20 Wednesday, October 18, 2017 SPORTS SPORTS Wednesday, October 18, 2017 21 Anthony Joshua must Fognini Karlovic advances in Antwerp refocus on Takam leads London opted for retirement instead character reference of Takam’s nthony Joshua should heed of a repeat of their punishing toughness after they shared 12 Athe warning signs after encounter and Pulev was next in brutal rounds before the relieved Ivo Karlovic (file pic) Carlos Takam was handed a line for a shot at the titles. New Zealander emerged with a seeds late opportunity to snatch his At their first press conference, points victory. Antwerp give himself the advantage he needed to heavyweight world titles. a translator had suggested that “What a great fighter Carlos vo Karlovic saved three match points close out the match. The WBA ‘super’ and Pulev found the fight ‘terrifying’, Takam is,” said Parker after in a two-hour, 13-minute battle to Donaldson sits in fifth place in IBF champion has endured a a misunderstanding perhaps, but his chin and stamina had been eliminateI Guido Pella, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(10) the Race with 890 points, with his turbulent training camp leading the Bulgarian’s body failed him, tested. “We said this was going in the first round of the European Open closest competitor, No. 6 Borna Coric, up to his next title defence, with even if his mind was sound and to be a hard fight. I had to have in Antwerp, Belgium. losing in the first round in Moscow Kubrat Pulev pulling out through in stepped Takam last night. my A-game. into The 38 year old saved two break Monday. The Top 7 players in the injury less than a fortnight before The France-based “That was a tough, exciting points in the second set at 3-3 to avoid Race automatically qualify for the first the first bell was set to ring at the Cameroonian cuts a formidable fight.” going down a set and a break against Next Gen ATP Finals, with an Italian Principality Stadium in Cardiff figure, with a muscle-bound Joshua has broken the the Argentine, before holding off wild card event deciding the eighth on October 28. physique and steely glare, resistance of all 19 of his previous Pella’s three match points in the third- player. Joshua had been thinking of a leaving opponents in no doubt opponents, although he could set tie-break. Each opportunity was Four seeded singles players will begin lucrative rematch with Wladimir that they must ready themselves require a scalpel rather than a Second on Karlovic’s serve, and the Croatian their tournaments yesterday, with No. Klitschko in Las Vegas when he for a demanding fight. sledgehammer to gradually capitalised on his third opportunity to 7 Benoit Paire opening the day’s play first returned to the gym a few Current WBO champion prise open Takam’s tight guard. advance to the second round. against Joao Sousa, sixth seed Pablo Joshua (file pic) months ago, but the Ukrainian Joseph Parker can supply a (foxsportsasia) In other action, Sergiy Stakhovsky Cuevas taking on #NextGenATP temporarily halted Jared Donaldson’s Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas and No. 8 efforts in the Emirates ATP Race To Alexandr Dolgopolov confronting Intrum Stockholm Open Round Milan with a 7-6(4), 6-4 victory over Henri Laaksonen. Fifth seed David Stockholm victory over Denis Istomin of (5-3) against Robin Haase 6-3, the American. The Ukrainian saved the Ferrer will kick off the night session on Salmeen, Ali Al Kowari MATCHDAY 3: OCT 19 hree seeds — No. 6 Fabio Uzbekistan over one hour and 56 6-1 in 47 minutes. He awaits the only break point he faced, and broke the Centre Court against qualifier Stefano Fognini, No. 7 Yuichi Sugita minutes. Istomin won the first five winner of Slovakian qualifier 21 year old at 4-4 in the second set to Travaglia. (atpworldtour) Astana KAZ Villarreal ESP andT No. 8 Fernando Verdasco — all games of the pair’s third FedEx Lukas Lacko and lucky loser win Friday competition Maccabi Tel-Aviv ISR Slavia Prague CZE got off to winning starts yesterday ATP Head2Head meeting, then Jurgen Zopp of Estonia. Dynamo Kyiv UKR Skenderbeu ALB at the Intrum Stockholm Open. recovered from 3-5 in the third set Elsewhere, France’s Jeremy Eugenie Bouchard falls in first round Young Boys SUI Partizan SRB Italian Fognini, who picked up before squandering a 4/2 advantage Chardy set up a second-round ugenie Bouchard has lost another cent of her first serve opportunities, the Gstaad crown in July, opened in the tie-break. Sugita goes onto encounter against third-seeded first-round match, this time at the and only winning 38 per cent of her Sporting Braga POR Hoffenheim