 |
|
|
Roddick, Ferrero knocked out of US Open
Sania to partner Bryanne Stewart
Security cover for Azhar
Sachin to miss Test series
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No decision on bids
till Sept 8, says BCCI
Rathore sets sights on Olympic berth
Hockey eves win title
Juniors excel in ITF meet
Dola to lead Indian team
Punjab Police hold BSF
|
|
Roddick, Ferrero knocked out of US Open
New York, August 31 Gilles Muller, a 22-year-old playing at Flushing Meadows for the first time, produced the tennis of his life to beat the 2003 champion and fourth seed 7-6, 7-6, 7-6 in a huge first round upset on Roddick’s 23rd birthday. ‘’I have no idea (how I did it),’’ said Muller, who beat current world number two Rafael Nadal in the second round at Wimbledon in June. Muller repelled Roddick’s 240 kph serve with a remarkable 65 outright winners, leaving his opponent flummoxed and forlorn on a dumbfounded Arthur Ashe Court. Having trailed 5-2 in the first set, Muller won the respective
tiebreak 7-4, 10-8, 7-1 against the man with the hardest serve in the sport’s history. In contrast to Roddick, men’s top seed Roger Federer picked up where he left off last year, starting his title defence with a ruthless first-round defeat of Czech Ivo Minar. A year ago, Federer crushed Lleyton Hewitt in the final and the Swiss top seed’s 61-minute, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 victory over Minar sent out an ominous warning to those who covet his US crown. Women’s second seed Lindsay Davenport, third seed Amelie Mauresmo and French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne also advanced However, the player Federer beat in last year’s semi-finals, Briton Tim Henman, made a painful exit. Compatriot Greg Rusedski also lost but a third Briton, teenager Andy Murray, progressed despite throwing up on court during his five-set win. Federer had played only one tournament since completing a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles in July but looked in peak form from the start against Minar, lashing forehand winners at will. ‘’That doesn’t happen very often going into slams,’’ said Federer, who will play Frenchman Fabrice Santoro next. ‘’Usually early on I’m looking for my rhythm. Today it was there straight away. It’s a good sign, a good feeling.’’ World number one Davenport had to work hard for a 6-4, 6-4 win over a determined Li Na of China in the first evening session match. Together with Belgian Kim Clijsters, former world number one Mauresmo is the most-gifted women’s player still looking for a Grand Slam title and the Frenchwoman was too strong for Roberta Vinci, beating the Italian 6-3, 6-2. Mauresmo faces a tricky second-round opponent, however, in Bulgarian 16-year-old Sesil Karatantcheva. Seventh seed Henin-Hardenne ensured there was no repeat of her shock first round exit at Wimbledon in June with an impressive 6-3, 6-0 win over Czech Zuzana Ondraskova. Russian sixth seed Elena Dementieva, the runner-up last year, recovered from a slow start to quell another Czech, Lucie Safarova, 7-5, 6-3. Henman, the 12th seed, slumped to a dismal 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 defeat to Spain’s Fernando Verdasco. The loss means the 30-year-old, who was hampered by a painful back injury, will tumble down the men’s rankings because he reached the last four here last year. Rusedski, the 28th seed, was beaten in three sets by in-form American James Blake, the winner at New Haven on Sunday. Murray bravely overcame Romanian Andrei Pavel 6-3 3-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, having vomited apparently from exhaustion early in the fifth set. Pavel, ranked 83 places above the 18-year-old, was later penalised a point for swearing at the umpire following an
over-rule. Russian sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko beat Czech Tomas Zib 6-2, 6-0, 6-4. Former French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten earned only his third tournament win of 2005 with a four-set victory over American Paul Goldstein, the Brazilian serving 35 aces in the process. However, another ex-Roland Garros champion Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain, seeded 20, lost 5-7, 5-7, 1-6 to Frenchman Arnaud Clement. Argentine 11th seed David Nalbandian, the 2003 semi-finalist, came through in three sets against Alex Bogomolov of the USA. Former junior world number one Gael Monfils lost a four-hour battle against fellow 18-year-old Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Montenegro yesterday. Djokovic, who prevailed 7-5, 4-6, 7-6, 0-6, 7-5 in the first-round match on Court 10, had two bathroom breaks, two injury timeouts and another aborted injury timeout after complaining of breathing trouble against the Frenchman. Djokovic, who also reached the third round at Wimbledon, now meets Mario Ancic of Croatia, seeded 22.
