Serve and volley switch digs Roddick out of hole

Published>Wed, Jun 23 10 10:38 PM

Andy Roddick knew what to expect from Frenchman Michael Llodra, he just had to mimic him to keep his Wimbledon bid on track on Wednesday.

The American, back on Centre Court for the first time since losing an epic fifth set in last year's final to Roger Federer, was in a deep rut until he switched to a serve and volley game that Llodra was carrying out to perfection.

Frustrated at his inability to find a chink in the artistic left-hander's armour from the baseline, Roddick made the tactical change that quickly bore fruit as he prevailed 4-6 6-4 6-1 7-6 to reach the third round.

"That was as tough of a second round as there is I think in this tournament right now, considering the surface," a relieved Roddick told a news conference.

"He's well versed on how to play on this surface, and he's confident right now.

"It took some of my best stuff today to get through that. I thought I played really well. I think I had to."

Possessing a deft touch and the finesse that served compatriot Fabrice Santoro so well in his career, Llodra played a first set that was "flawless", according to Roddick.

The Frenchman, who has raised a few eyebrows by appointing 2006 Wimbledon women's champion Amelie Mauresmo as his grasscourt coach, unsettled the fifth seed with his frequent net sorties.

A break to love in the fifth game put the world number 37, winner of the Eastbourne warm-up tournament, on the way to taking the first set and prompted Roddick, unable to settle into a smooth rhythm on his own serve, into making his game adjustment.

"The game he broke me was one of the best return games someone played against me. He played good points. Off of my serve, I had to start coming in and serving and volleying behind it," he said.

"He was pretty comfortable chipping and kind of coming in at random spots. You know, he was dictating the way the points were going. So I think that was a key adjustment."

The turning point came when Roddick forced three set points at 5-4 in the second set and jogged to his chair with renewed momentum after Llodra's volley went wide.

A double-break saw Roddick coast through the third and despite Llodra regrouping to force a fourth set tiebreak, he could not force a decider.

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US, England qualify for last 16

Published>Wed, Jun 23 10 10:26 PM

Port Elizabeth, June 23 (DPA) The United States and England qualified for the Round of 16 of the World Cup Wednesday, knocking out Algeria and Slovenia.

The US topped Group C by virtue of a last minute 1-0 win over Algeria in Pretoria.

England finished second after they beat Slovenia in Port Elizabeth, courtsey a Jermain Defoe goal in the 23rd minute.

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Roddick advances to Wimbledon third round

Published>Wed, Jun 23 10 10:06 PM

London, June 23 (DPA) Andy Roddick kept his focus and reached the third round at Wimbledon Wednesday, while many spectators were also keen to follow England's simultaneous World Cup football match.

The day was somewhat disappointing for the football fans at the tennis tournament, where a strict football news blackout was imposed inside the tightly guarded grounds.

Three-time finalist Roddick, an American, completed his 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6 (7-2) defeat of serve-and-volley Frenchman Michael Llodra shortly after England had taken a 1-0 first-half lead in a crucial match in South Africa against Slovenia.

Officials were so afraid of football intruding that they ordered blinds in a ground-level workroom lowered to prevent the public from peeking in at dozens of television screens - most of them showing football.

Roddick, defeated in the 2004, 2005 and 2009 finals by Roger Federer, was pleased to go through after dropping his first set against Llodra.

'You start over every two days here,' said the winner. 'You just survive and try to give yourself a chance.

'Centre court is an unbelievable place, it's so nice to get back out there. I was glad to play today, win and get it done.'

Austrian 16th-seed Jurgen Melzer beat Serb Viktor Troicki 6-7 (5-7), 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3.

Two-time women's finalist Justine Henin called upon experience to get out of trouble as she beat German Kristina Barrois 6-3, 7-5.

The former number one, who quit the sport at the top two years ago and returned at the start of 2010, remains in the hunt for the title a week after winning a grass trophy in the Netherlands.

But the cautious Henin, 27, who played Wimbledon finals in 2001 and 2006, said she cannot be counted as a favourite.

'I just see myself as an outsider this year, a year with ups and downs. I don't know how I'm going to deal at the very high level. It's very hard to predict what could happen.

