The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Hafiz hopes for a picture-perfect ending in SEA Games
- Button and Hamilton pay tribute to Wheldon
- Hurray for Murray
| Hafiz hopes for a picture-perfect ending in SEA Games Posted: 17 Oct 2011 05:52 PM PDT PETALING JAYA: National cyclist Hafiz Sufian will stick a photo of his beloved wife Najah Raihan Fouzi on the handle of his bicycle when he goes out on the track in search of glory at the Indonesia SEA Games next month. It is as much a poignant reminder of his love for his pregnant wife as well as his concern for her well-being. His wife is expected to give birth to their first child in January and Hafiz is keeping his fingers crossed that all will be fine until he returns from the SEA Games campaign in Jakarta. Hafiz was given a scare when his wife was admitted to hospital for a check-up recently but his mind is now focused on doing the best he can. * Full report in The Star today Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Button and Hamilton pay tribute to Wheldon Posted: 17 Oct 2011 05:49 PM PDT LONDON: Formula One champions Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton have paid tribute to fellow British race car driver Dan Wheldon (pic) after the IndyCar driver was killed in a massive crash in Las Vegas. Button, who raced against Wheldon in karting in the 1990s, tweeted yesterday that his compatriot was a "true fighter" and a "legend in our sport but also a great guy." Hamilton, Button's team-mate at McLaren, says Wheldon was "a racer I'd followed throughout my career as I often followed in his footsteps as we climbed the motor sport ladder in the UK. He was an extremely talented driver." Hamilton says he took inspiration from "a British guy who not only went over to the States but who twice won the Indy 500." Hamilton finished second in Sunday's Korean Grand Prix, with Button fourth. — AP Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Posted: 17 Oct 2011 05:48 PM PDT SHANGHAI: Andy Murray's win at the Shanghai Masters confirms he is the man of the moment and marks a potentially decisive watershed as he overtakes Roger Federer in the rankings for the first time. Victory in China over Spain's David Ferrer on Sunday was the third consecutive title triumph for the 24-year-old Scot after wins in Bangkok and Tokyo and he is on a 15-match winning streak after his triumphant Asian swing. As of yesterday, Britain's Murray will have just Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal ahead of him in the rankings as he targets the year-end number three slot, something he has never before achieved. Federer, absent from Shanghai, will swap places with Murray, slipping to number four – his lowest ranking in more than eight years. The last time the Swiss great was ranked lower than number three was way back in June 2003, the month before he won his first Grand Slam at Wimbledon. That signalled the start of a period of astonishing dominance in the sport during which he held the number one position for a record 237 consecutive weeks. Speaking after his 7-5, 6-4 triumph in Shanghai, an upbeat Murray said his ultimate aim remained to go further than toppling Federer or finishing the year ranked third, which in any case was still not guaranteed. "But, yeah, I mean, if you finish in front of Federer in a year, then there's not many people the last five, six, seven years that have been able to say that. So that's obviously a nice thing if I can do it," he said. Federer's move down the rankings will give extra ammunition to those who believe the Swiss, 30, has seen his best days and is in gradual decline, with Djokovic, Nadal and Murray all still in their mid-20s. For Federer, 2011 is his first year without a Grand Slam since 2002. He has won just one title, in Doha. But Murray said it was too soon to write off his Swiss rival, against whom he holds an 8-6 career advantage. "For a lot of years everything went very right for him. He's had a few tournaments this year where maybe things could have gone his way and they didn't. That's tough. But I'm sure next year he'll be competing. He's still playing great tennis," said Murray. Murray has been as high as number two in the world, in 2009, but has never ended the year ranked higher than fourth. But while the Briton has earned a place at tennis's top table, the glaring omission from his CV is a Grand Slam win. He has reached three finals, beaten twice by Federer and then by Djokovic at this year's Australian Open. His three main rivals have a total of 30 Grand Slams between them. Federer is the all-time leader with 16 and Spain's Nadal has 10. World number one Djokovic's stellar season, including wins at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, has taken the Serb's tally to four. Murray remains confident that he will make the long-awaited breakthrough and become Britain's first men's Grand Slam singles champion since Fred Perry in 1936. "It's been a tough year in that respect, losing to the very best players in the Grand Slams," said Murray, who reached at least the semi-finals of all four majors this year. — AFP Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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