Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18
Friday 8 September 2017

Nadal vs. del Potro, Carreno Busta vs. Anderson in Open SFs

Seattle Storm center Carolyn
Swords (8) look to pass around
Phoenix Mercury center
Brittney Griner during the first
half of a first-round WNBA
playoff basketball game,
Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, in
Tempe, Ariz.
Associated Press
Washington,

Phoenix win

1st-round

games

By The Associated Press
Elena Delle Donne had 25
points and 11 rebounds
and Emma Meesseman
added 16 points as the
Washington Mystics beat
the Dallas Wings 86-76
on Wednesday in the first By HOWARD FENDRICH jury absences of top play- Open and beat Wawrinka hard-as-possible forehands
round of the WNBA play- AP Tennis Writer ers, most notably major title at the French Open — and zoomed past his head dur-
offs. NEW YORK (AP) — If Rafael owners Novak Djokovic, 23rd of his career. Del Potro ing their match.
In the other game Wednes- Nadal and Roger Federer Stan Wawrinka and Andy seeks his second berth; he “When he’s playing well, it’s
day, Britney Griner had 23 had managed to meet in Murray, but also Grand eliminated Nadal in the U.S. difficult to stop him. Proba-
points and 11 rebounds to the U.S. Open semifinals, Slam runners-up Milos Ra- Open semifinals eight years bly the forehand is maybe
help the Phoenix Mercury it would have felt as if the onic and Kei Nishikori. ago before defeating Fe- the fastest on the tour,”
advance to the second trophy were at stake right “We are so accustomed derer for the champion- Nadal said about del Potro.
round with a 79-69 victory then and there. to it — a decade, same ship. “I need to be very focused
over the Seattle Storm. As it is, the No. 1-seeded guys being there,” said the So after having three op- with my serve and play ag-
Washington will play New Nadal’s matchup in the fi- 31-year-old Anderson, who erations on his left wrist in gressive,” Nadal said, “be-
York and Phoenix takes on nal four Friday against 24th- won the 2006 NCAA dou- the interim, del Potro will be cause if you let him play
Connecticut in the second seeded Juan Martin del bles title for the University trying to take out those two from good positions with his
round on Sunday. Potro will carry that same of Illinois and is making his greats of the game back- forehand, you are dead.”
Minnesota and Los Ange- weight. semifinal debut in his 34th to-back again: He scuttled For his part, del Potro laud-
les advanced directly to That’s because while Nadal appearance at a major. “A the possibility of the first ed Nadal’s well-known
the semifinals and await owns 15 Grand Slam titles, couple of them unable to Roger vs. Rafa showdown court coverage, noting
the second-round winners. including two in New York , play this year ... gave some at Flushing Meadows by that it’ll be important to
Playing at home, Washing- and del Potro won the 2009 of the guys an opportunity taking out Federer in the avoid lengthy baseline ex-
ton opened the second U.S. Open, the semifinal on to go deep into the tourna- quarterfinals 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (8) changes.
half on a 21-7 spurt, with the other side of the brack- ment.” , 6-4 Wednesday night. “He always makes you
eight points by Delle Don- et this time involves a pair While either he or the He’s 6-foot-6 (1.98 me- play another shot,” del
ne, to take a 55-41 lead. of new faces: 12th-seeded 26-year-old Carreno Busta, ters) and equipped with Potro said. “Whenever
But Dallas went on a 9-0 Pablo Carreno Busta of who has won all 15 sets the most intimidating fore- you think you have a win-
run in the fourth, capped Spain against 28th-seeded he’s played in the tourna- hand in tennis, a flat shot ner, he comes up big with
by Skylar Diggins-Smith’s Kevin Anderson of South ment, will get to a Grand that can top 100 mph and a defensive shot. When-
fast-break layup, to pull to Africa. Slam final for the first time, make opponents flinch. ever you think you got the
71-67 with 3:13 left. Neither had ever been this Nadal is trying to reach his Federer ducked out of the point won, he comes back
far at a major. They took third of the year — lost to way at the net when one with an unbelievable shot.
Continued on Page 21 advantage of all of the in- Federer at the Australian of del Potro’s swing-as- That’s Rafa’s trademark.”q