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Fixing Row |
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Chennai Super Kings spank Central Districts by 57 runs
The man with an eye for talent
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Clijsters
outshines Venus
New York, September 11 Defending champion Clijsters stand 5-2 over Zvonareva, but has lost both of their meetings this season, at Wimbledon and last month in Canada. “I just tried to make the points and whenever I felt I had the opportunity to step up and accelerate a little bit, I tried to keep the pressure on her,” said the winner.
“I’m glad she made a few double faults in the tiebreaker. It was a great match to play. Conditions weren't easy but I think we played some high level tennis. It was a fun night.”
Clijsters, who quit the game for more than two years and won the 2009 New York honours in only her third event back, also won the event in 2005, two years after losing a final to Justine Henin. Clijsters is on a 20-match win streak at the venue, where she lost her last match in that 2003 final against her compatriot. Williams has gone without an Open title since 2001. Williams took the opening set with a break but was broken early in the second. The American got the break back but was hammered in a tiebreaker, committing two consecutive double-faults on her way to a set apiece. “In the tiebreak I wasn't able to play as well as I wanted. I had too many errors, and she played some good tennis,” said Williams. “I would have liked to win this match and be playing tomorrow. I may have lost the match, but that's just this match, there will be others.” Clijsters again grabbed the lead in the final set, taking a 2-1 lead, but threw it away with back-to-back double-faults and an over-hit forehand for 4-4. The Belgian calmly broke back thanks to a Williams double-fault and a winning lob from Clijsters, who served out the victory a game later with a backhand down-the-line winner. Zvonareva, who turned 26 this week and is the highest-ranked Russian women, will rise to at least sixth after beating Wozniacki. “I was not expecting to play my best tennis,” said Zvonareva. "I was trying to be patient when I needed, and step up when I got the chance. “The Wimbledon final was a great experience, but I'm trying to look forward,” said the eighth-ranked winner of 10 career titles. “I’m enjoying my win today, I'll think of the final later. I’m gonna take it just as another match. I'll play point by point and not think about anything else.” The loss snapped a 13-match win streak for Wozniacki, who leads the WTA with four trophies this season. “She played a really good game, definitely,” said the Dane. “She she was not missing a lot, she was going for her shots, most things were going in. I had chances, and I don't know, I made some mistakes today that I usually don't do. It was a tough day for me in the office, unfortunately that's the way tennis is sometimes.” — DPA
Nadal in final
Spain’s Rafa Nadal beat Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 6-2 6-3 6-4 in the semi-finals of the US Open on Saturday to reach his first final at Flushing Meadows.
Nadal will play either Switzerland's Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic of Serbia in Sunday's final.
— Reuters
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Fixing Row
Karachi, September 11 The three players, who were interviewed by London's Metropolitan Police as part of an inquiry into allegations of spot-fixing during Pakistan's tour of England, left the airport by a back door and were driven away in waiting vehicles. Television pictures showed crowds waiting outside the terminal, some carrying banners in support of the players and others waving placards accusing them of disgracing the nation. Some people carried shoes in their hands. A large contingent of police was at the airport to avoid a repeat of the scenes last week when PCB chairman Ijaz Butt was jeered and heckled on his return home. Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik told the media that the three players were able to fly home after giving assurances that they would return to Britain, if needed. “We have given Scotland Yard surety that if required the cricketers will be available for further investigations," Malik said. A fourth player, left-arm pace bowler Wahab Riaz, who is still in England and with the one-day squad, is due to be questioned by Scotland Yard on Tuesday over the allegations. Pak gave undertaking to ensure their return
Lahore: The Pakistan Government had to give an undertaking that the suspended trio of Test captain Salman Butt and pace bowlers Mohammad Aamir and Mohammad Asif would be available for further investigations by the Scotland Yard to ensure their return home from London. Well-placed sources told PTI that Interior Minister Rehman Malik has given an undertaking to Scotland Yard through the barrister appointed by the PCB in London that the government takes surety for the three players. "The surety is that the government will ensure the players are made available at any location for further investigations and questioning by Scotland Yard and that they will be sent immediately to London when required," one source disclosed. First ODI: Eng beat Pak
Chester-Le-Street: England cruised to a 24-run win over embattled Pakistan thanks to a tempo-setting display from Steve Davies in the first match of the one-day international series at the Riverside. Davies was drafted into the England side in place of wicketkeeper-batsman Craig Kieswetter and he seized the opportunity to cement his place at the top of the order with 13 fours in a devastating innings of 87 from 67 balls yesterday.
