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Friday 1 November 2019
Nadal beats Wawrinka again to reach Paris Masters quarters

PARIS (AP) — Rafael Nadal course to meet Nadal in the no break points. He then
beat Stan Wawrinka for the final at Bercy Arena. Earlier, peaked with three crisp
19th time in 22 meetings, the four-time Paris Masters winners in the last game,
winning 6-4, 6-4 Thursday champion looked closer to including another two-
to reach the Paris Masters his best level, reaching the handed backhand and a
quarterfinals. last eight with a 7-6 (7), 6-1 pinpoint forehand.
The two players share 22 win against Kyle Edmund. "It is great to finish the
Grand Slams, but Nadal has After needing seven set match in style and to feel
19 of them and once again points to clinch the first set, the way I felt in the second
established a stranglehold he reeled off six straight set," Djokovic said. "I have
on his Swiss opponent. games in the second, finish- not played my best yester-
Wawrinka's blistering one- ing it off by breaking his Brit- day, so of course I was hop-
handed backhand was as ish opponent to love with ing I can do as well as I did
erratic as it was occasion- a two-handed backhand in second set. The look was
ally superb, but Nadal was winner into the left corner. about that."
almost always in control. He turned quickly to give his His voice still croaky,
"My serve worked well and Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts after he defeats Britain's Kyle Ed- box a look of steely deter- Djokovic addressed the
mund 7-6, 6-1 during the 3rd round match of the Paris Masters
the volley too," Nadal said. tennis tournament in Paris, France, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019. mination and former Wim- crowd in his fast-improving
"I went to the net a couple Associated Press bledon champion Goran French after the game.
of times, serve and volley." Ivanisevic — who joined He told them in measured
The second-ranked Span- thing to feel a little bit bet- Tsonga's first win coming in his coaching team at this tones that he still felt a bit
iard was briefly troubled ter." the semifinals of the 2008 year's Wimbledon — stood unwell, having labored at
in the first set, saving one Nadal next faces 2008 Australian Open — which to applaud him. times against the unseed-
break point in the second champion Jo-Wilfried Tson- remains the only major final "It was because my coach ed Corentin Moutet in the
game and another in the ga as he chases a first Paris he's reached. He lost it to told me I don't have a great second round.
eighth, and then needed title, which would guaran- Novak Djokovic, who has return. So finishing off with He next faces seventh-
some brief medical assis- tee him the year-end No.1 since added 15 more ma- a return winner, I kind of seeded Greek player Ste-
tance in the second set for ranking for the fifth time. jor titles to join Nadal and gave him a look. No I'm jok- fanos Tsitsipas, who had
a stomach problem. Tsonga saved two match 20-time Grand Slam cham- ing," said Djokovic, who is 11 aces in a 6-3, 6-4 win
"Nothing important, hon- points in a grueling 2-6, 6-4, pion Roger Federer as the widely considered among against Alex de Minaur and
estly," Nadal said, brushing 7-6 (6) win against big-hit- game's modern greats. the game's greatest ever holds a 2-1 record against
away any health concerns. ting German Jan-Lennard The top-ranked Serb is returners. Djokovic — including ear-
"During the match I was Struff. seeking a record-tying sixth He served well, too, win- lier this month in the quar-
(asking) a little bit if just the Nadal leads Tsonga 9-4 in year-end finish with the top ning 89 percent of first serve terfinals of the Shanghai
doctor can give me some- their career meetings, with ranking, and remains on points won and conceding Masters.q

Top-ranked Barty advances to semifinals at WTA Finals

By SANDRA HARWITT her WTA Finals singles de- was just too much to con-
Associated Press but. tinue."
SHENZHEN, China (AP) "It's pretty amazing, espe- Also Thursday, Bianca An-
— Top-ranked Ash Barty cially (because) I made it @ dreescu withdrew from the
reached the semifinals in the last minute," said Ben- tournament with a left knee
her debut appearance at cic, the last to qualify for injury. She will be replaced
the WTA Finals, beating Pe- the eight-player field. "I'm by Sofia Kenin for the final
tra Kvitova 6-4, 6-2 Thursday through the group (even round robin match on Fri-
to finish with a 2-1 record in though) I lost the first match day against Svitolina.
the Red Group. here." "I had a scan Thursday to
Barty, the first Australian Barty will next play either check my knee after last
woman to earn year-end Karolina Pliskova or Simo- night's match, and unfor-
No. 1 ranking, won her first na Halep in the semifinals, tunately the results show
Grand Slam trophy at the while Bencic will face de- that I need to withdraw,"
French Open in June and fending champion Elina Andreescu said. "I'm very
then reached the top of Svitolina. disappointed to not be
the rankings. Barty saved all four break Ashleigh Barty of Australia hits a return shot against Petra Kvi- able to finish the year on
tova of the Czech Republic during the WTA Finals Tennis Tourna-
"I feel like I executed really points she faced in the first ment at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center in Shenzhen, China's my terms, but I am hopeful
well tonight," Barty said on set and broke Kvitova's Guangdong province, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019. I will have more chances to
court. "Overall, I knew I had serve in the fifth game. The Associated Press play here in the future."
to come out here and play Czech player posted 20 un- Kenin, who was guaran-
aggressively, and play to forced errors in the open- "When it came to the de- would have moved onto teed $125,000 as an alter-
win. ing set. ciding points, she always the semifinals if she had nate, will now earn at least
"I'm really excited to have In the first game of the sec- played better than me," beaten Bencic in the $165,000 as a participant. If
another chance to come ond set, Barty broke Kvito- Kvitova said. "I think the match, had her blood pres- she wins her match against
out and play here on this va's serve on her third break serve didn't help me at all sure taken on the court. Svitolina, she will earn an
beautiful court." point and quickly jumped today." She was teary-eyed when additional $305,000.
Belinda Bencic joined Bar- out to a 4-0 lead. Bertens entered the tourna- she decided to stop. Prior to Kenin's inclusion, it
ty in the semifinals after Kvitova, who won the ment as an alternate after "I didn't feel well on court," was the first women's year-
Kiki Bertens retired in their season-ending title in her Naomi Osaka withdrew on Bertens said. "I had some end final in the 49-year his-
match with the Swiss player debut in 2011, finished the Tuesday with a right shoul- problems with my stomach. tory of the tournament not
leading 7-5, 1-0. round robin 0-3 for the sec- der injury. The energy was not there to feature an American in
Bencic, like Barty, is making ond consecutive year. The Dutchwoman, who and I was a little bit dizzy. It either singles or doubles.q