01302017 sports by tribune242

SPORTS SECTION E

FEDERER WINS

Australian Open, Pg 8

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2017

Georgette Rolle has her best showing ever BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

he didn’t make the final cut, but Georgette Rolle was quite thrilled that she turned in her best performance ever in the four appearances that she made in the 2017 Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Golf Classic. Rolle, awarded the Bahamian exemption to participate in the first LPGA tournament for the year, missed the cut after she completed the first two days of competition at the Ocean Golf Club on Paradise Island with rounds of 76-74 for a total of 150. “I felt like I played like I belonged out there,” Rolle told the Tribune. “I was comfortable. I guess that’s the perk of being in it for the fourth time. I was definitely comfortable out there and I played

with a lot more intensity than I did before. “Since I was only six shots off, I think this year I will play in one or two events. My Fourteen Clubs still takes up a lot of my time, trying to get them to where I need them to be, but I’m going to see how those events go because I’m hitting the ball very well. I feel like I can play out there.” Rolle, with the assistance of her caddie Marcus Pratt, said she was fortunate to take a break from her Fourteen Clubs Golf Academy that she operates in the Bahamas Golf Federation’s Driving Range at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex to travel to the United States to get some practice in before the

tournament. The month away in the professional environment paid off big dividends for Rolle as she produced her best showing ever. “I found a course nearby and I was at the course every day, just chipping and living in that professional golf atmosphere,” she pointed out. “I got up, grabbed some breakfast and headed to the golf course. In the evening, I didn’t have any errands to run so I just went to bed and got a good night’s sleep.” Her mental focus, one of the greatest attributes needed to play the game, was extremely high and Rolle said that helped with her renewed approach to the tournament. “I wasn’t worried about playing poorly and what people would say about it,” she said. “I just went out there and played GEORGETTE ROLLE

SEE PAGE 2

Lincicome wins LPGA Tour opener in playoff PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) — Brittany Lincicome won the LPGA Tour’s Pure Silk Bahamas Classic yesterday in wind and some late rain, beating US Solheim Cup teammate Lexi Thompson with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff. Playing a group ahead of Thompson, Lincicome birdied the par-5 18th — after dropping strokes on 14 and 17 — for a 5-under 68 and 26-under 266 total — one off the tour record for relation to par to by Annika Sorenstam on a par-72 course in the 2001 Standard Register Ping. With Lincicome looking on from a tent, Thompson played the 18th as strong sideways rain blew through the Ocean Club, holing a 3-footer for her third straight par and a 70. “I was thinking that I was very lucky,” Lincicome said. “Obviously, the last three or four holes for all of us was really unfortunate. It was gusting. The par 3 that we played, I was just trying to hit it on the front of the green and I took three extra clubs. It was blowing almost 35 miles an hour into, and when it started pouring I was already done, so I was feeling blessed that I was already done and didn’t have to compete with the elements. So, for Lexi to make par on 18 with those conditions is pretty awesome.” The first US winner since Brittany Lang in the US Women’s Open, the 31-year-old Lincicome won her seventh tour title and first since the 2015 ANA Inspiration. She’s projected to jump from 48th to 34th in the world ranking. “It was pretty incredible. Just the leaderboard all week has been amazing,” Lincicome said. “Obviously, a lot of Americans up at the top. Obviously, friends of mine, so

‘RENO’ FAILS TO MAKE THE WEIGHT, BIG FIGHT SCRATCHED By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net IT was disappointment once again for Bahamian pro boxer Tureano Johnson - this time he was prevented from stepping into the ring just hours before his much anticipated return. Johnson failed to make the weight for his scheduled 10-round middleweight bout against Antonio Gutierrez of Mexico and the fight was scratched from the undercard of Francisco Vargas-Miguel Berchelt. Johnson-Gutierrez was expected to top the undercard (January 28) at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California. Not only did it put a damper on the card, but on a return to the ring for the Bahamas’ top fighter after a 15-month absence due to injury. He has yet to fight under Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions stable since making the switch in

SEE PAGE 6

BIANCA STUART INDUCTED IN HALL OF FAME BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

tives to take from the week. Brittany played amazing, amongst a lot of other players out there, and it just got tough out there today, especially with three or four holes to go. That’s the hard stretch.” Stacy Lewis, undone by a triplebogey 7 on No. 14, was third at 25 under after a 71. Lewis was second in 2014 and tied for second last year. The Texan is winless since June 2014.

NATIONAL long jump record holder Bianca ‘BB” Stuart was one of six persons inducted in the Saluki Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Southern Illinois University’s Arena in Carbondale, Illinois on Friday night. The 28-year-old twotime Olympian joined Gwen Berry, a thrower who competed with her; Hubie Dunn (Gymnastics), Jason Frasor (Baseball), Alexis Moreland (Football) and Ray Tabacchi (Baseball) as they each took their place among the all-time great athletes at SIU. During her tenure from 2006-09, Stuart was a seven-time MVC long jump champion (four indoor, three outdoor) and is the only four-time conference champion in the long jump in league history. Stuart was a two-time All-American, placing sev-

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SEE PAGE 6

BRITTANY LINCICOME shows off her trophy yesterday after winning the LPGA Tour’s Pure Silk Bahamas Classic. Photo: Gabe Roux to come down to the final stretch, I played with Lexi yesterday, and it was an awesome day. We had so much fun, and to obviously have the playoff today is a bummer, but it’s just incredible.” In the playoff on 18, Lincicome hit her hybrid second shot from 227 yards to 20 feet and tapped in for birdie. “I just put the hybrid in actually a couple of weeks ago, and it’s been one of my new favourite clubs. So I hit it perfect, right where we were aiming and ended

up with the same putt that I had the first go-round, which is pretty crazy, and knew the line better and just, obviously, super, super nervous. My hands were shaking pretty bad, I was just happy to kind of lob it up there and get the easy birdie.” Thompson went through the green in two and, after Lincicome holed out, missed a 15-foot birdie try. “I played well all week. My putter definitely saved me,” Thompson said. “I made a lot of birdies out there, just a lot of posi-

Charlton wins 60m hurdles final, UB in the Fred Wilt Open By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net THE Purdue Boilermakers, led by Devynne Charlton, had a rare treat on Saturday as they welcomed the University of the Bahamas to West Lafayette, Indiana, for their first indoor track and field meet at Lambert Fieldhouse. Competing at the Fred Wilt Open, Charlton won the final of the women’s 60 metres in a time of 7.34 seconds, 0.04 of a second off her PR. Right behind the junior was her Boilermaker senior Carmiesha Cox, who ran a time of 7.35 seconds to finish second, a PR by 0.06 of a second and the second week in a row with a lifetime best.

