London, July8
Serena Williams capped off yet another successful day at Wimbledon for America's premier tennis family as she followed up her singles triumph by winning the doubles title with sister Venus on Saturday.

Six and a half hours after lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish for the fifth time, Serena teamed up with her 32-year-old sibling to down Czech sixth seeds Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka 7-5, 6-4.

Venus, a first-round loser in singles, fired an ace to complete the 78-minute victory on a floodlit arena just 10 minutes before the 11pm cut-off time for Centre Court play. It was a fifth All England Club doubles title for the duo, and 13th overall.

Pole no match

It ain't over till it's over, but when a former champion is 5-0 up inside half an hour it's perhaps understandable that the conversation on Centre Court would turn to discussing whether Serena would beat Agnieszka Radwanska in the quickest final on record.

On paper it looked a match of unequals. This was the American's seventh Wimbledon singles final and she was aiming for a fifth title here to match her sister Venus's record, while the Pole was making her first appearance in a Grand Slam final anywhere.

Serena, who has the best serve in the women's game, went into this match having served 85 aces, to which she added 17 yesterday. But there was more to it than that. Williams, ranked No 6 in the world and the sixth seed, came back to the tour in 2011 after a year out with a series of misfortunes that started shortly after she won her fourth Wimbledon title in 2010, first with a foot injury and then complications that included a lung embolism and a lengthy hospital stay. By contrast, the slighter Radwanksa, 23, has a game that relies not on firepower but gameplay and a wide range of shots, and she started this match with her own health problems, suffering from an upper respiratory tract illness that she put down to our glorious summer weather.

The Pole started nervously and Williams, 30, capitalised immediately, breaking serve and rushing to that 5-0 lead. If she was feeling poorly before she came on court, Radwanska must soon have longed for the comfort of her sickbed, and there was hugely sympathetic applause when she finally managed to hold serve and chalk up a game, but Williams then served to take the first set 6-1.

Then came the rain and a 20-minute delay. Whatever Radwanska's coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, said during the break, it worked. The world No 3 and third seed came out noticeably more relaxed and won the first game with her fastest serve of the match, at 103mph.

The two players engaged in some fine rallies and there were flashes of sublime talent, with Radwanska winning occasional points with wristy returns and her trademark half -volleys hit from a semi-crouching position. But whenever Williams was under threat on her serve she sent down a series of thundering deliveries, and she was dictating play more. When she broke Radwanska's serve in the third game it looked like the Pole was heading for the changing room, but there was life in her yet. At 4-3 up, a hopelessly wrong line call unsettled the former champion and she sent a forehand sailing wide on the next point to give Radwanska the break, her first of the match.

Radwanska held serve but Williams won her next service game with a beautiful passing shot as the Pole came into the net. Radwanska was giving as good as she got, winning her next service to love. We might have expected Williams to blast some more 120mph serves at this point but her touch temporarily deserted her and she was broken to lose the second set 5-7.

So after 85 minutes we finally had an equally poised match. The first three games of the final set went with serve and there were some lovely rallies, with both players drilling shots low over the net into the corners and coming forward for some lovely soft-touch tennis.

But then Serena stepped up a gear, sending down four aces in one game. "That's the best thing to do," she said afterwards. "It's awesome." She broke in the next to go 4-2 up and it was all she needed, as she chalked up the next two games to run out the winner 6-1 5-7 6-2 in just over two hours. The Independent

London, July 8
The unheralded Jonathan Marray played his part last night in what could become a historic weekend for British tennis by partnering Denmark's Frederik Nielsen to another stunning victory, this time to win the men's doubles title. In only their fourth tournament together they won 4-6, 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 against the far more experienced fifth seeds, Robert Lindstedt of Sweden and Romania's Horia Tecau, who were thus condemned to a mortifying third successive defeat in the final here.

The sense of history being made was fuelled by this being the first Wimbledon final to be finished indoors, the roof being closed after rain at the end of the third set. The echoes resounding round Centre Court harked back to 1936, a great year for British tennis, when as well as Fred Perry's last Wimbledon triumph, there were home wins in all three doubles events.

