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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 24, 2015)
SPORTS Saturday, January 24, 2015 East Oregonian Page 3B Tennis Seppi upsets Federer in third round of Aussie Open 46th-ranked player knocks out four-time champ “The way he hits it you think, ‘This can’t possibly land in.’ You kind of go and you’re there and you’re like, ‘No, I’m going to let it go,”’ the sec- ond-seeded Federer said. “As By JOHN PYE you’re telling yourself that, Associated Press you look behind you and you already know it’s done.” MELBOURNE, Australia Federer had reached — Roger Federer will look WKH VHPL¿QDOV RU EHWWHU DW back on it and wonder, just as Melbourne Park ever since he did on court, why he just ZLQQLQJ WKH ¿UVW RI KLV IRXU watched as Andreas Seppi Australian titles in 2004. He went down the line and end- hadn’t been ousted before the ed his streak of reaching the fourth round here since 2001. $XVWUDOLDQ 2SHQ VHPL¿QDOV That changed in an instant. for 11 consecutive years. “I don’t know. Ask him The 17-time Grand Slam how he felt hitting it,” Fed- champion was facing match erer said. “It’s clearly a big point against Seppi for the blow because I actually hit ¿UVWWLPHLQWKHLUKHDGWR my forehand pretty good.” head meetings, and had con- Seppi was euphoric, but trol of the rally when he hit a DFNQRZOHGJHGWKDWWKHGH¿Q- deep forehand into the corner ing shot of the match was not and followed it to the net. a calculated winner. The No. 46-ranked Seppi “Yeah, was for sure a lunged to his right and stuck strange shot,” the 30-year- out his racket, more hopeful old Italian said. “At the be- WKDQ FRQ¿GHQW DQG JXLGHG ginning I thought I couldn’t the ball down the line. Feder- even reach the ball. Then, er let it go past, and glanced when I hit it, I didn’t see it back to see it land inside the going there. I just saw when baseline, giving Seppi a 6-4, it bounced in. 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (5) win and a “Was for sure one of the spot in the fourth round. important shots of my life.” MLB AP Photo/Bernat Armangue Andreas Seppi of Italy celebrates after defeating Rog- er Federer of Switzerland in their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Mel- bourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 23, 2015. Seppi had only advanced beyond the second round once at his nine previous trips to the Australian Open. He held his nerve despite some withering winners from Federer, who registered his 1,000th career match win ear- lier this month in Brisbane. Federer, uncharacteristically, let mini-breaks slip in both tiebreakers, had nine dou- ble-faults in the match and was unusually inconsistent. “It just broke me to lose that second set. And actual- ly the fourth, I should win it, too,” Federer said. “Just a brutal couple of sets to lose there. The end wasn’t pretty.” Seppi will get another ap- pearance on Rod Laver Are- na for his fourth-round match against Australian teenager Nick Kyrgios, who shrugged off concern over a nosebleed to beat Malek Jaziri of Tuni- sia 6-3, 7-6 (6), 6-1. Kyrgios beat then No. 1-ranked Rafa- el Nadal in the fourth round at Wimbledon last year. Nadal is still a contender in Australia after rebound- LQJ IURP KLV ¿YHVHW VHF- ond-round win to beat No. 106-ranked Dudi Sella 6-1, 6-0, 7-5. The 14-time major winner is coming off a lengthy stint on the sidelines, and has been playing down his chances of going all the way again in Mel- bourne, where he won in 2009. Andy Murray hasn’t had a match on the center court at Melbourne yet this year, but it hasn’t bothered the WKUHHWLPH ¿QDOLVW +H ZRQ in straights sets again, beat- ing Joao Sousa 6-1, 6-1, 7-5 to set up a clash with No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov, who la- ERUHGWKURXJKD¿YHVHWZLQ over 2006 Australian Open ¿QDOLVW0DUFRV%DJKGDWLV Seventh-seeded Tomas Berdych needed eight match points before beating Viktor Troicki 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 and will next play Bernard Tomic, who beat fellow Australian Sam Groth 6-4, 7-6 (8), 6-3. After having to fend off match points in her previ- ous match, Maria Sharapova made sure it wasn’t even close in the third round by beating No. 31 Zarina Diyas 6-1, 6-1 in 61 minutes. She next plays Peng Shuai and has a poten- WLDOTXDUWHU¿QDODJDLQVW1R Eugenie Bouchard. The 20-year-old Canadian struggled through a scrappy opening set before recording a 7-5, 6-0 third-round win over Caroline Garcia that featured 10 breaks of serve. “I don’t think it was the prettiest tennis out there,” said Bouchard, who reached WKHVHPL¿QDOVLQKHU¿UVWWULS to Melbourne Park last year and went on to make the VHPL¿QDOV RU EHWWHU DW WZR of the other three majors in a breakthrough season. Third-seeded Simona Ha- lep, who lost the French Open ¿QDO WR 6KDUDSRYD ODVW \HDU advanced with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Bethanie Mattek-Sands. Her fourth-round match is against Yanina Wickmayer, who had an upset win over No. 14-seeded Sara Errani. College Football Mariners sticking Mannion among passers trying to be No. 3 with Montero By JOHN ZENOR Associated Press By JOSH LIEBESKIND Associated Press SEATTLE — Jesus Montero still has a chance with the Seattle Mariners. 