SPORTS Friday, June 23, 2017 23 Querrey ends Thompson’s Queen’s fairytale Federer enters quarter-finalHalle Westfalen Stuttgart last week as he played for the going to throw everything at me,” said ight-time champion Roger first time in almost three months after the Swiss great. Federer reached the quarter-finals opting to skip the clay court season. “I think he’s most dangerous on ofE the Halle grass court tournament Federer leads Mayer 7-0 in their the grass. He’s a tough customer, for a 15th time yesterday with a 7-6 head-to-head series. plus he’s the defending (7/4), 6-4 win over German serve- “Mayer plays very champion. He hasn’t had and-volleyer Mischa Zverev. different to everyone else. the best season so far, so Sam Querrey Federer, the 18-time Grand Slam He uses slice, he comes there is a lot riding on the London Thompson received an unexpected title winner who is building up for an in, he chips and charges, match for him.”(AFP) ordan Thompson was unable to call-up when Aljaz Bedene, assault on an eighth Wimbledon title he loops the ball and serves/ build on his stunning Queen’s Murray’s scheduled opponent, next month, next faces 2016 Halle volleys a little bit, ClubJ victory over Andy Murray withdrew with a wrist injury just champion Florian Mayer for a place s o he’s really as the Australian was beaten by hours before Tuesday’s match. in the semi-finals. Sam Querrey in the second round After spending his career The 134th-ranked German made yesterday. trying to eke out a living on the quarter-finals by seeing off French Thompson, ranked a lowly 90th, the unglamourous second-tier sixth seed Lucas Pouille 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, was the talk of the tennis world Challenger circuit, Thompson 6-3. Federer now has a 4-0 record after his astonishing straight-sets thrived on the big stage, against Zverev including a win this victory over world number one and outplaying Murray to shatter the year in the Australian Open quarter- Wimbledon champion Murray. Scot’s hopes of a third successive finals. But the 23-year-old’s bid to Queen’s title. However, the 35-year-old Swiss had reach only his second Tour-level There was no sign of any a tougher time yesterday against the quarter-final was brought to an hangover from that epic left-hander than four years ago at the end by Querrey’s 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, performance when Thompson Halle event when he swept to victory 6-3 win at the Wimbledon warm- returned to centre court to face without losing a game. up event. Querrey. “It was totally different. He While Thompson will rue his Querrey, ranked 28th, has started serving great, which put me missed opportunity, he should impressive pedigree on grass after under pressure as I wasn’t getting leave west London with renewed lifting the Queen’s trophy in 2010 many looks,” Federer told www. belief in his ability after his brief and memorably shocking Novak atpworldtour.com. but memorable moment in the Djokovic at Wimbledon last year. Federer came into Halle having lost spotlight. Yet Thompson made the to Tommy Haas in the first round at Beaten by France’s Jeremy American work for every point Chardy in the second round of before finally succumbing in two Queen’s qualifying on Sunday, hours and 11 minutes. (AFP) Halle ATP results: 2nd rd Roger Federer (SUI x1) bt Mischa Zverev (GER) 7-6 Queen’s Club ATP results: (7/4), 6-4 2nd rd Florian Mayer (GER) bt Lucas Pouille (FRA x6) 6-7 Sam Querrey (USA) bt Jordan Thompson (AUS) 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-3 (6/8), 6-4, 6-3 Marin Cilic (CRO x4) bt Stefan Kozlov (USA) 6-0, 6-4 Karen Khachanov (RUS) bt Kei Nishikori (JPN x3) Daniil Medvedev (RUS) bt Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) 6-2, 6-2 3-2 retired Feliciano Lopez (ESP) bt Jérémy Chardy (FRA) 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) Andrey Rublev (RUS) bt Mikhail Youzhny Switzerland’s Roger (RUS) 6-0, 3-6, 6-3 Federer returns the ball Injured Svitolina could miss Wimbledon Oscar gets eight-game ban Birmingham Shanghai orld number five Elina razilian international Svitolina said she Oscar was banned for eight couldW miss Wimbledon with Bgames yesterday for triggering a heel injury, after slumping a spectacular mass brawl in the to a second-round defeat by Chinese Super League between qualifier Camila Giorgi in his Shanghai SIPG side and Birmingham yesterday. Guangzhou R&F. The 22-year-old Ukrainian After the former Chelsea was clearly struggling as she midfielder appeared twice slid to a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 loss to a to fire the ball deliberately at player ranked outside the top Guangzhou players on Sunday, 100 at the Wimbledon warm- he was rushed by several up event. opponents. Oscar fell to the Afterwards she suggested Elina Svitolina (file pic) ground and a melee broke out Oscar (file pic) she would consider pulling very sensitive. I am disappointed the Italian Open and reached around him. in the Chinese Super League away league match. out of the third Grand Slam I am out of the tournament but the French Open quarter- The Chinese Football (CSL) after he joined SIPG for Oscar will not return to CSL tournament of the year, which I am not disappointed with my finals, where she missed a Association issued lengthy bans an Asian-record 60 million action until late August. Among starts on July 3. performance, because I could match point against eventual to four players, including the euros this season. the games he will miss will be “There is a question about not show even 50 percent. runner-up Simona Halep. 25-year-old Oscar, and fined But that has not saved him against Guangzhou Evergrande it,” she admitted. “I will talk “Also the court was slippery Combined with a sudden him 40,000 yuan ($6,000). from the mammoth ban as the on July 22, as Andre Villas- with my physios. The season is which is bad for the foot.” change from Wednesday’s Oscar, who was not booked CFA said he was responsible Boas’s second-placed SIPG very long and I must look at the The lush grass in the English fierce heat to drizzle and damp, at the time of the scrap, is one for sparking the ugly incident attempt to keep up the pressure bigger picture. midlands is utterly different to it became hard for the stricken of the most high-profile players just before half-time in the on the league leaders. (AFP) “The heel feels painful and is the clay on which Svitolina won Svitolina to cope. (AFP).