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Henin meets Pierce in final
Federer faces Nadal in dream match
Paes-Navratilova in final
BCCI clears tours, ratifies Chappell’s appointment
Imran backs choice of Chappell
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Kaneria not being handled properly, says Miandad
Akram favours exemplary
punishment
Lara tops ICC Test batting rankings
India to play for pride
PU to appeal against ban on hosting inter-varsity meets
Another feather in Geetika’s cap
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Henin meets Pierce in final
Paris, June 2 The Belgian former world number one, gunning for her second title at Roland Garros, looked in ominously good form as she clinched victory against her error-strewn opponent in just 68 minutes. Seventh-seeded Petrova, who lost in the semifinal here two years ago, briefly threatened to make a match of it when she broke Henin-Hardenne in her first service game. The fast conditions were more suited to Henin and her ferocious backhand constantly had Petrova scrambling to stay in the rallies. Henin, the number 10 seed, broke in the seventh game of the second set and raised her arms in triumph two games later when Petrova shanked a forehand over the baseline. “I have to stay focused and concentrate on my own game, whoever I play next,” she told reporters. “I was very determined, I was patient and I was aggressive when I needed to be. I am very satisfied. I am getting a bit tired, but I keep winning and that is a good feeling.” “It will be a good conclusion for me to finish the claycourt season undefeated.” “I have lots of memories and emotions from here. This is a bit like home,” she said. In the second semifinal, local favourite Mary Pierce made short work of Elena Likhovtseva of Russia. Seeded 21st, Pierce breezed past the 16th seed in straight sets 6-1, 6-1.
— Reuters
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Federer faces Nadal in dream match
Paris, June 2 What would have been a dream title match comes one round too soon and the winner will be overwhelming favourite to claim his first Roland Garros trophy. Twelfth seed Nikolay Davydenko of Russia meets unseeded Argentine Mariano Puerta in the other semifinal. Victory on Sunday would make Federer the sixth player in history to win all four grand slams, an astonishing achievement for a 23-year-old who won his first major title at Wimbledon in 2003. ‘’That would be definitely a dream come true,’’ Federer said. Nadal, who turns 19 tomorrow, is bidding to become the first man to win the French Open on debut since Sweden’s Mats Wilander in 1982. The burly Spaniard has destroyed everything standing in his way to the last four and has already won five titles this year. The left-hander with the devastating forehand has been described by John McEnroe as the most exciting newcomer since Boris Becker triumphed at Wimbledon for the first time 20 years ago. Not only can Nadal fire astonishing winners from all corners of the court but he also seems strong enough physically and mentally to wear down any opposition. Federer, however, is a different proposition from anyone else on the men’s tour. The Swiss top seed has not dropped a set nor lost his cool in the tournament. He is the perfect combination of elegance and power. He is master of every shot in the book and can do damage on any surface. Strangely, he has struggled here, a quarterfinal appearance in 2001 being his best result until this year. The pair are tied 1-1 but have never met on clay. In the Miami final this year on hardcourt Nadal won the first two sets before Federer fought back to win 6-1 in the fifth. ‘’It’s going to be really interesting to see,’’ Federer said. ‘’For me it’s a big moment. It’s one of those chances to walk away with the title here.’’ Nadal, who is on a 22-match winning streak on clay, is happy to be considered the underdog. ‘’He is the favourite, no?,’’ said the young Spaniard, whose English is not as impressive as his on-court fist-pumping. ‘’He has the pressure. He is the number one.’’
— Reuters |
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Paes-Navratilova in final
New Delhi, June 2 The sixth-seeded Indo-US pair got the better of the unseeded Australians 6-2, 6-3 to keep alive their hopes of a third Grand Slam title together.
— PTI |
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BCCI clears tours, ratifies Chappell’s appointment
Thiruvananhapuram, June 2 Contentious issues like suspension of financial assistance to the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) and continuance of Rajasthan Cricket Association President Lalit Kumar Modi in the post came up for discussion at the meet. The board President, Ranbir Singh Mahendra, was authorised to take decisions on these matters, over which the meet was expected to deliberate tomorrow also, BCCI Vice-President Rajiv Shukla told reporters. The Indian team’s tour proposals to Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Pakistan and Sri Lankan and South African teams’ tour to India were approved, Shukla said. According to sources, former board chief Jagmohan Dalmiya made a two-hour presentation on the TNCA issue. TNCA President N Sreenviasan, also the BCCI Finance Committee chairman, would present his views on the issue tomorrow. Board secretary S.K. Nair said the proposal to conduct the ICC Champions’ Trophy next year in the country also figured for discussion at today’s meeting. Mahendra would announce the decisions after conclusion of tomorrow’s session, Nair said. BCCI officials and representatives from different state associations were attending the meet, being held at the Kovalam beach resort. — PTI
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Imran backs choice of Chappell
Islamabad, June 2 “I am not a great believer in coaches but if a person of great calibre like Chappell is selected, it makes a difference,” Khan told visiting Indian journalists on the sidelines of a dinner hosted by the Indian High Commissioner Shivshankar Menon in honour of Mr L.K. Advani here last night. “He is a good captain and a great cricketer. As far as other coaches are concerned, it’s okay to have your own coaches”, he said. Asked whether former Pakistan captain and left-arm seamer Wasim Akram would be an ideal choice if India go for a bowling coach, Imran said, “it is for Wasim to decide but what I am trying to say is that there is too much emphasis on coaches.” On Sachin Tendulkar, who would be out of action for almost four months after undergoing a surgery for an elbow injury in London recently, he said “I think he has quite a lot of cricket left in him.” Imran also came down heavily on the Pakistan selectors for ignoring Shoaib Akhtar for the tour of the West Indies. “I always thought it was a blunder. The Pakistani team had overestimated itself. One should never underestimate one’s rivals. You discipline a player on the tour and not by keeping him out of a tour”.
