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sports Diasabra 5 september 2020

Osaka tosses racket, overcomes test from teenager at U.S. Open

By HOWARD FEN- lead in the final set.
DRICH "A turning point," Osaka
AP Tennis Writer would say later.
NEW YORK (AP) — Nao- She fended off every one of
mi Osaka spiked her racket those and held to 2-all, be-
after one errant forehand ginning her match-closing
late in the second set at the run.
U.S. Open, then flung it the "I'm kind of scared how she's
length of the baseline after a going to be in the future," said
missed backhand return ced- Osaka, who played with tape
ed that tiebreaker. wrapping her left hamstring,
Sometimes, that's the sort which has been a problem
of reaction it takes to right since last week. "She has no
things for Osaka. And, per- fear."
haps surprisingly, she need- Kostyuk had her own issues:
ed whatever push she could She twice took a medical
get in Friday's third-round timeout to have a trainer tape
match. her right ankle.
Facing an opponent compet- But she also was able to con-
ing in just her second major trol the outcomes of points
tournament, two-time Grand for stretches, winning 19
Slam champion Osaka even- of the 23 points when she
tually figured out a way to went to the net. The Ukrai-
turn a tight one into a run- nian teen also delivered more
away and beat 18-year-old winners than Osaka, 36-30,
Marta Kostyuk 6-3, 6-7 (4), Naomi Osaka, of Japan, reacts during a match against Marta Kostyuk, of the Ukraine, during the over the match's 2 1/2 hours.
6-2 by claiming the final five third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, in New York. "I guess I would say the thing
games at Flushing Meadows. Associated Press that made me most dis-
"While I was playing, honest- pleased was probably the de-
ly, I was cursing myself out," defeated 20-year-old Ameri- Top-seeded Novak Djokov- of what it called "the sensi- cisions that I was making and
Osaka said during an on- can Ann Li 6-3, 6-4. Kerber's ic was scheduled to play at tivity of the medical issues the fact that I started becom-
court interview afterward, "so next opponent is another night against No. 28 Jan- involved." ing way too passive," Osaka
you wouldn't want to know American, 28th-seeded Jen- Lennard Struff. In an odd and Mannarino is part of a group said, "and hoping that she
what I was saying." nifer Brady, a 6-3, 6-3 winner unexplained delay, the third- of seven players under ex- would, you know, make an
After taking things out on her against Caroline Garcia. round match between No. 5 tra restrictions during the unforced error." Before and
racket, Osaka sat with a white In the previous round, Gar- seed Alexander Zverev and tournament because contact after the match, Osaka wore
towel draped over head dur- cia upset top-seeded Karolina No. 32 Adrian Mannarino tracing determined they po- a mask bearing the name of
ing a changeover. Pliskova. began more than 2 1/2 hours tentially could have been ex- Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man
"It's what I do in times of ex- Next up for Osaka will be big later than planned in Louis posed to COVID-19 by Ben- who was fatally shot after be-
treme anger and frustration," hitter Anett Kontaveit, an Es- Armstrong Stadium. oit Paire, the only entrant to ing pursued by armed white
she said. tonian seeded 14th. She had The U.S. Tennis Association test positive. men in Georgia.
Still, she improved to 7-0 a much easier time in a 6-3, described the holdup in vague With shadows creeping across Each time on court during
since tennis resumed after 6-2 win over No. 24 Magda terms, saying only there was the Arthur Ashe Stadium the tournament, Osaka is
a hiatus of more than five Linette. "a collaborative dialogue with court in the early afternoon, wearing a different mask in
months because of the coro- Men reaching the fourth health officials" and that the the 137th-ranked Kostyuk memory of a victim of racial
navirus pandemic. round included No. 7 David players were "updated at all certainly had her chances to injustice.
Another past U.S. Open Goffin, No. 20 Pablo Carre- times." pull off a significant surprise. "None of these deaths had
champion moving into the no Busta, Jordan Thompson The USTA added in its state- The key moment: Kostyuk to happen," Osaka said. "For
fourth round Friday was 2016 and Alejandro Davidovich ment that no other details held five break points that me, I just want everyone to
titlist Angelique Kerber, who Fokina. would be provided because could have given her a 3-1 know the names more."q

Steven Bergwijn scores as Netherlands

beats Poland 1-0

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Steven Bergwijn after controlling a clever pass over the Poland
scored his first international goal as the Neth- defense by Memphis Depay on his chest.
erlands beat Poland 1-0 Friday in their open- Van Dijk said the players are already used to
ing Nations League match in an empty Johan working with Lodeweges, who was Koeman’s
Cruyff Arena. assistant.
The Tottenham winger finished from close “Dwight Lodeweges is the boss. You can see
range after Hans Hateboer volleyed a pass that he has our respect,” Van Dijk said.
from Frenkie de Jong back across the face Italy was held to a 1-1 draw by Bosnia in the
of the goal in the 61st minute . It was both night’s other League A Group 1 match.
teams’ first outing since the coronavirus pan- The Netherlands reached the final of the in-
demic slammed the brakes on international augural Nations League last year, where it lost
soccer. 1-0 to Portugal under Koeman.
“Hopefully the fans can come back to the Lodeweges had to rebuild his defense in the
stadiums soon and create some atmosphere,” absence of Matthijs de Ligt, Stefan de Vrij,
said captain Virgil van Dijk. Denzel Dumfries and Daley Blind, but with
The Netherlands, playing its first internation- Poland resting its captain and star striker
al under interim coach Dwight Lodeweges Robert Lewandowski the Dutch defense was Dutch players celebrate after their first goal during the UEFA
following the departure of Ronald Koeman rarely troubled. Nations League soccer match between the Netherlands and
to take the reins at Barcelona, dominated the “You see that some things are a bit rusty,” Poland in the Johan Cruyff ArenA in Amsterdam, Netherlands,
match and could have scored more. Frenkie Lodeweges said. “It’s nine months since we Friday, Sept. 4, 2020.
de Jong hit the post on the stroke of halftime were together.”q Associated Press