|
|
|
|
|
Smashing Serena back to winning ways
Ministry can’t make up its mind, team stranded
|
|
|
Bindra finishes 10th in World Championships
SAI gives go-ahead for Johor Cup
|
|
Smashing Serena back to winning ways
It was the third straight and sixth overall US Open crown for the 32-year-old American, her 18 career slams putting her alongside Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova for fourth place on the all-time list. Failing to get beyond the last 16 of the year’s first three slams, Williams sailed through the US Open without dropping a set, finishing off Dane Wozniacki in a snappy 75 minutes.
“I have been trying to reach it for so long, since last year,” said Williams, hoisting her first grand slam trophy since lifting the same trophy a year ago. “I didn’t really think I would get there. I just felt so good. “I definitely did not think I was going to win a slam this year. To win the US Open, that was my dream. Every time I win here it’s just a really incredible special moment for me.” There was no joy, however, for Wozniacki. Back in a grand slam final for the first time in five years, it was another frustrating end to a promising fortnight for the 10th seed as she once again left Flushing Meadows empty-handed. The title came with a massive pay-day for Williams, who pocketed the $3 million winner’s purse along with a $1 million bonus for winning the US Open Series of hard court tournaments that form the buildup to the year’s last grand slam.
As Williams received her cheques she was joined on court by Navratilova and Evert, who presented her with an 18-carat gold Tiffany bracelet as the newest member of their grand slam club. The most difficult part of the match for Williams appeared to be beating a player she calls one of her best friends. Williams and Wozniacki vacationed together this summer and the world No. 1 said she exchanges text messages with the Dane daily. But once the match began, Williams, who has often had to face off against her sister Venus, again proved there are no friendships on the court as she simply overpowered her 24-year-old opponent, firing 29 winners to just four by the Dane. “When she’s on her game it’s not fun to play her,” said Wozniacki, whose only other grand slam finals appearance also came at Flushing Meadows in 2009. “I went out there and I was a little nervous. I had a game plan in mind, but it was kind of difficult at the start. I tried to push her back, but that really didn’t work for me. She really just stepped in and she was playing aggressive.” The showdown was hardly a showcase of tennis excellence, particularly in a ragged opening set that featured five consecutive breaks. Williams held her first serve before the two players struggled through the run of breaks with the American taking a 5-2 lead. Not until the eight game did Wozniacki finally hold serve but by then Williams had begun to settle into the match, clinching the opening set with a blistering backhand winner. Williams would keep up the pressure with a break to open the second and by the end had an exhausted Wozniacki running from corner-to-corner. No. 19 on her mind
“I am thinking 19,” said Williams. “Hasn’t even been three hours and I have already mentioned 19. Oh, gosh, but not 22. I’m taking it one at a time.” This marks a record 15th straight year Williams has won at least one singles or doubles grand slam title. She became the second woman in the Open Era to win three consecutive US Open titles. Next year she will return to Flushing Meadows looking to match Evert’s record of four set from 1975-78.
— Reuters Bryan brothers win historic 100th doubles title American twins Bob and Mike Bryan became the first doubles pair to win 100 titles together after they beat Spain’s Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez 6-3 6-4 in the US Open final on Sunday. The world No. 1 duo broke the 11th seeds once in each set to claim their fifth US Open title and take their 16th grand slam title together. “To win it here in front of this crowd makes it all the more special,” said Mike Bryan. The top seeds made their move in the fourth game of the opener and when they broke in the seventh game of the second set there was no way back for the Spanish pair. Left-handed Bob Bryan served out for an historic victory. The win gave the 36-year-old brothers a first grand slam title of the year and they have now won at least one grand slam title together for 10 consecutive years. “We’re not going to rest on our laurels,” Mike Bryan said. “We’re having a lot of fun playing together, we’re going to keep pushing and we’re not stopping any time yet.”
— Reuters |
|
Ministry can’t make up its mind, team stranded
New Delhi, September 8 The teams are supposed to depart from Shanghai, where they are training for the Asiad, for South Korea on Tuesday, but with the ministry waiting for clearance from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the All India Football Federation (AIFF) is completely in the dark about its participation. “They are yet to receive their accreditation cards which are with the Indian Olympic Association in New Delhi. Without the cards, they cannot board the flight to Incheon. The cards will only be provided to them after the ministry clears the size of the Indian contingent,” AIFF senior vice president Subrata Dutta told The Tribune. The IOA had sent a jumbo list of 935 athletes and officials (662 athletes) to the ministry. Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has sought PMO's intervention to resolve the standoff and advise him on the strength of the contingent. It has been learnt the AIFF is spending USD 5000 per day on the football teams after it was forced to extend their stay due to the ministry's dilly-dallying. The problem does not end here as the footballers wouldn't be allowed to enter the Games Village until the officials from the IOA go to Incheon and take part in the Delegates Registration Meeting (DRM), without which no athlete of any country will be allowed inside the Village. The IOA delegation was supposed to reach the Village last week for carrying out the necessary paperwork for participating Indian athletes, but was forced to miss out on September 5 Delegates Registration Meeting due to delay in deciding the strength of contingent. “Footballers won't have any place to stay even if the ministry approves their participation and they reach Incheon as they will not be allowed inside the Village,” another official said. |
|
CLT20: Lahore Lions granted visa
Lahore, September 8 “The Indian High Commission has issued visas and we have received the tickets for the Lahore Lions to travel to India on September 9,” said a PCB. Calling the development “very positive”, the official said it would pave the way for PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan to have meaningful and constructive discussions with the BCCI in near future. “It means we can now also discuss the issue of Pakistani players being allowed to play in the IPL and resuming the bilateral series,” he said. The Lahore Lions, led by Muhammad Hafeez, is due to play the qualifying matches of the Champions League. Interestingly, if the team qualifies for the main round, it will miss the National Twenty20 Regional Tournament being held in Multan from September 16 to 28. The Lahore Lions includes several current Pakistan players like Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Nasir Jamshed and Wahab Riaz.
