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Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
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Saturday / November 23.

By ADAM ZAGORIA

Roger Federer will return to the world No. 1 ranking on Monday by virtue of his 6-7(2), 6-2, 7-6(5) victory over Nick Kyrgios in the semifinals in Stuttgart.

Federer, who will meet Canadian Milos Raonic in Sunday’s final, leapfrogs his rival Rafael Nadal, who had been No. 1 and who just won his 11th French Open title and 17th Grand Slam crown.

“I’m happy I got it and got back to world No. 1 next Monday so it’s very exciting, and I got another final so it’s great news,” Federer, the 20-time Grand Slam champ and soon-to-be-37-year-old, said on court.

After losing the first set in a tough breaker, Federer broke Kyrgios twice in the second to even the match at one-set all.

He then gained a mini-break in the third-set tiebreak but gave it back, finally winning the match on a backhand half volley up the line.

“It was a tough match I expected against Nick,” Federer said. “We’ve played so many breakers already, I lost count. It was close. Look, it could’ve gone either way.”

Federer is 10-3 against Raonic.

Already verbally committed to the University of Kentucky and now an early graduate out of high school, highly regarded point guard Ashton Hagans has decided to reclassify from the 2019 class to the 2018 class and has signed a financial aid agreement with UK.

Hagans arrived on campus Sunday to begin summer classes this week and is expected to suit up for the Wildcats for the 2018-19 season.

“So happy to see my dream of playing for Coach Cal and the Big Blue Nation come true,” Hagans said of signing with UK. “To follow the footsteps of all the great point guards that came before me is truly a blessing.”

Kentucky’s 2018 signing class, which was already a consensus top-two class, is now packing a serious punch with the addition of Hagans. The playmaking guard brings UK’s 2018 haul to six players. In addition to Hagans, the Wildcats’ group of newcomers includes Tyler Herro, Keldon Johnson, EJ Montgomery, walk-on Zan Payne and Immanuel Quickley.

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