SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2015 SPORTS Serena calendar Slam dream ends

NEW YORK: saw her dream of a calen- Federer today, warned that the defeat might make dar year title sweep shattered in stunning Williams tougher. fashion Friday as ’s shocked the “Certainly isn’t easy for Serena to deal with this world number one to reach the US Open final. Vinci loss today, but she’s a great champion,” Djokovic said. battled back for an epic upset of the three-time “She has been there before. She knows how to take defending champion 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, ending Williams’ 33- the lessons out of this experience and move on as a match Grand Slam win streak. stronger player.” In Saturday’s final, world number 43 Vinci will Pennetta and Vinci become only the third and face 26th-seeded compatriot -who fourth Italian women in a Slam final after Francesca upset Romania’s second-ranked 6-1, Schiavone won the 2010 final and lost in 6-3 — in the first all-Italian Grand Slam women’s 2011 and lost the 2012 final at Roland final in the Open Era. “I think she played out of her Garros. Pennetta, who took just 59 minutes to dis- mind. I don’t think I played that bad. I think she just patch Halep, leads Vinci 5-4 in career meetings. “It’s played really well,” said Williams. “She played the amazing,” Pennetta said. “I didn’t think to be so far in best of her career.” the tournament. I played really well. I tried to play It was a shocking end to Williams’ run at not only a every match the best I can from the first one, don’t sweep of the year’s four major titles, a feat that hasn’t worry about the draw and focus on the things I have been done since ’s 1988 effort, but her bid to do on the court. And here I am.” for a 22nd Grand Slam title to match Graf’s Open Era Williams, who fell to 53-3 this year, broke Vinci career record and a take a fifth Slam crown in a row. three times in taking the first set after only 31 minutes. “I don’t want to talk about how disappointing it is Williams fell behind triple break point in the first game for me,” said Williams in a brief post-match news con- of the second set but held. ference. That left it for her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, Vinci reached triple break point again in the fifth to sum up the failure. game and Williams, after her ninth and 10th aces of “The pressure of this tournament was enormous the match, fired a wide to surrender the and this was a match which she managed less well break and a 3-2 lead. Vinci held from there to force a than the others,” he said. “After her career, what we will third set. remember isn’t that she didn’t win the Grand Slam. We After breaking for a 2-0 lead, Williams double fault- will say that she is the greatest champion of all time.” ed away a break to Vinci in the next game. She yelled Vinci was overjoyed by her shock win. “It’s an between points often after falling behind to start the incredible moment for me,” Vinci said. “It’s like a dream. fifth game, in which she held. I’m in the final. I beat Serena. It’s an amazing moment. “I was just trying to win points and win the match,” It’s incredible. “It’s I think the best moment of my life.” Williams said. Vinci broke to 4-3 when Williams swat- Vinci apologized to the crowd for ending Williams’ ted a forehand long, then denied Williams had two Grand Slam sweep dream. “Sorry for the American break points in the eighth game and held for a 5-3 people, for Serena, for the Grand Slam and everything. edge. Williams held but could not threaten Vinci in the Today is my day. Sorry guys.” last game, falling after two hours on the Italian’s fore- Vinci, 32, said she never thought to win after losing hand drop winner. four prior matches against Williams without taking a Pennetta, 33, broke Halep in the fourth game set. “No, really, it’s true,” she said. “When I wake up, I say, and again in the sixth when the Romanian netted a ‘I have a semi final today. I play Serena. Try to enjoy.’ I forehand on the way to taking the first set in 28 min- didn’t expect that I win.” utes. She broke four times in the second set, a fore- Men’s world number one , who will hand winner capping her fourth win in five tries over NEW YORK: Serena Williams reacts after losing a point to Roberta Vinci, of Italy, during a semifinal match at the US Open seek his third Slam title of the year against Roger Halep. —AFP tennis tournament. —AP Federer, Djokovic in dream US Open final

