Page 1441 - Sports

Sharapova back at Wimbledon and at crossroads

There will be perfectly-timed put downs, gushing photo spreads, tired tabloid moans about the grunts and a stream of questions about Serena Williams. It can only mean one thing: Maria Sharapova is back at Wimbledon. Three years after her last appearance at the All England Club, and 14 years since the Russian won the title, launching the giggling teenager into the financial and media stratosphere, Sharapova's career is at a crossroads. Now 31, Sharapova missed 2016 Wimbledon as she sat out a doping ban while injury scuppered her plans to play the qualifying tournament 12 months ago. She is without a Slam title in four years, her fifth and most recent coming at the French Open in 2014 while she has won just one trophy -- a low-key end-of-season affair in Tianjin -- since her return from suspension. However, there have been flashes of vintage Sharapova along the way and when she returned to Grand Slam tennis at the US Open last year, it was in some style. Wearing a diamond-encrusted ...

Back on top, Nadal aims to end Wimbledon woe

Rafael Nadal remains the king of clay, but the world number one arrives at Wimbledon harbouring only slender hopes of winning the tournament for the first time since 2010. Nadal extended his incredible record on the red dirt of Roland Garros earlier this month as he crushed Dominic Thiem to win his 11th French Open title. The Spaniard has enjoyed another golden period on his favoured clay this year, claiming the Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome titles as well as his latest triumph in Paris. That dominant streak extended Nadal's impressive renaissance after two years of injury woe. He has won three of the last five Grand Slams, taking the French Open two years in a row and lifting the US Open trophy in 2017. But, while the 32-year-old's superiority on clay is unquestioned, Nadal has found it far harder to transfer that dominance to the All England Club's lawns in the latter stages of his career. The 17-time Grand Slam champion won the most recent of his two Wimbledon titles eight years .

Sri Lanka beat West Indies to draw Test series

Kusal Perera battled through the considerable discomfort of a painful chest injury in partnership with namesake Dilruwan Perera to guide Sri Lanka to an historic series-levelling four-wicket victory over the West Indies in the third and final Test at Kensington Oval. Set a target of 144 and resuming on the fourth day at the overnight position of 81 for five, Sri Lanka reached their goal for the loss of one additional wicket to become the first Asian team ever to win a Test match at Caribbean cricket's most iconic venue. That wicket, which fell in the very first over of the afternoon to West Indies captain Jason Holder, ushered in Kusal, whose further participation in the match was in serious doubt when he injured himself crashing into the advertising boards the previous night. Both Kusal and Dilruwan had made only minimal contributions previously in the three-match series with the all-rounder Dilruwan having been dropped for the second Test while there was speculation that Kusal, the .

Nishino's born-again Japan aim to keep Honda's dream alive against Poland

Akira Nishino might be forgiven for pinching himself if Japan get the draw they need against eliminated Poland tomorrow to reach the last 16 of the World Cup. Just over two months ago he wasn't even in charge of the Blue Samurai and their most recognisable player Keisuke Honda was far from certain of being on the plane to Russia. Now coach Nishino's side need only a point against the Poles in Volgograd to make it to the knockout stages, thanks to a late equaliser from Honda against Senegal. It followed the first World Cup win by an Asian country against a South American side when Japan overcame 10-man Colombia 2-1. Even a defeat may be enough if Senegal beat Colombia, however Japan have their fate in their own hands just months after their World Cup hopes seemed in disarray. The Japan Football Association took a massive gamble to sack Bosnian coach Vahid Halilhodzic in April following a string of poor performances and reports of friction with senior players. But it has paid off ...

Main man Mane critical to Senegal hopes in Colombia showdown

Senegal must cut out the defensive errors and find a way to get Sadio Mane firing like he does for Liverpool if they are to tame Colombia on Thursday and reach the World Cup last 16. Coach Aliou Cisse was critical of his pacy and powerful side after their 2-2 draw with Japan on Sunday, saying their opponents were the better team, and called on forward Mane to step it up. "Frankly, we were not very good," concluded Cisse, Senegal captain in their run to the quarter-finals in 2002, their only previous appearance at a World Cup. Cisse was particularly unhappy with the way that Senegal twice threw away the lead in Yekaterinburg. Substitute Keisuke Honda's leveller, 12 minutes from time, was an especially poor goal to give away as goalkeeper Khadim N'Diaye flapped at a cross. Victory would have all but propelled Senegal into the last 16, but they now face a Colombia side in Samara who have their tails up following a classy 3-0 win over abject Poland. Going into the final round of games in .

