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It was a déjà vu moment for Andrea Dovizioso. The Ducati rider has had many close tussles with reigning world champion Marc Marquez in the past – including last year’s MotoGP Grand Prix of Qatar — and more often than not had the better of the Honda rider. Last night at the Losail International Circuit, Dovizioso once again fended off the challenge of Marquez to win his second successive Qatar GP. The 32-year-old, in a repeat of last year’s thrilling race, crossed the finish line just 0.023s ahead of Marquez in what was a fitting way to start the new season. LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow was gifted the final podium spot by Alex Rins, after the Suzuki rider made a mistake with two laps to go. But the rider of the race was Italian legend Valentino Rossi, who conjured up his Sunday magic again to finish fifth after starting from 14th on the grid. His Yamaha team-mate and pole-sitter Vinales could only manage seventh, behind the second factory Ducati of Danilo Petrucci. For Dovizioso and Honda, it was an unexpected victory after having struggled in the pre-season Qatar testing, where they were at best 14th. Dovizioso, however, had shown the bike had enough pace when he had qualified second behind Vinales for the season-opening race on Saturday. Later he had admitted he ‘didn’t expect’ to claim a front row start and wasn’t considering himself a favourite to win. “I don’t know, it was a strange race. I was managing the rear tyre because everybody was struggling. In the end it was difficult to manage the tyre. I saw Marc in the last lap, struggle a lot with the rear tyre, so it was good for me to understand that and I pushed really hard in the last lap, but Marc never give up, he’s always there — but I was able to answer because I put him really on the limit,” Dovizioso said. Unlike in the qualifying, riders were greeted to less wind and cold conditions in the 22-lap race. Not much separated the riders as 10 bikes were neck-in-neck with five laps to go after Dovizioso had took an early lead. The highly-rated Rins had made the best start, moving up from 10th on the grid, and went out for an early attack on Dovizioso. The pair traded the lead many times before the 23-year-old Rins failed to keep up the pace as Marquez swiftly moved into second. Rins – touted as a future world champion – showed his quality as the Spaniard moved back to second on lap 15, before outbreaking at Turn 1 on lap 20, which spoiled his hopes of a victory. It was then a battle between Dovizioso and Marquez as it brought back memories of the 2018 race. Hoping not to take it to the last lap, Marquez made his move in the penultimate lap and passed his rival at Turn 10 but Dovizioso was quick to swoop in at Turn 11 and take back the lead. On the last lap, Dovizioso had to rebuff another attack from the reigning champion at Turn 10 before Marquez made a desperate lunge at the last corner. But the 26-year-old ran wide which allowed a determined Dovizioso to take the straight line and win by a whisker.  “It was exactly like last year. Exactly the same,” said Marquez, who had started from third place. “I tried to push but here in the circuit when you overtake on the dirty place, you just go wide, was so difficult to keep the line. Anyway I tried, I tried to be there, I tried to push, I tried until the end,” he added. Marquez was content with 20 points, conceding the Losail track is not suited for his Honda bike. “I am very happy, especially because it’s a circuit that we struggle on. This weekend we were struggling a lot with the front tyre. We put on a medium tyre and I wasn’t able to push like I would like in the brake points. But okay, we finish the race, 20 points. One race, that normally we struggle, is less from the calendar,” Marquez said with a smile.

In difficult conditions, Maverick Vinales mastered the Losail International Circuit to take the pole position for the VisitQatar Grand Prix yesterday. The Spaniard put in a blistering lap of 1 minute 53.546 seconds on his Yamaha YZR-M1 on an evening when several riders suffered crashes in cold and windy conditions. But Vinales was untouched on the night, as he dominated the Q2 in qualifying to secure a first pole of the year by almost two-tenths of a second over Andrea Dovizioso of Ducati. Last year’s winner in Qatar, Dovizioso managed to beat reigning MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez on the Honda by just 0.001s. Marquez’s new team-mate Jorge Lorenzo failed to make past the Q1, so did Valentino Rossi, whose struggle on  Yamaha was even more perplexing after Vinales’ stunning show.  In the pre-season testing at the Losail circuit, Vinales had impressed and the 24-year-old continued his strong form. This is Vinales’ second pole in Qatar but only the first time he has topped the qualifying at Losail Circuit.  In 2017, persistent rain meant qualifying was called off and Vinales was handed the pole position then on the basis of practice times, where he was the fastest. He went on to win the rain-delayed and shortened race back then on his debut for Yamaha, and looks good to repeat the feat today. The Spaniard sounded out a warning to his rivals, saying he is at his best ahead of today’s opening race of the season. “I think I’m riding my best in my third season with Yamaha. I always try to work for the race set-up and I felt great after one lap. After setting the fastest time early, I just attacked and gave my best. We are bringing the bike to the limit all the time and that’s really positive,” he said. Vinales, though, was quick to add that Yamaha is far from the best. “We need to improve. In the last corner, we were pretty slow. We have two opponents (Dovizioso and Marquez) who can hit the top seed tomorrow in the race, but we have really good rhythm. And I’m confident we can deliver in the race,” he said.  Jack Miller briefly moved up to second with a 1:53.809s, only to crash at Turn 2 moments later, and the Australian was eclipsed by Ducati stablemate Dovizioso by 0.065s. Miller was then pushed out of the front row as Marquez vaulted up to third at the chequered flag. Dovizioso said he was pleased to start from second place, having come into the opening race of the season with some disappointing pre-season tests. “I’m really happy because we came here before the weekend with not a really good feeling after a strange testing,” the Italian said.   “This weekend we worked really hard and we are improving step by step, practice by practice, small things, but the key was to stay calm. We came into FP4 and in qualifying with a better feeling, and the lap time got better. We are very close to the fastest riders,” the Ducati rider added. Honda’s Marquez blamed it on the conditions for his struggle on the night. “The conditions on the track were not so good, really cold and windy. That is the reason all the riders wanted to start the qualifying and race one hour earlier because it gets very cold.  I had better pace and rhythm in practice, but we will work really hard for the race,” the Spaniard said.  Meanwhile, Rossi will line-up 14th ahead of Lorenzo, who crashed once again, having suffered similar problems in testing. Lorenzo was the first rider in qualifying to go down at Turn 2 during his final run in the opening session, while Rossi continued to struggle for one-lap pace on his Yamaha. Rookie Fabio Quartararo stunned on his MotoGP debut by taking fifth place for new squad Petronas Yamaha ahead of LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow who progressed through Q1 along with team-mate Takaaki Nakagami. Factory Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci, who topped FP4, heads up row three ahead of fellow countryman Franco Morbidelli on the Petronas Yamaha and Nakagami. Meanwhile, Sterilgarda Max Racing’s Aron Canet clinched the first Moto3 pole position of the new season in impressive fashion. The Spaniard was the only man the go beneath the 2:06 barrier, eventually finishing just under two tenths clear of the chasing pack with a 2:05.883. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) and Kaito Toba (Honda Team Asia) took second and third on the grid to grab debut front row starts for both riders.

