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A18 Thursday 31 March 2016
SPORTSThursday 31 March 2016
Azarenka beats Konta 6-4, 6-2 in
Miami Open quarterfinals
STEVEN WINE American in either draw. better.” Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, returns to Johanna Konta during
AP Sports Writer No. 15 Svetlana Kuznetso- Azarenka won Key Bis- their match at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Wednesday,
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) va, who ousted Williams, cayne in 2009 and 2011. March 30, 2016, in Key Biscayne, Fla. Azarenka won 6-4, 6-2.
— Victoria Azarenka was will play No. 19 Timea Bac- A former No. 1 player, she
well on her way to victory sinszky in the other semifinal fell out of the top 30 in 2014 Associated Press
Wednesday when she drew Thursday. because of foot and thigh
a code violation for chas- David Goffin, seeded 15th, injuries but will be back in
tising herself too colorfully, became the first Belgian the top five next week.
and she angrily jabbed at ever to reach the men’s “I never doubted my abili-
her eyes with two fingers as semifinals at Key Biscayne ties,” she said. “The doubt
if to say, “Watch the ball.” by rallying past No. 18 Gilles was to get healthy again.
Azarenka has high stan- Simon 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. His op- I still feel I’m far from my
dards for herself, which is ponent Friday will be the best, and that’s really excit-
one reason she is unde- winner of Wednesday ing for me.”
feated in March. night’s match between Against the No. 24-seeded
The two-time Grand Slam five-time champion Novak Konta, Azarenka wasn’t al-
champion moved one Djokovic and No. 7 Tomas ways pleased with her play.
win closer to a rare Indian Berdych. The code violation came
Wells-Key Biscayne double Azarenka, seeded 13th, when she lost the first game
by beating Johanna Konta beat Williams in the Indian of the second set.
in the quarterfinals of the Wells final less than two “Sometimes I cuss, and
Miami Open, 6-4, 6-2. weeks ago and is 20-1 this that’s OK,” she said. “What-
Eight-time champion Ser- year. She is trying to be- ever will make me play bet-
ena Williams was eliminat- come the third woman to ter, I’m going to do. I was
ed as a potential obstacle win Indian Wells and Key just trying to push myself.”
in the fourth round, mak- Biscayne in the same year, Azarenka never lost serve
ing Azarenka’s path less a feat achieved only by and committed just 14 un-
daunting. Her opponent Steffi Graf and Kim Clijsters. forced errors in 119 points.
Thursday will be the win- “If I’m able to make it, it’s Her deep, steady ground-
ner of Wednesday night’s great,” Azarenka said. “It strokes gradually broke
quarterfinal between No. seems so close, but it’s re- down Konta’s baseline
2-seeded Angelique Ker- ally far. I want to stay in the game, and the Brit dou-
ber and No. 22 Madison present. I want to continue ble-faulted three times on
Keys, the lone remaining to fight and keep getting break point.q
Russian tennis president:
Sharapova hearing could
be in June
MOSCOW (AP) — The presi- Shamil Tarpishchev tells the
dent of the Russian ten- state Tass news agency
nis federation says Maria that “the hearings could
Sharapova could have be put off until June,” add-
her disciplinary hearing for ing that was “not official in-
doping in June. formation, but my opinion.”
Sharapova has been pro- Tarpishchev says he is
visionally suspended and in regular contact with
faces a possible ban of up Sharapova and says she is
to four years after testing continuing to train.
positive for meldonium at Sharapova has said she
the Australian Open in Jan- took meldonium for medi-
uary, though a reduced cal reasons and was not
punishment is possible if aware it had been banned
she can show she did not for 2016.q
intend to cheat.
This is a Monday, March 7, 2016 file photo showing tennis star
Maria Sharapova speakings about her failed drug test at the
Australia Open during a news conference in Los Angeles.
Associated Press
