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| Tuesday, September 12, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Safin stuns Sampras
for US Open title
Williams (Sr)
heaps abuse on Hingis Tiger wins Canadian Open |
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From jail to Olympic
boxing ring Prostitutes in
media village Differences
among hockey officials Facile victories for
Archana, Arathi Tollygunge hold
Mohun Bagan BCCI to implement
rotation system Kapil Dev to take
charge of camp
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Safin stuns Sampras for US Open title NEW YORK, Sept 11 (Reuters) — Twenty-year-old Russian Marat Safin beat four-time champion Pete Sampras 6-4 6-3 6-3 to win the US Open men’s singles championship for his first Grand Slam title. Ten years and one day after Sampras won the first of his record 13 Grand Slam titles as the open’s youngest champion, he was totally dominated by Safin, falling meekly in one hour and 38 minutes, as the sixth seed became the first Russian ever to win the US Open yesterday. “I give him all the credit in the world,” said
Sampras, who took a mind-boggling 13-2 record in grand slam finals into
Sunday's match. “He played so well he reminded me of when I was 19 and I came in here the first time. “I’m sorry to these folks I didn’t give them more of a match. I was trying my hardest,” Sampras told the crowd at the awards ceremony. “He was too good. He passed and returned my serve as well as anyone I’ve ever played, so all credit to him,” said the seven-time Wimbledon champion. When
Safin unleashed a backhand crosscourt pass on his first match point in a grand slam final, an enormous smile broke out on his face as he raised his arms skyward and looked to the heavens in disbelief. He then got down on his knees and kissed the Arthur Ashe Stadium court. Asked how he handled Sampras’s vaunted serve so well, Safin shook his head and said, “You think I know, I don’t know.” Safin, who had such a miserable start to his year — seven first-round losses in his first nine tournaments — played a near perfect match against a man who had dropped just one set in winning four US Open finals. “I was hoping in this big match, that he might come out a little bit tight, miss a couple of shots here or there, but he really didn’t,” Sampras said. Safin bombed in 12 aces, recording 37 winners against a mere 12 unforced errors. And about half of those miscues came in the last couple of games, when the Russian showed the first sign of tightening up, as if he suddenly realised the enormity of the occasion and what he was about to accomplish. “In the last game I was very nervous. I was sweating twice as much as normal,” said the Moscow native, who will represent Russia in the Olympics later this month. “I was very nervous. I couldn’t move on the court, but in the end I serve very well and I’m a winner,” added Safin, who earned $ 800,000 for his stunning triumph. Facing the greatest big-match net game in tennis history, Safin barely gave Sampras a chance to set up in his office as the Russian repeatedly scored with blazing passes or by placing rocket returns at the charging Sampras’s feet that the fourth seed just couldn’t handle. Sampras, owner of the most difficult serve to break in tennis, had lost his serve just four times in the tournament coming into the final. The 6-foot-4 (1.93 m) Safin broke him four times. “Whatever I tried he had the answers, he really did. I wasn’t on top of my game but I think he had a lot to do with that. He was serving huge.” Sampras tried to send an early message, opening the match with a 131 mph (211 kph) ace and holding at love in a game in which Safin never put the ball in play. But Safin did not give Sampras a sniff at a break point until the nervous final game, when he saved two. Sampras, meanwhile, had trouble finding the range on his backhand under Safin’s firepower and gave the Russian nine break chances. |