— Reuters |
|
Sania to partner Bryanne Stewart
New York, August 31 The Indo-Australian pair would take on 11th seeds Emilie Loit of France and Australian Nicole Pratt in the first round. Sania has a strained abdominal muscle and is also troubled by bleeding toes. Zimbabwe’s Cara Black and Renae Stubbs of Australia are the top seeds in the women’s doubles. Sania and Stewart are placed in the bottom half of the draw which also features second seeds Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova and Aussie Alicia Molik. Pratt (32) should be familar to Indian fans as she won the singles title at the $140,000 WTA Tour event in Hyderabad in 2004. In the mixed doubles, Leander Paes joins hands with Martina Navratilova, in what could be the 48-year-old legend’s last US Open. Paes and Martina, seeded seventh, will be up against the French team of Tatiana Golovin and Fabrice Santoro in their opening tie. Mahesh Bhupathi will pair
up with Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova. They face China’s Tiantian Sun and Simon Aspelin of Sweden. Paes and Bhupathi are playing with their regular partners Nenad Zemonjic of Serbia and Montenegro and Martin Damm of the Czech Republic, respectively, in the men’s doubles.
— PTI |
|
Security cover for Azhar
Hyderabad, August 31 “I got a call from the Mumbai Commissioner of Police recently that Azhar is under threat from underground mafia groups,” DGP Swaranjit Sen said here today. On the suggestion of the Mumbai CP that it would be better to extend security to him, the DGP said he had asked the Hyderabad Commissioner Dinesh Reddy to take protective measures. Following this, security has been beefed up at both Azhar’s residence at Jubilee Hills and his ultra modern gym Est at Banjara Hills in the city. The police have deployed two security guards to watch over him round the clock. However, Azhar himself had not made any request for police protection at any point of time, the DGP said. The flamboyant former captain, is said to be upset over the press reports today about his security cover. Many reports in local media and some TV channels even specified that Azhar received threatening calls from D-company and the Chota Rajan gang and mentioned that his residence and his gym were targeted for destruction. The city police, however, said they had no such information. Azhar made himself unavailable for comment on the reports. |
|
|
Sachin to miss Test series
Mumbai, August 31 The five national selectors had a telephonic conference among themselves and Indian coach Greg Chappell in Zimbabwe, and decided that Maharashtra opener Dheeraj Jadhav would replace Tendulkar for the Test series commencing on September 13, Indian Cricket Board Secretary
S.K. Nair announced from Thiruvananthapuram. Tendulkar, who underwent a surgery in London in May-end after being constantly troubled by tennis elbow, had been examined by Gloster here before the national team’s departure to Zimbabwe when the latter had a net session at the MIG club in suburban
Bandra. In his report to Nair from Zimbabwe, Gloster said the master batsman’s rehabilitation plans were going on well.
Jadhav was chosen as replacement for Tendulkar, who missed the previous tour to Sri Lanka too,
after the selectors had a telephonic conference, Nair said. Tendulkar had been chosen for the two-Test series, which follows the one-day tri-series after the latter’s conclusion on September 6, subject to his being declared fit by the selectors when they chose the one-day and Test teams here on August 13. Also chosen for the Test series were veteran leggie Anil Kumble, batsman
V.V.S. Laxman, speedsters Zaheer Khan and Laxmipathy Balaji, wicket keeper Dinesh Kaarthick and opener Gautam
Gambhir. These seven players, including Jadhav, would replace Venugopal Rao, Suresh
Raina, M.S. Dhoni, Rudra Pratap Singh, Murali Karthik, Ajit Agarkar and J P Yadav who are part of the one-day squad now in Zimbabwe. They are slated to leave for Zimbabwe on September 5, according to BCCI sources.
