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Thursday 2 augusT 2018
3-time major champ Wawrinka out in 1st round at Washington

By HOWARD FENDRICH Wawrinka got broken in
AP Tennis Writer the first game Tuesday by
WASHINGTON (AP) — Stan dumping a forehand into
Wawrinka's surgically re- the net; that turned out to
paired left knee is just fine. be the match's only break.
What's missing now for the Wawrinka then was two
three-time major champion points from losing at 5-3 in
as he goes through a rough the second-set tiebreaker.
season is the self-belief that But a series of miscues by
comes with success. Young, including a double-
Wawrinka's latest quick exit fault at 5-4, sent them to a
came Tuesday night at the third set. This time, Young
Citi Open, a 6-4, 6-7 (5), held on, and he'll face 2014
7-6 (3) loss against 234th- U.S. Open runner-up Kei Ni-
ranked qualifier Donald shikori on Wednesday.
Young of the U.S. in the first "Fought a lot of nerves
round of the hard-court there, but I'm happy the
tournament. end result was a 'W,'" Young
"I was missing a lot. Not feel- Stan Wawrinka, of Switzerland, returns to Donald Young, of the United States, during the first round said. "Closing matches is
ing the way I wanted. I'm of the Citi Open tennis tournament Tuesday, July 31, 2018, in Washington. kind of like a skill you get
looking for confidence, for Associated Press from winning and I haven't
sure," said Wawrinka, who done that — but I was able
has been ranked No. 3 but ing is so low that he need- at the same time, really have to accept (it)." to do that."
is merely 198th at the mo- ed a wild-card entry just to far. The positive right now is He and Young, who came No. 1 seed and defend-
ment on account of a 6-11 get into qualifying for his that physically, I'm feeling into the day with just a ing champion Alexander
record in 2018 after two next event, in Toronto. good. Tennis-wise, I'm prac- 2-10 record this year, were Zverev took the first set
knee operations last year. The only other time Wawrin- ticing well. I can put (in) a supposed to play Mon- against Malek Jaziri 6-2 in
"It's tough to not win a lot ka entered the U.S. Open lot of work on the court," day night. But because of the main stadium's final
of matches. Then you start tuneup in Washington, in said Wawrinka, who has rain delays and a lengthy match when play was sus-
to think too much on the 2010, he also lost his open- won the U.S. Open, Aus- match before theirs, they pended for the night after
court." er. tralian Open and French only made it onto the court 1 a.m. because of rain.
This was Wawrinka's first Right now, his issue is the Open once apiece. "I know to warm up at 1 a.m., and They'll resume Wednesday.
match since bowing out of doubt can creep up at key and I'm sure I will get where then a downpour arrived, "This is always a place that
Wimbledon in the second points in a match. I want to be. It's just tough. so the contest was post- I've wanted to win and I've
round in early July; his rank- "I feel I'm really close but, It's a long process and you poned. always struggled here. q
SERENA when the ball hit the low- ace for ad then Williams
Continued from Previous Page est part of the net. got it back to deuce be-
She had never won only Williams had moments of fore Konta held for 5-1.
one game — she won her brilliant shot-making to win Williams, a 23-time Grand
serve for the initial game long rallies, then would Slam champion, returned
Tuesday then not another. put a drop shot into the to the Bay Area event for
She got two games at the net and sigh in disappoint- what is the former Stanford
2014 WTA finals in Singa- ment. WTA stop that moved to
pore, falling 6-0, 6-2 to Si- The good shots were to be San Jose State University
mona Halep. celebrated. for the first time.
"I know I can play a zillion She pumped her left arm Big sister Venus is also play-
times better so that kind and yelled "yes!" after win- ing here this week.
of helps out, too. I have so ning the first point of the From here, Serena Williams
many things on my mind second game in the sec- goes to Montreal next
I don't have time to be ond. Williams then outlast- week as she received a
shocked about a loss that ed Konta for a long third wild card into the Rogers
clearly wasn't at my best Serena Williams, of the United States, reacts after missing a shot point but was unable to Cup.
from Johanna Konta, of Britain, during the Mubadala Silicon Val-
right now," Williams said. ley Classic tennis tournament in San Jose, Calif., Tuesday, July hold serve. Following her loss in the
"When I was out there, was 31, 2018. Konta won 6-1, 6-0. "It's difficult, I guess. It's not Wimbledon final to An-
fighting. That's the only Associated Press I guess, for sure," she said gelique Kerber, Williams
thing I can say, I wasn't of trying to find that consis- said she had proven to
just like giving it away and first WTA title two years The sixth-seeded Williams is tency again. herself that she could still
I was moving a lot better. ago at Stanford, got on a three-time champion in Williams, wearing a long- compete to win Grand
So I'm just trying to take the a roll with a quick first set the Bay Area. This marked sleeved red dress and Slams.
positives out of it." and didn't take a chance the fifth tournament for headband and cheered Her next Grand Slam title
While Williams was encour- in letting Williams get back the 36-year-old Williams by the pro-Williams crowd, would tie her with Marga-
aged by her court cover- in it. Konta closed the first since giving birth to her lost her second service ret Court for the most with
age, she hardly looked like game of the second with daughter, Alexis Olympia, game in the initial set and 24. She already has the
herself on a cool summer consecutive aces under last September. It's her Konta then held for 3-1 as most major trophies in the
evening. She double-fault- 100 mph. first tournament since her Williams made unforced professional era.
ed and landed drop shots "I think she played well in straight-set Wimbledon loss errors with her timing not Williams was treated for
in the net. Williams missed the second set," Williams to Angelique Kerber. quite consistently there frightening blood clots af-
returns and sprayed her said. "I wasn't sharp at all in Williams shrugged in disbe- on the serve and ground ter having her baby. At the
groundstrokes long and the first set and I think she lief when things went well, game. All England Club, she wore
wide. got confident and clearly and when they didn't. She In the sixth game of the first special compression leg-
Konta, who captured her ran away with it." gestured with her hand set, Konta hit a 101 mph gings as a precaution.q