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SPORTS SECTION E

French Open, Page 8

TUESDAY, JUNE 5, 2018

Slatter, Rolle emerge as national bowling champions By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

or the third consecutive year, David Slatter has emerged as the Bahamas Bowling Federation men’s national champion. For the third time, Driskell Rolle has captured the ladies’crown. The two champions were crowned on Sunday at Mario’s Bowling and Family Entertainment Centre as the two-week long 2018 Bahamas Bowling National Championships came to a close. As the defending champion and the top qualifier, Slatter had to wait for his opponent as No.5 seed Tyrone Knowles eliminated

three past champions executing, but felt if I Sonith Lockhart, Leoncould throw some pretty ardo ‘Lee’ Davis and good shots, I could win Richard ‘Ritchie’ Pyfrom the title. I had a pretty in the live television rollgood game. The door off to secure his berth in opened and I shot very the final. well in the final. But I When it counted the have to give Tyrone a lot most, a well rested Slatof credit. He beat three ter was too much for past champions. He was SLATTER Knowles to handle. Slattrying to go for a grand ter would go on to add slam, but I had to hold his third straight title, the first by him to a triple.” any player in modern history, to Going into the tournament, the previous three he won in 1986, Slatter admitted that he was fully 1989 and 1997. He did it out-scor- prepared for the challenge this ing Knowles 214-201 in the grand year, finale. “I’ve been working really hard “I felt it was mine to lose, but on my game,” he stated. “I had a I felt pretty confident going in,” very solid tournament. I think I Slatter said. “It was just about missed three spares in 20 games,

so it was an all-around good game. I was able to control my nerves in the final game and execute. It feels good to win it three in a row. I know it’s the first since Mario’s has been around. I know nobody has done it there, but I’m not sure if anyone did it at the old Village Bowling Lanes.” Slatter, who is employed at Royal Fidelity, hung out with his fellow bowlers after the competition to celebrate a little before he went on and enjoyed a festive night with his family, which he called a “team effort” because “they put up with you after all the money you spend in practice.” Four of the players in the TV roll-off will be heading to Calgary, Canada, in August for the Pan

American Bowling Confederation (PABCON) Senior Tournament. However, Slatter will miss out as the national champion to represent the country at the World Cup in Las Vegas, Nevada. That honour belongs to Davis who, along with Driskell Rolle, earned the rights to travel after the federation already hosted a separate qualifying tournament. Having won in 2013 and 2015, Rolle said she didn’t feel any pressure in pulling off this victory over Janice Hoyte. As the top seed, Rolle waited as Hoyte had to defeat Angela ‘Angie’ Smith, Tara Johnson and Jonice ‘Joy’ Lockhart in the first three rounds

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Amateur golfers win championship titles RICHARD Gibson Jr successfully defended his title and once again emerged as the Bahamas Golf Federation’s national amateur male champion in the Royal Fidelity National Amateur Championships recently held over a four-day period. The new female champion is Ashley Michel, a junior whose game has shown significant improvement in the last 12 months. The results were announced by BGF’s president Lynford Miller, who congratulated both winners for their great play in windy and rainy conditions which were a challenge for most golfers. The field, which was slightly larger than last year, is growing in popularity. Miller was very pleased that both champions are very young, which indicates that the future of golf in the Bahamas is in good hands. He also expressed his thanks to Royal Fidelity for once again sponsoring the premier event on the BGF’s calendar. Cherilyn Bethel, Royal Fidelity’s marketing coordinator, was on hand to assist with the presentation of prizes. She said that they were happy to promote the development of golf in the Bahamas. Gibson got off to a slow start in the 1st round and was in second place after two rounds at Albany with scores of 79 and 74. However, he turned it on with a score of 70 on his home course at Royal Blue and finished with a 77 at Ocean Club for a 4-day total of 300. Oren Butler, who just returned to golf after knee surgery, led after the first two rounds and finished second with a total of 306. Pablo Nahmias finished third with 317. In the ladies’ championship, Ashley Michel led from day one and never looked back. She had four rounds in the 70s to finish with a total of 310.

IT was a dominating performance from Stefan Knowles over his older brother Mark Knowles as the skippers endured a dual showdown at the annual Long Island Regatta in Salt Pond, Long Island, over the Labour Day holiday weekend. To show how dominant his performance was, Stefan Knowles repeated as the Class A champion on board the Running Tide, won the Class B title for the fourth straight year on the Susan Chase and clinched the Class C crown for the third consecutive year on the Whitty K. Stefan Knowles, skippered the Running Tide over the Legend, skippered by Mark Knowles, battled it out tied for first place going into the third and final race of Class A with 11 points apiece.

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CHAMPIONS: Shown (l-r) are Ashley Michel, Nyah Singh and Richard Gibson with their awards at Bahamas Golf Federation Royal Fidelity National Amateur Championships. She was followed by Adriane Von Echardstein and Nyah Singh in second and third with scores of 328 and 393 respectively. Competition in the Presidents Cup, a 2-day Net Event, was also fierce with twin sisters Nyah and Tia Singh ending up tied with 135 points each. However, Nyah won

on a count back to repeat as champion this year. Tia got second and Riya Miller was third with 139. Other division winners were: Mid Amateur - Peter McIntosh (champion); Simon Fielder (runner-up) and Lynford Miller (third place)

Seniors John McIntosh (champion), Ulrich Filser (runner-up) and George Swann (third place) Super seniors Kevin Marche (champion); Vernon Wells (runners-up) and Ray Gibson (third place)

Knowles and Cougars eliminated in title game By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE postseason run came to an end for Perez Knowles and his Colombus State Cougars in the