Men's omens? Not since then had even one Brit won this event and not since 1960 had there been any representatives in the final, when Mike Davies and Bobby Wilson were beaten in straight sets.

To make this giant-killing all the more unlikely, the crowd's favourites had to contend with an injury to Nielsen's left wrist, which required two lots of treatment. Although he is right-handed, he appeared to be handicapped on his backhand, which the opposition might have been expected to play on more ruthlessly.

It was extraordinary that Marray and Nielsen should have been anywhere near the final. Only on the deadline day for entries did Marray invite his occasional partner to team up with him for just the fourth time, in order to secure a wildcard entry. From there they knocked out the eighth and ninth seeds and then, most impressively of all, the defending champions and 11-time Grand Slam-winners Bob and Mike Bryan in the semi-final.

Nielsen is the grandson of the former Wimbledon singles runner-up Kurt, who he says is "arguably the best ever [player] to come out of Denmark". His serve was occasionally a weak link in the partnership but Marray was the best of the quartet, his volleying outstanding.

Handicapped in his career as a singles player by injury, the Englishman subsequently turned to doubles and will now leap from world No 78 into the top 30, which will be hugely beneficial in securing entry to the better tournaments.

What the pair will also take away, as well as the memories, is a healthy improvement to their bank balances. So far this year Marray has won less than £19,000, but his earnings yesterday were £130,000.

The 35 year-old Lindstedt, who lives in London, was initially the better of the opposing team, serving well and with the quick hands and reflexes required at the net in doubles. His volley won the first set after 30 minutes, Nielsen having dropped his serve in the seventh game.

The Nielsen serve was in trouble again early in the second set but Lindstedt and Tecau were unable to convert their break point. From there the Anglo-Danish partnership held serve and after having two set points saved at 5?4, 40-15 they drew level at a set apiece when Tecau netted Marray's fine return of serve.

Nielsen required the trainer at that point for treatment to his wrist and later had to have it strapped. Along with his partner he nevertheless held serve throughout the third set and they won the tie-break on their third set-point. It included a notable piece of sportsmanship by Marray, who confessed to something the umpire and opposition had not noticed - that he touched the net on a point his team won. They hung on to win the break 7-5.

The Independent

New Delhi, July 8
A misfiring India squandered chances galore and conceded a late goal to go down 1-2 to hosts Spain in the second hockey Test in Santander.

By virtue of this win at the new facility in La Albericia in Santander, Spain ranked fifth in the world, pocketed the two-match series 1-0 after the first game between the two sides ended in a 3-3 draw on Thursday.

The 10th ranked Indians started on a bright note yesterday and took the lead when Sandeep Singh coverted a penalty corner in the 28th minute.

But Spain restored parity in the 34th minute when striker Pau Quemada scored from the field to go into the breather locked at 1-1.

After the change of ends, both India and Spain created numerous scoring opportunities but lacked in finishing.

Credit should also go to Indian custodian P R Sreejesh for keeping the visitors in the hunt till the last minute.

Sreejesh was brilliant under the goal and denied the Spanish forwards on three clear occasions.

Spain's consistent pressure after the change of ends finally bore fruit in the 69th minute when skipper Santi Freixa Lleonart converted a penalty corner to completely stun the Indians.

Thereafter, India got two more chances to salvage a draw in the form of penalty corners, but the visitors faltered on both occasions.

India will now play a three-match Test series against South Africa before featuring in a three-nation invitational tournament, involving Spain and Great Britain. — PTI 

Berne, July 8
Vladimir Klitschko retained his world heavyweight titles when he knocked down challenger Tony Thompson in the sixth round of a one-sided contest on Saturday. The 36-year-old Ukrainian, who knocked out Thompson when they met four years ago, extended his unbeaten run to 16 fights, his last defeat coming when he challenged Lamon Brewster for the WBO title in 2004.

Klitschko, who has won 58 and lost three of his professional bouts, holds the WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO titles while his older brother Vitali holds the WBC title.

Thompson was never in the contest and was floored for the first time in the fifth round with a big right hook. The American, the mandatory challenger nominated by the IBF, survived the count but looked groggy and struggled to hang on until the bell.

