The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Beauty and style have no meaning for England’s rugby team
- Dulgheru stuns Wimbledon champ, Sharapova and Federer advance
- Isinbayeva and Ennis dethroned, Rudisha rockets to 800m gold
| Beauty and style have no meaning for England’s rugby team Posted: 30 Aug 2011 05:52 PM PDT BAGSHOT (England): "Football is about glory, it is about doing things in style and with a flourish, about going out and beating the lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom." It is fair to say the philosophy of Danny Blanchflower, captain of the Tottenham Hotspur team that 50 years ago won English soccer's league and FA Cup double, is not shared by Martin Johnson. Indeed the England rugby manager, on the eve of his squad's departure for the World Cup, made it clear he didn't care how his team won in New Zealand, so long as they did. Critics of Johnson's England will suggest they'd only be too delighted for their opponents to expire and that there have been many times since he took charge three years ago when they've indeed bored their own supporters, never mind anyone else, without the compensation of victory. The contrast between Australia's 25-20 Tri-Nations win over New Zealand on Saturday and England's somewhat more prosaic 20-9 final warm-up match success against Ireland, the same day in Dublin, did indeed seem stark. One sure-fire way to annoy Johnson, England's 2003 World Cup-winning captain, is to suggest his team 'do not play rugby'. England were much criticised for a lack of cutting edge in a recent 19-9 warm-up defeat by Wales - "you'd have thought the world had caved in," said Johnson - but they did score two tries against Ireland. And Johnson, as befits a former lock, knows better than most there is more to 'playing rugby' than flowing backline moves. "Australia play the way they play - you have got to be able to play different ways to win a tournament," said Johnson, bidding to lead England to a third successive World Cup final following their 15-6 defeat by South Africa in Paris four years ago. "Argentina will come and do what they do," added Johnson of England's opening pool opponents in Dunedin on Sept 10. "If everyone played the same way it would not be as much fun. Teams will do what they have to do to win. Whether people think that is 'playing rugby'...it is all playing rugby." But Johnson, in a tacit admission that England's back-play may not always have been up to scratch, added: "We are getting there. We have got some good balance but it is the ability to change on the hoof. "I haven't seen all of the New Zealand game (against Australia) but they came out and changed at half-time. "If it is effective and that is what you need to do, it is playing rugby. Kicking it in the air and chasing it can get you to a World Cup final if you do it well enough," added Johnson in a reference to the tactics employed by the 2007 Springboks. "When we beat South Africa in 2003 that was the most pressurised game," said Johnson of England's 25-6 World Cup quarter-final win in Perth. "We beat them by 19 points and everyone said that wasn't very good. "I would have taken winning by one point. If you win by a point, you are still in there fighting. "World Cups are about handling the pressure and performing over a long period of time and not getting distracted by what people say. "If you can handle that, and just try to win the game, good things happen." — AFP |
| Dulgheru stuns Wimbledon champ, Sharapova and Federer advance Posted: 30 Aug 2011 05:51 PM PDT WIMBLEDON winner Petra Kvitova crumbled in the first round of the US Open on Sunday, as Maria Sharapova showed her championship mettle with a battling victory. Kvitova tumbled out of the tournament at the hands of unheralded Romanian Alexandra Dulgheru while Sharapova – who she beat for the Wimbledon crown – eked out a three-set win over British teenager Heather Watson. On the men's side, third-seeded Roger Federer secured a 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Colombian Santiago Giraldo, although he was far from his fluent best. Kvitova, ranked seventh in the world and seeded fifth, made 52 unforced errors in a 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 defeat to 48th-ranked Dulgheru. Meanwhile, Sharapova battled back from a set and a break down to beat Watson 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. It was another post-Wimbledon disappointment for Kvitova, the 21-year-old Czech who has been unable to build on her Grand Slam breakthrough. "It's something new for me," Kvitova said of the pressure of carrying the title of Grand Slam champion into a tournament. "Everything is in the head," she added. "If you are thinking on court negatively, it's bad." In an erratic showing, Sharapova made 58 unforced errors, but notched 41 winners helping her remain unbeaten