Page 721 - Sports

Anderson clinches sixth title, denies Karlovic piece of history

Unleashing his all-round game at a crucial time, Kevin Anderson negated the serve and volley tactics of Ivo Karlovic in an excruciating three-set final to lift the Tata Open Maharashtra singles title here Saturday. In the battle between the big-serving tall players, the South African world number six tamed the gentle giant' 7-6(4) 6-7(2) 7-6 (5) to claim his sixth career title. Anderson had ended as runner-up in the final last year. Expectedly, points were short and there were no exciting rallies as the match was largely restricted to thundering serves from the two players. Karlovic saved all eight breakpoints in the two-hour 44-minute match and led 5-2 in the deciding tie break but the South African reeled off five straight points to clinch the trophy. Anderson left a return from Karlovic after being called out by the linesman but the chair umpire overruled and also denied him the Challenge. It put the Croat ahead 5-2 but still could not take advantage as Anderson regrouped quickly ..

IOA chief defends Manu in cash award row

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra on Saturday backed young shooting sensation Manu Bhaker over her row with the Haryana government the payment of a promised cash reward of Rs 2 crore.

Anthony on target as Churchill Brothers beat Minerva

Churchill Brothers made it two wins in a row after Anthony Wolfe struck twice in the second-half against Minerva Punjab to climb to third place in the I-League football tournament. Wolfe was adjudged Hero of the Match for his efforts from the bench. With this win, Churchill have posted 19 points on the board, and are one ahead of Real Kashmir. However, the 'Red Machines' have played one game extra, and the side from the northern-most state of India can reclaim the third spot if they can notch up three points against Mohun Bagan at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Sunday. Meanwhile, defending champions Minerva Punjab remained seventh with 13 points from 11 games (3 wins, 4 draws, 4 losses). Minerva coach Paul Munster introduced Japanese attacker Yu Koboki in place of his compatriot Hitova Ayemi in the 35th minute. Koboki immediately looked to impact the game, as he initiated a couple of quick attacks towards the fag end of the first half. In the 44th minute, he was laid-off by .

Masood, Shafiq fight back for Pakistan

Shan Masood and Asad Shafiq shared a century partnership as Pakistan fought to avoid an innings defeat on the third day of the second Test against South Africa at Newlands on Saturday. Facing a first innings deficit of 254 runs, Pakistan were 177 for three in their second innings at tea, 77 runs short of making South Africa bat again. The left-handed Masood made 61 and Shafiq was 73 not out. The pair put on 132 for the third wicket after Pakistan had been reduced to 27 for two after strikes by Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada. Masood, who was promoted to open the batting in place of the struggling Fakhar Zaman, again looked the most organised of the Pakistan batsmen before he was caught behind off Steyn shortly before tea. The slightly-built Shafiq played a wide variety of attacking strokes as he hurried to a half-century off 56 balls with seven fours and a six. Pakistan added 140 runs for the loss of Masood's wicket in 25 overs between lunch and tea. Earlier, Mohammad Amir took three ...

Danu becomes youngest I-League scorer as Indian Arrows beat Aizawl FC

Indian Arrows snatched a 1-0 victory against former champions Aizawl FC thanks to a solitary goal from youngster Rohit Danu in an I-League encounter here on Saturday.

Want to focus on Sydney Test before thinking about Ashes: Marcus Harris

In spite of being a favourite choice of former Australian captain Ricky Ponting for the 2019 Ashes, opener Marcus Harris on Saturday said that he is focusing on the final Test against India and the two Tests that follow against Sri Lanka before letting his mind think about the Ashes."We have still got a second innings here and another Test series before the Ashes is even to be worried about," Cricket Australia quoted Harris, as saying.The 26-year-old blazed 79 off 120 balls, which included eight boundaries, in the first innings on day three at the Sydney Cricket Ground.Talking about batting performance, Harris said: "I feel like my game is in good order, I felt like I have been batting pretty well. There is still a bit of work to do but my game feels in good order.""The thing as a batter is you always want to make hundreds, so I haven't done that yet. That is definitely one of my goals for the next innings and going forward," he added.Pat Cummins (25*) and Peter Handscomb (28*) were ..