— PTI |
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Kaneria not being handled properly, says Miandad
Lahore, June 2 Himself coach of the side before Bob Woolmer replaced him, Miandad felt Bob Woolmer and captain Inzamam-ul Haq were yet to sort out a number of issues. “For example the coach and captain have yet to settle upon an opening pair for Test matches. It made no sense in Barbados to have different opening combinations in both innings,” he said. “Similarly Danish Kaneria has not been handled properly; a leg-spinner needs to bowl everyday and in practice, even when he is not playing because it’s a difficult art to master.” “Kaneria has not been made to practise or play regularly since the Test series in India, and his rustiness showed in Barbados,” he observed. Raising the case of Yasir Hameed, Miandad said,” Similarly Yasir Hameed has been playing since 2003 and yet he is not sure of his place in the team and he is lacking in confidence; he is repeating the same mistakes in batting,” he added. Miandad also regretted the Barbados incident involving Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi and Inzamam-ul Haq. “What I can’t understand is why there was miscommunication between Afridi and Younis over the batting position of Afridi. These things are decided at the team meeting the night before the match. Why didn’t the coach have a clear understanding with the captain and the player on this issue, and where was the manager when this incident occurred,” he said. “What is of concern is that it occurred in the presence of the (PCB) chairman in Barbados,” Miandad rued. He also advised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to accept criticism from former players. “Players like me, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, along with others, have given a lot to Pakistan cricket and gained a lot from it; we still remain passionate about the performances of the team. If we say something it’s automatically looked at in a negative manner by the Board officials, the team management and some players who don’t like to hear or read the truth,” he said. Miandad also felt a sense of complacence had crept in the side after the one day series win against India. “What is sad is that a certain amount of complacence was visible among some of the players and the same mistakes are being repeated again and again; there is no clear selection policy and yet the expectations are there that the team will win all the time.”
— UNI |
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Akram favours exemplary
punishment
Karachi, June 2 “Warnings or reprimands are nothing but eyewash. In fact, by letting off cricketers with these warnings, the PCB is setting wrong precedence,” Akram said. “The players guilty of indiscipline need to be given a tough lesson that can become an example for the coming generations,” Akram, who captained Pakistan in 25 Tests and 109 one-dayers, said. Shahid Afridi, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Younis Khan exchanged words and blows on the first day of the Test match after the all-rounder was asked to open the innings by stand-in captain Younis in the Barbados Test which Pakistan lost. According to Akram, the best thing would have been to send the responsible players back home immediately after the incident. “As regards players, I am very clear in my mind that the players guilty of indiscipline should have been put on the first available flight back to Pakistan because the fines of $ 1,000 are peanuts for these cricketers,” Akram said. In fact, after the Indian tour, some players complained to me about the behaviour of Younis during the Indian tour.
— PTI |
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Lara tops ICC Test batting rankings
London, June 2 Lara’s teammate and West Indies’ captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul also moved up five places to eighth following his scores of 92 and 153 not out in the same match. West Indies, who won the first Test, will improve their rating in the Test Championship from 73 to 78 points if they clinch the two-Test series 2-0. For England there were small improvements in the rankings of both Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick following their centuries against Bangladesh. However, the relatively low rankings of the Bangladesh bowlers meant that the batsmen got much less credit for these scores than they would if they make centuries against Australia later in the summer. Similarly in the bowling, wickets for Andrew Flintoff and Matthew Hoggard slightly improved their rankings. Hoggard has climbed to tenth while Flintoff shares the 11th spot with teammate Steve Harmison.
—PTI |
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Korea defeat New Zealand
Kuala Lumpur, June 2 New Zealand netted two early goals before their rivals could settle down, with field attempts by Phillips Burrows in the fourth minute and Geredh Brooks in the fifth minutes. The Koreans came back to reduce the margin in the ninth minute when Sung Hoon Yoon beat goalkeeper Paul Woolford with a reverse. The New Zealanders consolidated their lead 11 minutes later when Bryce Collin latched on to a Simon Towns pass to find the target. However, the fortune pendulum swung once again for the Koreans two minutes from half time as Inchun University student Jong Hyun Jang flicked from a penalty corner. Korea found their rhythm in the second session, where they dominated the pace and used long overhead passes to penetrate into their rivals’ circle. The equaliser came two minutes after changeover when Byung Hoon Kim scored a set piece penalty corner. Finding their flair and touch, the Koreans took the lead for the first time when Kyung Seok Kim converted a penalty stroke in the 40th minute. New Zealand put in all their effort to draw parity, to be successful four minutes later. Brooks scored his second goal of the match from a penalty corner and the scoreline read a tantalising 4-4. Two field goals from Hyo Sik You in the 64th minute and Jong Ho Seo in the 70th minute was enough to torpedo the New Zealand challenge as Korea romped home 6-4.
