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Sharapova, Federer enter last 16
Paes-Zimonjic advance
Aussies avenge loss to Bangladesh
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Lanka reschedules tri-series
Ganguly, Mongia come a cropper
Perrot leads at halfway stage
Johl leaps to sixth spot
India upset China
TT team may be cleared to tour Malaysia
Amarinder did not keep his word, says blind player
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Sharapova, Federer enter last 16
London, June 25 The Russian second seed had flattened Bulgarian upstart Sesil Karatantcheva in 46 emphatic minutes in her previous match, but against Srebotnik, she took almost the same time to win the first set. After watching Srebotnik save two match points in the ninth game of the second set, the 18-year-old made no mistake on the third. She slammed a forehand winner past a charging Srebotnik to clinch victory. Top seed Lindsay Davenport swept aside Russian 19-year-old Dinara Safina 6-2, 6-1 to enter the fourth round. The 29-year-old American had moved almost unnoticed through the draw so far, dropping only eight games in her three matches and Safina, ranked 32nd in the world, could not cope with the experienced 1999 Wimbledon champion. The Russian’s defeat came a day after elder brother Marat Safin lost in the third round of the men’s singles. France’s Mary Pierce put up her best performance at Wimbledon in almost a decade today when she trounced promising Serbian teenager Ana Ivanovic 6-1, 6-4 to reach the last 16. It had been nine years since Pierce last reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and she had never looked so much at ease on grass. The statuesque number 12 seed, runner-up at the French Open earlier this month, commanded the court with effortless ease in the first set when she twice broke Ivanovic’s serve. The 30-year-old Pierce, 13 years older than the up-and-coming Serb, needed just one break of serve in the second set to clinch a stylish victory over the 19th seed in just 67 minutes. A beaming Pierce was clearly enjoying herself in sharp contrast to her match on Thursday, when she was given a huge scare by Ukrainian Julia Vakulenko before triumphing in three sets. Eighth seed Nadia Petrova also advanced with ease, the Russian beating Zimbabwe’s Cara Black 6-4, 6-3. Former champion Conchita Martinez fell, a 6-4, 6-1 victim of Czech Kveta Peschke. The oldest woman left in the draw and contesting her 63rd Grand Slam tournament, 33-year-old Martinez flopped on an overcast court 18. Peschke, who had lost both the pair’s previous matches, would face Petrova next. American Venus Williams beat Daniela Hantuchova 7-5, 6-3 to move into the fourth round. The champion in 2000 and 2001, Venus has struggled for form and motivation this year but she produced some vintage power tennis to fend off a stiff challenge from the Slovak. Leading by a set and 3-0, Venus was striding away to victory only to drop serve twice in succession. Normal service was quickly restored, however, and the 14th seed rattled off the last three games to take her career record over Hantuchova to 7-0. Federer lost a set for the first time at this year’s Wimbledon before stumbling through to the last 16 with a 6-2, 6-7, 6-1, 7-5 win over Nicolas Kiefer. The aberration occurred when the Swiss top seed tossed away a 4-1 lead to lose the second set tie-breaker 7-5 against the 25th seed, who beat Federer on grass at Halle three years ago. Federer won the third set easily but, looking out of sorts on a murky Centre Court, trailed 5-3 in the fourth before turning it on his head with two consecutive breaks and sealing victory with an ace. The Swiss, seeking a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles and who had not lost on grass for over three years, would play Spanish former French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero in the fourth round. Ferrero, seeded 23rd, beat Florian Mayer of Germany 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1. In other third-round matches, Max Mirnyi of Belarus beat 28th seed Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic 5-7, 7-5, 6-4, 7-6(2), while 31st seed Mikhail Youzhny of Russia defeated Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(9). Anastasia Myskina yesterday came back from 1-5 down in the deciding set — having blown three match points in the second — to eke out victory over Serbian 17th seed Jelena Jankovic 6-0, 5-7, 10-8. Lleyton Hewitt, the 2002 champion, edged out unseeded American Justin Gimelstob 7-6, 6-4, 7-5 in an entertaining Centre Court tussle. Andy Roddick finished off Daniele Bracciali 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 4-6, 6-3 to reach the third round in a match spanning two days. Runner-up last year and second seed Roddick led the Italian by two sets to one when poor light forced the pair off court on Thursday. Fernando Gonzalez upset lofty 11th seed Joachim Johansson of Sweden yesterday, winning 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. The Chilean 21st seed had a quarterfinal showdown with Federer next.