NEW YORK: reached his first US Open final in six years Friday, where will face world number one Novak Djokovic in the 42nd round of their heavyweight rivalry. Five-time champion Federer, 34, bidding to become the oldest New York champion since 1970, swept past Swiss compatriot 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 Djokovic, the 2011 champion, booked a place in the final for the sixth time with a record 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 rout of defending champion Marin Cilic in the most one-sided US Open semi-final of the modern era. Sunday’s clash will be a rematch of July’s NEW YORK: Pierre-Hugues Herbert (right) of France and of France Wimbledon final, where Djokovic triumphed to hold up the men’s doubles championship trophy after beating of claim his ninth career Grand Slam crown. Australia and Jamie Murray, of the United Kingdom, in the men’s doubles final. —AP Federer, the holder of 17 majors but without a Grand Slam title since Wimbledon in 2012, will Mahut, Herbert win take a 21-20 career edge over Djokovic into the championship match, having won their last duel in Cincinnati in August. doubles crown The Swiss legend was imperious against Wawrinka and his victory means he has not dropped a set since the Wimbledon final, a per- NEW YORK: Frenchmen Nicolas Mahut and last 2 1/2 years. We’ll try our best to keep going fect stretch of 28 sets, as he reached a seventh Pierre-Hugues Herbert won the US Open men’s and get across the line.” Both Mahut and Herbert US Open final. doubles crown yesterday with a 6-4, 6-4 victory reached an ATP singles final this year as a qualifier, “I’m very happy. It’s been a great tourna- over Britain’s Jamie Murray and Australian John Herbert losing at Winston-Salem and Mahut win- ment so far, I have tried very hard in the last six Peers. Mahut and Herbert, run- ning at ‘s-Hertogenbosch. years to get back to the final and tonight it ners-up earlier this year, won their first Grand Slam Herbert was 0-4 at Slams before teaming up worked,” Federer said after his 92-minute win doubles crown and became the first all-French with Mahut at this year’s Australian Open and they sealed by a 10th ace. duo to capture a US Open men’s doubles title. are 14-3 since. “It feels actually great,” Herbert said. “I am playing at a good level, possibly my “I’m kind of speechless now,” Mahut said. “We “I’m really so happy to win a Grand Slam.” Murray best. I am serving very well, going for my shots. were working so hard for so many years to win was 9-23 in majors before partnering with Peers at “I’d love for it to keep working for one more this kind of tournament. We said before the the and they have gone 23-10 match.” Federer is the oldest finalist in a Slam match, ‘Let’s go for it,’ and we did.” Murray, the since. “It has been a lot of fun but unfortunately since 35-year-old at the 2005 US brother of former US Open champion Andy we didn’t do it today,” Peers said. Other than US Open, which the Swiss star won. Today, he will Murray, and Peers suffered another near miss, hav- siblings Bob and , Murray and Peers are face Djokovic for the sixth time this year-all ing lost the Wimbledon final in July. “Starting to the first team since and Nenad have been in finals. know what Andy felt like for a long time,” Murray Zimonjic to reach consecutive Slam men’s dou- “Novak has had a tremendous year. There’s a NEW YORK: Roger Federer, of Switzerland, returns a shot to Stan Wawrinka, of said, a reference to his brother losing his first four bles final since the . lot on the line. He could win his third Slam of Switzerland, during a semifinal match at the US Open tennis tournament. —AP Grand Slam singles finals before breaking through The French duo had won their only prior meet- the year while I can win my first for some time. for his first major win at the 2012 US Open. ing with Murray and Peers in a ‘s-Hertogenbosch “He’s the best mover on hard courts. He will be “A lot of hard work has gone into the team the semi-final earlier this year. —AFP tough to beat but I am ready for the challenge,” “It’s never easy knowing that your opponent against Cilic. “I haven’t been 100 percent with said Federer, the champion from 2004-2008 is not 100 percent but I had to show good my ankle and Novak exposed it more than any and runner-up to Juan Martin del Potro in 2009. intensity and stick to my game plan.” “It’s a other player,” said Cilic. Federer was defeated by Wawrinka in their great achievement to reach the finals of all four “I thought about not playing but I decided Aru climbs to the last clash in the French Open quarter-finals in majors in the same year for the first time. It’s to play as it is a Grand Slam tournament. June, when his compatriot went on to the title. where you want to do your best.” Anywhere else I would have pulled out so as It was just one of three losses against 16 It was Djokovic’s 14th win in 14 meetings not to aggravate it.” —AFP brink of victory wins with all three setbacks coming on clay. Federer converted the only break point he carved out in the opening set to lead 2-1 and CERCEDILLA: Italian Fabio Aru is on the verge of what I have done. “This is a great sport and this is saved three when Wawrinka threatened