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STEFAN KNOWLES DOMINATES LONG ISLAND REGATTA

NCAA Division II World Series title game. Knowles suffered his fourth loss of the season and the No.8 Cougars were eliminated with a 3-2 loss to the No.11 Augustana Vikings at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. Knowles pitched five and 2/3 innings in the start and surrendered just two hits with three strikeouts. The Cougars end the year with a record of 48-15 as the national runner-up for the third time, joining the 1986 and 2007 teams. “There were a heck of a lot of good pitches made. Give Augustana all the credit today,” Cougars head coach Greg Appleton said. “Their pitcher threw a great game and they came up with some big hits when they needed them. We gave it as good of an effort as we could, we were kind of running on fumes. I couldn’t be more proud of

this group of guys though. Some of his season The leadership of the senhighs this season included iors, the personality of the a complete game with guys, I’m glad they took nine innings pitched in me along on this great the Regional tournament, ride.” 13 strikeouts against USC In their tournament Aiken and a one hitter debut, the Cougars against Albany State. defeated No. 24 MerHe started 18 games this cyhurst 8-1 on Sunday. season with a 3.44 ERA KNOWLES Cougars ace Kolton Ingawith 128 strikeouts. ham pitched eight innings Prior to his transfer to and delivered 10 strikeouts. Columbus State, Knowles spent In round two, Knowles took his previous collegiate years with the mound, pitched seven shutout the University of Troy Trojans. innings and allowed just three hits Knowles appeared in 17 games with seven strikeouts in a 6-0 win out of the bullpen in two seasons. over No. 22 UC San Diego. They As a freshman, he appeared in 14 suffered a 3-2 loss to No.3 Florida innings with 11 strikeouts and an Southern, but rebounded the fol- ERA just over seven. lowing day when they won the Once he transferred to Columrematch 11-6 to advance to the bus State, Knowles appeared in 19 final. games for the Cougars and posted Knowles finished his season 8-4 a 1.77 ERA and finished with a and was an All Peach Belt Confer- 3-3 record and a team-best three ence Second Team selection this saves. He tallied 33 strikeouts in season. 35.2 innings.

REST IN PEACE DEVIN FRANCIS By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net THE sporting community mourns the passing of another outstanding former sports writer. Devin Francis, who served previously as a sports editor with The Nassau Guardian, passed away on Friday after an illness with cancer. Francis, 47, was employed at The Nassau Guardian for the past 27 years. He worked with another sports writer Shavaughn GordonMoss, who pioneered the profession for ladies. Gordon-Moss noted that having known Francis from the time they attended St Augustine’s College in grade seven, she was too shaken up to offer her comments. However, sports editor Sheldon Longley, who has been a member of staff at The Nassau Guardian for the past 17 years, said he couldn’t ask for a better mentor. “Devin was my first boss at the Guardian and I couldn’t have asked for a more capable person to assist in my transition and

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PAGE 2, Tuesday, June 5, 2018

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Kai Jones invited to NBA’s Global Camp in Italy By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net KAI Jones continues his meteoric rise up the recruiting charts for the class of 2019 and his exposure at elite showcases continues to garner attention from scouts, coaches and major NCAA Division I programmes. Jones was invited to the NBA’s Global Camp in Treviso, Italy, last weekend and made an impression on some of the most notable names in the industry. ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla took to Twitter to recognise Jones as one of the surprising overachievers at the camp. “6-11 Bahamian Kai Jones blew me away today at NBA Global Camp. Length and athleticism and energy. Great kid too. Not a 1-and-done but NBA future,” he said. Fraschilla currently serves as a studio analyst for ESPN’s college

basketball programming all under the direction of and also covers the NBA NBA personnel. Draft, focusing mostly on The camp also featured international players. a series of scrimmages Jonathan Givony of among prospects from Draft Express was also NBA Academies, the high on Jones’ increasing league’s network of elite recruiting stock. basketball training cenJONES “Kai Jones from the tres around the world for Bahamas definitely top male and female prosmaking a name for himself at the pects from outside the US, along NBA Global Camp in Treviso. with a team from Basketball AusHas almost no online footprint in tralia’s Centre of Excellence and the US, but looks like one of the top international prospects. best long term prospects here,” Nineteen of the 40 Draft-eligihe tweeted. “Long and athletic, ble prospects who are expected can handle, shoot and has terrific to attend the NBA Global Camp defensive instincts.” 2018 participated as campers The event was pre-Draft show- in Basketball Without Borders case from at La Ghirada Sports (BWB), the NBA and FIBA’s Center for top Draft-eligible pros- global basketball community pects from outside the US. and outreach programme that The camp included team inter- has seen more than 50 former view sessions, five-on-five games, campers drafted into the NBA or shooting drills, and strength and signed as free agents. agility testing in front of repreJones moved to the US followsentatives from all 30 NBA teams, ing a summer of career milestones,

Stefan Knowles dominates regatta FROM PAGE 1 In the finale, Stefan Knowles and the Running Tide ran away with the title as they took the final gun shot for the victory. While Mark Knowles and the Legend had to settle for second place, Ruff Justice, skippered by Tremaine Knowles, got third place. They were followed in order by the Good News, Ed Sky and the Red Stripe. In the B class, the Susan Chase, skippered by Stefan Knowles, won the title with 31 points after sweeping all three races. The Ole Boy, a new boat, built and skippered by Mark Knowles, got second with 28 points, finishing second in all three races, while the Lonesome Dove, skippered by Andrew Wilhoyte from Abaco, was third with 26 points with a third, fourth and third respectively. Lady Sonia, skippered by Buzzy Rolle from Exuma, was fourth with 25 points from a fourth, third and

fourth. The Cobra, skippered by Dwayne Higgins, rounded out the top five with 20 points from a fifth, sixth and fifth place. In the remaining order of finish were the Lady Nathalie, skippered by Keith Brown, with 10 points and Queen Drucilla, skippered by Stefano Kemp, with 10 points as well. The Whitty K, also skippered by Stefan Knowles, won the Class C title with 51 points over Xena, skippered by David Knowles with 45 points. It Ain’t Right, skippered by Andrew Wilhoyte, came in third with 39 points. Mark Knowles didn’t skip any boats in this class. The other boats, in order of finish, are as follows: Crazy Partner, skippered by Lundy Robinson with 39 points; Legal Weapon, skippered by Magic Pinder with 34 points; Irene Good Night, skippered by James Wallace with 31 points; Beerly Legal, skippered by Mark Knowles with 29 points; Lady Dian, skippered by Mark Knowles

with 28 points; King & Knights, skippered by Stefano Kemp with 25 points; Sacrifice, skippered by Colin Cartwright with 24 points; Lady Eunice, skippered by Joshua Green with 24 points; Sweet Island Gal, skippered by Keith Brown with 21 points; Surprise, skippered by Jude Knowles with 14 points; Bul Reg, skippered by Leslie ‘Buzzy’ Rolle with 14 points; Termite, skippered by Brandon McPhee with 11 points; Queen, skippered by Pat Smith with eighth points; Barbarian, skippered by Delworth Gibson with three points and Lady Margaret, skippered by Jacob Higgins with two points. Cohen Knowles, sailing the Class C Beerly Legal was the junior champion. Paloma Cartwright, back home from McGill University on a $140,000 scholarship from the local committee a year ago, was the Class G champion in the Sunfish category. The 18-year-old All Bahamas Merit Scholar has eight BJCSE’s to her credit.

