Melbourne, January 22
Statuesque Venus Williams was sent crashing to earth at the Australian Open on Thursday, the seven-times grand slam champion's second-round defeat creating the first major shock of the 2009 tournament. The sixth seed was felled by free-hitting Spanish newcomer Carla Suarez Navarro 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 under floodlights, hours after sister Serena had survived a tricky encounter to advance.

“She was super consistent and aggressive and just went for her shots,” Venus acknowledged. “We haven’t quite figured out exactly which areas went wrong. But I definitely have to credit her. I don’t believe in jinxes because I don’t believe in witches or warlocks or magical creatures and stuff,” she added when asked if she was frustrated at another early exit here after her first round loss in 2006.

Serena’s champion’s mentality lifted her to the third round despite a distinctly lukewarm performance. Facing Argentine Gisela Dulko, three-times champion Serena won the first set comfortably enough but had to overcome 3-0 and 5-2 deficits in the second to secure a 6-3, 7-5 victory in 110 minutes.

“I was able to get through it not playing my best... that’s how I would sum it up,” Serena said. “Lots and lots and lots and lots of room for improvement. Today I was at a ‘D-minus’ but it is good that I won.” Serena meets China’s Peng Shuai next.

Men’s top seed Rafael Nadal and pre-tournament favourite Andy Murray were both clinical and combative in straightforward victories. Nadal thumped Croatia’s Roko Karanusic 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, taking only 97 minutes to destroy his opponent. “I won without any problems today, so that was good,” the world number one smiled. Next for him is former world number two Tommy Haas. “The first big opponent, I think,” Nadal said. “It is gonna be a very good test to see how I am. I am going to have to play very well if I want have chances to win, no?”

Fourth-seeded Briton Murray was explosive on Rod Laver Arena, pummelling Spain’s Marcel Granollers 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 in a performance which included 37 clean winners. “I felt like once I got ahead I could settle down,” Murray said. “To come through in straight sets is obviously important. It was a good test to have at this stage in the tournament.”

Last year’s runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga completed a great day for French tennis when he beat Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 6-2.

Women’s fourth seed Elena Dementieva extended her winning streak to 12 matches with a comfortable 6-4, 6-1 victory over Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic.

Karachi, January 22
Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar is all set to be dropped from the Pakistan squad after he flopped miserably in the first two one-dayers of the ongoing one-day series against Sri Lanka.

A source in the Pakistan camp told IANS that the team management has decided to replace Shoaib with another bowler in the playing line-up for the series finale to be played in Lahore Jan 24. He is also unlikely to be considered for a two-Test series against Sri Lanka lined up for next month.

According to the source, the team management will decide whether to induct young pacer Sohail Khan or spinner Saeed Ajmal in the playing eleven after taking a look at the Gaddafi Stadium wicket in Lahore.

Shoaib, 33, failed to impress on his ODI comeback, finishing wicketless in the first match and then taking 1-45 in six overs. He appeared to be far from fit and his lack of form had raised questions over his selection in the Pakistan squad.

The pacer's performance drew flak from Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik who accused him of showing lack of commitment on the field.

"If you look at his performances and record and matches he has won, there is no question over his effectiveness," he said. "But the question is over 100 per cent fitness. Cricket has changed and if you aren't 100 percent fit then it is difficult.

"Everyone can see what is out there. The ability to bowl 10 overs is there but the commitment in fielding wasn't there."

Shoaib, who has taken 178 Test wickets from 46 matches besides picking up 220 victims from 140 One-day Internationals, was selected in the elite A-category of the central contracts by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The team management was confident that he would return to form against Sri Lanka after giving a good showing in domestic matches in recent weeks. But now his future in the Pakistan team looks bleak.

Former Pakistan Test cricketers Thursday came out with various suggestions for the Rawalpindi Express.

Former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas told IANS said that Shoaib should know himself whether he has any future in international cricket.

