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Stich, Sukova join Tennis Hall of Fame

July 22, 2018
International Tennis Hall of Fame inductees Helena Sukova and Michael Stich stand together following an induction ceremony in Newport, Rhode Island, Saturday. — AFP
International Tennis Hall of Fame inductees Helena Sukova and Michael Stich stand together following an induction ceremony in Newport, Rhode Island, Saturday. — AFP

NEWPORT — Former Wimbledon champion Michael Stich said it was the “special moments” more than match results that he remembered Saturday as he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Stich and 14-time Grand Slam doubles champion Helena Sukova of Czech Republic were inducted in ceremonies in Newport, Rhode Island, during the ATP grass court tournament.

Stich won his only Grand Slam singles crown at Wimbledon in 1991, downing countryman Boris Becker in straight sets in the final. He was a runner-up at the 1994 US Open, falling to Andre Agassi, and in the 1996 French Open, losing to Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov.

Former world No. 2 Stich partnered with Becker to win the 1992 Barcelona Olympic men’s doubles crown and joined American John McEnroe to claim the 1992 Wimbledon men’s doubles title.

Now tournament director of the ATP German Open in Hamburg, Stich won 18 career singles titles in 31 finals before retiring in 1997.

“But it’s just those special moments, occasions that I remember more than match results or scores I have achieved,” an emotional Stich said. “It’s not so much about the special result or a special score that I’ve achieved — it’s about the overall view on this sport.”

Sukova, a women’s world doubles No. 1 for 68 weeks, captured nine Grand Slam women’s doubles crowns and five mixed doubles titles. Her doubles trophy haul included four women’s and three mixed at Wimbledon, one each at the French Open, two women’s and a mixed at the US Open and two women’s at the Australian Open.

In singles, Sukova reached as high as fourth in the world and reached the finals twice each at the US and Australian Opens. She captured 10 singles titles as well as 69 career doubles crowns before retiring in 1998.

Cornet wins in Gstaad

Alize Cornet won her first title in two and a half years Sunday as she defeated Mandy Minella 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) in the final of the WTA Gstaad event.

The French top seed, who said she took encouragement from her country’s World Cup triumph a week ago, needed two hours to get past a determined opponent who is only just returning to the Tour after giving birth.

Cornet owns six titles after winning her previous one in January, 2016 at Hobart.

Minella from Luxembourg was playing her first WTA final at age 32.

Ramanathan in final

Ramkumar Ramanathan will try to add to India’s record of success in the ATP tournament at Newport when he takes on third-seeded Steve Johnson in the final Sunday.

Ramanathan, ranked 161st in the world, defeated American Tim Smyczek 6-4, 7-5 in a battle of first-time semifinalists on the grass court of Newport, Rhode Island.

America’s Johnson, seeking a fourth career title and a second of 2018 after his clay court win in Houston, defeated Spain’s Marcel Granollers 6-3, 6-3.

The 48th-ranked Johnson didn’t face a break point in his 69-minute victory over Granollers, a former top-20 player who was playing in his first ATP semifinal since 2015 and in his first tour-level main draw since Barcelona in April.

Johnson broke Granollers in the final game, sealing the win on his second match point when the Spaniard fired a forehand long. — AFP


July 22, 2018
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