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New York, September 4  India's Leander Paes and Zimbabwe's Cara Black won the mixed doubles title at the US Open on Thursday, beating Briton Jamie Murray and American Liezel Huber 7-6, 6-4.
The fifth seeds saved two set points in the first-set tiebreak before breaking once in the second to clinch their first grand slam title together.
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9 yrs on, Paes hopes to repeat double
Comments on Dhoni
Report blames Bhajji row for Symonds’ condition
India ‘A’ gain upper hand
Mahindra United oust JCT
Anand held by Radjabov
K’taka overall champs
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Paes-Black win mixed doubles title
New York, September 4 The fifth seeds saved two set points in the first-set tiebreak before breaking once in the second to clinch their first grand slam title together. Black hit a crucial volley to save the first set point and Murray, who won the mixed doubles at Wimbledon in 2007 with Jelena Jankovic, netted a volley on the second. Murray was the only man to lose his serve, in the fifth game of the second, and Paes served out for his eighth grand-slam title, while Black has now won seven, including three mixed. Women’s singles semifinal line-up
Serena Williams vs Dinara Safina
Jelena Jankovic vs Elena Dementieva Black and Huber will join up in the final of the women's doubles when they play American Lisa Raymond and Australian Sam Stosur, the 10th seeds. Paes will be looking to win the men's doubles title when he and Czech Lukas Dlouhy, the seventh seeds, play American twins, Bob and Mike Bryan. Earlier, Serena Williams fought off 10 set points to prevail in the greatest duel yet with sister Venus, a heart-stopping 7-6, 7-6 victory that put her in the semifinals on Wednesday.
Played with uncommon ferocity and passion from both combatants, Serena emerged triumphant in the gruelling two hour 25 minute battle to reach the final four at Flushing Meadows for the first time since her 2002 win. The eight-times grand slam winner turned away two set points in the first 8-6 tiebreaker and eight more in the second set, including four in the final 9-7 tiebreak, which ended with a Venus forehand drive landing beyond the baseline. "I can't believe I won," Serena said courtside. "Wow." With the victory Serena edged to a 9-8 advantage in her head-to-head sibling rivalry with Venus. "I think we played a great match today," Serena said. "It just boiled down to one point here and there." Serena put on an amazing display of athleticism, racing from corner to corner to retrieve rocket forehands from Venus, stretching, straining and even sliding into a full split along the baseline trying to run down a blast. The win sent Serena to the semifinals against sixth seed Dinara Safina, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Italy's Flavia Pennetta. Friday's other women's semifinal will have second seed Jelena Jankovic against Olympic champion Elena Dementieva. One of the semifinalists will supplant Ana Ivanovic as world number one at the end of the tournament. Top seed Rafael Nadal, looking for his first US Open title to underline his new status as world number one, booked a date with Briton Andy Murray in the men's semifinals. The Spaniard closed Wednesday's marathon night session with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 victory over unseeded American Mardy Fish. Delayed by a series of long matches, Nadal clinched his first trip to a US semifinal at 2.10 am with a boisterous throng of fans still on hand in the city that never sleeps. "Thanks everyone for being here 'till 2 O'clock," Nadal told the crowd in a courtside interview. "The night atmosphere here is always amazing. But I prefer to finish a little earlier." Murray gave a roar of relief after ending the 23-match winning streak of Argentine teenager Juan Martin Del Potro 7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-5 to reach his first grand slam semifinal. The biggest buzz of the day came from the clash between the Williams sisters which featured brilliant rallies, raw power and such unbridled effort that the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd gave them a standing ovation after one breathtaking exchange. U.S. Open champion in 2000 and 2001, Venus failed to capitalise on serving for the first set at 5-4 and again for the second at 5-3. Venus ripped 36 winners but had 45 unforced errors in her quest for the quick kill. Her greatest lapse came when serving for the second set at 5-3, 40-0. She squandered three set points, making five successive errors that brought the set back on serve. "I'm a very good closer," said Venus, a seven-times grand slam winner and like Serena a double Open champion. "I never had a match like that in my life. But I guess there's always a first. I guess she played a little better." Venus led 6-3 in the second tiebreaker but three errors brought it back even. A backhand volley by Serena spoilt another Venus set point at 7-6 before two more errors by Venus ended it 9-7 in Serena's favour. "She played some great volleys and got a lot of balls back," said Venus, who beat Serena in the Wimbledon final in July for her fifth All England Club title. "It's not what I planned." Murray plotted his path to the semis through two dominant