19 NOVEMBER 2018

14 SPORTS
Monday, 19 November 2018
Daily Tribune
ZVEREV SAYS SORRY
London drama
ROGER Federer of Switzerland looks dejected after
losing a point to Alexander Zverev of Germany in
their ATP World Tour Finals singles tennis match at
the O2 Arena in London.
AP
LONDON — After pulling off one of the
biggest wins of his career, Alexander Zverev
was left apologizing for an unforced error
he didn’t make.
Zverev denied Roger Federer a shot at a
100th career title by beating the Swiss great
7-5, 7-6 (5) at the ATP Finals on Saturday to
advance to the championship match against
Novak Djokovic.
Federer was leading the second-set
tiebreaker 4-3 and in the ascendancy of a
rally on a Zverev service point when a ball
boy at the back of the court dropped a ball.
Zverev immediately signaled for the point to
be stopped and the umpire ordered the point
to be replayed.
The ball boy dropped the ball so it’s
in the rules that we have to replay the
point.
Zverev served an ace before going on to
close out the match moments later.
“I want to apologize for the situation in the
tiebreak,” said Zverev, who was booed by some
of the crowd during his on-court interview. “The
ball boy dropped the ball so it’s in the rules that
we have to replay the point.”
“I’m a little bit upset about the whole
situation because this is not how I wanted
it to end.”
Zverev is the youngest player at 21 to
reach the final since 2009 and the first from
Germany since 1996. He will face five-time
champion Djokovic, who defeated Kevin
Anderson 6-2, 6-2 to extend his semifinal
win-loss record at the tournament to 7-1.
Federer, 37, was seeking a record-extending
seventh title, but was unable to cope with
the pressure created by Zverev’s power and
precision at the O2 Arena.
“He (Zverev) apologized to me at the
net,” Federer said. “I was like, ‘Buddy, shut
up. You don’t need to apologize to me here.
Congratulations on a great match and a
great tournament so far. All the best for
the finals.’ And you move on.”
An inspired series of shots earned
Zverev the first break points of the
match in the 12th game and Federer
sent a forehand wide to fall behind.
Federer willed himself to a break
for 2-1 in the second set, but Zverev
quickly composed himself to hit
straight back in the following game.
Zverev overcame the freak
interruption to establish a 5-4 lead
in the tiebreaker, and Federer
netted the simplest of forehand
volleys to bring up match point.
He saved the first, but
Zverev confidently put away a
backhand drive volley to set up a
shot at the biggest title of his career
and leave Federer waiting until next
season for his 100th title.
“Overall, I’m happy how the season
went,” said Federer, who picked up his
20th Grand Slam title at the Australian
Open.
“There are many positives. So I’m
excited for next season.” AP
Federer plots 2019 season
(Pete) Sampras once upon a time said, “If you win
a Slam, it’s a good season”
LONDON — Roger Federer
trained his sights on next
season after a disappointing
defeat in the Last Four at the
ATP Finals brought his 2018
campaign to a premature halt.
The 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) loss to
Alexander Zverev at London’s
O2 Arena means Federer must
wait until 2019 for a shot at his
100th title — a year in which he
will turn 38.
However, the Swiss was
positive about his season and
Thompson in control
MIAMI, Florida — Lexi
Thompson fired a four-under
par 68 on Saturday to take
a commanding three-shot
lead over Nelly Korda in the
LPGA’s season-ending Tour
Championship in Naples,
Florida.
Thompson made four of her five
birdies on the back nine at Tiburon
Golf Club to put herself in position
for a first win of 2018.
“Golf is all about momentum,”
said Thompson, who can expunge
the memory of a missed two-footer
that cost her victory here last year.
“I just tried to keep the same
attitude as I did the last two days,”
said Thompson, adding that having
her brother, Curtis, on her bag had
kept things relaxed.
“He’s always cracking jokes out
excited about returning to the
court next year.
The 20-time Grand Slam
champion was out of the blocks
in sensational style this season,
defending his Australian Open
title and at the age of 36
becoming the oldest world
number one in the 45-year
history of the ATP rankings.
“(Pete) Sampras once upon
a time said, ‘If you win a Slam,
it’s a good season,’” he said.
He started the year with a
there,” she said. “It’s been a nice,
relaxing week just having him on
the bag and having all my family
and friends out here supporting
me.”
A victory would extend
Thompson’s streak to six straight
LPGA seasons with at least one win.
Golf is all about momentum.
Her 16-under total of 200 put
her three clear of Korda, who had
eight birdies in her five-under 67. It
was a further three shots back to
Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, who had
three birdies without a bogey in her
three-under 69.
World number one and defending
champion Ariya Jutanugarn goes
into the final round 10 adrift, but
she’s still in position to claim the
career-best 17 straight wins,
winning in Melbourne and
Rotterdam before losing to
Juan Martin del Potro in the
final at Indian Wells. Two other
titles followed in Stuttgart and
Basel.
But there were also major
disappointments — at Wimbledon
he lost to Kevin Anderson
after leading by two sets and
squandering a match point and he
departed early from the US Open.
“So I started great. I played
super well in Australia again.
So obviously I can’t wait to
go back there in a couple of
months. The second half of the
$1 million bonus for winning the
LPGA’s Race to the CME Globe
season-long points chase for the
second time in three years.
