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FIBA: Mighty Jimmy and the shot that introduced Gilas to the World
This story was originally published on Feb. 24, 2019 It’s Saturday night at Mall of Asia and the arena is absolutely rocking. Eternal basketball rivals in the Philippines and South Korea are delivering another classic. Gilas Pilipinas is down to the final minute of regulation against its longtime tormentor in the second of two semifinal games. The national team is up by two, 81-79. The Philippines is hosting the 2013 FIBA-Asia Championships where three tickets to the 2014 World Cup are at stake and the winner of this particular game gets one of those tickets. Given the rich history of both teams and what it would mean to the winner, this pivotal game has gone down the wire as everyone pretty much expected. Also knowing the history of both teams in international play, Gilas’ precarious two-point lead was not safe at all. A ghost was lurking in the background and a dreaded curse felt almost inevitable. Down to the final minute of the crucial grudge match between the Philippines and South Korea, guard Jimmy Alapag has the ball and a two-point lead. What he will do will help define not only his career but the legacy of the Gilas name as a national team. WAKE-UP CALL Even before the Philippines-Korea game, Gilas Pilipinas already had to go through one emotional game early in its homestand for the Asian Championships. In a preliminary round showdown against Chinese Taipei, the Filipinos collapsed in the fourth quarter, allowing the Taiwanese to steal a morale-boosting 84-79 win. In 2013, the relationship between the two countries hit a rough patch over the death of one Taiwanese fisherman. In an updated May 17 report by CNN’s Jethro Mullen, “Taiwan has reacted angrily after one of its fishermen was killed by a Philippine coast guard vessel.” Taiwan had frozen applications from OFWs seeking jobs in its territory and the government of then President Ma Ying-jeou demanded an apology, among other things, from the Philippines. While the national basketball teams of both countries never really had any prior animosity with each other, tension was naturally present as both teams squared off in Group A action. Gilas Pilipinas and Chinese-Taipei both entered the showdown with identical 2-0 records and the winner would take control of solo Group A lead heading into round 2. Taking a good lead into the fourth quarter, the Philippines was outscored by 18 in the last 10 minutes and the national team took its worst home loss in quite some time. “At the time, it was a huge game for us. We understood what was happening in Taipei during that particular time. We really wanted to win for what our kababayans were going through at that time,” guard Jimmy Alapag said on that first home loss in the 2013 Asian Championships. “We didn’t get the job done, and it was tough especially to lose a game like that, it was a very emotional and it was a game that we knew we needed,” he added. The crushing loss meant that the Philippines had little room for error in round 2. While Gilas didn’t have any world beaters lined up in the second round, anything less than a perfect run would have meant an early clash with Asia’s established powerhouse teams in the knockout stages. On the other side of the bracket, defending champion China, Iran, and South Korea were battling for position and were expected to finish in the top-3. That means if Gilas Pilipinas failed to finish no. 1 in its group, the national team would have faced one of those teams in the quarterfinals. Gilas picked up a crucial win over Qatar in the 6th of August and the day after, the Philippines got some help from those same Qataris as they beat Taipei in a close decision. At the end of round 2, all teams finished with identical win-loss records but Gilas Pilipinas would take over first place after all tiebreaks were considered, barely edging out Taipei. The Philippines ended up avoiding defending champion China, Iran, and South Korea and instead got Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals. No. 2 Taipei drew China and the third-running Qataris were matched up with the South Koreans. “I think that was the moment we grew up and grew closer. I think that was the lowest of the lows, just because of the atmosphere and what was going on between both countries. It kind of felt that we let our end of the bargain down, you know what I mean? We’re on our home soil and we didn’t take care of business. I think that was one of those moments where we had to really check ourselves and find a way to make it right,” forward Gabe Norwood said of the Taipei loss. “But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. In tournaments like FIBA-Asia it’s important that you have short-term memory whether it was a win or a loss. We needed to let go of that game and continue to stay the course, keep our focus in the tournament,” Alapag added. On August 7, four days after Gilas lost to Taipei, the rift between the Philippines and Taiwan would reach a resolution and the latter country lifted its freeze hiring and other sanctions on the former. The Philippines also did issue on official apology over the death of the Taiwanese fisherman a couple of months prior and the National Bureau of Investigation in Manila recommended the pressing of homicide charges to erring members of the Philippine Coast Guard. DARK HISTORY If the word “rival” is to be defined as a, “person or group that tries to defeat or be more successful than another person or group” then sure, the Philippines and South Korea are rivals. Both countries are rivals in the Asian basketball scene and they have been going at it for a very long time. But if the word rival can also mean “equal” or “peer,” is the Philippines really a worthy basketball rival to South Korea? The Philippines’ history with South Korea in terms of basketball is dark. Very dark. Consider the most high-profile matches between the two countries and you’ll see that the Philippine national team is just not at the level of South Korea. Or at the very least, Koreans always seem to reach 120 percent of their potential when they play Filipinos and we barely bring out 80 percent of our abilities when matched up against our East Asian neighbors. The 1998 PBA Centennial team, arguably the greatest Philippine team ever assembled, was demolished by South Korea in the Asian Games. A national team set up for gold only settled for bronze. Speaking of a bronze medal game, the original Gilas Pilipinas team lost a podium finish to South Korea in the 2011 FIBA-Asia Championships. That team squandered a double-digit lead and collapsed late. Of course, who can forget the semifinals of the 2002 Asian Games in Busan when Olsen Racela had the chance to put the Philippines up four but missed two free throws. South Korea would win with a booming triple at the buzzer off a broken play and would later take down China to capture the gold medal. South Korea is the Philippines’ basketball nemesis for all intents and purposes. A worthy adversary that always seem to emerge victorious at our expense. Still, all that previous disappointment didn’t seem to bother Gilas Pilipinas six years ago. The team was not scared and instead, they were excited even. One factor to greatly consider was that fact that the game was in Manila. It makes all the difference to play at home. “We understood the bad history that we had with Korea. We haven’t been very successful with them in quite some time but we knew from Day 1 that if ever we got an opportunity to play them at home, then we have a great chance,” Alapag said. “Man, pre-game, it was just the focus. Everybody was up for the challenge, I don’t think anybody was really nervous, I think it was just the anxiety... we wanted to get out there and do it already,” Norwood added. Playing at home had its perks for sure, but it also had its drawbacks. For all the painful losses the Philippines suffered at the hands of South Korea, it would have been devastating if Gilas actually took a beating in Manila. Stakes were extra high in this particular chapter of this long, ongoing saga. “There was always pressure, it was something that we acknowledged early. Playing at home, it’s great having that support but at the same time, there is some added pressure because you wanna make sure that you make our home crowd proud of the team that they watch and ultimately, win games,” Alapag said, making sure to note that the national team knew of the disadvantages of playing at home even before the Korea game. “It