tiebreakers, winning the first 7-2 and the second 7-1. The Scot overcame shaky moments in an error-filled third set before ending it as Del Potro served to stay alive. "I'm very relieved," Murray said after the grudge match against the 19-year-old Argentine, with whom he traded on-court insults at the Rome Masters in May. Del Potro had won his last four tournaments - on clay at Stuttgart and Kitzbuhel, and on hard courts at Los Angeles and Washington to soar from 65 to 17 in the rankings. Safina, 22, also registered a personal first, reaching the U.S. Open semifinals for the first time. "It's great," said Safina, runner-up at the French Open and Beijing Olympics. "I'm getting closer to reaching the same thing as my brother (Marat Safin, the 2000 champion), so I hope that one day we can have the same titles." — Reuters
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9 yrs on, Paes hopes to repeat double
New York, September 4 Having reached the finals of both men's and mixed doubles of the US Open, Paes is recalling the 1999 Wimbledon and reckons this is going to be special for him. "I think 2008 in New York is going to be special," said the Indian ace, after he and his Czech partner Lukas Dlouhy thumped Argentine pair Maximo Gonzales and Juan Monaco 6-2, 6-0 in just 46 minutes to storm into the men's doubles final. The former Davis Cup captain and his Zimbabwean teammate Cara Black have already made it to the mixed doubles final. In 1999, Paes had partnered Mahesh Bhupathi and Lisa Raymonds to win the men's doubles and mixed doubles crowns at Wimbledon. "I was much younger back then," said Paes, recalling the feat. "As you get older, you push your body to new limits and try to raise the bar a few more times," he said. Paes was particularly happy with the show against the Argentines and said, "When you finish a semifinal of a Grand Slam in 46 minutes, you're always happy. It was one of the fastest matches I had in my career. The balls looked like watermelons out there." Though he cherishes all his Grand Slam titles, Paes insists the highlight of his career is the bronze medal he won in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. "Nothing will ever better my Olympic medal," he said. "Let me remind you it was in singles. That's the epitome of my career," Paes added.
— PTI |
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Comments on Dhoni
Rajkot, September 4 BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah has categorically told Kirsten to avoid airing his personal views in media and focus on his job of coaching. "As per the rules and regulations, Kirsten should not have spoken such things in the media, it is not his job. We have the selectors to decide who should be the captain," Shah told reporters here. "His job is to coach the Indian team and not give interviews on the selection matters or the captaincy. His comments have not gone down well with those concerned because he is an important member of the support staff. But I will still give him a benefit of doubt," Shah said. He also dismissed the notion that Kumble should hang up his boots. "Anil is a great cricketer and he knows well when to quit. As long as he is in form, I don't think the selectors are going to drop him," he said. Kirsten had told a television channel earlier this week that ODI skipper Dhoni was ready to take over the Test captaincy from Anil Kumble. Shah said Kumble was doing well and the selectors were not contemplating any change at the helm of the Test team. When asked if Yuvraj Singh, who is struggling with the bat, should take a break from international cricket, the board secretary expressed hopes that the left-hander would soon rediscover his form. — PTI
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Report blames Bhajji row for Symonds’ condition
Melbourne, September 4 Symonds’ commitment is being questioned after he preferred a fishing trip to a compulsory team meeting recently. He and Harbhajan figured prominently in the Sydney row where the Australian all-rounder accused the equally volatile Indian off-spinner of racially abusing him. Eventually, the Australians were convinced by the CA to downgrade the charge, allowing Harbhajan to escape a ban and Symonds just could not digest that, reports "The Age". "To this day, Symonds has not forgiven Cricket Australia for what transpired in an Adelaide federal courtroom eight months ago," the report said. "Harbhajan's reprieve infuriated Symonds, who felt abandoned by administrators he believed were more interested in kow-towing to India than protecting their own," it added. According to the report, Symonds subsequently refused all CA efforts to resolve the issue and his discontent started affecting his commitment to the side. Bhajji doesn't care
The whole of Australia maybe waiting with bated breath to know if Andrew Symonds will eventually tour India but his bete noire Harbhajan Singh says he just could not care less. Though Symonds is not yet officially ruled out for the India tour, Harbhajan said he hardly cares whether the Australian tours India or not. "It doesn't bother me whether he is coming or not," Harbhajan was quoted as saying by the "Courier Mail". "We are playing against a team. If he features in it, fine, if he doesn't, things don't change much for me," said Harbhajan with characteristic nonchalance.