— PTI |
|
|
Kiwis beat Zimbabwe
Harare, August 31 New Zealand, who won the toss and chose to bat, were dismissed for a sub-par 238 in 49.1 overs. It was the best bowling performance of the season so far by the struggling Zimbabweans, who lost both Tests to New Zealand by an innings and were thrashed by 192 runs by the Kiwis and by 161 runs by India in their first two triangular series matches. Half centuries by Nathan Astle and Scott Styris were the highlights of New Zealand’s disjointed innings. Scoreboard New Zealand: Vincent c Taibu b Streak 0 Fleming c Blignaut b Ireland 23 Astle c Taibu b Ewing 61 McMillan c Taylor b Blignaut 5 Marshall c Chibhabha b Ireland 7 Styris b Blignaut 63 Oram lbw Ewing 5 McCullum c&b Ewing 2 Vettori c Taylor b Blignaut 47 Mills not out 1 Bond c Utseya b Blignaut 5 Extras (lb-6, nb-1, w-12):
19 Total (all out, 49.1 overs): 238 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-39, 3-60, 4-67, 5-129, 6-147, 7-149, 8-228, 9-230, 10-238. Bowling: Streak 10 - 1 - 51 - 1, Ireland 10 - 0 - 61 - 2, Blignaut 9.1 - 0 - 46 - 4 , Ewing 10 - 0 - 31 - 3, Utseya 10 - 0 - 43 - 0. Zimbabwe: Taylor c McCullum b Bond 1 Carlisle b Patel 30 Chibhabha c McCullum b Mills 0 Sibanda run out 21 Taibu b Vettori 16 Streak st McCullum b Vettori 18 Coventry c McCullum b Mills 35 Blignaut c Astle b Bond 50 Ewing c Oram b Bond 12 Mahwire c Oram b Bond 8 Utseya not out 0 Extras (b-1, lb-3, nb-3, w-13):
20 Total (all out, 49 overs): 211 Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-5, 3-37, 4-69, 5-87, 6-93, 7-156, 8-188, 9-211, 10-211. Bowling: Bond 7 - 3 - 17 - 4, Mills 10- 2 - 34 - 2, Oram 8 - 1 - 38 - 0, Styris 3 - 0 - 10 - 0 , Patel 9 - 0 - 47 - 1, Vettori 10 - 0 - 46 - 2, Astle 2 - 0 - 15 - 0. — Reuters |
|
Lanka cruise to victory
Colombo, August 31 Sri Lanka made 269 for nine wickets in their 50 overs and then restricted Bangladesh to 181-9. Opener Shariar Nafees provided some resistance with 39 before being brilliantly caught and bowled by Tillakaratne Dilshan. Wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud also contributed a gritty 39 to delay Sri Lanka’s victory with an unbroken 54-run last wicket stand with Tapash Baisya (22 not out). Sri Lanka pace bowler Farveez Maharoof claimed three wickets for 29 runs. Bangladesh’s run chase started badly as Javed Omar (14) was run out by a direct hit from Russel Arnold at backward point. Dilhara Fernando then had Tushar Imran caught behind before deceiving Mohammad Ashraful with a slower ball that he skied to mid-on. Substitute Upul Chandana chipped in with the wicket of skipper Habibul Bashar before Maharoof reduced the visitors to 103-8. Sri Lanka opener Tharanga reached his first one-day half century on his way to scoring 60 in his fourth game. Atapattu compiled 55 and the pair put on 76 for the second wicket after Sanath Jayasuriya was bowled by an inswinger from Baisya for 25. In-form vice-captain Jayawardene finished the innings off strongly with a rapid 50 from 35 balls as wickets tumbled regularly in the final slog. Bangladesh were guilty of several fumbles in the field, however, with Tharanga being dropped in the slips on eight and then surviving a run-out chance on nine. He was given another life when dropped at backward point on 58. Scoreboard: Sri Lanka: Tharanga b Ahmed 60 Jayasuriya b Baisya 25 Atapattu c Omar
b Rafique 55 Sangakkara c Nafees b Ahmed 22 Jayawardene run out 50 Arnold run out 12 Dilshan c Rasel b Rana 1 Vaas c Nafees b Rasel 16 Muralitharan c Rafique
b Rasel 0 Maharoof not out 0 Extras (lb-7, nb-3, w-17, b-1):
28 Total (for 9 wickets, 50 overs): 269 Fall of wickets: 1-51, 2-127, 3-178, 4-186, 5-227, 6-230, 7-267, 8-268, 9-269. Bowling: Baisya 10-1-57-1, Rasel 10-0-42-2, Rafique 10-0-63-1, Mahmud 5-0-26-0, Ahmed 10-0-55-2, Rana 5-0-18-1. Bangladesh: Omar run out 14 Nafees c&b Dilshan 39 Imran c Sangakkara b Fernando 6 Ashraful c Atapattu
b Fernando 4 Bashar lbw Chandana 14 Ahmed b Maharoof 2 Islam Rana c Jayasuriya
b Maharoof 5 Mashud not out 39 Rafique c Muralitharan b Maharoof 2 Rasel lbw b Chandana 15 Baisya not out 22 Extras (lb-4, nb-4, w-11):
19 Total (for 9 wickets, 50 overs): 181 Fall of
wickets: 1-17, 2-41, 3-51, 4-79, 5-84, 6-88, 7-94, 8-103, 9-127. Bowling: Vaas 6-1-21-0, Maharoof 7-1-29-3, Fernando 7-1-29-2, Dilshan 10-2-38-1, Muralitharan 10-2-22-0. Chandana 10-0-38-2.