Cox’s time ranks third in school history, second in the Big Ten this season and 18th in the country. Ronnecia Ferguson, one of the eight athletes representing the University of the Bahamas, finished sixth in 7.83. Cox qualified with the fastest time of the Bahamian trio in 7.54 with Charlton running 7.82 and Ferguson doing 7.97. Charlton wasn’t done yet as she picked up a second place in the 200m with a time of 24.28 seconds, which converts to 23.91 seconds. Her converted time is fourth in the conference this year. “I was relatively pleased with my performance over the weekend,” Charlton told The Tribune. “I took a break from hurdling this time just to have a break in monotony and I got to run the 200 for

UB members (l-r) Gabrielle Shannon, Beyounce Scott, Ronnecia Ferguson and Antonishka Deveaux.

the first time this season.” Her goal in the race was to run a little faster and eventually get a conversion of 23.8, but Charlton said she was satisfied with her effort as she prepares for the Big Ten Conference Championships when she competes in the 60m, 60m hurdles and the 200m. She also noted that she was delighted to see the team from the University of the Bahamas compete. “Quite a number of them either made it back to the finals or just missed the cut and their 4 x 4 relay team placed within the top three.” Behind Northern Illinois (3:50.68), Purdue, with Cox on the third leg, ran 3:51.23 for second. The University of the Bahamas

SEE PAGE 6

PAGE 2, Monday, January 30, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

BRITTANY LINCICOME shows off her trophy yesterday after winning the LPGA Tour’s Pure Silk Bahamas Classic at the Ocean Club Golf Course on Paradise Island. Photo: Gabe Roux

LINCICOME WINS FROM PAGE 1

“Generally, I played pretty well. Obviously, I had one bad hole,” Lewis said. “Kind of a series of bad breaks and just proud of the way I came back there and fin-

ished really good, and really had a chance there coming up 18, which is really all you can ask for.” On 14, her drive hit a tree and went into knee-high plants on the other side of the cart path. Her next shot ricocheted off the far curb of the path and went back across the path into grass as high as the plants. “The iron shot I just pulled a lit-

tle bit and it caught a palm tree,” Lewis said. “I didn’t have much of a shot the next shot, and was just hoping to catch the cart path before it caught the edge and it would skip over it, and just came out of there better than I thought. Didn’t have a shot once it was in the weeds and had to take an unplayable.” Gerina Piller (71) completed

the Solheim Cup quartette atop the leaderboard at 24 under. Nelly Korda birdied the two late par 5s in a 67 to tie for fifth at 21 under in her first start as an LPGA Tour member. The 18-year-old Korda is the sister of Jessica Korda — the 2014 winner who shot a 65 on Sunday to tie for 16th — and daughter of former tennis player Petr Korda.

Pornanong Phatlum matched Nelly Korda at 21 under, also finishing with a 67. Lincicome earned $210,000. “I’m going to the casino tonight. Hopefully, try not to lose all of our money that we won today,” the Pure Silk endorser said. “I haven’t been to the casino since Wednesday night, so I’m itching to go play.

Bahamian pro golfer Georgette Rolle has her best showing ever FROM PAGE 1 my game to the best of my ability.” Critiquing her game, Rolle said if she can improve on using her long irons a little more, considering the fact that she doesn’t hit the ball as far as she used to, and a little more on her short game, in

which she saw a drastic improvement, she is confident that she can only get better. Although she was done, Rolle said she stayed around so she could get as many pointers and the experience and exposure from her more seasoned counterparts in the sport as she could while they are in the tournament. In 2008, Rolle said she met Brit-

tany Lincicome when they participated in a number of Sun Coast Tournaments in Florida and she was thrilled to see the progress that she’s made as one of the top golfers in the world today. She noted that the world number one ranked player Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand has spent some time interacting. “She’s not playing this week,

but she’s in her daily routine practicing and working on her mental aspect of the game,” Rolle said. “Some of the players have television crews following them around as they participate.” Rolle said what has been so encouraging for her is people have come up to her inquiring on which of the tours she’s participated in because of the way she played.

“But I can only tell them that I am teaching full time,” she said. “They have seen the potential in me and that has given me a lot of incentive to move on.” If afforded the opportunity to compete again next year, Rolle said she’s confident that she can only get better as she takes advantage of the experienced gained this year.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, January 30, 2017, PAGE 3

‘King James has allowed his power to go to his head’ LET me just say from the onset of this article that I fully understand that the most basic dream we all share is to have the opportunity to live a style of life that allows us to live, work and play in such way that we can hardly differentiate between the respective outputs. It should also be noted that I for one respect the work-play-life balance that LeBron James, the world’s premier basketball player, has been able to amass off of pure skill and talent. Better yet, his achievement in this regard, in my opinion, should be translated into some form of a college course and disseminated across the globe with the caption: “blueprint to a quality life”. Now that we have that accounted for and out of the way, it has to be said, LeBron has allowed his power to go to his head and in the process systematically railroaded teammates and built what I consider an “out” that could absolve him if this season falls apart down the stretch. Come on ‘King James’:

How can one speak so critical of a roster that he, in fact, built. What kind of ego is that? Since his return to Cleveland two seasons ago LeBron has secured a level of power never before waved by any one individual player in any of the major sports. Not Michael Jordan, not Tim Duncan, not Larry Bird, not Magic Johnson - not even the hated Kobe Bryant could call the shots the way LeBron presently can. If one was to draw some comparison to what LeBron can currently do, the only name comes close is Bill Russell. But we have to note that Russell had that level of power due to the fact that he acted as the Celtics best player and head coach for an extended period of time. Ask any basketball fan right now who the Cavaliers general manager is and I guarantee that they would draw a blank. Why? Because most people view the Cavs as a team guided by the decisions or lack thereof by Mr James. In his first week back

FOURTH QUARTER PRESS

BY RICARDO WELLSedia.net rwells@tribunem

“LEBRON BUILT THE TEAM, HE ORCHESTRATED NEARLY EVERY MOVE SINCE COMING BACK TO TOWN THREE SUMMERS AGO. AT SOME POINT HE HAS TO SUCK IT UP AND GO AT IT WITH THE TEAM HE HAS, THE GUYS HE WANTED.” with the Cavs in 2015, LeBron talked up rookie forward Andrew Wiggins in the press and then days later, in a cool demeanor, gave the indication that he would be more comfortable

with a veteran player if one became available - Kevin Love. See this is where the critics come at me in their defence of LeBron’s actions, claiming that all players, to some degree suggest or posture for moves they want. This is where they say Kobe got rid of Shaq; Jordan put down Rip Hamilton while in Washington. But what they often overlook is the manner in which LeBron has and continues to postures. He doesn’t recommend. He doesn’t speak in a hopeful tone. When LeBron speaks, he speaks with the authority that the franchise is behind him thoroughly. Don’t believe me? Why is Tristan Thompson sitting on a hefty contract? LeB-

ron. Why is both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love sitting with mac contracts? LeBron. Look at the list of role players on the Cavs roster, all are LeBron stamped guys. You remember my general manager question, his name is David Griffin. With urgency pressed upon the team by James, Griffin through statistical and accounting acquired gymnastics acquired Timofey Mozgov, J.R. Smith, and Iman Shumpert in 2015, Channing Frye in 2016; all to the detriment of the Cavaliers’ long-term financial flexibility. Moreover the Cavaliers, since LeBron’s return, have spent more than any other team. Yes, on paper the Cavs have built the most expensive roster and continues to do all it can to surround King James with the talent he wants. “Organisationally, there is absolutely no lack of clarity on what our goal set is. We are here to win championships. ... Anyone insinuating that this organisation is about anything other than that would deeply up-

set me because ownership has invested in this at an absolutely historic level,” that is how Griffin himself termed it this week. So with all the cards on the table, I ask you, why is LeBron all of sudden overtly critical of his team and there ability to compete for a ring this year? Is it fear? Oh, the Golden State Warriors are for real and the King knows his “top-heavy” roster just isn’t good enough. Too bad! LeBron built the team, he orchestrated nearly every move since coming back to town three summers ago. At some point he has to suck it up and go at it with the team he has, the guys he wanted. Here is Tristan Thompson’s take on it: “This is the team we have right now. That’s how you got to approach the game. You can’t go out there hoping somebody is coming to walk through the door. Play with whoever the hell we got right now, and let’s win some [expletive] games.” It is time for the King to get battle ready and lead his Cavaliers into battle.