— Reuters |
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Paes-Zimonjic advance
London, June 25 The fifth-seeded pair proved too strong for their unseeded opponents as they pocketed the match 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-3 which took over two days to finish. The match was evenly poised after play was stopped on Wednesday as the teams shared the spoils in the opening two sets. The players could not take to the court yesterday since the earlier matches could not be completed due to rain. Paes and Zimonjic would now take on the US pair of Rick Leach and Travis Parrott in the second round.
— PTI |
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Aussies avenge loss to Bangladesh
Manchester, June 25 The world champions, who lost to Bangladesh a week ago in one of the greatest upsets in cricket history, made a nonsense of that aberration as they dismissed their opponents for 139 and then raced home with 31 overs to spare. Scoreboard Bangladesh Omar lbw b Lee 3 Nafees b Symonds 47 Imran c Gilchrist b Lee 4 Ashraful c and b Symonds 58 Bashar c Gilchrist b Symonds 0 Aftab b Symonds 5 Mashud b Hogg 4 Manjural st Gilchrist b Hogg 2 Rafique b Symonds 0 Mortaza c Martyn b Hogg 0 Nazmul not out 0 Extras
(lb-6, w-5, nb-5) 16 Total (all out, 35.2 overs) 139 Fall of wickets:
1-13, 2-23, 3-113, 4-113, 5-124, 6-137, 7-139, 8-139, 9-139. Bowling:
Lee 6-1-36-2, McGrath 6-1-19-0, Gillespie 3-0-17-0, Watson 4-0-14-0, Hogg 9-1-29-3, Symonds 7.2-1-18-5. Australia Gilchrist not out 66 Hayden not out 66 Extras
(nb-1, w-7) 8 Total (no loss, 19 overs) 140 Bowling:
Mortaza 6-0-32-0, Hossain 3-0-29-0, Rafique 6-0-53-0, Islam Rana 4-0-26-0.
— Reuters |
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Lanka reschedules tri-series
Colombo, June 25 The tri-series, which also includes India and the West Indies, was due to start on August 2 but will now begin on July 30, with all seven games squeezed into 11 days. The final will be played under lights at the Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo on August 9. The proposed series between an Asian XI and African XI will raise funds for the welfare of players in the two continents and for the development of the new Afro-Asian Cricket Council, a new body set up by the Asian Cricket Council and the African Cricket Council. The rescheduling has also affected the start of Sri Lanka’s two-Test series at home against the West Indies. The first Test starts in Colombo on July 13 . The West Indies will play a three-day warm-up game from July 8-10 before the first Test in Colombo. The second Test begins in Kandy on July 21. Tri-series schedule: July 30 - India v Sri Lanka
(Dambulla); July 31 - India v West Indies (Dambulla); August 2 - Sri Lanka v West Indies
(Dambulla); August 3 - Sri Lanka v India (Dambulla); August 6 - West Indies v Sri Lanka (Colombo); August 7 - West Indies v India (Colombo); August 9 - Final (Colombo) Bridgetown: Only captain Shivnarine
Chanderpaul, fast bowler Daren Powell, and rookie wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin signed up this week for the West Indies tour of Sri Lanka. The trio were the only invited players of 13 to return a contract by Tuesday’s deadline, putting next month’s tour in jeopardy. Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, and former vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan were among those who did not sign in an ongoing dispute over endorsement contracts with the West Indies Cricket Board.