'I really don't see myself as one of the favorites. I hope Wimbledon will be a goal for me one day. It's a dream at the moment.'

Eighth-seeded compatriot Kim Clijsters, another comeback player who also reversed a retirement after having a child, eased past Croatian Karolina Sprem 6-3, 6-2.

'I'm playing probably my best on grass, compared to even a few years ago,' said Clijsters. 'My serve and my returns are going well. That's the key, I think, on grass. You have to be on target those first few shots.'

The two-time semi-finalist, who won the US Open last year only weeks after making her comeback, was joined as a winner by 11th-seed Marion Bartoli.

The Frenchwoman advanced when Petra Martic retired with an abdominal injury before their match.

German Angelique Kerber scored a minor upset as she put out Israeli 13th-seed Shahar Peer 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

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Vijender bats for AC practice halls

Published>Wed, Jun 23 10 09:52 PM

New Delhi, June 23 (IANS) Olympic bronze medalist Vijender Singh Wednesday said air-conditioned practice facilities will help pugilists prepare better for the Commonwealth Games in October.

'There is no air-conditioned boxing hall in India where we can practice. A thought can be given on the matter. It is important to have a facility where the boxers can practice comfortably,' Vijender said at a function here.

The boxer said any such facility will help the players perform well in international competitions.

He said the Oct 3-14 Games will help promote sports other than cricket in the country.

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Srinivasan's intentions in calling SGM questioned

Published>Wed, Jun 23 10 09:36 PM

Mumbai, June 23 (IANS) As Narayanaswamy Srinivasan, secretary of the Indian cricket Board, cleared the decks for the expulsion of Lalit Modi, the lawyer of the suspended Indian Premier League chairman Wednesday termed the move to convene a Special General Meeting (SGM) July 3 illegal, dubbing the country's apex cricket body a 'khap panchayat' (caste council).

Modi's lawyer Mehmood Abdi questioned the convening of the board's SGM by Srinivasan, saying the 'ratification of his (Srinivasan) decision of referring the charges against Modi contained in the three showcause notices to the Discplinary Committee of the BCCI for further proceedings is only a cover up for inherent illegality committed by the secretary.'

In a statement here, Abdi accused the Board of overlooking Modi's charges against Srinivasan and sweeping them under the carpet.

'Now it is not a Lalit Modi and Srinivasan fight but evidence of the manner in which the country's premier sports body is being administered. Complaints making serious charges against the secretary have been made yet these are being swept under the carpet.'

'Whereas, President BCCI has recused himself from the matter, Secretary BCCI, despite being in an utterly questionable position, is calling the shots. Best of luck to the khap panchayat of BCCI,' Abdi said in his statement.

Abdi said the SGM was just an illegal exercise by Srinivasan as under the Board rules, the secretary can issue a show cause or initiate further action on the reply only after consulting the president.

'When the BCCI president, an eminent lawyer, had the grace to recuse himself from the matter, how could the secretary decide to refer the matter to the disciplinary committee on his own and seek post facto approval of his decision by getting the General Body to ratify? It is like putting the cart before the horse.

'The subjective dissatisfaction of the secretary with the replies of Modi to the three show cause notices surpasses every yardstick of fair play and blatantly violates the principles of natural justice. Lalit Modi raised a serious issue and expressed pronounced apprehension about the secretary's fairness and bias against him. Therefore, Srinivasan had no business to take a decision on whether sufficient cause existed to refer the matter to the disciplinary committee.'

'He has entered the fray and taken a conscious decision to refer the matter to the disciplinary committee. In doing so, Srinivasan has exhibited extreme impropriety and violated natural justice. The decision of Srinivasan to refer the matter to the disciplinary committee is, therefore, bad in law and amenable to judicial review,' Abdi said.

'Asking the general body of the BCCI to ratify an illegal decision is very different from asking the general body of the BCCI to take a lawful decision. Srinivasan, in the circumstances, could (and in fact ought to) have convened a meeting of the general body and left it to decide whether there was anything which survived to be referred to the disciplinary committee. This would have been lawful, correct and proper. Taking an illegal decision and then convening a meeting of the general body for ratifying it is not only unfair, but it is also neither appropriate nor desirable. By his involvement Mr. Srinivasan has infected the decision-making process,' Abdi maintained.

