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Uzbeks could be really tough: Bhupathi
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Akram backs beleaguered Ganguly
Strong Indian presence at Asian Open
Gavaskar skipper for tsunami relief tourney
Court notice to HPCA
Sohail Abbas among Azlan Shah probables
Olympian Ramandeep joins PAU
Ashutosh, Akshita to lead
Digvijay Singh shown the door
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Uzbeks could be really tough: Bhupathi
Jaipur, April 27 "We may appear better on paper but the youngsters from Uzbekistan can be tough customers," Bhupathi told reporters before the team's practice session today. Bhupathi said the long separation with his erstwhile partner Leander Paes in the circuit will not hamper their performance in the doubles. "I and Leander have played together for many years and as soon as we step on court together, the same chemistry starts working again". Bhupathi, who made his Davis Cup debut at the same venue, also made it clear that he was concentrating on playing only the doubles event and not thinking about the singles. Paes echoed Bhupathi's opinion while assessing the Uzbekistan team and said the Uzbeks were capable of keeping the hosts on their toes. "These people are tough characters. They come from such a part of the world that hard work is way of life for them. We have to be on toes to beat them," said Paes, who had recently won two doubles titles in the circuit. "They are tough and keeping in view the hot conditions we have to conserve our energy while playing against them. They are strong and can sap our energy if they get into groove," he added. Paes expressed surprise that their non-playing captain Vadim Kutsenko, who had played here a few years back in an ITF tournament, was not playing in singles. "I thought he was too good a player", Paes said. "I have never played against Uzbeks but the rest of our team members have. They had some mixed results but we have to start afresh," he said. Paes evaded a direct answer when asked whether he would play in the singles but said the Indians were fortunate that they have options. "Our intention is to field the best team. I was rather unfortunate that I twisted my ankle in Australia but now I have found my rhythm and enough match practice has given me confidence. I am upbeat and my morale is high. The recent tournaments were like a physical Test and my ankle and body stood well to it. "Harsh and Prakash too are in good shape. We will have a team meeting tonight and then it will be decided as to who plays in singles," he said. Paes said that unseasonal rains in past few days might have made the courts softer and lowered the bounce which could be more to India's advantage. "Certainly, it will," Paes, who has some memorable victories here, said adding "these courts have always been to my advantage". The Uzbeks, on the other hand, exuded confidence that they can be more than handful for the fancied Indians, especially in the singles matches. "I agree that Paes and Bhupathi are a formidable pair but in singles we fancy our chances. The practice on grass courts for past couple of days has given us some confidence," said Kutsenko. Kutsenko said though Indians were higher ranked but in Davis Cup what mattered was the team performance. "Though our players play more on hard courts and clay, we would try our best. The rankings of the Indians might be higher but Davis Cup is a different proposition, it's all about team," he said. When asked that the fact that Istomin had beaten Mankad twice gave them any confidence, Kutsenko said conditions were different now. "In singles, Denis Istomin has beaten Mankad twice but now things are different. Both Harsh and Prakash have a game that suits more to grass. While both Farrukh Dustov and Istomin have big serve and volleys and can play well on grass too." On whether grass could be to their advantage because their players had big serve and volleys and power, Kutsenko said "no, it suits more to the Indians". "But my players know their strategy. There are many who have written us off but I feel we have chances of winning the tie," Kutsenko said. Uzbekistan's best singles bet Farrukh Dustov said he felt confident after practicing on grass. "Heat is not a big factor. We played in Indonesia, it was more humid there. We have been trying our best to get used to these courts."
