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Saina,
luck break india’s duck |
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shuttle speak
Every shot counts
The award that came three years too late
Sania-Paes lose in quarters
Sandeep, Manjeet finish second last
cricket
SA in command against England
Krishan was penalised, not robbed
Federer forced to work overtime at Wimbledon
China wins 3 more to swell badminton tally
Warning: Thunder Bolt ‘feeling good’
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Saina,
luck break India’s duck
Something seemed not quite right with the way Saina Nehwal made her tryst with an Olympic Games medal today afternoon - after all, she had lost the first game and was down by a point in the second when her Chinese rival, Wang Xin, conceded the match with a knee injury. Rather than Saina winning the bronze medal, did Wang lose it?
At that point, Saina was wondering if Wang was really injured - did Wang want a small break and a quick chat with her coach after losing four points in a row? As Wang got her left knee bandaged, Saina grimly walked around close to her chair, trying to keep her thoughts positive and her adrenaline up. "I really thought she wanted a small break, and had fallen down for that reason," Saina said later. "I was confident, I was coming back strongly and she was tiring." After those five minutes of injury-break, which Saina said was quite difficult for her, the players resumed action. Wang won the next point with just one touch, smashing Saina's serve strongly across the court, and it seemed that she may indeed have been trying to gain time by falling down at the previous point. A minute later, these suspicions had to be cast away as Wang Xin won a point and fell again, shaking her head to indicate that she wouldn't be able to continue. She'd fought hard, run a really hard race and, in the process, got niggled. That's sport. Saina, her dream of an Olympics medal thus fulfilled in less than ideal circumstances, tried to squash her grin, or obscure her smile behind her hand, but didn't necessarily succeed. She had succeeded in making a brisk beginning, though. Sania's advantage over Wang lay in net play - with deft drops, Saina quickly went up to 3-0 and then 5-2. But that turned out to be her biggest lead in the game and Wang made a strong comeback. Her strategy was to keep Saina to the back of the court, hitting the shuttle long and high, and she did very well in that. Wang first caught up with the Indian at 5-5 and then put together a trail of eight points to lead 14-6. The Chinese world No. 2 gained her success by first pushing Saina to the back of the court and then hitting excellent crosscourt drop shots, disguising them in a manner that left Saina rooted to the ground. Saina tried to respond by making Wang go to all corners of the court, hitting close to the lines. In the process, Saina made several errors which seemed unforced, but which were caused by her desperate need to hit as close to the lines as possible. The good that emerged for Saina from all this was that the Chinese player was tiring. "She was asking for water, or asking for the court to be mopped up, and I was quite confident," Saina said. So, four years after her disappointment in the Beijing Olympic Games, where she lost in the quarterfinals from a winning position, it came out all right in the end for Saina Nehwal at Wembley in London. She's got a medal, it's a bronze, and it's quite all right. |
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I cannot believe India has won a medal in badminton
What does it mean to you, winning an Olympic Games medal? I don’t know – I still can’t believe it that I have won an Olympics medal. I cannot believe that India has won a medal in badminton. We have worked so hard, Gopi Sir worked so hard... I came here this time to get a medal for India and I am happy that I won a bronze. Could you have won if Wang had not retired? Actually I thought I could have pulled off the match yesterday (semifinal), and that was playing in my mind at the start. I made a good comeback from 14-20 to 18-20. She was getting. I didn’t know that it was so serious. I was very confident that I was coming back strong and she was getting tired. When I was coming back from 14-20, she was asking for water breaks, or asking for the towel for court mopping. What was your strategy today? Was it to play long rallies? Yes, but in between I was in a bit of hurry to play attacking strokes. When I finally started playing long rallies, she started getting tired. There were so many expectations on you to get a medal here, how did you cope? I was scared. When I won in Thailand and Indonesia I was scared of the expectations for the Olympics. That is why I didn’t see the papers. I thought if I read them I would feel greater pressure or tension. But I was confident that I will do well here, I will win a medal. Were you able to sleep well last night? I could not sleep the night before the semifinals but yesterday I slept nicely because what I wanted — reaching the final — didn’t happen. But I was confident that I would win the bronze medal so I was not tense or worried. How do you feel after getting the medal in this manner? Would you have liked to win the match and won it? I still can’t believe that she fell down and the match got over. Maybe I was lucky today and the medal was waiting for me.
