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Symonds feels the heat
‘Indians gave up easily’
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Eves routed in 1st ODI
ICC confirms Bindra’s appointment
England go 4-0 up
Churchill through to Durand semis
Haryana retain hockey title
Naren done in by gear box snag
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Japanese teen steals show
New York, August 31 Fourth seed David Ferrer was left a punched out wreck as he went down 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5 following an inspired performance by Nishikori. The 18-year-old made his ranking of 126 look like a mathematical error during the three and a half hour tussle and he kept his nerve to become the first Japanese man since 1937 to reach the last 16 in New York. He will next face rising Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro, who tamed French 16th seed Gilles Simon 6-4, 6-7, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. Rafael Nadal can expect an easy ride into the semifinals after his draw opened up following the defeats of seventh seed David Nalbandian, ninth seed James Blake and 14th seed Ivo Karlovic. Argentina's Nalbandian was ousted by 32nd seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 and hard-serving Karlovic was beaten 7-6, 7-6, 6-2 by American Sam Querrey. Mardy Fish completed a bad night for the seeds when he trampled over fellow American Blake 6-3, 6-3, 7-6. Andy Murray, the British sixth seed, also looked to be on his way out when he was two points from defeat before he found his range to pull off a 6-7, 4-6, 7-6, 6-1, 6-3 win over Austrian Juergen Melzer. World number one and Wimbledon champion Nadal, who will not face a top 30 player until at least the semifinals, blasted into the fourth round by grinding down Serbian Viktor Troicki 6-4, 6-3, 6-0. While most of the men found it tough going on day six of the season's final grand slam, Venus and Serena faced no such problems. Venus overwhelmed Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko 6-2, 6-1 while younger sister Serena blew past Japan's Ai Sugiyama with an identical scoreline. The 28-year-old, who will next face Polish ninth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, said she has added a little spice to her game since arriving at Flushing Meadows a decade ago. Neither Venus nor fourth seeded Serena have lost a set during this year's tournament and are the only women left in the draw to have won the US Open previously. Four of the top 10 seeds on the women's side have fallen, clearing the way for one of the Williamses to make another title run. Serena refused to say she was at the top of her game but she appeared close to it during her 66-minute demolition of Sugiyama, where she never faced a break point. Dinara Safina, tipped by many as a potential champion here, almost became another big-name casualty before scrapping to a 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 win over Swiss teenager Timea Bacsinszky. Amelie Mauresmo reached the fourth round of a grand slam for the first time in over a year when she won 6-4, 6-4 against Julie Coin, the 188th-ranked Frenchwoman who had earlier stunned top seed Ana Ivanovic. Bhupathi-Stosur lose Mahesh Bhupathi and his Australian partner Samantha Stosur lost the plot towards the end and crashed out of US Open mixed doubles event after a see-saw second round battle here. The Indo-Australian pair began in the right earnest before finishing on the wrong side of the one-hour battle that saw Swede Robert Lindstedt and his Australian teammate Rennae Stubbs win it 2-6, 6-3, 12-10 in tie-breaker.
Men's singles third round results on Sunday
Women's singles fourth round result on Sunday
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Symonds feels the heat
Darwin (Australia), August 31 Symonds was sent home in disgrace after deciding to go fishing rather than attend a compulsory team meeting on Friday ahead of yesterday's opening game of the series, which Australia went on to win comfortably. Australian coach Tim Nielsen was left querying
Symonds' state of mind. "They don't miss a thing and they are always early and presented as well as they possibly can," Nielsen said of the Australian players. "When somebody hasn't got the information that they need or hasn't turned up on time it's usually due to the fact they're away from us and the group a little bit mentally. "That always raises concerns." Despite a chequered off-field record that had previously threatened to prematurely curtail the career of one of the world's best
limited-overs players, Cricket Australia has so far resisted the temptation to tear up
Symonds' lucrative playing contract. He was dealt a two-match suspension in 2005 for turning up to a game drunk and had been warned he is on his last
chance. Symonds' manager, Matt Fearon, said his client was pondering his future and conceded there was some uncertainty over the upcoming tour of India. "Andrew's going to take some time to reflect on what's happened," Fearon said. "He's still committed to playing cricket at the highest level. How he goes about doing that and how it plays out I don't know. "Whether it means India I don't know." The response in Australian newspapers to
Symonds' latest dramas was not favourable. "The Queenslander, who these days carries himself with such an arrogant swagger that even his teammates sometimes shake their heads, has become too big for his boots," the Sunday Telegraph
said. "Symonds treats just about everyone with disdain - rival players, journalists, his employers and even some of his teammates." The Sunday Mail noted that Symonds had betrayed the trust of stand-in captain Michael Clarke, who had been one of the Queenslander's biggest supporters. "On the 2006 South African tour, it was Clarke - six years younger than Symonds - who quelled a potential fight between Symonds and a Cheetahs rugby union player in Cape Town nightclub Hemisphere," the Sunday Mail said.