Concern over Maradona after health scare in Argentina thriller

Diego Maradona roared and gesticulated through every anguished second of Argentina's rollercoaster World Cup victory over Nigeria before triggering alarm with a health scare after the final whistle. Lionel Messi may have dominated the on-field action in Saint Petersburg, but from his VIP box in the stands Maradona reigned supreme as the undisputed centre of attention. The 57-year-old football legend started the evening dancing playfully with a female Nigeria fan, saluting and waving to well-wishers applauding him in the moments before kick-off. Throughout Argentina's nerve-shredding 2-1 victory, which secured the South American giants' passage into the last 16, the host broadcaster television feed regularly cut to images of Maradona as the tension mounted. When Messi gave Argentina the lead early in the first half, Maradona screamed his delight, crossing his hands across his chest and gazing to the heavens. The 1986 World Cup-winner looked increasingly frazzled as the game wore on, at

Croatia ends Iceland's FIFA World Cup dreams

Ivan Perisic's last-minute goal on Tuesday ensured Croatia's position to the top of Group D of the ongoing FIFA World Cup with maximum points as they knocked out a resilient Iceland with a 2-1 win in Rostov-on-Don.After a dry first half, Milan Badelj gave a lead to Croatia in the 53rd minute.Sverrir Ingason rattled the bar with a header in response for Iceland, but the only way they could beat Croatia goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic on his superb World Cup bow came from the spot.Gylfi Sigurdsson's 76th-minute penalty gave Iceland hope of mounting a comeback.But Iceland's fighting spirit ultimately proved for nothing as Perisic securing a third successive win for Croatia in the 90thminute.Croatia have finished the group stage with nine points, having won all their three matches.Meanwhile, Iceland finished at the bottom of the group with one point despite starting off with a lot of promise when they held formidable Argentina 1-1 in their opening match.Croatia will be joined in the last 16 by ..

FIFA WC: Lionel Messi fans ecstatic as Argentina enters round of 16

Fans of star footballer Lionel Messi across the globe breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday after a late goal from Marcos Rojo gave Argentina a 2-1 triumph over Nigeria in their final Group D match taking the two-time champions into the round of 16 of the ongoing 21st edition of the FIFA World Cup.Nigeria were heading through to the last 16 at Argentina's expense with four minutes left in the game, but Rojo's sensational low volley saved Jorge Sampaoli's men and got them through to the knockout stages.On the brink of elimination after playing a 1-1 draw against Iceland and a humiliating 0-3 defeat to Croatia in their second match, Argentina started their final group stage encounter Nigeria with one point in their bag.Following a nervy start, Argentina took a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute, thanks to Messi's stunning shot, which was also the 100th goal of the tournament on whole.However, Victor Moses' penalty soon gave an equaliser to Nigeria in the 51st minute.Nigeria were awarded a ...

Iceland crash out of World Cup after Croatia loss

Croatia secured first place in Group D today after a hard-fought 2-1 win over gallant Iceland in Rostov-on-Don, setting up a World Cup last-16 tie with Denmark. While most eyes were on Argentina and their do-or-die match with Nigeria in Saint Petersburg, Croatia wrapped up top spot in the group thanks to a slick second-half volley by Milan Badelj and a late strike by Ivan Perisic, sandwiching a penalty equaliser from Gylfi Sigurdsson. "We did everything we could, if you do that you can't be disappointed, we can look each other in the eye and can carry our heads high," said Iceland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson afterwards. "We never gave up... kept on going." Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic said Iceland showed "good character, discipline, and fight" but that even though his side were already through to the last 16, "only a win was satisfactory" for him. With three wins out of three in Group D, "the focus now moves to the Denmark game, it will be a moment of truth", he said. Dalic rested most of

Argentina enter World Cup pre-quarters with 2-1 win over Nigeria

A late goal from Marcos Rojo gave Argentina a 2-1 triumph over Nigeria in their final Group D match here on Tuesday as the two-time champions entered the FIFA World Cup pre-quarterfinals.

German track cyclist Kristina Vogel badly injured in crash

German track cyclist Kristina Vogel has been seriously injured after crashing in training in the eastern city of Cottbus today. The dpa news agency reports that the Olympic champion suffered a severe spinal injury after crashing onto a concrete track following a high-speed collision with another cyclist. German coach Detlef Uibel tells dpa, "We're very worried about Kristina. It looks very bad." Vogel, an 11-time world champion, was taken to the local hospital before being flown to Berlin. Vogel's manager, Joerg Werner, said she was "seriously injured" and that she would need to undergo surgery through the night. He did not give any further details. The German Cycling Federation (BDR) said Vogel had been training with Pauline Grabosch, and that she accelerated when Grabosch left the track - only to collide with another unidentified cyclist who entered suddenly. Vogel was training for the German Grand Prix, which was due to take place in Cottbus on Friday and Saturday. The Lausitzer ...

Messi delivers as Argentina scrape through to World Cup's last 16

Diego Maradona crossed his arms over his chest and pointed to the sky. Lionel Messi had needed just three touches to score but Argentina still took 86 minutes to defeat Nigeria. Marcos Rojo was the unlikely match-winner, an emphatic finish of which even his captain would have been proud, to ensure Jorge Sampaoli's disjointed, disorganised and, at times, desperate team are still alive at this World Cup. But they have Messi. Despite Rojo's heroics, when Argentina's substitutes flooded the pitch at the full-time whistle, it was their number 10 they smothered. When Javier Mascherano wanted to express his gratitude after conceding the penalty that for 35 second-half minutes looked like it might send Nigeria through, it was Messi he hugged. The 31-year-old, in what may well be his final stab at leading Argentina to a World Cup crown, did his work in the 14th minute. Ever Banega's sumptuous pass was chipped into his path. Messi cushioned the ball with his left thigh and without letting it ...

World Cup: Croatia beat Iceland to top Group D

Croatia defeated Iceland 2-1 here on Tuesday to go into the knockout rounds of the 2018 FIFA World Cup as the top team in Group D.

France, Denmark progress despite goalless stalemate

France and Denmark progressed into the Round-of-16 after they played the first goalless draw at the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium on Tuesday.France manager Didier Deschamps, managing Les Blues for a landmark 79th game, equalling Raymond Domenech's record, made six changes to his side which dominated possession of the ball but looked dull for the most part of the game that featured few chances.Paul Pogba, Hugo Lloris, Kylian Mbappe started the game on the bench with an eye on the knockout rounds, a potential Round-of-16 clash with Argentina also on the cards.Deschamps handed debuts to centre-back Prinsel Kimpembe and goalie Steve Mandanda, with the latter becoming the oldest French debutant at a World Cup Finals.Denmark, like France, lacked penetration and seemed content with the 0-0 result as they needed just a point to ensure they progress into the knockout rounds for the first time since 2002, although it did not matter in the end with Peru inflicting a 2-0 loss ..

Kabaddi Masters: India demolish Kenya in one-sided affair

Continuing their dominance, world champions India demolished Kenya 50-15 in a lopsided Group A match of the Kabaddi Masters at the Al Wasl Sports Club here on Tuesday.

Mayank on fire again as India A beat England Lions by 102 runs

Opener Mayank Agarwal continued his dream run with yet another hundred as India A comfortably beat England Lions by 102 runs in the third match of the Tri-nation 'A' series, here today. After scoring 112 against West Indies A yesterday, Agarwal made an identical score as India A scored a competitive 309 for 6 in 50 overs. In reply, England Lions were all out for 207 in 41.3 overs with pacer Shardul Thakur taking three for 53. India A are now level on points with the Lions-- 4 points from three games. While batting, Agarwal's 112 was complemented by Shubman Gill's 72 and Hanuma Vihari's 69. Gill in fact was promoted as an opener after young Prithvi Shaw didn't find the place in the playing XI. It couldn't be ascertained whether he was rested or forced to sit out due to injury. Agarwal has now scored three hundreds at the Grace Road ground -- 151 retd out against Leicestershire, 112 against West Indies A and now 112 against the Lions. His 104 ball innings had 10 boundaries and four ...

Peru sign off FIFA WC with 2-0 win over Australia

Peru skipper Paolo Guerrero smashed a second-half goal to help his side thump Australia 2-0 in the third and final Group C match of the ongoing 21st edition of the FIFA World Cup here at the Fisht Stadium on Tuesday.Australia headed into the clash on the back of 1-2 defeat at the hands of France and 1-1 draw against Denmark in the opening two matches.Walking on the same lines, Peru were also without a win in the World Cup prior to this match.However, 11th-ranked Peru finally managed to break their deadlock in the tournament and earn three points with a win over 36th-ranked Australia.Soon after the referee blew the whistle, Peru started dominating the possession, but they failed to produce any threat for Australia.Subsequently, Australia fought back and came close to scoring a goal when their forward Tomi Juric struck a ball towards the goalpost, only to see Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese making a save.In the 18th minute of the match, striker Andre Carrillo finally opened Peru's account

I have two variations of googly up my sleeve, claims Chahal

Young leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who is now a vital cog in India's limited overs bowling set-up, today said that he has developed two variations of googly, which will benefit him in the long run. I have two googlies -- one closer to the head and one more side-arm. So I try to mix it up. Batsmen have to look at the head position, so it is an advantage for me," Chahal said on the eve of India's opening T20 International against Ireland. Chahal said that a leg spinner has more variations than a left-arm spinner. "For example, a left-arm spinner can have only two variations, but a leg spinner has atleast four variations so the batsmen are always thinking about what he is going to face next, said Chahal. While it's not like wrist spinners will automatically win India matches but the wiry Haryana bowler feels that current conditions in England will only help his bowling. "Wrist spinners are a recent trend, and it is not like without wrist spin you cannot win here. But I think conditions .

Mexico trains ahead of World Cup clash with Sweden

Mexico's national team trained on Tuesday in preparation for their upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup match against Sweden.

India, Iran top groups at Kabaddi Masters

Asian heavyweights India and Iran lived up to the expectations by topping their respective groups in the Kabaddi Masters Dubai here today. Displaying aggressive tackle and a resolute defence that saw them register two allouts, world champions India routed African giants Kenya 50-15 to finish their group A campaign with four wins from as many matches. In the first match of the evening at the Al Wasl Sports Complex, Argentina were once again no match to Iran but the football-obsessed nation ensured that they put up their best show and go down 57-27 to the World Cup runners-up. For India, Pradeep Narwal made a fine comeback top-scoring with nine with his incisive raids, while substitutes Rahul Chaudhari (8) and Deepak Hooda (5) made equal impact. In defence, Surender Nada held his ground with four tackle points as India led 29-5 at half time. Obiero Victor was Kenya's most impressive player with eight raid points and also executed a super raid that gave them a chance of enforcing an all .