Valentino Rossi left everyone in splits on more than one occasion during the press conference ahead of MotoGP’s season-opener in Qatar. Seated next to 19-year-old Fabio Quartararo, Rossi was asked the inevitable question – whether he feels old sitting next to the rookie, with the Frenchman becoming just the third rider to start a full MotoGP season as a teenager. Rossi, who turned 40 last month, now finds himself racing against a rider less than half his age. And the Italian saw a funny side to things. “We speak now exactly about this, I said that he could be my son!” “He’s very, very young. (Born in) 1999, so it means that he’s also two years younger than my brother (Luca Marini) and already in MotoGP,” added the Italian legend. Rossi is into his 24th Grand Prix season and there is no sign of him hanging up his helmet yet. While his longevity, love and dedication for the sport are unparalleled, he is without doubt past his prime with the Italian’s age reflecting in his recent results. All but four of his 24 years in MotoGP have been in the premier class, where Rossi has claimed seven championship titles and holds the all-time win record of 89 victories. But as he enters final stretch of his career, not many give him a chance to become a world champion again. Some even doubt that he will win a Grand Prix race again. Rossi finished a close third at Losail International Circuit last year, but – for the first time with Yamaha – didn’t win a race all season. In fact, the last time Rossi stood on the top of the podium was 20-months ago at Assen. Despite pre-season struggle of Yamaha, Rossi topped the opening practice session of the season yesterday at Losail Circuit. But under the lights in the second practice, he dropped to 17th and was the only rider not to improve in the second session, leaving him 16th on combined times. “And I hope to be there, I hope to be strong. Yamaha worked hard during the winter and we hope to be stronger than last year,” said Rossi before he took the bike out for practice yesterday. “Under some points of view our bike has improved, but I think that we still have something to improve for sure. It’s true also that on the last day of the test there were a lot of Yamahas in the top seven, so I think we are strong with the new tyres, but after we need to see what happens in the race during 22 laps,” he added. With Marquez and his teammate showing more pace than him yesterday, Rossi wasn’t sure of much success tomorrow.   “It’s difficult to say because in the last years here (Qatar) I did good results. Apart from one victory I was on the podium a lot of times, so we have to try. But if I have to think now, maybe we have seven or eight riders ready for the podium. I don’t know if we are stronger here than last year because anyway it was a good race. But we’ll see, we have to try. Also try to understand the conditions, with the grip, with the wind, we’ll see...,” he said. Rossi says the 2019 Yamaha bike is a step forward and very fast over a single lap but remains concerned about race pace. “The pre-season tests were very important. Both in Sepang and in Qatar we’ve taken steps forward and we can say that we’ve done positive tests. We still have to improve a lot, but the road we’re on is the right one.”

If the predictions are to be believed, then 2019 is set to witness the closest and the most thrilling season in MotoGP. The season-opening race will be held at the Losail International Circuit this Sunday, but there is no clear favourite heading into the new championship. Reigning five-time title winner Marc Marquez of Honda is still the man to beat but the recurring shoulder injury is major concern for the Spaniard. But if the 26-year-old can overcome his injury issues, then 2019 could be another glorious chapter in his burgeoning legend. Having said that, Honda also boast triple champion Jorge Lorenzo, who is set to give his new team-mate a tough time. But despite having the best line-up, Honda doesn’t seem to be in the best shape heading into this season, and Marquez will face his toughest campaign yet with Lorenzo as a teammate, as well as the other challengers around him. Andrea Dovizioso of Ducati will fancy his chances, having come the closest to challenging  Marquez in the previous years. If the Italian can repeat his form of the past few years this time round, he’ll still be a strong contender. Then there is Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales, who has impressed in the pre-season testing. The Spaniard has changed some key pieces of his crew in order to find the balance this year and has outpaced his teammate and multiple world champion Valentino Rossi in testing. Rossi, who turned 40 recently, could be in the mix as well but consistency has been an issue with the legendary Italian. Rossi’s longevity, passion and dedication continues to amaze and inspire in equal measure but he is not the rider what he used to be, his reflexes having slowed down considerably. Rossi himself is going by the popular opinion in the paddock and reckons this year’s season could be the closest in the championship’s history. He went on to say that there are ‘seven or eight’ possible title contenders on ‘three or four’ different types of bike. Rossi said that Vinales, Ducati pair Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci, Honda’s Marquez and Lorenzo, Suzuki’s Alex Rins and himself are contenders for the title. “On paper, I don’t think there’s ever been such an even championship, with seven or eight riders, and also three or four different bikes, that can fight for the title” said Rossi at the Losail Circuit yesterday. “The factory riders are all really strong. The two works Ducati riders are going strongly, the two from Honda are a little bit behind, but surely they will arrive. The two Yamahas are going quite well, and also Suzuki, especially with Rins. It seems to me the factory bikes are all quite strong. “Then we must not forget [Fabio] Quartararo, [Francesco] Bagnaia, [Cal] Crutchlow and [Franco] Morbidelli, who in the tests have been strong. Already there are 10 of us! Maybe in one race you are on the podium and in another you make a mistake and you are fighting for seventh place. It’s difficult,” he added. Dovizioso agreed with his countryman’s views. “I have seen many very competitive riders,” said the Ducati rider. “All the top four bikes are quite strong, and close, with different characteristics. We could see a lot of riders fighting for wins, a much more competitive season than recent ones. This is the first season in which we start with so much uncertainty, at least since I’ve been in MotoGP. In the past in Qatar we’ve seen very different results in the race compared with the tests. But, more than just Qatar, there is uncertainty for all the season. At the moment we need to focus day by day, then we will see,” he added. Marquez feels that all manufacturers have taken a step forward ahead of the new campaign, which he said make the season unpredictable. “Since 2017 I’m looking at everybody. I’m looking at all my opponents in the same way because for example, in 2017, we were here and not a lot of people spoke about Dovizioso and he was the man to beat,” the current champion said. “This preseason, it was interesting to see how Yamaha improved, Ducati improved, Suzuki improved with Rins and yeah, let’s see how we start this season. But of course, we will be very fast because we tested here, but the season is 19 races and we must be focused on our work, focused on ourselves and try and do what we know. Then we will see at the end of the season.” he added. Today, the Moto3 class will get the ball rolling with Free Practice 1, followed by Moto2 practice session before the MotoGP riders head out at 3:40pm and again under lights.

In-form Julien Epaillard will be keen to continue his golden run in Qatar when the prestigious five-star CHI Al Shaqab kicks-off at the magnificent Al Shaqab arena today. At the season opening round of the Global Champions Tour last week, Epaillard stunned the odds as he clinched the Grand Prix title. Apart from walking away with the big bounty of €123,750, the Frenchman had also finished runner-up twice and in third place once, during the three-day championship. Now the 41-year-old will be hoping he can carry the momentum into CHI Al Shaqab with his 11-year-old stallion Usual Suspect d’Auge, which had lit up the LGCT Grand Prix with a fantastic fluid clear in the jump-off. Epaillard will be joined by the usual star cast of the world’s top riders. Britain’s Ben Maher and  Emily Moffitt, Switzerland’s Pius Schwizer, Daniel Deusser of Germany and Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander will all be gunning for the CSI 5* 1.60m class Grand Prix glory on Saturday. Maher, who finished second to Epaillard in the GCT’s feature event, will be back with his 10-year-old gelding Explosion W. Maher, who won the  team gold at the 2012 London Olympics. Maher has high hopes from his horse, saying, “I think it’s just a matter of time before he becomes a showjumping household name.” The pair of Maher and Explosion W has been impressive since last year with some breathtaking jumping and they could be the star of CHI Al Shaqab over the next three days. “Explosion has experience beyond his years,” Maher had said. “His game face is always on and he believes he can win. He gives me as a rider the belief that I can also do anything. I think we’re just at the start of Explosion’s career, but I really feel that further down the line he could become one of the best showjumpers in the world,” added the 36-year-old, who is the reigning GCT overall champion and 2018 Grand Prix of Doha winner. Two-time GCT overall champion and Super Grand Prix winner Edwina Tops-Alexander will be the one to watch out for as the Australian has delivered at the favourite venue Shaqab. CHI Al Shaqab will see 91 riders and 139 horses from 23 nations participate in the event, which Al Shaqab is organising for the sixth time and is the only equestrian competition of its kind in the Middle East and Asia region. The  riders will compete in the Olympic equestrian disciplines of Showjumping, Dressage, and Para Dressage  Meanwhile, Qatar’s hopes will rest once again on its’ star riders Bassem Hassan Mohamed and Sheikh Ali bin Khalid al-Thani. The Olympians will lead Qatar’s challenge, with this year’s Amir’s Golden Sword winner Faleh Suwead al-Ajami, Khalid al-Suwaidi and Sultan Salmen forming the five-member team for the hosts. Bassem and Sheikh Ali failed to set the stage on fire at the GCT and will aiming to make amends at the CHI Al Shaqab.  The home riders will also feature in the ninth round of the Hathab national Series set to be held on the sidelines of the three-day championships. Omar al-Mannai, CHI Al Shaqab Event Director and Al Shaqab Commercial Manager, said: “Al Shaqab is extremely proud to be organising CHI Al Shaqab for the sixth time. This prestigious and world-class equestrian event has continued to grow in terms of popularity and success since the first CHI Al Shaqab was held in 2013. “CHI Al Shaqab has placed Qatar on the world’s equestrian map, and Al Shaqab’s successful organizing of the event has boosted Qatar’s status as an international sports destination. The event also showcases Al Shaqab as a premier international equestrian competition venue, capable of attracting the world’s top-ranking riders in three Olympic equestrian disciplines.” Meanwhile, the Asian Equestrian Federation (AEF) General Assembly will take place at Al Shaqab, with Hamad bin Abdulrahman al-Attiyah, president of both the Qatar Equestrian Federation and the Asian Equestrian Federation, standing for re-election. “This year is a unique year for the Asian body as we will be staging the General Assembly this week. At the same time, we will have world’s best riders competing at CHI Al Shaqab. We thank Al Shaqab for their close cooperation administratively and otherwise also,” al-Attiyah said.  “The meeting of the Asian Equestrian Federation is a very important addition to the agenda, as the elections will be held for the important positions such as that of President and Vice President,” the QEF president added. Other than the equestrian extravaganza, Al Shaqab will also host an exciting indoor and outdoor Entertainment Zone offering an array of fun activities for children to enjoy, including pony rides, magic and circus shows, gaming areas, interactive video and virtual reality games, and F1 and horse simulators. Other provisions include a food court and coffee corners. A latte art competition was also held yesterday with the winner walking away with $10,000 in prize money.

