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Caroline Wozniacki and Simona Halep wasted little time in getting off the blocks as the top two seeds launched their Qatar Total Open campaigns with quick wins at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex. Australian Open champion and World No. 1 Wozniacki lost just two games as she swept aside Carina Witthoeft 6-2, 6-0, while No.2 seed Halep, playing her first match since losing the final in Melbourne, conceded three games in her 6-3, 6-0 rout of Ekaterina Makarova. However, there was one final drama on Day Three as Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu knocked out French Open Champion and sixth seed Jelena Ostapenko 6-1, 6-3 in the second round.  Wozniacki and Halep didn’t have any problems though, as they dominated their opponents to stay on course for the much-anticipated title clash. Halep had taken three weeks off after a gruelling Australian Open to rest her bruised ankle and foot. However, she hardly showed any rustiness as she got off to a quick start against 36th-ranked Makarova. She raced to a 5-2 lead early twice, but while serving for the set Russian Makarova put up a fight and was on a break point. But Halep swiftly fired back to close out the set. The 26-year-old found another gear in the second set – despite at one point facing four break points in her opening service game – as she romped home. “I’m pleased that I could play what I had in my mind,” Halep said in her. “To be aggressive, to try to finish the points, to make some winners, which I did, and in the end the serve helped me a lot. At one point I just started to roll it, and then I just shaked my head and I said that I have to hit it, so I hit it and it helped me a lot,” she added. Halep did not show any discomfort in her ankle or foot, but later admitted she felt pain. She confirmed though she will take court for her third round match against No.13 seed Anastasija Sevastova, after the Latvian beat Japanese qualifier Naomi Osaka a 6-4, 6-1. Later, Wozniacki too was dominating in her victory over 22-year-old German Witthoeft. The Dane needed just 57 minutes to beat Witthoeft, who is was billed as a rising star after reaching the third round at all four Grand Slams. But against Wozniacki, Witthoeft found it tough from the beginning. The World No. 1 lost a service game but reeled off the last four of five games to pocket the first set. The second got over much quicker as Witthoeft wilted under Wozniacki’s power. Up next for Wozniacki is qualifier Monica Niculescu, who had sent packing Maria Sharapova in the first round  Yesterday, Niculescu was on course for a win over No.14 seed Magdalena Rybarikova, who retired after trailing in third set 6-7(6),6-2,3-0. Meanwhile, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova set up a mouth-watering third round clash today with third seed Elina Svitolina Czech Republic’s Kvitova was forced to dig deep to extend her winning streak to nine matches in Doha, coming from a set down to defeat Agnieszka Radwanska 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4.  After the match, Kvitova said:  “I have no idea, first of all, how I turned it around, but I felt pretty exhausted. Not like physically but most like mentally. It’s pretty tiring all these matches, but you know, on the other hand I’m very proud of myself that I won it because I don’t know how, but even the first set took like hour and something...I had my chances and everything, and then I won in the third, so that was pretty good for me.” Ukrainian Svitolina, playing her first match since a quarter-final defeat at the hands of Elise Mertens at the Australian Open, had it easy against qualifier Marketa Vondrousova 6-2, 6-4. Results Second Round [1] C. Wozniacki (DEN) d C. Witthoeft (GER) 6-2, 6-0 [2] S. Halep (ROU) d E. Makarova (RUS) 6-3, 6-0 [3] E. Svitolina (UKR) d [Q] M. Vondrousova (CZE) 6-2, 6-4 [5] K. Pliskova (CZE) d A. Cornet (FRA) 6-2, 6-3 M. Buzarnescu (ROU) d [6] J. Ostapenko (LAT) 6-1, 6-3 [8] A. Kerber (GER) d S. Stosur (AUS) 6-4, 6-1 [9] J. Goerges (GER) d B. Strycova (CZE) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 [10] J. Konta (GBR) d C. Suárez Navarro (ESP) 6-2, 6-2 [Q] A. Blinkova (RUS) d [11] K. Mladenovic (FRA) 6-3, 6-3 [Q] C. Bellis (USA) d [12] M. Keys (USA) 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 [13] A. Sevastova (LAT) d [Q] N. Osaka (JPN) 6-4, 6-1 [Q] M. Niculescu (ROU) d [14] M. Rybarikova (SVK) 6-7(6), 6-2, 30 Retired S. Cirstea (ROU) d [15] E. Mertens (BEL) 7-5, 6-4 [16] P. Kvitova (CZE) d A. Radwanska (POL) 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4 TODAY’S ORDER OF PLAY  CENTRE COURT start 14:00  S. Cirstea (ROU) vs [4] G. Muguruza (ESP)  [5] K. Pliskova (CZE) vs [Q] C. Bellis (USA)  [13] A. Sevastova (LAT) vs [2] S. Halep (ROU)  Not Before 19:00 [1] C. Wozniacki (DEN) vs [Q] M. Niculescu (ROU)  [10] J. Konta (GBR) vs [8] A. Kerber (GER)  COURT 1 start 15:30  [7] C. Garcia (FRA) vs [Q] A. Blinkova (RUS)  [9] J. Goerges (GER) vs M. Buzarnescu (ROU)  [3] E. Svitolina (UKR) vs [16] P. Kvitova (CZE)  G. Dabrowski (CAN) / J. Ostapenko (LAT) vs [3] L. Safarova (CZE) / B. Strycova (CZE)

The smile is back on Simona Halep’s face. The Romanian shed a few tears after the heart-breaking loss in the final of the Australian Open to Caroline Wozniacki last month. But a three-week break from the game seems to have given Halep time to overcome the agonising defeat at Melbourne Park. Halep not just lost her No. 1 ranking to Wozniacki in the aftermath of the Australian Open defeat, she is now 0-3 in major single finals and has lost all of them in three sets. Every time she thought she was closer to realising her Grand Slam dream, the 27-year-old has seen the trophy slip away. In the 2014 French Open final, Halep lost 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 to Maria Sharapova, while a free-swinging unseeded 20-year-old Jelena Ostapenko from Latvia came back from the brink of defeat to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, in last year’s French Open final. Halep was up, 3-1, in the final set before dropping the final five games. The Australian Open loss was equally a hard pill to swallow for Halep. She had saved match points in two matches — in the third round against the unseeded American Lauren Davis and in the titanic semi-final against former No. 1 Angelique Kerber. But an ankle injury and a determined Wozniacki, who herself was chasing her maiden Slam — shattered Halep’s dream in a 2-hour-49-minute final played on a sweltering Australian summer. Now in Doha for the Qatar Total Open, after a much-needed break to her bruised body and recovering from mental fatigue, Halep is ready to restart her season. Having had time to reflect her Australian Open loss, she even said “everything was beautiful at that tournament”. “It was really nice to see that the people appreciated the way I fought and the way I played,” Halep said yesterday at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex. “They also appreciated my speech, which I was a little bit surprised because I didn’t feel that it was something special. But it was nice. Everything was beautiful at that tournament, even if I lost the final, I took only the positives and I’m really motivated to go ahead. So everything was really good for me. Also the game, I changed a little bit, so I want just to keep it, and now just to play every match like there. But I will be careful with my health, of course,” she added. Halep was back on court practising only last week and hopes that her ankle and foot is ready for match play for the upcoming hard-court tournaments. “The foot is okay now, but I have just to play an official match to see if it stays like that. I really hope that nothing will come back and I will be able to play,” Halep said. “My mind is set on the health first. I have to be very sure that the foot is okay and I can push. I’m ready because I practised a few days. I practised today. I will practice again today here. So I feel that I’m ready to play, but tomorrow I will see exactly how it is.” A champion here in Doha in 2014, Halep will open her campaign today against Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova, against whom she has won her last two complete matches. For Halep, the next five days also presents an opportunity to reclaim her No. 1 ranking. Seeded second, the Romanian must make the quarter-finals to have a chance to unseat Wozniacki. If both Halep and Wozniacki advance to the quarter-finals then Halep will need to go one round further than the Dane to overtake her. The two can only meet in the final, and it would be quite a title clash if both women manage to come out unscathed till that stage. “Everyone from Top 10 is able to win any tournament and any match,” Halep said, not looking far ahead of herself. “So I’m just ready to face anyone, and I’m just focusing on myself because if you pay attention to yourself, it’s much better. You don’t get distracted by anything. Just do your job on court.” At the Australian Open, Halep also made news for playing without a clothing sponsor after her Adidas contract had expired. The red dress she wore during the tournament was something she designed in a hurry, which was then hand-sewn by a seamstress in China. It became a social media joke, with Halep saying in jest that she had ordered her dress online. Yesterday, however she was all smiles as she revealed that she had signed a deal with Nike, which the Romanian media reported to be worth $2 million a year. Some money earned from that deal might go to shopping in Doha! “Well, for sure the shopping,” Halep said when asked what she liked about Doha. “And I have already planned something. It’s a nice city. The weather is perfect this period, and also the people are very nice with me. So I enjoy the time here,” she added. Halep might like Doha even more if she goes on to lift the Qatar Total Open title this Sunday and wrestle back the No. 1 ranking.