including his junior national team debut and an invitation to the NBA Basketball Without Borders Americas Camp, hosted in the Bahamas. “It was a great experience, with great competition, their level is really high and it’s fun to play against some of the best players in the world. I’ve just been trying to get better and learn everything I can and soak up every piece of information from these coaches,” Jones said during the camp. “The quickness really stands out. These guys are really fast and the speed of play is really fast but it’s easy to adjust to, once you play for the first five minutes you get used to it. When I rebound and I block shots I realise it’s not as tough as it looks because some of these guys are jumping out the gym.” As quickly as he adjusted to the pace and style of play at Basketball Without Borders, Jones has

done the same in the US and has set the stage for a senior season that should garner even more NCAA Division I offers. A 4.0 student in the classroom, Jones will transfer to Brewster Academy in Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire after spending the last season at Orlando Christian Prep in Orlando, Florida. In his lone season with the Warriors in Orlando, Florida, the team finished the season at 21-9 and claimed the Class 3A boys basketball state championship. The offers continue to stockpile for Jones with the latest coming from the Ole Miss Rebels and Illinois Fighting Illini. Jones has previously picked up offers from, Georgetown, Virginia Commonwealth University and Florida Gulf Coast University following his performance with on “Team Brakdown” at the Under Armour Association circuit in Dallas, Texas.

Slatter and Rolle emerge as national bowling champions FROM PAGE 1 respectively. “I played well throughout the opening rounds in the first 15-20 games where I averaged over 191 and so with that and going into the step ladder final, I felt well knowing that I had bowled well in the previous games,” she reflected. “The step ladder final is only one game and anything could happen, but I felt I had a good chance.” But as the number one seed going into the final, Rolle said she got a little itchy, but she managed to calm down her nerves and pulled it off. “It was a long way and all the persons who bowled before me, already know the lanes and with me coming on as the number one seed, I only had four balls on each lane to practice before I bowled. So it was difficult for me to find the line in that short space of time. So there was some nervousness, but I had to find my line really quickly.” Rolle, a banker by profession, said bowling in two separate leagues coming into the nationals really helped her in her performance. “I averaged 193 in the City League and 200 in the Banker’s League, so I felt

confident. I was bowling the ball very well and I was consistently hitting my mark,” she pointed out. “So going into this tournament, I had a lot of confident that I would bowl very well, considering that I had not bowled that well in the step ladder in the past. “But I was confident with myself knowing that I had pout in the hard work in the other leagues prior to coming into the nationals and I was hoping that it would carry over here. I felt I was bowling very well, so I was confident that I could do it in the nationals and I did.” And while the nationals leaves her with bragging rights as the champion again, she will now prepare to travel with Davis to the World Cup in Las Vegas November 4-11. Also from the tournament, Sarah Penn defeated P’Ante Rolle to clinch the junior girls’ title, while Clarence Sargent won the boys’ title over Carsean Clarke. Federation public relations officer Clayton Gardiner said it was an exciting two weeks of intense competition and they want to thank Mario’s Bowling and Raymond Adderley and his technicians for ensuring that the event was as successful as it turned out.

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Tuesday, June 5, 2018, PAGE 3

The latest rumblings from ‘Lakerland’ THE NBA Finals appears to be headed to another rapid conclusion. And when the Lakers don’t make the Finals the buzz around the team goes into hyperdrive. Free agency will feature LeBron James and a supporting cast eager to join the Lakers and improve upon what is already a strong nucleus of young players. Solid drafting from the front office has been encouraging as well. • Here are the latest rumblings from ‘Lakerland.’ NO TO LiANGELO It doesn’t sound like the Lakers care for the idea of bringing more members of the Ball family out West. The Lakers had a recent workout that included the younger Ball, but according to USA Today’s Sam Amick, this particular storyline isn’t going to go much further than that: “While the Los Angeles Lakers held a workout Tuesday that included the younger brother of starting point guard Lonzo Ball, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports team officials have no interest in drafting or signing the 19-year-old...” MITCHELL ROBINSON Mitchell Robinson is one of the more interesting stories in the 2018 NBA Draft, so it makes sense the Lakers would somehow be connected to him. Especially at pick #25. It’s no surprise the Lakers would have an eye on a guy like Robinson despite his commitment to Western

THE

PRESS BOX ZELAYA

BY INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’ ZENICA

Kentucky before not playing. Robinson is, in a word, rare. He’s huge and can shoot quality numbers from beyond the arc, which is already rare for a guy his size. But some of the other measurables and what he’s doing on the court before even turning pro is impressive. It’s easy to point to Kyle Kuzma as a guy the Lakers got right in the latter portion of the first round recently. The difference with Mitchell is the Lakers can afford to wait on Robinson to grow into the player he’s supposed to become. A player with ridiculous upside like Robinson, this could be the smartest possible move. PAUL GEORGE The Lakers have been linked to everything Paul George this offseason. The Lakers have been in play, well before George joined the OKC Thunder. Hollywood couldn’t write a better script, considering he’s a hometown kid who wants to pursue a title while being the face of a major franchise. The Lakers check all the boxes, and the latest in

the saga has the Houston Rockets Wire’s Kelly Iko reporting the Lakers are “still favourites” to land George despite his liking what he sees from the Rockets. Also to land George, the Rockets would have to pull off some serious cap magic to help George’s contract come aboard. Manoeuvres like a signand-trade are always possible, but his life would be quite a bit less complicated if he just joined the Lakers. However, Lakers fans knew this wasn’t going to be easy, no matter how sweet the whole scenario seemed. The franchise has been in the conversation for major free agents every offseason, yet has been used more as leverage than anything else. The front office has built a quality young roster. It’s an appealing one, too, so there is some believability to the notion it’s one a star like George might want to come on over and lead. • Naughty presents ‘Mischief and Mayhem in da AM’ from 6am to 10am, Monday to Friday and ‘The Press Box’ sports talk show on Sunday from 10am to 1pm, on KISS FM 96.1. Comments and questions to naughty@ tribunemedia.net

