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Serena, Roddick advance
Fruitful day for Paes at US Open
Dalmiya to continue calling shots in cricket board
BCCI grants for Sardesai, Gupte
Nehra should sustain rhythm
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Pak hope to make it three in a row
Weightlifting coach goes into hiding
Lodhiana academy cagers win title
Tripura boys crush Srinagar school
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Serena, Roddick advance
New York, September 6 “I wasn’t supposed to come,” admitted Williams after rolling to a 6-4, 6-2 fourth round victory over Patty Schnyder, of Switzerland. “Not one of them (doctors) said it was OK. But it kind of went in one ear and out the other. I took my own advice.” Two-time champion Williams fired 12 aces and had only one double fault to reach the quarter-finals where she will face American compatriot Jennifer Capriati, who dispatched Japan’s Ai Sugiyama on Saturday. French second seed Amelie Mauresmo and Russian sixth seed Elena Dementieva also won their fourth round matches. On the men’s side, hard-serving Andy Roddick unleashed his power game on Gillermo Canas and unseeded German Tommy Haas continued his impressive comeback with a sweep of Ricardo Mello. Defending champion Roddick blasted 21 aces and had no double faults in a 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 victory over the 29th seeded Argentine. He is on course for a semi-final showdown with Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt, who breezed past Spain’s Feliciano Lopez in an evening match 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. The 22-year-old Williams did not defend her 2002 US Open title last year after having surgery to repair left knee quadriceps strain that kept her out until this March. Williams pulled out of the Athens Olympics at the last minute with lingering pain in her left knee. Tennis’ top diva, who won her first Grand Slam here at age 17, has been showcasing a funky assortment of eye-popping outfits during the tournament. The Open spectators seem to like her style as well as the former world No. 1 claims she is enjoying favourable support for a change. She sounded more like a wide-eyed youngster than a nine-year tour veteran when she described what it is like to hear the applause at Arthur Ashe Stadium. “Usually the fans really aren’t for me,” said Williams, adding three doctors advised her not to play at the Open. “But here it has been an unbelievable reception. It was really shocking to have all these people cheering for me. “Usually when I am playing a Lindsay Davenport or even when I used to play Martina Hingis the (fans) are for them. That is just in every country. “But this year has been amazing. They are really cheering for me. I know what it feels like now.” Williams had been booed at a tournament in Palm Springs, California three years ago by fans irked that her elder sister, Venus, had withdrawn from their scheduled semi-final there complaining of tendinitis. Her father, Richard, fuelled the kerfuffle by saying fans at the Pacific Life Open
targeted racial slurs at his family. The sisters have never been back there. Williams also hammered 24 winners but made almost as many unforced errors as Schnyder (17-19) in the 58 minute match. The former world No. 1 has captured just one WTA Tour title since Wimbledon last year. Williams is looking forward to facing Capriati, who she has beaten 10 times in 16 career matches. “I play her all the time and it is always a great match,” Williams said. Tommy Haas, who is trying to return to the spotlight after missing all of 2003 with a shoulder injury, will now face giant-killer Tomas Berdych for a place in the quarter-finals. Berdych, of the Czech Republic, is the last man to beat world No. 1 Roger Federer when they met at the Athens Olympics. Haas, who has seven career titles, is seeking to regain the form he had in 2002 when he was ranked No. 2 in the world and won a silver medal at the Sydney Olympics. Known for having one of the best backhands in the game, Haas said he is finally free of pain. Haas hammered 11 aces and hit 35 winners to boost his US Open record to a career 16-7. His 204kph first serve was a formidable weapon, earning 83 per cent of points when it found its mark. Hewitt extended his match winning streak to 13 after capturing recent back-to-back titles in Washington and Long Island.
