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Saina diffuses Tine bomb
Saina Nehwal plays a shot during her quarterfinal women's singles badminton match against Tine Baun of Denmark in London on Thursday. Nehwal won 21-15, 22-20. — AFP
Kashyap goes down fighting
shuttle speak
The curious case of Lee-Hesh
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Murray, Federer in semis
S Korea’s Ki wins archery gold medal
All-China final in table tennis
US women storm to flagship gold
Sodhi crashes out
United colours of hockey
Jai loses out in pre-quarters
Michael Phelps competes to win gold in the men's 200m individual medley event on Thursday. — AFP
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Saina diffuses Tine bomb
London, August 2 With this win, Saina bettered her quarterfinal finish at the Beijing Games four years ago and also excorcised the demons of that painful defeat to Maria Kristin Yulianti of Indonesia. The world No 5 Indian had to toil hard against the two-time All England Champion Tine, who matched her strokes but was a tad erratic, which proved to be her bane in the quarterfinal match. Saina was very precise with her strokes, while Tine was erratic initially and it allowed the Indian to lead 11-7 at the break. After the breather, Saina slowly mixed her strokes to move into the game point at 20-12 with a short smash but she committed some unforced errors and a few judgemental mistakes on her part allowed the Dane to save three game points. Saina finally pocketed the first game with a smash which Tine netted. In the second game, Tine opened up a slender 3-0 lead and extended it to 10-7 but Saina reeled off four straight points to lead 11-10 at the break once again. Saina tried to exploit the length of the court and started combining lifts and clears with drops and net-shots but Tine was up for the job as she caught up with Saina at 15-15 and even managed to earn three game points at 20-17. But Super Saina was not the one to take it lying low as she executed a cross court smash to move to 18-20. She also pocketed the next point when her stroke was judged 'in' by the line-umpire, much to chagrin of Tine, who thought it was out and was celebrating her comeback by pumping her fists. After that, Tine committed to three unforced errors as Saina burst into celebration. — PTI |
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Kashyap goes down fighting
Indian shuttler Parupalli Kashyap played his heart out before going down fighting to world number two Lee Chong Wei in a gruelling quarterfinal of the men's singles event at the London Olympics here today.
Kashyap dived, smashed, retrieved almost everything thrown at him but still could not stop the top seed Malaysian as he eked out a 21-19 21-11 victory to advance to the semi-finals at the Wembley Areana here. In the first game, Kashyap dominated the show from the beginning and was dictating the pace of the game as he opened up a 11-8 lead at the interval. But Chong Wei varied the pace of the rallies and clawed back to level the scores at 15-15. Kashyap matched his superior rival stroke by stroke and didn't give up and was leading 19-18. But in the end, it was the experienced Malaysian who pocketed the game as he forced the Indian to commit errors and registered three quick points to edge past him. In the second game, Chong Wei started dominating. He mixed his strokes beautifully and executed his smashes to perfection to floor Kashyap. He led 11-6 at the break. The Indian showed some spark but in his pursuit to match the Malaysian's strokes, he ended up committing unforced errors. With Chong Wei gaining 10 game points at 20-10, Kashyap saved a couple of points but it was all over when his return went to the nets. — PTI
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Indian women’s team was unfortunate
Prakash Padukone
I never expected that World Badminton would be shaken up the way it did on Wednesday at the Olympics. Four top pairs in the Women's Doubles event were disqualified for under performing and for bringing the game into disrepute. This is the first time in the history of the game that something like this has happened. For a change the hitherto toothless World Badminton Federation (BWF) acted swiftly and took the right decision in the best interest of the game.