Liverpool sell Solanke to Bournemouth

Liverpool has agreed to send forward Dominic Solanke to Bournemouth, the two Premier League clubs has announced.

Real Madrid trains without Bale, Llorente, Asensio, Mariano

Real Madrid CF on Saturday wrapped up preparations for its upcoming match against Real Sociedad in a La Liga matchday 18 contest, without the participation of first teams players Gareth Bale, Marcos Llorente, Marco Asensio and Mariano Diaz.

Pliskova ends Vekic's best run in Brisbane, sets up final clash vs Tsurenko

Fifth-seed Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic on Saturday defeated Donna Vekic of Croatia 6-3, 6-4 to secure her second Brisbane International final appearance following her successful 2017 campaign.

Bale injury not expected to be serious - Solari

Real Madrid coach Santiago Solari believes the calf injury that Gareth Bale sustained against Villarreal on Wednesday is not serious. Bale will undergo tests on Saturday to diagnose the extent of the problem after being forced off at half-time at the Estadio de la Ceramica, where Real Madrid drew 2-2. "We think the injury is not too serious," Solari said at a press conference on Saturday. "He will go through tests today and we all hope he is back with us quickly." Expectations were high for Bale this season following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo last summer but his rhythm has been disrupted by fitness issues. He has made 22 appearances for Real this term but played 90 minutes only five times. Bale's absence could mean a reprieve for Isco, who has been out of favour since Solari took charge but replaced the Welshman against Villarreal. Real Madrid host Real Sociedad in La Liga on Sunday and, speaking ahead of the game, Solari seemed positive about the prospect of Isco coming ...

Delhi corner two silver medals in national TT

Delhi's young paddlers proved their mettle at the 11SPORTS 64th National School Games Table Tennis Championship, claiming two silver medals at the Sama Indoor Sports Complex here on Saturday.

Real Madrid coach wishes Bale speedy recovery, defends Marcelo

Real Madrid's Argentine coach Santiago Solari on Saturday said the injury Gareth Bale sustained appeared to be a muscle strain and stood up for Brazilian defender Marcelo in the face of media criticism.

Tsurenko upsets Osaka to reach Brisbane International final

Ukrainian tennis player Lesia Tsurenko on Saturday saw off Japan's Naomi Osaka 6-2, 6-4 in the Brisbane International semifinal, earning a place in her biggest career final.

Man City's Guardiola warned over conduct in Liverpool match

England's Football Association formally has warned Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola over his conduct during the club's 2-1 win over Liverpool.

It's important to learn from Ashwin and Jadeja, feels Kuldeep

Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav, who emerged with figures of 3/71 on the third day of the fourth Test against Australia here, has said that sharing space with senior spinners like Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja motivates him.

Rohit Danu becomes youngest I-League scorer as Indian Arrows beat Aizawl 1-0

Indian Arrows snatched a 1-0 victory from hosts and former Champions Aizawl FC, courtesy a solitary goal from teenager Rohit Danu in the Hero I-League here on Saturday. By virtue of this goal, Danu also became the youngest player to score a goal in the I-League beating fellow Arrows starlet Jitendra Singh to the record, at the age of 16 years, five months and 27 days. The match that was played at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, in Aizawl saw Indian Arrows rise up in the Hero I-League points table to the ninth position, while hosts Aizawl FC slipped a place to be in the 10th spot. Anwar Ali of Indian arrows was adjudged as the Hero of the Match. As expected, Aizawl, fresh from their fighting win against Gokulam Kerala FC in their last encounter, started on an attacking note. However, the Indian Arrows, who are known for their rock-solid defence, stood up to their reputation, denying the hosts any clear chance. Their persistence was soon rewarded when a faulty pass from Aizawl's Nigerian ...

