Navarro, who has withdrawn from this year’s tournament due to injury. But this year, Radwanska will have to be in much better form than she has shown so far, to test the likes of No.1 seed Angelique Kerber, second seed Karolina Pliskova and Dominika Cibulkova, who is seeded third. Radwanska began 2017 looking for answers, switching racquets with the hope of adding a more powerful dimension to her off-court game. The Pole reached the semis and the final in Shenzhen and Sydney respectively, but was knocked out in the second round at the Australian Open, falling to Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. The 27-year-old is looking to make amends in Doha this week. “I think every tournament is different, the conditions are different. We all know what happened at the Australian Open. So there is no point in looking backwards,” said Radwanska. “I think it’s too early to talk about 2017. I reached the WTA final in Sydney, which was good. Obviously it was disappointing when you lose in the first week at the Grand Slam. I am just looking forward to do well in Doha and in Dubai next week, playing more matches and getting more points. Play some good tennis as well,” she said. Meanwhile, Germany’s Kerber, who lost her World No. 1 ranking to Serena Williams when the American won the Australian Open last month, will await the winner of the match between Camelia-Irina Begu of Romania or Daria Kasatkina of Russia, in the second round. Interestingly, if Kerber comes through as expected she could face Olympic champion Monica Puig in the Quarter-finals. Puig, who will take on Laura Siegemund of Germany in her opening match in Doha, shocked the tennis world when the Puerto Rican beat Kerber to win gold at the Rio Olympics last year. And Kerber will be hoping for a revenge for the heartbreak she suffered last August. In the bottom-half of the draw, Pliskova of Czech Republic will face either Carloine Garcia or a qualifier in the second round. The second seed is most likely to face fifth seed Garbine Muguruza of Spain in the quarters. Pliskova has been on the ascendancy since last summer. The 24-year-old’s start to the year has been near-perfect as she has lost just one match under new coach David Kotyza. She blew away the field to win in Brisbane in January without losing a set and came within a few games of booking her spot in yet another major semi-final at the Australian Open. With the form that she is in, Pliskova will fancy her chances in Doha. Meanwhile, third seed Cibulkova will face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia or a qualifier in the second round. The Slovak could face former World No. 4 Samantha Stosur of Australia or eighth seed Barbora Strykova of Czech Republic in the quarters. The reigning WTA Finals champion has had an unprecedented success last year. Now at a career-high ranking of No.5, Cibulkova is one of the favourites in a star-studded field in Doha. Her best result in Qatar came in her first visit in 2008, when she reached the quarter-finals before being beaten in three sets by Radwanska. The tournament has already seen withdrawals from Suarez Navarro, the 2016 champion, and World No.8 Svetlana Kuznetsova, due to injuries. But with five of the top-10 in attendance, Qatar Open will have no dearth of star quality.