Toronto, August 18: Russian Maria Sharapova signalled she might be close to a return to top form by dismissing 10th seeded Nadia Petrova 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the Toronto Cup.
While her current ranking of 49th in the world suggests Sharapova provided a big upset, in reality it was a routine victory for the three-time grand slam winner as she improved her record against Petrova to 8-1.
New Delhi, August 17: Bhaichung Bhutia’s hopes to resolve his problems with Mohun Bagan before Nehru Cup today took a beating as the Club remained adamant on his six-month suspension even after talks with the All Indian Football Federation here today.
India captain Bhutia had pleaded an early solution to the issue, saying he was unable to concentrate on the preparations for the Nehru Cup, beginning August 19.
Mumbai, August 17: The winners of the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League and runners-up, Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings, have been compensated for the cancelled Champions T20 League in 2008 for which they had qualified.
“The compensation amount is Rs 10.40 crore each. This is as per the IPL contract,” a top IPL source told.
Last year’s Champions T20 League, jointly founded by the cricket boards of India, Australia and South Africa, was cancelled in the aftermath of the November 26 terror attacks in Mumbai. It was to feature eight teams.
Kolkata, August 17: A young female fan stunned everyone at a function Monday as she tried to publicly hug and kiss Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan, but the pacer used his reflexes to block her advances at the last moment.
The incident took place at a city hotel, and Irfan could only manage an embarrassing smile as he thwarted 24-year-old Kolkata girl Sabina Khatun’s advances. She had literally lunged at him on the stage, where the pacer’s elder brother Yusuf Pathan was also present.
New Delhi, August 17: Delhi’s most talked about cricketer and former India vice-captain, Virender Sehwag’s dare devilry has not gone down well with Delhi & District Cricket Associations’ chief patriarch Sunil Dev.
Recating to Sehwag’s allegations of corruption in DDCA, its secretary Sunil Dev asked Sehwag to concentrate on his job. “We have given Sehwag all he wanted and it is not his business to comment on the happenings of association. If he wants to get involved in DDCA matters then he must quit the game first.”
New Delhi, August 17: Off-colour pacer Irfan Pathan today conceded he hasn’t performed well enough to merit selection in the Indian one-day team but vowed to make a comeback, saying he has age on his side.
Talking to reporters with elder brother Yusuf by his side at a promotional event here this afternoon, the 24-year-old junior Pathan said, “I have been ignored purely on the basis of my drop in performance and I am working hard towards it.”
Irfan, however, said it was disappointing to be ignored for next month’s Tri-series in Sri Lanka and the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa.
Auckland, August 17: New Zealand offspinner Jeetan Patel, who is scheduled to make his eighth Test appearance against Sri Lanka in Galle tomorrow, believes the two-match series will be an ideal opportunity to cement his position in the XI.
“This is a chance for me to push my claims to play more for New Zealand; play more Tests, more one-dayers and maybe get back in the Twenty20 side,” he told NZPA.
Toronto, August 17: India’s Sania Mirza couldn’t make it to the main draw of the high-profile $2 million Rogers Cup women’s tennis tournament, failing to clear the second and final qualifying round.
She was beaten by local girl Heidi El Tabakh, 1-6, 6-3, 4-6 here Sunday.
In a 56-player main draw, 44 were given direct entries, including the world’s top 16 players.
Sania, who was 121 rungs above the Canadian in the world rankings at 74, had a tough time in the first qualifying round as well.
New Delhi, August 17: Indian opener Virender Sehwag has threatened to quit the Delhi Ranji team, alleging interference in selection matters by the DDCA Sports Committee members.
Sehwag, who is currently in Bangalore undergoing rehabilitation for his injured shoulder, has been told to put his decision on hold till he meets the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) President Arun Jaitley. The meeting is likely to take place on August 27 or 28 to discuss the matter.
New Delhi, August 17: The Cricket Board’s 80th Annual General Meeting would be held in Mumbai on September 24.
“The AGM would be held on September 24. There are no elections scheduled for any post,” BCCI sources said today.
“The election of the next president (to take over in September 2011) would take place at next year’s AGM”, they said.
Incumbent BCCI Chief Shashank Manohar became the Board’s first President-elect after an amendment was made in its constitution when Sharad Pawar headed the organisation.
New Delhi, August 17: Rohit Sharma’s arrival on the Indian cricket scene was greeted with unanimous approval from all quarters – former players saw him as the future No.4 in Test matches, when the great Tendulkar retires.
Newer fans were enthralled by his strokeplay, and the selectors were receiving bouquets from everyone for the savvy selection.
New Delhi, August 17: He’s been in a pressure situation countless times in his career, and handled it far better than most batsmen.
He is certain to be counted amongst the game’s all-time greats, and he can retire today with a glittering record, but Rahul Dravid is not going yet. That he still had something to give Indian cricket was thought by many, but now the selectors have concurred.
Dravid will be back into the one-day scheme of things after a two year gap, but he says he won’t play with the intent to prove anything to anyone.
Melbourne, August 17: Ricky Ponting has been booed by English crowds, has been under fire for his captaincy and has then led his team to a resurrection, where they stand on the brink of retaining the Ashes. Through it all, he has displayed a remarkable composure and ability to stay unruffled – quite unlike the Ponting of the past.