— PTI |
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Moya through to second round
Oeiras (Portugal), April 27 Third-seeded Joachim Johansson of Sweden overcame Spaniard Alex Calatrava 7-6 (1), 6-4, while fourth-seeded Tommy Robredo of Spain needed three sets to get past Czech Frantisek Cermak 6-2, 2-6, 6-4. Defending champion and sixth-seeded Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina was eliminated by Costa Rica’s Juan Antonio Marin 6-1, 6-2 in 94 minutes. Juan Carlos Ferrero, winner here four years ago, started strongly against Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, taking the first set 6-3. Ferrero, who played in Sunday’s Open Seat Godo final, lost the second set 6-2 before rallying to edge his opponent 7-6 (6) in the final set tiebreak. Paul-Henri Mathieu ousted seventh-seeded Jiri Novak of Czech Republic 7-6 (5), 6-1. Paradorn cruises
MUNICH: Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan eased into the last sixteen of the 323,250 euro BMW Open with a straight sets victory over Dutchman Peter Wessels on Tuesday. The seventh seed took the first set 6-3 and triumphed 6-4 in the second to set up a clash with Juan Monaco of Argentina in the next round. Monaco overcame Lars Burgmuller 7-5, 6-3 in his first round match. Argentina’s number one seed David Nalbandian also made the last sixteen stage with a hard-fought 7-5, 1-6, 6-4 win over Ecuador’s Nicolas Lapentti. German fourth seed Tommy Haas was another big gun to progress inflicting a 7-5, 6-3 defeat on Spaniard Nicolas Alagro. Defending champion Nikolay Davydenko of Russia also stayed on course to retain his title with a 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 win over Frenchman Gerome Haehnel. Russia’s sixth seed Igor Andreev dismissed Czech Jiri Vanek 6-1, 6-2 and will face Australia’s Wayne Arthurs in the last sixteen. Arthurs defeated Georgian Irakli Labadze 6-3, 6-3 in his first round match. Clijsters, Henin-Hardenne win
WARSAW: Belgium’s Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne won in contrasting styles Tuesday in the opening round of the J&S Cup. Seventh-seeded Clijsters, bidding for her 15th straight victory after tournament wins at Indian Wells and Miami, struggled to overcome Tatiana Perebiynis of Ukraine 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-1. While Henin-Hardenne swept aside Czech Republic qualifier Denisa Chladkova 6-2, 6-2. On her least-favored surface of clay, Clijsters squandered numerous chances — missing two break points that would have given her a 4-0 first-set lead. She then did the same in the second with a 4-1 advantage possible. Sixth-seeded Nathalie Dechy of France beat Bulgaria’s Magdalena Maleeva 6-4, 6-4, while eighth-seeded Silvia Farina Elia of Italy swept the last 10 games to eliminate Czech Republic’s Michaela Pastikova 6-2, 6-0.
— AP |
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Akram backs beleaguered Ganguly
Karachi, April 27 "There is no doubt that Sourav Ganguly is passing through the worst batting form which leaves his career in doldrums. I also fear that his career might be reaching dead-end but I would still back him and advice the Indian selectors to be extremely careful and watchful while deciding his future," Akram told PTI shortly before leaving for a week-long tour of Mumbai. "If I were a selector, I would have definitely given him one more chance before really thinking about his future as an Indian cricketer," he added. Ganguly has scored 9,945 runs, including 22 centuries, in 270 one-day internationals and 4,949 runs for an average of about 41 in 82 Tests. But in the recent three-match Test series against Pakistan, the Indian skipper scored only 48 runs in six innings while his ODI score was 0, 9, 4 and 18 before he was slapped with a six-match ODI ban by ICC Match Referee Chris Broad for India's slow over rate at Ahmedabad. "Naturally, we didn't see the same aggressive and attacking Sourav we are used to watching. To add insult to injury, India drew the Test series and then also lost the one-day series to Pakistan, that meant knives were out for him", the 39-year-old Akram, who played 104 Tests and 356 ODIs for Pakistan during his illustrious career, said. Akram said such lean patches were part of the game and came in every cricketers' career. "We have to realise that all the top batsmen pass through a period where the ball does not make any contact with the bat. It has happened to the best before and it will happen to the best in days to come. You see it is inevitable," he said. The former Pakistani captain said Ganguly was among the best products of Indian cricket and one should be cautious before passing any judgement on him. "Sourav has been a great servant of Indian cricket and his contributions to the Indian cricket team in the