— Agencies SCOREBOARD England Strauss b Ajmal 41 Davies c K Akmal b Ajmal 87 Trott b Ajmal 69 Collingwood c Alam b Ajmal 14 Morgan c K Akmal b Afridi 13 Bopara not out 35 Bresnan run out 1 Yardy not out 1 Extras (B-2, LB-2, W-9) 13 Total (6 wkts, 41 overs) 274 Bowling: Akhtar 8-1-28-0, Irfan 5.3-0-37-0, Gul 6-0-67-0, Hafeez 5-0-28-0, Ajmal 9-0-58-4, Afridi 7.3-0-52-1 Pakistan K Akmal c Broad b Swann 53 Hafeez c Bresnan b Swann 30 Yousuf lbw b Yardy 8 Alam c Wright b Bresnan 39 U Akmal c Davies b Broad 43 Afridi c Swann b Anderson 19 Shafiq b Yardy 19 Gul c Morgan b Anderson 18 Akhtar b Bresnan 0 Ajmal not out 9 Irfan not out 3 Extras (B-1, W-5, NB-3) 9 Total (9 wkts, 41 overs) 250 Bowling: Anderson 9-0-35-2, Bresnan 8-0-61-2, Broad 8-0-54-1, Swann 8-0-50-2, Yardy 8-0-49-2. |
Chennai Super Kings spank Central Districts by 57 runs
Durban, September 11 Badrinath's counterattacking 52 from 42 balls was mainly responsible for CSK reaching 151 for four after they were down five for two in the second over and 48 for three at halfway mark after electing to bat. He got ample support from Srikkanth Anirudha (42) and the duo shared 73 runs from 49 balls for the fourth wicket to take CSK score past 150 on a spongy Kingsmead pitch which saw odd balls kicking up to trouble the batsmen. Later CSK bowlers complemented the good work done by their batsmen by skittling out Central Districts for 94 in 18.1 overs to start their campaign on a winning note. Chasing 152 for a win, the New Zealand champion side initially looked like they would stand up for a challenge but after they lost their first wicket in the fourth over they were never in the chase. Pacer Laxmipathy Balaji was the most successful CSK bowler with three for 20 from his four overs while Muttiah Muralitharan, Ravichandran Ashwin and Doug Bollinger claiming a wicket apiece. Opener Peter Ingram was the first Central Districts batsman to go in the fourth over for six as he top-edged an Albie Morkel delivery to Suresh Raina at cover at team score of 12 for one. He was earlier dropped while on one in the second ball of their innings by Ravichandran Ashwin. Next over, George Worker fell to Balaji for four and at team score of 22 for two with Muralitharan taking an easy catch at mid-on. Boucher leads Warriors to victory
Port Elizabeth: Mark Boucher led a solid batting display with a sparkling 26-ball unbeaten 40 as Warriors spank Wayamba by seven wickets in a Champions League Twenty20 match here on Saturday. Chasing a modest 154 for a win, the Warriors were never in trouble as they were nicely placed at 93 for three in the 11th over before wicketkeeper-batsman Boucher and Justin Kreusch (37 not out) took them to a comfortable win
with 10 balls remaining. The duo shared a 63-run stand for the unconquered fourth wicket from 44 balls.
— PTI SCOREBOARD
Chennai Super Kings Vijay c Sinclair b Bracewell 19 Hayden c Ingram b Mason 0 Raina c Diamanti b Milne 4 Badrinath not out 52 Anirudha c Griggs b Bracewell 42 Morkel not out 26 Extras (B-2, LB-4, W-2) 8 Total (for 4 wickets in 20 overs) 151 Bowling: Mason 4-0-29-1, Milne 4-0-28-1, McClenaghan 4-0-34-0, Bracewell 4-0-28-2, Worker 2-0-11-0, Noema-Barnett 2-0-15-0 Central Districts Ingram c Raina b Morkel 6 How b Ashwin 13 Worker c Muralitharan b Balaji 4 Sinclair c Hayden b Muralitharan 10 Noema-Barnett c Dhoni b Muralitharan 0 Griggs c Dhoni b Bollinger 9 Diamanti st Dhoni b Ashwin 4 Bracewell b Balaji 30 Milne not out 2 Mason c Bollinger b Balaji 10 McClenaghan c Hayden b Bollinger 0 Extras: (LB-1, W-4, NB-1) 6 Total: (All out in 18.1 overs) 94 Bowling: Bollinger 3.1-0-10-2; Morkel 3-0-20-1; Balaji 4-1-20-3; Ashwin 4-0-28-2; Muralitharan 4-0-15-2. |
Everton hold Man U
London, September 11 United manager Alex Ferguson said he had left out his top striker so he would not be subjected to abuse from supporters of his former club following newspaper allegations about his private life. It looked to be a fair decision as United cruised towards a 3-1 win after goals by Darren Fletcher, Nemanja Vidic and Dimitar Berbatov had more than cancelled out Steven Pienaar's opener. However, in a breathless finale, Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta both scored in injury time and Everton looked set for a possible shock winner when the referee controversially blew for full time while they were in full flight. "It's quite unreal but (with) the chances we missed it was probably a fair result," Cahill told Sky Sports.
— Reuters |
The man with an eye for talent
Gurdaspur, September 11 The Parbodh Chander memorial gymnastic hall has over the years earned the sobriquet of a ‘rubber doll-manufacturing factory’. The proverbial icing on the cake came last month when five of his trainees - Naginder Kaur, Gulwinder Kaur, Monica, Simarjit Kaur and Preeti - were selected for the Commonwealth Games camp. For Jagtar it has become easy to identify that magical elixir -the elasticity of youth. Once he identifies a potentially talented gymnast, there is no looking back. The gymnast is then put into a grindstone normally associated with the training methods in Romania and other Eastern European nations known to have produced Olympic medal winners a dime a dozen. Here you can find tiny tots like 4-year-old Mahima and 5-year-old Swati being tested on the mats by former international star Samita Sharma, a protégé of Jagtar. There is something special to the aura of the Centre that is abuzz with activity till late in the evenings. Jagtar works with the same equipment that one can find at other centres but it is his sheer will and resilience that makes him a coach par excellence. “What differentiates me from other coaches is the fact that I know how to identify a youngster who can make it to the top. This identification process in itself takes several days,” says the coach whose routine starts at 4am. When asked why is it that only women champs are produced and not men, he says, “Boys are not sincere. I have seen many fizzling out after a great start to their careers because of their insincerity. Girls are more dedicated and hardworking.” |
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