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Highly-rated Bertram Allen drew first blood at the CHI Al Shaqab as the Irish rider won the Table A against the clock 1.50m, the feature event on the opening day at the Al Shaqab arena yesterday. The 21-year-old has been in fine form off lately, having registered victories in Spain and continued his winning run last night. Allen and his 13-year-old mare Molly Malone V were quite clearly the fastest in the CSI5* field as the pair negotiated the tricky course quite smoothly. Allen and Molly Malone V were the 42nd pair to get off the blocks out of 43, and the Irish rider exactly knew what they needed to do. Roger Yves Bost of France had set an early lead with Qoud’Coeur de La Loge in 58.04 seconds. But Allen and his mare put on a lightening quick performance to stop the clock at 57.70 seconds. Pius Schwizer of Switzerland was third with Balou Rubin R, just a shade behind Bost in 58.06 secs. Allen was quite pleased with Molly Malone V’s performance and set his sights on winning tomorrow’s Grand Prix, the feature event of the championship. The British bred mare by Kannan is 14 now and the horse has brought the young Irish rider much success during a long partnership. “She has been a great horse for me. Molly will have off day tomorrow as I am saving her for the Grand prix on Saturday,” said Allen, who took home €23000 from a total pot of €92,000. Bost didn’t mince his words as he paid credit to Allen. “I will ride faster next time but Bertram is a very fast rider against the clock, ” said the Frenchman, who will only be riding with Qoud’Coeur de La Loge at CHI Al Shaqab this year. “My horse enjoys it here, with the big arena and the bright lights, he really performs well,” Bost added. In the CSI5* two phase 1.45m class, Morocco’s Abdelkebir Ouaddar beat 41other riders, including World No. 1 showjumper Daniel Duesser of Germany to win the top prize. Ouaddar had won one of the events at the HH The Emir Sword last week, and the Moroccan didn’t put a foot wrong with his experienced grey stallion Cordano Site Z yesterday. They combined perfectly with a second phase time of 28.94 seconds. Sweden’s Henrik Von Eckerman rode a well measured round to post a time of 29.4 seconds with Chacanno, to take the second spot. There were a number of early clears to set the standard and some strong performances from Qatari riders, who are quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with under the tutelage of their Dutch coach Jan Topps. Bassem Hassan Mohamed was one such rider, who finished third on Argelith Squid in a time of 30.31 seconds. In the CSI3*, Kuwaiti Ali al-Khorafi riding Cheryl won against the clock 1.45m class. Al-Khorafi performed a blazing round to finish in a time of 56.8 seconds. “I love competing here at Al Shaqab and there are some great riders to beat this year. I was really pleased with my horse and I hope next year, I will compete her in the 5* class, ” said al-Khorafi. Mubarak Yousef A S al- Rumaihi from Qatar was second with Vivaldi K in 57.6. A close third was another Qatari rider, Nasser Al Ghazeli, who posted a time of 57.70 on board Delloren. The opening event of championship, the CSI3* Two Phases 1.30m class, was clinched by Andres Penalosa of Colombia. Penalosa astride Barcelona cleared his round in 31.02 seconds. Saudi Arabia’s Ramzy Hamad al-Duhami (High Quality J) was second in 31.73, while  Ali al-Khorafi completed the podium with Columbus in 32.12. RESULTS CSI5* Table A. against the clock 1.50m 1. Bertram Allen (Ireland) Molly Malone. Time: 57.70 secs. Prize money: €23000 2. Roger Yves Bost (France) Qoud’Coeur de La Loge. 58.04 secs. €18400 3. Pius Schwizer (Switzerland) Balou Rubin R. 58.06 secs. €13800 CSI5* Two Phases (274.5.3) 1.45m 1. Abdelkebir Ouaddar (Morocco) Cordano Sitte Z. Time: 28.94 secs. Prize money: €6250 2. Henrik von Eckermann (Sweden) Chacanno. 29.41 secs. €5000 3. Bassem Hassan Mohamed (Qatar) Argelith Squid. 30.31 secs. €3750  CSI3* Table A. against the clock (238.2.1) 1.45m 1. Ali al-Khorafi (FEI) Cheril. Time: 56.88 seconds. Prize money: €6250 2. Mubarak Yousuf A S al-Rumaihi (Qatar) Vivaldi K 57.60 secs. €5000 3. Nasser al-Ghazali (Qatar) Delloren. 57.70 secs. €3750  CSI3* Two Phases (274.5.3) 1.30m 1. Andres Penalosa (Colombia) Barcelona. Time: 31.02 secs. Prize money: €3000 2. Ramzy Hamad al-Duhami (Saudi Arabia) High Quality J. 31.73 secs. €2400 3. Ali al-Khorafi (FEI) Columbus. 32.12 secs. €1800 Para-Dressage CPEDI3* Team Grade I 1. Jens Lasse Dokkan (Norway); Cypres, 72.560% Prize Euros 330 2. Elke Philipp (Germany); Fuerst Sinclair, 70.298% Prize Euros 250 3. Magdalena Cycak (Poland); Sybilla 59.583% Prize Euros 200

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