Roosevelt ‘Mr Starter’ Thompson dies in hospital By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net ROOSEVELT Thompson, better known as “Mr Starter,” passed away on Sunday morning in the Intensive Care Unit of the Princess Margaret Hospital. In recent times, he underwent two bypass surgeries on his heart. Thompson, 56, was also Minister of the Gospel and a former member of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force. He became a member of the Bahamas Association of Certified Officials (BACO) assuming the role of the starter of many of the local and international track and field events in the Bahamas. But more importantly, Thompson was selected to serve as team manager for a number of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations, particularly those representing the Bahamas at the IAAF World Indoor Championships. He was a certified level one IAAF coach. All through the day, condolences were extended to his family that includes his wife Helen Brice-Thompson and his two sons. Philip Gray, public relations officer of the BAAA, put it in perspective this way: “The entire track and field community, but in particular BACO, is saddened today on our loss of ‘Mr Starter,’ Roosevelt. May his soul and the soul of all the

faithful rest in peace.” Vanessa WilliamsThompson, secretary general of BACO, said Thompson may be gone but he won’t be forgotten. “This is a very sad day in the life of the Bahamas Athletic Association family,” she said. “Roosie, as he was affectionately called, played an integral part in the Bahamas Athletic Association here in the Bahamas. “Roosie became an official from our very first Carifta games. He loved track and field. He was not only an official here but he also took his skills abroad internationally. Roosie was also a USA track official. He would travel to the USA to participate in there meets.” His latest trip was to the USA Cross Country National Championships in November where he served as a starter. He was highly recognised by the USATF for his function as a starter. In 2015 in Portland, Oregon at the IAAF World Indoor Championships, he didn’t travel as the Bahamas team manager, but Thompson was there as an official greeter. During his tenure in BACO, Thompson served as a vice president and Chaplin. Nobody had a closer relationship with Thompson than Ralf McKinney, who worked together at the RBDF and travelled together to numerous international meets, especially the

ROOSEVELT THOMPSON shares a special moment with Chris Brown and Demetrius Pinder. Carifta Games throughout the region where they helped to officiate. “I met here in August, 1980 when I went to the Defence Force. He joined the Defence Force three months ahead of me,” McKinney said. “I always tell people that an interesting thing when I got there. “The upper building was burnt and Roosie was always a religious man. At that time, he was a Seventhday, so when the fire alarm went off, he told the fellows Saturday was his Sabbath

and he wasn’t working. So I said when I get to the Defence Force I have to find out who this fellow is. His head can’t be good.” From the time they met, McKinney said they were inseparable. He recalled how he was able to get Thompson to travel with him from work to the night club and various parties. But McKinney said Thompson didn’t allow none of that to deter him from serving God. McKinney noted that Thompson was so eager to

serve God that he joined Rev Dr Simeon Hall when he first opened his church and has been a devote member of New Covenant Baptist Church ever since, serving up to the time of his death as a minister of the gospel. “He was officiating from the first Carifta with the late Uncle Lou Adderley along with Val, myself and others,” McKinney recalled. “He eventually became the chief starter because he always felt that he wanted to stand out from

everybody else.” When he wasn’t the manager of the national team, Thompson would have travelled as a starter as he made his contribution to the event. “He took officiating to another level in terms of being a starter,” McKinney said. “One year when we took the charter to go to Barbados for Carifta, he went, carried his starter pistol wearing his Defence Force uniform. “The Customs officer asked him if he was a member of the BDF. He said yeah he was on the BDF, but the custom officer realised that his accent wasn’t Barbadian. So she realised that he was a member of the Bahamas Defence Force and not Barbados Defence Force.” After his pistol was held, McKinney said Thompson made one call to the commander of the Barbadian Defence Force and they immediately gave him back the pistol and he went on to start the races at Carifta. McKinney said he spent the past 37 years together as co-workers at the Defence Force, friends and BACO members and he wouldn’t trade in their relationship for nothing in the world. Thompson was missed on Saturday morning as he wasn’t a part of the BACO delegation that officiated as usual at the Baptist Sports Council’s Annual Family Fun Run/Walk Race. May his soul rest in peace.

OFFICIAL MATCH BALL FOR THE FIFA BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP REVEALED By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net LESS than 90 days remain until the official kickoff to the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup and excitement throughout the country continues to build as another important milestone in the process was celebrated. The Official Match Ball for the event was revealed to the public last Friday at Arawak Cay. Several cabinet minsters, including Prime Minister Perry Christie, members of the men’s national team, executives of the Bahamas Football Association, delegates from CONCACAF and local stakeholders were on hand at the presentation. The Adidas Praia ball was presented in unique fashion, as a traditional Bahamian scull boat brought the ball to shore carried by national team striker Lesly St Fleur. “We know that this Official Match Ball reveal will heighten anticipation as the clock counts down to April 27. It is a beautiful

ball and fans can expect to see it flying through the air with some spectacular tricks. “This launch today also gives the millions of fans around the world a little taste of the beauty and culture of The Bahamas that they can expect if they join us for this exciting event,” said Anton Sealey, president of the Bahamas Football Association. The FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Bahamas 2017 takes place April 27 to May 7. In preparation for the prestigious event, the BFA will host the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championships, February 20-27. From the tournament, two additional CONCACAF teams will join the Bahamas as the three CONCACAF representatives at the World Cup. The Bahamas recently hosted both the national teams of Switzerland and the Turks and Caicos to training sessions at the beach soccer practice facility at Arawak Cay. They completed a European tour against several elite nations last summer and recently returned from a series of friendly matches

against Argentina and Mexico. (See page 4). “They are going to make this nation proud,” Sealey said. “They have been working extremely hard under the watchul eyes of our coaches and executives of the BFA and will be ready to represent us well at these tournaments.” Prime Minister Christie said his government threw full support behind the event once presented with the plan from FIFA and the BFA. “When I met with FIFA, they gave me a view of what they wanted to do in the Bahamas. It was a very exciting set of propositions they put to us. They indicated that if we could make land available, they would make facilities available and accessible to the people of our islands,” he said. “Some 70 per cent of the Bahamas’ economy is driven by tourism either directly or indirectly. I talked to PJ Patterson, the former Prime Minister of Jamaica and he indicated to me that Usain Bolt and a few singers bring more money into Jamaica than the entire banana industry. So you can see they also export athletes. He

embraced the idea of sports as an industry and it has paid tremendous dividends.” The country’s advancements in beach soccer have been in line with the “Sports In Paradise” initiative spearheaded by the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture. Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe said: “The view was that we could become the sports capital of the Caribbean, that we could have sporting events where the region would come here, that people would come from all over the world to celebrate not only being in the Bahamas, but to celebrate participating in a sporting activity or coming to be a fan of a particular event. “I want to congratulate this LOC for buying into the dream, for buying into the concept that we could be the sports capital of the Caribbean. I want to thank FIFA for beliving in the Bahamas, seeing the vision and beliving that we have the capacity for such an event.” Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson said:

“FIFA is the largest sporting organisation in the world and they have granted the Bahamas one of their signature events. We went out to FIFA and told them this is what we would like to do and they agreed. They have invested everything they could in partnering with us. What the world will see that week will be so incredible, we will all be so proud to be Bahamian.” The construction of the $2.5 million facility, built on the site of the original complex at Malcolm Park West, is near completion and will be capable of hosting over 3,000 patrons, equipped with a number of modern amenities. According to an official press release issued by the Local Organising Committee: “The Adidas Praia stands out with a vibrant blue colour, like that of the turquoise oceans of The Bahamas. The specifically engineered lowweight, low- pressure, blue beach soccer ball contrasts in colour from the beautiful white Bahamian sand enhancing the display of the acrobatic skills typical to beach soccer.”