Having been the undisputed champion in the Qatar Touring Car championship (QTCC) for the last four years, it’s only natural that Abdulla al-Khelaifi is aiming to go to the next level. And the Qatari driver will be doing just that as he jets off to Europe in late April to take part in the TCR Europe Touring Car Series. Al-Khelaifi has shown that he is unbeatable in the QTCC as he has scorched the Losail International Circuit in his Honda S2000 in the last four years. And the 29-year-old is excited about what lies ahead in the coming months. Al-Khelaifi will be part of Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation’s six member drivers’ and riders’ team, who will travel to Europe for the training and to participate in the regional championships. He said he is happy to get the opportunity to take part in the ‘most competitive series in the world’ and feels the Europe stint will be a steep learning curve for him. “I am looking forward to this summer’s activities,” said the soft-spoken Qatari champion. “TCR championship is the most competitive series in the world after WTCR. It’s a great opportunity for me to participate and learn from the drivers on those tracks. More than half of the tracks where this series is contested are part of the motorsport world. It will be a great learning curve for me, a steep learning curve. Hopefully I can manage to learn as I go along and long-term I can compete using that experience,” he added.  The five-round 2019 TCR Europe Touring Car Series will begin at the Hungaroring, Hungary in April and will end at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy in October. Al-Khelaifi will take part in all the rounds and will train in between the races in Europe. “By end of April, this series will start with the first round to be held at Hungaroring, a race track in Mogyorod, Hungary. That will be great. Before that – perhaps two weeks before the race – there will be a test session for me in order to get into shape. That would also be an opportunity to meet my team and team officials ahead of the first round,” he said.  “One thing I learned from QTCC is that I never better myself unless I have some competition. If I am leading comfortably then I don’t develop at all. So this gives me great motivation. I know I won’t be competing for bigger things in TCR but I know I have higher goals so from different competitors and that will push me harder so that I become better,” he added.  Al-Khelaifi says his target is to compete at the FIA World Touring Car Cup (known as the WTCR). He has already had a taste of World Touring Car Championship, which was held in Qatar until 2017. The World Touring Car Cup is the highest class of competition for touring cars. “I started from WTCC. Basically I always want to go to the highest level of competition which is the WTCR. We had some rounds here in Qatar. My goal, eventually, is to reach WTCR. I want to represent Qatar if we have one round here,” he said. The Qatari ace driver is keen to become the torch-bearer for young Qataris, who want to excel in motorsports. “Hopefully I can inspire the youth to follow this event and I want to spread the ‘motorsport mentality’ among the youth of the country. Eventually I will retire but we want to see new faces and new talent. I am sure we will get better drivers than me or they will do more than I would ever accomplish.  “I started rather late. The younger drivers have a better chance to learn more and faster. They develop faster. Hopefully I can inspire people with what I do,” al-Khelaifi said. Al-Khelaifi is yet to narrow down on the car he will drive in Europe.  “Still there is some debate on the car. Most probably it will be Cobra CTR. It is a great drive. There is another possibility of ODTCR RS3. For now, it is the Cobra. I can’t believe that I am going to feature in this championship. This was not on the table until last week. So it is unbelievable. It was only talks and there was nothing certain. I am going to enjoy and push myself and get maximum points,” he said.

Julien Epaillard wasn’t betting on himself to win the Grand Prix title at the Global Champions Tour last night. For, the Frenchman had finished runner-up twice and third once, on the opening two days of the event at the Al Shaqab arena. But Epaillard finally got lucky when it mattered as the 41-year-old clinched the feature class of the GCT season opener with his 11-year-old stallion Usual Suspect d’Auge. It was the Frenchman’s second Grand Prix title, after he had won the home event in Paris last year. The CSI5* 1.60 class had a total of five combinations in the jump-off, with Epaillard holding his nerve and marshalling Usual Suspect d’Auge expertly. The pair were first to start in the jump-off and they were off to a flier despite the windy conditions at the floodlit Al Shaqab arena.  Their solid faultless round in 40.11 seconds was a tough time to beat. Britain’s Ben Maher followed closely keeping the audience at the edge of their seats with a near-perfect round aboard Explosion W. They took second place in 40.54 seconds. Belgium’s Nicola Philippaerts followed up his win on Friday by taking the third place with H&M Chilli Willi in 43.45 seconds. The fourth place went to Frank Schuttert of the Netherlands with Chianti’s Champion, followed by Italy’s Alberto Zorzi and Contanga in fifth. Both riders finished with 4 penalties, which spoiled their chances of a podium finish. Epaillard was surprised by his victory and gave himself a pat on the back after picking up a winner’s pursue of €123,750 from a total prize money €375.000. “I have to pay credit myself for my victory today,” he said. “It was crazy to ride in the Grand Prix. I had a little chance and I was surprised when I rode in the first round. In the Jump-Off there were only five riders and I tried my best and it worked. It’s a nice feeling,” Epaillard said. On missing out on first place three times this week, he said: “I wasn’t actually thinking about winning the Grand Prix but it’s fantastic. It’s my second LGCT win after Paris and I am very happy to win it.” He also became the first rider to qualify for LGCT Super Grand Prix at Prague Play-offs in November. Shanghai Swans won the second round of Global Champions League followed by Valkenswaard United and New York Empire. “It’s great. Prague is a nice place. I had a chance to ride there last year, it was special and I am already excited to be riding there again,” Epaillard said. Meanwhile, Shanghai Swans soared to the lead in Global Champions League team rankings, after experienced duo of Daniel Deusser and Pius Schwizer fired their team to victory. Both pulled out a flawless performance to deliver the only faultless score of the event, finishing ahead of Valkenswaard United’s pairing of Bertram Allen and Frank Schuttert, with New York Empire’s Scott Brash and Hans-Dieter Dreher taking third. A delighted Daniel said: “We have a very good team, but still in the end you have to get the job done. We had a strong day on Thursday, and two clear rounds today — I have a super partner with Pius, so we’re very happy.” Pius praised his teammates, both equine and human: “My horse jumped amazing, and in my mind Daniel is the best rider in the world at the moment, so thank you Daniel!” Despite their early win, Daniel remained humble about the long season ahead, and the strength of the teams this season. “I expected more teams on a double clear today, but it showed the course was tough. There were faults everywhere. It’s a long season, but the first step is done so we hope to continue like this.” In the GCL individual 1,55m/1,60m class, Kevin Staut astride ten-year-old Viking d’La Rousserie came out on top in 72.16 seconds. Ben Maher followed suit with Explosion W, while Bertram Allen and Harley vd Bisschop finished third in 72.7 seconds.   Results CSI 5* Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Doha - 1.60m (€375.000) 1. Julien Epaillard (FRA). Horse: Usual Suspect d’Auge. Round 1 time: 81.72 secs; Jump off time: 40.11 secs; Prize money: 123,750EUR 2. Ben Maher (GBR) Explosion W. 80.83 secs; 40.55 secs; 75,000 EUR 3. Nicola Philippaerts (BEL) H&M Chilli Willi; 80.65 secs; 43.43 secs; 56,250,00 EUR   CSI 5* GCL of Doha Round 2 - 1.55m (€95.000 to individual class winners) 1. Kevin Staut (FRA) Horse: Viking d’La Rousserie. Time: 72.16 secs; Prize money: 23,750 euros 2. Ben Maher (GBR) Explosion W. 72.33 secs; 19,000 euros 3. Bertram Allen (IRL) Harley vd Bisschop; 72.70 secs; 14,250 euros   GCL Team results 1. Shanghai Swans; Riders: Daniel Deusser (Calisto Blue) 76.56 secs; Pius Schwizer (Cortney Cox) 78.63 secs. Total time: 155.28 secs 2. Valkenswaard United. Bertram Allen (Harley vd Bisschop) 72.70 secs; Frank Schuttert (Chianti’s Champion) 76.95 secs. Penalties: 4. Total time: 149.65 secs 3. New York Empire. Scott Brash (Hello Senator) 76.44 secs; Hans-Dieter Dreher (Prinz) 75.62 secs, Penalties: 4. Total time: 152.06 secs.

