Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Thursday 14 November 2019

In this Oct. 11, 2018, file photo, former NFL football quarterback
Colin Kaepernick smiles on stage during W.E.B. Du Bois Medal
ceremonies at Harvard University, in Cambridge, Mass.
Associated Press

Colin Kaepernick plans

ATP World Tour Finals singles tennis match at the O2 Arena in London, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019. to audition for NFL
Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after winning a point against Daniil Medvedev of Russia during their
Associated Press teams on Saturday
Nadal saves match point vs.

son said Kaepernick's team
Medvedev for 1st win at ATP Finals By ROB MAADDI plans to accept the invitation
AP Pro Football writer
was given a 2-hour window
Kaepernick
Colin
to audition for NFL teams and was denied a request
LONDON (AP) — Facing called in but was over- Medvedev twice in the on Saturday in a private to schedule the tryout on
match point at 5-1 down in turned by Hawk-Eye after second set. workout arranged by the a Tuesday or another Sat-
the third set, Rafael Nadal Nadal challenged the de- But the Russian raced out league to be held in At- urday. Kaepernick's repre-
gave himself about a one- cision. to a 4-0 lead in the third set lanta. sentatives have asked the
in-a-thousand chance The win gives Nadal a 1-1 and had two more break The exiled former Pro Bowl league to provide a rolling
of turning things around record after two round- points in the next game. quarterback posted on list of teams that plan to at-
against Daniil Medvedev robin matches, while Med- However, Nadal held and Twitter: "I'm just getting tend the workout to ensure
at the ATP Finals. vedev fell to 0-2. then saved a match point word from my representa- it's a "legitimate process,"
Those odds turned out In the late match, Stefa- at 30-40 in his next service tives that the NFL league according to the person
to be more than good nos Tsitsipas beat defend- game with a backhand office reached out to them who spoke on condition of
enough for the top-ranked ing champion Alexander drop shot at the net. about a workout in Atlanta anonymity because details
Spaniard. Zverev 6-3, 6-2 for his sec- Medvedev then started on Saturday. I've been in haven't been made public.
Nadal saved that match ond straight win, a result making more mistakes shape and ready for this Kaepernick hasn't played
point with a perfect drop that guarantees him a while Nadal played like a for 3 years, can't wait to since 2016 with the San
shot and then rallied to place in the semifinals. man with nothing to lose, see the head coaches and Francisco 49ers. He helped
beat Medvedev 6-7 (3), The other three players all going for winners all over GMs on Saturday." start a wave of protests
6-3, 7-6 (4) Wednesday, still have a chance of ad- the court. The NFL hasn't confirmed about social and racial
keeping alive his chances vancing. “Rafa fought his best, be- Kaepernick's workout de- injustice that season by
of advancing from the Tsitsipas, who is making his cause he could just say tails. kneeling during the nation-
group stage. debut at the tournament for ‘OK, it's over at 5-1 and just A person familiar with the al anthem at games.
"Today is one of those days the world’s top eight play- give me the point,’ but we plans told The Associated The NFL in February settled
that one out of 1,000 you ers after a breakthrough all know Rafa is not about Press the league's decision a collusion grievance Kae-
win and it happened to- season, broke Zverev for a this," Medvedev said. "I just to invite all 32 teams to pernick and former team-
day," Nadal said. ”In that 5-3 lead in the first set and need to close out such watch Kaepernick "came mate Eric Reid filed against
moment (facing match then twice more to go 5-1 matches."Nadal’s prepara- out of the blue with no prior the league. Reid now plays
point), what you think is up in the second. tions for the ATP Finals were communication." The per- for the Carolina Panthers.q
probably in five minutes With dozens of Greek flags hampered by an abdomi-
you are in the locker room, being waved around the nal injury that forced him
because that's the more O2 Arena, Tsitispas then to pull out of the Paris Mas-
normal thing. In that mo- served out the match with ters semifinals this month.
ment, you play with not an ace. But he insisted he feels fine
much pressure because “Once again, it was not just physically, and is gradually
you are almost lost.” me out there, but a whole finding his best game after
Nadal looked headed for bunch of excited people an error-filled performance
a second straight loss at that came to support me,” against Zverev.
the season-ending tourna- said Tsitsipas, the first Greek ”I have been playing a bet-
ment but won five games player to qualify for the ter level of tennis than the
in a row to go 6-5 up in event. “It was a crew situ- first day in general terms,”
the deciding set. In the tie- ation.” Nadal said. ”Then to win
breaker, Medvedev missed In a rematch of this year’s this match is a combination
a routine forehand to hand U.S. Open final, Nadal of a lot of things: luck, some
Nadal a match point and came out looking much mistakes of Daniil, some
then sent a backhand just sharper than in his opening good moments by myself
wide. That shot was initially loss to Zverev and broke at the end.”q