Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Saturday 3 November 2018

Djokovic and Federer win to set up Paris Masters semifinal

By JEROME PUGMIRE defending champion Jack
AP Sports Writer Sock 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
PARIS (AP) — Novak The Austrian served out the
Djokovic remains on course match and clinched vic-
for a fifth Paris Masters title tory on his first match point
after beating Marin Cilic when Sock hit a big fore-
4-6, 6-2, 6-3 on Friday to set hand long.
up a semifinal against Rog- “I’m in the semifinals of a
er Federer. Masters 1000 only for the
Federer advanced to their fourth time,” Thiem said.
47th career meeting by “It means a lot for me be-
beating Kei Nishikori 6-4, cause I didn’t do too well
6-4, his sixth straight win in the previous years in this
against the Japanese play- part of the season. So it’s
er. something really special to
Chasing his 100th career reach the semifinals.”
title after winning the Swiss Thiem broke the American
Indoors last Sunday, the 20- in the fifth game of the third
time Grand Slam champi- set, and then showed good
on was hardly troubled. He composure to save two
saved a break point with break points of his own at
a sharp volley at the net 15-40 in the eighth game.
when serving for the set at “We always have to be
5-4 and then broke Nishikori aware of getting broken
at the start of the second here. Somehow a lot of
set to take firm control. breaks are happening,”
Federer has won this tour- Roger Federer of Switzerland returns the ball to Kei Nishikori of Japan during their quarterfinal Thiem said. “It’s a little
nament only once, back in match of the Paris Masters tennis tournament at the Bercy Arena in Paris, France, Friday, Nov. 2, bit comfortable to return
2011, and has not played 2018. here.”
here since 2015. He was Associated Press The sixth-seeded Thiem,
given a huge ovation by on his serve for much of the the second set and did not “It was a very intense meanwhile, next faces un-
the crowd after his win. first set. look back. match,” Djokovic said. “I seeded Karen Khachanov
Now he has to find a way Cilic had chances to break In the third set, a Cilic cross- was kind of going up and of Russia in their first career
past Djokovic, the Wimble- him in the fifth and seventh court forehand winner saw down. I’m really pleased to meeting. Zverev had treat-
don and U.S. Open cham- games and finally did so in him break a for 2-1 lead. overcome this kind of chal- ment on his right shoul-
pion who has beaten Fe- the ninth when Djokovic hit Djokovic broke his racket in lenge.” der late in the first set and
derer in their past three a backhand long. frustration and then broke It was also Djokovic’s 21st made a string of unforced
meetings and leads him 24- An ace gave Cilic set Cilic straight back, after consecutive win since los- errors. He took exception
22 overall. point and he took it when which the momentum shift- ing to Stefanos Tsitsipas in to some comments made
Djokovic, who is guaran- Djokovic sent a backhand ed back in his favor as Cilic the third round of the Rog- in Khachanov’s box and
teed to take the No. 1 rank- wide. lost to him for the 16th time ers Cup in August. spoke to his opponent at
ing on Monday, struggled Djokovic broke for 3-1 in in 18 meetings. Earlier, Dominic Thiem beat the end of the first set.q

Peter Uihlein shoots 66 to take 2-shot lead in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Peter Ui- about the course. “There Champ had a 65 in the
hlein birdied five of the last are a lot of holes that set group with Spieth to also
seven holes for a 5-under up well for me. A lot of just get to 8 under.
66 and a two-stroke lead good sightlines with some Champ won the Sanderson
Friday in the Shriners Hospi- good bunker placements. Farms last week in Mississip-
tals For Children Open. My distance control with pi for his first tour title. Rickie
Uihlein got to 13-under 129 my irons has been very Fowler was 7 under after a
at TPC Summerlin, a day good this week, so I’ve 67.
after opening with a 63. been able to have a kind of DIVOTS: Jim Furyk missed
Robert Streb and Whee more stress-free two days.” the cut with rounds of 71
Kim were tied for second, The son of Acushnet/Titleist and 72 in his return after
and Bryson DeChambeau, chairman and CEO Wally captaining the losing U.S.
Abraham Ancer and Har- Uihlein, the 29-year-old Ryder Cup team. ... Hall of
old Varner were another former Oklahoma State Famer Davis Love III was 5
stroke back. “I think we still player is winless on the PGA under after a 67. Love won
have 36 holes,” Uihlein said. Tour. He won the 2010 U.S. the event in 1993, the year
“There is a lot of golf left. Peter Uihlein tees off on the 18th hole during the second round of Amateur, took the Euro- Spieth was born. He lost in
I’ve heard it could be windy the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open golf tournament at TPC pean Tour’s 2013 Madeira a playoff in 1996 to Tiger
tomorrow, so that could be at Summerlin in Las Vegas on Friday, Nov. 2, 2018. Islands Open and the Web. Woods, the first of 80 tour
challenging.” Jordan Spi- Associated Press com Tour’s 2017 Nation- victories for Woods. ... Fred-
eth had two late birdies in career start in a domestic par-4 second and a birdie wide Children’s Hospital die Jacobson shot 73-70 to
a 68 to get to 8 under in his fall event on the par-4 fourth. On the Championship. miss the cut in his return from
season debut. Playing for Uihlein was even par for back nine, he birdied Nos. Kim shot 65, DeCham- hand surgery. He played
the first time since the Ry- the round through 11 holes, 12-14, 16 and 18. beau, Streb and Ancer 66, for the first time since the
der Cup, he making his first making a bogey on the “I just like it,” Uihlein said and Varner 67. Cameron 2017 Byron Nelson..q