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Friday,
January 17, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Serena,
Clijsters, Safin advance Strain takes its toll on Serena
Bopanna, Mankad win Good to end series on winning note |
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Lehmann charged with racial abuse Kenya battles to allay fears Vaughan keen to play today Haryana reach
179 for two Anand secures an easy draw Kila Raipur fest
from Jan 30 Jeev joins Randhawa,
Atwal in Asian team Veterans cricket
from today
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Serena,
Clijsters, Safin advance
Melbourne, January 16 Williams now is five matches away from becoming the reigning champion of all four major tournaments. Her potential semifinal opponent, No. 4 Kim Clijsters, advanced with a 6-0 6-0 win over Hungary’s Petra Mandula in 33 minutes. It was the first perfect scoreline of the tournament. Meanwhile, Czech player Radek Stepanek, who climbed from 547th to 63rd in the rankings last year, knocked out three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten, who never has advanced beyond the second round in the Australian Open. Stepanek won 5-7 6-3 7-5 4-6 6-3 in 3 hours, 47 minutes. Kuerten, seeded 30th, became the 13th casualty among the 32 seeded men. The top 10, however, is missing only No.5 Carlos Moya, a 3-6 7-6 (10/8) 6-4 4-6 6-2 loser to American Mardy Fish last night. Third-seeded Marat Safin, the 2000 US Open champion and last year’s Australian runner-up, advanced by beating France’s Albert Montanes 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-1. No. 6 Roger Federer defeated Germany’s Lars Burgsmuller 6-3 6-0 6-3. Last year, an injury on the eve of the Australian Open ruined Williams’ chance for a true Grand Slam - winning all four majors in the same calendar year. She went on to beat sister Venus Williams in the finals at the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt dished out a merciless straight sets thrashing to his Australian compatriot Todd Larkham in a second round match at the Australian Open. Hewitt savaged the 235-ranked Larkham 6-1 6-0 6-1 in a blistering 74 minutes on Rod Laver Arena centre court. The Australian dynamo set up a third round meeting with the Czech Republic’s Radek Stepanek. Seventh seed Jiri Novak outlasted Belgian Olivier Rochus 7-6 7-6 4-6 4-6 6-3 to reach the third round of the Australian Open today. A rash of errors left Williams on the verge of defeat before she rallied to edge France’s Emilie Loit on Tuesday. This time, she said she was inspired by Venus’ 6-3 6-0 victory over Ansley Cargill the previous night. “She played a great match,” Serena said of her sister. “I was motivated after watching her, thinking, ‘OK, she wants to be No. 1 again’.” Serena faced two break points in her first service game, but she then broke Callens at 15 in the fifth game by hitting winners or forcing errors. Callens, ranked 66th, managed to hold serve twice more in the first set but had no answer for Williams’ power. Williams needed two tiebreakers to beat her in the third round at Wimbledon. In the opener here, she acknowledged being “a little too lackadaisical” against Loit. She vented her frustration in that match with an audible obscenity, for which she was fined $1,500 today. She had few troubles this time. She hit 21 winners to Callens’ eight and had 19 errors to Callens’ 20. Seles beat Venus in the quarter-finals here last year. Clijsters beat both sisters on her way to winning the WTA Tour Championships in November. As for playing against her sister, Serena said, “We’ve gotten used to it. If it comes to the final, at least we’ve both reached our maximum potential.” Serena next plays No. 26 Tamarine Tanasugarn, a 6-2 3-6 6-3 winner over Russian Alina Jidkova. In other men’s matches, Spain’s Alberto Martin ousted No. 13 Fernando Gonzalez 6-7 (5/7) 6-3 6-1 7-6 (7/4). Wimbledon runner-up David Nalbandian, seeded 10th, beat Australian qualifier Jaymon Crabb 6-1 7-6 (12/10) 6-3, No. 18 Younes El Aynaoui defeated Uzbek qualifier Vadim