Page 22 - Aruba Today
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SPORTSMonday 22 February 2016
Nick Kyrgios beats Cilic at Open 13 to win 1st title
MARSEILLE, France (AP) win this title this week after pressure from the start and
— Big-serving Nick Kyrgios having a couple of weeks converted his eighth break
won his first career title with off,” said Kyrgios, who lost point to go 3-1 up in the first
a 6-2, 7-6 (3) victory over his only previous final on set and never looked back,
fourth-seeded Marin Cilic outdoor clay last year in Es- securing a second break in
of Croatia in the Open 13 toril, Portugal. “But from the the seventh game before
final on Sunday. first round I started playing serving out the set to love.
Kyrgios closed out the really well and just gained Cilic fought back in the
match with his 17th ace confidence as I kept win- second set and almost lev-
to cap a dream week for ning matches. eled the match in the 10th
the 20-year-old Australian, game but Kyrgios saved
who didn’t lose a set and “I think I served really, really the only break point he
was unbroken in 47 games. well again. I was serving re- faced in the contest with a
Ranked 41st, he beat two ally well all week. I didn’t 201 kph (125 mph) ace.
top-10 players in No. 10 get broken once. That was “I felt I was getting much
Richard Gasquet and No. 8 the main thing that was closer in that second set,”
Tomas Berdych. good. And I was able to Cilic said.
put pressure on my oppo-
It was only Kyrgios’ second Nick Kyrgios of Australia holds his trophy after defeating nents’ serves a lot when I “I felt also that he was be-
tournament of the year. He Marin Cilic of Croatia, during their final match, at the Open 13 was going through my ser- coming a bit more frustrat-
lost to Berdych in the third Provence tennis tournament, in Marseille, southern France, Sun- vice games really quickly.” ed, which was good for me.
round of the Australian day Feb. 21, 2016. The popular Krygios ended I had a chance at the end
Open in January and was his victory speech with a of the second set to get the
forced to withdraw from Associated Press few words of French, de- break, but he managed to
Rotterdam last week with claring to his fans “I really play well ... I didn’t adjust
an elbow injury. like cheese.” well enough on the balls
“I didn’t really expect to Kyrgios had Cilic under that were coming back.”q
Djokovic back from vacation
to face Robredo in Dubai
been focusing on his family. went arthroscopic knee Wawrinka beat Djokovic
“I’ve played a lot of tennis on the way to both of his
from the beginning of prep- surgery and won’t be de- Grand Slams - in the 2015
aration through the finals of French Open final and the
the Australian Open, more fending his Dubai title this 2014 Australian Open quar-
or less every day,” Djokovic terfinals — but knows the
said Sunday. “I think it was week. challenge ahead.
necessary for me to just “He’s dominating the ten-
cool off a little bit and do Djokovic will play Spanish nis, for sure, and he’s play-
something else. ing a different level from
“Thankfully, I’m a father veteran Tommy Robredo in the rest of the players,”
and husband, and that’s Wawrinka said. “But we’ve
already a lot of work and the first round. had some tough battles in
a lot of pleasure,” he said. Grand Slams when I was
“And the few weeks (off) On the other side of the playing my best tennis. My
felt like it was even more game, the power I have
and I’m eager to come draw, second-seeded from the backhand, the
back.” baseline, and the fore-
Djokovic is a four-time Stanislas Wawrinka of hand, makes me feel like I
champion in Dubai, but lost have a game I can trust to
Novak Djokovic of Serbia wipes sweat from his face during his the last two years to Roger Switzerland is returning to beat him.”
fourth round match against Gilles Simon of France at the Aus- Federer in the final and Wawrinka plays Sergiy Stak-
tralian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Sun- semifinals. Dubai after an eight-year hovsky of Ukraine in the first
day, Jan. 24, 2016. Federer recently under- round on Tuesday.q
absence.
Associated Press
Wawrinka has only played
here twice before — in
SANDRA HARWITT back on court Monday at 2006 and 2008 — and lost in
Associated Press the Dubai Tennis Champi-
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- onships. the first round on both oc-
ates (AP) — After taking a Having won his first two tour-
three-week vacation from naments of the year — the casions.
tennis after winning his sixth Qatar Open and his 11th
Australian Open title, No- Grand Slam title in Australia “It’s been many years since
vak Djokovic is ready to get — the top-ranked Serb has
I played here and I wanted
to change things in my cal-
endar, to feel like I’m go-
ing to new tournaments,”
Wawrinka said.
