MONDAY SEPTEMBER 7 2015 SPORT 35 Tomic sets his sights on Cup tie Women blooming for DAVIS Cup captain Wally Masur is leaving Bernard Tomic hanging as he ponders his options for Australia’s undefeated Gardens looming semi-final showdown with Great Britain. Tomic is available for selec- MARC McGOWAN he conceded serve in the open- tion again after serving a one- ing game and never recovered. tie ban for his attack on Tennis UNBEATEN Daniel Parker’s That period of the contest Australia bosses Steve Healey defeat of Gardens Tennis No.1 overshadowed a generally and Craig Tiley at Wimbledon. Harry Lee-Schell on Saturday high-quality match, with Park- Tomic, who has carved out was not enough to deliver er’s slick and aggressive net an impressive 14-2 singles re- Palmerston’s first win of the play a standout feature. cord in the competition, says NT Premier League season. Parker also combined with he is desperate to play in the Parker and teammate Alan Natt to edge past Lee-Schell indoor hardcourt tie in Glas- Natt came through tight sin- and Des McLellan 6-4, 1-6 gow from September 18-20 and gles and doubles victories, but (10-8), while Natt pipped Masur could certainly do with Gardens’ one-two female McLellan 6-4, 4-6 (15-13) in a the Australian No. 1 punch of Rosie Henderson and gruelling affair. But the skipper must also Clare Beacham preserved their “I wouldn’t say it’s frustrat- accommodate his first-choice club’s undefeated status. ing (to lose overall again). doubles pairing of Sam Groth Palmerston’s fate was al- We’re all competing well and and veteran leader Lleyton ready sealed before Parker’s it’s more important we have Hewitt. Nick Kyrgios and 7-6 (0), 6-3 triumph over Lee- competitive matches than who Thanasi Kokkinakis are the Schell. wins and loses,” Parker said. other contenders. Gardens eventually secured “It’s all about getting better Tomic is facing court char- a 3-8-77 to 3-6-50 success to and it’s good a couple of our ges in Miami on the day after maintain their hold on top spot girls are getting better every the semi-final for allegedly re- despite second-placed AWOF week. sisting a police officer without Sports enjoying a 6-12-78 to “I was happy with my back- violence and trespassing while 0-1-34 win over bottom side hand today, which was some- partying in a $US7000-a-night Katherine. thing I was a bit worried about penthouse during the July “(Getting the overall win) is – I thought I would go to slices weekend of Australia’s win the main thing – that’s why again, but I ignored that and over Kazakhstan. we’re here, for the club,” Lee- instead stuck with my two- But the world No.24 said he Schell said. hander.” wasn’t required to be at the “Even though it’s a team Henderson dropped just court hearing and that any event, you have to think indi- three games in the No.1 legal concerns would not im- vidually when you’re on the women’s singles against Palm- pact on availability. court and do your best, but just erston’s Tanya Gallow and Tomic yesterday went luckily, even though I got a earlier partnered Beacham to a down 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 to French- loss, the team got a good result. 6-0, 6-2 doubles victory over man Richard Gasquet in the “So, at the end of the day, Gallow and Brigette Hopkins. third round of the US Open. that makes me happy.” Beacham scored a 6-1, 6-0 Lee-Schell, behind his victory in the other singles thumping forehand, broke against Hopkins. FACTBOX Parker back to force a first-set “We owe the girls a drink or tie-breaker, but back-to-back two after that. They’ve been in A look at Saturday’s play at double faults cruelled his some fine form this season and the US Open tennis hopes. were why we had a win,” Lee- championships: A series of follow-up errors Schell said. ATTENDANCE: Day: off the ground saw him go a set The last round before finals 38,580. Night: 23,771. down and the trend carried will be held at Tennis Palmer- MEN’S SEEDED WINNERS: over to the second set, where ston on Saturday. Third Round: No. 2 Roger Federer, No. 3 Andy Murray, No. 5 Stan Wawrinka, No. 6 Tomas Berdych, No. 12 Richard Gasquet, No. 13 John Isner and No. 15 Kevin Anderson MEN’S SEEDED LOSERS: No. 20 Dominic Thiem, No. 22 Viktor Troicki, No. 24 Bernard Tomic, No. 29 Philipp Kohlschreiber, No. 30 Thomaz Bellucci and No. 31 Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. WOMEN’S SEEDED WINNERS: Third Round: No. 2 Simona Halep, No. 5 Petra Kvitova, No. 20 Victoria Azarenka, No. 22 Sam Stosur, No. 24 Sabine Lisicki Palmerston’s Daniel Parker fires down a return on his way to victory over Harry Lee-Schell from The Rosie Henderson from The Gardens stretches for a backhand and No. 26 Flavia Pennetta. Gardens in the NT Premier League round five game Pictures: ISABELLA MOORE against Tanya Gallow from Palmerston WOMEN’S SEEDED LOSERS: No. 11 Angelique Kerber, No. 16 Sara Errani, No. 18 Andrea Petkovic and Stosur must break through impenetrable Italian roadblock No. 32 Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. DARREN WALTON over 16th seed Sara Errani, ever managed to take one set “I know that playing against shattered the Queenslander in STAT OF THE DAY: 16 - The Stosur now faces another of from the powerful world No.26 her, I find it very difficult. She Paris three years ago in one of number of singles matches SAMANTHA Stosur must her Italian nemeses tomorrow and knows she’ll need to raise can take some of my weapons the most disappointing defeats ended by retirement, a venture to uncharted territory for a coveted quarter-final her game to stay in the away, which is why I find it of her career. record for a Grand Slam to continue her pursuit of a spot. tournament. hard. So, yeah, I’m going to But there was no repeat of event in the Open era, second US Open crown. Veteran Flavia Pennetta, a “It’s something I have never have to be really switched on.” Stosur’s third-set meltdown which began in 1968. Australia’s last hope once US Open specialist with a done before. I have never beat- Although the 22nd seed hasn’t from that infamous French QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It again, the 2011 champion is semi-final and four quarter- en her before. I think we have featured in the second week of Open semi-final, as she broke was 90 percent you guys, through to the second week at final appearances on her CV, played six times,” Stosur said. a major since last year’s French the higher-ranked Errani twice 10 percent me.” - Donald Flushing Meadows for the first has more than had Stosur’s “I really need to knuckle Open, Stosur has already col- to power through the final set Young, to the crowd after time since her title defence measure in all six previous down and be clear with what I lected two titles in 2015 and her in 29 minutes. coming back from two sets three years ago. meetings. want to do and what tactics are victory over Errani has further “I’m really pleased with the down to win for the second But after burying some Despite spending most of going to work for me and how I fuelled her confidence. way I was able to again gain time this week. mental demons with an im- her career ranked above the can continually make that Errani had beaten Stosur in back that control and get pressive 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 victory 33-year-old, Stosur has only happen. their past two encounters and through that,” she said. 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