last five years cannot be denied. Everyone will have to see Sourav's career in 360 degrees before the judgement on his career is passed. "And I tell you it is going to be one hell of a decision because Sourav is definitely one of the best Indian cricket has produced," Akram, who took 414 Tests and 502 one-day wickets, said. Akram also believes that absence of captain Ganguly's magic in the last two games was one of the several reasons behind India's loss in the one-day series. "Pakistan was a fitter and younger side. But India missed Sourav because he is a true leader who has matured nicely as a captain. When the chips are down, everyone looks at the captain to lift them and Sourav has that magic," he said. "Sourav, I think, should get his mind away from cricket for the time being, take a breather and come back with a bang. He should take this as a challenge," Akram, one of the greatest ever, said. Akram praised the young and confident Pakistan team for its performance in the recent series against India and predicted a bright future for it. "I always backed them and I am so happy for Inzamam-ul-Haq and his team because now I see that Pakistan cricket will be on a rise from here," he said. The cricketer-turned-commentator specially appreciated the team for handling the pressure well despite being the underdogs. "I think the difference between the two teams was fitness. The other crucial factor was the pressure and I think the Pakistanis handled that extremely well while the Indian team could not tackle the home pressure. "After the Mohali Test, I could see the Pakistanis targeting for the kill while the Indians were just trying to survive and hang in there. They (Indians) won in Kolkata but I think Pakistan was a better team. And when they got the win at Bangalore, it was the start of a historic tour for a young Pakistan team," Akram, who captained Pakistan on a successful 1999 tour, said.
— PTI |
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Strong Indian presence at Asian Open
Shanghai, April 27 Randhawa and Jeev tied for 10th place at the 2004 edition, won by Miguel Angel Jimenez, who is back to defend his title. The other Indians in the event, being held in China’s booming financial capital, are Amandeep Johl, Harmeet Kahlon, Rahil Gangjee and Gaurav Ghei. Barring Ghei, who did not play, the other five had missed the cut at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Beijing last week. For the second straight week, Randhawa has been paired with defending champion Jimenez. This time the third player in the group will be Colin Montgomerie, who was sixth last week. That will be the morning’s most high-profile group, while in the afternoon, the focus will be on Ernie Els, who plays with K.J. Choi and Paul Casey. Johl plays in a group with Kenneth Ferrie and Chawalit Plaphol of Thailand, while Jeev is paired with Lu Wen Te and Nobuhito Sato. Ghei plays with Jean-Francois Lucquin and China’s Zeng Fa Qi. Kahlon will be with Adam Groom and Chris Williams. Gangjee goes out with Marcus Fraser and Soren Hansen. Among the other big stars in attendance Chinese number one Zhang Lian-wei, Nick Faldo and Asia’s big names, Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wiratchant, besides Randhawa. Jimenez, whose 2004 haul also included wins in Hong Kong and Thailand, is delighted to be back at Tomson to defend his BMW Asian Open title. “It was my first time in Shanghai last year and my wife and I had a great time. It was a great golf course and we had great weather and everything was very nice. I am still hitting the ball very well and will try as hard as I can to beat the guys that are here,” he said. The Spaniard, winner of five titles on the European Tour last year, cruised to the 2004 BMW Asian Open title by three shots. Closing with a round of five-under-par 67 at the Shunski Kato-designed layout, he held off Simon Dyson, with Prayad Marksaeng and K.J. Choi, both of whom are also in the field this week, in third and fourth place, respectively. Els, who says he has been working on a “couple of basics” in his golf swing, including his ball position and posture, is looking forward to the warm and sunny conditions that are anticipated this week. Already a winner in Dubai and at the jointly sanctioned Qatar Masters in 2005, he was tied sixth last week. Montgomerie, who has already posted five top-10s in 2005, said, “The goal (of winning the tournament) never changes. It is a long way to come here to finish second, so I am trying to win. If we do not try and win, we do not come.” He added: “I have travelled all over the place this year and it has been very tiring, but I have had to do that. I have enjoyed it and I have done quite well and, hopefully, there is a win around the corner. It might just be this week, so we will see.”
