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Monday 20 May 2019
Back on top: Nadal beats Djokovic for 9th Italian Open title

By ANDREW DAMPF When Nadal pushed "Before the tournament, I
ROME (AP) — Rafael Nad- Djokovic deep into the cor- was not super confident,
al is right back where he ner in the opening game of not thinking about the fi-
wants to be. the third set and Djokovic's nal at all. I was just happy
After losing in the semifinals desperation lob sailed long with every match which I
of three straight clay-court to hand Nadal a break, played. So it's little bit like a
tournaments, Nadal domi- Djokovic smashed his rack- miracle for me."
nated for stretches against et to the clay three times in The unseeded Konta ap-
his longtime rival, Novak frustration and received a peared nervous at the
Djokovic, in a 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 warning from the chair um- start, double faulting then
win Sunday for a record-ex- pire. landing a backhand into
tending ninth Italian Open Djokovic won only 29 per- the net to hand Pliskova a
title. cent of the points on his break in her opening ser-
It marked the first time in an second serve and commit- vice game.
Open Era-record 54 meet- ted 39 unforced errors to In the second set, Pliskova
ings, and in their 142nd set Nadal's 17. Also, Nadal won used a swinging forehand
against each other, that Rafael Nadal of Spain kisses his trophy after winning against 23 of the 31 rallies with nine volley putaway to break
Novak Djokovic of Serbia at the end of their final match at the
Nadal won a set against Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Sunday, May 19, 2019. or more shots. for a 4-3 lead and never
Djokovic without conced- Associated Press PLISKOVA NO. 2 looked back.
ing a game — otherwise Pliskova's victory will move "It's always tough play-
known as a bagel. court against Juan Mar- ond set, Nadal chased her up to No. 2 in the rank- ing Karolina," Konta said.
The timing for Nadal's re- tin del Potro and Diego down a lob with an over- ings and makes her one of "There's rarely really a
turn to form could not have Schwartzman the previous the-shoulder shot and the contenders for Roland rhythm to the match. She
been more opportune, two days. Djokovic's ensuing over- Garros. plays with big shots, quite
as he will seek a record- Djokovic was also coming head landed in the net to "I just hope to take the ten- flat, and big serves. It can
extending 12th title at the off the Madrid Open title conclude a long point. nis I was playing here to feel sometimes you're fight-
French Open starting next last week. Djokovic again netted an Paris," Pliskova said. "For ing an uphill battle. That
weekend. "I don't want to talk about overhead in the next game sure there's going to be a was the case today."
"Winning a title is important fatigue or things like that," and then kicked the ball in chance for me if I play this After converting her third
but for me the most im- Djokovic said. "Rafa was frustration when he missed way." championship point, Plis-
portant thing is feel myself simply too strong today." a drop shot attempt late in The 2016 U.S. Open runner- kova went over and
competitive, feel myself In the women's final earlier, the second. up, Pliskova also reached slapped hands with Con-
healthy," Nadal said. "Then Karolina Pliskova captured But Djokovic hung around the Australian Open semi- chita Martinez, the four-
with the feeling that I am the biggest clay-court tro- in the second and convert- finals and the Miami Open time Rome champion who
improving. I know if I'm able phy of her career by beat- ed his first set point when final after opening this sea- she recently named her
to reach my level you can ing Johanna Konta 6-3, 6-4. a looping forehand from son with a title in Brisbane, head coach. Pliskova then
win, you can lose, but nor- The Foro Italico crowd con- Nadal sailed wide for his Australia. But she lost in the asked Martinez and the rest
mally I'm going to have my tinually tried to encourage first break of the match. As second round of her previ- of her team to come down
chances, especially on this Djokovic with chants of "Vai he walked to his chair af- ous two tournaments on onto the court for her vic-
surface." Nole!" — Go Nole! — but ter winning the second set, clay in Stuttgart, Germany, tory celebration.
Top-ranked Djokovic, the top-ranked Serb strug- Djokovic waved his arms to and Madrid. "She loved clay so she
meanwhile, appeared ex- gled with his overhead and get the crowd behind him. "Nobody really gave me knows exactly what I should
hausted after spending drop shots. However, Djokovic didn't chance for this tournament do," Pliskova said of Marti-
more than 5 ½ hours on Midway through the sec- have much left in the tank. — even me," Pliskova said. nez. q

Roglic wins Stage 9; Conti

keeps pink jersey in Giro

Giro crosses into another Moreover, Roglic gained I stayed calm. My goal was
country. time on his rivals. British cy- to keep the Maglia Rosa so
The 29-year-old Roglic clist Simon Yates — one of I'm very happy with the re-
was 11 seconds faster the pre-race favorites — sult," Conti said.
than Belgium cyclist Vic- finished more than three Vincenzo Nibali fared the
tor Campenaerts and one minutes behind Roglic. best out of the rest of the
Primoz Roglic pedals on his way to win the 9st stage of the Giro minute ahead of Bauke "It's a perfect performance pre-race favorites, finishing
d'Italia cycling race, an individual time trial over 34,8 km from
Riccione to San Marino, in San Marino, Italy, Sunday, May 19, Mollema of the Nether- in my mind. I did a good fourth on a day which saw
2019. lands. job," Roglic said. "I took it only 12 riders finish within
Associated Press Roglic had been more easy at the beginning and two minutes of the winner.
than five minutes behind I gave it all at the end. The Italian is 3:34 behind
SAN MARINO (AP) — Pri- Roglic, who also won the Conti going into the time "It's nice to take some time Conti.
moz Roglic of Slovenia opening individual time trial but moved into sec- over the other GC favor- Monday is the race's first
won the ninth stage of the trial, was quickest on the ond overall, 1:50 behind ites but the Giro is far from rest day before Tuesday's
Giro d'Italia on Sunday as rain-soaked 35-kilometer the UAE Team Emirates over." 10th stage, an entirely flat
Italian cyclist Valerio Conti (22-mile) route from Ric- cyclist, who had replaced Nans Peters of France 145-kilometer route from
extended his overall lead cione that had an uphill Roglic in the overall lead moved third overall, 2:21 Ravenna to Modena.
after the individual time finish in San Marino — the after finishing second in behind Conti. The Giro finishes in Verona
trial. only time this year that the Thursday's sixth stage. "It was very rainy for me but on June 2.q