Published>Tue, Nov 23 10 01:28 PM
Guangzhou, Nov 23 (ANI): India's tennis ace Somdev Devvarman on Tuesday defeated Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 6-1, 6-2 to clinch India's seventh gold at the Asian Games.
This was India's first ever gold medal in men's singles tennis event at Asian Games.
Somdev had also won the double's gold pairing with Sanam Singh on Monday. (ANI)
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 11:57 PM 0 comments
Published>Tue, Nov 23 10 01:22 PM
London, Nov.23 (ANI): Carlo Ancelotti has refuted suggestions that he is thinking of quitting as manager of Chelsea on the pretext that he is no longer in control of the team.
In the aftermath of Chelsea's fourth league defeat of the season against Birmingham City on Saturday, reports that Ancelotti was considering leaving his role Stamford Bridge in a dispute over control of the team were circulating.
Asked if there was any truth to the speculation, The Telegraph quoted the Italian, as saying: "These rumors are totally untrue. I don't know why they came out in the papers. I have my contract until 2012."
"I didn't call the LMA. They called me last night when I was relaxing at home, just to find out what was going on. I've said a lot of times that I'd like to stay here. I love not just this club, but these players. I have a lot of confidence in these players, in this squad, so there's no reason to change my ideas. I don't know if this is enough to speak about all this," he added.
Events off the pitch have also sparked fears about Ancelotti's future.
The club's board made the decision last week to dismiss assistant coach Ray Wilkins, who was close to Ancelotti, and replace him with Michael Emenalo on the instigation of Russian owner Roman Abramovich.
But Ancelotti denied that Wilkins' departure had affected his position as manager.
"I am sad because the team doesn't win - the club decided to change and I have to stay focused on the job," he said.
"This is not the reason the team is losing at the moment. I maintain the same relationship with Ray." (ANI)
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 11:51 PM 0 comments
Published>Tue, Nov 23 10 01:16 PM
Hobart (Tasmania, Australia), Nov.23 (ANI): Reserve Australian wicketkeeper will miss the entire Australia summer of cricket after breaking his finger.
Paine is set for at least a six-week stint on the sidelines after breaking his finger in an exhibition game on Sunday night.
He was hit by a Dirk Nannes 148km/h thunderbolt while batting in the ACA All-Stars Twenty20 match at the Gabba, and broke his right index finger.
Paine flew to Melbourne today to see a specialist. It is doubtful he will be back on the park until early January at best. (ANI)
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 11:45 PM 0 comments
Published>Tue, Nov 23 10 01:08 PM
Brisbane (Australia), Nov.23 (ANI): Australian left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has promised to subject England cricket captain Andrew Strauss to some chin music during the first Test that is to be played at the Gabba here from November 25.
Johnson said he will target skipper Strauss in the Ashes opener, as has been the Australian tradition.
"England really look up to their captain, Andrew Strauss, so that's someone we need to target. If we can get him to crumble then hopefully their players start thinking negatively, so he's someone we'll definitely be going after," The Telegraph quoted Johnson, as saying after nets in Brisbane on Monday.
"For me that's all about being aggressive. I looked at a bit of footage today of Strauss under the short ball. He can play it when it's about chest high but when you get it right on the money he really does struggle. You've got to get your bouncer high to him and just be aggressive. I'm sure Ricky [Ponting] wants to get into his mind a little bit so we'll give out some verbals if we think it's going to work against him," he added.
He also said that he had a bit of a history with Kevin Pietersen.
"I've got a bit of history with KP. There was a little bit going on in the warm-up at Cardiff and it got a bit heated, but I didn't say a word to him in the middle or even look him in the eye. He's a fiery player who likes opponents to challenge him. We didn't give him much sledging to feed off last series so I don't think I'll be giving him too much this time," Johnson said.
"As a fast bowler you want to be fired up, but you want to take it to the point where you are just on the border. I think I've been doing that pretty well recently, playing hard but keeping my emotions in check," he added.
With confidence high and a fair wind blowing, Johnson will be the fastest bowler in the series, regularly nudging past the 90 mph mark.
His plan, at least to right-handers, is to push them back in their crease with the bouncer to mess up their footwork, before running it across them on a much fuller length to attract the nick.
All of this is best achieved by bowling with pace and aggression, something he says he stills needs to be reminded about from time to time. (ANI)
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 11:37 PM 0 comments
Tue, Nov 23 10 12:52 PM
Guangzhou, Nov 23 (PTI) Somdev Devvarman today created history by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal in the men''s singles tennis event of the Asian Games after outplaying top seed and world number 44 Denis Istomin 6-1 6-2 in the lop-sided summit clash here. With this win, Somdev won his second gold from the tennis competition, and seventh for India, having already captured yellow metal in the men''s doubles with Sanam Singh. No Indian player had played in the gold-medal match in the men''s singles before Somdev, world number 106, and the country had three bronze medals to show so far at the Games. Leander Paes (Hiroshima in 1994), Mahesh Bhupathi (Bangkok in 1998) and Prahlad Srinath (Bangkok in 1998) had won those three bronze medal in men''s singles. In total, Somdev won three medals at this edition of the Games as he had earlier won a bronze in team event as well. India rounded off its tennis campaign with five medals, two more than what the country had got at the Doha Asian Games in 2006. At Doha, Leander Paes had won two gold medals -- in men''s doubles with Mahesh Bhupathi and in mixed doubles with Sania Mirza. Sania had won a sliver in the women''s singles. The final match between Somdev and Istomin never rose to expected heights as the Uzbek was erratic and failed to curb his unforced errors, which helped Somdev''s cause. The Indian broke the Uzbek twice in the opening set to take a comfortable 5-0 and served it out in the seventh game, having dropped his own in the sixth. The second set was no different as Somdev again rode on double break after initial resistance from Istomin to seal the gold medal.
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 11:21 PM 0 comments
Published>Tue, Nov 23 10 12:08 PM
Brisbane, Nov.23 (ANI): The England cricket team is cool, calm and ready for Ashes storm, claims fast bowler Stuart Broad
In a write-up for The Sun, Broad said the preparation for the first encounter between the two cricketing rivals has been fantastic at the Allan Border Field.
"We have been with the England Performance Squad at Allan Border Field and the facilities have been fantastic. We haven't seen a clear blue sky since we've been here but it has been very humid and we have got the lungs used to that," Broad said.
"We've been very structured in the way we've been training. We will do 10 overs a day one day, then eight overs and two overs' worth of running round the outfield to get miles in our legs the next. We've been bowling different-length spells, as we would in a Test match, and we have been working on the plans we have come up with along with bowling coach David Saker, both our attacking ones and the defensive options," he added.
He also reveals that communication has been one of the strongest points of the English bowling unit.
He credits bowling coach David Saker for this, as also for helping the bowlers get use to the heavier Kookaburra ball, which will be used in the Ashes series Down Under.
"What I will say is the Kookaburra is more dangerous when it is new than the Duke we use in England. It swings more and the seam is more pronounced, but once those first 15 overs have gone it doesn't do as much. It's not something we're concerned about," said Broad.
On Saker, the right-arm fast bowler describes him as "a legend who has fitted into our camp so well."
"I don't think it's a coincidence that we haven't lost a series since he came along. He's not a technical guy at all, and he'll admit that, because he feels an international bowler will know how to bowl and what works for him. What he does is talk tactically about everything, both attacking and defensive plans," he adds.
"We're always talking and if 'Sakes' sees something off the pitch that we should be doing, he will send a message out to the field. He's always feeding us information," Broad says.
On the Test wicket at the Gabba, Broad says it will be one that you can be very aggressive on.
"It's a wicket where, if you hit the right areas, you will have success. The Gabba wicket gets quicker on the second day, too. The new ball can be very dangerous here and you have to keep reminding yourself to be patient, patient, patient. As bowlers, we won't be thinking about taking five wickets in a session," he adds.
He concludes by saying that: "Everyone is feeling in good form, confident, bowling and batting well.
Brilliant catches and run-outs have been taken and executed, too. Everybody has taken something out of the three games and the lads are relaxed and enjoying themselves. No-one has gone into their shell. They have just carried on as usual. There is a feeling of quiet confidence about everyone." (ANI)
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 10:37 PM 0 comments
Tue, Nov 23 10 11:38 AM
Guangzhou, Nov 23 (PTI) Indian eves qualified for the semifinals of the squash team event despite a 0-3 drubbing at the hands of Hong Kong while the Saurav Ghosal led men''s team made the last-four grade of the Asian Games with a crushing 3-0 win over South Korea here today. The women team advanced to semifinals courtesy their second place finish behind Hong Kong in Pool B. They face Pool A topper Malaysia in the semifinals tomorrow. The men''s team came up with a fine show to be on top of the table in pool B. They are scheduled to play Malaysia in their last league encounter later in the day and the outcome of the that match will decide their next opponent team. India and Malaysia, sitting second, are tied on 12 points but are on top because of better game win-lose difference. In the women''s match, Dipika Pallikal had the unenviable task of giving India a positive start but the Indian failed to get it across Chiu Wing Yin and lost 8-11 11-9 10-12 5-11 in a tough battle, lasting close to an hour. Joshana Chinappa then crossed swords with Annie Chi Wing Au but the Hong Kong player was much superior than the Indian as she notched up a comfortable 11-7 11-7 11-9 victory in 27 minutes. In the third match, Anaka Alankamony fought a gallant battle against Chan Ho Ling before going down 9-11 11-6 8-11 6-11 to her rival. Earlier, Siddharth Nimesh Suchde started the proceeding for India in the men''s team event, brushing off Joon Seung Joon 11-6 11-6 11-6 in 37 minutes. Indian number one player Ghosal then sent Ho Nyeon Lee packing with a 11-5 11-7 11-6 win in 28 minutes to give India an unassailable 2-0 lead. In the last encounter, Sandeep Jangra saw off Seungtaek Lee 11-9 11-8 13-11 in a 30-minute battle to give India a comfortable win.
