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SPORTS Saturday 23 February 2019

France’s Alexis Pinturault celebrates at the finish area of an
alpine ski, men’s World Cup combined, in Bansko, Bulgaria,
Friday, Feb. 22, 2019.
Associated Press
World champion

Pinturault wins season- Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic celebrates after winning over Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina during their

long combined title women’s singles semifinals match of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship in Dubai, United
Arab Emirates, Friday, Feb. 22, 2019.
Associated Press
BANSKO, Bulgaria (AP) — back to Austria for medical
Alexis Pinturault added the checks later Friday. Bencic tops 2-time Dubai champ
season-long World Cup title The runner-up in the stand-
in Alpine combined Friday ings, Victor Muffat-Jeandet Elina Svitolina; Kvitova in final
to the world championship of France, didn’t finish his
title he won 11 days ago. slalom run and also failed DUBAI, United Arab Emir- Petra Kvitova, in Saturday’s month. Kvitova was the
The Frenchman won the to score points. ates (AP) — As Belinda Ben- final. runner-up in Melbourne.
discipline’s season-ending Pinturault acknowledged cic fell into a dangerous “I kind of like these dramat- Bencic is having quite a
race after his main rival, he changed his tactics af- deficit in the Dubai Cham- ic matches,” Bencic said run in Dubai. She saved
Marco Schwarz of Austria, ter Schwarz went out and pionships semifinals, she with a laugh after erasing six match points against
picked up an injury in the other rivals failed to put threw her racket and yelled a 5-3 hole in the third set eighth-seeded Aryna Sa-
super-G portion and was pressure on him. at herself. One game from against No. 6 seed Svito- balenka in the third round,
forced to skip the slalom. “After the super-G I knew losing to two-time defend- lina. “I don’t know why.” then came back after
“I am really happy but also there were no real con- ing champ Elina Svitolina, Kvitova advanced to her dropping the opening set
a little bit disappointed be- tenders,” he said. “I had to Bencic was about to do third final of 2019 by edging to beat third-seeded Si-
cause Marco got injured,” control my skiing. The main what she’s been doing all Hsieh Su-wei 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. mona Halep in the quarter-
Pinturault said. “I wanted point was to finish my (sla- week: getting out of trou- The No. 2-seeded Kvitova finals.
to have a great fight. This is lom) run.” ble and coming back to picked up her tour-high So it really wasn’t anything
bad news. It is a really hap- Pinturault, the 2018 Olym- win. 17th victory of 2019. new when Bencic broke
py end for me but I think pic silver medalist, has now Bencic stopped Svitolina’s Bencic, a 21-year-old from while Svitolina served for
also about Marco.” won five season titles in Al- bid for a third consecutive Switzerland, is seeking her their match at 5-4 in the
Schwarz, who was lead- pine combined, matching title at the hard-court tour- third career title. Kvitova is third, then ran away with
ing the combined stand- the World Cup record set nament Friday by beating trying to win her 27th; she is the tiebreaker, ending the
ings after winning the only by Kjetil Andre Aamodt of her 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (3). 26-8 in finals. match with a backhand
previous race in Wengen Norway 17 years ago. The 45th-ranked Bencic Kvitova has won all three lob winner on the run.
last month, hurt his left The Frenchman is now also won her third match in a previous matchups be- “I feel like I’ve been playing
knee after landing a jump the only male skier to win at row after trailing against a tween the two players in better when I’m 3-5 down.
shortly before the super-G least one combined event top-10 opponent and now straight sets, including a 6-1, So probably I should try
finish. The Austrian ski team in seven consecutive World will face yet another, two- 6-4 win in the third round of (that in my) next match, as
said Schwarz would travel Cup seasons.q time Wimbledon champion the Australian Open last well,” Bencic joked. q

Suzuki starts likely last spring

opener with a hit for M’s

By JACK THOMPSON ing left field, Suzuki fouled ing series on March 20-21
Associated Press out in the second inning in Tokyo. A 10-time All-Star
PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Ichiro against Liam Hendriks and who won the AL Rookie of
Suzuki still felt the nerves of singled in the third off left- the Year and MVP awards
competition at age 45. hander Ryan Buchter. Su- in 2001, Suzuki spent his first
Suzuki started what may zuki then was replaced by 12 major league seasons in
be his final spring training a pinch runner. He did not Seattle, went on to play for
with a two-run, two-out have any chances in the the New York Yankees and
single in the third inning field. The Cactus League Miami. then returned last Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki warms up in the
Friday of the Seattle Mari- opener, delayed a day season. He hit .205 in 44 outfield before the second inning of a spring training baseball
ners’ opening 8-1 win over by Thursday’s rainout, was at-bats before moving to game against the Oakland Athletics, Friday, Feb. 22, 2019, in
the Oakland Athletics. between the teams that a front-office role in early Peoria, Ariz.
Batting seventh and play- meet in the season’s open- May. q Associated Press