was there but it was something that we acknowledged and we wanted to make sure that we took advantage of the opportunity playing at home,” he added. ALL FILIPINO, ALL HEART Once it was go time, the Philippines-South Korea game went about pretty normal, as you would expect any game from these two national teams. But even before halftime, an injury to Gilas center Marcus Douthit changed the complexion of the semifinals showdown. All of a sudden, the Philippines was without its anchor, without its best player. Sure, there were players on the Gilas bench that can come in and replace Douthit’s size but there was simply no one on the Gilas bench that can come in and replace his talent, production, and just overall presence. June Mar Fajardo was in that Gilas bench but it 2013, the would-be five-time PBA Most Valuable Player was just not at that level yet. It would have been easy for Gilas Pilipinas to fold like cheap furniture and succumb to the overwhelming pressure of trying to overcome South Korea to reach a stage very few Filipinos have reached before. Gilas didn’t fold and instead, the Douthit injury rallied the team even further. “Alam mo sa totoo lang, puso na lang yun eh. Nung nawala si Marcus talaga, sabi ni coach kailangan doble kayod tayo. Dahil sobrang dehado tayo kumbaga, wala na tayong import, wala tayong malaki,” forward Marc Pingris said. With Douthit gone, Ping ate up all of his minutes and worked by committee with guys like Ranidel De Ocampo and Japeth Aguilar to fill in the gaps. “As a player naman, kami nagusap-usap kami na kahit anong mangyari, lalaban kami. Yung time na yun, talagang patay kung patay,” Ping added. Despite losing its best player to an untimely injury, Gilas Pilipinas’ confidence in winning never wavered. With their collective backs against the wall, the Philippine national team played even better. Unlike the later iterations of Gilas Pilipinas, the 2013 team, aptly called Gilas 2.0, had the luxury of having actual preparation before the FIBA-Asia Championships. The amount of work that came before the tournament and the Korea game, the bond built over countless hours of training, all of that helped the national team avoid a monumental meltdown in front of a rabid Manila crowd. “We were such a close-knit team in terms of our chemistry, in terms of the talent that we had, so we felt confident even when Marcus went down early in the game. If you looked at our huddle, you had 11 more very confident guys, not just in themselves but more importantly, in each other,” Alapag said. “That just boiled down to the chemistry that we had. I don’t think any of us panicked, we were all confident in each other. We’ve all been into that situation with our PBA teams, having the ball in our hands and making a play. Knowing that we had five weapons on the floor that could make the winning play, I think it made us very confident and we were able to sustain our composure,” the former Gilas captain added. THE GHOST AND ITS CURSE Shin Dong Pa, Hur Jae, Lee Sang-min, Oh Se-Keun, TJ Moon, and Cho Sung-min are just some players from the South Korean national team that inflicted incredible damage to the Philippines over the course of decades. The dreaded Ghost of South Korea takes form in these players and its curse is to give Filipinos the most heart-crushing loss possible. In 2013, the Ghost was Kim Min-goo and his curse was to beat Gilas Pilipinas in Manila. Despite losing Marcus Douthit and trailing by three points at the break, the Philippines started to turn the tables in the second half. Gilas Pilipinas unleashed Jayson Castro and the Blur led a blazing offense in the third quarter, finding a way to take a 10-point lead over South Korea, the Philippines’ largest of the night. But as the dust settled and Gilas holding a 65-56 lead entering the final period, an ominous figure would make his presence felt. The Korean Ghost has arrived and his name was Kim Min-goo. His curse? Beat Gilas Pilipinas in Manila. Kim was 22 and a senior in college when he made the South Korean national basketball team as a backup shooter in 2013. In nine games in Manila, Kim would play well enough to make the tournament’s All-Star team, averaging 12.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. He led Asian Championships with 25 three-point field goals, 10 came in the last two games and five came against Gilas Pilipinas. Kim drilled back-to-back triples to open the fourth quarter against the Philippines. Later, his fifth triple — a four-point play at that — pushed the Koreans to within a point, 72-73. South Korea would take over soon after as Lee Seung-jun dunked the basketball on a fastbreak. The Ghost has arrived and his curse is in effect. “Ako pumasok sa isip ko yun nung lumamang Korea, na putek ito na naman,” Pingris said. “Pero ang sabi ko, sayang yung opportunity, kaya naman eh. So sabi ni Jimmy samin, no matter what happens wag kami gi-give up. Pinaghirapan natin to at may goal tayo, this year aalis tayo,” he added, noting the team’s goal to get into Spain and compete with the world’s best national teams. Faced with the possibility of dealing with a devastating defeat, Gilas had enough mental fortitude to keep things going. Trust your system, trust your preparation, trust your crowd, trust your teammates, and more importantly, trust yourselves. “You’re never out of the game if you’re playing at home,” Norwood said as they stared a deficit late against their destined rivals. “I think that was our mindset, keep it close and just find a way,” he added. Jimmy Alapag found a way. BORN READY Down 73-75, Jimmy Alapag was under heavy duress when he let go of a three-pointer from the left wing just in front of his bench. It was good to go. The Philippines was back on top by one as Alapag somehow managed to get his team to snap out of an initial shock following Korea’s strong fourth-quarter rally. The stage is now set for a wild finish and Jimmy will star in the final act of what has been an incredible show by Gilas and South Korea. “In situations like that, as an athlete and as a pro, that’s the situations that you dream about,” Alapag said. “Those are shots that you practice when you were a kid. When the shot clock is winding down, to have an opportunity to knock down a shot. It’s a shot that I practiced thousands of times,” he added. After the Philippines and South Korea traded baskets for the lead, Alapag made perhaps the most underrated play in this crazy and emotional encounter between two basketball rivals. Tasked with inbounding the ball just near underneath his own basket, Alapag found his Talk ‘N Text teammate Ranidel De Ocampo for an open look at three. Swish. Gilas leads, 81-77, with 91 seconds to go. “Ranidel was my favorite target for a very, very long time in my career,” Alapag said on the play that most people probably don’t even remember. “Once I saw that he got open, I wanted to make sure that I gave him as great a pass as possible and Ranidel has been known for a long time to take care of the rest,” he added. THE EXORCIST “Yeah, I was right under the basket,” Gabe Norwood says with a laugh when asked if he remembers the shot that changed the course of Gilas Pilipinas as a national team. Late in the fourth quarter of what was essentially a heavyweight bout, the Philippines just landed two strong haymakers but South Korea would refuse to go down without a fight, beating the count of 10 each time. Down to the final minute of a crucial grudge match with a World Cup berth on the line, Jimmy Alapag had his hands on the basketball as Gilas would go to its halfcourt set. Jimmy will never let go of said basketball. Up two, Jimmy did what Olsen wished he could 11 years prior. Up two against South Korea in a pivotal semifinal game, Alapag received a screen from Marc Pingris, which was enough to momentarily shake off Kim Tae-sul. With some room, Alapag drifted to his left and let a three-point shot fly. Boom. Gilas leads, 84-79, with 54 seconds to go. The shot would later be remembered as the one that ended the Korean Curse, the one that finally exorcised the Ghost. “The first thought that came to my mind was don’t miss,” Jimmy said of the clutch jumper. “That last one, Ping sets a good screen and I got a clean look. It’s a shot that myself, and Jayson [Castro], and Larry [Fonacier], and Gary [David], and Jeff [Chan], all of us, we practice that shot time and time again after practice. So you know, it was a shot that I was confident in but in that moment, all you’re thinking about was don’t miss,” he added. It’s one thing to be confident in yourself and