Page 17 - atoday

SPORTS A17
Friday 2 October 2015

BIRDLAND

Tennis player Rafael Nadal of Cardinals, Blue Jays clinch division titles
Spain gives a Thai traditional
“wai” pose for photographers St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher
after a press conference for Carlos Villanueva (33) celebrates
his exhibition match against with catcher Tony Cruz, left, after
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, in getting the final out of an 11-1
Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in
Oct. 1, 2015. a baseball game in Pittsburgh,
Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015. With
Associated Press. the win the Cardinals clinched the
Central Division.
Nadal praises Associated Press
Djokovic for his Page 20
‘amazing season’

JOCELYN GECKER
Associated Press
BANGKOK (AP) — The text
message wasn’t enough,
so Rafael Nadal praised
rival Novak Djokovic in per-
son Thursday for the top-
ranked Serb’s “amazing
season” after winning his
third major of 2015 at the
U.S. Open.
The seventh-ranked Nadal
is in Bangkok for a sold-out
exhibition match against
Djokovic dubbed “Back to
Thailand.”
Friday’s event was orga-
nized by local authorities to
boost confidence in Thai-
land’s safety after a dead-
ly Aug. 17 bombing that
left 20 dead in the heart of
the capital.
Seated beside each other
at a packed news confer-
ence, Nadal was asked if
he hoped to get revenge
on Djokovic, who won their
last two tour matches at
the French Open and in
Monte Carlo.
“Not really,” the 29-year-
old Spaniard said, laugh-
ing. “No, even if I win to-
morrow it will not be re-
venge.

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