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Gritty Nadal survives
Rafael Nadal of Spain falls to the ground while celebrating victory in his men's singles semi-final match against compatriot Fernando Verdasco on Friday. — AFP
SA rout Aussies, grab No 1 slot
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India look to extend domination
India favourites, NZ manager
Glittering trophy that will be on stake in the four-nation Punjab Gold Cup Invitational Hockey Tournament which commences at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium on Saturday. A Tribune photograph
Modi rivals announce poll
South 548 all out, North 172 for 3
BSF register impressive win
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The Spanish top seed beat compatriot Fernando Verdasco 6-7 6-4 7-6 6-7 6-4 in a five hour 14 minute contest which started on Friday but did not finish until the early hours of Saturday. "Right now I'm feeling more happy than tired," Nadal said in a courtside interview. "For sure it will be tough to play the final in another day. My opponent will be difficult because Roger is always very tough. "It was amazing for me. Playing this match with an unbelievable atmosphere. Thank you very much, it was one of my best matches in my career." Verdasco had lost all six previous meetings between these two left-handers. Under the floodlights he clobbered 95 clean winners and became the first player here this year to take sets off the seemingly invincible Iberian. He was ultimately unable to improve his miserable head-to-head record, though, handing Nadal the victory when he double-faulted on match point. "That's a lot... too much I think," Nadal said of the number of clean winners which flew past him. "Fernando was playing unbelievable. His serve was amazing, so, I think it's his best tournament in his career. He played unbelievable. Today he deserved this win too so I want to congratulate him." Federer enjoyed a day off as Nadal toiled deep into the night. The Swiss reached the final on Thursday evening, blasting Andy Roddick off court 6-2 7-5 7-5 to reach his 18th grand slam final and fourth one here. Sania-Bhupathi in final, Yuki one win away from title
Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi stand just one win away from their maiden mixed doubles Grand Slam title together after beating Czechs Iveta Benesova and Lukas Dlouhy 6-4 6-1 in the Australian Open semifinals here today. Among the juniors, top seed Yuki Bhambri continued his spectacular run to reach the boys' singles finals with a 6-4 6-4 triumph over French seventh seed Adrien Puget. However, Yuki's doubles campaign ended after he and his Taipei partner Liang Chi-Huang, seeded No. 1, lost 3-6 1-6 to Mikhal Biryukov (Russia) and Yasutaka Uchiyama (Japan) in the semifinals played just hours after the Indian's singles match. Sania and Bhupathi, who were runner-up at the Melbourne Park last year, trailed 1-3 in the opening set before storming back to seal the issue in 54 minutes. In the summit clash, they will take on the unseeded French-Israeli combine of Nathalie Dechy and Andy Ram, who stunned seventh seeded Spaniards Anabel Medina Garrigues and Tommy Robredo 7-6 (9/7) 6-4. It was hardly the kind of start Sania and Bhupathi, who have dropped just one set en route to the semis, would have wanted as Benesova and Dlouhy broke them in the opening game to race to a 1-3 lead. However, the Indians got their act together soon after and broke back twice to take the first set in 32 minutes. Sania and Bhupathi continued their dominance in the second set and broke their rivals thrice.
