Sports FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2014

Early pro player and teacher Braden dead at 85

LOS ANGELES: Vic Braden, a 1950s tennis ure,” tennis legend Billie Jean King tweet- Jimmy Evert, the father of Hall-of-Famer be greatly missed.” standout who became a top US instructor, ed. “He was always on the cutting edge of Chris Evert, and George Richey, the father Braden and Kramer later co-founded an has died of complications from congestive science in tennis, and is an all-time great in of future standouts Cliff and Nancy Richey. instructional club that developed such tal- heart failure. He was 85. our industry.” “Rest in Peace, Vic Braden,” Chris Evert ent as Hall-of-Famer Tracy Austin. “So sad Melody Braden, his wife of 43 years, Braden turned professional before the wrote on Twitter. “Innovative, cutting to hear of the passing of tennis coach Vic said he died Monday in his Southern advent of the Open Era, joining Jack edge kind of guy. Will miss his enthusi- Braden, a pioneer, innovator, and true leg- California home. “Tennis has lost a treas- Kramer’s tour alongside such rivals as asm and knowledge of the game. He’ll end in our sport!” Austin tweeted. — AFP Alba blunt Spurs, Green apologises for remark BERLIN: Alba Berlin have sealed a shock 94-93 victory over NBA champions San Antonio Spurs, whose point guard Danny Green had to apologise for an Holocaust remark posted on Twitter. Alba became the first German team to beat an NBA side at Berlin’s O2 Arena on Wednesday with Jamel McLean scoring the hosts’ winning points right on the final buzzer to seal a dramatic win. But the match was played against a backdrop of controversy after Spurs’ Green posted a selfie on social media network Twitter taken at Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial with the caption: “You know I had to do it one time lol #Holocaust”. He later removed the picture and posted an apology. “Yes, mistakes do happen. I want to sincerely apologize for the insen- sitivity of my post! “I have great respect n (sic) understanding for this country’s history n (sic) wanted to continue chronicling my experience in Berlin. “But showed poor judgement...sorry once again.” Green later played in the one-off exhibition match between reigning German champions Alba and NBA champions Spurs on the Americans’ pre-season tour of Europe. McLean was the star of SHANGHAI: Novak Djokovic of Serbia returns a shot against Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan in their men’s the show as the American sealed the hosts’ shock win with the singles third round match at the Shanghai Masters Tennis Tournament in Shanghai, China, yesterday. —AP last throw of the game. “That was a throw without pressure, I just did it,” beamed the match winner who scored 18 points for Berlin with pop star Lady Djokovic survives scare Gaga amongst the 14,500 fans watching in Germany’s capital. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said the hosts deserved their win against the five-time NBA champions who included stars Tim Duncan and Tony Parker on their roster. as Murray falls in China “Berlin were simply better,” he said before his team travelled to Turkey to play Fenerbahce Istanbul on Saturday. “They fought SHANGHAI: Reigning Shanghai Masters champion Novak was a crushing setback for Murray, who has won seven of their hard and finished things well, their coach did a good job. Djokovic survived a scare as he overcome his 85th-ranked previous 12 meetings and must now scramble if he is to make “You can see that there are good teams all over the world.” It opponent to make the quarter-finals yesterday, while Britain’s next month’s season finale in London. could be a while before an NBA side visits Germany’s capital Andy Murray crashed out. “Hopefully I can play well the last couple of tournaments, try again with no future plans for a return trip. “At the moment Meanwhile, third seed Roger Federer eased through, beat- and make a push for London,” he said following his defeat. there are no concrete plans,” said the NBA’s new commissioner ing Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-2. Djokovic, the top A day after Rafael Nadal was one of five top-10 players to Adam Silver. seed in Shanghai, arrived at the tournament in the form of his fall, Murray started the third-round match brightly, going 5-1 “We will look at the market and consider where it makes life, but was forced into a third set by Mikhail Kukushkin as he ahead within 25 minutes before closing the first set 6-2 with his sense to hold future games.” The NBA will come to Europe again claimed a hard-fought 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory. fifth ace. But fifth seed Ferrer took the initiative in the second in January when London hosts a match between the New York The world number one began in predictable style, breaking set with increasingly powerful groundstrokes, snuffing out the Knicks and the Milwaukee Bucks. —AFP his opponent on his final service game in the opening set as he threat from Murray’s aggressive serving game. looked to be heading for a routine win. But in the second set, The 27-year-old Scot earned just one break point in the sec- the Kazakhstani proved to be no pushover against an oppo- ond set, as he made a series of mistakes dealing with Ferrer’s top- nent who was seeking his 27th successive victory on Chinese spin. And the Spaniard continued to torment early in the decider, soil. breaking serve at his second attempt after Murray drove a routine The 26-year-old broke the Serb on his opening service groundstroke into the net. He then broke again to charge ahead game, and then staged his first attempt to take the set as he at 5-2 before sealing it in one hour and 55 minutes. earned a break-point with the scores at 5-3. Djokovic danced Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer have already qualified jubilantly when he saved set-point, and moments later for the World Tour Finals, leaving five spots up for grabs. But appeared to have snuffed out the unexpected challenge when most of the players gunning for the remaining positions have he broke back. But Kukushkin refused to submit to the 7-times already lost in Shanghai, with only Tomas Berdych, in seventh Grand Slam winner and stole Djokovic’s serve again to set up a place, remaining. And the Czech sixth seed strengthened his decider. bid when he won his third round match against Croatian Ivo Djokovic battled hard in the third set, losing his trademark Karlovic 6-3, 6-4 in just one hour four minutes. coolness as he shouted and pumped his fist at almost every Berdych will meet Gilles Simon in the last eight, after the point won. He made a breakthrough in the fifth game, taking French player continued his fine form at the tournament, Kukushkin’s serve to march to a 4-2 lead, which ended any fur- dumping out Malek Jaziri of Tunisia 6-2, 6-3. Simon had ousted ther heroics from his opponent. Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka in the second round. Elsewhere, Feliciano Lopez of Spain powered into the Setback for Murray quarter-finals after beating 13th-seed American John Isner 6-3, Djokovic will face David Ferrer in the quarter-finals Friday 6-4. Lopez, who dumped out Nadal in the last round, will meet after the Spaniard overcame 11th seed Murray 2-6, 6-1, 6-2. The Russian Mikhail Youzhny in the quarters after he overcame BERLIN: ALBA’s Clifford Hammonds from the US, result was a blow to Murray’s hopes of making the end-of-sea- Juan Monaco of Argentina 5-7, 6-3, 6-2. left, and the team’s mascot celebrate after an NBA son World Tour Finals. Meanwhile, Julien Benneteau of France beat American Jack Global Games basketball match between US team The world number 11 took the first set with ease before Sock 6-3, 6-4, and will meet 17-times Grand Slam winner San Antonio Spurs and German team ALBA Berlin in crumbling, as Ferrer powered back to leapfrog Murray into Federer in the next stage. The ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Berlin, Germany, Wednesday. ALBA defeated San ninth place in the race to reach the eight-man year-ender. It event concludes in Shanghai on Sunday. —AFP Antonio Spurs by 94-93. —AP