MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 2014 SPORTS Newlywed Novak seeks more joy on court

TORONTO: Newlywed Novak he is also the defending champion. Federer, who won in 2004 “I need to be ready for the last few , is seeded fourth, ahead Djokovic will try to give himself more His absence leaves Djokovic as the and 2006, is seeded second in his months of the season,” he said. “It’s a of Spain’s . reason to celebrate this week as he favorite in , and despite a “ter- quest for a third title of 2014. He’ll be long series and it will be tough for Canadian Milos Raonic is seeded returns to the of North rible draw” that could have him meet- returning to action for the first time sure,” he said of the buildup sixth, and his home fans will be America at the ATP Masters at Toronto ing eighth-seeded in the since falling to Djokovic in a five-set to Flushing Meadows. expecting great things after his run- with the US Open on the horizon. The quarter-finals the 27-year-old was in final at Wimbledon. “It will be another big challenge,” ner-up finish to Nadal last year and his number one-ranked Serb, who has high spirits after winning Wimbledon The father of four, who turns 33 added Wawrinka, whose best first semi-final appear- lifted the trophy three times in the and getting married, with his first next Friday, has spent a relaxed few Canadian showing was a quarter-final ance at Wimbledon. tournament that alternates between child to be born soon. weeks in the Alps with his family and appearance three years ago. “I’m try- Bulgarian will test Toronto and Montreal, is seeking “It’s been probably the best month is gearing up for a serious run at his ing to be fit and to do everything pos- his fitness after withdrawing because another strong run to further sepa- I’ve had in my life with the first US Open trophy since 2008. sible not to be injured.” of illness from Washington while rate himself atop the rankings from Wimbledon title, a wedding and of Federer is followed in the seedings The top eight seeds all have first- eighth-seeded Murray will venture injured world number two Rafael course a baby coming up,” Djokovic by compatriot , the round byes, with Djokovic slated to onto court for the first time since his Nadal. said. and open his campaign against either Wimbledon quarter-final humiliation The Spaniard, who won the 2013 “I’m going back to the business, champion. Acknowledging that his Czech Radek Stepanek or oft-injured against Dimitrov. Canadian crown as well as the back to my office, but of course filled breakthrough season has taken Frenchman Gael Monfils. Australian , who , has withdrawn with positive energy, with joy, all the something of a toll, Wawrinka Federer will open against either stunned Nadal in the fourth round at from both events this year to nurse a beautiful emotions that a person can skipped a date last month as headlin- Canadian wild card or Wimbledon, plays on a wild card. The right wrist injury raising fears he could experience right now. er on his home claycourts at Gstaad, Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz. Czech Tomas 19-year-old faces in also miss the final Grand Slam of the “Hopefully I can use that to per- saying he needed both a mental and Berdych, bounced as top seed in the first round with the winner to play season at Flushing Meadows, where form well on the court.” Roger physical break. Washington this week by Canadian Murray. —AFP Raonic and Pospisil book historic final

WASHINGTON: Milos Raonic, coming off he’s serving this week and playing this his first Grand Slam semi-final at year,” Pospisil said. “I’m happy to be in my Wimbledon, and double-duty winner Vasek first final.” Pospisil will meet Sunday in the first all- Pospisil, 24, and Raonic, 23, have been Canadian final in ATP history at the rivals for more than a decade. “It’s a good . Seventh-ranked Raonic, relationship. We get along,” Raonic said. seeking his sixth career title and first since “We’ve gotten along since we were 12. last year at Bangkok, fired 15 aces in down- We’ve followed each other around for ing US left-hander 6-4, 7-5 to years. “He’s a little more perky and happy reach his 11th ATP final, his first since and excited so that’s good to see. He has falling to Juan Martin Del Potro last played really well this week.” September at Tokyo. Raonic, who won 33-of-36 first- “I have a much better understanding of points in the match and never faced a what I need to bring out myself, especially break , broke Young in the final game early in a tournament, to reach the week- of each set, taking the match after 75 min- end stages,” Raonic said. “Mentally I know utes when the American netted a back- what I need to do to compete better in the hand. “I just put the pressure on his final important stages of matches.” service games of each set and it worked Pospisil, who ousted Czech Tomas out,” Raonic said. Young, who never faced Berdych in the third round, rallied to dis- Raonic before, still enjoyed his deepest ATP patch French sixth seed 6- run since reaching the 2011 Bangkok final, 7 (5/7), 6-3, 7-5 for his first win in five ATP where he lost to Britain’s Andy Murray. semi-final appearances-and his second vic- Pospisil, who won his only prior meeting tory of the day. with Gasquet