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shuttle speak
Saina made the tactical mistake of playing too flat, too often which suited the Chinese. She should have cleared higher and tried to move Yihan out of her base more often. Saina did this on a few occasions especially in the second game, but that was not enough. The Chinese was certainly the faster of the two and had the advantage of the height as well. More often than not Yihan attached Saina's forehand to create the openings which she finished with a smash. From my experience, I can say with a lot of certainty that the only way to beat a Chinese player is to make them play at your pace and not allow them to dictate terms. I had used this tactic effectively against all the Chinese players during my playing days and the same ploy holds good even now, though the pace of the game has changed over the years. The point is whether the opponent has the ability to execute the plan. It is easier said than done and requires years of practice, but that is the only way we can beat the Chinese. There is no alternative as it is almost impossible to beat them in their own game by playing their kind of game. But all is not over yet for Saina. She takes on another Chinese giant World No.2 Wang Xin in the Bronze Medal play off match. Unlike in Boxing, where both losing semi finalists are assured of at least Bronze Medal, in Badminton there is a play off for the third & fourth place and only the winner of that encounter gets the Bronze. Let us hope that Saina is able to put her Semi final defeat behind and get the country's first ever medal in Badminton. That will surely change the face of Indian Badminton. — PMG (This column was written before Saina's bronze medal win and analyses her loss in the semifinal. For Prakash Padukone's views on her historic feat, watch out for tomorrow's column) |
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Every shot counts
Vijay Kumar, the Olympic Games silver-medallist, believes that action speak louder than words - he was remarkably composed and restrained after he won the silver medal in the 25m rapid fire event. When he did speak, the man from Harsaur in Himachal Pradesh spoke with decision and firmness about the circumstances of his winning the medal, about keeping cool, about the Army, and his habit of talking to himself during competition. Excerpts:
It must feel good to win a medal at the Olympics? I've performed in similar competitions (in terms of toughness) in the past too and I've got good results... The difference is that the name of this competition is the Olympic Games, which comes once in four years. From the beginning, we were trying to prepare ourselves to not take this sort of pressure on ourselves, and perform here as if it was just another competition. Were you able to take out of your mind that it was such a big event? See, you can never really do that. But within that situation, we trained hard on how we would perform in this big event. Who do you mean when you say "we"? I'd like to mention the coach who's been working with me for the past four years, Pavel Smirnov of Russia. He's trained me very well and I've had a great support from him. Then, I'm serving in the Army, and I'm continuing my sport with their support. I'm with the 16 Dogra Regiment, based at Mhow. You didn't really show any emotion during the event, or after winning the medal... Yes, as you know your life becomes very disciplined after you join the Army. And our game is also about discipline. All that must have helped me. In the last stages of the final, you got only two points the round after the eventual winner ensured a gold for himself. Was that because you realised the gold was beyond your reach? Oh no, the competition goes on until the last bullet. But I performed like that - I got two hits, and I had to be satisfied with two points. Could you discuss your training for the Olympics? For the last three-four months, we were training in Germany, which was organised by the shooting federation. From there we moved to here, though we participated in one tournament in between. The federation has organised camps from time to time, and that all went very well. It's a big medal for the country. What about you? Yes, of course it's a big medal for me too. I've had medals from all the lower competitions, and only an Olympics medal was missing, and I've got it now. The medal is for India. The biggest support I've had is from my father's, Shri Banku Ram Sharma, who is a former armyman. Have you had a specialist for