Devils can expect a Giant battle, says Keefe
ADAM Keefe has warned the Cardiff Devils that his Belfast Giants team won’t hand them the Elite League title on a plate.
The Devils come to Belfast this evening knowing that victory will see them crowned champions for the second season in succession.
The Giants effectively fell out of the race a month ago but, with top spot in the Erhardt Conference still up for grabs, there is more than one reason for them to make sure Cardiff don’t win tonight. Motivation: Belfast Giants head coach Adam Keefe
“If we needed any motivation it’s right there,” said Keefe.
“We don’t want to give Cardiff the championship in our rink and we want to keep pushing for the Conference title — to win that we have to beat them.
“They will come here hungry and wanting to get the league won and out of the way and not let it roll on, but we won’t make it easy for them.”
Keefe will draft veteran forward Ashley Tait into his injury-hit panel — the first time he has appeared in a Giants home game since signing as emergency cover earlier in the season.
“We have Ashley Tait flying in and I am hopeful that at least one of the other guys will be back,” said Keefe. “Most of them are day-to-day so it’s a matter of seeing how they are.” DARIA Kasatkina routed former World No.1 Angelique Kerber 6-0 6-2 to reach the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open.
The 20-year-old Russian needed just 58 minutes yesterday to brush aside the German.
Kasatkina hasn’t dropped a set in four matches at Indian Wells, knocking out US Open champion Sloane Stephens and World No.2 Caroline Wozniacki.
Kasatkina will now play either No.8 seed Venus Williams or No.27 Carla Suarez Navarro.
World No.1 Roger Federer, On fire: Daria Kasatkina en route to her crushing victory
meanwhile, advanced to the quarter-finals with a 7-5 6-4 victory over Jeremy Chardy.
The 36-year-old surrendered just three points on serve in the opening set and took control of the second with a cross-court backhand winner that broke Chardy when tied at 4-4.
“I like his play. He hits it big, has a big serve, big forehand,” said Federer, a five-time champion. “The wind picked up, so you never know what’s going to happen. But I think we played good tennis for most of the match.”
Federer needed one hour and 22 minutes to move to 15-0 for the year. He will next face Chung Hyeon, who defeated Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas 6-1 6-3. It will be a rematch of their Australian Open semi-final when Chung had to retire due to blistered feet.