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Williams (Sr) heaps abuse on Hingis NEW YORK, Sept 11 (AFP) — Dancing a self-important jig on court after his daughter’s convincing title win at the U.S. Open doesn’t seem to have been enough for eccentric tennis dad Richard Williams. The former jack-of-all-trades from a Californian ghetto took the Saturday night victory by Venus Williams over Lindsay Davenport for a second straight Grand Slam crown as an excuse to heap abuse on his daughter’s beaten opponents during the fortnight. New York newspapers on Sunday quoted Williams as claiming that 1.70-metre-tall top seed Martina Hingis, Williams’ semi-final victim, was shrinking. He also called the 24-year-old Davenport ‘old.’ The outburst came after Wimbledon winner Williams added $ 800,000 to the family coffers with her second Grand Slam title. Younger sister Serena won it a year ago, prompting the Svengali-like senior Williams to predict the start of a personal tennis dynasty. Williams was unbridled in his contempt for Hingis who has swapped world number one status with Davenport for the past two years without either Williams getting to within a sniff of the top. “Hingis is an inch shorter than when I first met her,” the unschooled ‘coach’ said. “She should come to me and say ‘Master Williams, I want you to help me.’ And I could help her.” Williams said he would refer Hingis to a drug-using “fiend” of his from the California ghetto. The grizzled Williams then branched off into the absurd: “When he’s not high, he’s a surgeon. He could saw her legs off and attach new legs that are a couple of inches (centimetres) longer. Her legs are too short to run down the ball.” Williams continued his outburst: “I don’t think (Daven port and Hingis) can raise their games to the bar that we’ve set. I can’t see Hingis getting any better — and Lindsay is getting older and slower.” Davenport said she didn’t bother to watch the outrageous Williams post-win behavior on court prior to the trophy ceremony as the father came uninvited out of the stands. “I always turn my head, better not to see how they act,” she said. Williams has never been a picture of stability ever since his daughters came on to the tennis scene. Several years ago, he was predicting they would get top rankings in tennis, something which has yet to occur. He preferred to pace the leafy green streets of Wimbledon instead of watching Venus play Serena in a Wimbledon semifinal in July and skipped out of the stadium late in Venus’ match against Hingis on Friday, saying he had to attend a “business meeting.” |
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OAKVILLE, Ontario, Sept 11 (Reuters) — Tiger Woods won the $ 3.1 million Canadian Open on Sunday, outdueling Grant Waite by one shot to join Lee Trevino as the only players to win the US, British and Canadian opens in the same year. “Winning three opens in one year is a great honour, particularly as Lee was the only other player to do it,’’ said Woods. His one-stroke triumph yesterday earned him a $ 594,000 winner’s check that brought his 2000 earnings to $ 8,286,821. It was also a triumph of sorts for 36-year-old Waite, who was a runner up in a tournament for the second successive week. “There were no bogeys and 13 birdies between us,’’ said Woods. “Grant played extremely well, he didn’t give an inch. This has been a wonderful year, it seems the golfing gods are looking kindly on me.’’ Both men collected three birdies on the front nine to go out in 32 and Waite, who had to return to the qualifying school last year, matched Woods’ birdies at the 13th and 14th holes. The last time they played together competitively was in the 1993 Byron Nelson when Woods was just 17. Waite clearly wasn’t intimidated then and he didn’t appear to be Sunday. The outcome revolved around two shots — Waite’s pushed drive at the par-five 16th ruling out an expected birdie, which Woods achieved from 12 feet to break the deadlock and move one ahead. The other was pure genius by Woods after Waite had hit the green in two at the long finishing hole. Woods was in a fairway bunker and struck a six iron 220 yards over water and 15 feet behind the flag. “I had to go for it,’’ said Woods. “Grant had forced my hand by getting on in two for a guaranteed birdie and a possible eagle. It was one of the better shots I’ve hit because it enabled me to put pressure on him.’’ Waite, who did not blame clicking cameras for his poor drive at 16, narrowly missed his eagle chance and tapped in for his sixth birdie before admitting: “For a guy to take a six iron from a bunker with water in front and on the right and to go for the flag is incredible. The whole tournament was on the line and that shot is not in my repertoire. |