Abdi said Modi's demand for recusal of both BCCI president Shashank Manohar and Srinivasan was based on the premise of whether there exists sufficient material to refer the matter to the disciplinary committee or to let the general body decide whether such material exists.

'The non-recusal and circumvention of rules and set procedure by Mr.Srinivan vindicates the apprehensions of Lalit Modi,' Abdi added.

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Pirelli appointed sole F1 tyre supplier

Published>Wed, Jun 23 10 09:16 PM

Pirelli will replace Bridgestone as Formula One's sole tyre supplier for three years from 2011, the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said on Wednesday.

"The sole supplier will undertake to strictly respect the sporting and technical regulations implemented by the FIA," it added in a statement after a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Geneva.

Japan's Bridgestone had announced last year that they would quit the sport at the end of the season.

Italy's Pirelli and French company Michelin, who were involved in the sport until the end of 2006 but did not want to be sole suppliers, had been the frontrunners to take over with Cooper/Avon also interested.

However, the majority of the teams favoured the Italian company who last supplied F1 with tyres in the 1990s.

Pirelli said it did not expect the decision to impact on its financial targets.

"The current economic climate has led to a realistic and collaborative approach with all the teams, ensuring that manufacturing and logistical costs are shared fairly," the company said in a statement.

OTHER MEASURES

The World Council also approved a number of other technical measures for 2011, including 'driver adjustable bodywork' and the return of the '107 percent rule' for the slowest drivers in Saturday qualifying.

"From 2011, any driver whose best qualifying lap exceeds 107 percent of the fastest Q1 (first session) qualifying time will not be allowed to take part in the race," the FIA said.

"Under exceptional circumstances, however, which may include setting a suitable lap time in a free practice session, the stewards may permit the car to start the race."

In the event of several drivers being accepted by the stewards in such a manner, the grid order will be decided by the officials.

Formula One has three new teams this season, who struggled to match the leading cars' pace in the opening races but have made progress since, with Lotus in particular now challenging some of the established teams.

The regulation was originally introduced to keep out cars and drivers who could be dangerously slow but was scrapped at the end of 2002 when the qualifying system changed.

ADJUSTABLE BODYWORK

The governing body said adjustable bodywork could be activated by the driver at any time prior to the start of the race and "for the sole purpose of improving overtaking opportunities during the race" once he has completed two laps.

"The driver may only activate the adjustable bodywork in the race when he has been notified via the control electronics that it is enabled," it added.

"It will only be enabled if the driver is less than one second behind another at any of the pre-determined positions around each circuit."

The safety car rule that caused a controversy at this year's Monaco Grand Prix, when Mercedes' Michael Schumacher was penalised for overtaking Ferrari's Fernando Alonso after the last corner, was clarified.

The FIA said that with immediate effect, no car would be allowed to overtake until the end of the race if the safety car was still deployed on the last lap.

The so-called 'F Duct' pioneered by McLaren this season was also outlawed.

"Any car system, device or procedure which uses driver movement as a means of altering the aerodynamic characteristics of the car is prohibited from 2011," the FIA said.

Chinese driver Ho-Pin Tung, one of Renault's test drivers, was granted a four-race probationary super licence.

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Bopanna-Qureshi pair down Somdev-Huey in Wimbledon

Published Wed, Jun 23 10 09:08 PM

London, Jun 23 (PTI) Somdev Devvarman''s Wimbledon campaign did not last long as the Indian and his Philippine partner Treat Conrad Huey went down to the Indo-Pakistani pair of Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi in the first round of the men''s doubles event here today. Somdev, who could not make it to the main draw of the men''s singles event, fought tooth and nail in tandem with Huey but the experience of playing together stood Bopanna and Qureshi in good stead as they chalked out a hard-fought 3-6 7-5 6-3 7-6 (8/6) win in court number eight. In the second round Bopanna and Qureshi will run into either 13 seeds Mardy Fish and Mark Knowles or the German-Slovak pair of Philipp Marx and Igor Zelenay.

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