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SPORTS Wednesday 13 March 2019

In this June 9, 2017, file photo, Houston Astros pitcher Francis
Martes waits to warm up before a baseball against the Los An-
geles Angeles in Houston.
Associated Press
Astros pitcher Martes Naomi Osaka, of Japan, returns a shot to Danielle Collins at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tourna-
ment Monday, March 11, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif.
Associated Press
suspended for 80 Osaka wins, Djokovic match

games for drug test delayed by rain at Indian Wells

NEW YORK (AP) — Injured jor league debut that June.
Houston Astros pitcher He was 5-2 with a 5.80 ERA INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) She began this year win- with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over
Francis Martes has been in four starts and 28 relief — Naomi Osaka rolled past ning the Australian Open qualifier Christina McHale.
suspended for 80 games appearances for the As- Danielle Collins 6-4, 6-2 in and moving to the top of Williams is seeking her 50th
following a positive test for tros, striking out 69 and the third round of the BNP the rankings. After that tri- career WTA Tour title in the
the banned performance- walking 31 in 54 1/3 innings. Paribas Open on Monday umph, she fired her coach desert, where she has nev-
enhancing drug Clomi- He made four starts last night, keeping the world's and lost in the first round in er won the event. And at
phene. April for Triple-A Fresno, No. 1 player on track to de- Dubai before taking on a 38, she's showing vintage
The anti-estrogen sub- hurt his elbow, and made fend her title. new coach, Jermaine Jen- form. "I don't really play
stance is used in fertil- a one-inning injury rehabili- Novak Djokovic, the top- kins. that often, so when I do, I
ity treatments and is em- tation appearance for the ranked men's player, held "It is different from last year, need to play well," she said.
ployed by men to acceler- Gulf Coast Astros on Aug. serve to win his open- but I think I am getting used "It's extra motivation for me
ate testosterone produc- 2. He had Tommy John sur- ing game against Philipp to it," Osaka said. "I have to play just a little bit better
tion. It is taken along with gery on Aug. 15 and was Kohlschreiber in their been practicing on Court 3 out there."
steroids to inhibit estrogen expected to miss most or night match. The German for the past few days, and Serena Williams, a two-time
problems. all of this season. owned the advantage I'm really grateful there is champion at Indian Wells,
Houston says in a state- Martes' suspension, an- on his serve in the second a lot of people that come retired from her match on
ment "we hope that Francis nounced Tuesday, was game before rain began out and watch. I try to sign Sunday because of a viral
can learn from this experi- the second this year un- falling. The match was later all of the signatures." illness. Ranked 36th in the
ence and that he returns to der the major league drug suspended for the night. Venus Williams is turning world, Venus Williams en-
have a successful career." program after Kansas City Collins struggled with back her own clock, mov- dured three sets in her first
A 23-year-old right-hander, pitcher Eric Skoglund. Nine her serve throughout the ing into the fourth round two matches. q
Martes was considered the players have been sus- match, committing seven
Astros' top prospect enter- pended this year under the double faults and connect-
ing 2017 and made his ma- minor league program.q ing on just 47 percent of her
Orioles' Davis goes first serves.
Osaka's first-serve percent-
age was 66 and she won
1 for 2 in return 70 percent of her first-serve
points.
"In the first set I was just re-
from hip injury ally flat-footed. I didn't feel
like I was moving well at
all," Osaka said. "Then I just
tried to really hype myself
TAMPA, Fla, (AP) — Chris games. up. My mindset was just to
Davis went 1 for 2 in his re- He took a called third strike keep trying to get my feet
turn from a strained left hip from Jonathan Loaisiga in moving and stay pumped
flexor as the designated the first and lined an oppo- up and positive."
hitter for the Baltimore Ori- site-field second-inning RBI Osaka won her first career
oles against the New York single to left off the right- title at Indian Wells a year
Yankees on Tuesday night. hander. Davis agreed to ago, propelling her to a
Coming off a dreadful sea- a $161 million, seven-year career-best year in which
son, Davis is 2 for 14 with contract with the Orioles in she defeated Serena Wil-
eight strikeouts in six spring January 2016.q liams for the U.S. Open title.