THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2016 SPORTS Kyrgios hit by Open injury scare at Kooyong

MELBOURNE: suffered an warm-up event. “I started feeling it again characterises the club, said he was sorry that Spaniard said. “I played some good match before a sparse crowd, 2014 champion scare yesterday when he today when the treatment wore off. “I have to the match was unable to be completed. against a good player. I tried a few drop shots of Japan beat Australian teenage pulled out of his opening match at the think about next week, I really hate to do this “Even if it was a set and a half, it was hard near the end just to change things a bit and hopeful Omar Jasika 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 10-4. Asia’s Kooyong Classic with a right foot injury. but I had to.” The colourful contender finished to play,” he said. “It was very hot on court they worked. “It’s good to play in the heat top player was cruising 6-1, 4-1 and seeming- The 20-year-old Australian handed David with 15 aces, including four in his final service (around 40 Celsius) and there is always a which we will be experiencing next week.” A ly in command when his challenger launched Goffin victory as he retired with the score at 6- game of the second set. “Hate withdrawing, wind. “I understand Nick’s worry and the pull- final match between German Alexander a fightback, breaking Nishikori as he served 7 (5/7), 3-2 to the Belgian. The year’s first so sorry to everyone @KooyongClassic I just out. He’s never easy to play with that big serve Zverev and Britain’s was can- for the match. Jasika took the set into a starts on Monday in . have to make sure I’m right for next week & I and forehand.” Spain’s Pablo Carreno-Busta celled. Organisers were vague about the rea- tiebreak which he won as Nishikori put a “I felt it in training yesterday,” said Kyrgios, will be,” he tweeted after. Belgium’s Goffin, earlier beat the 2006 Australian Open finalist son, at one point suggesting excessive heat backhand long. But Nishikori claimed victory the world number 30, after pulling the plug as who had to deal not only with an injured 6-4, 6-4, without dropping and later citing what they claimed was a a few minutes later with success in the match- a precaution at the 12-man Grand Slam opponent but with the swirling wind which serve. “I had a good finish, I’m very happy,” the shoulder problem for Zverev. In an exhibition tiebreak. — AFP ‘Perfect’ Djokovic raises hopes of Golden Slam

MELBOURNE: is hitting four Melbourne finals-three of them to ever greater heights ahead of the Djokovic-but is continuing his dogged Australian Open-posing problems for his pursuit of a breakthrough. rivals, and raising distant hopes of the “I’m doing everything I can to try and first ever men’s “Golden Slam”. win here,” said the 28-year-old Scot, who Picking up where he left off after a has promised to leave early if his wife blistering 2015, Djokovic destroyed Kim Sears gives birth. in last week’s Qatar Open “My number one goal is to try and win final, in a performance the Spaniard here. It’d mean a lot because of how called “stratospheric”. many times I’ve been close.” Federer, as “I played against a player who did the third seed on rankings, could face everything perfect. I know nobody play- either Djokovic or Murray in the semi- ing tennis like this ever,” said the 14-time finals as the 17-time Grand Slam champi- Grand Slam-winner. on looks to win his first major title since No male player, and only Steffi Graf on Wimbledon 2012. the women’s side, has ever achieved the “Golden Slam”: winning all four major CLASSIC FINAL titles and Olympic singles gold in a single The Swiss maestro has won four year. Last season Djokovic fell just one Australian Opens, but lost to Djokovic at victory short of the first calendar-year last year’s Wimbledon and US Open Grand Slam since Rod Laver in 1969, after finals. At 34, he is running out of time to losing the final to Stan add to his all-time record haul of Grand Wawrinka. Slam titles. Acknowledging his form, the 28-year- “Of course, Novak is the favourite for old said in Doha: “I’m hoping that I can the Australian Open. Plus he’s played well actually peak and play as well as I did there historically,” Federer said last week. today in Melbourne.” Nadal has won once in , over A strong performance looks likely in Federer in a classic five-set final in 2009, Melbourne, Djokovic’s most successful and has had some of his career low Grand Slam where he has won five out of points with tournament-ending injuries five finals, including