— Reuters |
|
No decision on bids
till Sept 8, says BCCI
New Delhi, August 31 The assurance was given to a Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice B.A. Khan and Justice
M.B. Lokur on behalf of BCCI by senior counsel Aryam Sundaram, who said the marketing committee of the cricket body was yet to meet. Senior counsel Mukul
Rohatagi, representing Zee, had sought an interim order to restrain the BCCI from deciding the bids till the next date as it would prejudice the interest of the petitioner which has demanded quashing of BCCI’s ‘invitation to tender’ (ITT) for cricket telecast rights in India on the ground that the eligibility conditions were framed to oust Indian bidders. In fact, the court had made it clear to the BCCI that either it should undertake not to decide the bids till the next date or an order would be passed to restrain it from doing so as in the event of the cricket body deciding the bids, the writ petition would become
infructuous. However, it did not pass any formal order. — PTI |
|
Rathore sets sights on Olympic berth
New Delhi, August 31 He said victory and defeat elsewhere were just a state of mind, adding that anything could be achieved with determination, persistence and patience. He said people, when confronted with various challenges, tried to overcome these and emerged successful in life. Referring to the success story of Navin Gulia, a former soldier who suffered hundred per cent disability in an accident, but worked with determination to overcome his debiliating handicap, Rathore said anybody else in his place would have accepted his handicap as destiny’s vagary. But this trained soldier did not allow the handicap to bog him down, and fought against his diability to make a mark in life. “Only will power can achieve things in today’s world”, Rathore stated. Rathore said he had no plans to rest on his Athens silver medal laurel, for which he was awarded the Arjuna Award last year and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award this year. He said he had now firmly set his sights on the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, with a series of competitive events as run-up to the evebt, for making the qualifying grade. “Next year, I have seven such tournaments and it begins with a competition in China in the first week of April. It will be great to start with a win in Beijing,” he said. Rathore said he would not allow himself to be put under any kind of pressure as his motto was to “take it as it comes.” “Of course, it will be great if you can win the first tournament. It is not important who qualifies first. What is important is to qualify and be in good form when it matters most. I will have a number of chances and hence I am taking it easy,” he added. He was happy to note that the government had lifted the ban on importing air rifles for shooting
displaces which was an encouraging sign. The sport had received tremendous boost after his success at Athens, but felt that the government should do more “to encourage it”. |
|
Hockey eves win title
New Delhi, August 31 The Indian eves won a four-nation tournament in Singapore on Sunday, outclassing South Korea 3-0 in the final. Sanggai Chanu starred for the team, scoring a brace through field goals, while Mamta Kharab netted one goal in the title clash.
— PTI |
|
Juniors excel in ITF meet
Karachi, August 31 Sumit Prakash, Aswin Vijayaragayan and Kinshuk Sharma defeated their compatriots in one-sided quarterfinals while Anshuman Ditta routed Pakistan’s lone survivor, Omer Babar, to ensure that the singles title would go to India. In the girls quarterfinals, Karina Ahuja defeated compatriot Inayat Khosla 6-0, 6-3 and Tejaswini Datla beat compatriot Sanjana Kapur 6-3, 6-2. Indian boys dominated the doubles event as all four Indian pairs reached the semifinals.
— PTI |
|
Dola to lead Indian team
New Delhi, August 31 The other members of the team are Reena
Kumari, Chekrovolu Swuro and Laxmi Rani Majhi. Jayant Talukdar and Tarundeep Rai will consist of the men’s recurve team. Mangal Singh and Rahul Banerjee will replace Robin Hansda and Goutam Singh. Promising junior
C.H. Lenin finds a place in the men’s compound team, also including Naresh
Damor, Shivnath Nagesia and Vivek Kumar. The women’s compound team will be led by Jhanu Hansda while Bansara Lin
Dhar, Sakro Besra and Manjudha Soy complete the line-up. |
|
|
Punjab Police hold BSF
Chandigarh, August 31 BSF dominated the proceedings initially, but had to wait till the 44th minute to forge ahead when off a cross by Santosh Kumar from the left, Boy Singh shot home from close range to make it 1-0. In the 65th minute, BSF had another good chance when Rakesh was on the clear in danger zone but unluckily, he missed the target. Five minutes from the long whistle, BSF’s Santosh Kumar sent a measured pass to Boy Singh, who made a good attempt, but the Punjab Police custodian proved equal to the task and effectd a fine save. A free kick awarded to Punjab Police in the 88th minute saw Harnek Singh narrowly missing the mark as the ball struck the goalpost. The equaliser by Punjab Police followed in the last minute when a cross by Harsh Singh was followed by Deepak Kumar’s powerful shot, which found the corner of the net giving the BSF goalie absolutely no chance (1-1). Tomorrow, JCT will meet PSEB at Phagwara at 4.30 pm. |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
