30 Sunday, October 11, 2015 SPORTS Muguruza, Bacsinszky in finals Venus targets titles, not retirement Hong Kong fter years of battling It’s now Timea’s time ASjogren’s Syndrome and Beijing game to level at one set Singapore standings. In the consequent loss of form, many imea Bacsinszky is back apiece. other semifinals, Agnieszka tennis players in their mid-30s in business. A significant In the third set Ivanovic Radwanska proved to would be eyeing retirement -- partT of the WTA storyline for began to struggle with be a shrewd competitor, but a resurgent the first half of the year, the an upper leg injury and but Garbine Muguruza says she’s not ready to hang up Swiss had suffered injuries eventually called for the continued to come up with her racquet yet. and entered Beijing having trainer with Bacsinszky the definitive answers in Fresh from winning her lost four straight since serving at 1-0. their rivalry. Muguruza biggest title in five years, Wimbledon. After a quick meeting with rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 the seven-time But the 26-year-old is the trainer she was quickly victory—her fourth straight champion will now be fighting finding her form in Asia. She sent on court where the Swiss win over Radwanska this for a return to the eight-player surged past , completed the hold for 2-0. season—to burst into the WTA Finals when she plays 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, to reach the After holding for 2-1, Beijing final. next week’s Hong Kong Open. finals and keep Ivanovic had a lengthier It is the second straight Victory at last week’s Wuhan alive her hopes of making meeting with the trainer but final for Muguruza, who was Open was the 47th career title a debut appearance at the it didn’t appear to help her hobbled by an ankle injury and second of the year for WTA Finals in Singapore much down the stretch. She losing the Wuhan final to Williams, who picked up her later this month. would not win another game Venus Williams last Sunday. 700th match win along the way The victory marks the as Bacsinszky raced to close Playing for her second career and shot up 10 rankings places Swiss’ first appearance in a affairs in two hours and 20 title, Muguruza will take on to 14th into the bargain. Premier Mandatory final and minutes. Bacsinszky in today’s title And at a time of year when secures a berth in the WTA’s The Swiss finished with match. many players are looking Top-10 when next week’s 22 winners against 22 Muguruza has beaten forward to the end of the rankings are released. unforced errors and broke Bacsinszky in both of their season, Williams says she still After dropping a close Ivanovic seven times on 20 prior meetings—a 6-3, 4-6, has unfinished business -- opener Bacsinszky would opportunities to earn her 6-0 decision at the Australian including a first WTA Finals keep her nerve in the second 41st victory of 2015. The Open in January followed berth since 2009. set when she saved two break victory also vaults her into by a 7-5, 6-3 win in the “This season has been great... points to hold in the tenth 9th place in the Road to Wimbledon quarterfinals. Timea Bacsinszky returns a shot to Ana Ivanovic of course you could ask for more,” the 35-year-old said. ISL: Kerala Blasters hold Mumbai Kochi, India Mumbai started positively Subhash Singh in full steam and intent. Norde created erala Blasters FC and from the beginning, with as Kerala hardly seemed problems from the left and he Mumbai City FC played Haitian Sonny Norde and attacking with serious move combined well with Subhash Ka 0-0 draw in an Indian Super and Gabriel Fernandes on the League (ISL) encounter at the right flank. Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Both the side’s midfielders Kochi yesterday. seemed to be toiling hard but From the start, Kerala their connection with their played with a 5-3-2 formation attackers was missing. At the and even though their defence stroke of half-time, Norde became strong by this but they impressed again, charged into lacked that flair in attack that the box to set it up for Gabriel had given them the 3-1 win but only to see it blocked by over NorthEast United FC. centre back Ramage. Mumbai, on the other hand, The same story continued Repsol Honda Team rider Marc Marquez of Spain (L) and dropped the first match’s goal- more or less in the second Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider Pol Espargaro of Spain (R) scorer Frederic Piquionne and half as well, with Kerala just ride their bikes during the third free practice session of Ashutosh Mehta, who assisted showing their intent a bit the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix yesterday the French during the goal. Action from the match seriously. (Times Sport) Golf Superb Spieth keeps US noses in front Incheon, S Korea afternoon fourballs and out which began an hour and TV cameras were struggling ordan Spieth showed foursomes had been shared a half later than scheduled at to the see the ball in the post- just why he is the world 2-2. The US lead 9.5-8.5 going 1:50 pm local time. dusk gloom but the players Jnumber one yesterday with a into Sunday’s 12 singles with Down by one hole after six, opted to play out the 16th scintillating display of golf to 15.5 points needed for victory. Spieth’s spectacular display rather than come back early on maintain a slender US lead The highlight of a round turned the match on its head Sunday. over the International team. that included three twos at the and left the US duo four up It ended in near farcical Spieth rattled in eight birdies par three fifth, eighth and 13th with five to play. Despite a scenes as no one could see including a magnificent hole holes was when the double fast setting sun it seemed ball or cup on the green as a out from a greenside bunker 2015 Major champion holed there would be little problem succession of birdie attempts as he and Patrick Reed fought out spectacularly from a deep finishing out. slid by to enable the Americans back to overcome world greenside bunker on the 12th. But the International team to close out victory. number two Jason Day and The day’s play had been halved the next, Schwartzel Spieth, alongside Dustin Charl Schwartzel 3 and 2 in delayed for an hour after heavy then birdied the 15th and Johnson, had also faced the final match that ended in overnight rain and with three Spieth lipped out with a putt Day and Schwartzel in the almost total darkness at the of the morning foursomes to win the match to leave them morning foursomes and came Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in going the distance the players three up with three to play out on top by 1 hole after Incheon, South Korea. were racing against fading and the sun now well below being one down with two to It meant both Saturday’s light to finish the last match the horizon. By now even the play. Jordan Spieth