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SPORTS Monday 4 February 2019

Italy’s Sandra Robatscher celebrates winning the women’s
single luge World Cup race in Altenberg, Germany, Sunday,
Feb. 3, 2019. Due to the weather conditions the 2nd run was
cancelled.
Associated Press
Robatscher wins

snow-shortened luge Sergey Kovalev, left, hits Eleider Alvarez during a WBO light heavyweight title boxing match, early

World Cup event Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019, in Frisco, Texas. Associated Press

ALTENBERG, Germany (AP) al in any World Cup sliding Kovalev gets WBO title back
— Sandra Robatscher of sport this season. from Alvarez, rolling in rematch
Italy got the first World The snow also forced the
Cup luge victory of her ca- cancellation of the team
reer on Sunday, winning a relay.
race that was shortened to There are two World Cup By SCHUYLER DIXON an trainer Buddy McGirt. “I a strong right-left combi-
one run because of heavy weekends left on the luge AP Sports Writer saved my energy and I’m nation that seemed to sap
snowfall. circuit this season: at Ober- FRISCO, Texas (AP) — happy. We worked on the Alvarez of what energy he
Robatscher, the niece of hof, Germany, next week- Sergey Kovalev made it jab. Always my jab and my had left.
Italian luge great Armin end and then on the 2014 through the seventh round right hand.” At one point in the later
Zoeggeler, beat German Sochi Olympic track in just fine in his attempt to Two judges had Kovalev rounds, Alvarez kept glanc-
star Natalie Geisenberger Krasnaya Polyana, Russia, take back the WBO light ahead 116-112. The third ing at the video boards,
by about one-tenth of a on Feb. 23-24. heavyweight champion- judge didn’t give Alvarez apparently trying to see
second. Kiki Bertens of Netherlands ship he lost to Eleider Alva- (24-1) a single round, scor- how much time remained
Viktoriia Demchenko of returns the ball to Donna rez six months ago. ing it 120-108 in the 34-year- in the round.
Russia was third, grabbing Vekic of Croatia during The Russian left little doubt old Colombian’s first loss. Instead of more doubt
the bronze by six-thou- the St. Petersburg Ladies in the final round. Kovalev (33-3-1) was the about his boxing future,
sandths of a second over Trophy-2019 tennis tour- Kovalev controlled the aggressor from the be- which crept in after the
Emily Sweeney of the Unit- nament final match in pace throughout the fight, ginning, and eventually loss last summer, Kovalev
ed States. St.Petersburg, Russia, Sun- finishing with a flurry in the landed 213 of 860 punches awaits his next opponent.
It was Italy’s first gold med- day, Feb. 3, 2019.q 12th round and winning the compared to 111 out of There was no clear indica-
rematch in a unanimous 369 for Alvarez. tion who that might be.
decision early Sunday. According to the television “He adjusted well,” McGirt
Bertens beats Vekic to win The 35-year-old, who had broadcast, Alvarez’s cor- said. “He stuck to the game

the first three losses of his ner told him after the 10th plan more than I anticipat-
St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy career in his previous five round that he would need ed he would, but I kept re-
fights, pushed through a a knockout to keep the minding him to keep it ba-
couple of moments of fa- belt. He never got close. sic, keep it basic. I thought
and force a tiebreaker. tigue like those that seemed Kovalev even had an ex- it was close, but I felt he
Eighth-seeded Vekic saved to affect him in the defeat clamation point, landing won.”
three match points in the that cost him the title in the a punishing right hand just In what amounted to a
second set before Bertens 175-pound division. before the final bell. co-main event on Satur-
closed out the match for In that loss to Alvarez in “I have no excuses,” Alva- day night, Oscar Valdez
her eighth career title. Atlantic City, New Jer- rez said through a transla- defended his WBO feather-
The win continued Bertens’ sey, last summer, Kovalev tor. “I knew he would be weight title with a seventh-
emergence as a more ver- was ahead on all three the favorite if it went to a round technical knockout
satile player. Until she beat scorecards when he was decision. I don’t see myself of Carmine Tommasone.
Simona Halep to win the
Associated Press Cincinnati Open in August, dropped three times in the as a loser tonight, but he The two-time Mexican
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) Bertens had never reached seventh round. won the fight.” Olympian caught Tomma-
No such trouble this time One of Alvarez’s best blows sone with a right uppercut
— Kiki Bertens won her third a WTA final on any surface in a fight that started two was a right hand in the sev- to the jaw.
title in six months on Sun- other than clay, but she minutes before midnight enth, but this time it was in The blow dropped the Ital-
day, beating Donna Vekic has now won three straight in the indoor football sta- the final seconds. Kovalev ian and the fight was called
7-6 (2), 6-4 in the final of hard-court finals. dium that’s part of team didn’t have any trouble nine seconds into the sev-
the St. Petersburg Ladies Bertens’ current ranking headquarters for the Dallas getting to the bell and had enth round in Valdez’s first
Trophy. Second-seeded of eighth is the best for a Cowboys. time to regroup going into bout since sustaining a
Bertens came back from Dutch woman since Betty “They stopped me from the eighth. broken jaw in a successful
5-2 down in the first set to Stove, who reached No. 5 overtraining,” Kovalev said Kovalev took control for title defense against Scott
win four straight games in 1977.q of the group led by veter- good in the 10th, landing Quigg last March.q