On song Federer enters Montreal semis
MONTREAL: Grand Slam champion Roger Federer remained on course to lift his 27th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title, as he booked his place in the semi-finals of the Rogers Cup following a straight-sets victory over Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut here on Saturday. The Swiss maestro eased past Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4 in a one-sided quarter-final clash that lasted one hour and eight minutes. By clinching his seventh straight win over the Spaniard in the men’s singles event, Federer leads the ATP this season with five titles, including two grand slams, and improved his 2017 record to 34-2.
WOZNIACKI TOPPLES PLISKOVA
TORONTO: Caroline Wozniacki survived three rain delays to book her spot in the WTA Toronto tournament semi-final with a marathon 7-5, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4 victory over world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova on Friday.
The sixth seeded Wozniacki posted her first career win over a number-one player in seven tries as she blasted eight aces in the two-hour, 56-minute centre court match. Pliskova fired five aces but won just 45 percent of her second-serve points.
ANAND DRAWS, ENDS JOINT SECOND
ST.LOUIS: Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand finished joint second after playing out a draw with Wesley So of United States in the Sinquefield Cup. Finishing with a tally of 5.5 points out of a possible nine, Anand also gained some valuable rating points to inch closer to the 2800 rating mark. With seven draws and two victories, Anand has moved to seventh place in the world ranking. BAJRANG BEATS MANN, TO REPRESENT INDIA PARIS: Asian champion Bajrang Punia will represent India in men’s 65kg freestyle at the upcoming World Wrestling Championships, having beaten Rahul Mann at a special selection.
Bajrang thrashed Mann 10-0 to make it to the final list of shortlisted players for the World Championships.
BRONZE FOR INDIA SHOOTERS IN ASTANA ASTANA: Shooter Sheeraz Sheikh narrowly missed out on an individual medal even as the mens Skeet team comprising Sheeraz, Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Angad Vir Singh Bajwa settled for the bronze medal on day six of the 7th Asian Championship Shotgun at the Target Shooting Club here on Saturday.
With the bronze, India’s medal tally shot up to 7 in the competition.