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A18 SPORTS
Thursday 8 June 2017

Djokovic Open champion Rafael
Nadal, who advanced
when No. 20 Pablo Car-
reno Busta stopped while
Continued from Page 17 trailing 6-2, 2-0 after injuring
Did he give up in the last an abdominal muscle late
set? What has happened in the first set.
to his once-impervious “I mean, it’s a joke how
play? Can he summon tough it is to win a Slam,”
that again? Does he need said Thiem, the only player
a break from the grind of who beat Nadal in one of
the tour? his 23 clay-court matches
“It’s a fact that I’m not this season. “Now I beat
playing close to my best, Novak.
and I know that,” Djokovic On Friday, (it’s) Nadal. In
said after his first straight- the finals, there is another
set loss at a major since the top star.”
2013 Wimbledon final. “For In the other semifinal,
me, it’s a whole new situa- 2016 runner-up Murray will
tion that I’m facing.” face 2015 champion Stan
Since completing his ca- Wawrinka in a matchup of
reer Grand Slam at the three-time major title win-
French Open 12 months ners. Murray eliminated
ago, Djokovic has partici- No. 8 Kei Nishikori 2-6, 6-1,
pated in four majors in a 7-6 (0), 6-1 on Wednesday,
row without earning a tro- while No. 3 Wawrinka won
phy. He also lost his No. 1 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 against No. 7 Serbia’s Novak Djokovic falls as he plays Austria’s Dominic Thiem during their quarterfinal match
ranking to Andy Murray. Marin Cilic. the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium, Wednesday, June 7, 2017 in
Paris.
Djokovic was runner-up at Simona Halep and Karo- Associated Press
the U.S. Open but lost in lina Pliskova reached the
the third round at Wimble- women’s semifinals. Halep
don, the first round at the came all the way back
Rio Olympics and the sec- from a set and 5-1 down and everything his way,” “More or less, all the parts of sorts. He just turned 30.
Djokovic said. “Just pretty of my game are kind of He split from coaches Boris
ond round at the Austra- in the second to defeat
lian Open. Elina Svitolina 3-6, 7-6 (6), bad set.” going up and down. I’m Becker and Marian Vajda
But both men thought the feeling like I’m missing con-
and other members of his
“The win here last year has 6-0. Pliskova beat Caroline
brought a lot of different Garcia 7-6 (3), 6-4. match was decided in the sistency,” Djokovic said. “I team, bringing aboard An-
first set, when Djokovic held play a great match or two dre Agassi for Week 1 of the
emotions. Obviously, it was With the wind whipping at
a thrill and complete fulfill- more than 15 mph (25 kph), two set points at 5-4, 15- in a row, and then I play French Open. he
Wednesday,
40 on Thiem’s serve. Thiem a
completely
opposite On
ment, I guess,” Djokovic and the temperature in the
said during an expansive low 50s (low teens Celsius), erased the first with a fore- match. That’s what hap- wouldn’t rule out some
time off.
hand volley and the other pened today.”
and frank news confer- Djokovic was out of sorts in
ence. “I have lived on so many ways even before with a service winner that Still, how unlikely was this “It’s obviously tough to
prompted Djokovic to roll result? Djokovic had won get out of it and figure
that wave of excitement, I that 20-minute third set in
guess, ‘til the U.S. Open or which he won only 8 of 34 his eyes. all five previous matches — out the way how to move
Djokovic’s backhand re-
and 11 of 12 sets — against ahead. At least I’m trying,”
so. And at the U.S. Open, points.
I just was emotionally very It’s only the second time ally let him down in the Thiem, including in the Djokovic said. “I know that I
tiebreaker: All seven points French Open semifinals a have achieved the biggest
flat and found myself in Djokovic lost a final set by
a situation that I hadn’t the score of 6-0 in his 937 won by Thiem ended with year ago. heights in this sport, and
Plus, Djokovic had ap-
that stroke.
that memory and that ex-
faced before in (my) pro- career tour-level matches.
fessional tennis career.” “It’s hard to comment (on) In all, Djokovic made nearly peared in a record six con- perience gives me enough
reason to believe that I can
twice as many unforced er-
secutive semifinals in Paris.
The 23-year-old Thiem next the third set. Obviously,
faces nine-time French nothing was going my way rors, 35, as winners, 18. Now he is at a crossroads do it again.”q
Eunice Kennedy Shriver to
receive posthumous Ashe award
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Spe- Eunice Shriver founded
cial Olympics founder Eu- Special Olympics in 1968 to
nice Kennedy Shriver will help individuals with intel-
be posthumously honored lectual disabilities through
with the Arthur Ashe Cour- sports.
age Award at the ESPY Shriver died in August 2009.
Awards in July. The Special Olympics will
Timothy Shriver, one of mark its 50th anniversary
Shriver’s sons and chair- next year.
man of the Special Olym- The Ashe award is given to
pics, will accept the award individuals whose contribu-
on July 12. tions transcend sports.q

In this May 25, 2000, file photo, American Eunice Kennedy
Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics, poses with her Sport
for Good Award during the Laureus Sports Awards ceremony in
Monaco.
Associated Press