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Al Duhail will be gunning for an unprecedented domestic treble when they face Al Rayyan in the Amir Cup final, which will kick-off at 10:15pm tonight. Duhail have been unstoppable this season, having won the QNB Stars League and Qatar Cup title, and they will be heavy favourites to clinch their third trophy as curtains come down on Qatar’s domestic football season at the Khalifa International Stadium. There is a touch of invincibility in the way Duhail have gone about their business so far. They have been unbeaten in the season, having not lost a match in any of the tournaments they have played. Djamel Belmadi’s side are also in line to win the AFC Champions League after they cruised into the quarter-finals on Tuesday. They have showed their prowess in the continental championship too when they became only the second team to open their campaign with seven successive wins. On Tuesday, they overpowered Al Ain at home to make it eight wins in a row, with an 8-3 aggregate win over UAE Champions surely making them a strong contender for the Asian title. At home, Duhail have raised the bar and much of that credit goes to Belmadi, who has marshalled his team efficiently. So it wasn’t surprising to see the Algerian being voted as the best coach at the Qatar Football Association’s (QFA) awards ceremony on Thursday night. The 42-year-old is a shrewd tactician, who has consistently been producing excellent results. His method has been keeping it simple and not complicating things, with Duhail’s game revolving around one-two touches and playing with speed. Belmadi made it big when he led Qatar to the Gulf Cup triumph in 2014 and has not looked back since then. He also enjoyed as much success with Lekhwiya, whom he led to four league titles before it was merged with El Jaish last year and Duhail was created. His players too have responded to him by playing some spectacular football, and were duly rewarded as Duhail players swept the QFA awards. Captain Youssef Msakni won the Player of the Year Award, while Qatar’s talented youngsters Almoez Ali was named the Best U-23 Player. Their teammate Youssef El Arabi had his hand on top scorer trophy after he amassed 26 goals in the season. Tonight, Al Rayyan will have a difficult task on their hand as they look to stop the formidable Duhail strike force. Msakni will sit out of the Amir Cup final, with the attacking midfielder recuperating from cruciate ligament knee surgery he underwent in the USA last week, which also ruled the Tunisian out of the World Cup next month. But they have enough quality in their line-up to trouble Al Rayyan defence. Apart from Almoez and El Arabi, Duhail have South Korean playmaker Nam Tae-Hee, which has been outstanding so far in the midfield. He has been instrumental in Duhail success, creating goals for his teammates. In the Amir Cup semi-final against Al Sadd, Tae-Hee was the man of the match as he guided Duhail to fourth win of the season against their arch-rivals and into the Amir Cup final. Belmadi, while acknowledging that his team is having a special season, called on his high-flying players to focus on the final and take Rayyan seriously. “Rayyan are a difficult opposition. They have not won anything this season and will have opportunity to so tomorrow. This will give them a huge motivation,” Belmadi said yesterday He singled out Rayyan’s attacking midfielder Rodrigo Tabata’s as a major threat, but showed confidence in his players. “We will try to be well organised and have a good balance in the team. We know they have good players like Tabata who can score goals,” he said.  “But until now we have played good teams with good players and have done well so far. For example, Al Ain scored lots of goals at home and also in the AFC Champions League, but we beat then easily. We will take Rayyan very seriously. But we are confident and will go into the game with focus,” he added. For last year’s finalist Rayyan, tonight’s title clash will be an opportunity to finish the otherwise disappointing season on a high. Michael Laudrup’s men went down to Al Sadd in the final last year, and face another daunting challenge against Duhail. After a promising start to their QNB Stars League campaign, Rayyan fizzled out in the second phase as they stuttered to a third-place finish. They also suffered a heartbreaking 4-6 loss on penalties to Al Sadd in the Qatar Cup semi-final. Laudrup wants his players to put the setbacks of the season behind and produce performance worthy of a final. “We have prepared well for the final. It’s the last game of the season and it’s a final, so we want to give out all. There are no matches next week or week after, so we want to finish on a high. We did not concede any goals in the Amir Cup so far and that augurs well for us,” Laudrup said yesterday. Rayyan have been in impressive in the Amir Cup though. Tabata’s brace powered them to a 3-0 win over Al Gharafa in the semis, after they had won with a similar scoreline in a dominating performance against Al Arabi in the quarter-finals. Tabata has been at the heart of Rayyan’s performance so far, and they will depend heavily on the midfielder again. His partnership with Sebastian Soria will hold to key fortunes. Last year’s loss to Al Sadd is still fresh in Tabata’s mind and he wants to end the season on a happy note. “It was disappointing to lose in the final last season. We hope for a better result tomorrow. We have worked very hard in the last few weeks and that gives us confidence that we can win the title,” said Tabata.

Rodrigo Tabata’s brace powered Al Rayyan to a 3-0 win over Al Gharafa and into the final of the Amir Cup. At the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium yesterday, Tabata was at the heart of Rayyan’s impressive performance as they cruised past Gharafa in the semi-final. Michael Laudrup’s men, who lost in the final to Al Sadd last year, face a mighty challenge this time too as they face Al Duhail in the title clash at the Khalifa International Stadium on May 19. Djamel Belmadi’s Duhail are unbeaten this year and will be going for a historic domestic treble, having already won the QNB Stars League and Qatar Cup trophies this season. Rayyan were thrashed 1-6 by Gharafa the last time the two sides met in the league. And Rayyan came into the match vowing to prove a point and redeem their season. They had dream start when Tabata put them ahead in just the second minute of the game. Gharafa gifted Rayyan possession in the midfield, allowing Tabata to run into the edge of the box, where he picked up Sebastian Soria on the right flank. Soria, after getting past two Gharafa defenders, relayed it back to Tabata, who fired Rayyan in front. Tabata was the key to his team’s every attacking run as the attacking midfielder tormented Gharafa on the night. If not for goalkeeper Qasim Burhan’s timely interventions Gharafa would have been at least three goals behind in the first-half. In the 31st minute, Burhan parried away a shot from Soria, who then shot over the bar again two minutes later. Both the chances were set up by Tabata. Burhan was again called into action just before the half-time, when he had to dive to his left to save Yohan Mollo’s low shot. Rayyan began the second-half as they did the first-half and doubled their lead in the 47th minute courtesy a clever finish from Koh Myong-jin. The South Korean midfielder received a wonderful pass from Tabata, who played a long ball from the half line. With only goalkeeper to beat, Myong-jin expertly chipped it over Burhan to put Rayyan in the cruise mode. Gharafa immediately raised their game and looked to have pulled a goal back through substitute Ahmed Alaaeldin, but Rayyan keeper Omar Bari was able to stop a powerful shot. Alaaeldin, who had scored the winner in the 88th minute against second division side Mesaimeer in the quarter-finals, once again looked a threat in the match. But his teammates let him down and cut an isolated figure as the match went on. Rayyan players, who had dropped their energy bit, looked a threat in the final ten minutes and had at least three clear chances. In the 86th minute, Tabata hit straight to the keeper after a pass from Mollo, but he wasn’t to be denied in the next minute. Tabata put the match to bed with Soria again making the assist. Rayyan coach Laudrup was delighted with the victory. “I was a bit surprised at how we dominated the game. We had a great support from the fans and it helped us to put a good show,” he said. Laudrup called on his players to enjoy the final against Duhail. “We have to enjoy playing in the final. We have to be at our best to beat Duhail and win the title,” the manager from Denmark said.