Kutsenko 6-2 6-1 6-4 and No. 20 Xavier Malisse beat France’s Anthony Dupuis 6-3 5-7 7-6 (8/6) 7-5. No. 23 James Blake beat Argentina’s Jose Acasuso 6-1 6-4 6-4; No. 31 Rainer Schuettler ousted 1996 Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek 6-3 7-5 6-4; Spain’s Feliciano Lopez defeated American Robby Ginepri 6-2 6-4 6-2; and Swedish qualifier Andreas Vinciguerra advanced when Austrian Julian Knowle retired with a torn right calf. Vinciguerra was leading 6-2 0-1. On the women’s side, No. 14 Anna Pistolesi advanced when Slovenia’s Maja Matevzic retired with a right lower leg strain. Pistolesi was leading 5-1. No. 16 Nathalie Dechy beat Czech player Daja Bedanova 6-3 6-3, No. 18 Eleni Daniilidou beat American Amy Frazier 6-1 6-2, No. 20 Elena Bovina defeated Italy’s Rita Grande 6-1 6-2, and No. 25 Meghann Shaughnessy beat Slovakia’s Ludmila Cervanova 6-1 6-1. AP
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Strain takes its toll on Serena
Melbourne, January 16 The American has been slapped with a heavy fine after swearing during her first-round win over Frenchwoman Emilie Loit and she also struggled to control her emotions in her 6-4, 6-0 second-round victory over Els Callens of Belgium. ‘’I think I’m a little tense, maybe I’m putting a little too much pressure on myself,’’ Williams told reporters. ‘’As the match wore on, I think I just calmed down...and I realised, for my future matches, that this isn’t everything and things could be worse.’’ The world No. 1 is bidding to become only the fifth woman in history to hold all four grand slam titles at the same time after winning last year’s French Open, Wimbledon and US Open championships. Although Williams is normally relaxed on and off the court, all the attention has begun to take its toll on her. The 21-year-old said she has smashed two rackets during her practice sessions and her frustrations boiled over when she let fly with a volley of obscenities during her match with Loit, earning her a $1,500 fine. ‘’Sometimes I get so tense that I can go too far,’’ she said. ‘’I’m a perfectionist...everything has to be perfect.’’ Williams said her mother and coach Oracene had been counselling her on how to deal with the strain and stop the pressure becoming too overbearing. “It’s a thin line between a coach and a mom,’’ Williams said. Reuters
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Bopanna, Mankad win
New Delhi, January 16 In the first quarterfinal of the day, wild card entrant Harsh Mankad went about his task in his customary professional manner setting up a straight sets victory over seventh seed and winner of the Lucknow ITF tournament Todor Enev of Bulgaria. Mankad’s 6-4, 6-2 win took about one hour. Continuing his brilliant run from the Lucknow ITF meet last week, Mankad broke his opponent’s serve thrice, once in the first set and twice in the next. The second set saw him play a serve and volley game and especially attack Enev’s second serve. Bopanna then ensured an Indian berth in the finals when he registered an easy 55-minute victory over Russian challenger Pavel Lobanov to set up a semifinal clash with Mankad. Bopanna dismissed Lobanov 6-3, 6-3 with his strong serve and baseline play. The Indian forced a break in the sixth game of the first set, going up 4-2 and broke serve again in the first game of the second set to take the lead. He consolidated his lead with the Russian failing to hold on to his serve in the ninth game of the set. However, Asian junior champion Sunil Kumar Sipaeya failed the Russian hurdle going down 6-7 (5/7), 3-6 to second seed Dmitri Vlasov. After a closely-contested first set, the left-handed 567th-ranked Sipaeya was undone by too many unforced errors in the second set. The 305th-ranked Vlasov wrapped up the match and will now face compatriot Vadim Davletshin, who beat Briton Naim Lalji 6-2, 6-2 to advance into the last four. In the doubles, the duo of Harsh Mankad and Ajay Ramaswami caused a major upset toppling top-seeded duo of Mikael Elgin and Dmitri Vlasov 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 to make it to the finals. The closely contested tie went for an hour and 45 minutes.In the other semifinal, the Asian bronze medallist duo of Mustafa Ghouse and Vishal Uppal took just 53 minutes to write off the Korean-Indian duo of Kim Dong and Nitin Kirtane 6-0, 7-5. UNI
