Page 634 - Sports

Plaza stars in Churchill Brothers' 2-1 win over Indian Arrows

Willis Plaza struck twice to guide Churchill Brothers to a 2-1 win over Indian Arrows in their I League clash at the Tilak Maidan, here Saturday. Plaza, who has also adjudged the Hero of the Match, scored his first goal in the 22nd minute off a header while his second came in the 45th minute, giving Churchill the decisive lead after Deepak Tangri's eaqualiser for Indian Arrows in the 38th minute. With this win, Churchill are now placed second in the table with 28 points, two short of league toppers Chennai City FC. Hosts Churchill Brothers pressed hard right from the first minute, but the young Indian Arrows defenders ensured they stand tall to their reputation. Plaza in combination with Dawda Ceesay and Anthony Wolfe kept pressing hard on the young Arrows from both sides but visitors' defenders stood strong. On the other hand, the Indian Arrows did make some interesting moves, breaching the Churchill defense line at times, but lack of a creative finish and experience kept the ...

Sharma, Bhullar stay afloat at T-38th in Dubai Desert Classic

Indian golfers Shubhankar Sharma and Gaganjeet Bhullar carded two-under 70 and three-under 69 respectively to lie tied 38th after the third round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic here Saturday. Shubhankar gained eight places, while Bhullar moved 18 places up to Tied-38th at six-under each. Bryson DeChambeau, called the 'Mad Scientist' in golf, has all his irons and wedges cut to the same length of 37.5 inches to suit his own theories on the game. On Saturday, he converted a round that seemed to be going the wrong way following back-to-back bogeys on seventh and eighth at which point he was one-over for the day. He holed five birdies in the last 10 holes for a card of four-under 68 and took sole lead at 16-under and in sight of his maiden overseas win. Defending champion Li Haotong attempting to become only the second back-to-back winner in Desert Classic after Scotsman Stephen Gallacher did in 2014, shot a third 67 to get to 15-under after a birdie-birdie finish. They were followed ..

Osaka defeats Kvitova in Australian Open final, becomes new World No.1

Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic on Saturday saved three consecutive match points in the second set to make Naomi Osaka of Japan sweat a little more for a 7-6 (7-2), 5-7, 6-4 win in a nail-biting Australian Open final.

Kabaddi will become most popular sport in India: Ajay Thakur (IANS Interview)

Praising the upcoming generation of kabaddi players, veteran star and national captain Ajay Thakur has asserted that the 'desi' sport will be the most popular game in the country within a decade.

Saina enters Indonesia Masters final

Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal advanced to the women's singles final of the Indonesia Masters 2019 after a hard-fought win over China's He Bingjiao here on Saturday.

Kvitova feels a winner, despite Australian Open pain

Comeback queen Petra Kvitova said she was hurting but still felt like a winner after going down guns blazing against Japan's Naomi Osaka Saturday in an epic clash for the Australian Open crown. The Czech two-time Wimbledon champion overcame incredible odds to even play tennis again after a knife attack damaged her racquet hand in late 2016. Doctors had given her only a 10 percent chance of returning to the sport and Kvitova said reaching the final of the season-opening Grand Slam was an achievement in itself. "It's hurting a lot today, I wanted to win and have the trophy," the 28-year-old said after the 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 6-4 defeat. "But I think I already won two years ago. So for me, it's crazy. I can hardly believe that I just played in a Grand Slam final again. "I've been through many, many things, not really great ones." The Czech said she had her chances against Osaka and the 2hr 27min final hinged on a few key moments. She was unable to convert five break points in the first set ..

Anand draws with Duda; Gujrathi beats Mamedyarov

Viswanathan Anand slipped to joint fourth spot after a draw with Poland's Jan Krzysztof Duda, while Vidit Gujrathi improved his chances by defeating third seed Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan in the 11th round of Tata Steel masters here. Anand did not get much with his white pieces out of a Petroff defense game and nothing eventful happened in the contest with the Polish youngster matching him move-for-move. The pieces got exchanged at regular intervals and the players reached a level rook and knight endgame where the draw was agreed. The draw took Anand to 6.5 points out of a possible eleven and the Indian ace will now have to beat both Ding Liren of China and Gujrathi in order to keep his chances alive. Gujrathi, meanwhile, seems to be hitting brilliant form in the last few games. While the victory against Vladimir Kramnik of Russia in the previous round will be something that the Indian will cherish for a long time, the win over Mamedyarov will also be a bright spot in what ...