PAGE 4, Monday, January 30, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Bahamas falls to Mexico 3-2 in friendly

BALL IN PLAY: The Bahamas men’s national beach soccer team lost to Mexico 3-2 and host country Argentina 6-1 in an series of friendly exhibition games in preparation for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup and CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championships.

TEAM Bahamas had a pair of difficult outings in international friendlies at the Copa Deportes Nacion last weekend. In an effort to elevate their training ahead of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup and CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championships, the Bahamas men’s national beach soccer team faced off against a pair of elite sides. The Bahamas lost both matches to Mexico and host country Argentina at the series of exhibitions in Mar del Plata in Argentina as they continue their preparation. In game one, the Bahamas lost 3-2 to Mexico, followed by a 6-1 loss to Argentina. Mexico is ranked No.15 in the latest edition of the Beach Soccer Worldwide rankings and is the top ranked team in CONCACAF, while Argentina is ranked No.17 and third in CONMEBOL. In the finale, Argentina defeated Mexico 4-3.

The players selected to represent the team in Argentina included Ivan Rolle (goalkeeper), Valin Bodie (goalkeeper), Nesley Jean, Kyle Williams, Tim Munnings, Gary Joseph, Lesley St Fleur, Gavin Christie, Dwayne Forbes and Alex Thompson. They will be coached by Alexandre Soares, assisted by Stephen Bellot. Last summer, The Bahamas also travelled to Europe for a six-week training camp and a series of tournaments. They recorded several marquee wins during that stretch, highlighted by a 5-4 win over the No.15 ranked United States. It was the Bahamas’ first beach soccer win over the U.S in the country’s history. While in Europe, Team Bahamas also secured victories against Estonia and No.5 ranked beach soccer powerhouse Tahiti. They also tested their mettle against Lazio Beach Soccer, third place finishers at the US Beach Soccer Championships.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, January 30, 2017, PAGE 5

Butler, Lopez lead Bulls to 121-108 win over 76ers By PATRICK ROSE Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Jimmy Butler scored 28 points and Robin Lopez added a season-high 21 points and had 10 rebounds as the Chicago Bulls defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 121-108 on Sunday night. After a week of tension, the Bulls bounced back from consecutive home defeats to Atlanta and Miami despite blowing a 20-point lead. Ersan Ilyasova scored a seasonhigh 31 points for Philadelphia,

and Robert Covington added 21 points and a season-high 12 rebounds. The 76ers have lost 12 straight to the Bulls. The 76ers played without Joel Embiid, who stayed in Philadelphia as he rested with a left knee contusion. Embiid is day-to-day. Butler and Dwyane Wade returned to the starting lineup after being benched as starters in Friday’s blowout loss to the Heat. Wade and Butler were critical of teammates after they blew a late double-digit lead in a loss to the Hawks on Wednesday. Rajon Rondo responded to his teammates’

criticism on an Instagram post on Thursday, taking multiple shots at the team leadership. Wade, Butler, and Rondo all were fined by the Bulls. After a team meeting, Butler and the Bulls had one of their worst performances of the season against Miami. Butler struggled off the bench, scoring just three points on 1-of-13 shooting. Against the 76ers, Butler was more aggressive, getting to the free throw line and setting up his teammates. He had seven assists and eight rebounds. The Bulls closed out the first quarter with a 13-0 run. Rondo

made a pass that traveled threequarters of the court to Nikola Mirotic to put the Bulls up 37-23 at the end of the quarter. They extended their lead to 20 early in the second quarter. The 76ers got the lead down to six at one point in the second quarter, and came back from the 20-point deficit in the third. T.J. McConnell had back-to-baskets to tie it at 79. Butler answered for the Bulls, making a jumper and then, on the defensive side, stole a pass and finished with a dunk to give the Bulls a 92-83 lead late in the third quarter.

Wizards get 4th straight victory, 107-94 over Buddy and Pelicans By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer NEW ORLEANS (AP) — John Wall had 18 points and 19 assists, Bradley Beal scored 27 points, and the Washington Wizards extended their winning streak to four with a 107-94 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night. Marcin Gortat had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Markieff Morris added 21 points for the Wizards. They briefly squandered a 17-point halftime lead, but regained control for good with a pivotal 8-0 run in the middle of the third quarter that was highlighted by 3s by Beal and Morris. Anthony Davis had 36 points, 17 rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots, but as with a handful of Pelicans losses this season, he didn’t have enough help. Jrue Holiday had 26 points and 11 assists, and Donatas Motiejunas added 10 points. ‘New Orleans made the game competitive by outscoring Washington 33-17 in the third quarter, thanks in large part to improved 3-point shooting. After going 3 of 16 from deep in the first half, the Pelicans hit six of seven 3s in the third. Holiday hit all three 3s he took and Davis added another that pulled New Orleans to 70-68. Davis, who scored 16 points in the third on 7-of-10 shooting, briefly gave New Orleans a 73-72 lead with his pull-up jumper. Wall responded with an 18-foot jumper, and Washington began to rebuild its lead early in the fourth quarter, never trailing in the final period. New Orleans briefly got as close as 83-80 when Davis scored while fouled and added a technical free throw for a four-point possession after Wizards coach Scott Brooks was whistled for arguing. But Washington scored the next eight points and New Orleans never got closer than nine again. Washington scored the first nine points of the game and led by 11 when Otto Porter Jr.’s second 3 of the first period made it 24-13.

CURRY’S 24 POINTS HELP MAVERICKS HOLD OFF SPURS, 105101 By RAUL DOMINGUE Associated Press SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Seth Curry scored 24 points and the Dallas Mavericks snapped a 12-game losing streak in San Antonio, beating the Spurs 105101 on Sunday night. Kawhi Leonard had 24 points for San Antonio, which lost consecutive games for just the second time this season. Dallas escaped a turnover with 25 seconds left when officials ruled Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle called a timeout before Danny Green tipped the ball away from Curry. The Mavericks finished with seven turnovers, the lowest by a Spurs opponent this season. San Antonio held Dallas to five points in the final 3:47, but was unable to complete the rally after entering the fourth with an 81-77 lead. Yogi Ferrell, who started a day after signing a 10-day contract with the Mavericks, made two free throws to give Dallas a 105-101 lead with 7.3 seconds remaining. Harrison Barnes added 19 points and Wes Matthews had 17 for Dallas. San Antonio turned in another lackluster fourth quarter after falling 119-103 in New Orleans on Friday. LaMarcus Aldridge and Tony Parker had 16 points apiece for the Spurs. TIP-INS Mavericks: Dallas is averaging 12.1 turnovers per game, second-fewest in the league. . Dallas has the second-worst road record in the West at 7-19, trailing only the Lakers’ 5-21 mark. . The Mavericks’ last win in San Antonio was a 103-94 victory on Nov. 26, 2010.