Ireland’s Bertram Allen dazzled with 11-year-old stallion GK Casper to win the speed class in the Global Champions Tour yesterday. At the Al Shaqab arena, 16 combinations qualified for the jump off in the 1.55m main class but it was Allen and GK Casper who emerged on top. They were the only pair to go sub-33 seconds in the high quality field, with dusty conditions not making it easier. But GK Casper was all in his glory on the night. For a long time, it looked like Julien Epaillard would be walking away with the top honours. The Frenchman and 11-year-old gelding Usual Suspect D’Auge looked all class as they negotiated the course with ease to finish in 34.12 seconds. But Allen followed on with GK Casper with a clear plan, and was faster than Epaillard in the early section of the course and on par with him at the double. He and Casper galloped to the fence and stopped the clock at a blistering pace to come in 33.75 seconds. Allen was gushing in his praise of Casper, crediting the stallion for his victory, which made the Irishman richer by 36,450 euros.  “I have to give a lot of credit to my horse, it was very hard to beat Julien so I gave it everything. You had to catch everywhere exactly how you wanted it. If you had one place where you had one more stride, you were out,” said Allen. Belgium’s Karel Cox was the last rider to go in with 11-year-old Dublin van Overis, and the pair put in a scintillating run to push Epaillard to third spot. From the 16 starters in the jump off, 10 produced a faultless second round. Italy’s Alberto Zorzi and Danique were off to a flying start and jumped into the lead in 35.21 second setting up a tough time to beat. But they eventually had to settle for the fourth spot. Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet  and Qualido were quick with a huge effort at the finish, but at 35.64 they finished fifth. Earlier, Belgium’s Nicola Philippaerts won the 1.50m class by a mere .03 seconds over Epaillard. Philippaerts, who had a sensational season last year, was on H&M Ikker and the pair cut corners and took out long strides to finish in 59.87 seconds. Epaillard and Usual Suspect D’Auge went all in pursuit of Philippaerts’s time but agonizingly fell short. New face on the Tour this year, Kim Emmen, of the Netherlands, put in a brilliant attempt but was pushed out of the final top they by Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander and her 10-year-old mare, Veronese Teamjoy, who were last to go. The speed class had twenty-four starters and half of those jumped clear rounds, meaning the riders really had to step on the gas in order to be in the placings. Today the stage is set for GCL team final followed by the first Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of the new 2019 season.    Results LGCT CSI5* FEI Art. 238.2.2 1.50/1.55m 1. Rider: Bertram Allen (IRI) Horse: GK Casper; Jump Off: 33.75secs; Prize: €36,450 2. Karel Cox (BEL); Dublin van Overis; 34.07secs; €29,160 3. Jilien Epaillard (FRA); Usual Suspect d’Auge; 34.12secs; €21,870   CSI5* 1.50m Table A: Against the Clock 1. Nicola Philippaerts (BEL); H & M Ikker; 59.87secs; €12,550           2. Julien Epaillard (FRA); Usual Suspect d’Auge ; 59.90secs; €10,040                                  3. Edwina Tops-Alexander (us); Veronese Teamjoy; 63.60secs; €7,530  Today’s Schedule 9am: Open class Hathab National series in two phases 1.15/1.25m class 12pm Big Tour Hathab National Series 1.30/1.45m class At 2:30pm: CSI 5* GCL of Doha Round 2 - 1.55m (€95.000 to individual class winners) At 5:45pm: CSI 5* Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Doha - 1.60m (€375.000)

After his dominant victory in the Manateq Qatar Cross-Country Rally on Tuesday, Qatar’s Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah has set his sights on clinching the overall title. The Qatar leg was the opening round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies and al-Attiyah, who won the Dakar Rally for the third time in January with French navigator Matthieu Baumel, is gunning for another title.  It was start-to-finish win for the local hero, as he conquered Qatar’s desert terrain for his sixth victory in the eight years that the event has been a round of the FIA series. Al-Attiyah had also won the candidate event when it was called the Qatar International Baja in 2011.  “This victory is a first step and it will serve me as a motivation to regain the World Cup title. Last year the car was in development but this year we have hit the stride and everything looks positive for the rest of the season,” said al-Attiyah, who the FIA World Cup last time in 2017. Al-Attiyah’s quest for World Cup title received further boost as defending champion and his main rival Jakub Przygonski was excluded from Qatar Cross-Country Rally. The Pole and his Belgian co-driver Tom Colsoul had finished third in their MINI John Cooper but at post-event scrutineering the car was found to be four kilogrammes underweight, which did not conform to FIA T1 regulations. “Qatar Rally is one of the most difficult rallies in the region because of its ruggedness. Overall it was not a difficult rally but the terrain was not easy. But we led from the beginning till the end. In the last stage I just wanted to finish the rally and not make any mistakes, since we had a healthy lead. I know the desert terrain here in Qatar, so that certainly helped and gave me an advantage over other drivers. For me physically it was OK, not too demanding,” al-Attiyah added. Now the 48-year-old will head to Abu Dhabi for the next round, which will be held from March 30 to April 4. When asked about travelling to Abu Dhabi, al-Attiyah said: “I am waiting for the green signal from QMMF before I go to Abu Dhabi. We are hoping to do well there.”  After the Abu Dhabi round, the long-distance FIA World Cup rallies will be held in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Morocco. The shorter Baja-style events in Russia, Dubai, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Poland, Jordan and Portugal constitute a new FIA Baja series. Meanwhile, al-Attiyah also praised Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) for holding the ceremonial and closing ceremony at Souq Al-Medina in Pearl-Qatar. “The atmosphere was wonderful. I want to laud QMMF for hosting the opening and closing ceremonies at Pearl-Qatar, it was a beautiful setting. Pearl is where people come for sightseeing and shopping, and it was good to see the crowd attend the event in large numbers,” he said.