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 10:07 PM 0 comments
Published>Tue, Nov 23 10 11:28 AM
Guangzhou, Nov 23 (IANS) Indian cyclists Mahita Mohan and Pana Chaudhary finished 20th and 26th in the women's individual road race at the Asian Games here Tuesday.
Mahita, India's lone medal hope in the women's competition, clocked two hours 47 minutes 51.71 seconds while Pana had a timing of 2:48:41.75 secs to finish last in the 100km race.
Mei Yu Hsiao of Chinese Taipei won the gold with a timing of 2:47:46.12 secs and the silver went to Indonesia's Santia Tri Kususma with a timing of 2:47:46.52 secs. Na Zhao of China recorded 2:47:46.63 secs to secure the bronze.
Indian men had finished poorly in their individual race Monday.
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 9:57 PM 0 comments
Published>Tue, Nov 23 10 11:08 AM
Guangzhou, Nov 23 (IANS) India's Deepika Kumari stayed in medal contention after a entering the quarterfinals of the women's individual recurve archery event at the Asian Games here Tuesday.
Deepika, a gold medallist at the Delhi Commonwealth Games, got the better of Erwina Safitri of Indonesia 7-3 (28-36, 26-26, 27-24, 30-28, 26-22) in the pre-quarterfinals at the Aoti Archery Range.
The 16-year-old ace archer will now face Tan Ya Ting of Chinese Taipei, who defeated another Indian Rimil Buriuly 6-2 (22-27, 21-27, 28-27, 25-26) in the other round of 16 contest.
Earlier, Deepika defeated Rand Almashhadani of Iraq 5-1 in the first round. She was ranked seventh in the qualification rounds while Rimil finished a distant 18th.
Veteran Dola Bannerjee and Bombayala Devi failed to qualify for the elimination rounds.
The women's team comprising Deepika, Dola and Rimil won its maiden Asian Games medal by edging Chines Taipei in the bronze medal play-off Monday.
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 9:37 PM 0 comments
Published>Tue, Nov 23 10 10:24 AM
It's the semi-finals of the Delhi cluster of the CBSE table tennis championships being held at Hansraj school. This is one of the most prestigious school-level table tennis tournaments in India.
But the players in the U-19 category are clearly distracted; many seem rusty. The players, most of whom are in Class XII, are almost on the cusp of the exam season and, as an open mathematics guide book on a chair indicates, the upcoming pre-boards and subsequent boards are proving quite distracting.
Coach Sandeep Gupta says "honestly speaking, it's difficult for a Delhi player to make a mark on the national scene. So getting admission to a top college has always been the main objective of a player."
Vidit Chawla lost his match comprehensively to eventual winner Kartik Kukreja. However, he isn't upset by the outcome. "I have had no practice for the last two months. The only reason I am playing is so that I can keep in touch with the game.
"There is no table tennis academy near my home. In any case, after the board exams I will have around two months to prepare before the university trials. I plan to join an academy after my exams so that I can make up on the lack of practice. This tournament will be the last before I start concentrating completely on studies," he says.
Tournament winner Kartik Kukreja too has his priorities clearly mapped out. "I plan on studying Economic Honours in St. Stephen's or in SRCC. I'm good in studies. I regularly score above 90 per cent but the competition is quite tough, so even if I come through the sports category, I will need to keep my grades high. So while earlier I would train for upwards of 5 hours a day through the week, nowadays I just train on weekends."
Having won the tournament, Kukreja, like losing finalist Anuj Khandelwal, will go to Nagpur to play in the CBSE school nationals from December 26. Play though won't be the only thing on his mind. "I will be taking my books as well. My pre-boards will begin in January and I can't lose touch with studies either," he says.
It's only Anuj Khandelwal who claims he is practicing with the same intensity as before, although this too comes with a rider. "The CBSE nationals will be my final tournament this year. I got to the quarterfinals last year. This time I hope to get to the finals," he says before quickly adding in the same breath, "a top India placing will really help when I apply for college."
Even 14-year-old Sabhya Virmani, a student of class IX and the youngest player in his division, admits he has been giving thought to which college he wants to go to. "Everyone plays table tennis for fun, but I also know that the sport can help me get into a good college. But for the moment I am concentrating only on winning." With a wry smile he adds, "In three years even I will be thinking the same way as the others."
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 8:53 PM 0 comments
Tue, Nov 23 10 10:08 AM
Karachi, Nov 23 (PTI) The International Cricket Council (ICC) has asked the lawyers representing the three suspended Pakistani players to return the evidence and other documentation provided to them as part of the process to defend the players against the spot-fixing allegations made against them. A lawyer for suspended Test captain, Salman Butt confirmed that he and the other lawyer representing Butt had got a mail from the ICC in this regard. "Yes they have asked us to return the documentation and other evidence they provided to us before and during the appeal hearing held in Dubai," the lawyer said. Sources said that the ICC had decided to ask the lawyers to return the relevant evidence and documents after some of the matter was leaked out in the Pakistani media. "Obviously the ICC believes that someone close to the players is responsible for leaking out confidential information that directly affects the case against the players. So, as a precautionary measure they have asked for the evidence and documents to be returned," one source disclosed. But the lawyer insisted that the reason for the ICC directive was not because of any leakage of any confidential information or evidence. "No such information has been leaked out as yet and this is a normal procedure that the lawyers can ask for relevant documents or evidence before the full hearing of the case in January," he claimed. Sources said interestingly even before the ICC had provided relevant documentation and evidence material to the lawyers preparing to defend the players they had sent the same stuff to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). "Yes it is true the PCB is in possession of plenty of material including transcripts of SMS messages exchanged between the players and their agent Mazhar Majeed for the last three months now," the source said. The matter apparently has come to an head after a television channel leaked out some text messages supposedly exchanged between Butt and Mazhar Majeed earlier this year during a tournament. The lawyer said they would have no problems returning the material to the ICC. The ICC anti-corruption unit had submitted detailed evidence and material when the appeal hearing of Salman Butt and Mohammad Aamir against their suspensions was held in Dubai last month. Their appeals were rejected by the appeals tribunal leading to them making accusations publicly that the ICC was not treating them with justice. They had also called on the government to intervene in the matter on their behalf but so far neither the government nor the PCB have shown any intention of getting involved in the matter.
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 8:37 PM 0 comments
Published>Tue, Nov 23 10 09:48 AM
Dharamsala, November 23 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) is all set to play host to the 'Twenty20 Mahasangram', which is set to start on November 29 and will see participation of a record 1100 teams. Sanjay Sharma, spokesperson of Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association disclosed this at Dharamsala on Sunday. The tournament was earlier set to start on November 13 but due to the festival season the dates were postponed.
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 8:17 PM 0 comments
Tue, Nov 23 10 09:22 AM
Guangzhou, Nov 23 (PTI) India''s Deepika Kumari kept herself in medal contention by advancing to the quarter-finals of the women''s individual archery event but Rimil Buriuly bowed out after losing the second round here today. Deepika began well by beating Rand Almashhandani of Iraq 5-1 in round one and then pipped Indonesia''s Erwina Safitri 7-3 in the next round. She will next take on Taipei''s Tan Ya Ting, who ousted Deepika''s compatriot Rimil in second round. Rimil had started on a winning note as she blanked Zahra Dehghanabnavi 4-0 in her opening round but was outplayed by her Taipei rival 2-6. Deepika and Rimil had contributed in fetching India a bronze medal in the women''s team event along with Dola Banerjee on Sunday.
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 7:51 PM 0 comments
Published>Tue, Nov 23 10 08:28 AM
Embattled Inter Milan coach Rafael Benitez can count his fit first choice players on one hand for Wednesday's Champions League encounter with Twente Enschede and is desperate for a turnaround in fortunes.
Of the team who lifted the trophy in Madrid in May, only Samuel Eto'o, Wesley Sneijder, Javier Zanetti, Lucio and Goran Pandev are injury-free for a game Inter want to win to secure their passage to the last 16 and ease the pressure on Benitez.
Sunday's 2-1 loss at Chievo left the treble winners sixth in Serie A and media reports said the Spaniard could be sacked just six months into the job if Inter lose at the San Siro on Wednesday and leave qualification hope out of their hands.
Club president Massimo Moratti cautiously backed the coach on Monday despite the 3-1 reverse at Tottenham Hotspur in their last Group A game and two points from the last four Serie A matches, including a derby defeat by AC Milan.
The injuries, which Benitez has denied are because of his training regime compared to ex-boss Jose Mourinho, have offered the coach some excuses for the poor displays but a catalogue of managers shows Moratti's patience does not last long.
"It is a difficult moment, but we must stay calm, and little by little we will come out of it," captain Javier Zanetti told Inter's TV channel.
