Friday 43 Sports Friday, March 1, 2019 Kyrgios topples Nadal to reach Acapulco q-finals Women’s top seed stunned by Beatriz Haddad Maia

ACAPULCO: Australia’s Nick Kyrgios survived again in the sixth game, but fought off five break three match points to beat top-seeded Rafael points to stay on terms and push it to the decisive Nadal 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (8/6) on Wednesday tiebreaker. and reach the quarter-finals of the Mexico Open. Kyrgios leveled his head-to-head record with It was a bravura finish to a drama-filled match in Nadal at 3-3 and will play three-time which Nadal, playing his first tournament since champion Stan Wawrinka for a place in the semi- falling to Novak Djokovic in the finals. Switzerland’s Wawrinka, seeded third, final, had three chances to close it out after taking belted 32 winners in a 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 victory over a 6-3 lead in the third-set tiebreaker. American Steve Johnson. Kyrgios saved the first with a leaping drop Women’s top seed Sloane Stephens also shot, and the second with a net-skimming volley. bowed out Wednesday, stunned by Brazilian qual- Nadal was just wide with a passing shot to make ifier Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-3, 6-3. Haddad Maia’s it 6-6, double-faulted to give Kyrgios a chance victory over the fourth-ranked American was her and sailed a backhand long to end the match after first over a top-10 player in seven opportunities. three hours and three minutes. “It was just a tough match, obviously she Kyrgios screamed and dropped to the court in played well,” said Stephens, who is playing in celebration-a conclusion that seemed unlikely Acapulco for the first time since winning the when he complained to a trainer after the opening 2016 title. “A tough day. But I’m not too sad set that he was feeling ill but feared the fallout about it. “I’m just going to go back and work should he retire. some more, practice some more and get ready Kyrgios steeled himself to continue, and dis- for Indian Wells.” tractions seemed forgotten as he became ab- Haddad Maia, 22, next faces China’s Want sorbed in the battle against the 17-time Grand Yafan, who was leading 4-1 when the Slam champion. Down 0-40 in the ninth game of Puerto Rican retired with an injury. Former world the second set, Kyrgios saved four break points number one Victoria Azarenka of Belarus sailed to keep the set on serve and raced to a 5-0 lead into the quarter-finals, downing 6- in the tiebreaker. 2, 6-1. Azarenka fired 20 winners to Maria’s 10, ACAPULCO: Australian player Nick Kyrgios returns the ball to Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal (out Kyrgios, who received treatment on his lower and took full advantage of the German’s 28 un- of frame) during their Mexico ATP 500 Open men’s single tennis match in Acapulco, Guerrero state, Mexico on back before the start of the third, was in trouble forced errors. —AFP Wednesday. —AFP

and runner-up in 2018, edged out France’s Laurie Barker stuns Wild Berthon for another medal. The medal hopes of con- very patient with me. I honestly believe I tenders Amalie Dideriksen of Denmark and Italy’s S Africa’s Van will be there and I will be able to compete Martina Fidanza ended when they got caught up in quite well,” added the 26-year-old run- to take world a fall amongst the peloton. Barker, 25, who was sec- ner. “It’s a blessing having a team in ond in the race in 2017, won her first world title in Niekerk working Doha.” scratch title 2013 as part of the pursuit team. The Welsh rider is His rehabilitation included time in the also an Olympic champion having been part of the ‘too hard’ not United States, Qatar and South Africa. gold medal team at the 2016 Games in Rio. “It’s never crossed my mind (that I PRUSZKOW: Britain’s Elinor Barker stunned The Netherlands won the men’s team sprint while favourite and defending champion Kirsten Wild to wouldn’t be there).” A video of Van Niek- Australia claimed victory in the women’s version to run in Doha erk running recently appeared on Insta- win the women’s scratch title at the world track cy- thanks to Kaarle McCulloch and Stephanie Morton. gram which Van Niekerk described as cling championships on Wednesday. Barker sprinted Roy van der Berg, Harrie Lavreysen and Jeffrey MIDRAND: South African Olympic away from her Dutch rival to take gold in the 40-lap Hoogland were close to the world record for the 400m champion Wayde Van Niekerk “extremely rusty”. (10km) race. Dutch men in the sprint set at altitude by Germany said yesterday that he will “probably” “I would have liked my comeback to Belgium’s Jolien D’Hoore, who was third in 2017 in Mexico in 2013. —AFP compete at the world athletics champi- look better,” he said with a smile. Earlier onships in Doha in September as he re- this month Van Niekerk won a 400m race turns from injury. at the provincial Free State champi- Van Niekerk, who was injured in a onships in central city Bloemfontein in a touch rugby game at the end of 2017, also time of 47:28 seconds, 4:25 sec outside paid tribute to fellow South African ath- his world record. lete Caster Semenya and her fight against It was the first time Van Niekerk had International Associations of Athletics competed since defending his 400m title Federations rules on testosterone levels. and finishing second in the 200m final at “Caster’s super strong. She’s fighting the 2017 world championships in London. for women to have equal rights,” he said “(But) I’m excited to get back into the at an event hosted by his sponsor, T-Sys- mix,” he said, refusing to confirm where tems South Africa, as it renewed their he would compete next. deal for three years in Midrand, south of “I had a lot of time to sit back and un- Pretoria. derstand the situation I’m going through. On his hopes for Doha, Van Niekerk, a “I come back stronger... mentally I feel silver medallist at the 2017 world cham- very strong, physically I still need to do pionships in London, said he was “work- work.” The Cape Town-born athlete set PRUSZKOW: (L-R) Second placed the Netherlands’ Kirsten Wild, winner Britain’s Elinor Barker ing way too hard to not be there”. “I think the world record of 43:03 when winning and third placed Belgium’s Jolien D’Hoore pose with their medals on the podium during the I’ll be there and I think things are going 400m gold at the 2016 Rio Olympic medal ceremony of the women’ scratch competition of the UCI Track Cycling World Champi- my way. It’s going quite good. My team is Games. —AFP onships on Wednesday in Pruszkow, Poland. —AFP