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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 5 MARCH 2017 53 FORMULA 1 TENNIS Sport Alonso feels drivers 'less important' in 2017 MCLAREN'S Fernando Alonso believes the role of drivers will be "less important" in 2017, de- spite overhauled technical regu- lations, which has led to faster Formula 1 cars. Attempts have been made in re- cent years to place control back in the hands of drivers, following complaints that technology was becoming too strong an influence in the sport. Alonso, however, feels that the increased technical impact of the revised regulations, which he ex- perienced during this week's first test, means drivers will still not be able to perform "miracles". "I think with the technology we have now, with the aero packages we have now, with the power units we have now, I think it's even less important, the driver," Alonso commented. "You need massive power now with this level of drag, with this level of downforce, you need good harvesting and good deployment, because the straights are a little bit longer now than last year. "Some corners will disappear, [some] will be flat. If you are 20hp down, last year you were maybe losing two or three tenths, while this year maybe you are losing half a second. "I think the importance of some of the technical aspects of the car are even higher this year, so the driver can do [so much] until one point, miracles we cannot do any- more." Alonso at least thinks drivers will be able to push more in 2017. "I think in the way of pushing the car and being able to express your driving style, I think yes, [you can make] a little bit more [difference] than the previous cars," he said. "Sometimes last year the slower that you drove, the better the timed lap you could do, because you were saving the tyres and you could maximise the stint. "But this year it seems that you are able to push the car a little bit more and you can probably use your own driving style a little bit to maximise that timed lap." Murray wins first title of year in Dubai Djokovic has lost his edge, says former mentor Pilic WORLD number one Andy Murray won his first title of 2017 with a 6-3 6-2 victory over unseeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in the Dubai Tennis Championships final on Satur- day. Murray lost his first two ser- vice games of the match but overcame that poor start to win in Dubai for the first time. "Obviously I'm very happy to do it here for the first time. It's been a good start to the year," Murray told the BBC. "Often when you get through matches like that (quarter-final against Philipp Kohlschreib- er when I saved seven match points) it settles you down for the rest of the tournament. "It's been quite a few late fin- ishes this week. Maybe the last couple of matches, I didn't start as well as I would like. It's been the same for all the players, a bit tricky with the rain. Once I got going today, I was moving well and I finished strong. "This year has given me great momentum." Murray, who had won 12 of his past 13 matches against the Spaniard, started slowly and was broken in the first game be- fore breaking back in what was a nervous start by both players. The heav y-hitting Verdasco cracked a series of powerful winners to break an uncomfort- able-looking Murray again in the third game and consolidated to hold for a 3-1 lead. Despite a shaky serving per- formance, Murray, helped by a string of Verdasco errors, reeled off five successive games to take the first set 6-3. Murray continued in the same vein in the second set and slowly began to dictate from the base- line on the back of an improved serve to open up a 3-1 lead which he did not relinquish. The three-times grand slam winner, who cut a frustrated figure throughout an uncharac- teristically sloppy performance, sealed victory with a powerful serve to claim his 45th career title. NOVAK Djokovic has lost the tenacity which enabled him to rule men's tennis for a number of years, former mentor Niki Pilic said on Saturday. "Djokovic reached the Mount Everest of tennis last year after winning the French Open," Pilic, who guided the Serb as a junior at his Munich academy, told Bosnian daily Nezavisne. "He had 16,950 points and that's a tally which will never be re- peated again, but loss of form and missing tournaments made his advantage melt away." Djokovic looked untouchable af- ter capturing his 12th grand slam title at Roland Garros last June, but was dethroned from the top of the world rankings last November by Andy Murray, who beat him in the final of the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals. The 29-year-old Serb appeared to have rediscovered some of his form when he gained revenge over the Briton in January's Qatar Open final but he then suffered a shock second-round Australian Open exit at the hands of Uzbek Denis Istomin. This week he was beaten by Australian Nick Kyrgios in the quarter-finals of an ATP event in Acapulco, prompting Pilic to cast doubts whether Djokovic can re- claim the top spot. "Novak had a physical and men- tal edge second to none, he was in sixth gear," said the 77-year-old Croatian who helped a Djokovic- led Serbia to their 2010 Davis Cup title in an advisory role. "That tenacity is no longer the same. It remains to be seen whether he can rediscover it and get back to the top level. "The hard work of the last five or six years has taken its toll. Tennis was the priority every morning and afternoon and evening and all I can tell him is to be the person he was."

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