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SPORTS Friday 4 OctOber 2024
The Devils meet the Sabres in the Czech capital to open the NHL

regular season

By KAREL JANICEK mentioned Germany, Swit-
Associated Press zerland and Britain as pos-
PRAGUE (AP) — Ondrej Pal- sibilities. London had two
at has won the Stanley Cup regular season games in
twice. He’s won a gold 2007 and Berlin one in 2011.
medal with the Czech Re- Switzerland has never host-
public at the world cham- ed a regular-season game.
pionships. The Devils have previously
This week, the forward will played in Europe; in 2018
check another item on his they beat the Edmonton
bucket list when his New Oilers 5-2 in Gothenburg,
Jersey Devils and the Buf- Sweden.
falo Sabres open the NHL The Sabres have played
regular season with two four. Before the losses to
games in Prague. Tampa in 2019, they won
“I have been fortunate twice in 2011 against the
enough to realize many Anaheim Ducks 4-1 in Hel-
of my dreams in hockey,” sinki and the Los Angeles
Palat said. “But to play an Kings 4-2 in Berlin. They
NHL hockey game in my played an exhibition game
beloved Czechia is some- in Munich last week.
thing I’ve never imagined.” Czech NHL players are
The NHL global series games hugely popular at home
on Friday and Saturday will New Jersey Devils’ Ondřej Palat speeds up during a practice session, a day before their NHL and the presence of Palat
bring the number of regular hockey game against Buffalo Sabres, in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. and Sabres rookie forward
season games hosted by Associated Press Jiri Kulich ensures that
Prague to nine. Stockholm, be a good team-building us,” Palat said. “We had public have been the go-to Prague’s O2 Arena will be
Sweden, is the only loca- experience. Five years ago, some fun and it translated destinations for NHL regular packed this weekend. Pal-
tion outside North America he was part of the Tampa on the ice and we played season games overseas in at was on the Czech team
that has had more. Bay Lightning who swept great. recent years. Together with that beat Switzerland to
Two more international a two-game series against We need to do (something) Russia, those countries ac- win the worlds in the same
games will be played in the Sabres in Stockholm. a little bit similar. We’re go- count for the bulk of the arena in May.
Tampere, Finland, on Nov. The team went on to win ing to have some fun but European players in the The Devils signed Palat,
1-2 when defending Stan- the Stanley Cup in 2020 also it’s a business trip and league. who has 101 career post-
ley Cup champion Florida and again the following we need to start good the NHL Deputy Commissioner season points, to a five-
face the Dallas Stars. year. season.” Bill Daly said in August that year, $30 million contract in
Palat said traveling togeth- “With Tampa, the trip to Hockey-crazed Sweden, the league wants to ex- 2022, eager to tap his play-
er for overseas games can Stockholm was great for Finland and the Czech Re- pand to other markets and offs experience.q

Gauff rallies against qualifier to reach China Open semis against

Badosa

BEIJING (AP) — Sixth-ranked Gauff also lost the first set just try to control my mind- vious matches this week. vice breaks to comfortably
Coco Gauff again made a against Naomi Osaka in set and commit to the pro- The Chinese wild card claim the opening set.
slow start and had to rally the previous round before cess,” Gauff said. had no answer, though, to It was much closer in the
to beat Ukrainian qualifier Osaka retired because of a Zhang’s drought-busting Badosa’s fast start as the second set as Badosa
Yuliia Starodubtseva 2-6, lower back injury. week came to a shudder- Spaniard made three ser- found herself down 3-1. q
6-2, 6-2 to make the China Starodubtseva last month ing halt as Badosa contin-
Open semifinals on Thurs- became the first woman ued her own resurgence in
day for a second straight in the Open era to quali- a 6-1, 7-6 (4) victory in their
year. fy for all four Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Gauff will next play Paula tournaments in the same The Spaniard has won 28
Badosa of Spain, who end- year, and former U.S. Open of her last 35 matches dat-
ed local wild card Zhang champion Gauff found a ing to May and made the
Shuai’s unexpected run at response against her. semifinals of three of her
the title. Gauff saved two break past five tournaments.
The No. 115-ranked Yuliia points in her opening ser- There was also a run to the
Starodubtseva who will vice game of the second U.S. Open quarterfinals last
crack the top 100 for the set. A service break pro- month.
first time on Monday had pelled her ahead 3-1. Af- But the story of the week
not lost a set in her three ter another narrow escape has been the 35-year-old
matches this week and on her next service game, Zhang, who entered the
quickly took the lead, mak- Gauff lost only three more China Open on a 24-match Coco Gauff of the United States returns a shot to Yuliia
ing 10 winners and holding games for the rest of the losing streak the second Starodubtseva of Ukraine during the women’s singles
Gauff to zero in an error- quarterfinal. longest in the Open era — quarterfinals match of the China Open tennis tournament, at the
strewn first set for the Ameri- “I can’t control how I play and ranked No. 595. She National Tennis Center in Beijing, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.
can. or how she plays, but I can didn’t drop a set in four pre- Associated Press