in a dozen three-set matches this season. "The best thing about this match is I gave myself a chance to play another one," Sharapova said. Federer did the same, and while he wasn't at his sharpest in the early going the outcome was never in doubt against the 54th-ranked Giraldo, who has failed to beat a top-10 player. "Couldn't be better," the five-time champion said. "It was a great atmosphere, great ovation when I walked out. I really enjoyed it." Federer acknowledged that it wasn't his best tennis, but said it didn't have to be. "It doesn't need to be pretty," Federer said. "I don't think I've ever played my very, very best in the first round." Federer will no doubt need to be more convincing over the coming days at Flushing Meadows, where he is seeded behind world number one Novak Djokovic and defending champion Rafael Nadal. A five-time US Open champion, Federer won the most recent of his 16 Grand Slam titles at the 2010 Australian Open, and he needs a triumph here to extend his streak of eight consecutive seasons with at least one Grand Slam crown. He started slowly under the lights on the Arthur Ashe stadium, with 17 of his 35 unforced errors coming in the opening set. "As the match went on, I think I started to get more solid and better and that's a good feeling to have," Federer said, adding that he thought the Flushing Meadows courts were playing slower this year than in the past. Mardy Fish, playing his first Grand Slam as the top-ranked American, opened the action at the Arthur Ashe stadium, where he beat Germany's Tobias Kamke 6-2, 6-2, 6-1. "This is extremely different for me, this feeling coming out here and trying to show everything you can, to show you're the number one guy, at least for this tournament," the eighth-seeded Fish said. Fish next faces Malek Jaziri, a qualifier ranked 184th in the world who became the first Tunisian to win a Grand Slam match when he beat Dutchman Thimeo de Bakker 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. Colombian Alejandro Falla, ranked 119th in the world, survived three match points to topple 15th-seeded Serbian Viktor Troicki 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5. France's Gael Monfils, the seventh seed, advanced with a hard-fought 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 6-4 victory over Grigor Dimitrov. Serena's sister Venus Williams, who is unseeded after a season spent largely on the sidelines, advanced with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Russian Vesna Dolonts. Venus, winner of back-to-back US Opens in 2000 and 2001, was playing her first match since Wimbledon and just her fourth tournament of the year. "It's always nerve-wracking to play the first match after a layoff in a major," said Venus, who grinned and clenched her fist after firing a service winner past Dolonts on match point. "But I just tried to rely on experience and just tried to get after it." Other seeded women who advanced included second-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva, a finalist here last year, eighth-seeded Marion Bartoli of France and ninth-seeded Australian Samantha Stosur. Zvonareva defeated France's Stephanie Foretz-Gacon 6-3, 6-0. Bartoli beat Russian Alexandra Panova 7-5, 6-3, and Stosur beat Sweden's Sofia Arvidsson 6-2, 6-3. China's 13th-seeded Peng Shuai defeated American Varvara Lepchenko 6-3, 6-4 and 12th-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland beat her younger sister Urszula Radwanska 6-2, 6-3. — AFP First round results Men Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukr) bt Frederico Gil (Por) 6-4, 6-2, 7-5; Flavio Cipolla (Ita) bt Kei Nishikori (Jpn) 6-4, 6-2 (retired); Ivo Karlovic (Cro) bt Fernando Gonzalez (Chi) 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3); Richard Gasquet (Fra) bt Sergiy Stakhovsky (Ukr) 6-4, 6-4, 6-0; Tomas Berdych (Cze) bt Romain Jouan (Fra) 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1; Fabio Fognini (Ita) bt Horacio Zeballos (Arg) 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4; Philipp Petzschner (Ger) bt Albert Ramos (Spa) 7-5, 6-7 (2-7), 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3; Janko Tipsarevic (Srb) bt Augustin Gensse (Fra) 6-2, 7-5, 6-0; Marcel Granollers (Spa) bt Xavier Malisse (Bel) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4; Mikhail Kukushkin (Kaz) bt Albert Montanes (Spa) 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5); Bernard Tomic (Aus) bt Michael Yani (US) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4; Marin Cilic (Cro) bt Ryan Harrison (US) 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 (8-6); Radek Stepanek (Cze) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (Ger) 6-4, 6-1, 6-3; Juan Monaco (Arg) bt Andreas Seppi (Ita) 7-6 (7-1), 6-2, 6-2; Tommy Haas (Ger) bt Jonathan Dasnieres de Veigy (Fra) 