SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016 SPORTS Djokovic confronts greatest challenge as clock ticks PARIS: Twelve months after his latest bid 100. He is seeded to face Tomas Berdych to complete a career Grand Slam was in the last-eight before a potential semi- thwarted, Novak Djokovic targets an elu- final blockbuster against nine-time sive French Open title with time and his- champion Rafael Nadal in what would be tory threatening to conspire against him. the 50th meeting between the two The world number one was left in tears superstars. “I still feel like I have plenty of in 2015 when Stan Wawrinka unleashed more years ahead of me, which gives me a battery of single-handed backhand more comfort in terms of opportunities winners to all corners of Court Philippe I’m going to have at the title of Roland Chatrier on his way to a shock Paris title. Garros, which releases more pressure for Djokovic turns 29 today and will be play- me this year,” said the top seed. “I don’t ing Roland Garros for a 12th time where try to approach them from a point of he remains the overwhelming favorite to view of being obsessed with this tourna- secure a trophy which would also place ment.” World number two Murray is him halfway to the first calendar Grand shaping up as Djokovic’s greatest threat. Slam since 1969. He may be 8,000 points behind in the But tennis is littered with great names world rankings, but the former US Open whose Grand Slam pedigree endured and Wimbledon winner has developed a shattering reality checks on Roland taste for clay relatively late in his career. Garros’s unforgiving crushed red brick His 6-3, 6-3 win over Djokovic at the Foro surfaces. Pete Sampras won 14 majors Italico came on his 29th birthday. but 13 times the great American tried to win the French Open and 13 times he Murray threat failed. Stefan Edberg also made 13 fruit- Murray has steadily improved in Paris less visits while Djokovic’s coach Boris with three semi-final runs in his last four Becker tried nine times. John McEnroe appearances, losing a five-set epic to also flopped, the four-time US Open and Djokovic in 2015. He faces 37-year-old three-time Wimbledon winner having to Czech qualifier Radek Stepanek in the console himself with a runners-up spot first round with a potential semi-final PARIS: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic trains ahead of the 2016 Roland Garros French Tennis Open in Paris yesterday. — AFP in Paris in 1984. against Wawrinka. “Qualifiers have Djokovic, with 11 majors under his played three matches. That’s tough. They won in Monte Carlo for the ninth time who came back from two sets down to roller-coaster clay-court season-a quar- belt, has come closer than all of them. He have won three matches here. They are and then clinched the Barcelona crown beat him at the US Open last year, is a ter-final run in Monte Carlo followed by has been runner-up three times and a probably feeling pretty good about their to equal Guillermo Vilas’s record of 49 possible third round opponent. an opening loss in Madrid and just one semi-finalist on four occasions. His conditions and comfortable on the career clay-court titles. A semi-final run Rising Austrian Dominic Thiem, the victory in Rome. World number six Kei record in 2016 reads 37 wins and just courts,” said Murray. Nadal was promoted in Madrid and quarter-final spot in man who knocked Federer out in Rome, Nishikori of Japan remains an outside three defeats although two of those to the fourth seeding after Roger Federer Rome-where it took Murray and Djokovic is lying in wait in the round of 16. “I’m hope. The 26-year-old was runner-up in came on clay-against Jiri Vesely in a freak withdrew from the tournament with respectively to halt him-illustrated his not feeling old. On court it is true that I Barcelona to Nadal and then lost semi- Monte Carlo opening-round exit and a injury ending a run of 65 consecutive enduring power. Nadal starts his French had a lot of years here on the tour, but in finals to Djokovic in Madrid and Rome. loss to Andy Murray in last weekend’s Grand Slam appearances stretching back Open against big-serving Sam Groth of terms of mentality and in terms of life I But Nishikori’s record at the French Open Rome final. to 1999. Written off after a 2015 cam- Australia. With his 30th birthday just feel myself young,” said Nadal. “I don’t is modest with a quarter-final spot last Djokovic starts in Paris against paign saw him endure his worst season around the corner, Nadal has arguably think about going to be 30.” Defending year representing his best perform- Taiwan’s Lu Yen-Hsun, the world number in a decade, the 29-year-old Spaniard the toughest draw-Italy’s Fabio Fognini, champion Wawrinka, 30, has endured a ance.