mental toughness? Well, I belong to the Army, so we are already mentally tough (laughs)! I started shooting only after I joined the Army. After reaching a higher level, the federation helps you, but my basics started in the Army. How did you prepare for the two elimination rounds? My main aim was to be among the top six, and to focus on the final only after that. I'd set my mental frame according to that, and I was able to perform with it. I'm happy because the way I visualised and planned my performance, I was able to execute it that way. What's your next ambition? My target is to go home and rest! I've not gone home for the last one-and-a-half years. Are you married or single? I'm single. Now there'll be a queue outside your home! I don't know, my father is there to handle that. You had some excellent series, and a couple of bad ones... It's part of the game, you can have a good series or a bad series. We try to hit the target every time, we're not hitting away from the target. But if there are small mistakes, you can miss the target. So you can't say that the match depended on only one series. Every series, every shot counts in the end. Did you have any nervousness over the two days? Our match is always over two days, so we're used to it. Yes, it's a top level event and to perform in this, such a fast event, is not a simple matter. There is pressure. I slept well, as usual around 10-11 in the night. You were seen to be talking with yourself during competition. That's our manner of talking with ourselves... What we say is a secret! India has won four medals from shooting from Athens 2004. Is there a new direction to shooting in India? Yes, we've got two medals here, but the performance of everyone has been quite good. All shooters gave it their best, and a new generation of shooters is emerging. it's great for the future. The credit goes to all the shooters, they've been working hard. I should talk about the shooting federation, which has been focussing on the sport.
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The award that came three years too late
Hamirpur/ Chandigarh, August 4 Recently, Vijay had sent a representation to the State government through DC, Hamirpur, on July 12, which was forwarded to the State government on July 17. Subedar (Retired) Banku Ram said, "Now many awards are coming but Vijay was upset for not getting Parshu Ram award and Himachal Gaurav Samman and had sent a representation to the State government." Ace shooter Subedar Vijay Kumar, who had gone to meet HP Chief Minister PK Dhumal in the State secretariat after winning three Gold Medals in the last Common Wealth Games in October last year, was stopped by the CM's security staff for carrying his service pistol along and it was only after he had left his weapon outside that he was allowed to meet the CM in the office. He was fined Rs 500 for taking his car in the sealed area of Shimla on way to meet the CM. DC Hamirpur, Rajinder Singh Thakur said, "We had received his representation and forwarded it to government." Director, Youth Services and Sports, RS Gupta said, "After receiving the representation I had recommended his name for Himachal Guarav Samman and the CM announced Himachal Gauarv Samman and Rs one crore cash prize to him on Friday."
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Serena has the last laugh
London, August 4 The unstoppable American, who dropped just 16 games in her five singles matches en route to the final, has now completed the "golden slam" - winning all four majors as well as an Olympic singles gold. She took just 62 minutes to wrap up her win over number three seed Sharapova, securing her victory with an ace. Earlier Belarussian Victoria Azarenka claimed the bronze,with a 6-3 6-4 win over Sharapova's fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko. World number one Victoria Azarenka won the Olympic bronze medal in the women's singles with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Russian 14th seed Maria Kirilenko at Wimbledon on Saturday. It was a first Olympic medal for Belarus's Azarenka, who celebrated by wrapping herself in her country's red and green flag. The 23-year-old, beaten in the semifinals by Serena Williams, could yet leave the All England Club with two medals as she is competing in the mixed doubles with compatriot Max Mirnyi. The pair were one set up on India's Leander Paes and Sania Mirza before bad light forced their quarterfinal to be suspended on Friday and the match will be played to a finish later on Saturday. The bronze