Qatar’s Sheikh Ali bin Khalid al-Thani and his 11-year-old mare, Carolina 31, put on a splendid show to clinch the feature event at the HH The Emir’s Sword International Showjumping Championship yesterday. Cheered on by a vociferous home crowd, Sheikh Ali rose to the occasion as he guided Carolina 31 to a thrilling win in the CSI5*160cm class at the Qatar Equestrian Federation’s outdoor arena. After two rounds of intense competition, 18 riders out of 27 in the field qualified for the jump-off, with €153,700 of total prize money at stake. Sheikh Ali and Carolina 31 had so far had a below-par outing in the championship but were in their elements yesterday. The pair 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 41.90 seconds. While the other riders tried to beat Sheikh Ali’s time, they faltered by picking up faults on a difficult course. Sheikh Ali and Carolina 31 had also triumphed at the Al Rayyan Championship in December, and the pair repeated the feat to a thunderous applause on an overcast evening. Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Alsharbatly and his 14-year-old gelding Domingo had to settle for the runner-up spot. The pair was quicker, topping the timings in 39.63 seconds but committed four faults, which pushed them to second place. Turkey’s Derin Demirsoy was third with Harry K, the four faults he incurred dashing his victory hopes. “We were well prepared for the championship. She is always a good horse and I really believe in her. So when I ride good, she always jumps good and that is what happened today,” said a delighted Sheikh Ali, paying full credit to his mare for the victory. “I was really focused to do well in this class. I jumped with Carolina 31 two days back and she jumped very good. She gave me a good feeling that she will be in good form today. And thank God she was in fine form. It was a very good class, but at the same time when you have a good horse everything becomes easier,” the Qatari show-jumper added. The 34-year-old rider, who finished sixth at the Rio Olympics last year, said yesterday’s triumph was an important milestone in his career as HH The Emir’s Sword Championship is a very prestigious event for Qataris. “It’s my home turf and also this is His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani’s event. So it is important for us as Qataris and I am very pleased I could win it for our people,” said Sheikh Ali, who took home HH The Emir’s Sword and €50,721 in prize money. The star Qatari rider said his next target is to do well in this week’s CHI Al Shaqab and other important events in Europe and the World Cup Finals to be held in the United States next month. Meanwhile, Emanuele Gaudiano took his second win in two days after the Italian rider stormed to victory in the CSI5* One round against the clock 155 class. Gaudiano and his 11-year-old stallion Caspar 232 flew around the course to finish in 76.37 seconds, securing a comfortable victory, which gave the Italian €22,975 in prize money. The battle for the second place went down to the wire though. Spain’s Pilar Lucrecia Cordon (Armani Des Maraichers) pipped Alsharbatly (Woulon L) by a mere three hundredth of a second in 80.65. It was Alsharbatly’s fourth podium finish in the championship, though the Saudi rider must have been disappointed not to convert any into victory. In the CSI2* events, Kuwaiti Rakan al-Hasawi, representing FEI, and Saad Alajmi of Saudi Arabia took the top honours. Al-Hasawi won in the 145cm class with Dennis, the pair coming home in 34.83 seconds. The second and third place went to Qatar’s Khejaim Faraj al-Marri (Monopoly) and Sheikh Khalifa al-Thani (Sidoline van de Centaur) respectively. Earlier, Alajmi and Alex Ludine S had combined to score a narrow win in the 135cm class, in a timing of 60.21 seconds. Kuwait’s Latifa al-Othman (Kajaszo Molokai) was second, while Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Alghamdi (Dageraad) finished third. Results CSI5*, Grand Prix Two Rounds with Jump Off FEI Art. 273.3.4.1 & 273.4.4 + 273.2.2 + Annex VIII art.6, 160 cm Prize Money €153,700 1. Sheikh Ali bin Khalid al-Thani (Qatar) CAROLINA 31. Time: 41.90 seconds. Prize money: € 50,721 2. Abdullah Alsharbatly (Saudi Arabia) Domingo. 39.63 secs. €30,740 3. Derin Demirsoy (Turkey) Harry K. €23,055 CSI5*, Table A, One round against the clock, Art. 238.2.1, 155 cm — Prize money: €91,900 1. Emanuele Gaudiano (Italy) Caspar 232. Time: 76.37 seconds. Prize money: €22,975 2. Pilar Lucrecia Cordon (Spain) Armani Des Maraichers. 80.65 secs. €18,380 3. Abdullah Alsharbatly (Saudi Arabia) Woulon L. 80.68 secs. €13,785 CSI2*, Table A, One round against the clock with jump off, Art. 238.2.2, 145 cm — Prize money: €24,600 1. Rakan al-Hasawi (FEI) Dennis. Time: 34.83 seconds. €6,150. 2. Khejaim Faraj al-Marri (Qatar) Monopoly. 38.21 secs. €4,920 3. Sheikh Khalifa al-Thani (Qatar) Sidoline van de Centaur. 38.85 secs. €3,690 CSI2*, Table A, One round against the clock, Art. 238.2.1, 135 cm — Prize money: 12,000 1. Saad Alajmi (Saudi Arabia) Alex Ludine S. Time: 60.21 seconds. Prize money: €3,000 2. Latifa al-Othman (FEI) Kajaszo Molokai. 60.88 secs. €2,400 3. Abdullah Alghamdi (Saudi Arabia) Dageraad. 62.33 secs. €1,800