to be confidednt in your preparation. It’s a different thing to actually perform under such pressure. As soon as Alapag managed to shoot his shot, Gabe Norwood did what any other good teammate would do and got in position to get the offensive rebound. You know, just in case. Gabe got the ball alright, but he got it after it swished through the rim. “When he put the shot up, I tried to crash for the rebound but I basically knew that it was going in,” he said. “I had probably the best view, I was right under the basket. I think caught it after it went through too,” Norwood added. Alapag checked out moments later as the Philippines went to its defensive lineup in order to stop another Korean comeback. South Korea turned to its most effective shooter in Kim and as he rose up to try and answer Alapag’s triple, Norwood met him at the apex for the game’s most dramatic stop. Gabe blocked Kim and Gilas would finish things off with a final Marc Pingris basket on the other end. A historic 86-79 win was complete. “I still get chills thinking about it, to look up and see grown men just breaking down. My wife was trying to hold my kids and she was holding back tears. It was just an awesome moment, the bond that we had on that team, the stuff that we did to get prepare, I think we poured it all out in that game,” Norwood said on the monumental victory. “I think it probably didn’t hit me until the final buzzer sounded. Not just for me but for the entire team, when that final buzzer sounded, it was such a special group of guys and the fact that we could share that moment with not just with each other but the entire country, it’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” Alapag added, savoring the moment of a Philippine win over Korea 28 years in the making. THE INTRODUCTION Gilas Pilipinas would lose to Iran the next day in the Finals of the 2013 FIBA-Asia Championships. The Philippines put up a fight but Hamed Haddadi would prove to be too powerful to stop. It would take another two years for Gilas to beat Iran but that didn’t really matter in the moment. The Philippines is headed to the World Championships for the first time in three decades. The Philippines has beaten South Korea and one singular shot has allowed the Gilas name to be known around the world. Jimmy wouldn’t say that though. At least not directly in that way. “For me, that shot was the biggest for my career. But really, it was our entire team. We’ve gone through so much and that was just one particular play that really culminated the entire game and all the contributions from other guys from Gabe’s defense, to Ping’s rebounding, to Japeth’s rim protecting, to Jayson and LA doing a lot of the legwork,” Alapag said. “Everybody had their part in contribution to the game. After the shot, after the buzzer sounded, it was just a very special moment for us as a team and for Philippine basketball to show that all of the sacrifices, all of the hard work, now it’s given an opportunity to re-introduce ourselves to the world,” he added. Jimmy wouldn’t say it, but his teammates would. That shot of his that beat South Korea in the 2013 FIBA-Asia Championships introduced the Gilas name to the world. It announced that the Philippines has finally arrived. Gilas’ breakthrough overtime win a year later in Spain against Senegal — a game Jimmy pretty much decided late as well — made it known that Filipinos are here to stay on the World stage. “I would say so, it got us to where we wanted to be in the World Cup. I think we shocked some people there as well. But just the work that went in, I think it showed the country that we can get back to where we want to be as long as you work together,” Norwood said. “Yung puso ni Jimmy, grabe naman. Makikita mo maliit pero gusto lang niya talaga manalo. Ang liit pero parang lion pag nagalit eh, nandoon yung tiwala namin sa kanya. Ano pa ba masasabi mo, Jimmy is Jimmy Alapag,” Pingris would add. [NOTES: At the time of original publishing, Gilas Pilipinas was fighting to make a return trip to the FIBA World Cup, this time in China in 2019. To secure its slot, the the Philippine national team needed to beat Kazakhstan in Astana plus a loss from Japan, Jordan, and/or Lebanon. One of the teams that can help Gilas is South Korea... ironically. Jimmy Alapag retired from national team play in 2014 and retired playing for good in 2016. He has since made himself a champion basketball coach in the ABL. Marc Pingris suffered an ACL injury in 2018 and is in the process of returning for his PBA team in the current 2019 season. Gabe Norwood is still in Gilas. He’s still an effective two-way weapon. He can still dunk and will stop your best player too.] [Updated Notes: The Philippines beat Kazakhstan to make the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China. Gilas got help from... South Korea. The Koreans beat Lebanon on the road, allowing Gilas to advance to the World Championships outright with a victory over Kazakhstan.] — Follow this writer on Twitter, @paullintag8.....»»
Djokovic conquers Everest and eyes 52-year landmark at French Open
Novak Djokovic can become the first man in 52 years to win all four Grand Slam titles twice in the French Open final on Sunday after conquering Rafael Nadal, the 'Mount Everest' of Roland Garros......»»
Djokovic conquers ‘Everest’, eyes 52-year landmark at French Open
Novak Djokovic can become the first man in 52 years to win all four Grand Slam titles twice in the French Open final on Sunday after conquering Rafael Nadal, the ‘Mount Everest’ of Roland Garros. World number one Djokovic takes on Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas for the title with tennis history on the line. Victory for […] The post Djokovic conquers ‘Everest’, eyes 52-year landmark at French Open appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Blew me off court’: Djokovic suffers heaviest loss to lucky loser Sonego in Vienna
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego during their quarter-final match of the ATP tennis tournament in Vienna, Austria, on October 30, 2020. (Photo by GEORG HOCHMUTH / APA / AFP) / Austria OUT Novak Djokovic suffered his heaviest ever defeat in a three-set match on Friday when he was knocked out of the Vienna ATP tournament by lucky loser Lorenzo Sonego, stalling his bid to wrap up the year-end world number one ranking for a sixth time. Italian Sonego, ranked 42 and who had intially lost in qualifying last weekend, is the first lucky loser ever to beat Djokovic. His 6-2, 6-1 quarterfinal stunner was 33-year-old Djokovic’s heaviest ever defeat. The only other time the Serb had won just three games was at the 2005 Australian Open at the hands of Marat Safin in a best-of-five set encounter. “He just blew me off the court, that’s all,” Djokovic told atptour.com. “He was better in every segment of the game. It was a pretty bad match from my side, but amazing from his side. “He definitely deserved this result,” added the Serb star who was playing his first tournament since his Roland Garros final defeat to Rafal Nadal three weeks ago. Friday’s defeat means Djokovic will have to wait a little longer before he completes the formality of equalling Pete Sampras’s all-time record of ending the season top of the rankings for a sixth time. “For sure it’s the best victory of my life. Novak is the best in the world. Today I played so, so good,” Sonego said. “It’s unbelievable. It’s amazing. I played the best match in my life. I’m so happy for this.” Sonego fired 26 winners past the Serb who lost for only the third time in 2020. Djokovic, a 17-time major champion, managed just seven winners against 25 unforced errors. Sonego goes on to face either Britain’s Dan Evans or Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria for a place in the final. Second seed and defending champion Dominic Thiem also lost Friday, going down 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 to Russian world number eight Andrey Rublev. Rublev hit 30 winners past the US Open champion and goes on to face South Africa’s Kevin Anderson for a place in the final. “I came here with the mood that I have nothing to lose,” said Rublev who is chasing a fifth title of the year. “I had already a really great season. I came here with zero expectations, just wanting to do my best. To try to fight every match. At the end, I am here in the semi-finals.” Anderson made the semifinals by accounting for Russian fourth seed Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 7-6 (7/5). It was 2018 champion Anderson’s first top 10 win in two years......»»
