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| Monday, September 11, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Venus captures crown in US Open
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Clinton at US Open NEW YORK, Sept 10 — US President Bill Clinton signed autographs, chatted with former tennis great John McEnroe and finally settled down to watch fourth seed Pete Sampras earn a place in the finals of the $ 15-million US Open.
The Dream Team’s patriotism and love for all things Sydney ready for Olympics Olympics getting ‘too big’ Sunil for Sydney camp 1 held after
attempt to snatch torch JCT trounce BNR Bakre, Humpy are champs
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Venus captures crown in US Open NEW YORK, Sept 10 (DPA) — Venus Williams followed her sister as the champion at the $ 15 million U.S. Open last night, destroying the early hopes of Lindsay Davenport in a 6-4, 7-5 comeback victory. The title and its $ 800,00 top prize kept the Williams winning streak alive at 26 matches. Williams was last beaten three months ago in the quarter-finals of the French Open by Spain’s Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. She beat Davenport for the Wimbledon title two months ago and has now added four more titles to her streak. Davenport had knocked off Serena Williams, the 1999 winner here, in the quarter-finals. The second-seeded Californian fought back to overcome Russian surprise Elena Dementieva in the semis. But her run of success ran into a brick wall against Venus Williams in a frankly uninspiring match full of momentum shifts and missed opportunities on both sides. “I didn’t serve the way I wanted to,” Davenport said. “All credit to Venus. “She forced me to try and do better, but I just couldn’t do it tonight,” the
disappointed loser said. Venus Williams, who now owns the longest women’s winning streak of the season, recovered after falling down two breaks early in the match. “This is a Grand Slam you always try your hardest,“ she said. “There were a few things I needed to change. Fortunately, things started going the right way for me.” Venus Williams was glowing with pride: “I have some wheels. I’m really speedy these days. That’s helped me out a lot.” Davenport earned the opening break in the third game of the contest, whose start had been delayed by 90 minutes because of rain. She raced out to a 4-1 lead after 18 minutes, but lost her edge on a long return as Williams levelled at four games apiece, fighting back from a pair of breaks down. The Wimbledon champion won her fifth straight game to claim the set as Davenport double-faulted. Williams took a 1-0 lead before Davenport got back in gear for a break, 2-1. But the lead evaporated on a break-back in the ensuing game. Williams produced back-to-back double-faults in the fifth game and sent a return wide for a break point to the second seed. Williams saved it with a serve winner. The momentum shifted quickly in the game until Williams finally ended the misery with an ace to hold for 3-2 after fighting off four break points in the game. Davenport showed frustration by failing to convert on a pair of break points - her 14th and 15th of the evening with only three converted - in the 11th game, handing Williams a hold for 6-5. Davenport spewed a backhand wide to start the next game and couldn’t help but roll her eyes in disgust at her play. She completed her misery by putting a forehand into the net for a Williams match point. Williams won her second-straight Grand Slam from a final 26th Davenport unforced error after one hour, 25 minutes. |
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NEW YORK, Sept 10 (Reuters) — Pete Sampras will compete for his fifth U.S. Open title after putting away exciting 19-year-old Australian Lleyton Hewitt in straight sets, the 10th anniversary of Sampras’s first Grand Slam crown. Sampras (29) worked his serve and volley brilliance on the lightning-quick ninth seed to score a 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 7-6 (7-5) triumph yesterday and reach a U.S. Open final for the sixth time. The fourth-seeded Sampras will go for his 14th career Grand Slam title against 20-year-old Russian sixth seed Marat Safin, who disposed of a fatigued Todd Martin 6-3 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-1) in the day’s first semifinal. Sampras takes a daunting 13-2 record in Grand Slam finals into the championship match against the young Russian. “After last year being home with a bad back, it was tough not being here, but I got myself back in shape and I’m glad I’m back in the final of such a great event,” Sampras told the crowd after earning his first trip back to the U.S. Open final since 1996. In addition to putting himself in position to add to his Grand Slam title record, Saturday’s win vaulted Sampras to the top of the ATP champions race standings for the first time this year. Sampras was somewhat lucky to get out in straight sets. He survived two set points in the first-set tiebreaker, including one in which Hewitt had the set on his racket only to push a forehand down the line just
