SPORTS SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 2014 Williams shrugs off slow Thunder start, wins Miami opener overwhelm Sharapova eases past Nara Cavaliers MIAMI: World number one Serena Williams overcame a wobbly CLEVELAND: Kevin Durant scored 35 points and start to open the defense of her Sony Open crown with a spirited Serge Ibaka had 16 as the Oklahoma City Thunder 7-6(9-7) 6-2 win over Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova on held off a furious Cleveland comeback for a 102-95 Thursday. Fourth seeded Russian Maria Sharapova, who lost to win over the injury-riddled Cavaliers on Thursday. Williams in last year’s final, turned in a steady opening effort The Thunder won their 50th game of the season to after a shock third round exit at Indian Wells last week, brushing move within 11/2 games of San Antonio for the best past Japan’s Kurumi Nara 6-3 6-4. record in the NBA’s Western Conference. Durant A six-time winner on the Miami hardcourts, Williams’ second round meeting with the 59th-ranked Shvedova was expected to missed five of his first six shots, but the league’s top be little more than a tuneup for the 17-time grand slam winner scorer finally found his touch. He has scored 25 or but for a brief moment the match delivered some unexpected more in 33 straight games - the NBA’s second- suspense. “She was doing a little bit of everything,” Williams told longest streak since Michael Jordan did it 40 consec- reporters. “She was hitting hard; she was hitting soft; she was utive times (1986-87). Three teams jockeying for doing a little bit of everything. “I was making a little more errors playoff position in the tight Western Conference than what I should have been making, what I should’ve made, also got victories. The Houston Rockets, currently in and that kind of threw me for a loop, as well. “She was up a fourth place, got 28 points from James Harden in a break (in the first set) and I started just really trying to fight to 129-106 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. make the shots. Turkish center Omer Asik started in his place of “And then when she was serving for the first set I really just injured Dwight Howard, who has an a strained left tried to be more Serena like.” The contest began with Williams ankle, and scored 12 points as the Rockets won for seizing control 3-1 but Shvedova had a sparse centre court the seventh time in 10 games to maintain a 11/2- crowd buzzing after breaking the American twice on the way to game lead over the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland a 5-3 lead. But with Shvedova serving for the match, Williams also picked up a win Thursday, defeating the showed why she is the sport’s dominant player breaking her Washington Wizards 116-103. Wesley Matthews opponent and forcing the opening set to a tiebreak. In the had 28 points and Damian Lillard added 23 points tiebreak, Shvedova, who had never taken a set off Williams in and 10 assists for the Blazers, who remained in fifth three previous meetings, surged ahead 6-3 but then crumbled place with three victories in their last four games under the mounting pressure, double-faulting before the after a four-game losing streak. Golden State is just defending champion blasted a pair of aces past her. 11/2 games behind after a tougher-than-expected Williams then clinched the set in emphatic fashion, a crushing 115-110 victory over the NBA-worst Milwaukee forehand followed by an equally forceful fist-pump. After trading Bucks. Stephen Curry had 31 points and 11 assists breaks to open the second set, Shvedova would hold serve and Klay Thompson scored 29 as Golden State before a focused Williams moved in for the kill, sweeping the moved 18 games over .500 for the first time in 20 next five games to secure passage to the next round. “It’s defi- years. The Warriors are in sixth place in the West, nitely going to help, knowing that I was able to pull that through KEY BISCAYNE: Serena Williams of the USA celebrates win- 21/2 games ahead of Memphis and Dallas with 12 after being down pretty drastically,” said Williams, will next face ning a point against Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan dur- games left. Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia who advanced to the third round ing their match on day 4 of the Sony Open on March 20, 2014. — AFP with a 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-3) upset of 27th seed Klara Zakopalova of ROCKETS 129, TIMBERWOLVES 106 the Czech Republic. son, narrowly avoided an early exit and needed a third set tie- James Harden had 28 points with eight assists as A five-time runnerup in Miami, Sharapova has her sights firm- break to tame China’s Peng Shuai 6-3 1-6 7-6 (7-5). Eighth seed- Houston rolled to victory over Minnesota. The ly set on finally making the Miami’s winner’s circle but will not ed Czech Petra Kvitova advanced with a straight-forward 6-3 6-4 Rockets trailed by as many as 10 before using a big face a re-match in the final against Williams, with both on the win over Argentine Paula Ormaechea. Italy’s Sara Errani, the same side of the draw. “Obviously I have been close, and I have run in the second quarter to take the lead. Turkish ninth seed, eased past Austrian Patricia Mayr-Achleitner 6-1 6-4. center Omer Asik started in his place of injured had my fair share of chances of winning the tournament,” said Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic, seeded 12th, raced into the third round Sharapova. “Obviously I’m still looking for that. “But with that Dwight Howard, who has an a strained left ankle, with a 6-1 6-1 demolition of American Lauren Davis while Italy’s and scored 12 points as the Rockets won for the sev- said, I have had really great experiences, great matches with her, Flavia Pennetta, riding the momentum from her BNP Parisbas enth time in 10 games. Kevin Love scored 29 points and it would be really special if I could win it, for sure. “I expect Open win at Indian Wells on Sunday, moved on with a 6-3 6-3 and Senegalese rookie Gorgui Dieng had 22 points to win because I have won before. I have won tournaments win over Belarusian Olga Govortsova. Former US Open champi- before.” It was smooth passage for all the top 10 seeds in action. on Sam Stosur of Australia, the 16th seed, was an easy 6-3-6-2 and 21 rebounds, both career-highs. Fifth seeded German Angelique Kerber, twice a finalist this sea- winner over Netherlands’ Kiki Bertens. — Reuters TRAIL BLAZERS 116, WIZARDS 103 Wesley Matthews had 28 points, including four 3- pointers, as Portland beat Washington. Damian Nieminen beats Tomic Lillard added 23 points and 10 assists for the Blazers, who are still without injured All Star LaMarcus Aldridge. Portland remained in fifth place in the in record 28 minutes Western Conference with three victories in their last four games after a four-game losing streak. John MIAMI: Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen claimed the fastest ever ATP Tour 2011 Wimbledon quarter-finals at the age of 18, Tomic was booted off Wall had 24 points and 14 assists for the Wizards, win on Thursday by crushing Australian Bernard Tomic 6-0 6-1 in 28 Australia’s Davis Cup team the following year for a perceived lack of who have lost two straight to open four-game West minutes and 20 seconds to advance to the second round of the Sony commitment in the wake of a string of late-season fade-outs. He Coast swing. Open. World number 74 Tomic had not played since retiring injured earned the nickname ‘Tomic the Tank Engine’ after an infamous against Rafa Nadal in the Australian Open first round in January and straight sets loss to American Andy Roddick at the 2012 US Open WARRIORS 115, BUCKS 110 won just 13 points in the shortest match since the Tour began keeping where he was accused of not trying by former players and pundits. Stephen Curry had 31 points and 11 assists and official records in 1991. His career has since been overshadowed by his father and coach Klay Thompson scored 29 as Golden State moved 18 Nieminen’s win eclipsed the 1996 record set by Briton Greg John Tomic, who was found guilty by a Spanish court last year for games over .500 for the first time in 20 years. David Rusedski who defeated Carsten Arriens 6-0 6-0 at the Sydney assaulting a former practice partner and banned by the ATP from Lee added 22 points and 12 rebounds to help the International in 29 minutes. “I felt like I did the best that I could and I’m accreditation to his son’s events. Despite playing injured against Warriors win a tougher-than-expected game against happy with the way I’m coming back,” said 21-year-old Tomic, who Spanish world number one Rafa Nadal, Tomic was jeered by centre the NBA’s worst team. Golden State remains in sixth had hip surgery after Melbourne Park. “Hopefully in a little bit of time I court fans at his home grand slam when he pulled out the match after place in the tight Western Conference standings, can get back to 100 percent.