— PTI |
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India ‘A’ gain upper hand
Bangalore, September 4 Earlier, India 'A' resuming at the overnight score of 180 for four were restricted to 284. Mohammed Kaif made 94 and Piyush Chawla made a quickfire of 66 runs. Overnight batsman Virat Kohli added only one run to his score of 48 after edging to Simon Katich off Douglas in the very first over of the second day. For the hosts, Mohammed Kaif scored 94 runs (15 fours and a six) while leg spinner Piyush Chawla chipped in with 66 runs (10 fours and one six). Kaif was dismissed when he edged D Bollinger to Marcus North. Chawla put the Australian bowlers to the sword as wickets fell at regular intervals at the other end. However, the visitors started their reply disastrously when they lost two wickets for just three runs. Opener Phillip Loel Hughes fell to Dhaval Kulkarni for one run. Vice-captain Adman Charles Vogues, who joined his skipper Katich, also did not last long and returned to the pavilion without making any score clean bowled by S.R. Tyagi with the score reading only seven. The visitors struggled even more when spin duo of Piyush and Mohnish Parmar were introduced. Wickets fell at regular intervals. Only Marcus James North (41) and George John Bailey (37 not out) showed some resistance. Australia 'A' still require another 21 runs to avoid follow-on on the last day tomorrow. For the hosts, Parmar took three wickets giving away 37 runs. Piyush Chawla claimed two wickets for 36 runs. The second day's play also started with a delay of over two hours as the outfield was damp due to overnight rain. Only 75 overs were bowled on the second day after play was extended for over one hour in the evening. Brief scores: India ‘A’ 284 (Mohammed Kaif 94, Virat Kohli 49, Piyush Chawla 66 Douglas Bollinger 4-59, Mcgain 3-51). Australia 'A': 113 for 8 (Marcus James North 41, George John Bailey 37 not out). — UNI
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Bangalore, September 4 Pankaj will take on former world champion Geet Sethi in the final to be played on best of 11 frame contest in three sessions tomorrow. Earlier, Geet Sethi stormed into the final defeating compatriot Devendra Joshi in the semifinals 5-3 after recovering from a 1-4 deficit. Winner of eight world titles, including five world professional and three IBSF World Billiards, Geet had teething problem which cost him dearly as the former Asian Champion Joshi took full advantage of the lapses by his famed rival. Joshi opened the account winning the first frame (151-102) with a break at 122. In the second frame also, Joshi was in full control and took advantage of Geet's mishits at 80 and took a two frame lead (151-95). The third frame was a cake walk for Joshi as Geet caved in, Joshi won 151-2. But Geet like a true champion, realised his mistakes and regrouped his game and concentration to win the fourth frame 150-126 in a tug-of-war game. The first session ended with Joshi leading 3-1. However, Geet proved his supremacy bouncing back in the second session and winning the remaining four frames to finish the match with 5-3. — UNI
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Mahindra United oust JCT
New Delhi, September 4 Playing in humid and stifling heat under floodlights, Mahindra United and JCT enjoyed advantage with the ball in turn, though both teams tried to play percentage football to conserve their energy by playing the long ball often to break the midfield and the defence. With the Mahindra attempts going haywire, or crashing into JCT custodian Karanjit Singh, it was an open sesame. JCT mounted pressure in the later half of the first session, and forged ahead just two minutes before the interval through veteran Balwant Singh. Eduardo D. Silva attempted a long, stiff shot which the Mahindra custodian dived to deflect at the cost a corner kick. The corner kick was also deflected into play by goalie Subhaish Roy, but Balwinder Singh latched on the ball near the right corner of the box, took a reverse kick which completely foxed the Mahindra custodian. But Mahindra turned the tables on the Punjab team with sustained pressure in the second half, and their efforts bore result when Paresh Shivalkar rifled in off a rebound in the 27th minute for the equaliser (1-1). Edeh Chidi shot in from 25 yards just seconds before the final hooter, with the ball going in after hitting the upright post. Sporting Clube De Goa will take on Churchill Brothers in the second semifinal tomorrow.