PELICANS guard Buddy Hield (24), of the Bahamas, makes a layup against Washington Wizards forward Markieff Morris in the first half of last night’s game in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Max Becherer) The Pelicans appeared to be settling into a rhythm when they briefly got as close as 32-28 in the second quarter, but the Wizards then went on a 19-3 run capped by Morris’ right corner 3 that gave Washington its largest lead — 18— at 49-31. New Orleans briefly got back within 13 points on Holiday’s floater, but the Wizards scored twice to close out the half, capped by Wall’s horn-beating 18-foot step-back jumper, after which he skipped out toward mid-court, emphatically

WESTERN CONFERENCE

pumping his right fist. TIP-INS Wizards: Beal has led the Wizards in scoring 17 times and scored 20 or more 26 times. ... Gortat has 26 double-doubles this season. ... Wall, who entered the game ranked second in the NBA in steals with 2.2 per game, had x against the Pelicans. ... Wall has six games with at least 15 points and 15 assists. ... Washington arrived in New Orleans 0-5 on the road against the Western Conference.

NBA CAPSULES HAWKS 142, KNICKS 139 ATLANTA (AP) — Paul Millsap had a season-high 37 points, including the goahead layup with 27 seconds remaining in the fourth overtime, and the Atlanta Hawks overcame Carmelo Anthony’s season-high 45 points to outlast the shorthanded New York Knicks 142-139 on Sunday. The Knicks’ first four-overtime game in 66 years lasted almost four hours. Millsap logged 60 minutes. Five players, including Anthony and Atlanta’s Dwight Howard, fouled out. Anthony scored the tying baskets at the end of regulation and the first overtime, before fouling out with 12.9 seconds remaining in the second overtime. Courtney Lee sank a 26-foot tying 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds remaining in the second OT and sank the tying free throws late in the third extra period. It was the Knicks’ first four-overtime game since Jan. 23, 1951, when they lost at Rochester. Atlanta’s last four-overtime game was a win over Utah on March 25, 2012. The Knicks held out guard Derrick Rose, who sprained his left ankle Friday night in a victory over Charlotte. Millsap also had 19 rebounds and seven assists. CAVALIERS 107, THUNDER 91 CLEVELAND (AP) — Kyrie Irving scored 29 points, LeBron James had 25 and 14 rebounds and Cleveland played one of its better all-around games in weeks, beating Russell Westbrook and Oklahoma City. The Cavs have won two straight after the NBA champions lost six of eight amid in-

Pelicans: Wrapped up a sixgame home stand at 3-3 and now play their next three on the road. ... New Orleans wore its “Mardi Gras Pride” uniforms, which are purple with gold and green trim, for the first time this season. They’ll wear them at home three more times before Mardi Gras Day on Tuesday, Feb. 28. UP NEXT Wizards: Host New York on Tuesday night.

ternal turmoil sparked by James criticizing the team’s roster following a recent loss. Westbrook finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his 24th tripledouble, but only made 7 of 26 shots for the Thunder, who had won three straight. Cleveland All-Star forward Kevin Love didn’t play in the second half because of back spasms, and will undergo medical tests and not accompany the team on its trip to Dallas. Love has been dealing with back issues since he came to Cleveland and he missed a game this month with spasms. PACERS 120, ROCKETS 101 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Paul George had 33 points and nine rebounds while hounding James Harden on defense most of the night, leading Indiana past Houston for its third straight victory Clearly, Harden was not himself on the last leg of a five-game trip. He was 3 of 17 from the field, 2 of 10 on 3-pointers, had eight turnovers and 15 points. He also had five rebounds and eight assists. Ryan Anderson led the Rockets with 27 points. MAGIC 114, RAPTORS 113 TORONTO (AP) — Nikola Vucevic had 25 points and 10 rebounds, D.J. Augustin added 21 points off the bench to help Orlando beat Toronto. Vucevic, who also had five assists, keyed a late-second quarter surge that saw the Magic close the first half on a 21-2 run to take the lead for good in snapping a threegame losing streak. Kyle Lowry led the Raptors with 33 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Fellow All-Star DeMar DeRozan, Toronto’s leading scorer, returned to the lineup after missing three games with a sprained right ankle and had 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Toronto is 1-6 in its last seven.

Spurs: Manu Ginobili has 1,398 3-pointers, passing former teammate Brent Barry for 28th in league history. . Forward Davis Bertans is just the fourth Spurs rookie with at least 35 3-pointers and 15 blocks in a season, joining Leonard, Ginobili and Lloyd Daniels. . Bertans made his second career start. The Spurs lost for the first time in 11 games when a rookie starts. UP NEXT Mavericks: Host Cleveland tonight. Spurs: Host Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

PAGE 6, Monday, January 30, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

‘RENO’ FAILS TO MAKE THE WEIGHT, BIG FIGHT SCRATCHED FROM PAGE 1

DEVYNNE CHARLTON (far left) wins the women’s 60m ahead of Carmiesha Cox (centre) with UB’s Ronnecia Ferguson trailing on the outside.

Charlton wins 60m hurdles final, UB athletes in Fred Wilt Open FROM PAGE 1 ran 4:07.57 for third with the combo of Gabrielle Shannon, Antonishka Deveaux, Beyonce Scott and Ronnecia Ferguson. “The meet was great, I am pleased with my lifetime best,” Cox said. “However, there is always room for improvement. It was also great to see the University of the Bahamas there represented. It was a good step for them moving forward and having more experiences in the collegiate arena.” Shannon was 12th in the 200m in 26.21, while Scott participated in the 60m hurdles, coming in 11th

in 9.70m and she was entered in the high jump as well, but didn’t get in a height. On the men’s side, Keanu Pennerman had the third fastest qualifying time of 6.87, but he didn’t get to finish his race in the final. There was no indication of whether or not he was injured. Aaron Cox of the University of the Bahamas was 10th in the preliminaries in 7.21. In the 200, Leonard Romer ran 24.75 for 14th place, but it wasn’t enough to get him into the final. But in the 400m, Tyler Gardiner of the University of the Bahamas came in 16th in 56.34. The University of the Bahamas had two competitors in the 60m

hurdles and they both advanced to the final. Ken Mullings had the best showing, running 8.22 for the second fastest qualifier before he lowered it to 8.14 for second in the final behind Purdue’s Justin Veteto, who won in 8.07. Munnings’ team-mate Avery Thompson qualified fourth in 8.27 and ended up third in the final in 8.22. On the field, Munnings showed some of his versatility as a decathlete by clearing 2.06m or 6-feet, 9-inches for second place, the same height done by Purdue’s champion Eric Blackman on fewer knockdowns. Stony Duncanson, another University of the Bahamas com-

petitor, was fourth with 1.96m (6-5). And in the men’s long jump, Aaron Cox got sixth with 6.50m (21-4). UB head coach Rupert Gardiner said he was surprised by the team’s performance because the athletes have never competed in an indoor meet before. He said he and assistant coach Ednal Rolle will sit down with UB’s Athletic Director Kim Rolle and decide on which course of action they will take as they look at the remainder of the track season for the athletes. He said they have a very young team, comprising mainly of freshmen, so the future looks bright for UB.