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system came back to haunt Al Sadd once again as they suffered a 0-1 loss to Al Duhail in the Amir Cup semi-final yesterday. In the Qatar Cup final loss last month, Sadd were at the receiving end of VAR, when the referee struck to his contentious decision to award a penalty to Duhail. Last night at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, it was the other way around for Al Sadd as a penalty decision was overturned for them and then they were reduced to 10 men after Abdelkareem Hassan was sent off at the stroke of half-time. Both the decisions came through VAR, where the referee looks at the monitor placed near the pitch side to review his initial call. To pile on the misery for Al Sadd, Almoez Ali struck the match’s only goal in the 68th minute to send Duhail into the final, which will be held at the Khalifa International Stadium on May 19. Djamel Belmadi’s side, unbeaten so far in the season, are on the course for a historic treble to add their QNB Stars League and Qatar Cup trophies. They were deserving winners on the night too, as Al Sadd despite controversial VAR decisions, wasted opportunities and looked ragged in the second-half. Both the sides were coming off AFC Champions League victories. While Al Sadd had beaten Saudi’s Al Ahli on Monday, Duhail had outplayed Al Ain on Tuesday and had one day less to recover. With the return leg of Champions League to be played next week, Sadd and Duhail did not go in with a full strength. Sadd’s Spanish midfield star Xavi Hernandez and Hamroun Jugurtha were on the bench, while striker Baghdad Bounedjah watched from the stands as the Algerian was serving his second suspension which he received for showing dissent during the Qatar Cup final. For Duhail, Karim Bouaif, Ismail Mohamed and Murad Naji were on the bench. Sadd started on a bright note and almost went ahead in the 12th minute only for Hamid Ismail’s curling shot from the right to strike the post. Duhail also had the same fortune as Mohamed Muntari’s header hit the top bar. As the intensity of the game went up a notch, Sadd were awarded a penalty in the 28th minute. Referee Salman Falahi signalled for a spot-kick as he ruled Duhail defender Dami Traore had brought down Sadd captain Hassan al-Haydous in the box. But upon a review, Falahi rightly changed his decision, with the replays showing Traore had got to the ball first even as al-Haydous went down tamely. In the 33rd minute, al-Haydous had a chance to put his team in front. The midfielder after playing 1-2 with Akram Afif hit straight to keeper Amine Lecomte. On the other end, Almoez Ali’s left-footer just missed the target. As the half-time approached, the match’s turning point arrived too. After initially not making a decision on Abdulkarim’s foul on Mohamed Moosa, the referee, upon watching the replays, showed a direct red card for a dangerous tackle.  Sadd players protested in vain even as coach Jesualdo Ferreira was seething in anger on the touchline. Despite being a man down, Sadd started the second-half positively. Boualem Khoukhi had a chance for equaliser but the forward failed to connect a volley. Even as South Korean playmaker Nam Tae-hee pulled the strings for Duhail, Belmadi introduced QNB Stars League top-scorer Youssef El Arabi in place of Muntari. The decisive goal came in the 68th minute after Morteza Mohammed’s pass was intercepted in the midfield and Duhail launched a counter-attack. Tae-hee received the ball from the half-line and sped towards the box and expertly played a through ball to Ismael on the right, who then picked out incoming Almoez as the striker pounced on the ball to hit the target from four yards. Duhail came close again through Luiz Martin, but the captain hit the post. The impressive Tae-hee troubled the Sadd defence whole evening as he showed little fatigue from his man-of-the-match performance against Al Ain on Tuesday. The South Korean was the standout player for Duhail again as hit the post twice and also drew a save from Sadd goalkeeper Sadd al-Dosari. Post-match, Sadd coach Ferreira was frustrated with the result. The Portuguese was not happy with the decisions on Abdelkareem’s being sent off and a penalty being overturned. “If we did not have the VAR  then we would not have a red card for that foul. We would also have a penalty kick for al-Haydous,” he said. Ferreira also pointed out that Abdelkareem’s foul only warranted a yellow card. “It is a very sad result for us. And it is because of two controversial decisions. This is happening to us for the second consecutive against Duhail and we are very unfortunate,” he said. “The referee has to take decision for what he saw and not because of the pressure from the players. The Qatari referees are good, but the pressure from players affects them. They must be free to make decisions on their own,” he said.

Al Sadd coach Jesualdo Ferreira (right) speaks to the media while player Yasser Aboubaker looks on. For one final time this season, Duhail and Al Sadd go head to head, this time in HH The Amir Cup semi-final today. The two teams have produced edge-of-the-seat thrillers whenever they have clashed this season. QNB Stars League champions Duhail and runners-up Sadd were given byes into the quarter-final stage of HH The Amir Cup, where they got past Umm Salal and Al Khor respectively. And strangely, the two top teams in Qatar are drawn to face-off in the last four, while a title clash would have given a fitting end to a cracking rivalry. Nevertheless, one can expect another exhilarating contest at the Jassim bin Hamad stadium. The other semi-final between Al Gharafa and Al Rayyan will take place tomorrow at the same venue. Undoubtedly Al Sadd will carry a huge burden when they face their nemesis Duhail for more than one reason. The Wolves, coached by Jesualdo Ferreira, will also have a point to prove as they finished runners-up to Al Duhail in the league and Qatar Cup. Ferreira is also facing a dilemma whether to play a full strength side as there is another important game awaiting them on Monday – the AFC Champions League last-16 second leg. Sadd beat Saudi’s Al Ahli 2-1 at home last Monday but conceded an away goal, which makes the return leg in Jeddah a difficult one. After the Al Ahli match, Ferreira had complained how his players were suffering from fatigue. But the Portuguese manager knows he cannot afford to field a weaker line-up against arch rivals Duhail, that too in a prestigious tournament as HH The Amir Cup. While Ferreira admitted it will be tough on his players to play two crucial matches in four days, he said they had no option but go for broke. “Because if we win the body and mind recovers from the strain and stress fast,” said Ferreira yesterday. “We have an important semi-final match and we will meet one of the best Qatari and Asian teams. We played many exciting semi-final matches against Duhail and our goal tomorrow is to win and qualify for the final,” he added. To make matters worse for Sadd, striker Baghdad Bounedjah will miss the match, as he will serve his second suspension which the Algerian received for showing dissent during their Qatar Cup final loss. However, Spanish midfield star Xavi Hernandez will be back in action. Ferreira conceded Bounedjah’s absence will make it tough for them. He was also hopeful that referees would not make the same mistake that they did in the Qatar Cup final, when a contentious penalty was given to Duhail in injury time despite the availability of Video Assistant Referee (VAR). “But if they take the help of the video referrals and still make mistakes it is not fair. The VAR is here to assist teams, not to punish them,” he said. As for Duhail, they have had one less day to recover after an impressive Champions League win at UAE champions Al Ain. But they also play a day later to Sadd in the return leg at home with a 4-2 cushion and are favourites to go into the quarter-finals. Belmadi’s men are also keen on completing a treble of domestic trophies, so they will be up pumped up for the clash. “It’s true that AFC Champions League is a big priority for us but we want to win and get to the final of Amir Cup,” said Belmadi yesterday. “This is a chance for us to prove that we are capable of giving our best under stressful conditions. We have defeated Sadd three times this season, but this does not mean we are guaranteed our fourth victory. Every game has a different ambition and a different ambience,” the Algerian added. The Red Knights will be without the services of regular captain and attacking midfielder Youssef Msakni, who underwent a cruciate ligament knee surgery in the US on Monday. But as Duhail showed against Al Ain and in the Qatar Cup final, they are not a one-man team. South Korean playmaker Nam Tae-Hee has been outstanding so far, while Qatar international Almoez Ali has improved with every outing. They also have Karim Boudiaf and Moroccan striker Youssef El Arabi, who emerged as the QNB Stars League’s top scorer with 26 goals. El Arabi was the top scorer last season as well.

The 2011 AFC Champions League winners Al Sadd return to the knockout rounds for the first time since 2015 when they welcome Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli to Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha today. Sadd advanced to the knockout rounds with little fuss by winning four of their first five games in Group C, but failed to claim top spot after defeat to Persepolis on Matchday Six. Sadd have been in superb form at home, though, where they won all three of their group matches.  Jesualdo Ferreira’s side progressed to the semi-finals of Amir Cup with a 4-0 victory over Al Khor on Thursday to ensure they go into the clash with Al Ahli on form, although they are without the suspended defender Pedro Correia after his booking in the final group match ruled him out of the first leg. Ali Asad and Jugurtha Hamroun will also be missing in action due to injuries. Hamroun is recovering from a knee problem, while Ali is nursing a muscle cramp. Striker Baghdad Bounedjah has been one of the form players on the continent and leads the scoring charts with seven goals. Algerian Bounedjah and Spanish midfield star Xavi Hernandez, who both missed the match against Al Khor due to suspension for dissent during their Qatar Cup final loss to Al Duhail recently, will be back in action. Quarter-finalists last year, Al Ahli were unbeaten in Group A, winning four from six to finish on top of the standings to qualify for the knockout rounds for the fifth time in seven years. The 2012 runners-up will be looking to make up for the disappointment of narrowly missing out on the Saudi Pro League title to Al Hilal in mid-April by producing a strong run on the continent. They will, however, be without the suspended Salman Muwashar for the match with Al Sadd. The teams meet in the competition for a third time. Speaking ahead of the match yesterday, Ferreira expected a tough duel against Al Ahli.  “We are delighted to be at this stage of the competition. Al Ahli is on a similar level to Al Sadd and that is why this match is going to be a strong one. We will seek to win at home to increase our chances of qualifying for the next round,” he said. “It’s one of the most important games of the season for us. We hope to score and not concede before we play the return leg in Saudi next week,” the Portuguese added. Ferreira was not concerned over the absence of Correia,  Asad and Hamroun. “I do not think it will affect us a lot. We have a huge squad and there are players to fill in for the injured.”   Al Sadd’s full-back Hamid Ismail said: “Both teams are known to be strong and have a long history. We know the importance of this match which is being played at our home. We will look to win it before going (to Jeddah) there to play at their ground. We hope we can get a satisfactory result. I think Al Sadd are capable of doing it, considering how prepared we are.” “We are focusing on giving everything we have towards this clash. We hope we can win it and give happiness to the fans who will come to support us.” Duhail in action tomorrow  Tomorrow, QNB Stars League champions Al Duhail will square off against UAE’s Al Ain at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain in what promises to be one of the most intriguing match-ups in the Round of 16. The two sides were unbeaten in group stage. Duhail were arguably the most impressive team of the group stage as the Qatari side won all six of their Group B games to storm into the last 16.  Duhail players trained in Doha yesterday before leaving for Al Ain in the evening.  Al Ain drew their first four Group D games but then won their final two as they produced when it mattered once more to return to the knockout rounds.

