TIMES SPORT

20

Novak out, Andy

2 wins from No 1
Cilic Celebrates
London Finals
Berth With
Djokovic Scalp
Paris: Marin Cilic dumped a
struggling Novak Djokovic
out of the Paris Masters quarter-finals on Friday to pave
the way for Andy Murray to
become the new world number one.

PARIS MASTERS
Cilic had lost all 14 previous meetings with Djokovic
but cast the Serbs 122-week
reign at the top of the rankings into serious doubt with a
6-4, 7-6 (7/2) victory.
Murray faces Tomas Berdych for a place in the semi-finals later and is just two wins
from supplanting long-time
rival Djokovic at the summit.
If the Briton defeats Berdych he would then face Milos
Raonic or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
for a chance to claim the number one ranking.
Cilic had earlier ended a

WAR CRY: Marin Cilic celebrates his victory over Novak Djokovic on Friday

three-match losing streak

against David Goffin on
Thursday to earn a spot at the
ATP Finals. Cilic converted
his sixth match point to beat
Goffin 6-3, 7-6 (9) at the indoor
tournament, giving him one
of the remaining two berths
in the eight-man ATP Finals
in London this month.
In another match, American John Isner sealed his
place in the semi-finals with a
7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 6-4 win over compatriot Jack Sock. Isner and
Sock, who teamed up to win
the doubles in Shanghai last

month, traded crunching

blows as the first set headed to
a tie-break, but the latter was
made to pay after failing to
convert a set point.
Sock was playing his 33rd
match singles and doubles
combined in as many days
and the American number
one appeared to run out of
steam as he dropped serve
early in the second. But the
world number 24 rebounded
by breaking Isner's serve for
the first time this week and
then repeated the trick once
more to force a third set.

ENCOURAGING SIGNS FROM SCHUMACHER

London: Michael Schumacher is making
encouraging signs in his recovery
from a serious skiing accident,
former Mercedes team principal
Ross Brawn said in a BBC interview.
Seven-time world champion
Schumacher sustained serious
head injuries in the accident in 2013, which left him
in a coma for six months and unable to walk.
His current condition is not known, but Brawn
expressed hope the 47-year-old German will one
day recover from his injuries.

The family have chosen to conduct Michaels

convalescence in private and I must respect that,
he said. There are encouraging signs and we are
all praying every day that we see more of them. So
it is difficult for me to say very much and respect
the familys privacy.
All I would say is there is a lot of speculation
about Michaels condition. Most of its wrong and
we just pray and hope every day that we continue
to see some progress and that one day we can see
Michael out and about and recovered from his
terrible injuries. AFP

Kochhar, 17, youngest

to win PGTI title
Abhishek.Ganguly
@timesgroup.com

Kolkata: The winner apart,

one looks out for the best performance by an amateur at the
end of a PGTI event. Thanks to
Karandeep Kochhars heroics,
however, it was the other way
round after the final round of
the PGTI Players Championship at Tollygunge Club on Friday. The organisers had to
identify the best professional
to hand over the winners
cheque as Kochar, the champion, happens to be an amateur.
It was a special day for the
teenaged Kochhar, who upstaged the professionals to secure a three-stroke victory
with an outstanding eight-under 62 on Friday, the best round
of the week. And he was playing only his second pro event.
Kochhar (66-68-62) totalled 14under-196 in the three-round
event to become the youngest
PGTI winner at 17 years and 5
months, bettering Shubhankar Sharmas feat of lifting the
title at 17 years and 8 months in
Kochi in 2014.
Chandigarh
youngster
Kochhar also became the first
Indian amateur to win a PGTI
event, and only the second
amateur after Bangladeshs
Md Zamal Hossain Mollah. As
an incentive, Kochhar will get
an exception on the PGTI till
2018 whenever he turns pro.
Considering the field, I am
really glad to have won the
event. It still hasnt sunk in,
said Kochhar, who took home
the winners trophy and also
the best amateurs prize.
Om Prakash Chouhan of
Mhow was the runner-up at 11under-199 after carding six-un-

Pradip Datta

CHILDS PLAY: Karandeep Kochhar

after winning the crown on Friday

der-64 in the final round. Chouhan got the cheque for Rs

4,50,000 for the best performance by a professional. I am
happy with todays round
My putting was better than in
the last two rounds, he said.
Digvijay Singh and Khalin
Joshi tied for third spot at 10under 200. While the former
went even par in the final
round, Joshi carded two-under
68. Kolkatas Shankar Das was
the best local performer, ending tied seventh with seven-under 203. Shankar followed up
his 67s in the first two rounds
with a 69 on Friday. With 10
holes left to play in his second
round, Kochhar played a total
of 28 holes on Friday. Six-under
after the opening two rounds
and four strokes off the pace,
the lanky Kochhar played the
round of his life, mixing nine
birdies against just one bogey.
There was a time when
Kochhar, Chouhan and Digvijay were tied at 11-under, but
the youngest of the trio showed
great maturity to keep a calm
head and get the job done.