last year at Shanghai, never Only five hours earlier, Pospisil finished led in the tie-breaker but broke Gasquet for the last set of a 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-4 quarter- a 2-0 lead in the second set and held out to final win over Colombian Santiago Giraldo force a third. that was halted Friday by rain. In the final set, Gasquet broke for a 2-0 “I was a little tired at the end,” said edge but Pospisil broke back at love in the Pospisil. “I came up with some good shots. I fifth game and again in the penultimate didn’t give up when I was down and tired game, then held at love to win after two and I came back.” hours, 28 minutes when Gasquet hit a fore- In the companion WTA tournament, hand long. Pospisil will meet Gasquet again STANFORD: of the United States plays against Andrea Petkovic of Germany during Day 5 of the Bank of the West Japan’s Kurumi Nara advanced to the in next week’s first round in Toronto. Nara, Classic at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium. —AFP women’s final by outlasting New Zealand’s who won her first career WTA title earlier Marina Erakovic 0-6, 6-4, 6-4. She will face this year at Rio de Janeiro, dropped the first the winner of a later match between eight games of the match but battled back Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova and to reach her second career final. Serena storms past Ekaterina Makarova. “I was panicking first set but I tried to Seventh-ranked Raonic won his only calm down and relax and move quicker ATP meeting with Pospisil, who won a and it helped me,” Nara said. Nara, 22, is Wimbledon doubles crown alongside already projected to jump from 40th to a American , in a Montreal semi- career high in next week’s WTA rankings, Petkovic into final final last year. surpassing the top mark of 38th she set last “He’s the favorite by a long shot the way month. —AFP

STANFORD: Serena Williams stormed into the There was no stopping the 17-time Grand and admired them growing up.” final of the WTA hardcourt tournament at Slam champion from there. After a first set last- Late yesterday, Williams will be seeking a Stanford on Saturday, winning the last eight ing 50 minutes Williams polished off the second fourth title of 2014. She has won all three finals games of a 7-5, 6-0 victory over Andrea in 27, breaking Petkovic a fourth time when the she has reached this year, at Brisbane, Miami and Petkovic. German sent a long on match point. Rome. When the WTA world rankings are next The world number one and top seed, playing Williams saved the only break point she released, she will have been number one for 200 her first tournament since a disappointing faced in the match, showing no sign of fatigue non-consecutive weeks in her career, but Wimbledon campaign in which she was slowed despite a quick turnaround from her tough, Williams has struggled this year in Grand Slams, by a virus, will face third-seeded German three-set victory over former world number one failing to make it past the fourth round in the Angelique Kerber in late yesterday’s final. Ana Ivanovic on Friday night. “I’m really excited,” Australian Open, or Wimbledon. Kerber, ranked eighth in the world, saved a said Williams. “Andrea and I both had really long Stanford and next week’s WTA event in match point on the way to a 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 matches yesterday, so I was just hoping to come Montreal are part of her build up to the US Open, victory over 59th-ranked American Varvara out again today with fresh legs, and just try to her last chance in 2014 to add another major title Lepchenko. do the best I could out there. My body feels to her resume. Petkovic, 26, who ousted 34 year-old Venus great.” Williams has won four of her five career meet- Williams in the quarter-finals on Friday, pushed Petkovic was trying to become just the ings with Kerber, who saved a match point while 32 year-old Serena hard in the opening set as eighth player to beat both Williams sisters in the trailing 4-5 in the second set against Lepchenko- they battled through the first 11 games without same tournament, and the first since Jelena who was playing in just the second WTA semi- a break of serve. Jankovic did so at Rome in 2010. final of her career. “I have no idea how I did it,” After holding for a 6-5 lead, Williams turned “Playing one of them is a lot,” Petkovic said. Kerber said of her escape. “I was just trying to the tide in the 12th game, although she needed “Playing two of them in a row was so strange, fight until the last point and believe in me, and a fifth set point against Petkovic’s serve to gain like playing a video game. It was the most awk- just try to change my game in the middle of the WASHINGTON: Milos Raonic of Canada returns a shot to Donald Young of the break and the set. ward situation I’ve ever been in. I idolized them match, but I have no idea how I won.”