QNB Stars League and Qatar Cup champions Al Duhail will begin their Amir Cup campaign today as they aim for a treble of trophies.  Djamel Belmadi’s men are one of the top four teams from the QNB Stars League – along with Al Sadd, Al Rayyan and Al Gharafa – which received a bye to the quarter-final stage of the competition. First up for Duhail, as they bid for a historic treble is Umm Salal, with the quarter-final tie to be held today at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium at 8pm.  The last two times these two sides met, Duhail thrashed Umm Salal 4-1 and 5-0 and it’s no surprise who will go into the match as overwhelming favourites.  But a Cup match can always spring a surprise. If Umm Salal can grit out in regulation time and keep Duhail’s goal scorers at bay, then with no extra time to be played, anything is possible in penalty shootout. But to get past Belmadi’s boys, who went unbeaten to clinch the league title and came back from a goal down to beat Al Sadd in the Qatar Cup final last week, Umm Salal players will have to play match of their lives. Belmadi is just not ready to rest on his laurels and is eager to win the Amir’s Cup and AFC Champions League, where they have reached last 16 as group toppers.  “I’m happy to win these two tournaments — the QNB Stars League and the Qatar Cup — with Al Duhail. But the season isn’t over yet. We’ve the Amir’s Cup and Champions League remaining,” said Belmadi  “We’ve been working hard, preparing in earnest and doing our best. I’m happy to be coaching this set of players. The most important factor is result. I’m here to win trophies. The club is improving and the players are performing well. We’ve had a wonderful season, but we can definitely win more titles,” added the Algerian. With the line-up consisting of South Korean playmaker Nam Tae-Hee, Qatar internationals Almoez Ali and Karim Boudiaf and Moroccan striker Youssef El Arabi, who emerged as the QNB Stars League’s top scorer with 26 goals, Belmadi can dream of lifting the Amir Cup at the Khalifa Stadium on May 19. Duhail though will continue to miss the services of Tunisian star midfielder Youssef Msakni, who sustained a knee injury during their last league match against Al Sailiya and is ruled out for the rest of the season. Despite a plethora of quality in his side, Belmadi was wary of Umm Salal and said the prestigious Amir Cup can bring out the best in any team. “We have to forget what has happened so far. We were suffering from fatigue after a difficult Qatar Cup final against Al Sadd. But it’s a new tournament and we have to be on top of our game. The schedule is a bit hectic but in any case we must be ready,” he said yesterday.  “We respect Umm Salal and respect all out opponents. Our goal is to win the title and qualify for the final at the Khalifa stadium,” he added. Meanwhile, Umm Salal, who finished an impressive fifth place in the QNB Stars League, had a bye to the third round. They outplayed Al Kharaitiyat 5-0 to advance into the quarter-finals of the Amir Cup. But against Duhail, they won’t find it that easy.  Umm Salal’s Moroccan coach Talal El Karkouri conceded it will be a very difficult game for his side and was hoping to exploit any weakness in Duhail. The Moroccan said Umm Salal will go into the game in a positive mode and fighting spirit.  “We respect Duhail, who have had a great season so far. It won’t be easy to stop them. But any team in team in the world has strengths and weaknesses. We have to exploit their weaknesses and play to our strength,” he said. “Duhail has players who are able to pass the ball efficiently. They play with a good system both when they are in possession of the ball and also when they don’t have the ball,” added Karkouri. Umm Salal defender Khalid al-Zekiba said: “The match will not be easy and we will fight to win. It is true that Al Duhail are a top team, but there is no team in the world that cannot be defeated.”

Nasser al-Ghazali clinched the Big Tour overall title in style by winning the feature event of the 12th and final leg of the Hathab Series yesterday. At Al Shaqab’s indoor arena, al-Ghazali piloted the 15-year-old gelding Quel Homme to victory, which earned the Qatari rider the overall title of the inaugural national equestrian tour. It was a close affair as Hamad Nasser al-Qadi threw his hat in the ring but he finished second on the night with St. Lucia, three points behind al-Ghazali. A victory yesterday in the final leg of the Big Tour class fetched 30 points. In a thrilling finale, both al-Ghazali and al-Qadi needed a victory to walk away with the overall title. And it was al-Ghazali who held his nerves to emerge triumphant and finish with 177 points to al-Qadi’s 174. Rashid Towaim al-Marri, who finished sixth yesterday, with 12-year-old mare Beyonce, was third overall with 171 points. Even a second-place finish would have given al-Marri the title. In the final event, Cyrine Cherif took the third spot with Gerlin Vd Waterkant.  The Medium Tour overall title was won by Saeed Nasser al-Qadi, despite the rider not taking part in the final leg of the series. Saeed tallied 187 points and had already wrapped up the title in 10th leg. The final leg of the Medium Tour was won by Ahmed Mohamed al-Badi, who guided Wadi Rum D D H to fastest time. Jaber Rashid al-Amri (Jazly) came second, while Sheikh Abdulla Bin Nasser al-Thani (Dollar Van De Zuuthoeve) was third. In the Small Tour class, Ghanim Nasser al-Qadi finished second yesterday but it was enough for the rider to seal the overall title. Ghanim and his trusted horse Daydreamer EC came clear in 29.61secs in jump-off. Mohamed al-Ghazali came second Ghanim overall but was victorious in the final leg, as he led Michael Jackson to fastest time jump-off in 28.04secs. Mohamed Nasser al-Qadi was third with Vlacido. Meanwhile, Hamad Bin Abdulrahman al-Attiyah, Chairman of the Asian and Qatari Equestrian Federation, was pleased with the success of the inaugural Hathab series. He pointed out that the 12-leg championship had achieved its goal and will be developed for the better next year. “I want to thank everyone who has contributed to the success of the Hathab series,” al-Attiyah said. On the increase of the prize money – which was QR1mn this year – al-attiyah said: “All aspects of the championship will be studied further and we will decide on the prize money in due course. We are keen that the series goes further in popularity and will take steps to ensure that.” Results Big Tour, Table A, Two rounds with jump off (2n Rounds), Art. 273.3.4.1+ 4.4+2.2, 130/140 cm, Prize Money QAR 60,000 1. Nasser al-Ghazali. Horse: Quel Homme. Time: 76.13secs. Prize money: QR16,800 2. Hamad Nasser al-Qadi. St. Lucia. 72.71secs. QR13,500 3. Cyrine Cherif. Gerlin Vd Waterkant. 78.63secs. QR10,500 Comp. (12) Medium Tour, Table A, Two rounds with jump off (2nd Round), Art. 273.3.4.1+ 4.4+2.2, 120/130 cm, Prize Money:QR40,000 1. Ahmed Mohamed al-Badi. Horse: Wadi Rum D D H. Time: 74.90secs. Jump off: 36.44secs. Prize money: QR11,000 2. Jaber Rashid al-Amri. Jazly. 72.54secs. Jump off: 41.95secs. QR9,000 3. Sheikh Abdulla Bin Nasser al-Thani. Dollar Van De Zuuthoeve. 69.34secs. QR7,000 Small Tour, Table A, Two rounds with jump off (2nd Rond), Art. 273.3.4.1+ 4.4+2.2, 100/115 cm, Prize Money QAR 25,000 1. Mohammed al-Ghazali. Horse: Michael Jackson. Time: 55.84secs. Jump off: 28.04secs. Prize money: QR6,250 2. Ghanim Nasser al-Qadi. Daydreamer EC. 53.39secs. jump off: 29.61secs.  QR5,000 3. Mohamed Nasser al-Qadi. Vlacido. 53.60secs. QAR 3,750.00 Dressage Level 1 - Test C, Prize Money: QR10,000 1 Ali Mohamed al-Marri. Fernhill Friendly Touch. Score: 67.500. Prize money: QR2,800 2. Jessica Waldon. Lusso Del Castegno. 66.071. QR2,300 3. Saeed Hamad al-Rashdi. Graffiti de Lully CH. 65.000. QR1,750 Dressage Level 2 - Test C, Prize Money: QR5,000 1. Mennatallah Hesham Mourad. Horse: Quick Dance. Score: 67.500. Prize money: QR1,400 2.  Maryam Ahmed Alsemaitt. Jana. 63.750. QR1,150 3. Aisha Ahmed al-Ahmadi. Juste D’adaelle. 61.667. QR875