"To judge this team, you must first of all judge this group when it is complete. It is not an alibi, but it should be stressed. On Wednesday we absolutely must win, carrying on with our heads held high, as always."
It is difficult to underplay the size of Inter's injury list especially when even Pandev and Sneijder do not look totally fit after their own problems and have recently failed to shine.
The chances of last season's top scorer Diego Milito shrugging off his latest muscle pull in time for Wednesday look unlikely while although Esteban Cambiasso played on Sunday, the Argentina midfielder was clearly not ready.
YOUTH PLAYERS
Keeper Julio Cesar was meant to be close to a return before a relapse while fullbacks Maicon and Cristian Chivu have thigh and groin strains respectively and are set to miss the game. Coutinho is out for over a month and Walter Samuel the season.
Brazilian midfielder Thiago Motta trained with the squad on Monday to offer some respite having featured only once this term after knee surgery but youth team players will again almost certainly have to be called on to the bench.
Inter are second in the group on seven points like leaders Tottenham while Twente, who drew 2-2 at home with the holders in September, are on five points in third with two games left as they plot a surprise progression to the last 16.
The Dutch champions are second in their domestic league after 15 games but lost 2-1 at home to AZ Alkmaar on Saturday.
Probable teams:
Inter Milan: 12-Luca Castellazzi; 39-Davide Santon, 6-Lucio, 23-Marco Materazzi, 2-Ivan Cordoba; 4-Javier Zanetti, 10-Wesley Sneijder, 5-Dejan Stankovic; 88-Jonathan Biabiany, 9-Samuel Eto'o, 27-Goran Pandev
Twente Enschede: 13-Nikolay Mihaylov; 15-Roberto Rosales, 4-Peter Wisgerhof, 19-Douglas, 34-Thilo Leugers; 6-Wout Brama, 9-Luuk De Jong, 8-Theo Janssen; 10-Bryan Ruiz, 21-Marc Janko, 22-Nacer Chadli
Referee: Stephane Lannoy (France)
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 6:57 PM 0 comments
Tue, Nov 23 10 07:28 AM
Factbox on the five venues for the Ashes test cricket series between Australia and England which begins on Thursday:
- -
BRISBANE (First test, Nov. 25-29)
Ground: The Gabba (capacity 42,000)
Last England test win: 1986-87 series
Many a confident England touring side have pitched up at the Gabba, named for the Woolloongabba suburb that surrounds it, only to come a cropper.
Steve Harmison's horrendous first-ball delivery to second slip set the tone for the 2006-07 whitewash and England will be determined to avoid a bad start this time.
A lively, green top wicket is expected at first, offering pace and bounce for the seamers, with spin coming into play as an attacking option if it stays dry and the strip deteriorates later in the match.
- -
ADELAIDE (Second test, Dec. 3-7)
Ground: Adelaide Oval (32,000)
Last England test win: 1994-95 series
One of the most picturesque cricket grounds in the world, the Adelaide Oval has usually offered one of the more batting-friendly surfaces in the series.
The flat pitch and high temperatures make for long, hard days for the quick bowlers so the spinners will be expected to give them frequent breaks and contribute a few wickets as well.
England's Paul Collingwood hit a double century and Kevin Pietersen 158 in Adelaide on England's last tour but Australia staged a sensational comeback to win the match.
- -
PERTH (Third test, Dec. 16-20)
Ground: WACA (20,000)
Last England test win: 1978-79 series
The WACA (Western Australia Cricket Association) is the youngest and smallest of the venues and has a reputation as a wicket that pace bowlers love and batsmen fear.
The rock-hard wicket and blinding light can make for an intimidating time at the crease even if the pitch is not as quick as it once was.
The afternoon breeze, known locally as the Fremantle Doctor, helps the seamers and can also be of use to the spinners. England have won just once here in 11 Ashes tests.
- -
MELBOURNE (Fourth test, Dec. 26-30)
Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) (100,000)
Last England test win: 1998-99 series
Even in a sport steeped in history and tradition, a Boxing Day Ashes test played out in front of 100,000 fans at one of the great cathedrals of the sporting world is something special.
The wicket used to be tricky on occasions but these days generally offers true bounce and a bit of pace, while it can take spin later in the match.
Mike Gatting's side sealed England's last Ashes victory in Australia at the MCG in 1986-87 and the tourists won again 12 years later.
- -
SYDNEY (Fifth test, Jan. 3-7)
Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) (46,000)
Last England test win: 2002-03 series
The SCG ranks is one of the world's most famous cricket grounds and this year will feature two huge, new video screens.
Even though the entire playing surface was re-turfed for the first time in a decade in September, it is still expected to offer the most spin-friendly wicket of the five venues.
This will be the test that England's Graeme Swann, and perhaps even back-up spinner Monty Panesar, will most look forward to, always assuming the series is not won or lost by then.
England's most recent test victory in Australia came at the SCG in 2003, one of only three since the last Ashes series victory by the tourists.
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 5:57 PM 0 comments
Published>Tue, Nov 23 10 05:28 AM
Rafael Nadal ended his dismal run at the ATP World Tour Finals when he clawed his way past battling American Andy Roddick 3-6 7-6 6-4 on Monday.
The 24-year-old lost all six sets he contested last year when the season-ending showpiece made its debut at London's spectacular O2 Arena and when Roddick stormed through the opener in their Group A clash his miserable run seemed set to continue.
However, unlike 12 months ago when he arrived short of form and confidence, the world no. 1 clicked into gear to wear down Roddick in easily the best match of the event.
"I started the match nervous, without rhythm," a relieved Nadal said on court. "Andy is a very aggressive player and it was very difficult. He can rally from the baseline and from the net, it's very difficult to pass him. The atmosphere here is fantastic, I'm very happy to win."
Roddick was unable to play at last year's elite tournament due to injury and he showed an appreciative near-capacity London crowd what they had missed with thundering serving to keep Nadal on the back foot for two sets.
Despite the slowish indoor surface, 17 aces fizzed off the Roddick racket. He played a faultless first set and broke early in the second only for Nadal to snap back immediately and set up a late-night decider when he closed out a tiebreak.
Sensing his chance, Nadal punished a weak Roddick volley at 2-2 in the third with an angled crosscourt winner and there was no way back for his 28-year-old opponent who bowed out after two hours and 33 minutes of enthralling action.
Nadal, who has never won the ATP's year-ending tournament despite collecting every other silverware in the game, will face Novak Djokovic on Wednesday in his second round robin match. Djokovic earlier dispatched Tomas Berdych 6-3 6-3.
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 3:57 PM 0 comments
Tue, Nov 23 10 03:48 AM
England batsman Kevin Pietersen will stay at Surrey in 2011 after converting his end of season loan from county rivals Hampshire into a permanent move.
"I'm delighted to be playing for Surrey next season, as I really enjoyed my time with them at the end of this year," Surrey quoted the 30-year-old right-hander as saying after signing his new contract in Australia where he is preparing for the first Ashes test in Brisbane.
"I hope I can get some games in over the summer and spend time at this great Club, meeting more of the staff and supporters," he added.
Surrey chief executive Paul Sheldon said Pietersen had shown his positive influence on younger players in the dressing room after his three weeks at the club.
"Although there is a packed schedule of international cricket in 2011, I know that whatever contribution he can make to the club will be of immense value," he added.
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 2:17 PM 0 comments
Tue, Nov 23 10 03:08 AM
Real Madrid will seek inspiration from their former midfielder and France World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane for Tuesday's Champions League match at Ajax Amsterdam, according to Xabi Alonso.
Zidane, who retired after he was sent off in the 2006 World Cup final, was recently appointed "presidential advisor to the first team" by Real president Florentino Perez and the Ajax game will be his first in his new role.
"It's important to all of us to be able to count on Zidane," midfielder Alonso told a news conference ahead of the Group G clash in the Dutch capital.
"It motivates us and he will bring more to the team the more we get to know him better," the Spain international added. "I think his presence at the club is very positive."
Under new Real coach Jose Mourinho the nine-times champions are bidding to end a miserable six-year run in Europe's elite club competition during which they have failed to progress beyond the last 16.
They top the group from Italian side AC Milan and have secured their place in the knockout round.
Milan, who lead Ajax by a point, would join them if they beat French club Auxerre and the Dutch team lost.
"It is very important to us to be group leaders in the next round," Alonso said.
"Usually, being group leaders gives one the chance to play an easier game in the last 16."
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 1:37 PM 0 comments
Published>Tue, Nov 23 10 01:18 AM
Rahul Dravid was a satisfied man after his marathon innings of 191 and more so because he had been able to get rid of the few technical glitches he had developed in his batting of late.
I had not batted well against the left-arm pacers during the Australia series. (He was troubled by Doug Bollinger and Mitchell Johnson). So I went back to NCA and worked on my flaws with the coaches there and also spoke about it to Gary(Kirsten).
"Basically, I was opening the face of the bat towards cover and that was causing trouble. So when Andy McKay was bowling, the idea was to play as straight as possible. That was one area I worked on,? said the hero of India's third day's play.
His poor run before the New Zealand series came in for a lot of criticism but Dravid felt that there was no point thinking about that.
"Look questions are bound to be asked if you are not scoring runs. It's just that when you are 23 or 24, people ask different questions and when you are 37 or 38, they ask different questions. That's part and parcel of modern day cricket and you have got to accept that. The best way to come back is to score runs.