— Reuters, AP |
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Ganguly, Mongia come a cropper
London, June 25 Ganguly, who came to open the innings with Australian Matthew Elliott, lasted only one delivery from C Greenidge. Put in to bat, Glamorgan scored 128 for 9 in their stipulated 20 overs but Gloucestershire reached the target in 17.1 overs losing only three wickets. The Indian captain also bowled one over in which he conceded six runs. Elsewhere, Dinesh Mongia’s batting failed to fire once again and he was sent packing with only seven runs to his credit as Leicestershire lost to Derbyshire by seven wickets. Leicestershire, for whom only H Ackerman made a significant contribution with 39 while Ian Hunter took three wickets in an impressive bowling display, made 137 in 20 overs. Due to a brief interruption in the match, the Duckworth-Lewis calculation was needed and Derbyshire easily reached their 103-run target as Luke Sutton made 42 from 32 balls. —
PTI |
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Brazil beat Germany Nuremberg, June 25 Ronaldinho again put Brazil a goal ahead in the 43rd minute through a penalty, which was pulled back by German skipper Michael Ballack in injury time, again through a penalty. Adriano gave Brazil the lead in the 76th minute and they kept Germany at bay for the remaining period to enter the final. — Reuters
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Perrot leads at halfway stage
Cherry Hills Village (USA), June 25 Nicole Perrot, a 21-year-old from Chile who has missed the cut in her two previous US Opens, posted a second successive 70 to lead on two-under-par 140, two ahead of Michelle Wie, the 15-year-old American amateur, and Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa. Ochoa, who won last week’s LPGA tournament in Rochester, had a best-of-day 68, while Wie continued her dazzling run of form with a 73 for level-par 142. Sorenstam is seeking the third leg of a season’s Grand Slam of all four majors, but the Swede’s putting let her down as she missed a barrow load of birdie chances. And then her normally pinpoint accurate long game cost her dear as she drove into the rough and failed to make par at both the 16th and 17th and came up short at the par-four 18th. Perrot, the 2001 US Junior Champion and a two-time winner on the US Futures Tour, is in her first full season on the LPGA Tour and has had two top tens. Wie finished second to Sorenstam at the last major, the LPGA Championship, and her second round was masterful as she made some brave par-saving putts. She had no hesitation in suggesting this could be her weekend. Another member of the American teen machine, Paula Creamer, had a great 69 to move into a tie for fourth place on 143. The 18-year-old, who has already won as a rookie on the LPGA Tour this season, highlighted her round by holing out with an eight iron from 132-yards for an eagle two at the 414-yard 10th. Morgan Pressel, the 17-year-old amateur, was Wie’s closest challenger for the amateur honours. The Florida youngster fired a 72 for joint seventh place on 144. — Reuters |
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Johl leaps to sixth spot
Bandar Seri Begawan, June 25 Johl, who was 17th after two rounds, is the best among six Indians, and he is now eight-under 205 for three rounds. Pilkadaris edged ahead by one stroke with his three-day total of 15-under-par 198 at the par-71 Empire Hotel and Country Club. Compatriot Jarrod Lyle carded a 69 for second place while overnight leader Danny Chia of Malaysia stumbled to a 72 for the third position, three shots behind the leader. Though Johl lies the best among the Indians, the day’s best card came from former Indian Open champion Firoze Ali of Kolkata, who shot a four-under 67, which could have been better but for a bogey on the final hole, the 18th. At six-under 206, Firoze is now tied 15th, while Gaurav Ghei and Ashok Kumar brought home par rounds and are tied 27th at four-under. Uttam Singh Mundy played his third straight par round and he is now tied 49th, while Digvijay Singh slipped with a seven-over 78 to be tied 68th.
— PTI |
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India upset China
New Delhi, June 25 Manan Chandra displayed fine skills but failed to overcome the challenge of Ding Junhai in the opening rubber but his fighting spirit rubbed off well on to his two experienced team-mates. Former IBSF World Champion Pankaj Advani levelled the score for the Indians when he defeated Jian Zhong 3-1. National and Asian champion Alok Kumar then held his nerve in a keen tussle to beat Jin Long 3-2 to take the tie and the match, according to information received here today. Alok, however, could not show the same form in the bronze medal play-off in the individual event and went down 1-4 to Paithoon Phonbun of Thailand.— PTI |
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TT team may be cleared to tour Malaysia
Chandigarh, June 25 This was disclosed by Mr Pritam Singh Chhabra, Secretary-General of the School Games Federation of India (SGFI), last evening. He said officials in Delhi had hinted at clearing the team on a no-cost basis to the government. Fourteen table tennis players are attending a national camp at Chandigarh in preparation for the meet. |
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Amarinder did not keep his word, says blind player
Amritsar, June 25 Rajinder Singh, one of the players, who came to pay obeisance at Golden Temple here today, said they met the Chief Minister in Ludhiana before boarding the flight for Manchester and he assured them that the state would finance their travel and other expenses. They rued that nothing had been done in this regard till now. He said that each individual had to shell out Rs 1.5 lakh for the tour. |
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