Page 18 - aruba today

A18 SPORTS
Friday 24 February 2017
Dubai Novak Djokovic will

return in Acapulco
Continued from Page 17

“She won like the impor- CARLOS RODRIGUEZ (10). U.S. Open champion
tant moments in Brisbane,” Associated Press Juan Martin Del Potro also
Kerber said. “So I will just MEXICO CITY (AP) — Nurs- is playing.
trying to take the positive ing an aching right shoul- “When we saw the chance
things from the match. I will der injury, Novak Djokovic we did not hesitate to offer
talk to my coach, and go planned to return to ten- an invitation.
out there tomorrow and nis at Indian Wells in the We knew it was tough, but
take the new challenge.” California desert. But the we were gladly surprised
Wozniacki, who won the Serbian star changed his when we got his answer,”
Dubai title in 2011, de- mind and accepted a wild Zurutuza said. “Novak is
feated Catherine “Cici” card to play in the Acapul- thrilled to come to Acapul-
Bellis 6-3, 6-2. Wozniacki co tournament that starts co for the first time and to
reached the Doha final Monday. be a part of the best field
last week, losing the title Djokovic, who earlier this in the tournament’s history.
to Karolina Pliskova. She’s month required treatment “Having Nadal, Raonic,
played nine matches in in the shoulder after a four- Cilic, Thiem, Goffin and
the last nine days. Bellis, set Davis Cup win over now Djokovic makes us
the youngest player in the Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, very proud, there are just
draw at 17, scored the big- Angelique Kerber of Germany returns the ball to Ana Konjuh joins a loaded field of six of handful of tournaments
gest win of her six-month- of Croatia during a quarter final match of the Dubai Tennis top-10 players, tournament in our category, that can
Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Feb.
old pro career on Wednes- 23, 2017. director Raul Zurutuza an- brag about having six of
day when she upset her first Associated Press nounced Thursday. the top 10 players in the
top-10 player, sixth-ranked The 29-year-old Serbian world.”
Agnieszka Radwanska to lead 6-3, 4-0. “I stepped semifinals. The 35th-ranked Djokovic declined to play Djokovic has played in only
of Poland. The American into the court a little bit af- Sevastova reached her first in Dubai, where he has eight matches this season.
started the match confi- ter being down 3-1 and semifinal of the season via played every year since He opened the year beat-
dently, jumping out to 3-1, just tried to keep the pres- a 6-4, 7-5 win over Wang 2007. ing Andy Murray for the
but couldn’t sustain the sure on her, make her think Qiang of China. “She’s a “Great news, you’ll see me Doha title, but then suf-
momentum. “It was really a little bit, not give her too player that mixes the pace back on court next week in fered and unexpected loss
fun for me to see what the many free points,” said up quite a bit,” Wozniacki Acapulco,” Djokovic said against Denis Istomin in the
highest level is (like),” Bellis Wozniacki, who had her said of Sevastova. “She’s on Twitter. “Did you miss second round of the Aus-
said. In a fight strictly from upper left leg wrapped. definitely going to try and me?” tralian Open.
the baseline, Wozniacki She will play Anastasija get me out of my own Besides Djokovic, the Mexi- His last match was on Feb.
won the next nine games can Open will feature Milos 3, against Medvedev in
Sevastova of Latvia in the rhythm.”q Raonic (4), Rafael Nadal the first round of the Davis
(6), Marin Cilic (7), Dominic Cup.q
Thiem (8) and David Goffin
Sam Querrey, Donald

Young reach Delray

Beach quarterfinals

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (AP) — In other action, Donald
Defending champion Sam Young followed up his up-
Querrey reached the Del- set of No. 2 seed Ivo Kar-
ray Beach Open quarterfi- lovic by coming back to
nals by hitting 13 aces and eliminate 19-year-old Tay-
winning 24 of 25 first-serve lor Fritz 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and get
points in a 6-2, 6-3 victory to the quarterfinals.
over Jared Donaldson on Young, ranked 69th, had
Thursday. his left knee checked by a
Querrey, ranked 35th and trainer after only five games
seeded No. 4, saved both and wound up dropping
break points he faced and that set. But Young man-
took exactly an hour to aged to turn the match
beat his 20-year-old op- around despite finishing
ponent in an all-American with 12 double-faults and
match at the hard-court facing 15 break points (he
tournament. saved 13).
Querrey next will face the He then advanced to the
winner of the match Thurs- semifinals when Belgium’s
day night between 2009 Steve Darcis withdrew from
U.S. Open champion Juan the quarterfinals because
Martin del Potro, who is of personal reasons. Darcis
seeded No. 7, and 79th- beat Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-3,
ranked Damir Dzumhur. 7-5.q