Page 175 - Sports

French Open: Djokovic to face Thiem, Nadal to play Federer

World No.1 Novak Djokovic reached another French Open semifinal after a 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 victory over fifth-seeded Alexander Zverev, leaving himself only two wins from becoming the second man in history to hold all four Grand Slam titles simultaneously on two separate occasions.

Cricketer stabbed to death by 3 assailants in Mumbai

A local cricketer was stabbed to death by three unknown assailants in Bhandup area in Mumbai on Thursday night.The cricketer is identified as Rakesh Panwar, who was in his mid-thirties.Govind Rathore, who claims to be the childhood friend of the deceased said he was accompanied by his girlfriend when the assailants attacked him."I was not with him. He had an old enmity with Khan family here. He was accompanied by his girlfriend when the incident took place," said Govind.He said that the deceased also worked as a cricket coach and provided training to the young cricketers..

Mohammad Shahzad ruled out of World Cup

Afghanistan's wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Shahzad ruled out of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup because of his aggravating knee injury which he picked up during the warm-up match against Pakistan.The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019 approved Ikram Ali Khil as a replacement player for Shahzad in the Afghanistan squad for the remainder of the tournament, confirmed ICC.During the very first World Cup warm-up match being played between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Shahzad scored 22 runs off 24 deliveries. However, in the seventh over he was forced to retire hurt because of discomfort in his left knee.Shahzad later missed the second warm-up match which was against England but made a comeback in the team during Afghanistan's first two World Cup matches played against Australia and Sri Lanka. However, Shahzad was unable to leave his mark in either of the matches as he was out on a duck against Australia and scored seven runs against Sri Lanka.Before making any

Google celebrates commencement of Women's World Cup with doodle

Google on Friday marked the commencement of the 2019 Women's World Cup in France with a doodle created around the teams participating in the football mega event.The caricature, Google notes, celebrates the eighth edition of the tournament with a collage of characters from its upcoming series of doodles by guest artists representing each of the competing countries."Each Doodle will capture the local excitement of the World Cup competition as well as what soccer means to the guest artist personally," Google said in its description of today's doodle.Over the next month, players from the national teams of 24 countries will compete, with the final match in the biggest Women's World Cup yet taking place on July 7 in Lyon, France."No one is more excited than Ettie, the French poussin, this year's official mascot!" Google said in a statement.Seven teams will be making their eighth consecutive appearance in the Women's World Cup, including the American team, who return as defending champions .

India thrash Russia 10-0 in FIH Men's Series Finals

India defeat Russia 10-0 in their first match of the FIH Men's Series Finals at Kalinga Stadium here on Thursday.India showcased their skills of the field hockey and outclassed Russia. Early in the match, India got a penalty corner but couldn't able to convert it to the goal. Local boy Amit Rohidas managed to keep the pace of the game going in the first quarter and kept on penetrating the circle in search of the very first goal.Indian midfield kept the opponents on their toes. Nilakanta Sharma got the deflection right through the post in the 13th minute to give India an early lead in the first quarter. The first quarter ended with the scoreline of 1-0.India started the second quarter at the same pace of the first quarter and refused to lower the tempo of the game as they scored another goal. Birendra Lakra stormed past the opponents after making an unbelievable interception to make a timely pass to Sumit, who passed to Simranjeet, and Simranjeet to the net, scoring India's second ...

Coulter-Nile, Starc star as Oz beat WI in close contest

Nathan Coulter-Nile and Steve Smith underlined why Australia are such a force in the World Cup before Mitchell Starc further reinstated that fact, as the defending champions beat the West Indies by 15 runs here on Thursday.

Starc's fiver after Smith and Coulter-Nile show hand Australia 15-run win over Windies

Mitchell Starc grabbed five wickets for 46 runs in a brilliant show of fast bowling as defending champions Australia pulled off a 15-run win against West Indies in a tense World Cup match to notch up their second win here on Thursday. Sent into bat, Nathan Coulter-Nile (92 from 60 balls) played a blinder of an innings, taking cue from a dogged fight back by Steve Smith (73 from 103 balls), as Australia recovered from 38 for 4 to post a competitive 288 all out in 49 overs. Chasing 289 for a win, the West Indies were in the hunt for most part of their innings but they crumbled towards the end to score 273 for 9 from 50 overs. Starc turned the match on its head by claiming three wickets in two overs in the dead after dismissing dangerous batsmen Chris Gayle (21) and Andre Russell (15) earlier. West Indies needed 38 from the last five with four wickets in hand but Starc removed Carlos Brathwaite (16) and captain Jason Holder (51) in the space of four balls in the 46th over before ...

India maul Russia 10-0 in FIH Series Finals

Favourites India thrashed Russia 10-0 in their opening game of the FIH Series Finals hockey tournament to start their 2020 Olympics qualification campaign on the best possible note, here on Thursday.