If there is anything unpredictable in tennis, it’s a tournament without Serena Williams. The American has dominated the women’s tennis for a long time and is the owner of 23 Grand Slam singles titles. It’s the most number of Grand Slam wins in the Open Era, and is second on the all-time list behind Margaret Court’s 24. In Serena’s absence, it’s anyone’s title in women’s tennis. Rankings or being in form rarely matter. The Qatar Total Open, beginning today at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, has attracted nine of the top 10 stars in women’s tennis. Only world number eight Venus Williams, who is playing Fed Cup, is missing in Doha from the top 10. Sister Serena, who took a year out to give birth to daughter Alexis Olympia, was expected to play doubles later yesterday in the Fed Cup tie against the Netherlands. In such a fascinating scenario, this coming Sunday it could be anyone from the strong 64-field draw who could lift the Golden Falcon trophy and take home $591,750 in prize money in Doha. Caroline Wozniacki is obviously a strong contender, having won her maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open last month and reclaiming the World No. 1 ranking. But playing her first tournament in St Petersburg, since that breakthrough triumph, the Dane lost to Russia’s World No. 23 Daria Kasatkina in the quarter-finals. While a ten-day break after that loss might have rejuvenated Wozniacki, the 27-year-old has a fight on her hands if she has to claim her maiden Qatar Total Open title and cling on to her top ranking. Wozniacki lost in the final in the last year’s edition, going down to Karolina Pliskova. While Pliskova is in the other half of the draw this time, Wozniacki will have to contend with Angelique Kerber, Elina Svitolina and Jelena Ostapenko in her half. Then there is two-time champion Maria Sharapova, who could meet Wozniacki as early as in the round of last 16. Unseeded and No. 41, Sharapova has received wild card from the tournament. The five-time Grand Slam champion is yet to come back to her best after returning from a doping ban last year, but the Russian still remains a major threat. Sharapova opens her tournament today against qualifier Monica Niculescu and would face either Magdalena Rybarikova or Fatma al-Nabhani in the second round. Wozniacki, who has a bye into the second round, will open against either Tatjana Maria or Carina Witthoeft on Wednesday. “I never look at the draw,” said Wozniacki yesterday. “I know my first-round opponents, and I play either Tatjana or Carina. And both are good players. And I know one is here, one is playing Fed Cup. So I’ll play on Wednesday. But I’m excited for the challenge, and at the end of the day I think I’m just going to go out there, have fun and see what happens,” she added. Simona Halep, who will be hurting from that loss in the final at the Australian Open, will be gunning for her revenge in Doha. Seeded second, Halep will have an opportunity over the next two weeks to reclaim the top spot from Wozniacki. The two can only meet in the final, and it would be quite a title clash if both women manage to come out unscathed till that stage. Halep can retake the No.1 ranking in Doha but must make the quarter-finals to have a chance. If both Halep and Wozniacki advance to the quarter-finals then Halep will need to go one round further than the Dane to overtake her. There is a doubt whether Halep is fully fit to play in Doha. The Romanian pulled out of St. Petersburg tournament due to an ankle injury, but a fortnight’s rest since that gruelling final at Australian Open would have lifted her spirits. Halep too has a first-round bye and will play either Ekaterina Makarova or Zhang Shuai, with Anastasia Sevastova or Katerina Siniakova potentially looming in the Round of 16. Garbine Muguruza, Pliskova and Carolina Garcia are in the bottom half of the draw as Halep and all three are capable of playing a spoilsport. Last year’s Wimbledon champion Muguruza has not had best of starts to the year and has turned to fellow Spaniard and a former winner at All England Club, Conchita Martinez, to improve her form. “Conchita and I, we’ve known each other since I was little. And she’s always been a little bit in the shadow, you know, helping me here and there. And of course, everybody saw me and her in Wimbledon, and we had the best success possible. I always get along well with her. And I thought, you know, that it might be a good idea to have her in the next couple of tournaments till Miami,” Muguruza said yesterday. Reigning French Open champion Ostapenko will also be a major threat. The hard-hitting Latvian will not be easy to face on fast courts of Doha. The 20-year-old struggled with a leg injury in Australia but a fully-fit Ostapenko can blow any one off the court on her day. Outside the top eight seeds, British World No. 11 Johanna Konta, France’s Kristina Mladenovic, ranked 13th, and Belgium’s Elise Mertens, who made it to the semi-finals in Melbourne, can walk away with the title if they find their stride over the next seven days. Today’s Order of Play Centre Court (from 12:00 noon) Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) Followed by Catherine Bellis (USA) vs Daria Kasatkina (RUS) Elena Vesnina (RUS) vs Anna Blinkova (RUS) Monica Niculescu (ROU) vs Maria Sharapova (RUS) Mona Barthel (GER) vs Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) Naomi Osaka (JPN) vs Katerina Siniakova (CZE) Court 1 Ons Jabeur (TUN) vs Ying-Ying Duan (CHN) Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) vs Shuai Zhang (CHN) Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) vs Mihaela Buzarnescu (ROU)

Caroline Wozniacki has always had this infectious beaming smile. Now if anything, that smile of her has been glowing even more. The Dane is enjoying the best time of her career, so why would she stop smiling? After many years of consistently failing to win a Grand Slam title, also while being World No 1, Wozniacki finally laid hands on that elusive trophy when she won the Australian Open last month. It buried a long-standing question she would encounter, whether she has it in her to win a Grand Slam? That Wozniacki proved the critics wrong in Melbourne, is something that has brought her relief and joy in equal measure. “I think the only thing that has changed with people treating me differently is that I have not gotten the question of being No 1 without a Grand Slam. So that’s a big difference and that’s a change that I’m very happy about,” said Wozniacki yesterday, ahead of the Qatar Total Open, which will begin from today at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex. The icing on the cake in that Australian Open victory for Wozniacki was she returned to the No 1 spot, six years since she had last done so. However, the 27-year-old claims life hasn’t changed much since her breakthrough triumph at Melbourne Park. “Life hasn’t changed at all. Still the same when I go back on the practice courts. I still have things that I need to work on, and I still get stuff from my dad saying move your feet, do this. So nothing has changed in that regard,” she said. Wozniacki was brought down to earth, when she suffered a quarter-final defeat to Russia’s World No 23 Daria Kasatkina at the St Petersburg Ladies’ Trophy before last week. However, a week-long break has refreshed her mentally and physically. “I didn’t hit at all when I was home and just enjoyed some hikes and walking around. I went to the gym a couple of times just to kind of stay active and get a sweat going, but other than that it was a lot just about having good food and relaxing, sleeping, just catching up and those things that I haven’t had the time to do yet. So it was very nice,” she said. In Doha, Wozniacki is one of the favourites to win the title in a field that features nine of the top 10 players. Last year, she had lost to Karolina Pliskova in the final. But buoyed by her victory at Australian Open, Wozniacki would fancy her chances of going all the way this time in Doha.

Wesley Sneijder has an impressive resume, having played for top football clubs like Ajax, Real Madrid and Inter Milan in his stellar career. That Al Gharafa managed to sign the Dutch star is a coup of sorts for the QNB Stars League side. Yesterday, Sneijder was unveiled as the Gharafa player as the 33-year-old embarked on a new chapter of his life. It was a grand welcome for the midfielder, with Gharafa’s top officials and past players present to welcome their new and biggest addition. Sneijder is 33, but what Gharafa want from him is his experience and to carry the club forward by nurturing the young talent. So it wasn’t a surprise that he was given the captain’s armband and No 10 jersey as soon as he touched Doha. “I am very excited to be here,’ said a beaming Sneijder to packed audience. “I feel very welcome. I am here to bring my experience and quality into the team. Also I want to help out the young players and improve their skills and qualities. From what I have heard, this team has lot of quality and also good young players. I hope we can have a great season together,” he added. The most capped Dutch footballer with 133 matches under his belt, Sneijder, has played in three World Cups and also won Champions League with Inter Milan in 2010. Sneijder confirmed that he has signed an 18-month contract with Gharafa, who will be hoping he can change their fortunes with the club occupying seventh place in the standings at the halfway stage of the QNB Stars League. Mahmoud al-Ghazal, Al Gharafa’s Football Head revealed it was not the first time they had tried to sign Sneijder. “We are very happy that today amongst us we have a great player. We tried to sign him four years ago in 2014 but couldn’t. We are glad we have finally signed him. He will be a great asset to our team and inspire youngsters. He is a great player and will be the captain of the team,” al-Ghazal said. For Sneijder, it didn’t need much of convincing to move to Qatar. He spoke to Dutch midfielder of Moroccan-origin Anouar Diba, who plays for rivals Al Kharaitiyat. And he only had good things to say about Qatar and Al Gharafa. The Dutch star played four games during a spell with French club Nice this season having been released by Turkish side Galatasaray in July. He received many offers from around the world, including US, China, Mexico and Brazil, but chose to go with the advice of Diba. “I had an opportunity to talk a friend here, Anouar Diba, who has played in Qatar for 10-11 seasons. He told me about the league and also about the club. So I had enough information about everything here, about the club and league. I am very happy to have made this choice and I can’t wait to start,” Sneijder said “To be honest, my choice to come here was to play football. There was speculation about me going to the US, about going to China or others, but I never read about ‘he will go to Qatar’. Of course, there were more offers and they came from everywhere. “I had a couple of days to think about it, spoke to different people and then I made this choice. I feel very welcome here and I am happy that I chose Al Gharafa. To be honest, I can’t wait to start training tomorrow and to help the team,” he added. Gharafa will take on Al Ahli on Friday after winter break and Sneijder could feature in the playing XI, but the midfielder left it to club’s new coach Bulent Uygun to make that decision. Sneijder said he had not spoken to Xavi Hernandez, the former Barcelona legend who plays for Al Sadd, but added he will reach out to the Spaniard soon. Meanwhile, Iran striker Mehdi Taremi is to join Al Gharafa. Mehdi, who had an outstanding career with defending Iranian league champions Persepolis since 2014, is expected to strengthen Gharafa’s attack along with Dutch superstar Wesley Sneijder. Hailing from the city of Bushehr, 25-year-old Taremi started his senior career with home side Shahin Bushehr. He was later brought to Persepolis by Iranian legend Ali Daei. Mehdi has represented Iran 22 times, scoring 10 goals.