Rafa eyes Roger record, 15 years after 1st French Open title
Paris—The undisputed king of clay, Rafael Nadal is one title away from matching Roger Federer’s all-time Grand Slam record, but 15 years on from the Spaniard’s first French Open triumph he appears more vulnerable than ever at his beloved Roland Garros......»»
Gauff defeats Sabalenka to win US Open crown
American teenager Coco Gauff came from behind to win the US Open on Saturday, clinching her first Grand Slam title with a battling win over Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus. Gauff, 19, produced a gutsy performance on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in 2hr 6min to complete a fairytale transformation in her season's fortunes. The sixth seed from Florida had gone into the final as the underdog against the hard-hitting second seed Sabalenka, who will become world number one in next week's rankings. But with both players making a slew of mistakes throughout an error-strewn final watched by a record crowd of 28,143 it was Gauff who held her nerve when it mattered to seal a deserved victory. The win completed a remarkable turnaround for Gauff, who was left distraught after a first round exit at Wimbledon in July. However she bounced back to win titles in Washington and Cincinnati and has now landed the biggest win of her career, after a shattering loss at the French Open last year. "It means so much to me," an elated Gauff said afterwards. "I feel like I'm a little bit in shock in this moment. "That French Open loss (last year) was a heartbreak for me. That makes this moment even sweeter than I could imagine." Gauff, the third American teenager to win the US Open after Tracy Austin and Serena Williams, also used her victory speech to thank those who doubted her talent. "Honestly thank you to the people who didn't believe in me," she joked. "To those who thought they were putting water on my fire, they were putting gas on my fire and I'm burning so bright right now." - First set struggle - Gauff was in trouble in the opening game, Sabalenka breaking her straight away with a rasping backhand that drew a roar of "Come On!" from the Belarusian. She held easily to take a 2-0 lead but Gauff then took advantage of a shaky service game from Sabalenka to break at 2-2 in the fourth. The Belarusian double-faulted twice to allow Gauff to get back on level terms. But that hard-won parity was surrendered in the next game as Sabalenka broke back to go 3-2 ahead. Sabalenka then wobbled on her own serve once more as Gauff eked out two break points in the sixth game. But Sabalenka got it back to deuce with an ace and then took a 4-2 lead with an emphatic smash. Gauff's problems on serve continued and Sabalenka broke for the third time to race 5-2 ahead, and she duly wrapped up the set by holding in the next game. Yet with the match threatening to become a rout, Gauff finally clicked into gear in the second set, making fewer unforced errors and ironing out the kinks in her serve. Instead it was Sabalenka who began to show signs of brittleness as the tension mounted. She double-faulted to hand Gauff the only break of the set and a 3-1 lead. Gauff fended off a break point in the next game to hold for 4-1 and went on to hold for the remainder of the set to level the match when Sabalenka smacked a forehand long. The momentum remained firmly with Gauff in the final set and she secured another crucial break in the opening game when she put away an underhit Sabalenka lob with a smash. Gauff then held easily for a 2-0 lead as Sabalenka struggled to regain any semblance of composure. She coughed up four unforced errors to gift Gauff a break and a 3-0 lead, and the American then held with ease to go 4-0 up. Sabalenka stopped the rot by holding serve in the fifth game, before taking a medical timeout to receive treatment on her left thigh. Gauff was in no mood to let her grip on the match slip though. Although Sabalenka held and broke Gauff to cut the lead to 4-2, Gauff hit back when Sabalenka double-faulted to present a break point. Gauff cashed in to break and grab a 5-2 lead and then swept to victory in the next game, holding to love with a backhand winner. rcw/mw © Agence France-Presse The post Gauff defeats Sabalenka to win US Open crown appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Husband’s tears of joy cap Vondrousova’s ‘impossible’ Wimbledon fairytale
Marketa Vondrousova said her husband's unexpected show of emotion after Saturday's shock Wimbledon final victory against Ons Jabeur was the perfect end to her "impossible" triumph. Vondrousova became the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon as she stunned the Tunisian world number six on Centre Court. The 24-year-old held her nerve in a tense 6-4, 6-4 win, securing her first major title four years after losing her only previous Grand Slam final at the French Open. So unexpected was her Wimbledon run that the world number 42 told her husband Stepan Simek to stay at home in Prague to look after their cat Frankie, until a pet sitter was found to allow him to travel to London for the final. Twelve months after their wedding, Simek cried tears of joy when he saw Vondrousova after the match. "I think when I came to the box, he cried. I saw him after and he cried a lot," Vondrousova said. "It's amazing, tomorrow is our first wedding anniversary. "That's the first emotion I saw from him over eight years. I think he cried on the wedding day also, but that was it!" With the family cat clearly a major figure in the Vondrousova household, the champion said her pet would get a reward after missing out on the party at the All England Club. "I'm going to buy her some good fish. She's with the cat sitter now. My mom is coming tomorrow to watch her," she said. "She has to wait for us. She doesn't really care what's happening." The outpouring of emotion from Vondrousova's family was triggered by her unlikely journey to Wimbledon glory. She had endured two serious wrist injuries that stalled her promising career since losing the 2019 French Open final. Hampered by her injuries, Vondrousova was reduced to watching her best friend Miriam Kolodziejova attempt to qualify for the Wimbledon main draw last year. "I had a cast last year at that time. I was a tourist here. When I was coming back, I didn't know if I can play at that level again. This seems impossible," she said. 'I couldn't breathe' Given her previous poor form on grass, Vondrousova had no expectations of a long run in this year's tournament. "I didn't play well before on grass. It's unbelievable. Nobody would have told you that I even had a chance to win," she said. "I was unseeded. It's such a crazy journey. I can't believe it." With the Centre Court roof closed due to high winds in London, Vondrousova was able to take advantage of the conditions better than Jabeur. "I was really happy they closed the roof because it's very different than in the windy weather. We practice in Prague in winter indoors. I always play good indoors," she said. Learning from the experience of her French Open final thrashing by Ash Barty, Vondrousova battled to keep her composure as the pressure mounted. "I couldn't breathe. I was thinking to myself, 'Just be over'. I was like crazy nervous," she said. "I just tried to stay calm and keep it together. It was such a relief when I put the match point in." With her place in Wimbledon history assured, the tattooed Vondrousova will turn her attention to some celebratory body art alongside her coach Jan Mertl. "I'll choose for him. Maybe we'll get the same one. We talked before the tournament and he said, 'Yeah, so maybe if you win a Grand Slam, then I'll do it'," she said. "I'm just going to made him do it. I'll show you guys on Instagram after." smg/dj © Agence France-Presse The post Husband’s tears of joy cap Vondrousova’s ‘impossible’ Wimbledon fairytale appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Swiatek saves two match points to reach Wimbledon quarters
