Team Qatar placed in Group A of the AFC Under-23 Asian Cup 2022

KUALA LUMPUR - Qatar will have to face the might of hosts Uzbekistan and continental powerhouses Iran at the group stage of the AFC Under-23 Asian Cup 2022, to be held from June 1 to 19 in Tashkent and Karshi. Qatar are in Group A, which also features debutants Turkmenistan. The 16 participating nations were divided into four groups at the draw, held virtually in the Uzbek capital Tashkent on Thursday. Qatar’s best performance in the tournament was finishing third in 2018 and they had an unimpressive run in the 2020 edition in Thailand, failing to progress past the group stage. They are hopeful of a better show this time but the task will be tricky. Uzbekistan were the champions in 2018 and fourth in 2020. At home, they will be well prepared to raise the bar. Iran, Asia’s number one team at the senior level, have not won the U-23 title yet and they will be eager to mount a strong challenge this time. Qatar sealed a spot in the tournament by topping Group A of the qualifiers, also featuring Sri Lanka, Syria and Yemen. Defending champions South Korea are in Group C, along with Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia while last edition’s runners-up Saudi Arabia feature in Group D, which also include UAE, Japan and Tajikistan.Group B include last-edition’s third-placed team Australia, Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait.

Rinderknech stuns Shapovalov as Basilashvili, Bautista Agut and Khachanov complete semis line up

Doha: France’s Arthur Rinderknech stunned top-seeded Canadian Denis Shapovalov  6-4, 6-4 in their 2022 Qatar ExxonMobil Open quarterfinal while defending champion Nikoloz  Basilashvili, Roberto Bautista Agut and Karen Khachanov all made it to the semi finals in Doha.  On Thursday at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, Frenchman Rinderknech whose career graph has witnessed an upward arc in 2022 gave enough hints of why he is a player to watch out for this season. The World No. 61 Rinderknech won 16 of 20 second-serve points to storm into his second semifinal in three tournaments this season, including his first ATP Tour final in Adelaide in January, where he fell to Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis. The 80-minute victory is Rinderknech's third career top 20 win. The Canadian is the second seed to fall to Rinderknech in Doha after the Frenchman defeated seventh seed Alexander Bublik in the second round. In Doha, Wimbledon semi finalist Shapovalov was seeking his first semifinal since the 2021 Stockholm where he was also top seed and stopped Rinderknech 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the quarterfinals. In Qatar, Rinderknech was the calmer and more consistent player. Shapovalov sabotaged his own cause, committing nine double faults and dropping serve to start the second set on his way to another upset loss. The 26-year-old Frenchman appears on course to charge into the top 20 on the ATP ranking computer going by his topnotch performance this season. “It feels pretty good, especially when it's your best win of your career. I'm not going to complain and enjoy it tonight,” said the Frenchman. “I'm just trying to take one match at a time. I'm coming back from a few injuries that I got in Australia, so I'm just enjoying my time on court. Happy to be healthy,” he added. Rinderknech will go on to face defending champion Nikoloz  Basilashvili who fought back from a set down to defeat Márton Fucsovics 1-6, 6-3, 7-5. Doha has been a happy hunting ground for Basilashvili. Last year, the Georgian arrived at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open mired in a five-match losing streak and went on to defeat Roger Federer, Taylor Fritz and Roberto Bautista Agut to take the title. This week, Basilashvili was stuck in an eight-match losing streak before beating Elias Ymer and Fucsovics to reach his first semi final since he was runner-up to Cameron Norrie in Indian Wells. Elsewhere, last year’s runner-up and 2019 winner Bautista Agut, who trounced Andy Murray 6-0, 6-2 in the pre-quarterfinals, continued in the same vein to defeat compatriot Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-1, 6-1 and will take on Karen Khachanov in the last four clash.   The Russian defeated wild card entrant Marin Čilić 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the quarter-finals.  

Sheikh Joaan honors Qatar's national handball team

Doha: The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) President H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani honored Qatar national handball team champions on Wednesday in recognition of winning their fifth straight Asian Handball Championship and qualifying to 2023 World Handball Championship to be held in Poland and Sweden. The QOC 2nd Vice President H.E. Dr. Thani Alkuwari, the Secretary General H.E. Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, President of the Qatar Handball Association Ahmed Al Sheabi, Board Members of the Association and Directors of QOC Departments also attended the honoring ceremony. H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani congratulated Qatar’s handball team on their achievements lauding efforts made by the athletes, the federation president, and all members of the administrative and technical bodies of the Association. He also reaffirmed that QOC is keen to support the national sports federations to enable them to achieve more in the forthcoming events. Team Qatar claimed the title of Asian Handball Championship for the fifth consecutive time after beating Bahrain 29-24 in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. With this title win, Qatar, who also won 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020 editions, equaled South Korea’s record of five straight titles in the continental event. Team Qatar also qualified for the World Championship for the ninth time after participating in Portugal 2003, Tunisia 2005, Germany 2007, Spain 2013, Qatar 2015, France 2017, Germany and Denmark 2019, and Egypt 2021 World Championships.