In what was an anti-climax, Volvo’s Thed Bjork clinched the World Touring Car Championship title, after his nearest rival Honda’s Norbert Michelisz failed to rise up to the challenge in the final round at the Losail International Circuit last night. It was meant to be the closest battle for WTCC title in years, with Sweden’s Bjork carrying just a six-and-half-point lead over Michelisz. But the Hungarian suffered a brake issue in qualifying and had to start from 11th. He could not make up ground, and finished ninth and eighth in Opening Race and Main Race respectively. Bjork, starting seventh from the grid, finished fifth in first race, with teammate Yvan Muller protecting the championship leader from behind. Carrying a 16.5-point lead over Michelisz heading into Race 2, with 30 on offer, Bjork just had to maintain his starting position of fourth in the main race to guarantee the drivers’ crown. But the 36-year-old Swede went one better finishing third even as Michelisz limped to the finish line in his Honda Civic. A triumphant Bjork stood on top of his Volvo S60 car, held his arms aloft as he celebrated with his team. “It’s the best night of my career,” said the Swede. “Unbelievable, absolutely crazy. Thank you so much everybody,” added the new champion on the radio as he crossed the finish line. To make it a double delight, Volvo also won the manufacturers’ title. Honda had something to cheer about as Esteban Guerrieri won the Main Race. Sebastian Loeb Racing’s Tom Chilton claimed victory in the penultimate race, which clinched the Brit the WTCC Trophy title. Argentina’s Guerrieri was never threatened after starting from pole in the 12-lap Main Race. He and Bjork were joined on the podium by Munnich Motorsport’s Rob Huff, who made a determined bid to rise from his third position on the grid by taking to the grass on the run down to Turn 1 at the start. Nicky Catsburg played the lead support to Bjork, before finishing third in his Volvo S60, ahead of the new champion. WTCC Trophy champion Chilton was fifth. Mehdi Bennani, Chilton’s teammate lost all hope of beating the Briton to the title at Turn 1 following the start. The Moroccan, who won here last year, came into heavy contact with WTCC legend Muller, who pushed him off and a few laps later Bennani retired his Citroen C-Elysee with damage and a puncture on the front right corner. From 11th on the grid, Michelisz made up one position off the line and benefited from a collision between Chilton, Bennani and Muller to climb to ninth. He then passed John Filippi’s Sebastien Loeb Racing Citroen further round the opening lap, but found Muller’s Volvo a more difficult obstacle to clear. The Hungarian ultimately ended up stuck behind Muller — who had come out of retirement to assist Volvo’s title push — for the remaining 11 laps and crossed the line in eighth. It was a disappointing finish to the campaign for Michelisz, who had made a late march towards the title after wins in Portugal, Argentina and Japan. In the Opening race of 10 laps, Chilton passed teammate Bennani with a little over two laps of the race to go and eased home from there to a winning margin of 2.175 seconds. Chilton tailed Bennani after both had passed pole position starter Kevin Gleason in his RC Motorsport entry. The two French cars put on an entertaining battle, which included some contact, before Chilton made the decisive move on lap eight of 10. “Yes! The race of my life!” he shouted in delight over the radio after taking the chequered flag. “Oh wow. It really was the race of my life. We didn’t give each other an inch and at one point I thought Mehdi was going to put me into the tyres. But this is for an FIA world championship – and now I’m leading it,” he added. His victory meant he led Bennani by 1.5 points going into the Main Race. Eventually it didn’t matter, as Bennani crashed out in the late night race, easing Chilton of any pressure.

‘If we were really crazy and took out each other on the first lap, then I think we’d be handing the championship to others’ There was such nice camaraderie between Thed Bjork and Norbert Michelisz yesterday that it was easy to forget that the two will go all out against each other tonight for the 2017 World Touring Car Championship title. The WTCC title race has come right down to wire, with the tensions brewing in both the Polestar Cyan Racing and Honda team camps, ahead of the Qatar round of WTCC at the Losail International Circuit tonight. But the drivers seemed to be quite chilled out, refusing to play the mind games and are expecting a fair fight. Going into the final round of the season, Bjork leads Michelisz by just 6.5 points. What adds spice to the contest is that there are still six drivers who can win the championship, mathematically at least. With 60 points available in Qatar, Sebastian Loeb Racing’s Mehdi Bennani and Tom Chilton are also in the running, 39.5 and 45 points behind the leader respectively. While Michelisz and Bjork’s teammates Esteban Guerrieri and Nicky Catsburg are also in hypothetical contention. But the spotlight has been on Bjork and Michelisz quite naturally. The two are in the best possible scenario to win the title and are determined to fight it fair till the last corner. There was quite a bit of banter between the two at the press conference yesterday, as the other drivers – Bennani, Chilton and Rob Huff – joined in the fun too. As the two title contenders praised each other, Munnich Motorsport driver Huff chipped in: “It would be much more fun if you hated each other. Why are you both so nice?” When Bjork and Michelisz were asked if they would like to send a special message to each other like the boxers do before a big fight, Chilton remarked: “Don’t stall on the start line!” Bjork did try to join the banter, when he said: “I would like to have a nice fight with him. He’s a bit angry on the track so I hope he can keep it under control!” But Michelisz would have none of it and said: “I would say it’s not a shame to come second in the end!” To which Bjork responded: “It’s not so bad, I agree.” It was remarkable how Bjork and Michelisz handled themselves before the biggest night of their careers. On a serious note, both the drivers said they would approach tonight’s race in the same way they have done all season. For Michelisz the strategy has worked wonderfully well so far, with the Hungarian counting himself out of contention after his home race back in May. But wins in Portugal, Argentina and Japan has turned his season around. “Of course, there is a bit of extra excitement, but so far, it’s like a usual race weekend,” said Michelisz. “We just have free practice sessions today, so there’s not really much at stake right now. I’m really just focussed on the job of being well prepared for tomorrow. Right now, I feel strong and confident; I feel like there’s nothing to lose in the championship really, I’ve always been trying to catch up. Just three races ago in Japan I was more than 30 points behind, now it’s 6.5, so I’ll just try to carry this momentum through the weekend,” the 33-year-old, who drives Honda Civic, added. Michelisz reckons playing catch-up puts him in a better position than Bjork. “My target is not to look at what others are doing,” he said. “I’m not approaching the race weekend with the thought of winning the championship; I just want to do my best regardless of the points gap to the others behind. We’ve seen many times before in motorsport that anything can happen, so I’m not counting them out, but I’m not focussed on the people behind,” he noted. While Bjork said that he was ‘relaxed’ ahead of the showdown, it would be a major disappointment for Swede if he were to lose the title after leading the championship. “I’m not really thinking about that,” Bjork said. “It feels like this is the showdown and the fight (between myself and Norbert). If we were really crazy and took out each other on the first lap, then I think we’d be handing the championship to the others, but I don’t think we will do that. We would like to have a good fight and see what happens through both races,” the 36-year-old said. While the drivers remained cordial and respected each other, Bjork’s team Polestar Cyan Racing have pulled out a card by bringing in Yvan Muller, the most successful driver in WTCC history, to race in Qatar. Four-time champion Muller is coming out of retirement to support Bjork’s title bids, as the team decided to bench Argentine driver Nestor Girolami. Muller has spent 2017 testing for Volvo’s factory team in the WTCC and performing an advisory role for the squad. But he’s back on track after almost a year out of competition, and could yet play a pivotal role in the championship outcome. “He (Muller) brought so much to the team with the winter testing, setting up the car,” said Bjork. “He knows the car, the team decided we have that card to play and we’ll play it and see what happens, simple as that. I am just very proud he decided to come and work with us – we’re in a world championship fight together with him, he’s so successful, so experienced, he’s a really great guy also. Without him it would have taken us longer to get to where we are, longer to get to where I am. Maybe now he’s in the car maybe we can learn one step more,” added Bjork. Michelisz insisted Muller’s late addition won’t alter his approach. “It’s not changing my approach or my position,” said the Hungarian. “I’m sorry for Nestor, he did a good job. I don’t know what’s really in the background but, for me, it doesn’t’ really matter.”