— AFP Magic name former Pacer bench boss as new coach MIAMI: Frank Vogel, coach of the Indiana Pacers for the past five seasons, was named Friday as coach of the NBA Orlando Magic. The 42-year- old American, also a former assistant coach with Philadelphia and Boston, replaced Scott Skiles, who resigned last week after the Magic went 35- 47 in his only campaign as coach. Orlando has endured four losing seasons in a row, but the Magic were 10 games better last season than the previous season and there is hope Vogel can make more progress. Serena Williams “This group is ready to make that next jump,” Vogel said. “My intention is to come in and make this happen for this group right away and make Serena Williams targets that jump (to the playoffs) this year. This is going to be a season about being on a mission and winning a lot of games.” Vogel is known for Steffi at the French Open emphasizing defensive work. Indiana’s past five teams were among the NBA’s top six each sea- PARIS: Serena Williams will have a third go There then followed losses in the finals son in shooting percentage defense and all six at winning a 22nd Grand Slam singles title of the US and Australian Opens and a were in the top 10 for defensive efficiency. at the French Open, which would draw her defeat to main rival Victoria Azarenka at “Frank is a terrific fit for our organization,” level with Steffi Graf as the most successful Indian Wells. A fourth round loss to Magic general manager Rob Hennigan said. “He female player in the Open era. But to do so, Svetlana Kuznetsova at Miami saw Williams is a strong, hard-working and experienced the 34-year-old American will have to pull down the shutters for a while only for leader who will continue to instill smart, physi- achieve something she has so far failed to her to roar back to form in Rome. Asked cal, unselfish and defensive-minded basketball manage-defend her crown in Paris. Just how relieved she felt to finally get another in our group.” Vogel went 250-181 with the three of Williams’ 21 Grand Slam titles have win-the 70th of her career-under her belt Pacers and reached the playoffs five times, going come in France-the first in 2002 and then a Williams replied: “It feels great. But I mean, I so far as the Eastern Conference finals in 2013 long gap until 2013 and 2015. The year have played, let’s see, US Open, Australian, and 2014 but losing to the LeBron James-led after her inaugural French Open title, she Miami, Indian Wells. So it’s only four tourna- Miami Heat each time. “In Frank, we feel we have lost in three tough sets to eventual winner ments. So it’s not like I was playing every someone with tremendous perseverance, char- Justine Henin-hardly a major upset at that week.” acter and great balance,” Magic chief executive time. But in 2014 she lost a second round Alex Martins said. “He’s an effective communica- tie to young Spaniard Garbine Muguruza, a Emerging threat tor who brings a wealth of strategic and postsea- defeat that recalled her shock first round With two-time winner Maria Sharapova son experience and is incredibly excited to exit at the hands of Virginie Razzano two out of the picture under a doping cloud, embrace the journey ahead.”— AFP Frank Vogel years previously. the opposition to Williams is expected to That defeat to the lowly-ranked French come from Europeans in the shape of player resulted in Williams re-dedicating Germany’s Angelique Kerber, who upset herself to the game under the guidance of Williams in Melbourne, two-time French coach Patrick Mouratoglou. The Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova of the China dominates S Korea result has been spectacular with her win- Czech Republic, 2014 finalist Simona Halep ning two Wimbledon titles, three consecu- of Romania, Poland’s Agnieszka tive US Opens between 2012 and 2014, one Radwanska, as well as Azarenka. But there to win the Uber Cup final further championship in Paris and the could be an emerging threat from her fel- Australian Open in 2015. Williams, who low American Madison Keys, who ran won her first title in nine months in Rome Williams close in the Rome final, and who KUNSHAN: Olympic champion Li Xuerui led the is one step for myself,” Li told a news conference Chen Qingchen and Tang Yuanting delivered last weekend, will begin her Paris defense seems to have developed a taste for clay- Chinese national squad to victory over South after the match, adding she planned to cele- the third and final victory in the best of five against Slovakia’s Magdalena Rybarikova, court action at just 21.