Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

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SPORTS Wednesday 18 april 2018
Zverev, Dimitrov, Thiem rusty, reach Monte Carlo 3rd round

By JEROME PUGMIRE drop shot to take the first on Rublev’s serve and also
MONACO (AP) — Alexan- set. Zverev took control of converted his first match
der Zverev, Grigor Dimi- the second set after Muller point, when Rublev dou-
trov and Dominic Thiem dropped his opening serve ble-faulted with a weak
all came from a set down and then broke him again serve into the net.
to win their second-round to clinch it. “I was 10 centimeters from
matches at the Monte Car- Zverev next plays with 13th- being out of the tourna-
lo Masters on Tuesday. seeded Fabio Fognini or ment,” a relieved Thiem
The third-seeded Zverev Jan-Lennard Struff in the said. “But I’m happy that
won 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 against third round. I played two hours and 40
big-serving Gilles Muller, Earlier, Dimitrov his serve (minutes).”
after the fourth-seeded twice in the first set against Thiem has reached the
Dimitrov had rallied to beat the 82nd-ranked Herbert. French Open semifinals for
Pierre-Hugues Herbert 3-6, Serving at 5-3 and 15-40 the past two years. He next
6-2, 6-4 and the fifth-seed- down, he mistimed a fore- meets 12-time Grand Slam
ed Thiem saved a match hand and the ball went off champion Novak Djokovic
point in his 5-7, 7-5, 7-5 win the racket frame and into or Borna Coric of Croatia,
against Andrey Rublev of the crowd. who play their second-
Russia. But the Bulgarian found his round match on Wednes-
Zverev won with the flood- range in the second set, se- day.
lights illuminating center curing consecutive breaks “I’m looking forward to
court and the crowd fad- on the Frenchman's serve watching Djokovic and
ing along with the light. before serving it out at love. Coric in front of the TV, and
Muller saved the first match Dimitrov broke Herbert in then playing the winner on
point with a strong serve the fifth game of the de- Thursday,” Thiem said.
but lost to the imposing cider, then immediately Herbert returned long. He saved a match point No. 6 David Goffin of Bel-
German on the next with a dropped serve with an- "I was just a little bit rusty, I when Rublev served at 5-4, gium needed four match
double fault. other wild forehand before haven't played a match for 40-30 but hit a forehand points to beat qualifier
The 20-year-old Zverev had breaking the Frenchman almost three weeks," Dimi- narrowly wide. Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6 (4),
appeared in control of the again for 4-3. He sealed the trov said. "All I (could) do Thiem made the most of 7-5, while Zverev’s older
first set when he broke for a victory on his first match was just fight and win. How the reprieve, breaking him brother, Mischa Zverev also
4-3 lead. But Muller broke point when he whipped a doesn't really matter." with backhand pass down reached the third round by
straight back, held, and powerful forehand to the It was even harder for the line and holding for 6-5. beating No. 7 Lucas Pouille
broke again with a neat back of the court, which Thiem. The Austrian was 15-40 up 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3).q

MAJORS shots at Congressional. 16, putting the tee down
Continued from Page 18 There was one another wherever that pin was and
REDEMPTION example of redemption: hitting that shot," he said.
"I'm a big redemption per- Sergio Garcia, one of McIl- Ten years after watching
son," McIlroy said. "I'm big roy's best friends, who went Woods win a fourth green
on someone winning who nearly 20 years before win- jacket, Spieth won his first.
deserves it." ning his first major. And perhaps it was only fit-
The one major that stands "I cried," McIlroy said. "I ting that in the final round,
out is Adam Scott winning cried! I was so happy for Spieth went long on the
the Masters in 2013, main- him." 16th and wound up in a
ly because it came nine BIG MOMENTS similar spot from where
months after one of the Jordan Spieth was 11, al- Woods chipped in.
most stunning collapses on ready honing his putter on "I didn't hit the shot any-
the back nine in a major, a closely mown section of where as good as him,"
even by Australian stan- his front yard, when Tiger said Spieth, who had to
dards. Scott had a four- Woods won the Masters make an 8-footer for par
shot lead with four holes to in 2005 for the fourth time. to keep a four-shot lead. In this April 10, 2005, file photo, Tiger Woods celebrates with his
play at Royal Lytham & St. Spieth considers that his fa- "He was against the collar caddie Steve Williams after his chip-in birdie on the 16th hole
Annes when he closed with vorite major championship of the rough, too. That was during the 2005 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augus-
ta, Ga. Jordan Spieth was so inspired by this major and that mo-
four straight bogeys, and victory that wasn't his own. the coolest shot I ever wit- ment that it was the first shot he wanted to try when he played
Ernie Els won his second Brit- "It goes back to when Ti- nessed and probably ever the Masters for the first time.
ish Open. ger holed that chip on 16 will witness."
The next year, Scott holed and ended up going to a EMOTIONS was 42, five years removed AUSSIE PRIDE
a 20-foot birdie putt on the playoff with Chris DiMarco," Davis Love III has watched from losing his wife to breast Scott used to get up early
final hole at Augusta Na- Spieth said. "That Masters a lot of friends win majors, cancer. He was no longer Monday morning to watch
tional, and then won with a win because of that shot all special occasions. One among the top 100 in the the Masters. His favorite
birdie on the second play- ... when you're a kid, you of them meant so much to world and not even eligible major, however, was the
off hole. want to go out right away him that he stayed behind for all the majors. And then, British Open in 1993 at Roy-
"I thought that was awe- and try some kind of similar even after missing the cut finally, he won the claret al St. George's, mainly be-
some," McIlroy said. shot that you saw someone in the 2011 British Open at jug . Love recalls waiting to cause of the winner.
Perhaps he spoke from ex- hit." Royal St. George's. see Justin Leonard win at Greg Norman never won
perience. McIlroy had a Nothing was remotely simi- "Darren Clarke winning Royal Troon in 1997. the Masters. He won the
four-shot lead going into lar until he played Augusta made me the happiest," This was different. claret jug twice, the sec-
the final round of the 2011 National for the first time in Love said. "I don't think when I ond time when Scott was a
Masters when he shot 80. the fall of 2013. Even on opposite sides watched Justin get the tro- few weeks from turning 13.
He won the very next ma- "The first thing I was inter- of the Atlantic, Love and phy I had tears in my eyes," "It was such a big moment
jor, the U.S. Open, by eight ested in was going behind Clarke were close. Clarke Love said. for me," he said. q