Iga Swiatek saved two match points to reach her first Wimbledon quarter-final on Sunday, battling back to beat Belinda Bencic 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/2), 6-3. The Polish world number one had reached the fourth round without losing a set but faced a tough battle against the Swiss 14th seed on Centre Court. Swiatek was unable to capitalise on any of the six break points on offer in the first set, looking increasingly rattled and gesturing towards her coaching team. Bencic, the Olympic champion, raced into a 6-1 lead in the tie-break, snuffing out Swiatek's mini-comeback to take control of the match. Swiatek, who had looked pleadingly towards her coaching staff, disappeared off court with a notebook in hand, searching for a workable game plan. She returned to the court with a spring in her step and broke at her first opportunity, only for the tenacious Bencic to return the favor in the sixth game. Swiatek appeared to be on the brink of a shock exit when she ballooned a backhand long to hand Bencic two match points at 15-40 in the 12th game. But the top seed saved them both, forcing a tie-break, which she won easily to level the match. The four-time Grand Slam champion broke in the fourth game of the decider and then held to stretch her lead to 4-1. She was made to work for her win but eventually served out to take the third set 6-3 and seal the match. Swiatek, 22, said she felt was able to play without fear when facing a shock exit. "It's actually a little bit easier because on the other hand you feel like she's leading anyway so you play those shots more fearlessly because you know you have nothing to lose." Swiatek, who has won three French Open titles on clay, said she was learning to love the grass. "Every day my love is getting bigger so hopefully I'm going to have as many days as possible to stay here and play on this court," she said. jw/dj © Agence France-Presse The post Swiatek saves two match points to reach Wimbledon quarters appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
French Open winner Djokovic back as world number one
Novak Djokovic, fresh from notching up a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title, moved back to the top of the ATP rankings released Monday, while Rafael Nadal dropped out of the top 100. It was a 388th week as the world's number one for the 36-year-old Djokovic, who jumped two places in the standings after his French Open victory. He beat Spanish rival Carlos Alcaraz, 20, who had held the number one spot until the French Open, in the semi-final. Russian Daniil Medvedev, who crashed out in the first round of Roland Garros, also dropped a place, while Norway's beaten finalist Casper Ruud stays in fourth, 40 points ahead of Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas. Fourteen-time French Open winner Nadal, however, paid the price for his absence through his long-term hip injury, dropping 121 places to 136th in the rankings. ATP rankings as of June 12 1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 7595 pts (+2) 2. Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) 7175 (-1) 3. Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 6100 (-1) 4. Casper Ruud (NOR) 4960 5. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 4920 6. Holger Rune (DEN) 4375 7. Andrey Rublev (RUS) 4000 8. Taylor Fritz (USA) 3515 9. Jannik Sinner (ITA) 3300 10. Karen Khachanov (RUS) 3125 (+1) 11. Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) 2850 (-1) 12. Frances Tiafoe (USA) 2835 13. Cameron Norrie (GBR) 2565 14. Hubert Hurkacz (POL) 2435 15. Borna Coric (CRO) 2430 (+1) 16. Tommy Paul (USA) 2205 (+1) 17. Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) 2095 (+1) 18. Alex De Minaur (AUS) 1905 (+1) 19. Pablo Carreño (ESP) 1730 (+2) 20. Francisco Cerundolo (ARG) 1655 (+3) The post French Open winner Djokovic back as world number one appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘It’s why I keep playing’: Wawrinka rolls back years in French Open marathon
Former champion Stan Wawrinka shrugged off his 38 years to reach the French Open second round on Monday, winning a five-set marathon against Albert Ramos-Vinolas which stretched to four hours and 35 minutes, and said: "It's why I keep playing". Wawrinka, ranked 89 in the world, came through 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 1-6, 6-4, and will next face Australia's world number 108 Thanasi Kokkinakis after winning a match at Roland Garros for the first time since 2020. Playing out on the semi-sunken Court 14 arena, the Swiss veteran fired 76 winners and committed 79 unforced errors in an all-out attacking performance which brought back memories of his 2015 title triumph in Paris. "It's one of the big reasons why I keep playing is to relive those emotions," said Wawrinka. "I think it was special today again to be here, a lot of support, a lot of fans here. It helped me a lot to stay in the match and to keep fighting for it. "I always try to make it special, try to have a connection with the people, with the fans, because as I say, it's one of the main reasons why I keep playing and I want to enjoy it as much as possible." With 14-time champion Rafael Nadal sidelined from the tournament for the first time since 2004 through injury, Wawrinka is one of only two champions in the draw -- the other is Novak Djokovic, the title winner in 2016 and 2021. "I won here many years ago, a long time ago. I was much younger and playing different tennis," said Wawrinka. "But it's always going to be special to be back here and always have that memory about 2015." Wawrinka, a three-time major winner, has been battling a series of knee injuries in recent years. The former world number three missed four successive majors after the 2021 Australian Open before returning to Paris last year. However, he was defeated in the first round at the French Open and then at Wimbledon, the US Open, and this year's Australian Open. Wawrinka and Kokkinakis, a player who has waged his own injury battles in recent years, have never met. "When he's healthy, like he's been this year, he's always a dangerous player," said Wawrinka. The post ‘It’s why I keep playing’: Wawrinka rolls back years in French Open marathon appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Alcaraz claims back-to-back Barcelona titles
Carlos Alcaraz brushed aside Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets on Sunday to claim a second successive Barcelona title and hammer home his status as likely successor to Rafael Nadal as French Open champion. The 19-year-old world number two won 6-3, 6-4 to bag his third trophy of 2023, after winning in Buenos Aires and Indian Wells, and the ninth of his career. With 14-time French Open champion Nadal sidelined since January with a hip injury and world number one and two-time Roland Garros winner Novak Djokovic struggling with an elbow problem, Alcaraz reinforced his credentials as a major contender to add the clay-court Grand Slam title to the US Open he captured last year. On Sunday, his only blip was dropping serve in the third game of the match. From that point on, Alcaraz powered to a 79-minute triumph against the world number five, his fourth win in four meetings with the Greek. Tsitsipas has now lost three finals in Barcelona after losing to Nadal in 2018 and 2021. "It is incredible," Alcaraz said. "To feel this energy and lift the trophy in Barcelona in front of my family and friends, and most members of my team are here as well. "Playing this level and to lift the trophy in front of them is a good feeling for me." After Tsitsipas broke for a 2-1 lead, Alcaraz won five of the next six games to take charge. His flamboyant shotmaking delighted his home crowd before a solitary break in the fifth game of the second set proved decisive. "Me and my team were talking before the match about staying relaxed," said Alcaraz who raced to the title without dropping a set. "To want to play the tough moments, staying relaxed is the most important part for me. To forget the mistakes, everything and be myself on court. Not to think about all the people watching, but just me, the court, the racquet, and the final." Alcaraz now heads to the Madrid Masters where he is also defending champion. The post Alcaraz claims back-to-back Barcelona titles appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Lady Spikers go for twice-to-beat