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Sports neglected, says Abhey
Chandigarh, September 4 Even as he expressed happiness at the government honouring the Beijing Olympic heroes with cash awards (Rs 50 lakh for Vijender and Rs 25 lakh each for wrestlers Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt, boxers Jitender and Akhil and badminton player Saina Nehwal) and the post of DSP each for the boxing trio, the Haryana Olympic Association president berated the state government for making little efforts in promoting sports in the state. “It was in keeping with the awards policy as announced during the chief ministership of Om Prakash Chautala that the government disbursed financial awards and the posts of DSPs to boxers,” he alleged. “But the sum of Rs 1 crore for Olympic gold medallist, Rs 50 lakh for silver medallist and Rs 25 lakh for bronze medallist was announced by the Chautala government nearly eight years back. In view of increasing inflation, the awards amount should have been raised by the government,” Abhey Chautala, who is also the India Boxing Federation president, alleged. “As for the posts of DSP, the government had no option but to give the same to the players. Several states were in touch with me and were ready to give the same posts to the Beijing heroes provided they switched base,” Chautala alleged. He, however, conceded that the recognition of the stupendous efforts of the players would go a long way in lifting the overall morale of the fraternity. He also appreciated the gesture of awarding an amount of Rs 11 lakh each to those who qualified for the Olympics, but stated that there were other Olympians as well as Arjuna Awardees, who were languishing in the state for want of recognition. Taking a dig at the government, Chautala said in the wake of the euphoria generated due to the Olympic success, it had honoured a player who now did not belong to the state. Chautala apparently was referring to talented badminton player Saina Nehwal, who had shifted base to Hyderabad. Continuing his tirade, Chautala said even after more than three years in power, the Hooda government had failed to frame a sports policy. “The last policy being pursued, was framed during the tenure of Om Prakash Chautala government.” “No sports association has been given any grant during the period. The associations willing to host state championships were denied any financial or technical assistance,” he stated. Citing an example of government indifference towards sports, Chautala said the government did not sanction a coaching camp for the state team for participation in the 55th National Senior Boxing Championship being organised in Bathinda from September 6. Asked what the Chautala government had done for the players, he replied that Karnam Malleswari, Olympic bronze medallist in weightlifting, had been awarded Rs 25,000.”
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Bilbao (Spain), September 4 Harika advances
Nalchik (Russia): Dronavalli Harika proved her superiority in the endgame to outplay Anna Muzychuk in the second rapid tie-breaker and sail into the third round of the ongoing World Women's Chess Championship here. After Harika and her opponent from Slovenia had drawn both the classical games, the tie-break became necessary to end the deadlock.
— PTI |
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K’taka overall champs
Amritsar, September 4 Karnataka lifted the team championship for boys with 161 points while Maharashtra won the girls trophy with 185 points. Karnataka claimed the overall championship with 570 points.
— OC |
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New York, September 4
London:
Kota to honour
Sushil Kumar