Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 sports
Friday 23 august 2019

First-round fireworks: Serena, Sharapova to meet at U.S. Open

By BRIAN MAHONEY Djokovic said he does look
AP Sports Writer at his draw beyond the
NEW YORK (AP) — Ser- next match to see his po-
ena Williams and Maria tential path. But he resisted
Sharapova will finally meet the first opportunity to do it,
in the U.S. Open, and they’ll declining an offer to peek
do it in their very first match. at his bracket during an in-
A long-awaited Roger Fe- terview on ESPN when the
derer-Rafael Nadal show- draws were unveiled.
down could come only in “I need my alone time,”
the final. Djokovic said.
Williams and Sharapova, Nadal faces a potential
past U.S. Open champions first-round test against John
and two of the biggest stars Millman, the Australian who
in women’s tennis, were knocked Federer out in the
scheduled for an opening- fourth round at Flushing
round matchup when the Meadows last year. Nadal
draws were conducted could possibly face fourth-
Thursday for the final major seeded Dominic Thiem in
of the year. the semifinals.
Williams and Sharapova Other interesting first-round
have met in the finals of the matches on the men’s side
other three majors and the include an all-Canadian
2012 Olympics but have affair between No. 18 seed
never played each other In this Aug. 5, 2019, file photo, Maria Sharapova serves to Anett Kontaveit in the first round of the Felix Auger-Aliassime and
in the U.S. Open. Williams Rogers Cup women’s tennis tournament in Toronto. Denis Shapovalov, and
owns a 19-2 record in their Associated Press eighth-seeded Stefanos
WTA Tour matchups and She was given a wild card Ashe. They haven’t played Federer and No. 2 seed Tsitsipas against Andrey
has won 18 in a row, but that into the tournament two since the 2016 Australian Rafael Nadal have never Rublev, who routed Feder-
lopsided number shouldn’t years ago shortly after Open. They were sched- played each other in New er last week in the Western
do much to dampen the returning from a doping uled to meet last year in the York and could do so this & Southern Open.
hype around what will be suspension and promptly fourth round at the French year only if both make the The other potential men’s
the marquee match of the scheduled for a match on Open in what was Williams’ final. quarters: Federer against
opening round at Flush- Arthur Ashe Stadium, where first major tournament after Djokovic might have to No. 7 Kei Nishikori, Nadal
ing Meadows, which starts she upset No. 2 seed Simo- returning to tennis follow- beat both to repeat as against No. 6 seed Alex-
Monday. na Halep. U.S. Open offi- ing the birth of her daugh- U.S. Open champion — ander Zverev and Thiem
Williams will begin another cials kept putting Sharapo- ter, but she pulled out of and could face a tough against Tsitsipas.
bid for a record-tying 24th va on the main court in her the match with a pectoral obstacle just to get there Women’s top seed Naomi
Grand Slam singles title. next couple of matches, muscle injury. with a potential quarter- Osaka, who beat Williams
Sharapova isn’t the same drawing complaints from The men’s draw sent No. 3 final against No. 5 seed in last year’s final for her first
player she was when she some players who felt an seed Federer into the top Daniil Medvedev. Medve- major title, could face a
won the 2006 U.S. Open unseeded player wasn’t half, meaning he could dev upset Djokovic in the third-round match against
championship — or beat worthy of such a prime po- play top-ranked Novak semifinals of the Western & Coco Gauff, the 15-year-
Williams two years ear- sition. Djokovic in the semifinals. Southern Open en route to old American who made
lier in the final at Wimble- That shouldn’t be a prob- They met in a classic fi- the title in what was his third it to the fourth round at
don — but remains one of lem this time, as a Williams- nal at Wimbledon, where straight week reaching a fi- Wimbledon and was given
the most popular players Sharapova matchup is too Djokovic won in a fifth-set nal. a wild card into the U.S.
among fans in New York. big for anywhere other than tiebreaker. Unlike some players, Open.q

Trump awarding Medal of Freedom to NBA star Bob Cousy

By KALI ROBINSON Memorial Hall of Fame. mer teammate Bill Russell,
Associated Press Cousy, who is white, is also who received the honor in
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- known for speaking out 2011 from President Barack
dent Donald Trump is to against racism. He was an Obama. Cousy will be the
present basketball legend ardent supporter of black second Medal of Freedom
Bob Cousy with the Presi- teammates who faced dis- recipient this year. Trump
dential Medal of Freedom, crimination during the civil presented the award to
the nation’s highest civilian rights movement. golfer Tiger Woods in May.
honor, in an Oval Office The Medal of Freedom Cousy is the 10th honoree
ceremony on Thursday. celebrates individuals for under Trump, who is Cousy’s
Cousy, 91, played for the their “especially meritori- candidate of choice in the
Boston Celtics from 1950 ous contribution to the se- 2020 presidential election.
to 1963, winning six league curity or national interests In a recent interview with
championships and the of the U.S., to world peace, NBA.com, Cousy described
1957 MVP title. The Bob or to cultural or other sig- himself as politically moder-
Cousy Award, given to the President Donald Trump presents the Presidential Medal of nificant public or private ate. He said that although
country’s best point guard Freedom to former NBA basketball player and coach Bob Cousy, endeavors.” Cousy is the he disagrees with some of
in men’s college basket- of the Boston Celtics, during a ceremony in the Oval Office of second Celtics player to the president’s actions, he
ball, is named for him. He is the White House, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019, in Washington. be awarded the Medal of plans to vote for Trump next
a member of the Naismith Associated Press Freedom, following his for- year. q