Super tired Pliskova fifth star to pull out of Qatar Open

DOHA: Karolina Pliskova yesterday became the fifth player all from the world’s top 20 to withdraw from an injury-ravaged Qatar Open. The world number five joins Caroline Wozniacki, Ashleigh Barty and Caroline Garcia as a player who has pulled out since the tournament started, as well as newly-crowned Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka, who withdrew days before the start.

“From the first day I was not feeling great and not ready,” the Czech star and former world number one told reporters. “I have never felt actually this way. It’s normal that you are tired, of course, when you are travelling and playing a lot of matches.

“But I just feel somehow my body is not ready, I had a temperature for a few days. “I don’t have any neck pain or something, but I just feel overall like super tired, and my muscles are just hurting from the morning without even doing anything.

“So I’m just not able to compete 100 per cent today.” Pliskova, the number two seed in Qatar, was due to play her first match of the tournament yesterday, against Belgium’s Elise Mertens. Unusually, her place in the tournament has been taken by her twin sister, Kristyna.

Karolina played in a gruelling three-hour Fed Cup tie against Romania’s Simona Halep, who is also in Doha, at the weekend. Pliskova said “it would be better” if Fed Cup matches were played on Friday and Saturday rather than over the weekend. Asked if she thought players should think more about fans and tournament organisers before withdrawing, Pliskova said: “I don’t know what else you want to do. “If the players are sick, what can they do? She added: “If it’s not possible, it’s not possible.” —AFP LONDON: Formula One champions Mercedes ran their new car for the first time at Silverstone yesterday with title holder Lewis Hamilton saying he felt 2019 could turn out even better than last season.

With some other teams racing against time to get their new cars built and ready for the start of pre-season testing in Spain on Monday, Mercedes made sure they were on track in every respect.

Hamilton’s Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas performed the initial shakedown laps as part of a 100 kilometre filming day, with five-times world champion Hamilton due to be in the car during the afternoon.

“I completely switched off from racing for a while, trying to focus and re-centre myself and training hard for the new season. 2018 was a great year, but I feel like 2019 can be even better,” Hamilton said.

“I want to achieve more, I want to continue to keep pushing. I feel energised and I’m ready to attack.”

The Briton won 11 races last year on his way to becoming only the third driver to win five titles and with a career tally of 73 wins is now only 18 off Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of 91.

Hamilton has also won 51 of the 100 grands prix in the V6 turbo era that started in 2014 and four of the last five championships.

“The buzz really starts at the beginning of the year when you see the car coming together. And then you get to the shakedown and you get into the car-it just never gets old,” he added.

Mercedes have also won the last five constructors’ championships but team boss Toto Wolff warned that rule changes could shake things up. “We’re taking nothing for granted and there’s absolutely no feeling of entitlement to be at the front,” he said.—Reuters

Hamilton hungry for more as new Mercedes makes track debut