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Sania storms into second round
Agassi survives four-set marathon
Instant replay makes Grand Slam debut
Investigate Hair before Haq hearing: PCB
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Harmison ruled out of ODI series
Kalam confers Khel Ratna, Arjuna Awards
National Sports Day
Saina quells Soratja’s challenge
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Sania storms into second round
New York, August 29 The Indian ace now has a tough task ahead of her as she will take on Italian 14th seed Francesca Schiavone. Sania traded early breaks of serve at the start of the match against Sprem, but got the crucial advantage in the 10th game to pocket the first set. This motivated her to raise her game in the second, and the Croat had few answers to the Indian’s game. Sania quickly took a 4-1 lead and never relinquished control thereafter, sealing the win in 75 minutes. The serve, considered one of the weaker parts of her game, won her 71 per cent of points on the first delivery and 57 per cent on her second. The 22-year-old Sprem did not help her cause by spraying 33 unforced errors, in comparison with Sania’s 21. Though Sprem had the bigger serve, she committed four double faults as against none by Sania. After the match, Sania said sticking to her gameplan helped her against a potentially tough rival. “I stuck to my game plan. She was a tough player to get in the first round. She has been in the top 15 in the world. “My serving was the key. Hardcourt is my favourite surface. It’s faster than at the Australian and the French and New York is my favourite place,” she said.
— PTI
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Agassi survives four-set marathon
New York, August 29 The 36-year-old Agassi fired 17 aces and hammered 28 forehand winners to defeat Romania’s Pavel 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (8/6), 6-2 in three hours, 31 minutes in front of a crowd of 23,736 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. For while it looked like Agassi might be calling it a career as he had already announced this would be his last tournament before retirement. “I know this was going to be the toughest one (match) as far as the emotional side of things go.” Agassi said. “You want it to be everything you hoped it is going to be but you are not even sure what that is.” Tied 1-1 in sets and down 4-0 in the third set, the unseeded Agassi dug deep eventually winning in a tie-break. “It was looking pretty bleak in the third set,” Agassi said. “But I got through it.” Agassi now moves onto the second round where he will play an even tougher opponent in eighth seeded Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus. World No. 3 Ivan Ljubicic suffered the first major upset on a rain-hampered opening day that saw the rest of the top seeds breeze into the second round. The tournament got off to a late start as two days of heavy rains pushed back the start times of Monday’s early matches. The rain stopped in the afternoon but more showers are in the forecast for today. Sixth seeded Tommy Robredo and ninth seed Andy Roddick easily advanced to the second round Monday with straight set victories. Robredo rolled past Brazil’s Flavio Saretta 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 while Roddick overpowered Arnaud Clement of France 6-2, 6-1, 6-3. Baghdatis reached the second round with a comfortable enough 7-6 (7/1), 7-6 (9/7), 6-3 win over Germany’s Alexander Waske. On the women’s side of the draw, second seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne defeated Maria Elena Camerin, of Italy, 6-2, 6-1. Russian seeds Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova, who contested the 2004 final, also made it to the next round. Ljubicic was sent crashing out of the tournament, dropping a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 match to unseeded Spaniard Feliciano Lopez. Ljubicic struggled with his serve during the one hour, 41-minute match. He blasted 13 aces but made more unforced errors (27-23) than Lopez, who beat Ljubicic for the first time in a Grand Slam after losing twice in 2006 to him. Roddick, who won his first tournament of the season last week in Cincinnati, unleashed a 238kph (148mph) serve and fired 10 aces as he routed Serra. Roddick, the 2003 US Open champ, advanced to the second round where he will face the winner of Spain’s Alberto Martin and Kristian Pless of Denmark. Five-time Grand Slam winner Henin-Hardenne’s march towards reclaiming her US Open title began in earnest as she cruised past Camerin. The reigning French Open champion made quick work of her opponent, taking just 74 minutes to dispatch the Italian at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Henin-Hardenne, the 2003 US Open champion, is an impressive 44-6 heading into the final Grand Slam of the season. American Lindsay Davenport, who won the 1998 US Open, rolled to an easy 6-1, 6-4 first round victory over Klara Zakopalova.