NPSA: Sharks devour Truckers 8-1, Wildcats stop Warriors 10-0 THE New Providence Softball Association continued its regular season in the Banker’s Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex with a double header in the ladies’ division on Saturday night. In the opener, the Platinum Lady Sharks devoured the Johnson’s Lady Truckers 8-1 and the defending champions Sunshine Auto Lady Wildcats blanked the BTC Lady Warriors 10-0. •Here’s a summary: Lady Sharks 8, Lady Truckers 1 Monet Cartwright went 2-for-2 with two runs and Ramona Hanna was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two runs batted in to push Platinum’s record to 3-1 as they remain in second place. Johnson’s dropped to third at 2-2 with the loss. Taylor Cartwright was the winning pitcher and Valencia Gibson suffered the loss. Lady Wildcats 10, Lady Warriors 0 Thela Johnson helped her own cause by going 2-for-2 with two runs scored and drove in two RBI on her two-run home run in

FRANCIS

TEAM STANDINGS Teams W L Pct GB Ladies’ Division Sunshine A Wildcats Platinum Sharks Johnson’s Truckers BTC Warriors Hennessy Panthers Aliv Strykers

4 3 2 2 1 0

0 1 2 3 3 3

1,000 .750 .500 .400 .250 .000

1 2 21/2 3 31/2

Men’s Division C&S Hitmen Commando Truckers BTC Warriors Chances Mighty Mitts

6 2 2 1

0 3 3 5

1,000 .400 .400 .166

31/2 31/2 5

Tonight 7pm - Aliv Strykers vs Johnson’s Lady Truckers (L) 8:30pm - BTC Warriors vs Chances Mighty Mitts (M) Thursday 7pm - Aliv Strykers vs Platinum Pool Sharks (L) 8:30pm - C&S Hitmen vs Truckers (M) Saturday 7pm - Commando Security vs BTC Warriors (M) 8:30pm - C&S Hitmen vs Chances Mighty Mitts (M) the first inning as Sunshine Auto extended their front running lead to 4-0. Ruthann Simms went 2-for3, scoring a run and added

a RBI and Larikah Russell was 3-for-3 with two runs scored. With the loss, BTC dropped to fourth at 2-3.

There are few I cherished in this world more than Devin Francis. Rest in peace my friend.” FROM PAGE 1 I remember working on the other side of the sports beat on and development into one of numerous stories with Francis the finest sports writers in the and I got a chance to travel with country today,” he stated. “After him as we covered several events all, I learned from the best. overseas, including the Olympic “Too many times, persons in Games in 2004 in Athens, Greece. this profession go unnoticed, but I also remembered when he was Devin stood out. He touched elevated to another department hundreds of young lives through and how he indicated he would FRANCIS his many articles in The Nassau miss interacting with so many Guardian and was cordial with persons whom he helped in the everyone he came in contact with.” Longley said Francis’ attention to detail development of their sporting prowess. He was very quiet, but competent in his when it came to sports writing was second duties. He was one of those persons who to none. “Even beyond the profession, Devin was worked diligently in this profession, but a true and special friend,” Longley stated. never got his just due. He served as the pro“I could always count on him for a listen- duction editor up to the time of his death. May his soul rest in peace. ing ear, a helping hand and sound advice.

OKLAHOMA City Thunder forward Paul George (13) blocks a shot by Utah Jazz centre Rudy Gobert in the first half of Game 2 of their first-round playoff series in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

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Packers: No long-term concern after Matthews hit on nose GREEN BAY, Wisconsin (AP) — Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Lucas Patrick hasn’t played baseball since he was a child. With one swing of the bat, he broke the nose of one of the “faces of the franchise.” At the Green & Gold Charity Softball Game on Saturday in Grand Chute, Patrick’s line drive struck linebacker Clay Matthews in the face, breaking the longhaired star’s nose. “I talked with him immediately after it happened,” Patrick said Monday. “I went up, and he was as calm and cool as could be. He’s a tough guy to hop up like he did. He helped settle my nerves. I felt terrible, of course.” Patrick called it “one of those fluke things” that happens in

baseball. Matthews was pitching at the time. Matthews, who has not taken part in workouts following offseason knee surgery, was not at Monday’s practice. He likely will have surgery on his nose later this week, coach Mike McCarthy said. “I talked to him again today. He’s a nice guy and (I’m) praying for him. Hope everything heals up. He was as good a guy as you could be during that,” Patrick said. Matthews has posted on Twitter that he was thankful the injury wasn’t more serious. Despite a scare involving one of his premier players, McCarthy said is still OK with participation in the charity game.

CLAY MATTHEWS (AP)

“Anytime your players give back, charity involved in the community, that’s a great day for the fans. I mean they sell it out every year,” McCarthy said. “Yeah, I’m not going to overreact to this.” Matthews and receiver Davante Adams were co-captains for the game, taking the place of Jordy Nelson, who was released in March. Patrick has been starting at left guard in place of Lane Taylor, who had offseason ankle surgery. When training camp begins in late July, Patrick and Justin McCray will be the front-runners to fill the vacancy at right guard, where veteran Jahri Evans started last season. “It’s been huge,” Patrick said. “The best part is I can go with

Lane after every practice and be like, ‘Hey, on this set, I was seeing this, feeling this.’ “And he gives me his take on what I should do, what I can do better, or if he thinks what I’m doing is pretty good.” The Packers are in the last week of voluntary workouts. Mandatory minicamp takes place next week. The only player who has not participated in the practices is safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. “Ha Ha, just like a number of veterans, when we start the offseason program, we go through everybody’s individual schedule,” McCarthy said. “Things do come up, so he’s had a personal situation that he’s attended to, so I have no concerns.”

