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A22 SPORTS
Tuesday 15 OcTOber 2019

Roger Federer of Switzerland waves to spectators as he leaves
the court after he lost to Alexander Zverev of Germany in their
men's singles quarterfinals match at the Shanghai Masters ten-
nis tournament at Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center in
Shanghai, China, Friday, Oct. 11, 2019.
Associated Press

Roger Federer says

he plans to play at A crew member for Kyle Busch (18) bounces a tire as he runs back to the wall during a NASCAR
Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway, Monday, Oct 14, 2019, in Talladega, Ala.
Associated Press
2020 Tokyo Olympics Continued from Page 17 on the field. Then Newman ota, said he knew Blaney

I know Talladega's a wild came charging along on was ahead of him at the
TOKYO (AP) — Roger Fe- ment. He had previously card. There was a lot of the outside line with help line. "I think I could have
derer says he plans to play planned his schedule up wrecks today and a lot of from Denny Hamlin and he gone down and taken his
at the 2020 Tokyo Olym- to Wimbledon, which ends guys got tore up. But we easily zipped past Blaney. air and he probably would
pics. two weeks before the To- didn't really get any stage But the Ford train remained have gone to the outside
The Swiss great, a four-time kyo Games. He will need points and we were al- committed and Blaney got of me," Newman said.
Olympian, says “at the end a wild-card exemption be- ready pretty far behind the another push from Almi- "That would have spun me
of the day my heart de- cause he has not played eight-ball. rola to pull alongside New- as I tried to block me. You
cided I would love to play Davis Cup games to be eli- "We knew we had to prob- man. The two raced door- could replay it 30 days from
at the Olympic Games gible. Federer won doubles ably win one of these two to-door to the finish line, now and come up with 27
again.” gold for Switzerland with weeks. It's just a huge relief." with Blaney winning by a different answers."
Federer made the an- Stan Wawrinka at the 2008 Blaney joins Kyle Larson in nose. The 0.0070-second It was a 1-2 sweep for Ford
nouncement in Tokyo dur- Beijing Olympics and silver the round of eight, with six margin of victory was the on a weekend in which
ing at an exhibition event in singles at the 2012 Lon- spots still available. sixth-closest in the history of manufacturer alliances
for his Japanese uniform don Games at Wimbledon. After the win, he spotted Talladega, which celebrat- were heavily scrutinized. Al-
supplier. He missed the 2016 Rio de a young fan in the crowd ed its 50th anniversary all though all the manufactur-
Federer will turn 39 shortly Janeiro Olympics with an wearing his shirt and hand- weekend. The win capped ers met with their teams to
after the Olympic tourna- injury.q ed the boy the checkered a remarkable weekend for discuss strategy and stick-
flag. the Penske organization, ing together for the sake
Cycling great Eddy The race began Sunday which on Saturday claimed of a brand victory, a meet-
but was postponed by rain the IMSA overall sports car ing Sunday between the
after the first stage. The de-
championship with Dane Chevrolet group angered
Merckx hospitalized lay gave Blaney time to re- Cameron and Juan Pablo fans who argued the alli-
ances were a form of race
cover from a Sunday spin Montoya, and then in Aus-
after bike crash as he tried to enter pit road, tralia won the Bathurst 1000 manipulation.
and ended with Ford and with Scott McLaughlin and Although the manufactur-
ers have been doing this
Team Penske as winners. Fabian Coulthard.
Ford had won seven con- It was Ford's sixth straight for at least five years in a
BRUSSELS (AP) — A Belgian ever. He won five Tour de secutive Talladega races Talladega playoff victory Toyota-led effort, Chevro-
newspaper reported Mon- France titles and a record until Chevrolet snapped and Team Penske's seventh let did not get on board
day that cycling great Eddy 34 stages. The 2019 Tour de that streak in April. win in the last seven Cup until April after Toyota had
Merckx sustained head in- France began in Brussels "An amazing effort the races at the Alabama su- worked with Chevy drivers
juries in a crash while bike in July and feted Merckx last two days, to be hon- perspeedway. from Hendrick Motorsports
riding with friends. to mark the 50th anniver- est with you," Blaney said. The race had critical play- to go 1-2-3 in the Daytona
The Het Nieuwsblad news- sary of his first Tour victory. "From spinning out early off implications as many of 500. Chevrolet then won
paper said the 74-year-old Known as "The Cannibal" yesterday, missing some the title contenders strug- at Talladega and again at
Merckx crashed Sunday for his appetite for winning, big ones today, weave our gled, and Hendrick Motor- Daytona in July, the two
and was admitted to a Merckx also won five Giro way through ... It just means sports' entire lineup is at risk tracks where the brand al-
hospital in Dendermonde. d'Italia titles, one Spanish a ton. I've been coming of elimination next week- liances work.
Merckx is regarded by Vuelta and a string of one- here ever since I was really end. Alex Bowman, Chase The highest-finishing Chev-
many as the greatest cyclist day classic races.q young. I love coming here. Elliott and William Byron are rolet on Monday at Tallade-
Love it even more now." all below the cutline, as is ga was Austin Dillon in sixth.
Blaney was the leader on Kansas native Clint Bowyer, Almirola finished fourth in a
a restart with two laps re- who could be eliminated Ford, followed by Michael
maining and had a huge at his home track. McDowell, Dillon, Corey La-
push from fellow Ford driver Newman, who was fol- Joie, Elliot, Ricky Stenhouse
Aric Almirola to gain space lowed by Hamlin in a Toy- Jr. and Ty Dillon.q