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘I think the second half of the campaign will be better than the first’ By his own standards, Carlo Ancelotti has not had a spectacular start at Bayern Munich. In his 20-year managerial career, the Italian is well travelled, and has managed and played for some of Europe’s biggest clubs. His impressive resume boasts coaching Juventus and AC Milan in his native Italy, Chelsea in the Premier League, Paris Saint-Germain in French Ligue 1, Real Madrid in Spanish La Liga and now with Bayern Munich, the last four years’ German champions. However, the 57-year-old Ancelotti, who took over from Pep Guardiola, has not had a smooth reign so far at Bayern, with the Germans struggling for consistency in the Bundesliga. Just before the winter break, they did cruise to a 3-0 home victory over title rivals RB Leipzig in their last match of 2016, opening up a three-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga. But Bayern have not hit their peak this season, like they usually do. They also finished second to Atletico Madrid in their Champions League group. But Ancelotti is hoping a week-long training camp in Doha will help Bayern to get back to his best. There are just ten days to go before Bayern’s first competitive game of 2017 against SC Freiburg, and the coach believes his squad is well-prepared. “We’re stronger than in the summer. We know each other better after six months working together. That’s why I think the second half of the campaign will be better than the first,” said Ancelotti, after his team’s last training session at the Aspire Zone, yesterday. “Our expectations are to play better than we did in the first half of the season. We want to be up there until the end. We have three important competitions and we want to do well in all those.” Doha has been second home for the Germans, having opted to train at Aspire in the last few years. Ancelotti was full of praise for his players for making use of the excellent facilities on offer. “The week has been very good – we’ve trained with real intensity. Our confidence is high. I am very pleased with the approach of the team. The weather has helped us a lot. You can’t train with this sort of workload when it’s freezing,” he said. Manuel Neuer was missing in action yesterday at training. The goalkeeper had flown to Zurich on Monday for the FIFA awards, where he was once again voted into the FIFA FIFPro World XI for the fourth year in a row. Ancelloti showered praise on Neuer. “Everyone is really pleased for Manu. He is the best keeper in the world. He always concentrates and helps the team to be better. His attitude towards training makes him the best,” said Ancelotti. The Bayern coach also dismissed any immediate threat of Chinese Super League clubs prising his best players away from Bavaria. The Chinese clubs have been attracting footballers playing in Europe, offering them huge wages, which has concerned the European clubs. Bayern’s star striker Robert Lewandowski also had interest from Far East before he committed to a new deal with the Bundesliga champions. But Ancelotti was not worried about his players following the likes of Oscar, Carlos Tevez, Axel Witsel, and John Obi Mikel in moving to China. “It’s true that a lot of players are going to China at the moment,” he said. “But, for the moment, European clubs are safe because the best competitions and most competitive football are in Europe. “Players don’t just play for the money, but also to be at the top and play the biggest games in the world. For this reason, European clubs are safe in the future,” he added. On the expansion to 48 teams from 2026 World Cup onward, Ancelotti preferred to wait and watch, hoping it would not lead to playing more matches in what is already a packed schedule.   “In general, I’m against more matches because the calendar is already so full. But FIFA is saying there will be no extra games in the World Cup, so let’s wait and see what happens,” he said. Ancelotti also insisted Holger Badstuber will not be sold, hours before the Schalke signed the defender on loan for the second half of the 2016-17 season. The German centre-back played only 28 minutes since October. Badstuber has only made 40 league appearances over the last four and a half seasons through a combination of injury and falling out of favour at the club. Badstuber’s contract with Bayern is coming to an end in June and reports suggest he has extended his contract with Bayern until 2018 before agreeing the loan move. “I said if he decided to leave because he wanted to play we can deal with it for six months,” Ancelotti said before the loan move was announced. “We can speak about this with him. There is no chance he will be sold. The idea of the club is to renew the contract. If he wants to go to play, it will be to go on loan.”