success is just the latest memorable moment in 2012 for Azarenka, who is enjoying the best year of her career after winning the Australian Open in January and reaching the Wimbledon semifinals last month. It would have been an even better campaign if the Belarusian hadn't had the misfortune to run into Serena Williams in the Wimbledon and Olympic semifinals over the last month. But there was no hangover from her latest loss to Williams as Azarenka broke twice to take the first set in convincing fashion. Azarenka broke again in the opening game of the second set and when a wayward Kirilenko forehand conceded another break in the third game, the Russian's frustration boiled over and she slammed her racquet into the turf. Kirilenko then broke twice to recover from 3-0 down, but it was only a brief blip for Azarenka. She took the match with one more break and sealed her first medal by kissing the Belarus badge on her dress. — Agencies
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London, August 4 Paes and Sania lost 5-7, 6-7(5) to the top seeded pair of Max Mirnyi and Victoria Azarenka from Belarus in the last-eight stage match, which was spread over two days due to bad light. The Indians were trailing 2-3 in the second set, when play was stopped yesterday. Paes and Sania did fight bravely but the failure to cash in on the break points dented their chances. Out of eight chances in the second set, they could convert only one. Nevertheless, they fought hard and stretched the second set to a tie-breaker, which itself was a tight affair. But it was not meant to be the Indians' day. Mixed doubles event was considered India's best medal bet as the draw was of 16 pairs and a team needed to win three matches to win a bronze. The defeat means Sania's career may end without an Olympic medal as the injury-ravaged Indian may not play in the next Games in Brazil. Paes, thus, remains the only tennis player from the country to win an Olympic medal -- bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Games in the men's singles. The build-up to the Olympics was marred with a selection row as players resorted to bickering. Both Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna refused to play with Paes and insisted on being paired together. However, they could not go beyond the second round. Paes and Vishu Vardhan also bowed out after a second round defeat, though the pair fought valiantly against tough opponents. — PTI
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Devendro storms into light-fly weight quarters
London, August 4 The pocket-sized dynamo from Manipur outclassed his superior Mongolian rival 16-11 in the pre-quarterfinals at the ExCel arena and put himself one win away from a bronze medal. Devendro started from where he left in his opening bout and kept Purevdorj under pressure by adopting aggressive attitude from the word go. Devendro was quick with his footwork and also displayed fast hands, which his fourth seeded Mongolian found hard to handle as he was brought down to the canvas twice in the bout by the Indian. With some quick left and right punches, Devendro seized the early initiative by taking a 4-3 lead in the opening round. Devendro continued the onslaught in the second round and manged to bring his opponent down to the canvas with a combination of powerful left and right punches. A stunned Purevdorj, the 2009 World Champion, seemed to have ran out of steam as Devendro pocketed the second round 4-2 to widen the lead over his opponent. Devendro was in furious mood as within 60 seconds of the third round the Mongolian was given a standing count by the referee, coutesy a powerful straight punch from Devendro. Even though Purevdorj regained his composure and scored a few late points, but it was not enough as the 20-year-old Indian clinched a comfortable victory to book his place in the last-eight. — PTI
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Sandeep, Manjeet finish second last London, August 4 They avoided getting the wooden spoon by defeating the Egyptian team of Mohamed Nofel and Omar Emira with a timing of 7:08.39 secs. Earlier, Swarn Singh Virk ended his campaign at the 16th place after finishing fourth in a minor placings race in the men's single sculls event. Swarn clocked 7:29.66secs in the six-rower 13th to 18th position race. — PTI
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India win, jump to 2nd spot in ranking table
Pallekele, August 4