The Medium Tour podium winners pose with the officials. Salmeen Sultan al-Suwaidi was once again the rider to beat as the Qatari topped the Big Tour class on the opening day of the 12th and the final leg of the Hathab national equestrian series. At the indoor arena of Al Shaqab yesterday, the 23-year-old Salmeen astride Guilder’s Empire of the Sun posted the fastest time of 57.52 seconds to emerge triumphant.  Salmeen had also stormed to wins in two categories in the 11th and penultimate round of the Hathab held at Souq Waqif fortnight ago. He and Guilder’s Empire of the Sun was once again in their elements yesterday. They combined to a flawless and faultless routine in Table A, One round against the clock (130/140cm) 238.2.1 class event, which earned the rider QR8,250 in prize money. Salmeen, who also competes for Qatar internationally, has missed out on seven legs of Hathab but has dominant in the five including this round. Given his excellent show, he could well be among the top overall finishers tomorrow, when the winners will be declared as the six month long Hathab series come to an end.  Hamad Nasser al-Qadi on S I E C Lonnie was second with a time of 61.19secs. He was followed by Nasser al-Ghazali on Quel Homme in third in a time of 63.73secs.  In the Medium Tour, Mohamed Said Haidan riding mare Applebee took the top spot. The winning time was 62.87secs. The second place went to Mohamed Sultan al-Suwaidi on Numero Uno-T came in 65.63secs while Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser al-Thani astride Dollar Van De Zuuthoeve finished third in 69.50secs. The Small Tour was dominated by Abdulla Rashid al-Amri, who won the One round against the clock (100/115cm) 238.2.1 class event on his mount Cinderella B clocking 50.47secs. Mohammed al-Ghazali on Casanova SCH was second (50.65secs) and Ghanim Nasser al-Qadi third on Daydreamer EC (51.15secs). The final round of Hathab is a three-day competition and will continue till tomorrow.  The best seven results out of the total twelve will be taken into account and accordingly the winners will be announced for each and every category. Hathab, meaning “Canter” in Arabic, is an initiative of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee. The Qatar Equestrian Federation (QEF) and Al Shaqab equestrian centre forged a new alliance to conduct the Hathab series which carries a total prize-money of QR1 million and began in October 2017. Results Big Tour, Table A, One round against the clock , Art. 238.2.1, 130/140 cm, Prize Money: QR 30,000 1. Salmeen Sultan al-Suwaidi. Horse: Guilder’s Empire Of The Sun. Time: 57.52secs. Prize money: QR8,250  2. Hamad Nasser al-Qadi. S I E C Lonnie. 61.19secs. QR6,000  3. Nasser al-Ghazali. Quel Homme. 63.73secs. QR4,500  Medium Tour, Table A, One round against the clock, Art. 238.2.1, 120/130 cm, Prize Money: QR20,000 1. Mohamed Said Haidan. Horse: Apple Bee. Time: 62.87secs. Prize money: QR5,000  2. Mohamed Sultan al-Suwaidi. Numero Uno – T. 65.63secs. QR4,000  3. Shiekh Abdulla bin Nasser al-Thani. Dollar Van De Zuuthoeve.  69.50secs. QR3,000  Small Tour, Table A, One round against the clock , Art. 238.2.1, 100/115 cm, Prize Money: QR10,000 1. Abdulla Rashid al-Amri. Horse: Cinderella B. Time: 50.47secs. Prize money: QR2,500  2. Mohammed al-Ghazali. Casanova SCH. 50.65secs. QR2,000  3. Ghanim Nasser al-Qadi. Daydreamer EC. 51.15secs. QR1,500

Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah is the overwhelming favourite for the Manateq Qatar Cross-Country Rally championship, which will begin today, with the Qatari ace driver aiming to close the gap on his rivals for the overall championship title race. Having decided to skip the two rounds of this year’s series in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in March, al-Attiyah lost crucial points and is lagging behind for the World Cup title. In his absence, Czech driver Martin Prokop and Poland’s Jakub Przygonski seized the advantage. Prokop, driving a Ford F-150 Evo, currently leads his X-raid MINI rival Przygonski by nine points heading into their Qatar showdown. Al-Attiyah is 63 points adrift of the series leader. But the Qatari icon said he does not regret skipping the two rounds of the series in the UAE and is confident of taking full 60 points on offer this week and bounce back into contention. “I was not interested in competing in Dubai and Abu Dhabi because of what is happening to my country. I prefer to start here in Qatar. We won the first round of the World Cup, this will be the fourth round of the championship. I am happy. I believe in myself and I will do my best to win the race and come back into the championship race,” he said yesterday, on the sidelines of the Ceremonial Start in Katara.   Home advantage will certainly be on al-Attiyah side, with him having won all but one of the six Qatar Cross-Country Rallies that have run since it joined the FIA World Cup calendar in 2012. The last four victories have been earned with French co-driver Matthieu Baumel and the duo is the clear favourites to give the two-time Dakar Rally winner a sixth victory on home sand. “Of course I have the home advantage,” said al-Attiyah with a beaming smile.  “Everyone knows I have a good experience. We have a good car – the V8-engined Toyota Hilux and we will prepare well for the race. We need to be clever to take 60 points. It’s a big challenge every year, with top drivers coming for the championship. It will not be easy. I am focused on this race because it’s a very important one and it’s our aim to win. It will not be easy but I believe in myself that I can win. I have a lot of experience in this kind of races,” he added.     The FIA-sanctioned event will be supported by several riders in an FIM cross-country rally and a strong line-up of Middle East competitors taking part in the Manateq Qatar Baja. The strong line-up also features Russia’s Vladimir Vasilyev, who has been consistent this season and scored some useful points in the UAE. The MINI One driver is third in the rankings – 24 points behind Prokop. Saudi Arabia’s Yasir Seaidan and 2009 Dakar winner Giniel de Villiers of South Africa are the other contenders. Meanwhile, Qatar’s Adel Abdulla will be looking to take the lead in the FIA T2 Championship for series production cross-country vehicles. Abdulla is currently six points behind Saudi Arabia’s Ahmed Shegawi. The Toyota Land Cruiser and Nissan Patrol drivers will continue their dusty duel through the Qatari deserts. Russia’s Yuliya Migunova-Khegay and Romania’s Laurentiu Claudiu Barbu will also be scrapping for points in T2. Abdulla was confident going into the race. “It’s a pleasure to race at home. We did a good job in 2016. We were leading in Qatar for a long time but suffered some technical issues. So we are hoping to win the race this time and take 50 points and lead the championship,” Abdulla said.  Spain’s Jose Luis Pena Campo currently holds a one-point lead over French veteran Claude Fournier in the T3 category and the two Polaris RZR 1000 drivers will renew their rivalry in Qatar. The dusty and rocky deserts are not ideally suited to the lightweight T3 vehicles and the likes of Spaniard Santiago Navarro, Russian Ravil Maginov and Italy’s Michele Cinotto will need to err on the side of caution if they are to reach the finish of each of the demanding desert stages. The Super Special Stage will be held at 4:15pm at the Motocross Track of the Losail International Circuit. Tomorrow the Stage 2 will start at 7:30am, with Stage 3, Stage 4 and Stage 5 to be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Losail Circuit Sports Club Vice-President and GM Khalid al-Remaihi applauds Valentino Rossi, while at right, winner Andrea Dovizioso (C) second-placed Marc Marquez (L) and Rossi celebrate on the podium. Reigning champion Marc Marquez had singled out Andrea Dovizioso as the most dangerous opponent, heading into the opening race of the MotoGP season. The Ducati rider had started from the fifth position to Marquez’s second. But it hardly mattered for the Italian when the lights went out as he edged out Marquez’s Honda by just 0.027seconds to clinch the Grand Prix of Qatar last night. The Losail International Circuit is known to produce close races and once again the crowd were on their feet as Dovizioso and Marquez jostled for victory in the final corner.  In the end, it was Ducati’s superior straight speed and Dovizioso’s tyre management that gave the Italian his ninth MotoGP career victory and first in Qatar. The crowd favourite Valentino Rossi came third on his Yamaha as the nine-time world champion proved he still has it in him – three days after signing a new contract to race until the end of 2020 season, when he will be 41! It was a forgettable night for Tech 3 Yamaha’s Johann Zarco, who followed his record-breaking lap in the qualifying, by finishing a disappointing eighth. Frenchman Zarco knew he had a real fight on his hand, despite starting from the front, with factory riders holding the advantage over him with superior race pace.  And he his did best to thwart the danger of Marquez and Dovizioso, before being pushed to third. Dovizioso and Marquez finally made their moves during lap 18 of 22, both passing Zarco at Turn 1 and quickly leaving the Frenchman behind to engage in their own private duel for victory. Rossi, too, passed Zarco on the same lap as Dovizioso and Marquez but couldn’t keep up the pace in the closing laps. It was an enthralling final five laps though as the Dovizioso and Marquez continued their battles from last year in Austria and Japan. Both times Dovizioso had managed to beat Marquez on the last lap. And he did it again on the night, but not without some drama. With Marquez attempting a pass at the final corner on the last lap, Dovizioso managed to edge back ahead exiting the turn, getting superior traction and out-dragging Marquez to the finish line by a tiny margin of 0.027secs. Dovizioso said the pressure was on him going into the race, admitting there was an ‘obligation’ for him to win in Qatar. “I did three second positions (in previous years in Qatar), so before I came here it was like an obligation to win here,” he said. “The bike worked very well so it was easier than in the past. Our front tyre worked very well, our bike and my riding style worked really good for the tyre. But the rear was very soft, softer than the softest last year. That’s why we didn’t push for three-quarters of the race; that’s why when (Johann) Zarco was in front, nobody pushed,” he added. Marquez said the second-place finish was like a victory for him and Honda, having in the past struggled at the Losail circuit. And Dovizioso couldn’t agree more with the Spaniard, admitting Marquez had a better bike than last year.  “That is the bad part of the race, because it confirms Honda has improved the bike and Marc is there to give a good fight,” Dovizioso said. For Marquez, it was the best he could do and was clearly outdone by Ducati’s straight speed. But it also showed the 22-year-old Spaniard will one of the strong favourites for the world title.    “I tried to push my 100 percent. I knew before the race here, maybe it is one of the most difficult tracks for me. But even then I tried and when Dovi was pushing, I went to the limit,” Marquez said. “It was close in the last corner and I thought Dovi would overtake me before the finish line with the slipstream, which he did. But I am very happy because podium here was the main target. I have finished second and we lost only five points - really happy,” he added. Rossi, who won one race in 2017 and finished fifth overall despite breaking his leg at the end of August, had a good race compared to his Spanish teammate Maverick Vinales. Last year’s winner here in Qatar, Vinales finished sixth this time. Rossi was happy with the podium and said the Yamaha was in good shape this year but he added they needed to do more to beat Ducati and Honda. “I expect more compared to last year, because with this year’s bike I feel good,” said Rossi, who also finished third in Qatar in 2017. “I know that Marquez and Dovizioso are faster at the moment, they have a little bit more, so when Dovi went in front I tried to give 120 percent to stay with them. Thanks to my team, thanks to Yamaha and we try to continue this It’s a very good way to start the season.” Meanwhile, Cal Crutchlow was fourth on the LCR Honda, ahead of Danilo Petrucci’s Pramac Ducati. There was heartbreak for Suzuki as Alex Rins, who was in for a podium finish in the first half of the race but crashed out at turn two on lap 13. His teammate Andrea Iannone picked up points for the Japanese manufacturer in ninth place, while Jack Miller rounded out the top ten on his Pramac Ducati debut. Results MotoGP 1. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati) 42:34.654, 2. Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) at 0.027, 3. Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha) 0.797, 4. Cal Crutchlow (GBR/LCR Honda) 2.881, 5. Danilo Petrucci (ITA/Ducati Pramac) 3.821, 6. Maverick Vinales (ESP/Yamaha) 3.888, 7. Dani Pedrosa (ESP/Honda) 4.621, 8. Johann Zarco (FRA/Yamaha Tech3) 7.112, 9. Andrea Iannone (ITA/Suzuki) 12.957, 10. Jack Miller (AUS/Ducati Pramac) 14.594  Moto2 1. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA/Kalex) 40:19.802, 2. Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA/Kalex) at 0.12, 3. Alex Marquez (ESP/Kalex) 5.625  Moto3 1. Jorge Martin (ESP/Honda) 38:18.207, 2. Aron Canet (ESP/Honda) at 0.023, 3. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (ITA/Honda) 6.746