Qatar’s ace riders Bassem Hassan Mohamed and Sheikh Ali bin Khalid al-Thani will be gunning for a victory on home soil as the Longines Global Champions season kicks off at Al Shaqab arena today. Bassem’s stunning win with his gelding Gunder in 2017 is still fresh in the memory of the showjumping connoisseurs, who watched the pair seal a famous triumph at the magnificent arena. The duo will be looking for an encore on Saturday, when the feature class — the CSI 5* GCT Grand Prix of Doha — will be held. His Olympic teammate Sheikh Ali, who had finished sixth at the Rio Games in 2016, will be eager for his first success in the prestigious event. The Qatari duo are also part of the Doha Falcons team that will feature in the Global Champions League (GCL) with Great Britain’s Michael Whitaker, Dutch star Jur Vrieling, Slovakia’s Bronislav Chudyba and Japan’s Mike Kawai. But it won’t be easy for Bassem and Sheikh Ali as they are up against some of the best in business. As many as seven former World No 1 riders will be competing alongside many of the top names in the sport for the opening event of the 2019 season. At one of the best facilities in the world, the highest level of show jumping will be on display and each detail has been perfected before the six CSI 5* competitions begin.  With Olympic qualifications for next year’s Tokyo Games to be held in October, Sheikh Ali was confident that battling it out against the top class riders will do them a world of good. He also highlighted the importance of the event and the calibre of competition, and was hoping that Doha Falcons will finish in top 5 this season.  “LGCT is world famous; it includes the best riders in the world and participating in this event allows us to continue to improve. We cannot elevate our level if we don’t compete again the best, so it is very important for our team to do this. As a Qatari team we are interested in the GCL as it is not possible to participate in many team competitions and to have team spirit is very important for us,” he said. Over the next three days there will be over fifty riders and 99 horses competing in the GCT and GCL team series. While riders will be challenging for the first win of the season, they will also face extra pressure as they look to secure their golden ticket to the GC Prague Playoffs and the LGCT Super Grand Prix. The warm-up class for the combinations to get a feel of the breathtaking arena was held yesterday.  The action starts today at 2:45pm with CSI 5* event, while the first round of GCL Doha will begin at 5:45pm. Home team Doha Falcons will be in action, and have three riders on their roster this weekend - looking to play to their strengths in front of their local crowd. Tomorrow will see two top level competitions, before the GCL Doha winners are revealed at 2:30pm on Saturday. The climax of the weekend, the LGCT Grand Prix of Doha kicks off at 5:45pm. The reigning LGCT champion and 2018 Grand Prix of Doha winner Ben Maher of Great Britain is back to regain his title, while two-time overall champion and Super Grand Prix winner Edwina Tops-Alexander of Australia will be the one to watch out as she tries to get her hands on the first ticket to the GC Prague Playoffs.  In the GCL, The London Knights have a strong team with Maher, Emily Moffitt and Nicola Philippaerts all jumping the finest horses in their strings. Explosion W rocketed his way onto the top of the podium here at Al Shaqab just three months ago, Copain du Perchet CH looks fresh and ready for action while 11-year-old stallion H&M Chilli Willi is used to performing well under the lights in Doha.  Four-time Olympic Gold Medal winner and the German legend Ludger Beerbaum of Germany has two fantastic horses with him. Chiara 222 first jumped here in Doha seven years ago and won the first round of the GCL competition here last season proving her testimony to being at the top of the show jumping world. He also brings Take A Chance On Me Z. Making his debut performance in the LGCT with Denis Lynch of Ireland the well-known stallion Hector van d’Abdijhoeve has had plenty of success last season with another Irish Bertram Allen and has jumped in this arena before back in 2016.  Valkenswaard United teammates Bertram Allen (Ireland), Alberto Zorzi (Italy) and Frank Schttert (the Netherlands) will all be ones to watch tomorrow as the qualification for the LGCT Grand Prix of Doha gets underway. Frank’s beautiful bay Chianti’s Champion won the only LGCT Grand Prix they have ever jumped in last year so they will be hoping to continue their winning streak. Bertram and Harley vs Bisschop’s strong partnership is growing, as shown through the latter half of the 2018 season.  Competition Schedule  Today: At 2:45pm: CSI 5* Two phases 1.45m (€25.000); At 5:45pm: CSI 5* GCL of Doha Round 1 - 1.50/1.55m (€59.000 to individual class winners) Tomorrow: At 4:30pm: CSI 5* Against-the-clock 1.50m (€50.200); At 6:30pm: CSI 5* Against-the-clock with jump-off 1.50/1.55m (€145.800) On Saturday: At 2:30pm: CSI 5* GCL of Doha Round 2 - 1.55m (€95.000 to individual class winners); At 5:45pm: CSI 5* Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Doha - 1.60m (€375.000)

The Asian Cup-winning Qatar football team was given a royal welcome, with His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani receiving them at the old Doha Airport yesterday. A day after creating history in Abu Dhabi, where they stunned four-time champions Japan in the final, the Al Annabi came back to euphoric crowds eager to catch a glimpse of the players who have captured the country’s imagination. His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani greets an official of the team The players, support staff and Qatar Football Associations were given a red carpet reception after they touched down in Doha at approximately 7.15pm from Sohar, Oman. After their Asian Cup exertions, the triumphant team was forced to take a three-hour bus ride to Sohar from Abu Dhabi because of Qatar’s blockade by its neighbours. After the Omani fans greeted them like heroes, the team embarked on a short Qatar Airways flight to Doha, where on their arrival the the Amir hugged each one of them before placing garlands of roses around the players’ necks. His Highness Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani, the Personal Representative of the Amir, Qatar Olympic Committee president HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, ministers and other high-ranking officials were also present to welcome the team. Two jets from Qatar Air Force’s acrobatic unit did an honorary flyover before the Amir posed for a group picture with the entire contingent, as the royal band played the national anthem. Many of the players and officials, clearly overcome by the occasion, wept tears of joy while singing the national anthem. Later thousands of flag-waving Qataris and residents watched the team take part in a victory parade across Corniche on an open bus, with the players pictures emblazoned on it. When Qatar captain Hassan al-Haydos hoisted the trophy, the crowd chanted his name and let out a huge roar. Despite being clearly exhausted after playing in a 28-day long continental championship, where they won seven out of seven matches, slammed record-breaking 19 goals and conceded just one, the players posed for innumerable selfies and embraced their supporters at the airport. While all the players and head coach Felix Sanchez basked in the attention, forward Almoez Ali, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the Asian Cup, was the darling of the crowd. The 23-year-old Almoez Ali was the standout player in the tournament as his record nine goals, including a spectacular bicycle kick in the final, played a key role in Qatar clinching Asian title for the first time. A helicopter flies with Qatar National flag and the picture of His Highness the Amir during the reception to the team Aircraft flies in formation leaving behind a rainbow of clours A picturesque welcome Waiting for the heroes  Waiting for the heroes  The fireworks "I would like to offer this victory to His Highness the Amir and his High Highness Sheikh Jassim, the Personal Representative of His Highness the Amir. They inspired us to work really hard for this, and we have now realised our dream. We were up to the expectations of our fans also. So I want to congratulate all the people of Qatar," Almoez said. Almoez bettered the previous record of eight goals in a single tournament by Iran's Ali Daei, who set the mark in 1996. He found the net in four of Qatar's six matches en route to the final, including a four-goal haul against North Korea in the group stage. The forward attributed Qatar's triumph to self-belief and teamwork. “I am proud to be part of this team. We had collective spirit during the tournament and that played a huge role. I may have been the MVP of the tournament, but it's not important compared to what the team has achieved. We raised the flag of Qatar high. Everyone in Qatar is celebrating our victory and that makes me very proud,” he said. Coach Sanchez, who is the chief architect of Qatar’s watershed moment in the sporting world, paid tribute to his players and praised their strong mental ability for playing in a hostile atmosphere in the UAE.  “I think players had a strong mentality and the only thing that I tried to do was to help them achieve their 100% and convince them that they are able to play against any opposition. And that's what they finally showed and got the result. The whole group worked really hard. These group players have been with us for a long time and they make us a strong unit. They are young but they also have the experience, having played at the youth level and also for the national team for some time,” the Spaniard, who arrived in Qatar in 2006, said. The 43-year-old Barcelona native came to limelight in 2014 when he led the Qatar under-19 team to Asia title with a squad that would also go on to make history at the senior level in UAE.  "We have made history for our country, so we need to be very proud of our achievement. This is one step more towards being ready for 2022 and represent Qatar as a very competitive team at the World Cup," he said. Midfielder Karim Boudiaf was clearly overwhelmed by the reception he got on arrival. “We were welcomed by His Highness the Amir and all his family, we are very proud. I think for us reaching the semi-final itself would have been a big achievement. But when we beat South Korea in quarters, we believed that we can go all the way and win the tournament,” he said. Defender Pedro Correia, who helped the team keep a clean sheet in six matches, said the team dared to dream a year back and was pleased their hard work has resulted in Asian Cup glory. “We want to enjoy the moment, because we have made history. We have worked hard for this in the last one year. Every training we did together, we believed we can reach the final and win the title.  “The welcome, that as a team received and the love we have got from people of Qatar will stay with me for the rest of my life. Asian Cup is not a small competition, so to come out triumphant makes me very proud,” Correia said.