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1; Michael Llodra (Fra) bt Victor Hanescu (Rom) 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Kevin Anderson (Rsa) bt Go Soeda (Jpn) 6-1, 6-3, 6-0; Malek Jaziri (Tun) bt Thiemo de Bakker (Hol) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2; Mardy Fish (US) bt Tobias Kamke (Ger) 6-2, 6-2, 6-1; Alejandro Falla (Col) bt Viktor Troicki (Srb) 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5; Gael Monfils (Fra) bt Grigor Dimitrov (Bul) 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 6-4; Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spa) bt Pablo Andujar (Spa) 1-6, 7-5, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3; Roger Federer (Swi) bt Santiago Giraldo (Col) 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Women Alexandra Dulgheru (Rom) bt Petra Kvitova (Cze) 7-6 (7-3), 6-3; Monica Niculescu (Rom) bt Patricia Mayr (Aut) 6-3, 6-3; Madison Keys (US) bt Jill Craybas (US) 6-2, 6-4; Lucie Safarova (Cze) bt Magdalena Rybarikova (Svk) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2; Agnieszka Radwanska (Pol) bt Urszula Radwanska (Pol) 6-2, 6-3; Peng Shuai (Chn) bt Varvara Lepchenko (US) 6-3, 6-4; Tsvetana Pironkova (Bul) bt Virginie Razzano (Fra) 6-2, 6-3; Laura Pous (Spa) bt Misaki Doi (Jpn) 6-2, 6-7 (12-14), 5-2 (retired); Julia Goerges (Ger) bt Kristina Barrois (Ger) 6-3, 6-2; Anastasiya Yakimova (Blr) bt Noppawan Lertcheewakarn (Tha) 6-0, 4-6, 6-3; Maria Sharapova (Rus) bt Heather Watson (Bri) 3-6, 7-5, 6-3; Dominika Cibulkova (Svk) bt Zhang Shuai (Chn) 6-3, 6-4; Marion Bartoli (Fra) bt Alexandra Panova (Rus) 7-5, 6-3; Maria Kirilenko (Rus) bt Ekaterina Makarova (Rus) 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-3); Irina Falconi (US) bt Klara Zakopalova (Cze) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2; Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spa) bt Karin Knapp (Ita) 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-3; Laura Robson (Bri) bt Ayumi Morita (Jpn) 7-6 (7-5), 1-0 (retired); Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukr) bt Lucie Hradecka (Cze) 6-3, 6-0; Vera Zvonareva (Rus) bt Stephanie Foretz-Gacon (Fra) 6-3, 6-0; Nadia Petrova (Rus) bt Chan Yung-Jan (Tpe) 6-3, 1-6, 6-4; Romina Oprandi (Ita) bt Melanie Oudin (US) 6-0, 7-6 (7-9); Vera Dushevina (Rus) bt Anastasija Sevastova (Lat) 6-3, 6-4; Samantha Stosur (Aus) bt Sofia Arvidsson (Swe) 6-2, 6-2; Venus Williams (US) bt Vesna Dolonts (Rus) 6-4, 6-3; Christina McHale (US) bt Aleksandra Wozniak (Can) 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4; Polona Hercog (Slo) bt Bethanie Mattek-Sands (US) 6-1, 6-3; Alla Kudryavtseva (Rus) bt Anastasia Rodionova (Aus) 7-6 (7-1), 7-5. |
| Isinbayeva and Ennis dethroned, Rudisha rockets to 800m gold Posted: 30 Aug 2011 05:51 PM PDT RUSSIA'S athletics queen Yelena Isinbayeva became the latest victim of what is developing into a curious curse at the World Athletics Championships as Jessica Ennis lost her heptathlon title and David Rudisha rocketed to 800m gold yesterday. Pole vault Olympic champion and world record holder Isinbayeva featured on the cover of the event's official programme on day four - and like the cover stars on each of the past three days suffered a shock and ignominious exit. On day one Australian Olympic and defending world pole vault champion Steve Hooker appeared and swiftly exited without even completing one successful jump. Day two's cover showcased Usain Bolt - disqualified from the men's 100m final - and Monday was the turn of Dayron Robles who was stripped of gold for bumping in the 110m hurdles. Isinbayeva at least got off the ground, but her failure to clear 4.80m was a miserable showing from one of athletics' genuine greats. Instead Brazil's Fabiana Murer took gold with a distinctly lukewarm 4.85m, way short of Isinbayeva's 5.06m world mark. These gripping Daegu Games have so far been shaped by high drama and disqualifications - notably world's fastest man Bolt and the burly Robles - but finally athletic performance was the focus. For Ennis, though, it was not the performance she wanted. Three poor javelin throws where she never got beyond 40m left the British athlete trailing Tatyana Chernova with only the 800m to go. She was never going to beat Chernova by the nine seconds she needed to become the first Briton to retain a world title. "It's a silver medal so I can't beat myself up too much but I obviously wanted that gold," said 25-year-old Ennis. "I haven't shed any tears yet but I might. After the javelin I knew I'd thrown it away." One athlete you would bet the farm on in 800m, though, is Kenyan Rudisha. The rangy Masai simply ran from the front and nobody could catch him, winning in a time of 1:43.91 ahead of Abubaker Kaki of Sudan. Rudisha is now unbeaten since the 2009 worlds. — Reuters |
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