— AFP
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Instant replay makes Grand Slam debut
New York, August 29 “I tried to challenge a let today, but they wouldn’t let me,” the former Open champion said after overpowering Florent Serra 6-2, 6-1, 6-3. Andre
Agassi, however, fared better. He won a key point in his comeback against Andrei
Pavel, correctly claiming his serve was good as the crowd roared in agreement. There were 11 challenges overall on the opening day at Flushing Meadows, three resulting in reversals. The NFL, NBA and NHL already employ replay, and tennis decided to try it after testing the Hawk-Eye technology at 10 events that led up to the Open. In those tournaments, 39 percent of the 839 challenged calls were
overturned. Mardy Fish of the United States became the answer to a trivia question: Who was the first player to ask for a replay at a major? Fish questioned a sideline call during his win over Germany’s Simon
Greul. A few seconds later, an animated replay appeared on the scoreboard at Louis Armstrong Stadium — the judge’s call stood, Greul’s shot was good. “It was close. I figured it was in,” Fish said. “I felt like I still had two challenges. Might as well use it.” Asked how it felt to be the first, he laughed and said, “I have no idea.” Players get two challenges per set, plus another one for tiebreakers. If the call is reversed, the player keeps that challenge. There hasn’t been a lot of opposition, maybe because the system is so accurate. The 10 small cameras tracking shots at both Arthur Ashe Stadium and Armstrong measure marks within 3 millimeters, an error margin roughly equal to the width of a ball’s fuzz. Not bad, considering two cameras are mounted almost 115 feet above the blue courts and the others are 8 1/2 meters (28 1/2 feet) off the ground. The two show courts are the only ones at the Open that have replay, at a total cost of about $300,000. “The human aspect of line calls is gone, obviously,” Fish said. “In a way, it’s good because you’re not going to lose over a bad call.” And, the results come fast. Too fast, in fact. Tennis officials actually told the Hawk-Eye folks to slow it down a bit so the drama can build in the crowd. So instead of posting a 3-D, computer-generated image on the stadium scoreboard in two seconds, the virtual replay appears on the scoreboard — with “In” or “Out” — in about eight seconds, just enough time for fans to shout their opinions.
— AP
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Investigate Hair before Haq hearing: PCB
Karachi, August 29 “The PCB feels it was Darrell Hair who brought the game into disrepute at the Oval and not Pakistan,” spokesman Ateeq-ur-Rehman said today. He said that the PCB had also reiterated that Hair would not be accepted as an official in future matches involving Pakistan. He also reiterated that the Pakistan team was now committed to fulfilling the remaining matches on their tour of England despite the cancellation of the ICC meeting. Pakistan played a Twenty20 match against England at Bristol yesterday. Sonn had indicated that despite Hair’s offer to quit the disciplinary charges against Inzamam would not be dropped or reversed. PCB sources confirmed that Pakistan had consulted its legal advisers and spoken to other ICC members and were planning to move a motion to oust Hair from the elite panel and have the charges against Inzamam and the team dropped completely. Hair apologises to supporters
London: Under-fire Australian umpire Darrell Hair has apologised to his friends and supporters for letting them down by sending an “ill-advised” e-mail offering a conditional resignation to the International Cricket Council. “I wish to apologise to all my family, friends and supporters, because I somehow feel that I may have let them down, simply by sending an ill-advised but entirely confidential e-mail,” Hair was quoted as saying by Cricinfo. “That has given other people the opportunity to question my motives,” he added. Sydney: Mired in controversy, beleaguered umpire Darrell Hair is believed to have taken shelter in a country hideaway in northern England to avoid media gaze. According to The Australian, media pressure has since made Hair a target around the clock. He decided to leave his house in Lincoln and stay at a private residence in northern England after being harassed by newspaper journalists when he returned from the Test. Hair even went so far as to phone local police and have them investigate whether the harassment from the media throng was a breach of the law. Hair withdrawn from county game
London: Darrell Hair continues to be an unwelcome man on the cricket field with the Australian being withdrawn from an English county second XI fixture he was due to umpire tomorrow. Hair was to officiate at Chesterfield in a match between Derbyshire and Gloucestershire, but has been stood down by the England Cricket Board. Hair has been on the ECB’s reserve umpires’ list since moving to live in England three years ago and he has been hoping to start umpiring at first-class county level next season.
— Agencies
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Harmison ruled out of ODI series
London, August 29 He was left out of the Twenty20 match at Bristol yesterday and will not be risked for five one-dayers starting at Cardiff tomorrow. “Steve Harmison has been ruled out as a precautionary measure after not responding to treatment following soreness in his lower back,” an ECB statement said. “A decision on his replacement has not been made at this stage,” the statement added.
— UNI
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Kalam confers Khel Ratna, Arjuna Awards
New Delhi, August 29 Kalam also gave away the Dronacharya awards to four coaches while 15 leading sportspersons got the coveted Arjuna. For the second year running, the celebrated Team India cricketers were out of the spotlight as none of them figured in the list of awardees, although woman cricket player Anju Jain bagged the Arjuna. Hockey player Viren Rasquinha, who is currently with the Indian team in Germany for the forthcoming World Cup, and ace athlete Manjeet Kaur were notable absentees and their Arjuna Award trophies were collected by their fathers Harry Rasquinha and Harbhajan Singh. Meanwhile, Panjab University, Chandigarh, ended Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar’s three-year domination on the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy.
