Page 227 - Sports
'Happy' Halep feeling less pressure at French Open
Reigning champion Simona Halep on Friday said that the pressure was off ahead of the start of her French Open title defence after ending her long wait for a Grand Slam trophy 12 months ago. The Romanian beat Sloane Stephens in Paris last year to clinch her maiden major crown in her fourth final, and is the third seed for the 2019 edition which starts at Roland Garros on Sunday. "(It's) much better and much easier, because I have the title already," said Halep, who is the bookmakers' favourite to win a second straight title. "(It) doesn't matter anymore what is going to happen. Everything (that) comes now comes as a bonus. So I will try just to give my best and to see if I'm able to do it again." The 27-year-old had faced consistent questions heading into the 2018 French Open about her ability to win the biggest tournaments despite holding the world-number-one ranking for long spells, but finally put those doubts to bed. Now, she concedes that she is maybe "too happy" to have put ...
At Roland Garros, if you've got to go, you'll have to stay
When you've got to go, you've got to go but at Roland Garros this year, tennis players desperate to dash to the toilet may have to grin and bear it following a rule change. French Open chiefs have decided to limit toilet breaks during a match to one per player. Previously, women players were allowed two toilet breaks in a three-set match while men could go three times in a five-setter. However, the sight of a player dashing from a court in the heat of battle -- often when a set has been lost -- has left opponents and fans irritated, claiming that the move is merely a tactical manoeuvre. "For men it's a little bit different because they can play maybe five, six hours, easy," said Karolina Pliskova, the Roland Garros second seed this year. "Maybe I think they should have two, that would be better. But the women, I think one is enough. Maybe too much! "Because you always have time to go before.
Federer hails 'wonderful' Laver Cup addition to ATP Tour
Roger Federer on Friday hailed the "wonderful" addition of the Laver Cup, one of three men's tennis team events, to the official ATP calendar. The tournament, inspired by golf's Ryder Cup, pits teams from Europe and the 'rest of the world' against each other and was first held in 2017. It will be in competition with the revamped Davis Cup and the ATP World Team Cup. "As I come closer to the end of my playing career, it's wonderful to know that the Laver Cup will be part of the tour that I've dedicated more than 20 years of my life to," said the 37-year-old Federer in a statement after the announcement that the Laver Cup would be added to the ATP Tour. This year's edition will be held in Geneva from September 20-22, with Bjorn Borg's Team Europe the defending champions after defeating the John McEnroe-led Team World in 2018 in Chicago. World number one Novak Djokovic played in the Laver Cup last year, but has also been one of the driving forces behind bringing back the ATP World Team ..
England captain Morgan to have X-ray in pre-World Cup scare
England captain Eoin Morgan will undergo "a precautionary X-ray" after injuring his left index finger in training, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced on Friday. Morgan was practising with his teammates at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton ahead of Saturday's unofficial World Cup warm-up against Australia when he took a blow during catching drills. "Eoin Morgan took a knock to his left index finger fielding this morning. He is going to hospital after practice for a precautionary X-ray," said a brief statement from the ECB. Morgan, 32, was one of 14 players preparing at Hampshire's ground, with Joe Root absent on personal business. England have climbed to the top of the one-day international rankings under the leadership of Morgan, who is also a key member of their powerful batting line-up. The host nation play the opening match of the World Cup against South Africa on May 30.
Laid down strategic plan for next four years: Indian football's technical director
India must work towards a "synchronised, possession-based philosophy" to perform and progress in international football, the country's newly-appointed technical director Isac Doru said Friday. Alongside new national coach Igor Stimac, Doru addressed his first press conference in the capital. He said he could invite players from the 1970s and 80s for sharing their knowledge. "We have to learn from the past. We have to discuss, find the solution and implement the same as a nation. We have to chalk out our principles and work towards a synchronised, possession-based philosophy. I have already sat with different coaches and now I'll invite the players who played in the 70s," Doru said. According to him, the Indians are the "best dancers" in the world, using the analogy to describe their agility and athleticism, prerequisites for becoming successful footballer, besides technical skills. "What I feel is that Indians are very agile. What we need to improve is the coaching system and coach ...
