Page 1873 - Sports
Venus beat Sevastova to reach Indian Wells quarter-finals
American tennis star Venus Williams booked her place in the quarter-finals of the Indian Wells Master for the third time in her career after clinching a straight-sets win over No.21 seed Anastasija Sevastova here on Wednesday.Boosting with confidence after defeating younger sister Serena in the last round for the first time since 2014, Venus went on to seal a 7-6(6), 6-4 win over Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova in a thrilling fourth-round clash that lasted an hour and 48 minutes.Following the win, Venus admitted that it was not at all an easy match and that Sevastova gave a tough fight to her."It was not an easy match to figure out.She has everything in her game. And it was a quick comeback from yesterday, where you have the emotions of, 'Hey, this feels like a final! But guess what, you're only in the fourth round," the WTA quoted Venus, as saying.Earlier, Venus cut short Serena Williams' return after a 15-month pregnancy layoff by defeating the latter 6-3, 6-4 in the last-32 clash ...
India eye series-levelling win against in-form Australia
India will have to rectify their shortcomings when they face an ascending Australia in a must-win second game of the three-match series, which is part of the ICC Women's ODI Championship. The hosts were given a rude shock in the series opener where Australia romped to an eight-wicket win with almost 18 overs to spare. The Indian batswomen will have to do a lot better than what they managed against the Australian spinners, who shared eights wickets between them on Monday. The bowlers expectedly were unable to defend a modest 201-run target and they were let down by not just the batting but also the fielding. If it weren't for the 76-run eighth wicket stand between Sushma Verma and Pooja Vastrakar, the home team could have been humiliated further. Captain Mithali Raj's absence also hurt India who would be hoping to have her fit for the crunch game tomorrow. "You can't expect the lower-order to put up a competitive total. Our senior batswomen need to step up. Our fielding also needs ...
Yuki Bhambri bows out of Indian Wells
Indian tennis ace Yuki Bhambri's strong run at the Indian Wells Masters came to an end after he went down against America's Sam Querrey in the three-set thriller of the third round of the tournament here on Wednesday.Though the Indian qualifier put up a gritty show in a close encounter, he failed to capitalize on his first-set win and eventually slumped to a 7-6(4), 4-6, 4-6 defeat at the hands of 18th seed Querrey in the third round of the men's singles event that lasted two hours and 22 minutes.Querrey will now be up against with the winner of another third round encounter between America's Jack Sock and Spain's Feliciano Lopez.In another men's singles clash, sixth-seed Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina made it to the fourth round of the tournament after sweeping aside David Ferrer of Spain in straight sets.Del Potro posted a 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) win over Ferrer to set up a clash against his countryman Leonardo Mayer for a place in the quarter-finals.
Champions league: Roma beat Shakhtar to enter QF
Edin Dzeko's second-half goal was just enough for AS Roma to win their Champions League knockout stage tie against Shakhtar Donetsk after losing the first leg in Ukraine.
Chennaiyin into ISL final post 4-1 aggregate win over FC Goa
Chennaiyin FC reached their second Indian Super League (ISL) final in three years after clinching a 4-1 aggregate win over FC Goa at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai, on Tuesday.Chennayin FC, which settled with a 1-1 draw against FC Goa in the first leg of the semi-finals, went on to register a comfortable 3-0 win in the second leg to made it to the finals.The tie was evenly poised as first leg but a brace from Jeje Lalpekhlua (26 and 90 minutes) and one goal from Dhanpal Ganesh (29 minutes) was enough for Chennaiyin FC to seal a place in the final. They will now clash with Bengaluru FC at Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru, on Saturday.Jeje could have easily had a hat-trick but missed a handful of chances. However, when it mattered most, he put the ball in the back of the net as Chennaiyin turned a stunning first half on its head by scoring two goals in quick succession completely against the run of play.For the first 21 minutes, it was all FC Goa. The visitors were incredible ..
Champions league: Sevilla beat ManU to enter QF
Sevilla prevailed 2-1 against highly favoured Manchester United to win their Champions League knockout stage tie and advance to the quarterfinals.