— PTI |
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India to play for pride
Kuala Lumpur, June 2 A last-gasp win over minnows South Africa in the opening encounter notwithstanding, India, playing with several players with absolutely no or little international experience, has so far struggled to find their feet. They struggled to a 2-2 draw against New Zealand before crashing to humiliating losses to Malaysia, South Korea and Pakistan. And the way things stand now, the team needs to play out of its skin against Australia just to salvage some pride. Australia, who are almost certain to make it to the final against Pakistan, are no push overs and if their performance in the competition so far is any indication India has a tough task at hand to force even a draw. The Indians, who were mauled by both Korea and hosts Malaysia, showed glimpses of fighting spirit in the match against traditional rivals Pakistan yesterday. But it came too late as it failed to undo the damage caused by a sorry display in the first half during which Pakistan scored three goals to make the issue safe for them. The eight-time Olympic champions have several rookies who would be tested to the fullest by the experienced Australians. Two of the senior-most forwards — Deepak Thakur and Prabhjot Singh — have struggled for the better part of the tournament with the former, playing the first tournament since the Athens Olympics, clearly off-colour in almost all the matches. Prabhjot Singh, another player making a comeback since the Olympics debacle, has done no justice to his reputation failing to find his goal scoring touch wasting sitters at crucial junctures. The burden of leading a team of inexperienced players seemed to have taken a toll on captain Dilip Tirkey who had made a number of errors at his favourite full back position, unusual for a player of his calibre. Tirkey would be finding it difficult to relax ahead of tomorrow’s tie with Australia making their intentions clear that they would not take the match lightly. “We are getting there (to the final). We have a tough match against India coming up and we know we have to win if we are to reach the final,” Australian coach Barry Dancer said. The team from Down Under was yet to lose a match in the prestigious tournament though it split points with South Korea and Pakistan. With most of their players including Jamie Dwyer, Grant Schubert, Travis Brooks and Brent Livermore in terrific form, India would face an uphill task to stop the Aussie carnage. Even if India manage to upset Australia, that is unlikely to have any bearing on their fortunes as they would in most likelihood play for the fifth and sixth position, most probably against Malaysia.
— PTI |
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PU to appeal against ban on hosting inter-varsity meets
Chandigarh, June 2 AIU is a premier body controlling colleges and universities sports throughout the country. “If justice is not done, we will not hesitate to move court after getting the permission of Vice-Chancellor of our university”, said Mr D.S. Toor, Director, Panjab University Sports Department. The decision to debar Panjab University was delivered by the AIU board at its annual general meeting of sports committee held recently in Srinagar. The decision followed the incident which occurred at the inter-university women’s hockey match between the teams of PU and Meerut University (MU) at Meerut last year, in which it was alleged that PU players thrashed the umpires after some disputed decision given by them. The charges were refuted by Mr Toor who blamed the host university of flouting the rules by deputing a local referee in the match, which was against the Rule 12, Page 24 of AIU rules book. He also charged the umpires of using unfair tactics during the match. Mr Toor claimed, “Our players did not assault the umpires. The local crowd beat them up and I have proved this fact in the hearings at AIU board’s office in front of member secretary and secretary general of the board. Besides this, we also proved that the umpire who gave biased decision was a local person thus against the rules”. Defining it a harsh penalty, Mr Toor said the Director of Sports Department, MU, who had been visiting Delhi frequently to meet member secretary after the incident, manipulated it. The same penalty should have been awarded to the Meerut University. |
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Another feather in Geetika’s cap
Hisar, June 2 Geetika participated in the 63-kg weight category and went on to the final round, in which she lost to a Japanese Olympic gold medallist after a tough fight. Earlier this year, she bagged the gold medal in the first International Fila Cup held in Latvia in the 63-kg weight category. Geetika, who has been honoured with the prestigious Bhim Award and Hind Kesri title, had won the gold medal at the 2003 Commonwealth Games held in Ontario, Canada. Geetika aims to win a medal in the Asian Games and the Olympics, for which she is toiling hard at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) stadium on the premises of Haryana Agricultural University (HAU) here. As of now, she is preparing for the Junior Asian Wrestling Championship to be held in Korea and the Junior World Wrestling Championship. |
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Tarlochan on Commonwealth
Games panels
Chandigarh, June 2 |
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Virender
wins chess tourney Patiala, June 2
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Tushar
honoured Patiala, June 2 Tushar, who is employed by the Yadvindera Public School (YPS), had recently won the singles title in the u-18 age category in the Punjab Sports Festival held at Patiala recently. The young tennis player was honoured by a social organisation — the Youth Brotherhood at a function held here today. |
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Helen Mary is hockey captain Aussie squads Pakistani team Jones edged out
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