widen Hewitt, the youngest U.S. Open semifinalist since Sampras in 1990, was also up a break early in the third set at 3-0 but gave it back in the seventh game. The fiercely competitive ninth seed later led 5-4 in the tie-break. But the seven-time Wimbledon champion took the final three points, reaching match point on one of his patented leaping overhead volleys. “I got last match tomorrow. I just got to let it all hang out,” he said. |
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NEW YORK, Sept 10 (DPA) — US President Bill Clinton signed autographs, chatted with former tennis great John McEnroe and finally settled down to watch fourth seed Pete Sampras earn a place in the finals of the $ 15-million US Open. The overwhelming presence of the American President in the stands along with the large number of his security officers created a unique atmosphere as Sampras lined up against Ileyton Hewitt and emerged with a 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) over the ninth-seeded Australian. Sampras is as used to big names — presidential or otherwise — as he is to big matches. The experienced 13-time Grand Slam champion quietly ignored the hubbub created by police snipers lining the roof of the National Tennis Centre to earn his first finale in four years at his home Grand Slam. Sampras, 29, will today square off against 20-year-old Russian Marat Safin, who reached the first Slam final of his fast-blooming career with a victory. |
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Sydney countdown — 69 America’s men’s basketball team touched down in Sydney on Friday morning having stopped for a few days in Tokyo. There, in a contest that was more of a layup drill than a competitive game, the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team crushed a seriously overmatched Japanese national team 105-49. In their next-to-last exhibition game before the Sydney Olympics, the U.S. team toyed with an opponent something they are expected to do with most opposition at the Olympics. The team will be under the microscope more for their attitude than their game. Cynics constantly assail NBA players for perceived lack of loyalty to their teams, their fans, their teammates, and even their agents. For the 12 NBA players who make up the 2000 U.S. Olympic team, it is an affront to suggest they don’t evince true patriotism and love of all things red, white and blue. There can be no better example of this abiding loyalty to the nation that nurtured them — and created the economic atmosphere that allows them to make millions for playing a child’s game — than Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning. His wife, Tracy half a world away at their home in Miami, is less than a month away from delivering the couple’s second child. Mourning could have asked USA Basketball to let him out of the contract he signed over a year ago to be part of Team USA 2000. USA Basketball no doubt would have accommodated him, under the circumstances. Instead, the Mournings — and Alonzo stresses that Tracy had veto power on the decision — opted to have Alonzo remain a vital member of the team, the only true center on an athletic, versatile unit expected to breeze to the gold medal in Sydney. So on September 22, Mourning will fly from Sydney to Miami, a numbingly long journey, so he can be with Tracy the next day, when she delivers a sister for 4-year-old Alonzo III. On September 24 he will make the flight back to Sydney for the conclusion of the basketball competition. And he is footing the bill himself for the quick turnaround trip. That, dear friends, is dedication to your team and, in this case, your country. Mourning was entirely prepared for Tracy to request that he remain with her through her final month of pregnancy. Instead, she surprised him a bit by insisting, instead, that he remain an Olympian. Mourning will miss at least one game, probably two, when he departs Sydney for Miami next month. Team USA coach Rudy Tomjanovich already is
