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Defending champions Qatar on Monday rallied for a 2-1 win against Palestine after a first-half stutter to reach the quarter-finals at AFC Asian Cup 2023.Playing at a packed Al Bayt Stadium, Qatar conceded a goal in the 37th minute when Oday Dabbagh found the net to put the Palestinians ahead.Qatar captain Hassan al-Haydos produced the equaliser in injury time following a corner kick. Qatar’s mercurial striker Akram Afif converted a penalty in the 49th minute – driving to the right of Palestinian goalkeeper Rami Hamadeh – as the home team took the lead in the feisty contest.It was Qatar’s 11th win on the trot following their seven in the 2019 edition they won in the UAE. For Afif, the Al Sadd stalwart, it was his fourth goal of the tournament scored in front of 65,000 fans at tent-like Al Bayt Stadium.Qatar enjoyed greater ball possession (60-40) while sentimental favourites Palestine fired 11 shots on the Qatari goal, two more than the home side coached by Marquez Lopez from Spain. Palestine landed five shots on target whereas Qatar had three.In the quarter-finals, Al Anabbi will take on the winner from the clash between Uzbekistan and Thailand on Tuesday. Qatar will return to Al Bayt Stadium in the quarter-final. For Palestine, ranked 99 in the world, it was a memorable event in which they scored six goals in four matches with three coming against Hong Kong last week. Prior to last night’s clash, Palestine had only scored just one goal across six AFC Asian Cup matches in 2015 and 2019.“It was a game against Palestine and it was emotional. With all my respect I understand our fans (cheering for Palestine),” Lopez told reporters on Monday. “This is football, you can plan for something and it doesn’t always go to plan. Palestine’s players played very well, they were brave. The most important thing is we qualified (for the next round) and we have to retain our positivity for the future.”Palestine coach Makram Daboub said after the match: “My players gave all that they have despite the difficult circumstances. I cannot ask them to do more than what they’ve done. I’m very proud of my champions. They have big ambition and they’re proud to represent the Palestinian people. The Palestinian people are very passionate. We wanted to make them happy but we’re sorry we couldn’t. We hope to be better in our next games and compensate for today’s loss.”Following a cagey start, Qatar keeper Meshaal – younger sibling of global track and field star Mutaz Barshim – managed a diving stop on a long-range missile from Palestine’s Amid Mahajna in the 19th minute.A few minutes later, Barsham thwarted another Palestinian threat when Abu Warda, ghosting down the left, met Zeid Qunbar’s pass with a deft touch, but the resilient Qatari shot-stopper was equal to the task.Frustrated by Barsham’s brilliant saves for Qatar, Palestine’s Dabbagh decided to take matters into his own hands. In a moment of pure magic, he embarked on a solo run, weaving past two befuddled Qatari defenders. With laser focus, he drilled a shot towards the bottom corner, finding the net with ease. His third AFC Asian Cup goal delighted the Palestinian fans just eight minutes before halftime.It was also the first goal conceded by Qatar in this tournament featuring Asia’s finest 24 teams.In a heart-stopping finale to the first half, Afif and al-Haydos put together a magical move. Afif whipped a low delivery across the box, finding al-Haydos in trademark fashion. The Qatari captain’s first-time strike deflected off Musab al-Battat and nestled into the net, silencing the Palestinian cheers and restoring parity just as the whistle blew.Minutes into the second half, Afif slipped in a low cross to Almoez Ali but Palestine defender Mohamed Saleh produced a rough sliding tackle on the Qatari resulting in a penalty. Afif calmly slotted home as Qatar took the lead 12 minutes after conceding the first goal.Afif nearly put Qatar ahead late in the second half, bending a 20-yard free-kick over the wall and agonizingly grazing the crossbar to the relief of thousands of Palestine fans.Monday’s clash saw fan turnout after 40 matches reach 1,068,587 spectators, a record tally that exceeded the number of ticket holders at the 2004 edition held in China.

Buoyed by a commanding performance in their opening match, defending champions Qatar will be looking to consolidate their chances to reach last 16 of the AFC Asian Cup when they face Tajikistan on Wednesday. Champions in 2019 at the tournament held in the UAE, Qatar beat Lebanon 3-0 in their first match on Friday in front of 82,490 fans at Lusail Stadium. That win was Qatar’s eighth on the trot following their seven impressive wins at Asia’s premier tournament four years ago when Al Annabi beat Japan in the final to become the continental champions. Should Qatar win against Tajikistan, and China-Lebanon tie end in a draw in day’s other match - the hosts will be assured of topping Group A. Qatar coach, Marquez Lopez, on Tuesday said his team will be looking for three more points at Al Bayt Stadium. “We’re going to enter this match in order to achieve a victory,” Lopez said at a pre-match press conference with his young goalkeeper Meshaal Barshim in attendance. “They are a difficult opponent but we have studied them and we know that they have speedy players who can hurt us,” the Spaniard - who was roped in only last month - said. “From the first day I’ve said that we have to take it one match at a time, we want to lead and we want to go to the second round, that objective hasn’t changed. We have to use all the tools we have to score as early as possible but the most important thing is to be prepared and ready for the match,” Lopez said. “Of course we all think about the games to come in the next round but we have to focus first on the next game first. If we win, it’s possible that we win the group then we’ll see who we might get in the next round.” Lopez will be hoping his chief strikers Akram Afif and Almoez Ali on Wednesday exhibit the promising form they used to deflate Lebanon. Afif scored twice while Almoez found the net once in the second half against Lebanon. Though Group A toppers Qatar appear poised for a repeat victory, they’ll remember Tajikistan’s surprise 2-1 win in their 2012 friendly, keeping the underdog Tajiks in the hunt. Lifted by their spirited draw against China on Saturday, Tajikistan plan to carry their offensive fire to the second round against Qatar on Wednesday. Head coach Petar Segrt, impressed by their gritty performance, on Tuesday expressed confidence in another audacious showing from his Central Asian underdogs. “We respect Qatar as the champions and great hosts but for at least 90 minutes tomorrow, we must put that aside,” Segrt said on Tuesday. “We will try to achieve a good result and make a good impression, to try to get one or three points,” the 57-year-old Croatian added. “We cannot go into a game to get one point, we will try our best. More important is how we behave and how we play our football. It’s not the character of the Tajikistan people to play defensive. So we will try to play our football but we must also respect that Qatar are stronger than China and they will also have their supporters behind them.” Tajikistan, the lone tournament newcomers, are riding high on the wave of confidence after snatching a draw against China, proving their debutant status no handicap. “Before we went into the first game, the players were thinking that they are happy to be here but after the performance we showed, they are now starting to think that they have a chance,” Segrt said. “We had dreams two years ago to come to the Asian Cup, now we have a new dream, now we want to have the first goal in the Asian Cup.” Facts & Figures Tajikistan vs Qatar at Al bayt Stadium, 5:30pm Head to head Tajikistan won 2-1 in their most recent men’s international fixture against Qatar (September 2012) and are set to face them at the AFC Asian Cup for the first time. Unlucky debut Tajikistan settled for a 0-0 draw with China in their first game at the Asian Cup despite making 20 shots at goal on the day, the most of any Group A team on Matchday One. Impressive run Qatar have won their last eight consecutive games at the Asian Cup, including a 3-0 win over Lebanon on Matchday 1 of the 2023 tournament; only once in AFC Asian Cup history has any team enjoyed a longer winning streak (Iran – 13 games from 1968 to 1976). Tough tackler Alisher Shukurov (Tajikistan) won possession 11 times throughout the match against China, the most of any player from Group A in the tournament and two more than Lebanon’s Alexander Melki (9). Mercurial Afif Qatar’s Akram Afif has been directly involved in nine goals in his last four games in the Asian Cup (3 goals, 6 assists) including at least two in each of his last three and two goals against Lebanon last Friday at Al Bayt Stadium.