SEVERINO WINS 7TH STRAIGHT AS YANKS TOP TIGERS 7-4 IN OPENER By DAVE HOGG Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — Aaron Boone’s pitching strategy for the first game of Monday’s doubleheader was simple. “We sent our ace out there for the first game and counted on him giving us a big performance,” the New York Yankees manager said. Luis Severino did just that, striking out 10 over eight innings to win his seventh straight decision in a 7-4 victory that extended New York’s winning streak to five games. “He threw 85 strikes in 112 pitches, which puts his percentage in the high 70s,” Boone said. “That’s how he got through eight innings, which is huge for our bullpen.” Gleyber Torres and Greg Bird also homered for the AL East-leading Yankees, who improved to a big league-best 38-17. New York is 21 games over .500 for just the second time since ending the 2012 season at 95-67; the Yankees were 91-70 last year before losing their regularseason finale. In the start of a doubleheader that made up rainouts on April 14 and 15, Severino (9-1) allowed two runs — one earned — and four hits while walking none. He is 7-0 in 10 starts since losing at Boston on April 10. “I’ve been able to execute all of my pitches almost every time out there this season,” Severino said.

NEW York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Severino throws during the first inning of the first game of a baseball doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers yesterday. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) “Today, it took me a couple innings to get on top

of my slider, but everything was good after that.” Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild was impressed with Severino’s ability to overcome early problems with his slider. “He’s able to throw his changeup at two different speeds, so even when he doesn’t have a great slider, he still has different offspeed looks for the hitters,” Rothschild said. “He’s throwing some of them at 79 or 80 and others at 88 or 89, which makes it tough on hitters.” Romine’s home run was his fourth in 59 at-bats. New York’s backup catcher is hitting .373 with 19 RBIs. “I’m so happy with way he’s hitting,” Severino said. Jonathan Holder allowed two unearned runs in the ninth, and Aroldis Chapman struck out Victor Martinez with a runner on second for his 14th save in 15 chances. “I would have rather not used Chapman in that one, but he told me he’s ready for the second game,” Boone said. New York is 15-1 against the AL Central since mid-September. Drew VerHagen (0-2) allowed seven runs, seven hits — including three homers — and two walks in 3 2/3 innings. Detroit has lost two in a row following a four-game winning streak. “I didn’t get deep into the game, and I didn’t give us a chance to win,” VerHagen said after his first majorleague start since August. “There’s not much to like about that game.” Torres became the first Yankees player under 22 to hit 10 home runs in a season since Mickey Mantle from 1951-53. Miguel Cabrera hit an RBI double in the first, but Torres tied the game in the third when he became the fifth New York player to

reach double digits in home runs this season; Jeimer Candelario leads the Tigers with nine. Bird led off the fourth with his second homer, Miguel Andujar and Clint Frazier had RBI singles and Romine hit his fourth homer for a 7-1 lead. “The bottom of our order has been great, and Ro has been a big part of that,” Boone said. “He’s putting baseballs into places where our big guys hit them.” Sandy Baez, a 24-yearold right-hander making his major league debut for the Tigers as their 26th man, pitched 4 1/3 hitless innings of relief. “We are proud of that young man,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. “Eating up all those innings was huge in the first game of a doubleheader.” Baez hit his first batter, Bird, then struck out Giancarlo Stanton. “I’m going to keep that ball wherever I go,” Baez said. “I’ll have it when I’m driving and when I’m at home.” SCHEDULING Boone hopes there can be a schedule adjustment on July 8-9. New York is scheduled to play in Toronto at 8:05 p.m. on July 8, and last Thursday’s rainout at Baltimore was rescheduled as part of a day-night doubleheader starting at 4:05 p.m. on July 9. “Hopefully it is something that gets worked out,” he said. “But I also know it’s way out of my hands and way out of my control.” FLIGHT DELAYS The Yankees were delayed briefly in Baltimore after a radar problem on their charter and arrived in Detroit at 8:30 p.m. Sunday. On May 17, the Yankees were forced to spend a night in Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., after the

plane had mechanical problems in bad weather. New York had another lengthy

delay at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on May 24.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 5, 2018, PAGE 5

Golden State cannot relax now, or else By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer OAKLAND, California (AP) — Learn from your mistakes, Golden State. Learn from how one got away in 2016. Learn from how sleepwalking through the third quarter on Sunday night made Game 2 of this series much more interesting than it ever should have been, at least until Stephen Curry went wild in the fourth quarter. Learn from Boston, both this year and six years ago. Learn from what cost San Antonio a title in 2013, too. Don’t give LeBron James hope. Or else. Golden State leads these NBA Finals 2-0, after a 122-103 win put the defending champions two wins away from what would be their third title in the last four seasons. Only four teams have ever wasted a 2-0 lead in the finals — and Golden State is one of them, letting a championship ring slip away against James and the Cavaliers two years ago. The series shifts to Cleveland for Game 3 on Wednesday night. James looked exhausted when Game 2 was over, but he’ll be somewhat rested by then. And he will most definitely be fueled by a boisterous home crowd that will want to both give him an immediate lift — and make one last series of impressions before he goes into free agency and considers leaving the Cavaliers again next month. Game 3 is everything for the Cavs. If they go down 3-0, series over. Game 3 has to be everything for the Warriors as well. They know it, too. “I think because we’ve been here several times, I don’t think I’ll need to say much,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. “Guys in the locker room, they already know that.” They better. Boston had James in a 2-0 hole this year, then lost Games 3 and 4 in Cleveland and wound up falling in seven. The Celtics had him and the Heat down 3-2 in the Eastern Conference finals in 2012, and couldn’t finish. The Spurs led 3-2 in the 2013 NBA Finals, had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter of Game 6, and came undone.