The Chinese pair were the main culprits. They started the trend to lose purposely to the Korean pair with a view to finish second in the group so that they could avoid playing the other Top Chinese pair at the Semi Final stage itself. For the first time we had the strange spectacle of both teams wanting to lose! It was so obvious that the crowd started booing the teams and even the chair umpire had to warn the players. The other two pairs from Indonesia and Korea also followed in a similar fashion and that was when the BWF intervened and took decision to disqualify all the four pairs. It was indeed a Black day for World Badminton. No one expected BWF to act tough since it is known in Badminton circles that China in particular has the habit of throwing away matches or under performing to accommodate fellow players. But it is not always easy to prove. But this time I am very sure that International Olympic Committee would have stepped in and instructed the BWF to act. A correct decision on the part of the World Body which was long overdue. Unfortunately, the Indian pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa were not in the same group. Otherwise they could have qualified for the Quarterfinals. The Indian protest against the Japanese pair was rejected as there was not enough proof to show that they had deliberately lost to the Chinese Taipei pair. It was unfortunate that some good performances from Kashyap & Saina had to be relegated to the background. Both of them have done extremely well to make it to the quarterfinals. While Kashyap has a tough match on hand against the top seeded Malaysian Lee Chong Wei, Saina has to get the better of Tine Baun of Denmark to make it to the semis. On current form Saina is certainly the favorite. — PMG
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The curious case of Lee-Hesh
The destinies of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi are intertwined, forged in iron in their days of glory and success. India doesn't know or care much for their partners - in the Indian consciousness, the name of Bhupathi would forever be followed closely by that of Paes, and vice versa.
Their reactions after their defeats in the men's doubles event weren't vastly different, either. If the 38-year-old Bhupathi had moist and red eyes after he and Rohan Bopanna were knocked out on Tuesday night, the 39-year-old Paes, the more openly emotional and dramatic of the two, actually wept bitterly a day later when he and Vishnu Vardhan fell in the second round. There was a difference, though - Bhupathi's tears were in mourning of the death of his dream, for he knows he'll never have an Olympics medal now. But Paes was happy, for was celebrating what he described as the birth of a new team. Paes had been teamed up with Vardhan, often termed "lowly", after being rejected by both Bhupathi and Bopanna in a bitter selection row. Now the fight he and Vardhan put up seemed to touch Paes to the core, opening his tear-ducts. Talking with the media, he simply turned around, choked up and spoke no more except to his little daughter who had lingered around.
Yet the two Indians gave a memorable performance on Court No. 18 at Wimbledon in a contest that started in late evening light and ended in near dusk two hours and seven minutes later. Paes and Vardhan fought hard and were not much behind the winners. Tsonga's superior power - despite being visibly tired after a three hour, 57-minute win in a singles match on Tuesday - was a major factor in the victory of the French. The Indians were competitive, with Paes brilliant at the net, playing some delightful drops, though his serve was conspicuously the weakest among the four. He was the usual aggressor-creator, optimistic and encouraging to his young partner at each adversity they faced. Vardhan, 25, was a revelation, with his strong serve and return of serve. He was never broken, and later said that a few weeks with Paes have taught me the lessons of a lifetime. The first set was equal, won by the French via the tie-breaker, and India broke Tsonga in the first game of the second to restore parity. In the end, in failing light, Tsonga suddenly raised his game a few notches, hitting incredible winners across the court and down the line, and the Indian challenge crumbled. Paes, his eyes burning bright with pride, discussed the match and Vardhan before breaking down. "I have got tears in my eyes because I am emotional about it," he said. "The last two months, it is pretty simple to see what has been going around... I am emotional about playing for my country, emotional about the people, emotional about this young kid Vishnu. We did something special today and he got me to play with my heart." Paes added that if there are men like Vishnu around, he might even think of playing at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics four years later. "If I have partners like Vishnu who keep motivating me then who knows, I might even play at Rio," he said. Cynics - that includes about 100 percent of the Indian journalists - say that there was a contest within the contest here in the doubles events. Between Paes and Bhupathi, to prove they were right during the selection row. Clearly, it's advantage Paes - he and the allegedly lowly Vardhan put up a stupendous fight, he is still competing at London 2012 (with Sania Mirza in the mixed-doubles), and he's got his eyes on Rio.