in the Ogier has one hand sealing his first Grand Tour win after he moved a great result for us.” Aru was well-flanked by his sixth game. into the lead of Spain’s Vuelta yesterday with just Astana teammates as Dumoulin’s inability to stay The 30-year-old Wawrinka had to save five today’s parade around Madrid to come. with the stronger climbers was finally exposed on break points to nip ahead 3-2 in second set, Spain’s Ruben Plaza won the 175.8km stage the penultimate climb of the stage up the Puerto on world title three from 0-40 down. But he cracked in his from San Lorenzo de El Escorial to Cercedilla de la Morcuera as he finished nearly four minutes next service game as Federer broke for 4-3 and thanks to a remarkable solo breakaway ride from down on Aru. —AFP again in the ninth game, when he was broken COFFS HARBOUR: Frenchman Sebastien Andreas Mikkelsen of Norway 9.1 sec- 114km out, ahead of Portugal’s Jose Goncalves to love and Federer opened a two-sets lead and Italian Alessandro de Marchi respectively. Ogier has one hand on the World Rally onds off the leading time. having won 16 of the last 17 points. Championship title after grabbing a nar- Meeke seized the lead in his Citroen Aru started the day six seconds behind Tom Federer was unstoppable now, breaking the Dumoulin, but the Dutch rider finally cracked on row lead over Northern Irishman Kris after consistent performances on the first outclassed Wawrinka in the fourth and sixth Meeke on the second day of Rally two stages, both won by New Zealander the four category one climbs on the penultimate games on his way to his 27th Grand Slam final. Australia yesterday. Ogier, driving a Hayden Paddon, who is in fifth placed stage as his hopes of even a place on the podium Djokovic’s rout of Cilic was the most lop- were ended as he slipped down to sixth. sided semi-final of the Open Era at the tourna- Volkswagen Polo, heads into Sunday’s overall, 19.1 seconds behind the leader. Spain’s Joaquim Rodriguez and Poland’s Rafal ment, beating ’s 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 final five stages with a 0.3 second lead Latvala slipped from the lead after he Majka look set to complete the podium in second defeat of Yevgeny Kafelnikov in 2001. over Meeke, who led the rally until the admitted to being too cautious on the and third respectively. Aru finished second at the Djokovic has now reached the finals of all final night stage. opening stages. Ogier began to show his Giro d’Italia earlier this year and had been given four majors this year, winning the Australian Overnight leader Jari-Matti Latvala dominance as he won the third stage to the freedom to lead his Astana team once Open and Wimbledon titles and finishing run- faded to third place, 2.6 seconds behind close to within 2.6 seconds of Meeke. Vincenzo Nibali had been disqualified for being ner-up to Wawrinka in Paris. his French teammate with his hopes of He then drove superbly to overtake towed by a team car on stage two. “This victory is Today’s final will be his 16th in the last 21 winning the 2015 title now hanging by a Meeke on the final stage and put himself for my team, it’s not just about me. All the Vuelta Grand Slams and 18th overall, tying the record thread. in prime position to take his third Rally they have been working very hard,” he told of Pete Sampras. It took Djokovic just 85 min- Ogier has a commanding lead over Australia title in as many years. Ogier said Eurosport. “(Dario) Cataldo, (Mikel) Landa, Luis utes to see off Cilic, whose hopes were under- Latvala and only needs to finish in front the lingering dust was a problem on the Leon Sanchez have given everything. We started mined by an ankle injury. The ninth seeded of the Finn to take his third consecutive final stage. “I was worried about the dust this Vuelta with our difficulties, but we worked to Croatian committed 37 unforced errors and world title. near the beginning but it was okay,” he be united. We motivated each other all the time, took just 13 points off the Djokovic serve. and that gave us strength. In a thrilling race around the New said.”Not a good stage for me though- “Marin has had an ankle injury for a few days South Wales town of Coffs Harbour the still a lot of dust on the road. “I expected “The public enjoyed a great battle. Even SPAIN: Astana’s Italian cyclist Fabio Aru now so he was very courageous to come out though I was tired, I gave my best. Sometimes you top four drivers are separated by less it would be cleaner. I didn’t find the opti- competes during the 20th Stage of the and finish the match,” said Djokovic, who will than 10 seconds, with fourth placed mal rhythm so I was not flat out.”—AFP win, sometimes the results don’t come your way, 2015 Vuelta Espana cycling tour. —AFP be chasing a 10th Grand Slam title today. but you just have to keep fighting and that is