MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013 SPORTS Wawrinka eyes good start in India CHENNAI: Swiss world number eight Stanislas Wawrinka Federer. “I’m confident going into 2014,” he said. “Top play- will look to extend the good form he showed in 2013 by ers are extremely tough to beat and you need to play your when he kickstarts the new season at the ATP Chennai best tennis. However, if you work hard and keep fighting Open from today. Wawrinka emerged from the shadows of everything is possible.” Wawrinka, who enjoyed a 51-23 win legendary compatriot Roger Federer with a string of major record in 2013, faces a tough field in Chennai that includes semi-final appearances that lifted him into the top 10 after world number 15 Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, number 16 starting the year ranked 17th. Fabio Fognini of Italy and the 26th-ranked Benoit Paire of The 28-year-old created a sensation at the US Open in France. September with a quarter-final win over defending cham- Also in the line-up are Canadian Vasek Pospisil, the pion Andy Murray, before losing to Novak Djokovic in a Spanish duo of Marcel Granollers and Roberto Bautista- five-set semi-final thriller. Agut, and Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin. Defending Wawrinka then qualified for his maiden ATP World Tour champion Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia withdrew from a sev- Finals in London last month where he reached the semi- enth appearance at the Chennai Open after failing to finals, before losing once again to Djokovic. The star hopes recover from a heel injury that has troubled him all a good performance in his sixth appearance in the through the year. $450,000-event in Chennai, which he won in 2011, will Youzhny, 31, begins his 15th season on the circuit look- boost confidence ahead of the Australian Open in mid- ing for a good work-out in the season-opener where he January. won the 2008 title with a stunning 6-0, 6-1 demolition of “I feel good to be where I am,” Wawrinka said in an Nadal in the final. organisers’ media release. “2013 was definitely an out- The Russian veteran, who won two titles in 2013, says standing year for me. It showed me how close I am to the he takes great pride in the fact that he and Federer are the top guys and that I have my chances against them.” only two players to finish in the top 50 every year since Wawrinka said his goal in the new year was to be as consis- 2002. “Its not bad when you share an honour with Federer,” ABU DHABI: Tennis player Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland returns the ball to Spain’s David Ferrer during their tent as the top players like Djokovic, Nadal, Murray and Youzhny said. — AFP Mubadala World Tennis Championship match in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi. —AFP NBA results/standings Bass’ block saves Celtics Boston 103, Cleveland 100; Indiana 105, Brooklyn 91; Toronto 115, NY Knicks 100; Washington 106, Detroit 82; Atlanta 118, Charlotte 116 (OT); Dallas 105, Chicago 83; Houston 107, New Orleans 98; Memphis 120, Denver 99; Minnesota 117, Milwaukee 95; Phoenix 115, Philadelphia 101; Miami 108, Portland 107; LA Clippers 98, Utah 90. in 103-100 win over Cavs Eastern Conference Western Conference Atlantic Division Northwest Division BOSTON: Jeff Green and Jordan Crawford each Mavericks 105, Bulls 83 Suns 115, 76ers 101 W L PCT GB Oklahoma City 24 5 .828 - scored 19 points, Brandon Bass added 15 points Monta Ellis had 22 points and Dallas took con- Miles Plumlee scored a career-high 22 points to Toronto 13 15 .464 - Portland 24 6 .800 0.5 and had a game-saving blocked shot in the closing trol early in coasting to a victory over Chicago. Dirk go with 13 rebounds, and Phoenix bounced back Boston 13 17 .433 1 Minnesota 15 15 .500 9.5 seconds Saturday, and the Boston Celtics held on Nowitzki and Vince Carter added 18 points apiece from its worst loss of the season to beat Brooklyn 10 20 .333 4 Denver 14 15 .483 10 for a 103-100 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. for the Mavericks, who led by as many as 32 while Philadelphia. Goran Dragic added 21 points and NY Knicks 9 21 .300 5 Utah 9 24 .273 17 The Cavaliers were playing soon after suspend- bouncing back from a home loss to San Antonio on Eric Bledsoe 20 for the Suns, who have won nine of Philadelphia 8 21 .276 5.5 Pacific Division ing center Andrew Bynum indefinitely for “conduct Thursday. 