The ace Qatari rider’s victory was so clinical that the runner-up, Kamal Abdullah Bahamdan of Saudi Arabia, finished almost three seconds behind Qatar’s Sheikh Ali al-Thani and his phenomenal 10-year-old mare Carolina 31 clinched the feature event of the Al Rayyan International Show Jumping Championship yesterday. It was a night of dreams for Sheikh Ali, as he lifted his arms in triumph once he crossed the line, even as the home crowd erupted in joy. Under lights at the Qatar Equestrian Federation’s Main Arena, Sheikh Ali and Carolina 31 were in sync as the pair combined to win the 160cm class, which carried a total prize money of QR650,000. The pair flew around the track and stopped the clock at an impressive 43.58 seconds to the delight of the crowd. Sheikh Ali was joined by his family on the podium as the Qatari rider picked up QR162,500 for the triumph. The victory was so clinical that the runner-up, Kamal Abdullah Bahamdan of Saudi Arabia, finished almost three seconds behind with his 15-year-old mare Delphi. The duo came home in 46.37 seconds as the Saudi rider got richer by QR130,000. The third place went to Athina Onassis of Greece in Cinsey, as they stopped the clock in 53.35 seconds. Onassis took home QR97,500. Qatar’s Bassem Mohamed put in a splendid show with Argelith Squid but a pair of faults meant they had to settle for fourth spot. Another home rider Ali Yousuf al-Rumaihi (Gunder) was fifth. The 160cm two round class saw 20 contenders take on the tough course, with many top riders picking up faults all over the track. Only six of them made it to the second round. Turkey’s Derin Demirsoy astride Harry K had topped the field in the first round with Sheikh Ali a close second. But the Qatari switched gears in the second round and was class above rest of the field. Earlier, Jordan’s Ibrahim Hani Bisharat and his impressive 10-year-old mare Brown Sugar won the 1.45m class. Only 10 out of 25 competitors made it to the jump-off, with many top riders picking up faults all over the track. But Bisharat and Brown Sugar put in a clinical round as they finished faultless in 39.94 seconds. “I’m really happy with my horse Brown Sugar. He put in a top performance tonight. It is not easy to win in this  championship. The top international riders are here. We have the best riders from this region and from Europe,” said Bisharat, who took home QR30,525 for his victory. Qatar’s Nasser al-Ghazali and Delloren came second, with the pair crossing the finish line in 40.45 seconds. The third place went to Saudi Arabia’s Bader Mohammed Alfard and Fulla, who timed 41.69.  Australia’s Edwina Tops Alexander, 2016’s Global Champions Tour runner-up, was fourth aboard the Selle Français Sirius du Granit. Tops stopped the time in 41.72 seconds. The top five was completed by Rakan al-Hasawi of Kuwait and the 8-year-old Dennis. Only the top five rode a double clear round. The final day’s opening event was won by Kuwait’s Sheikh Yousuf al-Sabah, riding under the FEI flag. Al-Sabah cantered to victory with his seven-year-old mare Enjoy as the pair came home in 54.42 seconds to clinch the top spot in the One round against the clock 130/135 cm class. Al-Sabah won QR10,000 for his efforts.   Results Table A, Two rounds - Art. 273.3.3.1 & 273.4.3 + 273.2.2 + Annex D - 140-160cm - Prize: QR650,000 1. Sheikh Ali al-Thani (Qatar) Carolina 31. Time: 43.58 seconds. Prize money: QR162,500. 2. Kamal Abdullah Bahamdan (Saudi Arabia) Delphi. 46.37. QR130,000. 3. Athina Onassis (Greece) Cinsey. 53.35. QR97,500.00  One Round + Winning Round, Art. 276.2.1, 2.3 - 145cm - Prize: QR122,100 1. Ibrahim Hani Bisharat (Jordan) Brown Sugar. Time: 39.94 seconds. Prize money: QR30,525.00 2. Nasser al-Ghazali (Qatar) Delloren 40.45. QR24,420.00 3. Bader Mohammed Alfard (Saudi Arabia) Fulla. 41.69. QR18,315.00  Table A, One round against the clock Art. 238.2.1 -130/135cm - Prize: QR40,000 1. Sheikh Yousuf al-Sabah (FEI) Enjoy. Time: 54.42. Prize money: QR10,000 2. Ali al-Khorafi (FEI) Ungarin 4. 55.10. QR8,000 3.  Abdulrahman Alhamazani (Saudi Arabia) Birgitta. 56.84. QR6,000