last year against in Melbourne. But he maintains he can : of Bulgaria hits a return to Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay during their men’s singles second round match at the Sydney . do well as he pursues his comeback from International tennis tournament in Sydney yesterday. — AFP But the 10-time major champion will a disappointing 2015, when he failed to not be looking too far beyond the year’s any Grand Slam titles. opening Grand Slam, which starts on “I am playing well, and I’m gonna Dimitrov face Dolgopolov Monday. “My thoughts are only directed keep working hard to try to be ready for to Melbourne and what I need to do Australia. And I think I will be. I am moti- there,” he said. vated for it,” the Spanish left-hander said. Switzerland’s will also in Sydney quarters ‘IT’S A HUGE CHALLENGE’ be a contender after he conquered Murray, who will be in the bottom half Djokovic on the way to winning the 2014 SYDNEY: Grigor Dimitrov reached his second second set with his only break of the match. The 2013 champion will face Russian of the men’s draw and seeded to face Australian Open, and beat him again in consecutive quarter-final of he new season with That was all he needed as he worked his way to Teymuraz Gabashvili in the quarters. In other Djokovic in the January 31 final, sees the last year’s French Open final. a straight-sets win over Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas victory in one hour 37 minutes. matches Wednesday, Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller Serb as a huge challenge. “What Novak is The world number four tuned up by at the Sydney International yesterday. The The Bulgarian will face Dolgopolov in the was leading second seed Dominic Thiem 7-6 doing... last year he had an incredible beating Croatia’s Borna Coric for a third Bulgarian world number 28, looking for more quarters after the Ukrainian knocked out (7/2), 2-2 when the young Austrian retired with year,” he said. “Final of every tournament straight Chennai Open title in India last matches under new coach Franco Davin, ousted American qualifier Alexander Sarkissian 7-6 blisters on his right foot. bar one. “It’s been tough playing in an week. Outside the top five, Japan’s world Cuevas 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 and will next play Ukraine’s (8/6), 6-2. “Dangerous player. Never know what Thiem was coming off a semi-final loss to era with Novak, Roger (Federer) and Rafa number seven Kei Nishikori will be look- Aleksandr Dolgopolov in the quarters. to expect. Especially here. The conditions are Federer in Brisbane. Muller, a Sydney semi-final- (Nadal) but at the same time to have ing to get past the quarters for the first Dimitrov, who reached a career-high ranking pretty suitable for him,” Dimitrov said of ist last year, has now dropped just seven points guys like that to always be trying to time in Melbourne. Meanwhile, local of eight in 2014, lost in three sets to Roger Dolgopolov. “It’s a faster court and a little bit on his first serve over two matches, in defeating catch up to, to have to improve to try interest will focus on the antics of talent- Federer in the quarters of last week’s Brisbane windy. So it’s going to be definitely a tricky young guns Thiem and Croatia’s Borna Coric. and beat them, it’s a huge challenge.” ed but wayward young Aussies Bernard International. “I think right now I need to play match for me.” Muller, who also reached the fourth round of Murray carries the baggage of losing Tomic and Nick Kyrgios. — AFP more matches, as many matches as I can get ear- Australia’s top seed claimed a the Australian Open last year, will face ly on in the year,” Dimitrov said. quarter-final spot in the tournament for a fourth Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in the quarters. Sixth “It’s going to help me with my ranking, but straight year with a 6-2 6-2 romp over compatri- seed Chardy ousted Australian James also with the level that I’m trying to achieve. “I’ve ot in just 48 minutes in the Duckworth 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, while French qualifier worked a lot on a lot of things this off-season, so evening match. “I think always looking back it downed fifth-seeded Italian I just want to make sure I put them into play and was my first title here, so the memory is always Andreas Seppi 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. just make them as a habit. That’s the thing that is there. With the memories comes the confidence,” Other winners were Gabashvili, 6-3, 6-3 over very important to me.” Tomic said. “I feel so good playing on that court. Argentina’s Federico Delbonis, and Serbian third Dimitrov took the opening set in 51 minutes Every time I step on that court I know this is seed Viktor Troicki, 6-1, 6-4 over Spaniard Tommy after a one-sided tie-break, and then opened the where it all started for me.” Robredo. — AFP Halep overcomes Pliskova to reach Sydney semis