The 22-year-old from Thailand,
whose three titles this year
include her second major at the
US Women’s Open, is already
assured of claiming Player of the
Year honors. She’s also closing
season could have been better
maybe. I also have high hopes
to always do well.
“I’m happy I gave myself
opportunities again in that
second half of the season.
I maybe lost a couple (of)
close matches that could have
changed things around for
me a little bit. I don’t know,
Paris or Wimbledon, whatever
happened.
“I’m here now. So I’m a little
bit disappointed there because I
believe I was close. Being close
makes me believe I can keep
going, I can win again. That’s
uplifting in some ways.” AFP
LEXI Thompson lines up a putt on the 18th green during the third round of
the CME Group Tour Championship golf tournament at Tiburon Golf Club in
Naples, Florida.
AP
in on the Vare Trophy for lowest
scoring average in 2018.
“I did a pretty good job,” Ariya
said after a round that featured
five birdies but was marred by a
double-bogey six at the 11th.
“I didn’t think about that at
all,” she added of the Globe race.
“Yesterday I (thought) about that too
much, worrying about that.” AFP
Flames torch Oilers
CALGARY, Alberta — Elias Lindholm scored twice, including the
tiebreaking goal midway through the third period, and the Calgary Flames
rallied from two down to beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 on Saturday night.
After deflecting Noah Hanifin’s point shot into Mikko Koskinen’s
pads, Lindholm knocked in the rebound at 9:10 of the third. He added
an empty-netter for his 11th goal of the season — his career high is 17.
Sean Monahan, with a goal and an assist, and Derek Ryan also
scored for Calgary.
Connor McDavid and Alex Chiasson scored for Edmonton,
which has lost five of six.
Down 2-1 entering the third period, Calgary tied it at 2:40 when
Monahan rattled home a rebound of Travis Hamonic’s shot.
It was the sixth time the Flames have come back to win
when trailing after two periods, most in the NHL.
They were down 2-0 until late in the second. Calgary
cut its deficit in half at 16:23 on its fifth power play
when Ryan scored on a backhand, his second goal of
the season and first in 15 games.
Until then, the Flames’ listless power play had given
up just as many shots as it had generated, with two of
the three allowed being breakaways.
Standing tall in net was David Rittich, who improved to
6-1-0. Included in his 24 stops were three breakaways — two
for Leon Draisaitl and one by Jujhar Khaira. AP
Hunger fires up NU
By Donnawel Maturingan
Hunger served as motivation
for National University in
clinching the University Athletic
Association of the Philippines
(UAAP) cheerdance title before a
banner crowd over the weekend
at the Mall of Asia Arena.
NU pep squad head coach
Ghicka Bernabe said her
wards competed with chip on
their shoulders after their bid
for five consecutive titles was
denied by Adamson University
last year.
Dancing to their rendition of
Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos,
or Day of the Dead, the Bulldogs
came up with a near-flawless
performance to emerge with 711
points, leaving Far Eastern University
and Adamson University settling for
the second and third places with
655.5 and 638.5 points, respectively.
Bernabe said their hunger and
teamwork fueled their victory.
“We never used the word ‘I,’
we always say “we,’” said Bernabe
following their triumphant
performance witnessed by more
than 20,000 spectators.
“They were really hungry to
bounce back this year.”
Bernabe said their
fourth-place finish last year
served as a wakeup call that
fired them up to do better.
“There were questions on
why we lost. So we healed
ourselves first and accepted
everything before moving on,”
she said.
Aside from the overall title, NU
also cornered the Group Stunts
award while University of Santo
Tomas captured the Best Toss
honor.
Howell hangs tough
WASHINGTON — Charles Howell kept his bid to end an 11-year PGA
Tour title drought on track Saturday, firing a two-under par 68 for a
one-stroke third-round lead in the RSM Classic.
Howell started the day with a three-shot cushion and pushed the
lead to five with two early birdies.
But two back-nine bogeys on the par-70 Seaside course in Sea
Island, Georgia, left him little breathing room.
His 16-under par total of 196 put him one clear of veteran Jason
Gore and rising rookie Cameron Champ, who both carded four-under
par 66s.
Webb Simpson carded a 63 to share fourth along with Ryan Blaum,
who signed for a 65.
Howell is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, but his most recent
trip to the winner’s circle came at Riviera in 2007.
Since then he has notched 53 top-10s and six second-place finishes.
It has been even longer since 44-year-old Gore claimed his lone
PGA title, in 2005. Since then he has seen his career disrupted by
back trouble, but he is making the most this week of a sponsor’s
exemption and played the back nine on Saturday in five-under with
three birdies and an eagle at the par-five 15th.
Champ, the big-hitting 23-year-old who won his first title at the
Sanderson Farms Championship last month, seized his share of second
place with a birdie at 18, where he stuck his second shot less than
three feet from the pin.
His seven birdies on the day included four in a row from the
seventh through the 10th and a birdie from a greenside bunker at
15. AFP
EDMONTON Oilers’ Darnell Nurse (right) fights with Calgary Flames’ Sam Bennett during
the first period of an NHL hockey game in Calgary, Alberta.
AP