Turkey’s Derin Demirsoy stormed to a stunning victory on the second day of the Al Rayyan International Show Jumping Championship yesterday. In an thrilling finish at the Qatar Equestrian Federation’s Main Arena, the 22-year-old Demirsoy and his 13-year-old grey gelding Narazo De Nyze Z put in a phenomenal time of 62.61 seconds, throwing down the gauntlet to the remainder of the field competing in the 145cm class, the feature event of the night which carried a total prize money of QR270,000. Ramzy Hamad al-Duhami looked set to grab the top spot when he galloped around the arena with his 10-year-old black stallion Garlic Vh Kapelhof. But the pair missed out by a mere three seconds as they finished the course in 62.64 and had to settle for a runner-up spot. This is the second time in a week that al-Duhami has finished behind Demirsoy. Last week, Demirsoy had won the feature event at the Qatar International Show Jumping Championships with Harry K. Demirsoy once again marshalled his horse perfectly to outwit al-Duhami and walk away with the top prize of QR67,500. Al-Duhami had to be content with QR54,000. Saudi’s Kamal Abdullah Bahamdan came third with Lacasino as the duo stopped the clock at 63.30. Bahamdan was richer by QR40,500 for the podium finish. Earlier, Qatar’s Rashid Towaim al-Marri continued his fine form on the second day of the Championship, by emerging triumphant once again. Qatar’s al-Marri on top The Qatari rider had won on the opening day of the event with his 13-year-old mare Dolce Vita M in the 130/135cm class. Yesterday, al-Marri was at his best again as he guided Beyonce to victory in the One round against the clock with jump-off 135cm class. The 10-year-old grey mare, Beyonce, galloped around the arena and stopped the clock in an impressive 37.10 seconds to claim the top spot. Al-Marri took home QR11,250 for his efforts. The second place went to Saudi Arabia’s Bader Mohammed Alfard, who guided Fulla clear in 37.32 seconds. The Saudi Rider won QR9,000. Qatar’s Hamad Ali al-Attiyah took the second spot, in his nine-year-old gelding Clinton, the pair completing their hurdles in 39.01, which fetched the local rider QR6,750. A total of 38 riders were in the field, of which only 10 made it to the jump-off. In the day’s opening event, one round against the clock with jump-off 120 cm class, Saad Alajmi of Saudi Arabia finished first. Alajmi and Risohorse Emilia crossed the line in 33.92 for the top prize, which made the Saudi rider richer by QR 8,750. Qatar’s Hussain Said Haidan looked set for a home turf win after a blinding round with his 12-year-old gelding Casanova but failed to beat Alajmi’s time by 0.8 seconds. The pair’s time of 34.04 was good enough for second spot. Haidan won QR7,000 for his efforts. Qatar also took the third spot, with Salmeen Sultan A M al-Suwaidi impressing with Cascano as they jumped clear in 34.76 seconds to finish on the podium. Al-Suwaidi pocketed QR5,250.   Results Table A, One round against the clock Art. 238.2.1 - 145cm, Prize: QR270,000 1. Derin DEMIRSOY (Turkey) Narazo De Nyze Z. Time: 62.61 seconds. Prize money: QR67,500 2. Ramzy Hamad al-Duhami (Saudi Arabia) Garlic Vh Kapelhof. 62.64. QR54,000 3. Kamal Abdullah BAHAMDAN (Saudi Arabia) Lacasino. 63.30. QR40,500 Table A, One round against the clock with jump-off - Art. 238.2.2 - 135cm - Prize: QR45,000 1. Rashid Towaim al-Marri (Qatar) Beyonce. Time: 37.10. Prize money: QR11,250.00 2. Bader Mohammed Alfard (Saudi Arabia) Fulla. 37.32. QR9,000.00 3. Hamad Ali al-Attiyah (Qatar) Clinton. 39.01. QR6,750.00.     Table A, One round against the clock with jump-off - Art. 238.2.2 - 120 cm - Prize: QR35,000 1. Saad Alajmi (Saudi Arabia) Risohorse Emilia. Time: 33.92 seconds. Prize money: QR8,750.00 2. Hussain Said Haidan (Qatar) Casanova. 34.04. QR7,000.00 3. Salmeen Sultan A M al-Suwaidi (Qatar) Cascano. 34.76. QR5,250.00.