Stuart inducted in Hall of Fame FROM PAGE 1 enth at the 2008 outdoors and fourth at the 2009 indoors. She still holds the school and MVC record in both the indoor and outdoor long jump, and was a key figure in two MVC team titles for the women in 2009 (indoor and outdoor). Stuart lives and trains in Auburn, Alabama, and represented The Bahamas at the Olympic Games in 2012 (placed 17th) and 2016 (placed 16th). She claimed a silver medal in the long jump at the 2015 Pan American Games and won two Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Championships. “I’m overwhelmed with emotions,” Stuart said. “This is a very exciting experience. I never thought I would be inducted into the Hall of Fame. It was unexpected. It’s a great honour and a privilege. (Coming to SIU) helped to build my skills and help prepare me for the higher elite competition.” She was accompanied by her parents, Althea and Sherwin Stuart, her brother Nyles Stuart, a former long and triple jumper who also graduated from SIU; grandmother Ivy Gibson from Clearwater, Florida and other relatives and friends. “I was elated to be inducted into SIU’s 2017 Hall of Fame Class,” she said. “It was a great honour to receive such a prestigious award.” Her father, Sherwin Stuart, said it was a great honour for his daughter. “I am happy that the university saw fit to honour her in such a distinguished way. I was not expecting it although she deserves it,” he stated. “When I think of an award of this nature, it’s something that persons receive after maybe a couple of decades and not this early. It’s just seven years since she graduated. So it’s special indeed while she is still in athletics.” Stuart said the honour is one that she feels she deserves. “This honour means a lot to me because I worked so hard as a student-athlete to represent SIU with confidence and pride,” she said. “I just wanted to leave a positive mark behind with hopes to inspire both current and future Saluki studentathletes to reach their goals both on and off the track.” Now, living and training in Auburn, Alabama, Stuart said it was good to go back to Carbondale one more time. “I remember having to balance school with track & field practice, travelling, competing etc,” she stated. “It was tough but I made certain to prioritise my time efficiently since both commitments were very important to me. I worked extremely hard so that I could excel both in the class and on the track.

BIANCA STUART, the national record holder in the long jump, at her induction ceremony. “I also remember the camaraderie and unity our Saluki team developed, which I believe led to a lot of our competitive success. I enjoyed every moment with my teammates and coaches.” During the weekend, Stuart got to visit the new athletic facilities built since her departure, spoke to the men and women’s track teams and was publicly recognised in the basketball arena during a game at halftime. “I’m truly appreciative of SIU athletics, for holding a wonderful induction ceremony for my fellow

inductees and I,” she stated. “I was extremely grateful to have been able to share this special moment with some of my close family and friends.” The focus now is on Stuart’s upcoming season. “My main focus for this 2017 outdoor season is to prepare myself physically and mentally for the long jump,” she said. “My coach Henry Rolle and I are working on some specifics so that I can consistently execute my jumps in order to jump far during the season and at the IAAF World Championships this

summer.” Stuart, who has represented the Bahamas at the Olympics in 2012 in London, England and again in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is looking forward to making her fourth trip to the IAAF World Championships in London in August. She participated in Daegu, South Korea in 2011, Moscow, Russia in 2013 and Beijing, China in 2015. She set the national record of 6.83 metres or 22-feet, 5-inches on June 25, 2015 at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Championships.

September 2015, a move that was expected to send him on the fast track to an eventual title shot and prominence in the middleweight division. Johnson, 31, injured his shoulder in a unanimous decision win over Irishman Eamonn O’Kane on October 17, 2015. With the win, he became the mandatory number one contender for the International Boxing Federation’s (IBF) middleweight title. He further damaged his shoulder just ahead of his scheduled fight with IBF middleweight and unified champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin. That fight was set to take place on April 23, 2016 but Johnson was forced to pass on it to undergo surgery. He remains steadfast in his aim to challenge Golovkin in 2017 and fulfil his duty as the mandatory challenger. Johnson (19-1, 13 KOs) came in at 164 pounds, four pounds over the maximum middleweight range of 154-160 pounds. Gutierrez (21-2-1, 9KOs) and his camp then decided to call off the fight. In the remainder of the fights that took place on the card, Berchelt pulled off the upset and defeated Vargas by TKO at the 2:19 mark of round 12 to become the new WBC world lightweight champion. In the co-feature, former WBC world super featherweight champion Takashi Miura defeated Miguel Roman by knockout at the 53-second mark in round 12. Welterweight contender Sadam “World Kid” Ali defeated Jorge “Pantera” Silva by TKO in the round three. Local Indio, California product Luis Coria defeated Gerardo Molina, Lamont Roach Jr defeated Alejandro Valdez, and highly decorated amateur all-star Vergil Ortiz, Jr. defeated Israel Villela - all via first round knockout; while Cesar Diaz scored a second round knockout over Joel Cano. Vicente “Suavecito” Portillo remained undefeated with a majority decision win over Mike Melikyan. Johnson has won his last five fights, with two coming by way of technical knockout. His only loss was to American Curtis Stevens in 2014. Johnson has high hopes for capturing a title to add to his WBC Silver Middleweight belt and become the country’s first world champion since Elisha Obed. His addition to Golden Boy Promotions was intended to create new opportunities but they have yet to come to fruition thus far. ESPN and Golden Boy Promotions last week announced a multi-year, international agreement for a series of fights to be televised live on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. The first fight, from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California, is March 23. In the first year of the deal, ESPN will televise 18 fight cards throughout the US, in both English and Spanish, and on its wholly-owned and affiliated networks in Latin America, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia and parts of Asia.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, January 30, 2017, PAGE 7

FA Cup to have two non-league teams in the last 16 By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The FA Cup threw up its latest heartwarming story line yesterday when Sutton United beat second-tier Leeds 1-0 to ensure there would be two non-league teams in the fifth round for the first time since the 19th century. Adding a touch more magic on a historic day for the 146-year-old competition was the background of the scorer of the only goal at atmospheric Gander Green Lane. Jamie Collins works as a builder in his full-time job and here he was getting mobbed by dozens of young Sutton fans in a joyful post-match pitch invasion, having converted a 53rdminute penalty that saw off one of the grandest names in English soccer. Sutton, a tiny club from the southwest of London, advanced to the last 16 for the first time. The latest upset came a day after Lincoln, another

team from outside England’s four professional leagues, beat second-tier Brighton 3-1 to reach the fifth round for the first time since 1887. It’s the first time since the foundation of the Football League in 1888 that two non-league teams have reached this stage of the FA Cup, according to sports data company Opta. “We’d like one of the Premier League big boys now — Man United, Arsenal, someone like that, away,” Collins said. And he could yet get his wish in today’s draw. On a day of cup shocks that saw top-tier clubs Hull and Watford knocked out by lower-league opposition, United powered into the fifth round with a 4-0 win over second-tier Wigan at Old Trafford. Bastian Schweinsteiger was one of United’s scorers on a rare run-out for the former Germany captain.

right way to deny Hernandez off the second penalty attempt, too. MILLWALL 1, WATFORD 0 Steve Morison scored a close-range volley in the 85th minute for third-tier Millwall, eliminating a Premier League team for the second straight round after earlier beating Bournemouth. Watford, a semifinalist last season, made seven changes in light of a league game at Arsenal on Tuesday.

nandez had two penalties saved in the space of a minute in the closing stages, a final embarrassment for the Premier League team at Craven Cottage, four days after its elimination from the League Cup at the semi-final stage.

