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A18 SPORTS
Saturday 27 January 2018

Federer in record 7th Aussie Open final after Chung retires

By JOHN PYE better?’
AP Sports Writer “That’s why this one feels
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) bittersweet. I’m incredibly
— It took just over an hour happy to be in the finals,
for Roger Federer to fix one but not like this.”
anomalous statistic in his Chung tried everything to
extraordinary career. disguise the pain of the
Defending champion Fe- raw patches on his left foot
derer, who was leading Hy- which, his agent explained,
eon Chung 6-1, 5-2 when were “blisters under blisters
the Korean retired in the under blisters.”
second set of their Aus- Federer knows the feeling.
tralian Open semifinal on He also sensed something
Friday night, is within one wrong with Chung’s move-
win of a 20th Grand Slam ment.
singles title. “I’ve played with blisters in
Going into the match the past a lot, and it hurts
against Chung, Federer a lot. And at one point,
had a below-par semifinals it’s just too much and you
record at Melbourne Park, can’t take it anymore —
only six wins out of 13. you can’t go on,” he said.
After 1 hour and 2 minutes “He’s played such a won-
under the closed roof on derful tournament, so cred-
Rod Laver Arena, he’s on it to him for playing so hard
par, 7-7 (but still well below again today.”
his marks at the other ma- Federer’s conversion rate
jors: 11-1 at Wimbledon, 7-3 for finals in Australia is much
at the U.S. Open, and 5-2 better — the only time he Switzerland’s Roger Federer makes a backhand return to South Korea’s Hyeon Chung during their
at Roland Garros). lost a championship match semifinal at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 26,
It wasn’t how Federer ex- was in 2009 against Rafael 2018.
pected to advance. Nadal. Associated Press
“You do take the faster So he’s well poised for Sun- The final will be Federer’s ed a pain-killing injection sured one of the so-called
matches whenever you day’s match against No. record seventh at the Aus- before the match, and Big Four — with Nadal,
can because there’s 6-seeded Marin Cilic. Cilic tralian Open and 30th at a a medical timeout to re- Djokovic, Andy Murray —
enough wear and tear on has had an extra day of Grand Slam. tape his left foot after go- has featured in the final
the body,” he said. “The rest but Federer was hardly Cilic was hampered by ing down a break in the since 2005. Stan Wawrin-
thought process is not like taxed on Friday night, and blisters when he lost to Fe- second set. He played only ka’s win over Nadal in 2014
‘What would have been occupied for only an hour. derer in last year’s Wimble- two more games before he was the only final since
don final, but he has made quit. 2008 that didn’t feature
a relatively pain-free run “I did right thing. If I play two of the Big Four.
through the other half of bad on the court, it’s not Top-ranked Nadal lost to
the draw, including a quar- good for the fans and au- Cilic in the quarterfinals,
Paradise in the Caribbean terfinal win over an injured dience as well,” he said. “I Djokovic fell to Chung, and
Nadal. really hurt. I can’t walk no Murray, a five-time Austra-
Even if Chung had been fit, more.” lian Open runner-up, with-
he was trying to reach his The 36-year-old Federer drew to have surgery on his
first ATP final against a play- predicted a bright future hip, leaving their collective
er who has won 95 titles, 19 for Chung, 15 years young- reputation for dominance
of them Grand Slams. er. Chung also believed in Australia on Federer.
Chung had an incredible the experience will prepare He didn’t let anyone down
run at Melbourne Park, be- him better for the rigors of in a clinical dismantling of
coming the first Korean best-of-five-set tennis at the No. 58-ranked Chung,
to reach a semifinal at a Grand Slams. who won the Next Gen ATP
tennis major and attract- “For sure. I play really good Finals in November.
ing plenty of attention for in (the) last two weeks. I Earlier, Timea Babos of
beating No. 4-seeded Al- make first round 16, quar- Hungary and Kristina Mlad-
exander Zverev in the third ters and semis — I play enovic of France became
round and six-time Austra- (Zverev), Novak, Roger,” he the first players from their
lian Open champion No- said. “I can play better and respective countries to lift
SALES OFFICE +297 2801005 info@leventaruba.com vak Djokovic in the fourth. better in the future.” the Australian Open wom-
MOBILE +297 5927275 www.leventaruba.com But it took a toll. He need- With victory, Federer en- en’s doubles crown.q