Australia's Stosur welcomes prime-time promotion at US Open

Published>Tue, Sep 07 10 01:57 PM

New York, Sept.7 (ANI): Australian tennis star Samantha Stosur has welcomed her promotion to top billing for her marquee US Open quarter-final with defending champion Kim Clijsters.

Stosur and Clijsters have relegated American superstar Venus Williams from the prime-time TV slot and will slug it out in the feature night match at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday.

The Age quoted Australia's world No.6 Stosur as saying that she felt justice had been served after she'd been involved in the latest-finishing women's singles match in US Open history on Sunday, an epic three-set triumph over Elena Dementieva.

"Me or Elena, whoever won that one, was in a pretty bad position to play Kim, who played first on Sunday," Stosur told AAP after a light hitting session on Monday.

"I think it's only fair that at least I was allowed as much as rest as possible after my match to try and back up," she added.

After saving four match points against Dementieva to become the first Australian woman to make the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows since Wendy Turnbull 26 years ago, Stosur said she'd be free-rolling against Clijsters.

The Belgian is once again title favourite after extending her winning streak in New York to 18 matches with an emphatic 6-2 6-1 fourth-round defeat of Ana Ivanovic.

"Obviously she's a great player and I've played a great tournament so far and now I get the second seed," Stosur said.

"I'm just going to go out and enjoy it and it's matches like last night that are really fun to play and you just want to keep playing matches like that. Against Kim, if we can play our best tennis, I'm sure it will be a good one," she added. (ANI)

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Gerrard backs pal Rooney to get over his off-field problems

Published>Tue, Sep 07 10 01:51 PM

London, Sept.7 (ANI): England skipper Steven Gerrard has come out in support of striker Wayne Rooney after having emerged from his own nightmare last year.

The Liverpool midfielder, who leads England against Switzerland tonight, said: "Incredibly enough, I played some of my best football when I was going through my court case.

According to The Sun, in those six months, Gerrard lost just three of the 24 games he played for Liverpool and England, winning 17 of them. He scored 13 times in that spell as Liverpool finished second in the Premier League.

He is now hoping that adversity will work for Rooney as well.

The key, he said, was for Rooney to separate his on-field and off-field lives.

"If you have an issue off the pitch, you're in a situation where you have to park it. And then get on with the rest of your life. But this is where football sometimes can be a great release. Once the game starts, you're focused on what happens on the pitch - not what's going on off it," Gerrard said.

He added: "I'm sure that's what will happen with Wayne as soon as the referee blows his whistle."

Of Rooney' state of mind, Gerrard said: "Well, I don't think he's going to need a slap on the back from me - especially after the way he played against Bulgaria. Round the hotel and in training, he seems fine, the same as normal. Then again, only time will tell." (ANI)

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ICC orders Butt, Akmal to hand over mobile records during Asia Cup

Published>Tue, Sep 07 10 01:47 PM

London, Sep 7(ANI): The International Cricket Council (ICC) has reportedly ordered Pakistan captain Salman Butt and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal to hand over their mobile telephone records for investigation into possible spot-fixing during the Asia Cup in June.

Butt and Akmal were contacted by the ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) after suspicions arose during the tournament in Sri Lanka.

The demand came in a letter, dated August 21, which was sent to the two players before details of the News of the World expose surrounding the 'no-ball' scandal in the Lord's Test against England.

The ACU expect the full cooperation of both players, but have yet to receive a response from the Pakistan camp, The Daily Mail reports.

The news will dismay the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and players, who had made it clear that they were not prepared to play Pakistan in the ODI series if the players accused of corruption were still in the opposing line-up.

Butt has been suspended over allegation of involvement in the Lord's Test 'spot-fixing' scandal, but Akmal is part of the team scheduled to play the second Twenty20 match in Cardiff tonight. (ANI)

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Gerrard backs pal Rooney to get over his off-field problems

Published>Tue, Sep 07 10 01:41 PM

London, Sept.7 (ANI): England skipper Steven Gerrard has come out in support of striker Wayne Rooney after having emerged from his own nightmare last year.

The Liverpool midfielder, who leads England against Switzerland tonight, said: "Incredibly enough, I played some of my best football when I was going through my court case.

According to The Sun, in those six months, Gerrard lost just three of the 24 games he played for Liverpool and England, winning 17 of them. He scored 13 times in that spell as Liverpool finished second in the Premier League.

He is now hoping that adversity will work for Rooney as well.

