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SPORTS A21
McIlroy
Continued from Page 17
McIlroy is playing for the first “I feel like I’m hitting good
time since losing a playoff
Jan. 15 in South Africa. He
was diagnosed with a hair-
line fracture of his rib the
next day and missed four
tournaments on his sched-
ule to make sure it healed
properly. There seems to
be little debate about that.
He showed that blend of
power and balance in the
thin air of Mexico City and
struck his irons close for so
much of the day. His lon-
gest birdie putt was 12 feet,
and McIlroy had reason to
lament the ones that got
away. He missed four putts
from 6 feet or closer.
“I just felt like I had a bit
more energy. I had a bit
more pep in my step,”
McIlroy said. “I wasn’t just
trying to get through the
round today, I was trying
to build on the score that I
had and it was nice to feel
like that again.”
He wasn’t alone in missing
short putts.
Dustin Johnson, in his de-
but at No. 1, still watched
a number of putts wiggle
to the hole on the poa
greens and a few more
went in. He birdied three
of his last four holes for a
66 and was among those
just three shots behind and
very much in the picture.
Johnson can keep the top
ranking if he finishes in the
top four.
Top-ranked Murray to face
Verdasco in Dubai final
SANDRA HARWITT
Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emir-
ates (AP) — Top-ranked
Andy Murray reached his
second final of the season
with a dominant 7-5, 6-1
win over seventh-seeded
Lucas Pouille at the Dubai
Tennis Championships on
Friday.Murray, who lost the
Qatar Open final to Novak
Djokovic in January, should
feel confident of a 45th ca-
reer title when he faces the
unseeded Fernando Ver-
dasco in Saturday’s final.
Saturday 4 March 2017
U.S. golfer Dustin Johnson, center, walks with Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, right, and Japan’s
putts, they’re just very dif- Hideki Matsuyama between shots on the 9th hole, in round one of the Mexico Championship at
ficult,” Johnson said. “I Chapultepec Golf Club in Mexico City, Thursday, March 2, 2017.
feel like someone’s play-
ing goalie up by the hole. Associated Press
It’s not going my way right
now, but hopefully I can because I missed a couple Jordan Spieth, who put on bounds, leading to a triple
roll in a few more putts this of short ones coming in, but a highlight show when he bogey. He shot a 72 and
weekend. I feel like I’m hit- overall I’m in a good spot chipped in for eagle on was 1-over 143 10 shots be-
ting it great.” and looking forward to be- the 15th, and then played hind.
The only bad hole for McIl- ing in contention over the a clever pitch some 30 feet He had one thing in com-
roy was at No. 12 where he weekend.” away from the flag and let mon with McIlroy. Spieth
put his wedge into a bun- His Ryder Cup partner, it roll down the hill and into also spent more time in the
ker, barely got it out of the Andy Sullivan, matched his the cup for a birdie. bathroom than in bed the
sand onto the collar and low round of the tourna- That more than wiped out night before from a stom-
two-putted from 20 feet for ment and was in the group a double bogey on the ach virus that has been
bogey. And then he found at 6-under that included par-5 11th, but momen- the lone blight on an oth-
another gear. Johnson and Daniel Berger tum stalled in a big way. erwise strong debut for this
He hit his tee shot to 12 feet (66). Spieth went long at No. 1 World Golf Championship
on the par-3 13th. From 156 Missing from the mix was into the hedges and out-of- in Mexico City.q
yards out to a soft green,
he tried to take a little off a
9-iron and leaned when he
saw it going a little too far
left of the flag. It bounced
out of the rough and rolled
into the cup for an eagle.
He came up just short of
the green on the par-5
15th, setting up a simple
up-and-down for another
birdie to seize control.
Just like that, he was three
shots ahead and was in
position to make it a lot
more until missing the three
putts coming in.
“I would have taken a 65
starting today and I defi-
nitely would have taken a
two-shot lead going into
the weekend, so I’m in a
great position,” McIlroy
said. “I’m kicking myself
He leads the left-handed against Murray, who saved Andy Murray of Great Britain returns the ball to Lucas Pouille of
Spaniard 12-1 in their ca- seven match points in his France during a semi final match of the Dubai Tennis Champi-
reer meetings. quarterfinal here against onships, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Friday, March 3, 2017.
Still, the three-time Grand Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Slam champion is wary Murray’s semifinal against Associated Press
of Verdasco’s ball-striking Pouille saw both players
ability. “He can generate below their best, which was Frenchman said he didn’t return to the court after
a lot of power, he can con- understandable as they go to sleep until three hours his fourth round upset by
trol the ball,” Murray said. had lengthy and dramatic later. Mischa Zverev at the Aus-
“And when he’s dictating matches ending late on This week marks Murray’s tralian Open in January. q
the points, he’s one of the Thursday night.
best in the world at doing “I don’t think it was the best
that.” Verdasco reached match,” Murray said. “Nei-
the semifinals in Qatar and ther of us served well at the
even had five match points beginning.”
against Djokovic. But he will Pouille’s quarterfinal had
need to be more clinical ended after 2 am and the