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Good to end series on winning note In my last article I had mentioned how important it is for a home side to end their season on a winning note, and I’m proud that the guys stood up to the challenge of doing just that. It was also crucial that we went to the World Cup with a 5-2 series win behind us rather than a string of three consecutive defeats against India. Once again the bowlers did the job on a track that admittedly assisted them. It was good to see them bowl on side of the wicket after the waywardness that had set in Auckland. The runs required were also scored with ease if you take into account the fact that the pitch was still assisting the bowlers. Plenty has already been said about the pitches in this series, and there is nothing to add. All I would say is that the pitch was the same for both sides and in the Tests, the toss was pretty much nullified by the nature of the wicket. Our batsmen stuck to the basics a lot better, which is why we won both at Wellington and Hamilton. I would also add that the conditions were tough on Indians who did not have much match practice before the Tests, so judging them on the basis of those four innings would be grossly unfair. As far as the one-dayers are concerned, once again the conditions were less than ideal. It was evident that the Indian batsmen were a little short on confidence at the start of the one-day series, so we knew that we would have to win the series before the Indians had time to pick up the pieces. For me, the bowling of Tuffey and Andre Adams was the biggest gain. It was great to see Adams come back so strong after injury. Chris Cairns also looked like he is slowly getting into stride before the World Cup. On the negatives, the injuries to Nathan Astle, Shane Bond and Jacob Oram are worries, but I’m sure they will be back on their feet in time for the World Cup. This has been a great way to end the series, but I would still like to react to some of the talk that we are one of the favourites with some humility. There are better sides in the fray, but we are certainly not out of it. Similarly, I am sure that this result is not a sign that the Indian campaign in the World Cup will be a non-starter. In fact, the setbacks in New Zealand might just act as a spur for some of the talented players in the side to prove themselves on a big stage.
(Gameplan) |
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Lehmann
charged with racial abuse
London, January 16 ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said in a statement that Lehmann had been charged with a level 3 breach which could result in the batsman being asked to miss either 2-4 Test matches or 4-8 one-dayers. “As a result of an overnight investigation and on the basis of reports received from Australia, I have decided to charge Darren Lehmann with a breach of Level 3.4 of the ICC Code of Conduct,” Speed said. Lehmann had hurled racial abuses at the Sri Lankans after being run out in yesterday’s league match of the tri-nations one-day tournament in Brisbane. Lehmann has already given a written apology to Sri Lankans after which the tourists did not press for a formal complaint. “I am aware that Lehmann has apologised for his actions and that Sri Lanka team was reluctant to lay any formal charges,” Speed said. “I have, however, carefully considered the situation and in the interests of eradicating racial vilification in international cricket, I am bound to lay this charge,” he said. Lehmann will appear before an ICC hearing in Adelaide on Saturday. Lehmann reportedly referred to Sri Lankan players as “black” in a two-word obscenity shouted in the corridor separating the teams’ dressing rooms after he was run out for 38 in yesterday’s game in Brisbane.