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Sydney countdown — 70 For her part, Marion Jones is in Australia and just can’t wait for the talking to stop and for the track show to start. So much talent, so much hype, so much at stake. “I can’t wait to get out there and get under way — put all the talk and hoopla aside for a while,” she said. “I don’t like to use the word ‘pressure’ much. I know the excitement level is a lot higher because right now, it’s do or die. “But I don’t necessarily feel pressure because if I can get out there and run and jump like I can, I’ll be fine.” Jones has qualified in five events, and will try to achieve her stated goal of winning five golds at her first Games. Jones, 24, is going for the 100m, 200m, long jump and two relays. It’s a tough task considering the last time she tried this, at the world championships last year, she left on a stretcher. Jones’s body faltered under her heavy schedule, and she pulled up injured in the 200m semi-finals. Beaten but not bowed, she is still not backing off. She captured a huge audience and wants to capitalise on a chance to showcase her extraordinary talent to the world, and reap the rewards. As one of her adverts indicates, she’s tired of the fellas getting all the glory. She wants more: “Why are our sisters making less when they’re busting their butts to the max. I am speaking of pro women athletes. Are they playing less hard than the fellas? Is their blood any less red? Whether it’s tennis, track or hoops, their sacrifice is the same. Yet women receive less. They deserve more. The more, the better. Free your mind and your games will follow. The focus of the Sydney athletics will be on Jones’ attempt to do what no female athlete has done — win five gold medals in track and field at the same Olympics. The more people tell Jones she cannot win five gold medals in Sydney, the more convinced she is that she can. “I’m not looking to win silver or bronze,” she said. Jones has been accomplishing the extraordinary all her life: nine state high school championships, a collegiate basketball title, two world championships at 100 metres, 36 consecutive victories running and jumping in 1998. “To me, going for five golds is continuing to achieve what doesn’t seem reasonable to some or what people told her she couldn’t do,” said Ron Rapoport, who wrote Jones’ biography, See How She Runs. “When people say, ‘You can’t do that’, she puts it to the farthest reach. I think it helps her with the events that she’s been able to dominate.” Jones has not lost a race since the end of the 1997 season. And she is not likely to lose over 100 metres at the Olympics Her personal best of 10.65 seconds is the fastest time run by any woman except Florence Griffith-Joyner, whose world record of 10.49 seconds at the 1988 Olympic trials was allowed to stand despite the widespread belief that a strong tailwind was not properly recorded by a faulty wind gauge. “I think I can run faster than I ever have before,” Jones said. “I feel like I’m ready to run my personal best at any time.” And her personal best might mean the first of five gold medals. The world can’t wait. Player of the Year for a fourth Games When India faces Australia in the Sydney Olympic hockey competition they will be facing the most valuable hockey player in the world. At least, that’s the verdict of the sport’s world governing body, the FIH, which named Jay Stacy as its player of the year for 1999. In his 14th year with the Australian national team, the 32-year-old Stacy has played for the Kookaburras more than 300 times, making him the most-capped Australian player. This longevity is amazing given that Stacy plies his trade in the engineroom for the Kookaburras — the midfield. He is renowned for both his size and his strength on the ball and provides much of the drive which keeps the Kookaburras going forward. Stacy is a handy
goal scorer from midfield, averaging around a goal every other match. Many of these have come from penalty corners, where Stacy excels. He has one of the hardest strikes of the ball in the game from short corners. Stacy is currently vice-captain of the Kookaburras but has acted as captain, most notably in the Champions Trophy in 1996. Despite all he has achieved, Stacy says he is not necessarily going to retire after the Sydney Games, unless the Kookaburras win gold. “It would be nice to retire at the top. If we get the right results, if we win the gold, I may stop right there,” he says. “Otherwise I would like to carry on for a couple more years, perhaps until the 2002 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur.” If Stacy’s career does extend until 2002, he will reach his fourth World Cup, having competed in 1990, 1994 and 1998. He has played in 13 Champions Trophy campaigns, winning the title on three occasions including last year. Sydney will be his fourth Olympics campaign. He was part of the Australian teams which finished fourth in Seoul in 1988, second in Barcelona four years later and third at the 1996 Atlanta Games. With silver and bronze Olympic medals already on display at home, Stacy will be hoping to complete the set this month.