League-leading De La Salle University sets its sights on securing a Final Four twice-to-beat advantage in a clash with Adamson University in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena. Ahead of the pack sporting a 10-1 win-loss record, the Lady Spikers only need to hurdle the Lady Falcons in their 2 p.m. encounter to assure themselves of a Top 2 finish with just two weeks left before the elimination round closes. On the other hand, Adamson, which shares the second to fourth spot in the standings with an 8-3 card tied with idle University of Santo Tomas and defending champion National University, shoots for a semis berth. La Salle bounced back mightily from a sorry four-set setback at the hands of UST before the Holy Week break with a convincing, 25-15, 25-16, 25-16, win over University of the Philippines last Sunday. Rookie Angel Canino is expected to show the same aggressiveness she displayed in the Lady Spikers’ first round win over the Adamson, 22-25, 25-14, 25-16, 25-19, last 19 March when she dropped 21 points. Aside from Canino and usual scorers Thea Gagate, Fifi Sharma and Jolina dela Cruz, La Salle has also a new weapon in rookie opposite spiker Shevana Laput. The 6-foot-1 winger made an immediate impact in her first start last game as she poured in nine points. But despite their height and depth advantage and with the semis bonus within reach, Lady Spikers assistant coach Noel Orcullo doesn’t want his players to look too far ahead. “We need to continue the right things we are doing. Just take it one game at a time. Our mindset right now is to finish the second round the right way,” he said. The Lady Falcons are fresh from a 25-16, 25-19, 20-25, 27-25, victory over University of the East last Saturday. Adamson will rely on Kate Santiago, Trisha Tubu, Lorene Toring and setter Louie Romero to get back at La Salle. Meanwhile, Far Eastern University tries to salvage its semis bid in a must-win game against Ateneo de Manila University at 12 p.m. Holding a 5-6 card, the Lady Tamaraws need to sweep all of their remaining three games wish that one from the Lady Falcons, Tigresses and Lady Bulldogs won’t reach nine wins to force a playoff for the last Final Four seat. FEU beat Ateneo in five sets in the first round. Both teams are coming off setbacks with the Lady Tamaraws bowing down to the Lady Bulldogs in straight sets while the Blue Eagles missed the semis for the first time in 14 years after losing to the Tigresses in four frames. A win by Ateneo (4-7) will put the semis race to a close. In men’s play, Ateneo (5-6) and FEU (6-5) at 10 a.m. while La Salle (6-5) and Adamson (1-10) meet at 4 p.m. The post Lady Spikers go for twice-to-beat appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Time doesn’t heal’: Ukraine’s war widows count the cost
Olga Slyshyk began to fear the worst in January this year when her husband, Mykhailo, a military engineer serving on the front line in eastern Ukraine, didn't contact her on her birthday. It wasn't unusual for the 40-year-old trained lawyer to be offline for days at a time, but Slyshyk knew he would reach out -- one way or another -- on January 14 if he was alive and well. "I was sure he would call or find some way to congratulate me. But I had had a very bad dream and I already knew something was wrong," she told AFP in Kyiv wearing black and holding her two-year-old son Viktor. "On January 15, I found out he had died." More than one year after Moscow invaded, Slyshyk is among a growing number of women widowed by Russian forces and left to count the cost of Ukraine's determination to hold out and push Moscow's invasion back. Neither side has disclosed the exact figures of troops killed, though recently leaked US intelligence documents suggest as many as 17,500 Ukrainian servicemen have been lost. Slyshyk said a social media group for war widows she joined had more than 300 members after her husband was killed defending Soledar in the eastern Donetsk region, but it had doubled in size since. President Volodymyr Zelensky last August hosted widows and their children at an honors ceremony to reassure next of kin their loved ones' sacrifice had not been in vain. "They will remain forever at battle. But they live on in the memory of their relatives," he said, greeting mourning women and their children one by one. Thirty-year-old Slyshyk, who was born in Mariupol -- a port city besieged and captured by Russian forces last spring -- said she often evokes the memory of her killed husband. "All the time. Both in my head and aloud. I'll be unable to open a tin can, weeping from frustration, and I cry out: 'Misha, I'm not even able to do this' and then suddenly, it opens." Daria Mazur, 41, said she learned of her husband's death in 2014 from graphic pictures of his bloodied corpse published on Russian media after fierce fighting with Kremlin-backed separatists. He was killed while withdrawing from Ilovaisk, an infamous and costly chapter of the conflict for Ukraine that saw hundreds killed that August as Kyiv troops pulled back in the face of advancing pro-Russian forces. "Time does not heal. You just get used to it. You accept it. You learn to live with it. And that pain just becomes a part of you," she told AFP in her kitchen in Kyiv, next to pictures showing her husband smiling with their child in his arms. They met on a beach in 2006, fell in love and married in 2010 in the southern region of Kherson, where Mazur fled from when Russia invaded last February. Her hometown is currently occupied by Russian forces. She said her final conversations with her husband, Pavlo, who was 30 when he was killed, betrayed a sense of foreboding. He knew the situation was precarious. "He told me: 'please promise me that no matter what happens to me, you will be happy,'" she recounted to AFP. "These guys are giving their lives so we can live on," she added, referring to Ukrainian servicemen fighting now. It was precisely this need to go on that pushed Oksana Borkun, who also lost her husband to the Russian invasion, to create "We Have to Live," an organization that supports widows -- the same group that Slyshyk joined. Borkun said that while the government offers financial and psychological support, she wanted to go a step further. "The girls face a huge amount of pain. You can say it's possible to go crazy from it. Life is going on around you, and you want to talk to those who understand." The organization gathers money for widows, offers logistical and moral support, too, but chiefly it provides a platform -- mainly online -- for already nearly one thousand widows country-wide to share. For Slyshyk, her husband's family has proven a stronger pillar of support than her own. Her mother, who is also a widow of two years, lives in Donetsk, a pro-Russian stronghold city captured by separatists in 2014 and does not support Ukraine in the war. The fact they have both lost their husbands has not brought them together, she said. Months after Mykhailo's death, Slyshyk is torn when weighing whether his sacrifice was worth it. "He said he was going there for me and Viktor," she recounted, explaining her husband believed Ukraine had no choice but to fight back and win. "But if you want me to be safe, to be ok, I need you by my side, not somewhere else," she added, swallowing back tears. "For now, I'm emotionally conflicted". The post ‘Time doesn’t heal’: Ukraine’s war widows count the cost appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Nadal beats Ruud to win record-extending 14th French Open title
PARIS - Rafael Nadal cruised to a record-extending 14th French Open title in style, sweeping Casper Ruud of Norway 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in a one-sided final here on Sunday.By capturing his 22nd Grand Slam trophy, the Spaniard, who turned 36 on Friday, moved further clear of Novak Djokovic and Roger.....»»
Federer ponders withdrawal; Djokovic, Nadal set new landmarks
PARIS (AFP) – Roger Federer said Sunday he is considering withdrawing from the French Open despite reaching the fourth round as Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal set up clashes with two Italian teenagers widely seen as their Grand Slam heir apparents. Two months shy of his 40th birthday, Federer, the 2009 champion, and probably taking […].....»»
Nadal routs Djokovic for 13th French Open, record-equalling 20th Grand Slam
Rafael Nadal demolished Novak Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 to win his 13th French Open and equal Roger Federer's all-time record of 20 Grand Slam titles on Sunday......»»