With the absence of any over-the-top outburst, drama or hyperbole, Ponting’s words carry much heavier weight now – so when he says that the fifth Ashes Test at the Oval is the biggest match of his career, it is worth taking note of.
New Delhi, August 17: Vinod Kambli, has announced his retirement from international cricket. He will continue to make himself available for domestic selection. Kambli last played international cricket in 2000.
Kambli made the announcement at the inauguration of his sports academy, Khel Bharati, in the presence of Virender Sehwag, who inaugurated the academy, and Ramakant Acharekar, who coached Kambli and Sachin Tendulkar during their youth.
Melbourne, August 17: Shane Warne once again advocated a permanent window for the cash-rich Indian Premier League Twenty20 event, to keep the players happy and prevent scheduling problems.
“I wonder if people realise how big the Indian Premier League really is. I’ve read that it is already the fourth biggest sporting event in the world in terms of value, estimated at around USD one billion. The sooner the authorities realise it is here to stay, the better,” Warne wrote in a column for ‘The Daily Telegraph’.
Ohio, August 17: Jelena Jankovic defeated world number one Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-2 Sunday to capture the title in the two million-dollar WTA Tour Cincinnati Open.
The fifth seed from Serbia needed an hour and 25 minutes to get past Russia’s Safina, who was playing in her eighth final in 14 tournaments this year.
Jankovic started the year ranked number one in the world, but has seen her ranking drop with a series of lackluster results.
However, she captured her second title of the year, to go with her victory in the claycourt tournament in Marbella in April.
–Agencies
Berlin, August 17: Usain Bolt delivered one of the most astonishing performances ever seen in athletics when he scorched to world championship 100 metres gold in a mind-blowing 9.58 seconds.
The flying Jamaican took a massive 0.11 seconds off the previous record mark he ran to win the Olympic gold medal in Beijing one year ago to the day.
That left defending champion Tyson Gay a distant second even though the American’s time of 9.71 was the third-fastest ever. Asafa Powell of Jamaica was third in 9.84.
Kolkata, August 16: Indian cricket star Harbhajan Singh Sunday landed in the city wearing a mask and also appealed to people to take proper precautionary measures against swine flu.
Harbhajan, on a visit to a neighbouring district to inaugurate a hospital, created quite a stir at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport when he was seen donning a swine flu mask.
The lenspersons started frantically clicking, while the electronic media cameramen rushed for a vantage point to get the best footage.
Kolkata, August 16:Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh Sunday welcomed Rahul Dravid’s return to the Indian one-day side after two years, but said the team will miss opener Virender Sehwag in the Sri Lanka tri-series and the Champions Trophy in South Africa.
“The presence of a seasoned campaigner like Dravid will boost the Indian team. Seniors like Sehwag and Zaheer Khan are not in the team. So, Dravid’s presence will be good for us,” said Harbhajan.
“We will miss Sehwag,” he added.
Sehwag and Zaheer have been ruled out of the twin engagements due to injuries.
Chennai, August 16: Veteran Rahul Dravid today staged a comeback into India’s 15-member one day squad while Virender Sehwag was ruled out of next month’s tri-series in Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy in South Africa.
The 36-year-old Dravid, who last played an ODI back in October 2007, was included in the squad to bolster the batting line-up for the two tournaments, which will also see the return of Sachin Tendulkar.
Leg-spinner Amit Mishra was included in place of left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha in the squad, announced by BCCI secretary N Srinivasan.
Islamabad, August 16: US special envoy Richard Holbrooke was in Pakistan today to hold talks with the top leadership of the militancy-hit country where the Army has claimed recent success in a major anti-Taliban offensive in areas bordering Afghanistan which goes to polls this week.
Holbrooke, US special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan on a second visit within a month to the country is expected to discuss economic and security issues with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and army chief General Ashfaq Kayani.
Baruipur (Kolkata), August 16: Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh today hailed Rahul Dravid’s return to the one-day side, saying the veteran batsman’s experience is just what the team needed ahead of this year’s Champions Trophy.
“(It’s) good to have him back in the side. Rahul Dravid is a great player. He is one of the best players India has produced. It’s great for the side,” Harbhajan, who was here to lay the foundation stone of a medical institute, said.
Hyderabad, August 16: Olympic champion Lin Dan today became the first badminton player to clinch a hat-trick of world titles, beating fellow Chinese Chen Jin in straight games in the finals of the mega-event at the Gachibowli stadium here today.
World number five Lin outplayed second-ranked Chen 21-18 21-16 in a contest that lasted 46 minutes.
Lin had won the earlier World Championship in 2006 and 2007, apart from winning four All-England title in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009.
West Bengal, August 16: Star cricketer Harbhajan Singh cannot understand the fuss about Shah Rukh Khan’s grilling at the Newark airport in New Jersey, which he described as a ‘routine’ affair.
Harbhajan said he has undergone numerous checking and screening procedure and never found anything wrong with it.
“I don’t know what exactly happened there. But I just heard that he was detained for two hours which I think is a routine procedure. You people have made it a big news,” the off-spinner told reporters after laying the foundation for a cancer research institute here today.
Hyderabad, August 16: China’s Lin Dan scripted history by becoming the first badminton player to win a hat-trick of World Championships title here Sunday.
In the men’s singles title clash, Lin defeated compatriot Jin Chen 21-18, 21-16 at the Gachibowli Stadium here.
–Agencies