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A18 SPORTS
Friday 20 april 2018
Grayson Murray handles the wind and leads Texas Open

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — meant he would flip his
Grayson Murray fixed a hands and hit a sharp draw
flaw in his swing and hit the or pull out of it and hit it
ball well enough that blus- short and right.
tery conditions weren't an "I was hitting each club 10
issue for him Thursday in the yards shorter than I nor-
Valero Texas Open. mally do, and you can't
Coming off a missed cut at play like that because your
Hilton Head last week, Mur- caddie is trying to give you
ray made seven birdies for a number and a club, and
a 5-under 67 and a one- you keep hitting these bad
shot lead. His only mistake shots or keep coming up
was a double bogey from short," Murray said. "I got
a greenside bunker on the back to the basics with the
par-3 seventh hole. setup and the takeaway,
"Just the fact I did give my- got my club in a better po-
self enough opportunities sition at the top, which kind
today for birdie, it took a of frees my downswing.
lot of pressure off," Murray Then I can start going at it."
said. Of the five players at Even so, Murray thought
68, only Chesson Hadley he wasted his good start —
played in the morning side three birdies in his six holes
of the draw, and he called — when his bunker shot at
it among his best rounds Billy Horschel watches his tee shot on No. 1 during the first round of the Valero Texas Open golf No. 7 came out with no spin
of the year because of tournament at TPC San Antonio on Thursday, April 19, 2018. and rolled off the green
gusts. The wind died in the Associated Press into a deep swale. He hit his
afternoon and scoring im- third short to about 7 feet,
proved slightly on the AT&T make anything out there 21 to be exempt for the U.S. the last three. Murray was but missed the putt and
Oaks Course at the TPC San today. But I'm happy with Open. Harris English was in coming off a pair of top 15s took double bogey.
Antonio. Keegan Bradley, it." Sergio Garcia, who con- the group at 69, while two- at Bay Hill and the Houston "I would have loved to limit
Ryan Moore, Billy Horschel sulted Greg Norman on time Texas Open champion Open when his game got that to a bogey because
and Matt Atkins each post- the design of the course, Zach Johnson, Nick Wat- away from his last week in bogeys don't really kill you
ed 68. Horschel and Moore played the Texas Open ney and Brandt Snedeker the RBC Heritage, and he — doubles are the ones
played bogey-free. for the first time since 2010 were among those at 70. shots 74-70 to miss the cut. that now you've got to
"Struck the ball really well, and shot a 74. Adam Scott Johnson saved his round He got that sorted out in have an eagle or two bird-
something that we've been failed to make a birdie in his by going 5 under over his the five days between tee- ies to come back with, and
working hard on," Horschel round of 75. Scott is at No. final five holes, starting with ing it up in San Antonio. out here it's kind of tough to
said. "Could have been 59 in the world and needs a 12-foot eagle putt on the He said he was coming make birdies," Murray said.
better, yeah. I didn't really to stay in the top 60 by May par-5 14th hole. He birdied down too steep, which "But I kept my head. q

Nadal advances at Monte Carlo as Djokovic goes out

By JEROME PUGMIRE know that you've beaten point against Thiem, but Djokovic needs to sharpen
MONACO (AP) — Rafael him already on this sur- indecision cost him on up, however, and says he
Nadal remains on course to face," Thiem said. "It's the the second as the ninth- will play at the Barcelona
retain his Monte Carlo Mas- ultimate challenge to play seeded Djokovic seemed Open or Hungarian Open
ters title and won't have against him. I have to raise to change his mind over next week.
Novak Djokovic standing in my level again." which shot to play at the “I’m lacking matches.
his way. Djokovic was once Nadal's net. That’s why it’s important
The top-ranked Nadal beat nemesis, even on clay. He Djokovic did save three set for me to play, to use every
big-hitting Russian Karen ended the Spanish player's points in the first set, and opportunity possible,” he
Khachanov 6-3, 6-2 on Fri- 46-match winning run by the momentum carried said. “I have planned Ma-
day to reach the quarter- beating him in the 2013 fi- over into the tiebreak. But drid and Rome after that
finals, clinching victory with nal, and then won the tour- his backhand let him down ... I would like to build my
a clinical smash at the net. nament in 2015. after that, with Thiem get- form so I can peak at Ro-
The 10-time champion next But the former top-ranked ting consecutive breaks land Garros.” Nadal’s vic-
faces fifth-seeded Domi- Serb, who has won 12 ma- and holding for the second tory could have been even
nic Thiem, who earlier won Spain's Rafael Nadal reacts jors, is searching for form set when his opponent pat- more efficient but he sur-
6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-3 against after defeating Germany's Al- and confidence now. ted a two-handed back- prisingly dropped his serve
Djokovic. "(Thiem) plays so exander Zverev 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 A day after needing 10 hand into the net. in the seventh game of the
good on every surface but during a World Group Quarter match points to advance, Still, after so much injury first set. He broke straight
especially on clay. He hits final Davis Cup tennis match Djokovic didn't even come frustration, Djokovic was back and then took com-
between Spain and Germany
the ball hard," said Nadal. at the bullring in Valencia, close to getting one. Al- encouraged about com- plete control. Third seed
"I can't let him play from Spain, Sunday April 8, 2018. though he says he is finally ing through three matches Alexander Zverev beat
good positions because Associated Press playing pain-free after two without any relapse. Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 4-6,
he has lot of power and it years of struggles with a "I played without pain, 6-4, but missed out on fac-
will be so difficult to control cluding in the quarterfinals persistent right elbow injury, which is important," he said. ing his older brother Mischa
him." Thiem can take confi- of last year's Rome Masters. he was often on the back "I'm really happy with the Zverev in the last eight. He
dence from having beaten "It's a way better feeling foot against Thiem. way things are working out lost 6-2, 7-5 to Frenchman
Nadal twice on clay, in- if you go against him and He saved one match right now with the elbow." Richard Gasquet.q