Los Angeles Times - 26.08.2019

D6 MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2019 LATIMES.COM/SPORTS

NEW YORK
— Sentiment
will be with
Roger Federer
and Rafael
Nadal at this
year’s U.S.
Open, as it
usually is.
They’re adored in a city
that’s tough to impress,
Federer earning reverence
for his balletic genius in
winning five of his 20 Grand
Slam singles champi-
onships here and Nadal
winning hearts with his grit
and those fearsome topspin
forehands while claiming
three of his 18 Slams in New
York.
Compared to the two
senior members of tennis’
Big Three, Novak Djokovic
is respected more than
universally loved. The
world’s No. 1-ranked player
isn’t as smooth as Federer
or as quirky as the passion-
ate Nadal, but Djokovic is
wholeheartedly throwing
himself into the madness
that happens each year at
the Billie Jean King Na-
tional Tennis Center.
A victory here — where
Djokovic beat Juan Martin
del Potro in straight sets in
last year’s final and has
reached at least the semifin-
als every time he has played
starting in 2007 — would be
his third Slam title this
season and fifth in the last
six. Like him or love him,
that’s impressive.
“I really do enjoy that
loud atmosphere that hap-
pens in there, which is quite
the opposite of, for example,
Wimbledon, except the last
finals match,” Djokovic said
of playing in noisy Arthur
Ashe Stadium, where he will
begin pursuit of his 17th
Slam title on Monday
against Roberto Carballes
Baena of Spain. “And I think

you just adjust to it. You adapt to it. You accept it. You embrace it. I do embrace it because I think it’s good for our sport to have various different atmos- pheres on the center courts of four different Slams that are very unique and obvi- ously the biggest events in our sport.” Djokovic acknowledged he’s focusing on passing Federer’s Slams total. “I am 32 so things are a little bit different than they were 10 years ago, but I still feel young inside and outside,” Djokovic said. “And I still am very motivated to keep going and especially at this stage. I mean, it always has been the case but, especially now, more or less everything is about Grand Slams in terms of how I see tennis and how I approach them because, you know, they matter the most.” Nadal, 33, had to retire

from his U.S. Open semifi- nal against Del Potro last year because of a knee injury aggravated by playing several long matches but he said his knees feel better now. He will play his first match on Tuesday, against John Millman of Australia. Nadal is in the opposite half of the draw from Djokovic and Federer but was cautious about whether that will give him an edge. “Let’s see if I am able to do my work for my side,” said Nadal, who routed rising Russian Daniil Medvedev to win the recent Rogers Cup tournament. “I have to win my matches to have an advantage because I only can meet them in the semifinals.” No. 3 seed Federer hasn’t won the U.S. Open since 2008, the last of his five straight triumphs. He squandered two match points over Djokovic in a five-set loss at this year’s

Wimbledon final and has played only one tournament since then, losing to Andrey Rublev in the round of 16 at Cincinnati, but he has a relatively favorable draw. He will open Monday night against qualifier Sumit Nagal of India. Behind the Big Three are a jumble of maybes. Among them are Medvedev, who recently cracked the top five in the rankings for the first time; talented but undisci- plined Nick Kyrgios; No. 4 seed Dominic Thiem of Austria; Canadian teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime, and 22-year-old Alexander Zverev of Germany, whose rise has been stalled by a dispute with his agent and a coaching change. “It’s the first time in probably a few years where I’m not a favor- ite in any way at a Grand Slam, and it takes some pressure off,” Zverev said last week. Kevin Anderson

of South Africa, the 2017 runner-up, withdrew because of a right knee injury, and Milos Raonic of Cana- da, who was seeded 21st, withdrew because of a glute injury. None of the potential contenders is American. That’s nothing new: No American man has won the U.S. Open since Andy Rod- dick in 2003. The only American men to reach the last 63 Slam finals are Rod- dick (at the U.S. Open in 2006 and at Wimbledon in 2004, 2005 and 2009) and Andre Agassi (2005 U.S. Open). The highest-seeded American this year is injury- plagued John Isner at 14, followed by No. 26 Taylor Fritz of Palos Verdes. “I think that certainly would be helpful if we had an American player that was competing with the likes of

the top dogs, there’s no question about that,” said John McEnroe, who won seven Grand Slam singles titles and nine Slam doubles championships and is now an ESPN commentator. “We’re in a frustrating period that’s continuing, and hopefully that will change sooner rather than later.” Fans here and those watching on TV will benefit from changes initiated by the U.S. Tennis Assn. to clarify the application of rules. The ugliness and confusion that marred last year’s final between Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka is the reason there’s a new tournament referee, Soeren Friemel, who will provide explanations to broadcast- ers and other media. It’s also the reason rules will be displayed on video boards in each stadium before each match and an announce- ment will be made when violations are called against players. In the semifinals and finals an official will take to Twitter to explain the rules. Incidentally, the chair umpire of the Williams-Osaka match, Carolos Ramos, won’t offici- ate matches involving Ser- ena or Venus Williams this year, though Friemel said Ramos is still considered to work “all high-profile matches.” In addition, Friemel said the existing one-five-one rule — one minute for the player to come to the pre- match meeting, a five-minute warmup and one minute to start the point — will be enforced. Also, there will be only one bathroom or cloth- ing change break permitted in a women’s best-of-three match, down from two, and two breaks permitted in men’s best-of-five matches. Let the madness begin, in all its noisy glory.