— PTI |
|
Dhoni steers clear of booing controversy
Birmingham, September 8 India's tour of England drew to a close on a rather disappointing note with the team losing the Twenty20 match by three runs here. This came after Indians rebounded from the Test series loss to clinch the ODIs with dominating performances. During yesterday's match, England cricketers were incessantly booed by a majority of the 24,000-strong crowd, most notably Ali, who had interestingly sought more support from home fans ahead of the match. Birmingham has a sizeable Indian population. When asked about the booing, England skipper Eoin Morgan laughed it off, saying, “We all got booed.” However Dhoni equated it with the booing of Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja during the Test series after his infamous altercation with James Anderson. “Did you ever ask about Jadeja
getting booed?” Dhoni said at the post-match press conference. “(On) the last day of the tour, I don't want to start another controversy,” he added. Skipper takes blame
for the T20 loss
MS Dhoni took the blame for his side's narrow three-run loss to England in the one-off Twenty20 International after failing to finish off the game in the last over. India were set a target of 181 runs but they could only score 177-5 despite Virat Kohli's first half-century of this England tour. “Getting 17 runs off 6 balls is always difficult,” said Dhoni. “I got a boundary off the first ball. There was pressure but there were two more balls I could have hit. It was just one of those days when I couldn't middle it. I got the toe end of the bat on the ball. You have to take the onus and take responsibility as well.” Ambati Raydu was at the other end, but Dhoni chose to do it all by himself. “Rayudu had just come in to bat, and wasn’t middling a lot of deliveries. So it was a better option for me to take all the strike and that's what I thought. But it didn't pay off.”
— PTI |
|
India grapplers bite the dust
Tashkent, September 8 Tomar lost 1-3 in the qualifying round bout of men’s 125kg freestyle against Ryong Sung of Korea, failing to make it to the competition proper. Another Indian, Arun, also met with the same fate as he lost in the qualifying round against Cleopas Ncube of Canada 0-4 in men’s 70kg freestyle. Earlier in the day, two other Indians lost in the first round as they ended the day without doing anything. Rahul Balasaheb Aware did beat Peker Ahmet of Turkey 4-0 in the qualifying round but lost his first round bout of the main event 1-3 to Bekhbayar Erdenebat of Mongolia in the 57kg freestyle. Naresh Kumar won his qualifying round match against Quintino Intipe of Guinea Bissau 5-0 before losing to Reineris Salas of Cuba 1-3 in the first round of men’s 86kg freestyle. India, however, were fielding a second-string team in view of the upcoming Asian Games. 2008 and 2012 Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar also decided to skip the World Championships in order to focus for 2016 Rio Olympics.
— PTI |
|
Bindra finishes 10th in World Championships
Jitu Rai kept himself in the hunt with a score of 557 in the 50-metre pistol. The World Cup and Commonwealth Games gold medallist had a sequence of 94, 94, 93, 90, 95 and 91 to be placed 3rd in qualification relay 2. In the men’s trap event, Manavjit Singh Sandhu, also a World Cup winner, recorded scores of 25 each to total 50. The remaining three rounds will be held tomorrow at the CEAR Juan Carlos I shooting range. Kynan Chenai had rounds of 23 each to score 46. In the 10-metre air rifle, besides Bindra, Sanjeev Rajput finished 13 with a score of 624.2 while Ravi Kumar was placed a lowly 31st after shooting 616.2. In the 50-metre pistol, besides Jitu, Gurpal Singh was placed 14th after managing 554 while Om Prakash was 21st with a total of 549. The trio was placed fifth in the team standings. — PTI
|
|
|
SAI gives go-ahead for Johor Cup
New Delhi, September 8 The withdrawal of the team from the Sultan of Johor Cup, where India are the defending champions, could have led to Hockey India (HI) being fined Swiss francs 250000 (Rs. 1.61 cr) by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). The timely approval for the 27-day camp at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium averted a major face-off between Hockey India and SAI. “Administrative approval of the competent authority is hereby accorded to hold the junior men's national coaching camp of 43 campers, comprising 33 junior men's probables and 10 officials, from 13th Sept to 9th Oct in preparation for Sultan of Johor Cup,” the SAI informed HI in a letter dated September 5. Johor Cup will be held in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, from October 10-20. Besides India, the other participating countries are Australia, Great Britain, Pakistan, New Zealand and Malaysia. |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
New York, September 8
New York, September 8
Granada (Spain), September 8