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Paes-Sania in quarterfinals
Asked how he and Sania Mirza, playing together after so long, managed to create magic on Thursday evening at Wimbledon, Leander Paes simply said: “The chemistry never dies.”
The chemistry was far from dead – it was alive and kicking as the two played close to the best they ever will as they demolished Serbia’s Nenad Zimonjic and Ana Ivanovic in their mixed-doubles pre-quarterfinal match. The Indian pair won 6-2, 6-4 in 64 minutes before a wildly appreciative audience, mainly consisting Indian fans. If Paes was sensational at the net, with exquisite volleys and drop shots, Sania was brilliant at the baseline, with extremely strong serves and returns. The Serbians, both counted among the world’s top tennis players, were either below their best, or were perhaps dictated into suspension by the Indians. In fact, that’s what Zimonjic indicated. “Sania was really great today, whatever she touched either became a winner, or set it up for Leander to finish,” Zimonjic told The Tribune after the match. Paes was right by her side, with his usual cheer encouraging and exhorting his partner. “We wanted to communicate as much as possible, to raise our games,” Sania said later. The Indians broke Ana in the third game of the first set to go 2-1 up, but Sania was broken in the next game for 2-2. Then began the decisive phase of the match – India won six games in a row, this run leaving India 6-2 winners of the first set and 2-0 up in the second. Ana and Zimonjic dropped their serves twice each in a row as the Indians returned with great placement and power, and then put away easy volleys at the net. The Serbians were left shaking their heads in wonder. India won the first set in just 27 minutes when Sania won her second service game at 15. The Indians carried their form and momentum into the second set, breaking Zimonjic in the first game when Paes hit an unreturnable winner right down the middle. Games went with serve here on, though the Indians came close to breaking Ana Ivanovic in the seventh game, when the Serbians saved two break points. Then it was up to Paes to serve for the match at 5-4 in the third set. The Indians came back from 0-15 down on his serve to hold at 30, closing the set and match when Paes, rushing in to the net, hit a backhand volley winner. The day's magical show was over - hope it would resume in their quarterfinal match against the top seeds, Max Mirnyi and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
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Murray, Federer in semis
Wimbledon, August 2
Azarenka feasted on the left-hander's serve, winning more than half of those points and breaking Kerber six times. Azarenka seeks her first Olympic medal. Andy Murray moved a step closer to becoming Britain's first Olympic singles tennis medallist since 1920, reaching the semi-finals with a straight-sets win over Spain's Nicolas Almagro Thursday. Murray wrapped up the match in less than an hour, winning 6-4, 6-1 for his third win in four matches against the world No.12. Federer advanced Thursday to the semifinals by beating Isner 6-4, 7-6 (5). With that tall hurdle cleared, four-time Olympian Federer needs one more win to clinch the first singles medal of his career, which would plug the biggest hole in a resume. Novak Djokovic will get a shot at adding to his Olympic medal collection after securing a semi-final clash against Murray. — Agencies
Wimbledon, August 2
Kerber eliminated Venus Williams on Wednesday, but Azarenka feasted on the left-hander's serve, winning more than half of those points and breaking Kerber six times. Azarenka, who won her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January, seeks her first Olympic medal. Andy Murray moved a step closer to becoming Britain's first Olympic singles tennis medallist since 1920, reaching the semi-finals with a straight-sets win over Spain's Nicolas Almagro Thursday. Murray wrapped up the match in less than an hour, winning 6-4, 6-1 for his third win in four matches against the world No.12. Murray will face either Serbia's Novak Djokovic or France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a place in the final with his opponent due to be decided later Thursday. — Agencies
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S Korea’s Ki wins archery gold medal
London, August 2 Ki's gold medal was her second of the London Games after she won the team event with Lee Sung-jin and Choi Hyeon-ju. Mexico's Mariana Avitia Martinez beat Khatuna Lorig of the United States 6-2 points in the Olympic women's archery individual bronze medal match on Thursday. Mexico also took the bronze, as Mariana Avitia, a 2011 gold medalist with Roman in the team event at the Panamerican Games, took four sets to beat Khatuna Lorig of the United States, 20 years her senior. The Mexican archer threw down a perfect set of 10s for the first set, taking the other sets with more modest scores of 24 and 26. The Georgian-born Lorig won the third set with a 25. — Agencies
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All-China final in table tennis
