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SPORTS Monday 18 February 2019

Hirscher skis to Austria’s rescue with slalom gold at worlds

Continued from Page 18 fastest time for the second
leg.
“Ten more (World Cup) “I knew that Alexis was not
races are waiting for me,” in the lead, so the first part I
he said, when asked if this tried to push it really, really
could be his last season in hard and then there were
Alpine skiing. “We will see. two or three gates where it
Take a break and things will was bumpy,” Hirscher said.
be way clearer than right “Hopefully stay safe there
now.” and into the finish line. Not
Hirscher, who is 30 next attack.”
month, referred to the pres- With his third world slalom
sure and expectations he title secure — matching the
was under at these worlds. haul of the great Ingemar
As the most popular ath- Stenmark — Hirscher sa-
lete in ski-crazed Austria, he luted the fans in the grand-
lives under permanent and stand and skied right into
intense scrutiny. the arms of two other Aus-
“The biggest emotion,” trians who completed the
said the seven-time overall podium in a sweep that res-
World Cup champion, “is cued the country’s world
that the pressure has gone championships.
away from my shoulders. Michael Matt, whose broth-
I’m feeling more light than er is former Olympic and
before these world cham- Austria’s Marcel Hirscher, center, winner of the men’s slalom, celebrates with second-placed world slalom champion
pionships.” compatriot Michael Matt, left, and third-placed compatriot Marco Schwarz, at the alpine ski World Mario Matt, was 0.65 sec-
Throw in the fact he has Championships in Are, Sweden, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019. onds behind Hirscher, and
been feeling under the Associated Press Marco Schwarz was a fur-
weather for much of this turault of France. No other ger in front of the TV cam- more circumspect in the ther 0.11 adrift.
week, and it’s remarkable skier was within a second of era. second run — especially af- “They’ve started right now
how he managed to pull the lead and Hirscher told After coming second in the ter a slip from Pinturault to- to be really at the spot,”
off an opening run that Austria’s domestic broad- giant slalom behind Hen- ward the end of his run that Hirscher said, looking at
even he was impressed by. caster, ORF, that it was one rik Kristoffersen on Friday, knocked the Frenchman his teammates in the post-
Hirscher destroyed the field of his best ever runs. the message from Hirscher into third place at the time. race news conference,
with an almost flawless leg After crossing the line, he was clear: The ski king was Hirscher needed to get “and they will make us a lot
that gave him a lead of 0.56 swept around the finish back. down safely and he did just of fun for the next years, I
seconds from Alexis Pin- area and wagged his fin- It meant Hirscher could be that, posting only the 25th am sure.”q

Wawrinka loses his 1st final since comeback from knee injury

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands eighth career title. kori in three sets on Satur-
(AP) — Three-time major “I tried a couple of times day. But the Swiss finally
champion Stan Wawrin- here. I lost the final in 2016,” ran out of steam in the fi-
ka’s rebuilt knee couldn’t Monfils told Dutch national nal set as Monfils stepped
quite carry him to the title broadcaster NOS court- up his game.
in Rotterdam on Sunday. side. He said it was special “In the third set I was a little
Wawrinka lost his first fi- to win a tournament that bit more aggressive and I
nal since his comeback his idol, Arthur Ashe, also go a bit more for my shots,
a year ago from left knee won. Ashe won back-to- I served bigger and that
surgeries, succumbing 6-3, back titles in Rotterdam in helped me a lot,” Monfils
Gael Monfils of France holds the trophy as he celebrates 1-6, 6-2 to Gael Monfils of 1975 and ‘76. said. Wawrinka was going
winning against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland in three sets, 6-3, France at the ABN AMRO Unseeded Wawrinka for his 17th career title and
1-6, 6-2, in the men’s singles final of the ABN AMRO world tennis World Tournament. reached the final by beat- second in Rotterdam, after
tournament at Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Sunday,
Feb. 17, 2019. Associated Press It was the Frenchman’s ing top-seeded Kei Nishi- winning in 2015.q