doodling around with options to cover for his absence. Tomjanovich’s task of filling in for Mourning’s absence got even tougher when Tim Duncan’s injury forced him to drop off the team three weeks ago. The fact Antonio McDyess has played a good bit of center for the Denver Nuggets the past two seasons no doubt helped him land the replacement spot. McDyess and Vin Baker likely will get most of the time at center when Mourning is absent from Sydney. Mourning understands entirely why the Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant declined USA Basketball’s invitation to be on the Olympic team again. O’Neal already has a gold medal, earned in 1996. Bryant announced plans in June for a summer wedding. Tim Hardaway, Mourning’s Heat teammate for the last four seasons and his Olympic teammate now, said nobody should question their loyalty or patriotism any more. Freeman avoids limelight and opts for family Cathy Freeman has surrounded herself with her family as she makes her final preparations for the Olympics. A relaxed and confident Freeman laughed and joked with her mother Cecilia and nephew George at a training camp near Melbourne yesterday. As Freeman finished a series of 200m sprints, George ran up to his aunt, clapped and cheered her on, and even tried to keep up with the 400m world champion. Cathy’s mother and natural father are both Aboriginal, but mother Cecilia is now married to a white man, who has taken a keen interest in Cathy’s career. It was only a few years ago that Cathy met up with her biological father who took her into the bush and taught her about Aboriginal culture and way of life. Her three-hour training sessions leading up the Sydney are strictly family and trainers only. Much of Freeman’s mornings involve long meetings with her entourage, broken up by a few 200m sprints and several walks around the Amateur Athletics track discussing tactics. Freeman arrives at 9am, wearing black beanie and sunglasses and driving a late model Nissan. With the temperature hovering around 10deg.and rain threatening, Freeman starts by walking a few laps with husband Sandy Bodecker. Nearby residents are oblivious to Australia’s great gold medal hope inside their local athletics club. After a couple of light runs, Freeman had a massage in the clubrooms, emerging 45 minutes later in black tights and a white pullover for some slow 200m jogs with running partner Sean McLachlan. After warming up, she shed the pullover and did several near full pace 200m sprints wearing a black sports top. About 11.30am, with most of the hard work over, Freeman’s mother Cecilia let little George wander on the track. There he walked, ran and joked with his aunt. And when she noticed his shoelaces were undone, the world champion knelt and tied them. For almost a week, Freeman has been training at secret locations around Melbourne to avoid the limelight. Bodecker said Freeman was enjoying Melbourne after a long European season. “She likes sleeping in her own bed for the first time in 4½ months.” He said she still wanted to try for the 200m and 400m double, despite Australian selectors wanting her to rest after the 400m so she can be fresh for the 400m relay.
— PMG |
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SYDNEY, Sept 10 (Reuters) — A jubilant Sydney today declared “we’re ready” after an Olympic dress rehearsal went off almost without a hitch. Transport and security systems sailed through their first big test last night as 100,000 people packed Stadium Australia for a star-studded curtain raiser to next Friday’s opening extravaganza. “First gold,” declared the Sunday Telegraph, praising an “almost flawless” performance. Memories of road and rail chaos that blighted the 1996 Atlanta Games have haunted Sydney’s organisers. And in an embarrassing flash-back, President of the International Olympic Committee Juan Antonio Samaranch was stranded outside his hotel on Saturday after a bus booked to take him to the main Olympic television centre failed to show up. There was another anxious moment during the show at Homebush Bay when sparks from fireworks ignited a grass fire that sent smoke billowing into the sky. Tourism officials said they were optimistic they would meet forecasts of $ 285 million spending spree from foreign visitors to the 17-day games, the greatest sporting spectacle on earth. But Sydney’s hoteliers were dropping prices by up to 50 per cent in a push to fill rooms left empty by late cancellations from overseas tour operators and sluggish domestic sales. About 1.5 million of the eight million tickets for Olympic events were also still up for grabs, although organisers said they still expected to meet their budget target of sales totalling $ 610 million. There were reports that some scalpers had lost their shirts, having to unload tickets to less popular events at below face value. Normally laid-back Australians have been fretting obsessively about what might go wrong at the Games, which will be watched by a global television audience of three billion. Sydneysiders, as residents of the city are called, are rallying together to look after the 750,000 visitors expected over the next few days. Close to 170,000 people will be on full-time Olympic duty from Monday, including an army of chefs, cleaners, maintenance crews and security personnel. Some 40,000 volunteers in white hats and blue uniforms have been mobilised. “We’re ready,” the Sun Herald trumpeted in a front-page headline over a picture of the Australian women’s soccer team posing in dark glasses and jump suits atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Many Australians had their doubts last week when the train service to Homebush Bay collapsed after winds blew down overhead power cables along the single-track system. The next day a train jumped the tracks, causing more chaos. |