"As far as I am concerned, I have never really bothered about the questions. It's always been about how I feel emotionally, physically and spiritually and whether I am giving my hundred per cent or not. These are a few boxes I always mentally tick before a series," he told the reporters.
Dravid, however, felt that credit should go to the bowlers for dismissing New Zealand for 193. "New Zealand have batted very well in the series. We have scored excess of 450 quite often but it's the bowlers who helped us in getting a big lead. The first session tomorrow will be very crucial.
"If we can get a few wickets till the ball is new and hard just like their bowlers did it today, it would be great.
The pitch is still pretty flat and the ball isn't turning much. It's still a good batting track. Once the ball gets older it will be easier for the batsman to settle down and score runs," Dravid assessed.
Although seven among the top eight in the batting order got runs in the series with the exception of Suresh Raina, Dravid said the series in South Africa will be a different ball game altogether.
"It's always nice to have runs as it gives you the confidence. Having said that, we have to be aware that the conditions in South Africa will be completely different."
Dravid also said that one shouldn't be too harsh on young Raina as this is a learning experience for him.
"He is having a rough time but we all know that he is a terrific talent. Test cricket is a hard school and he will only learn from these experiences. We have all seen in ODIs how good he can be once he gets going. Hopefully, he will score runs in South Africa."
When asked how difficult it is to bat long hours at this age, he smiled and replied, "It's always difficult to bat long hours irrespective of your age. It can physically and emotionally exhaust. Personally, I like batting for long hours because then only I can score runs."
"Hope I can bat pretty more like Viru one day," he said with a grin.
Dravid also admitted that except Virender Sehwag, none of the Indian batsmen have been able to completely dominate Daniel Vettori.
"Vettori has had control over Indian batsmen. Save Viru who has successfully attacked him, none of us have been able to dominate Vettori which has given him the opportunity to carry on bowling from one end and rotate the pacers from the other end," he said.
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 11:47 AM 0 comments
Tue, Nov 23 10 12:52 AM
Ajax Amsterdam have suspended their captain Luis Suarez for two matches after he bit PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal on the shoulder during their 0-0 draw on Saturday.
The Uruguayan striker could also face disciplinary action from the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) who said on Monday it would investigate the incident which was missed by the match referee.
Ajax said on their official website (www.ajax.nl) that Suarez would pay an undisclosed fine which will be donated to charity.
Suarez, who has scored seven league goals this season, will miss league matches against VVV Venlo and NEC Nijmegen but he will be available for Tuesday's Champions League match against Real Madrid.
Suarez earned Uruguay a place in this year's World Cup semi-finals when his deliberate handball in the final minute of extra time against Ghana prevented a decisive goal from Dominic Adiyiah.
The striker, who blocked Adiyiah's attempt with two hands on the line, was sent off but his team mates went on to win a penalty shootout.
The incident happened in stoppage time against PSV after referee Bjorn Kuipers showed Ajax's Rasmus Lindgren a straight red card for a rough tackle on PSV playmaker Ibrahim Afellay.
Suarez argued with Bakkal, who stood on the Uruguayan's foot, prompting him to bite Bakkal's shoulder.
"I don't know if he bit hard but this morning I spoke about it with Luis (Suarez)," coach Martin Jol told a news conference on Monday hours before the club announced the suspension.
"The outcome of our conversation we will announce after the match against Real Madrid, but he will be our captain against the Spaniards," he added.
In 2007, Frenchman Sebastian Sansoni of Vitesse Arnhem bit NEC Nijmegen's Roy Beerens on the nose and received a five-match ban.
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 11:21 AM 0 comments
Published>Tue, Nov 23 10 12:48 AM
Berlin, Nov 22 (DPA) Adrian Sutil has reached an agreement in principle to renew his contract at the Force India Formula One team for the next season, the German driver's manager said Monday.
Manager Manfred Zimmermann told DPA that the contract should be signed within the next two or three weeks.
Sutil, 27, has been with Force India since the team was founded in 2008. He was placed 11th in the past season with 47 points.
Reports had mentioned Sutil in connection with a move to Renault, but the French team appears set to keep its Russian driver Vitaly Petrov.
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 11:17 AM 0 comments
Published>Tue, Nov 23 10 12:28 AM
A courtside entourage including former Argentine soccer great Diego Maradona watched Novak Djokovic open Group A at the ATP World Tour Finals on Monday with a 6-3 6-3 victory over Czech Tomas Berdych.
The Serb dominated from start to finish against a player, whose form has deserted him since reaching the Wimbledon final in July, after he was gifted a service break in the first game.
A tense Berdych, the only debutant in the eight-man field, offered up two double faults and Djokovic completed the set when his opponent faltered again on his own delivery at 3-5.
The world number three quickly moved 3-0 ahead at the start of the second set and closed out victory in front of a subdued mid-afternoon crowd, which was far from a sellout.
It was the third one-sided match in a row at the season-ending showpiece that features world number one Rafael Nadal against Andy Roddick later on Monday.
Djokovic said he was inspired by the presence of Maradona, who was also in the O2 Arena on Sunday, on his bench.
"Thanks for coming," the 23-year-old said after Maradona was greeted by a mixture of boos and cheers by the crowd. "It's a great honour having you around.
Djokovic also revealed a cheeky sense of humour, referencing Maradona's controversial "Hand of God" goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final.
"When he came in during the middle of the first set, I wondered whether I should play with my legs or my hands," he said to laughter from the crowd."
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 10:57 AM 0 comments
Published>Tue, Nov 23 10 12:12 AM
Berlin, Nov 22 (DPA) Adrian Sutil has reached an agreement in principle to renew his contract at the Force India Formula One team for the next season, the German driver's manager said Monday.
Manager Manfred Zimmermann told DPA that the contract should be signed within the next two or three weeks.
Sutil, 27, has been with Force India since the team was founded in 2008. He was placed 11th in the past season with 47 points.
Reports had mentioned Sutil in connection with a move to Renault, but the French team appears set to keep its Russian driver Vitaly Petrov.
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 10:41 AM 0 comments
Mon, Nov 22 10 11:48 PM
Munich's bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics will not be affected by a surprise rejection by the Greens, the country's third biggest political force, Germany's top sports official said on Monday.
The Greens, in opposition but rising in opinion polls, narrowly voted at the weekend for a motion that called the Munich plans "anything but ecologically exemplary".
Munich's candidacy, which is up against South Korea's Pyeongchang and France's Annecy, has already received the official backing of the German government ahead of the International Olympic Committee vote in July next year.
"The chances of Munich 2018 victory will not suffer from this negative attitude shown by a narrow majority of an opposition party," German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB) chief Thomas Bach said in a statement.
"Internationally it is recognised that this concept is 'the best, and ecologically most sustainable concept, that has ever existed', as Winfried Hermann, sports spokesperson of the Green Party put it in his speech at the convention," said Bach, who is also an IOC Vice President.
The DOSB is the country's umbrella sports organisation.
"The time and process of the debate on this comprehensive and complex project, which was scheduled for only a few minutes, clearly show that this was not a democratic debate or consideration of factual issues; instead it appears to be a rejection based on political motives," said Bach.
The Greens reacted strongly to Bach's statement, saying his comments were outrageous.
"These comments for a decision of the party against the 2018 bid are more than outrageous and show a lack of understanding for democractic procedures," said Dieter Janecek, the chairman of the Greens in Bavaria.
"And it is the head of an opaque organisation (DOSB) that bristles with commercial interweaving who questions the decisions of a democratically organised party," he said.
Munich's bid to become the first city to host summer and winter Olympics has stumbled repeatedly in the past few months following the resignation of bid leader Willy Bogner, a land row with residents of Garmisch-Partenkirchen -- site of the skiing events -- and an Interior Ministry report questioning the candidacy's financial numbers.
The other two bids have faced their own problems recently with Pyeongchang receiving an IOC warning over two sponsorship deals involving South Korean companies and France's Annecy forced to rework their project after getting low marks in an IOC technical report in June.
The IOC elects the winning bid in Durban, South Africa, on July 6, 2011.
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 10:17 AM 0 comments
Published>Mon, Nov 22 10 11:08 PM
A courtside entourage including former Argentine soccer great Diego Maradona watched Novak Djokovic open Group A at the ATP World Tour Finals on Monday with a 6-3 6-3 victory over Czech Tomas Berdych.
The Serb dominated from start to finish against a player, whose form has deserted him since reaching the Wimbledon final in July, after he was gifted a service break in the first game.
A tense Berdych, the only debutant in the eight-man field, offered up two double faults and Djokovic completed the set when his opponent faltered again on his own delivery at 3-5.
The world number three quickly moved 3-0 ahead at the start of the second set and closed out victory in front of a subdued mid-afternoon crowd, which was far from a sellout.
It was the third one-sided match in a row at the season-ending showpiece that features world number one Rafael Nadal against Andy Roddick later on Monday.
Djokovic said he was inspired by the presence of Maradona, who was also in the O2 Arena on Sunday, on his bench.
"Thanks for coming," the 23-year-old said after Maradona was greeted by a mixture of boos and cheers by the crowd. "It's a great honour having you around.
Djokovic also revealed a cheeky sense of humour, referencing Maradona's controversial "Hand of God" goal against England in the 1986 World Cup semi-final.
