Pliskova Rallies Past Puig to Avoid Indian Wells Upset
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SUNDAY, MARCH 12, 2017 SPORTS BADMINTON Battling Lee into seventh All-England final BIRMINGHAM: World number one Lee be back next year. But for a while he which he began to risk round-the-head due to face an unseeded semi-final 20, 21-16 against Akane Yamaguchi, the Chong Wei reached the final of the All- could not repel the heavy attacks of his angled smashes and overhead fast opponent, Shi, a 21-year-old Chinese teenaged sixth seed from Japan. England Open for a seventh time yester- unseeded but impressively aggressive drops. That accelerated him towards vic- compatriot. Tai was also in difficulties for a while, day after rallying past Chou Tien Chen of Taiwanese opponent. It was only after tory, to the accompaniment of rapturous losing the first game 21-11 and going 6- Taiwan 10-21, 21-14, 21-9. Lee deftly tied up more rallies at the net, noises. It may have been this reception CREATIVE 5 down in the second before finding the Lee increased the possibility of a that he induced sufficient false strokes which partly decided Lee to return here Meanwhile the women’s final will be more creative patterns which loosened dream showdown with defending cham- from his opponent and created enough one more time. He is also clearly pleased between Tai Tzu Ying, the top-seeded the grip of Sung Ji-Hyun, the Korean, pion Lin Dan who takes on fellow openings to prevail. with the way his spare and wiry body Taiwanese player and Ratchanok and fashioned a 11-21, 21-14, 21-14 suc- Chinese Shi Yuqi in Saturday’s second “I’m still not a hundred percent recov- has responded to an increasingly heavy Intanon, the pleasingly creative Thai cess. Ratchanok says she has grown semi-final. ered,” said Lee, referring to the left knee load after many weeks without competi- who has been both the youngest world more experienced at handling the stress It was a wonderful turn-around by injury sustained with a trip on a bad- tion. Was it also that he misses playing champion and the youngest finalist of a big final. Lee after an indifferent first game and a minton mat back home in Kuala Lumpur Lin Dan in a final, he was asked. The here, at the age of 18. Intanon reckons it is better to treat it tournament preparation hampered by last month. “I just focus myself and do answer was a curt “no!” Now four years later Intanon, like Lee, as just another match. Both are skillful injury, so much so that the 34-year-old what I can. I just came here to enjoy it.” But the chances of a climactic meet- has recovered from injuries which enough to make their philosophies revealed that his retirement has been Enjoying it he clearly is, as first he ing with Lin, his great rival and his even placed her participation in doubt. work, and both are sufficiently unpre- postponed yet again - it has been moot- skillfully warded off danger, and then greater nemesis looked strong. The She came from 12-16 in the first dictable to get themselves into a rough ed at least three times - and that he will cunningly worked half openings from three-times Olympic champion was also game and 13-15 in the second to win 22- ride before that happens. —AFP NHL Kessel lifts Penguins over Oilers in shootout EDMONTON: Phil Kessel scored the also connected for Buffalo, and Lehner shootout winner in the Pittsburgh stopped 35 shots. The Sabres have lost Penguins’ 3-2 NHL victory over the four straight. Edmonton Oilers on Friday night. Marc- Andre Fleury made 40 saves, Nick Bonino RED WINGS 4, BLACKHAWKS 2 and Evgeni Malkin scored in regulation for Tomas Tatar had two goals and an assist Pittsburgh, while Sidney Crosby had a goal while Jimmy Howard made 24 saves in his in the shootout. The Penguins have won return from a knee injury to help Detroit four games in a row. David Desharnais and beat Chicago. Howard saw his first NHL Connor McDavid countered for Edmonton, action since injuring a knee Dec. 20 at with McDavid getting the Oilers’ lone goal Tampa Bay. Tatar scored what proved the in the tiebreaker. They have lost two winner late in the second period and straight. Pittsburgh opened the scoring six added an insurance goal in the third period minutes into the first period. Oilers goalie to end Detroit’s three-game losing streak. Cam Talbot was down on a rebound, allow- He has a team-high 17 goals. Andreas ing Scott Wilson to feed it in front and give Athanasiou and Xavier Ouellet also scored Bonino an easy goal. The Penguins went up for Detroit. The