"Shoaib knows better what his body is going through," said Zaheer, who was recently selected at the second place in the all-time ODI batsmen's list issued by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

"It's true that he is slow on the field, everybody can see that. Shoaib will have to sit down and decide whether he wants to carry on. If he does, then he should get fit,"he said. –– IANS

Bangalore, January 22
Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthick hit a belligerent 153 to lift South Zone to a respectable 329 in the in first innings on the opening day of the four-day Duleep Trophy quarterfinal match against Central Zone here today.

In reply, Central were 30 for no loss with T Srivatsava and Shivkant Shukla at the crease. Medium pacer Umesh Yadav rattled the South Zone batting order, returning with a rich haul of five for 76.

Dinesh, who came at number seven, took up the gauntlet to take his team to safety after they were down six for 86 at one stage.

The Tamil Nadu batsman, who is out of the Indian side since the Sri Lankan tour last season, was at his brilliant best hitting 24 boundaries and four huge sixes.

Batting first, South began well with Robin Uthappa and Abhinav Mukund adding 46 in 77 balls. But the batsmen were ties down by the Central medium pacers who bowled a nagging length and made the batsmen to struggle. Pankaj Singh, who opened the attack for Central, sent back both the openers beating them with sheer pace. –– UNI

Scoreboard

South Zone (1st innings):

Mukund c Ojha b Pankaj 13

Uthappa c Kartik b Pankaj 22

Dravid c Parvinder Singh b Yadav 7

Laxman c Ojha b Yadav 13

Badrinath c Kartik b Kumar 13

Yadav c Kaif b Yadav 3

Karthik c Goud b Kumar 153

Ashwin c Parvinder Singh b Yadav 23

Suresh not out 58

Balaji b Yadav 1

Sreesanth lbw b Kartik 8

Extras (b 4, lb 4, w 2, nb 5): 15

Total (all out; 73.5 overs): 329

Fall of wickets: 1-46, 2-53, 3-57, 4-78, 5-81, 6-86, 7-144, 8-290, 9-310, 10-329

Bowling: Pankaj Singh 17-3-77-2, B Kumar 20-4-68-2, U Yadav 23-5-76-5, M Kartik 7.5-0-42-1, P Chawla 4-0-34-0, Parvinder Singh 2-0-24-0.

Central Zone (1st innings):

Srivastava not out 13

Shukla not out 11

Extras (lb 2, w 2, nb 2): 6

Total (0 wickets; 11 overs): 30

Bowling: L Balaji 6-2-11-0, S Sreesanth 4-0-13-0, R Ashwin 1-0-4-0. 

Gurgaon, January 22
Grand masters Evgeny Gleizerov of Russia and Petr Kostenko of Kazakhstan suffered shocking defeats at the hands of unheralded P Saravanakrishanan and Laltu Chatterjee, respectively on the second day of the Gurgaon International Open Grand Master Chess tournament at Suncity World School here today.

Playing white side of French Defence Tarrasch variation, Saravana Krishanan overcame his fancied rival in 46 moves.

Important results of Round 2 (Indians unless otherwise stated): GM Alexander Areshchenko of Ukraine (2) beat Matta Vinay Kumar (1); Mehar Chinna Reddy (1) lost to GM Yuriy Kuzubov of Ukraine (2); GM Yuri Solodovnichenko of Ukraine (2) beat Saurabh Kherdekar (1); P Saravana Krishanan (2) beat GM Evgeny Gleizerov of Russia (1); GM Abhijit Kunte (2) beat Mohammad Ali of Bangladesh (1); Puneet Jaiswal (1) lost to GM Anua Ismagambetov of Kazakhstan (2); GM Saidali Iuldachev of Uzbekistan (2) beat Pritam Singh (1); FM Sayantan Das (1.5) drew with GM Safin Shukhrat of Uzbekistan (1.5); GM Mikhail Ulibin of Russia (2) beat Debaraj Chatterjee of Bangladesh (1); Muminova Nafisa of Uzbekistan (1) lost to IM B Adhiban (2) ; GM Petr Kostenko of Kazakhstan (1) lost to Laltu Chattarjee (2) ; IM Hegde Ravi Gopal (1) lost to GM Neelotpal Das (2); GM Magesh Chandran (2) beat Pradip Ghosh (1); Yusup Atabayev (1) lost to IM RR Laxamn (2); M R Lalith Babu (2) beat O T Anilkumar (1).