— PMG |
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GOLD COAST, Australia, Sept 11 (Reuters) — When Colin Jackson today said it would be “nice” if he could finally land the 110 metres hurdles Olympic gold medal it could be considered another typical understatement from an athlete who is the antithesis of the brash sprinter now so prevalent in the sport. Jackson is trying for the fourth and final time to win the ultimate prize — the one glaring omission from a glittering 15 year career at the top — but if it is bothering him you would never know. He is the current world record holder and world champion, has won the last three European championships and is twice Commonwealth champion. He also owns a clutch of indoor titles. But the Olympic gold has always eluded him. Silver behind Roger Kingdom in 1988 was a notable success for the then 21-year-old and he said he was in the shape of his life for 1992 only for injury to hold him back to seventh behind his training partner, Canadian Mark Mckoy. He bounced back to set a world record of 12.91 seconds in 1993 —which still stands — but injuries continued to dog his progress and he managed only fourth in 1996 behind then world champion Allen Johnson. Now 33 but looking as awesomely lean and fit as any of the young guns going through their paces at the British camp on the Gold Coast, Jackson says he is completely injury-free and relishing his last chance. “There’s not many days I don’t wake up with some sort of niggle but I seem to be flying out of bed these days,” the Welshman said today. “I’m feeling 100 per cent physically. It’s just a question of dealing with all the mental stuff. “But this is my fourth Olympics and I’ve lost count of the major championships I’ve been in so I know what I’m doing. I suppose it’s easy when I know it’s going to be my last shot. I’m trying to relax and enjoy it as a final experience. “Of course, it would be nice to win it at my fourth attempt. Jackson has been in good form this summer. |
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Tricolour at Olympic
village SYDNEY, Sept 11 (PTI) — The Indian Tricolour went up to the strains of the national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ at the Sydney Olympic village here this evening to mark the country’s presence officially at the Millennium Games even as a few drops of rain greeted the Indian contingent, which is here in full force and was welcomed with the words ‘Jai Hind’ by the chairman of Culture, Australia — Mr Neville Roach — whose ancestors hailed from Goa. Indian contingent’s Chef-de-Mission, Ashok Mattoo, provided the encouraging news that all the competitors were in top shape. The hockey team, led by half back Ramandeep Singh and on which most of India’s medal hopes rest, has showed encouraging form in the run-up to the big event. The squad, which has reached Australia to acclimatise itself to Australian conditions notched up a 3-2 win over a Sydney XI in a practice game here yesterday, according to team manager K. Jyotikumaran. Baljit Singh Saini scored the first goal for the Indians against the local outfit which had some top players including former Olympian Ken Beck, Mr Jyotikumaran said. |
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From jail to Olympic
boxing ring SYDNEY, Sept 11 (ANI) — Arrested on the charge of armed robbery and having been in jail for seven years, he learnt and practised boxing in the cells. Now he yearns for a Sydney Olympics gold medal. This is the simple and straight resume of US boxing team captain Micheal Bennett who will be seeing his dream come true when he would land punches on his opponents in the ring. With the world amateur heavyweight title already under his belt, Bennett heads for a likely clash with two-times Olympic champion Savon. Taking up boxing in 1995 when he had nothing to do but to undergo his sentence, Bennett says: “I remember driving to the prison. It was like something out of the twilight zone. It was all dark, gloomy and dismal. All I could think of was — What did I do to myself?” He says: “Woxing allowed me to feel like I completed myself,” he said. “It gave place of mind and helped me focus my energy on what I was doing. Boxing helped the time go quicker.” |
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Prostitutes in
media village SYDNEY, Sept 11 (Reuters) — Three prostitutes were caught plying their trade in the Olympic media village, officials said today. The prostitutes, said to be offering their services for $ 285 an hour, were spotted mingling with reporters in the 24-hour village pub and the police was called. Village management, who have launched a security investigation, said the women had been issued with guest passes by someone working for a major US television network. |
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Differences among hockey officials SYDNEY, Sept 11 (UNI) — With only a few days to go for the start of the Olympic Games, dissensions have surfaced among the Indian hockey officials who are here with the team. Penalty corner trainer Ranjit Singh who has specifically been asked by the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) to be with the team in its run-up to the Olympic preparation, seems to have got the boot. A furious Ranjit Singh lashed out at team manager Jyothi Kumaran who also happens to be the IHF secretary. Ranjit’grouse is that he has not been given proper accreditation. “I have got a card which enables me to go only to training area and not in the proper stadium. I am not with the team if it is training inside.” |