— AFP |
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‘Indians gave up easily’
Colombo, August 31 Jayawaredene even went on to say that his boys were better than the Indians when it comes to handling pressure situation. "I don't think we could be criticised for lacking fighting spirit. Even when we were losing we were fighting. I think the Indians tend to probably give up a bit too easily," Jayawardene said. "We want to develop in our team that we don't give up to the last minute. You can go through tough situations and tend to give in quite easily. We have to keep having belief in your ability," he said. The Lankan skipper said his team wanted to win the last game for the home crowd which were supporting them in all matches even after losing the series to India. "Losing the series was very disappointing. But the huge crowd had supported us throughout the series and they turned up (for the last match) as well. So we had to give them something back to show the character of the team," he said. Jayawardene said he was happy with the bench strength Sri Lanka had in the fast bowling department. "I think (Nuwan) Kulasekara and Thilana Tushara have been consistent for us. Lasith (Malinga) has started bowling and (Fervez) Mahroof is 100 per cent fit while Dilhara (Fernando) looks very good after the injury. So it is a good competition in the team which is good," he said. Jayawardene paid tribute to old war horse Chaminda Vaas, who reached the milestone of getting 400 ODI wickets in the series, for the contribution to Lankan cricket. "I think Vaas is still great. He is doing the job for us. We have a good balance now. In different conditions we can bowl different bowlers. Sometimes we might give Vaas a game, the other guy a game depending on the conditions. So that could be interesting." On the Sri Lankan ODI team's performance during the last year, the captain said it had its highs and lows. "Not consistent. We would rather have consistency going all throughout the year. Yes, we won the Asia Cup which was a great achievement. But between that we had our ups and downs. “In the West Indies, against England and now against India, we did not do well not that we were outplayed," he signed off.
— PTI |
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Eves routed in 1st ODI
Bath (England), August 31 Isa Guha (3/30), the bustling medium pacer with Kolkata roots, mowed down India's top order and then Jenny Gunn (3/13) polished the tail as the visitors were shot out for a meagre 124 in 43.4 overs. Chasing the target, the hosts cruised to 125 for two in 36 overs to complete the formalities. Guha removed the scoreless Jaya Sharma and Asha Rawat off successive deliveries to reduce India to four for two. Opener Sulakshana Naik (5) fell soon to Katherine Brunt to leave India gasping at six for three. Amita Sharma (34) and Mithali (44) then joined hands to stem the rot with a 48-run stand before Isa struck again, claiming her third victim in Amita. Amita's brisk 34 came off 38 balls and included seven hits to the fence. Hemlata Kala (10) joined Mithali in the middle and though runs didn't exactly flow from her blade, her dogged defiance ensured there was no immediate setback for the side. Kala eventually returned with the team score at 99 and one run later, Mithali joined her in the pavilion after a 75-ball knock of 44 that included seven boundaries. It triggered another batting collapse and in fact none of the last five batters could reach the double digit. England got off to a decent start with openers Caroline Atkins (45) and Sarah Taylor (16) putting on 37 runs before ODI debutante Niranjana Nagarajan removed the latter. Caroline was run out five shot of her half century but Clair Taylor (40 not out) and captain Charlotte Edwards (14 not out) had little problem guiding the side to the target. Gunn won the Player of the Match award for her impressive figure of 8-3-13-3. The second match will be played in Taunton tomorrow. Brief score: India Women: 124 all out in 43.4 overs (Amita Sharma 34, Mithali Raj 44; Jenny Gun 3-13, Isa Guha 3-30). England Women: 125 for 2 in 36 overs (Caroline Atkins 45, Sarah Taylor 40 not out; Niranjana Nagarajan 1-10).
