Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 11 april 2017
Russian teen Kasatkina wins first WTA event in Charleston

JEFFREY COLLINS her eyes as she hugged tournament overall. It was
Associated Press her brother and her coach only her third WTA final and
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Vladimir Platenik. her first on clay. But she said
Teenager Daria Kasatkina “I’m just enjoying every she was tired after playing
doesn’t just upset the moment, every second. both the semifinals in singles
top-ranked player in the When I was on the court and doubles on Saturday.
world. She also can win a after the last point, I just “She was trying to play
tournament. wanted the moment to defensive — play slice,
The 19-year-old Russian stop,” Kasatkina said. play lobs and to keep
showed patience and The teen said she would serve — to try everything to
poise Sunday to beat fellow celebrate in Charleston make me uncomfortable,”
teen Jelena Ostapenko before catching her early Ostapenko said. “Normally,
6-3, 6-1 to win her first WTA Monday flight to Russia. I’m fine with that, but
event at the Volvo Car Her eyes got big when she today, I just did not feel the
Open. was told as the defending
It was the first final between champion, her picture will ball that well.”
two teens on the WTA tour hang on the side of the Kasatkina’s win ended a
in eight years. Kasatkina, stadium for the next year. tournament that featured
playing in her first final, Kasatkina thanked her upsets. It’s the first time
handled the pressure coach and said he helped since 2002 that none of the
better, letting her Latvian turn things around after she 16 seeded players made it
opponent make mistakes. lost openers in three straight to the finals in Charleston.
She broke Ostapenko in five tournaments after beating Top-seeded Bethanie
of her last six service games, Daria Kasatkina, from Russia, celebrates after defeating Jelena Kerber in the second round Mattek-Sands of the United
including Ostapenko’s Ostapenko, from Latvia, during their finals match at the Volvo of the Qatar Total Open in States and Lucie Safarova
last game on serve when Car Open in Charleston, S.C., Sunday, April 9, 2017. Kasatkina February. of the Czech Republic
she made three straight won 6-3, “I lose all this confidence won the doubles title over
unforced errors to lose the Associated Press because I am losing every the Czech team of Lucie
game without a point. tournament,” Kasatkina Hradecka and Katerina
“I got back, I spinned Kasatkina twice beat top- Kasatkina dropped to her said. “But hard work pays Siniakova, winning the
the ball, running and ranked Angelique Kerber knees after Ostapenko’s off.” super tiebreaker 10-7 after
everything,” Kasatkina said. this season. But this one return went wide on match Ostapenko said she each team split a set.q
A rising star on tour, meant a lot more. point and wiped tears from was pleased with her

Sergio Garcia Tour when he won the 1998 positive as we can, please.”

Continued from page 17 Masters at 41. Losing hurt, and it reached
Most different about a point where Garcia
Garcia is that he made it acted as though he no
Garcia never would have easy to root against him, longer cared.
imagined then how long it blaming everything but his That why his comments all
would take for him to win a own shots and missed putts. week at the Masters that he
major, and he had reason There was that time at had changed his attitude,
to believe it might never Bethpage Black in the that he was learning to
happen. 2002 U.S. Open when accept bad bounces, was
“It’s been such a long time he complained about met with skepticism.
coming,” Garcia said after having to play in the rain, What he found on Sunday,
his playoff victory over suggesting the USGA starting with his drive to
Justin Rose. would have stopped play the golf course, was a
No one had ever played if Woods had been on the calmness he had never
as many majors as Garcia course. He lost a three-shot felt in the previous three
before winning his first lead in the final round at times he played in the
one, so those tears were Sergio Garcia, of Spain, holds his trophy at the green jacket cer- Carnoustie in the 2007 British final group. And from that
emony after the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 9, 2017,
equal parts joy and relief. in Augusta, Ga. Open, and after losing calm emerged the grit that
It showed. Associated Press in a playoff to Padraig Garcia had lacked.
Phil Mickelson leaped — Harrington, he said he was He salvaged par from a
not very high — when he green and then slamming player that endured bad playing against “more than certain bogey on the 13th
finally won his first major at his fist into the turf. breaks and heartache in the field,” intimating that that kept him in the game.
Augusta National in 2004. “It was just a lot of things the majors before finally somehow, the golfing gods He made eagle on the par-
Garcia, who only needed going through my mind,” winning one. were out to get him, too. 5 15th to tie for the lead. He
two putts from 12 feet on he said. Tom Kite won the PGA Tour A year later, Harrington reached the 18th green
the first extra hole against Along with the happy money title twice and had rallied from three down and stood over a 5-foot
Rose, crouched when reflections of the people played in 67 majors as a pro to Garcia on the back putt for the victory. The last
his birdie putt curled in around him — including before he finally won the nine and beat him at time he had a putt to win a
the back of the cup. He Angela Akins, the former 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble Oakland Hills in the PGA major was at Carnoustie in
clenched both fists and Golf Channel reporter he Beach when he was 42. Championship. When 2007. He missed and had to
shook them repeatedly. plans to marry in July — that Corey Pavin was 36 when asked later if he thought go into a playoff.
He shouted multiple times. final burst of emotion was he hit that 4-wood onto the he was going to get his first He missed this one, too,
He blew a kiss to the gallery thinking about “moments 18th green at Shinnecock major, Garcia snapped, and headed into a playoff
as it chanted his name. He that unfortunately didn’t Hills and won the 1995 U.S. “Next question, please. against Rose, only this time
crouched one more time, go the way I wanted.” Open. Mark O’Meara had Let’s try to keep this as he didn’t lose hope.q
placing his hand on the Garcia is not the first 14 victories on the PGA