Captain Morgan for

Bengaluru feature
Chennai: Captain Morgan is
fancied for Madras Race Club
Trophy, the feature event of Bengaluru races on Saturday.
Selections: 1) The Master Key Plate
(Div-2) 1-45pm. 1. Daisy Duke 2. Mahogany 3. Royal Serenity; 2) The Kalinadi Plate2-15pm. 1. Southern Fantasy
2. Supreme Dominator 3. Jersey Wonder; 3) The Agumbe Plate 2-45pm. 1.
Winter Bloom 2. High Profile 3. Splendid Brave; 4) The Madras Race Club
Trophy 3-15pm. 1. Captain Morgan 2.
Royal Sceptre 3. Serena Ballerina; 5)
The Master Key Plate(Div-1) 3-45pm.
1. African Emperor 2. Jack Of Hearts 3.
Bellerophon; 6) The Air Force Trophy4-15pm. 1. Proserpine 2. Duke Of
Clarence 3. Fire Glow; 7) The Malaprabha Plate 4-45pm. 1. Ambleside 2.
I've Got Clout 3. Only Princess; 8) The
Trombay Plate 5-15pm. 1. Fotogenic 2.
Opening Act 3. Firing Line; Day's Best:
CAPTAIN MORGAN; Good Double:
PROSERPHINE - AMBLESIDE; Upsetters: AMBITIOUS REWARD -

FLIRTING EYES; Jackpot:4,5,6,7 & 8;

Mini Jackpot: 5,6,7 & 8; 1st Treble: 3,4
& 5; 2nd Treble: 6,7 & 8; Tanala: All
Races.
Bold Command wins: Bold
Command won Rajyotsava Trophy (Grade-3), the main event of
Bengaluru races on Friday.
Results: 1) November Plate(Div-2): Siyouni-win; 2) Dandeli Plate: Celestial
Storm-win; 3) Chickballapur Plate:
Watchmyscript-win; 4) Sarb-Kla Plate: Szable-win; 5) Garden City Trophy
(Div-1): Downton Abbey-win; 6) Rajyotsava Trophy (Grade-3): Bold Command-win; 7) Garden City Trophy
(Div-2): Millrose-win; 8) November
Plate (Div-1):Romantic Helen-win. TNN
Volume 9, Issue 263 Regn No. TNENG/2008/
24638
Published by S Santhanagopal on behalf of Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd, 140 Old Mahabalipuram Road, Chemmenchery, Chennai 600119 and printed by him at The Times of
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Editor (Chennai Market): Sunil Nair - Responsible for selection of news under PRB Act. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of the
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Fax: (044) 24335511 E-Mail: timeschennai@timesgroup.com

THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2016

Adaptability Carlsens main strength: Anand

Prasad.RS@timesgroup.com

Chennai: When the FIDE World

chess championship final featuring
defending champion Magnus Carlsen
and Sergey Karjakin commences
from November 11 in New York, it will
be a departure from the past. For the
first time in about a decade, Indias
Viswanathan Anand wont feature in
a final. However, he isnt someone
who will be losing sleep over it.
Its funny because I dont remember much of the year (2006) when I
didnt play the final. From 2007, I have
been involved in each of the games (in
the final). This time I will be watching
it from outside. Maybe, when the
match starts, I may miss it, Anand
told TOI on Friday.
The last few years have seen the
steady rise of Carlsen. After snatch-

FROM THE RECORD BOOK: Magnus

Carlsen & Viswanathan Anand during 2013
World Championship match in Chennai

ing the World champions crown from

Anand in 2013, Carlsen retained it by
getting the better of the five-time
world champ once again a year later.
The two-time defending champion
has mastered the art of seizing the
key moments in any encounter, a trait

that has held him in good stead. Sergey Karjakin, Carlsens rival in the final, was recently quoted as saying
that Carlsen had practically no
weaknesses.
Elucidating on what makes Carlsen the player he is, Anand pointed
out, What I find most impressive
about Carlsen is his adaptability. Carlsen is one of the most flexible players
in world chess today, and it is difficult
to pin him down. Whatever position
you put him in, Carlsen is able to come
out of it and thats the reason he has
been so successful.
Not surprisingly, when Carlsen
and Karjakin face off in the 12-round
clash next week, the odds appear to be
in favour of the former. Carlsen has
got the better of Karjakin in recent
times. The scales are heavily tilted towards Carlsen. Karjakin is a player in

the classical mould and works very

hard at his game and he will have his
task cut out, Anand mentioned.
So, does Karjakin stand a chance?
Anand believes Karjakin could certainly make a fight of it. I think the
easiest way (for Karjakin) to put Carlsen under pressure will be by creating
a series of winning chances. If Karjakin can neutralize Carlsens ability to
win long games, then we have a match
on our hands, observed Anand.
The young guns are hogging all
the limelight, and Anand doesnt
mind imbibing a thing or two from
them. Thanks to the influence of
computers, the current generations
of players are more flexible and less
dogmatic. They are open to suggestions, embrace change and thats something one can always learn from
them, mentioned the 46-year-old.