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No surprises - It’s Federer
King Roger eyes elusive crown
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Aussies survive Oram attack
Suma, Gagan win medals
Corus: Anand finishes 5th
Ranji Trophy Plate final
Jeev, Shiv fail to shine
Surjit Academy, Sangrur XI enter final
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No surprises - It’s Federer
Melbourne, January 28 PERFECT 10
The peerless Swiss world number one fought off two set points in the opening set and went on to secure his third Australian title with a 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, 6-4 win over the Chilean 10th seed in two hours and 20 minutes. He joined American Bill Tilden as joint fifth all-time Grand Slam title leader with 10 behind American Pete Sampras’ 14. Federer also became only the fourth man to win a Grand Slam title without dropping a set, the last being Sweden’s Bjorn Borg at the 1980 French Open.
The mercurial Swiss went into the final having already equalled Australian Jack Crawford’s all-time record for seven consecutive Grand Slam final appearances. It was Federer’s 36th consecutive match win for his longest winning streak as he claimed his 46th title. Gonzalez, who went into the final in unbelievable form after blowing away 2005 finalist Lleyton Hewitt, fifth seed American James Blake, world number two Rafael Nadal and triple Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Haas, was poised to take the opening set with two set points. But the champion Swiss, who hasn’t lost a set in his last 11 matches, rose to the challenge and fought off the threat with brinkmanship tennis. He put Gonzalez’s backhand under unrelenting pressure after winning the 63-minute opening set struggle and went on for his 10th straight win over the Chilean. Federer now has a 10-1 record in Grand Slam finals with his only loss coming against Spain’s Rafael Nadal in last year’s French Open, which is the only major title he has yet to win. Gonzalez, with the reputation of one of the heaviest forehands in men’s tennis, was steadily taken apart by the clinical top seed. He got the capacity crowd roaring when he broke Federer’s service in the ninth game and raised two set points on his next service. Federer was in danger of dropping a set for the first time in 11 matches, but fought them off and broke back to 5-5. Federer had four separate set points of his own on Gonzalez’s serve in the 12th game before the Chilean held to take the set to the tie-breaker. The world number one took a grip of the tie-breaker, racing to a 6-2 lead and claimed the opening set with a forehand winner. He then took charge in the second set with a service break in the seventh game and had little difficulty on serve to hold three set points and take a two-love lead with an ace. The Chilean looked under more strain against the remorseless Federer, who was steadily cranking up the pressure on his opponent. Federer got his decisive breakthrough in the seventh game, taking the break on his fourth break point at the net by putting away a volley. He served out for the championship in the 10th game and claimed the match point with a backhand winner. Despite the loss, Gonzalez, whose game has been revitalised by American coach Larry Stefanki, is projected to climb to the fifth spot on the rankings. He is only the third South American to reach the Australian Open final in the Open Era (post-1969) after Chile’s Marcelo Rios in 1998 and Guillermo Vilas of Argentina in 1977-79. — AFP
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King Roger eyes elusive crown
Melbourne, January 28 As the 25-year-old Swiss maestro closes in on Pete Sampras’ all-time Grand Slam title record of 14, the one notable omission is the French Open. Federer, out on his own as the game’s top player, was runner-up to clay king Rafael Nadal at last year’s French Open, his best performance in eight attempts at Roland Garros. Nadal, Spain’s world number two, has an Open Era (post-1969) record of 62 consecutive wins on clay and stands in Federer’s path. Nadal also boasts a perfect four-from-four record against Federer on clay, but the world number one believes he is getting closer to add the French title to his four Wimbledon, three Australian and three US Open titles. “Last year was the first time I thought that if everything went perfectly well there might be a chance and I got so awfully close,” Federer said of his Roland Garros “holy grail”. “The French Open is such a tough Grand Slam event to win, I’ve given myself great chances in the past two years and Nadal has been so dominant on that surface,” Federer said. “I always tell myself that he can’t do it all the time. I gave myself three great shots at him in Monaco, in Rome, then at the French Open. “It was disappointing at the French Open after all the hype and everything, but I am improving every year on clay and maybe one year he won’t be in the final, and if he is, then maybe I can beat him.” Federer linked up with coach Tony Roche two years ago to tap into the latter’s claycourt knowledge after the Australian won at Roland Garros in 1966 and was runner-up there in 1965 and 1967. Meanwhile, Fernando Gonzalez said the loss of a tight first set to Federer was the turning point in the final. The Chilean 10th seed, his country’s first Grand Slam finalist since Marcelo Rios at Melbourne Park in 1998, fought bravely against the world number one before going down. Gonzalez, who had inflicted defeats on fifth seed James Blake and second seed Nadal en route to the final, had two set points at 5-4 in the opener before the Swiss maestro broke back and then won the tie-breaker 7-2. “The match might have been different if I had won the first set,” the South American told a press conference. “Maybe I lose in four but I think every time I play him I never win the first set so that was maybe the key.” The 2004 Olympic doubles champion had lost all his previous nine encounters with the world number one, but in today’s final, he battled to the limit with Federer in the first set, making the Swiss great look less than unbeatable for the first time in the tournament. Federer’s ploy of constantly working his opponent round the court started to take its toll on an exhausted Gonzalez, who conceded breaks in game seven of the second and third sets.
