MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 2014 SPORTS Newlywed Novak seeks more joy on court TORONTO: Newlywed Novak he is also the defending champion. Federer, who won Canada in 2004 “I need to be ready for the last few Vasek Pospisil, is seeded fourth, ahead Djokovic will try to give himself more His absence leaves Djokovic as the and 2006, is seeded second in his months of the season,” he said. “It’s a of Spain’s David Ferrer. reason to celebrate this week as he favorite in Toronto, and despite a “ter- quest for a third title of 2014. He’ll be long series and it will be tough for Canadian Milos Raonic is seeded returns to the hardcourts of North rible draw” that could have him meet- returning to action for the first time sure,” he said of the hardcourt buildup sixth, and his home fans will be America at the ATP Masters at Toronto ing eighth-seeded Andy Murray in the since falling to Djokovic in a five-set to Flushing Meadows. expecting great things after his run- with the US Open on the horizon. The quarter-finals the 27-year-old was in final at Wimbledon. “It will be another big challenge,” ner-up finish to Nadal last year and his number one-ranked Serb, who has high spirits after winning Wimbledon The father of four, who turns 33 added Wawrinka, whose best first Grand Slam semi-final appear- lifted the trophy three times in the and getting married, with his first next Friday, has spent a relaxed few Canadian showing was a quarter-final ance at Wimbledon. tournament that alternates between child to be born soon. weeks in the Alps with his family and appearance three years ago. “I’m try- Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov will test Toronto and Montreal, is seeking “It’s been probably the best month is gearing up for a serious run at his ing to be fit and to do everything pos- his fitness after withdrawing because another strong run to further sepa- I’ve had in my life with the first US Open trophy since 2008. sible not to be injured.” of illness from Washington while rate himself atop the rankings from Wimbledon title, a wedding and of Federer is followed in the seedings The top eight seeds all have first- eighth-seeded Murray will venture injured world number two Rafael course a baby coming up,” Djokovic by compatriot Stan Wawrinka, the round byes, with Djokovic slated to onto court for the first time since his Nadal. said. Australian Open and Monte Carlo open his campaign against either Wimbledon quarter-final humiliation The Spaniard, who won the 2013 “I’m going back to the business, champion. Acknowledging that his Czech Radek Stepanek or oft-injured against Dimitrov. Canadian crown as well as the back to my office, but of course filled breakthrough season has taken Frenchman Gael Monfils. Australian Nick Kyrgios, who Cincinnati Masters, has withdrawn with positive energy, with joy, all the something of a toll, Wawrinka Federer will open against either stunned Nadal in the fourth round at from both events this year to nurse a beautiful emotions that a person can skipped a date last month as headlin- Canadian wild card Peter Polansky or Wimbledon, plays on a wild card. The right wrist injury raising fears he could experience right now. er on his home claycourts at Gstaad, Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz. Czech Tomas 19-year-old faces Santiago Giraldo in also miss the final Grand Slam of the “Hopefully I can use that to per- saying he needed both a mental and Berdych, bounced as top seed in the first round with the winner to play season at Flushing Meadows, where form well on the tennis court.” Roger physical break. Washington this week by Canadian Murray. —AFP Raonic and Pospisil book historic final WASHINGTON: Milos Raonic, coming off he’s serving this week and playing this his first Grand Slam semi-final at year,” Pospisil said. “I’m happy to be in my Wimbledon, and double-duty winner Vasek first final.” Pospisil will meet Sunday in the first all- Pospisil, 24, and Raonic, 23, have been Canadian final in ATP history at the rivals for more than a decade. “It’s a good Washington Open. Seventh-ranked Raonic, relationship. We get along,” Raonic said. seeking his sixth career title and first since “We’ve gotten along since we were 12. last year at Bangkok, fired 15 aces in down- We’ve followed each other around for ing US left-hander Donald Young 6-4, 7-5 to years. “He’s a little more perky and happy reach his 11th ATP final, his first since and excited so that’s good to see. He has falling to Juan Martin Del Potro last played really well this week.” September at Tokyo. Raonic, who won 33-of-36 