Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 14 March 2017
Kerber survives 3-set marathon at hot Indian Wells

The second-seeded Ger- Simona Halep, the 2015 ther were jeered and said
man arrived early this year champion, lost to 28th- they heard racial taunts
to better prepare for an seeded Kristina Mlade- after she withdrew from her
event whose slow courts novic of France 6-3, 6-3. semifinal against younger
and extreme temperatures Madison Keys and John Is- sister Serena because of an
have bedeviled her in the ner played night matches. injury.
past. Venus Williams beat Lucie Other women’s winners
In nine previous appear- Safarova 6-4, 6-2, winning were No. 14 Elena Vesnina
ances, Kerber’s best results 75 percent of her first-serve and American Lauren Da-
were semifinal berths in points and all eight of her vis.
2012 and ‘13. She had lost net points as the tempera- On the men’s side, No. 3
in the second round for the ture climbed to near 100 Stan Wawrinka beat 28th-
past three years. degrees (37 C). seeded Philipp Kohlsch-
“The conditions are also “That sun is strong,” Williams reiber 7-5, 6-3. Vasek Pospi-
very tough here. When you said. “Thankfully, I live in sil’s run ended with a 6-7 (4),
Angelique Kerber, of Germany, reacts after beating Pauline play day session, it’s really, Florida, so I think it prepares 6-3, 7-5 loss to fellow quali-
Parmentier, of France, during the BNP Paribas Open tennis really hot. You play night you for a lot. I got pretty fier Dusan Lajovic. Pospisil
tournament, Monday, March 13, 2017, in Indian Wells, Calif. session, it’s a little bit cooler comfortable pretty fast.” upset No. 1 Andy Murray in
Associated Press and could be really cold,” Safarova had 27 unforced the second round.
BETH HARRIS to the upper 90s (36 C) un- she said. errors to just nine for Wil- No. 8 Dominic Thiem beat
AP Sports Writer der cloudless skies in the “The balls are flying a little liams. No. 29 Mischa Zverev 6-1,
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Southern California desert. bit different, as well.” “I felt like I was being able 6-4, while No. 21 Pablo Car-
Poised to return to the top That’s nearly 20 degrees Regardless of Kerber’s re- to string points together, reno Busta advanced via
spot in next week’s world higher than the seasonal sults, she is assured of re- which of course puts pres- walkover when 16th-seed-
rankings, Angelique Kerber average of 78 (25 C). gaining the No. 1 ranking sure on my opponents if ed Roberto Bautista Agut
narrowly avoided an upset One of their games lasted from Serena Williams, who I’m not making as many er- withdrew because of an
at the BNP Paribas Open 11 minutes and another withdrew before the tour- rors,” Williams said. abdominal muscle injury.
on Monday. went on for 9½ minutes. nament began because Williams is back in the des- No. 13 Tomas Berdych was
Kerber outlasted Pauline Kerber rallied from a 1-4 of what she said was a left ert for the second straight beaten by lucky loser Yo-
Parmentier of France 7-5, deficit in the third set. knee injury. Kerber dropped year after boycotting the shihito Nishioka 1-6, 7-6 (5),
3-6, 7-5 in the third round “I was starting to believe in to No. 2 after the Australian tournament since 2001. 6-4.q
when temperatures soared myself again,” she said. Open in January. That’s when she and her fa-