PTI, AFP |
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Kenya battles to allay fears
Nairobi, January 16 Security fears grew in November when 16 people were killed in a suicide bombing at an Israeli-owned hotel on the Kenyan coast, minutes after two missiles narrowly missed an Israeli airliner taking off nearby. Kenya’s government is due to issue a formal statement later this week reassuring cricket officials and Test nations that their country can take care of security for the matches against New Zealand and Sri Lanka on February 21 and 24. “We expect the statement to come from the Office of the President or State House or a high-calibre representative and it should be sent personally to the ICC headquarters in London by latest Monday,’’ a senior official in the Ministry of Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services told Reuters. “We expect no less a person than the Head of State to push Kenya’s case, in much the same way that Zimbabwe’s (President) Robert Mugabe defended his country’s record against strong opposition from London and Australia,’’ the official said. Kenyan cricket fans have been concerned that the games could be moved to South Africa following reports that former New Zealand captain Jeff Crowe was unhappy about security and safety arrangements. “He seriously doubted Kenya’s ability to handle security and safety during next month’s cricket World Cup,” said the official, who declined to be named. Crowe was part of an ICC delegation that inspected security arrangements in Kenya on January 12-13 for the two games due to take place at the Gymkhana club in Nairobi. “He was particularly disturbed after he visited the US Embassy in Nairobi and held talks with security officials there,” the official said. The KCA officials declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. Fresh security concerns about east Africa, where 1998 bomb attacks on U.S. embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam killed 224 people, follow various warnings issued by Britain, the USA and other countries in the past month. Britain said on Wednesday that an “international terrorist” group might be planning to carry out an attack on the island of Zanzibar, off the coast of Kenya’s neighbour Tanzania, and warned its citizens to be careful. Australia and the USA have also warned their citizens to be on alert on the mainly Muslim island.
Reuters |
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Vaughan keen to play today
Adelaide, January 16 “I have had 12 days of rehab and strengthening around the knee,” the Yorkshireman told reporters in Adelaide today. “I have fond memories of the Adelaide Oval so hopefully I can continue where I left off,’’ said Vaughan, who made 177 in the second Test in Adelaide in November. “One-day cricket is different and I haven’t played that many one-day internationals (17 one-dayers, 28 Tests) so I need to get a few games under my belt and try and establish myself in the one-day game like I have in the Test matches.” Australia have 27 points from six matches in the one-day series, England have 14 points and Sri Lanka 13. Each side has two more games before the best-of-three finals start on January 23. A victory on Friday would almost assure England of a place in the finals against Australia. Both sides have still to name their teams for tomorrow’s game. Reuters
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Haryana
reach 179 for two Rohtak, January 16 Bad weather and poor light delayed the proceedings of the match which could commence only at 2.30 pm. Only 36.1 overs were bowled. Earlier, Haryana skipper Deepak Joon won the toss and elected to bat first. Vishal Sahni made nine and Pradeep Sahu contributed 35. Sunny was batting on 74 whereas Mahesh Rawat made 35. Shamimullah and Raman Datta claimed one wicket each. |
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Anand secures an easy draw
Wijk Aan Zee (The Netherlands), January 16 World’s best woman player Judit Polgar of Hungary gave an amazing display of her attacking prowess against the former Russian world champion to take the sole lead on 3 points. Russian duo of Braingames match winner Vladimir Kramnik and Evegeny Bareev, Spaniard Alexei Shirov and Anand remained on the heels of the leader half a point behind while as many as five players including Karpov were tied with a 50 per cent score at fifth place. In the Grandmaster group ‘B’ tournament, former world junior girls champion Koneru Humpy drew with women world championship finalist Alexandra Kosteniuk of Russia to take her tally to 1.5/4. Top seed GM Zhang Zhong of China continued with his winning run in the event and registered his third victory on the trot to maintain a slender half point lead over nearest rivals. Humpy obviously has not had a desirable start and is on joint 8th position with 9 more rounds remaining. It turned out to be a friendly theoretical discussion between Timman and Anand. The Dutchman apparently was without any particular strategy and blitzed out established manoeuvres of Queens Gambit declined with white pieces. The draw was agreed to in just 23 moves. Polgar, the lone woman in the main event, continued to hold centrestage. Clearly, breaking in to the 2700 club, a feat that Polgar recently achieved, is not the end of the road for this star performer. The victory for Polgar was sweet and well timed considering that beating Karpov is no joke. This was the first time that she scored over the legendry figure in Classical chess and the fact that it came with black pieces, made the win particularly sweet. Karpov was up against a Queen’s Indian defence, an opening he has savoured with black on numerous occasions in his career. Embarking on the Petrosian system, the Russian faced a theoretical novelty by Polgar on the 12th move and got in to trouble after missing a picturesque tactical stroke on the 16th move that left his king stranded in the centre. Polgar quickly seized the initiative from this point on and penetrated the king side with her queen. Karpov lost two pawns in a span of three moves and gave up the battle facing further material loss.