Halep into quarters, Venus advances
World number one Simona Halep breezed through her WTA Indian Wells fourth round match with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over China's Wang Qiang. Halep, who is one of two former champions left in the draw, is now 17-1 on the season having already won a title in both singles and doubles at Shenzhen, China. Halep advances to the quarter-finals where she will face unseeded Petra Martic of Croatia who beat Czech Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, 7-6 (7/4). Halep called for a timeout in the first set so her coach Darren Cahill could come down to the court to discuss strategy. "It was really important, because he just told me what I have to do. I knew that I had to change something, but I didn't realize what it was exactly," she said. "So it was a good chat. I did exactly what he said after that." In other women's matches, eighth seeded Venus Williams survived a stern test from Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova to win 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 and fifth-seeded Karolina Pliskova beat Amanda Anisimova of the USA 6-1, 7-6 ...
Del Potro dumps Ferrer, Cilic crashes out
Juan Martin Del Potro continued his dominance over David Ferrer to book a spot in the Indian Wells fourth round as second seed Marin Cilic suffered a shock loss. World No. 8 Del Potro extended his win streak over the Spaniard to five straight matches, winning 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) at the ATP Tour hardcourt tournament here Tuesday. The 29-year-old Del Potro improved to 7-6 overall against Ferrer and his five consecutive victories date back to the 2013 Wimbledon quarter-finals. "We always play tough matches. I got lucky," said Del Potro. "I played really well in the tiebreak and served well in the important moments." Del Potro will next face fellow Argentinian Leonardo Mayer, who defeated Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel 6-4, 6-1. Del Potro is playing some of his best tennis in years as he improved to 13-3 on the season. In January he returned the top 10 for the first time since 2014. He is fresh off winning his 21st career title earlier this month in Acapulco when he steamrolled his way into ...
Footlights to floodlights: football coach's remarkable journey
Shaun Malone once dreamed of becoming a star on London's West End stage but after a brush with death his goal is to be a full-time coach at Manchester United's Foundation. Malone, when just 15 years old, was struck down with a bout of sinusitis that spread to his brain and he had to undergo emergency surgery that lasted for six hours. He was given just a 10 percent chance of survival. The passionate Manchester United fan, who performed on stage in hit play "Billy Elliot" and recalls playing football while others did their singing exercises, was in a coma for two weeks and needed several subsequent operations. Now 22, he told AFP his life changed when the physiotherapist responsible for his rehabilitation -- he had to learn to walk again -- pointed him in the direction of the Ability Counts programme at United's Foundation. Ability Counts offers people with disabilities the opportunity to play or coach with the Premier League club. "There was a coach there and he had terrible cerebral .
Rogers appointed Australia high-performance coach
Former Test opening batsman Chris Rogers was today appointed as Cricket Australia's new high-performance coach, tasked with helping develop the country's next generation of stars. The 40-year-old called time on his 25-Test career after the end of the 2015 Ashes series and has been involved in multiple coaching roles since then. "Chris brings thoughtfulness, persistence and passion to the role and combines this with a strong intellect," said CA executive general manager of team performance Pat Howard. "We're looking forward to having Chris work with Australia's next generation and watching him develop as a coach. "We are confident he can have a big impact in moulding our rising stars into future international cricketers." Rogers, who had a successful first-class career in Australia and England spanning almost two decades and more than 300 matches despite being colour blind, will concentrate on the batting alongside fellow high-performance coach Ryan Harris, who will develop the
Selena Gomez to launch fashion range
Actress-singer Selena Gomez will design clothes for a ready-to-wear line in collaboration with the brand Coach.
Sevilla stun Man-U, advance to Champions League quarterfinals
Sevilla prevailed 2-1 here against the highly favoured Manchester United to win their Champions League knockout stage tie and advance to the quarterfinals.
Neymar's future is with PSG, says father
Paris-Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Neymar's father has moved to silence rumours that his son will leave the French club this summer.
Chennaiyin coach hails defenders after taming Goa
Chennaiyin FC chief coach John Gregory was in awe of his defenders after they thumped FC Goa 3-0 in the second leg of their second semi-final of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) here.