Having taken a tumble during the final practice session, Johann Zarco threw caution to the wind in qualifying as the Frenchman grabbed pole position in stunning fashion for today’s Grand Prix of Qatar. At the Losail International Circuit last evening, the Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider set the track on fire as he smashed Jorge Lorenzo’s ten-year-old lap record. Zarco showed why he his highly-rated as the 25-year-old produced best lap time of 1:53.680 seconds. The eye-catching lap beat the previous record of Lorenzo set in 2008 by 0.247s. It was his third premier class pole by 0.202s ahead of reigning champion Marc Marquez’s Honda. Danilo Petrucci set a lap just 0.005s slower than Marquez to take the final spot on the front row and end up the best of the Ducati runners on his Pramac-run GP18. Zarco later said the crash in practice was not on his mind as he went for broke in the qualifying 2. “I am pretty happy, it’s the best way to start the season,” said Zarco. “I had a crash on FP4 but I didn’t have any doubts over that crash. It’s not funny to be down before qualifying. But then I knew that with a new tyre and light bike I was feeling good. Since this morning, I got back my feeling that I had during the test. And to beat the lap record, that makes me really happy,” he added. The 2015 Moto2 champion admitted, despite being on front, a victory under lights was not a guarantee. But starting from pole position would give him a best chance to stand on top of the podium. “Tomorrow is the main thing. I will try to win, try to be on the podium. It looks the pace is not the best one, but at least to start from pole is the best chance to catch a good result,” Zarco said. Marquez was quickest on the first runs and led on a 1m54.368s, but was then knocked off the top spot by Andrea Dovizioso, who set a 1m54.074s on his Ducati. Dovizioso impressed the most in the practice session and looked good for pole heading into the final stages. But the Italian was shunted down to fifth in the final order amid a late flurry of improvements led by Zarco and Marquez. “I am happy because normally in Qatar I have struggled quite a lot. My target was to try and be on the front row. I feel like I am on pole position,” said Marquez. “Johann was riding amazing, I follow him, he was one step in front of us. But anyway tomorrow the race is long, many laps, time to be constant and try to manage,” the 22-year-old Spaniard added. LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow too got the better of Dovizioso for fourth place. Alex Rins completed the second row on the best of the Suzukis behind Dovizioso, ahead of Dani Pedrosa’s Honda and Valentino Rossi, who was 0.709s off the pace on the quicker of the two works Yamahas. Meanwhile, Marc VDS’ Alex Marquez claimed the pole in Moto2 ahead of Pons rider Lorenzo Baldassarri. In Moto3, SIC58 Squadra Corse rider Nico Antonelli will start from the front after setting a fastest lap by just a thousandth of a second.

