London, July 6
Six-times champion Roger Federer produced a vintage display to beat defending champion Novak Djokovic 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the Wimbledon semifinal on Friday.

The Swiss maintained his record of never losing a Wimbledon semifinal to reach a record eighth showpiece match at the All England Club with a dominant performance under the closed Centre Court roof.

After the first two sets were shared in less than an hour, the match came alive in the third set. Serving at 4-5 Djokovic blazed a smash long at 15-30 to give Federer two set points. Djokovic saved the first with a forehand but Federer seized his chance, winning a sensational 20-stroke rally with a smash to move within a set of the final.

Djokovic could not recover and dropped serve early in the fourth set as Federer rolled to his first final at the grasscourt slam since he beat Andy Roddick in 2009.

Federer held his nerve when he served for the match, sealing it after two hours and 19 minutes of high-octane action when Djokovic netted a forehand return.

"I'm ecstatic, I'm so happy," Federer said immediately after walking off court to huge applause.

"I played a great match today and it's been a tough tournament for me really. But I was able to play some fantastic tennis today and I thought Novak played good too.

"The first two sets went really quickly and then the third set was really key and I managed to step it up and maybe get a bit lucky because he also had break points near the end of the third. It was a lot of fun out there today."

Looking ahead to a final against either Briton Andy Murray or Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who he lost to in the quarter-finals last year, the 30-year-old said: "I lost to Jo here last year and Andy's beaten me more than I've beaten him I think. I have a tough task ahead of me, there's a lot on the line because I can get all-time grand slam record and world number one so I have pressure but I'm excited about it."

Federer will return to the top of the world rankings if he equals Pete Sampras's seven Wimbledon titles on Sunday. It would also mean he matches the American's 286 weeks spent as world No.1. — Reuters

London, July 6
Leander Paes, the lone Indian left in the fray at Wimbledon, and his Russian partner Elena Vesnina beat unseeded Paul Hanley and Alla Kudryavtseva to stroll into the mixed doubles semifinals of the Wimbledon tennis championships here on Friday.

The fourth seeds got the better of the Australian-Russian pairing 6-2, 6-2 in the quarters. They next meet winners of the match between top seeds Bob Bryan-Liezel Huber of America and eighth seeds Daniel Nestor of Canada and Julia Goerges of Germany.

Paes-Vesnina reaped the benefit of not making any unforced errors in a match lasting just 57 minutes.

The India-Russian combine converted four of the five breakpoints while their opponents failed to convert even one in two attempts.

India's Rohan Bopanna and his Chinese partner Jie Zheng lost their quarterfinal match on Thursday.

Bopanna and Jie, who were seeded 10th, went down 2-6, 5-7 to the second seeded American pair of Mike Bryan and Lisa Raymond. — IANS

London, July 6
The daunting prospect of facing Serena Williams in your first grand slam final looked even tougher for Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska on the eve of the Wimbledon showpiece when she failed to attend a news conference because of illness on Friday.

Radwanska, 23, confirmed she was still suffering with a throat infection which forced her out of the women's doubles.

"Unfortunately, I have picked up an upper respiratory illness, which is affecting my nose and throat," she said in a statement issued by the All-England Club.

"I have been playing a lot of matches here in the rain and cold wind, and I haven't been well for a few days. The most important thing is that I'm feeling good on the court and playing some good tennis, despite not being able to talk much away from the court.

"The priority is my singles match tomorrow, so I will do whatever it takes to make sure I'm ready to play the best I can.

"It was unfortunate that the illness meant I had to withdraw from doubles. Of course, it is always a good sign to be playing singles and doubles in the second week of a grand slam, but I wasn't able to continue in both events."

It is the worst possible time for Radwanska, the first Polish woman to reach a grand slam final since Jadwiga Jedrzejowska at the 1939 French Championships, to fall ill.

Victory over four-times champion Williams, the red-hot favourite for the title, would put Radwanska top of the world rankings for the first time.

