Page 22 - aruba-today-20190302

A22 SPORTS
Saturday 2 March 2019

Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece returns the ball to Gael Monfils of
France during their semi final match at the Dubai Duty Free Ten-
nis Championship, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Friday, March
1, 2019.
Associated Press

Federer reaches semis

in Dubai as he In this Jan. 31, 2019, file photo, Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones attends a news conference
for the UFC 235 mixed martial arts event in Las Vegas.
Associated Press
chases 100th title Jones clear-eyed, clear-headed

DUBAI, United Arab Emir- He will next face sixth-seed-
ates (AP) — Roger Federer ed Borna Coric, who beat facing Anthony Smith at UFC 235
is two matches away from Nikolaz Basilashvili 4-6, 6-2,
his 100th career title after 7-6 (1). Coric beat Federer
beating Marton Fucsovics twice last year, including in By GREG BEACHAM things have happened — pened. I've finally learned
7-6 (6), 6-4 on Thursday to the Halle final. AP Sports Writer I've caused a lot of my own how to forgive myself for a
reach the Dubai Champi- "He's really found his LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jon pain, and there's been a lot lot of things, and so I feel
onships semifinals. game," Federer said of Co- Jones used to cry for days of pain inflicted — that I just reborn in a way. I feel like
Federer faced two set ric. "We've had a couple when he heard about his feel like I'm so comfortable I have the second half of
points in the tiebreaker but tough matches as of late." positive doping tests. with this scenario. I'm not my career, and the ques-
Fucsovics hit two forehands The other semifinal will pit Although his system still isn't going to allow anybody to tion is, what are you going
into the net to let the Swiss rising star Stefanos Tsitsipas clean, Jones' eyes are final- hurt me anymore. ... I take to do with this second half
star take control. Federer of Greece against French ly dry heading into UFC 235. responsibility for this whole of your career? My second
then wasted an early break veteran Gael Monfils. The UFC's light heavyweight thing, (but) I'm not going half, I vow to respect myself
in the second set but broke Tsitispas outlasted Hubert champion memorably to let it bend me or break better. Respect my body,
again for a 5-4 lead be- Hurkacz 7-6 (4), 6-7 (1), 6-1, wept in a news confer- me." respect my team, respect
fore serving out the match while Monfils beat Ricardas ence after getting pulled Jones has always denied the organization and the
when Fucsovics sent a fore- Berankis 6-1, 6-7 (3), 6-2. from UFC 200 in 2016, realiz- knowingly taking perfor- fans, and just try to do bet-
hand return wide. Both Tsitsipas and Monfils ing his career was headed mance-enhancing sub- ter. And I know a great start
"The tiebreak was tough. are coming off tournament into a spiral. Jones cried stances, and mixed mar- to that is staying in the gym.
I'm happy I found a way to wins in Europe last week again in a friend's arms a tial arts' various regulatory Staying busy."
get out of that one," Feder- and have a 1-1 head-to- few months ago when tests bodies believe his recent In fact, Jones is picking up
er said. "That was an excit- head record. "We're both showed more traces of results are microscopic speed: He is in his second
ing match, to say the least." serving really well," Tsitsi- the steroid metabolite that echoes of past violations, fight in just nine weeks at
Federer is looking to be- pas said. "We have similar could be in his system for not a reason to ban argu- UFC 235. Jones' suspen-
come the second man game style. I guess I'm a bit years. ably the most gifted fighter sions and legal woes lim-
in the professional era to more aggressive than him, But when two more tests of his generation. ited him to just two fights in
reach 100 tour-level tour- but he's much faster. I'm last month revealed tiny Jones has grown increas- a nearly four-year stretch of
nament tiles, joining Jimmy going to have to deal with amounts of the metabo- ingly defiant in recent his prime, forever depriving
Connors, who won 109. all of that, be patient, play lite, Jones finally didn't cry. months, standing up to the sport of the chance to
Seven of Federer's previous with passion as well, just Although the results are condemnation for what see the full scope of his ca-
99 triumphs have come in wait for the opportunities casting a shadow over his he claims to be an honest reer. But he followed up his
Dubai. to break him."q every achievement, he mistake with a supplement third-round stoppage of Al-
has come to grips with his — a stance that makes exander Gustafsson in Cali-
predicament — and more his opponents laugh. Now fornia last December by
importantly to Jones, he is 31, Jones (23-1) is moving agreeing to headline an-
allowed to fight on. on to chase big paydays other pay-per-view show.
Jones said he will take on and career-defining excel- UFC 235 also features wel-
Anthony Smith on Saturday lence. He is a huge favorite terweight champion Tyron
night in the main event at against Smith (31-13), but Woodley's defense against
T-Mobile Arena with clear Jones believes he is largely Kamaru Usman and
eyes and a clean con- competing against himself. 34-year-old wrestling star
science. "I do kind of feel like my Ben Askren's long-awaited
"I'm at a place now where younger self," Jones said UFC debut against for-
I've been hurt so many Thursday. "I feel set free from mer champion Robbie
times," Jones said. "So many a lot of things that's hap- Lawler.q