Having arrived in Doha just a day before, Rene Tebbel stole the thunder at the QNB Al Rayyan International Show Jumping Championship as the Ukrainian won the Grand Prix title yesterday. At the Qatar Equestrian Federation’s outdoor arena, Tebbel took out an impressive victory with 10-year-old stallion Cosun taking long strides around the course to give the rider his maiden win in Qatar.  Just like the rest of the field, the 48-year-old Tebbel was clearly stunned by his unexpected victory. “It’s just an unbelievable feeling,” said Tebbel. “I arrived here just a day ago, just for these two classes. I have come to Qatar many times before, but had never ridden here at QEF. It’s a beautiful place. I was thinking I may finish second or third, but the jump off was really good. I knew it’s really a good horse. I just came for two days and I had hoped to do well. But this is really a surprise,” he added. Only four of the 12 riders made it to the jump off for Grand Prix title, the biggest prize money event of the championship. Tebbel and Cosun were last to go, with Edwina Tops-Alexander and Inca Boy Van T Vianahof’s time of 51.81 seconds to beat. The pressure was on Tebbel put he kept his composure and found a perfect sync with Cosun, which flew around the course as the pair came home fastest in 48.18 secs. Tebbel, who earned €22,975 for his victory, was gushing in his praise of Cosun. “The horse is owned by (Russian rider Vladimir) Tuganov. I just ride him on the shows. He is trained by Tuganov. I have ridden him in many shows and I know how good he is. I had a good result this time. I was thinking maybe I won’t be fast enough in jump off. But after Cosun took few strides I felt could beat the time. My previous best was fifth here. This is my first win in Qatar,” said Tebbel. Edwina, who had won on Friday to break her victory drought, finished runner-up, her second on the day. She had also taken second spot in 145cm class. The third place went to Great Britain’s Alexandra Thornton, who despite making a fault with Cornetto K, made it to the podium. It was a disappointing night for star Qatar rider Sheikh Ali bin Khalid al-Thani, who failed to make jump off with First Devision, to finish fifth. Earlier, Derin Demirsoy of Turkey won the 145cm class with his 14-year-old bay Dadjak Ter Puttenen. The pair were comfortable winners, with more than two and half second margin over Edwina Tops-Alexander and Veronese Teamjoy. Demirsoy’s winning time was 49.03 secs, while Edwina came home in 51. 89 secs. The third place went to Greece’s Athina Onassis, who mounting Vannan finished her round in 64.01 secs.  “It was a great competition overall,” said the 23-year-old Demirsoy. “Everything went well and I am very pleased with this outcome. We had two fantastic weeks though we were a bit unlucky at times. It’s a great facility here in Qatar and I am very happy to be part of it,” he added. The Turkish rider listed out his future plans, and was looking forward to returning to Qatar next March. “I have international shows indoors in Holland. That’s an indoor event as it will be freezing outside. There are some young horses. I will ride them. Then I have a big show in Austria after that. Hopefully I will be back in Doha, maybe next March,” he noted. In the 135cm class, Kuwaiti rider Ali al-Khorafi continued his good run in Qatar as he led Loki Doki to victory. The winning time was 56.53 secs. Qatar’s Awad al-Qahtani was second with Gerenice of Colors in 57.65 secs, while Yara al-Hunaidi capped off a wonderful day for Kuwait as she finished third with Dinky Toy Van De Castershoeve in 58.92 secs. Results GRAND PRIX - World Cup Competition| Two Rounds 160cm class €91,900 1. Rene Tebbel (Ukraine) Cosun. Time: 48.18 secs. €22,975 2. Edwina Tops-Alexander (Australia) Inca Boy Van T Vianahof. 51.81 secs. €18,380 3. Alexandra Thornton (Great Britain) Cornetto K. 60.00. €13,785 Table A, One Round + Winning Round FEI Art. 276.2.1, 2.3 | Max. 145 cm | Prize Money € 24,600 1. Derin Demirsoy (Turkey) Dadjak Ter Puttenen. Time: 49.03 secs. Prize money: € 6,150 2. Edwina Tops-Alexander (Australia) Veronese Teamjoy. 51.89 secs. € 4,920 3. Athina Onassis (Greece) Vannan. 64.01 secs. € 3,690 Table A, Against the clock FEI Art. 238.2.1 | Max. 130/135 cm | Prize Money: €7,000 1. Ali al-Khorafi (FEI) Loki Doki. Time: 56.53 secs. Prize money: €1,750 2. Awad al-Qahtani (Qatar) Gerenice of Colors. 57.65 secs. €1,400 3. Yara al-Hunaidi (FEI) Dinky Toy Van De Castershoeve. 58.92 secs. €1,050

Sheikh Ali and his horse First Devision were by far the best combination on the field as they flew around the course Sheikh Ali bin Khalid al-Thani and his trusted 12-year-old gelding First Devision dazzled under the lights at the Qatar Equestrian Federation’s outdoor arena as the ace Qatari rider clinched the Grand Prix of Qatar International Show Jumping championship. In what was a memorable day for hosts, Qatari riders won all three classes on the last day of the championship. In the Grand Prix, which was also the Arab qualifying event for next year’s World Cup, Sheikh Ali and his Olympic horse First Devision were by far the best combination on the field as they flew around the course. The two were in perfect sync on the night as they came out fastest in 55.77 seconds. Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander had to settle for second spot once again, after having finished runner-up to Qatar’s Bassem Hassan Mohamed earlier. The two-time Global Champions Tour winner astride Inca Boy Van T Vianahof finished almost eight seconds of winning time. The third place went to Kuwait’s Ali al-Khorafi, flying under the flag of FIE, on Cheril as the pair came home in 53.57 secs but incurred four faults which dealt a blow to victory hopes. “It’s a good win as it will give me confidence for next week also,” said Sheikh Ali, after collecting his prize from HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, the president of the Qatar Olympic Committee. “This was very good practice for future events. My horse has won three times before and he was sixth in the Olympics,” he added. “It seemed too easy for him but to win is always special. It is very important for me to make my country happy. We did that today. We dominated at this championship because we have a good team now. We have good horses and good trainers. We work hard (for the wins) and you can see that every year. Hopefully we will have the best team in the future also,” the popular Qatari rider added. Despite finishing second, Edwina was content with the results. “I am very happy. This was the first time he went out for this Grand Prix. I couldn’t be happier. I am also happy that Ali won. It was a very good ride by him,” she said. Earlier, Qatar’s Bassem carried his winning form from the last weekend’s Global Champions Tour, as he clinched the 145cm class. Bassem, astride The Toymaker, took out a comfortable error-free round even as his rivals faltered. The pair’s winning time of 54.75 was two and half seconds better than Edwina Tops-Alexander, who came home on Veronese Teamjoy in 57.37 secs. Greece’s Athina Onassis committed two faults on Vannan, which meant she had to settle for third place. “It’s really a nice feeling to win the competition.  The horse just came back and we made a plan and it worked. Today was his day,” said Bassem, who pocketed €6,150 for his victory. “The horse just came back to the competition. I am so happy how he jumped today. I am looking forward to the next events,” he added. His confidence sky high having won the Doha leg of the GCT at Al Shaqab, Bassem looked back at last weekend’s turn of events and called it the best victory of his career. “Last week’s win at Global Champions Tour was the biggest win of my career. To win especially here in Doha, I am so happy. I am motivated for the coming shows. I just need to stay focus and follow the plan from trainers. When you also have support from His Highness the Father Emir, His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, HE Sheikh Joaan, then everything is possible,” the 30-year-old said. Bassem is currently second in the Arab League rankings with 44 points as he looks good to qualify for the next year’s World Cup in France. “I feel confident. This event may not be as big as GCT but it’s an important one for us. It’s a good class, there are fast riders too and some good horses. In each class you have to respect the riders and horses,” he said “I am in the second place in the Arab rankings to qualify for the World Cup. I need to finish in the top-3 in total. I will only do two shows here in Doha and will skip the rest. Then wait and see what will happen,” he added. In the opening event of the final day, Qatar’s Saeed Nasser al-Qadi mounting Daydreamer EC cruised to victory in the 135 cm class. The two combined to record the fastest time of 66.36 secs, which was a good six seconds ahead of their nearest rival. France’s Cyrine Cherif (Gerlin VD Waterkant) finished second, while Kuwait’s Yara al-Hunaidi (Dinky Toy van de Castershoeve) riding under the flag of FEI came third. Results GRAND PRIX - World Cup Competition | Two Rounds Min 140 - Max. 160cm Prize money: €91,900 1. Sheikh Ali bin Khalid al-Thani (Qatar) First Devision. Time: 55.77 secs. Prize money: €22,975 2 Edwina Tops-Alexander (Australia) Inca Boy Van T Vianahof. 63.09 secs. €18,380 3. Ali al-Khorafi (FEI) Cheril 4. 53.57 secs. €13,785 Table A, One Round + Winning Round FEI Art. 276.2.1, 2.3 | Max. 145 cm | €24,600 1. Bassem Mohamed (Qatar) The Toymaker. Time: 54.75 seconds. Prize money: €6,150 2. Edwina Tops-Alexander (Australia) Veronese Teamjoy. 57.37 secs. €4,920 3. Athina Onassis (Greece) Vannan. 77.06 secs. €3,690 Table A, Against the clock FEI Art. 238.2.1 | Max. 130/135 cm | Prize Money €7,000 1. Saeed Nasser al-Qadi (Qatar) Daydreamer EC. Time: 66.36 secs. Prize money: €1,750 2. Cyrine Cherif (France) Gerlin VD Waterkant. 73.05 secs. €1,400 3. Yara al-Hunaidi (FEI) Dinky Toy van de Castershoeve. 79.32 secs. €1,050

