The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Stosur, Wozniacki advance at Charleston
- World No. 1 Lewis aims for another major title
- McIlroy fine-tunes game ahead of Masters
| Stosur, Wozniacki advance at Charleston Posted: 03 Apr 2013 04:41 PM PDT CHARLESTON, South Carolina: Ex-champions Sam Stosur and Caroline Wozniacki overpowered their unseeded opponents Wednesday to reach the third round of the WTA Tour's Family Circle Cup. The second-seeded Wozniacki breezed past Spaniard Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-1, 6-1 just under an hour, while the third-seeded Aussie Stosur routed New Zealand's Marina Erakovic 6-1, 6-2 on the green clay at Daniel Island Tennis Center. Wozniacki, who won here two years ago, only entered the tournament on the weekend after she and golfer boyfriend Rory McIlroy postponed a trip to Haiti. Stosur won here in 2010 while Wozniacki claimed the title in 2011. "I felt like I really served well and returned well today," Wozniacki said. "I'm pleased with that." Meanwhile, American qualifier Mallory Burdette surprised 15th-seeded 2009 champion Sabine Lisicki 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 in their second round match. Burdette advances to the third round where she will face world number one and reigning Charleston champ Serena Williams. Also, No. 10 Julia Goerges of Germany held off Belarusian Olga Govortsova 6-2, 0-6, 6-3 and Canadian qualifier Eugenie Bouchard defeated No. 16 Brit Laura Robson 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. Bouchard will square off against Stosur next. American Madison Keys eased into the round of 16 with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over qualifier compatriot Grace Min. Keys will battle wild card Bethanie Mattek-Sands on Thursday. Taking the court later on Wednesday is fifth seeded Venus Williams, who squares off against Monica Puig. -AFP |
| World No. 1 Lewis aims for another major title Posted: 03 Apr 2013 04:43 PM PDT PALM SPRINGS, California: Stacy Lewis returns to the scene of her first major title which came three years ago in the California desert, but this time she has the title of best player in the world next to her name. World number one Lewis says the first thing on her mind this week will be trying to win a tournament and not holding onto that No. 1 ranking. "There are so many things that I can't control," the Texas native said. "I can't control how Yani (Tseng) plays, how In-bee Park plays. "If they go out and play better than me, then I lose the No. 1 ranking. "If I go out there and take care of myself, I'll be at that No. 1 ranking." The star-studded field will play host to the season's first major championship and will feature 111 players, all vying for $300,000 in first-place prize money at the Mission Hills Country Club course in Rancho Mirage, 10 miles southeast of Palm Springs. South Korea's Yoo Sun-young is the defending champion at the first major championship of 2013. Yoo may have won the title, but everyone will remember the championship as the one that compatriot Kim In-kyung lost. Kim's playoff record took another hit last week after Beatriz Recari defeated Kim in a two-hole sudden death playoff at the Kia Classic. Last year on the final hole of regulation, Kim rolled her birdie putt within a foot of the hole. Rather than marking and letting her partner finish, Kim went to tap in her par putt. But, her ball did a horse-shoe around the cup. A shocked Kim finally tapped in for bogey, which dropped her into a tie for the lead with Yoo, who was already in the clubhouse. In the playoff, both players reached the green at the par-five 18th in three. But Kim left her birdie effort short and Yoo did not. Yoo rolled in her 12-footer for birdie and the shock victory. It was Yoo first major title. Kim says she is ready to move on from last year's disappointment. "I learned a lot," said Kim. "I think last year was big turning point of my life of learning and what's really important. It just gave me different view of it." The field this week will include 18 of the top 20 players in the world and 40 of the top 50. The youngest player is 14-year-old Angel Yin, who was the last to get in the field after she shot a five-under 67 in qualifying on Tuesday at Mission Hills. After a week off, the tour heads to Hawaii for the LOTTE Championship which runs from Wednesday to Saturday and was won last year by Japan's Ai Miyazato. -AFP |
| McIlroy fine-tunes game ahead of Masters Posted: 03 Apr 2013 04:45 PM PDT SAN ANTONIO, Texas: With the season's first major just around the corner Rory McIlroy figured that adding the Texas Open to his schedule would be the best way to help him polish his game. "I feel like all the components of my game are there," McIlroy said. "It is just a matter of putting it all together." McIlroy heads a strong international field in the Texas Open which will try to snap an American win streak on the PGA Tour which dates back to October 2012. This marks the first time that the Texas Open will serve as the final Masters tune-up with the winner getting a free pass into Augusta. Last Friday, the tournament got some added firepower when Northern Ireland's McIlroy decided to join the field which now features eight former major winners and four of the top 15 in the world. "The big thing is course management," McIlroy said. "Leaving my ball on the right side of the pins when I am going into the greens and if I miss the greens trying to get it up and down. "Those are all the things I will face next week at Augusta. You've got to know when to not take on pins. Augusta is a little more generous off the tee than it is here but that is a good thing." The strong field also includes Matt Kuchar, Ian Poulter, 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, David Duval and defending champion Ben Curtis. McIlroy is in a group that also comprises Kuchar and 19-year-old American Jordan Spieth. Kuchar comes into the week with a win and two other top ten finishes. Spieth has split his season between the PGA Tour and Web.com Tour but played well in Puerto Rico where he finished second. Curtis held off Matt Every and John Huh to collect his fourth PGA Tour title despite going one-over par over the last two rounds in 2012. He began the tournament with consecutive 67s to reach 10-under par before hanging on to earn his first win in six years. Prior to that victory, Curtis had missed the cut in two of his three PGA Tour starts. This year he has missed the cut in every start, including the Houston Open last week. "I am just glad to be back here," Curtis said. "It's always nice to come back where you've played well in the past. "I haven't played great this year. I've had a couple of decent finishes, but just trying to get the snow off from home. "But it's coming around. I'm liking the way things are progressing." Curtis is hoping to keep a US win streak alive this week. Americans have won all 14 PGA Tour events since the start of the season and 16 overall dating back to the Frys.com Open on October 14 when Sweden's Jonas Blixt triumphed. It's the longest US win streak since 2006 when they won 17 in a row. This is the first time the Texas Open will be the final tune-up for The Masters which is being played a week later than last year. Other notable groups include, Poulter-Schwartzel-Jim Furyk. This is the first trip to San Antonio for Poulter and Schwartzel, while Furyk is making his first appearance in nearly 20 years. Curtis is joined by Justin Leonard and 2011 winner Brendan Steele. Leonard is the all-time money winner in the event, having won three times. -AFP |
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