— PTI |
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ICC confirms Bindra’s appointment
New Delhi, August 31 A former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and a key figure in the success of two ICC World Cups in the Asian sub-continent in 1987 and 1996, Bindra has initially been engaged on a two-year consultancy agreement. He will focus on developing the game in China, implementing the ICC Vision, assisting relations between the ICC and its members and working with host members to ensure the success of ICC events. ICC President David Morgan said, ''Inderjit has already been acting in the role of ICC
Principal Advisor since July but we have now agreed the areas he will focus on
and I am delighted to have done so.'' — UNI |
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London, August 31 England restricted the tourists to 183 for six from 32.1 overs and when their target was eventually adjusted to 137 off 20 overs, they reached it for the loss of three wickets with two overs to spare. After Matt Prior and Ian Bell had fallen cheaply in a sluggish start to their response, England took charge. The key partnership was between captain Kevin Pietersen (40) and Owais Shah, who put on 74 in nine overs, including 20 off the only over bowled by Jacques Kallis. Shah ended on 44 not out, with Andrew Flintoff hitting the winning runs to finish unbeaten on 31. After being put in, South Africa made a bright start, with Herschelle Gibbs and Hashim Amla adding 66 for the first wicket from 9.1 overs. Brief scores: South Africa 183 for 6 (Gibbs 74, Amla 34, Flintoff 3-21) England 137 for 3 (Shah 44, Pietersen 40). — Reuters
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Itching to slip into khaki
Bhiwani, August 31 "It feels nice but we don't know which area we would be given charge of. There is a certain aura about this post, isn't it? I hope to do justice to the responsibility," Akhil, flanked by a security personnel who will now accompany him wherever he goes, told PTI. Among the three, Vijender is already eyeing his preferred posting. "Given a choice, I would take charge of Gurgaon," said India's first ever Olympic medallist in boxing, a bronze winner in the middle weight category in Beijing. The youngest of the three, Jitender is just happy to be a DSP at 20, in his second year of graduation. "It's a great feeling, gives me an adrenaline rush. I have a security personnel with me all the time. Let's see what the job is all about," he quipped. Being mobbed by adoring fans and attending felicitation after felicitation are part of their new routines and though exhausted, the Bhiwani bombers, as they are fondly called now, say they are more than happy to oblige any autograph hunter or photograph seeker. "I used to practise my signature for this very day. And now that it is happening, it is surreal. Till about a few months ago we could pass through these streets completely unnoticed but now everybody turns around and recognises," said Akhil, a bantam weight quarterfinalist in Beijing, as he scribbled in Hindi for a fan. "Some kids pulled my shirt during a recent felicitation, I told them I would be back on these streets in a couple of weeks but they wanted a photo there and then. And you can't say no to kids," he added. "It is tiring but 'chalega' (okay). Sometimes the fans have gone overboard, pulling our clothes and we have been asked the same questions over and over again by the media but it's OK. We can handle it," added Vijender. Jitender, meanwhile, cannot have enough of the new-found fame that has come with his lionhearted performance in Beijing, where he fought with 11 stitches on his chin in the quarterfinal. He was felicitated with a gold medal in his birthplace Devsar, some seven kilometres from Bhiwani, and the fly weight pugilist is the biggest celebrity for the villagers there. "I still don't have proper signatures, so whenever somebody asks for my autograph, I just scribble my name in capital letters. But I am practising," he said with a wide grin. In fact, the trio seems omnipresent in Bhiwani, peeping out from colourful posters and hoardings put up across the district to applaud their achievements. But even as they enjoy the adulation and other benefits of their hard work, sleep has become a major casualty. "Let the whole thing settle down, I am going to spend an entire day sleeping," said Vijender, whose Kaluwas home has become a milestone in itself here. Relaxing on the edge of his two-storey home's balcony, the 22-year-old said, "It's so quiet and peaceful. I have been craving for such solitude since my return." Akhil, on the other hand, has been stealing a nap here and there amid the numerous functions he has attended since coming back.