— AFP |
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Fruitful day for Paes at US Open
New Delhi, September 6 The third round men’s doubles match at court 10 saw Leander and his Czech partner David
Rikl, seeded 13th, coming up with a spirited effort to humble top seed Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) and Todd Woodbridge (Australia) and reach the quarterfinals. It was a familiar sight with the
Indo-Czezh duo trailing after conceding the first set two. Future looked bleak for them as they were trailing 4-5 in the second set. However, they staged a successful comeback from there to clinch the set and there was no looking back as they went on to win the third with comparative ease to complete a 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 win. Meanwhile, partnering legendary Martina
Navratilova, Paes also reached the quarterfinals in the mixed doubles event, according to information received here. Seeded eighth, the Indo-US pair faced no challenge as such from the Els Callens (Belgium) - Martin Damm (Czech Republic) duo as they went on to register a 6-3, 6-4 win. They meet Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova and Max
Mirnyi, Mahesh Bhupathi’s Belarussian doubles partner, in the next round. Meanwhile, the third seeded pair of Bhupathi and Lisa Raymond (USA) crashed out of the mixed doubles event in the second round after going down to Australian pair of Todd Woodbridge and Alicia Molik 6-7(1/6) 6-7(3/7) in the tie-breakers. In the junior boys’ singles, India’s Divij Sharan crashed out in the first round losing 4-6, 1-6 to Scoville Jenkins (USA).
— UNI |
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Dalmiya to continue calling shots in cricket board
Chandigarh, September 6 Mr Dalmiya is scheduled to demit office later this month, when a new incumbent would be elected to the post. He has been President of the richest sports body of the country for three years and according to convention, the BCCI President can only serve for three consecutive years. No president in the past has broken the convention and Mr Dalmiya would not be any different, so say his supporters. But this does not mean that Mr Dalmiya is giving up his clout in the BCCI. Far from it. The board has already convened an extraordinary general body meeting on September 12 at Chennai where he is scheduled to be appointed chief patron of the board once he demits the office of the President. This post of chief parton of the board will also enable him to represent the BCCI in all International Cricket Council (ICC) and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meetings. So far, it is the BCCI President who has been attending the meetings of these two cricket bodies. According to reports, the ICC as well as the ACC are keen for Mr Dalmiya to play a role in both the bodies. The Asian Cricket Council, in particular, owes a lot to Mr Dalmiya and it would like him to continue taking an interest in the body. He is President of the Asian body, but once he gives up the post of the BCCI President he would also have to leave the post of the ACC President. Certain board members were of the view that since the post of chief parton was to be created, the motion needed a two-thirds majority. But that is not the case. The BCCI Constitution provides for a post of chief parton and all that the backers of Mr Dalmiya need is a simple majority on September 12. Given the clout and patronage Mr Dalmiya has, the motion should be passed by more than the simple majority. The Chennai meeting has ostensibly been called to discuss the terms and tenure of the office-bearers of the BCCI. Even if an amendment to the BCCI Constitution is made to give the president or the secretary (who currently can serve for a maximum period of four years) a longer period at the helm of affairs it will not help the current incumbents. The move to make Mr Dalmiya chief patron of the BCCI is in sharp contrast to the attempt to bring in more professionalism in its functioning. Already, the board is toying with the idea of appointing chief operations officer and chief financial officer. Coach John Wright has been given a year's extension while physio Andrew Leipus and trainer Gregory Allen George have been given the job till the 2007 World Cup, scheduled to be held in the West Indies. There is also some talk of appointing managers on a long-term basis instead of the current trend of appointing managers on a tour-to-tour basis. |
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BCCI grants for Sardesai, Gupte
MUMBAI: Former Test cricketers Dilip Sardesai and Baloo Gupte, undergoing treatment for renal failure and cancer respectively for a period of time, have already been sanctioned Rs 2 lakh each by the Board of Control for Cricket in India under its medical assistance scheme.
Sardesai, who often rescued India from dire straits on the historic 1971 tour to the West Indies, had asked for financial assistance from the BCCI for undergoing a kidney transplant operation in April and it was granted promptly by the Board, BCCI sources told PTI here today. The 64-year-old Sardesai, who scored over 2000 runs in 30 Tests at a shade under 40 per innings between 1961 and 1973 as an opener and middle order batsman, is now awaiting a kidney donor. Gupte, a leg spin exponent like his more famous sibling — the late Subhash - who played only three Tests spread over five years (1960-65), was given the cheque in June, the sources said.