Continental giants Saudi Arabia will launch their AFC Asian Cup campaign with a game against Oman but the Roberto Mancini-coached side is grappling with shock player exclusions resulting in an uneasy dressing room environment. One of the favourites to win the tournament, Saudi Arabia have arrived at Asia’s biggest footfall event under a cloud of uncertainty for the clash at the Khalifa International Stadium today. Mancini, who was roped in as the Saudi coach last year with much fanfare, on Monday sounded perturbed when asked about the late exclusions of three players - goalkeeper Nawaf al-Aqidi, midfielder Salman al-Faraj and full-back Sultan al-Ghannam. “I think you have to ask them (the three players) because all these players didn’t want to come with the national side. They decided, not me,” Mancini said at the pre-match press conference on Monday. “They were in the list. Salman, who was in the training camp, said he doesn’t want to come for a friendly game. I don’t think players can decide when or when not to play. Sultan and Nawaf, I spoke with both and I asked if they were happy to join the list. Sultan told me he was not happy. “Players can’t decide this. I decide. Nawaf told me he will come. After three days, he said he doesn’t want to come. We put them in the list. They were in the training camp.I only want players who want to fight for country. “I don’t understand when a young player refuses to come because he doesn’t know if he will play or not. The national team is not a club, it’s your country. You represent all the people in your country,” Mancini said. Mancini, a seasoned manager with club silverware and an international triumph (Italy’s Euro 2021) under his belt, expressed shock at the unprecedented phenomenon of players turning down national team duties. “You should be happy if you’re a part of this group. This is a very strange situation and it’s the first time I’ve experienced this. But we’ve found other players to play,” the former Manchester City coach thundered. While the Saudi team that shocked Argentina in the 2022 World Cup boasts veteran experience, their Asian Cup squad looks significantly younger. Notably, even Oman’s players possess more international caps, raising questions about whether Saudi Arabia’s youthful side can replicate the magic that once stunned football giants. “We had these two weeks to work with the players. We know all players from Oman play regularly in the league and they’re probably stronger,” Mancini, 59, said. “But we’re happy with the players we have, they want to fight for their country. Oman have good strikers and midfielders, they’re very dangerous in attack. For this reason tomorrow will be a difficult game,” Mancini said.“My opinion is that Oman is a very good team. The first game (of a tournament) is always very difficult. We know we are a good side but this is a very important tournament for us. There are top national teams. We want to do our best job,” the Italian added. Oman forward Harib al-Saadi said on Monday: “I would like to thank Qatar for the hospitality. We are excited to play at the Asian Cup, and the players want to take the responsibility and represent the name of Oman in the best possible way.” He added: “Everyone knows the name of Saudi Arabia and their level in Asian football. In both games we played against them, we put in a good performance both in Oman and in Jeddah. Players change for sure, but Saudi Arabia remain one of the strongest teams in the continent.” Al-Saadi said: “We focus on Saudi Arabia as a team, not individuals. Just like us, it is about the group together, and if we are all united, we can be superior as a team and get the result we want.” Today’s match - the first head-to-head clash between the two sides - kicks off at 8:30pm.

Defending champions Qatar Friday launched their AFC Asian Cup 2023 campaign on a winning note with a crushing 3-0 win over Lebanon at the iconic Lusail Stadium.Striker Akram Afif managed a double (45 and 90+6) while Al Duhail forward Almoez Ali found the net in the 56th minute to give the 2019 champions three points from the Group A clash watched by 82,490 fans.With Friday's second-half strike, Almoez - the MVP from Qatar's victorious 2019 campaign in the UAE - has now 10 goals in AFC Asian Cup history.It was Qatar's seventh win over Lebanon in eight fixtures while it was the eighth successive win for the defending champions following their seven on the trot at the 2019 edition. Four years ago, Qatar also beat Lebanon in their opening game.From the start, Qatar - ranked 58 in the world - exhibited good intent though their finishing lacked bite.In the second minute of the Group A clash, Afif found Abdulaziz Hatem with a cross to the left but the midfielder was slow to react in the first attack on the Lebanon box. A minute later, Qatar captain Hasan Al Haydos deflected a shot to Afif who - despite being in the box - couldn't find space to aim at the goal.In the sixth minute, Qatar seemingly opened the scoring but the goal was disallowed as off-side. Almoez, despite being marked by defender Nour Mansour, charged into the box and slipped the ball past keeper Mostafa Ali Matar - after Hatem sent a through ball - but the move was flagged off-side. A VAR ruling seconds later upheld the linesman's decision.Lebanon, probably playing in front of the biggest crowd in their football history, managed a corner in the 10th minute. Qatar's Lucas Mendedes headed away a loopy corner kick ahead of Lebanon's Walid Adel Shour.Shortly afterwards Almoez jumped high to head a ball in teammate Yousuf Abdurisag's direction near the edge of the Lebanon box. Abdulrisag fired a long-range shot which was off target in the 12th minute. Lebanon defender Hussein Ali Zein managed to get near the Qatar box but his low shot - under pressure from Mendes - lacked power a minute later.At the 20-minute mark, Afif curled in a free-kick but Almahdi Ali's snap-header was cleaned up by keeper Mataar. Moments later, Lebanon's Shour went long-range with his shot but he was found wanting on the angle as the ball dribbled away from the Qatar net. Zein wasted a golden opportunity in the 25th minute when he found time and space to execute a powerful shot but his bullet was saved by keeper Meshal Barsham, brother of track and field star Mutaz.Soon after the half-hour mark, Afif found slick header but the shot hit the Lebanon crossbar following a cross from Abdurisag, Qatar let go another chance soon afterward to find the net when Hatem - on a cross from Afif lurking inside the Lebanon box - saw his shot blocked by a defender Zein.At the 45-minute mark, Afif produced a well-timed shot from inside the Lebanon box to score his team's much-wanted opening goal following a series of attacks that lacked finish. In a moment of defensive amnesia, Lebanon allowed Mohamed Waad's cross to fester in the box.Almoez, alert and predatory, pounced on the confusion, feeding the ball flawlessly to Afif. With goalkeeper Matar rooted to the spot, Afif calmly slotted home, etching his name onto the scoreboard and punishing Lebanon's lapse in concentration at Lusail Stadium where a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina beat France on penalties in the FIFA World Cup final a little over a year ago.Galvanized by the halftime break, Lebanon launched into the second half with a flurry of intent. Bassel Jradi, Lebanon's talisman, unleashed a thunderbolt from just outside the box in the 47th minute only for Qatari defender Pedro Miguel to deflect the effort over the bar. The missed opportunity was a microcosm of Lebanon's frustrations, highlighting their resilience while showcasing Qatar's defensive steel.Qatar doubled their lead in the 56th minute when Almoez headed home after a cross from Waad on the left. Afif, who clearly was a busy striker for Qatar, scored his second of the night with a late goal in injury time.Qatar will look to another impressive show on Jan 17 when they face Tajikistan. Lebanon will take on China PR the same day.

Lebanon coach Miodrag Radulovic on Thursday said his young side will aim for an upset today against defending champions Qatar when the two sides meet in the opening match of the AFC Asian Cup at Lusail Stadium.Winless in seven internationals against Qatar, the Lebanon coach said his side has arrived in Doha with a deep desire to impress football fans. “We will try to get a positive result. I will tell them to play for three points, nothing else. We have trained well but we need to show our big potential. I hope our young players will show their talent. We will fight for each point to go to the next round. I believe we have the potential (to win),” Radulovic said at a pre-match conference.“I am optimistic that we can play equally well with every side in this group,” the 56-year-old said. Ranked 107 in the FIFA rankings, Lebanon will play against China (Jan 17 and Tajikistan (Jan 22) after today’s clash. “In this group of players, I have a lot of young players along with experienced names. Two recent matches show our system is working. The playing atmosphere is good. There are a few injuries and that’s the only concern we have,” he added.“We very excited to be here because we will participate for the second time in such a big competition like the Asian Cup. We will try to show all our capabilities. I believe in my team. It was a short time for preparation. I know the teams in this group very well. We will try to do our best,” he said.A few days after his resignation as coach of Montenegro, Radulovic was re-appointed coach of Lebanon last month following the departure of Nikola Jurcevic. In a friendly against Saudi Arabia last week, Lebanon looked organised in the 1-0 defeat. Radulovic, who coached Lebanon at the 2019 Asian Cup, on Thursday praised Qatar’s rise in Asia.“I feel the Qatar team - personally speaking - are looking good. They are one of the favourites to win the tournament. We are playing the defending champions. I appreciate their results in recent years. Qatar are one of those sides I admire. I am sure the fans would enjoy the game. We will try to use our experience from the last competition. These days we have been busy trying to rectify our mistakes,” Radulovic said.“There is big motivation for everyone. Every player who trains wants to play a big tournament like this. Like I told you we have a fine blend of young and experienced players. Tomorrow we should be well prepared psychologically. There will be 88,000 fans. I will be trying to calm the players,” he added.“China and Tajikistan and their results have been up also. All the games will be interesting and difficult. There’s no time to make mistakes. But then this is also a big challenge for us to show our potential. This will also help us for the future. Our main target (from this tournament) is to get experience for future matches.“I came back to Lebanon after five years. I have good memories about Lebanese players and people. I believe we can repeat our good results from the past. We have a group of young players who have great energy. Now we are strong as a group,” he added.For captain Hassan Maatouk, the tournament represents an opportunity to create history for Lebanese football - a place in the knockout stage for the first time in their history. Maatouk sees the return of Radulovic as head coach a huge positive and is counting on the Montenegrin’s familiarity with the players to give Lebanon an edge in the tournament.

Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) on Tuesday unveiled Athanasios Skourtopoulos of Greece as the new coach who will groom the national side until the 2027 FIBA World Cup to be held in Doha.The new coach was presented in front of the media at the QBF headquarters on Tuesday in Al Gharrafa where the vastly experienced coach also met with the national team players.Coach Skourtopoulos said he was ready for the ‘exciting challenge’ as he commences his new assignment.“I came here just five days ago. I am very happy to be here. I have met the national team players and I have got a good vibe after meeting with them. I have also met with the junior players. The Qatar Basketball Federation officials have welcomed me with open arms. I am delighted to be the new coach of the Qatar national team,” Skourtopoulos said at his first media briefing on Tuesday.“It didn’t take me too long to make the decision. I have been following QBF league action. I know the players who appear in the league. I had a lot of information before coming here,” he said.“I know how to build a good team. We will have to go step-by-step and have the help of everybody at the federation and the players. When this happens, success will follow. The players have told me their situation and what they want to achieve. It has not come as a surprise that everybody involved with basketball wants to do well collectively. So, yes, it was easy to decide to be here,” he added.“We say welcome to our new coach Athanasios Skourtopoulos. We are excited to team up with him as we begin our exciting journey to FIBA World Cup 2027 to be held in Doha. We have many key tournaments that we are looking at in this four-year journey that we have ahead of us,” QBF secretary-general Saadoun Sabah al-Kuwari said on Tuesday. He was joined by Yaseen Ismail Musa, Director of National Teams. “We start with two friendly tournaments in the next month or so and that will be followed by the Asian Games in Guangzhou in China. Then there is the FIBA Asian Championship in 2025 followed by the 2026 Asian Games. In between we will also have many tournaments in the region and the continent that we aspire to do well when we take part in those championships,” al-Kuwari added.Skourtopoulos said on Tuesday: “I have told the players that this is a important journey in this country. With the FIBA World Cup coming here in four years, there will be huge opportunities for the players - senior and junior - to raise their game. It is a very exciting time for Qatar basketball.”He added: “There is a lot of work to do. I know that in recent years the national team’s performance dipped a little after a very productive phase earlier on. But I know there are many exciting young players who will need good grooming for bigger assignments.”Skourtopoulos said Qatar’s first assignment starts in Taiwan where they will take part in the Jones Cup (organised by the Chinese Taipei Basketball Association).This year’s event will be held from Aug 12-20 with the participation of nine teams. After this, the Qatar side will feature at the Atlas Basketball Challenge in China before they arrive in Guangzhou for the 2022 Asian Games in late September.Ismail Musa, the Director of National Teams, on Tuesday said: “The decision of QBF president Mohamed bin Saad al-Mughisib in getting a new coach for the Qatar national team is a good move. Athanasios Skourtopoulos is a coach with a lot of experience. The Qatar players stand to gain a lot under his coaching. He is considered one of the finest basketball coaches. Our target is to have a good bench strength at the junior level that can be of great assistance to build a solid senior side in the future. The federation’s plan is to form a competitive team for many years to come.”New fitness coach Nataniel David Lucas was also presented at the press conference on Tuesday.

Doha: The president of Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) Mohamed Saad al-Mughaiseeb on Tuesday said Qatar will deliver a memorable edition of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 with all games set to be held across four venues in Doha.He said this following an inspection visit of Qatar facilities by FIBA headed by president Hamane Niang and secretary-general Andreas Zagklis.“We have had many meetings and discussions with the FIBA delegation. Qatar is confident it will to host an exceptional FIBA event, the first one of its kind in this region,” al-Mughaiseeb said yesterday at the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic Sports Museum.Al-Mughaiseeb said there are talks with FIBA to organise more than one event in Qatar during the next four years using ambassadors accredited by the world body to promote the championship. He added there are plans to organize a series of events that will include international players.The QBF president said four venues will be used to host the FIBA World Cup. Lusail Multipurpose Hall (14,000 seats), Al Duhail Indoor Hall (7,000 seats), Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena (7,000 seats), and the Aspire Dome.He said visiting teams will be accorded training facilities around many sports stadiums across the country. The president noted there is a plan to have an additional stadium that will be determined later.He announced that the QBF will organise, starting this year, a number of activities through which it will promote hosting the FIBA World Cup 2027. He said many women’s activities have also been planned.Al-Mughaiseeb said that the most important feature that will distinguish the FIBA World Cup in Qatar is the presence of state-of-the-art sports facilities and infrastructure.“The Basketball World Cup is not just a three-week tournament,” said Fahd Juma, Director of Strategy and Projects Department at the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC). “It is a tournament that has already started since the moment Qatar won the rights to host it.“Qatar has already made significant investments in infrastructure, including the construction of new stadiums and training facilities. The country is also committed to sustainability, and plans to use renewable energy and other measures to reduce the tournament’s environmental impact.“We want to present an exceptional and sustainable version of the World Cup that conforms to all international standards,” said Juma.In addition to sustainability, Qatar is also focused on creating an iconic event. Officials are working to attract top talent from around the world, and they plan to host a number of events and activities to celebrate the tournament.

The stage is set for the start of the ISSF Shotgun World Cup at Lusail Shooting Range, a top official said on Thursday.More than 466 shooters from 63 countries are going to feature in the March 3 to 13 World Cup, according to Jassim Shaheen al-Sulaiti, the Deputy Director of the championship.Technical Director Abdullah al-Hammadi was also present at a press conference called in to share details of the high profile championship.“We have confirmed entries of 466 shooters from 63 countries,” al-Sulaiti told the media on Thursday.“We also have five Qatari shooters in each of the skeet and trap competitions in men’s and women’s classes,” al-Sulaiti added.“Our Lusail Shooting Range is ready to host this World Cup edition. We’ve been preparing for it for the last three months. We hosted the 11th edition of the Qatar Open Shotgun Championship 2023 a few weeks ago as a preparation event to see how ready we are for this competition. We remain confident that we can deliver a good competition and make everyone proud,” he said.“The expectation of Qatari shooters in and outside of the country is always to be on the podium, especially since we have just won a silver medal a week ago at the Asian Championship.“One of our top shooters, Rashid al-athba, has already qualified for the Paris Olympics, already. He also finished third in the World Championship a few months ago,” al-Sulaiti said.“We have another shooter who got fourth in the World Championship. Qatar’s shooters are always on the podium or close to the podium. So when we have an event at home, we always hope to get the best result possible,” he added.Al-Sulaiti said Qatari shooters are keeping a busy schedule for the last two months with have more events lined up in build-up to the Asian Games in September.“Qatari shooters actually have a very heavy schedule for last month or so,” al-Sulaiti said yesterday. “They played in three events in the last two months.“So we are getting ready, of course, for the Asian Games and for the Olympics next year in Paris. This year’s Asian Games (to be held in China) is a very important competition for Qatar.“It’s the Olympics of Asia (smiles). The shooters are already gearing up for the big event in the next 12 months,” he added.“The World Cup is one of 12 World Cup editions staged throughout the year and around the globe (11 countries). So obviously, there is the final World Cup which is held in December every year. Usually in a competition like this, they take all the gold medal winners from each World Cup edition held during the season to play in the final.“This World Cup doesn’t have a qualification round to the Olympic Games, but it can give the player rating points so he or she could win qualification to the Olympics by points. We are expecting a great championship with shooters aiming for medals and points,” al-Sulaiti said.Al-Sulaiti said the 10-day championship will have a global audience“Yes, the ISF, which is the International Federation of Shooting, they already have a media department that will come and cover the championship and stream on their website and on YouTube channel. They will stream live the whole competition up to the finals,” al-Sulaiti said. “And of course, Qatar’s Al Kass Sports Channel is going to broadcast the championship as a host broadcaster,” he said.

