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sports Tuesday 8 sepTember 2020
Down but not out, Serena Williams yells herself to Open win

By HOWARD FENDRICH a backhand long. Soon it
AP Tennis Writer was 2-0 for Sakkari.
NEW YORK (AP) — There's But Williams is rarely one to
no crowd at the U.S. Open go quietly, and she certain-
this year to pull for Serena ly did not go quietly Mon-
Williams and try to push her day.
to victory. So she provided She smacked a cross-court
her own encouragement forehand winner to get the
in a tough fourth-round break back as part of a
match Monday. three-game run, and soon
Shouting at herself point enough Williams had taken
after point, Williams came six of the last seven games.
back from a third-set defi- Williams, who turns 39 in less
cit against a woman she than three weeks, will face
lost to less than two weeks an unseeded opponent
ago, and took another step — either Alize Cornet or Ts-
closer to Grand Slam title vetana Pironkova — for a
No. 24 by beating Maria semifinal berth.
Sakkari 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 at Williams first won the title in
Flushing Meadows.Williams New York all the way back
reached the quarterfinals in 1999 as a teenager and
for a 12th consecutive U.S. now has six trophies from
Open appearance. here. In her most recent 11
When the match ended, Serena Williams, of the United States, returns a shot to Maria Sakkari, of Greece, during the quar- trips to Flushing Meadows,
Williams turned and yelled terfinals of the US Open tennis championships, Monday, Sept. 7, 2020, in New York. Williams has four champi-
Associated Press
toward her husband, who onships, three runner-up
stood at his front-row seat Ohio but moved to the U.S. orably declaring: "I put my- Over in Arthur Ashe Stadi- finishes and three semifinal
and yelled right back. Open site as part of a two- self in a bad situation. It's um, Williams was two points losses.
How tight was this contest? tournament "controlled en- like dating a guy that you from the victory at 6-all in She lost in the final in both
The 15th-seeded Sakkari — vironment" without specta- know sucks." the second-set tiebreaker. 2018 and 2019, part of a
who was trying to become tors amid the coronavirus That setback made the That's when everything got stretch in which she has
the first Greek woman to pandemic. American 3-2 since tennis complicated. been to the title match
reach a major quarterfinal "Of course I thought about returned from its COVID-19 She sent a backhand re- at four of the past seven
— hit more aces than Wil- (the loss), but ever so little, hiatus, all three-setters. And turn long to give Sakkari her Grand Slam tournaments,
liams, 13-12, and more total because it's a completely since? She is 4-0 at the U.S. fifth set point, then pushed falling just short of getting
winners, 35-30. different match, complete- Open. a forehand out. that elusive 24th, which
It was a rematch from Aug. ly different scenario, com- In Monday's first match in With that, the set finally be- would tie her with Margaret
25, when Williams faded pletely different moment," Louis Armstrong Stadium, long to Sakkari, who shook Court for the most in tennis
after building a lead and Williams said. 21st-seeded Alex de Minaur her right fist. She retained history.
lost in three sets to Sakkari In the earlier one, Williams' of Australia reached his first the momentum, nosing Unlike Court's, all of Wil-
at the Western & South- legs were cramping by the Grand Slam quarterfinal by ahead in the third set by liams' major championships
ern Open, a hard-court end, and she blamed her- defeating Vasek Pospisil of breaking in its opening have come in the profes-
tournament usually held in self for that situation, mem- Canada 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-2. game when Williams sailed sional era.q

Barella scores for Italy to beat Netherlands 1-0

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Nicolo a year ago. But it was the chances for Nicolo Zanio-
Barella headed the only introduction of defender lo, who sent a spectacular
goal as a dominant Italy Leonardo Spinazzola at volley over the bar in the
beat the Netherlands 1-0 left back that made a key 17th minute, and Ciro Im-
in their Nations League difference. He repeatedly mobile who curled a shot
match at Johan Cruyff overlapped on the left just wide of Jasper Cil-
Arena on Monday. wing to create space for lessen’s post two minutes
The midfielder leapt be- Lorenzo Insigne to trouble later.
tween Dutch defenders the injury-depleted Dutch The only disappointing mo-
Virgil van Dijk and Nathan defense. ment for Italy came when
Ake to head powerfully Italy pressed high up the Roma forward Nicolo Za-
past Jasper Cillessen in pitch, not allowing the niolo, like Chiellini playing
first-half stoppage time. Netherlands time to build his first international since
The win sent Italy to the top up from the back, and returning from a serious
of League A Group 1 as targeted Joel Veltman knee injury, limped off in
Poland beat Bosnia 2-1 in and Hans Hateboer on the the 42nd minute after a Italy's Nicolo Barella, center scores his side's first goal during
the group’s other match. makeshift right side of the challenge by Donny van the UEFA Nations League soccer match between The Nether-
lands and Italy at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam, Neth-
Roberto Mancini made Dutch back four. de Beek. erlands, Monday, Sept. 7, 2020.
seven changes to his “We lost to a very good Lodeweges made just one Associated Press
lineup following Friday’s team,” interim Dutch change to the team that
1-1 draw with Bosnia, in- coach Dwight Lodeweges beat Poland 1-0 on Friday, chester United signing Van out the first Dutch chance
cluding bringing back de- said. “They wanted to play dropping Steven Bergwijn, de Beek. when he turned away from
fender Giorgio Chiellini for the same way as us, but the scorer, to the bench The hosts had to wait until a defender, cut inside but
his first international since executed it much better.” and replacing him in the the 32nd minute for Geor- shot straight at goalkeeper
a serious right knee injury The pressure created midfield with new Man- ginio Wijnaldum to carve Gianluigi Donnarumma.q