Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/495652
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 15 APRIL 2015 Sport 23 Answers to the MaltaToday crossword will be published next Wednesday WEATHER: Fine with some high clouds at first VISIBILITY: Good WIND: Mainly West Northwest force 2 to 3, locally force 3 to 4 at first, becoming variable SEA: Slight SWELL: Negligible SEA TEMP: 16 °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 22 º C / 13 º C UV INDEX: 6 Today's Weather Chess Sudoku Pursuits TENNIS Across 1. Unable to see (5) 3. Draws into mouth (5) 6. Thrust with a knife (4) 7. Swiss city (6) 9. Banish (5) 10. Fail or misplace (4) 11. Open mesh fabric (3) 13. Small island (4) 15. Speed (5) 18. Bigger (6) 19. Breathe hard (4) 20. Incident (5) 21. Slumbered (5) Down 1. Woven container (6) 2. Inhabitant of Iraq (5) 3. Furtive (8) 4. Ships' companies (5) 5. Stately aquatic bird (4) 8. Apartment (8) 12. Group of six (6) 14. Rush (5) 16. Frighten (5) 17. Sky colour (4) Ng6 Kc8 Ba6+ Kb8 Nxf8 Ka8 Re8# Novak Djokovic enjoys opening win in Monte Carlo World number one Novak Djokovic eased into the European claycourt season with a comfortable win over Spanish qualifier Albert Ramos-Vinolas at the Monte Carlo Masters yesterday CLAD in an orange shirt roughly the same colour as the scenic Centre Court overlooking the Mediterrane- an, the 2013 champion got straight down to business, winning 6-1 6-4. The 27-year-old Serb raced through the first five games before Ramos- Vinolas offered some resistance to provide a useful workout for the man hoping to complete a career grand slam at the French Open which starts next month. Under clear blue skies Djokovic, who won back-to-back hardcourt titles at Indian Wells and Miami, raised his level midway through the second set, following a short break to have the court watered, and strolled to victory. It was a good day for a clutch of seeded Frenchmen, with Gilles Si- mon, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils all making hay in the warm conditions. Simon beat Monaco's Benjamin Balleret 6-4 6-2 while 11th seed Tsonga was equally untroubled by Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff. Monfils was just pleased to come through a tough three-setter against Russian Andrey Kuznetsov without any physical problems after he hurt his hip at the Miami Masters and was forced to retire hurt against To- mas Berdych. "I was happy the way I moved a couple days ago. I was happy the way I moved today," Monfils, who won 4-6 6-3 6-4 told reporters. "I was very surprised. "Every year I lose those tight match- es, 6-4 7-6, three sets, because when I come here I have no confidence and I'm more or less injured every time. "This year, I feel okay." Rafa Nadal, looking to regain some confidence at a tournament he won eight times in succession from 2005, begins his European claycourt sea- son on Wednesday against French wildcard Lucas Pouille who ousted Austrian Dominic Thiem. Defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka is also in action today, along with fellow Swiss Roger Fed- erer. Novak Djokovic