PTI |
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Kila Raipur fest
from Jan 30 Chandigarh, January 16 The main features of the festival would be not only the traditional rural sporting events, like bullock cart races, camel race, dogs race, sack lifting and team events like Kabaddi but also some regular events, including Bhagwant Gold Cup Hockey Tournament, both for men and juniors; air pistol shooting, cycling, track and field, equestrian events, including tent pegging and tug of war. Besides Chattisgarh, some other states, including Rajasthan, Uttaranchal and Haryana have evinced keen interest in participation in the festival. “The exact details of their participation are being worked out. These states are likely to participate both in traditional and regular events, Mr Grewal said. While aero modelling display, which was introduced last year, would be part of the festival this time also, the organisers plan to make the event more memorable by going hi-tech. Online cameras and huge screens are expected to give the spectators a closer view of not only the actual events but also the cultural evenings on all three days of the festival. Participation by “bazigars” has been confirmed. Loading and unloading of carts and tractor-trailers, tractor races, some super human feats, including lifting of a plough with teeth, pulling of a loaded tractor with teeth or hair, getting a loaded truck move over the belly of the performer and riding two horses simultaneously will also be part of the festival. Some of the veteran sportspersons from the region would also be felicitated. The organising committee will meet soon to finalise names of those to be felicitated. A contingent of Nihang Sikhs would also enliven proceedings with its superb breathtaking display of traditional games and sports, including trick horse riding, gatka and sword display. The winners of various events would get attractive cash and other prizes. In the hockey event for juniors some of the best known hockey academies would participate. In the seniors section, top teams like Punjab Police, Punjab and Sind Bank, Rail Coach Factory and others would participate, Mr Grewal said. Besides, there will be top folk artistes, including singers, who would participate in the cultural programme every evening. A team of artistes from the North Zone Cultural Centre would also perform on every day, Mr Grewal concluded. |
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Jeev joins Randhawa, Atwal in Asian team
New Delhi, January 16 The other three players who formed part of captain’s picks were Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng, Taiwan’s Lin Keng-chi and rising Chinese star Liang Wen-chong, according to information received here. Hsieh will lead the team into action at the Ryder Cup-style match at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China from March 14 to 16. The majority of the team was confirmed at the Asian PGA Tour’s season-ending Volvo Masters of Asia last December, where the topeight players on the rankings gained automatic entries. “The 12 players are undoubtedly Asia’s finest, with a combined 44 Asian PGA tournament victories plus five Merit list titles,” said veteran Hsieh, a winner of multiple titles in Asia and Japan during a glorious career in the 1960s and 1970s. Thongchai won the 2001 money list after a spectacular year with one victory and 10 top-10s while Randhawa stormed to the top last year with 10 top-15 finishes. PTI
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Veterans
cricket from today Jalandhar, January 16 According to Mr Suresh Sharma, secretary, Punjab Veteran Cricket Association, Delhi will take on Himachal Pradesh in the inaugural match tomorrow. The Punjab team
will be lead by former international Bhupinder Singh (senior) while other members of the team are: Arun Sharma, Bhandari Lal, Ajit Singh, Arun Passi, Avash Pal, Tony Lamba, Kamal Thakur, Ravinder Sharma, Bharti Vij, Vijay Gatta, Davinder Kalia, Roop Basant, Arun Bedi, Ashok Mattu, Ashwani Kumar, Rajinder Pandey and Davinder Riyat. Satish Mangal will be the coach-cum-manager of the team. |
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Melbourne, January 16
