Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/430850
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 10 DECEMBER 2014 Sport 23 Answers to the MaltaToday crossword will be published next Wednesday WEATHER: Cloudy with thundery showers VISIBILITY: Good except in showers WIND: East Northeast force 3 to 4 locally force 5 to 6 at first becoming Northeast force 5 to 6 locally force 6 to 7. Gusty near thunderstorms. SEA: Rough SEA TEMP: 20 °C A B C D E F G H 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 White to play and mate in four moves A B C D E F G H 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Last week's solution Sudoku rules are extremely easy: Fill all empty squares so that the numbers 1 to 9 appear once in each row, column and 9x9 box. PARTLY CLOUDY 15 º C / 11 º C UV INDEX: 2 Today's Weather Chess Sudoku Pursuits TENNIS Across 1. Young goose (7) 5. Normal contraction of the heart (7) 9. Vessel built by Noah (3) 10. Makes a loan (5) 11. Icon (5) 12. Young dog (3) 13. State positively (6) 16. Misplace (6) 19. Large marine food fish (4) 21. Cry (4) 23. Felines (4) 24. Papal (9) 25. Listen to (4) 26. Female sheep (4) 27. Exchange for money (4) 28. Benzene (6) 31. Soak up (6) 35. Prefix " beneath " (3) 37. Unit for measuring gold (5) 38. Join (5) 39. Cathedral city (3) 40. Gum used as a food stabiliser (7) 41. Room for surgical operations (7) Down 1. Republic in W Africa (5) 2. Auctions (5) 3. Interior (5) 4. Breathe convulsively (4) 5. Jump lightly (4) 6. Hindu religious teacher (5) 7. Unity (3) 8. Very hard mineral (5) 14. Bondage (7) 15. Make larger (7) 16. Virile (5) 17. Favourable termination of endeavours (7) 18. Aardvark (3,4) 20. Pending (5) 22. Small rodent (5) 28. Brand name for a copying machine (5) 29. Compare (5) 30. Compass point (5) 32. Prickly plant (5) 33. Corpulent (5) 34. Abdomen (5) 35. Type of gun (4) 36. Purchases (4) Nxd7+ Ke8 Rxe7+ Kd8 Nb6 Be5 Rd7+ Ke8 Rxe5# R1xe5 c5 Rd7# Mark Gatt reaches singles semi-finals and two doubles finals on the Senior Tennis Tour LAST week Mark Gatt partici- pated in another Seniors tour- nament, this time a Grade 2 clay court event at Murcia La Magna Tennis club in Spain. He entered three events in the over 35s, the mens singles, mens doubles and mixed doubles. In the mens singles he had wins over Carl Townsend of Great Britain 6/2 6/1 and Owusu Prince of Ghana 6/0 6/0. In the semis he played Span- ish clay courter Jorge Aguilar- Mateos ranked 56 in the world. Mark 's Spanish opponent had a very good start winning the first set 6/1 and getting an early break in the second set. Mark however did not give up and broke straight back and led 3/2, 4/3 and 5/4 in the second set and even had a set point on his opponent's serve. However he did not take his chance and lost to the winner of the tournament 6/1, 7/5. In the mens doubles event Mark and his partner for the week Andy Cresswell of Great Britain won their quarterfinal match against Townsend and Kneller from Great Britain 6/0, 6/0 and their semi-final match against A. Miah of Great Britain and H. Kallen from Sweden 6/0, 6/1. In the final Mark and Andy faced the number 2 seeds Charles Durham ranked 26 in the world and Ian Udal ranked 39 in the world. Ian and Charles had the better start and won the first set by six games to two. In the second set Mark and Andy started to play better and won the second set by six games to four. Ian and Charles won the decisive championship tiebreak by ten points to six and the mens doubles title. In the mixed doubles event Mark and his partner for the week Astrid Obermaier seeded second won their first match against B. Izquiendo and R. Erposito from Spain 6/0, 6/0. In their next match Astrid and Mark played Ian and Pauline Udal from Great Britain and won 6/2 6/4. In the semis Mark and Astrid faced Charles Durham and Jenny Chin from Great Britain and won 6/2, 6/1. The final unfortunately was not played as Mark 's partner had her ladies doubles final and a f light to catch that same afternoon. It was an excellent week at La Magna club. Mark 's singles rank- ing has now risen to 59 in singles, up 47 places. He is no.28 in dou- bles, up 27 places and 19 in mixed doubles (Over 35). Mark would like to thank Living Well at the Hilton for their continuous sup- port. Carl Townsend and Mark Gatt after their singles match at the Murcia La Magna Club