For the second time in three years, Juventus players leave Doha heartbroken after suffering yet another loss in the penalty shootout. This time, despite the heroics of skipper Buffon, AC Milan pip them to the post and win the Italian Super Cup For the second time in three years, Juventus players left Doha heartbroken. The Serie A champions of last five years have somehow failed to find lady luck smiling in their favour in the Qatar capital. At the Al Sadd Stadium last night, 2014 came back to haunt Juventus as they lost the Italian Super Cup — on penalties once again. Back then, the Juventus were pipped to the post by Napoli, this time AC Milan had the last laugh against the Old Lady of Turin. Truth be told, Milan were the better team on the night and deserving winners. The San Siro side had numerous chances to score the winner during the regulation time and then in extra time too, but were undone by Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon’s mastery. Buffon, playing in his 600th match for Juve, however, was helpless when Mario Pasalic sent him the wrong way to seal a pulsating clash 4-3 (1-1 in regulation time) in Milan’s favour. It was another Gianluigi, though, who was the hero last night. The 17-year-old Milan goalkeeper Donnarumma, who shares his first name with Buffon, showed the composure of a veteran when he flung to his left to save Paulo Dybala’s kick one-handed, which proved decisive in the shoot-out. Giacomo Bonaventura had cancelled out a Giorgio Chiellini’s opener as both teams were locked in 1-1 at full time. This Italian Super Cup triumph was Milan’s first piece of silverware, since Rossoneri’s won the same trophy in 2011. Back then Massimiliano Allegri was in charge of Milan, but he was in the opposite camp this time, as current Milan coach Vincenzo Montella savoured his first trophy. Milan also equalled Juventus record of seven Italian Super Cup trophies. “It’s a nice feeling to win. The lads have to see this as a good starting point for the future, as we played on a par with a great side like Juventus,” said a delighted Montella. “We did everything to avoid penalties. We have lost twice in Doha and hopefully the third one will go better. I have to compliment Milan, as they put in a strong performance,” Juventus coach Allegri said. This is traditionally a clash between the Scudetto winners and Coppa Italia holders, but as Juve had won both those trophies in 2016, their opponents were Milan, the beaten Coppa finalists. Milan started the game on nervous note as Juventus were all over them in the first 15 minutes. Montella’s men, who had beaten Juventus in the league game as recently as October, started out playing too deep. And Juventus took advantage of that. The Turin side almost went ahead after seven minutes, but Mario Mandzukic’s fierce shot was blocked by Donnarumma. The Milan goalkeeper was once again called into action on Stefano Sturaro’s strike, but on the resulting corner Giorgio Chiellini volleyed in with his shin-pad to give Juventus the lead in the 18th minute. That goal woke up Milan from their slumber, as they started to play a high pressing game from then on. Milan’s best player on the night, Fernadez Suso went close to scoring the equaliser, but shot wide. Juventus then received a setback when the impressive winger Alex Sandro limped off with a muscular problem and was replaced by Patrice Evra. The equaliser came in the 39th minute for Milan when Suso whipped in a cross from the right and Bonaventura ducked slightly to steer his glancing header into the far top corner. Juventus were lucky not to be a man less after Stephan Lichtsteiner escaped being sent off. The Swiss defender, who was already on a yellow, elbowed Bonaventura but referee Antonio Damato failed to spot that. In the second half, Milan began from where they had left in the first half. They had more possession and looked the most likely to take the lead. But Chiellini deflected a Suso effort and on the corner Alessio Romagnoli’s header looped onto the crossbar. For Juventus, their 90mn Euro signing Gonzalo Higuain was off-colour on the big occasion. Though he came close a couple of times, but was unable to get past Donnarumma. Sami Khedira had a couple of chances, but Donnarumma was in the act again, flying to his left to stop a screamer from the German midfielder. Carlos Bacca had the opportunity to seal it for Milan but could not tap in a Juraj Kucka’s cross. Bacca’s heart must have been in his mouth, when Dybala, who replaced Miralem Pjanic in