14 Established 1961 Sports Wednesday, October 4, 2017 Nadal survives Beijing scare, Halep sets up Sharapova rematch Pliskova books her spot in round three with victory over Petkovic BEIJING: World number one Rafael Nadal saved two world number two Simona Halep today would help her match points to avoid a shock defeat in the first round gauge progress since returning from a 15-month dop- of the China Open, seeing off Lucas Pouille in three ing ban. sets yesterday. The Russian former number one, on the comeback The Frenchman broke Nadal on the way to taking trail since April following the ban for taking the banned the first set 6-4, and the world number 23 came within substance meldonium, had to dig deep as she defeated a whisker of sealing an upset when the second set compatriot Ekaterina Makarova in three sets. went to a tie break. Sharapova, a lowly 104 in the world and on a wild- But Nadal, 31, with the Beijing crowd backing him card at the China Open, has yet to win a tournament on the outdoor hard court, held his nerve when twice since returning to tennis. The five-time Grand Slam staring defeat in the face and fought back to win the champion said she had endured “a few ups and downs” tie break 8-6. in seeing off Makarova 6-4, 4-6, 6-1. The pair headed into a final-set shootout and again But the 30-year-old is relishing her showdown with Pouille refused to buckle, Nadal getting the critical the Romanian Halep: “We know each other’s games break of serve in the 11th game before serving for the very well, that’s no secret. set and match 7-5. Nadal, a 16-time Grand Slam cham- “They’ve always been very challenging, tough, com- pion, tumbled and lost a shoe at one point, and said petitive, emotional.” Sharapova, a crowd favourite in afterwards he was fortunate to be in the second round. Beijing, added: “But I love the challenge of playing “He played well, I think, very aggressive. He’s serv- against someone that’s number two in the world. ing well,” said Nadal, who lost to Pouille the last time “She’s a great player, she’s had a great year. “Any they met, at last year’s US Open. “For me it was a little time you’re able to face an opponent that’s done some- bit difficult at the beginning, then I started to play bet- thing right and well, it’s great to see where you are and ter. “But still, I didn’t have the control of the match for where your level is.” almost all the time. “I am very, very happy to be The Halep meeting will be a replay of the first- through.” Nadal narrowly avoided the fate of fellow round match between the pair at the US Open in Spaniard and top-ranked Garbine August, when Sharapova made an impressive return Muguruza, who exited in the first round on Monday to Grand Slam competition before exiting in the when she retired from her match with a virus. Also into fourth round. the second round in the men’s draw are Nick Kyrgios, Sharapova boasts a 7-0 record against Halep, who Juan Martin del Potro, the American John Isner and made it into the next round after Magdalena third seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria. Rybarikova retired ill in the second set. Karolina Pliskova, the fourth seed from the Czech Republic, BEIJING: Maria Sharapova of Russia hits a return during her women’s singles match against SHARAPOVA PRIMED FOR HALEP booked her spot in round three with a 6-4, 6-4 victory Ekaterina Marakova of Russia at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing yesterday. — AFP Maria Sharapova said her third-round clash with over Andrea Petkovic of Germany. — AFP NHL stars who grew Penguins aim for up with Olympics 3rd straight title as face season without it Knights’ era begins NEW YORK: The NHL became entwined with the Olympics before young stars like Connor McDavid, Jack LOS ANGELES: The NHL is set for its 100th season Eichel or Auston Matthews even pulled on a pair of skates. of play with a record 31 teams and Pittsburgh looking Nagano in 1998 started a string of five consecutive for the three-peat, but for the first time since 1994 Olympics featuring NHL players, a tradition that became there will be no break for the Olympics. The so routine that young players around the world added Penguins, who beat the Nashville Predators in six dreams of winning a gold medal to their hopes of someday games to win their second-straight Stanley Cup title, lifting the Stanley Cup. will get the season started today with a banner-raising “I’ve always been alive in the days where the NHL ceremony at the PPG Arena before they host the St. teams allow their players to go to the Olympics,” Eichel Louis Blues. said. “I’ve had a lot of good memories watching the Penguins star Sidney Crosby turned 30 in August Olympics and seeing a lot of great players play, so it’s but isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. He has something you’ve always looked up to.” won three Stanley Cups, two Olympic gold medals There’s nothing to look forward to this time: Instead of File photo, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) skates past in the and two consecutive Conn Smythe trophies as the going to South Korea this winter to play for their home second period of an NHL hockey game in Denver.— AP MVP of the playoffs. “I feel good. I take care of countries, NHL players face an 82-game season that will myself,” he said. “But I am still trying to get faster, keep right on going on during the Olympics. The Games whether that happens or not, we will have to wait and will instead include a mix of players from the minors, col- “It’s very disappointing you’re not going to have the it may be difficult for players to watch, but many will try. see.” NHL players have taken part in the last five leges and Europe. chance to be there when we have as short of careers as we “Like any fan of sport I like to watch the Olympics, so Winter Olympics but that won’t happen this time “It’s going to be weird for everybody,” said Colorado do,” Swedish defenseman and Ottawa Senators captain I’ll definitely be paying attention to it,” McDavid said. around. The league announced they would not be Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon, who was hoping Erik Karlsson said. “It’s going to be some guys’ only Two-time US Olympian Patrick Kane said he will be inter- going to Pyeonchang, South Korea and that means to make Canada’s Olympic team. “It won’t feel right watch- opportunity to go and they’re not going to be able to since ested to see which players are chosen. there will be no break in the regular season schedule ing other guys wear that maple leaf and they’re good play- it’s not our decision to not attend.” A lot of players have friends or former teammates in the like they have done in the past. Several players ers, but they’re not the best players in the world at that That decision belonged to NHL owners, who saw no running to make a national team, which adds a silver lining including Russia’s Alex Ovechkin have vowed to take tournament. Whoever wins it, hopefully Canada wins it. tangible benefit from stopping the season for over two to the bitter disappointment. “There’s going to be a couple part in the Games anyway. That’d be awesome. But it just won’t feel the same. They’re weeks to let players take part in the Olympics. “The fact of guys that I know who are going who maybe would not There is hope for Olympic participation in the not world champions, technically, because they’re not the the matter is, we find the Olympics incredibly disruptive have had an opportunity to play in the Olympics ever,” future though. The NHL did go overseas for two pre- best players.” with no positive benefit, no opportunity to promote our Rangers defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said. “I’ll be pulling presence or anything else of the Olympic experience,” for them, but it’s almost going to be like a world juniors sit- season games last month between the Vancouver Almost six months since the league announced it would skip the Pyeongchang Olympics, most of the NHL’s best Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We have enough expe- uation where you’re rooting for your team and you’re Canucks and Los Angeles Kings in China, the host of players are resigned to their missed opportunity. That rience to understand what the Olympics represents. The rooting for your country, but you wish you were there to the 2022 Olympics. The Chinese are building state- Canada won’t have Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews to people who suggest that somehow this is an opportunity participate. It’s going to be cool to see them in that light, of-the-art rinks and attracting new players every year go for the three-peat, that McDavid, Matthews and Eichel to grow the game, it didn’t grow the game in Japan, it but I wish I was there with them.” and with a population of 1.4 billion people, the NHL won’t make their Olympic debuts quite yet.