London, August 2 "I promise we will put on the best match ever," Zhang said after winning today's early semifinal. Zhang spoke before Wang even played, predicting another match against his No. 1 rival. That is the kind of confidence the Chinese players have, Zhang in particular. He has been talking up his chances for gold from the first day. "Before it even began, I told myself I would win," he said today. — AP
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US women storm to flagship gold
Dorney, August 2 The dominance of the U.S. women contrasted with the other two Olympic finals of the day, when New Zealand sprinted through the field to grab gold on the line in the men's double sculls while South Africa snatched victory in a thrilling men's lightweight four final. In the eight, the American crew took a half a length lead over Canada and the Netherlands in the early stages before holding on as their neighbours came back at them before 25,000 roaring fans packed into the course to the west of London. "This was awesome, at the end I don't think I could have pulled one more stroke," Caroline Lind told reporters on the side of the lake. "We got the gold and that is what mattered." New Zealand's Nathan Cohen and Joseph Sullivan, the double sculls world champions, had been sitting in fifth place for most of their race before they upped their rate and surged through a tiring field in an electrifying final 300 metres. Italy's Alessio Sartori and Romano Battisti took silver and the experienced Slovenian crew of Luka Spik and Iztok Cop grabbed bronze after fading in the second half of the race. — Agencies
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London, August 2 In the qualifying rounds, former world no. 1 from Ferozepur, fired 134 out of 150 to finish a shocking 11th out of 24 competitors and crashed out of the competition in which the top six sailed into the finals to be held later today. Sodhi, who won the gold in the 2010 Asian Games at Guangzhou, started encouragingly to tally 48 out of 50 in the first round before he began misfiring and logged a poor 44 and 42 in the next two rounds that dashed his hopes. "I just don't know what happened," a shocked Sodhi told reporters after his qualification round got over. The world No. 10 admitted that this was easily his worst performance in the international arena in the last few years. "I have never shot so badly. I have not dropped so many shots in the last round. But I guess there was some technical problem, which I need to analyse." 32-year-old Sodhi, however, refused to agree that his performance was related to the stage fright that top Indian athletes have suffered over the years during their participation at the quadrennial extravaganza. "People talk about pressure in the Olympics but I did well in the first round. If I had continued in the same manner, I could have made the finals," lamented the shooter. "Till the last 3 or 4 shots I thought I would be able to make the cut. It is a bit disappointing as I trained hard and was hoping to do well," he added. Meanwhile, pistol shooter Vijay Kumar stood fifth in the first round of the qualifiers in the men's 25m Rapid Fire Pistol and remained in contention to make the finals. He accumulated a total of 293 points with 7 inner 10s in the first stage for an average score of 9.767. Second stage will take place tomorrow. Sodhi with a total of 134 finished nine points behind leader Peter Wilson of Great Britain. Other five shooters who qualified for the finals were Vasily Mosin of Russia, Fehaid Aldeehani of Kuwait, Russia's Vitaly Fokeev, Sweden's Hakan Dahlby and Richard Bognar of Hungary. Expectations were high from Sodhi after his exploits at the international level over the last few years when he became world no. 1 and also went on to win both 2010 and 2011 World Cups Finals at Izmir (Turkey) and Ai Ain (UEA), respectively. Sodhi had earlier said that the English weather could have maximum impact in his double trap event. "See I have been in this sport for a long time and having being World Champion in 2009 and winner of World Cup, I know how it works. You may be the greatest shooter of all time but you need a bit of luck on a particular day." — PTI
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United colours of hockey
London, August 1 The turf is cobalt blue, but it's the bright pink apron that borders it that jumps to the eye. The ball is yellow, and the colour scheme of the turf has been chosen to optimise its visibility for the spectators and the TV audience. The International Hockey Federation had requested the Olympics organisers to take steps to raise the sport's visibility and popularity, and to make it more telegenic. The end product is quite eye-catching, and the spectator seating has been made suitably colourful: Stripes of yellow stairs cutting through blue and black seats in an abstract pattern. It all looks good, but the players and coaches aren't delighted with it. The blue turf has behaved differently in different locations. "Each turf has different character depending on the climatic conditions," Indian coach Michael Nobbs says. The players say that the turf is slow, the ball can jump up inconsistently and it's difficult to trap it when it's running against the grain.
