Page 15 - aruba-today-20201106
P. 15
A15
sports Friday 6 November 2020
Nadal reaches Paris Masters quarters, chasing elusive title
By JEROME PUGMIRE "Diego is playing amazing
AP Sports Writer at this moment," Medve-
PARIS (AP) — Top-seeded dev said. "His results are un-
Rafael Nadal stayed on believable."
course for an elusive first ti- Schwartzman would qualify
tle at the Paris Masters after for the Nov. 15-22 tourna-
beating Jordan Thompson ment in London if he beats
6-1, 7-6 (3) on Thursday to Medvedev.
reach the quarterfinals. In other third-round match-
Nadal has won 86 career ti- es, 2014 runner-up Milos
tles, including 35 in Masters Raonic advanced after
events, but lost his only final beating American qualifier
at the Bercy Indoor Arena Marcos Giron 7-6 (1), 6-2.
in Paris 13 years ago. The 10th-seeded Canadian
Thompson found his range had 15 aces and did not
in the second set, hitting a face a break point.
couple of big winners down He next faces unseeded
the line and forcing a set Frenchman Ugo Humbert,
point with Nadal serving at who defeated former U.S.
6-5. After a decent second Open champion Marin
serve, Nadal saved it after Cilic 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3 to con-
a long rally. tinue his strong form.
"He played well, so I give Humbert knocked out
credit to him. He started Spain's Rafael Nadal poses with the trophy of his one thousandth victory of the ATP at the end of French Open semifinal-
to change directions very his match against compatriot Feliciano Lopez during the second round of the Paris Masters tennis ist Stefanos Tsitsipas in the
tournament at the Bercy Arena in Paris, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020.
well with the serve, hit- Associated Press second round, and took his
ting the right spots," Nadal second title of the year two
said. "Then he's super fast on the next opportunity this year playing the semifi- before rallying to beat 16th- weeks ago at the European
from the baseline, returning Nadal pushed his oppo- nals again in New York (at seeded Alex de Minaur 5-7, Open in Antwerp, Belgium.
some very difficult balls." nent to the back of the the U.S. Open) and quar- 6-2, 6-2. The strong-serving Carreno Busta, who is chal-
But Thompson threw his court and Thompson's fore- terfinals in Roland Garros," Russian concluded with a lenging Schwartzman for
racket onto the ground hand sank into the net. Nadal said. "He's playing 13th ace and next plays a place at The O2 arena
in frustration after losing Nadal, a 20-time Grand great." Still, Nadal holds a No. 6 Diego Schwartzman, in London, won 7-5, 6-2
the next point and Nad- Slam champion who on 6-0 lead in their meetings, the French Open semifinal- against unseeded Norbert
al's sharp backhand vol- Wednesday became only having beaten him twice ist who routed qualifier Ale- Gombos.
ley at the net took it into the fourth man to reach already this year. jandro Davidovich Fokina Later Thursday, No. 4 Alex-
a tiebreaker. The unseed- 1,000 match wins, next Earlier, third-seeded Daniil 6-1, 6-1 to take a step clos- ander Zverev played Adri-
ed Australian saved one faces Spanish countryman Medvedev overcame a er to reaching the season- an Mannarino and No. 12
match point with his third Pablo Carreno Busta. first-set blip where he con- ending ATP Finals for the Stan Wawrinka faced No. 5
ace of the tiebreaker, but "He's always improving ,,, ceded 11 straight points first time. Andrey Rublev.q
Philipsen wins Stage 15, Roglic keeps Spanish Vuelta lead
ters (142 miles) through a just ahead of Pascal Acker- forced officials to reduce it
winding, wooded terrain in mann and Jannik Steimle. to 18 stages from the usual
northwest Spain. Roglic, the defending 21.Riders were forced to
"I have been waiting all the champion, maintained his put on rain jackets to com-
Vuelta for the right moment 42 second lead over Rich- bat the drizzle and the low
and today was more than ard Carapaz as the race temperatures.
I expected," Philipsen said closes in on Sunday's cer- "It was a hard day so I am
after embracing his UAE emonial arrival in Madrid. really happy it is behind
Team Emirates teammates John Hugh Carthy is third, us," Roglic said. On Friday,
and race director. "The 47 seconds behind. the race moves to cen-
head wind all day it made The coronavirus pandemic tral Spain as it starts its final
it really hard on the front caused the Vuelta to be approach to the capital.
group ... I can enjoy this pushed back from its hot Stage 16 takes riders over
moment and try to finish my and sunny August-Sep- 162 kilometers (100 miles)
first grand tour. I am super tember slot to the cooler of hills from Salamanca to
proud now." The 22-year- and often wetter days of Ciudad Rodrigo. That will
La Vuelta's pack cover the last meters before crossing the fin- old rider crossed the finish October and November. set up Saturday's decisive
ish line during the third stage of La Vuelta between Lodosa and
La Laguna Negra Vinuesa, in Vinuesa, northern Spain, Thursday line in 6 hours, 22 minutes, A tight race calendar also mountain stage.q
Oct. 22, 2020.
Associated Press
PUEBLA DE SANABRIA, with two more competitive
Spain (AP) — Belgian rid- days of racing left. Philipsen
er Jasper Philipsen won a earned his first stage win in
long, wet and windy Stage a grand tour. He powered
15 at the Spanish Vuelta ahead of the pack near
on Thursday, and Primoz the end of the race's lon-
Roglic held his overall lead gest stage of 230 kilome-