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A18
SPORTSThursday 1 September 2016
U.S. Open
Continued on Next Page
I couldn’t switch grips from
one point to the next. There
were a few points where I
would hold the racket with
my left and try to stretch
out my right hand in be-
tween shots — and that’s
not going to work.”
He was one of a trio of
highly seeded players to
exit Flushing Meadows on
Day 3, although the other
departures were less sur-
prising.
No. 3 Garbine Muguruza,
the French Open cham-
pion, made 38 unforced
errors and bowed out 7-5,
6-4 against Anastasija Sev-
astova at night. All four of
Muguruza’s U.S. Open ap-
pearances have ended in
the first or second round.
No. 9 Svetlana Kuznetso-
va, the 2004 champion,
took the first four games
before losing 6-4, 6-4 to
Caroline Wozniacki, who is
unseeded but can rely on
the muscle memory from
two trips to the final in New
York.
Later under the lights, 14-
time major champion Ra-
fael Nadal was to face An-
dreas Seppi.
Raonic was a semifinalist
at Wimbledon in 2014 and
at the Australian Open this
January. Then, while briefly
working with John McEn-
roe, he beat Roger Feder-
er in the semifinals at the
All England Club in July to
reach his first Grand Slam
final.
“I was my own worst ene-
my today,” Raonic said. “I
tried the best I could to find a while, but he’s still very
my way out of it. My body
didn’t let me.”
Harrison, meanwhile, fi-
nally has the sort of break-
through victory predicted
long ago for him. He en-
NHL adds meldonium to banned substances list
STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Sports Writer
The NHL has added
meldonium to its list of
banned substances. Dep-
uty commissioner Bill Daly
confirmed the addition in
an email to The Associat-
ed Press on Wednesday.
It was first reported by
the Russian news agency
tered Wednesday with a Ryan Harrison, of the United States, returns a shot to Milos Raonic, of Canada, during the second
1-26 record for his career round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016, in New York.
against top-10 opponents
The 24-year-old, born in Associated Press
Louisiana and now based
in Texas, earned his first with the temperature in the acknowledged. “He did runner-up.
trip to the third round at a mid-80s. But he also played that.” Baghdatis eliminated 32nd-
Grand Slam tournament. quite cleanly after recov- After Harrison hit a forehand seeded Benoit Paire of
He had been 0-6 in sec- ering from a double-fault passing winner to break for France 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
ond-round matches. that ceded the opening a 5-1 lead in the fourth set, “Not really a whole lot
Until Monday, Harrison set: Harrison finished with 33 Raonic looked exhausted, of time for reflection in
hadn’t won a main-draw unforced errors, one in the resting both arms on his this sport, because things
match at any major in 3½ last set. Raonic’s total was knees and leaning on his change so quickly,” Harri-
years. 62, 21 in the third set alone. racket for support. son said. “You play a bad
“It’s mental maturity, a little “I didn’t create this pres- Harrison next faces 44th- match on Friday, all of a
bit of stabilization with ev- sure for myself or this kind ranked Marcos Baghdatis, sudden today’s win feels a
erything around me that of stress on myself,” Raonic the 2006 Australian Open long way’s away.”q
is allowing me to play with
a sense of calm and also
with excitement,” said
Harrison, who turned pro
nearly a decade ago and
reached a top ranking of
43rd in 2012.
“My personality is a very fi-
ery one.
I like to be really intense
when I’m competing, flirt
with that line of getting so
intense that it (was) taking
me away from what I was
trying to accomplish.”
Last week, Harrison and
his sibling Christian, 22, be-
came the first pair of broth-
ers to both qualify for the
U.S. Open.
“How cool,” the older Har-
rison said, “is it to have him
with me at the Open?”
While Christian lost in the
first round Tuesday, Ryan
took pleasure in being
joined in the third round by
a couple of other Ameri-
cans: No. 20 John Isner
beat Steve Darcis 6-3, 6-4,
6-7 (10), 6-3, and No. 26
Jack Sock defeated Mis-
cha Zverev 6-1, 6-1, 6-2.
“Good thing for Ryan.
He has been around for
young,” Isner said. “Good
thing he’s figuring it out
again.”
Harrison certainly was
helped by his opponent’s
problems on a muggy day
TASS. cy banned meldonium on ter for the International in the United States. It in-
The change goes into ef- Jan. 1. Ice Hockey Federation creases blood flow, which
fect for the upcoming Tennis star Maria Sharapo- Under-18 tournament in improves exercise ca-
season. The NHL and NHL va and swimmer Yulia Efi- the spring over fears that pacity by carrying more
Players’ Association had mova have tested posi- players could test posi- oxygen to the muscles.
to agree to add meldo- tive in recent months for tive for meldonium. Russia There is significant debate
nium to its list of prohib- the endurance-boosting used its U17 team in the among doping experts
ited substances. Daly says drug. tournament instead The over whether meldonium,
that decision was made Sharapova is appealing drug, which is typically also known as mildro-
for the same reason the her two-year ban. Rus- used for heart conditions, nate, actually enhances
World Anti-Doping Agen- sia switched out its ros- is not approved for use performance.q