first-serve “I have a much better understanding of points in the match and never faced a what I need to bring out myself, especially break point, broke Young in the final game early in a tournament, to reach the week- of each set, taking the match after 75 min- end stages,” Raonic said. “Mentally I know utes when the American netted a back- what I need to do to compete better in the hand. “I just put the pressure on his final important stages of matches.” service games of each set and it worked Pospisil, who ousted Czech Tomas out,” Raonic said. Young, who never faced Berdych in the third round, rallied to dis- Raonic before, still enjoyed his deepest ATP patch French sixth seed Richard Gasquet 6- run since reaching the 2011 Bangkok final, 7 (5/7), 6-3, 7-5 for his first win in five ATP where he lost to Britain’s Andy Murray. semi-final appearances-and his second vic- Pospisil, who won his only prior meeting tory of the day. with Gasquet last year at Shanghai, never Only five hours earlier, Pospisil finished led in the tie-breaker but broke Gasquet for the last set of a 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-4 quarter- a 2-0 lead in the second set and held out to final win over Colombian Santiago Giraldo force a third. that was halted Friday by rain. In the final set, Gasquet broke for a 2-0 “I was a little tired at the end,” said edge but Pospisil broke back at love in the Pospisil. “I came up with some good shots. I fifth game and again in the penultimate didn’t give up when I was down and tired game, then held at love to win after two and I came back.” hours, 28 minutes when Gasquet hit a fore- In the companion WTA tournament, hand long. Pospisil will meet Gasquet again STANFORD: Serena Williams of the United States plays against Andrea Petkovic of Germany during Day 5 of the Bank of the West Japan’s Kurumi Nara advanced to the in next week’s first round in Toronto. Nara, Classic at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium. —AFP women’s final by outlasting New Zealand’s who won her first career WTA title earlier Marina Erakovic 0-6, 6-4, 6-4. She will face this year at Rio de Janeiro, dropped the first the winner of a later match between eight games of the match but battled back Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova and to reach her second career final. Serena storms past Ekaterina Makarova. “I was panicking first set but I tried to Seventh-ranked Raonic won his only calm down and relax and move quicker ATP meeting with Pospisil, who won a and it helped me,” Nara said. Nara, 22, is Wimbledon doubles crown alongside already projected to jump from 40th to a American Jack Sock, in a Montreal semi- career high in next week’s WTA rankings, Petkovic into final final last year. surpassing the top mark of 38th she set last “He’s the favorite by a long shot the way month. —AFP STANFORD: Serena Williams stormed into the There was no stopping the 17-time Grand and admired them growing up.” final of the WTA hardcourt tournament at Slam champion from there. After a first set last- Late yesterday, Williams will be seeking a Stanford on Saturday, winning the last eight ing 50 minutes Williams polished off the second fourth title of 2014. She has won all three finals games of a 7-5, 6-0 victory over Andrea in 27, breaking Petkovic a fourth time when the she has reached this year, at Brisbane, Miami and Petkovic. German sent a forehand long on match point. Rome. When the WTA world rankings are next The world number one and top seed, playing Williams saved the only break point she released, she will have been number one for 200 her first tournament since a disappointing faced in the match, showing no sign of fatigue non-consecutive weeks in her career, but Wimbledon campaign in which she was slowed despite a quick turnaround from her tough, Williams has struggled this year in Grand Slams, by a virus, will face third-seeded German three-set victory over former world number one failing to make it past the fourth round in the Angelique Kerber in late yesterday’s final. Ana Ivanovic on Friday night. “I’m really excited,” Australian Open, French Open or Wimbledon. Kerber, ranked eighth in the world, saved a said Williams. “Andrea and I both had really long Stanford and next week’s WTA event in match point on the way to a 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 matches yesterday, so I was just hoping to come Montreal are part of her build up to the US Open, victory over 59th-ranked American Varvara out again today with fresh legs, and just try to her last chance in 2014 to add another major title Lepchenko.