WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2017 SPORTS For Haiti’s NBA dreamers, someone to look up to

PORT-AU-PRINCE: At the edge of the Association career-or making more Labissiere’s home collapsed during education in the United States on a bas- players will travel to Texas for a week court, in a steamy Port-au-Prince gym, than one million dollars a year. But Haiti’s devastating January 12, 2010 ketball scholarship. of training in August. dozens of young players crowd the thanks to Labissiere, they are getting earthquake, trapping him, his mother “A lot of doors have been opened For the Haitian Basketball standout silhouette of Skal Labissiere. encouragement and hope. If they work and brother in the rubble. Labissiere’s thanks to people like Skal who have Federation, the help and contacts Their hometown hero is now living their hard enough, as he urges them, they legs were injured, and it would take made it to NBA level, and who have got mobilized by the national stars are NBA dreams. could end up playing with him and weeks before he could walk again. At recruiters to keep an eye on Haiti,” said a invaluable. “For sure, life is a chess This towering 21-year-old Haitian NBA stars like LeBron James, Stephen this point Pierre Valmera, a former hopeful Michael Alphonse, one of the match. It’s tough. Young people already survived a major earthquake to then Curry and James Harden. Haitian international basketball player gym players. know that by living here. So if we can leave for the United States, and played “It’s a blessing and a real pleasure to who had already spotted the boy’s Measuring 2.06 meters high and a show them examples of success, show in college before going pro in style. He come back and share my experience potential as a hoops star, intervened to recent high school graduate, 18 year- them that there is hope, it will help played this season with the with the young people here,” Labissiere help get Skal to the United States old Alphonse dreams of holding the them fight hard. And that, it will defi- Sacramento Kings. said with a smile. “Seven years ago, I despite his injuries. Haitian flag in international competi- nitely change the mentalities here,” said The young men who have turned never thought I would be where I am Valmera is the co-founder of tions. “This is finally going to take away Federation director Patrick Washington. out at the gym in the capital of poorest today,” he adds, thoughtfully staring POWERforward International, a Boston- the old image of poverty that the “If we take care of these young people nation of the Americas can hardly down from his 2.11 meters (six feet 11 based nonprofit group that helps world has of our country,” said today, they will take care of the country imagine a National Basketball inches). young Haitians gain a private-school Alphonse, who with nine other young later,” he added. —AFP

TENNIS French Open champ Ostapenko falls to US qualifier Lepchenko

TORONTO: Qualifier Varvara Lepchenko match despite hitting no aces and making shocked the reigning Roland-Garros cham- 10 double faults compared to her oppo- pion while 37-year-old Venus Williams got nent’s four aces and six double faults. But off to another shaky start in the opening Williams won 68 percent of her first-serve round at the WTA hardcourt tournament in points and was able to break Begu’s serve Toronto on Monday. five times. Lepchenko rallied to stun French Open Williams advances to the second round winner Jelena Ostapenko 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 where she will face world number 40 (7/5). Ninth seeded Williams also needed Katerina Siniakova, who defeated qualifier three sets and close to two hours to elimi- Mariane Duque-Marino 4-6, 6-0, 6-4. nate qualifier Irina-Camelia Begu 6-1, 3-6, Elsewhere, two-time Wimbledon winner 6-3. American veteran Lepchenko, 31-years Petra Kvitova, seeded 14th fended off old and ranked 68th in the world, trailed 6- Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro 6-1, 7-6 (7/5). 1, 3-0 before turning things around against Kvitova breezed through the opening set, the 12th-ranked Latvian, who had followed but had to battle back from 1-4 down in up her French Open triumph by reaching the second to finish off the Spaniard in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon. straight sets. “I think I woke up, I was a little bit in the sleeping mode for a set and a half,” said PLISKOVA GETS BYE Lepchenko, a former top-20 player herself. Top seed Karolina Pliskova and second- “All the credit to her, she played amazing seeded Simona Halep-who won the tennis - she hardly missed any ball from the Canadian crown last year when the WTA very beginning. played in Montreal-were among the top “Once I gave her a little push back, that’s eight players enjoying first-round byes. when the game started. I pretty much In other early action, Czech Barbora focused on my game. “I know I have power- Strycova upset 13th-seeded Kristina ful shots and I’m as good a player as her, so Mladenovic of France 6-2, 6-3. Strycova, SAN FRANCISCO: San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey, right, tags out Chicago Cubs’ Kris Bryant at home plate as Bryant tried to score from I knew I just had to give my best, and it ranked 26th in the world, raced to a 5-0 third base on a ground ball from Willson Contreras during the seventh inning of