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A22 SPORTS
Monday 25 June 2018

Djokovic ready for Wimbledon despite Queen’s final defeat

By SAM JOHNSTON ing his career Grand Slam Club, Djokovic reached
Associated Press at the 2016 French Open, the final without dropping
LONDON (AP) — Less than but his only major final a set.
a month after casting since then came at the U.S. “I think that most impor-
doubt over his participa- Open later that season. tantly for him he showed
tion at Wimbledon, Novak After struggling through consistent level of play dur-
Djokovic is heading for the the first half of 2017, with his ing all week, even against
tournament as a genuine only titles coming at smaller Dimitrov, even yesterday
title contender. events in Doha and East- against Chardy. Today he
Despite coming up just bourne, the 12-time Grand was serving great,” Cilic
short in a 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-3 Slam champion took six said of Djokovic.
loss to Marin Cilic in the months off following Wim- “So definitely he’s going to
Queen’s Club final on Sun- bledon due to a right el- be one of the contenders
day, Djokovic produced bow injury. to win (Wimbledon). Look-
one of his best performanc- A fourth-round exit at the ing from the side and also
es since missing the second Australian Open on his re- playing him ... I feel that
half of 2017 with an elbow Serbia’s Novak Djokovic after losing to Croatia’s Marin Cilic in turn was followed by early he’s playing great tennis.”
injury. the final tennis match at the Queen’s Club tennis tournament in defeats at Indian Wells and But there’s one person who
Cilic saved a match point London, Sunday, June 24, 2018. Miami. There were signs of doesn’t appear so optimis-
at 4-5 in the second set Associated Press improvement on clay as tic.
and then won six consecu- he came off the court after against Grigor Dimitrov “in Djokovic reached the semi- “I wouldn’t say I’m a con-
tive points from 4-1 down in a French Open quarterfinal straight sets, all straight sets finals in Rome, but his rank- tender ... for a trophy or
the tiebreaker to level, be- defeat to Marco Cecchi- until today ... all in all, I think ing dropped to 22 following anything like that,” Djokov-
fore going on to win his sec- nato on June 5. that the level of my tennis a crushing defeat to the ic said, basing that view
ond title at the Wimbledon “Well, I’m there,” said has been as good as it has unseeded Cecchinato in on his results for the last 12
warmup. Djokovic, when asked if been the last 12 months.” Paris. months. “I have to keep my
Djokovic was left in far more he’s back to top form, sin- Djokovic appeared un- Despite a tough draw on expectations, you know,
optimistic mood than when gling out his earlier win touchable when complet- the grass courts of Queen’s very low.”q
Road warrior: vick said. “The brake pedal

was long after qualifying
Continued from Page 18 equipment and have time and never really came
to think, it’s almost harder. around during the race. It
Truex won the NASCAR You can overshoot a cor- progressively got worse.”
Cup Series race in Sonoma ner easily.” CANADIAN SCARFACE:
on Sunday because of that The defending Cup Series Pearn turned heads on pit
clever pit bluff, cruising to champion didn’t make a row even before his strat-
his second career victory mistake after he waited to egy decisions thanks to a
on the challenging road pit until the 81st lap, a full nasty-looking vertical scar
course. Truex easily held off eight laps later than Har- running down his fore-
Harvick for his second win vick’s Stewart-Haas Racing head. The crew chief said
in three weeks and his third Ford. With fresh tires, Truex Martin Truex Jr. (78) leads Kevin Harvick (4) through a turn dur- he needed stitches earlier
victory of the season in his passed Harvick for the lead ing a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race Sunday, June 24, in the week after he got
Furniture Row Racing Toy- around the final hairpin 2018, in Sonoma, Calif. hit in the face by a large
ota. Truex led 62 laps and turn with 19 laps to go. Associated Press corner post while building
won by a whopping 10.513 “That was all Cole,” Truex Cup Series leader Harvick know about the race in a treehouse for his family.
seconds. “The last 10 laps of said. “I’ll do whatever he went to the pits shortly after wine country: The blow cut his forehead
the race were easy,” Truex wants to do. Awesome job Truex passed him, but never BIGGER WORRIES: Harvick down to the skull — but
said. “A little stressful. I was by him today. ... Honestly, got the caution that would wasn’t angry about the pit he went home from the
just hoping for no cautions, all you’re doing is beg- have been necessary for strategy that probably de- hospital and finished the
because I had a big lead. ging, hoping that the cau- him to catch up. Clint Bow- cided the race. “The call treehouse anyway. “I wish I
This place is so tricky and tion doesn’t come out and yer finished third and Chase was one thing, but I think I (had been) fighting a bear
so technical, but when you hope the engine stays to- Elliott was fourth. was too hard on the car the or a cougar, or something
start to take care of your gether.” Here are more things to first couple of stages,” Har- like that,” he said.q