Dominic Thiem, Bedene Change Sports

22 Thursday, January 4, 2018 SPORTS Dominic Thiem, Halep rallies Bedene Change past Duan Shenzen Halep, who battled orld number one Simona Halep assured past Duan in their Wherself of top billing for the Australian previous meeting sports Open after powering past local hope Duan in Eastbourne Dominic Thiem (file pic) Yingying and into the quarter-finals of the last year, took Shenzhen Open in China yesterday. advantage Doha Frenchman Richard Gasquet or Halep hit 21 winners and won five out of as Duan hey changed sports and #NextGenATP Greek Stefanos eight break points to prevail 3-6 6-1 6-2 and struggled surfaces, switching from Tsitsipas, who play the final secure her number one ranking going into to find her aT football pitch to a tennis evening match on Wednesday. next week and top seeding for Melbourne rhythm and court. But yesterday at the In 2017, #NextGenATP ahead of Caroline Wozniacki and Garbine raced to a Qatar ExxonMobil Open, the Andrey Rublev didn’t reach a Muguruza. 5-0 lead. She outcome was the same when quarter-final until June, at the However, the Romanian did not have it easy then subdued Dominic Thiem and Aljaz Gerry Weber Open in Halle. until her rival suffered a thigh problem late on a late fightback to Bedene faced off in the second But three days into the new in the match after blazing through the first set seal the round in Doha. year, the Russian has already to take the lead. As Thiem’s football team advanced to his first ATP Caught off guard by Duan’s did during the off-season, World Tour quarter-final of big hitting early on, Halep turned the Austrian outplayed the 2018. things around in the second set Slovenian, advancing to Rublev improved to 2-1 and broke the world number 91 win in 97 minutes. the quarter-finals of his first against Spaniard Fernando twice for a 5-1 lead before levelling “I knew that she is playing really tournament of the 2018 season, Verdasco in their FedEx ATP the contest. hard and hitting every ball. I knew I had 7-5, 6-4. Head2Head series, beating the Duan took a medical timeout and returned to be strong on my legs,” Halep said. Thiem had plenty of seventh seed 6-4, 3-6, for the decider with heavy strapping on her “After the first set I was thinking I opportunities in the early- 6-4. The 20-year-old left thigh. have to find rhythm.” (Reuters) evening match, earning 15 Rublev saved seven Simona Halep (file pic) break points, including 10 of 11 break points, in the second set, against and will next meet Bedene, who now plays for Croatia’s Borna Slovenia after switching from Coric. Svitolina cruises into quarter-finals Great Britain last month. The 21-year- Brisbane 6-3 6-1 win yesterday. I’m trying to work hard and stay But Thiem converted only old Coric routed orld number six Third seed Svitolina struck 17 focused on each match, to show my three of those break-point Georgia’s Nikoloz Elina Svitolina winners and saved four break points, best tennis and challenge myself to go opportunities. Basilashvili, 6-1, Wcontinued her charge dismissing the 20-year-old ranked 44 even higher and better,” she said. Still, he was pleased to 6-3. Coric broke at the Brisbane in just over an hour to set up a clash Former champion Kaia Kanepi, a improve to 2-0 in their FedEx five times and won International as with Briton Johanna Konta. winner in 2012, dominated her match ATP Head2Head series. 54 per cent of his she eased past “It was a good match, and I was against Lesia Tsurenko to seal a 6-4, 6-3 “First set was good I return points Croatia’s Ana expecting a tough one against Ana victory and a meeting against second converted break points fine,” (32/59). Konjuh and today,” Svitolina said after beating seed Karolina Pliskova who dumped said Thiem, who was two-for- (atpworldtour) into the the youngest player ranked inside the out American CiCi Bellis 6-1 6-1. five on break points in the quarter- WTA’s top 50. “I’m happy with how Meanwhile, Aliaksandra Sasnovich opener. “But second set I think finals I handled some of the tough shots she sealed a comeback win over Kanepi’s I missed too many chances... In with hit today.” Estonian compatriot Anett Kontaveit. general I’m very happy.” a Svitolina enjoyed a breakthrough The qualifier from Belarus, who swept Thiem will next face season in 2017, and is confident of a aside Kristina Mladenovic in the first better showing in 2018. round, prevailed 1-6 7-6(2) 6-3 and “Hopefully I’m improved. faces Alize Cornet next. (Reuters) Mertens, Goffin find form as Belgium beat Australia Perth lise Mertens fended off Daria EGavrilova while David Goffin blitzed his way past Thanasi Kokkinakis as Belgium secured a 3-0 victory over Australia Mertens and in the Hopman Cup Goffin (L) during yesterday. the match Mertens fought back from a set down Mertens early in the match and Australian. to outlast Gavrilova 2-6 clinched the opening set with “I started to be more 6-4 6-2 in a two-hour battle ease. aggressive, stepped up to the at the Perth Arena to help She continued to attack her baseline and came to the net Elina Svitolina Belgium keep their hopes rival in the second set but world more,” Mertens said. (file pic) of reaching Saturday’s final number 36 Mertens saved “I made her play more alive. a break point and changed defensive, so I’m happy with Gavrilova broke her gameplan to counter the my game in the end. (eurosport).

Load more