SPORTS Sunday, March 4, 2018 23

Lucas Pouille Dubai in the opening quarter-final of ucas Pouille claimed the day. a hard-fought victory Second seed overL Filip Krajinovic to set of Italy will face Cuevas in the up a final showdown with last four thanks to a straight- at forward 6-4 6-2 victory over the Dubai Duty Free Spaniard Guillermo Garcia- Pouille Championships. Lopez in 69 minutes. Second seed Pouille Argentina’s Horacio overcame his Serbian Zeballos came from a set down opponent 6-3 6-7 (4/7) 7-6 to beat Rogerio Dutra Silva of (7/5) on Friday and faces Brazil 6-7 (3/7) 6-2 6-4, setting ’s Bautista Agut in up a semi-final against Jarry. Saturday’s final. (PA Sport) to face Third seed Bautista Agut moved past Roberto Bautista Agut Tunisian wildcard with a straight-sets 6-3 6-4 victory. Over in Sao Paulo, Bautista third seed and defending champion of Uruguay held on to edge to reach the semi- finals of the Brasil Agut in Open. Three-times winner Cuevas recorded a 6-2 6-7 (13/15) 7-6 (7/5) win against the Dubai final Argentinian fifth seed

Juan Martin del Potro (file pic) Highlight from the race Randwick “We’ve never talked inx has won a record about a horse the way we 23rd straight race talk about her,” Channel toW surpass Black Caviar’s 7’s Bruce McAvaney said. record for the most Trainer Chris Waller Australian Group 1 wins. said: “It’s a great story for In her comeback to the Australian sport”. track Winx was too strong Jockey Hugh Bowman for the field in the $600,000 piloted Winx into a TAB Chipping Norton difficult position sitting Stakes at Sydney’s Royal five wide around the turn Randwick on Saturday before exploding down the afternoon. straight from the 300m Jockey Hugh Bowman mark to hit the front and rode the mighty mare streak away from the field. towards another victory She left the field in her that cements her position wake, winning by more Winx wins in the pantheon of racing’s than seven lengths ahead greatest ever performers. of Prized Icon and Classic It was the supermare’s Uniform. Chipping 16th Group 1 win, breaking The last time Winx Black Caviar’s record of 15. failed to cross the line first Del Potro enters A third Chipping Norton was in the autumn of 2015 win also took the six-year- and she kicked off this Norton old’s career prize money year’s autumn campaign final earnings to the $16 million in perfect fashion. (news. Mexico only one double fault. mark. com.au) uan Martin del Potro In final, he will take on fifth Stakes Jdispatched top seed German seed Anderson, who is on 6-4 6-2 in track for a second consecutive the semi-final of the Mexican title after winning the New Open on Friday to set up a York Open two weeks ago. Italian MotoGP decider against South African Anderson, who is enjoying rider Valentino who overcame one of the finest spells of a Rossi of 6-3 4-6 6-3 long and solid career that has Movistar earlier in the day. brought him four titles, used Yamaha Zverev assumed top ranking his height and power to serve MotoGP takes after the late withdrawal of 18 aces against Donaldson. a corner and he had not The South African also during the lost a set all week. hit more than double the second day of But Del Potro, who has number of winners against pre-season test won 16 of his 20 career titles his opponent - 37 to 17. at the Losail on hard courts like the one “I really felt I did well just International in , dominated his fighting as hard as I could,” he Circuit in higher-ranked opponent in said in a courtside interview. Doha, Qatar a match that lasted just 90 “The match point felt (Pic courtesy: minutes. great to really go after it and Xinhua) The Argentine never lost a execute the way I wanted to.” break point all night and hit (Reuters)