— PTI, UNI
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Dhyan Chand remembered
Rubinder Gill Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, August 29 To remember the legend and versatility of the hockey wizard Dhyan Chand, the state Sports Department rustled up a team of former Olympians, Dhyan Chand XI, who played against Surjit Hockey Academy at the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium early in the morning. The Punjab Government had belatedly directed that the National Sports Day be celebrated in the state. That the day was celebrated is a feat itself for the Director, Sports, Pargat Singh, who was one of the befitting goal-scorers today. The former Olympians showed they had not completely run out of steam. They taught more than a thing or two to the youngsters while registering an emphatic 6-3 victory. Besides the ever-dependable Pargat, other goals were scored by Baljit Singh Dhillon, Gundeep Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar and Baljit Singh Saini. Pargat Singh said the Sports Department planned to start a junior and sub-junior hockey league in collaboration of the Punjab Hockey Association to uplift the sport at the grass roots. Plans were also afoot to recruit 170 new coaches, he revealed. Mr Hardeep Singh Dhillon, secretary, Punjab Hockey Association, and the Deputy Commissioner, Jalandhar, Mr A. Venu Prasad, who is also the president of the Surjit Hockey Academy, exhorted the youngsters to perform well. Along with other dignitaries they promised to uplift the game in the entire state. Cross-country organised
AMRITSAR: The Sarhad-E-Punjab Sports Club celebrated the National Sports Day by organising a cross-country from outside Guru Nanak Dev University to Gandhi grounds here today. Around 300 boys and girls participated in the cross-country. Ranjit Kaur of Prabhakar School and Karishma of D.R. Modern School stood first
and second in the u-14 category, respectively, while among the boys Malkit Singh of Tarn Taran and Bachittar Singh of Pakharpura village bagged top two positions, respectively. In the senior section, Savita Kumari of the BBK DAV
College for Women and Amritpal Kaur of Prabhakar School were placed first and second, respectively, while in the men section Navdeep Singh of Prabhakar School and Surjit Singh of Bhangali Kalan village managed top two positions. Mr O.P. Soni, MLA, gave away the prizes and announced a grant of Rs 1 lakh to the club.
— OSR
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Argentina, Spain enter semis
Saitama, August 29 Spain beat Argentina twice in the run-up to the world championship in Japan but the mind games before Friday’s semifinal began moments after the final buzzer. Chicago Bulls forward Andres Nocioni scored 21 points to spark Argentina’s rout of Turkey while Carlos Delfino added 14 points and Luis Scola 13 for the 2004 Athens gold medallists. Argentina and Spain have looked the teams most capable of challenging red-hot tournament favourites the US at the world championship in Japan. “Spain and Argentina are the two best teams in the tournament, along with the ‘Dream Team’ (United States),” Nocioni told Reuters. Memphis Grizzlies’ Pau Gasol led the way with 25 points and Juan Carlos Navarro added 22 as Spain extended their win streak to 16 games. Spain have never won an international title but showed they have the tools to do so with another impressive victory. “The result didn’t surprise us,” Toronto Raptors guard Jose Calderon said of Spain’s easy win. “We are really motivated. It’s a big weight off our shoulders to be in the semifinals. “The quarterfinals have been a big problem for us in the past.” Gasol warned that there was more to come from Spain. “We want more,” said the Grizzlies forward. “We’re still hungry for success. Me and Juan Carlos had a good day today but our defence was brilliant too.” Spain’s best achievement to date was a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games. Argentina were beaten finalists at the last world championship in 2002 before winning gold in Athens. Tournament favourites the US face Germany while European champions Greece take on France in Wednesday’s quarterfinals in Saitama.
— Reuters
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Saina quells Soratja’s challenge
New Delhi, August 29 Saina, world No. 51, played a scintillating game to quell Soratja’s challenge 21-6, 23-21 and avenged her round of 16 defeat to the Thai girl at the Korean open last week. The 15-year-old Hyderabad girl has her task cut out in the second round as she faces top seed and world No. 1 Ning Zhang of China. In mixed doubles, Jwala Gutta and V. Diju frittered a first game advantage to lose 21-18, 13-21, 19-21 to the Chinese pair of Bo zheng and Tingting Zhao. Meanwhile, Aditi Mutatkar went through the gruelling qualifiers to enter the women’s singles main draw to set up a first round clash against world No. 5 Xie xingfang.
— PTI
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