Under-16 Tennis: Hooda shocks Duhan to enter boys final
Fifth seed Krishna Hooda fought back to oust Haryana state rival and second seed Chirag Duhan and enter the final of the 13th Ramesh Desai Memorial Under-16 Tennis Nationals Friday. Hooda carved out a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over his higher ranked opponent in a boys' singles semi-final match at the Cricket Club of India here. Hooda will meet fourth seed Dhruv Tangri of Punjab in the final Saturday. In the second semi-final, Tangri got the better of Haryanas ninth seed Karan Singh 6-4, 7-5 to book a place in the summit clash. In contrast, the girls semi-final contests turned out to be tame affairs. Top seed Sanjana Sirimalla of Telangana sent Haryanas eighth seeded Pari Singh crashing to a 6-1, 6-1 defeat. In the second semi-final, Haryanas seventh seed Renne Singla tamed unseeded Naisha Srivastav of Karnataka 6-0, 6-2.
Kohli, Buttler, Warner are Waugh's top-three ODI batsmen
Ahead of the World Cup, Australian great Mark Waugh has picked his top three ODI batsman with Indian skipper Virat Kohli being the number one choice. "Definitely Virat Kohli. He's No.1." Waugh told cricket.com.au. Kohli, who clinched all three major ICC awards earlier in the year, will hope to lead his country to a third World Cup trophy. The Indian captain goes into the tournament on the back of 41 centuries with a stupendous average of 59.57. For his second pick Waugh went for England's Jos Buttler. Buttler has been in incredible form, scoring a 50-ball century against Pakistan in Southampton earlier this month after smashing 150 from 77 balls against the West Indies. "Jos Buttler, I'd have him at No.2 in the top three," Waugh said. For the number three place Waugh settled on fellow countrymen David Warner after contemplating between the former vice-captain and current skipper Aaron Finch. "Aaron Finch at his best is right up there, so is David Warner," said Waugh. "I'll go with ...
'Daddy' Rohit ready to play perfect deputy to Kohli
India's ODI deputy Rohit Sharma is a daddy now and with fatherhood comes a lot of responsibility. But the batsman is happy in the zone that he is in and in fact, he goes on to reveal that he is looking to help skipper Virat Kohli in whatever ways he can as Team India look to end the 2019 edition of the World Cup as champions.
Centurion to host 'Boxing Day' Test between South Africa and England
Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Friday announced the fixtures for the team's home international fixtures for the 2019/20 summer against England and Australia. As per the schedule, Centurion will host the Boxing Day Test match between South Africa and England (Dec 26-Dec 30).England will tour South Africa first and they will play four Test matches, three ODIs, and three T20Is from mid-December to mid-February.Australia will arrive in mid-February to take part in three T20Is followed by three ODIs against South Africa."This will be a huge summer both for our Proteas, who are currently ranked in the top three in all three formats, and for our fans who can look forward to action-packed and top-quality entertainment against two of the powerhouses of world cricket," sport24 quoted CSA Chief Executive Thabang Moroe as saying."The Test matches will take on particular significance as this will be our first home series in the ICC World Test Championship following our away series in India in ...
Shahan aims for double in X-30 National Championship
Young Shahan Ali Mohsin will be the cynosure of all eyes as the X-30 class of the JK Tyre-FMSCI National Karting Championship gets under way at the Meco Kartopia on Saturday.
Everybody will have to fight for place; defence is a concern: Igor Stimac
Newly-appointed Indian football team coach Igor Stimac Friday said all payers, including the talismanic Sunil Chhetri, are equal and will have to fight for their place. Stimac, who was part of Croatia's squad that finished third in the 1998 World Cup in France, is conducting a training camp for the national team probables in preparation for the King's Cup in Thailand. "We speak every day. I speak with all our players every day. That's my approach. I need to do that. I need to get information from them," Stimac said in his first press conference. "Of course, Sunil (Chhetri) is very valuable to our team. He is a role model to these young players who are knocking on the door. He has played so many games, he is so experienced, and has scored so many goals. But as well as others, he needs to fight for a place in the team. "We all start from zero. Football is like that. You don't get anything for the past. You get paid for today's job. As successful you are today, tomorrow you get your ...
Hockey: Indian eves lose 0-4 to South Korea
The Indian women's hockey team lost 0-4 to hosts South Korea in the third match here on Friday. India had earlier registered two back-to-back wins but could not muster a third win to end the series on a sweet note.
No Test in Durban during England tour of South Africa
Cricket South Africa on Friday announced the home international fixtures for the 2019-20 summer which includes series against England and Australia.