Coulter-Nile's 92 highest for No. 8 batsman in WC

Australian seamer Nathan Coulter-Nile on Thursday made the highest score by a number eight batsman at the World Cup after he smashed a career best 60-ball 92 to help his side post 288 against the West Indies at Nottingham.

I can't fill Steyn's shoes but I am hoping to be the good luck that South Africa needs: Hendricks

Beuran Hendricks is fully aware that he can't do what the injured Dale Steyn could have done for South Africa but the left-arm pacer hopes to do his bit for the struggling Proteas in the ongoing World Cup. Hendricks, who has played just two ODIs, has been drafted into the South Africa side as Steyn's replacement. "I am not going to say I can fill his shoes because its Dale. I come here with my own set of skills and my own ambition in this competition. It's just about making sure I can fight the good fight and contribute with the set of skills that I have," said Hendricks after arriving here. Hendricks, 28, was on his country's list of standby players but his selection still came as a shock to him, especially when he realised the reputation of the man he was replacing. "I was just on my couch, watching TV, when I got the call. I didn't know who I was replacing but then I saw in the media that it was Dale, which is a massive blow." Steyn's departure has denied South Africa the services

Ruthless Djokovic to face Thiem in his ninth Roland Garros semi-final

Novak Djokovic reached his ninth Roland Garros semi-final Thursday, sweeping past Alexander Zverev to keep his bid to become just the second man to hold all four Slams at the same time twice firmly on track. Top seed and world number one Djokovic won 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 and will face Austrian fourth seed Dominic Thiem on Friday in what will be his 35th Grand Slam semi-final. Thiem reached the semi-finals for a fourth successive year with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 victory against Russian 10th seed Karen Khachanov. "It was a big challenge for me today but I was hitting the ball more cleanly," said 32-year-old Djokovic. "It's a great joy to be in the semi-finals again." The problem for Djokovic now in his pursuit of a second title in Paris and 16th major is the weather. Heavy rain is forecast to hit Paris again on Friday after Wednesday's washout. "I just have to keep my concentration and stay in the moment. I hope to continue like this," said the Serb. Friday's other semi-final will see Rafael Nadal ..

India maul hapless Russia 10-0 in FIH Series Finals

Favourites India demolished hapless Russia 10-0 in their opening match of the FIH Series Finals hockey tournament to start their 2020 Olympics qualification campaign on a rousing note here Thursday. Dragflicker Harmanpreet Singh (32nd, 48th) and striker Akashdeep Singh (41st, 55th minutes) scored a brace each for India, while Nilkanata Sharma (13th), Simranjeet Singh (19th), Amit Rohidas (20th), Varun Kumar (33rd), Gursahibjit Singh (38th) and Vivek Sagar Prasad (45th) were the other goal-getters for the home team in the lop-sided Pool B encounter. Even though their goal was never threatened once in the first two quarters, the Indians were slow to get off the blocks, especially against a side which is ranked 22nd in the world. The Indian forwardline looked a little complacent in the first half as it failed to finish off the moves on quite a few occasions. But still it was one-way traffic as India controlled the proceedings from the word go. As early as the third minute, India earned ..

CWC'19: Players to watch out in Pak-SL clash

Unpredictable Pakistan and ragtag Sri Lanka will lock horns in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup at County Ground, Bristol on June 7.Pakistan won their only World Cup in 1992 under the leadership of Imran Khan. This year under the captaincy of Sarfaraz Ahmed, the team recorded their 11-match losing streak, including their white-washes series against Australia and England ahead of the World Cup.The team faced a seven-wicket defeat at the hands of West Indies in their first World Cup match last week. However, Pakistan bounced back and beat not only the hosts England by 14 runs but also ended their 11-match losing streak.On the other hand, Sri Lanka have lifted the trophy once -- 1996 World Cup. The team since then twice finished as runners-up in 2007 and 2011 edition. The Sri Lankan board announced a surprising 15-man squad led by Dimuth Karunaratne. The team has experienced players like Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews and Kusal Perera, but Niroshan Dickwella, Danushka Gunathilaka, Dinesh .

T20 Mumbai League case: MCA 'refers' matter to BCCI

The Mumbai Cricket Association has "referred" the matter of a local player being allegedly approached to under-perform in the city's T20 league to the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The MCA discussed the issue during an ad-hoc committee meeting held at its headquarters here Thursday evening. "We have referred this matter to the Board and whatever help they want, we will provide them," a member of the ad hoc committee, who did not wish to be named, said. Giving the rationale behind referring the matter to the Board, the member stressed that MCA had no information whatsoever about the matter as nobody had approached it in writing. "If the BCCI has to investigate the matter, that is up to them. And we will provide all the assistance," the member said, adding a mail in this regard was sent to the Board. The ad-hoc committee comprises CEO C S Naik, Prof Dr Unmesh Khanwilkar, Navin Shetty, Ganesh Iyer and Shahalam Shaikh. Earlier in the day, a senior MCA official had told PTI that ..