"When he came in during the middle of the first set, I wondered whether I should play with my legs or my hands," he said to laughter from the crowd."
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 9:37 AM 0 comments
Mon, Nov 22 10 09:52 PM
Dhanbad, Nov 22 (PTI) PSM Senior Secondary School of Sonipat, Haryana, bagged the overall top prize in the CBSE national judo championship, which concluded here on Monday. The Haryana school won 40 points with 14 medals, including four gold and five silver, while Shah Satnam School Sirsa finished second with 33 points and seven medals (six gold and one silver). GIS Sawda got the third position with 25 points (eight medals including four gold and two silver). Shah Satnam School, Sirsa, became champion in girls event with 33 points. RSD Academy Muradabad, with 20 points, won the runners-up trophy. Dhanbad Public School (Jharkhand) finished third with 17 points. In boys section PSM Senior Secondary School Sonipat became champion with 36 points while GIS Sawda (25 points) and Shah Shatnam School (22 points) bagged the second and third position respectively. Suman Gupta, Dhanbad superintendent of police, was the chief guest in the closing ceremony.
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 8:21 AM 0 comments
Published>Mon, Nov 22 10 09:38 PM
Guangzhou, Nov 22 (IANS) A gold and silver in tennis and a bronze in archery took India's medal tally to 36 to retain the eighth spot on the tenth day of competitions at the Asian Games here Monday while nine more medals were assured in boxing.
Somdev Devvarman and Sanam Singh claimed the tennis men's doubles gold with a sensational victory over a higher ranked Chinese pair, but the Sania Mirza-Vishnu Vardhan pair had to settle for the silver in the mixed doubles. The men's archery team won a bronze.
Santhosh Kumar became the seventh boxer to make the semifinals in the men's section and at least two of the pugilists are likely to claim a gold while the others will win at least a bronze.
World champion boxer Mary Kom, as also Kavita Goyat also headed for a podium finish in the women's section, while Somdev will pick up at least a silver in the tennis men's singles.
It was, however, a disappointing day for India in the track and field competitions as none of the athletes made it to the podium. This was a day after India bagged two golds and a silver in athletics.
India's 36 medals comprise six gold, 12 silver and 18 bronze.
China head the table with 304 medals (154-77-73), followed by South Korea-178 (61-51-66) and Japan-158 (32-59-67). Iran, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei and Thailand are the other countries above India.
Sixth seeded Somdev-Sanam Singh combined well to defeat second seeded Chinese Maoxin Gong and Zhe Li 3-7, 7-6 (4), 1-0(8).
The Sania-Vishnu pair had to settle for a silver following their 6-4, 1-6, 0-1 loss to Chinese Taipei's Yung Jan Chan and Tsung Hua Yang.
Sania, who had won a gold with Leander Paes in the mixed doubles at the 2006 Doha Asiad, won a bronze in the singles event here.
The Indian archers, who lost to South Korea 216-222 in the semifinal, beat Chinese Taipei 220-218 in a closely contested match at the Aoti Archery Range.
The Indian team of Jayanta Talukdar, Rahul Banerjee and Mangal Singh Champiya opened up a five point lead in the first round after which they led 57-52. The second round was tied at 56 each, but Chinese Taipei came back strongly in the third round scoring 58 while India managed 53.
Both the teams were tied at 166 each with just one round left. Indian archers held their nerve and shot 54 while the Taipei team got 50.
The women's team had won its maiden bronze medal Sunday beating Chinese Taipei 218-217.
Boxer Santhosh beat Tuvshinbat Bayamba of Mongolia in the quarterfinals of the 64 kg category. They were tied 3-3 after three rounds but the Indian was declared the winner by the technical bench. Santhosh next plays Thailand's Wuttichai Masuk.
Santhosh joins Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Singh (75 kg), Dinesh Kumar (81 kg), Suranjoy Singh (52 kg), Paramjeet Samota (+91 kg), Vikas Krishan (60 kg) and Manpreet Singh (91 kg) in the semifinals.
Mary Kom crushed Meng Chieh Ping of Chinese Taipei 16-2 to move into the semifinals of the 48-51 kg event.
Mary Kom, who got a bye in the first round, will next face China's Ren Cancan, who defeated Nepal's Sanju Lama 10-0, for a place in the final.
The Manipuri mother of twins is a strong contender for the gold and proved her supremacy with a power-packed performance against Ping.
Kavita Goyat (69-75kg) staved off a strong challenge from Kazahkhstan's Marina Volnova to win 8-7 in the quarterfinals.
Somdev entered the men's singles final defeating fourth-seeded Japanese Tatsuma Ito 6-2, 0-6, 6-3 in the tennis competition.
Somdev plays top seed Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan in the final for the gold. Istomin outclassed third-seeded Japanese Go Soeda 6-1, 6-0.
Indian men blanked Japan 3-0 while the women thrashed China by the same margin in the squash team event.
In the men's event, Sourav Ghoshal gave India the lead, defeating Yuta Fukui 11-6, 11-2, 11-6.
Siddharh Suchde then made it 2-0 with a 11-5, 12-10, 11-6 defeat of Shinnosuke Tsukue while Harinder Sandhu kept the slate clean, getting the better of Takanori Shimizu 11-9, 11-7, 12-10 in the Pool B contest.
It was the Indian men's second win after beating Qatar 3-0. Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Korea are the other teams in the pool.
In women's pool B, Joshna Chinappa defeated Li Jiang 11-1, 11-7, 11-1.
Dipika Pallikal then defeated Dongjin Li 11-2, 11-5, 11-6 before Anaka Alankamony beat Gu Jinyue 11-7, 11-2, 11-5.
The other teams in India's pool are Hong Kong and China.
On the flip side, India lost their last women's hockey league match to China 1-2 to finish their pool engagements in fourth place.
Indian cyclists Sombir and Atul Kumar finished 27th and 32nd in the individual road race competition.
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 8:07 AM 0 comments
Mon, Nov 22 10 09:22 PM
London, Nov 22 (PTI) India tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi today advanced to the second round of the ATP World Tours Finals after he and his partner Max Mirnyi defeated Lukasz Kubot and Oliver Marach in straight sets here today. Bhupathi, who gave the Asian Games in China a miss to play in the season-ending USD 5,070,000 ATP event, and Mirnyi won 7-6(2), 6-4 over the pair of Poland''s Kubot and Australia''s Marach. The third-seeded Indo-Belarussian combination, who had won the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Paris title eight days ago, needed one hour and 33 minutes to win the Group B round-robin match. Bhupathi and Mirnyi targeted Kubot''s forehand right from the start, but the Indian had his serve broken in the third game when a Kubot return hit the net -- evading the long reach of Mirnyi -- only to land inside the baseline. Bhupathi redeemed himself on Marach''s serve at 4-3, when, after a long baseline rally, the 36-year-old Indian hit a powerful forehand winner off a lob. The third seeds went on to seize control of the tie-break by opening up a 4-1 lead and eventually clinched the 50-minute opening set. The duo hit three aces and four double faults, but Mirnyi''s net play made the difference. Sixth seeds Kubot and Marach soon found themselves in trouble in the second set at 1-1. A Bhupathi lob on Marach''s serve allowed Mirnyi to cross the net for a fine forehand winner down the middle that pierced the Polish-Austrian pair. Bhupathi and Mirnyi, who appeared at the year-end championships in 2003 and 2004, grew in confidence and maintained the service break advantage to take the second set and win the match. Bhupathi has won at least one ATP World Tour title for 14 straight years (since 1997) and 33-year-old Mirnyi has captured at least one title for 12 consecutive years (since 1999).
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 7:51 AM 0 comments
Mon, Nov 22 10 08:52 PM
Guangzhou, Nov 22 (PTI) Indian men''s team defeated Hong Kong 34-29 victory to finish ninth in the handball competition of the Asian Games here today. India, who could win only one match in the preliminary stage to collect two points and finish fifth in the six-team Group A, did well during their 9th-10th place match against Hong Kong. The Indians, who were leading 17-13 at the break, surged ahead to make it 17-13 in the next session to eventually prevail over their opponents 34-29. On the other hand, Indian women''s woes in the handball event continued as they stumbled to their third successive loss, going down 17-42 to North Korea in their last Group B preliminary round match. The Indian women did never pose a challenge to their strong opponents, as they lagged behind from the very beginning. They were trailing 8-23 at the break before losing the match 9-19. Having lost their previous two encounters also, first against hosts China in their inaugural match and then against Japan, the Indians were today playing for some pride but yet again they failed to lift themselves.
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 7:21 AM 0 comments
Published>Mon, Nov 22 10 08:48 PM
Pole vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva, batteries fully recharged after she decided to take an indefinite sabbatical last April, has now set her sights on breaking Sergei Bubka's mark of 35 world records.
"It's not an ambition, it's a goal," Isinbayeva told Reuters in an interview at her home in Monaco.
"Sergei fully supports me, he says he will be very happy when I do it. He says 'for you it will be easier now because you have a certain goal. When I started jumping I didn't know how many records I could set'."
Ukrainian Bubka, who mentors the 28-year-old Russian, retired after the 2000 Sydney Olympics following a glittering career during which he set 35 outdoor and indoor world records. Isinbayeva, the first woman to vault five metres, has 27 world records to her name.
Isinbayeva spoke frankly about the physical and mental exhaustion which prompted her decision to take a lengthy break after competing constantly since 1998.