Gopichand decodes reason behind shuttlers' poor run in 2019
2019 has not been a happy year for Indian badminton. The latest disappointment came at the Sudirman Cup, the world mixed team championship, where India crashed out in the first round after defeats to Malaysia and China.
Indian women lose 0-4 to Korea in inconsequential 3rd match of hockey series
The series already in it's pocket, Indian women's hockey team lost 0-4 to hosts South Korea in the inconsequential third and final match of the rubber, here Friday. India had earlier registered back-to-back identical 2-1 wins over Korea in the first two games to pocket the series. India's defence was put under huge pressure right from the start as the hosts made successful forays into the striking circle. The hosts created as many as five penalty corners in the match and converted one in the 29th minute. Jang Heesan opened the scoring for Korea followed by back-to-back goals in the 41st minute from Kim Hyunji and Kang Jina. The three goals dented India's morale and any chances of a comeback into the match. Lee Yuri's goal in the 53rd minute further sealed the match in favour of the hosts. "The learning process is always with ups and downs and today was one such experience where we had to deal with setbacks early on and could not recover. But this does not mean we won't learn from this
I remain relevant, good or bad but people still talk about me: Karthik
Fifteen years after making his international debut and being in and out of the Indian team, Dinesh Karthik remains a topic of discussion and therefore, "relevant", in his own words. After the World Cup squad was announced on April 15, the 33-year-old was the subject of an intense debate with many even questioning his selection over the highly-talented Rishabh Pant. Chief selector MSK Prasad tried to settled the debate by saying that reserve keeper Karthik was picked for his better skills behind the stumps but even that did not cut it with Pant's supporters which included the likes of Ricky Ponting. "I would not still be playing if it was not for the blessings of my friends and family. Good or bad, if people still talk about you it means that you have managed to stay relevant. It is extremely satisfying that I have managed to stay relevant all these years and still trying hard to be part of the team," Karthik told PTI before leaving for England. He made his debut even before Dhoni who .
South Africa unveil England cricket tour dates
South Africa on Friday announced the dates for a tour by England which will include four Tests, three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals. The Test series will start in Centurion on December 26, followed by South Africa's traditional New Year Test at Newlands in Cape Town, starting on January 3. The remaining Tests will be in Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg. England will play two warm-up matches before the Tests, a two-day game against an Invitation XI and a three-day match against South Africa A. Both fixtures will be in Benoni. Cricket South Africa chief executive Thabang Moroe said the series would have special significance, "as this will be our first home series in the ICC World Test championship following our away series in India in October." South Africa will also host Australia for three Twenty20 internationals and three one-day internationals, starting five days after England's final fixture on February 16.
Arjen Robben calls Pep Guardiola 'tactically brilliant'
Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben heaped praise on Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City's treble-winning coach Pep Guardiola, calling him 'tactically brilliant'.Robben, who is bidding farewell to the club, played under Guardiola as the latter used to coach Bayern Munich back in 2013."He is tactically brilliant. I had a lot of fun under him and continued to develop myself. Also, because he has used me in different positions," Goal.com quoted Robben, as saying.Moreover, the Dutch winger even called Guardiola a 'football crazy' but in 'a positive way'"Pep has established a very special style of play here. He is football crazy in a positive way," he said.When Guardiola managed Bayern Munich, the only disappointment during his term was failing to deliver more Champions League success.However, Robben backed Guardiola and said he does not represent this opinion."We were unlucky with injuries. You will never know what would have happened if everyone had been fit. Back then we were so strong ...
Marcello Lippi named as China coach
Chinese Football Association (CFA) on Friday appointed Marcello Lippi as their coach for the second time as they prepare to qualify in the 2022 World Cup. The former Italy coach will be succeeding Fabio Cannavaro, who announced to step down from the position last month."The Italian football coach Marcello Lippi became the head coach of the Chinese national men's soccer team," Goal.com quoted CFA's statement."Since Lippi coached the national team, the team has shown a positive spirit and a tenacious fighting belief. We believe that in the days to come, under the leadership of Lippi and his coaching team, the members of the Chinese national men's soccer team will make a full impact in their World Cup competition dreams," the statement added.Lippi has already coached the China team for more than two years before leaving the post in January. The former Juventus boss led the club to five Serie A titles and also claimed the 1995-96 Champions League during his time with the Italian club. ...
Indonesia to face Japan in semi-finals of Sudirman Cup
Indonesia defeated Chinese Taipei 3-2 by winning all three doubles matches, making it to the semi-finals of the Sudirman Cup here on Friday.