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SYDNEY, Sept 10 (Reuters) — The Olympic games have become too big to be hosted by less developed nations and must be scaled back, senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) official Jacques Rogge said today. ‘‘I’m a proponent to descale the Games,’’ Rogge, a member of the IOC’s executive board, told Australian television Channel Ten Network. While Sydney and other large cities were capable of handling the games in their current form, many nations and even some continents could offer no suitable venue, rogge said. ‘‘They are still not too big for Sydney or any other big city of the size and sophistication and development of Sydney but they are too big to go around the world,’’ he said. ‘‘They are too big for some continents, they are too big for some sub-continents. We have to descale them whilst keeping their quality.’’ Africa, South America, India and China have never staged an Olympics. Rogge said the Games must be made affordable for less developed regions but should still be staged in one city. ‘‘We’ll never spread the games to different cities because the value of the Games lies in very simple factors,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s the unity of place — one city the unity of time — two weeks, no more the unity of action — all the biggest sports in the world and the best athletes in the world in the same city at the same time.’’ One answer would be to reduce the number of events at the Games, Rogge said. ‘‘We will not get rid of team sports but we want to reduce the number of events,’’ he said. ‘‘We had 250 events in Barcelona, 280 events in Atlanta and now 300. We want to come back to 280 and to descale a little bit.’’ The number of media representatives should also be cut back, Rogge said. Sydney has some 21,000 media representatives, up from 15,000 at Atlanta four years ago and 12,000 at Barcelona in 1992. ‘‘Logistically it’s becoming a nightmare,’’ Rogge said. |
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Sunil for Sydney camp NEW DELHI, Sept 10 — National hardcourt champion Sunil Kumar of Chandigarh has been selected by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) along with promising athlete from Andhra Pradesh S Geetha, to attend a youth camp, being organised by the International Olympic Committee during the Olympic Games in Sydney. Sunil Kumar, who returned to Delhi today after playing in the ITF Junior Circuit, is likely to leave for Sydney on September 13. When the IOA asked the All-India Tennis Association (AITA) to recommend the names of two promising players to be sent for the youth camp, it recommended the names of Sunil Kumar and Radhika Tulpule. But Radhika did not get the nod, and instead S Geetha has been picked. This opportunity will afford Sunil to watch Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi in action. The Leander-Mahesh duo is considered a medal prospect, and according to Dr Vece Paes, who will be the team doctor, if they play to their potential, they can certainly hope to win a medal, if not the gold itself. But Dr Paes, father of Leander, said it was not reasonable to expect Leander to repeat his Atlanta (bronze medal) performance in singles competition in Sydney, as after a two-month lay-off due to a wrist injury, Leander has not regained him normal form. Commenting on the reunion of Leander and Mahesh, Dr Paes said “immaturity” was the main reason for the duo’s split. “Leander is still a kid at heart, and is not mature enough to handle complex emotional problems, even though he is 28 years old”, observed Dr Paes. Dr Paes disclosed that people around the players had also contributed their bit in precipitating the divide, and in this context, he did not absolve the parents either (including himself, and Krishna Bhupathi). “We tried to resolve the crisis, but failed”, said Dr Paes. Eventually, the initiative came from the players themselves as they realised that their career was getting nowhere by going their own individual ways. But Dr Paes admitted that the “basic differences between the players persist”. He did not elaborate what exactly the differences were. Dr Paes also noted that it was not a wise move to drop Sunil Kumar from the Davis Cup team, after including him in the squad, for the tie against Lebanon at Lucknow early this year. For the ties against South Korea in New Delhi and Sweden at Baastad, Vishal Uppal and Harsh Mankad had got the nod. Dr Paes ovserved that Sunil Kumar was a long-term prospect as tennis would be his full time vocation, and therefore it was very important to nurture him from now on, for more serious campaigns ahead. Meanwhile, www.khel.com., the official sponsors of the Indian Olympic team, will be holding a solidarity run in New Delhi on September 17. IOA secretary-general Randhir Singh said he was greatful and happy for the unstinted support extended by Satyam Infoway Ltd in sponsoring the Indian contingent for the Olympic Games. The solidarity run is to wish the Indian team well, added Mr Randhir Singh. The official website of the IOA at www.ioa.khel.com will have extensive coverage of the Olympics with regular updates and ground reports from Sydney. |