There were worrying signs for Radwanska after her semifinal victory over Angelique Kerber when she coughed and spluttered in the post-match press conference. — Reuters

New Delhi, July 6
He might be skipping ODIs with regularity but Sachin Tendulkar says he does not plan to quit the format altogether just yet and will continue as long as he enjoys the game.

Tendulkar, who has played just two ODI series after the World Cup last year, most recently opted out of the tour of Sri Lanka later this month, fuelling speculation about his future in the format.

But the 39-year-old star batsman insisted that he rarely gets affected by what is speculated about him.

"It's not what XYZ think. It's what I feel. And I feel as long as I am enjoying and I feel like being part of it, I'll continue (playing ODIs)," he told a TV channel.

"I felt I shouldn't be part of the Twenty20 squad in 2007 and I had been asked (to stay on) but I felt I should not be part of Twenty 20 squad because the team did well. When I get that feeling in one-day cricket may be I would take that decision," he said.

Tendulkar said he decided to opt out of Sri Lanka tour as he wanted to spend time with his children.

"I just wanted to spend time with my family, as simple as that. I spoke to the BCCI and requested them. To be able to spend time with my children is also important.

"Because once we go back, they will go to their schools. Then, you won't get quality time which any family man expects from his family and that is something which will keep me going for next 10 months," he said.

On the persistent questions about his retirement from cricket given that he has been around for over 20 years, Tendulkar said, "I think it's been going on since 2006...It's been six years now and I am enjoying cricket and I'll continue enjoying because as long as I am passionate about cricket you know it makes sense.

"You know if it is an individual sport you have various things to think of. If you are not in right frame of mind, you know it doesn't affect your team. You are an individual there but being part of team sport you have got to be absolutely on top of your game and especially when you represent your country then all these things are extremely important.

On life after cricket, Tendulkar said he has not given a thought to it. "See when the time comes, I will start thinking about it. I have never thought that way. Each person thinks differently.

"There were various opinions in 2006 whether I should continue or I should retire. All I can say is that each person thinks differently and you don't know what other person is thinking. Many guys don't know what I am thinking." Tendulkar said only he would decide his future on cricket and the decision would not be influenced by anyone.

"...when I feel like taking that decision I will take that. I don't want rest of the guys to take that decision for me." — PTI

Noida, July 6
Sachin Tendulkar will be missed by the Indian team during the upcoming limited overs series in Sri Lanka, but he has the right to pick and choose which series he wants to play, opening batsman Virender Sehwag said here today.

"Not only me, but the whole country misses Sachin when he is not in action. But one should realise that he is 39 years and he should be allowed to pick and choose which series he wants to go. He will certainly be available for the Test series against New Zealand," Sehwag told reporters at the inauguration of a cricket centre here.

Asked what has been skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's strength that has enabled him to lead the side to two World Cup victories - 2007 Twenty20 and 50-over in 2011, he said, "Dhoni got a very strong team. When you get a strong team, it is easier to perform well just like Australia did at one point of time.

“We won the World Cup because we had a very strong team which was ably backed by Dhoni's leadership." Sehwag said he has no fitness concerns now and he is all geared up for the Lanka tour, starting July 21.

“I played almost all the matches in Indian Premier League and there is no fitness issue now. The ODI tour of Sri Lanka will also help me in preparing for the Twenty20 World Cup to be held there," he said.

Recently, Rahul Dravid had expressed his apprehension about the future of Test cricket 10 years down the line but Sehwag said that the longest form of the game was not in danger.

"You ask any youngster and he would always tell you that he wants to be successful in Test cricket. You will see cricketers retiring from ODIs to prolong their Test career but you will never see a cricketer retiring from both Test and ODI to play only Twenty20," he said. — PTI

Pasuruan, (Indonesia), July 6
Indian golfer Sujjan Singh continued his domination of the Taman Dayu Championship after shooting a third round five-under 67 for a massive 10-shot lead here today.