— PTI |
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SA rout Aussies, grab No 1 slot
Perth, January 30 The ODI series triumph follows South Africa's 2-1 win in the Test series and though Australia remain the number one team in the longer version of the game, the Proteas return home with the new-found tag of being the top team in one dayers. India remained the third-placed ODI team with 120 points while South Africans have five points more. Australia also have 125 points but were pushed to the number two slot as they were found fractionally behind the Proteas when decimal points were calculated. Australia needed 289 runs for a win to remain the number one side but 249 was all they managed before folding in 49 overs with Michael Hussey (78) and Brad Haddin (63) making futile efforts with the bat. Earlier, Hashim Amla (97) and AB de Villiers (60) steadied South Africa with a 118-run stand and then JP Duminy (60 not out off 42 balls) provided the late burst as South Africa posted 288 for six. Australia faltered early in the chase and could not really recover from the early setbacks. The hosts needed a strong start from Shaun Marsh (5) and David Warner (22) but debutant South African Lonwabo Tsotsobe rocked the Australian boat with early double strikes and Ricky Ponting's men could never really recover from that. Tsotsobe removed Marsh in the second over while Warner ran himself out in the 13th. In between, Tsotsobe returned Ponting (12) and then Michael Clarke (0) dragged a Morne Morkel onto the stumps as Australia slumped to 53 for four inside 13 overs. The subsequent 69 runs raised by the Hussey brothers did arrest the slide for a while but Duminy broke the stand by claiming David and Tsotsobe then castled Michael. — PTI Scoreboard South Africa: Amla c Haddin b Hopes 97 Australia innings (target: 289 runs) Marsh c Amla b Tsotsobe 5
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India look to extend domination
Colombo, January 30 Even without explosive opener Virender Sehwag, who was nursing a lower back injury, the Indians were hardly pushed as they beat the Lankans by six wickets in the opening match on a tricky Dambulla pitch. The much-touted Murali-Mendis combine failed to work for the Lankans, forcing skipper Mahela Jayawardene to admit that the duo's magic was somewhat on the wane. However, the Indians would do well to remember the humiliation they were subjected to when the two teams squared up the last time around at the R Premadasa stadium. Chasing a modest 227, the Indians were sent packing for 103 in under 27 overs with Mendis wrecking the visiting line-up with a four-wicket haul. For the hosts, ageing war-horse Sanath Jayasuriya continues to be in good form but opener Tillakaratne Dilshan's lean patch and middle-order mainstay Kumar Sangakkara's inconsistent run with the bat have become a major concern. Jayawardene, himself battling a batting slump, however, insists that one loss is not reason enough to press the panic button and his teammates would come back hard. "The way we have been playing of late has changed and we will continue with that. I give credit to our guys because it was not an easy wicket but it probably slowed down later on and so was good to score runs," he said. Without a fifty in his last 13 one-day internationals, Jayawardene's return to form would be a prerequisite for Sri Lanka's prospects of squaring the series in tomorrow's day-nighter. The other major difference between the two teams in Dambulla was the runs extracted from the power-plays. While the Indians milked 40, the Sri Lankans could muster only 28 and that too for the loss of two wickets. — PTI
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India favourites, NZ manager
Chandigarh, January 30 While that might have pleased one or two patriots, it did little to break the cautious approach of the Indian coach-in-charge Harendra Singh. “We are looking at things in a very practical manner. Holland and Germany are too good for us. It will be competitive out there, no doubt, but we also have to be realistic and fight every second of the stipulated 70 minutes if we wish to see ourselves standing in the end,” Singh said while speaking to The Tribune. Both teams practiced hard through the day but the real battle begins tomorrow as India and New Zealand play the opening game of the day, and also the tournament. Harendra also said his main focus was to rectify the mistakes made in the Test series in Argentina. “We had a few failings in the Test series in Argentina, especially with the mid-field. But with the pairing of Ignace Tirkey and Arjuin Halappa now in place, I hope that we will be able to create the required cushion, and ball-holding ability to aid our possession.” His captain and drag-flick specialist Sandeep Singh echoed his coach’s views. “We have a good mix of young and old. The quality is there in our side as it is in every team featuring in the tournament. What matters is how we make good of hours of practice, in a concise manner and ripen them in the given 70 minutes. All said, may the best side win.”
