Page 18 - aruba-today-20190921

A18 SPORTS
Saturday 21 September 2019

Team Europe's Roger Federer, left, and Alexander Zverev play
against Team World's Denis Shapovalov and Jack Sock at the
Laver Cup tennis event, in Geneva, Switzerland, Friday, Sept. 20,
2019.
Associated Press
Federer wins doubles

Washington Mystics center Emma Meesseman shoots against Las Vegas Aces forward Tamera with Zverev, Europe
Young during the first half of Game 2 of a WNBA playoff basketball series Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019,
in Washington. leads in Laver Cup
Associated Press
Meesseman ties career high, GENEVA (AP) — Roger Fe- before another sold-out

crowd Saturday, when he
derer teamed up with Al-
Mystics beat Aces, take 2-0 lead exander Zverev in doubles will play Nick Kyrgios in the
afternoon's second match.
to lift Europe into a com-
manding 3-1 lead over the "I'm fresh, I'm ready to go
By IAN QUILLEN the best-of-five series and Mystics' lead to double dig- world team on the first day for more," said Federer,
Associated Press seal a return to the WNBA its for good at 98-86. of the Laver Cup on Friday. who co-owns the Laver
WASHINGTON (AP) — So Finals on Sunday in Las Ve- "I'm proud of Emma, be- Federer, who has an Olym- Cup competition.
far this postseason, Emma gas. cause if you would've pic gold medal in doubles, Saturday's play opens with
Meesseman is outshining Liz Cambage had 23 points looked at Emma two years and Zverev won 6-3, 7-5 Zverev playing John isner.
everyone. Even the newly and 10 rebounds for the ago in the Minnesota (con- against Jack Sock and Rafael Nadal enters the
minted league MVP. Aces, who have lost four of ference final) series, we Denis Shapovalov as the stage for Europe in an eve-
Meesseman tied a career five meetings against the were yelling at her to shoot Europeans swept the two- ning singles against Milos
high with 30 points in her Mystics this year between the ball, yelling at her to match evening session. The Raonic, then stays on to
second consecutive ex- the regular season and be aggressive," Cloud said. afternoon singles match- partner Tsitsipas against
ceptional performance, playoffs. "Emma is the missing piece es were split at the noisy, Kyrgios and Sock.
and the Washington Mys- Kelsey Plum added 19 for us. From last year to this 17,000-seat Palexpo arena. Victories Saturday in the
tics beat the Las Vegas points and 10 assists for Las year's team, she's the differ- "Thanks Sascha, for carry- three singles matches and
Aces 103-91 on Thursday Vegas, which fought back ence-maker." ing me in that second set," one doubles are worth
night to take a 2-0 lead in from an 11-point second- Washington took control Federer told his playing two points each. Sunday's
their WNBA semifinal series. quarter deficit to take a with a 10-0 run in the third partner in an on-court inter- matches score three points
"It's easier to take my shot brief lead in the third, only quarter. view. The six-man Europe for the winning team and
when it goes in," said Mees- to fade late. Meesseman hit a 3-pointer team has a big advantage 13 points are needed to
seman, who hit 5 of 7 at- "They capitalize on every- on Cloud's kickout, then in ATP rankings, and No. 5 lift the title. Europe seeks a
tempts from 3-point range. thing that you do, mistakes fed LaToya Sanders for a Dominic Thiem started the third straight win in the La-
"I know that when you kind that you make," Plum said. layup that resulted in a day by beating the 33rd- ver Cup. It was launched
of have the hot hand, just "Coach (Bill Laimbeer) al- three-point play. Cloud ranked Shapovalov 6-4, two years ago in Prague,
keep shooting. That's what ways says, 'If you relax for a then found Kristi Toliver for 5-7, 13-11. Shapovalov let then moved to Chicago
I did." second, before you know another 3, before Delle three match points slip in last year. q
Natasha Cloud added 18 it you're going to be down Donne hit a free throw to the decisive third set which
points and 11 assists for 10.'" The Mystics were swept make it 75-64. The Aces got is played as a super-tie-
Washington, while Elena by Seattle in the 2018 finals. no closer than eight after- breaker.
Delle Donne scored 14 Meesseman didn't play ward. Sock, whose rankings fell
points and grabbed 10 at all that season, taking "Washington did what they into the 200s in an injury-hit
rebounds on the day she a summer hiatus to focus were supposed to do, win season, then leveled the
received her second MVP on playing for the Belgian their home games," Laim- three-day event by win-
award. national team after help- beer said. "Now it's our turn." ning 6-1, 7-6 (3) against No.
"In some ways, this kind ing Washington to the 2017 TIP-INS 11 Fabio Fognini.
of epitomized it," Mystics conference finals. Aces: Committed six first- Europe, captained court-
coach Mike Thibault said In her second time reach- quarter turnovers for a sec- side by Bjorn Borg, re-
of Delle Donne's honor. ing this stage of the post- ond consecutive game. ... gained the lead when No.
"Because she didn't have a season, she scored what Plum started Game 2 af- 7 Stefanos Tsitsipas won
good shooting game, and was a playoff career high ter scoring 16 points and 6-2, 1-6, 10-7 against 30th-
yet, people are running to of 27 points in the open- playing 31 minutes off the ranked Taylor Fritz for the
double-team her and she's er before surpassing that bench in Game 1. ... Cam- world team led by John
finding somebody else." Thursday, when her late bage picked up a techni- McEnroe.
The Mystics can wrap up 3-pointer stretched the cal foul with 8:06 to play.q Federer is back on court