COMEBACK OF ALL TIME FOR TARA
JON RAHMED AND
BRITAIN’S Tara Moore pulled off one of the most incredible comebacks in tennis history yesterday.
The world No.479 was match-point down against French third seed Jessika Ponchet after losing the first 11 games of their first-round clash in a secondtier tournament in Sunderland. But from 6-0 5-0 30-40 down, the 26-year-old (above) rallied to win the second set 7-6 and the deciding set 6-3. Had there been betting, Moore would have been around 500-1 when facing match point.
It was the equivalent of a golfer trailing the leader by 10 shots going into the final hole and still winning. TIGER WOODS declared: “I don’t really need to win the Masters again. I really want to” before his latest bid to win his fifth Green Jacket.
The American superstar will turn back the clock by donning the mock turtleneck he wore when he last triumphed here in 2005.
But with players forbidden to wear sponsor’s caps in the interview room, the 43-yearold’s receding hairline and his admission he is still suffering from neck and back issues showed how time has also moved on for the 14-time Major winner.
He is no longer feared but he is a sentimental favourite. And a contender. Woods is back in Georgia for his first event since winning the Tour
Championship in Atlanta last September where he outplayed Rory McIlroy in the final round.
“It proved to me that I could win again,” said the world No.12. “I was close a couple of times. I was close at The Open Championship, had the lead there. I was making a run at Brooksy (Koepka) at the PGA.
“From the struggles I’ve had the last few years, to lead it wire-to-wire, that made it that much JON RAHM has learned from Phil Mickelson that you don’t have to be perfect to win the Masters.
The Spanish world No.8 (right) has developed a friendship with the more special, as well. I just feel like I’ve improved a lot over the past 12-14 months.
“But more than anything I’ve just proven to myself I can play at this level again and win events.”
The next step in his “ongoing” comeback is to win his first Major since the 2008 US Open. He claimed his first Major here in 1997 by 12 shots and his power off the tee saw
him win four times in his three-time champion because his former coach is Tim Mickelson, the American’s brother and now caddie.
The Ryder Cup star, who will tee up in his third Masters with Tiger Woods and Haotong Li of China in the opening rounds, said: “I have spent a lot time with Phil Mickelson here and he repeatedly said ‘You don’t have to play perfect at Augusta National to win.’
“I always thought you need to play quality golf to win a Major, and he