Red-hot Daniil Medvedev of Russia yesterday made his Doha debut a memorable one as he beat two-time champion and crowd favourite Andy Murray of Great Britain in the final of the $1.4mn Qatar ExxonMobil Open.Medvedev, who landed in Doha after clinching the ATP 500 Rotterdam crown last Sunday, yesterday won 6-4, 6-4 for his 17th career title win. It was his third win over Murray in as many matches and 14th this season.The 27-year-old from Moscow got richer by $209,445 and picked up 250 points.Murray won $122,175 and bagged 150 points. Medvedev, who spent 16 weeks as World No. 1 in 2022, yesterday fired six aces in his impressive win in windy conditions. Murray, the only five-time finalist in Doha, yesterday failed to add to his title wins in 2008 and 2009.“A very tough match. I think (it) was a little bit more windy today. Both of us were struggling to find the rhythm on the second serve,” Medvedev said. “It was a big fight where both of us were playing badly, then suddenly both of us were playing amazing but I’m happy to win,” he added. “I managed to find this momentum in Rotterdam. The first two matches I played there were tough. I didn’t feel good before the tournament and then starting from quarters against Felix, I started to find my rhythm. I started to play really good, serving better, moving better. You know, even today, it was tough for Andy, too, to put the ball through me many times. And now the question is if (the winning form) has to continue. I’m going to try as long as I can,” he said.Murray was generous in his praise for Medvedev.“It was an incredible week. Obviously I didn’t finish how I wanted. I had some amazing matches here, created some great memories and fantastic to be back in a final year again and against an incredible player,” Murray said.“Daniel is one of my favourite players to watch and one of the best players on the Tour. So yes, great for me to get that opportunity to play against someone of his level and in a final again.“Definitely some things for me to work on but I’m proud of my week and the work that me and my team have put in to get me back to this stage,” Murray said.“All the players in this event have done a great job and put on some brilliant matches. I just think because of the way some of my matches finished that social media likes that sort of thing which creates a lot of attraction and attention. But it was an incredible atmosphere this evening. It’s so nice to see this place full,” he added.A long return from Murray on the first point of the final was followed by two unforced errors from the Briton. A solid ace, a drop shot and an unforced error from Medvedev allowed Murray to go to deuce when the Russian opened up the court with a backhand drive from close to the net. That point gave the Russian advantage which was easily converted into a service break in eight minutes.Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, easily held serve to go to a 2-0 lead. Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, found pace on his serves to take game three to reduce the deficit at 1-2 but Medvedev held serve following a deuce battle in game four (3-1). A couple of clumsy unforced errors by Murray allowed Medvedev to break Murray in game five for a 4-1 lead.The 35-year-old Briton fought back in style to break the Russian in game six and followed it up by holding serve in game seven (4-3). Medvedev saved a breakpoint to take game eight (5-3). A slick dropshot from close to the net helped Murray draw closer to Medvedev (4-5). Medvedev, with two service breaks, closed the first set at 6-4 in 54 minutes.The champion in Rotterdam last week quickly broke Murray in game one of the second set. A couple of minutes later, the Russian was 2-0 up after a clumsy volley from Murray hit the net. In game three, Murray wasted a breakpoint as Medvedev steamed ahead at 3-1 by holding his serve but Murray broke Medvedev in game six to draw level at 3-all.Murray produced strong serves to go 4-3 up for the first time in the match. The turning point of the game, however, came when Murray served at 40-0 in game nine. Medvedev reeled off five consecutive points to break the Briton and take a 5-4 lead. Minutes later, an overhead lob handed Medvedev his 17th career title win as the Russian closed out the second set at 6-4.

It was nothing short of a miracle. Staring at defeat in the third set, crowd favourite Andy Murray of Great Britain saved five match points to beat rising star Jiri Lehecka for a place in the final of the $1.4mn Qatar ExxonMobil Open.Today’s final will be Murray’s fifth in Doha after the 35-year-old yesterday won 6-0, 3-6, 7-6 (6) in 2 hours and 29 minutes.Murray, the Doha champion in 2008 and 2009, will be aiming to complete a hat-trick of Qatar titles today. Roger Federer (2005, 2006, 2011) is the only player with three title wins in Qatar.Today he will meet third seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia who yesterday beat second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada 6-4, 7-6 (7) in 1 hour and 56 minutes.Murray has 24 wins in Doha, one more than Rafael Nadal and Gael Monfils. He lost two finals – 2007 and 2017 against Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic and current World No.1 Novak Djokovic respectively.Murray was delighted after his thrilling win over Lehecka, who is just 21 years of age.“That was one of the most amazing turnarounds I’ve had in my career,” Murray said. “He had the three match points at 5-4. I knew it was his first time maybe serving for a final. So I had to make sure that I tried to keep the pressure on at the end because I know how difficult it is to serve matches like that out. But I have no idea how I managed to turn that one round, to be honest,” he added.Reaching his fifth final in Doha seemed to have delighted Murray.“It’s an accomplishment. Yeah,” Murray said. “This tournament over the years has had many great players playing. Federer played a lot, and guys like Roddick, Nadal and Novak’s played here many times. Those guys have obviously achieved a lot more than me. But this is one small win that I maybe can have over them. I’ll enjoy this evening and hopefully put on a good performance tomorrow,” Murray said with a smile.“I feel all right just now. I mean, obviously the adrenaline’s pumping after a match like that. I’m sure there’ll be a little bit of fatigue, but I’ve got a great team behind me. Phil Hayward, my physio. Fantastic, fantastic man. And yeah, he’s got a job on his hands tonight to put me back together again for tomorrow,” he added.At third deuce, an unforced error by Lehecka followed by a wide return gave Murray the first break in game one that lasted six minutes. In game two, an exquisite drop shot followed by an overhead lob gave Lehecka a 30-love cushion. A double fault by Murray on his serve made it 40-0 for Lehecka but the British tennis icon reeled off five consecutive points to go 2-0 in 14 minutes.Murray broke Lehecka for the second time to race to a 3-0 cushion in game three for an ideal start to the match. Leading 30-0 in game four, Murray produced a blistering serve to go 40-0 and seconds later an ace saw him grab a 4-0 lead. An unforced error followed by a wide return from the baseline by Lehecka at deuce gave a Murray 5-0 lead. An unforced error by Lehecka gave Murray the first set in 32 minutes.An error-prone Lehecka won only 37 percent of his first serves while in contrast Murray stood at 82 percent as the Briton just shut down his young Czech opponent with ease.At 30-all in game two of the second set and with Murray serving, Lehecka produced a sublime backhand down the line before breaking the Briton for a 2-0 lead. Lehecka found his feet to take a 3-0 lead in the second set. Murray stemmed the flow by reducing the deficit at 3-1 in game four. With better momentum than he had in the first set, Lehecka quickly closed out the second at 6-3.In the third set, the two players held their serves in the first two games but in the third game Murray was broken by a resolute Lehecka who put pressure on his seasoned rival from the baseline. Murray returned the compliment by breaking Lehecka in game four to draw level at 2-all but Lehecka broke the Briton again in game five. Murray saved three match points as a wayward Lehecka fired three wide returns in game nine. Down three match points, Murray reeled off five consecutive points on Lehecka’s serve in game 10 to draw level at 5-all.In the ensuing tie-breaker, Murray jumped to a 3-1 lead but then the two battled for points until they reached 5-all. Murray unleashed a backhand that Lehecka smashed into the net to go 6-5 ahead and then fired an ace to arrive at match point.A long return from Lehecka was game, set and match for Murray who roared in front of his box where mother Judy jumped from her seat to celebrate her son’s fighting win.Medvedev after winning his semi-final said he feels good playing in Doha.“Today and yesterday, the matches were super close and yeah, confidence matters because he had two set points. I managed to just stay in there and it was enough to win. It was very high level match for two sets,” Medvedev said.QTF discussing upgrading QEMO to ATP 500 SeriesDoha: The Qatar Tennis, Squash and Badminton Federation (QTSBF) revealed that it is preparing a plan to upgrade the Qatar ExxonMobil Open Tennis Championship from the ATP 250 series to ATP 500 series.Qatar Tennis Federation (QTF) secretary-general Tariq Zeinal confirmed in press statement that the General Assembly of QTF, chaired by Nasser bin Ghanim al-Khelaifi, discussed upgrading the championship from the ATP 250 to ATP 500, due to the great importance of the Qatar tournament and its distinction among all the championships of the same category.Zainal added that the tournament participants, including officials from the Professional Tennis Players Association and players, assured the organising committee that the Qatar event would be chosen as the best tournament in its category for the sixth year in a row.QTF secretary-general revealed that the General Assembly discussed the issue of merging the Padel under the QTSBF umbrella pointing out that the construction of six Padel courts in the vicinity of the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex has been completed and equipped in preparation for the tournament that will be hosted by the federation after the completion of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open championship.Zainal explained that the meeting discussed a number of issues to develop tennis, in addition to emphasising the strategy that was put in place to develop the game by organising many local, Asian and international tournaments, and discussing developing Qatari players and providing them with more support through setting up camps and participating in Asian and international tournaments.