— AFP, Reuters
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After India, SA scalp Pak
Cape Town, January 28 South Africa reached their victory target of 161 before tea on the third day to win by five wickets and claim the series 2-1. The result kept intact South Africa’s record of never having lost a home Test series to a team from the Asian sub-continent. Man-of-the-match Kallis scored 51 in a fifth-wicket stand of 117 with Prince, who was 59 not out. The partnership was the biggest of a match in which 32 wickets fell on the first two days. Pakistan were dismissed for 157 in their first innings, to which South Africa replied with 183. The visitors were bowled out for 186 in their second innings. South Africa, who resumed on 36 for two, lost their third wicket without adding to their overnight score when paceman Mohammad Asif trapped Graeme Smith in front for 33 with the ninth ball of the day’s play. Four overs later Asif reduced South Africa to 39 for four when he had Hashim Amla caught behind by wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal for three. Kallis and Prince batted cautiously together, eking out their runs at a rate of less than two an over before lunch. Just 40 runs were scored in the 29.5 overs bowled in the morning session as Pakistan kept the batsmen under pressure. Kallis and Prince were finally separated just five runs away from victory when paceman Shahid Nazir clean-bowled Kallis, who faced 149 balls and hit seven fours in a patient innings. Scoreboard Pakistan (1st innings) 157 South Africa (1st innings) 183 Pakistan (2nd innings) 186 South Africa (2nd innings) Smith lbw Asif 33 Dippenaar c Akmal b Kaneria 3 Harris lbw Kaneria 0 Amla c Akmal b Asif 3 Kallis b Nazir 51 Prince not out 59 De Villiers not out 4 Extras
(b-4, lb-4) 8 Total (5 wkts, 64 overs) 161 Fall of wickets:
1-30, 2-36, 3-36, 4-39, 5-156. Bowling: Asif 21-8-43-2, Nazir 9-1-42-1, Kaneria 28-9-52-2, Hafeez 5-1-7-0, Sami 1-0-9-0.
— Reuters
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Aussies survive Oram attack
Sydney, January 28 Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden both smashed hundreds in Australia’s record total of 343 for five before Jacob Oram chalked up the fastest one-day ton by a New Zealander to take his team to 335-5. New Zealand fell just short of their victory target but their performance was a timely confidence boost ahead of their next match against England on Tuesday. Ponting belted 111 off 122 balls in a flawless performance that earned him the man-of-the-match award while Hayden made 117 from 111 deliveries as Australia set a record for the highest one-day total at the WACA on a scorching hot day when the temperatures exceeded 41°C. The pair shared a 200-run partnership for the second wicket after Adam Gilchrist departed cheaply for 13 before Mike Hussey (29 not out), Andrew Symonds (24) and Cameron White (20 not out) piled on 100 runs from the last 10 overs to take the Australian total soaring past 300. Ponting struck eight boundaries and a six in a superb innings to chalk up his 21st ODI ton, while Hayden rode his luck after being dropped on nought, four and 79 to bring up his sixth one-day hundred in an innings that featured 15 fours. New Zealand made a strong start to their reply with opener Lou Vincent blasting 62 off 88 balls before he was unluckily given out lbw to Clarke, while Stephen Fleming (28), Fulton (23) and Ross Taylor (39) all made valuable runs. Their chances of getting close to Australia’s total looked doomed when they slumped to 198-5 before Oram and Brendon McCullum (46 not out) piled on 137 without loss in less than 15 overs to set up a thrilling finish that was interrupted by a half-hour rain delay. Oram smashed four fours and six sixes to reach his hundred off just 71 balls and eclipse the New Zealand record of 75 balls for the fastest century, jointly held by Chris Cairns and Craig McMillan, before they ran out of overs. Scoreboard Australia Gilchrist c Patel b Mills 13 Hayden b Vettori 117 Ponting c Fulton b McMillan 111 Clarke c sub (Marshall) b Patel 7 Symonds b Gillespie 24 Hussey not out 29 White not out 20 Extras
(lb-2, w-18, nb-2) 22 Total (5 wkts, 50 overs) 343 Fall of wickets:
1-28, 2-228,
3-254, 4-275, 5-293. Bowling: Mills 10-1-72-1, Gillespie 10-1-76-1, Oram 5-0-50-0, Vettori 10-0-34-1, Patel 10-0-67-1, McMillan 3-0-26-1, Taylor 2-0-16-0. New Zealand Vincent lbw Clarke 66 Fleming c Gilchrist b McGrath 28 Fulton c Hayden b Johnson 23 Taylor b Clarke 39 McMillan run out 5 Oram not out 101 McCullum not out 46 Extras
(b-2, lb-5, w-18, nb-2) 27 Total (5 wkts, 50 overs) 335 Fall of wickets:
1-47, 2-107,
3-142, 4-150, 5-198. Bowling: Lee 10-0-53-0, Bracken 10-1-75-0, McGrath 10-0-72-1, Johnson 6-0-48-1, Clarke 9-0-48-2, Symonds 5-0-32-0.
