Djokovic, Del Potro go through in Dubai
there is still plenty to play for as they look to secure a league and Scottish Cup double. “There are a lot of big games still to play and everyone wants to be in the starting 11,” Forrest said.
“We have got a big match against Motherwell on Wednesday and we want to win that to have a bit of confidence for the cup game against St Mirren. strange.”
In the day’s other match, Evgeny Donskoy beat Steve Darcis 7-6 6-3.
In Kuala Lumpur, sixth-seed Donna Vekic of Croatia was the first seeded player to be knocked out of the BMW Malaysian Open Tuesday after she lost 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 to American Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the first round.
The 16-year-old, who is ranked world number 93 and only turned professional in September, was outmanoeuvred in the match against an opponent who is better known for her doubles play.
The 27-year-old Mattek-Sands, who is world number 197, arrived in Kuala Lumpur to participate in the rainlashed tournament after winning a doubles title with India’s Sania Mirza in Dubai last week.
“It was a good match. My opponent played well. It was quite hard at first as I had never played her before, but she is young and has lots of... potential,” she said, admitting that her experience made the difference.
“I had to step up a notch in the third set and played more aggressive with big serves. At the end it was a well fought match, and I am happy to win,” added Mattek-Sands, who has 12 WTA doubles titles to her name.
The American, who is playing in Malaysia for the first time, said she was still adapting to the Southeast Asian country’s humidity.
Rain marred the first two days of play, putting the tournament well behind schedule with six matches postponed to Wednesday.
Top seed and former world number one Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark is also scheduled to play Wednesday.
“The heat is tough but everyone has to play in the same humidity. We just have to fight it out and be stronger,” Mattek-Sands said.
“I came here not knowing what to expect but all my fellow players that I asked said it is the ‘hottest’ tournament of the year.”
Mattek-Sands will now face either Marta Sirotkina of Russia or Duan Yingying of China in the second round.
Joining Mattek-Sands in that round are Patricia Mayr of Austria, Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic and fifth-seed Misaki Doi of Japan. clever financial management, is now paid for.
Bragging rights among England’s football fans tend to be about league titles and FACups rather than balance sheets and the last time Arsenal’s fans had anything to crow about was in 2005 when they beat Manchester United to win the FA Cup. Cash reserves So, the news that Arsenal made a pre-tax profit of £17.8 million ($26.9 million) in the six months to November, have no short-term debt and have cash reserves of £123.4 million will have been met by shrugs and raised eyebrows by fans, especially when reading the comments of chairman Peter Hill-Wood.
“Our ability to compete at the top of the game here and in Europe is underpinned by our financial performance which gives the club strength and independence,” he said in Monday’s statement.
“Our desire is to make everyone connected with Arsenal proud of the club. We know that comes through winning trophies but also through the way we do things and that will remain our constant guide.”
While Arsenal spent £40.9 million in the July and August transfer window on Lukas Podolski, Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud as well as extending player contracts and signing left back Nacho Monreal in January, there has been an outward drift in quality.
Robin van Persie’s sale to Manchester United in August was the final straw for many fans who have watched the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy leave to win silverware elsewhere in the past five seasons.
The incomings have resounding success stories.
Andrei Arshavin, signed for £15 million in 2009, has faded badly, while others such as Ivory Coast forward Gervinho, German defender Per Mertesacker and Brazilian Andre Santos have not cut the mustard.
Wenger’s own position has come under scrutiny and the Frenchman endured some of his most difficult days since joining in 1996 last week when an FA Cup loss to Blackburn Rovers induced a bad-tempered rant at journalists, preceding a 3-1 home defeat by Bayern in which they were outclassed.
With Premier League clubs about to
hardly
been receive another huge financial windfall courtesy of a new television deal, plus the benefits of a lucrative sponsorship from Emirates, fans of the club are already drawing up shopping lists of players.
Wenger, who has one season left on his contract, will have a large war chest in June and the likes of Barcelona striker David Villa, Lyon playmaker Yoann Gourcuff and Fiorentina frontman Stevan Jovetic will surely be on his radar too.