Page 20 - ARUBA TODAY

A20 SPORTS
Thursday 23 March 2017
A rough, emotional day for top seeds at Match Play

DOUG FERGUSON else, I might have won,”
AP Golf Writer McIlroy said. “Overall, I
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — De- can’t be too disappointed.
fending champion Jason But at the same time, when
Day lasted only six holes standing on the 14th tee
at the Dell Technologies just having won three holes
Match Play until a heavy in a row, I thought I had him
heart forced an early de- going into a tough stretch
parture. of the golf course. But he
Rory McIlroy and Jordan put up three birdies in a
Spieth might not be far be- row, and you can’t do any-
hind. thing about that.”
The opening round Spieth didn’t put much of
of golf’s most unpredict- a fight against Hideto Tani-
able tournament took a hara of Japan, making his
stunning turn Wednesday debut in Match Play.
when the third-seeded With the Texas crowd on his
Day abruptly conceded his side, Spieth missed a short
match to Pat Perez, then birdie attempt that would
wiped away tears as he re- have given him the lead on
vealed his mother has lung No. 5.
cancer. Day withdrew to Two holes later, Tanihara
be with her in Ohio for sur- Defending champion Jason Day, of Australia, left, talks with Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, poured in an 18-foot birdie
gery on Friday. right, as they practice for the Dell Technologies Match Play Championship golf tournament at putt and Spieth couldn’t
“It’s been a very, very Austin County Club, Tuesday, March 21, 2017, in Austin, Texas. match him. And he never
hard time for me to even Associated Press caught up. Spieth didn’t
be thinking about play- seed. He had five birdies in McIlroy (No. 2) and Spieth his short irons, ran off four win a hole until the 14th —
ing golf,” Day said. “And his opening eight holes at (No. 5) face critical match- straight birdies to end the with a bogey — and Spi-
I know my mom says not Austin Country Club and es the rest of the way. match. He took a 1-up lead eth gave him the next hole
to let it get to me, but it there wasn’t much Webb McIlroy, the 2015 cham- with a wedge in tight on when his wedge sailed over
really has. So I just need Simpson could do, but try pion and a semifinalist last the par-5 16th, and then his the 15th green.
some time away with her to to extend the match as year, appeared to seize pitching wedge that land- Spieth and McIlroy are
make sure that everything long as he could. It lasted control against Soren Kjeld- ed inches from the cup not done yet, though they
goes well because this has 15 holes in a 5-and-3 vic- sen when he won three and settled 2 feet away for need some help.
been very, very tough for tory. straight holes to take the a birdie on the 17th to end The best record from the 16
me. So I’m going to do my “Got a long way to go, but lead, including a 410-yard it. Kjeldsen was 6 under on four-man groups advance
best and try and be there getting the first match in drive on the par-5 12th hole the round. to the knockout stage on
the best I can for her be- the books with a win is defi- and another drive over the It was the first time McIlroy Saturday.
cause she is the reason that nitely a head start,” said water to the edge of the had lost his opening match Ties are determined by a
I’m playing golf today.” Johnson, who is trying to green on the 317-yard 13th since 2013 when Match sudden-death playoff, and
Dustin Johnson had no trou- win his third straight tourna- hole into the wind. Play was single elimination. head-to-head matchups
ble in his debut as the No. 1 ment. Kjeldsen, crisp as ever with “If I had played anyone do not count.q
Barty beats Bouchard in 3 sets

in 1st round at Key Biscayne

a stint playing cricket. But chances, then took that feated Katerina Siniakova
she is back and better than set by breaking in the last 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in nearly 2½
ever now, ranked a career- game. hours, American qualifier
high 91st after winning her At 3-all, Barty broke with Madison Brengle got past
first WTA title as a qualifier a forehand winner. She Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 3-6,
at Kuala Lumpur. then saved a pair of break 6-2, Yaroslava Shvedova
Bouchard, a 23-year-old points to go up 5-3, and saved a match point to
Canadian, has exited in broke again when Boucha- edge Jelena Jankovic 4-6,
the first round of each of rd double-faulted twice in 6-4, 7-6 (3), and qualifier
her past three tournaments a row to set up three match
Veronica Cepede Royg, of Paraguay, celebrates after winning a Jana Cepelova eased past
point against Misaki Doi, of Japan, during a tennis match at the and is now ranked 56th af- points. Barty converted on Andrea Petkovic 6-2, 6-4.
Miami Open, Wednesday, March 22, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Fla. ter reaching No. 5 in 2014, the second when Boucha- In men’s matches, 108th-
Associated Press the year she was the run- rd sent a forehand long. ranked American quali-
ner-up at Wimbledon and Next up for Barty is an all-
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) — Barty claimed the last three reached the semifinals at Australian match against fier Ernesto Escobedo beat
Ashleigh Barty stretched games of the match be- two other Grand Slam tour- 2011 U.S. Open champion Britain’s 43rd-ranked Dan
her winning streak to eight tween two past junior Wim- naments. Sam Stosur, who is seeded Evans 7-5, 0-6, 6-3, Donald
matches by handing for- bledon champions whose Barty could have ended 14th. Young advanced when
mer top-5 player Eugenie careers have both been this match much sooner, In other first-round ac- Dustin Brown double-fault-
Bouchard a fourth con- filled with ups and downs. because three times she tion Wednesday at the ed on the final point of the
secutive loss, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 in Barty, a 20-year-old Aus- was a point from serving hard-court tournament, American’s 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 win,
the first round of the Miami tralian, was off the tour for for it in the second set. But American wild-card entry and Fabio Fognini defeat-
Open on Wednesday. about 1½ years, including Bouchard fended off those Bethanie Mattek-Sands de- ed Ryan Harrison 6-4, 7-5.q