Nadal crashes out, Djokovic battles into Italian Open semifinals
Clay court king Rafael Nadal crashed out of the Italian Open on Saturday, falling to a straight sets defeat to Argentine Diego Schwartzman in a tournament the Spaniard had won nine times. Eight-seeded Schwartzman meted out a punishing 6-2, 7-5 loss in Nadal’s final warm-up before his bid for a 13th French Open, and record-equalling […] The post Nadal crashes out, Djokovic battles into Italian Open semifinals appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Westbrook scores 31 as Rockets get 120-116 win over Bucks
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Russell Westbrook scored 31 points and the Houston Rockets used strong defense down the stretch for a 120-116 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night. It was the 36th straight game with at least 20 points for Westbrook, who led Houston’s offense on a night James Harden scored 24. Houston tied an NBA record for most 3-point attempts in a regulation game with 61, making 21 of them, and forced 22 turnovers. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 36 points, 18 rebounds and eight assists for Milwaukee. He joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players to have 15 games with at least 30 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in a season in the last 50 years. Khris Middleton scored 27 points and Brook Lopez added 23 as the Bucks missed a chance to clinch the best record in the Eastern Conference. SPURS 108, GRIZZLIES 106 DeMar DeRozan made two free throws with a second to play, giving San Antonio a victory over Memphis that moved the Spurs into ninth place in the Western Conference. The Spurs built an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter, then needed a bunch of big plays down the stretch from DeRozan after the Grizzlies rallied. The final one came when he brought the ball down court after Jaren Jackson Jr. tied it for Memphis with a corner 3-pointer with 10.6 seconds to play. DeRozan pump-faked Dillon Brooks into the air and drew the foul, then knocked down the foul shots. Jackson missed a long 3 on the final possession. The Spurs are trying to qualify for the postseason for what would be an NBA-record 23rd consecutive season. They arrived at Walt Disney World in 12th place in the West, but after victories over Sacramento and Memphis are just two games behind the eighth-place Grizzlies. Dejounte Murray had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs. Derrick White added 16 points and DeRozan had 14. Morant finished with 25 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Jackson scored 21 points. CELTICS 128, TRAIL BLAZERS 124 Jayson Tatum scored 34 points, Jaylen Brown added 30 and Bostons built a big early lead before holding off Portland. Tatum, who added a career-high eight assists, rebounded from a terrible performance in a loss to Milwaukee on Friday when he scored just five points on 2-of-18 shooting. Damian Lillard had 30 points and 16 assists for Portland. Jusuf Nurkic added 30 points in his second official game back after breaking his leg in March 2019. SUNS 117, MAVERICKS 115 Devin Booker scored 30 points and Phoenix erased a double-digit deficit while the All-Star guard was on the bench with foul trouble, rallying to beat Dallas. The Suns have won both games in the restart after coming in with the worst record in the Western Conference. They’re still long shots for the playoffs, while the Mavericks clinched their first postseason berth since 2016 by virtue of Memphis’ loss to San Antonio earlier in the day. Luka Doncic had 40 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Mavericks. whose hopes of moving up from the seventh seed are fading with an 0-2 start in the eight-game seeding round. MAGIC 132, KINGS 116 Nikola Vucevic had 23 points and 11 rebounds, Aaron Gordon scored 19 of his 22 points in the first half and Orlando continued its strong restart with a victory over Sacramento. Terrence Ross added 25 points to help the Magic win a season-best fifth straight game going back to before the pandemic-forced shutdown in March.Orlando won the last three before the hiatus and beat Brooklyn, the team it is battling for the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, to open the restart. De’Aaron Fox scored 13 points after a career-high 39 in the restart opener for the Kings, who have lost both games in the bubble as they try to get in position for a shot at the final playoff spot in the West. Harry Giles III led Sacramento with a career-high 23 points. NETS 118, WIZARDS 110 Caris LeVert scored 14 of his 34 points in the final seven minutes to help Brooklyn beat Washington. Joe Harris scored a season-high 27 points and Jarret Allen added 22 points and 15 rebounds for the Nets. They rebounded from a loss to Orlando in their first seeding game to move seven games ahead of ninth-place Washington in the Eastern Conference standings. Thomas Bryant had a career-high 30 points and 13 rebounds, and Troy Brown Jr. added 22 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Wizards......»»
Angels recover after giving up late lead, beat Astros in 10
By The Associated Press ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Matt Thaiss scored on Michael Hermosillo’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, and the Los Angeles Angels snapped their three-game skid with a 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. Jason Castro delivered a tying RBI double in the ninth for the Angels, who improved the majors’ worst record to 3-6 despite blowing a two-run lead in the ninth. David Fletcher hit a leadoff single in the 10th off Nivaldo Rodriguez (0-1), sending Thaiss to third. After the Astros walked Anthony Rendon to load the bases, Thaiss scored on Josh Reddick’s inaccurate throw from medium right field. Angels reliever Noé Ramirez got two outs in the 10th, and Ryan Buchter (2-0) struck out Abraham Toro with the bases loaded in a rare bright moment for the Halos’ struggling relievers. YANKEES 5, RED SOX 2 NEW YORK (AP) — Gio Urshela hit his first big league grand slam, Aaron Judge homered for a career-high fourth straight game and New York won its fifth straight. Nick Nelson (1-0) pitched three hitless innings to win his major league debut. At 6-1, the Yankees are off to their best start since 2003. Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka made his season debut after recovering from a concussion sustained when he was hit in the head by Giancarlo Stanton’s line drive during practice on July 4. Tanaka lasted just 2 2/3 innings and 51 pitches, tiring in his second time through the order. David Hale finished the six-hitter for his third career save, his first this year. Judge homered in the first inning off Zack Godley (0-1), a 455-foot drive to left-center. Urshela hit his second homer of the season an inning later for a 5-0 lead. TWINS 3, INDIANS 0 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Miguel Sanó homered twice and Kenta Maeda pitched six scoreless innings in his home debut for Minnesota. Eddie Rosario added a solo homer for the Twins, who got another strong start from a veteran newcomer to its starting rotation. Maeda (2-0) retired 13 of the first 14 batters he faced and didn’t allow a hit until Bradley Zimmer beat out a weak ground ball to second base in the fifth inning. Carlos Carrasco (1-1) gave up six hits in six innings for Cleveland and was done in by three solo home runs from the Twins. Maeda, acquired in an offseason trade from the Dodgers, was one of three key additions to strengthen Minnesota’s rotation along with Rich Hill and Homer Bailey. BRAVES 7, METS 1 ATLANTA (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr. shook off a slow start by driving in two runs with two hits, including his first homer, and Atlanta won its fourth straight. The Mets have lost four straight, including the first two games of the four-game series between the NL East rivals. Marcell Ozuna hit a two-run homer, his third, off Michael Wacha (1-1) in the first inning. Acuña led off the game with his 18th strikeout, the most in the majors, before emerging from his funk. He doubled in a run in the second for his first RBI as the Braves stretched the lead to 5-0. Acuña lined his first homer into the left-field seats in the sixth off right-hander Franklyn Kilome. Josh Tomlin (1-0) pitched 2 1/3 perfect innings with three strikeouts for the win. WHITE SOX 11, ROYALS 5 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gio Gonzalez made his first start for the hot-hitting Chicago White Sox more than 16 years after they drafted him, and the veteran responded by holding the Kansas City Royals scoreless into the fourth inning. Eloy Jimenez hit a three-run homer and finished with a career-high four hits, and rookie Luis Robert had four hits while finishing a triple shy of the cycle, leading a White Sox barrage of 21 hits in all. Leury Garcia also pounded out four hits, Yoan Moncada added three and Yasmani Grandal had a pair of hits while driving in two runs. That was plenty of support for Gonzalez, who scattered five hits and three walks while striking out six in 3 2/3 innings. Matt Foster (1-0), one of six White Sox relievers, got the win. Much of Chicago’s damage came off spot starter Ronald Bolanos (0-2), who allowed five runs in 1 2/3 innings. Whit Merrifield hit a two-run homer for the Royals. Ryan O’Hearn drove in their other two runs. ROCKIES 6, PADRES 1 DENVER (AP) — Kyle Freeland pitched six innings of two-hit ball and was backed by the superb defense of Trevor Story and Nolan Arenado as Colorado beat San Diego. Freeland (2-0) allowed a two-out single to Tommy Pham in the first and then retired 13 in a row before Francisco Mejia’s double in the sixth. The left-hander struck out four and walked one in throwing an economical 83 pitches. Story contributed at the plate as well with a solo shot in the fourth. It was his second straight game with a homer. Matt Kemp hit a solo homer in the third for the Rockies. Padres lefty Joey Lucchesi (0-1) had a forgettable outing in going 1 2/3 innings and giving up three runs. Trent Grisham homered to center in the eighth off Rockies reliever Yency Almonte. DODGERS 11, DIAMONDBACKS 2 PHOENIX (AP) — Chris Taylor hit a three-run homer, A.J. Pollock and Edwin Ríos added two-run shots and Los Angeles rolled past Arizona. The bottom of the Dodgers' order showed big power in the fourth inning when Ríos — who was hitting seventh — smashed a two-run homer over the 413-foot sign in center field. Two batters later, Matt Beaty ripped another homer that barely stayed fair down the right-field line. D-backs starter Luke Weaver (0-2) took the loss after giving up six runs in four-plus innings. The Dodgers broke the game open with a five-run fifth when the first six batters reached base on Weaver and reliever Yoan López. Justin Turner hit a two-run triple and Pollock added a two-run homer as Los Angeles pushed its lead to 8-2. Taylor’s three-run homer in the eighth made it 11-2. Dodgers starter Julio Urías (1-0) gave up two runs over six innings while striking out five......»»
