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SATURDAY JANUARY 5 2019 SPORT 65 Vekic picks up from where she left off last year

PAUL MALONE herself from a gossip-column phens twice last year, includ- avalanche at Pat Rafter her so she couldn’t play as But Vekic, who made the low point in 2015 when Nick ing at the WTA Tokyo Arena after beating world aggressively as she normally round of 16 at Wimbledon CROATIA’S Donna Vekic Kyrgios made unsavoury and tournament in which she No.9 Kiki Bertens in the pre- does.’’ last year, made only three un- has carried her vibrant 2018 unprovoked remarks about made the semi-finals by also vious round. Sasnovich, ranked No.30, forced errors in the 30-min- form into the new season, her in trying to goad her part- accounting for former top-10 “I played well last year and was runner-up at the 2018 ute first set at Rafter Arena winning a place in the Bris- ner Stan Wawrinka in a women Johanna Konta and then I did a really good off- International and and refused to let her op- bane International semi-fi- match. Caroline Garcia. season so the first week has turned the tables on defend- ponent back into the match. nals. Just 19 years of age then, Vekic yesterday buried Al- come together,’’ she said. ing champion Elina Svitolina Sasnovich won only two Vekic, the world No.34, is the Croatian beat 2017 US iaksandra Sasnovich, of Bela- “I am really happy with the in their second-round match points in her three service building quite a career for Open champion Sloane Ste- rus, 6-2, 6-0 in a quarter-final match. I took time away from this week. games of the second set. New boy our top chance: Rosewall

JAMIE PANDARAM point of view, you’re looking at Alex to do better than anybody has sur- else.” passed as Austra- After crashing out of the lia’s great hope because Brisbane International this Kyrgios “takes things easier”, week, Kyrgios will be unseeded legend Ken Rosewall has de- at the . clared. “Nick’s going to be a Rosewall praised de Min- dangerous floater,” Rosewall aur’s tenacity, a trait that has said. “The worst thing that can often been lacking throughout happen is if he draws one of Kyrgios’ career. the top seeded players in the Rosewall said world No.31 first round. de Minaur, who is now ranked “That’s a distinct possibility ahead of Kyrgios (No.35), is the and that would be bad for him. man to carry ’s flag “I mean, everyone would for hopes. like to support Nick more, I “Alex, he’s got a different think, because people enjoy approach to the game (than watching him play with his Nick), he’s very competitive, ability. he likes to play well every time “Just sometimes when he he plays,” Rosewall said. doesn’t give it 100 per cent ef- “The moment he steps on to fort, he upsets a lot of his fans.” the court, he’s 100 per cent, Kyrgios said last week he whereas Nick seems to have was sick of the travel involved Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, hits a return against Canada’s during their quarter-final at the Brisbane International Picture: AFP got into the habit where he in professional and even takes things a little bit easier. quipped: “If I was going to win “He said himself where he the Aus Open or something I Resilient Medvedev powers on to semi-final hasn’t been practising and I probably wouldn’t play for the think that will show later if he rest of the year.” gets involved in any long Rosewall said planning his PAUL MALONE 6-3, 6-4 to world No.16 begun each of his past five won respect on the ATP Tour matches. schedule would be key for Kyr- Medvedev. Australian summers in last year, starting it at No.84 “If he plays in Melbourne gios. “If you’re a tennis player RUSSIAN Daniil Medvedev Medvedev’s semi-final Brisbane. But Canada’s 2016 and eventually winning more and you get weather like this, you like our golfers, a lot of our yesterday ended Milos opponent tonight was to be Wimbledon runner-up will hardcourt matches, 38, in the best of five sets, even though best golfers live in America, Raonic’s six-year association either Australian Alex de take heart from an Australian season than any other man. you might get a day’s rest in they’ve got to be away from with the Brisbane Inter- Minaur, who he beat in last Open point of view in how he Meanwhile, Queenslanders between matches, I think it’s where they grew up, and the national in a tense three-set summer’s Sydney Inter- played strongly in his three John Millman and John- going to affect him. same with the tennis,” Rose- quarter-final. national final, or France’s matches in Brisbane after Patrick Smith lost their “He’s not going to be play- wall said. Raonic lost what is likely to former world No.5 Jo-Wilfried calling a halt to his 2018 season doubles semi-final to New ing strongly enough towards “A lot of tennis players have be his last Brisbane Tsonga. due to a torn triceps. Zealander Marcus Daniell and the end of the match. chosen to live in America, I International match, 6-7 (2-7), A disconsolate Raonic has Medvedev, 22, gained hard- Dutchman Wesley Koolhoff. “So, from an Australian never did.” Djoker warns his rivals Raising the roof for stars WORLD No.1 Novak Djokov- hours. Djokovic will play IT’S the roof set to deliver Rafa been in dire need of a roof and ic won another gruelling battle Spain’s and Roger. the NSW Government has de- in Doha to continue his un- in the semi-final, who beat A $50.5 million upgrade to livered, with work to begin im- beaten start to the year and three-time Grand Slam winner the Ken Rosewall Arena (pic- mediately after the Sydney progress to the Qatar Open Stan Wawrinka in straight sets tured) that includes a canopy International that finishes semi-finals. 6-4, 6-4. roof to hold out the heat and next week, and the roof is ex- The Serb came from a set And, ominously, for his op- rain is set to revamp the Aus- pected to be in place by No- down, just like in his previous ponents said he still plenty of tralian summer schedule and vember. match, to beat Georgia’s Ni- room for improvement. “I feel I land Sydney the biggest male That means Sydney will be koloz Basilashvili 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 have a gear or two (to go) up players from next year. in prime position to win its bid in a match lasting almost two still,” Djokovic said. The Rosewall Arena has for the ATP Cup next January.

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