Blackhawks lost for the sec- 2-0 with 2 1/2 minutes to play in the sec- ond straight night and had their club- ond. A shot got behind Talbot and was record road winning streak end at eight rolling slowly into the net before McDavid games. Trevor Van Riemsdyk and Artemi tried to kick the puck to safety, only to have Panarin scored for Chicago. it hit Talbot’s pads and go in. Malkin was credited with the goal. Edmonton cut into WILD 7, PANTHERS 4 the lead five minutes into the second peri- Zach Parise scored the go-ahead goal od when Desharnais poked a loose puck with 5:07 left and Minnesota pulled away under Fleury for his first goal with the to beat reeling Florida. Mikael Granlund Oilers. The Oilers tied it 13 minutes into the scored an empty-net goal with 1:10 left, his second when McDavid made no mistake team-leading 22nd of the season, and on a rebound opportunity, scoring his 23rd Charlie Coyle added another empty-netter INDIAN WELLS: Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic waits for a serve in her match against Monica Puig of Puerto Rico at Indian Wells Tennis goal of the season and 75th point. with 2.5 seconds left. Eric Staal scored Garden on Friday in Indian Wells, California. — AFP twice for Minnesota, while Jason BLUE JACKETS 4, SABRES 3 Pominville and Jason Zucker also connect- TENNIS Boone Jenner broke a tie with 5:07 left ed. The Western Conference-leading Wild and Sergei Bobrovsky made 29 saves in the won for the first time in three games. The Columbus Blue Jackets’ victory over the Panthers have lost seven of their past Sabres. Nick Foligno and Sam Gagner had eight. Jaromir Jagr scored his 762nd NHL Pliskova rallies past Puig power-play goals, and David Savard also goal. Mark Pysyk had a goal and an assist, scored for the Blue Jackets. They have and Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan won three straight and seven of their last Marchessault also scored. 10. Bobrovsky had a three-game shutout to avoid Indian Wells upset streak broken, but still got his NHL-lead- BLUES 4, DUCKS 3 ing 36th victory. Jenner corralled a loose Joel Edmundson scored with 20 seconds puck and wrapped it around goalie Robin left and Jake Allen made 23 saves in St. Muguruza outlasts Flipkens Lehner, and the Blue Jackets held on for Louis’ victory over Anaheim. Paul Stastny, their 43rd victory to tie the franchise sea- Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan Reaves also INDIAN WELLS: Karolina Pliskova roared back son record set in 2013-14. Josh Gorges scored to help the Blues win their third from a set down to outlast Olympic gold medal- scored his first goal in more than a year, straight. Jakob Silfverberg, Chris Wagner and ist Monica Puig 1-6 6-4 6-4 as the Czech third Evan Rodrigues and Rasmus Ristolainen Rickard Rakell scored for the Ducks. — AP seed avoided a major upset at the BNP Paribas Shiffrin wins World Open in California on Friday. Pliskova, after falling behind 3-0 in the third NHL results/standings set, fought through a long sixth game to help Cup giant slalom turn the tide and won six of the last seven Pittsburgh 3, Edmonton 2 (SO); St. Louis 4, Anaheim 3; Detroit 4, Chicago 2; Minnesota 7, Florida 4; games to advance to the third round. “I’m defi- OLYMPIC VALLEY: Mikaela Shiffrin covered ing on her mind. “For sure, it is some pressure,” Columbus 4, Buffalo 3. nitely happy I had my serve today; it was work- her mouth with her glove in disbelief after said the 27-year-old Worley, who won a GS Western Conference Ottawa 38 22 6 178 171 82 ing with me, especially in the third set when I crossing the finish line. Finally believing, she competition at Killington, Vermont, in Central Division Boston 35 26 6 188 175 76 was 0-3 down,” she said in a courtside interview. tossed her right ski pole into the air. Usually November. “Before every race, before every WLOTLGFGAPTS Toronto 30 22 14 201 197 74 “She was playing really well, hitting the balls so stoic, the American standout let her emo- run, I’m trying to clean my mind and stay Minnesota 43 17 6 221 159 92 Tampa Bay 31 26 9 183 182 71 really fast and deep, making it tough for me to tions loose. With good reason: This was a vic- focused on the main thing - and the main Chicago 42 20 5 200 169 89 Florida 29 26 11 166 190 69 play my game.” Puig, from Puerto Rico, had never tory on US snow. thing is to ski. Nashville 32 24 11 197 191 75 Buffalo 27 29 12 172 200 66 taken a set from Pliskova, but broke her Czech Shiffrin used a strong burst near the end to “If I don’t ski, I don’t get anything.