India posted a challenging 294 for seven after electing to bat and completed the win by bowling out the hosts for 274 in 45.4 overs at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. India had lost the second ODI in Hambantota by nine wickets but were dominant in all the other matches. Opener Gautam Gambhir (88), Manoj Tiwary (65) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (58) scored half-centuries while Rohit Sharma (4) failed yet again today. Dhoni along with Pathan (29 off 28) plundered 77 runs in just 9.5 overs before falling to Lasith Malinga in the penultimate over of India innings. Later, the pace trio of Pathan (5/60), Ashok Dinda (2/55) and Zaheer Khan (1/53) ripped apart the Sri Lankan top-order, tilting the scale in favour of India. Courtesy this win, India have now claimed the second spot in the ODI rankings behind Australia after starting the series in the fourth position. Both India and Australia now have 119 rating points, followed by South Africa (118). Lahiru Thirimanne, who came to bat at number three after the fall of opener Tillakaratne Dilshan (0), was the top scorer for the hosts with his fighting 81-run knock. Run-rate was never a problem with Sri Lanka but they struggled to keep wickets in hand as half of the batting line- up was resting in pavilion within 16 overs. Thirimanne and Jeevan Mendis (72) did stage a fightback for their side with a gritty 102-run partnership for the sixth wicket in 20.4 overs. — PTI
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Leeds, August 4 England, replying to 419, lost captain Andrew Strauss (37), Jonathan Trott (35) and Ian Bell (11), following the wicket of Alastair Cook (24) before lunch. Kevin Pietersen was 43 not out and much now depends on his innings, while debutant James Taylor was on four. Bell, who looked in confident form when striking leg-spinner Imran Tahir for a six, was out five minutes before the tea interval when he played a loose stroke to an out-swinger from Jacques Kallis and was caught at first slip by Graeme Smith. Strauss got a faint edge to a ball just outside off stump from fast bowler Dale Steyn, while Trott unusually fell to a poor shot when he tried to late cut a wide ball from Steyn and was caught by Smith. Prior to an early lunch being taken because of rain, Cook was lbw to seam bowler Vernon Philander with England unsuccessful in their review of umpire Steve Davis's decision. Pietersen was in typically aggressive mood, striking seven boundaries including one that he torpedoed through the covers off Tahir. The 150 minute post-lunch session left the tourists firmly in control of the match. South Africa, 1-0 up in the three-match series, are seeking to win the series and leapfrog England at the top of the world Test rankings. — Reuters
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Krishan was penalised, not robbed
Interestingly, when the result was to be announced, the referee first held up Spence’s hand before realising that the referees had awarded the fight to the Indian youngster on points. The Americans had protested, and after an international boxing federation (AIBA) review, Krishan was penalised and Spence awarded the bout 15-13. AIBA said that the referee had not noticed the fouls committed by Krishan. Now the Indians protested, but realistically, they had no chance of getting the decision reversed yet again – the AIBA takes the appeal very seriously and goes through the video recording of contested bouts very, very closely. So if there are any violations by any of the boxers, they are not likely to be missed. “They re-play the bout and go through it very closely before deciding whether to stick to the original decision or overturn it,” Indian chef-de-mission PK Muralidharan Raja said. He added: “Not many options are there but let's see. We will still try to find a way forward." The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) also supported Vikas. "IOA condemns this decision. This result should be strongly taken up by the Indian contingent and protested and reviewed," IOA vice-president Tarlochan Singh said. "There were a total of nine holding fouls committed by the Indian boxer in the third round alone. However the referee only gave one caution," the AIBA said in a statement after a review by its Competition Jury. Thus, the Indian appeal was rejected. And, to be honest, while it may seem that the Indian boxer was done in, that’s not the reality. Krishan did hold Spence several times, he did spit out his gumshield, and was indeed too defensive in the second and third rounds, merely covering his face and rarely throwing punches. India wasn’t robbed.