Rising star Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic scored the biggest win of his career on Thursday as he sent top seed Andrey Rublev of Russia packing in three sets to reach the semi-finals of the $1.5mn Qatar ExxonMobil Open.Lehecka, just 21, rallied from a set down to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 against Rublev, the World No.5. It was Lehecka’s first win over a top-5 player and his 11th in the new season.Lehecka now plays former champion Andy Murray of Great Britain in the semi-final today. Murray, the 2008 and 2009 champion in Doha, Thursday delivered another fighting performance to beat French qualifier Alexandre Muller in three sets.After a slow start in the first set that was clinched by Muller, Murray switched on his attack mode to seal the deal in the next two for his 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 win in 2 hours and 3 minutes. Murray, now 23-4 in Doha, fired 9 aces in the thrilling centre court clash.In the day’s other quarter-final, third seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia braved a tough challenge from Christopher O’Connell of Australia to reach the semi-finals in his maiden Doha appearance. Medvedev won 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in 1 hours and 58 minutes.Last month, Lehecka beat World No. 7 Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada for the biggest win of career and to reach the 2023 Australian Open quarter-finals. Thursday, the promising Czech looked the part as he unraveled Rublev’s strong all-court coverage for his biggest win yet.“Yeah, it sounds great,” Lehecka said when reminded of his win over Auger-Aliassime in Melbourne. “Honestly, these two weeks and these two months are very, very great for me. I am very happy that I got a chance to play here. I was very much looking forward to playing here in Doha on this beautiful centre court. So yeah, I’m very happy with the win and I am looking forward to tomorrow,” he added.Lehecka said he has improved the mental side of his game to come through a tough week in Qatar“I improved everything, but mostly my mentality. On the court I gained some confidence at the Next Gen finals and then I just learned how to use it and. I just feel great on this court with these balls. It’s an incredible atmosphere over here. I am really looking forward to another match. I am very happy that I had a chance to play here,” Lehecka said.Murray, who has also lost two finals in Doha besides winning a couple of trophies, said he had to make quick changes in his game after losing the first set at 4-6.“I had to start going for my shots a lot more. In the first set, I wasn’t doing enough with the ball and he was dictating a lot of the points, making me do a lot of running. And like you say, I’ve obviously played a lot of tennis the last few days, and that wasn’t going to give me the best chance to win the match. I stepped up. I started taking a few more chances, trying to come to the net when I got the opportunity and managed to turn it around,” Murray said.The three-time Grand Slam champion praised Muller for his performance in Doha.“He had an excellent tournament coming through qualifying. He’s had some good wins over the years. I saw last year he beat (Richard) Gasquet and he beat Tsonga too. I knew it was going to be a tough match. He plays very well, hopefully with more experience, you know, playing at this level, he’ll be back here more often in the future, but he plays very well,” Murray said.After 18 years on the ATP Tour, Murray on Thursday surprised fans by answering whom he beat in his first Tour level quarter-final.“I remember. Let me, let me think,” Murray said with a smile. “I’m going to say my first tour level quarterfinal was in Bangkok. Is that right?”, Murray asked the moderator at the post-match interview. He was right and Murray also correctly responded by saying he ‘lost to (Roger) Federer in the final’.Murray, 35, said he is expecting a dogfight in the semi-final today against Lehecka.“He (Lehecka) started the year extremely well. He had a great run at the Australian Open. One of the best young players on the Tour. I’m sure some of you saw his match today. He hits a huge ball from the back of the court. Great ball striker. So yeah, big test for me and hopefully I can, I can put on a good performance,” the Olympics gold medallist from the 2012 and 2016 Games said.Medvedev candidly admitted that O’Connell, 28, proved to a tricky opponent.“Maybe because definitely at five, all in the third,” Medvedev said when asked if he had more experience than his rival at key points. “The tiebreak was really close, but you have your last chance to break him and try to serve for the match. I managed to play quite a good game. He missed a few shots which he didn’t miss before. So winning the important moments in the match helped me get through,” he added.“Everything depends on small moments, sometimes confidence, sometimes pure luck. Sometimes it’s kind of 50-50 where one time you’re going to win, one time you’re going to lose. I lost some close matches in my life. I won some. I am just trying to use my experience to make it better. But it doesn’t work all the time, so I’m happy it worked today.

Top seed Andrey Rublev of Russia yesterday rallied from a set down to beat Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor to reach the quarter-finals at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open.Rublev, the 2020 champion and a losing finalist in 2018, yesterday won 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (6) in 1 hour and 54 minutes.Second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada also braved a mighty onslaught from Australia’s Jason Kubler before posting a three-set win. After losing the first set, Auger-Aliassime got his game together for a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in 2 hours and 16 minutes.Also yesterday, former champion Andy Murray of Great Britain beat fourth seed Alexander Zverev of Germany in three gruelling sets. Murray, winner here in 2008 and 2009, won 7-6 (5), 2-6, 7-5 in 3 hours and 2 minutes.Murray will now play French qualifier Alexandre Muller who yesterday stunned eighth seed Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands. Muller won 6-2, 6-4 in 1 hour and 14 minutes.“Alex is a top player. He’s a great competitor. He always fights right till the end. It’s one of his biggest strengths. So even once I got that tight first set, he kept going for it,” Murray said.“In the third set, I was really hanging on as he was creating more of the chances and was a better player for large parts of that, but I managed to stay strong, kept fighting and got the break at the end and closed it out well,” the 35-year-old said.Rublev, who lost in the quarter-finals at the Australian Open last month, admitted he was taken by surprise in the clash against Griekspoor.“I don’t know,” Rublev said when asked how he managed to get the win in three sets. Rublev fired 10 aces in his fighting win, his 10th overall in Doha.“I guess I was lucky. He’s coming from Rotterdam. He had tough matches in there, three sets, and he came straight away here without rest. So obviously mentally for him it was super tough,” the Russian added.“Maybe that’s why I was able to break him at the most important moment of the match. If he was fresh, I think there would be no chance (for me). I was lucky today,” he added.“I wasn’t breathing easy. I don’t know why. I couldn’t breathe well. I was just, like I said, lucky,” Rublev said.Rublev added: “Super excited to be back in Doha. I have great, great memories here. My second (career) final was here. In the next couple of years I won the title. I won the title in doubles also. So a lot of great memories. I’m happy to be back. I’m happy to play in front of you guys, and I’m enjoying my time here.”Last year, Rublev reached the semi-finals without playing a single match after getting a bye in the opening round, a walkover by Frenchman Richard Gasquet in the second round followed by another walkover by Marton Fucsovics of Hungary.In the semi-finals, Rublev lost to Roberto Bautista Agut, the eventual champion.In an inspiring show of resolve, Rublev yesterday saved three match points in the ninth game of the third set. Later on, Rublev needed three match points of his own in the tie-break to claim victory over Griekspoor.In the quarter-final today, Rublev takes on last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals runner-up from the Czech Republic Jiri Lehecka who yesterday beat Emil Ruusuvuori of Finland 6-2, 7-6 (2).Yesterday, Auger-Aliassime beat Kubler in three sets, thanks to his staggering 15 aces.“No, the wind was okay,” Auger-Aliassime said when asked if wind was a factor in yesterday’s slow start. “I think the first day I got here was pretty windy. I think it was Sunday or Monday,” he added.“Today was all right. You know, I think it could have been worse, but it’s just so different from when I was playing indoors last week, and I think in the afternoon with the sun it got a bit hot and the conditions were quite fast. The ball was flying a lot. I had to adapt to that in the first set,” the Canadian said.“I was struggling to find precision in my shots overall, especially on the return and the serve. Once I got the rhythm and I found my position on the first shots in the rally, then things got much better,” he added.“Overall, good conditions to play in. It’s a great court,” he added.In the quarter-final today, Auger-Aliasime will face seventh seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain who yesterday beat South Korea’s Soonwoo Kwon 6-3, 6-2 in 78 minutes.Singles Round of 16 resultsFelix Auger-Aliassime (2), Canada, def. Jason Kubler, Australia, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.Jiri Lehecka, Czech Republic, def. Emil Ruusuvuori, Finland, 6-2, 7-6 (2).Alexandre Muller, France, def. Botic Van de Zandschulp (8), Netherlands, 6-2, 6-4.Andrey Rublev (1), Russia, def. Tallon Griekspoor, Netherlands, 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (6).Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (7), Spain, def. Kwon Soon Woo, South Korea, 6-3, 6-2.Andy Murray, Britain, def. Alexander Zverev (4), Germany, 7-6 (5), 2-6, 7-5.Christopher O’Connell, Australia, def. Roberto Bautista Agut (5), Spain, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4.Centre CourtQuarter-finals start at 2:30pm(1) Andrey Rublev (RUS) vs Jiri Lehecka (CR)Followed byAndy Murray (GBR) vs Alexandre Muller (FRA)Not Before 6:00pmChristopher O’Connell vs Liam Broady Or Daniil MedvedevFollowed By(7) Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs (2) Felix Auger-Aliassime