‘It was a great win. I am very happy with my horse’s performance on the first day and we are looking forward to the next two days’ Qatar’s Salman Mohamed al-Emadi put on an excellent round with Zorro Z to emerge triumphant on day one of the QNB Qatar International Show Jumping Championship. At the Qatar Equestrian Federation’s outdoor arena yesterday, the young Qatari rider surprised the experienced field, which consisted of Derin Demirsoy of Turkey and Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander, to clinch the feature event – the two-phased 145cm class. The 16-year-old Zorro Z, who was in the past ridden by Edwina, gave al-Emadi a night he won’t forget in a hurry as the gelding showed utmost agility through the course to clock the fastest time of 35.34 seconds. Past winners here, Demirsoy and Edwina had to be content with second and third place respectively on the night. Al-Emadi, who pocketed €6,765 for his victory, was delighted with the victory and was already looking to the next two days of competitions. “It was a great win. I am very happy with my horse’s performance on the first day and we are looking forward to the next two days of competition. My horse jumped really great. That’s what I was expecting from Zorro Z. I hope it can continue in the way. When I entered the competition, I was ready. Now we are looking forward to the next competition in this championship,” al-Emadi said. Demirsoy also enjoyed a good round with Dadjak Ter Puttenen but the pair had to settle for second place, having clocked 36.87 seconds. “It was a great start for me and my horse. It was a good day,” said Demirsoy, who took home €4,920 in prize money. “You know never know in this sport but today everything went according to plan. I am competing with the same horse (today),” the Turkish rider added. Two-time Global Champions Tour winner Edwina and Veronese Teamjoy came home in 38.32 seconds for a third-place finish, which fetched the veteran Australian rider €3,690. “I have a young horse. She is just eight. She was on the plane for the first time. So it is a good result. I will try two more horses over the course of this event,” Edwina said. Qatar’s Bassem Hassan Mohamed was unable to replicate his famous GCT victory at Al Shaqab last weekend. Bassem mounting The Toymaker could only finish eighth, having taken 41.91 seconds to complete the round. Earlier, Qatari rider Salmeen Sultan al-Suwaidi astride Guilder’s Empire of The Sun cruised to victory in the 130/135cm class. Al-Suwaidi marshalled his 8-year gelding perfectly for a comprehensive win in a time of 58.75 seconds. Awad al-Qahtani, astride Cassander Van Het Bremhof, secured the second spot in a time of 64.26 seconds. In third place was Kuwait’s Ali al-Khorafi, who riding under the FEI flag guided Cheril home in 64.54 seconds. In the championships’ opening competition, Qatar riders made a clean sweep of podium in the 120cm class, which also had riders from Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Pakistan and Kuwait. Saeed Nasser al-Qadi, who has been in fine form in the National Series Hathab, continued his winning run in the international event too. Al-Qadi topped the timesheets with his go-to horse, 15-year-old gelding Jessico 4 to take the victory in 24.17 seconds. Compatriot Mohammad al-Ghazali, astride Jackson 58, finished in second spot in a time of 26.73 seconds, while Ghanim Nasser al-Qadi and Fudine finished third in 27.27 seconds. Results Table A, Special Two Phases FEI Art. 274.5.6 | Max. 145 cm | Prize money €24,600 1. Salman Mohamed al-Emadi (Qatar) Zorro Z. Time: 35.34 secs, Prize money: €6,765 2. Derin Demirsoy (Turkey) Dadjak Ter Puttenen. 36.87. €4,920 3. Edwina Tops-Alexander (Australia)  Veronese Teamjoy. 38.32 secs. €3,690. Table A, Against the clock FEI Art. 238.2.1 | Max. 130/135 cm | Prize Money €8,000 1 Salmeen Sultan al-Suwaidi (Qatar) Guilder’s Empire of The Sun. Time: 58.75secs, Prize money: €2,000 2. Awad al-Qahtani (Qatar) Cassander Van Het Bremhof. 64.26secs. €1,600 3. Ali al-Khorafi (Kuwait) Cheril. 64.54secs. €1,200 Table A, Two Phases FEI Art. 274.5.3 | Max. 120 cm | Prize money: €5,600 1. Saeed Nasser al-Qadi (Qatar) Jessico 4. Time: 24.17secs. Prize money: €1,400 2. Mohamed al-Ghazali (Qatar) Jackson 58. 26.73secs. €1,120.00 3. Ghanim Nasser al-Qadi (Qatar) Fudine. 27.27secs. €840.00 Today’s Schedule 13:30: Table A, Against the clock with Jump 120 cm 15:30: Table A, Against the clock with Jump Off 135 cm 18:00: Qualifying competition for the FEI World Cup Table A, Against the clock 145 cm.

Two high quality events – Qatar International and Al Rayyan Show Jumping championships – will be held on consecutive weekends at the Qatar Equestrian Federation’s (QEF) outdoor arena. The annual championships hosted by the QEF, will begin with Qatar International Show Jumping meet from tomorrow. The four-star event will see 57 riders and 85 horses from 11 countries in action over three days.  The FEI-sanctioned event will be followed by another top-class tournament – the Al Rayyan championship from November 23 to 25.  The three-day event features a Grand Prix Class of 160cm high fences within the Arab League qualifications of riders and horses for the 2018 World Cup, which will be held in France next April. There are nine classes in total with three each to be contested tomorrow,  on Friday and Saturday. While revealing the details, QEF Event Director Ali al-Rumaihi said: “We have received good response for both the events, with each carrying 240,000 Euros in prize money. Besides that, it’s a good platform for young Qatari riders to show their potential and learn.” Besides top Qatari riders like Sheikh Ali bin Khalid al-Thani and Bassem Hassan Mohamed, two-time Global Champions Tour winner Edwina Tops-Alexander of Australia will be the star attraction. Athina Onassis of Greece, Jordan’s Hani Bisharat Ibrahim, Vladimir Tuganov of Russia and Turkey Derin Demirsoy are other top riders in the field. Riders from UK, Indonesia, Uzbekistan and Pakistan will also make their presence felt.  Bassem, who won the Doha leg of the GCT last weekend, is currently second in the Arab League rankings with 44 points just four behind Jordan’s Ibrahim. Al-Rumaihi hoped that the two home events will help the Qatari riders accumulate crucial points as they look to qualify for the next year’s World Cup.  “Our hope is that the Qatar riders will get highest number of points during the two championships. Bassem and Sheikh Ali, who are always contesting in major tournaments, are in a good position to qualify,” he said.  Omar al-Mannai, Commercial Director of Al Shaqab, said the level of competition will be high despite the absence of neighbouring boycotting countries. He stressed that they have not faced any issues with transportation of horses. “We did not face any issue so far because most of the participants and their horses are coming from Europe and Asia so we did not have any kind of negative impact. With regards to the regional participants, we have riders from Kuwait and Jordan. Other Gulf countries are welcome to take part but we did not receive any entries from them,” al-Mannai said. He added that there was no special requirement to qualify for the events. “There are no special criteria’s but we follow the process of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) for entries for these two competitions. Anyone who feels that he or she can take part in the competition at this level have been welcomed,” al-Mannai added.  On the QEF and Al Shaqab joining hands to organise equestrian events, al-Mannai said: “The guidance of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, led to the formation of a joint committee to organise all events related to equestrian sport, which is a well-known and important Olympic sport. The tie up between QEF and Al Shaqab is a fruitful one and there will be continuous co-operation in the future too,” Qatari riders, who participate in the National Series Hathab will also take part in the international championships. The three legs of the QR1mn Hathab series has already taken place, with the remaining rounds to commence next month. The entry will be free for the spectators, with a fun zone for kids and other activities for families in place at the QEF. Both the events will be shown live on Alkass channels.  “We also have collaboration with Bedaya for food and beverage kiosks around the venue. There will be a lot of other community activities. There will also be a raffle draw and the prizes will be announced during the events,” al-Mannai said. The Qatar International and Al Rayyan championships are annually held in month of December and January respectively, but has been pushed forward a month to give the riders an opportunity to take part in other competitions in the region.  “We advanced the meets this year, to make it easy for the riders to participate in all tours in Gulf. Between the Qatar events and those in Saudi Arabia they have eleven days break in between, and another twelve days between the events in Saudi and the UAE. So we did to help and facilitate the riders, so that they and horses can get ample rest,” al-Rumaihi said.  Schedule Tomorrow 13:30:  Two Phases 120 cm 15:30: Table A, Against the clock 130/135 cm 18:00: Special Two Phases 145 cm   On Friday:  13:30: Table A, Against the clock with Jump 120 cm 15:30: Table A, Against the clock with Jump Off 135 cm 18:00: Qualifying competition for the FEI World Cup Table A, Against the clock 145 cm On Saturday  Table A, Against the clock 130/135 cm Table A, One Round + Winning Round 145 cm Grand Prix – World Cup Competition | Two Rounds 160 cm