Hull was already heading out of the competition when Hernandez’s first spot kick in the 87th minute was saved by Marcus Bettinelli, who then tripped Hernandez as the Uruguay international pounced on the rebound. Bettinelli went the

THE WEATHER REPORT TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 62° F/17° C Low: 40° F/4° C

TAMPA

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Partly sunny and breezy

Mainly clear

Mostly sunny and nice

Partly sunny and nice

Partly sunny with a shower in spots

Partly sunny and beautiful

High: 75°

Low: 60°

High: 75° Low: 62°

High: 77° Low: 64°

High: 79° Low: 65°

High: 79° Low: 64°

AccuWeather RealFeel

73° F

62° F

79°-63° F

81°-66° F

80°-64° F

82°-64° F

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: 70° F/21° C Low: 63° F/17° C

8-16 knots

High: 68° F/20° C Low: 45° F/7° C

10-20 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 70° F/21° C Low: 49° F/9° C

W S

WEST PALM BEACH

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 64° F/18° C Low: 48° F/9° C

High: 71° F/22° C Low: 55° F/13° C

MIAMI

High: 73° F/23° C Low: 50° F/10° C

8-16 knots

KEY WEST

High: 73° F/23° C Low: 60° F/16° C

High: 75° F/24° C Low: 60° F/16° C

High: 74° F/23° C Low: 66° F/19° C

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

tiDes For nassau High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

9:14 a.m. 9:37 p.m.

3.0 2.6

3:00 a.m. -0.4 3:38 p.m. -0.5

Tuesday

9:56 a.m. 10:24 p.m.

2.9 2.6

3:45 a.m. -0.4 4:19 p.m. -0.5

Wednesday 10:41 a.m. 11:14 p.m.

2.8 2.7

4:34 a.m. -0.3 5:04 p.m. -0.5

Thursday

11:30 a.m. -----

2.6 -----

5:27 a.m. -0.2 5:52 p.m. -0.5

Friday

12:09 a.m. 12:25 p.m.

2.7 2.5

6:27 a.m. 0.0 6:46 p.m. -0.4

Saturday

1:10 a.m. 1:26 p.m.

2.7 2.3

7:32 a.m. 0.1 7:46 p.m. -0.4

Sunday

2:14 a.m. 2:32 p.m.

2.8 2.3

8:41 a.m. 0.1 8:49 p.m. -0.4

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:53 a.m. 5:53 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

8:40 a.m. 8:37 p.m.

First

Full

Last

New

Feb. 3

Feb. 10

Feb. 18

Feb. 26

CAT ISLAND

High: 76° F/24° C Low: 67° F/19° C

8-16 knots

8-16 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Statistics are for Nassau through 1 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 81° F/27° C Low .................................................... 72° F/22° C Normal high ....................................... 77° F/25° C Normal low ........................................ 65° F/18° C Last year’s high ................................. 85° F/29° C Last year’s low ................................... 67° F/20° C Precipitation As of 1 p.m. yesterday .................................. trace Year to date ................................................. 0.57” Normal year to date ..................................... 1.23”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

SUTTON 1, LEEDS 0 Twenty-eight years after Sutton dumped top-tier Coventry out of the competition, the team achieved another memorable FA Cup feat by beating an opponent 83 places higher in English soccer’s ladder. Leeds, which is challenging for promotion to the Premier League as it looks to regain its old status, chose to make 10 changes to its lineup and manager Garry Monk’s decision backfired spectacularly. “I take responsibility for that, maybe it was one or two too many changes,” Monk said. “There was no cohesiveness to our play so we got what we probably deserved.” A miserable afternoon for Leeds ended with Liam Cooper getting sent off in the 82nd.

MAN UNITED 4, WIGAN 0 United ensured there would be eight Premier League teams in the draw for the last 16, although one of them — Leicester — faces a replay against Derby. The titleholders used the aerial route to gain a 2-0 lead, with Marouane Fellaini and Chris Smalling scoring headers, before Henrikh Mkhitaryan finished off a flowing counterattack for the third.

MANCHESTER United’s Bastin Schweinsteiger, left, celebrates with Manchester United’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan, right, after scoring during the English FA Cup Fourth Round match against Wigan Athletic at Old Trafford yesterday. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

FULHAM 4, HULL 1 Hull striker Abel Her-

5-Day Forecast

Schweinsteiger marked his first start for United in 385 days by hooking home an acrobatic finish for a late fourth goal.

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 77° F/25° C Low: 69° F/21° C

High: 75° F/24° C Low: 65° F/18° C

W S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 78° F/26° C Low: 70° F/21° C

8-16 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 81° F/27° C Low: 72° F/22° C

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

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 80° F/27° C Low: 71° F/22° C

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 71° F/22° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 82° F/28° C Low: 72° F/22° C

10-20 knots

6-12 knots

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

Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday:

WINDS NW at 10-20 Knots NE at 3-6 Knots NW at 8-16 Knots ENE at 6-12 Knots NW at 8-16 Knots ENE at 7-14 Knots WNW at 7-14 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots NW at 8-16 Knots ENE at 6-12 Knots WNW at 10-20 Knots ENE at 4-8 Knots NW at 8-16 Knots NE at 7-14 Knots NW at 6-12 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots N at 10-20 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots W at 6-12 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots NW at 8-16 Knots ENE at 3-6 Knots N at 10-20 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots NW at 8-16 Knots ENE at 6-12 Knots

WAVES 4-8 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 4-7 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 3-6 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 5-9 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-2 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-3 Feet

VISIBILITY 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 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 73° F 73° F 78° F 78° F 76° F 76° F 79° F 79° F 74° F 74° F 76° F 76° F 76° F 76° F 79° F 79° F 79° F 79° F 78° F 78° F 78° F 78° F 78° F 78° F 76° F 76° F

PAGE 8, Monday, January 30, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Federer defeats Nadal in epic final, wins 18th major

By JOHN PYE AP Sports Writer MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — So here was Roger Federer, down a break in the fifth set in a Grand Slam final. Across the net was his nemesis, Rafael Nadal, the left-handed Spaniard he hadn’t been able to beat in a major final in almost a decade. The 35-year-old father of four was back in his first tour-level tournament after six months off letting his injured left knee recover, and he hadn’t won any of the big four events in tennis since Wimbledon 2012. Nadal was returning from injury, too, and somehow the pair had renewed the Roger-Rafa rivalry in a throwback Australian Open final that transcended sport. At that moment, an 18th Grand Slam title didn’t feature in Federer’s thinking. Don’t play the player, he reminded himself, just play the ball. Attack the serve. With that, Federer recovered the break, and seized momentum in a roll of winning 10 consecutive points that helped propel him to a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win late last night. His fifth Australian title extended his buffer to four atop the list of all-time Grand Slam champions. Nadal remained tied with Pete Sampras in second place with 14. “For me it’s all about the comeback, about an epic match with Rafa again,” Federer said, “... that I can still do it at my age after not having won a slam for almost five years. “That’s what I see. The last problem is the slam count — honestly, it doesn’t matter.” Federer had lost six of the previous eight Grand Slam finals he’d played against Nadal and was 1123 in their career meetings. His last win over Nadal in a major final was at Wimbledon in 2007. “It remains for me the ultimate

