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SUN DAY, OCTOBER 19, 2014 SPORTS

Match Play organisers look Photo of the day to future after Volvo exit

ASH: Organisers are confident there will be a staged the championship from 1964-2007. 50th edition of the World Match Play Since then it has been to Spain and Bulgaria, it Championship next year despite the withdraw- even disappeared from the calendar in 2008 al of tournament sponsors Volvo, they said yes- and 2010. Last year’s champion Graeme terday. The Swedish carmaker, which has McDowell welcomed the move back to the backed a variety of European Tour events for south of England this week and said the players the last 26 years, recently announced it was were keen to return the World Match Play to its drastically reducing its golfing commitments in former glories. the future. Volvo will no longer support the “I believe this is a step in the right direction, World Match Play, or the Golf Champions event coming back to London,” said the world num- in South Africa at the start of the year, and will ber 18. “When you look at the trophy and the purely focus on the China Open. names on it, this tournament deserves a great Guy Kinnings, global of golf with long- spot in the calendar. It deserves a quality venue time tournament organisers IMG, said he was like this one this week.” nonetheless hopeful the World Match Play Kinnings said IMG would like to keep the would keep its place on the calendar in 2015 tournament at the London Club but added the with new sponsors. “For the 50 years of its exis- company were keeping all options open. tence the championship has only had seven “We’re not wedded to the idea of it being sponsors so we’ve got a pretty good strike rate,” based in one place, or moved around, or rotat- Kinnings told Reuters in an interview at the ed between venues-we are pretty flexible,” he London Club. “There aren’t many golf events explained. that have been around for half a century...after “We’d love to keep it in London, it’s where all the World Match Play was around before we wanted to be for our 50th year. The London even the European Tour was in existence. Club has been great, the crowds have been “We’re proud of the fact this event was cre- great and they love their match play golf so ated by our founder Mark McCormack. He we’d dearly love to find a way to make that brought in Arnold Palmer to win the first one in happen. “Equally though we’ve got to make 1964,” added Kinnings. sure we look at all the alternatives and ensure “We’ve moved on and adapted to the the event is secure for future years as we look changing world of golf, the new schedules and towards the next half century.” such like, and we are pretty confident it will still Kinnings used McIlroy as an example when have an appeal to sponsors.” he pointed to the fact that the best golfers are The 2014 Match Play failed to attract the ‘A- usually willing to travel to the leading tourna- list’ golfers, with world number one Rory ments. McIlroy, third-ranked Sergio Garcia and number “The players broadly are pretty responsible,” six Justin Rose among those missing this week. he said. “A lot of the Europeans for example are The greatest names in the game, players like based in Florida these days but they still travel. Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Nick Faldo, “Look at Rory, he takes the game around the Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros, feature on world, so we are pretty confident that if we can Orlando Duque of Colombia dives from the 27 metre platform on La Salves Bridge next to the Guggenheim Museum during the the roll of honour, but the 16-man event has fill the two most important criteria of getting the sixth stop of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, Bilbao, Spain.— www.redbull.com lost some of its identity in recent times. the right sponsor and the right dates on the calendar that we’ll attract the sort of players QUALITY VENUE who will excite the crowds and the media and The iconic West Course at Wentworth everyone will come and watch.”—Reuters Cilic defeat Robredo to Knox, Putnam tied in Las Vegas enter Kremlin Cup semis MOSCOW: US Open champion LAS VEGAS: Russell Knox sank a 13-foot “I don’t want to change anything,” he Marin Cilic cruised comfortably birdie at the final hole to join Andrew told Golf Channel. “I feel my progression into the Kremlin Cup semi-finals Putnam as leader of the $6.2 million has been nice and steady and if I just keep with a confident straight-sets vic- Shiners Hospitals for Children Open after doing the same things I’m doing, I’ll tory over sixth-seed Tommy the second round in Las Vegas on Friday. improve year after year.” Robredo of Spain on Friday. Knox, coming off a solid season in which Not that his second round was all he finished 40th in the PGA Tour’s FedEx smooth sailing. “I didn’t get off to a great The 26-year-old