Page 23 - AT

A23
SPORTS Monday 17 February 2020

Slovakia's Petra Vlhova crosses the finish line to win an alpine
ski, women's World Cup slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sun-
day, Feb. 16, 2020.
Associated Press
Vlhova wins slalom

to overtake absent

Shiffrin in standings Kyle Edmund, of Britain, reacts after defeating Andreas Seppi, of Italy, in the finals of the New York
Open tennis tournament, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, in Uniondale, N.Y.
Associated Press

KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia she wins of course. So, it's a Edmund beats Seppi to
(AP) — Petra Vlhova won different victory but it's still
her third straight women's victory."
World Cup slalom Sunday Switzerland's Wendy Hold- win title at New York Open
to overtake the absent Mi- ener was 0.24 seconds be-
kaela Shiffrin on the top of hind Vlhova in second for
the discipline standings. her 24th career podium By BRIAN MAHONEY get more powerful as the banged three straight aces
Vlhova was more than result in slalom without win- AP Sports Writer match went on. in an easy hold for a 4-1
nine-tenths off the lead in ning a race, a World Cup NEW YORK (AP) — First, The 35-year-old Seppi, 10 lead.
fourth place after the first record. there was a five-match los- years older than Edmund, "He's obviously been on
run but posted the fastest Katharina Truppe of Aus- ing streak, and later things hung in for a while as balls the tour a long time, he's
time in a free-flowing sec- tria finished third, trailing by got even worse for Kyle Ed- kept coming back harder experienced, he knows
ond. 0.89. mund. than he hit them, but fell what to do on the court,"
The Slovakian skier, who The result extended the He dropped seven straight short in his bid for a first title said Edmund, who wished
also won in Zagreb and three-year winning streak matches during a difficult since 2012. his father in Britain a happy
Flachau recently and fin- of Shiffrin and Vlhova in 2019 that sent him tumbling Edmund wouldn't even birthday after the match.
ished on the podium in 13 World Cup slaloms. down the rankings, just a earn his first win on tour un- "So it's tough, but the way
of the last 15 races, now The American six-time dis- year after he enjoyed his til the next year. He even- I've been playing I knew I
leads the discipline stand- cipline globe winner and greatest success in tennis. tually worked his way up would have opportunities,
ings by 20 points from Shif- her Slovakian rival com- That's what made Edmund to No. 14 in the rankings in especially with more fore-
frin. bined have won the last 26 appreciate his second ATP 2018, when he won his first hands, to get into points."
The American three-time slaloms, with Shiffrin rack- title even more. title and also reached the Seppi then left the court
overall champion sat out ing up 19 wins and Vlhova He won it Sunday, wearing semifinals of the Australian to receive treatment and
the race, taking a break seven. down Andreas Seppi for a Open. seemed to be slowed a
from skiing since the death Swenn Larsson's former 7-5, 6-1 victory at the New Edmund battled a left knee bit by a leg injury, making
of her father, Jeff Shiffrin, teammate Frida Hansdot- York Open. injury that forced him to pull it even harder to run down
two weeks ago. ter remained the last skier "The reasons you get to out of three tournaments Edmund's shots.
"I am so, so happy that I other than Shiffrin or Vlhova right now and the trophy during his subpar 2019 but He was seeking a fourth ca-
found something inside to win a World Cup slalom, here and what makes it had his game back on reer title. With a victory Sun-
me," Vlhova said. "Because in Flachau in January 2017. nice is because you have track this week in Long Is- day, his seven years and
the first run I did really bad. Hansdotter added the to experience all those land, where the No. 8 seed four months without a title
The second run I tried to Olympic title in 2018 before downs and then it makes was stretched to three sets would have been the lon-
push and at the end I was retiring last season. you realize that just can't just once. gest drought to end since
lucky." Shiffrin remained in the take the success for grant- Neither player had much Robert Van't Hof went sev-
Vlhova benefited from a lead of the overall World ed," Edmund said. trouble holding serve in the en years, five months be-
rare mistake by first-run Cup, 113 points ahead of "You get the success from first set until Edmund sud- tween titles in the 1980s.
leader Anna Swenn Lars- Italy's Federica Brignone. having the downs because denly pounced in the final The road to a title at the
son. Vlhova trails by 154 points you learn from that, and game. His hard, deep shots Nassau Memorial Veterans
The Swedish skier extended in third. the low points mentally kept pressure on Seppi and Coliseum opened up even
her lead to a massive 1.17 Brignone, who sporadically and the disappointments set up a backhand down before the tournament be-
seconds at the final split. competes in slaloms, strad- of losing matches, those the line to earn the break gan with injury absences
But with her first career win dled a gate in her final run help you get to the happy and wrap up the set. for top-25 players Nick Kyr-
in sight, Swenn Larsson lost and failed to score points. times, the success, the win- Edmund then broke Seppi's gios and Kei Nishikori. Then
her balance a few gates The women's World Cup ning the matches." next serve en route to a 3-0 No. 1 seed John Isner and
from the finish and fell over. continues with two down- Edmund won five straight lead in the second. Seppi No. 2 Milos Raonic lost their
"Of course I was really lucky hills and an Alpine com- games to take the first set fought off four break points opening matches, as did
because Anna, she was bined event in Crans Mon- and build a big lead in for a shaky hold in the next two-time Grand Slam final-
really fast," Vlhova said. "If tana, Switzerland, next the second, seizing control game, but Edmund sim- ist Kevin Anderson, the 2018
she don't do the mistake, week.q with shots that seemed to ply came right back and tournament champion.q