— PTI |
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Gavaskar skipper for tsunami relief tourney
Dubai, April 27 The tournament, also involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka, gets underway at the Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi on May 1. Though Rohan skippers a depleted Indian side, Inzamam-ul Haq leads a full-strength Pakistan squad while the Marvan Atapattu-led Sri Lanka-- sans Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas-- also looks formidable. Kapil Dev will be the manager of the Indian side. The Sri Lankan Masters are expected to reach Abu Dhabi on Friday followed by the Indian team which reaches on Saturday. Indian Masters XI take on their Sri Lankan counterpart in the opening match on Sunday, while they meet Inzamam's side on May 3. Apart from Rohan, other members of the Indian side include Akash Chopra, Ajay Jadeja, Sunil Joshi, Sadagopan Ramesh, Amit Bhandari, Wasim Jaffar, Harvinder Singh, Vijay Dahiya, Sairaj Bahutule, Suresh Raina, Ramesh Pawar and Ajay Ratra. — UNI |
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Court notice to HPCA
Shimla, April 27 Mr Nayyar has filed a damages suit of Rs 15 lakh against the abovesaid respondents. He has claimed damages on the ground that due to mala fide and illegal actions of the H.P. Cricket Association, he had suffered financial losses. He further alleged that an attempt had been made to spoil his reputation, which he earned by his hard work and devotion to the sports. He alleged that he had been subjected to continuous humiliation by the HPCA president on pretext or the other. He has also alleged that ignoring his past performance, first he was removed as a captain, then from the one-day squad and finally shown the door from the Ranji team. |
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Sohail Abbas among Azlan Shah probables
Lahore, April 27 Regarded as the most dreaded drag flicker in the game, Sohail Abbas, along with the then captain Waseem Ahmed, had announced their retirement from international hockey. However, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) was able to persuade them to reconsider their decision. The PHF has announced a list of 29 probables, which included the name of Sohail Abbas, for the training camp for the next month's Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament in Malaysia. The list, however, does not include name of Waseem. ''On the team management's recommendations, we have dropped Sameer Hussain, Waheed-ul Islam, Rizwan Butt and Naeem Akbar and included Shahid Waseem, Tariq and Waqas Rabbani for the camp,'' a PHF release said. The probables: Salamn Akbar, Ghzanfar Ali, Aqeel Khan, Saleem Khalid, Amanullah, Gohar Rasool, Rehan Butt, Zakirullah, Mudassar Ali Khan, Waqas Rabbani, Shabbir Hussain, Rashad Yaqoob, Sami, Zeeshan, Zeeshan Ashraf, Adnan Maqsood, Muhammad Saqlain, Tariq Yameen, Kashif Jawwad, Sohail Abbas, Aamir Shahzad, Dilawar Hussain, Mukhtar, Asim Moazzam, Ihsanullah, Mazhar, Tariq, Shahid Waseem.
— UNI |
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Olympian Ramandeep joins PAU
Patiala, April 27 Ramandeep Singh, who was conferred upon with the Arjuna Award in 1999, took charge of his new post yesterday at Ludhiana. Interestingly , Ramandeep completed his post-graduation in agriculture from the same institution in 1997. Hailing from Raikot village in Ludhiana district, Ramandeep Singh, who made his debut for India at Perth in 1994 while playing for the country in a Test series against Australia, rose through the ranks to lead the Indian squad in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. |
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Ashutosh, Akshita to lead
Shimla, April 27 A 12-day coaching camp for the teams was held at the Sanawar school under the supervision of Mr J.C. Katoch and Mr Daljinder Singh. Other members of the teams are: boys: Sumit Kadyan, Alamjeet Singh Sohel, Madhawan Bains, Abhishek, Anshul, Rajesh, Kuldeep, Anubhav, Kamlesh, Aditya Rana and Pushender. Girls: Plaash Jyoti, Shourya Phari, Pallavi Jain, Tamanna Chauhan, Himani Rana, Bindu Sharma, Rekha Sharma, Rachna Rana and Vijayshri. |
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Digvijay Singh shown the door
New Delhi, April 27 In other upsets — after fifth seed Vijay Kumar dropped out of his match against 28th seed Gast Ram — local lad and 23rd seed Shamim Khan pulled the rug from under the feet of 10th seed Feroz Ali. Another local pro, Ajay Gupta, put to good use his home-course advantage to beat 11th seeded Ranjit Singh two-up.
— UNI |
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