Two mistakes led to goals, changed the game: Goa coach
FC Goa chief coach Sergio Lobera admitted that two quick-fire goals, from errors, cost them as they went down 0-3 to Chennaiyin FC in the second leg of their second semi-final of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) here on Tuesday.
KXIP unveil jersey for VIVO IPL 2018
Gearing up for the 11th edition of the VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL), Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) on Tuesday unveiled the official jersey for this season.The jersey was launched in a joint press conference with title sponsor, Kent RO Systems Ltd.Winning the Golden Peacock Eco Innovation award for its contribution in developing innovative water purifying technology and preventing environment degradation in 2007, Kent RO Systems Ltd. is a household essential, providing a large variety of healthcare products such as water purifiers, air purifiers, cooking appliances and vacuum cleaners.Kent will occupy their place on the front of the Kings XI Punjab Jersey this year, establishing their position as a market leader and cementing their space in the minds of fans this season of the IPL."We are happy to be primary sponsors to Kings XI Punjab. It is a new team and is expected to perform well and we sincerely wish them to win this year. This association will help us connect to Kings XI Punjab ...
Chennaiyin crush FC Goa to enter ISL final
Chennaiyin FC thumped FC Goa 3-0 in the second leg of their second semi-final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Tuesday to set-up the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) title clash against Bengaluru FC.
Barca will make late call on Iniesta before Chelsea - Valverde
Barcelona will make a late decision on whether captain Andres Iniesta is fit to face Chelsea in the Champions League tomorrow, coach Ernesto Valverde has confirmed. Iniesta sustained a hamstring injury against Atletico Madrid on March 4 but the midfielder took part in a light training session yesterday ahead of the last-16 second leg at the Camp Nou. The first leg finished 1-1 "It's clear when a match like this arrives, a player tends to risk," Valverde said today. "What we have to decide is whether the risk is excessive." Iniesta could be replaced by Paulinho in the starting line-up but the Spaniard's absence would represent a major blow to his team's hopes of reaching the quarter-finals. "We know what Andres brings to the team, not only on the pitch but as a captain," Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets said. "You give him the ball and he always knows what he has to do to create chances. Everything that he contributes is postive. He is training and we hope he plays." Lionel Messi, .
Chennaiyin beat FC Goa 3-0, to face Bengaluru in ISL final
Chennaiyin FC outplayed FC Goa 3-0 with a dominant performance in the second leg of the Indian Super League (ISL) semifinal to advance to the final against Bengaluru FC on 4-1 aggregate here today. Jeje Lalpheklua, who struck twice, was the star of the match as he scored in the 26th and 90th minutes to guide CFC into its second ISL final. The Chennai side had won the title in 2015. Local lad Dhanapal Ganesh found the back of the net with a superb header in the 29th minute to put the team 2-0 ahead at the Nehru Stadium. Chennaiyin now face Bengaluru FC at the grande finale on March 17 at Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore. Bengaluru FC had beaten FC Pune City on 3-1 aggregate in the other double leg semifinals. FC Goa, with their backs to the wall after falling behind by two goals in the first half, tried hard but the home team's defence was equal to the task. The league's top-scorer Ferran Corominas and the speedy Hugo Boumous were kept in check as the CFC defence showed its ...
Will try to stay as unpredictable as possible in IPL: Ashwin
Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is definitely a happy man after being made the captain of Kings XI Punjab (KXIP).The ace spinner on Tuesday seemed ready for this new challenge and said he would try to stay as unpredictable as possible with his moves in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL)."It is a new challenge. You'll not be able to predict my next move. All players you think are going to open, will play in the middle order and all the middle-order batsmen will open. I'll try and stay as unpredictable as possible," Ashwin told ANI.The 31-year-old spinner will lead the pride of Punjab into battle in the hopes of getting them to their maiden title triumph.Ashwin was a leading candidate for the position ever since he was bought by Kings XI for a whopping Rs 7.60 crore in the IPL player's auction in February.Though Ashwin had never captained in the IPL before, he has frequently led his state Tamil Nadu in various domestic competitions.He, however, has been a part of the IPL