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A22 SPORTS
Saturday 16 March 2019

In this Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017 file photo, Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana
leads Kenya's Hellen Onsando Obiri during the Women's 5000
meters final at the World Athletics Championships in London.
Associated Press
Ethiopia, Kenya push

back as Diamond Roger Federer, of Switzerland, chases a ball against Hubert Hurkacz, of Poland at the BNP Paribas

Open tennis tournament Friday, March 15, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif.
League drops 5,000m Associated Press

INDIANWELLS play exactly the same thing ball.
Continued from Page 17 again," Federer said. "Not that I didn't expect it,"
By GERALD IMRAY with The Associated Press "Playing against young The other semifinal Satur- Federer said, "but it defi-
AP Sports Writer on Friday. "I think (the rea- guys to eventually get to day pairs Milos Raonic and nitely went better than I
The IAAF's decision to drop son) is the dominance of Rafa, that's exciting," said Dominic Thiem. thought it would."
the 5,000 meters from its Di- our athletes in long dis- Federer, who also faced an In the women's semifinals Hurkacz, a 22-year-old
amond League track and tances." opponent the same age as later Friday, Canadian Pole, earned three-set up-
field series has been met Ethiopia's opposition came Khachanov. teenager Bianca Andrees- sets of No. 28 Lucas Pouille,
with strong resistance from in a letter from track fed- Nadal's right knee flared cu took on No. 6 Elina Svi- No. 6 Kei Nishikori and No.
Ethiopia and Kenya, where eration interim president up in the second set for the tolina and No. 8 Angelique 24 Denis Shapovalov to
one former world cham- Derartu Tulu. She wrote in first time during the tourna- Kerber faced No. 23 Belin- make his first ATP Masters
pion accused the sport's Thursday's letter addressed ment. He called for a train- da Bencic. 1000 quarterfinal against
governing body of trying to to Coe: "We totally dis- er who applied tape just Nadal improved to 6-0 his childhood idol. Federer
"kill long-distance running." agree with the decisions below the knee. The trainer against Khachanov, al- was playing in his 83rd at
The Ethiopian Athletics Fed- made." returned again with Nadal though it was tougher and this level.
eration has written to IAAF Tulu, a two-time Olympic leading 3-2 in the second longer than Federer's win. "Playing against him for the
president Sebastian Coe champion in the 10,000 set. Nadal trailed 6-5 before first time on the big stadium
asking the governing body meters, urged the IAAF to "My goal and my idea is be Khachanov's forehand of a great crowd here was
to reconsider the change, reconsider. ready for tomorrow," Nadal error forced the second for sure different feeling,"
which comes into effect "(It's) not fair to countries said. "I cannot guarantee tiebreaker, which Nadal Hurkacz said.
from next year and was like ours who are very com- how I'm going to wake up dominated to close out the Federer won his 100th ca-
part of a larger overhaul of petitive in long-distance tomorrow morning." match that lasted just over reer title in Dubai recently,
the series. running, and these distanc- Knee problems have two hours. leaving him eight from ty-
Athletics Kenya said it es are our cultural sports dogged the 32-year-old "He's unbelievable in de- ing Jimmy Connors' record
would also argue for the and also our identity," she Spaniard in recent years, fense," Khachanov said. for most in the Open era. At
5,000 to be restored and wrote. and they cut short his 2018 "When you want to try may- 37, he became the oldest
would ask African nations The Diamond League is season after the U.S. Open be just to play more safe player to win a tour-level ti-
to come together in oppo- the highest-profile athletics in September. then he suddenly steps in tle since Marty Riessen won
sition to the IAAF's decision competition outside of the "I love to play on hard and he counterattacks. He at Lafayette, Louisiana, in
at a meeting of the African world championships and (courts), but probably my steps in and then he starts 1979 at the same age.
track body next month. the Olympics. But its format body doesn't love it that moving you, and then you "I'm holding my serve com-
The IAAF this week an- underwent a yearlong re- much," Nadal said. "As I say are again in trouble." fortably. I'm in a good
nounced a plan to revamp view in an attempt to find before, is not only about Federer believes Nadal place mentally when I go
the Diamond League from a product that was more today, is about tomorrow. is playing better than he into my service games," Fe-
2020, reducing the series pleasing to television view- Maybe we're going to pay did in losing the Austra- derer said. "It showed this
to 12 meetings and a finals ers and more engaging for the price at the age of 45 or lian Open final to Novak week thus far, so I hope I
event. There will now be 24 fans. something. That will be not Djokovic, who was upset can keep that up."
disciplines at each meet The changes were aimed nice. When I see some old earlier in the week. Federer earned the only
— 12 for men and 12 for at creating "a faster-paced legends walking around "When Rafa is healthy, es- break of the first set in the
women. 90-minute television event" the tour, is tough to see." pecially in a place like fifth game. Trailing 3-2 in the
The 5,000 meters was one for each meet, the IAAF Federer is on a five-match- here in Indian Wells where second set, Hurkacz had a
of the disciplines to be cut, said. In an effort to find a ing winning streak against he feels comfortable, he's break point, but Federer
leaving the 3,000 as the more compact, TV-friendly Nadal, who lost to him all clearly very tough to play," closed the game with con-
longest race on the sched- format, the 5,000 meters four times they played in Federer said. secutive forehand winners
ule. was one of the events to 2017, including the last time Against Hurkacz, Federer and an ace.
"They want to kill long-dis- lose out. "That chance has at the Shanghai Masters in fought off two break points Hurkacz aced Federer to
tance running," two-time been curtailed and there- October of that year. in the second set, includ- trail 5-4. Federer netted
10,000-meter world cham- fore we are appealing to "You look back at what ing the last game when he back-to-back volleys to
pion Moses Tanui of Kenya the IAAF to consider that I did well there, but you closed the match with a give Hurkacz hope and an-
said in a phone interview position," Tuwei said.q
can't just copy-paste and forehand winner off a short other break point. q