Emil Ruusuvuori of Finland yesterday beat sixth seed Daniel Evans of Great Britain to reach the second round of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open. Playing their first match on the Tour, Ruusuvuori looked assured as he won 7-5, 6-4 in 1 hour 52 minutes.Ruusuvuori is now 2-7 against top-30 players in his last 9 matches against them.Also yesterday, South Korea’s Soonwoo Kwon battled past Jordanian wildcard Abedallah Shelbayh in three hard-fought sets. Kwon secured his second round berth after winning 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in 1 hour and 54 minutes.Eighth seed Botic van de Zandschulp of Netherlands beat Ilya Ivashka of Belarus and eased into the second round of the 32-player field with a 6-2, 7-5 win in 91 minutes. Van de Zandschulp, who registered personal-best 38 wins in 2022, fired five aces in his commanding win.In a shocking result for a former champion, French qualifier Alexandre Muller beat Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili in three sets. Muller beat Basilashvili – the 2021 winner and last year’s finalist – 7-6 (3), 6-7 (8), 6-4 in 2 hours and 38 minutes. Basilashvili fired nine aces.Ruusuvuori, 23, pumped seven aces in his feisty clash against Evans, the British number two.“I thought I was improving and I was just playing better and better. Yes, he was giving me a tough time and he’s a great player. So but I’m very, very happy to get through this match,” Ruusuvuori said yesterday.“He’s a tricky player. He plays a little bit differently than most of the guys, let’s say, and in the top-50 or a hundred. And they have great slides, great tactics. And I just need to kind of figure out the way and serve well and put the pressure on him. And then yeah, in the end I was able to get the win,” the Finnish star said.On Monday night, Ruusuvuori joined compatriot Patrik Niklas-Salminen to beat Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic 6-2, 7-6 in the doubles quarter-finals. “We had a clue because (Jack) Draper had had to pull out the previous night. So we were the first alternate, so we knew we could be in. We prepared and got to play one match a couple of weeks ago with him,” Ruusuvuori said.“And we played a good match. No doubt. Also Patrick has been improving so much and me too. I played great doubles in the Davis Cup and yeah, we just had fun and we were able to take the win,” he added.Kwon yesterday was pleased with his performance against Shelbayh, who was making his Doha debut. The 19-year-old was the first player to represent Jordan in an ATP Tour or Grand Slam main draw match.“I don’t know what to say now – I’m just really happy to win today. It was a tough match today because he (Shelbayh) played very well and then yeah, he had one or two poor shots. I don’t know how to say it but he put up a great fight,” Kwon said yesterday. “I was disappointed to lose the second set, but I tried my best. I tried to enjoy the game and to be positive. Just want to play one game at a time,” Kwon, who won his second career ATP Tour title at Adelaide-2 in January, added.

Doha: Former world No.1 Andy Murray of Great Britain on Monday night admitted he was slow off the blocks in his win against Lorenzo Sonego of Italy.After losing the first set, Murray – playing in Doha as a wildcard entry – rallied in remarkable fashion to post a 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5) win in 2 hours and 30 minutes.Excerpts from a chat with Murray after his win:Question: What was the key moment of the match, in your opinion? Just certain points, a few points here and there, or something different?ANDY MURRAY: The very beginning of the match was important because he broke me in the very first game, and after that he didn’t have any chances to break until the 5-4 game in the third set. For me, the slow start cost me at the beginning. He did start well in the first game. He played the first two points of the match really well and then I served double fault in the breakpoint. That was an important moment in the match. Then in the second set when I managed to get the break of serve at the beginning of the set, that was a key moment. Then in the third set, the very beginning I had a breakpoint. Had I taken that, I think maybe I could have made the third set more comfortable. But after that, he started to gain a bit of momentum. Obviously the 5-4 game, because we played some great points in that game, but when I needed to, I served really well in that game. I hit two very good first serves to save two of the match points. In the tiebreak, I can’t remember exactly what happened there, but obviously he was up 3-0, I think serving, as well maybe. He obviously had the opportunity to close the match there, but I also finished the tiebreak well. So there were a lot of key moments.You have a few titles here, but what is the most special match that you have played here?Oh, that’s a difficult one, because some of these matches were, like, 15, 16 years ago, and my memory is not what it used to be (smiling). I remember winning against (Roger) Federer here one year. I played a really good match against him. And also I played a really good final one year against (Andy) Roddick, as well. That might have been the same year where I played Federer I think in the semis and Roddick in the final. I played really well that year. I remember very clearly the match I played last year here against (Roberto) Bautista Agut. That was one of the lowest points of my career. I was really struggling. I had some physical issues, but my game was also really not good. I had very little confidence and belief in myself at that moment, so I remember that match, too. Right now obviously I remember any match where you save match points. There are not many of them in your career. I don’t know how many times I have done it, but it would be 9, 10 times in a career where I played, like, 900 matches. So it’s quite rare and special to do that.What do you think about the tournament here in Doha? You were champion in 2008 and 2009. What is the feeling of coming back to Doha?The tournament has changed a lot. Obviously the city (of Doha) has changed a lot, especially with the (FIFA) World Cup coming here. We’re staying in a new hotel, in a completely new area of the city that has got amazing buildings, hotels and malls. The tournament as well has changed a lot for the players. It’s improved a lot. It wasn’t a bad tournament before, but it’s made big improvements here. Very good gym for the players. The food is excellent. The women’s tournament last week, they had a great field as well. A lot of top players are playing (this week) which isobviously good for the game here.As a general question, can you describe what’s the personal feeling of being 5-all in a deciding set? Is it stress? Is it a kind of pleasure?I mean, this is something that probably helped me in my career, but in those moments I find it easier to concentrate and focus. I feel like a strength of mine – I’m concentrating really hard in those moments and my decision-making on the court improves because of that. One of my biggest strengths is my tactical awareness in matches. Sometimes like at the beginning of matches or there are periods of matches where it is a little bit flat or it’s 1-all in the second set, it’s sometimes not so easy to concentrate because the scoreline doesn’t help you with that. But when I get towards the end of sets or the end of matches, I feel like like those pressure situations I’m able to focus harder and it helps me play better tennis. I think that would be the case for a lot of the top players, but some players in those moments tend to make worse decisions under pressure. It’s one of the reasons why I have always felt like I played well at Wimbledon, because there has always been a lot of pressure and attention on me that although it’s hard to deal with it and I find it stressful, when I’m in the matches, I find it just easier to concentrate. When I’m focused and concentrating well, I tend to make better decisions and play better tennis.You just said that maybe physically you are at the best in your career. Do you think that is it surprising for you, or you just feel like you can do that already?I don’t believe I’m in the best shape of my career. I just gained a lot of confidence from what happened in Australia, more than at any other moment in my career, like just from a physical perspective because of what I was able to do there. I’m sure when I was 25, 26 that physically I would have been better than I am now and faster and moving better on the court. But what I did in Australia, like I said, it gave me lots of belief in the physical side, which the last four or five years I didn’t have. I didn’t really believe in myself physically as much as I would have done when I was in my mid-20s. So that’s something that is a really positive thing for me. So I know that now that I’m going to wake up tomorrow and maybe my body will be a bit sore, but I will still be able to go out there and compete well physically in the next round. Two-and-a-half, three years ago, and even at times at the end of last year I was struggling a lot physically. I lost a lot of confidence in myself because of that. Putting all the work I did in the offseason and continuing after the Australian Open has really has really helped me and something that I need to keep doing moving forwards. But it has been really difficult the last three or four years, because there is a balance like when I was 20 I could train as hard as I wanted and do all the exercises that I wanted and there was no issue. I could wake up the next day and feel fine. But now, at my age, I need to be more mindful of the amount of training that I’m doing.What tournaments are you going to play this clay season?My plan just now is to play in Rome and Madrid and hopefully the French Open, providing my body is good. I’ll do a training block after Miami on the clay. I’m going to do that in Europe somewhere for a few weeks, three or four weeks. I’ll train, try and get my body used to the clay courts and to monitor how my body is feeling. If it feels good, I’ll play Rome, Madrid, and like I say, hopefully the French Open, because the last – I don’t know how many times I have played it in the last five or six years, but when I have I physically was not good the year I played against (Stan) Wawrinka, and I can’t remember too many other times I have played it in the last five or six years.