Tetris turns 35 today

If you have never tried to arrange boxes at a grocery store like in Tetris, you probably have missed out on a lot in your childhood. The simple yet highly addictive game Tetris is 35 today.Inspired by his favourite puzzle board game, computer programmer Alexey Pajitnov designed Tetris in 1984. It is a far addictive game, more than Pokemon Go, that uses seven distinctive geometric playing pieces that trigger you to create order out of chaos.Such is the addiction that there is a syndrome named after the popular game. The Tetris Syndrome or Tetris effect occurs when similar to the game, people begin to pattern their thoughts, mental images, and dreams.

USA defeats South Africa 2-0 in FIH Men's Series Finals

USA beat South Africa 2-0 in the opening match of the FIH Men's Series Finals at Kalinga Stadium here on Thursday.The first game saw the African Champions, South Africa to take on United States of America. It was a great start of an event, an entertaining game which saw the USA registering the first three points of the tournament.Both teams started at a high tempo. Just three minutes into the game, South Africa's Richard Pautz missed a big opportunity to open the scoring, just meters from the goal post. Gradually in the first quarter, the African champions put pressure on the USA side, while they were defending well and playing counter-attacks.The pattern of play changed at the start of the second quarter with the American side displaying a more attacking style of play.However, after a great save from a South Africa's goalkeeper Rassie Pieterse following a shot from Deegan Huisman. Just after that, South Africa had a huge opportunity with Nicolas Spooner's attempt hitting the ...

Karunaratne unfazed by Sri Lanka's World Cup woe against Pakistan

Dimuth Karunaratne insists Sri Lanka can end their wretched World Cup record against Pakistan when they clash in Bristol on Friday. Pakistan have won all seven World Cup encounters against Sri Lanka dating back to the inaugural World Cup in 1975. But Sri Lanka are optimistic after recovering from a crushing 10-wicket defeat in their opening match against New Zealand. A hard-earned 34-run win against minnows Afghanistan lifted Sri Lankan spirits, although Karunaratne acknowledges they still have room for improvement. The next test for the 1996 champions comes against an unpredictable Pakistan side who were bowled out for 105 in their opening seven-wicket defeat against the West Indies before a shock 14-run victory against hosts and tournament favourites England. Asked on Thursday if Sri Lanka's past struggles against Pakistan could be a mental barrier, captain Karunaratne told reporters: "We may not have won against Pakistan in the World Cup but it doesn't bother us. "It's just another

'Excited' teenager Anisimova stuns Halep to reach French Open semis

American teenager Amanda Anisimova said she was "excited" and did not suffer from nerves after stunning defending champion Simona Halep on Thursday to reach a French Open semi-final against Australian eighth seed Ashleigh Barty. The 17-year-old downed Halep 6-2, 6-4 on Court Philippe Chatrier to announce herself on the big stage, while Barty saw off 14th seed Madison Keys 6-3, 7-5 to also become a first-time Grand Slam semi-finalist. "If I didn't look nervous is because I wasn't," said world number 51 Anisimova, who is the youngest player to reach a major semi-final since Nicole Vaidisova at the 2007 Australian Open. "I was just super excited and I was really happy with the opportunity. "This is more than I could have asked for." The last-four ties will be played on Friday, after Wednesday's downpour in Paris caused a backlog of matches, with the women's semi-finals held on Court Suzanne Lenglen and Simonne Mathieu to keep Chatrier free for the men's semis. "Actually, I'm really happy

De Villiers' return would have been unfair, says CSA selection panel convenor

South Africa's national selection panel Convenor Linda Zondi on Thursday said that AB de Villiers' desire of returning to the team was overlooked as it would have been unfair to young talents.In a surprise move on May 23 last year, swashbuckling wicket-keeper batsman de Villiers bid adieu to all forms of international cricket with immediate effect, putting an end to his 14-year-long illustrious career.Proteas captain Faf du Plessis and coach Ottis Gibson had revealed de Villiers' wish to play at the World Cup. However, the management refused to consider it as the 15-man squad was already finalised."For Faf du Plessis and Ottis Gibson to share AB's desire to be included in the squad on the day we announced our World Cup squad on April 18th was a shock to all of us," Zondi said in a statement."AB left a big vacuum when he retired; we had a year to find players at franchise level to fill the gap. We had players who put in the hard work, who put up their hands and deserved to be given the

Dhoni is faster than a computer: Akhtar

Former Pakistan quick Shoaib Akhar said MS Dhoni is faster than a computer when it comes to cricketing acumen.