CLEVELAND Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) sits on the bench between guard George Hill, left, and guard Kyle Korver during the second half of Game 2 of basketball’s NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, June 3, 2018. The Warriors won 122-103. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) The Warriors led 2-0 and 3-1 in 2016. This is not the same Golden State team (Kevin Durant helps). This is not the same Cleveland team (Kyrie Irving would really help). But the Warriors would be foolish to not remember that series, not to remember the ultimate cautionary tale. They’re saying all the right things. “It’s nothing to feel happy about being up 2-0,” Warriors guard Klay Thompson said. “This (Cleveland) team plays great at home and we expect their other guys to play better at home too, not just LeBron. So we’re not going to relax at all because this team’s been down and out before and counted out by the media. We’re not going to focus on that. We’re just going to focus on what we can do to win Game 3.” This series at times has been the Cavaliers versus the cavalier.

DYNASTY IN MAKING? WARRIORS CHASE THIRD TITLE IN FOUR YEARS By JANIE MCCAULEY AP Sports Writer OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry and coach Steve Kerr’s Golden State Warriors have repeatedly said they want to build something special for the long haul, to compete for championships year after year. LeBron James considers his familiar NBA Finals opponent among the best teams ever. Where the Warriors will put themselves in the dynasty debate if they win a third championship in four years. And if they continue to win titles — and there domination doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon — there won’t be any debate. “As a fan of the NBA, you could go down the list of the teams that won multiple years and just dominated the league for stretches of time,” Curry said. The Warriors are trying to join Bill Russell’s Celtics, the Bulls led by Michael Jordan and the Lakers’ trio of title runs fuelled by George Mikan in the 1950s, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the ‘80s, and Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant nearly 20 years ago as the only franchises in NBA history to capture three championships in four years. The Warriors are halfway there, holding a 2-0 lead against the underdog Cavs as the series shifts to Cleveland for Game 3 on Wednesday. “Listen, Golden State is one of the best teams I’ve ever played. It’s one of the best teams that’s ever been assembled,” said James, who is playing in his eighth straight NBA Finals and fourth in a row against Golden State. Curry, sharp-shooting Klay Thompson, fiery Draymond Green and 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala make up an AllStar-studded squad trying to repeat after James thwarted that quest two years ago when the Cavs stopped the defending champs. Kevin Durant bolted from Oklahoma City to join the cast last season. “You look at it, they’ve got four Hall of Famers on their team in Klay, Dray, Steph and KD. They’ve got a Finals MVP that comes off their bench,” James said in reference to Iguodala. “... I don’t know where they will fall in my book, but they will have a nice chapter.” Not everybody is ready to crown the Warriors as a dynasty, not just yet anyway. Not even if they win the title this year. “I don’t like to go dynasty stuff, they’ve been the team of the decade,” said Gary Payton, the longtime Seattle SuperSonics point guard who played 17 seasons through 2007. “That’s what it is. They’ve been doing their thing. When we get into a dynasty is Michael Jordan and them winning six, that’s a dynasty. The Golden State Warriors (would have) won three out of four, that’s great. “It’s coming to be a dynasty. If you win a couple more, then you’re talking about a dynasty. So three of them is in the right stage and the right movement to becoming a dynasty, yes.” The defending champions are playing in a fourth straight finals chasing a repeat they couldn’t pull off in 2016 after capturing the franchise’s first title in 40 years during 2014-15 with Kerr as a rookie head coach.

Golden State was fortunate to win Game 1, and realised as such. The Warriors should have been up much bigger than 13 at halftime of Game 2, and found themselves in a dogfight instead of a victory lap in the third quarter when the Cavs got within five on a number of occasions. It took things like JaVale McGee going 6 for 6 and David West stepping up in a critical late-third-quarter moment to hit his first 3-pointer in seven months to help the Warriors keep the Cavs at bay Sunday, until Curry ran wild late on his way to a NBA Finals record nine 3s and turn the game into a rout. It took James, grotesque-looking eye and all, playing like his version of a mere mortal — 29 points, 13 assists, nine rebounds, 10-for-20 shooting. “It was too easy for them,” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said of the Warriors. Give Golden State credit. They adjusted nicely against James after his 51-point barrage in Game 1. They took a page from the 2014 Spurs — who beat James in five games in the NBA Finals that year, the end of his Miami era — and routinely picked him up 30 to 40 feet away from the basket. Do that, and more often than not James will say that giving up the ball is the right play. The Warriors welcome that. They want the other Cavs to have to beat them. The formula worked Sunday. They just have to do it twice more to win another

title. And just like the Warriors on the notwanting-to-relax front, James said he hopes the Cavaliers continue feeling uncomfortable as well. “Just because we’re going home doesn’t mean we can relax,” James said. “This is the last team in the world you want to relax against. They’ve proven they can win on someone else’s floor, no matter if it’s through adversity as people may call it like when they were going through the Rockets series or whatever the case may be.” It’s often been said, even by James himself, that a series doesn’t really start until one team wins on the other’s home floor. All Golden State has done so far has hold serve. That’s true. But by the close of business Wednesday night, we’ll know if this is a series or not.

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IN this January 3, 1991, file photo, Michael Jordan (23) of the Chicago Bulls drives the lane for a finger-roll layup over Houston Rockets’ Otis Thorpe, left, and Vernon Maxwell, right, in the first half in Houston. (AP) TNT analyst and former player Charles Barkley wants nothing to do with dynasty talk regarding the Warriors. “We don’t have any dynasties. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a dynasty,” Barkley said. “The Bulls won six, the Spurs won five. We’ve had a lot of really good teams. I think the only dynasty is the Spurs. They’ve been great for 20 years. The Warriors are not going to win. Winning two in four years is not a dynasty.” Golden State would love nothing more than to continue building momentum as the franchise approaches the opening of its new San Francisco arena, Chase Center, in summer 2019 if all remains on schedule. That leaves one last season at Oracle Arena. B.J. Armstrong earned titles alongside Jordan with the Bulls from 1991-93. If the Warriors win another, they will join dynasty status in Armstrong’s mind. “They’re right there,” Armstrong said. “For them to have a sustained level of excellence like they’ve had, I don’t take that for granted and I think anyone who’s played or observed this game knows how difficult that is for one, let alone to be able to get here four times and have an opportunity to win three speaks for itself. ... “If they win this one, they’re right up there with all of the teams for a dynastytype calibre situation up here in Golden State.” Curry was around for all the losing: 26 wins his rookie season of 2009-10, 23 two years later then gradually building to more victories each season thereafter. He is proud to be part of a transformation — one the two-time MVP hopes they contend for titles for years to come.

