One stroke behind, Khalin eyes breakout win at Take Masters
BENGALURU: Before they teed off in different parts of the world this week — Shubhankar Sharma at the PGA Championship and Khalin Joshi at the Take Solutions Masters, the two had a chat. Khalin learnt his golf at the Karnataka Golf Association and Shubhankar has experience of playing here on the Professional Golf Tour of India before graduating to bigger tours.
The conversation helped Khalin, who turned 26 on Saturday and finished a shot off the lead on Saturday, chalk up a plan for the week. The two pros agreed that 20-under would be enough for a win. At 13-under 200, Khalin is eying another round of sevenunder 64 to be in line for the title on Sunday.
But here’s where assumptions end. Amid expectations of a maiden win on the Asian Tour on his home course, Khalin is aware that with 18 holes to play, a lot can happen. Two runner-up finishes in three years on the Asian Tour point to that. One of them came here last year.
“I want to play my game and not look at anybody. I set myself a target (20-under) and hopefully I can achieve it. What’s more important is I played bogey free (on Saturday). If I can go bogey free again, it would be great. But let’s not be greedy,” said Khalin, who began the day T8 and nine shots off the lead.
On Saturday, the temptation to birdie the 18th and tie for the lead with Miguel Carballo was alluring, but Khalin knew better. Landing his approach shot 285 yards to the pin, he could have pressed on, but chose to lay up and played for par.
Leaderboard: 199: Miguel Carballo (66, 66, 67); 200: Khalin Joshi (67, 69, 64); Danthai Boonma (66, 61, 73); 201: Viraj Madappa (70, 65, 66); Chikkarangappa (69, 64, 68)
Rafael Nadal recovered from a slow start, overcoming Marin Cilic 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 as the Spaniard’s chase for a longsought ATP Masters title on hardcourt heated up. The world No 1 reached t he semi-finals i n Toronto and will next face Russian Karen Khachanov, who beat Robin Haase 6-3, 6-1. Nadal last won a title at this level on cement in 2013.
Stefanos Tsitsipas saved two match points to beat defending champion Alexander Zverev in their quarter-final contest 3-6, 7-6 (13/11), 6-4.
HALEP WINS
MONTREAL : World No 1 Simona Halep punched her ticket to the semi-finals of the WTA Canada tournament f or the f ourth straight year, cruising past France’s Caroline Garcia 7-5, 6-1. The 26-year-old Halep battled through a difficult first set, then easily won the second in a rematch of last year’s quarter-final contest with Garcia,