Dr Steelhammer wasted no time in finishing off the 40-year-old in the next round, knocking him over again with a flurry of punches to the head, prompting the referee to stop the fight.

""I didn't have a doubt from the beginning of the fight that I would defend my titles," Klitschko told reporters. ""It was really difficult to land the punches. He's very sneaky, he sees the punches, he never loses eye contact which makes him super alert. I felt I had the strength, speed, condition and power."

Thompson, who suffered his third defeat in 39 fights, praised his opponent: "I came up short for the second time," — Reuters

London, July 8
Amir Khan’s stature as a world boxing champion in Las Vegas next weekend is being eclipsed by a pirate punch-up back home between two scuffling bruisers who.

On the same night as Khan fights, Dereck Chisora and David Haye, neither currently licensed by the British Boxing Board of Control, to whom they have cocked the proverbial snook, will pocket a combined purse of around (pounds sterling)5 million at West Ham's Upton Park to engage in contentious heavyweight combat under the surrogate auspices of the Luxembourg Boxing Commission. Funny old game.

Khan clearly isn't amused that his own engagement with the unbeaten WBC light-welterweight champion, Danny Garcia, but stops short of saying so.

"Obviously I'm not happy with the situation," says Khan. "As professional boxers they are entitled to earn a living but the world knows that this one between me and Garcia is a bigger and better fight.”

The Independent

New Delhi, July 8
Winning a medal in the Olympics is a "lifetime dream" for India's top discus thrower Krishna Poonia, who is "meticulously planning" her every move to brighten her podium chances in London.

Fully aware of the pressure associated with a mega-event like the Olympics, Poonia plans to enter the Games Village as late as possible to keep herself in the training mode ahead of the actual competition, which will be held on August 3 and 4 at the showpiece London Olympic Stadium.

"Winning an Olympic medal is a lifetime dream. It's all about meticulous planning, from where to train to when to enter the Games Village," she said from Basildon, at the outskirts of London, where she is training.

"I am here in London much before any Indian athlete but I don't want to be in the Olympics mode yet because of the pressure associated with it. I want to enter the Village as late as possible," she added. Poonia hurled the discus to her personal best of 64.76m at Wailuku, Hawai Islands in the United States in May but to win a medal in London, she will need to pass the 65m mark— PTI

Chandigarh, July 8
A layman might consider football just a game, but for a footballer, it's more often a romance. A relationship where the player loves the game with all his heart. All you need to succeed is to pass your heart to a right partner — and what better than having Baichung Bhutia as a partner on the football field?

I love football, and Saturday evening provided the most amazing romance I’ve ever had in my life. I got a chance to share the football ground with Baichung Bhutia!

This would b the dream of every Indian footballer, and I am among the rare few whose dream has come true.

When it comes to football in India, the first name that comes to the mind is Baichung Bhutia, the poster boy of Indian football.

In Chandigarh to promote his initiative of Baichung Bhutia Soccer schools, the former Indian captain interacted with the media and fans for more than three hours. But the real action of the evening came when he entered the stadium, wearing his purple practice studs and a ball in his hand, to play an exhibition match.

It’s not easy to change one’s habits, esepcially if it’s a sportsperson. As soon as Baichung entered the playing arena, he politely asked the media gathering to vacate the area and started interacting with his six-member team. He gently shook hands with everyone and asked everyone their playing positions. Although some faces were known to him, he still made it clear that it’s a proper match — “Enjoy the match, play fair.”

During the warm-up session, he just passed the ball towards me. And back in mind, I was thinking — “Heck! Baichung Bhutia has passed the ball to me! It’s a pass by Baichung, I should receive it cleanly, manner, to impress him". I forgot that I’ve played dozen of national and club games games, won university titles, attended a national junior camp and I know more than just the basics of the game.

He asked, “Will you play at right... half-back?” I just smiled and said yes. Although it was not the final of an international event, he made sure that his team will stand tall against the opponents. He started off the game and as expected we scored the first goal. And I just said, “Good goal!”

But here comes the awesome move, Baichung passing the ball to Anwar Ali who just lofted it to me. Without making a mistake, I scored the goal. A goal after a Baichung pass!

