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Friday 31 May 2019
All’s well that ends well for No. 1 Osaka at French Open

By HOWARD FENDRICH points before holding on to both Wimbledon and,
AP Tennis Writer beat 87th-ranked Magda back in 2013, the French
PARIS (AP) — Naomi Osaka Linette 6-4, 5-7, 6-3. Open.
screamed “Oh, my God!” Halep, who said afterward She is currently ranked
after one shanked shot. she felt a “little bit sick” and 43rd, though, on account
Mouthed something and plans to “sleep all day to- of missing time over the
clasped her hands togeth- morrow,” was up a set and past few seasons while
er, as if praying, after an- 5-3 in the second before pregnant and then dealing
other. There were plenty of dropping four games in a with a custody issue involv-
deep sighs and exagger- row and getting broken ing her son.
ated eyerolls, too. twice while serving for the So what, in terms of talent
The No. 1-seeded Osaka match. and tenacity, could have
got off to a terrible start at Neither Osaka nor Halep passed for a late-in-the-
the French Open again, managed to put on the proceedings showdown at
never masking her frustra- sort of solid performance a major was held, instead,
tion. After some slip-ups seen from Serena Williams in Week 1, with the temper-
near the end, Osaka also — barely bothered dur- ature barely above 60 de-
prevailed again, displaying ing a 6-3, 6-2 victory over grees Fahrenheit (15 Cel-
the grit and groundstrokes qualifier Kurumi Nara — or sius) and the occasional
that just won’t let her lose top-seeded man Novak raindrop.
during what’s become a Djokovic, also a straight-set When Azarenka sprinted for
16-match Grand Slam win- winners. a cross-court forehand win-
ning streak. Azarenka sought to control ner that closed a 15-stroke
Osaka trailed by a set and points with deep, attacking exchange, she led 4-2 in
a break Thursday against Japan’s Naomi Osaka plays a shot against Victoria Azarenka strokes and by going after the second set after 77 min-
former No. 1 Victoria Aza- of Belarus during their second round match of the French Osaka’s backhand side. utes.
renka in the second round Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, “I played very smart. I re- They would play for more
at Roland Garros, before Thursday, May 30, 2019. ally played the right spots,” than 1½ additional hours,
coming all the way back to Associated Press Azarenka said. “I was do- and Azarenka certainly
win an entertaining match- til the last minute.” “Technically, like, she kind ing everything that I was had opportunities to edge
up 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 and prolong Probably. of killed me in the first set,” supposed to do. And, es- even farther ahead, such
her bid for a third consecu- In the first round, Osaka not Osaka said, “and I just kept pecially, moving well and as when she had a break
tive major championship. only dropped the open- trying to find a way to stay pushing her back.” point to go up 5-2 and
“I have this mindset that I ing set, but did so by a 6-0 positive.” Azarenka knows a thing or serve for the victory but
feel like I can win if it gets score. Defending champion Si- two about how to perform netted a forehand. Or the
down to the wire. Like, if I This time, Osaka ceded mona Halep required that on the sport’s biggest stag- three times she was one
have to break a person, I the first four games against same sort of resolve to get es: She won two titles at the point from leading 5-3 but
feel like I have the ability to Azarenka and was respon- through her own test, blow- Australian Open, reached got broken there with her
do that,” Osaka said. “So I sible for their match’s initial ing a big lead in the sec- two finals at the U.S. Open second double-fault of the
probably shouldn’t wait un- seven unforced errors. ond set and a trio of match and was a semifinalist at game.q

Cima gets 1st pro win on Stage 18; Carapaz keeps Giro lead

SANTA MARIA DI SALA, Italy winner today. He was the
(AP) — Damiano Cima of strongest today. They were
Italy earned his first profes- fighting really hard against
sional victory by winning our team when they were
the 18th stage of the Giro pulling.”
d’Italia on Thursday, and Carapaz remained 1 min-
Ecuadorian cyclist Richard ute, 54 seconds ahead of
Carapaz remained in the Vincenzo Nibali and 2:16
overall lead. ahead of Primoz Roglic of
Cima, who rides for Nippo- Slovenia.
Vini Fantini-Faizane, had “It’s been a quiet stage but
been part of a three-man a long one, intense at the
breakaway which was beginning only,” said Cara-
caught by the peloton paz, who rides for Movistar.
in the final meters of the “I’ve had a good support
mainly downhill, 222-kilo- from my team again. To-
meter (138-mile) route from morrow will be an impor-
Valdaora to Santa Maria di Italy’s Damiano Cima celebrates after sprinting ahead of Germany’s Pascal Ackermann, left, on tant test but I’m confident
Sala. the finish line to win the 18th stage of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, from Valdaora to Santa Maria to keep the Maglia Rosa.”
However, the 25-year-old di Sala, Thursday, May 30, 2019. The Giro heads back into
Cima held on in the bunch Associated Press the mountains for Friday’s
sprint to get his team’s first ters in breakaways during second, with Simone Con- pipped to the line by Cima. 19th stage, a 151-kilometer
ever Giro victory, in his first this Giro. I thought I’d never sonni third. Ackermann, “For sure I’m a little dis- route from Treviso, with an
Grand Tour. make it but I’ve won today. who was bidding for a appointed I did not win,” uphill finish to San Martino
“I can’t believe what just It’s insane. It’s the dream of third stage victory in this Ackermann said. “If you di Castrozza.
happened,” Cima said. a lifetime.” year’s race, hit his handle- saw how the breakaway The three-week race finish-
“I’ve spent so many kilome- Pascal Ackermann was bars in frustration as he was went, for sure he’s a lucky es in Verona on Sunday.q