U.S. Open

facts

Where: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, hard-court surfaces. When: The 14-day tournament begins today. The women’s singles final is Sept. 7; the men’s singles final is Sept. 8. 2018 women’s singles champion: Naomi Osaka of Japan. She won her first Grand Slam event trophy at age 20 by beating Serena Williams 6-2, 6-4 in the final. 2018 men’s singles champion: Novak Djokovic of Serbia. He won his 14th major title and second in a row with a 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory over 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro. — associated press

No peace, quiet for ‘motivated’ Djokovic

HELENE ELLIOTT

NOVAK DJOKOVIC, the world’s No. 1-ranked player, appreciates the craziness of the U.S. Open. “I do embrace it because I think it’s good for our sport ....” he says.

Matthew StockmanGetty Images

not a long-term basis,” Kelly said. “Never been that way, never will be that way.” Kelly was never going to replicate his Oregon results at UCLA, at least initially. The Bruins played a school- record 21 freshmen last season, including quarterback Dorian Thompson-Rob- inson, and were rocked by a rash of defections and in- juries as well as a lack of dis- cipline that led to the sus- pension of six players before the opening game. Kelly also realized that he had tremendous leeway after signing on at a program that has not been a signifi- cant player on the national level in two decades. The coach treated his first season at UCLA “like an ex- tended spring training,” ac- cording to one booster, con- tinually tinkering with his scheme and personnel. The team started 0-5 and ended up losing more games than Kelly had during his stint at Oregon, though that didn’t necessarily make it a lost season. The coach im- plemented a sports science program that players have praised for keeping them healthy and rested, and making them bigger, faster and stronger. As Kelly evalu- ated his players, they mas- tered his schemes. That fa- miliarity could allow a team that has nine returning starters on offense and 10 on defense to increase the

small fortune to the school,
“changed nothing as far as
the impression of Chip.” The
booster, who spoke on con-
dition of anonymity because
he believed publicly reveal-
ing his identity could com-
promise his standing within
the athletic department,
said a winning record would
be a plus in Kelly’s second
season, which starts Thurs-
day with the opener at Cin-
cinnati.
Far more important, the
booster said, is continuing a
trajectory that builds off the
end of last season. The Bru-
ins averaged 31 points and
475 yards of offense over
their final four games, when
Kelly’s playcalling always
seemed to be one step ahead
of his counterparts.
Those numbers sparked
reminders of Kelly’s dizzying
success at Oregon. The
Ducks routinely pummeled
opponents on the way to a
46-7 record under Kelly, win-
ning three Pac-12 Confer-
ence titles and playing for
the national championship
at the end of the 2010 season.
Anyone waiting for Kelly
to unveil a timetable for
achieving those sorts of
things at UCLA will be sorely
disappointed. He has never
laid out a plan, publicly or
privately, for reaching a ma-
jor bowl game or the College
Football Playoff by any
deadline. “We’ve always ap-
proached it on a daily basis,

tempo, becoming more ag- gressive. It’s the first time since 2015 that UCLA will go into a season without whole- sale changes on offense. “We were watching film the other day and everyone is just so much better” than last season, redshirt freshman receiver Kyle Philips said. “All the guys are playing a lot faster, every- body knows their role and what to do.” Players have also gushed about a culture change in the locker room. The team has become a player-run program, linebacker Jason Harris said, allowing coaches to focus on blitzes instead of bed checks. Kelly said the team achieved its highest grade-point average ever during the spring quar- ter, when 31 players earned at least a 3.0 GPA while com- pleting 12 units or more. Pre- dictably, there have been some bumps on the road to redemption. Linebacker Keisean Lucier-South, the team’s top returning pass rusher, must sit out at least the first three games because of academic short- comings. And UCLA an- nounced Sunday that linebacker Bo Calvert would be sidelined indefinitely because of unspecified NCAA rules. Repeated recruiting misses have triggered some anxiety among fans, though Kelly has said he doesn’t see

his future aligned with the stars allotted to the players he has signed; he expressed confidence that his recruiting classes have stocked the team with enough high- character talent to succeed. The surest way to erase any lingering doubts about Kelly after four middling NFL seasons and a clunker in his return to the college game is to pile up the victo- ries that usually come only on Saturday. There is a high level of confidence among boosters and athletic department officials that it will happen based on Kelly’s track record at Oregon and his reputation as an innova- tor. But there are limits to the patience. The same booster who said early results aren’t important also acknowledged that Kelly won’t be

able to go 3-9 indefinitely; the coach will need to have some success by the end of his third season to remain considered the home run hire who invigorated the fan base upon his arrival in No- vember 2017. Although UCLA’s schedule this season includes No. 4 Oklahoma and consecutive road games to open Pac-12 play, it eases up considerably in 2020, when the nonconference opponents are New Mexico State, Hawaii and San Diego State. Of course, the Bruins don’t want to wait another year to win. But neither success nor failure appears capable of altering the approach of their coach. “We’re not dictated by the record,” Kelly said. “We have a plan going in and we’ll always follow that plan.”