a game Monday, in San Francisco. — AP photos would be a battle.” Lepchenko notched her lead in the first set as Mladenovic struggled first win this season over a top-20 player to find her rhythm. Although Strycova was and her first since she beat then 15th- broken the first time she served for the set, BASEBALL ranked Timea Bacsinszky at the US Open she finally served it out with a love game last year. The match was one of the Centre and quickly took a 4-0 lead in the second Court highlights on the of this frame. She again turned back a late chal- key US Open tuneup. Seven-time Grand lenge from Mladenovic, who cut the deficit Scherzer pitches 7 innings Slam champion Williams, who is the oldest to 4-3 but was unable to convert three player in the draw, faced a stern test from break points that would have seen her level Romanian Begu, who is ranked 59th in the the set. It was another disappointing world. Heading into Monday’s match, Canadian outing for Mladenovic, who has as Nationals top Marlins Williams had lost five out of seven opening- never won a match in Montreal or Toronto. round matches in the event, which switch- Elsewhere, British qualifier Heather Watson es back-and-forth between Toronto and bowed out early, retiring while trailing WASHINGTON: Max Scherzer pitched seven Montreal each year. Japan’s Naomi Osaka 6-1, 4-1 with a shoul- sharp innings in his first start since he was side- This marked the first career meeting der injury. lined by neck spasms, helping the Washington between the two. Begu had already won a Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens was up 6-2 Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 3-2 on Monday tournament in 2017 at Bucharest, while when Croatian opponent Ana Konjuh night. Bryce Harper homered for Washington, Williams, who finished runner-up in this retired, the victory sending Flipkens into a and pinch hitter Adam Lind singled in the event in 2014, is looking for her first title of second-round clash with fourth-seeded tiebreaking run in the eighth inning. The the season. Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza Nationals expanded their lead in the NL East Williams won the one hour, 56 minute of Spain. — AFP over second-place Miami to 14 games. Brandon Kintzler (4-2) worked the eighth and Sean Doolittle got three outs to earn his sixth save. Both pitchers were acquired shortly before the Nadal eyes number one in July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. Giancarlo Stanton hit his major league-leading 37th homer Montreal, Murray sidelined for the Marlins, matching his previous career high. Jarlin Garcia (0-2) got the loss. Scherzer MONTREAL: Rafael Nadal says he’ll focus Murray is trying to recover from a nag- struck out nine and gave up two runs. The right- on the foes in front of him at the ATP ging hip injury in time for the final Grand hander was coming off an abbreviated start Montreal Masters this week, and not on his Slam of the season that starts later this against the Marlins six days earlier, when he was chance to return to number one in the month in Flushing Meadows. pulled after one inning with neck spasms. world. A semi-final run in Montreal would Nadal claimed his 10th French Open see the Spaniard supplant Britain’s Andy title this year but bowed out in the fourth CARDINALS 11, ROYALS 3 Murray atop the rankings. round at Wimbledon-his fifth exit before Matt Carpenter hit a three-run homer in St “I don’t even think about that now,” the quarter-finals in his last five appear- Louis’ six-run fourth inning, helping the Nadal said of number one. “I’m trying to ances at the All England Club. Roger Cardinals earn their third consecutive victory. have the right preparation now and that’s Federer, who seized his 19th Grand Slam Paul DeJong and Kolten Wong also connected it. “I’m going to keep trying to play the way title at Wimbledon, is also slated to open for the Cardinals, who returned to .500 at 56-56. I did in the first part of the season, so if I’m today. Carlos Martinez (8-9) pitched eight innings of able to make that happen, I hope to have a two-run ball for just his second win in his last chance to do well.” ISNER’S STREAK SNAPPED nine starts. Royals right-hander Ian Kennedy (4- The top seed is expected to open his Former US Open champion del Potro of 8) was charged with seven runs, six earned, and campaign for a fourth Canadian title on Argentina snapped an eight-match win six hits in six innings. He is winless in 14 consec- Wednesday with a second-round meeting streak for Isner, who earned from back-to- utive starts at Kauffman Stadium since beating against either Croatian Borna Coric or back title in July at the Hall of Fame Open Minnesota on Aug. 20, 2016. Mike Moustakas, CINCINNATI: ’ Patrick Kivlehan, right, is forced out at second base by San Diego Russian lucky loser Mikhail Youzhny. in Newport and the Atlanta Open. and Brandon Moss homered for Padres shortstop Dusty Coleman during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Monday, in Nadal could also be on track for a third Del Potro had to overcome 24 aces by Kansas City, which has dropped six of eight. Cincinnati. round showdown against 2009 tournament 14th seeded Isner as he seeks to return to straight following a four-game winning streak. man who cut the sleeves off his uniform to free runner-up Juan Martin del Potro who beat the final for the first time since losing to TWINS 5, BREWERS 4 his big upper arms. Votto’s 136th homer at Great hard-serving American John Isner in Murray in 2009. Del Potro hammered nine Eddie Rosario doubled home the tying run in REDS 11, PADRES 3 American bumped him ahead of Jay Bruce for straight sets 7-5, 7-5 in a night match on aces, had three double faults and won 85 the seventh inning and scored the winning run Joey Votto homered for the third straight the ballpark record. Jose Pirela drove in all of Monday. Murray is among the notable percent of his first serves in the one hour, for Minnesota on a balk. After Eduardo Escobar game and pulled into a tie with Ted Kluszewski San Diego’s runs with his first career multihomer absentees from this key US Open tuneup. 