Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 sports
Tuesday 15 augusT 2017
Federer out of Cincinnati with bad back; Nadal to be No. 1

MASON, Ohio (AP) — Wim- Earlier, 2016 Olympic singles
bledon champion Roger gold medalist Monica Puig
Federer withdrew Monday lost to fellow qualifier Taylor
from the Western & South- Townsend, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
ern Open because of a Other’s men’s matches saw
back injury. He has won the wild card Frances Tiafoe
Masters series tournament beat qualifier Maximilian
seven times. The move was Marterer 6-3, 7-6 (2), and
announced on the first full qualifier Joao Sousa defeat
day of matches. This U.S. Kyle Edmund 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.
Open warmup has now lost Richard Gasquet and
five of the top six players in wild card Tommy Paul ad-
the men’s rankings. vanced in straight sets.
Federer, a 19-time major Gasquet eased past quali-
champion, said in a state- fier John-Patrick Smith 6-4,
ment he “tweaked” his 6-4, and Paul beat fellow
back last week at the Rog- American Donald Young
ers Cup in Montreal, where 6-4, 7-6 (4). Ivo Karlovic
he lost Sunday’s final to Al- ousted Jiri Vesely 6-3, 3-6,
exander Zverev. 7-5.
The Swiss star, ranked No. Roger Federer, of Switzerland, wipes his brow during his final match against Alexander Zverev, of In other women’s matches,
3, is sidelined along with Germany, at the Rogers Cup tennis tournament in Montreal, Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017. Roberta Vinci knocked out
No. 1 Andy Murray, No. 4 Associated Press Time Babos 7-5, 7-5; Camile
Stan Wawrinka, No. 5 No- not playing all the weeks. leased Aug. 21. The Span- Mischa Zverev also ad- Giorgi ousted Katerina Sin-
vak Djokovic and No. 6 It’s part of our sport. I’ve iard will be No. 1 for the first vanced with a straight-set iakova 6-2, 6-2; Yulia Putint-
Marin Cilic, the defending been in their position lots time since July 6, 2014. win, 6-4, 6-4 over Fernando seva outlasted Veronica
champion. Only No. 2 Ra- of times. I’ve missed more Nadal has spent 141 weeks Verdasco. Zverev lost just Cepede Royg, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3;
fael Nadal, the top-seeded events than the other play- at No. 1 since first ascend- nine points on serve. and Daria Kasatkina rushed
player, remains in the draw. ers. It’s part of the game. I ing there after reaching the In women’s first-round ac- past qualifier Aliaksandra
Tournament officials tweet- wish them all a speedy re- Western & Southern semifi- tion, 15th-seeded Madison Sasnovich, 6-4, 6-2.
ed that 21st-ranked Gael covery. We need them in nals in 2008. Keys held off unseeded Also, 14th-seeded Petra Kvi-
Monfils also is out because the game. I hope they get American Sam Querry be- CoCo Vandeweghe for a tova rallied past Anett Kon-
of an undisclosed illness. All back soon.” came the first seeded play- 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win. Vandewe- taveit 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3; Bea-
the missing players except Federer’s withdrawal er to advance. The 15th ghe fought off three match triz Haddad Maia topped
Cilic are 30 or older. means Nadal, who lost in seed cruised into the sec- in the final game before Lauren Davis 6-3, 6-2; and
“It’s just coincidence,” said the third round at Montreal, ond round with a 6-3, 6-0 hitting a forehand into the Lesia Tsurenko defeated
Nadal, 31. “We’re not 20 will return to No. 1 when victory over wild card Ste- net for an unforced error on Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
years old any more. We’re new ATP rankings are re- fan Kozlov. Keys’ fourth match point. 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-0.q
Thomas wins lost them or someone has up at the U.S. Open (but

done something extraordi-
never in serious contention
nary to beat me.” at Erin Hills), and he had
Continued from Page 17 Masters was Spieth’s sev- Over the last 20 years, a one-shot lead walking
He won his first one at the enth start in the majors. winning a major weighed off the 10th green Sunday
2015 Masters when he The other major champion most heavily on Phil Mick- at Quail Hollow. Is his time
was 21 without breaking was Sergio Garcia. elson. He finally won the coming? He could be like
too much of a sweat, at Garcia was a 19-year-old 2004 Masters when he was Spieth (who was runner-
least on the outside. He rookie when he nearly 34, and he now has five up in the Masters before
never let anyone closer chased down Tiger Woods majors. In his eighth start he won). He could be like
than three shots after the at Medinah in the 1999 in a major, he squandered Garcia.
opening round, a feat ac- PGA Championship with one of his best chances “All I can do is try harder
complished only one other a spirit so relentless that in the 1995 U.S. Open at next time,” Matsuyama
time in Masters history. Woods had to make an Shinnecock Hills. Mickelson said. And then there’s Rick-
But he was keenly aware 8-foot par putt on the played the par-5 16th hole ie Fowler, who at 28 would
of the significance. 17th hole to stay in the in 6 over for the week and ordinarily be considered
“I can win this major here lead and win by one. The wound up four shots be- too young for the label of
and it would be a huge question that day was not Rickie Fowler watches hind. It would have been “best without a major.”
monkey off the back,” Spi- when Garcia would win a his putt on the 16th hole hard to believe then that Then again, the phrase
during the final round of the
eth recalled thinking. “Be- major, but how many. PGA Championship golf it would take Lefty nine “too young” is getting old.
cause the longer you go Two years later, he started tournament at the Quail more years. Fowler had his seventh
without one, it’s making the final round two shots Hollow Club Sunday, Aug. 13, It’s harder than ever to top-5 finish in a major at
each one harder.” behind at the British Open. 2017, in Charlotte, N.C. win on the PGA Tour, and Quail Hollow and now has
Players in their 20s won He played in the final Associated Press the majors are no differ- played 30 majors since
three of the majors this group in the U.S. Open a he slipped on the green ent. The talent pool is get- turning pro. The high finish-
year. year after that, the British jacket in April, finally, at ting deeper and younger. es would figure to serve him
Brooks Koepka won the Open in 2006 (both times age 37. Three times over the last well. Fowler waited behind
U.S. Open in his 15th major with Woods), and he had “I did think about, ‘Am I four years, players in their to celebrate with Thomas,
as a pro. Thomas was play- a three-shot lead at Car- ever going to win one?’” 20s have won three out as he has graciously done
ing in his 10th major as a noustie in 2007. he said when he won the of four majors. Hideki Mat- for others, and he posed
pro when he won the PGA The Spaniard had speckles Masters. “I’ve had so many suyama, the 25-year-old with Thomas and the Wa-
Championship. The 2015 of gray in his stubble when good chances and either I Japanese star, was runner- namaker Trophy.q