Karnataka edges out Telangana in national volleyball

: Karnataka defeated a fighting Telangana 3-2 in a women's Group 'B' match of the 67th Senior Volleyball Championship at the Nehru indoor stadium here Saturday. Karnataka started strongly and took the first two sets before its opponent launched a fightback. The Telangana women played some enterprising volleyball to win the third and fourth sets. The decider was a close one with the team going neck to neck before Karnataka clinched it 15-13 to secure a 25-20, 25-12, 16-25, 17-25, 15-13 victory. In another women's encounter, West Bengal made short work of Haryana, winning 3-0 in Group A. After taking the first set comfortably, the women from Bengal encountered some resistance in the second before racing home in the third. In the men's event, Karnataka and Punjab were involved in a contest of fluctuating fortunes, which the former won 3-2 in Group 'A'. The two teams were locked in a close battle and Punjab gained the edge by taking the first set 25-23 before Karnataka came

We're in no position to underestimate any opponent: Constantine

The Indian football team has been in an impressive run in form in recent months but head coach Stephen Constantine Saturday warned his players not to underestimate Thailand in their campaign-opening match of the Asian Cup here Sunday. India, taking part in their fourth Asian Cup and first since 2011, have come into the continental showpiece after creditable draws against China and Oman in the lead-up to the tournament. They lost narrowly (1-2) to Jordan in their third big match ahead of the Asian Cup. These results were preceded by a 13-match unbeaten run in international friendly matches and the Intercontinental Cup at home last summer. But, Constantine asked his players to just focus on giving their best in the tournament. "Thailand are a very good side and they are not to be underestimated at all. We're in no position to underestimate anybody. We have to take one game at a time," he said ahead of Sunday's crucial match. "We'll give everything we have as we have continued to do in ..

NZ clinch ODI series in a thriller despite Thisara Perera heroics

In spite of Thisara Perera's spectacular knock of 140 off 74 balls, Sri Lanka fell 21 runs short of New Zealand's total in the second ODI on Saturday.Chasing a mammoth of 320, Sri Lanka lost two wickets early in their innings. However, opener Danushka Gunathilaka played a crucial inning of 71 before the visitors slumped to 128 for the loss of 7.Perera along with his captain Lasith Malinga then added 75 runs for the eighth wicket stand. The all-rounder singlehandedly recovered his side with an astonishing maiden century, which included eight boundaries and 13 sixes before giving a terrific catch to Trent Boult in the 47th over. Eventually, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 298.Earlier in Black Caps' innings, Ross Taylor (90), Colin Munro (87) and James Neesham (67), helped the visitors post 319 for the loss of 7New Zealand have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series with the final match to be played in Nelson on January 8.

School boy Aditya scores creditable win over Tajikh rival

India's 12-year-old Candidate Master Aditya Mittal (ELO 2251) defeated yet another higher rated player, IM Muhammad Khusenkhojaev of Tajikistan (2455), in the sixth round of the EKA IIFWL Investment Mangers 4th Mumbai International GM Chess Tournament on Saturday. The Mumbai school boy has till now managed to remain unbeaten having defeated a Grandmaster (GM Deviatkin Andrei (2464) of Russia) and drawn with four IM-titled players. Aditya's efforts have earned him a performance rating of 2500 and an increase of 93 rating points. At present he is in seventh position. Meanwhile, Indian Grandmaster Sandipan Chanda (2555) finally suffered a defeat as he lost to Vietnamese GM Tran Tuan Minh (2524) in the sixth round. The fourth ranked Sandipan, who had four wins and a draw in the previous five rounds, was unable to sustain his fine form against the Vietnam Grandmaster and lost in the 38 moves with black pieces on the top board. Indian title contender, IM Visakh N R (2491) ...