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A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 10 sepTember 2019

Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, poses with the US Open women’s
singles championship trophy at Top of the Rock, Sunday, Sept. 8,
2019, in New York.
Associated Press
U.S. Open champ

Andreescu is WTA’s No. 5;

Medvedev 4th in ATP

By HOWARD FENDRICH thing. I think that’s really
AP Tennis Writer been helping me, even in
NEW YORK (AP) — A year tough situations.” NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson (48) makes contact with Kurt Busch (1) in the second turn
ago at this time, Bianca Williams, a 23-time Grand during the NASCAR Brickyard 400 auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday,
Andreescu was ranked Slam champion, slid from Sept. 8, 2019, in Indianapolis.
outside the WTA’s top 200 No. 8 to No. 9 after losing in Associated Press
after losing in the first round the U.S. Open final for the Drivers
of U.S. Open qualifying. second consecutive year
Look at her now. — and finishing as the run-
Thanks to winning her first ner-up for the fourth time in Continued from Page 17 — costing him an oppor- behind race winner Kevin
Grand Slam title at Flush- the past six majors. tunity to pick up precious Harvick and runner-up
ing Meadows, Andreescu Osaka, the 2018 champion Still, that doesn’t make it spots and points. Joey Logano, allowing
jumped 10 spots to a ca- in New York, and Barty both any easier to accept the The result: Suarez finished Newman to take the final
reer-high No. 5 in the rank- lost in the fourth round. That results for Johnson — or four points short of be- playoff spot.
ings on Monday, while Ash allowed Barty to move up anyone else left out. coming the first Mexico- Unlike Johnson and Su-
Barty again replaced Nao- from No. 2, and Osaka “It wasn’t for a lack of ef- born driver to make the arez, the 25-year-old Wal-
mi Osaka at No. 1. dropped to No. 4. Barty fort,” Daniel Suarez said. playoff field. lace was beaming with
Andreescu’s 6-3, 7-5 victory already briefly was No. 1 “We just didn’t have things Teammate Clint Bowyer pride.
over Serena Williams in the after winning the French play in our way. In the last clinched the No. 15 quali- “It’s a confidence boost-
final on Saturday contin- Open in June for her first pit stop cycle, the caution fying spot. Bowyer and er, a mentality booster,
ued the 19-year-old Cana- major championship. came out after we pitted Suarez race for Stewart- knowing we can run with
dian’s rapid rise from 178th Karolina Pliskova is No. 2, (or) one lap after, and Haas Racing, and Suarez, these guys when all is on
at the end of last season. and Elina Svitolina is No. 3. that was important. That like Johnson, still wants to the line,” Wallace said.
She is the first woman in the Three Americans made big was not a position that we win. “We needed this. We
Open era, which began in moves in Monday’s rank- wanted to be in.” “We’re still racing,” Suarez needed this weekend.”
1968, to win the U.S. Open ings: 15-year-old Coco Suarez started Sunday said. “I feel like as a team And now Wallace, John-
in her main-draw debut at Gauff went up 34 places even with Ryan Newman we have to keep getting son, Suarez and all the
the tournament. This was to 106th after reaching the in points and holding the better. Yeah, we’re not in other drivers who failed to
only her fourth career ap- third round before losing to tiebreaker. Things went the playoffs, but we have make the playoff will now
pearance at any Slam. Osaka, Kristie Ahn moved wrong quickly. plenty of things to (clean) adjust their championship
“I don’t think I was ever as up 48 to 93rd and Taylor Suarez’s first big hit came up. If we can win a race plans and focus on build-
composed as I am now, or Townsend rose 33 to 83rd. when the No. 41 Ford that would be like making ing momentum that could
even a year ago. I would U.S. Open men’s cham- brushed the wall, forc- the playoffs or even bet- put them back in playoff
get really down on my- pion Rafael Nadal stayed ing him to pit just 12 laps ter.” position next year.
self and I would get very at No. 2 in the ATP rankings into the Brickyard 400. He Then there’s Bubba Wal- “It’s pretty impressive the
negative thoughts going and closed the gap be- spent the rest of the race lace, who flirted with the run we’ve been on, to be
through my mind. I would tween him and No. 1 No- trying to work his way win. His only previous ca- in the playoffs for many
smash rackets. I’d just yell vak Djokovic, the defend- back up even when he reer top-five finish came consecutive years. I’m not
at myself during matches. ing champion who exited thought others, such as in the 2018 Daytona 500 sure who is close,” John-
Actually not even dur- in the fourth round. Matt Tifft, got in his way. when he wound up sec- son said.
ing matches, even during Runner-up Daniil Medve- Tifft was knocked out of ond to Austin Dillon. Wal- “Sure, we wanted to con-
practice, too,” Andreescu dev is up to a personal- the race with 13 laps to go lace’s best finish this sea- tinue it, but the goal is to
said. best No. 4 from No. 5 af- after hitting the wall in the son had come at Bristol win a race. The team is
“But I found that that way ter reaching his first Grand first turn. last month when he was getting stronger each and
wasn’t working to my ad- Slam final, where he erased Suarez contended Tifft, 14th and well out of play- every week. Cliff Daniels
vantage at all. So I started a big early deficit and whose postseason fate off contention. is doing an amazing job.
... seeking some advice pushed Nadal to five sets was sealed long before Somehow, as the laps We’re ready to roll. We’ll
from other people,” she before losing to the Span- the Brickyard, blocked piled up, Wallace con- dust ourselves off and go
said. “Ever since then, I’ve iard 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 in his faster car for at least tinued to move up. He to Vegas and try to get a
been trying to have a very a match Sunday that last- four laps before the crash finished a distant third trophy.”q
positive outlook on every- ed nearly five hours.q