— Reuters
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Suma, Gagan win medals
New Delhi, January 28 Suma shot a score of 500.9 with 398 (99, 100, 99, 100) in the qualifications and 102.9 in the finals. Anjali Bhagwat and Tejaswani Sawant finished 19th and 30th respectively. Anjali scored 396 (99, 99, 99, 99) and Tejaswini 394 (97, 98, 99, 100). Another Indian in fray, Avneet Kaur Sidhu, finished 58th with a score of 392 (98, 99, 97, 98). Sonja Pfeilschifter of Bayern won the gold medal with a tally of 501.7 (398+103.7) while Eva Joo of Hungary won the silver with a score of 501.3 (398+103.3). In the men’s event yesterday, top shooter Gagan Narang won the silver medal in the 10m air rifle event. Narang shot 596 in the qualifications and a final round of 104.2 to aggregate 700.2.
— PTI
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Corus: Anand finishes 5th
Wijk Aan Zee, January 28 Grandmaster Levon Aronian of Armenia, top seed Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria and Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan jointly won the Category-19 event on 8.5 points apiece. Of the three, Radjabov played it safe against Topalov in the final round while Aronian came up with yet another spirited show to outclass local hope Sergei Tiviakov. Five times winner Anand settled for fifth spot this time as world champion Vladimir Kramnik cruised past Dutchman Loek Van Wely to go a half point clear of the Indian. Kramnik was clear fourth on 8 points. In the Group ‘C’, world’s youngest Grandmaster Parimarjan Negi ended on a positive note with a sparkling victory over Chinese wonder-girl Hou Yifan. Finishing on 7.5 points in all, Negi justified his fourth seeding in the event, ending fourth in this competitive field.
— PTI
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Ranji Trophy Plate final
Cuttack, January 28 The hosts appeared to be in trouble when they slumped to 176 for five just after tea when Behera was removed after a 214-minute vigil at the wicket. But a 87-run sixth-wicket partnership between Rashmi, who hit five fours and two sixes, and wicketkeeper Haladhar Das (31) revived the innings. Winning the toss and electing to bat, Orissa were off to a good start with openers Shiv Sundar Das (42, 8x4) and Bikash Swarup Pati (14) putting on 49 runs before medium pacer Ashok Thakur made Pati edge one to wicketkeeper Ajay Manu. Das and Behera added another 46 runs before the former India Test opener was trapped lbw by off-spinner Sarandeep Singh. Subit Biswal (6) and skipper Pravanjan Mullick (30) fell soon after. Behera, who has been a prolific scorer for Orissa this season, was the fifth batsman to be dismissed when spinner Vishal Bhatia had him caught by Sarandeep for 69. His knock, spread over 214 minutes, contained 10 fours and a six. For Himachal, Bhatia was the most successful bowler claiming four wickets for 80 runs.
— PTI
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Jeev, Shiv fail to shine
Doha, January 28 South African Retief Goosen blasted an eagle at the last hole to win the Qatar Masters. Goosen came from a stroke behind Australia’s Nick O’Hern to win by one shot with a final round 69 for a 15-under par tally.
— UNI
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Surjit Academy, Sangrur XI enter final
Ludhiana, January 28 In the first semifinal, Ranjit Singh Academy boys surged ahead in the seventh minute through a field goal by Satinder Singh. Five minutes later, the Sangrur outfit restored parity through a penalty-corner conversion by Sumit Pal. In the second session, Sangrur’s Amarpreet converted a penalty corner to put his side into the lead, while Sukhdeep Singh found the target three minutes later to make it 3-1. Amarpreet struck again in the 57th minute to wrap up the match 4-1. In the second semifinal, PAU Academy drew first blood in the 10th minute when Tajbir Singh converted a penalty corner. Satbir Singh of Surjit Academy levelled the score immediately. Surjit Academy lads continued with their attacking game and their repeated forays into the rivals’ territory fetched the desired results. Manjinder Singh pumped in two goals (24th and 33rd minutes) to make it 3-1. The final will be played tomorrow at 1.30 pm.
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