Sujjan is now closer to the finishing line for what will be his first title outside India.

Sujjan held a comfortable lead with a three-day total of 22-under 194 over Australian Anthony Choat and Filipino Antonio Lascuna, who both charged up the leaderboard with sensational 63s at the Asian Development Tour (ADT) event. Ajeetesh Sandhu, the other Indian in the field shot a second successive 70, and moved up to tied 38th after the third round.

Jay Bayron of the Philippines, veteran Zaw Moe of Myanmar, Michael Moore of Australia and Sri Lankan Anura Rohana were a further two shots back on 206 in tied fourth place at the remarkable Taman Dayu Golf Club and Resort.

Rory Hie remained the best-placed Indonesian following his round of 71 at eighth, 13 shots off the pace.

Sujjan, playing on a sponsor's invitation, fired his highest score of the week but still remained on track of securing his first career victory outside of India.

"I got nothing to complain. Just another standard round if you can call a 67 that. I hit the ball probably better, the best I've hit it in the last three days surprisingly. I just misread the course a little bit," said Sujjan, who mixed six birdies against one bogey.

Sujjan believes such a big lead might work against him if he gets ahead of himself in the final round.

"Really strange things have happened and 18 holes is a long time. It is a little bit difficult because you can get ahead of yourself. The good thing I've been doing this week is playing each shot at a time and focussing on the task at hand. Hopefully I can do it for one more day," he said.

Australian Choat's highlight of the day came on the 17th hole when he holed a massive 45-feet putt for eagle. Having played on the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) for the past four years with Sujjan, Choat conceded that it will take a Herculean effort to knock the Indian off his perch.

"I played a bit of golf with Sujjan (Singh) in India. He is the type of player I don't expect to fall down. He has won before and he keeps going. I'll just go out there and take one shot at a time. Hopefully the putter is hot again," added the Australian.

Bayron posted a 65 with eight birdies against one bogey but admits that he will only be playing for second place. — PTI

Silverstone (England), July 6
Rain and traffic chaos put a dampener on practice for the British Grand Prix on Friday with McLaren's Lewis Hamilton doing his best to raise the spirits of drenched home fans with the fastest lap of the day.

With fans braving the elements and huddling under umbrellas around the circuit, 2008 world champion Hamilton set the pace with a largely meaningless time of one minute 56.345 seconds after lunch.

Frenchman Romain Grosjean had been fastest for Lotus in the morning session in 1:56.552.

Waterlogged campsites led to monster tailbacks outside the circuit as organisers struggled to get vehicles parked on firm ground with 80,000 spectators expected on one of the wettest

days of the summer so far.

Many ticketholders were reported to be still locked in jams outside, with little hope of seeing any of the day's action, even as the second session started.

Despite the delays and frustration, there was no denying the enthusiasm of those who made it in.

The grandstands looked fuller than on race day at some sunnier circuits, even if drivers rewarded them with only tentative laps on the glistening track.

"Bit of swimming today only 6 laps in FP1! UK weather is just unreal," declared Marussia's German driver Timo Glock on Twitter after the first session.

Staying on the asphalt was tricky, with the afternoon practice halted for 10 minutes when Brazilian Bruno Senna veered off into the barriers after his Williams hit standing water.

Senna, who has yet to race at Silverstone in Formula One, was unhurt but the car looked heavily damaged.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, the current championship leader, also hit the barriers after a similar off-track excursion late in the session.

Toro Rosso's Australian Daniel Ricciardo was second on the morning timing screens ahead of Hamilton.

Hamilton, whose 2008 victory makes him the last British driver to win his home race, completed only six laps in the first 90 minute session and eight in the afternoon.

"The conditions are pretty dodgy to say the least," said Red Bull's Australian Mark Webber, who did seven laps in the morning and was sixth fastest. He did not do a timed lap in the afternoon. — Reuters