Croat, a Cup standings, overcame two early bogeys start. I got a bit worried because I was all career-high eighth in the ATP to card a four-under-par 67 at the TPC over the map I didn’t feel real good with my rankings, fired 10 aces to beat Summerlin in Nevada. swing (but) I knew if I just made some pars Robredo 6-3, 6-3 to keep alive his He and tour rookie Putnam, whose eventually something would click and I chances of making it into the sea- brother Michael also plays on tour, were at made some putts which settled me down.” son-ending ATP World Tour Finals 10-under 132, a stroke ahead of Andrew Simpson, meanwhile, was rarely in trou- in London. Svoboda (67) and Tony Finau (65), while ble and hit 17 greens in regulation to move Second-seed Cilic, sixth in the defending champion Webb Simpson (65) within striking distance of the leaders at race to London needs to reach was among a group two shots behind. the halfway mark. “It was one of those days the final at this combined ATP Martin Laird was tied for the lead after you really enjoy because it seems pretty and WTA event to increase his tal- 15 holes before making a double bogey to easy,” the 2012 U.S. Open champion said. ly, and broke Robredo’s serve for finish the day two shots off the pace. “Nothing really jumped out (as being extra a one-set lead in 31 minutes. Stewart Cink had a nightmare start with a special). Just ball on the fairway, ball on the The opponents traded breaks quadruple-bogey at his second hole, where green and made a few putts.” This is early in the second set before big he took six strokes to hole out from a Simpson’s first event since a wretched server Cilic moved up a gear to greenside bunker. He ended the round sev- Ryder Cup, where he played only two produce two more breaks to win en strokes back. Knox, 29, has not won on matches (halving one and losing the other) the set and the match in one Tour, his closest call coming in a four-way after being one of American captain Tom hour 16 minutes. playoff at last year’s Honda Classic, but he Watson’s three wild-card picks. This week’s “My match today was a little has progressed steadily in his two-plus sea- Las Vegas tournament is the second on the sons on the game’s biggest stage. 2014-15 PGA Tour schedule.—Reuters higher that my first one here,” Cilic said. “Robredo is very dan- gerous from the back. He’s a very difficult player to oppose and today I had to play much longer MOSCOW: Croatia’s Marin Cilic returns the ball to Spainís during their match at the than I expected. “I’m really happy Kremlin Cup tournament. —AP that I managed to win in two sets.” four with a straight-sets win 6-4, er last four encounter Czech they are ranked in the world’s top In the match for a place in his 7-5 over fifth seeded local crowd’s unheralded teenager Katerina 20. fifth final of the season Cilic will favorite . Siniakova, who beat Italy’s Camila Nishikori should also mathe- face last year’s runner-up Mikhail “When we were walking on Georgi in a three-hour marathon matically secure his place in Kukushkin of Kazakhstan, who court I remembered that she beat 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-5, will clash with London in the coming weeks as continued his heroics on the hard me in Fed Cup here,” this year’s sixth seeded Russia’s Anastasia he has risen to fifth in the season courts of Moscow’s Olympic ven- Wimbledon semi-finalist Safarova Pavlyuchenkova, winner of a standings with victory on home ue by beating the 2009 champion said. “There was a huge will for match against compatriot Vitalia soil at the Japan Open earlier this of Russia 1-6, 7-6 me to change that memory and I Diatchennko 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. month. Two-time (7/5), 6-0. think we played a really good Meanwhile, US Open finalists champion and for- In the other semi-final Latvia’s match.” Marin Cilic and have mer French Open finalist David third seed Ernesto Gulbis, who “I’ve played well in my first two pulled out of the Valencia Open Ferrer are still in need of points to edged eighth seed Italian matches here and I’m looking for- next week due to personal rea- make it to the English capital and 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 7-6 ward to tomorrow. I hope I can sons, with the Croatian now guar- could meet in the semi-finals in (7/3), will take on Spaniard keep improving my play with anteed a berth at the World Tour Valencia. Murray will start his Roberto Bautista-Agut, seeded every match here.” Finals in London. campaign against Austrian fifth here, winner of a match with In late yesterday’s second Cilic, who beat Nishikori to Jurgen Melzer, while top seed Lithuanian qualifier Ricardas semi-final Safarova will meet claim his first Grand Slam title in Ferrer takes on Italy’s Andreas Berankis 7-5, 6-3. Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu, New York last month, is certain of Seppi. On the other side of the In the WTA section of the who battled back from a set a debut appearance at the Finals draw, second seed Tomas event the fourth seed Czech Lucie down to oust Bulgaria’s Tsvenana as Grand Slam winners are Berdych plays Spain’s Pablo Safarova advanced into the last Pironkova 1-6, 6-3, 6-2. In the oth- assured of their place as long as Andujar in the first round. —AFP Serena gets easy draw for WTA Finals defence LAS VEGAS: Russell Knox hits on to the 18th green during the second round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open golf tournament. —AP SINGAPORE: World number one , though, said she was ready to The two will be favorites to grab the two Williams was handed the best possible draw play. “I don’t care who I play, to be perfectly semi-final berths from the tricky White Group for her WTA Finals title defence with the 33- honest with you. You can put me against any- but will face stiff competition from former year-old American grouped with two injury body at this point, I’m ready,” she said after world number one Wozniacki, who has also Fraser leads HK Open doubts and avoiding the in-form players. the draw. shown strong form in the tail end of the sea- Williams was pooled in the Red Group on “I really can’t wait for my match. I wish I son. HONG KONG: Marcus Fraser of Australia bogeys to fall three shots behind the Saturday for the WTA’s season ending event had a match tomorrow.” Bouchard is also a fit- The Dane was runner-up to Williams at the shot a 5-under 65 yesterday to take a one- leader. Els, who turned 45 on Friday, would alongside Romanian , Canada’s ness doubt after pulling out of a tournament U.S. Open, made the finals in Tokyo and the shot lead after the third round of the Hong have been in real trouble if not for an eagle Eugenie Bouchard and Serbia’s in Austria 10 days ago because of a leg prob- Kong Open, his first tournament after on the par-five 13th hole which helped sal- semis in Wuhan to book a spot in Singapore. returning from an eight-month injury lay- vage his round somewhat. who have managed only one career victory lem, while Ivanovic, who has a 1-7 win-loss The action gets underway on Monday at off. Fraser had four birdies on his last six “It was disappointing, an up-and-down among them against the 18-times grand slam record against Williams, also withdrew from Singapore’s revamped indoor stadium, which holes to move to 11-under 199 and sit one day,” Els said. “But I still feel I’m in with a singles champion. Linz with a hip injury. Romanian Halep has forms part of the city-state’s new $1 billion shot ahead of fellow Australian Scott Hend. chance.” The more competitive looking White struggled for form of late and not made it Sports Hub. Fraser has not played since February Hend shot a 67 to sit one stroke ahead Group features Russian , past the quarter-finals of an event since July. after needing surgery on his left hand, and of a trio of players - South Africa’s Jbe Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, Poland’s The French Open runner-up is 0-3 against the Red Group said he only started practicing again six Kruger, Angelo Que of the Philippines and Agnieszka Radwanska and Caroline American. 1-Serena Williams (United States) weeks ago. England’s Mark Foster. Wozniacki of Denmark. Sharapova, who beat world number three 4-Simona Halep (Romania) “No one is more surprised than I am,” Foster made five birdies in a row from Williams is gunning for her fifth season Halep in the final at Roland Garros, has had 5-Eugenie Bouchard (Canada) Fraser said about being the leader. “It hasn’t the 10th hole and added two more on Nos. ending championships win and third straight, no such issue with form and was named the 7-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) been the best of eight months but when 16 and 17, but then had a bogey on the last having taken the last two titles in Istanbul. WTA’s Player of the Month for September you go out and play like this, it makes it for a 66. Her participation in this year’s event, which after winning the prestigious Beijing title, her White Group worth it, that’s for sure.” “That five-in-a-row was amazing and I switches to Singapore for the first of five edi- last action before arriving in Singapore. 2-Maria Sharapova (Russia) Overnight leader Ernie Els struggled to just tried to keep the mentality going. I tions, was in doubt after she was forced to There she beat Kvitova in the final, with 3-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) find his touch with the putter as he made a never thought for one moment that I was pull out of the Beijing tournament earlier this the Czech just missing out on back-to-back 6-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) 71, including a double-bogey and three going to make so many,” Foster said. —AP month because of a knee problem. titles having won the week before in Wuhan. 8- (Denmark) —AFP