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Federer forced to work overtime at Wimbledon
Wimbledon, August 4
The match had echoes of Federeris 2009 Wimbledon final against Andy Roddick, which he won 16-14 in the final set - the previous longest set he had played - after four hours and 16 minutes. A key difference, however, was that this time it was Federer who kept having to serve to stay in the match in the decider. He did so 13 times before Del Potro finally crumbled. Just four weeks after winning his seventh Wimbledon title and reclaiming the world No 1 ranking, Federer is now just one victory away from making up for his past Olympic disappointments. Although he won a gold medal in the doubles with Stanislas Wawrinka four years ago, he suffered surprising defeats in all three of his previous Olympic appearances in singles, to Arnaud di Pasquale, Tomas Berdych and James Blake. “It is a big moment in my life and a big moment for Switzerland because we donit have a medal yet,” Federer said afterwards. “I hope that also inspires other Swiss athletes for the Olympics now.” Federer, who admitted having been tense and nervous, said the occasion had felt as big as a Grand Slam final. “I definitely got a sense that this was something special we were both going through,” he said. “The deeper we went into the match, the more I thought: Wow, this is so cool to be part of a match like this.” The victory provided a measure of revenge following Federer is defeat to Del Potro in the 2009 US Open final. The 23-year-old Argentine, who was in tears afterwards, has featured in a number of marathons against the Swiss and was two sets up against him at this year’s French Open until a knee injury scuppered his chances. He has worked hard to reclaim his place in the world’s top 10 after being out of the game for a year. — Agencies
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China wins 3 more to swell badminton tally
London, August 4
Li was a last-minute entry by China, which chose her ahead of former No. 1 Wang Shixian because of a 30-match winning streak this year, which included three wins over Wang Yihan. Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei of China win Olympic badminton gold medal in women's doubles by beating Japan's Reika Kakiiwa and Mizuki Fujii . Zhao, who won gold in the mixed doubles final on Friday, and partner Tian were pushed during their second game against their fourth-seeded opponents from Japan, but eventually posted a 21-10, 25-23 triumph. It marked the fifth straight Olympic Games in which China has won the women's double, with the only time it did not win this discipline coming in 1992, when it lost to South Korea in the final. China has won 12 of the 19 medals in women's doubles. The women's doubles bracket was rocked earlier in the week by the expulsion of four pairs for intentionally trying to fix the draw by losing matches. Among those expelled was the top-seeded Chinese duo of Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang, who were trying to ensure they would not meet Tian and Zhao until the final. Two of teams reinserted into the draw after the discipline was announced were Russia's Sorokina and Nina Vislova, as well as Alex Bruce and Michele Li of Canada, and they met in bronze medal final that was won by Russian duo 21-9, 21-10. — Agencies
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Warning: Thunder Bolt ‘feeling good’
London, August 4 But that time looked positively pedestrian after first Justin Gatlin and then fellow American Ryan Bailey broke 10 seconds for the first time in the heats of the Olympic Games. Gatlin clocked 9.97 in heat two, only for Bailey to then equal his personal best of 9.88 in the next heat to raise hopes that Bolt's world record of 9.58s could be under threat in tomorrow's semi-finals and final. Bolt's oft-stated hopes of becoming a 'legend' of the sport by defending his 100m and 200m titles had looked in doubt after he lost twice to Yohan Blake at the Jamaican Trials and needed treatment on a stiff back which was causing hamstring problems. The 25-year-old insisted last week he was fit and ready to compete against the likes of training partner and world 100m champion Blake, who eased to victory in 10.00 in his heat. Bolt said: 'I am feeling good, my legs are feeling good so I am happy. I am training well so I feel like I'm back. My start was good, I am only focused on the semi-finals tomorrow. Ennis inches closer
to gold
Ennis will take a massive 188-point lead into the final event this evening and only an unexpected injury setback seems likely to prevent her following in the footsteps of fellow Briton Denise Lewis, who won the title at Sydney 2000. If Ennis runs a time of around 2:10 in the 800m, nearest challenger Austra Skujyte of Lithuania would need to clock close to 1:57 to win, a time which would be good enough to get in the Olympic individual final. Skujyte's personal best of 2:15.92 was set in the Athens Olympics in 2004, while Ennis set hers of 2:07.81 on the way to silver at the World Championships in Daegu last year. f Ennis was anxious, she kept it hidden from the packed Olympic stadium, appearing oblivious to the noise and excitement around her and only briefly acknowledging the crowd when she was announced for her events. — Agencies |