In what is undoubtedly a huge step towards unearthing motorsport talent in Qatar, Losail Circuit Sports Club (LCSC) yesterday announced the launch of the Qatar Motorsport Academy. At a press conference on the sidelines of the MotoGP Grand Prix of Qatar at the Losail International Circuit, LCSC Vice President and General Manager Khalid al-Remaihi said the academy will come into effect from October 2018.  For its ambitious project, LCSC has tied up with Dorna Sports, the commercial rights holder for the MotoGP, and Qatar’s Aspire Academy. The announcement was made in the presence of Minister of Culture and Sports of Qatar HE Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali, Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, General Director Aspire Academy Ivan Bravo, QMMF President Abdulrahman al-Mannai and Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) President Vito Ippolito. Al-Remaihi said the aim of the Qatar Motorsport Academy was to create a platform for younger talents in the age bracket of 6 to 14 and nurture them into future MotoGP riders. “The Qatar Motorsport Academy will more or less be the platform for youngsters to get into the sport. We want to accept 6 to 14-year-old kids into the academy, which includes locals, people of different nationalities living in Qatar and also those who are living around us in the region,” said al-Remaihi yesterday. “We want to capitalise on the opportunities we have in Qatar, like in the winter season where we can practice the sport here. At the same time in Europe and other parts of the world it’s the off season. With the help of Aspire and Dorna we can provide that service even for people in Europe,” he added. The LCSC Vice President said one of the major objectives of the club was to create an environment for the existing motorcycling enthusiast in the country and in the Gulf. “Since the establishment of the Club in early 2016, we had three major objectives. One to promote the sport to get the community in Qatar involved in the sport, and the second was to make full use of the facilities. I am happy to say that we have achieved those goals. An example of that is 81% utilisation of the facilities, which shows how much we have increased the events and quality of the events and how we have attracted people come to come to the circuit,” said al-Remaihi “Now when it comes to promoting the sport, we understood that we needed to create an environment for the existing enthusiast, people who like the sport already. Those who come enjoy the championship and atmosphere in the events as that would help in creating the culture in the country for the sport. We also understood that we need to create a platform to nurture younger talent and we were working on the possibilities we have,” he added. On LCSC’s tie up with Dorna Sports and Qatar’s Aspire Academy, al-Remaihi hailed them as the best possible partners in reaching academy’s goals. “What we found out is we need to have an alliance with right partners. This is why Losail Club has tied up with Dorna Sports, who with their vast experience and knowhow of the motorcycling racing will create programmes for younger generations that will be their stepping stone into MotoGP. And also Aspire Academy is an icon in sports training, education and excellence in sport. To have that kind of support in Qatar is a great value to us,” al-Remaihi said. “Specific to Dorna’s and Aspire’s involvement from a collective point of view, it’s a platform for growth of MotoGP. Our friends in Dorna have a great record and we believe in their great capabilities and support to reach our goal. And with the help of Aspire they will cater to the special talents selected. It’s an opportunity for us achieve our maximum potential. Our target is to launch this programme in October 2018, which is the beginning of our season. From now on until that point of time, we will fully mobilise all our collective resources to be able to deliver our programme. We hope people will see the fruits of our collaboration,” he noted. The LCSC General Manager also thanked QMMF and its’ President Abdulrahman al-Mannai for the support. “We do not want forget the cooperation of local federation QMMF and Abdulrahman al-Mannai and his team, which is essential for what we want to achieve. Hopefully in near future, we will get to see Qatari rider or someone living in Qatar or someone from the region in the MotoGP class,” he said. Carmelo Ezpeleta, the Dorna CEO said the Qatar Motorsport Academy is very important to the future of sport and was excited to collaborate with LCSC. “Qatar was the first country to conduct floodlight race, which was necessary for MotoGP. They have conducted the MotoGP races successfully over the last 15 years and have been pioneers for the sport in general. Through this academy, it’s a continuity of our association with them. It’s a social responsibility for us to teach the sport to newer and enthusiastic audience. That’s what we intend to do with our tie-up with LCSC and Qatar Motorsport Academy. For us at Dorna its very exciting project. One of the main aims is to give opportunities to people, who have never raced before. The Qatar Motorsport Academy is very important to the future of the sport and we are excited to collaborate with LCSC,” Ezpeleta said.

Valentino Rossi put to bed rumours of his retirement yesterday, after the Italian MotoGP legend announced that he has agreed a new two-year contract with Movistar Yamaha. With his existing contract due to expire at the end of this season, the new deal means Rossi will continue racing in MotoGP until the end of 2020 season, by which the nine-time World champion will be 41!  That will make him the first MotoGP rider to race into his 40s since Colin Edwards in 2014. But such is the desire and motivation of Rossi that he refuses to call it a day on his illustrious career.  At 39 years of age, Rossi is the oldest man on the grid but is also one of the fittest and most experienced. Having himself been a brand and carried MotoGP’s popularity’s to new heights over the years, his age wasn’t much of an issue for Japanese manufacturer Yamaha, as Rossi remains the highest paid rider in the grid. Ahead of the opening race of the 2018 season – the Grand Prix of Qatar – Rossi understandably hogged the limelight. On Sunday at the Losail International Circuit, Rossi will begin his mission for a 10th world title, having last won the title back in 2009. And the Italian is keen to extend his glorious career. “I am happy because two years ago when I signed the last contract, I thought maybe it is the last one,” Rossi said yesterday. “In my mind I was always very clear that I wanted to try to continue. And the challenge is very high because to stay at the top level and to stay competitive is always more difficult. But I think I have enough strength and enough motivation,” he added. During the pre-season testing, there were rumours flying around that Honda’s reigning champion Marc Marquez could take Rossi’s position at Yamaha. But Marquez signed a two-year contract extension with Honda, as it became clear Rossi was going to stay at Yamaha. Rossi joined the factory Yamaha team in 2004 after winning three-straight titles on Honda machinery in the premier class. He won that championship, and followed it up with titles in 2005, 2008 and 2009. Rossi spent two sour years with Ducati Team in 2011 and 2012 before returning with Yamaha in 2013. Rossi is Yamaha’s most successful winner in GP history with 56 wins, 43 runner-up and 35 third-place finishes. He has raced 206 GPs with Yamaha, and claimed 11 percent of Yamaha’s 500 GP victories. The Italian said he didn’t wanted to make the same mistake as Michael Schumacher, who quit Formula 1 at the end of 2006 only to return in 2010, as well as his old MotoGP rival Max Biaggi and World Superbike legend Troy Bayliss. “I saw a lot of great riders and also drivers stop at the maximum of their career, like Schumacher, also Biaggi or Troy Bayliss,” said Rossi. “Schumacher and Bayliss came back on the track (after retiring). So I decided I will race to the end. I don’t want to think in the future, ‘maybe I can do another two seasons’. It can be a risk (that I become less competitive), yes. But if I follow this (logic), I would have stopped already six, seven or eight years ago,” he reasoned.  Rossi believes other riders could follow in his footsteps if they remain sufficiently healthy and motivated. “I think that I’m maybe one of the first that tries (to race into his 40s),” said Rossi. “I think also all the other riders that are here are able to keep the top level until (they are) 40. Physically, if you are strong, you can [continue]. It depends on your motivation, on your life. If you like to continue, I think everyone can do.” Rossi said he was eager to use the winter tests to understand both his level of performance and his YZR-M1 pace before deciding on a new contract. “At the end of last season I spoke with Yamaha and said I would decide during the winter tests. If I was able to survive the winter tests I could sign. At the end of the winter tests it was quite good. I like the bike as I feel comfortable and feel quite fast.” Rossi did acknowledge though that Yamaha have a lot of work to do, if they are to fight for race wins. “The whole package is very important. I think we have some areas where we have to work because sometimes in some tracks and particular conditions we are still suffering a bit. It is about getting everything to work together, the engine, the chassis and the electronics which is very important,” he added. What other riders say about Rossi Marc Marquez, Honda’s reigning champion: “It is impressive the way he finds the motivation as he knows MotoGP is now really demanding and he knows he needs to be at the top level. It is impressive because it is not plus two years it is three years as we have the current season in front. “Congratulations to him and I am happy to have him here for two more years because you are racing against a legend of MotoGP so we will try to learn more things about him. Andrea Dovizioso of Ducati: “Like Marc said it is impressive but I am not surprised about that because if you know a little bit about Vale it is not surprising. I already knew this before he said it today because he is fast and he will never stop as long as he is fast like this. So you never know when he will stop.” Johann Zarco, Tech3 Yamaha rider “I think we must say thank you to him for the newcomers and new guys like me it makes our dreams come true because it is fantastic. If he had to stop before we can go to MotoGP it wouldn’t mean the dream to follow Valentino but we have this opportunity so thank you to him for continuing.”