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Facile victories for Archana, Arathi BANGALORE, Sept 11 (UNI) — Seeded Venkataraman sisters, Archana and Arathi of India and Jannifer Schmidt of Austria recorded facile first round victories on the opening day of the $ 10,000 Khodays ITF Women’s Tennis Tournament here today. The third leg of the tour went by the form book as most of the fancied players made
quick work on their opponents to win their first round matches. While fifth seed Archana drubbed her countrymate Liza Periera 6-1, 6-2, Arathi, seeded eighth, despatched Nandini Perumal also of India 6-3, 6-0. Sixth seeded Jannifer too began her campaign in a fine fashion when she thrashed Vishika Chhetri of India 6-1, 6-0. In an interesting encounter wild card Shruthi Dhawan of India, after a rousing start, had to struggle to get past local challenger Sheetal Gautam in a three setter to win 6-0, 3-6, 6-4. In the other singles matches, Geeta Manohar defeated Chirashanti Mohanraju 6-1, 6-2. Chirashanti made it to the main draw as a lucky loser replacing Isha Chopra who cried off in the last moment without giving any reasons for her
withdrawal. Tara Kanbargimath beat Nona Wagi 6-3, 6-1, qualifier Nandita Chandrashekar beat another qualifier Ridhina Parekh 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-4, Nikita Bharadwaj stopped the run of T. Sricharanya 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 6-1 and Marutha Devi defeated qualifier Anjupama Mohanraju 6-4, 7-5. |
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CALCUTTA, Sept 11 (PTI) — Tollygunge Agragami held formidable Mohun Bagan to a 1-1 draw and snatched the second semi-final berth from group-B in the 106th IFA Shield Football Tournament here today. Tollygunge, who needed just a draw to secure a place in the last four stage, did reasonably well to hold their superior opponents to a draw in a fast paced encounter at the Salt Lake Stadium. Abandoning their ultra defensive strategy for a change, Tollygunge fired the first salvo as early as the 14th minute of the contest through Bhabani Mohanty but the green-and-maroon brigade fetched the equaliser midway through the second session with Brazilian recruit Jose Baretto delivering the goods. It was a brilliant effort by Mohanty that gave Tollygunge the lead as he produced an acrobatic header from inside the box following a corner kick. The Bagan defenders were left in a daze as the ball flew into the net. Trailing by a solitary goal at the interval, Mohun Bagan stepped up the pace of the game after the breather and managed to neutralise the lead when the dashing Baretto slammed the ball in from close to the goalmouth off a gentle pass by another Brazilian recruit Joao Santos. Bagan, who had already secured a semi-final berth by winning their first two group matches, managed to break through the defence time and again but could not score the winning goal due to poor finishing. Bagan got an opportunity to restore parity in the 25th minute of the first half but Baretto’s header went over the crosspiece by a narrow margin. The glamour club saw another chance go abegging in the early stages of the second session when medio Lolendra’s volley missed the target. |
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BCCI to implement rotation system MUMBAI, Sept 11 (UNI) — The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will implement the rotation system for organising tests and one-day internationals from this year beginning with the rour of Zimbabwe. BCCI secretary J.Y. Lele told newsmen here today that all the 22 one-day international and nine Test venues will get matches by rotation getting rid of present system of allotting matches to one zone. Lele said earlier some associations were reluctant to stage Tests fearing the loss of money making one-day match option. Now a Test organising unit will get one-day match according to rotation, he added. He said all the match venues of 1997, 98, 99 and 2000 will be fed into the computer and those left out of it will be on the top of the list. He said the present system was slightly lop-sided as zones like south which has more Test and one-day venues were getting more matches compared to north or other zones. Mr Lele also said that the five-run penalty for sledging in the Test and international matches will come into force from ICC Trophy at Nairobi next month but the recommendations are yet to be finalised by the referees board. He also said that the BCCI was keen to have more than two Tests with Zimbabawe starting from November here, but the visitors wanted to return before Christmas. He said the guarantee money for the last tour of Zimbabawe here was paid by the ICC but now both nations have agreed on tours with reciprocal basis involving no financial benefits. He also announced that though the government was yet to clear Nairobi and Sharjah trip of India there was no cause for concern like India’s tour to Pakistan. |
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Kapil Dev to take
charge of camp NEW DELHI, Sept 11 (PTI) — Kapil Dev has been asked to take charge of the Indian team’s coaching camp at Chennai from September 14 to 23 thus putting an end to the suspense over whether he will continue to be the national team’s coach or not for the October 3-15 ICC Knockout Tournament in Nairobi. A letter received by the former India captain from BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele has asked him to proceed to Chenni and take charge of the camp. Board chief A.C. Muthiah’s statement from Chennai yesterday that Kapil might the invited to train the probables was a trong indication that he would be retained as the team coach. Mr Muthiah said yesterday he had been authorised by the board’s working committee meeting at Bangalore on August 20 to take appropriate decision on Kapil Dev. “I may even think of inviting Kapil Dev to coach the probables,” he said. |
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