the 67th minute, had an golden opportunity to become Juventus’ hero . But the Argentine striker inexplicably missed his target. In extra time, Buffon was at his best as he kept out a Bacca header, which bounced off the ground but was heading into the net. Juventus picked up their intensity and thought they had done the job when Evra found the net in the 111 minutes. But the Frenchman was clearly offside. Evra was in action when he found an unmarked Dybala in the box with three minutes left on the clock. Dybala, however, once again ballooned over the bar from 12 yards. There was drama in the end when Juventus appealed for a handball on Milan defender Mattia De Sciglio’s arm, which was the last touch of the match. But the referee would have none of it. In penalties, it was advantage Juventus when Buffon saved a soft kick from Gianluca Lapadula. But Mario Mandzukic hit the bar and parity was restored. With Milan converting the next three, Dybala was under pressure to score. And the Argentine messed up again, as Donnarumma produced a sensational one-handed save. Pasalic still had to score and he kept his cool to convert and trigger emphatic scenes among his Milan teammates. “I cannot describe what I’m feeling and I don’t even know what was going through my head! We knew that we had to give it our all, we played on level terms with Juventus,” said the young Donnarumma as he joined his teammates for a long night of celebration.

For someone, who battled depression in his mid-twenties, Gianluigi Buffon has come a long way. There was a time in Buffon’s career, when on the outside everything appeared normal, but on the inside he felt sick. Even going to a normal training session was filled with fear. That he managed to fight his inner demons with the support from his family and play for Italy and Juventus for such a long time makes the legendary Italian goalkeeper special. The ‘dark periods’ he had been through in 2003 and 2004 is just a bad dream now. With 167 caps, Buffon is the most capped player in the history of the Italian national team, the joint sixth-most capped international footballer in history, and the joint most capped European international player ever. Tonight, he will scale another milestone. When Buffon leads Juventus out against AC Milan in the Super Cup clash at the Al Sadd stadium, the soon-to-be 39-year-old will be making his 600th appearance for the Old Lady of Turin. Last week Buffon had said he has no plans to retire and could foresee himself playing on for another 10 or even 15 years.  Buffon has already said he will quit international football with Italy following the 2018 World Cup, when he will be 40, but he is unable to put a timescale on his club career. “I’m glad someone is counting,” he said with a smile yesterday on his 600th match . “I’m definitely happy, I don’t think it’ll be my last and it won’t be my last. There’s still a little something to give, starting tomorrow where there’s a trophy to be won. Like all trophies, like all one-off matches and finals, we’ll do everything to win tomorrow,” he added. Buffon moved to the Bianconeri from Parma for a world-record fee of €53mn in 2001. He has gone on to win seven Serie A titles – including in each of the past five seasons, with only the Champions League trophy missing from his cabinet. And he is gunning for another title tonight against AC Milan. But he warned that it will not be easy against a fast-improving young Milan side, who beat Juventus in the league in October. “They’re definitely very dangerous. We really respect Milan because we’ve already lost to them at San Siro this season. “Even in recent years, where we’ve taken all three points more often than not, they’ve always caused us problems, so we have high levels of for them,” he added. The Juve captain said he doesn’t want to lose for the second time in Qatar, having lost the 2014 final to Napoli. “I haven’t thought about losing twice in a row, it being the same place doesn’t change much. It’s a good thing not to get used to defeat and instead get used to winning,” Buffon insisted. The Italian believes Qatar will a host ‘extraordinary’ World Cup in 2022. “As far as the World Cup in 2022 goes, it will be something extraordinary and completely different to what we’re used to. It’s also true that the world is evolving and chances have to be given to those who have the strength, energy and innovation to a higher quality and possibly better product. And Qatar has the potential to stage a highly successful World Cup,” Buffon said.

