02/08/2025

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Malaysian Paper

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Takeda, Okayama, Yamashita in command at Women’s Open Tora! Tora! Tora!

R IO TAKEDA and Eri Okayama of Japan shot matching rounds of 67 to take the lead after one round of the AIG Women’s Open yesterday in Porthcawl, Wales. Takeda and Okayama are 5-under after one trip around Royal Porthcawl, and Miyu Yamashita made it an all-Japanese top three on the leaderboard as she turned in a 4-under 68. Behind them is a 10-way tie at 3-under 69 that features three more Japanese players – Chisato Iwai, Shiho Kuwaki and Mao Saigo, who won the Chevron Championship earlier this year. The only American in that tie is Alexa Pano. Takeda is vying for her first major title after finishing in a tie for second at the US Women’s Open in June. Takeda shot her 67 despite committing a double bogey at the par-5 ninth, a hole where other players were making birdie or even eagle yesterday. Takeda made seven birdies, including at four of her last seven holes. It was a similar story for Okayama, who’s JOEL DAHMEN needs a minor miracle to make the FedEx Cup playoffs and revitalise his career. He got a perfect head start toward making that happen. Dahmen tied the lowest round of his career with a 9-under 61 to set the early pace at the Wyndham Championship yesterday at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Wyndham is the regular-season finale and the last chance to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs that begin next week. A win would vault Dahmen from No. 101 in the standings all the way to 48th, according to the PGA Tour. Zverev claims milestone 500th ATP match win

and former major winners Ayaka Furue of Japan, Minjee Lee of Australia and Koreans Amy Yang and A Lim Kim. Then there was Woad, whose even-par 72 fea tured four birdies and four bogeys. She was never better than 1 under or worse than 1 over during her round. “It was a bit mixed,” Woad said of her round.

She rolled in a birdie at the par-5 18th after a quiet but steady round that included a run of nine straight pars. “Sometimes you’re like, ‘Well, scorecard doesn’t have pictures so doesn’t matter that you kind of (play a hole) from left to right’, which that did happen to me a couple times,” Korda said.

ranked No. 139 in the world and whose only previous wins have come in Japan. Okayama’s lone blemish was a bogey on her first hole, but she responded by making five birdies on the rest of the front nine before getting one final birdie to drop at No. 17. Yamashita’s round was highlighted by a four-birdie run at Nos. 4-7, followed by eagle at No. 9. Pano also eagled the ninth to wrap up a 3 under front nine. The 20-year-old had two bogeys and two birdies the rest of the way. “When it comes to links golf, you’re just trying to stay focused on the shot in front of you,” Pano said. “I think that’s the biggest thing is trying to control what you can control. For me, it’s all mental out here.” The two star players who commanded the most attention were World No. 1 Nelly Korda and British phenom Lottie Woad. Korda, still looking for her first win of any kind in 2025, is just three back of the lead fol lowing a 2-under 70. The top 70 in points after this weekend will reach the playoffs. Dahmen holds just a one-stroke advantage over Sweden’s Alex Noren, who turned in an 8 under 62. Four players were tied for third at 63: Cameron Young, Mark Hubbard, Colombia’s Nico Echavarria and defending champ Aaron Rai of England. South Korea’s Im Sungjae (64) is alone in seventh. “I don’t know if you ever see 61 coming, but I saw good golf coming,” Dahmen said. “If you take like four holes away last week (at the 3M Open), it was kind of going to be a top five. “Trending as we like to say in golf, we’re

“Had a good amount of bird ies; just few poor bogeys on the front nine that could have defi nitely been avoided.” – Field Level Media

“You know, you kind of do hit it – once you’re in one of those bun kers you’re having a 6- or 7-iron into the green and having to scramble. So that’s what this type of golf is about.” Several other notable names are tied at 70, including World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand

Rio Takeda. – AFPPIC

Dahmen fires 61 to take Wyndham lead

always trending, right, but we’re actually trending, which is nice.” A fan favourite from his appearances on the Netflix series Full Swing , Dahmen is trying to turn his career around and made the difficult decision this year to part with longtime caddie Geno Bonnalie. “I love Geno. We still text almost daily,” Dahmen said. “Look, it wasn’t an easy decision. I won’t say I’m not happy about it but like it’s hard. “He’s my best friend, he’s still my best friend. But I had to change something with me. It was more about me. “It was my mentality, it was what I was doing

and I need to take ownership of what I was doing. I was not doing a good job of that.” Noren shot his second 62 in as many weeks after carding that score in the second round of the 3M Open, where he tied for seventh. He went 5-under in a four-hole stretch yesterday, going birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie at Nos. 4-7. Part of a large tie at 5-under 65 were Jordan Spieth and Australian Adam Scott. Spieth (No. 50 entering the week) is comfortably in the playoff field, but Scott needs a very high finish to jump from 85th into the top 70. Max Homa shot a 4-under 66 as he clings to hope of vaulting from No. 106 in the standings into the top 70. – Field Level Media

Coco rallies to reach Montreal fourth round

WORLD NO. 2 Coco Gauff battled through another tough three-set ter yesterday, rallying from a set and a break down to beat Veronika Kudermetova and reach the fourth round of the WTA Canadian Open. The top-seeded American, who won her second Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, again struggled with her serve but held her nerve for a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory over for mer world No. 9 Kudermetova. “The goal of the game is to sur vive and advance,” Gauff said. “It’s not my best, but it was good enough in Montreal having lost her tournament open ers at Wimbledon and Berlin in the wake of her French Open triumph. She struggled mightily in her first match in Montreal but came up with a win over Danielle Collins despite 23 double faults. The numbers weren’t quite as ugly against Kudermetova, but 14 double faults were damaging enough. “I’m sure everybody could read my body language,” said Gauff, who for today and that’s all I can ask for.” Gauff arrived

admitted she “got a little bit upset” with herself. “But mentally I’m very proud of myself. The fact that I’m winning these matches not feeling my best is definitely something to be proud of.” In other third-round action, American McCartney Kessler shocked world No. 5 Mirra Andreeva, who got off to a strong start but couldn’t hang on in a 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 loss. Kessler will fight for her first WTA 1000 quarter-final appearance against Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, who beat Daria Kasatkina 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4). China’s Zhu Lin, whose ranking has plummeted to 493 after months sidelined by injury, advanced with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands. Zhu will face Spain’s Jessic Bouzas, who beat Japanese quali fier Aoi Ito 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. Ninth-seeded Elena Rybakina roared through the first set and held on in the second for a 6-0, 7-6 (7-5) victory over Jacqueline Cristian, lining up a meeting with Dayana Yastremska, who ousted eighth-seeded American Emma Navarro 7-5, 6-4. – AFP

Coco Gauff returning the ball to Veronika Kudermetova (not pictured). – REUTERSPIC

TOP seed Alexander Zverev switched into survival mode to claim a milestone 500th ATP match win yesterday, fighting back to beat Matteo Arnaldi 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-2 at the Toronto Masters. Germany’s Zverev broke twice in the deciding third set to reach the fourth round of the US Open tuneup, converting his second match point to back up his defeat of the Italian ealier this year in Acapulco. “It’s a great achievement,” Zverev, winner of 24 ATP titles, said of reaching 500 career match wins. “Not a lot of player reach this milestone. “But I still want 500 more – maybe even more,” he joked. “You always want to win as many matches as possible. I’m all about this.” Unable to gain the upper hand in an 82-minute first set, Zverev said his game improved as the minutes dragged on against 2024 Canadian semifinalist Arnaldi. “I started playing better from the baseline and found my rhythm a bit. “My backhand felt off but I was comfortable and happy with my level,” added Zverev who next faces Francisco Cerundolo – a 6-3, 6-4 winner over fellow Argentine Tomas Echeverry.

Alex Michelsen reached a Masters 1000 fourth round for the first time with a 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6 4 upset victory over third seeded Lorenzo Musetti. Michelson will face fellow American Learner

Tien for a place in the quarterfinals. Tien beat compatriot Reilly Opelka 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. Fifth-seeded Holger Rune

advanced with an efficient 6-2, 6-4 result over Frenchman Alexandre Muller. Eighth-seeded Casper Ruud shook off a slow start to beat Portugal’s Nuno Borges 7-5, 6-4.

“I just crawled into the first set,” said Ruud, who fired nine aces. “I was able to get back into it. One break and things can happen. I raised my return game and got more balls back into play. “In the second set I got the break and served my way through.” – AFP