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Thursday 31 OcTOber 2019
Djokovic overcomes wobble to reach Paris Masters 3rd round

By JEROME PUGMIRE tralian who lost the Swiss In-
PARIS (AP) — Four-time doors final to Roger Federer
champion Novak Djokovic on Sunday.
overcame a first-set wob- Federer is skipping this tour-
ble against unheralded nament, but No. 2 Rafael
Corentin Moutet, beating Nadal was playing later
the 97th-ranked French- Wednesday in the second
man 7-6 (2), 6-4 to reach round against unseeded
the third round of the Paris Frenchman in Adrian Man-
Masters on Wednesday. narino.
The top-ranked Serb lost his Another big server went
serve to trail 4-3 and then out as 15th-seeded Ameri-
needed to save two set can John Isner — the 2016
points in order to hold the runner-up — lost 7-6 (5), 7-6
ninth game at 5-3 down. (4) to Cristian Garin of Chile
The 16-time Grand Slam despite having 25 aces.
winner broke back for 5-5 Denis Shapovalov of Cana-
against his 20-year-old op- da used 14 aces in rallying
ponent, who entered the to beat No. 11 Fabio Fog-
main draw as a lucky loser nini 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 and plays
and has never won a title, No. 6 Alexander Zverev in
while Djokovic has 76 in his the third round.
stellar career. Three-time Grand Slam
Djokovic, who lost last year's champion Stan Wawrin-
final and last won here four Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns the ball to France's Corentin Moutet during the 2nd round match ka — seeded 16th — ad-
years ago, dropped serve of the Paris Masters tennis tournament in Paris, France, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019. vanced with a 7-6 (3), 7-6
again as Moutet broke Associated Press (5) win over Marin Cilic
back to 4-2 in the second and improved his record to
set. the ball back between his serving Canadian Milos Ra- Sunday for an ATP Tour- 13-2 against the former U.S.
But he was untroubled fol- legs and lobbed Djokovic. onic to win 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-4. leading fifth title this year, Open champion. He plays
lowing that, and clinched "I gave everything I had, The two-time French Open next faces Grigor Dimitrov. either Nadal or Mannarino.
the victory with a forehand and the fans helped me runner-up also saved nine Seventh-seeded Stefanos De Minaur upset ninth-
winner down the line on his with that." break points out of 10, and Tsitsipas looked more com- seeded Roberto Bautista
first match point. Djokovic, who stood to ap- then broke Raonic for the fortable reaching the third Agut 7-6 (2), 7-6 (1), while
"The overriding feeling is plaud that shot, next faces first time in the ninth game round, serving 13 aces and in other second-round
one of disappointment. I Britain's Kyle Edmund after of the deciding set before facing no break points in matches Dimitrov beat No.
had some opportunities," he beat 14th-seeded Di- serving out the match. beating Taylor Fritz 7-6 (3), 12 David Goffin 7-5, 6-3,
said Moutet, who drew ego Schwartzman 7-5, 6-3. The fifth-seeded Austrian 6-3. The 21-year-old Greek and Frenchman Gael Mon-
loud cheers with one auda- Earlier, Dominic Thiem with- player, who won the Erste player next plays Alex de fils won 6-4, 7-6 (4) against
cious shot where he flicked stood 30 aces from big- Bank Open in Vienna last Minaur, a 20-year-old Aus- countryman Benoit Paire.q

Elina Svitolina qualifies for

semifinals at WTA Finals

one point at a time," Svito- broke the Romanian's serve "I stepped weirdly on a re-
lina said. "I don't really think in the eighth game of the turn," Andreescu said. "I
so much about if it's good, second set and held to win. heard my knee crack and
if it's bad. "I try to step on "I felt that I cannot finish it kind of went inwards and
the court and to always the points," Halep said. "This putting pressure on it after-
have positive mindset." court is not great for me, for wards really bothered me
In the late match, Andrees- my game. It's very soft in a I could barely bend my
cu retired with a left knee way. Even if you go and hit knee."
Elina Svitolina of Ukraine celebrates after defeating Simona Ha-
lep of Romania in their WTA Finals Tennis Tournament in Shen- injury after losing the first set strong, I think that I hit well During a medical timeout,
zhen, China's Guangdong province, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019. to Karolina Pliskova 6-3. today, but not enough di- Andreescu had her knee
Associated Press Pliskova, who is 1-1, will rections on the court. taped and she played
face Wimbledon champi- "But she played well. She through the first set, even
By SANDRA HARWITT last won a tournament at on Halep in their final group didn't miss. I think she loves challenging Pliskova's serve
Associated Press last year's WTA Finals. match for another spot in to play here. It's her style." with three break-point op-
SHENZHEN, China (AP) — The Ukrainian is 2-0 in the the semifinals. The victory was Svitolina's portunities in the fifth game.
Defending champion Elina Purple Group, winning both "I think that's going to be a fifth in nine matches against "I fought with the pain as
Svitolina qualified for the of her matches in straight great matchup for just go- Halep. On the four previ- much as I could but at
semifinals of the season- sets. Halep is 1-1 after sav- ing out of the group to the ous occasions in which she some point an athlete has
ending WTA Finals by beat- ing a match point in her semifinals," Pliskova said. won, Svitolina went on to to stop and just listen to their
ing Simona Halep 7-5, 6-3 three-set victory over Bian- "The tennis with her, I feel it's win the tournament. body," Andreescu said. "It's
on Wednesday. ca Andreescu. always good to watch." Andreescu was injured disappointing because this
Svitolina, the only competi- "I try to work every single Svitolina broke Halep in the while leading 2-0 in the first is the last tournament of the
tor in the eight-player field point and start from the be- final game of the first set set, with Pliskova serving at year and you want to go all
not to win a title this season, ginning just trying to take to take the lead. She then 30-15 in the third game. out."q