Seven matches played, seven matches won. A whopping 19 goals scored and only one conceded. The new Asian Cup champions Qatar not only dominated the continental championship but also gave a sneak peek into what lies in future for the 2022 FIFA World Cup hosts. Felix Sanchez’s young guns were truly phenomenal in the 28-day long tournament and the fans should be excited what they could offer ahead. Undoubtedly Almoez Ali was the star of the show – his stunning bicycle kick in the final against Japan making the 23-year-old forward the first player to score nine goals at a single Asian Cup. But make no mistake, this was a triumph contributed by every single player and support staff, with head coach Sanchez being the cornerstone of Qatar’s watershed moment in the sporting world. Sanchez says that victory over Japan is a vindication for Qatar’s extraordinary investment in football. The Spaniard was the coach at Barcelona’s prestigious La Masia academy before moving to Aspire Academy in 2006, when he began by coaching under-11 teams. The 43-year-old has since seen how Qatar has grown in football and he has played an integral part in the team’s success. Sanchez came to limelight in 2014 when he led Qatar under-19 team to Asia title with a squad that would also go on to make history at the senior level. His footprint on the team did shine through throughout the Asian Cup. Qatar were technically superior than any other side, they played possession football whenever required but were quick on the counterattack. “I have no words. We beat an outstanding, outstanding team,” Sanchez said. “In the first half, we played very well. In the second half, we had to defend a lot because obviously they want to win the title as well. It was a very tough game. We suffered and we know how to suffer. I’m very happy for the players and all of the people in Qatar who have supported us from the beginning. It’s very well deserved. I’m very happy. I have no words,” he added. Yesterday in Abu Dhabi, they got off to a blazing start with Almoez Ali scoring the opener after just 12 minutes before Abdulaziz Hatem’s stunning strike from outside the box in the 27th minute put them in the box seat. Having armed with 2-0 lead at half-time, Sanchez’s men sat deep but were resilient enough to keep the Japanese at bay. While they did concede their first goal of the tournament to give Samurai Blue a glimmer of hope, Akram Afif was super cool in converting a penalty to put the final to bed.   While all the focus has been on Almoez’s magnificent achievement, Afif has shown he has a bright future ahead of him. The 22-year-old has been a perfect partner for Almoez, with the Al Sadd forward making an incredible 10 assists – the highest in the tournament. With Sanchez ditching his familiar 4-2-3-1 combination to 3-2-3-2 for the final, Afif, whose elder brother Ali was an unused substitute last night, played on the right side and was a constant threat to Japan defence. The back three of Tarek Salman, Boualem Khoukhi and Bassam al-Rawi, who came back into the squad after a one-game suspension, came under barrage of attacks by the Japanese in the second half but the Qatari defence were calm and solid under pressure. Japan’s Yuya Osako, who scored two goals in an outstanding performance against Iran in the semi-finals, tested the Qatar defensive line at Zayed Sports City but the Wreder Bremen striker was kept quiet. The two wingers Abdelkarim Hassan and Pedro Correia also played their part with the latter hard to get past on the right side. Goalkeeper Saad al-Sheeb was beaten for the first time the tournament, but he looked sharp and showed a safe pair of hands. The midfield trio of captain Hassan al-Haydos, Assim Madibo and Abdelaziz Hatim acted as a bridge between the attack and defence and played their part perfectly.  After scoring a long-range effort, Hatim could have had one more in the final. “These players, they are amazing in the way they are working and the effort they are putting in to be here and to have this performance. We worked very hard and we’re very proud and very happy. In six games we didn’t concede a goal. It was very important and one of the main reasons we triumphed,” gushed Sanchez.   It’s just seven months since Japan matched their best ever finish at a World Cup as they reached the last 16 in Russia, reconfirming their status as their Asia’s top side. They were in line to make the quarters before Belgium won the thrilling encounter 3-2 in Rostov. Last night, Qatar showed they are not far off taking Japan’s place in Asia. Sanchez’s men were given only an outside chance of making it to the last eight, but as they kept winning their belief increased manifold and didn’t stop until they had their hands on the trophy. On their way to the title, Qatar overcame Lebanon, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, South Korea, United Arab Emirates and ultimately Japan to prove that they belong among the elites of Asian football. While the Asian Cup crown sits pretty on Sanchez’s men, the true test awaits them when they cross the seas to take part in the Copa America as one of the two guest teams. Qatar are in the same group as Lionel Messi’s Argentina for the June-July tournament in Brazil.   While a victory there would be a far-fetched dream, there is no doubt that Qatar will be a force to reckon with against the mighty oppositions.

Dakar Rally champion Nasser al-Attiyah was given a grand welcome on his arrival in Doha, with the ace Qatari driver declaring he will be hard to stop in the next decade. The 48-year-old’s triumph in Lima, Peru on Thursday was his third Dakar title to add to his 2011 and 2015 wins on the world’s most gruelling endurance race. Al-Attiyah won by a massive 46-minute margin over second-placed Nani Roma, which gave the Japanese manufacturer Toyota their first Dakar triumph. Al-Attiyah and his French co-driver Matthieu Baumel led after every stage bar the second day in this year’s event when South African teammate Giniel de Villiers was ahead. “I am still strong and the support from His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani always makes me much stronger and pushes me to do well,” said al-Attiyah, after being received by Minister of Culture and Sports HE Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali at the Hamad International Airport yesterday. “In Dakar people were saying now it will be very, very difficult to stop Nasser in the next 10 years. I don’t want to say it will be easy but it is very much possible that I will win many more titles in Dakar Rally,” the ever-smiling Qatari added. Al-Attiyah dedicated his latest title to the nation, saying the victory tastes extra special as it comes in the midst of the illegal Saudi-led blockade.  “It’s a special victory because Qatar is currently facing blockade by its neighbours. We have always shown we are strong and His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim has always given us everything to be strong in sports, this why this victory is very special. Yes I felt more pressure this time because it was a difficult place to race. This was by no means easy so I am quite pleased to win after getting all the support from the country,” he said. Al-Attiyah, who previously won the Dakar with Volkswagen in 2011 and Mini four years after that, switched to driving a South African-built Toyota Hilux ahead of the 2017 race and had finished runner-up last year. While his other main rivals faltered in testing conditions, al-Attiyah was consistent and focused throughout the 10-stage rally. Not only was it a first win for Toyota, but it was also the first petrol-powered car to win the Dakar in the South-American era and much of that credit goes to al-Attiyah and his mastery. But the ace driver was modest in his victory and predicted them to do well in the next few years. “I am happy for Toyota because it is the first time in history that they have won the Dakar. It’s very important victory for me, my country and for Toyota. I received a call from Toyota owner Akio Toyoda, he was so proud and happy. I am sure we will be much stronger for the next three, four years,” al-Attiyah said. Now the Qatari legend says he will turn his attention to taking part in his seventh Olympic Games in Tokyo next year. A bronze medallist in skeet shooting at London Games in 2012, the multi-talented athlete is looking to make more history.  “I will show everybody I am ready for the Olympics, because it is also my dream to go to Japan, which will be my seventh Olympics. Also Toyota is the sponsor of the Olympic Games. After winning the Dakar, me and Qatar are popular in Japan,” he said. He also plans to defend his Dakar title in 2020 before heading to Japan. “It will be tough. I will start my preparation for the Olympic Games next week and then we will come back here to Peru to defend our Dakar title,” said al-Attiyah.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani said Qatar’s participation in this year’s Copa America is ‘surprising but very special’. Qatar will take part in the world’s oldest continental tournament to be held in Brazil in June and July, after accepting an invitation from the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL). The South American football governing body has invited Qatar and Japan from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to take part in Copa America, which will give Felix Sanchez’s men an opportunity to test themselves against big guns Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. Qatar will be making their debut in the Copa America, becoming the first Arab nation to play in the tournament, while Japan will be making their second appearance, their first since 1999. The draw for the tournament will be conducted on January 24. Cavani said Qatar’s participation will bring a new culture to mix with the South Americans. “It will be great for Qatar to participate in the 2019 Copa America because it is not just about football, but about the exchange of cultures and football for the whole world. To have Qatar at the Copa America is a surprise and I think it is going to be something very special,” the 31-year-old said yesterday on the sidelines of PSG’s winter training camp at Aspire. At Copa America, Cavani and Barcelona’s Luis Suarez will form a formidable strike pair for Uruguay, who have won the tournament 15 times.  And Cavani backs his country to lift the title again. “Copa America is the second best competition after World Cup. Uruguay has a very good chance this time. We have been playing very well in recent years and had a good World Cup in Russia. Historically, Uruguay is a team smart enough to have won it the most times. This, I think, gives prestige to Uruguay in this competition,” he said Cavani, meanwhile, said he want to see his contract out at PSG. The striker has been linked with a second spell at Italian club Napoli, having left for PSG some six years ago, but he admitted staying with the Ligue 1 champions was his priority. “Right now, I’m playing towards the end of my contract and possibly my career. I’ll be 33 going on 34 when it’s up. I don’t know if I’ll continue after 2020 and if my next contract will be in Paris, but I feel good here, the club is happy with me and I want to see my contract out,” he said. “For the moment, we have not talked about the new contract yet. There is no discussion around an extension. If the club wants to talk to me about it, that’s fine. If the club prefers to say thank you very much for everything and say goodbye, it will not be a problem. It’s life,” he added. Cavani said winning the Champions League with PSG was an ultimate goal. The French giants have struggled in the Champions League in recent years, having only managed to reach the quarter-finals. They are up against a resurgent Manchester United in their last 16 Champions League, with the first leg to be played on February 12 at Manchester and second leg taking place in Paris on March 6. Cavani conceded United will be a tough team to get past but said PSG were confident of beating them. United been a side transformed since the departure of Jose Mourinho, with caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær winning all six games in charge, including an impressive 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. “The departure of Mourinho has given the team new energy, and that has been shown in recent weeks. They have started to win matches and find continuity, we will be facing a motivated team that has a lot of history in Europe” he said. “But PSG is a team with great individuals that has improved recently. We will have a difficult task against Manchester United. I think PSG has always been at a level to compete well in Europe and I think everyone has seen that, but we have lost games. PSG has always been at the level to compete in Europe. And this year we hope to be able to advance more in the Champions League, which is a nice and important goal,” he added.

