Page 19 - AT

A19
SPORTS Thursday 29 augusT 2019
Federer rallies again, Svitolina

beats Venus at U.S. Open

By BRIAN MAHONEY me. But I didn't expect to prevailed.
AP Sports Writer hit 15 to 20 unforced errors, "A little bit of lost focus," he
NEW YORK (AP) — Roger which is basically in the en- said after the match.
Federer looked up at the tire set just sort of donated. Off the court, No. 12 Borna
Arthur Ashe Stadium score- But look, they came out Coric pulled out the tour-
board and for the second and they were well pre- nament with a lower back
time in three days saw it lit pared and got me to do strain, giving a second-
up with a strange sight. that. But I clearly have to round walkover to Grigor
It showed Federer down a play better from the get- Dimitrov. That adds to a
set to a player ranked far go." growing list of men's seeds
below him. Williams had trouble herself who are out, including No.
The five-time champion at the start, and her team 4 Dominic Thiem, No. 8 Ste-
came back again, beating hoped some caffeine fanos Tsitsipas, No. 9 Karen
Damir Dzhumhur 3-6, 6-2, would be the pick-me-up Khachanov and No. 10 Ro-
6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday to she needed against Svi- berto Bautista Agut, who
reach the third round of the tolina. So a cup of coffee were all upset Tuesday.
U.S. Open. was delivered after the set Key night matches still to
With rain affecting play in to a ballboy , who tried to come include Djokovic
Flushing Meadows for the bring it to Williams. But she against 56th-ranked Juan
first time in the tournament, walked off to the court Ignacio Londero, and Ser- Venus Williams, of the United States, reacts after losing a point
only the matches on Ashe back into the tunnel before ena Williams taking on to Elina Svitolina, of Ukraine, during the second round of the US
and Louis Armstrong Sta- he could get it to her, so he 17-year-old American Caty Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019, in New
York.
dium, which also has a re- eventually dropped it off McNally.q Associated Press
tractable roof, were able next to her seat.
to be played in the early Williams then came back
afternoon. to take a 3-0 lead to start
The covered conditions the second.
were no help at the start But having to save four
to Federer, though he break points for a tough
couldn't quite explain why. hold in that third game
"I don't have an answer to seemed to take something
you," he said. "It's just poor out of the 39-year-old Wil-
ball striking in the begin- liams, as Svitolina came
ning." right back to take five
No. 5 seed Elina Svitolina straight games for a 5-3
beat two-time U.S. Open lead.
champion Venus Williams "I had to stay very focused,"
6-4, 6-4 on Armstrong. Oth- Svitolina said.
er winners included No. 3 "I was expecting that she
Karolina Pliskova, who beat would raise her level."
qualifier Mariam Bolkvadze Williams did, fighting off five
6-1, 6-4; and Kei Nishkori, match points in a 22-point
the 2014 men's runner-up game to hold her serve
at the U.S. Open who beat before Svitolina eventu-
Bradley Klahn 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, ally ended it on her sixth
7-5. chance, improving to 13-3
Federer had a night match in Grand Slam matches this
on the opening day of the season.
tournament, dropping the All doubles matches were
first set against qualifier canceled Wednesday
Sumit Nagal before win- and plenty else had to be
ning in four sets. It was an- adjusted because of the
other slow start Wednes- weather.
day against Dzumhur, Nishikori, a finalist at Flush-
whose No. 99 ranking was ing Meadows in 2014, re-
just good enough for direct lied on his strong baseline
entry into the final major of retrieving game against
the season. the hard-serving Klahn, a
Federer, winner of a men's former NCAA champion at
record 20 Grand Slam sin- Stanford. But Nishikori ap-
gles titles, was a little frus- peared to struggle at times,
trated but not entirely sur- getting only half his first
prised. serves in and throwing in
"I mean, look, I got exact- a double fault on a break
ly what I expected from point to help Klahn come
both guys," Federer said. "I back from 5-1 down to tie
knew what Nagal was go- the fourth set. Four match
ing to give me. I knew what points slipped away down
Dzumhur was going to give the stretch before Nishikori