Sutpid, I know, but at that time I was feeling like some other soccer player, playing with his 'hero'. Adding to it, he high-fived me and said: “Good goal dude!” The second time I scored off his pass, he just turned and smiled.

Being a good sportsperson, not being selfish and not showing off my skills (the one or two I have), I gave him a few balls, and he he appreciated that, scoring two goals.

The 25-minutes match got over. I was feeling like a superhero coming off the field, as if I’d just won the World cup title.

I was speechless, but unable to stop myself from smiling. He greeted everyone and said: “Good match with a nice team!”

We had a team picture together, and that gave me a memory to last a lifetime, the best gift of my romance with the game.

New Delhi, July 8
The war of words between Punjabi University, Patiala and Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar on the award of the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy has hotted up. Punjabi University has alleged that GNDU fielded many players in Inter-College and Inter-University Tournaments when they were not bona fide students of the university. Punjabi also claimed that GNDU added marks for the participation of their athletes in some international competitions which they were not supposed to account for.

Punjabi University Director of Sports Dr Raj Kumar Sharma said GNDU had “misused” the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) rules when they allowed Gurpreet Singh and Triptpal Singh to represent the university in powerlifting, when they were not yet bona fide students of GNDU, or were ineligible.

Dr Sharma said GNDU claimed a total of 3075 points for the participation of Amanpreet Singh in various ISSF World Cup Pistol Shooting championships in 2011 and Seema Verma’s participation in two World Cup archery events. And in the case of Arjun Kumar Sharma, the GNDU allegedly fielded him in canoeing and kayaking even when he was a student of CSJM University, Kanpur. Dr Sharma also alleged that GNDU fielded a football player named Tarun Taneja, who was actually a student of Khalsa College, Mahipalpur without securing a migration certificate from Punjabi University, in the All-India Inter-University Football Championship for 2011-2012.

GNDU Director of Sports Dr Kanwaljeet Singh refuted these allegations, saying that GNDU took on a student on the university rolls only after getting valid migration certificates, and they followed a strict admission formula on such matters. He said there was nothing wrong in claiming points for the participation of Amanpreet Singh in the ISSF World Cup Pistol Shooting 2011 and Seema Varma in the World Cup Archery as the AIU rules had provision for such marks.

Kandy, July 8
Pakistan needed their fast bowlers to bail them out after posting a disappointing 226 all out on the first day of the third and final Test against Sri Lanka, at the Pallekele Stadium on Sunday.

Sri Lankan seam bowler Thisara Perera was at the centre of the action for the hosts, grabbing four wickets for 63 on his home Test debut. Having lost four wickets for 56 runs, Pakistan, trailing 1-0 in the three-Test series, staged a recovery thanks to an 85-run stand for the fifth wicket between Asad Shafiq and skipper Misbah-ul-Haq.

With Misbah-ul-Haq going for 40, it was left to Shafiq to hit a top score of 75 off 158 balls with 10 fours, before Rangana Herath had him caught behind by Prasanna Jayawardene. Herath then wrapped up the innings by trapping Saeed Ajmal lbw for six to finish with figures of three for 40.

The tourists to hit back hard when pace duo bowlers Junaid Khan and Mohammad Sami tore into the Sri Lankan openers, taking three cheap top order wickets for a close total of 44. Junaid, man of the match in the drawn second Test last week, struck twice in his fourth over, first trapping Dinesh Chandimal lbw for eight and then taking the prize wicket of Kumar Sangakkara for a duck, bowling a beauty that beat his bat and clipped the off stump.

Tharanga Paranavitana and Mahela Jayawardene took the score to 44, before Sami struck a vital blow in the final over of the day when he had Mahela Jayawardene lbw for 12.

His dismissal towards the end of the day has shifted the balance slightly towards Pakistan. — Reuters

Silverstone (England) July 8
Australian Mark Webber won a sunny British Grand Prix on Sunday for Red Bull to deny Fernando Alonso a second successive victory and slash the Ferrari driver's Formula One lead to 13 points.

Alonso, winner at Silverstone last year, had led from pole position but was powerless to prevent Webber powering past six laps from the end and then take the chequered flag with a three second lead.