She failed to defend her world outdoor title in Berlin last year and finished fourth in the world indoor championships in Doha this year.
"After my defeat in Berlin I was feeling completely empty inside," Isinbayeva said. "I was tired and I had emotions from the competition.
"I thought, maybe, I should take some rest after the defeat, or was it just some mistake, an uncontrollable situation from which I could recover?
BLOW TO EGO
"It was a huge kick to my ego because I like to be on top and break world records.
"Now I was just nobody. I'd been defeated and was recuperating in Monaco. I was doing nothing. Then in Zurich I set a new world record and realised the defeat was in the past and I was great again.
"I was full of emotions. The adrenaline showed I was fully motivated and I finished my season good."
But after raising her world record to 5.06 metres in Zurich, the twice Olympic champion's world came tumbling down again after she decided to compete in Doha despite missing six weeks' training with a knee injury.
"I was physically tired but I felt Doha was important and I had to perform at my best," she said.
"However, I went to the competition completely destroyed. I didn't want to compete, I just wanted to rest. My body was completely empty, emotionally and physically."
Even after leading the qualifiers for the final, Isinbayeva was not surprised when she slumped to fourth place.
"I did 4.55 metres with my third attempt to qualify and that was a signal something was wrong," she recalled. "Then in the final I was not even disappointed when I was defeated.
"All I could think was 'I'm tired, I'm tired'. The body needed a rest because for 10 or more years I was testing my body all the time in training and competition.
"As a human being, sooner or later. people get tired mentally and physically. I never missed an indoor season and I always performed at the main competitions, the world championships and the Olympics.
WORLD TITLE GOALS
"I never had a rest, it was not necessary. But I just felt this second defeat in a major championships, told me that I should have a rest from competition in the summer."
After consulting Bubka and coach Vitaliy Petrov, Isinbayeva took time out to visit her family in her home town of Volgograd and her sister who lives in Tokyo. She jogged for pleasure and thoroughly enjoyed the absence of pressure in her life.
Isinbayeva resumed fulltime training under Petrov in Formia in June and plans to open her season at the Russian Winter meeting in Moscow on Feb. 6.
"When I started my training I was doing mainly physical exercises running long, and short distance running," she said.
"I did basic work to develop my body and speed and check my pole vault technique.
"From March until September, I didn't touch a pole and I didn't wish to touch it. My first session from eight steps was at the beginning of October."
Isinbayeva's immediate goals are to win the European indoor and world outdoor titles this year.
"My coach says he can see me jumping at a level of 5.25 to 5.30 metres. I have to believe him because all this time when I was on my break and down with myself, he and my sports company Li-Ning in China supported me very well.
"When athletes have a kind of rest the sponsors try to stop the money or they try to cut many things, but they haven't and that was very kind of them.
"Now I'm full of emotions and motivated for this comeback because when I leave a normal life away from competition I realise that I miss my sports world.
"I was living in, like a vacuum, no one could get in contact with me."
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 7:17 AM 0 comments
Mon, Nov 22 10 08:38 PM
S S Ramaswamy Guangzhou, Nov 22 (PTI) Somdev Devvarman played tirelessly to provide India with a gold in the men''s doubles with Sanam Singh by stepping on the tennis court barely an hour and a half after cruising into the singles final with hard-fought three-set win in the Asian Games, here today. Somdev and Sanam secured India''s third successive men''s doubles crown with an energy-sapping 6-3 6-7 (4) 10-8 victory in the final against crowd favourites and second seeds Gong Maoxin and Li Zhe of China on the centre court at the Aoti Tennis Centre. Earlier, Somdev - seeded second - had battled his way past Japan''s fourth seed, the hard-hitting Tatsmo Ito 6-2 0-6, 6-3 in the men''s semifinal to line up a meeting with top seed Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan in tomorrow''s title-clash. To add to the success from the tennis courts, Sania Mirza, who had earlier won the bronze medal in women''s singles, coupled with Vishnu Vardhan to clinch the mixed doubles silver. Showing a lot of spunk and fighting spirit India''s No 1 player Somdev came back from the brink to subdue Japanese rival Tatsuma Ito to reach the men''s singles final in the Asian Games tennis competition and rewrote history. Somdev''s entry into the men''s singles final has ensured the country its first-ever medal in this category in Asian Games. Top woman player Sania Mirza had won a silver in 2006 in Doha in women''s singles but no Indian male had ever reached the gold medal round in singles before Somdev. In the baseline slugfest, that lasted almost two hours, second seed Somdev pocketed the opening set in his semifinal clash with Ito, ranked 195 on the ATP circuit, with a measure of comfort 6-2 and then was blown off court by fourth seed Ito in the second to drop it 0-6. Things were looking difficult for the Indian world no. 106 when he and his rival traded service breaks in the first four games before Somdev staged an excellent rally under severe pressure by saving two break points in the fifth game. That was the turning point as the Tripura-born Somdev regained poise and then broke his rival for the third time, this time decisively, before taking the set 6-3 and reaching the final. .
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 7:07 AM 0 comments
Mon, Nov 22 10 08:22 PM
Kolkata, Nov 22 (PTI) Subair Muritala Ali struck twice in the dying minutes to lead defending champions Mohun Bagan to a come-from-behind victory over Peerless SC in their Calcutta Football League (CFL) Premier Division encounter here today. Riding on Binod Bauri''s 44th goal and some fine saves by custodian Deasish Das, Peerless S C, playing on the green and maroon''s home turf, led 1-0 for a major part of the match before Muritala fired in two back-to-back goals to snatch full points. A few lapses towards the end denied the minnows what would have been a famous win. Muritala opened his account in the 89th minute, when he struck from an Edeh Chidi cross, and in the third minute of the injury time, he struck another from a corner kick for the decisive goal. The win helped Mohun Bagan go level with arch-rivals East Bengal (37 points) on the table. The red and gold, however, lead the table by virtue of having a better goal difference. Mohun Bagan played 14 matches to East Bengal''s 13. Peerless S C remained at 15 points from 12 outings.
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 6:51 AM 0 comments
Mon, Nov 22 10 08:18 PM
Sangita Bakaya Lucknow, Nov 22 (PTI) Golden girl Sudha Singh, who won the steeplechase event in the ongoing Asian Games in Guangzhou, used to get frightened at the very sight of hurdles when she took to the track and field as a young girl some eight years ago, her coach said today. "When she started training, Sudha had this fear for hurdles in the track and field event and had to work hard to overcome them mentally," Vimla Singh, her coach at the local K D Singh Babu Girls hostel where she got her elementary training, told PTI here. Hailing from nearby Rae Bareli, Sudha was brought here in 2002 but she had to be initially tutored psychologically for overcoming her fear of hurdles which she had to cross while competing for steeplechase event, Vimla said. "It took a lot of prodding and motivation from her coaches here to mentally prepare her for the different events but once she started off there had been no looking back," Vimla said. Describing Sudha as a "god gifted" athlete who clinched the gold in her very first foray in the Asian Games, Vimla said that hers is the story of sheer gut and determination triumphing over the fears to make a mark at the international level. Elated over Sudha''s success, Vimla hopes that she could repeat her performance in the Asian Games in the London Olympics in 2012. After joining the Babu stadium hostel in 2002, Sudha took part in under 16 events in 2005 and went on to win the second spot in Chennai in open cross country event. In the junior Asian Championships in China the same year, she took the ninth spot and from there she has been just marching ahead, leaving the hostel once the Railways offered her a job. Vimla said that after leaving the Lucknow hostel she trained under Renu Kohli of SAI in Delhi but later shifted to Bangaluru. Vimla said that with more facilities in the Uttar Pradesh hostels, more athletes of Sudha''s calibre can be prepared who can win laurels for the country.
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 6:47 AM 0 comments
Mon, Nov 22 10 08:08 PM
S S Ramaswamy Guangzhou, Nov 22 (PTI) An injury-struck India were beaten 1-2 by defending champions China in their last league match in the Asian Games women''s hockey competitions today and would now play Japan on November 24 in the bronze medal play-off at the Aoti Hockey Field here. China, who ended the league stages atop the table with 12 points, would take on South Korea in the final but both the teams have qualified for the 2012 London Olympics irrespective of who wins the gold here. In an inconsequential final round-robin tie in the seven-team tournament, India suffered a big set-back when defender Vineeta Toppo, who had twisted her knee in the very first minute of the team''s lung-opener against Malaysia in November 13, limped off the ground after 10 minutes. Toppo, who was not played at all after the injury prior to today, has been ruled out of the tournament along with another player - midfielder Rosalying Rolte, who has not recovered from the ankle injury sustained during the match against Thailand on November 19, according to coach Sandeep Somesh. With only 16 players in the party, which includes two goalkeepers, the Indian team management has been left with the hard choice of fielding only twelve in other positions and cannot, therefore, take full advantage of the rolling substitution in the third-place match against Japan against whom they lost 0-3 in the round-robin stages. To make matters worse, Khalid Modi, officially the team''s manager and who is also assisting Somesh, is departing for India tomorrow after news came that his father has been admitted to a hospital in his home town Bangalore. In today''s match, China - 2002 Busan gold medallist and title holders - took it easy knowing that they had already qualified for the final as even an Indian win today would have kept the latter at 12 points, one less than the hosts going into the match. Against the Surinder Kaur-led Indian side, China went into attack from the start and drew first blood late in the opening half when Zhishuang Wang deflected the ball into the rival goal in then 27th minute. Three minutes later Xu Xiaoxu increased the lead with another field strike to go into the breather with a comfortable 2-0 lead. The Indian forays failed to produce a goal till the dying moments of the match when captain Surinder Kaur converted a penalty stroke just five minutes from the hooter. But that was all the eves could manage in the match as they hardly got any chance to equalise in the last five minutes of the encounter. India ended the league proceedings with three wins -- over Malaysia, Thailand and Kazakhstan -- and as many defeats -- against former champions Korea, current champions China and last edition''s silver medallist Japan.
