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SPORTSFriday 19 February 2016
David Ferrer of Spain returns the ball to Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain, at the Rio Open tennis tour- Barbora Strycova of Czech Republic returns the ball to Ana
nament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016. Ivanovic of Serbia during the quarter finals of the Dubai Tennis
Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Feb.
Associated Press. 18, 2016.
Associated Press
Strycova, Garcia
Top seeds Nadal and Ferrer reach semifinals;
reach quarterfinals in Rio Svitolina meets Errani
STEPHEN WADE problems and the stifling confidence. He’s going to SANDRA HARWITT advanced to her first semifi-
AP Sports Writer heat in the Argentine sum- be a top player, for sure. I Associated Press nal of the season with a 6-4,
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — mer. like his game and tomor- DUBAI, United Arab Emirates 1-6, 6-2 win over American
Even the King of Clay Ra- “I’m feeling better physi- row is going to be tough I (AP) — Barbora Strycova of CoCo Vandeweghe.
fael Nadal needs victories cally,” Nadal said. “Last know. I’ll have to play my Czech Republic advanced The 21st-ranked Svitolina
to boost his confidence, week I had a little prob- best tennis for a win.” to the Dubai TennisCham- is playing her first tourna-
which has waned recent- lem with my stomach dur- Constant downpours the pionships semifinals by out- ment with former world No.
ly as his dominance has ing the whole week, and first three days forced lasting former world No.1 1 Justine Henin, a seven-
slipped on the slippery red with the humidity — it was schedulers to compress Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 7-6 time Grand Slam cham-
surface. “Winning is the im- unbelievable. I felt so bad the schedule on Thursday (5), 6-3 on Thursday. pion, joining her team as a
portant thing, which gives physically. and put Ferrer in action The 47th-ranked Stryco- coaching consultant. Her
you confidence and lets Here I’m feeling much bet- during the afternoon with va lost the three previous day-to-day coach remains
you relax,” ter because the stomach is suffocating humidity and times she played against Iain Hughes.
Nadal said after joining fel- much better. That’s the key temperatures around 35C the 17th-ranked Ivanovic. “My coach, he’s more
low Spaniard David Ferrer on the improvement of my (95F). “These are extreme “I believed in myself,” said (the) technical part, and
in the quarterfinals of the game, and victory helps.” conditions, and it’s very dif- Strycova. “I was 5-3 down she’s more mental, I think,”
Rio Open, the third clay- Nadal will face Alexandr ficult to play in conditions (in the tiebreaker) and I said Svitolina. “For me, for
court tournament in the Dolgopolov of Ukraine, like this,” Ferrer said. was playing a little bit like now, they complete all the
month-long swing around while Ferrer meets young In other key men’s matches didn’t believe that I can do things which I need.”
Latin America. Nadal and Austrian Dominic Thiem in in the combined ATP-WTA it. Svitolina will play Sara Er-
Ferrer — the top two seed- the last eight, a matchup event, Federico Delbonis “I played very well the last rani of Italy,
ed players — both beat of one of the most consis- defeated Paolo Lorenzio four balls. That gave me so
countrymen on Thursday to tent players on clay against 6-3, 6-0 and Dolgopolov much confidence for the who defeated Madison
reach the last eight. Nadal a 22-year-old viewed as a won over Inigo Cervantes second set.” Brengle of the United States
beat Nicolas Almagro 6-3, star of the next generation. 3-6, 6-0, 6-3. Strycova will play Caro- 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
7-5 and Ferrer defeated Al- Thiem defeated Nadal last On the women’s side, line Garcia of France, who Brengle, leading 4-1 in the
bert Ramos-Vinolas 4-6, 6-1, week in the semifinals in second-seeded Johanna reached the semifinals with third set, called her coach,
6-4. Buenos Aires en route to Larsson was upset 6-4, 6-4 a 6-3, 6-4 win over Andrea former French player Julie
Nadal has won 14 of 15 winning there. Ferrer has by Brazilian qualifier Paula Petkovic of Germany. Coin, to the court during
matches against Almagro. won 26 ATP singles titles — Goncalves. No. 3 Danka Strycova holds a 3-1 ca- the changeover. Brengle
Nadal was knocked out five last season. Kovinic defeated Silvia Sol- reer edge over Garcia and fell apart from that point
in the semifinals last week “He’s a very great player,” er-Espinosa 6-2, 6-3 and No. won their last encounter in on, losing the next five
in Buenos Aires, which he Ferrer said of Thiem. “He’s 6 Lara Arruabarrena beat straight sets at the Austra- games and the match.
linked partly to stomach young. He’s playing with Ana Bogdan 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.q lian Open last month. “It was a really strange
Elina Svitolina of Ukraine match,” Errani said. “I
could’ve lost easily.”q