The victory was the 35-year-old's second of the season, after Monaco, and left him with 116 points to Alonso's 129 after nine of 20 races completed.

"Another great day for us and a great day for me to win here again. It is fantastic," he said on the team radio before being interviewed on the podium by triple world champion Jackie Stewart.

Webber's Red Bull team mate and double world champion Sebastian Vettel was third on a dry track with the sun shining over the circuit after days of rain that had left the campsites waterlogged and approach roads clogged with traffic.

Brazilian Felipe Massa was fourth for Ferrari ahead of the Lotus pair of Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean.

Jenson Button's British Grand Prix jinx continued, before a predicted crowd of more than 125,000 people, with the McLaren driver failing to stand on the podium at his home race for the 13th year in a row.

The 2009 world champion, who has never finished higher than fourth at Silverstone, started 16th and ended up with only a point in 10th.

His teammate Lewis Hamilton, the 2008 champion whose win that year remains the last by a British driver at home, was eighth after losing out to Michael Schumcher's Mercedes in the closing laps.

Brazilian Bruno Senna was ninth for Williams. Williams could have hoped for much more but their Venezuelan

Pastor Maldonado collided with Mexican Sergio Perez on lap 12, ending the Sauber driver's race. — Reuters

New Delhi, July 8
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has come up with a new set of guidelines for appointing shooting coaches for national coaching camps and international events.

As per the guidelines, the preference should be given to a coach who holds License "B"/"A" certificate from International Sports Shooting Federation (ISSF) in the concerned event and whose students have been representing the state at the national competitions and have participated or are yet to participate in the international competition.

In addition to it, the coach should be a former national or international shooter or government of India award winner in shooting (Padma Award/Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award/Dronacharya Award/Arjuna Award).

The second preference should be given to a coach who fulfills any of the above two qualifications while third preference should be given to the one who is a national/international player and government of India award winner. "If the above criteria is not fulfilled, he/she should be nominated as manager of the team at no cost to the government and shall not attract a share of the cash award," the SAI circular stated.

It has also been made mandatory for at least one lady coach/manager to accompany the team if there are female team members in the contingent. For women shooters in national coaching camps, a lady coach will be essential.

"Only coaches who are continuously imparting coaching in preparation of the team for the said international competition should be nominated to accompany the team," said a circular from SAI addressed to the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).

It was also made clear that these qualification criteria will not be applicable for the existing national coach and foreign coaches.

The focus on the coaches comes after a decade of good results by the Indian shooters. — PTI

BRIEFLY

Youngest rider wins eighth stage
PORRENTRUY (SWITZERLAND): Thibaut Pinot, the youngest rider in the Tour de France, presented the French with their first stage victory in this year's edition after winning the hilly 157.5 kms Belfort-Porrentruy eighth stage on Sunday. The 22-year-old attacked in the last of seven climbs to cross the line on his own. Pinot finished 26 seconds ahead of a group that included a host of Tour favourites, leaving defending champion Cadel Evans in second place and Frenchman Tony Gallopin third.

Riquelme in talks with Flamengo
Rio de Janeiro: Former Argentina international midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme is in talks with Flamengo about a possible move to the Brazilian club. Riquelme announced his decision to leave Boca Juniors last Wednesday, hours after the Argentine team's 1-3 aggregate loss to Corinthians in the Copa Libertadores final. Flamengo's interest in the 34-year-old will depend on the outcome of negotiations with Wolfsburg midfielder Diego, who has received an offer from the Rio de Janeiro outfit.

'Capello is a tough coach'
Kazan (Russia): Brazil's 1994 World Cup-winning defender Aldair has warned the Russian national team that Fabio Capello, a contender for the vacant manager's position, is a tough coach to work with. Officials from the Russian Football Union (RFU) are to fly to Italy Wednesday for talks with the 66-year-old, and plan to offer him a two-year deal to take Russia through the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Aldair, who spent four years under Capello at AS Roma in Italian Serie A, praised him as a result-yielding and hard-working coach. "Capello is quite a tough coach, as far as I can see," the 46-year-old, now a football agent, told R-Sport. — Agencies