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1 held after
attempt to snatch torch SYDNEY, Sept 10 (Reuters) — A man snatched the Olympic torch from a runner carrying it to the Sydney Games and tried to throw it into the sea today, Australian police said. It was the third attack since the flame arrived in Australia for the Games which start on Friday. The man grabbed the torch from former world surfing champion Tom Carroll in the coastal town of
Kiama, south of Sydney, but was wrestled to the ground by the runner and security guards. A police spokesman said the man was taken away for questioning. The torch is due to reach the outskirts of southern Sydney late on Monday and will be paraded round the city until it takes pride of place at the opening ceremony. Two other attempts have been made to disrupt the torch’s journey from Greece involving a relay of more than 10,000 runners. |
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CALCUTTA, Sept 10 (UNI) — jct of Phagwara trounced BNR 5-1 to keep their hopes of reaching the IFA Shield semifinal alive at the Rabindra Sarobor Stadium here today. With this facile victory, JCT need just a draw against Port Trust for a semis berth. JCT dominated the proceedings right from the word go and made umpteen forays into the BNR forte. They could have romped home with a bigger margin, had their upfront not bungled opportunities galore. JCT went ahead in the 19th minute of the first half through Jaswant Singh (1-0) and buttressed the lead within three minutes through Jaswinder Singh (2-0). Trailing by two goals, BNR tried desperately to bounce back into the reckoning, and reduced the margin in the 38th minute when BNR striker Tulsi Rao banged in (2-1). At the lemon break, the scoreline read 2-1. After the breather, JCT literally steamrolled BNR and slotted in three more goals. In the fourth minute, in the 18th minute and in the 24th minute of the second half, Prabhjot Singh, Hardip Singh and Jasjit Singh netted the goals respectively. |
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MUMBAI, Sept 10 (UNI) — International master Tejas Bakre (8) and Koneru Humpy (8.5) did India proud by winning the Asian Junior Chess Championships in the boys and girls’ section, respectively, held here today. The Indians dominated the championship by winning five of the six medals. Only Yu Ting (China) took away the silver medal in the girls’ category. It was second gold medal for Tejas after winning the Asian juniors at Iran in 1998 he has won the right to represent Asian zone in the forthcoming World Junior Championship to be held in Armenia later this month. But once again, he was unfortunate to miss the grandmaster norm since he won the championship on tie break with P.
Harikrishan, the silver medallist. Koneru Humpy created many records on the way to the gold medal here. Thirteen-year-old Humpy became the youngest-ever Asian junior girls’ champion beating international women master Anupama Gokhale’s 15-year-old record. Humpy also won her maiden women grandmaster norm for winning the Asian junior championship outright. She will be India’s youngest entry in the world under 20 girls’ championship in Armenia next fortnight. Today Harkrishana made shortwork of international master Neelotpal Das (6) in 20 moves of queens gambit opening after the latter, playing with black pieces, blundered on 13th
move. Tejas Bakre followed up with a brilliant win over Enemul Hussain (Bangladesh) in 39 moves of sicilian defence.
Tejas, playing white, outplayed his opponent with crushing attack. International master S. Kidambi (7.5) opted for a draw against Mahammadal Syed
(Quatar) to claim the bronze medal. He beat Surya Ganguly (Ind) and Ghaem Maghami (Iran) on superior tie-break. Humpy displayed her usual patience on the way to emphatic win over Y. Pratibha
(Ind) in caro kann defence. Yu Ting (8) claimed the silver medal after defeating
J.E. Kavita (Ind) from the white side of Vienna Game. Swati Ghate (7.5), who had a distinction of beating both the gold and silver medallists, was the winner of bronze after she outplayed Anupama Konara (Sri Lanka) in King’s Indian attack. The medal
winners: Boys: Tejas Bakre (Ind) gold —- 8 points P. Harikrishan
(Ind) silver —- 8 points S. Kidambi (Ind) bronze — 7.5
points. Girls: Koneru Humpy (Ind) gold — 8.5 points Yu Ting (China) silver — 8 points Swati Ghate
(Ind) bronze — 7.5 points. |
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