challenge to play against him,” Federer said. “It’s super sweet, because I haven’t beaten him a Grand Slam final for a long time now. “This one means a lot to me because he’s caused me problems over the years.” With big wins come big celebrations, Federer said. “We’re going to party like rock stars tonight.” By winning in Melbourne, where he first played in 2000 and where he kicked off his long reign at No. 1 with the title in 2004, he became the oldest man since Ken Rosewall in 1972 to win a slam. Federer had lost five semi-finals in Australia since winning his previous title here in 2010. He’d lost three major finals since winning that last Grand Slam in 2012. He hadn’t played Nadal in a major final since losing at the French Open in ‘11. After twice rallying from a set down, Nadal was a break up in the fifth but couldn’t hang on to become the first man in the Open era to win each of the four majors twice. Instead, Federer became the first man in the Open era to win three of Grand Slam events at least five times (7 Wimbledon titles, 5 US Opens, 5 Australian Opens and 1 French Open). “The magnitude of this match is going to feel different. I can’t compare this one with any other one except for maybe the French Open in ‘09,” Federer said. “I waited for the French Open, I tried, I fought. I tried again and failed. Eventually I made it. This feels similar, yeah.” Three months ago, Federer and Nadal were in the Spaniard’s native Mallorca for the opening of a tennis academy wondering if they’d ever be able to contend for majors again.

ROGER FEDERER holds his trophy after defeating Rafael Nadal in the singles final at the Australian Open yesterday. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Yet here they were, the first Grand Slam tournament of the season, renewing the classic rivalry that saw them dominate tennis a decade ago. The long-odds final — No. 9 against No. 17 — unfolded after six-time champion Novak Djokovic was upset by No. 117-ranked Denis Istomin in the second round and top-ranked Andy Mur-

ray, a five-time losing finalist in Australia, went out in the fourth round to 50th-ranked Mischa Zverev. Federer beat Zverev, and then US Open champion Stan Wawrinka in a five-set, all-Swiss semifinal. That was the night before Nadal held off Grigor Dimitrov in an almost five-hour, five-set semifinal late Friday.

After four sets of a final where the momentum alternately swung, the fifth had all the tension and drama that these two players are famous for. Federer had a medical time out for treatment on his upper right leg and was broken in his first service game of the deciding set. But he rallied and put Nadal under pressure. Nadal saved three break points in the eighth game but lost momentum again when Federer finished off a 26-shot rally — the longest of the match — with a forehand winner down the line. Federer got the pivotal break for 5-3, but Nadal made him work for the very last point. Serving for the match, and after saving two break points, Federer was called for a double-fault at deuce. He challenged the out call on his second serve, however, and it was overturned. Tempo back in his court. After hitting a forehand crosscourt winner on his second match point, his celebrations were delayed when Nadal challenged the call. Federer watched the replay, and leaped for joy when it showed his last shot was in — the perfect finish to his 100th match at the Australian Open. “Congratulation to Roger ... Just amazing, the way he’s playing after such a long time of him not being on the tour,” Nadal said. “For sure, you have been working a lot to make that happen.” “I fight a lot these two weeks,” he added. “Today, a great match, probably Roger deserved it a little bit more than me.” Federer’s championship victory capped a remarkable weekend for 30-somethings — all four singles finalists were 30 or older — after 35-year-old Serena Williams beat her older sister, Venus, in the women’s final to capture her Open-era record 23rd Grand Slam title.

23: Serena Williams sets major record with victory over Venus By JOHN PYE AP Sports Writer MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Serena Williams held up a Grand Slam winner’s trophy for the 23rd time, celebrating her unrivalled place in history, and received a congratulatory letter and a pair of custommade shoes from Michael Jordan, the name most synonymous with No. 23. Venus Williams got to watch from close range again, and shed tears more of joy than regret after being beaten in a major final for the seventh time by her record-breaking younger sister. Serena won the all-Williams final, the ninth in Grand Slam history and the second in Australia, 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday night. With her record seventh Australian Open title, Serena moved ahead of Steffi Graf for the most major titles in the Open era. The Williams sisters are close. They started out playing together in Compton, California, hardly a hotbed for tennis, with their father Richard and mother Oracene as coach and mentor. And they still practice and travel together around the world. They met for the first time at a major at Melbourne Park in 1998 — Venus won that one. In 2003, when the younger of the Williams siblings completed her “Serena Slam” of four consecutive titles, Venus was on the other side of the net. She didn’t reach another Australian final for 14 years. When Serena sat on the court, holding both arms up to celebrate on Saturday,

Venus walked over to her sister’s side of the net for a hug. “This was a tough one,” Serena said. “I really would like to take this moment to congratulate Venus, she’s an amazing person — she’s my inspiration. “There’s no way I would be at 23 without her — there’s no way I would be at one without her. Thank you Venus for inspiring me to be the best player I can be and inspiring me to work hard.” Asked if it felt awkward to be on the receiving end of so many losses to her sister, the 36-year-old Venus didn’t flinch. “No, because I guess I’ve been here before,” she said. “I really enjoy seeing the name Williams on the trophy. This is a beautiful thing.” Venus won the last of her seven majors in 2008 at Wimbledon. She didn’t make the second week of a major for a few years as she came to terms with an energy-sapping illness after being diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome in 2011. And she only made it back to the semi-finals last year at Wimbledon. Another shot at a first Australian Open title was a sign of progress, she said. “That’s exactly where I want to be standing during these Grand Slams, is on finals day, having an opportunity,” she said. “That’s the highlight of all this, is to be in that moment.” Serena Williams, meanwhile, enjoyed the fact she made history in Melbourne. Only Margaret Court, with 24, is in front of her in terms of overall Grand Slam sin-

SERENA WILLIAMS, left, holds her trophy after defeating her sister, Venus, right, in the singles final at the Australian Open on Saturday. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) gles titles, although the Australian great won 13 of her Grand Slams before the Open era began in 1968. “My first Grand Slam started here, and getting to

23 here, but playing Venus, it’s stuff that legends are made of,” Serena said. “I couldn’t have written a better story.” The match didn’t live up

to its classic billing, with nerves and tension causing uncharacteristic mistakes and unforced errors, with four consecutive service breaks before Venus fi-

nally held for a 3-2 lead in the first set. That included a game when Serena had game point but served backto-back double-faults and three in all to give up the break. There were six service breaks in total. Both players were relatively subdued, except when Serena smashed her racket in the third game. After the fourth game, however, Serena Williams didn’t face another break point in the 1-hour, 22-minute match. “Serena Williams, that’s my little sister,” Venus said. “I have been right there with you. Some of them I have lost right there against you. It’s been an awesome thing, your win has always been my win.” In terms of total years, it was the oldest Grand Slam women’s final in the Open era —the Williams sisters combining for 71 years, 11 months. Bob and Mike Bryan missed out on a doubles record, losing the final 7-5, 7-5 to Henri Kontinen of Finland and John Peers of Australia. The third-seeded twins were trying to win their 17th Grand Slam title, which would have tied them with John Newcombe. Speaking of records, Serena got a little bit superstitious Down Under, and hadn’t wanted to talk about the No. 23 until she got it. Now there’s a limitededition racket — 23 of them to be released — and some custom-made shoes sent by former NBA great Jordan. It had Jordan’s usual jersey number No. 23 stamped on the heel, helping to provide some synchronicity for the numbers involved.