22 Saturday, April 28, 2018 SPORTS Open Halep loses to Vandeweghe Nadal

beats reacts Stuttgart orld number one Simona Halep suffered a surprise defeat at the Stuttgart Open as opponentW Coco Vandeweghe reached her first WTA Tour semi-final on clay. Romania’s Halep, who will still retain her ranking, lost 6-4 6-1 to the 26-year-old American. Vandeweghe lost to Halep in her only previous Klizan as quarter-final, but was untroubled in a comfortable display on her least favoured surface. The world number 16 will play France’s in the last four. Garcia, ranked seventh in the world, fought back from a set and 3-0 down to earn a 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-2 win over Ukrainian third seed . Former world number one Karolina Pliskova meets Thiem reigning champion Jelena Ostapenko later on Friday, with ’s Anett Kontaveit facing Russia’s in the other quarter-final. (BBC) loses I’d be ‘delighted’ to coach Novak Rafael Nadal extended Open Era record to 42 successive sets won on his favoured surface Djokovic: Toni London Roberto Bautista Agut or an upset by beating second seed After winning only 13 points in afael Nadal continued his Belgium’s David Goffin in the Grigor Dimitrov 6-3 7-6 (7-4). a 31-minute opening set, Klizan clay-court domination last four. Nadal, aiming for his 11th rallied in the second and became withR a 6-0 7-5 win over Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, title in Barcelona, saved three set the first player since Thiem last Slovakian qualifier Martin 19, beat world number seven points against Klizan, who beat May to take five games off Nadal Klizan in the Barcelona Open Dominic Thiem 6-2 6-1 for the in the second in a set. quarter-finals. biggest win of his career. round. But he could not hold on to The Spanish world number World number 63 Tsitsipas Klizan, ranked 140th in the the advantage when attempting one extended his Open Era punished an error-strewn display world, was bidding to become to serve out the set as Nadal record to 42 successive sets won to set up a semi-final against the first player to beat Djokovic broke back for 5-5 and won the on his favoured surface. Spanish world number 11 Pablo and Nadal in the same clay-court next two games to seal his 17th Nadal, 31, will play compatriot Carreno Busta, who also caused tournament. clay-court win in a row. (BBC) Toni Nadal (file pic)

London Wozniacki retires from Istanbul quarter-finals afa Nadal’s former coach Toni has made the stunning admission that he would be “delighted” op seed was forced to retire toR train his nephew’s great rival Novak Djokovic. from her Istanbul Cup quarter-final against Pauline Former world number one Djokovic is currently ParmentierT yesterday with an abdominal injury. without a proper coaching team after splitting with Wozniacki won the opening set before France’s Andre Agassi and Radek Stepanek at the start of Parmentier fought back to level the contest at 4-6 April. 6-3. Unable to continue, champion Toni decided to step down as Rafa’s full-time Wozniacki conceded the match before the start of the coach at the end of the 2017 season, in order to focus decider. on developing players at the Rafa Nadal Academy, Up next for 32-year-old Parmentier is Romania’s Irina- breaking up a partnership which delivered 16 Grand Camelia Begu or Donna Vekic. Slam titles. After being broken in the first game of the opening set, But even if the Mallorcan says he is not expecting Wozniacki took a 4-1 lead before her opponent drew level. a call from Djokovic, who has training on an ad hoc The Dane then switched gears to claim the opening set. basis with his former coach Marian Vajda, Toni Seeking her maiden victory over Wozniacki, Parmentier admitted he would relish the chance to work with raced ahead 3-0 in the second set. Wozniacki took a another of the all-time greats. medical timeout to deal with her injury but struggled “It will not happen,” Toni Nadal told La thereafter and called it quits after Parmentier won the Vanguardia, before adding: “It would be difficult to second set. (Reuters) Caroline Wozniacki (file pic) say no to Djokovic: he is a no. 1.” (Eurosport)