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Punjab Gold Cup Hockey
Chandigarh, January 30 Being hosted at the initiative of the Punjab Sports Department, the 10-day tournament will see top teams like Holland and Germany besides New Zealand in action, giving the hosts a platform to refurbish its image after it touched a new low when they went down to England in Beijing Olympics qualifiers in Santiago (Chile) in March last. The second defeat against England - first in the league phase - meant eight-time gold medallists India were out of Olympics to be held in Beijing in August for the first time since 1928! Suspension of K P S Gill as IHF chief by the IOA and the appointment of an ad-hoc committee led by Aslam Sher Khan to run hockey afterwards meant that hockey was in turmoil in the country. During the four-Test series against Argentina earlier this month India started the series with a bang. After winning first two games, India let the hosts off the hook losing the next two as the series ended in a 2-2 draw. The tournament starting here at the Sector 42 hockey stadium will be an ideal opportunity to iron out the deficiencies in the squad and forge a coherent unit ahead of the sterner tests ahead. With hockey World Cup tournament slated to be hosted by India in February next year and then the Commonwealth Games, again in New Delhi in October next, a shoddy performance in the home environs is bound to be morale shattering. Led by young Sandeep Singh, India would do well not to dwell on their ranking (11th) and concentrate on playing to their strength. As they displayed in the first two games Argentina earlier this month, the Indian squad is not short on skill. Return of forward Arjun Halappa and wily Ignace Tirkey is bound to give much-needed experience to the squad. With the presence of Olympic Champions Germany and European champions the Netherlands besides New Zealand means the hosts would do well not to lower their guard. Sandeep revealed that Halappa and Tirkey would be positioned in the midfield as the hosts get ready for the opening match of the 10-day tournament against New Zealand. The experienced duo will stand in good stead providing cushion to the rival forwards. A not-so-sound midfield was one of the reasons of the successive defeats India suffered against Argentina in the last two games, Sandeep said. The tournament will be inaugurated by Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. Among others, the inaugural ceremony will be attended by Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi and IOA secretary general Randhir Singh. Today’s fixtures:
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Modi rivals announce poll
Jaipur, January 30 RCA secretary Subash Joshi announced elections to elect four year executive body of the association would be held on February 22. The conduct of elections is a direct challenge to Modi, who earlier in the day announced removal of Subash Joshi from the post thus making him ineligible to call elections. Modi rendered powerless and friendless after the loss of Vasundhra Raje government, made the last ditch effort to defer elections by removing Joshi. Howver, by the evening, Joshi, who was once a close ally of Modi and had enjoyed unbridled power in last four years, came out in the open to announce the elections. He questioned the authority of Modi to remove him, "I am not a nominated office bearer. I am an elected person. No one but the voters can remove me,: he said. Joshi, who has allegedly come close to the congress government and some Modi detractors in the BCCI, said 26 of the 32 cricket association have approved the holding of elections thus going against the will of Modi. The IPL chairman Lalit Modi earlier in the day appointed a three-member arbitration tribunal to look into the contentious issues raised by some district associations against him and decide if he is fit to continue at the high-profile post. Sources said Modi has even threatened to shift IPL venue from Jaipur stadium which he virtually changed into a fine ground from a deserted and neglected one. He is learnt to have pointed out the huge revenue earned by the government through cricket tourism besides holding of the matches. There is also a contentious issue of recognizing one of the four different constitutions of the cricket body in the state. Different constitutions suiting the person in power were circulated but none has been unanimously or legally chosen. Allegations of misappropriation of funds and misuse of power are also being leveled by Modi and his detractors against each other. While Modi is accused of forgery of signatures to pass a controversial constitution , Joshi is accused to have made lakhs through TA and DAs.
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South 548 all out, North 172 for 3
Rajkot, January 30 Rahul Dewan and Shikhar Dhawan added 82 runs for the first wicket parternership, before latter was caught by Abhinav Mukund off spinner Ashwin R Dhawan scored 37 with six fours. Rahul who was progressing towards his century, was run out while taking single on Akash Chopra's call. He made 81 with the aid of 14 fours, facing 132 balls. Akash Chopra also went cheaply after scoring 17 as he stepped out to hit the spinner Suresh M, completely missed the ball and stumped by wicket keeper Dinesh Karthik. At stumps, S Sohal and Uday Koal were batting with 19 and 16 runs, respectively. Brief score: South Zone (1st innings): 548 all out in 130.2 overs (S Badrinath 200, R Dravid 138, Arjun Yadav 70, M S Gony three for 90, V S Malik three for 136, A Mishra threefor 164 and P Awana one for 81). North Zone (Ist Innings): 172 for three in 47 overs (R Dewan 81, S Dhawan 37, Ashwin R one for 26 and Suresh M one for 28).
— UNI |
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BSF register impressive win
Jalandhar, January 30 The match started on a fast note with a lone field goal scored by Kulbir Singh of Khusropur Club in the first half 1-0. Till half time the winners were leading by 1-0. In the second half the BSF boys managed to open its account with two field goals posted by Horro taking the score to 2-1. In another match of the day, Khusropur Sports Club boys dashed the hopes of the rival Doaba High School, Jalandhar in the junior category by 2-1. The best scorer of the tournament Horro was given a cash award of Rs 1,000 by Punjab Minister for Revenue Ajit Singh Kohar. — TNS |
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Melbourne, January 30
Punjab Gold Cup Hockey
Melbourne, January 30