AP Was There: Seles tops Graf in riveting French Open final
By The Associated Press EDITOR’S NOTE -- Every French Open features matches that are memorable for one reason or another. There are upsets. Comebacks. Dramatic moments. Historic accomplishments. The AP is republishing stories about a handful of such matches while the postponed Grand Slam tournament was supposed to be played. One match memorable for the drama and competition between two all-time greats was the 1992 final at Roland Garros between Steffi Graf and Monica Seles. Less than a year later, Seles was stabbed by a spectator at a match in Germany. The following story was sent June 6, 1992. ___ By STEPHEN WILSON AP Sports Writer PARIS (AP) — This was a match no one deserved to lose. Monica Seles and Steffi Graf dueled for two hours and 43 minutes Saturday, matching each other shot for shot, fighting for the lead game after game. Finally, after an epic third set lasting 18 games and 91 minutes, Seles emerged with a 6-2, 3-6, 10-8 victory for her third straight French Open title. “It’s the most emotional match I’ve ever played,” said Seles, who is now halfway to winning the Grand Slam. “This one’s always going to stay in my memory.” “It really couldn’t have been a better final,” she said. “It shows women’s tennis is getting more and more exciting. It’s just too bad for whoever lost. Both deserved to win.” Even in defeat, Graf agreed it was a memorable match. “If you play 10-8 in the final set, it definitely is special,” she said. “Those are very special matches, even if you lose.” Seles became the first woman to capture three consecutive French Opens since Germany’s Hilde Sterling accomplished the feat from 1935 to 1937. Seles, strengthening her hold on the No. 1 ranking, has now won six Grand Slams in her career, including the last five in which she has appeared. She missed Wimbledon last year, but will be competing there in two weeks to try to win the third leg of the Grand Slam. Saturday’s third set provided some of the greatest drama in tennis — men’s or women’s — in recent years. “I’ve never played a set like that in my life,” Seles said. There were furious rallies, fantastic gets, lunging winners, frequent shifts in momentum. Despite fatigue, both players were so pumped up they showed their emotions after nearly every point. Graf would yell “Yes!” clench her fist and slap her hip after a winner. When Seles lost a point, she would shriek “Noooo,” close her eyes and grimace in agony. The lead swung back and forth. Seles was up 5-3. Graf saved four match points in the next game and moved ahead 6-5 and 7-6. Seles broke and went up 8-7. Graf broke back for 8-8. Seles broke again and then finally held serve to close out the match. “I never thought it would last so long,” she said. “I was getting getting a little bit tired. But I could have stayed out there if I had to.” The 18 games in the final set was the most in a women’s final here since 1956, when Althea Gibson beat Angela Mortimer 6-0, 12-10. The 35 total games was one short of the record for a French final since the Open era began in 1968. The 36-game mark was set in 1973 when Margaret Court beat Chris Evert 6-7, 7-6, 6-4. Graf paid tribute to Seles’ refusal to give up. “You have seen it in other matches,” she said. “She is definitely a tough one. Even if it’s close, if she’s tired, she is always going for it. That is definitely a big, big quality.” Graf found no satisfaction in her own gutsy performance. “I mean it’s great the way I came back, the way I fought every time,” she said. “I think it was a very good effort, especially being down 5-3 in the third set. But I’m disappointed the way I played when I was leading.” “Every time I gave her those games,” she said. “I didn’t play those points good enough. I didn’t really try like the games before to run everything down and to go for every shot. But it’s difficult if you have to do that all the time.” The crowd was overwhelmingly in Graf’s favor, repeatedly breaking into rhythmic clapping and chants of “Steffi! Steffi!” “I really can’t say that I have had that support ever before,” Graf said. “It was just amazing.” Seles controlled the first set, winning 12 out the first 14 points. Graf started to raise the level of her play at the end of the first set, even breaking Seles at love in one game. The German seemed to get a psychological boost early in the second set when she saved a break point to prevent Seles from taking a 2-0 lead. Graf gained the edge when she broke for 4-3. She saved three break points to hold for 5-3, then broke Seles at love to win the set. Seles didn’t even bother to chase Graf’s forehand winner on set point. Seles was up a service break at 3-1, 4-2 and 5-3 in the final set. Then came the four match points on Graf’s serve. She erased the first with a deep forehand, the second with a forehand putaway, the third with a forehand into the corner, and the fourth with a skidding slice backhand approach shot. “I said to myself, ‘Just go for it,’” Graf said. “On those points I really didn’t give her a lot of chances. I was trying to be the one who is aggressive.” “Steffi played some great shots under pressure and I played too safe,” Seles said. Seles served for the match in the next game, but Graf kept dictating the points with her big forehand and broke at 15 to even the set at 5-5. The two continued on serve until Seles broke for an 8-7 lead as Graf missed on a short forehand. But Graf broke right back, hitting a perfect backhand drop shot on one point. In the next game, Seles crushed a short crosscourt backhand after a long rally to break for a 9-8 lead. Serving for the match for the third time, Seles went up 40-15. On match point No. 5, Graf responded by ripping a clean forehand winner. But on the sixth, she pounded a forehand into the net. “It was totally up and down,” Seles said. “One or two points really decided it.” Seles won $372,896, putting her over the $5 million mark in career earnings. Graf won $186,457......»»