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 6:37 AM 0 comments
Mon, Nov 22 10 07:52 PM
Nagpur, November 22 (PTI) Delighted at having as big a first Test wicket as Sachin Tendulkar, New Zealand paceman Andy McKay "aplogised" to the Indian public for denying the maestro of what would have been his 50th Test century. "I apologise to the crowd," he smiled when asked how it felt to disappoint millions of fans who were anticipating Tendulkar''s 50th Test ton. The iconic batsman was dismissed for 61. "I am very happy to have got Sachin''s wicket. A few more would have been great," said the left-arm quick bowler. Questioned on what exactly was the plan to get Tendulkar out, he said, "I wanted to bowl a quick delivery. It was a quick delivery and it produced the result." McKay is still hopeful that New Zealand will be able to save the Test match if they can bat session by session. "The pitch is still pretty flat but there''s some turn on offer. Also it''s keeping up and down at times. The first session will be very crucial and we have to take it from there on. Obviously we need to bat deep into the fifth day." McKay lauded Rahul Dravid''s innings stating that the batsman showed lot of patience waiting for the loose deliveries. "The idea was to bowl straight at him and we were successful. Whenever we erred in our plan, he punished the loose balls in the region between cover and mid-wicket," he concluded.
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 6:21 AM 0 comments
Published>Mon, Nov 22 10 07:48 PM
Coimbatore, Nov.22 (ANI): Teenagers from across the country participated in a go karting competition here over the weekend.
Mackinlay Barreto, one of the organisers of the event, said: "We had a huge participation from girls specifically. It is important that we have both males and females participating in the 'Amron Karting Challenge'. As far as Coimbatore is concerned, we have 20 girl participants."
Some participants said they were keen to chalk out a career in motor sport.
"My ambition is to become a car racer and since I was small, I always wanted to do that. My mom and my parents have been supporting me," said Sabir Qureish, the winner of the event. By Jehovah (ANI)
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 6:17 AM 0 comments
Published>Mon, Nov 22 10 07:42 PM
Brisbane (Australia), Nov.22 (ANI): England off-spinner Graeme Swann is so excited about The Ashes that he is "bouncing off the walls".
"When we first got over here I daren't think of the First Test match - because I was like a kid on December 1 with an Advent calendar. I couldn't wait for the 25th to come along. It's really building now. The next few days are the worst bit. The Test is so close, you can almost smell it," The Sun quoted the 31-year-old spinner, as saying.
"I go back to my room at night and I smile like a lunatic and I'm bouncing off the walls. I can't wait for Thursday, it's going to be amazing. I've been waiting for 20 years to play in The Ashes in Australia," he added. (ANI)
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 6:11 AM 0 comments
Published>Mon, Nov 22 10 07:38 PM
Nagpur, Nov 22(ANI): Indian batsman Rahul Dravid notched up his 31st Test century, while skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni scored a half century as India took a massive lead of 373 runs on the third day of the final Test match against New Zealand in Nagpur on Monday.
Resuming the day at 292-2, India lost overnight half centurion Sachin Tendulkar (61), V.V.S. Laxman (12) and Suresh Raina (three) in the morning session, but Dravid kept the momentum going under friendly conditions at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium.
Dravid scored 191 off 396 balls in a charismatically gritty manner, and shared a 193 run sixth-wicket partnership with Dhoni, who scored a confident 98 off 156 balls, to guide Team India to a total of 566/8 declared in reply to New Zealand's first innings score of 193.
Both the batsmen were dismissed early in the final session, and were followed by centurion in the Ahmedabad and Hyderabad Test- Harbhajan Singh (20).
New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori was the most successful bowler for the Black Caps finishing with the figures of 3-178 off 58 overs.
In the second innings, New Zealand survived 11 overs when bad light stopped play before the scheduled close of play on day three.
The visitors were 24/1 at stumps, as Harbhajan Singh claimed in-form opener Tim McIntosh for eight.
New Zealand trail by 349 runs with nine wickets remaining, with Brendon McCullum (15 not out) and Gareth Hopkins (eight not out) on crease.
Brief Scorecard: New Zealand: Ist Innings: 193 (Ryder 59, McCullum 40, Ishant 4-43)India: Ist Innings: 566 for eight declared (Dravid 191, Dhoni 98, Vettori 3-178)
New Zealand: Second innings: 24 for 1 (ANI)
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 6:07 AM 0 comments
Mon, Nov 22 10 07:28 PM
REUTERS - WTA Tour rankings on Monday (last week's rankings in brackets):
1. (1) Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) 8035 points
2. (2) Vera Zvonareva (Russia) 6785
3. (3) Kim Clijsters (Belgium) 6635
4. (4) Serena Williams (U.S.) 5355
5. (5) Venus Williams (U.S.) 4985
6. (6) Samantha Stosur (Australia) 4982
7. (7) Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 4935
8. (8) Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) 4445
9. (9) Elena Dementieva (Russia) 4335
10. (10) Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) 4235
11. (11) Li Na (China) 3555
12. (12) Justine Henin (Belgium) 3415
13. (13) Shahar Peer (Israel) 3365
14. (14) Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) 3000
15. (15) Nadia Petrova (Russia) 2702
16. (16) Marion Bartoli (France) 2645
17. (17) Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) 2600
18. (18) Maria Sharapova (Russia) 2591
19. (19) Aravane Rezai (France) 2575
20. (20) Maria Kirilenko (Russia) 2550
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 5:57 AM 0 comments
Mon, Nov 22 10 07:08 PM
S S Ramaswamy Guangzhou, Nov 22 (PTI) After opening their track and field campaign in a spectacular fashion with two gold and a silver yesterday, Indian athletes came a cropper today as they failed to collect a single medal on the second day of the competitions here. Medal prospects Mandeep Kaur and Manjeet Kaur finished disappointing fourth and fifth with below-par performances in women''s 400m final at the Aoti Main Stadium. One-lap racer Mandeep Kaur, the leading timer in Asia this season and drawn on the outside lane seven, led the field till the back stretch before flagging behind to finish fourth in 52.99 secs. Defending champion Olga Tereshkova of Kazakhstan left the entire bunch behind at the final stretch and crossed the finish line in 51.97secs, her season''s best. Japan''s Asami Chiba improved upon her bronze in 2006 Asian Games in Doha by bagging the silver in 52.68 while the bronze went to another Kazakh Marina Maslyonko (52.70). National record holder Manjeet, gold medallist in 2002 at Busan and silver medallist four years later in Doha, finished a poor fifth in 53.27, two seconds below her personal best. In women''s hammer throw, national record holder Hardeep Kaur started with a foul attempt before attaining her best effort of the day, 60.54m in her third attempt, to finish fourth. The Indian''s effort was 2.40m less than bronze medallist Yuka Murofushi of Japan. It was an improvement on the police officer''s 2006 performance where she had finished sixth. China made a 1-2 with defending champion and Beijing Olympics bronze medallist Zhang Wenxiu taking the gold with 72.84m and Wang Zheng (68.17m) grabbing the silver. Yesterday, Preeja Sridharan and Kavita won a gold and a silver in women''s 10000m race while Sudha Singh added another yellow metal in women''s 3000m steeplechase to give India a rousing start to the athletics campaign. But today, India drew a blank from athletics with only men''s 1500m runners Chatholi Hamza and Sandeep Karan Singh advancing to the finals. Indian men sprinters Mohammed Najeeb Qureshi and Krishnakumar Rane both failed to advance to the men''s 100m final after finishing fourth by both in the semifinals. Qureshi jumped out of the blocks slow to finish fourth in heat number three in 10.46secs while Rane clocked an even poorer 10.62 in heat number two while ending up fourth. In women''s 100m sprint, H M Jyothi of India took the last spot in semifinal heat number two, clocking a pathetic 11.98 and was eliminated from the final. .