Plaudits flow as Osaka 'beyond excited' to be number one

Naomi Osaka fulfilled a long-held dream Saturday by becoming the world number one after winning the Australian Open, and some of the greats of the game forecast a dazzling future for the young Japanese star. The 21-year-old US Open champion held her nerve to battle past Petra Kvitova 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 6-4 and claim back-to-back Grand Slams, becoming the first Asian, male or female, to hold the top ranking in the process. "I'm beyond excited to become the new world No.1," she said after dislodging Romania's Simona Halep. "I've always dreamt of being in this position and I am honoured to be part of the elite group of players who have reached the No.1 ranking." At 21 years, 104 days old, she is the youngest player to be on top of the world since Caroline Wozniacki reached the pinnacle in 2010 at 20 years and 92 days old. After making the semi-finals at the China Open last October, Osaka became the second Japanese woman to break into the Top 5, following Kimiko Date who reached No.4 in ...

Japan tennis fans hail 'new Queen' Osaka

It was an agonising two hours and 27 minutes but Japanese tennis fans burst into tears and shouts of joy Saturday as Naomi Osaka sealed her second straight Grand Slam. Supporters in a packed Tokyo bar had a rollercoaster ride watching the action from the Australian Open final as their heroine Osaka contrived to give up three Championship points in the second set. But as Osaka claimed victory and sunk to her knees in triumph and disbelief, fans let out the pent-up emotion following a thrilling see-saw battle with eighth seed Petra Kvitova from the Czech Republic. They punched the air, clapped hands and gave each other hugs and high fives as shouts of joy rang around the B ONE bar in upmarket Ginza, replacing earlier chants of "Naomi! Naomi! Naomi!" Prime Minister Shinzo Abe led his nation's congratulations, hailing an "impressive victory in a very tight game". "I'm so proud of the birth of the new world queen," tweeted Abe. In securing victory in Melbourne after her stunning win over ..

Gopal strikes fifty to keep Karnataka afloat

Sheryas Gopal strcuk a timely unbeaten half-century on Saturday as Saurashtra and Karnataka were headed for an exciting finish in their Ranji Trophy semifinal clash, here. After bundling out Saurashtra for 236 for a slender 39-run lead, Karnataka ended the third day at 237 for eight to extend their overall lead to 276. Gopal and Abhimanyu Mithun (35) were unseparated after putting on crucial 61 runs for the undefeated ninth wicket when the stumps were drawn for the day. Pacer Jaydev Unadkat (3/35) and left-spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (3/77) shared six wickets between them in visitors' fight back. With two full days left in the game and Saurashtra having ever-reliable Cheteshwar Pujara in their ranks, chasing a target in the vicinity of 300 should not be a big task for the visitors. In the quarterfinals, Saurashtra had chased down 372, highest ever successful chase in the history of tournament, against Uttar Pradesh. Saurashtra added just nine runs to their overnight total, losing ...

If only we had Messi - Aussies say X-factor needed as Asia catches up

Australia's coach said Asian sides had closed the gap after the defending champions received a reality check at the Asian Cup, signalling a tough time ahead in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. The Socceroos once expected to dominate their regional rivals but they found their title defence tough, going goalless for 210 minutes of knockout football before slumping 1-0 in the quarter-finals to hosts UAE. Coach Graham Arnold presided over an inexperienced and injury-ravaged squad -- a far cry from the 'Golden Generation', including Tim Cahill, Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell, that he took to the same stage in 2007. He said his young Socceroos had much to learn, but cautioned that Asia's increasingly well-resourced teams, including semi-finalists UAE and Qatar, could no longer be considered pushovers. "You have to congratulate the UAE and Qatar -- two Middle East countries that are coming very, very fast," Arnold told his post-match press conference. "If there's anything for the Australian ...

Pel, Nirundorn claim junior titles

Top seed Stijn Pel of the Netherlands made a phenomenal comeback to lift the boys singles title while Thailand's Mai Napath Nirundorn won the girls singles in the DKS ITF Juniors 2019 at the Dakshin Kalikata Sansad clay courts, here Saturday. In the boys singles final, the opening set went on with a series of service breaks where China's Hanwen Li got lucky as he bagged the set by 6-3 in 35 minutes. Thereafter, it was the top seed all the way as he showed utmost ruthlessness winning 13 straight games to wrap the issue 3-6 6-0 6-0 in 59 minutes. Seeded 4th in the girls singles, Mai Napath Nirundorn also bounced back from a set down to drub unseeded Alexandra Eala by a long 2-6 6-3 6-2 for the title.

