Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Friday 30 June 2017
Pacquiao keeps low profile; Horn gets louder ahead of fight

By JOHN PYE afternoon, outdoor fight.
AP Sports Writer Lonergan said more than
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) 47,000 tickets had already
— Manny Pacquiao kept been sold — already al-
a low profile, apparently most 10,000 more than the
at the insistence of local Australian record for box-
police, leaving opponent ing — and they were on
Jeff Horn to entertain a track to top 50,000. The
bigger crowd at his down- fight is also tracking to sell
town practice session than more pay per views than
he’s attracted for previ- any other in the Australian
ous fights.Pacquiao, the market, and the live ESPN
11-time world champion, broadcast could reach an
is putting his WBO welter- estimated 95 million U.S.
weight world title belt on homes on Saturday night.
the line on Sunday at Sun- The odds-makers aren’t
corp Stadium, where he’s giving Horn, a 29-year-old
a hot favorite to register his former schoolteacher who
60th professional win. is unbeaten in 17 profes-
On a previous visit to pro- sional fights, much of a
mote the “Battle of Bris- chance against a sea-
bane,” Pacquiao was soned, eight-division world
mobbed by adoring fans champion. But in and
in an unexpected rush at around his public skipping
an impromptu public ap- and shadow boxing ses-
pearance. Boxers Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines, second left, and Jeff Horn of Australia, second right, sions, Horn said he was big-
pose for a photo in Brisbane, Wednesday, June 28, 2017.
So local organizers said Associated Press ger (he still needs to shed 3
they took advice from kilograms to — 6.6 pounds
Queensland state police day,” Duco Events director the last of his 38 knockout the 38-year-old Filipino of — make the weight),
to give the senator from Dean Lonergan said. “We wins in 2009, but he said already talking about a po- younger and had what it
the Philippines time off took that on advice from he’s been working harder tential rematch with Floyd takes to beat Pacquiao.
from promotional activities Queensland police.” in preparation for this fight Mayweather and of being Since losing the megafight
Thursday while Horn ap- Pacquiao’s camp got his than he has in years. He has disrespectful during a news to Mayweather in April
peared for a light practice point across to local fans knocked down sparring conference by texting on 2015, Pacquiao has re-
session in a makeshift ring on Wednesday, anyway, partners, Roach said, and his cell phone. bounded to beat highly
near the Queens Street when his legendary long- had to be forced to stop in But Pacquiao is used to the rated Tim Bradley and —
Mall, reveling in the atten- time trainer Freddie Roach some sessions because he pre-match games, and after briefly flirting with re-
tion of hundreds of specta- predicted the fight would was working too much. says he likes nothing better tirement — Jessie Vargas.
tors enjoying a sunny lunch be “short and sweet” and Horn’s promotors have ac- than to take on an oppo- Horn said he moves bet-
break. that somebody would get cused Pacquiao’s backers nent on their home soil and ter than Vargas and will
“For safety purposes, knocked out. of not taking the fight seri- in front of a big crowd. be a tougher option for
Manny won’t be here to- Pacquiao (59-6-2) had ously enough, accusing They’ll have that for the Pacquiao.q
Djokovic into semifinals

at Eastbourne, Kerber out

of held my composure, my in the second round and beaten 6-3, 6-4 by Johan-
nerves,” said Djokovic, the then the quarterfinals — on na Konta, who was joined
world No. 4. “This is the kind Thursday. In the quarterfi- in the semifinals by fellow
of match situations that I nals, Monfils defeated Ber- British player Heather Wat-
was looking forward to hav- nard Tomic 7-6 (4), 6-0 and son after her 6-1, 1-6, 6-4
ing, and I’m glad it hap- Gasquet beat third-seeded win over Barbora Strycova.
pened today and I man- John Isner 6-3, 6-2. Halep lost 5-7, 6-4, 6-1
aged to overcome that.” In the women’s tourna- to sixth-seeded Caroline
Djokovic will next play ment, Angelique Kerber Wozniacki, who next plays
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in action during his match against Don-
ald Young of the United States at the AEGON International tennis Daniil Medvedev after the and Simona Halep, the top Watson. Konta plays third-
tournament at Devonshire Park, Eastbourne, England Thursday Russian player beat fourth- two seeded players, lost in seeded Karolina Pliskova, a
June 29, 2017. seeded Steve Johnson 6-3, the quarterfinals. 6-7 (7), 6-2, 6-4 winner over
Associated Press 2-6, 6-3 on a day when the The top-ranked Kerber was Svetlana Kuznetsova.q
tournament played catch-
EASTBOURNE, England (AP) Wimbledon. up after rain delays early in
— Novak Djokovic convert- The top-seeded Djokovic the week.
ed his fourth match point saved two set points, on Second-seeded Gael Mon-
to beat Donald Young Young’s serve at 5-4 and fils will play seventh-seeded
6-2, 7-6 (9) Thursday and on his own serve in the tie- Richard Gasquet in the
advance to the semifinals breaker, and clinched vic- other semifinal after they
at the Eastbourne Interna- tory with a return winner. both won two matches —
tional, a warmup event for “I’m just glad the way I kind