Salmeen Sultan al-Suwaidi couldn’t have chosen a bigger stage to announce himself, as the Qatari rider emerged triumphant in HH The Emir’s Sword Equestrian championship yesterday. The 23-year-old stole the thunder at the Qatar Equestrian Federation’s outdoor arena as he guided his veteran grey gelding Cantaro 32 to victory in the Big Tour class. Al-Suwaidi was thrilled to receive the Emir’s Sword from His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. “It’s a pleasure for anyone to shake Emir’s hand and receive the sword from Emir. It’s such an honour,” the young rider said. Al-Suwaidi and Cantaro 32 proved to be a formidable combination as they galloped the long course and jumped clear with a faultless round, stopping the clock at an impressive 78.16secs. Unlike in the previous years, when a rider would win the championship if he did well on a particular day, this time the riders had to perform consistently over the three days of the championship. And al-Suwaidi walked away with the honour and QR68,750 in prize money after tallying highest points on the back of his impressive show yesterday. “I held up my points since first day. It was three days of jumping. I made sure that I had very good time on the first day because it would help me on the last day if I jump clean then I can win title,” he said. Al-Suwaidi paid credit to his horse Cantaro 32 for the victory. “It’s my first Emir Sword win. It was a big challenge as there were strong competitors. I have an 18-year-old horse, which refuses to give up and pushed hard to today. I have been riding Cantaro 32 now for two and half years. Today, I was under pressure but it ended nicely. So I am very happy,” he said. Qatari Olympic rider Hamad Ali al-Attiyah and his 11-year-old gelding Clinton finished second, while Salman Mohammed al-Emadi and Zorro Z took third spot. “I was bit unlucky on the first day. But thank God I was fifth and held my ground in key rounds and today I finished second. I am very happy. Salmeen is a very good rider with a really good horse. Both of them deserve it, as they worked hard so hard the whole season to achieve this victory,” al-Attiyah said. “This is my best result in Emir Sword. Every year I have come here with my second horse, this year I had a good horse. We were not ready for the show but we did what we can and we ended up second. We could have won but it was my mistake that cost us and not my horse’s fault,” he added. Meanwhile, Khalid Mohammed al-Emadi won the Medium Tour class with his 10-year-old gelding Fiji. Al-Emadi was richer by QR41,250 after his victory. Sheikh Abdulla bin Nasser al-Thani (Dollar Van Ze Zuuthoeve) was second, while Cyrine Cherif (Gerlin VD Waterkant) came third. The Small Tour title went to Mohammed al-Ghazali, who rode Michael Jackson to victory and clinch QR25,000 in prize money. Saeed Hamad al-Rashdi (Graffiti De Lully CH) finished second, while Mohammed Nasser al-Qadi (Vlacido) third. In the dressage events, Hassan al-Nuaimi (Leslie Ann 2) won the Level 1 event, followed by Saeed hamad al-Rashdi (Graffiti De Lully CH) in second and Amna Ahmad al-Saffar (Rhythm) in third. The Dressage Level 2 top spot went to Mennatallah Hesham Mourad (Quick Dance). Aisha Ahmed al-Ahmadi (Wait And See Ze) took runner-up spot, while Maha Matar al-Kuwari (Fokke Van Orshof D’17) completed the podium. Meanwhile, Hamad bin Abdulrahman al-Attiyah, President of the Qatar and Asian Equestrian Federation, hailed the HH The Emir’s Sword Festival. Al-Attiyah said: “The Emir’s Sword Festival has achieved outstanding success. We are proud to contribute to the success of the two federations – Qatar Equestrian Federation and Qatar Racing Club,” he said.  “I also want congratulate the Salmeen Sultan al-Suwaidi for winning the championships and winning the precious sword.  I want to congratulate other Qatari riders too who competed for the podium,” he added.

After a terrifying knife attack in December 2016 that seriously injured her left hand, not many gave Petra Kvitova a chance to play tennis again. They didn’t know, however, that the Czech is a tough character, with steely determination instilled in her by her father from a very young age. Last night at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, Kvitova displayed her never-say-die attitude in abundance as she continued her remarkable turnaround by clinching her maiden Qatar Total Open title.  With her back against the wall for second night in succession, No. 16 seed Kvitova came back from a set down to outlast fourth seed Garbine Muguruza 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the title clash. It was Kvitova’s 13th straight win, having come to Doha with victory in St. Petersburg followed by Fed Cup wins. It also rocketed the two-time Wimbledon champion back into top-10 for the first time since June 2016, having started the year at No. 29. She also beat three top five players in six matches that she played in Doha. “It feels great. It’s a beautiful trophy. It took a while to win it, for sure definitely,” said Kvitova after taking home $591,750 in prize money.  “Today it was a big fight. Coming back from one set down was very difficult. I spent two and something (hours) on the court again. So I don’t know how I did it. But it’s worth it,” the Czech added, while grinning ear to ear with trophy by her side. The triumph is even more extraordinary as Kvitova is still suffering from nerve damage to her playing hand and cannot entirely clench her fist or feel two of her fingers.  “I couldn’t really dream about it one year ago when I was in a totally different position, trying to come back and play. I couldn’t really wish for more. I played great tennis, St. Petersburg and here as well. So that means a lot to me,” Kvitova said. “It feels great to be in top 10. I think that it feels much better right now because top 10 is the number. Of course, it’s such a great achievement to be back there. But I never really was thinking about the numbers, but about the game and kind of results, which I have it now. So it’s a nice bonus,” she added. The road to her 22nd career title in Doha wasn’t easy for the 27-year-old, which is why Kvitova would treasure the Golden Falcon trophy more. Coming into the final, Kvitova had spent 8 hours and 22 minutes on court, including 2 hours and 35 minutes on Saturday night to beat No.1 Caroline Wozniacki in the semi-finals.  Muguruza, on the other hand, spent half of that time and was also lucky to get a free pass into the final, after Simona Halep pulled out from the semi-final with a foot injury.  The effects of that long semi-final showed last night, at least in the first set, as Kvitova found herself 0-5 down in no time. The Czech struggled with her serves and committed 15 unforced errors as Muguruza capitalised to pocket the first set, despite being broken while serving for the set at 5-1.  The match looked like it would not last an hour before Kvitova found her range in the second set. Her resilience came through, too, as she saved a break point in the fifth game with a stunning backhand slice to go 3-2 up. It soon became 4-2 to Kvitova as she converted her third break point from Muguruza’s serve. Going for a decisive lead, Kvitova was once again in trouble as Muguruza earned a break point only to see the Czech turn it around with a stunning backhand crosscourt winner to make it 5-2 . She then served out the set in the first opportunity. With her serve improving as the match went on, Kvitova was holding all the aces in the deciding set. Playing her third three-setter of the tournament, mentally too she seemed more prepared than Muguruza. After saving two break points to make it level at 2-2, Kvitova took a giant step towards the title by breaking Muguruza in the fifth game for a 3-2 lead. Any hopes of a comeback also disappeared for the 2016 French Open champion Muguruza, with the Spaniard twisting her knee while going for a deep shot and had to call for a trainer.  With a bandaged left knee, she held her serve in the ninth game but Kvitova sealed the title on her second championship point as a Muguruza backhand found the net. Muguruza, who will climb one place to third in the rankings paid tribute to her opponent.  “I think she (Kvitova) has great shots, so she puts you in difficulties very soon in the point. She has a good serve. She has a very good first, second shot, so it’s always tricky to find your game or your rhythm,” she said. The Spaniard also rued her missed opportunities, when she could not convert five break points on offer in the second set. “I think in the first set she wasn’t maybe playing her best. I think she made a lot of unforced errors right away, so it gave me a lot of advantage. In the second set it was more what I was expecting, a tough match. And in the third it was just a little bit more equal. I think I had a lot of break points, and I didn’t convert them. I think also because she came out with all those winners. I think if I would have get one of those break points, it would be different,” she said. Dabrowski and Ostapenko clinch doubles title in Doha Gabriela Dabrowski and Jelena Ostapenko won their maiden doubles title as a pair after defeating No.8 seeds Andreja Klepac and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-3, 6-3 in the final to clinch the Qatar Total Open.  Playing just their fourth tournament together, the unseeded duo Dabrowski and Ostapenko beat seeded pairs en route to winning the title in Doha. For Dabrowski, it marked her seventh career doubles title and second of the year following Sydney, alongside Xu Yifan. The Canadian had also won the Australian Open mixed doubles crown with Mate Pavic and the Roland Garros mixed doubles title with Rohan Bopanna.  Latvia’s Ostapenko, meanwhile, maintained an unbeaten record in doubles finals to claim her third title with as many partners, following St. Petersburg and Stuttgart last year with Alicja Rosolska and Raquel Atawo respectively. Yesterday at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash complex, Dabrowski and Ostapenko were on top of their game against long-time doubles specialists Klepac of Slovakia and Martinez Sanchez of Spain. The duo saved a break point in the opening game, but did not face another for the remainder of the set. Martinez Sanchez was broken in the fifth game, as Ostapenko served out the first set. The second set followed a similar pattern as Dabrowski and Ostapenko once again broke Martinez Sanchez to seal the title.

