Page 20 - ARUBA TODAY

A20 SPORTS
Monday 29 January 2018
Wozniacki beats Halep, takes her spot at No. 1 in rankings

By BRUCE MATTHEWS nian player atop the WTA days) for the longest span ing places with Wimbledon mover among the higher-
Associated Press rankings released on Mon- between losing and re- champion Garbine Mugu- ranked players after her
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) day. gaining the top ranking in ruza. impressive run to the semifi-
— Winning the Australian "I think being a new Grand the women's tour. Angelique Kerber's run to nals at Melbourne Park, im-
Open final gave Caroline Slam champion and world Halep, who ascended to the Australian Open semifi- proving from No. 37 to No.
Wozniacki her first major No. 1 sounds pretty good," No. 1 for the first time on nals, coming off her first title 20.
title, and a bonus prize. Wozniacki said. "I'm very ex- Oct. 9 last year and was since the 2016 U.S. Open CoCo Vandeweghe made
Wozniacki beat Simona cited for that. It's a dream playing her first major as when she won the Sydney the most dramatic ranking
Halep in three sets in the come true." the top seed, slips to No. 2 International earlier this slide after her Australian
championship match on Her six years between stints in the new list. month, earned the former Open first-round loss, drop-
the weekend, meaning at No. 1 beats Serena Wil- Elina Svitolina moved up No. 1 a spot in the top 10. ping from No. 9 to No. 18. q
she'll replace the Roma- liams' record (5 years, 29 one place to No. 3, switch- Elise Mertens is the biggest
Federer beats Cilic in Aussie final; wins 20th major title

we got the word that it's preparing a hot day," Cilic
going to be indoors. For said. "Then first match for
me, it doesn't change any- the final to play with the
thing in the preparation, to roof closed, it's difficult.
be honest. I was ready for "It was just little bit difficult
either." to adjust, especially the
Tournament referee Wayne beginning of the match,"
McEwen has the option of he said, "especially for the
closing the roof when the final to be in that kind of a
temperature reaches 40 situation."
degrees Celsius (104 Fahr- It was clear early on that
enheit) and a measure the crowd would be heav-
called the wet-bulb globe ily pro-Federer. The arena
temperature — which was filled with the red and
combines factors such as white colors of the Swiss
heat, humidity and breeze flag, with Federer support-
— reaches 32.5C (90.5F). ers featuring Swiss flags on
The temperature hit 38C their shirts, hats, signs and
(100F) an hour before the faces. Looking ahead to
men's final, when the WGBT a possible Federer victory,
reading was 32.7C (91F). one fan held a sign read-
"With no dramatic reduc- ing, "The Big Two-Oh. Go
tion forecast, the referee Roger!"
exercised his discretion Federer was quick off
Switzerland's Roger Federer makes a forehand return to Croatia's Marin Cilic during the men's
singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. and called for the roof to the mark, getting service
28, 2018. be closed," Tennis Australia breaks in the first and third
(AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) said in a statement defend- games and forcing Cilic to
ing the decision. "At no oth- go to his equipment bag
Continued from Page 18 a Grand Slam title in the Babos for the title. er time during the event this for a new racket after just
Federer started to tear Open era after Ken Rose- Former champions were year has the WBGT reading 12 points. Federer only con-
up toward the end of the wall, who won the 1972 among the commentators reached the threshold." ceded two points on his
trophy ceremony as he Australian Open at 37. questioning the decision, Federer took instant ad- serve in the opening set,
thanked his team in the The match wasn't entirely suggesting there'd been vantage of the air-con- which lasted just 24 min-
stands: "I love you guys. without controversy after hotter days earlier in the ditioned venue, breaking utes.
Thank you." organizers decided early tournament when the heat Cilic's serve in the first and But Cilic rallied in the sec-
He then received a stand- to close the roof for the fi- policy was not enacted. third games. ond, getting his big fore-
ing ovation as tears nal, just as they had for the "I was surprised to hear they "Mentally was tough. Also hand working and, after
streamed down his face. afternoon mixed doubles had the heat rule in place was difficult with condi- missing a set point on Fe-
At the age of 36 years, 173 final when Mate Pavic and for a night match. I never tions. Throughout the tour- derer's serve in the 10th
days, Federer became the Gabriela Dabrowski beat heard that before," Federer nament I played all my game, leveled the match
second-oldest man to win Rohan Bopanna and Timea said. "Half an hour before, matches outdoors, also in the tiebreaker. q
Doubles double at the Australian Open for Mate Pavic

By BRUCE MATTHEWS 6-4, 11-9 under a closed doubles success in Mel- na to win the French Open about playing," Dabrowski
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) roof at Rod Laver Arena. bourne. mixed doubles. said. "I had a lot of other
— Mate Pavic picked up He teamed with Austrian The 24-year-old collected The Australian Open was things going on, so I was
two Grand Slam titles within Oliver Marach to win the more than 400,000 Austra- her first tournament with kind of just procrastinating
24 hours after winning the men's doubles title late lian dollars ($325,000) prize Pavic, and they hadn't (about) the decision, I sup-
Australian Open mixed the previous night, after money for his two victories. dropped a set on the way pose, to find a partner for
doubles on Sunday. Caroline Wozniacki's win in It was the second career to the final. the mixed doubles.
The afternoon after winning the women's singles final major for Dabrowski, who "A couple of weeks ago in "But Pavic and Dabrowski
the men's doubles, Pavic against Simona Halep. became the first Canadi- Brisbane, I read an article rallied to seize the second
combined with Gabriela "I have to say I did not an woman to win a Grand where it said that Bopanna set and then raced to a
Dabrowski to beat Rohan imagine that I'm able to do Slam title when she com- was playing with Babos and 6-3 lead in the deciding ex-
Bopanna Timea Babos 2-6, that," he said of his double bined last year with Bopan- I hadn't spoken to him yet tended tiebreak. q