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THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 5, 2018, PAGE 7

KLAY THOMPSON PLAYS THROUGH PAIN IN GAME 2 VICTORY FOR WARRIORS By JOSH DUBOW AP Sports Writer OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Draymond Green saw Klay Thompson limping on his tender left ankle a day before Game 2 of the NBA Finals and quickly texted Nick Young to tell him the Golden State Warriors would need big minutes from the backup. But Golden State’s most durable player and understated star once again managed to play through the pain and scored 20 points to help the Warriors beat Cleveland 122-103 to take a 2-0 series lead Sunday night. “He came out there and gutted through it,” Green said. “Even if you saw him take the first lay-up he took in warmups and ran back to the locker room. It’s like he’s not going to have it. Sure enough he did. I mean, that’s just a microcosm of who he is, one of the toughest guys if not the toughest guy I’ve ever played with. He’ll never get credit for it because he’s not going to

physically beat you up. But one of the toughest, if not the toughest guy for sure.” Green might be the loudest of Golden State’s four superstars and Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are the most accomplished. Thompson often flies a bit under the radar, just delivering lockdown defence and long-range shooting that help the Warriors thrive. He’s so consistent and always available, having played in a franchise record 100 playoff games without missing a single one, that he sometimes gets overlooked. But after Cleveland’s J.R. Smith awkwardly fell into his left leg in the first half of Game 1, sending Thompson to the locker room following the scary fall, there has been plenty of focus on if he’d be able to play. He made it back for the rest of Game 1 and scored 24 points in a 124-114 overtime win Thursday before the injury got worse the next day. But he still managed to play in Game 2 and shot 8 for 13, making three 3-pointers to become the

GOLDEN State Warriors guard Klay Thompson warms up before Game 2 of basketball’s NBA Finals between the Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, June 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) “But at this point in the season, any means necessary. And the ankle feels great. “I won’t do much tomorrow and I’ll do a little bit Tuesday. But I’m just going

sixth player with 300 in a career in the playoffs. “Being on the training table for, it felt like, three straight days. That’s something I’m not used to,” Thompson said.

to conserve all I’ve got for Wednesday because I don’t want to play with it. It’s something that you use a lot. I didn’t realise how much you use your ankle until you hurt it ...”

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

TONIGHT

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Partly sunny

A few clouds, a shower around late

A mix of sunshine and clouds

Some sun, a shower or t‑storm

Mostly sunny with a passing shower

More clouds than sun

High: 86°

Low: 78°

High: 85° Low: 78°

High: 86° Low: 77°

High: 85° Low: 77°

AccuWeather RealFeel

98° F

85° F

97°-87° F

98°-86° F

97°-84° F

95°-83° F

ORLANDO

High: 93° F/34° C Low: 73° F/23° C

TAMPA

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 77° F/25° C

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

almanac

ABACO

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

7‑14 knots

WEST PALM BEACH High: 90° F/32° C Low: 74° F/23° C

7‑14 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE E

FREEPORT

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 77° F/25° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 78° F/26° C

MIAMI

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 76° F/24° C

6‑12 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 86° F/30° C Low .................................................... 78° F/26° C Normal high ....................................... 86° F/30° C Normal low ........................................ 73° F/23° C Last year’s high ................................. 90° F/32° C Last year’s low ................................... 78° F/26° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ............................................... 18.87” Normal year to date ..................................... 9.33”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 78° F/26° C

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

KEY WEST

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 76° F/24° C

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

tiDes For nassau High Today

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

12:56 a.m. 1:30 p.m.

2.5 2.1

7:30 a.m. 7:30 p.m.

0.4 0.7

Wednesday 1:44 a.m. 2:23 p.m.

2.5 2.2

8:16 a.m. 8:27 p.m.

0.4 0.7

Thursday

2:35 a.m. 3:17 p.m.

2.4 2.3

9:04 a.m. 9:26 p.m.

0.4 0.7

Friday

3:28 a.m. 4:11 p.m.

2.4 2.5

9:53 a.m. 0.2 10:25 p.m. 0.5

Saturday

4:22 a.m. 5:03 p.m.

2.4 2.8

10:42 a.m. 0.0 11:23 p.m. 0.3

Sunday

5:16 a.m. 5:54 p.m.

2.5 3.0

11:31 a.m. ‑0.1 ‑‑‑‑‑ ‑‑‑‑‑

Monday

6:08 a.m. 6:44 p.m.

2.5 3.2

12:17 a.m. 0.1 12:20 p.m. ‑0.4

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

4‑8 knots

4‑8 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

uV inDex toDay

6:20 a.m. 7:57 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

12:42 a.m. 12:11 p.m.

Last

New

First

Full

Jun. 6

Jun. 13

Jun. 20

Jun. 28

CAT ISLAND

That drew a quick quip from Curry, who has been plagued by ankle injuries throughout his career. “You should have asked me,” said his “Splash Brother” Curry.