A sensational Bassem Hassan Mohamed and his 11-year-old gelding Gunder brought the crowd to its feet as the Qatari rider completed a famous victory at the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Doha. At the Al Shaqab arena last night, Bassem was the darling of the crowd after the 30-year-old brought home Gunder in style to register his first win on home soil. Bassem had finished runner-up last year in one of the GCT CSI5* events in Doha. However, this was his second victory on the GCT Grand Prix. In 2014, he had become the first Qatari to win an LGCT Grand Prix when he rode Victoria to victory in Monaco. He also has two runner-up finishes and a bronze medal on the Tour. But to do it in front of the vociferous home crowd, which turned out in good numbers at Al Shaqab arena, it was a night of dreams for Bassem. The 2014 Asian Games gold medallist had made his intentions clear when he had produced a flawless round to qualify for the CSI5* 1.55/1.60m class jump-off. Bassem was the fifth to go in the nine-rider jump-off field. With expectations quite high from the crowd, the Qatari rider handled the pressure immaculately. It was a tricky course, featuring two huge oxers along the grandstand, and a sliding vertical to finish, but Bassem and Gunder rose to the occasion spectacularly. The pair cruised home in 35.31 seconds, the fastest time till then. But with four more pairs yet to finish, it was a nervous wait for Bassem, and thankfully none of them even came close to beating the Qatari rider’s time. Once the victory was confirmed, the crowd erupted in a joy as Bassem basked in glory. The second place went to Switzerland’s Janika Sprunger on her 11-year-old gelding Bacardi VDL, with the pair coming home in 37.34secs. Sweden’s Peder Fredricson and H&M Christian K finished third in a time of 37.41 seconds. “I am so happy to have got this win. Thank God it happened at the right time. I’m so happy.  It’s amazing,” said a beaming Bassem, who collected € 132,000 for his victory. “It is also a very special feeling for me to receive a commemoration and the cheque from Her Highness Sheikha Moza along with HE Sheikh Joaan alongside the podium,” he added. Bassem was full praise for his horse Gunder. “My horse was excellent today and he was in a good mood. We really prepared very hard for this class and I’m happy that this win happened. I was quick between the fences and there we had time to go over well,” he said. On how he handled the pressure of performing in front of the home crowd, Bassem said: “Of course, there is pressure. Everybody here (in Qatar) wanted me to win, I wanted to make everybody and myself happy. I thank God for this victory.” Hamburg Diamonds clinch Global Champions League title Meanwhile, Hamburg Diamonds were crowned the overall Global Champions League winners for 2017, with Valkenswaard United taking runner-up spot. Despite a dazzling win for United in the Doha leg at Al Shaqab yesterday, their nearest rivals Diamonds had done just enough by finishing fifth to strike gold in the race for the overall championship. Some intrepid riding from the Mexico Amigos helped them secure the final spot on the GCL podium in third. “We gave some hope to United, but at least we finished well,” said Harrie Smolders of the Hamburg Diamonds, who secured an unprecedented double as the star Dutch rider had also won the 2017 Global Champions Tour overall title in the penultimate leg in Rome. His team-mate Eric Lamaze, riding with a rib injury, added: “We wanted to win this — Harrie has done so many clears for the team, so it was my turn to help today.” Hamburg Diamonds, who collected a whopping €2 million for the victory, had other key players this season in John Whitaker, Piergiorgio Bucci and Jos Verlooy. United, who took the title in the inaugural GCL last year, were represented by Bertram Allen (Molly Malone) and Alberto Zorzi (Fair Light van’t Heike) in the glittering final and both produced measured double clears to soar clear of a high class field of 18 teams. United took home €1,350,000 in prize money. “We came here knowing we had to win here today, and unfortunately it wasn’t enough to win the League, but we gave it a good shot all year,” said Bertram. “We’ve had plenty of ups and downs but at least we finished on a really great note.”   Results CSI5* 1.60m Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Doha (€400,000) 1. Bassem Hassan Mohamed (Qatar) Gunder. Time: 35.31secs. Prize money: €132,000 2. Janika Sprunger (Switzerland) Bacardi VDL. 37.34 secs. €80,000 3. Peder Fredricson (Sweden) H&M Christian K. 37.41secs. €60,000   CSI5* 1.55/1.60m Table A: Against the Clock (€160,350) 1. Kevin Staut (France) Silver Deux de Virton H D C. Time: 73.28secs. Prize money: €52,800 2. Pieter Devos (Belgium) Espoir. 73.97secs. €32,000 3. Sergio Alvarez Moya (Spain) Carlo. 74.23secs. €24,000

Marlon Modolo Zanotelli and his long-striding horse Extra van Essene clinched their second win of the week after the pair won the feature class of yesterday’s Global Champions Tour. Under the lights at the magnificent Al Shaqab arena, Zanotelli and his 13-year-old gelding Extra van Essene made it two in a row clinching the CSI5* 1.45/1.50m, to go with Thursday’s win in the 1.45 two-phase competition. The pair once again pushed the Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders and Zinius to second palce, who had also finished runner-up the previous day. Lauren Hough of USA and the 14-year-old Waterford, took third spot. Zanotelli was the last to go in the 11-strong jump-off, who made the cut from 40-rider field. The Brazilian had a mountain to climb after the 2017 GCT overall champion Smolders had thrown down the gauntlet with a 50.75secs round with his 13-year-old gelding Zinius. But Zanotelli was immaculate with his jump as Extra van Essene seemed to have taken the liking to the Al Shaqab arena, clearing the hurdles with ease. The winning time was 50.42secs, just .033secs better than Smolders, who had a wry smile after being pipped for the second time in two nights by Zanotelli. “The horse is jumping amazingly. He’s fantastic and so careful, and he can really gallop. He makes my life easier!,” said Zanotelli, who pumped his fist repeatedly in delight after the triumph. “Harrie (Smolders) is one of the fastest riders in the world – to see him go was a chance for me to watch, and then I just hoped for the best,” added the 29-year-old. Qatar’s Olympic rider Sheikh Ali bin Khalid al-Thani had a disappointing night, finishing 39th with Armstrong van de Kapel. The big one – CSI5* 1.60m Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Doha will be held tonight, with the feature class carrying a total prize money of €400,000. Despite Smolders’ title triumph, the riders are set for a captivating battle for the overall ranking places in the last stop of GCT season. Only 15 points split the second to sixth-placed rider. Italy’s de Luca is currently in second place on 260 points just three ahead of Germany’s Christian Ahlmann. Italian Alberto Zorzi is two points away on 255 points, while Dutch rider Maikel van der Vleuten and two-time GCT champion Scott Brash of Britain are on 247 and 245 points respectively. GCL set for thrilling finale today Meanwhile, the second season of the Global Champions League team event is set for a nail-biting finish today. With just 17 points difference between the Hamburg Diamonds  and defending GCL Champions Valkenswaard United, the battle for the overall League title has reached a new intensity. On Thursday, the big guns came out in full force for the first round of the GCL at Al Shaqab, with Mexico Amigos taking pole but there was high drama in the battle between championship contenders Diamonds and United. Setting up an unmissable finale to the GCL season, both the Diamonds and United pulled out all the stops to keep their title dreams alive. United rider Bertram Allen - who teamed up with Alberto Zorzi in Thursday night’s first round said: “We’re delighted with our horses’ performance today and knew we had to go double clear to be in with a chance. The Diamonds are strong but for sure we’ll be fighting until the end.” Thursday night’s competition hinged on clear rounds and three teams produced double clears under the lights at Al Shaqab. Mexico Amigos lead the way into today’s finale as the fastest of the faultless trio, with the Paris Panthers and defending champions Valkenswaard United heading the pack of 18 teams. “We are in the best position,” said Henrik von Eckermann of the Mexico Amigos after their pole position. “Both horses jumped really well. If we win, we are third (in the overall championship) so that is what we are trying for.” His teammate Evelina Tovek added: “I’m really happy to produce a clear round for the team.” Coming in to the final leg, it was the Hamburg Diamonds who held the best cards and just need to finish in the top eight today to claim the title. However, a surprise nine-fault total puts them in 11th place with a fight on their hands if they are to soar ahead of their rivals United to be crowned GCL champions of 2017. Bassem Hassan Mohamed for the host team Doha Fursan Qatar, who were sitting seventh in the overall championship, boosted his team’s chances with a clear on the scopey Gunder after Sheikh Ali’s six-fault round on First Devision. They sit one ahead of the Lions in ninth. Results Class CSI5* 1.45/1.50m (Table A: Against the Clock with Jump-Off) 1. Marlon Modolo Zanotelli (Brazil) Horse: Extra van Essene; Time: 50.42secs. Prize money: €30,360 2. Harrie Smolders (the Netherlands); Zinius; 50.75secs; €18,400 3. Lauren Hough (USA); Waterford; 52.22secs; €13,800 Today’s schedule 9am: Hathab National Class 1.20/1.30m Two Phase (QR25,000) 11:30am: Hathab National Class 1.30/1.40m Two Phase (QR35,000) 2pm CSI5* 1.55/1.60m Global Champions League Final (€160,000 to individual class winner + €200,000 to team winner) 6pm CSI5* 1.60m Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Doha (€400,000)

Marlon Modolo Zanotelli and his long-striding horse Extra van Essene clinched their second win of the week after the pair won the feature class of yesterday’s Global Champions Tour. Under the lights at the magnificent Al Shaqab arena, Zanotelli and his 13-year-old gelding Extra van Essene made it two in a row clinching the CSI5* 1.45/1.50m, to go with Thursday’s win in the 1.45 two-phase competition. The pair once again pushed the Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders and Zinius to second palce, who had also finished runner-up the previous day. Lauren Hough of USA and the 14-year-old Waterford, took third spot. Zanotelli was the last to go in the 11-strong jump-off, who made the cut from 40-rider field. The Brazilian had a mountain to climb after the 2017 GCT overall champion Smolders had thrown down the gauntlet with a 50.75secs round with his 13-year-old gelding Zinius. But Zanotelli was immaculate with his jump as Extra van Essene seemed to have taken the liking to the Al Shaqab arena, clearing the hurdles with ease. The winning time was 50.42secs, just .033secs better than Smolders, who had a wry smile after being pipped for the second time in two nights by Zanotelli. “The horse is jumping amazingly. He’s fantastic and so careful, and he can really gallop. He makes my life easier!,” said Zanotelli, who pumped his fist repeatedly in delight after the triumph. “Harrie (Smolders) is one of the fastest riders in the world – to see him go was a chance for me to watch, and then I just hoped for the best,” added the 29-year-old. Qatar’s Olympic rider Sheikh Ali bin Khalid al-Thani had a disappointing night, finishing 39th with Armstrong van de Kapel. The big one – CSI5* 1.60m Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Doha will be held tonight, with the feature class carrying a total prize money of €400,000. Despite Smolders’ title triumph, the riders are set for a captivating battle for the overall ranking places in the last stop of GCT season. Only 15 points split the second to sixth-placed rider. Italy’s de Luca is currently in second place on 260 points just three ahead of Germany’s Christian Ahlmann. Italian Alberto Zorzi is two points away on 255 points, while Dutch rider Maikel van der Vleuten and two-time GCT champion Scott Brash of Britain are on 247 and 245 points respectively. GCL set for thrilling finale today Meanwhile, the second season of the Global Champions League team event is set for a nail-biting finish today. With just 17 points difference between the Hamburg Diamonds  and defending GCL Champions Valkenswaard United, the battle for the overall League title has reached a new intensity. On Thursday, the big guns came out in full force for the first round of the GCL at Al Shaqab, with Mexico Amigos taking pole but there was high drama in the battle between championship contenders Diamonds and United. Setting up an unmissable finale to the GCL season, both the Diamonds and United pulled out all the stops to keep their title dreams alive. United rider Bertram Allen - who teamed up with Alberto Zorzi in Thursday night’s first round said: “We’re delighted with our horses’ performance today and knew we had to go double clear to be in with a chance. The Diamonds are strong but for sure we’ll be fighting until the end.” Thursday night’s competition hinged on clear rounds and three teams produced double clears under the lights at Al Shaqab. Mexico Amigos lead the way into today’s finale as the fastest of the faultless trio, with the Paris Panthers and defending champions Valkenswaard United heading the pack of 18 teams. “We are in the best position,” said Henrik von Eckermann of the Mexico Amigos after their pole position. “Both horses jumped really well. If we win, we are third (in the overall championship) so that is what we are trying for.” His teammate Evelina Tovek added: “I’m really happy to produce a clear round for the team.” Coming in to the final leg, it was the Hamburg Diamonds who held the best cards and just need to finish in the top eight today to claim the title. However, a surprise nine-fault total puts them in 11th place with a fight on their hands if they are to soar ahead of their rivals United to be crowned GCL champions of 2017. Bassem Hassan Mohamed for the host team Doha Fursan Qatar, who were sitting seventh in the overall championship, boosted his team’s chances with a clear on the scopey Gunder after Sheikh Ali’s six-fault round on First Devision. They sit one ahead of the Lions in ninth. Results Class CSI5* 1.45/1.50m (Table A: Against the Clock with Jump-Off) 1. Marlon Modolo Zanotelli (Brazil) Horse: Extra van Essene; Time: 50.42secs. Prize money: €30,360 2. Harrie Smolders (the Netherlands); Zinius; 50.75secs; €18,400 3. Lauren Hough (USA); Waterford; 52.22secs; €13,800 Today’s schedule 9am: Hathab National Class 1.20/1.30m Two Phase (QR25,000) 11:30am: Hathab National Class 1.30/1.40m Two Phase (QR35,000) 2pm CSI5* 1.55/1.60m Global Champions League Final (€160,000 to individual class winner + €200,000 to team winner) 6pm CSI5* 1.60m Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Doha (€400,000)