Paris St-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes Qatar is on the ‘right path’ as it prepares to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Italian legend is on his third visit to Qatar and lauded the rapid growth of the country as it prepares to host football’s showpiece tournament in four years’ time. “It’s my third visit to Qatar. It has great facilities especially at Aspire Academy. The country is growing very fast and very rapidly and I think the country is on right path to get ready to host the World Cup in four years’ time,” said Buffon, who is in Doha for PSG’s annual winter training camp. Buffon, 40, spent 17 years at Juventus, playing 656 times and winning nine Serie A titles, before his 2018 move to French champions PSG. When asked of his chances of playing at the 2022 World Cup, the former Italy goalkeeper, who retired from international duty last year, did not completely rule out his participation as a player but said he could be involved in a ‘different role’. “I will be 41 soon and it’s a bit difficult to make it to the World Cup as it is still four years away but everything is possible. I may take part in a different role if not as a goalkeeper,” he said. PSG forward Kylian Mbappe, who won the World Cup in Russia last year with France, was hopeful of playing at the Qatar World Cup. “This is my second time here and I have discovered quite a few things here, and hopefully will come back to play the World Cup in four years,” the 20-year-old sensation said. The 2022 World Cup is scheduled to take place in November and December. This will mark the first time that the tournament is being held outside of the summer months of May, June and July. Mbappe said it did not make much difference when the World Cup will be played. “Whether the World Cup is played is in winter or summer, the competition will be tough and the dates will not make much of a difference,” he said. PSG's Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani too was impressed with Qatar’s sporting infrastructure and said the country is on the right direction. “We are coming to Qatar every year for training and I think it’s a phenomenal country. It’s just fantastic and it’s developing very, very quickly. I think it’s a country for the future, the sporting infrastructure in the country is just exceptional. They will host a successful World Cup,” Cavani said. Today, PSG fans in Qatar will be given a unique chance to get close to their heroes, with an open training session to be held from 5pm at the Khalifa International Stadium, one of the 2022 FIFA World Cup venues.

A day after stunning World No 1 Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, Roberto Bautista Agut recorded one of his biggest wins on the ATP Tour when he won the Qatar ExxonMobil Open. At the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, seventh seed Bautista Agut beat wild card Tomas Berdych in a closely fought final 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 for his ninth Tour title. For Berdych, it was yet another loss in the final in Doha. The Czech was runner-up in 2015, after losing to Spain’s David Ferrer. But looking back, Berdych would have been proud of his achievements this week, considering the 33-year-old was making a comeback to tennis after six months out from injury. It was dream week for Bautista Agut though. The World No 24, apart from his shock win over Djokovic, had also beaten former top five player Stan Wawrinka en route to the title. “It was a great start to the season, of course. The best thing is I felt good physically and mentally this week. And if I can continue like this, I think I can get better in the rankings and be closer to top ten,” said Bautista Agut, who collected 250 ATP ranking points and $219,755 in prize money. “Well, it’s always a very tough draw, very tough tournament with a lot of good players in the draw. And when I started the week, I was feeling good with the ball. I was enjoying practising. I was playing match by match. And since the first moment of the tournament until the last point, I felt really good on the court,” he added. This was the fourth successive time where Bautista Agut has started the season with a title, a success he attributed to his off-season preparation.  “Well, it’s a good time for me after being fresh and having spent two months at home. I did my preparation well and worked really hard. And I think also the conditions and the surface suited me here. It is good for my tennis and I think this is one of the reasons,” he said. The World No 24, still fresh from the emotional high of victory over Djokovic, was a bit edgy to begin with against Berdych. He struggled with his first two service games, and had to save a break point in the fourth game. But having held on, the Spaniard converted his first break point in the seventh game for a 4-3 lead, before serving solidly to grab the first set in 41 minutes. In the second set, Berdych upped the ante, serving well and jumped into the lead after a break in the fourth game. At 5-3, he then served out the set firing three winners to take the match to decider. In the final set, Bautista Agut built a 4-1 lead. Berdych threatened to break back but squandered two points in the seventh game. He missed an easy forehand approach shot, which clipped the net and agonisingly fell out, and that was the last chance the Czech would have.    Bautista Agut then went on to serve out the match to love with a forehand winner giving him his first win against Berdych since 2014. This was their seventh meeting, the first in three years, with Bautista Agut having lost the last three matches. Berdych, who was seeking his first title since Shenzhen in 2016, rued the missed opportunity in the third set. “I think it was overall a very good match and I think the biggest difference was one game in the third set where I lost badly my serve where I hit two double faults in one game,” said the 33-year-old, who walked away with 150 points and $118,320 in prize money. But the former World No 4, currently at 71 after missing six month’s action due to back injury, looked at the positives from the tournament. “I think it was a great week overall. I mean, coming after six months of not playing, my expectations were completely on a different level.”

