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A22 SPORTS
Friday 18 May 2018
Nadal has high praise for Shapovalov after beating teenager

6-4 and will meet Pablo
Carreno Busta, who beat
Aljaz Bedene 6-4, 6-7 (3),
6-2. In the women's tour-
nament, Simona Halep's
hold on the No. 1 ranking
received a boost when
American Madison Keys
withdrew from their last-16
match due to a rib injury.
Halep now needs to prog-
ress further than No. 2 Caro-
line Wozniacki to stay in top
spot.
Wozniacki faces 15th-seed-
ed Anastasija Sevastova in
a late match.
The winner will play Anett
Kontaveit, who ousted 1999
champion Venus Williams
6-2, 7-6 (3) for her second
win over the American in
two weeks.
Last year, Halep rolled her
ankle in the final and lost
a lead and the champion-
ship to Elina Svitolina.
Spain's Rafael Nadal returns the ball to Canada's Denis Shapovalov, at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Thursday, May Halep next plays U.S. Open
17, 2018 champion Sloane Stephens
or seventh-seeded Caro-
By ANDREW DAMPF In a match between two seeded Tomas Berdych Thiem. line Garcia.
ROME (AP) — Seven-time left-handers, Shapovalov and Robin Haase, and Four-time Rome champion Svitolina overcame a poor
champion Rafael Nadal saved eight break points reached the semifinals of Novak Djokovic reached start to beat 14th-seeded
methodically wore down in his opening two service last week's Madrid Open. his first quarterfinal of the Daria Kasatkina 0-6, 6-3,
Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 6-1 games before finally drop- "I didn't feel completely year with a 6-1, 7-5 victory 6-2. She'll next face former
Thursday to reach the Ital- ping his serve midway dead out there but I felt like over Alberto Ramos-Vino- No. 1 Angelique Kerber,
ian Open quarterfinals and through the first set. I could've been fresher," las. who routed Maria Sakkari
gain revenge against the "He was really serving big Shapovalov said. Defending champion Alex- of Greece 6-1, 6-1.
Canadian teenager. and I had some mistakes Nadal, who hasn't won the ander Zverev needed eight This is the last major warmup
The 19-year-old Shapovalov with the return," Nadal said. Italian Open since 2013, match points before com- for the French Open, which
stunned Nadal in the third "It was not a comfortable next faces Fabio Fognini, pleting a 7-5, 7-6 (11) win starts in 10 days.
round in Montreal last year match against a lefty who who beat Peter Gojowczyk over Kyle Edmund. Jelena Ostapenko, prepar-
to deny the Spanish player serves big and goes for his 6-4, 6-4. Zverev will next play ninth- ing to defend her title at
a chance to regain the No. shots. Fognini slammed his racket seeded David Goffin, who Roland Garros, rallied past
1 spot. "He's good in all aspects. midway through the sec- was leading 6-2, 4-5 when Johanna Konta 2-6, 6-3,
Nadal is also attempting to The only thing he needs is a ond set and received a Juan Martin del Potro re- 6-4 and will meet three-
win the top spot back this little bit more time." warning from the umpire tired because of a groin time Rome champion Ma-
week. He'll replace Roger Shapovalov was stretched but otherwise held his com- injury. ria Sharapova, who elimi-
Federer if he wins an eighth to three sets in his opening posure to follow up an im- Fourth-seeded Marin Cilic nated Daria Gavrilova 6-3,
Rome title. two matches, against 15th- pressive win over Dominic defeated Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-4.q

De Villiers and Moeen inspire Bangalore to victory

Associated Press Put into bat in a must- sure on the bowlers and fire half-century. Overall, he qualified for the playoffs
BENGALURU, India (AP) — win game, Bangalore lost take it forward if I get one hit seven fours and five sixes but needs to win on Satur-
Kane Williamson's 81 off 42 openers Parthiv Patel and or two (sixes) away," said while Manish Pandey kept day against Kolkata Knight
balls proved in vain as Roy- Virat Kohli cheaply but De man-of-the-match De Vil- him company with 62 not Riders to finish top of the
al Challengers Bangalore Villiers and Moeen added liers. out off 38 balls in a stand standings. Bangalore must
won a run-fest against Sun- 107 off 57 balls for the third In reply, Shikhar Dhawan of 135 for the third wicket. win against Rajasthan Roy-
risers Hyderabad to keep wicket. (18) and Alex Hales (37) Williamson finally holed out als on Saturday to have
its Indian Premier League Rashid Khan (3-27), who provided a solid platform to fine leg off the first ball of any hope of making it to
playoff bid alive on Thurs- clean bowled Kohli earlier, for Hyderabad. the final over and Pandey the playoffs on run-rate.
day. got rid of De Villiers and The score was 64-2 after was unable to take his side "Hats off to the bowlers for
AB de Villiers scored 69 Moeen before Colin de eight overs when Moeen home. keeping composure and
and Moeen Ali made 65 to Grandhomme (40) blasted dismissed England team- "We missed a trick with the giving us two points. We
power Bangalore to 218-6. one four and four sixes in 17 mate Hales thanks to a bril- ball. Bangalore were bril- head to Jaipur with mo-
Hyderabad then stayed in balls. liant flying catch by De Vil- liant with the bat and put mentum on our side. Teams
the game until the last over "It was a crazy game of liers at deep mid-wicket. us under pressure from ball don't want us to win. We
before finishing on 204-3 to cricket and we pulled Williamson took over and one," said Williamson. sense fear and pounce,"
lose by 14 runs. through. I look to put pres- caressed his way to a quick- Hyderabad has already said Kohli.q