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South Korea overcome North in tense ping pong battle
London, August 4 “I feel pressure playing against North Korea. We are the same people and we speak the same language, but politically we are not very friendly at the moment," said Yoo Nam Kyu, coach of South Korea's men's team, through a translator. South Korea came through Saturday's first round team match 3-1, a far closer win than had been expected for the tournament's second seeds, against their 11th seeded rivals. Victory was sealed by South Korea's 2004 Olympic champion Ryu Seung-min, who beat Kim Hyok-bong in a close game just nine months after they had lined up alongside each other as team mates at the Qatar Peace and Sport Cup. "We always say hello, there's no problem, table tennis is special," said Ryu after the game. "We have a good relationship and good friendship. But on court we are at war, table tennis war." Ryu and Kim Hyok-bong shook hands at the end but there was little talk or contact between players of coaches throughout. Ryu and Yoo said they greet and speak to their rivals, but just about sport and their condition, never straying into politics. North Korea's coaches and players refused to stop in the media interview area after the match. Table tennis is one of the most popular sports in both countries and has in past led sporting efforts to bring two nations closer. — Reuters
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Vijay Kumar, the Olympic Games silver-medallist, believes that action speak louder than words - he was remarkably composed and restrained after he won the silver medal in the 25m rapid fire event. When he did speak, the man from Harsaur in Himachal Pradesh spoke with decision and firmness about the circumstances of his winning the medal, about keeping cool, about the Army, and his habit of talking to himself during competition.
Not really. Examining closely the way the match went, you
can't escape the conclusion that the right player got the medal. Saina says that the Chinese players fear only her in the world of badminton, and it was clear that Wang, tugged at by that fear, was playing right at the edge of her abilities, in terms of skill and physical levels. That cost her much - she was tiring quickly, getting exhausted and desperate as she attempted to keep the rallies very short.
She did lead 14-6 at one point, but Saina won 12 of the last 19 points, and four in a row to jump from 14 to 18; she was serving at 17-20 when Wang, trying to move to her right and back, got injured. She landed on her right foot, hit the shuttle out, and fell down.
After winning the bronze medal, Saina Nehwal, talking to Rohit Mahajan, was delighted but quite calm, maybe because she was asked more than once about the circumstances of her victory — her opponent Wang Xin getting injured and pulling out after winning the first game. She said she felt sorry for Wang, but added that she was coming back strongly. Excerpts:
Saina Nehwal's dream run ended in the London Olympics when she went down in straight games to the 24 year old World No.1 Wang Yihan of China in the Semi Finals. Even though Saina had never beaten Yihan in any of their previous five encounters, much was expected of the Indian in this crucial encounter considering Saina's form in this Olympics. But she came a cropper yet again without putting up much of a fight.
How did you remain so calm through the event and the thrilling final?In our competition, the most important thing is to have control on yourself and maintain your concentration for a long term. Basically, you need to control your nervous system, and that's the reason we always must remain calm. My event is very tough as you have to fire five shots on separate cards. For that, it's very important for you to remain still. So we practice for it that every day. I performed according to the shooting experience I've had over the last seven-eight years.
Boxing is dogged by whispers of sleaze and vice, and Indian fans have been vocal about it after Vikas Krishan — originally declared a winner, 13 to 11 points, over Errol Spence of the US in their 69kg pre-quarterfinal bout — was penalised by four points for spitting out his gumshield and holding his rival during the bout.
Federer, who will meet the winner of yesterday's later semi-final between Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic in the gold medal match, beat Del Potro 3-6, 7-6, 19-17 after four hours and 26 minutes. It was the longest match in Olympic history and the longest menis three-set match in the Open era.
Wang saved two match points in the second game but Li secured the win on her third in the decider. She then tossed her racket and raised her arms to salute the crowd in Wembley Arena.
London: