Page 1048 - Sports
US Open champion Osaka sets sights on Tokyo Olympics
US Open champion Naomi Osaka Monday set her sights on Olympic glory in 2020 as she became only the second Japanese woman to reach number four in the world rankings. The fast-rising tennis star, who turns 21 on Sunday, has already become Japan's first Grand Slam singles champion after she stunned Serena Williams in New York last month. And on Monday, she rose to a career-high ranking of four to become the top ranked Japanese woman since Kimiko Date in 1995. Now she is targeting a strong performance at the WTA Finals Singapore later this month and she could yet finish her standout season as the top placed Japanese woman of all time. Looking further ahead the Osaka-born dual US-Japanese national, who represents the country of her birth in tennis, has her eyes on the Tokyo Olympics. "Everyone is really excited in Japan for the Olympics," she told reporters at the WTA Hong Kong Open, which she has been forced to withdraw from with a back injury. "I know that everyone -- all the Japanese ...
Australia dismiss Shafiq as Pakistan reach 417-5
Debutant Marnus Labuschagne dismissed Asad Shafiq but Pakistan were on course for a huge first innings score after reaching 417-5 at tea on the second day of the first Test against Australia in Dubai on Monday. Shafiq was in sight of a 12th Test century but fell on 80 to leg-spinner Labuschagne, who had him caught behind with a ball that turned and caught the outside edge as the pitch showed a rare sign of spin. Shafiq hit nine boundaries and a six during his 212-minute stay and added 150 for the fifth wicket with Haris Sohail who was unbeaten on a career best 88. Babar Azam was the other unbeaten batsman on three. Left-hander Sohail struck his third half-century in six Tests. His previous best of 76 came on his debut against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi last year. It was another grind for the Australian bowlers as they only managed to dismiss nightwatchman Mohammad Abbas in the first session, bowled by fast bowler Peter Siddle after Pakistan resumed at 255-3. Siddle is the best Australian
Halep maintains top spot in WTA rankings
Romania's Simona Halep maintained No. 1 spot in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings released on Monday, ahead of Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki.
Nadal stays top of ATP rankings
Spain's Rafael Nadal continued to lead the men's Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) world singles rankings released on Monday with 8,260 points, ahead of Switzerland's Roger Federer.
Current selection panel low on experience, can't challenge Shastri, Kohli: Kirmani
Former chief selector Syed Kirmani has said that the MSK Prasad-led selection panel is not experienced enough to challenge the decisions of head coach Ravi Shastri and captain Virat Kohli. The ex-India wicketkeeper's comments come in the wake of the controversy over the exclusion of Karun Nair and Murali Vijay from the Test squad. Both Nair and Vijay claimed that they they were not spoken to by the selectors before or after being dropped, a claim that Prasad has dismissed by stating that both the batsmen were duly informed. When asked about the selection row, Kirmani told PTI: "If you ask me Ravi Shastri is the main selector, being the coach. He along with captain and senior members will discuss and put it (what they want) across to the selection committee. "The current selection committee, with due respect, is inexperienced to these guys (Shastri and Kohli). And they better listen to what the team management wants because they cannot debate with Shastri and Kohli, who have much more
The 3rd HCL International Junior Squash Concludes
/ -- Rutvik Rau won the U-19 category for Boys Ananya Dabke and Tejas Chawla won the U-17 category for Girls and Boys, respectively Aasya Patel and Paarth Ambani won the U-15 category for Girls and Boys, respectively Chitrangada Goel and Ansh Tripathi won the U-13 category for Girls and Boys, respectively Anahat Singh and Gurveer Singh won the U-11 category for Girls and Boys, respectively HCL, a leading global conglomerate, today announced the successful conclusion of the 3rd HCL International Junior Squash Championship. A Silver event under the Asian Squash Federation (ASF) calendar, rated five star by the Squash Racket Federation of India (SRFI), this International Junior Squash Championship is HCL's annual flagship Squash tournament. Hosted at the Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida, the 5-day championship is one of the highest-level tournaments in India. The winners of the Championship were felicitated by Asian Games silver medallist, Mr. Deepak Kumar with a total prize purse of
Espanyol beat Villarreal 3-1 at home
Espanyol beat Villarreal 3-1 at RCDE Stadium, a win that marks the team's fifth in the La Liga championship.
Valencia holds Barcelona to 1-1 draw
Valencia held Barcelona to a 1-1 draw in the former's Mestalla stadium, a match marked by some sparkling play by the local squad.
Muguruza calls for more women's tennis on
Former world number one Garbine Muguruza called Monday for greater television coverage of women's tennis, as the game battles to recover from allegations of sexism that erupted at the US Open. The Spaniard, who is struggling to end a slump in form that has seen her slip to 15th in the world, welcomed a new five-year deal the WTA has signed with the Tennis Channel in the US which aims to boost coverage and attract more viewers to the women's game. "I think it's great, I think the more tennis we see is good," the double Grand Slam champion said at the WTA Hong Kong Open as she prepared for her debut match at the tournament. "Sometimes I feel that (television) plays more men's matches, not only in the United States but also in other countries, in Spain as well, and people need to see (women's tennis) in order to have their daughters play." Muguruza told reporters she believed tennis -- where the earning gender gap persists despite the Grand Slams offering equal prize money -- was "lucky"
Li Na says Osaka needs 'desire' to go further
Chinese tennis great Li Na said US Open champion Naomi Osaka can go on and win multiple Grand Slam titles -- if she can find the inner desire to match her physical abilities. Osaka has admitted feeling burdened by expectations after last month's stunning victory in New York, saying she puts pressure on herself to "do more, do better". The 20-year-old world number six was also in tears after her "bittersweet" US Open win, which was marred by Serena Williams' explosive row by the chair umpire. "I believe with her abilities and strength, she can win many (Grand Slam titles) -- that is if she really has the desire to be a champion," Li told AFP ahead of the Hong Kong Open. Osaka, Asia's second Grand Slam singles champion after Li, has pulled out of the Hong Kong tournament with a back injury. Williams, 37, brought a halt to her season after the US Open final, where her latest attempt at a record-equalling 24th major title ended in acrimony. But Li, the former French Open and Australian ...
Sandeep Chaudhary bags India's first gold at Para Asian Games
India's wait for a gold medal at the ongoing 2018 Para Asian Games ended on Monday as javelin thrower Sandeep Chaudhary topped the men's F42-44/61-64 event.
Kohli, Bumrah maintain pole positions in ODI rankings
India captain Virat Kohli and speedster Jasprit Bumrah maintained their respective top positions in the latest ICC ODI rankings released Monday. Kohli led the batsman's list with 884 points while his deputy Rohit Sharma with 842 ranking points maintained the second position. The other Indian batsman in the top-10 was Shikhar Dhawan, who is placed fifth in the list with 802 points. Among the bowlers, death overs specialist Bumrah with 797 points was on top while left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav with 700 points is third in the list. Afghanistan star Rashid Khan is second with 788 points while leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (11th position) is knocking on the doors for a top-10 entry. In the team ranking, India are currently placed second with 122 points behind England's 127. The top team ranking will potentially be up for the taking depending on how the Sri Lanka and England series pans out. In the England versus Sri Lanka series, which starts in Dambulla on October 10, England will ...
Lopetegui under pressure amid Real Madrid scoring drought
It looked like a no-brainer at the time. Which coach wouldn't jump at the chance to lead star-packed and wealthy Real Madrid? But four months later Julen Lopetegui may be ruing the day the club's president Florentino Perez made him an offer that he just couldn't refuse. Not only did his decision in June to sign for Madrid get him fired as Spain's manager two days before the start of the World Cup, but the juggernaut Lopetegui inherited from Zinedine Zidane is now a team in apparent disarray. Madrid has lost three times and drawn once in its last four matches. The team that boasts stars such as Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and Sergio Ramos hasn't been able to score a goal in that span. Even the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, who left Madrid this summer as its all-time top scorer, can't shield Lopetegui from being blamed for the team's longest scoring drought since 1985. Lopetegui has tried to take a team that for nine seasons was built around putting Ronaldo in position to score and mold .
Pakistan progress to 329-4 in first Test
Pakistan's batsmen continued to prosper on a flat pitch to reach 329-4 at lunch on the second day of the first Test against Australia in Dubai on Monday. Haris Sohail was unbeaten on 46 and with him Asad Shafiq on 43 not out as Pakistan added 74 runs for the loss of just one wicket after resuming at 255-3. Sohail and Shafiq ensured Pakistan built on a solid foundation laid by opener Mohammad Hafeez who made 126 on the opening day. The opening wicket produced 205 runs with Imam-ul-Haq who scored 76. Pakistan lost nightwatchman Mohammad Abbas in the fifth over of the day, bowled by fast bowler Peter Siddle for one in the fifth over of the day. Siddle was the pick of the bowlers with 2-28. But Australia delaying the second new ball allowed Sohail and Shafiq to open up in the second hour, adding 55 more runs. Shafiq hit a four and a six off spinner Nathan Lyon while Sohail smashed one off left-armer Jon Holland over long-on to add 69 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket stand. Neither Lyon .
India Skills 2018: Pradhan felicitates Odisha team
Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday interacted with the Odisha team, which made a second-place finish in the national skill championship, India Skills 2018.Applauding the team for their hard work and dedication, the Minister said that the athletes' aspirations enabled them to give an impressive performance at India Skills."The young winners have shown exemplary talent, dedication and hard work. Their aspirations have enabled them to demonstrate excellence at India Skills competition. They are the "Dharmapadas" of our times," Pradhan wrote on his official Twitter handle.The Odisha team finished the India Skill 2019 with a total of 19 medals, including four gold.
30-member strong team to represent India at Wrestling World Championships
A strong 30-member team led by Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik and Asian Games gold medallist Bajrang Punia will represent India at the World Wrestling Championships to be held in Budapest, Hungary from October 20 to 28. The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has selected 10 members each in free-style, greco-roman and women's wrestling categories. While Bajrang (65kg) is India's best bet in the freestyle category, Sakshi (62kg) and Commonwealth Games gold Pooja Dhanda (57kg) medallist will spearhead India's campaign in the women's wrestling. Jagminder Singh will be the chief coach of the freestyle team, while Kuldeep Malik will be in charge of the women's squad. Besides 30 wrestlers, the Indian contingent will also have 17 officials including coaches, physio, masseur and referees. The team will leave for Budapest tomorrow morning where they will have pre-tournament conditioning camp ahead of the main event. Interestingly, Ritu is the only Phogat sister to feature in the squad as Geeta
Jeevan wins 2nd Challenger title in a row, fifth of season
Continuing his impressive run, Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan won his second title in a row, clinching the Monterrey ATP Challenger in Mexico with new partner Marcelo Arevalo. The Chennai southpaw, who won the ATP Chengdu Open last week, and his partner got the better of veteran Leander Paes and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela 6-1 6-4 in the final of the USD 150000 tournament. It is Jeevan's fourth title win this season on the Challenger circuit, having triumphed in Winnetka, Ilkley and Dallas, and fifth overall. He had ended runner-up at Nottingham, Savannah, Tallahassee and Lille with regular partner Austin Krajicek from USA. "I was 0-40 down on my serve in the third game of the first set but I did good job keeping composure, making lot of first serves. There were a couple of uncharacteristic errors to go down 0-40 but we regrouped and had a vital hold," Jeevan told PTI. "Getting that hold from 0-40 was key. We got a break in the next game and Marcelo served strong for a 4-1 lead. The momentum was
Food-related issues being sorted: Indian Chef de Mission at Youth Olympics
Chef de mission of the Indian contingent for the Youth Olympics, Gurudutta Bhakta, has said that the food-related issues being faced by national athletes will be sorted soon.Bhakta's statement came after players participating in the prestigious tournament complained about the non-availability of Indian food at the event.Speaking to ANI, Bhakta said, "There were complaints by athletes regarding the food here because only Asian food is available and there is no Indian food. We spoke to the organisers and now they have assured us that they will arrange Indian food, as well."Bhakta, however, denied reports which stated that one of the athletes fainted due to non-availability of food.So far, India have clinched two silver medals in the tournament.While Tushar Mane bagged a silver medal in the Men's 10m air rifle event, Tababi Devi Thangjam finished second on the podium in the Women's 44kg judo event.
John Terry bids adieu to football
Former England skipper John Terry has bid adieu to football after a career spanning over 23 years.Announcing the same on his official Instagram handle, the 37-year-old said that it is the right time for him to "retire from playing"."After 23 incredible years as a footballer, I have decided now is the right time to retire from playing," the post read.The center-back player, who is widely known for his 19-year stint with English professional football club Chelsea, further stated that signing in for the team was the "best and biggest" decision of his life."As a 14-year-old, I made my best and biggest decision: to sign for Chelsea Football Club. Words will never be enough to show how much everyone at the club means to me, in particular, the fans," he added.Terry continued, "Right from the outset they have given me total support, on and off the pitch, and I have a tremendous bond with them. We achieved so many great memories together and I couldn't have succeeded without you."Terry has ...
Tway wins first US PGA Tour title in playoff as Snedeker fades
Kevin Tway birdied his last five holes, three in a playoff, to win his first US PGA Tour title on Sunday at the Safeway Open, where Brandt Snedeker squandered a five-shot lead in the final round. Tway rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt at the third hole of sudden death to win the first event of the US tour's 2018-19 season over Ryan Moore at Silverado Resort in Napa, California. Snedeker, who started the day with a three-shot lead and led by five with 11 remaining in regulation, fell by the wayside with a par at the first playoff hole. Moore matched Tway's birdies at the first and second playoff holes, before succumbing at the third -- the par-four 10th. "I'm kind of at a loss for words," said Tway, the 30-year-old son of 1986 PGA Championship winner Bob Tway. "I think I birdied my last five holes -- that always helps." He had birdied 17 and 18 in regulation to complete a one-under par 71 at Silverado Resort in Napa, California, finishing tied with Moore and Snedeker on 14-under par ...