SYDNEY: Romania’s Simona Halep fought off big- much, so that’s why it’s tough to play.” spin, so it’s a different player tomorrow, different serving Czech Karolina Pliskova to reach the semi- Halep finished with slightly more winners than style,” Halep said of facing Kuznetsova. finals of the Sydney International yesterday. Pliskova, 22 to 21, but far fewer errors, 33 to 43. The “I expected a tough one. Of course every match The world number two had been tested in two Romanian is battling an Achilles injury and admit- at this level is very tough, but I believe I have my tight previous matches, and Pliskova again made ted to feeling pain during her opening victory over chance.” Elsewhere Puerto Rican qualifier Monica things difficult for Halep. Halep had early breaks in Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia late Tuesday. It fol- Puig ended Australia’s Samantha Stosur’s run, 6-4, both sets only to be pulled back, before the tour- lowed her late withdrawal from the Brisbane 6-4 and will face eighth seed in the nament top seed closed out for a 6-4, 7-5 win over International last week. semis after the Swiss beat Russian Ekaterina the Czech fifth seed in one hour and 38 minutes in Halep will face former world number two Makarova 6-0, 2-6, 6-4 in an evening match. “It’s a blistering heat. Svetlana Kuznetsova in the last four after the very important win for me coming through three “It was tough today. Was very close. She’s play- Russian fought back from 1-5 down in the opening rounds of quallies and obviously coming through ing well, and she’s strong with the serve,” Halep set to knock out Italian Sara Errani 7-6 (7/1), 6-0. in the main,” Puig said. “I’ve lost to her twice before, said. “I expected that she’s going to hit all the balls, Halep leads Kuznetsova 3-2 in their previous so it was a pretty big win for me today considering so she did. Against her you don’t have rhythm too meetings. “I know that she’s playing a lot of top- the amount of times I played her.” —AFP MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic of Serbia hits a return during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne yesterday. — AFP Ferrer leads top seeds into Auckland quarters

WELLINGTON: put last and South African Kevin week’s Doha disappointment behind him Anderson. Isner took the first set in a tie- with a comfortable straight-sets win in break against fellow American Sam his opening match at the Auckland Querrey, and then dropped the before Classic on Wednesday. fighting back to take the match 7-6 The 6-2, 6-4 victory over Australian (10/8), 6-7 (4/7), 6-4. qualifier Matthew Barton put the top Anderson was also tested in tie-breaks seed and four-time champion into the before overcoming Robin Haase of the quarter-finals to face Czech Lukas Rosol, Netherlands 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (7/5). a surprise winner over fifth seed Benoit “It was a really tough match,” said Paire of France. Anderson. “It was a little windy. It was Ferrer had rushed to Auckland for a tough to find your rhythm. But I just wildcard entry after his opening-round stuck with it. It’s my first match. Given loss to Ukraine’s Ilya Marchenko in the that, I thought I played pretty well.” Qatar Open, and immediately showed Anderson, ranked 12th in the world, won his class as he won 23 of 26 first-serve the first set on a Haase double fault and points. was down 1-4 in the second-set tie-break The top four seeds all had first-round before winning six of the next seven byes, and all won their opening matches points. in the second round. Roberto Bautista Agust reached the Second seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was last eight with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) win over untroubled as he beat Philipp American , while Fabio Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-4 but it was a differ- Fognini took just 47 minutes to beat SYDNEY: Simona Halep of Romania hits a return against Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic during their women’s singles third round match ent story for the third and fourth seeds, Thiemo de Bakker 6-1, 6-1. at the Sydney International tennis tournament in Sydney yesterday. — AFP