11. Marcus Morris made three fourth-quarter 3- Central Division LA Clippers 21 11 .656 - detrimental to the team” and banning him from all Joakim Noah led Chicago with 20 points and 10 pointers and scored 18. Thaddeus Young scored 30 Indiana 24 5 .828 - Phoenix 18 11 .621 1.5 team-related activities. Bynum, who signed a two- rebounds, but the Bulls had their modest twogame points, Michael Carter-Williams 27 and Tony Detroit 14 18 .438 11.5 Golden State 18 13 .581 2.5 year, $24 million contract with the Cavaliers in July, winning streak snapped. Carlos Boozer and Taj Wroten 22 for the 76ers, who lost their 13th road Chicago 11 17 .393 12.5 did not travel with the team to Boston and it’s likely Gibson each added 13. The Mavericks took com- game in a row and have dropped nine of 10 over- LA Lakers 13 17 .433 7 Cleveland 10 19 .345 14 he has played his final game for Cleveland. mand with a 15-2 run to end the first quarter. all. Milwaukee 6 24 .200 18.5 Sacramento 9 19 .321 10 Avery Bradley added 18 points and eight Carter, who entered just before the surge started, Evan Turner, Philadelphia’s leading scorer at Southeast Division Southwest Division rebounds for Boston, which snapped a three-game had seven points during the spurt. 19.3 points per game, sat out to rest his sore right Miami 23 7 .767 - San Antonio 23 7 .767 - losing streak. Bass also had eight boards. Kyrie knee. Phoenix lost 115-86 at Golden State on Atlanta 17 13 .567 6 Houston 21 11 .656 3 Irving led the Cavaliers with 32 points, the eighth Grizzlies 120, Nuggets 99 Friday night. The 76ers hadn’t played in a week Washington 13 14 .481 8.5 Dallas 17 13 .567 6 time in his last 10 games he’s scored 20 or more. Zach Randolph scored 20 points and Memphis and had been in Arizona since Thursday. Plumlee Charlotte 14 17 .452 9.5 New Orleans 13 15 .464 9 Dion Waiters scored 17 and Jarrett Jack 14 for got 62 points from its bench against Denver. Six left the game to get seven stitches for a cut on his Orlando 9 20 .310 13.5 Memphis 13 16 .448 9.5 Cleveland, which lost its fourth straight. Grizzlies finished in double figures and Memphis chin in the second half but returned. The Celtics led by 19 points entering the final shot 52 percent while sending the Nuggets to their quarter and held a 10-point edge with 4 1/2 min- sixth straight loss. Ed Davis led the reserves with 17 Heat 108, Trail Blazers 107 Djokovic looking forward utes to play. Jack nailed consecutive 3-pointers, the points, and Jerryd Bayless had 15. Mike Conley and With LeBron James injured, Chris Bosh took second closed it to 98-94 with 2:38 left. Cleveland James Johnson scored 14 apiece, and Mike Miller over for the Miami Heat. Bosh had a season-high had it down to four points twice again before added 11. The 120 points were a season high for 37 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with to life with coach Becker Waiters’ two free throws made it 102-100 with 43.3 Memphis, and only two less than the most the 0.5 seconds left, and the Heat beat the Portland seconds left. After Jared Sullinger shot an air ball 3- Nuggets have allowed in a game this season. Ty Trail Blazers 108-107 on Saturday night. ABU DHABI: Novak Djokovic saw off David point attempt from the right wing that went out of Lawson led Denver with 20 points and eight assists. Bosh added 10 rebounds to hand Portland just Ferrer 7-5, 6-2 in the final of the Mubadala bounds with 19.3 seconds left, Bass blocked its third loss at home this season. Wesley World Tennis Championship on Saturday and Waiters’ shot in the lane and Bradley nailed one Rockets 107, Pelicans 98 Matthews scored 23 points for the Trail Blazers, wasted no time looking forward to the sea- free throw with 1.4 seconds left. Dwight Howard had 24 points and 17 rebounds, who had won seven of eight. James injured his son ahead with his new coach Boris Becker. After a timeout, Cleveland inbounded the ball and James Harden scored 11 of his 21 points in the right groin and tweaked his left ankle Friday night The world number two was just too strong to Earl Clark, who threw up an air ball as the horn fourth quarter in Houston’s comeback win over in a 108-103 overtime loss at Sacramento that for the Spanish world number three and sounded. Bass’ 3-pointer - just his second this year - stormed to victory in the exhibition title for had pushed Boston’s lead to 64-44 early in the third the third time in a row.