A total of nine riders made it to the jump-off after a intense round of competition, which saw 48 riders taking part Dutchman Maikel van der Vleuten and his 15-year-old VDL Groep Verdi TN won the feature event in a thrilling fashion as the Global Champions Tour kicked-off at the Al Shaqab arena yesterday. Van der Vleuten beat the time of his nearest rival Belgian rider Gregory Wathelet with Forlap by just .08 seconds to clinch the 1.50/1.55m CSI5* class. Brazilian Eduardo Menezes with Poden Farms’ Galip finished third. A total of nine riders made it to the jump-off after a intense round of competition, which saw 48 riders taking the field. Van der Vleuten was in right sync with VDL Groep Verdi Tn as the pair took out strides to cross the finish line in 37.73 secs. Wathelet and Forlap quickly found top gear. But a slip on the turn back to the vertical – despite a quick recovery – would mean they would be a fraction behind, finishing on 37.85 and Wathelet ruing his hard luck.  Menezes and Galip put in a strong round, jumping clear but were not quite quick enough to stop the clock on 38.99s. “The first round [Verdi] jumped nice, we had a smooth round and it was quick enough to win the class today. At the moment [Verdi] feels very good, and very happy. I can use his big stride in a big arena like this so it suits him. We put our focus on Saturday for the Grand Prix,” said van der Vleuten, who got richer by 30,360 Euros on the night. In the Global Champions Tour opening event, Brazil’s Marlon Modolo Zanotelli registered a sensational round on the 13-year-old Extra Van Essene to win the CSI5* 1.45m class, which carried a total prize money of 92,000 Euros. In what turned out to be a fast-paced thriller, Zanotelli finished just 0.3s ahead of 2017 overall GCT champion Harrie Smolders (the Netherlands) on Zinius, with Henrik von Eckermann of Sweden taking third on Cantinero. “It was fantastic, I’m very happy with my horse,” said Zanotelli, who took home 30,360 Euros for his effort. “I watched Maikel (van der Vleuten, who finished sixth) and he went fast. My wife said there was one less stride to the last and luckily it worked for me. He’s a fantastic horse, very kind and he’s always fighting for me. It’s a fantastic facility here in Doha and all the support we have here from the crowd is very nice,” the Brazilian added. A magnificent field of elite riders, including 17 of the world’s top 20 riders, lined up for the opening CSI5* class. Great Britain’s Ben Maher took an early advantage with some deadly accurate turns on MTF Madame X in a time of 27.12s, but the leader board immediately reshuffled. Sweden’s Peder Frericson and H&M Zaloubet rocketed home in 26.48s before Dutchman Maikel van der Vleuten and VDL Groep Quatro showed all their agility at high speed to take the lead in 25.60s. But Zanotelli beat the competition with his long-striding 13-year-old Extra Van Essene. The duo showed tremendous team work, scorching home clear in 24.35secs. Smolders, who made history this season by winning the 2017 tour outright at the penultimate leg in Rome, threatened to beat Zanotelli’s time with Zinius. But the pair, despite a blazing round, fell 0.3secs short of the winning time to settle for runner-up spot. Von Eckermann and Cantinero put in some brave manoeuvres, but had to be content with third place finish. GCT Results CSI5* 1.50/1.55m Table A: Against the Clock with Jump-Off 1. Maikel van der Vleuten (the Netherlands) VDL Groep Verdi Tn. Time: 37.73 secs. Prize money: 30,360 Euros 2. Gregory Wathelet (Belgium) Forlap 37.85 secs. 18,400 Euros 3. Eduardo Menezes (Brazil) Galip 38.99 secs. 13,800 Euros. CSI5* 1.45 m Two Phases: A + A, Both Phases Against the Clock 1. Marlon Modolo Zanotelli (Brazil) Extra van Essene. Time: 24.35 secs. Prize money: 8,250 Euros 2. Harrie Smolders (the Netherlands) Zinius. 24.65 secs. 5,000 Euros 3. Henrik von Eckermann (Sweden) Cantinero.  24.83 secs. 3,750. Today’s schedule 10:45: National Class 1/1.15m Against the clock (QR10,000) 13:15: National Class 1.20/1.30m Against the clock (QR20,000) 15:00: CSI5* 1.45m Two Phase (€25,000) 17:30: CSI5* 1.50/1.55m Global Champions League Round 1 (€92,000 individual class winner)

The Global Champions Tour title may have already been wrapped up by the Dutchman Harrie Smolders, but there are plenty of thrills and spills in store in the season finale at the Al Shaqab arena from today. The three-day showjumping championship returns to Qatar for the final stop of the season, with riders set for a captivating battle for the overall ranking places after 13 rounds of action. This year’s event will be particularly special for Al Shaqab, which is marking the 25th anniversary of the prestigious, cutting-edge equestrian facility. A vision of His Highness the Father Emir, Al Shaqab has become an epicentre for the sport in the region. To mark the occasion there will be a special celebration during the event tomorrow.  An all-star cast of 17 out of the world’s top 20 riders will be in action with their horses this weekend. Smolders, who made history by taking the title at the penultimate event in Rome, will lead the pack which consists of Scott Brash, Eric Lamaze, Lorenzo de Luca, Gregory Wathelet, Kevin Staut, Peder Fredricson, and Maikel van der Vleuten. Home heroes Sheikh Ali bin Khalid al-Thani and Bassem Hassan Mohamed will be in action in the individual GCT competitions and riding for home team Doha Fursan Qatar in the Global Champions League.  Despite Smolders’ triumph, there is still everything to play for in Doha, as there are just 15 points between the next top five riders. Italy’s de Luca is currently in second place on 260 points just three ahead of Germany’s Christian Ahlmann. Italian Alberto Zorzi is two points away on 255 points, while Dutch rider van der Vleuten and two-time GCT champion Brash are on 247 and 245 points respectively. GCT President Jan Tops said: “You see through the years, and especially this year, that the best riders in the world prepare their horses for these events. Now we are at the final of the season and the riders have their best horses here. The statistics speak for themselves.” Tops was gushing in his praise of Al Shaqab, calling the venue a special one. “It is great to be here at this special place. Qatar works very hard to promote the heritage of the horse and on the development of the sport to a high level, which we have seen on an Olympic level. Al Shaqab is not only a magnificent place, but it is very horse-friendly; the footing is great, the stabling is the best condition – it’s an example for every event. That is why we love to be here in Qatar,” he added. Speaking about the progress of the top Qatari riders like Sheikh Ali, who finished 6th in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Tops said: “If I see the progress made from five years ago it has been incredible and I hope we can make some steps forward again for the next Olympics. And it is important to develop the next generation and give them experience and get them ready for the next four to eight years and more.” Omar al-Mannai, the event director of Al Shaqab, said the successful hosting of GCT and many other top events over the years has made Qatar a sport hub. “As part of Qatar National Vision 2030 we believe Qatar has become a sport hub and GCT supports this by bringing the top riders and horses. We are engaging with the community with our activities and engaging them about our tradition and heritage,” he said. Al-Mannai revealed there will be a special celebration to mark Al Shaqab’s 25th anniversary during the sidelines of the GCT, adding a bigger celebration will be held on Qatar’s National Day, which falls on December 18.  Meanwhile, the Global Champions League, the second season of the team event is intriguingly poised. The teams will be in action with round one to be held today and the final on Saturday afternoon.  Hamburg Diamonds and Valkenswaard United will be going head to head for the overall championship title and five other teams are challenging for the other podium places. 18 teams have competed in the GCL this year tactically fielding top rider and horse combinations to get the edge ahead of their rivals in the championship. Third Hathab leg at Al Shaqab this weekend Meanwhile, the third leg of Hathab, Qatar’s QR1mn national equestrian series, will be held on the sidelines of the GCT and GCL events this weekend. Six events are scheduled for the third of the 12-leg series, with competitions in five categories: Future Riders Program (6-12 years old), Junior (Small Tour 14-18 years old), Young Rider (Medium Tour 16-21 years old) and Senior (Big Tour- over 21-years-old). Hathab is an initiative launched by Qatar Olympic Committee president HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani. THE SCHEDULE Today 10:45: National Class 1/1.15m Against the clock (QR10,000) 13:15: National Class 1.20/1.30m Against the clock (QR20,000) 15:00: CSI5* 1.45m Two Phase (€25,000) 17:30: CSI5* 1.50/1.55m Global Champions League Round 1 (€92,000 individual class winner) Tomorrow 13:45: National Class 1/1.15m Against the clock with jump-off (QR10,000) 16:45: National Class 1.30/1.40 Against the clock with jump-off (QR30,000) 17:45: Al Shaqab 25th Anniversary celebrations 18:40: CSI5* 1.45/1.50m (€92,000) Saturday 09:00: National Class 1.20/1.30m Two Phase (QR25,000) 11:30: National Class 1.30/1.40m Two Phase (QR35,000) 14:00: CSI5* 1.55/1.60m GCL Final (€160,000 to individual class winner + €200,000 to team winner) 18:00 CSI5* 1.60m Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Doha (€400,000)