—AFP the United States during their semi-final match at the Citi Open. —AFP Vikings sink Hull Six stars of the GLASGOW: South Africa beat New Zealand to gold in in on the short ball thriving off teammates such as LONDON: head into next week’s Challenge the sevens, the Sherwin Stowers and Tim Mikkelson. An athlete at Cup semi-final with on a high after beating first time the All Blacks had lost a game since Jonah school, where he ran sub-11 seconds for the 100m, Lam Hull KR, also boosting their play-off hopes. Lomu inspired them to victory in the inaugural Games has said: “I’d love to play at the Olympics - it’s one thing It was an important fixture for both teams-just one point tournament in Kuala Lumpur in 1998. every athlete wants to do.” the difference between the two sides in mid-table before Here, AFP Sport looks at six of the game’s stand-out the clash-but the Vikings built a three-point buffer in eighth with a performance that involved five different try-scorers. performers with an eye on the Rio Olympics in 2016, Lee Williams (WAL) And in further good news for Widnes, half-back Kevin when rugby sevens will make its debut. The diminutive playmaker revelled more in his Brown recovered in time after suffering injury in last week’s defensive sweeping capacity, but could only look on as defeat to St Helens to surge over in the 28-10 victory. Cecile Afrika (RSA) his team squandered an easy scoring chance against Castleford meanwhile also prepared in perfect fashion “The Commonwealth Games is a one-off tourna- Australia when 17-0 up that would have pushed them with a commanding 64-18 triumph over the pointless ment. As a squad we want to take this forward to the into medal contention. . Cecile Afrika celebrates in this file photo. Rio Olympics,” said the influential Afrika after leading his Williams was left distraught as the Wallabies fought Australian star grabbed a hat-trick before Leeds remain two points behind leaders St Helens how- South Africa team to victory over New Zealand. The back for the victory, but the Llanelli scrum-half could half time and his compatriot touched down ever after Nathan Brown’s side were toppled by Hull FC, who 2011 international sevens player of the year has hold his head up high as his personal contribution to a twice against his old club as Tigers had it wrapped up won for the first time in seven Super League games. rebounded from injury to hit top form, and his decision- youthful team was invaluable. quickly. Tongan international Mickey Paea came up with the making and general play-making ability were key to the brushed aside Wakefield Wildcats game-deciding try in a 19-12 triumph as Hull, now in 11th, Springboks’ advance into the final. Liam Gill (AUS) 36-18 to tighten up the Super League’s top half, with just kept their faint play-off hopes alive. Gill was another full international to shine as four points now separating the first six teams. Elsewhere on Friday, Joel Monaghan settled a win for Cornal Hendricks (RSA) Australia claimed bronze with a convincing 24-0 victory Huddersfield, who remain sixth, stormed to a 32-point Warrington over Catalan Dragons in an edge-of-the-seat Fitness and form notwithstanding, one player South over Samoa. Recalled for the Games, the 22-year-old lead by the interval, though Wakefield did save face in the encounter at Stade Gilbert Brutus. Africa coach Neil Powell might like to have on board for Queensland Reds openside flanker has been capped 15 second half through former Penrith Panther Jarrod Warrington headed into half time firmly in the box seat, Rio is full international Hendricks. The three-time times by the Wallabies. His “jackal” skills at the break- Sammut, who scored two tries. up by six points after Michael Monaghan and Gene Ormsby capped winger was outstanding for the Springboks in down proved key to Australia’s progression and hopes Relegated backed up their remarkable had crossed over. Joel followed his brother onto the score- Glasgow, a true force in both attack and defence and are high he’ll be available for Rio. victory over with another shock against sheet after the interval and it was to prove the decisive try in arguably player of the tournament, even though team- on Friday, as Lee Gaskell scored a late try to a 26-24 success-though Australian-born Michael Oldfield clinch a 20-14 win. mate Seabelo Senatla ended up top try scorer. Marcus Watson (ENG) completed his hat-trick for the hosts to make it tense late on. Watson originally came in as a 20-year-old to take Brett Delaney and another ex-Panther in Mitch Achurch And on Thursday, Wigan worked off their frustration from were among the scorers for the Warriors, who face off Ben Lam (NZL) over Ben Gollings’ big boots as England’s playmaker. last week’s loss to the Bulls with a 45-4 demolition of Salford The powerful winger, nephew of former All Black and Three years later, he has matured into one of the most against in the second Red Devils. Kiwi Anthony Gelling starred with his first Super semi-final. Samoa legend , proved to be an ever-constant comfortable players on the circuit. The player who League hat-trick while Josh Charnley, George Williams, Tony threat down the flanks. The squad names Jason Robinson as his hero plays like the former Gaskell’s effort and Luke Gale’s fourth goal of the night Clubb and Matty Smith also found joy as normal business member used his impressive physique to barn-storming cross-code star, mixing electrifying pace with silky finally secured the upset in a see-saw game. resumed for the reigning champions. —AFP success, his ability to find space and, equally, come back skills. —AFP