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 78° F/26° C

W S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 78° F/26° C

6‑12 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 83° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 87° F/31° C Low: 79° F/26° C

3‑6 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday:

WINDS SW at 7‑14 Knots WSW at 6‑12 Knots W at 4‑8 Knots WSW at 4‑8 Knots WSW at 6‑12 Knots SSW at 4‑8 Knots ESE at 3‑6 Knots E at 4‑8 Knots SW at 6‑12 Knots SW at 6‑12 Knots WSW at 7‑14 Knots W at 6‑12 Knots SW at 4‑8 Knots W at 4‑8 Knots NE at 3‑6 Knots NE at 4‑8 Knots SSW at 3‑6 Knots ESE at 3‑6 Knots SSE at 4‑8 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots WSW at 4‑8 Knots SW at 6‑12 Knots SE at 3‑6 Knots E at 4‑8 Knots SW at 6‑12 Knots SW at 4‑8 Knots

WAVES 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 0‑1 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 0‑1 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 0‑1 Feet 0‑1 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet

VISIBILITY 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 79° F 79° F 82° F 81° F 80° F 80° F 82° F 81° F 79° F 79° F 81° F 81° F 81° F 81° F 83° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 80° F 81° F 79° F 79° F 81° F 81° F 81° F 80° F

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PAGE 8, Tuesday, June 5, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

SERENA WILLIAMS OUT OF FRENCH OPEN BEFORE SHARAPOVA MATCH By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer PARIS (AP) — Serena Williams tried to play through the pain of an injured chest muscle. Eventually, barely able to serve, she knew she had to call off her Grand Slam comeback. Williams pulled out of the French Open less than an hour before she was supposed to face Maria Sharapova in a fourthround showdown yesterday, the most-anticipated match of the tournament so far. The announcement came two days after the 36-year-old American initially felt something was wrong during a singles victory.

But she hid that bit of information — even from her coach — and a day after Williams struggled through a doubles loss with her sister, Venus. This was Williams’ first major tournament in 16 months, and her first as a mother. She was pregnant when she won the Australian Open in January 2017 for her 23rd Grand Slam singles championship, the most for anyone during tennis’ 50-year professional era. Her baby was born last September. “I have given up so much to be here. There is times where I’m on the court and I’m practicing, and I look on the monitor, and I see my daughter and she’s playing, and I

want to be there,” Williams said. “But I know that these are the sacrifices you have to make to live out your dream. “And I have made every sacrifice that I could. So it’s extremely disappointing.” Her voice trembled a bit during a brief news conference, where she explained she will get an MRI today and consult with doctors before figuring out what comes next. Her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, said in an interview that an ultrasound revealed the injury to the muscle, but the extent wasn’t clear. “The fact that I physically can’t serve at all is a good indication that maybe I should just go back

to the drawing board and stay positive,” Williams said, “and try to get better and not get it to a point where it could be a lot worse.” In a statement released by the tournament, Sharapova wished Williams “a speedy recovery.” This would have been their 22nd career meeting; Williams has won 19, including the past 18. Because of the withdrawal, this does not count as a victory for Sharapova, who will play 2016 French Open champion Garbine Muguruza on Wednesday. Oddly enough, Muguruza didn’t have to put forth much effort in the fourth round, either. Her opponent, Lesia Tsurenko,

stopped because of an injury after only two games. No. 1 Simona Halep, a twotime runner-up at Roland Garros, will play former No. 1 Angelique Kerber, a two-time major champion elsewhere, in Wednesday’s other quarter-final after both picked up easy straight-set wins in the fourth round. The quarter-finals today are Sloane Stephens vs. Daria Kasatkina, and Madison Keys vs. Yulia Putintseva. Kasatkina eliminated Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki 7-6 (5), 6-3 in a match that resumed yesterday after being suspended a night earlier because of darkness at 3-all in the second set.

Nadal: More than just making up the numbers By JOHN LEICESTER AP Sports Writer PARIS (AP) — Another French Open victory, and more career milestones for Rafael Nadal. With a 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (4) win yesterday against upand-coming German player Maximilian Marterer, Nadal moved into the quarter-finals and above Jimmy Connors on the all-time list of match-winners at majors. Connors won 233. Nadal has 234. Just Novak Djokovic, with 244 Grand Slam wins, and Roger Federer, with 332, are ahead of him. But in his chase for a record-extending 11th title at Roland Garros, the only numbers Nadal seems to be keeping close track of are those up on the scoreboard. It had, for example, seemingly escaped him that in beating Marterer, a 22-yearold with a promising game, Nadal also notched up his 900th career win on tour. Although such numbers might not be foremost in Nadal’s mind, they are gauges to the impressive longevity and winning consistency of the Spaniard

who turned 32 on Sunday. “I don’t feel myself old. But I am 32, and I am here around since 2003, so it’s a long way, a lot of years. I started very young,” he said. “Being honest, I am enjoying the day by day on the tour and I hope to keep doing this for a while.” Nadal’s next opponent, Diego Schwartzman of Argentina, will be playing his first Roland Garros quarter-final. It will be Nadal’s 12th. The only other player with that many in the professional era is Djokovic, who plays his 12th quarter-final against Marco Cecchinato of Italy. Juan Martin del Potro and Marin Cilic, both former US Open champions, completed the quarter-final lineup with wins. Cilic, runner-up at the Australian Open in January, was up two sets and seemingly cruising against Fabio Fognini before the hard-to-dislodge Italian took the next two sets, saving a match point along the way. The third-seeded Cilic ultimately prevailed 6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 6-7 (4), 6-3.

SPAIN’s Rafael Nadal yesterday celebrates winning his fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament against Germany’s Maximilian Marterer in three sets, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), at the Roland Garros stadium. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) “Just a crazy match,” said the Croatian, a quarterfinalist last year, too. “It was just hanging by a thread. A couple of points decided it.” Del Potro, Cilic’s next opponent, had a more

straightforward 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win against big-serving John Isner, who served 12 aces but fell short of becoming the first American man to reach the quarter-finals since Andre Agassi in 2003,

despite hopeful chants of “U-S-A!, U-S-A!” from the crowd. “I was outplayed by a large margin,” Isner said. “I would have liked to maybe put up a better fight.”

Marterer fought, for all the good it did him against Nadal. A left-hander like the Spaniard but ranked 69 spots below the No. 1, the German’s first French Open, and only his third major, has shown he has the tennis to play many more. On Court Philippe Chatrier where Nadal has triumphed so often, he broke the defending champion in the first game, with Nadal looking more like the nervy debutant, serving a double fault at 15-40. But Rafa’s Law — the unwritten logic that he is practically unbeatable on the red clay in Paris — quickly prevailed. Like so many other players down the years since Nadal’s first title in 2005, Marterer soon found himself back in the press centre, explaining to reporters what it’s like to be on the receiving end. “You know, if he hits a forehand like, yeah, really heavy, it’s of course something different compared to any other opponent you have during the year,” he said. “The better guy won in the end.”