The key, he said, was for Rooney to separate his on-field and off-field lives.

"If you have an issue off the pitch, you're in a situation where you have to park it. And then get on with the rest of your life. But this is where football sometimes can be a great release. Once the game starts, you're focused on what happens on the pitch - not what's going on off it," Gerrard said.

He added: "I'm sure that's what will happen with Wayne as soon as the referee blows his whistle."

Of Rooney' state of mind, Gerrard said: "Well, I don't think he's going to need a slap on the back from me - especially after the way he played against Bulgaria. Round the hotel and in training, he seems fine, the same as normal. Then again, only time will tell." (ANI)

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Australia's Stosur welcomes prime-time promotion at US Open

Published>Tue, Sep 07 10 01:37 PM

New York, Sept.7 (ANI): Australian tennis star Samantha Stosur has welcomed her promotion to top billing for her marquee US Open quarter-final with defending champion Kim Clijsters.

Stosur and Clijsters have relegated American superstar Venus Williams from the prime-time TV slot and will slug it out in the feature night match at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday.

The Age quoted Australia's world No.6 Stosur as saying that she felt justice had been served after she'd been involved in the latest-finishing women's singles match in US Open history on Sunday, an epic three-set triumph over Elena Dementieva.

"Me or Elena, whoever won that one, was in a pretty bad position to play Kim, who played first on Sunday," Stosur told AAP after a light hitting session on Monday.

"I think it's only fair that at least I was allowed as much as rest as possible after my match to try and back up," she added.

After saving four match points against Dementieva to become the first Australian woman to make the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows since Wendy Turnbull 26 years ago, Stosur said she'd be free-rolling against Clijsters.

The Belgian is once again title favourite after extending her winning streak in New York to 18 matches with an emphatic 6-2 6-1 fourth-round defeat of Ana Ivanovic.

"Obviously she's a great player and I've played a great tournament so far and now I get the second seed," Stosur said.

"I'm just going to go out and enjoy it and it's matches like last night that are really fun to play and you just want to keep playing matches like that. Against Kim, if we can play our best tennis, I'm sure it will be a good one," she added. (ANI)

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What turned churchgoing Jennifer Thompson into Rooney hooker?

Published>Tue, Sep 07 10 01:07 PM

London, Sep 07 (ANI): Jennifer Thompson, the hooker who bedded Wayne Rooney, led a sheltered existence protected by her parents and three brothers before turning into a prostitute.

The trouble with the churchgoing teenager began when the family returned to Britain from Qatar and set up home in Heaton, Bolton.

As she entered adolescence she found it increasingly difficult to adjust to life in Britain.

Friends say that by 15, Jennifer was a 'wild child', constantly out on the town getting drunk.

The friend said that Jennifer had always wanted to be with footballers and would regale classmates with stories about how they would sleep with her and then, when they woke the next morning, throw money at her and tell her to make her own way home.

"She never seemed to mind. There was no hint of remorse or regret. She was a party animal and was regularly in hospital getting her stomach pumped after drinking too much," the Daily Mail quoted a friend as saying.

By her final year at school, Jennifer was a fully-fledged prostitute, another friend said.

'She decided she wanted to become a WAG and started to hang out with Bolton Wanderers players," the friend added. (ANI)

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Pak official says Aamer should not get age benefit in 'spot-fixing' probe

Published>Tue, Sep 07 10 12:37 PM

Cardiff, Sept 7 (ANI): Mohammad Aamer should not get any benefit of age, if the 18-year old is proved guilty of spot-fixing, Pakistan Cricket Board's associate manager, Shafqat Rana said.

"I think it should be the same with everybody, if he breaks the law," The News quoted Rana, as saying.

When asked whether teenager Aamer's age should be taken into consideration, he replied, "It doesn't matter," adding that the Pakistani cricket fans wanted everything in the best spirit of the gentlemen's game.

Rana was talking to reporters at Sophia Gardens, where the second Pakistan vs England Twenty20 international is scheduled today.

Interestingly, Rana's views clash with International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat who, just a day before had said, "In my own honest personal view, yes I would think age would come into account in these matters.

Meanwhile, Rana appreciated a reported investigation into the cricket team's finances by the country's tax authorities in the aftermath of the spot-fixing scandal.

Pakistan's one-day captain, Shahid Afridi also welcomed the move, saying, "It should be done and it's good for cricket."

ICC had hit the three Pakistan players in the dock for spot fixing -Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir-with a staggering 23 charges. (ANI)

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