Petra Kvitova’s game plan of aggressive tennis against Caroline Wozniacki almost backfired on the night. But that’s the way the Czech plays, and despite a bunch of unforced errors while losing the first set, she never ditched her strategy. And that, ultimately brought her dividends at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex yesterday. After losing the first set, the former two-time Wimbledon champion hit some exceptional forehand winners to outgun top seed Wozniacki 3-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5 and seal her place in today’s Qatar Total Open final against Garbine Muguruza. Spain’s Muguruza did not take the court yesterday after her semi-final opponent, No. 2 seed Simona Halep pulled out of the tournament citing a foot injury after winning her quarter-final match on Friday. While Muguruza enjoyed her day off in the hotel, she could well have watched the only semi-final played yesterday, which lasted for two hours and 35 minutes and swung like a pendulum. Australian Open champion Wozniacki had things under control when she won the first set and served for the match not once but twice in the second. But both times 16th seed Kvitova emerged from the deep hole with some stunning forehand winners. In the first set, Kvitova was all over the place as she belted eight winners but also committed double the unforced errors. And Wozniacki, who had five winners and as many unforced errors, took advantage of Kvitova’s scrappy game. Wozniacki took the first break of the match at 4-2, but was broken right back by Kvitova. The Dane, however, reeled off the next two games to take the opening set. In the second set, Wozniacki continued to stand like a wall as errors flew from Kvitova’s racquet as she raced to a 2-0 lead. But Kvitova was not the one to give up as she pulled things back to draw level at 3-3.  At 5-4 and 6-5, Wozniacki had a chance to close out the match, but Kvitova held on and won four straight points in the tie-break to send the match into a third set. In the decider, while Kvitova was all charged up, Wozniacki was clearly annoyed to have wasted opportunities. At 4-4, a contentious line call made an annoyed Wozniacki complain to the chair umpire for a long time as the Dane lost her focus. She lost her serve the next game only to break right back as Kvitova served for the match. But Kvitova didn’t let it get away from her, saving her best tennis for last to close out the battle. In the end Kvitova’s winners made all the difference. The 27-year-old Czech belted 50 winners to Wozniacki’s 14. Last night’s victory also extended Kvitova’s dominance over Wozniacki, which stands at 8-5 and she has won last four encounters between the two. It was also Kvitova’s 12th successive win, having won in St. Petersburg a fortnight ago, followed by Fed Cup wins last weekend. “It’s definitely disappointing when I had a chance to serve it out twice in that second set,” said Wozniacki, who was seeking to make her third Doha final but has never won before. “I didn’t get many first serves in the first game, and in the second game she played aggressively and I made a few unforced errors. I felt that was frustrating because I had my opportunities there,” the 27-year-old said. Kvitova, meanwhile, will play her maiden final in Doha, having not gone beyond the quarter-final stage in her previous five attempts. For the 27-year-old, it will also be her first final appearance at Premier 5 level or above since her title in Wuhan in October 2016 – and the biggest final of her comeback from the knife injuries she sustained in a home invasion that year. Meanwhile, Gabriela Dabrowski and Jelena Ostapenko made it to their maiden final as a pair in the doubles. The Canadian-Latvian duo scored a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 win over fellow unseeded pair, Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova of Czech Republic, in the semi-finals. Dabrowski and Ostapenko were awaiting the winners of the other semi-final between Monique Adamczak and Lyudmyla Kichenok, and No.8 seeds Andreja Klepac and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, who were playing a late match last night.

Elina Svitolina’s frustration knew no bounds yesterday as the third seed crashed out of the Qatar Total Open, once again falling to the guile of 16th seed Petra Kvitova. Svitolina was up against a player who had been her nemesis. She had lost six straight times to Kvitova coming into last night’s third round match. At the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, the two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova made it seven in a row over Svitolina as the Czech booked her spot in the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 7-5 win.  Svitolina’s exit followed that of Karolina Pliskova’s, after the defending champion and World No. 5 was knocked out by qualifier Catherine Bellis, who continued her impressive run with a 7-6(4), 6-3 win. While Halep shook off a slow start to survive tricky Latvian Anastasija Sevastova 6-4, 6-3, Caroline Wozniacki was left annoyed and mocked qualifier Monica Niculescu for her grunting, before closing out the match 7-5, 6-1. But the match of high quality came on Court 1, despite Svitolina’s poor record against Kvitova, which stands at 1-7. Svitolina has won the most titles on the WTA Tour since last year, while Kvitova was on a nine-match winning streak after winning in St. Petersburg the week before, followed by two Fed Cup win in the weekend for Czech Republic. Not to mention her brave comeback from the horrific knife attack in December 2016, which injured her left hand. After trading breaks in the first two games, it was a battle between Svitolina’s defence  and Kvitova’s aggressive attacking play. In the key moments though, Kvitova stood out, using her deft touch to outsmart her opponent.  In both the sets, the 27-year-old broke Svitolina’s last service game, which proved costly for the latter. Kvitova has never advanced further than the last eight in Doha and today she will be keen to improve on that as she faces ninth seed Julia Georges. The ace-serving German scored a routine 6-2, 6-2 win over Mihaela Buzarnescu, who had shocked sixth seed French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia on Wednesday. Earlier, Bellis claimed the biggest win of her career after taking down Pliskova. Bellis broke the defending champions five times en route to her first Top 5 win of her fledgling career. “This was huge for me,” said the 18-year-old Bellis, who will be up against 2014 champion Halep. “I think I played a really good match and just tried to track down as many balls as I could. Obviously, I’ve watched her play for many years and she’s one of my idols for sure. I’m just really happy I was able to get through it,” the American added.  With Halep’s win yesterday, her hopes of snatching the No.1 ranking from Wozniacki is alive. Should the Romanian finish the tournament with one win more than the Dane, she will reclaim the top spot she lost after the Australian Open. “I don’t have any idea about the points,” Halep said. “I know that there is like 300, or it was at the beginning of the tournament. But I’m not thinking about that. I just want to play my matches and to win them.” Meanwhile, fourth seed Garbine Muguruza had few problems in getting past Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-4 in the third round match that kicked off the proceedings yesterday. “I think I played very well in the first set, and in the second set she came out much better, reached a high level, I made a few mistakes, and there we go, the match is equal,” Muguruza said.  The Spaniard will face No.7 seed Caroline Garcia today for a place in the last four. Frenchwoman Garcia ended the run of teenage qualifier Anna Blinkova 7-6(3), 7-5.    Results Singles (3rd Round) 1-Caroline Wozniacki bt Q-Monica Niculescu 7-5, 6-1 2-Simona Halep bt 13-Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) 6-4, 6-3 4-Garbine Muguruza (ESP) bt Sorana Cirstea (ROU) 6-0, 6-4 Q-Catherine Bellis (USA) bt 5-Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 7-6 (4), 6-3 16-Petra Kvitova (CZE) bt 3-Elina Svitolina (UKR) 6-4, 7-5 7-Caroline Garcia (FRA) bt Q-Anna Blinkova (RUS) 7-6 (3), 7-5 8-Angelique Kerber (GER x8) bt 10-Johanna Konta (GBR x10) 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 9-Julia Georges (GER) bt Mihaela Buzarnescu (ROU) 6-2, 6-2 Today’s Order of Play Singles Quarter-finals Centre Court   (Starts 3:30 pm)           7-Caroline Garcia (FRA) vs 4-Garbine Muguruza (ESP) Followed By: Q-Catherine Bellis (USA) vs 2-Simona Halep (ROU) Followed By: 1-Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) vs 8-Angelique Kerber Not before 8pm            16-Petra Kvitova (CZE) vs 9-Julia Goerges (GER)

Catherine Bellis is on the fast lane to global fame. Not long ago the American teenager was playing on the college circuit for Stanford but an impressive run of results meant she turned professional after the 2016 US Open. The world first noticed Bellis though at the US Open in 2014, when as a 15-year-old prodigy, she stunned Dominika Cibulkova. Since then her career has taken an upward swing. Bellis ended the 2016 season as the youngest face inside the Top 100, while in 2017 she walked away with WTA’s Newcomer of The Year award. Currently ranked 48, Bellis came through the qualifiers to make it to the main draw of the Qatar Open Total. Yesterday she continued her impressive run at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex as she knocked out compatriot 12th seed Madison Keys 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 to enter the Round of 16. In the first round she had it easy when Russian World No. 24 Daria Kasatakina retired after injuring her neck while trailing 7-5, 4-1. But against last year’s US open finalist Keys, Bellis had to fight back from a set down. Playing her fourth match on the faster outside courts of Doha, with wind behind her back, Bellis got better as the match went on. As Keys’ game floundered, Bellis grew in confidence, wrapping up the third set in no time. “I think maybe halfway into the second set it started shifting a bit. I got a little lucky on a few balls the wind took, and I think she shanked a few,” Bellis said after the match.  “And then the third I just really started to get a good rhythm, making a lot of first serves.” Bellis and Keys had never faced each other before, but they know each other’s game well as they train at the USTA National Campus in Florida. In Doha, both of them shared a physio and fitness trainer as well. “We know each other’s game pretty well, but it wasn’t like we’d played a bunch of (practice) sets over the years,” Bellis said. “It’s definitely tough to play against people that you know that well. But it’s just something that’s going to happen for sure.” Last year in Doha, Bellis had lost in the qualifiers itself but a week later she stunned then-world No. 6 Agnieszka Radwanska, en route to the quarter-finals in Dubai. Today she can repeat that feat in the Premier 5 event, if she beats fifth seed and defending champion Karolina Pliskova in the round of 16 match.