Saina enters Indonesia Masters final

Eighth seed Saina will now face either Spain's three-time World Champion and reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin

Many Indian cricketers read my novels: Author Jeffrey Archer

That acclaimed author Jeffrey Archer is a fan of many Indian cricketers ceased to be a trivia for his fans long back, but the fact that the feeling is mutual might come as a surprise to some. "Lots of Indian cricketers read my book. For example Ashwin, VVS Laxman, and Rahul Dravid... they all read my books," Archer told PTI at the ongoing Jaipur Literaure Festival (JLF) here at the Diggi Palace on Saturday. That said, his fans are not limited to famous Indian cricketers. Anjali Tendulkar, the wife of legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who he described as his "dear friend", is also an ardent reader of his work since long. "Anjali reads all my books," said the author, who is recently out with his new book "Heads You Win". Though on a very tight schedule here in India, the story-teller, who doesn't like to be called a 'writer', never misses out on any cricket match and is in fact always up to speed with the latest happening in the cricketing world. So did he watch the India- New ...

Alcott wins 5th consecutive Australian Open quad wheelchair singles title

Dylan Alcott on Saturday defeated David Wagner of the United States to win the quad wheelchair singles title of Australian Open for the fifth straight year.

2nd ODI: Kohli praises bowlers after victory

India captain Virat Kohli praised his bowlers after the win over New Zealand in the second One-Day International (ODI) here on Saturday.

'Shocked' Osaka wins Australian Open to become world number one

Japan's Naomi Osaka said she was "in a state of shock" Saturday after holding her nerve to battle past Petra Kvitova to win the Australian Open in a three-set thriller that also delivered her the world number one ranking. The fourth seed and US Open champion triumphed 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 6-4 in a 2hr 27min epic over the Czech eighth seed to claim back-to-back Grand Slams and become the first Asian, male or female, to hold the top spot. The Japanese youngster fell to one knee in celebration, head bowed, as Melbourne Park erupted in thunderous cheers. "I felt like I was in a state of shock through the entire trophy presentation," the 21-year-old said. A rattled Osaka almost blew her title hopes with one hand on the trophy when she failed to convert three championship points leading 5-3 in the second set. The never-say-die Kvitova forced a deciding set before Osaka finally edged ahead with a decisive break early in the third. "Of course I felt very disappointed and sad when I had three match

Wealth is not only reason that youngsters feel entitled: Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid believes that instant fame and wealth are not the only reasons for a young cricketer to feel entitled as excessive parental attention during formative years could also prove to be equally harmful. Dravid's comments came in the wake of controversy surrounding the sexist remarks made by Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul, who were suspended by the CoA and subsequently had their provisional suspensions lifted. Dravid refused to agree when suggested that perhaps big money influences a player's character. "I don't like to equate entitlement with wealth. Yes, it can come with wealth, but I don't think that is the only factor. It can happen from a young age. Sometimes in a lower-income family they see one of the kids is special in cricket so the entire energy of the family is focused towards him or her," Dravid told ESPN Cricinfo. "If everything is sacrificed for that one person, then sometimes that can lead to a sense of entitlement as well. If that starts at a very young age, the kid .

Saina Nehwal storms into Indonesia Masters finals

Two-time Commonwealth Games champion Saina Nehwal stormed into the finals of the Indonesia Masters with a win over sixth seed He Bingjiao on Saturday.Eighth seed Saina, who had reached the finals at the last edition, defeated her Chinese opponent 18-21, 21-12, 21-18 in their maiden meeting.The Indian shuttler raced to an early 11-7 lead in the opening game but Bingjiao made a solid comeback to seal the first game in her favour.In the second game, Saina regained her rhythm and fought back in a much better style 21-12 to take the game in the decider.The final game saw both the shuttlers in a neck-to-neck battle. However, Saina raced ahead and prevailed 21-18 over Bingjiao to advance to the finals of the prestigious tournament.Saina will next face the winner of the second semi-final match between three-time World Champion and Olympic champion Carolina Marin of Spain or third-seeded Chen Yufei of China.

It's good that lot of guys are competing for one all-rounder's slot: Kedar

Kedar Jadhav is happy that there is a "healthy competition" in the Indian team for the all-rounder's slot which is up for grabs going into the 2019 World Cup in England. With Hardik Pandya back in the mix after the CoA lifted his suspension, the Baroda all-rounder will be competing with Tamil Nadu's Vijay Shankar. Jadhav, who is a spinner-all-rounder is also very much in contention for a permanent playing XI slot during World Cup. "It is a good thing for any team that more guys are competing for one spot. So every time any guy gets an opportunity, he will know that he needs to perform," said Jadhav, who scored 22 off 10 balls and also took a wicket in India's 90-run win in the second ODI against New Zealand. Jadhav, who also played a significant role in the ODI series decider against Australia in Melbourne, said that everyone is trying to put their best foot forward and grab that spot in the UK bound squad. "It's not about what I think about my selection. Whether I accept it or not, ..