— PTI |
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‘I am only thinking of Chelsea’
Madrid, August 31 "I've already told the president (Ramon Calderon), and coach (Bernd Schuster), management and (the media): my head is there (at Chelsea), I want to play over there," the 24-year-old said. "Until now I've never had a problem in the locker room (at Real)," he added. Robinho attacked the Spanish champions for their attitude to him during the summer when his father and agent had been trying to negotiate a new contract for him. "The club showed little interest in keeping me," said Robinho of Real who focused their efforts on their failed bid to sign Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United. "The problem is that (Real Madrid) did not manage to recruit. "Schuster isn't my father, he's my coach. He can't make me do anything." Real also recently failed in their bid to sign two Spanish internationals Santi Cazorla from Villarreal and David Villa from Valencia. "I want to leave, nothing more," he added. There is very little time left for Robinho to move to London with the transfer window officially closing at midnight tomorrow.
— AFP |
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Churchill through to Durand semis
New Delhi, August 31 Churchill defeated Army XI 1-0 for their second consecutive win and now top Group I with six points after the second round of matches. Ogba Kalu Nnanna scored the winner for the Goan team in the 41st minute. A win would have taken Mahindra to the knock-out stage but after splitting points they slipped from the top spot and are now lying second with four points. Mumbai FC are third with one point and Army XI is at the bottom. Mahindra will now need a draw in their next match on Tuesday to qualify for the semis while it is all over for Mumbai FC and even a win won't take them to the next stage. Last year's runners-up Mahindra took an early lead in the fourth minute through a Mohammed Rafi strike. Mumbai FC drew parity with Felix Aboagye converting a penalty seconds before the breather. Mahindra, after their inspiring 3-0 win against Army XI in their first match, lacked the verve in the first half despite taking the lead. They, however, made some attacking moves in the second half but could not find the elusive winner. Mumbai FC's good job in the first half could not be complemented upfront due to the absence of a better striker. Their main forward Abhishek Yadav hardly went for any aeriel tackle to get the crosses. It was Aseem K. who did all the legwork and prised open the Mahindra defence but failed to get past Amit Nandi, who replaced an injured Subhasish Roy Chowdhury under the bar. In the later stages of the first half, Mumbai FC accelerated their pace and found a chance to equalise in the injury time when Aseem was brought down in the box. Referee Dinesh Nair didn't hesitate to give a penalty and Aboagye converted to draw parity. Mahindra stepped up the gas in the second half to break the deadlock but were disappointed when Edeh Chidi's goal was ruled off-side.
— IANS |
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Haryana retain hockey title
Rourkela, August 31 In a completely one-sided final played on Astro turf, the defending champions stamped their authority from the very beginning of the match. Rani gave an early lead to Haryana scoring a field goal in the sixth minute. At the interval, the winners were leading 3-0, Rani scored four goals including through penalty in the 38th minute. Jharkhand players were left clueless before the well-organised attacks by Haryana forwards. Though Jharkhand got two chances off penalty corners, they failed to capitalise on those. Earlier, hosts Orissa secured third place in the tourney defeating Uttar Pradesh 4-2. Poonam Barla scored Orissa’s first goal in the very first minute, while Sushila Ekka netted the ball twice and Nilima Minz scored one goal. Uttar Pradesh’s Kavita More and Shruti Singh scored one goal each. Altogether 25 teams participated in the tournament which was organised by Orissa Women Hockey Association.
— PTI |
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Naren done in by gear box snag
Hamilton, August 31 Everyone, who was closely following the rally, was hoping that Naren would fulfill his promise to be among the points and he was on course to do that as he was running eighth on stage 14. Meanwhile, World champion Sebastien Loeb won the Rally to extend his lead in the world rally championship drivers' standings. A disappointed Naren said, ''I was doing so well till this happened. I was running eighth when the gear box broke. It is a very sad day for me. I was confident of finishing in the points this time.'' However, Team Sidvin India Owner Mohan Nagarajan said, ''Naren was settling down well and we are happy that he is learning. It is unfortunate that the car had a mechanical breakdown.'' ''We understand that this is a new car and we would have problems. STl and Subaru engineers are working very hard to resolve these small glitches,” he
said. — UNI |
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