Page 21 - ARUBA TODAY

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SPORTS Monday 30 april 2018

Nadal wins 11th Barcelona title,

unbeaten in 46 sets on clay

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — los and 11 Barcelonas is After the win, Nadal dived
Rafael Nadal continues to something I couldn’t imag- into a pool at the venue
make winning on clay look ine doing. I’m just enjoying along with some of the
all too easy. every week and the fact tournament’s ball boys and
Nadal extended his domi- I’m playing in a tournament ball girls.
nance on the surface with that I enjoy so much means Nadal was out of action
a 6-2, 6-1 win over 19-year- a lot to me.” earlier this year because of
old Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas It was the 77th title overall a lingering right hip injury
on Sunday to win his 11th for Nadal, tying him with sustained in the Australian
Barcelona Open title. John McEnroe for fourth Open quarterfinals. He re- Spain’s Rafael Nadal poses with his trophy after winning the Bar-
Nadal, who also won his best in the Open Era. Only turned to help Spain defeat celona Open Tennis Tournament final in Barcelona, Spain, Sun-
11th Monte Carlos Masters Jimmy Connors, Roger Fe- Germany in the Davis Cup day, April 29, 2018.
title last week, was never derer and Ivan Lendl are quarterfinals and then went Associated Press
seriously challenged on his ahead. on to win in Monte Carlo. win were small but my 2005 and was looking to
way to a 19th straight vic- Nadal, who won his 400th “I’ve had two fantastic confidence was rising in become the first unseeded
tory on clay. match on clay in Satur- weeks but we were coming every match, and while I champion in the tourna-
The top-ranked Spaniard day’s semifinal, needed off difficult months because was expecting a little bet- ment since Gaston Gaudio
has won 46 straight sets on the victory in Barcelona to of the injuries,” Nadal said. ter today, congratulations in 2002.
clay, extending his own re- secure his No. 1 ranking. The 63rd-ranked Tsitsipas to Rafa,” Tsitsipas said. “It Tsitsipas had 23 unforced
cord. He hasn’t lost on clay “It’s hard for anybody to was trying to become the was a first experience and errors in the 77-minute loss
since facing Dominic Thiem imagine all the feelings first Greek to win an ATP tougher than I thought. I’ve on the Rafa Nadal court,
in Rome last year. and emotions I have when Tour title. He was the first watched him millions of with brief rain interruptions.
“It’s very difficult to de- I play here,” Nadal said. Greek to make it to an ATP times on TV, but it’s tougher The Greek is expected to
scribe how to win 11 titles “Hopefully I can keep com- final since Nicholas Kalog- to face him in reality.” move to 44th in the rank-
at one tournament,” Nadal ing back for many more eropoulos in 1973. Tsitsipas was the youngest ings after his performance
said. “To win 11 Monte Car- years to come.” “I knew the chances to finalist in Barcelona since in Barcelona.q

Joey Logano drivers took six of the seven
spots.
Continued from Page 18 cars, no matter where they “I thought for sure one of
went, if they got to the out- them wanted to win more
Only Kurt Busch was bold side of me, I was hosed. than they showed,” Elliott
enough to make an early I knew that. That would said. “If it was me, I would
move, and he wrongly have been the end of it have wanted to do some-
thought defending race for me,” Logano said. “I thing or try.
winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. would have gotten passed They were not interested in
would go with him. Sten- by pretty much the whole advancing. They were not
house didn’t get to Busch train. I would have lost so going to help me move for-
in time, Kevin Harvick much momentum. I knew ward.”
wasn’t prepared for Busch they were going to work “Two Stewart-Haas cars
to go so early, and Busch together, as they should. running second and third
couldn’t garner enough Once they got picked should have been able to
steam to catch Logano. apart, think that was the NASCAR driver Joey Logano celebrates in Victory Lane pull this off,” Busch said.
Logano sailed to an easy game changer.” after winning the NASCAR Talladega auto race at Talladega “I’m happy that a Ford
victory at a track where he It was Logano’s third ca- Superspeedway, Sunday, April 29, 2018, in Talladega, Ala. won. It wasn’t the right one.
should have been forced reer win at Talladega. Associated Press Kevin was in good posi-
to defend several attempts Busch finished second, his Chase Elliott was third in a art-Haas Racing Ford. Ricky tion. I was going to roll with
at a pass on the final lap. career best finish at Talla- Chevrolet for Hendrick Mo- Stenhouse Jr. was fifth, Da- him in any direction that I
“I really thought (Busch dega, as Ford drivers went torsports, while Kevin Har- vid Ragan sixth and Aric could. We just got broken
and Harvick) were the 1-2. vick was fourth in a Stew- Almirola seventh as Ford up by Stenhouse.q