— PTI |
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Nehra should sustain rhythm
It was a morale-boosting win for India at Lord’s. The 23-run win over England yesterday also ended victory drought. India lost the series, but the win came as a much-needed relief for all the team members. It only suggests how badly India needed a favourable result.
The dysfunctions of the team that were discussed for over the last two months should now hopefully come to an end. The boys really applied themselves with rigour and resilience to get out of the rough patch. A victory always brings back the self-confidence among the players and they start looking at the game in a new light. The communication within the team also gets a lift, propagating positive feelings for one another. It was a great sight to watch Ashish Nehra running in with more purpose. As the new ball bowler, that’s the kind of response expected from him. After his World Cup heroics against the same opponents, Ashish had not really inspired confidence. Under the present situation, it may be hard to leave him out of the team. But at the same time, it would be difficult for him to be the first choice for the final eleven. Captains sometimes find it hard to evaluate such players. It should augment Nehra’s game to the next level. He should now be made to bowl more in the nets to sustain the rhythm. When a bowler bowls well, it is always important for him to bowl more to maintain the form. I hope Ashish stays fit and performs with the same agility during the ICC Champions Trophy. Pathan is still the cardinal part of the Indian attack. The team should find the third bowler between Balaji and Agarkar. India should go with three seamers. Harbhajan Singh is in scintillating form at the moment. The control with which he is bowling is truly world class, as one cannot remember him bowling a single bad ball in the last two matches. By breaking the huge seventh-wicket partnership between Ashley Giles and Michael Vaughan, he turned the match in India’s favour. Dinesh Karthik made a remarkable comeback with one of the best stumpings seen in international cricket in recent times. It was good enough an act by the youngster to drive home the point that he belongs to the international arena. The dismissal of Vaughan must have worked in reinforcing his self-belief, which perhaps took a little beating when he batted for the first time at this level. International cricket is all about mind over matter and only such performances can build confidence and sustain a youngster. Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly played with great determination. When it comes to returning to form, no one knows it better than Rahul. His knock was by no means up to his own standards, but the way he grinded the innings to spend more time at the centre was simply commendable. No matter how much time you spend at the nets or in front of the system, form always comes back under constant pressure at the centre. It is important for the captains to lead from the front. With a few runs behind him, Ganguly’s body language changes drastically on the field. Naturally, captains got to lead by example. But this strange phenomenon of getting run out after a mix-up is becoming very productive for the opponents. The top brass of the team should work together to eliminate such mistakes.
— PTI |
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Pak hope to make it three in a row
London, September 6 The arch-rivals clash again at Edgbaston in Birmingham on September 19. “In the last two games we dominated them, we beat them and I hope we’re going to perform in the same way,” said wicket-keeper and former skipper Moin Khan. “It’s going to be an exciting game because a lot of Pakistani people live here and support us. “Definitely there’s going to be lots of pressure on both teams.” Strike bowler Shoaib Akhtar believes Saturday’s narrow defeat against Australia bodes well for the side in the ICC Champions Trophy. Pakistan came up 10 runs short at Lord’s but would only face Australia again if they meet in the final. “We almost beat Australia and if you can beat Australia you can beat any side in the world,” Shoaib told the BBC. “This is a great opportunity for us to win the ICC. If we don’t win it I’m sure we should manage to do well.” Moin echoed the fast bowler’s confidence. “It’s almost like the World Cup - every team is participating,” said the keeper. “Everybody in the team is really looking forward to winning this tournament.”