Jonathan Rea might have hoped the 2017 season didn’t end for him. For, the Kawasaki rider not only won his third successive WorldSBK title with two and half rounds to spare, he also smashed many records on his way through a dominating year. Last night at the Losail International Circuit, the Northern Irishman finished the season with another record to his name. The 30-year-old broke American Colin Edwards’ 15-year-old all-time points record with victory in Race 2 of the Qatar round of the WorldSBK championship. Having already won the Race 1 on Friday, Rea needed another 25 points to rewrite the record books and that is exactly what he delivered. It was Rea’s 16th win of the season last night, which meant he ended the season with 556 points compared to Edwards’ 552 set in the 2002 season. It was also Rea’s 16th career double win, which equalled the total of both Troy Bayliss and Carl Fogarty. “I don’t have words to describe. I just want to thank my family, my team and most of all my rivals Chaz (Davies) and Tom (Sykes) because they pushed me to improve, gave me motivation to work better, to get smarter. I’ve really enjoyed it,” said Rea, with his wife and two young sons joining in the celebration on the podium. “I now want to get back home and enjoy the moment because these times don’t come along every day. I want to savour it with my family and my team,” he added. Rea had topped the short warm-up session ahead of the finale, and he was even more lethal in the race despite starting from the third row as per the reverse grid rule. The Kawasaki man was handed the lead on lap four when Chaz Davies experienced a massive near-highside which broke his screen. Rea needed no invitation and swept into top spot. Ducati’s Davies still bagged second in the championship chase as rival Tom Sykes of Yamaha crashed out, losing the front at turn 14 a lap before. Davies did close back in on Rea, but the world champion extended the gap and cruised home by two seconds ahead of Ducati rider. Alex Lowes took the final podium place, bouncing back from his double crash on Friday to pass Pata Yamaha teammate Michael van der Mark with five laps left to run.   Mahias clinches Supersport Meanwhile, Frenchman Lucas Mahias won his maiden World Supersport title last night. The GRT Yamaha rider was in a pole position to win the championship, having gone into the season finale race with a 20-point lead over defending champion Kenan Sofuoglu of Kawasaki. An 11th place finish or better would have been enough for Mahias to seal the title, but he chose to win it in style after a long tussle with Jules Cluzel of Honda. The margin of victory was a narrow 0.023seconds. The Frenchman had benefited from five-time champion Sofuoglu’s injury issues throughout the year, but he was consistent enough take advantage of it. Sofuoglu’s return from triple hip fracture delayed Mahias from grabbing the 2017 title in Jerez but there was no stopping the Yamaha rider last night. Federico Caricasulo of Yamaha finished a close fourth, beaten across the line by the gritty Sofuoglu. The Turkish rider was caught up further back in the field, fighting with the likes of Sheridan Morais (Kallio Racing), Niki Tuuli (Kallio Racing), Kyle Smith (Lorini) and PJ Jacobsen (Agusta) as he made his way through the pack to fourth and then chased Caricasulo down in the final stages.   WorldSBK Race 2 results (top 10) 1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing) 33:39.98 2. Chaz Davies (Racing Ducati Panigale) +1.961 3. Alex Lowes (Crescent Yamaha) +4.185 4. Michael van der Mark (Yamaha) +5.843 5. Xavi Fores (Barni Ducati Panigale) +8.987 6. Marco Melandri (Racing Ducati Panigale) +14.675 7. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) +16.251 8. Sylvain Guintoli (Kawasaki Puccetti) +19.675 9. Leon Camier (Agusta RC) +20.607 10. Roman Ramos (Kawasaki Go Eleven) +20.628

The unstoppable Jonathan Rea ticked another box in his glittering career when he won the Race 1 of the Qatar round of the WorldSBK Championship last night. The three-time World champion Rea, who had wrapped up the 2017 title in France with two and half rounds to spare, had never won at the Losail International Circuit before last night. And he brought an end to that drought in spectacular style under floodlights on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR. The Northern Irish rider is seeking to better American Colin Edwards’ record points tally of 552 set in 2002. After the Race 1 victory last night, Rea has 531 points, and another 25 points tonight in Race 2 will smash the 15-year-old record. Rea was in a class of his own at Losail, getting away brilliantly from pole to dominate the penultimate race of season. He completed the 17 laps in 33:41.021 seconds, 4.944secs ahead of second-placed Chaz Davies on Ducati. Davies’ teammate Marco Melandri completed the podium. The 30-year-old Rea, who also achieved Kawasaki’s maiden victory at Losail, has now chalked up 53 World Superbike victories in his career – 38 with Kawasaki – and is only six wins behind the all-time record held by Carl Fogarty. He has also become the second most successful rider ever, moving ahead of Australian great Troy Bayliss, who won 52 races during a chequered career. Rea had made his intentions clear earlier as he had set a new Losail lap record in the Superpole. In the race that followed, Rea pushed his Kawasaki ZX-10RR to the limits around the 5.380km track to snatch his 15th win of the season. Davies did his best to chase Rea down but would eventually finish a lonely second despite his best efforts – still a good result in his bid to secure the runner-up spot in the championship. His teammate Melandri crossed the finish line a further five seconds behind him. Eugene Laverty finished fourth ahead of his Aprilia teammate Lorenzo Savadori, while Tom Sykes completed the top six on the second of the KRT machines. Yamaha’s Alex Lowes who was the closest challenger to Rea in the Superpole, coming in second, had a disappointing end to the night. With seven laps to go, Lowes, who was involved in a feisty duel with Davies, crashed at the last corner with a podium spot in his sights. Lowes picked up his Yamaha YZF R1 to go in search of valuable championship points but went down again in the final stages. Lowes’ teammate Michael van der Mark also crashed out of the race, touching the rear of Sykes’ bike at Turn 7.   leader Mahias on pole for WorldSSP showdown In the Supersport class, Lucas Mahias of GRT Yamaha put on a lightning lap to clinch the pole position for tonight’s season-finale. The Frenchman has a 20-point lead going into the final race of the season and he strengthened his title aspirations by smashing the Losail Supersport lap record last night. His championship rival and defending champion Kenan Sofuoglu of Kawasaki was fourth fastest, and it will need a huge effort from the Turkish rider to win the title tonight. Sofuoglu was passed fit prior to third practice to race despite suffering three fractures to his pelvis at Magny-Cours in France just over a month ago. France’s Jules Cluzel of Honda and Finnish rider Niki Tuuli of Kallio Racing also qualified on the front row, timing the second and third fastest time in Superpole 2. Mahias set a new lap record of 2:00.738 secs as the championship leader bids to secure the world title in style tonight. Cluzel qualified 0.546s behind his fellow Frenchman, whilst Tuuli was delighted to grab third on the grid, with a lap which was 0.654s off the pole-setter. Sofuoglu is riding through the pain barrier during this final weekend of the season and is receiving medical check-ups after each session as he bids to prevent Mahias from taking his crown. Sofuoglo needs a top-two finish and hope Mahias misses the top 10 to win a sixth world title. Qatar’s Saeed al-Sulati was 18th fastest on his Kawasaki ZX-6R, while his QMMF Racing compatriot Mashel al-Naimi was 22nd. The duo will be hoping for a much better performance tonight in front of the local crowd.   WSBK Race 1 results (top 10) 1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) 33:41.021 2. Chaz Davies (Ducati) +4.944 3 Marco Melandri (Ducati)  +10.405 4. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia)  +12.052 5. Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia)  +12.339 6. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki)  +15.587 7. Jordi Torres (BMW)  +16.789 8. Sylvain Guintoli (Kawasaki)  +17.869 9. Leon Camier (MV Agusta)  +18.494 10. Roman Ramos (Kawasaki)  +22.660 Today’s Schedule 17:00-17:15    WorldSSP - WUP 17:30-17:45    WorldSBK - WUP 19:30    WorldSSP - Race 21:00    WorldSBK - Race 2