GER his bid for a sixth ATP World meet Slovakian Norbert Gombos American Jack Sock after he hit LuxembourgE Open. second-serve rallies. Ludogorets BUL Basaksehir TUR Tour title by beating Malek Jaziri or 2009 titlist Marcos Baghdatis of 12 aces — and lost six of his first The Westmount, Que., native Meanwhile, Larson, No. 79, broke AC Milan ITA Austria Vienna AUT of Tunisia 7-5, 6-1 in 73 minutes. Cyprus. service points (27/33) — to beat started strong with a 6-2 first-set Bouchard on over half her chances, AEK Athens GRE Rijeka CRO He now faces Argentine Leonardo Spaniard Verdasco, runner-up Alessandro Giannessi of Italy 6-0, victory over Swede Johanna Larsson, including the final set of the match. Atalanta ITA Everton ENG Mayer or wild card Elias Ymer of at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis 7-5 in 72 minutes. but Larsson rebounded fast, taking In their only other match at Roland Apollon Limassol CYP Olympique Lyon FRA Sweden. Championships in February, lost He also beat Giannessi a few the final two sets 6-2, 6-3. Garros in 2014, Bouchard defeated Japan’s Sugita lived to fight just one of his first service points weeks ago at the Shenzhen Open Bouchard, ranked No. 80 in the Larsson. Fastav Zlin CZE Sheriff Tiraspol MDA another day, withstanding 15 (27/28) to record his fourth 7-6(6), 6-4 in the first round. world, fired in six aces but was shaky Larsson is set to face Brazilian FC Copenhagen DEN Lokomotiv RUS aces in a dramatic 1-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) straight win in eight meetings (atpworldtour) on her serve, converting on just 51 per Beatriz Haddad Maia next. (cbc.ca) Hap. Beer-Sheva ISR Lugano SUI Steaua Bucharest ROM Viktoria Plzen CZE Red Star Belgrade SRB BATE Borisov BLR Arsenal ENG Koln GER Canadian player Marino Nadal withdraws from Swiss Indoors Marseille FRA Konyaspor TUR London already present at the tournament Viktoria POR Red Bull Salzburg AUT announces return to game afael Nadal has pulled out of in Shanghai, which now forces me DT News Network Falamarzi with 39. Third place BMMI Johnnie Walker Foursomes Zorya Luhansk UKR Ostersunds SWE London Rnext week’s Swiss Indoors to take time off on advice of my Manama went to Rob Thompson and stableford format, first held in the Hertha Berlin GER Athletic Bilbao ESP ebecca Marino, tournament in Basel to rest his right doctor. ohammed Salmeen Jonathan Jane with 39, fourth 1967/68 season. once Canada’s knee. “After two great weeks in China, Nice FRA Zulte Waregem BEL and Ali Al Kowari win place went to Hamad Al Qutami This year’s event was played top-rankedR women’s The world number one, who has with the title in Beijing and the final M Lazio ITA Vitesse NED the Awali Golf Club’s Friday and Mohammed Faraj with 38, in warm and windy conditions. tennis player, a long history of knee problems, in Shanghai, it is time for some rest. competiton with a score of and fifth place to Onny and Joan The sponsor provided a Zenit RUS Vardar MKD announced she is wore tape during his final defeat “I want to send a special 40 points. Runners-Up were Martin with 38. generous prize table and product Rosenborg NOR Real Sociedad ESP returning to tennis by Roger Federer in the Shanghai message to the many tennis fans Ali Danesh and Mahmood This competition was the tastings. after nearly five years Masters last weekend. in Switzerland, which have always FUTURE MATCHDAYS away. Nadal has enjoyed great success showed great support and respect 4. Nov 2 5. Nov 23 6. Dec 7 The Vancouver on hard courts this summer but has also on my matches with Roger. native will play in two made no secret of how gruelling he Hope to see you next year.” Tiger Woods gets doctor’s clearance YE FOR OAL: E G Top two teams in Group K clash ITF Women’s Circuit Rebecca Marino (file pic) finds the surface on his body. Nadal’s withdrawal from the London operation in three years. as Lazio, unbeaten in six European away games, events in Saguenay, After winning the US Open last tournament in Federer’s home iger Woods has been given Woods admitted last month travel to competition’s joint-top goalscorers, Nice Que., next week and month and then winning the China town potentially opens the door to Ciro Immobile Tthe green light by his doctor it was possible he may never Nice Total attempts: 34 Goals: 8 in Toronto the following week. French Open that year and Open title in Beijing immediately the Swiss for the year-end world to step up his rehabilitation play competitive golf again, Lazio striker currently Marino, now 26, left the another at Wimbledon to earn before his run to the final in number one spot.