The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Canada upset Argentina to win inaugural Pan-Am rugby title
- World No. 1 Chong Wei rakes in another title in France
- Kvitova downs Azarenka to win the US$1.75mil jackpot
| Canada upset Argentina to win inaugural Pan-Am rugby title Posted: 30 Oct 2011 06:12 PM PDT GUADALAJARA, Mexico (Reuters): Two interception tries from Conor Trainor spurred Canada to a 26-24 upset victory over Argentina in the gold medal match in the inaugural rugby sevens tournament at the Pan-American Games on Sunday. The two-point winning margin ultimately derived from Nathan Hirayama's fine conversion kick from the left touchline after Canada's first try but it was Trainor's successful forays into the Argentina backline that kept his team in the match. "This time last year he was on the fringe of going to the World Cup and he's just come back from the World Cup (where he) scored two tries against New Zealand. Now he's got a gold medal here," Canada coach Geraint John said of Trainor after the medal ceremony. "He's a very instinctive player ... Sometimes as a coach we tell them not to do it because it can put us out of our structure, but it worked," John added. The curly-haired, 21-year-old Trainor said: "I'm sure the coaches were pretty unhappy while I was running but I'm sure their hearts lifted when they saw me catch the ball and go in." Rugby, which has also been played at the Commonwealth Games, will return to the Olympic Games in the sevens format at Rio de Janeiro in 2016. The United States, last winners of the Olympic gold medal in rugby in Paris in 1924, were third at the Pan-American Games after beating Uruguay 21-17 for the bronze medal. In the gold medal final, favourites Argentina went ahead with a converted try under the posts by Gabriel Azcarate with John Moonlight touching down in the left corner in a Canadian breakaway and Hirayama converting to put the teams level at 7-7. Francisco Cuneo crossed to give Argentina a 12-7 lead at the interval but Moonlight scored his second try soon after the restart and Trainor's first intercept gave Canada the lead for the first time. Replacement Ramiro Moyano scored under the posts at the other end and Gonzalo Gutierrez converted to put Argentina level again at 19-19. But Trainor, who scored his two tries against eventual champions New Zealand in a pool match at the World Cup, made another interception when Argentina lost possession in a tackle. Hirayama's conversion gave them a seven-point cushion going into the final seconds. Argentina kept the ball in play after the siren and replacement Joaquin Luccheti went over for their last, potentially match-saving try but Gutierrez failed to slot in the conversion from out on the left where Hirayama had been successful earlier. "In the last couple of years we've been losing games we were in the other team with by two, three points, often that came down to a conversion so we've worked on it a bit," an elated Hirayama said. Argentina's coach Nicolas Fernandez Lobbe, middle brother of Pumas Ignacio and Juan Martin, said his team had lost because of their own mistakes. "We had two errors, two interceptions in moments when we had got on top. I think that affected us, but we played badly, I think we lost it," Fernandez Lobbe told Reuters. Asked if Argentina's game was easy to read, he said: "That's how to play sevens, especially a final when there's a lot of fatigue, you have to focus more on the system. "In fact, (Hirayama's first) conversion, which scraped over 'asking for permission', cost us the match." Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| World No. 1 Chong Wei rakes in another title in France Posted: 30 Oct 2011 04:42 PM PDT PETALING JAYA: World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei will return home from Europe with a very big smile today. Top seed Chong Wei disposed of Kenichi Tago 21-16, 21-11 in the men's singles final of the French Open in Paris yesterday – extending his unbeaten run against the Japanese – to nick an amazing seventh title of the year. The Malaysian has won all his seven previous matches against Kenichi. It was also Chong Wei's 11th individual tournament and 11th final appearance this year – a record that will be quite impossible for others to emulate. A day earlier, Chong Wei had shown more fire in his game to overcome a psychological barrier against China's rising star Chen Long. Having lost twice to Chen Long in the finals of the Japan and Denmark Opens, Chong Wei turned the tables on the 22-year-old with a well-deserved 23-21, 17-21, 21-15 win. National coach Tey Seu Bock commended Chong Wei for making a quick rebound after the disappointment in Denmark just a week ago. "His most significant win was over Chen Long (in the semi-finals). He is certainly a strong-willed player," said Seu Bock in a telephone interview yesterday. "He lost a lot of energy against Chen Long but yet, today, he was able to return to court and play his game against Tago. "Yes, there were moments when he made some uncharacteristic mistakes but he quickly made up for it." Seu Bock said that Chong Wei was almost back at his best after a demoralising loss to Lin Dan in the final of the Word Championships in Wembley in August. "I think his confidence is almost 80% back. He has been struggling to get his game going after the defeat at the world meet," said Seu Bock. "It is not easy to reach the final of every tournament. Expectations are high on him and he has to deliver all the time. "That could be mentally tiring but he has defied all the odds and I have nothing but respect for him." Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Kvitova downs Azarenka to win the US$1.75mil jackpot Posted: 30 Oct 2011 07:08 PM PDT ISTANBUL: Petra Kvitova provided further proof that she is the rising force in women's tennis when she beat Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 to win the WTA Championships yesterday. The 21-year-old Czech, who shot to fame by winning Wimbledon this year, produced a display of power and skill to finally overpower the gritty Azarenka and claim the US$1.75mil jackpot after remaining undefeated at the year-ending event which featured the world's top eight women tennis players. Victory also confirmed Kvitova at a career-high second in the WTA rankings after ending 2010 in 34th spot and she will enter the new year with No.1 Caroline Wozniacki in her sights. Left-handed Kvitova's free-flowing game took her into a 5-0 lead in the opening set inside the Sinan Erdem Dome but she lost the next five games as the errors began to stack up. She finally edged the opening set on a fifth set point but Azarenka, who could also have taken the number two ranking with victory, refused to be cowed by her opponent's superior firepower and kept her nose front to win the second set. Azarenka had three break points at the start of the third set but could not convert any of them and it was to prove a pivotal moment as Kvitova regained control to take the title on her debut at the showpiece tournament. ● VIENNA: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga bounced back from a set behind and a service break down to beat Juan Martin del Potro for the first time and win the Vienna ATP tournament yesterday. The Frenchman's 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 win also kept him on course for a place in the season-ending World Tour Finals in London next month, moving him to seventh place in the 2011 rankings ahead of Mardy Fish. Top-seeded Tsonga crashed 25 aces on his way to a first win in four meetings over the former US Open champion, who has been fighting his way back to form after being plagued by a wrist injury last year. "That was really tough," said Tsonga. "Juan Martin played very well. "I lost a little motivation after losing the first set but fortunately I got it back quickly." Neither player managed to break serve in the first set and, having fought back from a break point down in the tiebreak, Tsonga then served a double fault to hand Del Potro the opportunity. The Argentine duly took it when Tsonga over-hit a forehand. Del Potro appeared to be heading for a win when he broke in the third game of the second set, but Tsonga replied in the next game in what appeared to be the turning point of the match. The Frenchman broke again in the sixth game when, having missed one break point, he was handed another by a Del Potro double fault and gleefully seized it with a stunning forehand drive down the line. In the third set, the 26-year-old served nine aces and broke in the seventh game to claim his second ATP title of the year following his win in Metz. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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