Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Friday 4 January 2019
Federer wins to

put Switzerland in

Hopman Cup final

By TRISTAN LAVALETTE held at love.
Associated Press "There was very little un-
PERTH, Australia (AP) — forced errors and it was
Roger Federer relied on his really good quality tennis,"
trusted serve to beat Stefa- Federer said. "It could have
nos Tsitsipas 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) easily gone three sets. For
Thursday and give defend- me it is about maintaining
ing champion Switzerland a good level of play and I
a spot in the Hopman Cup am happy with my game."
final. Federer will be going for a
The victory assured Switzer- record third Hopman Cup
land's advancement, but title when the Swiss team
Greece claimed a con- faces either host Australia Switzerland's Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic share a laugh during their mixed doubles match
solation 2-1 victory when or Germany in Saturday's against Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari of Greece at the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia,
Maria Sakkari beat Belinda final. Thursday Jan. 3, 2019.
Bencic 6-3, 6-4 in women's "I will be excited to watch it Associated Press
singles. tomorrow and see who we
Greece also won the mixed play in the final," Federer Federer trailed 4-1 in the first break points in the ninth Federer's appearances at
doubles 4-3 (4), 2-4, 4-3 (3) said. "This format lends itself tiebreaker before reeling and 11th games but was the past two Hopman Cups
in the Fast4 format. to some exciting tennis." off consecutive forehand unable to convert. The 23- were followed by Austra-
The 37-year-old Federer's Federer lost only seven winners to claw back into it. time Grand Slam cham- lian Open titles.
precision went up against games in wins over Cam- Tsitsipas double-faulted at pion, however, raised his Earlier, Serena Williams beat
Tsitsipas' power in the first set eron Norrie and Frances 5-5 and Federer then won game in the tiebreaker with Katie Boulter 6-1, 7-6 (2) to
of the men's singles match, Tiafoe but found it tougher the set with an ace. a perfect drop shot to take complete an unbeaten
and not much separated in his first match against Ts- The serve continued to dic- a 6-3 lead. He closed it out Hopman Cup campaign in
the two. Eight games were itsipas. tate play until Federer had shortly after. singles. q

POULTER has the final say on any guests were pure "pet-
Continued from Previous Page tournament regulations. ro heads" who can't get
"To do what he did ... was Poulter told the tour he enough of the cars. They all
just terrific." would be at the Sentry like golf, and his office is all
The violation was failing to Tournament of Champions golf, mostly the Ryder Cup.
play a tournament where for the first time since 2013 That includes a text mes-
he had not been in the last (it had been that long since sage that European cap-
four years. his last tour victory), and tain Jose Maria Olazabal
What got Poulter into this stay an extra week for the sent to Poulter on Christmas
position was winning. Sony Open. Day in 2012, three months
The PGA Tour has a policy "That would tick two boxes," after Poulter nearly single-
that players who don't he said. handedly led Europe on a
compete in 25 events must And then he offered a day comeback victory at Medi-
play a tournament where with tournament guests. nah. He framed the text on
they haven't been in the The Wyndham Champion- a silver board. He won't say
last four years. Life mem- ship was one Poulter could what the message is.
bers (20 or more tour victo- have played under normal "They get to see that when
ries) and veterans (45 years In this Sept. 30, 2018, file photo, Europe's Ian Poulter celebrates circumstances, but that they're there," he said.
after defeating Dustin Johnson of the United States during a sin-
or older) are exempt. Poul- gles match on the final day of the 42nd Ryder Cup at Le Golf would have given him nine There are Ryder Cup tro-
ter is neither. National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. straight weeks leading up phies (five of them for Poul-
The policy wasn't a prob- Associated Press to the Ryder Cup. ter), letters from Arnold
lem until the 42-year-old So he let Wyndham select Palmer, 60 tour bags filled
from England won the reach the Tour Champion- to give something back so I who they wanted to send with clubs that he has used
Houston Open. Suddenly, ship, and it received plenty can fulfill an obligation." to Orlando, Florida. in his 20-year career, notes
he was eligible for the Mas- of attention because the The actual penalty is un- "We had a great time," Poul- from when he taught ju-
ters. His movement in the three-time major cham- clear, and it was badly ter said. "I played nine holes niors as a fledgling club pro
world ranking got him into pion carries plenty of star misinterpreted, especially with each group, we had a in England, and yardage
the U.S. Open and British power. relating to Spieth. bite to eat, and a few of books from a few signifi-
Open. The victory took him Poulter, however, was the It falls under the "major the guys wanted to see the cant moments.
to No. 20 in the FedEx Cup, first culprit, and he saw it penalty" category, which car museum and my Ryder "The report we got back
all but assuring him at least coming not long after his is a fine of at least $20,000 Cup office-homage. I took was it was an exception
three playoff events. And Houston victory. He met and suspension from more them through that." day," Pazder said.
it put him squarely in the with the tour at Hilton Head than three tournaments. He built this "museum" as And so Poulter has paid his
mix to make the Ryder Cup a week after the Masters. But that's ridiculous. Why part of a guest house so it dues, devoting some eight
team for Europe. "I told them, 'How do you punish a player for not play- could serve as corporate hours of his time — and
"Winning was going to put want to go about it?' I'm ing enough tournaments entertainment and charity his home — to guests of a
me in default," Poulter said. going to be the first person, by making him sit out even functions, and this served tournament he didn't play.
Jordan Spieth also violated and it's going to be sensi- more? the purpose. And he is in Hawaii for two
the policy when he didn't tive," Poulter said. "I want Besides, the commissioner Poulter says some of the weeks. All is well.q