Autor |
|
|
d that the situation was a close call. "I could not |
|
|
2070 Beiträge - Forenlegende
|
|
|
CONOVER, N.C. -- Michael Allen was more than willing to work a little overtime Sunday at Rock Barn. "I got off to a good start this year, but the rest of the year has been up and down," Allen said after beating Olin Browne in a playoff in the Greater Hickory Classic. "Its been a frustrating year overall. At the end of the year, I really wanted to have a good finish. I really want to win a few tournaments ... but today turned out to be an exciting finish." Allen won his second Champions Tour title of the year and fifth overall, birdieing the first extra hole. Allen closed with a 5-under 65, also birdieing the par-5 18th in regulation to match Browne at 13-under 197. Browne shot a 64, charging to the lead with seven birdies over a nine-hole stretch. "I got off to a little bit of a slow start," Browne said. "But I had that great run, and gave myself a chance. One more putt here or there, and I would have had no worries." In the playoff, Allen put his second shot within 10 feet, and Browne hooked his second shot badly into the rough off the green. Allens eagle putt just lipped out, and he tapped in for birdie. Browne missed a 40-foot putt for birdie and settled for par. Second-round leader Bernhard Langer had a 69 to finish third at 11 under. He cut Kenny Perrys lead in the Charles Schwab Cup standings to 394 points with two events remaining. Perry, who entered the tournament with a 609-point lead, tied for 20th at 4 under after a 69. Allen, playing in the lead group with Langer and Brad Bryant, said he didnt know Browne had taken the lead until the final three or four holes. He wound up birdieing two of the final three holes in regulation to make up a two-shot deficit and force the playoff. "All of a sudden, here comes Olin," Allen said. "I thought I was going to be battling with Bernhard ... but it wasnt until I got to 16 or 17 that I knew he was leading. So I had to be more aggressive on my putts." Allen earned $240,000. BASEL, Switzerland -- Vasek Pospisil will face off against Swiss star Roger Federer in the semifinals of the Swiss Indoors on Saturday, with the Canadian hoping to be fit after surprising himself with a 7-6 (11), 6-4 quarter-final defeat of Ivan Dodig. Pospisil, ranked 40th in the world, admitted that he was shocked to have finished the tough one-hour 45-minute match with Dodig after being unable to move his neck the morning of the match. "I woke up fine at 7:00 but then fell back asleep and slept in a bad position for 90 minute from 8:00 to 9:30," said Pospisil. "I couldnt move my neck to the left. "I honestly didnt know if Id be able to play at all," said the rising star who has reached all three of his career ATP semifinals (Bogata, Montreal and Basel) this breakthrough season. "I had a lot of treatment and painkillers. "It was still bothering me on every single shot, especially the serve and forehand. But the trainer told me I couldnt make it worse so I gave everything I had. Im still very surprised that it held up as well as it did, frankly. Its shocking." Federer beat Pospisil in their only other meeting in Montreal two years ago, but the young player from Vancouver is excited to get another chance at the Swiss icon. "It will be incredible to play him, it will be one of the highlights of my career," Pospisil said. "Playing him in his hometown willl make it even more special.dddddddddddd It will be a very special match for me." Pospisil needed nearly an hour to win the gruelling first set against Croatias Dodig. The tiebreaker created stress on both sides of the net, with Pospisil saving three set points and finally converting for the win on his own fourth set-winning opportunity. In the second set, Pospisil broke for a 3-2 set lead only to lose it a game later. But Pospisil dug in to break Dodig again for a 5-4 lead. He finished off the victory a game later on his second match point as Dodig hit the net with a return. "It was really tough to concentrate," said the injured winner. "Its very draining to play that way. But Im really thrilled to go through like this." Pospisil is hoping to improve his ranking enough this weekend and next week in Paris at the last event of the regular season to reach the top 32, which would guarantee a seeding for the Australian Open." He said the trainer told him his condition is a two or three-day affair, with the first day the worst. He is expecting no physical problems when he plays for a spot in the his first ATP final at the weekend. But he admitted that the situation was a close call. "I could not have played a 1 p.m. (match)," he said. "But two hours later I was loose enough to be able to serve almost normally, thanks to all the treatment."" Cheap China Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China ' ' '
|
Beitrag vom 24.04.2016 - 12:07 |
|