CHIP KELLYof UCLA says he doesn’t set achieve- ment timetables for a program and never will.

Luis SincoLos Angeles Times

Kelly is focused on plan

to make Bruins relevant

[UCLA,from D1]

The crowd chanting and rushing to circle the 18th green. It sounded so familiar to Rory McIlroy at East Lake, with one difference. Sunday, it was for him. One year after he was an overlooked bystander as Ti- ger Woods celebrated the missing piece of his come- back by winning the Tour Championship in Atlanta, McIlroy surged past Brooks Koepka and delivered a clutch par putt when he needed it to win the FedEx Cup and the $15-million prize, the biggest payout in golf history. With two final birdies, McIlroy closed with a four- under-par 66 to end a long day at the storm-delayed Tour Championship and finished four shots ahead of Xander Schauffele. He joined Woods as the only players to win the FedEx Cup twice since it began in 2007. He smiled at hearing the chants of “Ro-ry!” from a gallery that came under the ropes on the 18th hole to watch the finish. “I didn’t enjoy that walk last year like everyone else did,” McIlroy said. “I never took the fight to Tiger.” McIlroy was keeping score to the very end. The format was changed this year to give top players a head start based on par de- pending on their standing in the FedEx Cup. Justin Thomas was the No. 1 seed and started at 10 under before a shot was hit. McIlroy was the No. 5 seed and started at five under. He finished at 18 under in the FedEx Cup finale. His actual score was 13-under 267, best in the 30-man field. It will boost him to No. 2 in the world behind Koepka.

Other events Brandt Jobe shot a nine- under 63 to win the Boeing Classic in Snoqualmie, Wash., by three shots over Tom Pernice Jr. for his second PGA Tour Champions title. ... Top-ranked Jin Young Ko closed with an eight-under 64 to win the LPGA CP Women’s Open in Aurora, Canada, by five shots over Nicole Broch Larsen.

GOLF ROUNDUP

McIlroy

hits the

jackpot

associated press

UCLA released its depth
chart Sunday, and it wasn’t
exactly high drama.
Sophomore Dorian
Thompson-Robinson, who
has spent all of training
camp leading the first-team
offense, was listed as the
starting quarterback.
Freshman Sean Rhyan, who
has worked with the first-
team offensive line in recent
days after an injury to team-
mate Alec Anderson, was
listed as the starting left
tackle.
Thompson-Robinson
was widely expected to take
the Bruins’ first snap in their
season opener at Cincinnati

on Thursday after starting seven games last season. He beat out redshirt sophomore Austin Burton, whose improvement over the last year has made him viewed as a capable backup. “He knows what he needs to do and how we look to him to lead us on offense,” tight end Jordan Wilsonsaid of Thompson-Robinson, “and he’s really taken a step toward being that leader.” Wilson was listed as a starter over Devin Asiasi, though Wilson noted that the starting designation at tight end isn’t important because of coach Chip Kelly’s tendency to use multiple tight ends. There was a mild surprise

at wide receiver, where All- Pac-12 Conference hon- orable mention selection Theo Howardwas listed as the backup to Jaylen Erwin, a junior college transfer. Chase Cotaand Demetric Feltonwere listed as the other starting receivers. Howard’s status as a backup to open the season might merely be a function of him returning from a wrist injury that slowed him during training camp. A notable defensive de- velopment was that the Bru- ins listed Elijah Wadeas the starter at outside linebacker even though he had spent much of preseason practice at defensive end. Leni Toailoa, who had completed

walk-throughs with the first- string defense at outside linebacker during parts of practice open to the media, was listed as a backup at inside linebacker behind his older brother, Lokeni, and Krys Barnes. As expected, graduate transfer Wade Lees was listed as the starting punter.

Calvert out The Bruins’ depth at inside linebacker was further thinned when the school an- nounced that sophomore Bo Calvertwould be sidelined indefinitely because of an unspecified NCAA rule. Kelly was not available to comment and is not sched- uled to speak with reporters

until Monday. Calvert played in five games during an injury- plagued 2018 season, making nine tackles. The Bruins were already without inside linebacker Tyree Thompson, a proj- ected starter who recently had foot surgery that is expected to sideline him for an indefinite period.

Etc. Cornerback Darnay Holmes, who recently re- turned from a minor injury, was not seen on the field during the portion of practice open to the media. ... Ander- son continued to work on the sideline with a trainer during the start of practice.

UCLA FOOTBALL REPORT

Thompson-Robinson set to start at quarterback

By Ben Bolch

Los Angeles Times - 26.08.2019

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