0DULQHUV¶RI¿FLDOVVSHQWWKHLUSUHVSULQJWUDLQLQJ luncheon on Thursday lauding the transformation of the once highly touted prospect, reporting that he had lost 40 pounds this offseason. Montero was part of a trade prior to the 2012 season in which he came to the Mariners from the New York Yankees in exchange for young right-hander Michael Pineda. Montero never panned out as a catcher, though, DQGGHVSLWHDGHFHQW¿UVWVHDVRQDWWKHSODWHZLWKWKH Mariners, hitting became a serious issue. Problems EH\RQGWKH¿HOGEHFDPHDFRQFHUQDVZHOODVKHZDV suspended 50 games for being connected to the Bio- genesis scandal. He also came to spring training last year overweight. Montero played in just six major league games this past season and had an incident last August during a Single-A game when he confronted a scout LQWKHVWDQGV7KHODVWLQFLGHQWVHHPHGWREHWKH¿QDO straw. But general manager Jack Zduriencik and man- ager Lloyd McClendon were cautiously optimistic Thursday when talking about the offseason work Montero has put in. He’s now down to 235 pounds, a target weight set for the start of spring training. “He’s made some very poor decisions, but he’s a good kid,” Zduriencik said. “Sometimes bad deci- sions, sometimes the wrong focus. Obviously, got a big egg in his face. He deserves a second chance, he deserves a third chance. “One of the things that was really, really a goal of ours in September when we brought him up here IDFHWRIDFHZLWKKLPDQGKLVZLIHZDV-HVXV¿UVW and foremost, we need to save you as a human being. First and foremost, we need to make you a function- al person, in terms of some of these decisions and some of these directions that you’re misguided upon. I think we set a program in place that he embraced.” McClendon met with Montero a couple months ago and said the two had “a real good conversation” about the game of life. Since then, Montero has ac- complished all that McClendon set out for him. “Now he can start concentrating on being a better baseball player,” McClendon said. MOBILE, Ala. — The NFL draft’s quarterback pecking order beyond Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota might not have gotten much clearer at the Senior Bowl. Baylor’s Bryce Petty and Oregon State’s Sean Mannion were among those trying to make headway leading up to Saturday’s game for top senior NFL prospects. It’s unclear if they were successful. “There’s kind of that (ques- tion), Could someone dis- tinguish himself as the third guy?” said Charles Davis, an NFL Network analyst. “I don’t know if anyone really did that this week.” Winston and Mariota, the past two Heisman Trophy winners, are projected as early ¿UVWURXQGSLFNV7KHQWKHUH¶V the other guys, including those hoping to use the Senior Bowl DVD¿UVWVWHSWRZDUGFOLPELQJ the draft boards. Petty is trying to follow Baylor predecessor Robert *ULI¿Q ,,, LQWR WKH 1)/ DQG make the transition from Bay- lor’s uptempo, high-scoring offense. He has been work- ing with quarterback coach *HRUJH :KLW¿HOG -U RQ PDN- ing the adjustment since Jan. 6 as well as during spring break the last few years, going under center each time. Petty makes it clear he’s motivated by the doubters, citing a report predicting he wouldn’t be anything more than a career backup. “That’s more motivation for myself,” Petty said. “For me, I have pretty high expectations for myself, more so than what anybody else can say about Oregon State quarterback Sean Man- nion looks on during NCAA col- lege football practice for the Senior Bowl, Thurs- day, Jan. 22, 2015, at Ladd-Pee- bles Sta- dium in Mobile, Ala. AP Photo/Brynn Anderson me. I try not to pay terbacks all put up too much attention big numbers in col- to that kind of thing, lege, from Mannion but that’s reality. to former Mariota My job is to prove backup Bryan Ben- that I belong and • Saturday, 1 p.m. nett of Southeast- that I am relevant. • TV: NFL Network ern Louisiana, East Hopefully at the end Carolina’s Shane of this week, it’ll be Petty and Carden, Alabama’s Blake the other guys. That’s what I’m Sims and Colorado State’s trying to do here.” Garrett Grayson. There’s no questioning Mannion set 18 Oregon his college credentials. Pet- State passing records and his W\ ¿QLVKHG KLV FROOHJH FDUHHU 13,600 career yards puts him with a 550-yard passing per- eighth on the NCAA charts. formance in the Cotton Bowl He views the Senior Bowl as against Michigan State and set a weeklong competition with an NCAA record with inter- ¿YHPRUHVHQLRU1)/KRSHIXOV ceptions on just 1.18 percent “The goal I set for myself of his career passes. He’s also is to come in here and be