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 5:37 AM 0 comments
Mon, Nov 22 10 07:02 PM
Guangzhou, Nov 22 (PTI) Spearheaded by Saurav Ghosal and Joshna Chinappa, Indian men''s and women''s racqueters came out with a heartening performance to end the day on an unbeaten note in the squash team events of the Asian Games, here today. Indian men blanked Japan 3-0 in their opening encounter of the day and then went on to secure their third straight preliminary league victory in the event, thrashing Saudi Arabia with an identical scoreline. In the women''s section, Chinappa, Dipika Pallikal and Anaka Alankamony displayed perfect dead drop for winners and dying length to the back corners to rip apart the challenge of Chinese racqueters 3-0 in the first outing. And then secured a much-deserved victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in the final clash of the day here at the Town Gymnasium. Indian men, who had trounced minnows Qatar by an identical score yesterday in their opening tie, faced little opposition from Japan and Saudi Arabia in the men''s category. They, however, expect to face a tough competition against Malaysia tomorrow in their concluding league tie of Pool B. Bronze medallist in the singles event, Ghosal started the rout of Japan when he drubbed Yuta Fuki 3-0 (11-6 11-2 11-6) in 22 minutes. Siddharth Suchde, who also played in the individual events but did not win a medal, had to put his best foot forward to overcome Tsukue Shinnosuke 11-5 12-10 11-6 in 45 minutes that gave India a 2-0 lead. The victory was sealed by Harinder Pal Sandhu who got the better of Shimizu Takanori in 33 minutes, the score reading 11-9 11-7 12-10 in Indian''s favour. In their clash against Saudi Arabia, national champion Ghosal once again proved his mettle and maintained his focus to the optimum throughout the match to secure a deserving win over Ahmad Abdullah Aboragah 11-3 11-6 11-2 in 21 minutes. Harinder Pal then made it 2-0 for India with a hard-earned 11-3 11-4 9-11 11-9 victory over Niyf Khlaifah Aburequah in 27 minutes. Sandeep Jangra maintained the Indian dominance, displaying some excellent volleys and good groundstrokes to outclass his lesser known opponent Taher Ali Botayan 11-4 11-3 11-3 in 16 minutes. .
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 5:31 AM 0 comments
Mon, Nov 22 10 06:52 PM
Guangzhou, Nov 22 (PTI) Pugilist Santosh Kumar assured India of at least a bronze medal after advancing to the semi-finals of the 64-kg category with a hard-fought victory over Mangolia''s Tuvshinbat Byamba here today. Confusion prevailed after the scores were tied 3-3 at the end of third and final round, but Santosh was declared winner on the decision of judges. Santhosh started on a positive note taking a 1-0 lead after the end of first round before Byamba made a strong fightback in the following rounds. Both boxers were content to play a defensive game in the second round and one could hardly see those counter punches, ferocious upper cuts and jabs. Fortunately for Byamba, he connected with a strong right hand to tie the scores at 1-1. Deadlocked at 1-1 after two rounds, Byamba raised his game after Santhosh got an early point. The Indian again went into lead before Byamba equalised 3-3 with just two seconds to go. With the scores level, the judges, after a thorough consultation, awarded the bout in favour of the Indian. Meanwhile, disappointment was in store for another Indian boxer, Amandeep Singh. He was outclassed 6-1 by Iii Victorio Saludar of the Philippines in the quarterfinals of 49kg category. Amandeep was not in his elements today as he trailed Saludar in all the three rounds. With Saludar denying to drop his guard, Amandeep found it difficult to score free points, eventually losing the bout by an embarrassing margin.
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 5:21 AM 0 comments
Published>Mon, Nov 22 10 06:48 PM
Guangzhou, November 22 (ANI): After earning laurels at Commonwealth games 2010, Indian ace shooter Ronjan Sodhi did the nation proud at the Guangzhou Asian Games on Sunday by bagging gold medal in the men's double trap event. While talking with media, Sodhi expressed satisfaction with his performance and said would try his best to qualify 2012 London Olympics. Sodhi expressed happiness saying he has been successfully performing in the sport, which was his hobby in his childhood.
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 5:17 AM 0 comments
Mon, Nov 22 10 06:38 PM
Mandya, Nov 22 (PTI) Anastasiya Vasylyeva of Ukraine has been accorded the top billing in the ITF Women''s USD 10,000 event to held here from November 27 to December 4. Anastasiya is currently ranked 406th in the ITF circuit. India''s Poojashree Venkatesha, currently ranked 521, has been seeded sixth in the tournament, the first international tourney to be hosted by Mandya, sugar town of Karnataka. Karnataka''s promising junior player 15-year-old Spurti Shivalingaiah has been given a wild card entry to the main draw, a release from the organisers said. Thirty-two international players from nearly 10 countries would participate in the event.
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 5:07 AM 0 comments
Published>Mon, Nov 22 10 06:08 PM
Karachi, Nov 22 (IANS) A three-man 'fact-finding' committee has completed its initial report on the fleeing of the Pakistan wicket-keeper Zulqarnain Haider from Dubai to London earlier this month.
Intikhab Alam, the former Pakistan captain who is now the national team manager, has said that the committee will soon send the report to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
'We have finalised our report and will send it to the PCB. However, the issue now rests with the International Cricket Council (ICC) which is probing it through its anti-corruption unit,' said Intikhab, who also heads the committee.
Haider fled to Britain last week to seek asylum, claiming that he received death threats when he refused to fix two matches.
Announcing his retirement from international cricket after arriving in London, Haider said he had been approached in Dubai by a person who asked him to fix the fourth and fifth games against South Africa.
His central contract was subsequently suspended by the PCB, which is unhappy with the player's decision to desert the team just hours before its final ODI against South Africa.
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 4:37 AM 0 comments
Published>Mon, Nov 22 10 05:52 PM
Guangzhou, Nov 22 (ANI): India's tennis pair Somdev Devvarman and Sanam Singh beat China's Gong M and Li Z in the men's doubles event of the Asian Games here on Monday to win the sixth gold for the country.
The Indian duo won 6-3, 6-7, 10-8 in a super tie-breaker.
Earlier today, Sania Mirza and Vishnu Vardhan won a silver medal for India in the mixed doubles event after losing the final 6-4, 1-6, 2-10 to Chan Yung Jan and Yang Tsung Hua.
Somdev has also advanced to the final's of the single's event. (ANI)
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 4:21 AM 0 comments
Published>Mon, Nov 22 10 05:48 PM
Guangzhou, Nov 22 (IANS) A gold and silver in tennis and a bronze in archery took India's medal tally to 36 on the tenth day of competitions at the Asian Games here Tuesday.
While Somdev Devvarman and Sanam Singh claimed the tennis men's doubles gold with a sensational victory over a higher ranked Chinese pair, the Sania Mirza-Vishnu Vardhan pair settled for the silver in the mixed doubles; the men's archery team won a bronze.
World champion boxer Mary Kom was headed for a podium finish, while Somdev will pick up at least a silver in the men's singles.
India's 36 medals, comprise six gold, 12 silver and 18 bronze.
Sixth seeded Somdev-Sanam Singh combined well to defeat second seeded Chinese Maoxin Gong and Zhe Li 3-7, 7-6 (4), 1-0(8).
The Sania-Vishnu pair had to settle for a silver following their 6-4, 1-6, 0-1 loss to Chinese Taipei's Yung Jan Chan and Tsung Hua Yang.
Sania had won a gold with Leander Paes in the mixed doubles at the 2006 Doha Asiad.
She won a bronze in the singles event here.
The Indian archers, who lost to South Korea 216-222 in the semifinal, beat Chinese Taipei 220-218 in a closely contested match at the Aoti Archery Range.
The Indian team of Jayanta Talukdar, Rahul Banerjee and Mangal Singh Champiya opened up a five point lead in the first round after which they led 57-52. The second round was tied at 56 each, but Chinese Taipei came back strongly in the third round scoring 58 while India managed 53.
Both the teams were tied at 166 each with just one round left. Indian archers held their nerve and shot 54 while the Taipei team got 50.
The women's team had won its maiden bronze medal Sunday beating Chinese Taipei 218-217.
Four-time world champion Mary Kom crushed Meng Chieh Ping of Chinese Taipei 16-2 to move into the semifinals of the 48-51 kg women's boxing event.
Mary Kom, who got a bye in the first round, will next face China's Ren Cancan who defeated Nepal's Sanju Lama 10-0, for a place in the final.
The Manipur mother of twins is a strong contender for gold and proved her supremacy with a power-packed performance against Ping.
The nimble-footed Mary Kom opened up a 3-0 lead in the first round and then rained punches in the second to extend her lead to 8-0. Keeping her guard lower, Mary Kom invited Meng to attack, but anticipated her opponent's move brilliantly. Having opened up Meng, Mary Kom then went all out attacking to score points.
The fight was almost over for Ping who managed two points in the third round against Mary Kom's three.
The Indian was in no mood to give her opponent any freebies and added five more points to her tally to warm up for the semi-final.
Somdev entered the men's singles final defeating fourth-seeded Japanese Tatsuma Ito 6-2, 0-6, 6-3 in the tennis competition.
Somdev plays top seed Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan in the final for the gold. Istomin outclassed third-seeded Japanese Go Soeda 6-1, 6-0.
Indian men blanked Japan 3-0 while the women thrashed China by the same margin in the squash team event.
In the men's event, Sourav Ghoshal gave India the lead, defeating Yuta Fukui 11-6, 11-2, 11-6.
Siddharh Suchde then made it 2-0 with a 11-5, 12-10, 11-6 defeat of Shinnosuke Tsukue while Harinder Sandhu keeped the slate clean, getting the better of Takanori Shimizu 11-9, 11-7, 12-10 in the Pool B contest.
It was the Indian men's second win after beating Qatar 3-0. Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Korea are the other teams in the pool.
In women's pool B, Joshana Chinappa defeated Li Jiang 11-1, 11-7, 11-1.
Dipika Pallikal then defeated Dongjin Li 11-2, 11-5, 11-6 before Anaka Alankamony beat Gu Jinyue 11-7, 11-2, 11-5.
The other teams in India's pool are Hong Kong and China.
Source: Web Search
Posted by Deepak Jain at 4:17 AM 0 comments