For the second successive day, Novak Djokovic was down a set as the centre court crowd anticipated an upset at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open. But once again, the Serb, with his back against the wall, found the motivation to scrape out of trouble. The Khalifa international Tennis and Squash Complex exploded in joy as the biggest draw of the tournament, World No. 1 Djokovic, eked out a comeback 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over spirited fifth-seeded Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili. Djokovic, bidding for his third Qatar Open title, will face seventh seed Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut for a place in tomorrow’s final. Bautista Agut had earlier knocked out three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 6-4 to enter the semi-finals. “I thought Basilashvili was playing terrific from the beginning. I expected him to,” said a relieved Djokovic after the match. “I knew that he’s playing probably the tennis of his life in the past 10 months, and he’s definitely one of the greatest hitters in the game.” As against Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics on Wednesday, Djokovic was slow to get off the blocks. The Serb had predicted a tough match against in-form Basilashvili, a strong baseliner who gives the ball a mighty thwack and had who won his first two ATP Tour titles in 2018, both at ATP 500 events. World No. 21 Basilashvili was the enforcer from the word go, breaking Djokovic in the very first game. The aggressive Georgian applied relentless pressure on the top seed for another break in the fifth game for a 4-1 lead. While Djokovic did pull a game back from Basilashvili’s serve, the Serb had no answer to the latter’s aggressive groundstrokes. But Djokovic, as has been his wont, was never the one to give up easily. The 31-year-old showed why he is the owner of 14 Grand Slam titles, bouncing back in the second set. He raced to a 3-0 lead, while Basilashvili threatened to regroup, Djokovic closed out the set to take the match into the decider. In the third set, the two players traded breaks in the first two games. Astonishingly, Djokovic showed higher physical energy than his opponent, despite playing his fifth match of the tournament – after having entered the doubles semis with his younger brother Marko. He also had the crowd rooting for him throughout, even as unforced errors crept into Basilashvili’s game. The all-important break for Djokovic came in the fifth game for a decisive 3-2 lead, as Basilashvili cracked under pressure. He then sealed the deal with three winners in the tenth game to come out on top of another slug fest, which lasted one hour and 56 minutes. It was the sixth straight semi-final for the Serbian, who capped 2018 as the oldest year-end No. 1 in ATP history. Djokovic celebrated his surge orchestrating a whistling contest among fans. Djokovic has now won 13 consecutive matches in Doha, and is 15-1 overall at the tournament. The World No. 1, owner of 72 tour-level titles, is attempting to lift a trophy for the 14th consecutive season. It is also the first time Djokovic has won back-to-back matches from a set down since Cincinnati in August last year, a tournament he went on to win Earlier, Bautista Agut put on a consistent performance to knock out Wawrinka. The two know each other’s game well, having practised together for years. And Agut put that to good use yesterday. The 24th ranked Bautista Agut played mostly from the baseline and controlled the match throughout. He broke Wawrinka in the very first game and never looked back to pocket the opening set. The second set too played out similar way as he sealed his win in one hour and 45 minutes. “I think Stan is a really good player. He is really a tough opponent to beat and we knew each other very well and we used to practice a lot during the tournaments. Today I was very consistent and played with a lot of rhythm. I think I played a very complete match,” said the Spaniard, who lifted the biggest title of his career at the ATP 500-level tournament in Dubai. In another quarter-final, wild card Tomas Berdych cruised past Frenchman Pierre-Hughes Herbert 6-2, 6-4. The Czech is playing his first tournament since June last year and showed some impressive form in Doha. He was awaiting the winner of the match between fourth-seeded Italian Marco Cecchinato and Dusan Lajovic of Serbia, who were playing a late match last night.     Results Singles (Quarter-finals) 1-Novak Djokovic (SRB) bt 5-Nikoloz Basilashvili (Geo) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 7-Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) bt Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) 6-4, 6-4 WC-Tomas Berdych (CZE) bt Pierre-Hughes Herbert (FRA) 6-2, 6-4  Doubles (Semi-final) Robin Haase & Matwe Middelkoop (NED) bt Santiago Gonzalez (MEX) & Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (Pak) 6-4, 6-1.

One set up and facing a break point while serving at 4-5 down in the second, Marton Fucsovics had his heart in his mouth, when he asked for a TV review of Novak Djokovic’s forehand, which was called in. As it turned out, the ball had landed just inside the baseline, and Fucsovics, who had a swing at the ball half-heartedly presuming it was out, lost his challenge and the set. It was just the opening Djokovic needed to make a comeback in the second round match at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open yesterday. After having lost the first set, Djokovic had failed to impose himself on Fucsovics in the second as well, before that crucial misjudgment from the Hungarian in the 11th game gave the world No 1 a chance to fight back. While Fucsovics lost his focus, Djokovic turned into beast mode and ran away with the third set and match 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 to seal his place in the quarter-finals at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex. “For the first two sets he was the better player,” acknowledged Djokovic after the match. “He played really well, smart, changing up the rhythm and the pace of the ball and moving me around. I was kind of in a corner and I had to find my way and fight my way through.” The two-time champion improved to 14-1 in Doha, with his only loss coming against Ivo Karlovic in the quarter-finals on his debut in 2015. He is also now on a 12-match winning streak and is well on course for a third Qatar title, to tie with Roger Federer. But all that seemed a farfetched possibility when Fucsovics overpowered Djokovic in the opening set with some clean and bold hitting. The world No 36 drew Djokovic to long rallies, varying the pace all along. At 4-4, Fucsovics broke serve on his third break point to move ahead before closing the set with a service winner in the following game. Just like in the opener, there were no break points in the first eight games of the second set as the two players preferred to play from the baseline. But 14-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic used all his experience when it required as he made a nice hold for a 5-4 lead, forcing Fucsovics to serve to stay in the set. Djokovic then found his range on his forehand side, earning two set points with a sharp-angled forehand winner before clinching the set in dramatic fashion as Fucsovics made an ill-judged Hawk Eye challenge on a Djokovic forehand which clipped the baseline. In the deciding set, Djokvoic was all over Fucsovics, breaking the latter’s serve three times. He sealed the match with three winners in the seventh game, to set up a quarter-final clash against Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia. The fifth seeded Basilashvili eased past 2018 runner-up Andrey Rublev of Russia 6-3, 6-4. Djokovic has won the only match he played against Basilashvili, but the Serb will have to put on a much better show in the semis against the tournament dark horse.  Meanwhile, three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka put on another solid show to keep him on course for a semi-final date with Djokovic. The 33-year-old got the better of Nicolas Jarry of Chile 6-4, 7-6 (3) over 89 minutes for a place in the quarter-finals. Wawrinka, the 2008 Doha finalist, broke Jarry in the fifth game of the first set and took early control of the second set tie-break. He set up a clash against seventh-seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, who cruised past fellow Spaniard and qualifier Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-1, 6-4 in 70 minutes. Italy’s Marco Cecchinato received a walkover after his opponent Guido Pella of Argentina was forced to pull out due to lower back pain. Fourth-seeded Cecchinato will next face Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic, who edged past Lithuanian qualifier Ricardas Berankis 7-6 (4), 0-6, 7-5 in two hours and 11 minutes. Pierre-Hugues Herbert, who had stunned second seed Dominic Thiem in the first round on Tuesday, also won yesterday. The Frenchman had to work hard before winning against Maximilian Marterer of Germany 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (6). Djokovic and his younger brother Marko entered the doubles semi-finals at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open yesterday. The Serbian siblings beat Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Dusan Lajovic of Serbia 7-5, 3-6, 10-7 in the quarter-finals. The Djokovic brothers, who had not won a match together in five attempts before coming to Doha, have now won two in two. They face either Nikola Mektic and Alexander Peya or David Goffin and Pierre-Hugues Herbert, for a place in the final. In another semi-final, Robin Haase and Matwe Middelkoop take on Santiago Gonzalez and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi. RESULTS Singles (Second Round) n 1-Novak Djokovic (SRB) bt Marton Fucsovics 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 n Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) bt Nicolas Jarry (CHI) 6-4, 7-6 (3) n 7-Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) bt Q-Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 6-1, 6-4 n Dusan Lajovic (SRB) bt Q-Ricardas Berankis (LTU) 7-6 (4), 0-6, 7-5 n Pierre-Hughes Herbert (FRA) bt Q-Maximilian Marterer (GER) 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (8-6) n 4-Marco Cecchinato (ITA) w/o Guido Pella (ARG) n 5-Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) bt Andrey Rublev (RUS) 6-3, 6-4   Doubles (Quarter-finals) n Robin Haase/Matwe Middelkoop (NED) bt Maximo Gonzalez (ARG)/Nicolas Jarry (CHI) 6-2, 6-4