Page 19 - ARUBA TODAY
P. 19
SPORTS A19
Saturday 6 June 2015
Djokovic-Murray French semifinal
suspended; winner faces Wawrinka
HOWARD FENDRICH The eventual winner will of “Allez, Jo!” and other Spectators leave as stadium employees cover center court
AP Tennis Writer face a much-more-rested support for Tsonga that because of approaching rainstorms which caused the semi-
PARIS (AP) — Novak Stan Wawrinka of Switzer- prompted the chair umpire final match of the French Open tennis tournament between
Djokovic has waited and land in Sunday’s final. to ask for quiet. Britain’s Andy Murray and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic to be
waited to win his first French The eighth-seeded Wawrin- The temperature topped postponed till Saturday at the Roland Garros stadium, in Paris,
Open title and complete a ka, who eliminated Roger 90 degrees (32 Celsius) at France, Friday, June 5, 2015.
career Grand Slam, worry- Federer in the quarterfinals, Court Philippe Chatrier,
ing about when — or per- followed that up by de- and the players wrapped Associated Press
haps even whether — he feating France’s Jo-Wilfried towels filled with ice around
would get another chance Tsonga 6-3, 6-7 (1), 7-6 (3), their necks at changeovers
after coming close in re- 6-4 in Friday’s opening semi- to try to cool off.
cent years. final. Wawrinka succeeded “Heat didn’t bother me,”
Now Djokovic must ponder largely on the strength of Tsonga said. “My opponent
all of that a little longer: His one statistic: He saved 16 made my life difficult.”
semifinal against Andy Mur- of 17 break points. A year ago, after winning
ray was suspended in the There were a few whis- the Australian Open cham-
fourth set Friday night, ini- tles and jeers directed at pionship, Wawrinka lost in
tially halted because of an Wawrinka after he ended the first round in Paris. Now
impending storm and then Tsonga’s bid to give France he’s into his first French
put off altogether when a men’s champion at its Open final and second at
the rain did arrive minutes own tournament, some- a major.
later. thing that last happened For Djokovic, so much is at
The No. 1-seeded Djokovic when Yannick Noah won in stake this weekend.
won the first two sets 6-3, 1983. Finish off Murray, and he
6-3 and appeared to be in “Jo is always a tough play- would face Wawrinka with
control, before No. 3 Mur- er to play,” Wawrinka said, a chance to become only
ray took the third 7-5. At “especially when he’s play- the eighth man in tennis
3-all in the fourth, with dark ing at home.” history to own at least one
clouds moving in and light The first chants of “Son- trophy from each of the
fading, they were ushered gah! Son-gah!” accompa- sport’s four most prestigious
off the court. Djokovic and nied by rhythmic clapping tournaments, adding to
Murray will resume Satur- arrived before the first point his five from the Australian
day at 1 p.m. local time, a was played, and they re- Open, two from Wimble-
little more than 16 hours af- turned over and over at don and one from the U.S.
ter they stopped. key junctures, as did yells Open.q