Former champion Andy Murray of Great Britain yesterday saved two match points to carve out a stunning win against Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego on day one at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open.Trailing in the third set, Murray held his nerve in game 10 to force the set into a tie-breaker which he clinched with remarkable tennis from the baseline. After a battle that lasted 2 hours and 30 minutes, Murray won 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4).The two-time champion, appearing in Doha with a wildcard this year, will now meet third seed Alexander Zverev of Germany in the second round of the $1.5mn tournament.Trailing 3-0 in the tie-breaker, Murray reeled off six consecutive points and then sealed the match with an exquisite volley close to the net.“It was really tough. We never played against each other before or practiced with each other,” Murray said with his mother Judy watching from the stands.“I didn’t know exactly how the match was going to go and took a while to get used to his game. He’s a very aggressive player and takes a lot of chances, plays high-risk tennis and yeah, he rolled the dice at the end and thought it looked like, you know, he had the momentum. And then thankfully in the middle part of that tiebreak, he made a couple of mistakes and (I) managed to turn it around,” the 35-year-old said.When asked about his match against Zverev, Murray reminded fans that his German rival is coming from a long lay-off after suffering a horrific twisted ankle at the French Open last year.“He is obviously one of the top players in the world but he had a bad injury at the French Open last year and is just coming back from that,” Murray said. “He’s going to be improving every week just now. He’s not quite yet back at the level that he was in the middle of last year. But injuries take time (to heal). It will be another great match. Hopefully I can keep building on this one,” the Glasgow-born star added.Murray, who braved eight aces from Sonego, thanked his fans for turning up at the iconic tennis venue where he won the titles in 2008 and 2009.“I appreciate everyone coming out to support. I know it’s a work day and it’s late and it’s quite cold, but we all the players really appreciate it when the fans come out and create an atmosphere like that at the end. It helps us produce our best tennis. (I) really enjoy being back on the court here,” Murray said.A long return and an unforced error followed by a double fault by Murray handed Sonego his first break in the opening game of the first set. Sonego held his serve with ease to double his lead at 2-0. Murray reduced the deficit in game three but Sonego was not to be denied in the next game (3-1). Both players held their serve and Sonego closed out the first set at 6-4 with a slick backhand down the line.Murray held serve and then broke Sonego to go 2-0 in the second set. Murray retained his momentum to win the second set before the players exhibited quality tennis in the third which was decided in a tie-breaker won by the popular Briton.Also yesterday, Doha-based Fernando Verdasco’s final appearance ended on a losing note when he went down to ‘late bloomer’ Christopher O’Connell of Australia in three sets.O’Connell, after a dip of form in the second set, prevailed over his 39-year-old veteran 6-1, 3-6, 6-0 in 102 minutes. It was the first meeting between the two players.O’Connell fired five aces yesterday.“I am really proud as I haven’t had that many matches this year. This is my third visit. I love coming here. I am happy to have won my first match in Doha,” O’Connell said yesterday.“I have been a late developer. I feel like my best tennis is yet to come. I am just trying to do the right things,” he added.Earlier in the day, Jason Kubler advanced to round two when injured Aslan Karatsev of Russia pulled out of the second set trailing 7-6 (4), 1-0.TODAY’S ORDER OF PLAYCENTRE COURTMatches start at: 2:30pmIlya Ivashka vs Botic Van De Zandschulp (NED) [8]Followed byEmil Ruusuvuori (FIN) vs Daniel Evans (GBR) [6]Not before 6:00pm[WC] Abedallah Shelbayh (JOR) vs Soonwoo Kwon (KOR)Followed byRoberto Bautista Agut (ESP) [5] vs Marton Fucsovics (HUN)GRANDSTAND 1Matches start at: 2:30pmTallon Griekspoor (NED) vs Quentin Halys (FRA)Followed by[Ll] Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) vs [Q] Alexandre Muller (FRA)Followed by[Q] Damir Dzumhur (BIH) vs Jiri Lehecka (CZE)Followed byRobin Haase (NED) Matwe Middelkoop (NED) [4] vs [WC] Malek Jaziri (TUN) Mubarak Shannan Zayid (QAT)GRANDSTAND 2Matches start at: 2:30pmYuki Bhambri (IND) Saketh Myneni (IND) vs Tim Puetz (GER) Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)Not Before 3:30pm[WC] Liam Broady (GBR) Alexander Zverev (GER) vs Rohan Bopanna (IND) Matthew Ebden (AUS) [3]Followed by After suitable restJason Kubler (AUS) John Peers (AUS) vs Tallon Griekspoor (NED) Bart Stevens (NED)Followed byAfter suitable restConstant Lestienne (FRA) Botic Van De Zandschulp (NED) vs Raven Klaasen (RSA) Hunter Reese (USA)

German tennis star Alexander Zverev has predicted that World No.1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia looks set to ‘break a few more records’ in the game.Last month, Djokovic won his 22nd Grand Slam title at the Australian Open to tie with Rafael Nadal of Spain. Yesterday, Djokovic, 35, drew level with German tennis queen Steffi Graf for most weeks at the top of tennis rankings. Djokovic started his 377th week at the top of the ATP Tour yesterday, the most by any male player.Djokovic first rose to the top of world rankings in 2011. Currently he is ahead of second-placed Carlos Alcaraz of Spain.Zverev, winner of two ATP Tour finals and a losing finalist at the 2020 US Open, yesterday seemed confident that Djokovic would go on to create new records.“I’m sure that he’s going to break a few more records, to be honest. I’m not sure there are many left, but the ones that are left, maybe he will,” Zverev said yesterday on day one of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open where he is seeded three.“I think over the last 10, 12 years he has absolutely dominated tennis. There is a reason why he’s been consistently at the top of the game,” Zverev, the singles gold medal winner at the 2022 Tokyo Olympic Games, said.“That shows us with this record, from male or female tennis players, he’s going to be the most weeks at No. 1.“He’s surpassing Steffi, so as a German, obviously I always loved her having that record, but credit to Novak. I think that shows how great he is,” the tall German said.Last year, Zverev twisted his ankle in the semi-final against Nadal at the French Open and skipped the rest of the season to recover from the injury. The 25-year-old - who was recently diagnosed with diabetes - yesterday said he is moving in the right direction on fitness matters.“When I’m pain-free I enjoy tennis a lot (smiles) but since June (2022) there have been a lot of times when that wasn’t the case. It took me a very long time to come back,” Zverev explained.“I was still very limited to what I was able to do (in Australia last month). I was still not completely pain-free, not being able to move the way I wanted to move,” the German added. “It’s definitely going in the other direction now. Now I’m starting to really enjoy my time and also starting to find my form a little bit as well, which is a lot nicer because then you actually have a chance to win which, yeah, I enjoy.”Zverev said the doubts in his mind about the injury have disappeared.“No, I don’t have it in the back of my mind. A few weeks ago I used to still get signals from my foot. I used to, once in a while, still get pain. But it is in the right direction, and I feel like I can play pretty freely now,” Zverev said.“I felt that way in Rotterdam (last week). I thought I played a lot better in Rotterdam than I did the previous weeks, even though I lost the second round, but I lost the second round to a very good player who played well that week,” he added.“Obviously I’m looking forward to the next few weeks and hopefully it still gets progressively better in the right direction,” Zverev said.“I think when I re-injured or got a new injury, that was when? September, I think. At that moment I thought I would maybe already be able to play, and then they (the doctors) told me, ‘no, it’s going to take another two, three months again’.“That was, for me, a little bit tough mentally. I packed my bags and went on holiday. I didn’t do any rehab or anything like that again,” Zverev said.“But at the same time, that helped me a lot, because I think my foot needed rest. I was trying very hard to come back, and maybe I did a little bit too much. That is in the past now, and hopefully we can look forward without any issues,” he said. Zverev said he still needs time to feel his old self again.“I think for me it was all based on pain sometimes, what I could do, what I couldn’t do. When the pain is gone, it does take matches to be able to play at your best again, but that will take time. That will come with playing tournaments,” Zverev said yesterday.“That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’m going to play as many tournaments as I can.“But, yeah, for me, as I said, the last nine months now have been difficult, pain-wise and also what I was able to do, but again, that is in the past now, and I really want to look forward,” he added. Zverev, who has worked with Spanish coaches most of his career, said he has always been a demanding character on court.“The mentality,” Zverev said when asked what he looked for in his coach’s approach to tennis. “I have said that a lot. I think working with me is sometimes not easy, because I demand a lot. I demand a lot from myself,” he added.“I am an extremely hard-working person, in my opinion, when it comes to tennis, when it comes to the physical side of tennis, as well, when it comes to the gym work.“I think there has to be a certain mentality of a coach to be able to handle that. I think maybe a lot of German coaches as well. I never worked with a German coach, but I know maybe the mentality does not fit me too well.“Spanish coaches, whether it was David Ferrer, whether it’s Sergi (Bruguera) now, they fit perfectly. I always said I loved working with David.“To be honest, I would have never stopped if it wouldn’t have been COVID at that time and the circumstances were not great for travelling, for him to come back to the family because he was also just retired from tennis.“I think it’s a mentality of the coach and to be able to handle me, as well, to be honest,” he added.

