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SPORTS Wednesday 7 OctOber 2020
Schwartzman tops Thiem in 5 sets in French Open quarterfinal

By HOWARD FENDRICH and 12-time champion Rafael
JEROME PUGMIRE Nadal or 19-year-old Jannik
AP Sports Writers Sinner of Italy. Their quar-
PARIS (AP) — As Diego terfinal was scheduled for
Schwartzman played later Tuesday.
through the wind and rain, Schwartzman beat Nadal
and into the dark of night, at a clay-court tuneup
at the French Open, con- event in Rome last month.
testing a total of 376 points Much earlier Tuesday, this
spread out across five sets tournament of upsets pro-
and 5 hours, 8 minutes, he duced as surprising a wom-
knew it would be difficult to en's semifinalist as could
put away Dominic Thiem. be: Nadia Podoroska, a
Schwartzman knew, too, 23-year-old from Argentina
of course, just how much it who is ranked 131st and
would mean to finally win a became the first female
Grand Slam quarterfinal af- qualifier to get to the final
ter failing in three previous four at Roland Garros in the
tries. Open era.
And so, as he kept wast- When she finished beating
ing chances and kept let- No. 3 seed Elina Svitolina
ting sets slip away Tues- 6-2, 6-4, Podoroska tossed
day night, Schwartzman her racket overhead and
yelled at himself or at his jutted her arms in the air.
coaches, put his hands on Danielle Collins of the U.S. celebrates winning her fourth round match of the French Open tennis Afterward, she was asked
tournament against Tunisia's Ons Jabeur in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, at the Roland Garros stadium
his hips or smirked at his in Paris, France, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. whether she was pinch-
mistakes. Then, two points Associated Press ing herself to make sure it
from defeat against Thiem, wasn't all merely a dream.
the U.S. Open champion Thiem said as much, too, right before the match be- a month ago and was "No," Podoroska replied. "I
and two-time runner-up at about his friend after a gan and occasionally dur- pushed to five sets in his don't want to wake up."
Roland Garros, Schwartz- grueling contest in which ing play. fourth-round match in Paris. In the semifinals, she could
man found his way and more than 100 of the points Schwartzman was two The 27-year-old from Aus- face another qualifier in
emerged with a 7-6 (1), 5-7, lasted at least nine strokes points from taking the sec- tria described himself as Martina Trevisan of Italy,
6-7 (6), 7-6 (5), 6-2 victory — frequently going past 20 ond set. He was one point "physically and mentally on who also had not won a
Tuesday by taking the last or even 30 shots. from grabbing the third. But the edge" on Tuesday. main draw Grand Slam
four games. Schwartzman broke to go Thiem kept fighting back "To win that match, I should match before this tourna-
"I was just so nervous, be- up 4-2 in the fifth when and eventually was two have done it in four," said ment. Trevisan faced un-
cause I saw the chance to- Thiem netted a backhand, points from winning the Thiem, who was trying to seeded 19-year-old Iga
day," said the 12th-seeded and again to end it, when match while Schwartzman become only the fourth Swiatek of Poland later
Schwartzman, a 28-year- Thiem put two drop shots served at 6-5 in the fourth, man in the Open era, which Tuesday.
old from Argentina. into the net. then again at 5-all in that began in 1968, to get to at The other women's quarter-
He called his advancement The whole thing could have set's tiebreaker. least the semifinals in Paris finals are Wednesday: No.
into his first major semifinal been over much sooner "To be honest, I was over for five consecutive years. 4 seed Sofia Kenin against
"a big step." at Court Philippe Chatrier, the limit today," said Thiem, "In the fifth set, he was just a Danielle Collins in an all-
"At the end, this night, I de- where the new $55 million who won his first Grand little more fresh and better American matchup, and
served to win," Schwartz- retractable roof was left Slam title in New York in a than me." No. 7 Petra Kvitova against
man said with a chuckle. open even though it rained fifth-set tiebreaker less than Schwartzman next will face Laura Siegemund.q
Démare narrowly beats Sagan as Thomas withdraws from Giro

VILLAFRANCA TIRRENA, withdrew from the race top sprinters behind. Sa-
Sicily (AP) — French rider before the stage after frac- gan, the three-time world
Arnaud Démare won the turing his pelvis in a fall on champion who is compet-
first mass sprint of this year's Monday. Thomas crashed ing in his first Giro, also fin-
Giro d'Italia in a three-way in the neutral stage before ished second in Stage 2,
photo finish on Tuesday, Stage 3 began after get- which was won by Diego
and Portuguese rider João ting a water bottle caught Ulissi.
Almeida added a couple in his front wheel. It was Démare's second
of seconds to his overall Démare, who rides for the career win at the Giro. He
lead in the fourth stage. Groupama-FDJ team, re- won a stage in Modena
Démare finished just ahead quired nearly 3½ hours to last year to go with his two
of Peter Sagan and Davide complete the 140-kilome- stage victories at the Tour
Ballerini. ter leg from Catania to Vil- de France in 2017 and
"I think it was a millimeter," lafranca Tirrena, which fea- 2018.
Démare said. "I had luck tured one third-category Almeida earned a couple
on my side. ... I often train climb midway along the of bonus seconds by finish-
for the last surge behind route before a flat finish. ing second in an interme- France's Arnaud Demare, right, outsprints Slovakia's Peter Sa-
my dad's scooter. Today it Sagan's Bora-Hansgrohe diate sprint. He now leads gan to win the fourth stage of the Giro d'Italia, tour of Italy cy-
paid off." team set a blistering pace Jonathan Caicedo, the cling race from Catania to Villafranca Tirrena, Sicily, Tuesday,
Geraint Thomas, the 2018 in the finale, leaving Fer- Stage 3 winner atop Mount Oct. 6, 2020.
Tour de France champion, nando Gaviria and other Etna, by two seconds.q Associated Press