Fans in Qatar are in for a treat as one of football’s celebrated rivalries play out in Doha with AC Milan taking on Juventus for the Italian Super Cup at Al Sadd stadium The last time the Italian Super Cup was played in Doha, in December 2014, Juventus were the favourites. It was manager Massimiliano Allegri’s first year in charge of the Bianconeri, but he had wait for another five months for his first trophy with them. The match at the Al Sadd stadium went to penalties and Napoli managed to keep their nerves to upset the odds. That defeat must have hurt Allegri and his boys. But since then they have recouped in style. Juventus’ dominance in Italian football is such that they are yet to lose a trophy at home in two seasons and have won the Serie A five times in succession. They won the 2015 Italian Super Cup too, played in Shanghai, beating Lazio 2-0. Now cut to 2016, Juventus are back in Doha. This time their opponents in tonight’s Super Cup final are AC Milan and this time too the odds are heavily in their favour to lift the trophy. But Allegri would know a thing or two about being complacent and is aware that a moment of lapse in concentration would mean their night would turn up the same way it did in 2014. Adding spice to tonight’s title clash is Milan’s win over Juventus in the league in October. Manuel Locatelli’s goal helped the San Siro side beat the champions for the first time since November 2012. The victory then had closed the gap at the top of Serie A to two points. However, Vincenzo Montella’s side have gone off the radar a bit and now occupy fifth position in the table, nine points behind leaders Juventus, who are favourites to lift the Scudetto for sixth successive time. Milan also lost in April in the league and were defeated in last season’s Italian Cup final, which Juventus won 1-0 after extra time. The gap in experience between the two teams is vast. Not only does Milan have a much younger team, but they also aren’t used to winning trophies. The players likely to start the match for Milan have only 10 titles between them, while Juventus’ probable starting line-up boasts 97 titles between them. It is a similar situation with the coaches: Montella has never won a trophy, while Allegri — who was fired by Milan in January 2014 — has seven. Allegri, however, was wary of Milan and warned his players not to let their guard down. “We know how important this match is,” Allegri said yesterday. “We’re coming from a very positive period in the league and the risk is that we face this match with a bit of complacency. But we can’t let that happen because this is the first trophy (of the season) we can win and we set it as one of our objectives. So far the lads have been very good at achieving those, we are top of the league in Christmas and also topped out group in the Champions League,” the Italian said. Then there is Gonzalo Higuain factor too. Back in 2014, the Argentine was the villain for Juventus. Higuain was playing for Napoli then as he twice cancelled out goals from his Argentinian compatriot Carlos Tevez and also converted a penalty. Tonight, though, Higuain will turn out for Juventus. Since his €90mn move to the Old Lady at the start of the season, Higuain has justified the high price tag. He has scored 10 goals this season and his goal on Saturday against Roma showed his class. The striker bulldozed through Roma midfield and defence and drilled a left-footed finish into the bottom corner of the net. Paulo Dybala, another Argentine stiker in Juventus ranks, will also be the one to watch out for. In Gianluigi Buffon, Sami Khedira and Patrice Evra, they have other big names, who can come handy in a high-pressure match. Midfielder Miralem Pjanic has declared himself fit for the match, whereas Andrea Barzagli and Marko Pjaca have also joined the squad. The likes of Leonardo Bonucci, Daniel Alves and Rolando Mandragora, however, continue to miss out through injury. Milan may lack the big name stars of the past but have young hungry players like 17-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, 18-year-old midfielder Manuel Locatelli and forward M’Baye Niang, a relative veteran at 22. Montella, who is in his first year at Milan, has fully embraced a youth movement. If they can show the intensity and desire, Milan can cause an upset on the night and lift their first piece of silverware since 2011. Milan, however, had some off field issues to deal with before they could land in Doha. They were scheduled to arrive in the Qatar capital on Tuesday night, the same day as Juventus, but their flight from London was delayed by 24 hours due to technical problems. Montella wants Milan to forget about their flight issues and focus on the match. “There was a misunderstanding but it’s a closed chapter now,” Montella said. “Juventus have a winning mentality, and that’s the hardest thing to maintain over time. That has to be our objective and we’re on course to achieve that mentality,” he said. Juventus squad: Gianluigi Buffon, Chiellini, Benatia, Pjanic, Khedira, Cuadrado, Marchisio, Higuain, Hernanes, Alex Sandro, Barzagli, Mandzukic, Lemina, Pjaca, Dybala, Asamoah, Rugani, Neto, Lichtsteiner, Sturaro, Audero, Evra, Coccolo, Andersson AC Milan squad: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Ignazio Abate, Gabriel Paletta, Alessio Romagnoli, Luca Antonelli, Juraj Kucka, Andrea Bertolacci, Mario Pasalic, Suso, Gianluca Lapadula, Giacomo Bonaventura, Gabriel, Mattia De Sciglio, Luiz Adriano, Keisuke Honda, M’Baye Niang, Gustavo Gomez, Andrea Poli, Cristian Zapata, Jose Sosa, Alessandro Plizzari, Carlos Bacca, Manuel Locatelli.