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Jai loses out in pre-quarters
India's Jai Bhagwan impressed in the first round before being out-boxed by Zhailauov of Kazakhstan to bow out of the men's lightweight (60kg) boxing category here today. The Kazakh boxer, the bronze medallist at the 2011 World Boxing Championship, was seeded fifth in London 2012 while Jai Bhagwan was unseeded. That suggests a big gulf in their abilities, but Jai Bhagwan had actually scored one win in their previous three bouts. Today, though, it was almost a non-contest, barring the first round, as Zhailauov won 18-8 on points. Immediately after the bout, Jai Bhagwan, clearly feeling the effects of the punishment he underwent in the last two rounds, said he had had his chance but a warning by the referee early in the second round broke his momentum. He had grabbed the momentum with a fine first round, which he won 3-2. The boxers were cagey to begin with, before Bhagwan tried to seize the initiative, going after his opponent and connecting with both fists. The Kazakh danced around in the square, hitting on the counter whenever he saw a chance. Down 2-3 after the first round, the Kazakh came back with vigour and strong intent. Jai Bhagwan had the lead but Zhailauov quickly wrested it away with very effective boxing in the second round, which saw him taking 10 points from the Indian boxer. Jai Bhagwan often seemed on the defensive, covering his face with his gloves, but Zhailauov frequently hit him through them too. Zhailauov led 12-6 after two rounds, and tables were turned. It was Jai Bhagwan who now needed to go on an all-out attack to salvage as many points as he could but realistically, his only chance lay in knocking out Zhailauov. He tried to do that but clearly, it wasn't going to happen today. Jai Bhagwan was left to rue the warning he received in the beginning of the second round for ducking down too much. He said it came at a very crucial juncture and broke his momentum. "I was doing all right, but the warning affected my momentum," he told The Tribune. "He (Zhailauov) also should have been warned, for he was also pushing me down," Jai Bhagwan said. "But all this happens in boxing... sometimes you win, sometimes you lose."
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Saina Nehwal today created history as she became the first Indian shuttler to reach the semifinals of the Olympics after notching up a hard-fought straight-game victory over Tine Baun of Denmark in the women's singles quarterfinals at the London Games, here today.
London, August 1
Fourth seeded Saina edged past fifth seed Tine 21-15 22-20 in a 39-minute match at the Wembley Areana to set up a clash with the current world No 1 and World champion Yihan Wang of China in the semifinals, whom she hasn't beaten once in her last five encounters.
Indeed, there was no dishonour in their 6-7, 6-4, 3-6 defeat to France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Michael Llodra - the first is the world No. 6 in men's singles, the second a three-time Grand Slam doubles winner. Paes's partner Vardhan is ranked 304 in the world - he's never been ranked No. 1 even in India. 
Phelps, who won the event at the Athens and Beijing Games, relegated compatriot and world champion Ryan Lochte to silver while Hungary's Laszlo Cseh took bronze. The victory gave Phelps his 16th Olympic gold medal and 20th overall in his career.
Players forgetting game-plan: Nobbs