Chandigarh, January 22
The I-League is all set to get rolling again in Ludhiana as JCT FC play Dempo Sports Club in a crucial encounter at the Guru Nanak stadium tomorrow. JCT, who have been hit by some recent injuries, have added Nigerian striker Paul Mac James to their ranks.

Talking to The Tribune, JCT coach Sukwinder Singh said, “We have to bounce back in the league. Fresh blood is always welcome and Paul is a promising talent. We already have Edu as our target man and I am sure that he will add that extra dimension to our attack that will give our attack a cutting edge.”

Placed 9th in the league, JCT will have to fire on all cylinders to get going against a fifth-placed Dempo, who are nurturing Asian ambitions.

Speaking about his strategy for the encounter, Sukhwinder said, “I think long break will have its impact on the way players react to the rigours of the game. But we have trained hard and will devise a strategy after having a look at Dempo’s team composition tomorrow. Anyways its better to be thinking on the move in a sport look football.”

JCT will miss Baldeep Jr, Balwant, Daljit and Baldeep Sr. due to injuries. But they will be boosted by the return of Baljit Sahni after a long injury lay-off. The match begins at 2pm.

BRIEFLY

Melbourne
Symonds: Playing McCullum ‘un-Australian’ : Controversial Australian all rounder Andrew Symonds has strongly objected to New South Wales’ recruiting New Zealander Brendon McCullum for their domestic Twenty20 final and described the move as “un-Australian”. McCullum, however, will be able to play for them only if his IPL team, the Kolkata Knight Riders, fail to qualify. “Is that what Australian cricket, NSW cricket is having to do? It goes against the spirit of being an Australian I think. That’s not Australian to me,” he was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald. –– PTI 

Melbourne
Victorian Bushrangers qualify for Champions League: Victorian Bushrangers have become the second team in the world to formally qualify for the inaugural Champions League Twenty20. The Bushrangers secured their place after last night’s thrilling win over the XXXX Gold Queensland Bulls in the preliminary final of the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash. Australia, who are guaranteed two teams in the October 8-23 competition as a founding member of the event, have finalised their participants with the Bushrangers joining the New South Wales. –– PTI

Mumbai
Mumbai Indians swap Uthappa for Zaheer: Mumbai Indians, led by Sachin Tendulkar, have swapped Karnataka Ranji Trophy captain Robin Uthappa with left-arm pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, who represented Bangalore’s Royal Challengers in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League last year, at no cost to either franchise. “It happened on Wednesday night. We have traded Uthappa for Zaheer at no cost. We had earlier swapped our player Ashish Nehra with Delhi Daredevils batsman Shikhar Dhawan. We have thus maintained the balance of the team,” said a spokesperson for Mumbai Indians, owned by Reliance Industries. –– PTI

Jalandhar
Lyallpur Khalsa School in semis: Lyallpur Khalsa School, Jalandhar and Bright Scholar Senior Secondary School, Sonepat reached in the semi-finals in the ongoing 5th All-India Balwant Singh Kapur Hockey Tournament at Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium here today. In a one-sided match the Lyallpur Khalsa boys defeated Baba Gurmat Singh Uttam Singh, Khadoor Sahib boys 8-0. Meanwhile, in another match of the day Bright Scholar School, Sonepat thrashed the hopes of the Divine Well Public School, Batala 6-0. –– TNS