49 minute match. drew a leadoff walk, Rosario hit a smash to right on the Reds’ career list. The Reds homered four game. The first was a two-run shot off Tim Novak Djokovic is taking off the rest of the Del Potro closed out the victory on his field that fooled Domingo Santana, who took times in all, with Patrick Kivlehan hitting his first Adleman, who went only 4 2/3 innings. season to rehab an elbow injury and US second match point by hitting a forehand two steps in before watching the ball sail over career grand slam. Adam Duvall and Zack Adleman hasn’t won since June 27, going 0-5 in Open champion Stan Wawrinka has ended winner down the line. He broke Isner at 5-5 his head. Escobar scored to tie the game at 4. Cozart also connected. Votto’s 251st career seven starts with a 6.88 ERA. Blake Wood (1-4) his 2017 campaign with a knee problem. in the second set then jumped out to a 40- Rosario was still at third with two out when the homer off Jhoulys Chacin (11-8) moved him into replaced Adleman in the fifth and pitched out of 0 lead in the final game. Brewers employed a dramatic shift on left-hand- a tie for fifth place with Big Klu, the first base- a two-on threat. —AP “I got lucky to win tonight,” del Potro ed hitting Jason Castro. With no fielder near said. “Nobody wants to play John in the first third base to hold him on, Rosario danced round. But now I am in good shape. I look halfway down the baseline, causing Oliver Drake forward to improving my game and win- (3-4) to step off the rubber. When Drake stepped MLB Results/Standings ning more matches.” Isner won back-to- back on the rubber, Rosario made another break back titles in Newport and Atlanta in July for home. This time Drake flinched and plate Chicago Cubs 5, San Francisco 3; Baltimore 6, LA Angels 2; St. Louis 11, Kansas City 3; Minnesota 5, Milwaukee 4; before withdrawing from last week’s tour- umpire Bill Welke called a balk, sending Rosario Cincinnati 11, San Diego 3; Pittsburgh 3, Detroit 0; Washington 3, Miami 2. home. Buddy Boshers (1-0) retired one batter in nament in Washington with a knee injury. American League National League He also pulled out of the Madrid tourna- the seventh to earn the victory. Matt Belisle worked the ninth for his second save. Eastern Division Eastern Division ment with knee trouble. Del Potro next W L PCT GB Washington 66 44 .600 - faces either Rogerio Dutra Silva or 18-year- Boston 63 49 .563 - Miami 52 58 .473 14 old Canadian wild card Denis Shapovalov. If PIRATES 3, TIGERS 0 NY Yankees 59 51 .536 3 Trevor Williams pitched seven crisp innings, Atlanta 51 59 .464 15 he wins, del Potro would likely face Nadal. Tampa Bay 58 55 .513 5.5 NY Mets 49 60 .450 16.5 In early matches on Monday, Australia’s leading Pittsburgh to the win. Williams (5-4) Baltimore 56 56 .500 7 struck out five and walked two, giving up only a Philadelphia 40 69 .367 25.5 Nick Kyrgios romped past Serbian Viktor Toronto 52 59 .468 10.5 Central Division leadoff single to James McCann in the third. Central Division Troicki 6-1, 6-2 and France’s Gael Monfils Chicago Cubs 59 52 .532 - Williams threw a career-high 107 pitches and Cleveland 59 50 .541 - shook off a slow start to beat American Milwaukee 59 55 .518 1.5 never allowed a runner to third base. Juan Kansas City 57 54 .514 3 Steve Johnson 2-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-1. St. Louis 56 56 .500 3.5 Nicasio got three outs for his second save, com- Minnesota 54 56 .491 5.5 France’s Benoit Paire also advanced, Pittsburgh 55 57 .491 4.5 downing American Donald Young 6-3, 5-7, pleting Pittsburgh’s one-hitter. The Pirates have Detroit 51 60 .459 9 won three straight and four of five. Francisco Chicago White Sox 41 68 .376 18 Cincinnati 46 66 .411 13.5 6-4, but rising French star Lucas Pouille fell Western Division 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (10/8) to American Jared Cervelli put the Pirates in front with an RBI dou- Western Division LA Dodgers 79 32 .712 - Donaldson. Monfils was broken twice in a ble off Jordan Zimmermann (7-9) in the second. Houston 71 40 .640 - Colorado 64 48 .571 15.5 sluggish first set, but gradually found his John Jaso provided some late insurance with a Seattle 57 56 .504 15 Arizona 63 48 .568 16 range, firing 11 aces and saving the only pinch-hit two-run homer in the seventh. LA Angels 55 58 .487 17 San Diego 49 62 .441 30 other two break points he faced in the one- Zimmermann struck out three and walked two Texas 53 58 .477 18 San Francisco 44 70 .386 36.5 Rafael Nadal hour, 38-minute victory.— AFP in seven innings. The Tigers have dropped three Oakland 50 62 .446 21.5