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Friday 23 June 2017
Svitolina may withdraw from Wimbledon after Birmingham loss

BIRMINGHAM, England the American who has
(AP) — Elina Svitolina sug- twice been a semifinalist,
gested she might withdraw by 6-1, 6-4.
from Wimbledon after a Muguruza played down
surprise second-round loss her chances of going
at the Aegon Classic on deep in a draw becoming
Thursday. more open by the day.
Svitolina, ranked fifth and “Everything is equal right
the Classic’s leading seed now,” she said.
after a host of withdraw- Muguruza next plays
als, was beaten by Italian Vandeweghe, who won
qualifier Camila Giorgi 6-4, the first set against Konta in
4-6, 6-2. Giorgi has played only 20 minutes.
three matches on the lush The tournament’s other
grass and attacked with
imagination and flair. former Grand Slam cham-
Asked about Wimbledon, pion, Petra Kvitova, the
where she has only two twice Wimbledon cham-
match wins in four ap- pion, learned her quarter-
pearances, Svitolina said: final will be against Kristina
“There is a question about Mladenovic, the world No.
it.” 12 from France who spec-
She carries a foot injury. “I tacularly ended Muguru-
will talk with my physios. za’s French Open title de-
The season is very long and Italy’s Camila Giorgi returns against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina during day four of the 2017 tennis fense a fortnight ago.
I must look at the bigger Classic at Edgbaston Priory, Birmingham, England, Thursday June 22, 2017. Associated Press Mladenovic beat former
picture,” she said. semifinalist Zhang Shuai
“The heel feels painful and 6-4 7-6 (3). It included one
is very sensitive. I am dis- heart, while Giorgi showed good chance of showing main draw. extraordinary passing shot
appointed I am out of the much of the self-confi- this was a genuine win, for Garbine Muguruza, the sliced at angle while fall-
tournament but I am not dence which two years she has a quarterfinal with former Wimbledon final- ing over, the outcome of
disappointed with my per- ago helped her reach the a surprise survivor, Ashleigh ist, played an impressively which she learned only
formance, as I could not top 30. Barty, an Australian making forceful baseline game from the crowd’s roar.q
show even 50 percent.” Giorgi appears to have a her first appearance in the while beating Alison Riske,
Soon after came the de-
feat of Johanna Konta,
the world No. 7 from Brit- NBA Draft Adam Silver and put on a
ain, who was outplayed by Continued fom page 17 purple Lakers hat, LaVar
CoCo Vandeweghe 6-1, put on a gold and purple
6-3. The American recently Big Baller Brand hat, the
broke into the top 20 for The 76ers had the No. 1 company he has started.
the first time. pick for the second straight “Tonight was supposed to
Konta’s defeat means that year after trading with the be a good night. Definitely
a tournament which once Boston Celtics on Monday. was, and now I’m just fo-
had an entry list with seven Now they add Fultz to a cused on playing,” Lonzo
of the world’s top 10, has promising young core that Ball said. “Just want to get
now lost all of them, four includes Rookie of the Year on the court.”
through withdrawals and finalists Joel Embiid and The Celtics then took
three with defeats. Dario Saric, plus Ben Sim- Duke’s Jayson Tatum at No.
Svitolina’s was neverthe- mons, the top pick from last 3 after moving down two
less a well-contested and year who sat out all season spots in the trade with Phil-
entertaining match for with a foot injury. adelphia, drawing cheers
two sets, despite hints of Fultz, who played just 25 Lonzo Ball puts on a cap as he approaches the stage after being from a large contingent
drizzle and slippery patch- games in college, said it selected by the Los Angeles Lakers as the No. 2 pick overall of their fans at Barclays
during the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 22, 2017, in New
es which once caused a was always his dream to York. Center wearing green. The
sprinting ball girl to take a be the top pick and wasn’t Associated Press Suns took Josh Jackson of
very public fall. bothered that Boston trad-
But in the third set the Ukrai- ed the chance to take him. be the No. 1 player in the out there, and that’s what Kansas, the Sacramento
nian served indifferently “In high school I told my country and the No. 1 draft I was striving for,” Fultz said. Kings took Kentucky guard
and appeared to lose trainer Keith I wanted to pick, so it was a goal I set Ball then got the wish he De’Aaron Fox at No. 5 and
and his father, LaVar, the run of freshmen con-
wanted all along by stay- tinued when the Orlando
ing in Los Angeles, where Magic selected Jonathan
he starred last season at Isaac.
UCLA. LaVar Ball had said Silver has talked about
his son would only play changing the NBA’s limit,
for the Lakers, and it was saying the current rule that
clear that would happen American-born players
when Lonzo got a phone must be 19 and a year out
call with the Lakers on the of high school, but teams
clock. seem just fine with the cur-
budgetaruba@setarnet.aw As Lonzo walked on stage rent system. q
to meet Commissioner