the KRSLQJ *ULI¿Q¶V VWUXJJOHV LQ best guy,” Mannion said. “It’s adapting to the NFL won’t be something that every day, ev- held against him. ery meeting, every practice, North coach Ken Whisen- every rep, I want to be the best hunt of the Tennessee Titans one. In terms of where people said Petty has proven his com- are drafted, that kind of thing, mitment to mastering the pro- that’s still a ways down the style offense. That includes road. But right now I just want getting used to taking snaps to be the best guy here at the XQGHUFHQWHUDQGPDNLQJ¿YH Senior Bowl.” and seven-step drops. Sims led Alabama to a Like Petty, the other quar- Southeastern Conference title in his lone season as a starter after switching back from run- ning back, setting the Tide’s single-season passing record. He said he gave no thought to trying another position, feel- ing he “showed the world” he could play quarterback last season. Bennett was a late addition. +H ÀHZ LQ IURP 6DQ 'LHJR California, overnight Tuesday to join the South team after Auburn’s Nick Marshall opted to play cornerback instead. Bennett transferred after backing up Mariota in 2012, then ran for 31 touchdowns and passed for 5,522 yards over the past two seasons. “Obviously I wanted to win the spot” at Oregon, said Ben- nett, who ran into his former coach Chip Kelly before his ¿UVWSUDFWLFH³,¶PDFRPSHWL- tor. Nobody who’s competing wants to lose a competition. My thought was really what FDQ,GRWR¿QGP\VHOIRQWKH ¿HOGQRZ´ His thought now is trying to ¿QGKLPVHOIRQDQ1)/¿HOG NHL American-born talent at highest point in over decade for NHL All-Star game Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio — Some of the best players in the world — Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and anybody wearing a Detroit Red Wings or Colorado Avalanche jer- sey — will be absent from the NHL All-Star game on Sunday. Your EO Youth Sports The Pendleton 6th grade Big John’s Pizza AAU basketball team went undefeated to repeat as champions of the Clash of The Borders Basketball Tournament on Jan. 17-18 in Pendleton. More than 70 teams from Oregon, Washington and Idaho from grades 4-8 partici- pated in the tournament. PICTURED: Top Row (left to right) — coach Ryan Sams, Kyle Field, Dako- ta Sams, Buck Weilert, Ruger Deming, coach Preston Bronson. Bot- tom Row (l-r) — Greyson Sams, Reuben Bronson, Tyasin Burns, Tucker Zan- der, Zack Rabb. Contributed photo courtesy of April Rabb Yet the list of Ameri- can-born talent at the game is longer than it’s ever been. When the sport’s best showcase their talents, there will be nine U.S. born and bred players. It’s the largest red, white and blue contin- gent since the NHL went to this format in 2003. “That upsurge has been there,” said Nash- The native sons ville Predators include some of coach Peter Lavi- the biggest names olette, born in in the sport: Chi- Norwood, Massa- cago right wing chusetts, who will • Sunday, 2 p.m. Patrick Kane and serve as a head • TV: NBCSN Columbus left coach in the an- wing Nick Folig- nual goal-fest held for the no (both from Buffalo, New ¿UVWWLPHWKLV\HDULQ2KLR¶V York), Toronto right wing capital city. Phil Kessel and Minnesota defenseman Ryan Suter (both from Madison, Wisconsin), and others such as Winnipeg defenseman Dustin Byfug- lien, St. Louis blue liner Kev- in Shattenkirk, Ottawa left wing Bobby Ryan, Tampa Bay center Tyler Johnson and Carolina defenseman Justin Faulk. “You’re seeing a lot of great players start to come up now,” said Shattenkirk, one of the game’s best young de- fensemen. “It’s been a great few years for U.S. hockey. It’s exciting to see that many guys here. We do take a lot of pride in, I don’t want to say proving ourselves, but just making sure that American hockey is respected.” Little League registrations open Online registration is open for Pendleton and Hermiston Little League. Baseball and softball players ages 5-13 in Hermiston can get a $10 early bird discount on their registration fees if forms are received before Jan. 31. Cost is $65 for players ages 5-12 and $75 for 13-14. There are also discounts for families with three or more players. Players can register at HermistonLittleLeague.com. Pendleton’s fees are $60 per player or $140 for a family. Online registration can be completed at PendletonLittleLeague.com, or at one of three public registration sessions. On Tuesday, Feb. 10 and Thursday, Feb. 12 players can register at the Community Room at City Hall from 5:30-8 p.m. Another session will be held in the same place on Saturday, Feb. 14 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Milton-Freewater Little League also has announced its public registration dates and locations. Registration will be held at the Mac-Hi cafeteria from 6-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27 and Thursday, Feb. 5. Cost is $55 for baseball and softball, and $35 for tee-ball. — East Oregonian
