- Title: Part four of the sports review of the year featuring tennis and golf
- Date: 29th November 2016
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (FILE - JUNE 6, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** DJOKOVIC POSING WITH FRENCH OPEN TROPHY DJOKOVIC KISSING TROPHY LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - JUNE 24, 2016) (REUTERS) MURRAY ON PRACTICE COURT
- Embargoed: 14th December 2016 07:35
- Keywords: Sports Yearender Tennis Golf 2016
- Location: VARIOUS
- Reuters ID: LVA0085AIKHMN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:TENNIS
In a remarkable turnaround Britain's Andy Murray overtook Novak Djokovic to finish 2016 as the number one men's tennis player.
Serbian Djokovic started the year in commanding fashion, beating Murray in the final of the Australian Open then repeating the feat at the French Open to complete a career slam.
This prompted speculation that he could become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to secure a calendar grand slam and become the first man in nearly half a century to hold all four majors at once.
However, the emotional toll of fulfilling that lifelong dream at Roland Garros appeared to knock him sideways and Djokovic did not properly recover, although he did reach the final of the U.S. Open where he lost to Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka, who clinched his third grand slam title.
Murray won the Wimbledon title and Olympic gold in Rio before beating Djokovic to the ATP World Tour Finals title to rubberstamp the year-end top ranking.
At the start of the year Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova, the highest-paid woman in sports, was suspended for two years by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) after she tested positive for meldonium, which is used to treat diabetes and low magnesium.
Sharapova announced at a news conference that she had failed a drug test at the Australian Open due to the substance which she has been taking for 10 years for health issues.
After an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) the ban was later reduced by nine months.
Angelique Kerber topped the women's year-end rankings, her wins at the Australian and U.S. Opens helping her become the 12th player and the second German after Steffi Graf to achieve the feat.
Spain's Garbine Muguruza beat Serena Williams to win the French Open before the American beat Kerber in the Wimbledon final to seal her seventh singles title at the All England club, equalling Steffi Graf's professional era record of 22 grand slam singles crowns in the process.
GOLF
English golfer Danny Willett took advantage of a stunning meltdown by defending champion and runaway leader Jordan Spieth to win his first major title by three shots at the Masters.
Three strokes behind the pacesetting Spieth going into the final round at Augusta National, an ice-cool Willett closed with a five-under-par 67 to end a 17-year title drought by European golfers at the year's opening major.
Willett, a four-times winner on the European Tour competing in his second Masters, birdied three of the last six holes to cap off a bogey-free display in sun-bathed but cool conditions and post a five-under total of 283.
Long-hitting American Dustin Johnson, seeking major redemption after several near-misses in recent years, won the U.S. Open amid initial uncertainty over his victory margin.
Seeking his first grand slam crown, Johnson played clutch golf under intense pressure on a brutally difficult layout at Oakmont Country Club.
Having negotiated the final seven holes under notice that he might be penalised for a rules infraction on the fifth green, despite being cleared by another official at the time, he was docked a shot after the round's completion, with his score amended to a closing 69 for a four-under winning total of 276.
He finished three shots in front of fellow Americans Jim Furyk and Scott Piercy and Irishman Shane Lowry.
Record-breaking Swede Henrik Stenson became the first Scandinavian male to capture a major when he won the British Open, beating Phil Mickelson in an extraordinary final-round duel.
The world number six shot a brilliant closing eight-under-par 63 to finish 20-under on 264, three ahead of playing partner Mickelson (65).
The 40-year-old Stenson's round equalled the lowest in any major championship and his winning total also represented a new British Open record.
American Jimmy Walker relied on clutch putting to clinch his first major title by one shot over Jason Day after a marathon day to conclude the weather-interrupted PGA Championship at soggy Baltusrol.
Walker, among 49 players who did not finish the third round on the Saturday due to heavy rain and lightning, and among 10 who had not hit a single shot, carded a three-under-par 67 in the final round to post a 14-under total.
One stroke ahead of world number one and defending champion Day when the third round was completed, the bearded Walker tightened his grip on the title with birdies at the 10th and 11th before adding another at the 17th.
He secured victory by sinking a three-footer for par at the last.
Ryan Moore ended a long wait for U.S. Ryder Cup redemption when he clinched a rousing win over Europe at Hazeltine, beating Lee Westwood to allow the Americans to reclaim the golden trophy in golf's top team competition.
With Westwood in for bogey at the 18th, Moore rolled his birdie putt to within one foot and the tap-in was conceded to seal a 1-up win and clinch a 15-10 lead for the United States, with 14 1/2 points required for their victory.
Team mates, families and friends poured out onto the green to celebrate what ended as a 17-11 thumping.
The Americans had last won the biennial match play event in 2008 as Europe ran off three Cup victories in a row, extending their domination to eight of the last 10 meetings. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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