— AFP |
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Weightlifting coach goes into hiding
Patiala, September 6 However, for the past several days, his whereabouts are not known even to senior NIS officials although he is yet to officially vacate his room. Taranenko, who was sacked following two Indian lifters testing positive for banned drugs in Athens, had arrived at the NIS last week to collect his salary. The NIS authorities, flouting government norms, had extended him facilities normally reserved for VIPs and allotted him a luxury room. According to norms, a coach involved in the doping, can not be given such facilities at the institute or at any other SAI centre throughout the country. However, the authorities here took the line that Leonid Taranenko was still on contract with SAI — a contention that turned out to be false since the Taranenko, along with weightlifting chief coach Pal Singh Sandhu was placed under suspension immediately after the positive dope results of both Sanamacha Channu and Pratima Kumari at Athens. Once under suspension, the contracts of both Sandhu and Taranenko were terminated by the weightlifting federation. Sources say that Taranenko may be staying with Karnam Malleswari’s family at either Yamunanagar or Ambala. It was at the insistence of the lifter that the Belarussian was contracted by SAI. He had shot into prominence at Sydney when he had coached Malleswari to a bronze medal winning effort. The Executive Director of the NIS Mr B.K. Sinha could not be contacted as he was away to New Delhi while the Regional Director Mr L. Ranawat too was away to Chandigarh as he also holds the charge of RD of the Northern centre at Chandigarh. |
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Ronaldo lives up to promise for Brazil
Sao Paolo, September 6 Brazil has 16 points after eight games, Argentina 15, Paraguay 14, and Chile 12. Ronaldinho and Adriano added first-half goals in Brazil's spectacle, while defender Edmilson scored an own-goal for Bolivia four minutes after half time. Bolivia continued to trail the 10-team competition with six points. At Montevideo, Carlos Bueno potted the winner for Uruguay against Ecuador for the second time in two months. At Asuncion, Carlos Gamarra's header off a corner kick on a rare chance in the 52nd minute finished Venezuela 1-0 and lifted Paraguay to their fourth win in eight games.
— AP |
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Lodhiana academy cagers win title
Ludhiana, September 6 In the girls' section, Ludhiana scarped past Jalandhar 77-74 to etch their name on the trophy. The winners received a cash prize of Rs 15,000 each. The boys final began at a brisk pace with the Guru Nanak Club cagers finding their rhythm from the word go. They surged ahead against their superior rivals. By the end of first quarter, Guru Nanak Club lads had established a lead of two points (16-14). The second quarter witnessed some accurate shooting by the Baba Lodhiana Academy players. The academy lads continued with their aggressive game and the pressure tactics bore fruits as they took sthe lead of seven points (40-33) at the breather. After changing ends, academy players gave no chance to their opponents to settle down and kept on increasing the lead and eventually wrapped up the issue 86-66. Gurbhej (23) and Gurbaj (18) played an important role in the win. Other scorers were Vijay Kumar (12), Gagan (10), Aman (8), Sweetpal (7), Fatehjit (5) and Yadwinder (3). Prabhjot (20), Harpreet (19) and Inderpreet (16) fought well for the losers. In the girls final between Ludhiana and Jalandhar, Kamaljeet Kaur of Ludhiana gave a sterling performance as she alone contributed 40 points in her team's tally of 77 points. After trailing by three points (36-39) at the end of the second quarter, Jalandhar eves bounced back into the match by surging ahead (61-55) by the end of third quarter. In the last quarter, Ludhiana eves held their nerve, intercepted the shots at crucial moments to romp home victorious 77-74. |
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Tripura boys crush Srinagar school
New Delhi, September 6 The one-sided match saw the Tripura boys making repeated inroads into rival goalmouth and once they opened the account in the fourth minute, they scored at regular intervals and had the Srinagar boys at their mercy. Braja registered the seond hat-trick of the tournament, scoring in the 15th, 24th and 25th minutes. Bikram Kumar Jamatia (8th, 31st and 34th) also scored three goals for the Tripura side. The other Bikram — Bikram Kishor Jamatia — opened the account for his side in the fourth minute and then scored again in the 39th minute to complete his brace. Ashadan Jamatia (52nd) was the other scorer for the winners.
— UNI |
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Chandigarh, September 6
In
video: Sacked coaches accuse Pratima Kumari of "alcohol consumption". (