Bautista Agut cruises to emphatic win over Murray as Shapovalov advances

Doha:  Second seed Roberto Bautista Agut cruised to a 6-, 6-1 win over Andy Murray in their last 16 match of the 2022 Qatar ExxonMobil Open on Wednesday. At the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, the Spaniard produced a dominant performance to trounce the British wild card to reach the quarter-finals In Doha. In a meeting of two former Doha champions, Bautista Agut the 2019 winner dropped only one game to Murray, who won two back-to-back Qatar titles way back in 2008 and 2009. The former world number one had gone into the tournament looking to win his first singles title since 2019 but struggled to find his serving range against Bautista Agut and in the end suffered one of the heaviest losses of his career. Murray lost the first set without winning a single game, the first time since 2015 with Bautista Agut calling the shot all the way.  The World No 17, who had earned a bye to the second round conceded only eight points in the first set, including just three on Murray's serve. The three-time Grand Slam winner was expected to put up a fight in the second after holding his serve in the initial stage of the set but the initial euphoria of a fight back vanished into thick air with the Spaniard racing clear to convert two further break points and seal the win in a little over an hour. The Spaniard will now be looking for his tenth career title and will next face either Dan Evans or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the last eight. Also through to the last eight are fellow top-four seeds Denis Shapovalov, Nikoloz Basilashvili and Marin Cilic. Shapovalov overcame a slower start to eventually cruise past Alex Molcan.   The Canadian dropped just eight points on serve in eight service games en route to a 6-4, 6-0 win over the World No. 73 Slovak in just 52 minutes.  It was a strong response from the 22-year-old, who last week suffered an upset straight-sets defeat to fast-rising Czech Jiri Lehecka in Rotterdam. In the quarter-finals, Shapovalov, who had a first-round bye, will meet Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, who enjoyed a 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-4 win over seventh-seeded Kazah Alexander Bublik. Defending champion Basilashvili and Cilic similarly progressed to the next round with straight sets wins.  Basilashvili defeated Elias Ymer 6-4, 7-5, while Botic van de Zandschulp lost to Cilic 6-3, 7-5. Marton Fucsovics also book a place in the quarterfinals with a  6-3, 6-7, 6-3 win over Soonwoo Kwon.  

Andy Murray qualifies to second round of Qatar ExxonMobil Open

Doha: Former World No.1 and two-time Doha Winner Andy Murray began his campaign in the 2022 Qatar ExxonMobil Open with an empathic 6-2, 6-2 win over Japanese Taro Daniel at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex on Tuesday.  The 34-year-old Briton recently back in the ATP top 100 – who lost to the Japanese at the Australian Open played at a different level to the one at Melbourne Park, to emerge a clear winner in Doha.   On Doha courts, Murray was very solid on his first serve and mixed it with a few defensive shots which gave glimpses of the high notch tennis he has been known for over the last few years. The four-time finalist in Doha hit 11 winners and broke Daniel, ranked 110th on the ATP computer, twice to ease to the first set.   Daniel broke in the first game of the second set to momentarily halt the Murray charge, but a trademark backhand winner that sealed an immediate break back was typical of how the Scot struck the ball throughout and he went on to seal victory in one hour, 20 minutes.   The three-time Grand Slam winner thus advanced into the second round of the ATP 250 tournament and will face last year’s runner-up Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, for a place in the quarterfinals.   The Brit will be seeking to increase his 3-1 lead over the World No. 16 Spaniard when the two former champions meet in Doha. Murray’s two titles came in 2008 and 2009, while Bautista Agut won in 2019.  Earlier, seventh seed Alexander Bublik beat Slovakian qualifier Jozef Kovalik 6-2, 6-4 with a powerful performance.  The World No. 31 Kazakh hit 25 winners including seven aces, breaking his opponent four times to reach the second round in Doha for the third consecutive year. He now faces Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, who defeated Jiri Vesely 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4.

Qatar Total Open gets underway

Doha: Former World No. 1 Andy Murray and two-time Doha Champion will take on Taro Daniel in one of the most keenly awaited clash of the 2022 Qatar ExxonMobil Open at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex on Tuesday. Murray, who has slipped back into the top-100 rank on the ATP computer for the first time since 2018, had had an up-and-down season so far.  The three-time Grand Slam winner, who won back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009 will be keen to bounce to winning ways and what better way then to do it in Doha.  Murray has displayed flashes of brilliance, but hasn't been as consistent as he would have liked this season. He lost his first match of the year at the Melbourne Summer Set but made it to the final of the Sydney Tennis Classic the following week.  At the Australian Open, the Brit scored a hard fought five-set win over Nikoloz Basilashvili, last year’s winner in Doha, in the first round, but lost in straight sets to Daniel in the next round. At the Rotterdam Open, he lost to eventual winner Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round. Nevertheless, he's back into the top 100 of the ATP rankings. The Japanese on the other hand began his 2022 season by reaching the second round of the Adelaide International, losing to Tommy Paul. At the Australian Open, he reached the third round of a Gram Slam after defeating Murray along the way. Meanwhile there were no surprises on day one of the tournament as Kwon Soon Woo along with Alex Molcan and Botic Van De Zandschulp reached the second-round of the $1,176,595 in prize money tournament. South Korean Woo defeated Christopher Eubanks of United States, 7-6 (6), 1-6, 6-4 and will meet the winner of the tie between Marton Fucsovics of Hungary and Lloyd Harris of South Africa in the second round.  Molcan of Slovakia also advanced to the next stage after getting better of Christopher O'Connell of Australia to 6-4, 7-6, 6-4 and will face top seed Denis Shapovalov in the next round.   De Zandschulp of Netherlands booked a place in the next round with a 6-2, 7-6 win over Italian qualifier Thomas Fabbiano. He will meet Marin Cilic of Croatia, who has got a bye into the second round.