Grand Slam star Iga Swiatek clearly looked the part as the world’s best player on the women’s tour. The top seed from Poland yesterday crushed American Jessica Pegula in straight sets to lift her second Falcon Trophy after a fast-paced final at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open.Swiatek won 6-3, 6-0 in 69 minutes to join a group of four players who have emerged champions in Doha on two occasions each.The 21-year-old from Warsaw now joins two-time champions Russia’s Anastasia Myskina (2003 and 2004), Maria Sharapova of Russia (2005 and 2008), Victoria Azarenka of Belarus (2012 and 2013) and Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic (2018 and 2021).Swiatek’s slog in Doha this week was worth $120,150 and 470 points whereas Pegula got richer by $74,161 and secured 305 points.It was Swiatek’s 12th career title win and fifth over Pegula in seven career meetings. It was Swiatek’s ninth win of the 2023 season.Swiatek was on court for just 2 hours and 58 minutes during the six-day tournament while Pegula spent 6 hours and 25 minutes.Swiatek received the Falcon Trophy from Qatar Tennis Federation president Nasser al-Khelaifi.“I don’t care how many games are won or lost. I just feel like I really found my rhythm here,” Swiatek said after the match. “And after a tough beginning of the season, I have stayed focused from the beginning until the end of the matches,” she added.“I am pretty happy with my performance. I want to congratulate Jessica for everything – she won the doubles here. You’re a really consistent player and your work ethic is great. Everything you represent is pretty great. So congrats for that and to your coach as well,” Swiatek said.“I want to also thank my team, my coach who’s at home and my dad and my sister as well, everybody who’s supporting me every day. These are the people that are really with me in good times and in bad times. I am really grateful for that. Without them, I wouldn’t be I wouldn’t be here.“I want to thank all the sponsors and volunteers that made this tournament a success story. It’s really a great event and I always enjoy coming back here. I hope playing well here is going to become a routine or something. And thank you to the fans for coming even though the conditions were tough,” the Polish star said.Pegula said: “It’s been an awesome week. A lot of great results and I’m just really happy with all the work I got to put in this week and it came up a little bit short today, but I can still be very proud of what I’ve done.”She added: “One team member – thanks to my coach David Witt, for supporting me the whole week and through the great results that we’ve had this year so far. Congrats to Iga and her team for just everything that you’re doing, playing great for defending your title here. You played great so congratulations.”Swiatek hit the ground running with her serve in game one. The 21-year-old produced a forehand and then served a powerful ace. That was followed by an unforced error by Pegula which gave Swiatek a 1-0 lead.Three deuce exchanges stretched game two but a couple of long returns from Pegula helped Swiatek to break her opponent for a 2-0 lead.In game three, Swiatek fired two long returns to see Pegula break the defending champion. Pegula held serve for the time in game four when a wayward Swiatek fired four successive long returns.Swiatek, however, pulled things back when she easily held serve in game five for a 3-2 lead.Pegula was guilty of a double fault at deuce and then fired a long return to see Swiatek break her American opponent in game six.In game seven, Pegula rallied to break Swiatek after a superb backhand down the line and a long return by the defending champion.At break point, Pegula produced a deft overhead lob to break Swiatek (3-4). Swiatek quickly broke Pegula in game eight to lead at 5-3 and then held serve to take the first set at 6-3 in 38 minutes.Swiatek stunned Pegula with a service break in game one when two long returns by her rival gave the Polish a 1-0 cushion at the start of the second set. Swiatek served strong and raced to a 2-0 lead as Pegula’s game started to disintegrate.At the end of eight games, Pegula had four double faults compared to none from Swiatek. With momentum on her side, Swiatek served a slick slice from the baseline to break Pegula for the second time in the second set and sit pretty with a 3-0 lead.Minutes later, it was 6-0 as Swiatek won the second set without dropping a game.

One played ‘solid’ tennis while the other exhibited a ‘smart’ game to reach the final of the Qatar TotalEnergies Open. World No.1 and top seed Iga Swiatek yesterday eased past eighth seed Veronika Kudermetova of Russia 6-0, 6-2 to reach her second successive final in Doha. In the day’s first semi-final, Jessica Pegula of the US beat fifth seed Maria Sakkari of Greece in three battling sets to reach her maiden title clash in just her third appearance at the six-day tournament. Pegula, the only American left in the tournament, won 6-2, 4-6, 6-1.“I was so solid,” Swiatek, the defending champion, said after her dominating show against Kudermetova on the centre court. Swiatek managed three service breaks in the first set and then quickly followed by taking the second after dropping just two games. The match lasted only 51 minutes. “I feel great,” she added with her cap in place.Swiatek, who got a walkover in the quarter-finals after Belinda Bencic of Switzerland went down with ‘fatigue’, has been on court in Doha for just 104 minutes in total.Pegula, on the other hand, has signed in for the final with a grinding Doha visit that has put her on court for seven hours and 43 minutes. “I think I played very smart,” Pegula said after her feisty clash against Sakkari. Pegula was indeed the smarter of the two as she won the key points in the deciding set to qualify for her first final in Doha.Swiatek said battling windy conditions was on her mind before the match. “I was pretty worried about how I’m going to cope with the conditions today, so I’m glad that I could really, you know, play the smart way. I’m pretty happy that I did that,” Swiatek said.When asked about her clash against Pegula, Swiatek said: “It always takes a lot to win against Jessie. She’s a great player, a really solid one. We’ll see. Honestly, I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m not going to predict anything and over analyse. I’m just going to go and play my best tennis.”With plenty of rest since her arrival last Friday, Swiatek said she is amazed with the development around the country. “It’s really nice here. I can see that Qatar is great and for sure they did a great job preparing everything for the World Cup. I can still see that because it’s so there’s like a lot of space. Yes, I really like it here,” Swiatek said.Pegula played ‘smart’ tennis mostly from the baseline. Pegula, who turns 29 on the 24th, yesterday won her tense clash in a minute short of two hours on the centre court that had fans scurrying for warm blankets and overalls to beat the chilly conditions.Battling the howling winds, Pegula produced her third win in seven matches against her Greek opponent. “I don’t know about you guys (the fans), or if you could tell, but that was probably the hardest conditions I’ve ever had to play in wind-wise. I mean, it was really, really tough. I’m glad I wasn’t able to get too frustrated,” Pegula said.“I’m so excited (to play sixth career final). Finals tonight in doubles. If everyone’s sticking around, I hope you can watch with me and Coco. And then final tomorrow as well,” she added with a smile. Thank you, guys, everyone, for bracing these (chilly windy) conditions. Thank you for coming out and watching. Really, it means a lot. It’s already tough enough to play, but with you guys here, it makes it a lot more fun,” Pegula added.Pegula broke Sakkari in the very first game to make a head start in the semi-final. In the fifth game, Pegula jumped to a 5-1 lead after Sakkari hit two unforced errors while trailing at 15-30. A horribly wayward return on match point by Sakkari handed the first set to Pegula in 39 minutes.Trailing 3-4 in the second set, Sakarri broke Pegula in game eight to draw level at 4-all before taking the set at 6-4 in 48 minutes. In the deciding set, Pegula broke Sakkari in games three and six to seal her convincing win. Pegula will now be looking to emulate Monica Seles, the only American ever to land a singles trophy in Doha in 2002.Semi-finals resultsIga Swiatek (POL x1) bt Veronika Kudermetova (x8) 6-0, 6-1Jessica Pegula (USA x2) bt Maria Sakkari (GRE x5) 6-2, 4-6, 6-1