Page 22 - atoday

A22
SPORTSTuesday 6 October 2015
Nishikori rallies to foil
Coric in Japan Open
TOKYO (AP) — Defending
champion Kei Nishikori, of
Japan, was given a real
scare by teen ace Borna
Coric, of Croatia, on Mon-
day, before sealing a 2-6,
6-1, 6-2 comeback win in
the first round of the Ra-
kuten Japan Open.
The 38th-ranked Coric, the
youngest player in the top
50 of the ATP world rank-
ings, showed a maturity
beyond his years to take
the first set, and looked
likely to upset the home-
crowd favorite.
However, the 18-year-old
won only one of the next
nine games as the sixth-
seeded Nishikori eventually
advanced to the second
round in in two hours and
eight minutes.
“In the first set I played too
good, out of my limits, and
in the second I just couldn’t
maintain the level,” said
Coric, who spearheaded
Croatia’s Davis Cup victory
over Brazil last month.
“I’m still very young. I can
see that I’ve so many things
to work on for maybe two
Ivan Basso retires from professional cycling Tokyo and Wuhan, China.
MILAN (AP) — Two-time
Giro d’Italia winner Ivan
Basso is retiring from profes-
sional cycling after recov-
ering from cancer.
Basso, who was expected
to resume his career after
being cleared following
treatment, said at the 2016
Giro route presentation on
Monday that he would in-
stead take a managerial
role within his Tinkoff-Saxo
team.
“Every athlete knows that
his light will not shine bright confirmed his blood was
throughout his career. In-
evitably, at some stage it
will start dimming and it’s
the sign of a wise athlete
to know when the moment
has come to turn it off,” the
37-year-old Italian said.
Basso was diagnosed with
testicular cancer at the
Tour de France in July af-
ter crashing during the
fifth stage. He underwent
successful surgery and re-
turned to training in Au-
Eugenie Bouchard of Canada, center, talks with medical staff
before retiring from her first round match against Andrea Pet-
kovic of Germany at the China Open tennis tournament at the
National Tennis Stadium in Beijing, Monday, Oct. 5, 2015.
Associated Press
Bouchard retires
Kei Nishikori of Japan returns a shot to Borna Coric of Croatia from opening match
during their first round match of the Japan Open tennis tourna-
ment in Tokyo, Monday, Oct. 5, 2015. at China Open
Associated Press
or three years. I need to im- kori, whose only competi- BEIJING (AP) — A teary- It’s been a difficult year
prove for sure.” tive appearance since his eyed Eugenie Boucha- for Bouchard following her
Nishikori is seeking his third first-round exit at the U.S. rd retired from her opening breakout season in 2014
triumph in this event, which Open in late August had match against Andrea Pet- when she reached the
he also won in 2012, and been in Japan’s Davis Cup kovic at the China Open Wimbledon final and the
his fourth title of the season, defeat of Colombia. due to dizziness on Mon- semis at the Australian and
having tasted success in day, her first match since French Open. Her record
Memphis, Washington and “In the second set I started falling at the U.S. Open last in 2015, meanwhile, is just
Barcelona. playing more patient, and month and suffering a con- 12-17 and her ranking has
“I was hitting too short in at the same time stepping cussion. fallen all the way from No.
the first set, and I was rush- up and being more aggres- Bouchard slipped in the 5 to No. 38.
ing a little bit. I had a lot of sive. Third set I was playing locker room after her third-
unforced errors,” said Nishi- great.”q round win against Domini- The Canadian’s retirement
ka Cibulkova at the U.S. came on the heels of four
Open, falling backward other withdrawals in the
and landing hard on the women’s draw on Sunday,
back of her head. She was including top-seeded Si-
forced to withdraw from mona Halep, who retired
the tournament, as well as from her match against
subsequent tournaments in Spain’s Lara Arruabarrena
with a recurring Achilles in-
The Canadian was trailing jury.
Alberto Contador, left, and Ivan Basso visit the Russian pavillion 6-2, 1-1 against Petkovic Defending champion Ma-
at the Expo world’s fair as World champion Peter Sagan is seen on Monday when she de- ria Sharapova and world
in background, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Oct. 5, 2015. cided to call it quits. No. 1 Serena Williams also
“I thought I was physi- withdrew before the tour-
Associated Press cally ready, but unfor- nament began, citing inju-
tunately the symptoms ries.
gust. samples found in Spain of my concussion came In women’s second-round
Basso, who finished sec- as part of the Operation back,”Bouchard said in a matches on Monday, U.S.
ond to Lance Armstrong in Puerto doping investiga- statement. “I hope to get Open runner-up Roberta
the 2005 Tour, was forced tion and was subsequently well soon and look forward Vinci of Italy defeated Ali-
out before the start of the suspended for two years. to returning next year.” son Van Uytvanck of Bel-
world’s premier cycle race He returned to competition After Bouchard retired from gium 6-2, 6-2, Madison Keys
the year after because with the Liquigas team at the match, Petkovic came of the United States rallied
of blood doping suspi- the end of the 2008 season around the net to check to beat Kateryna Bonda-
cions. The Italian ultimately and won the Giro for the on her. renko of Ukraine 3-6, 6-1,
second time in 2010. His first “I just asked her what hap- 6-0, and seventh-seeded
among the frozen blood win came in 2006.q pened, and she told me Carla Suarez Navarro oust-
that she felt very dizzy,” ed Puerto Rico’s Monica
the German said. “Then I Puig 7-6 (1), 6-2.
asked if it was the same, if In a first-round match, Swit-
it still was the concussion. zerland’s Belinda Bencic
She said, ‘Yeah, it tends to outlasted Madison Brengle
come back when she gets of the United States 6-7 (4),
physically very active.’” 6-4, 6-3.q