The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Roddick rolls into third round at farewell Open
- Sharapova continues to blaze trail at U.S. Open
- Aggressive Jamshed drives Pakistan past Australia
| Roddick rolls into third round at farewell Open Posted: 31 Aug 2012 06:21 PM PDT Published: Saturday September 1, 2012 MYT 9:14:00 AM Updated: Saturday September 1, 2012 MYT 9:21:43 AM NEW YORK: Andy Roddick served notice he will not go gently into retirement, blasting into the third round of the US Open on Friday by dispatching Australian teen Bernard Tomic 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 in only 87 minutes. Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion, took the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium to loud cheers from supporters a day after announcing this would be the last event of his career, then made sure he would have at least one more match to play. "Oh man. That was so much fun. I really appreciate that," Roddick told the crowd. "I am going to try to stick around a little longer." The 30-year-old American advanced to a third-round matchup with Italy's 59th-ranked Fabio Fognini as he hopes to make an emotional last charge at a Grand Slam crown on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts. "I didn't feel relaxed at all, not even a little bit," Roddick said, saying he kept his emotions in control until seeing a television feature about his career just before the match. "I assume it was set to an '80s ballad," Roddick said. "It got to me a little bit. I had to get away from that." Defending champions Novak Djokovic and Samantha Stosur advanced in straight sets while British teen Laura Robson sent Chinese ninth seed Li Na home after earlier sending three-time US Open champion Kim Clijsters into retirement. Three former champions - Russian third seed Maria Sharapova, Argentine seventh seed Juan Martin Del Potro and Australian Lleyton Hewitt - moved on with varying degrees of difficulty. And World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, the reigning Australian Open champion from Belarus, was to face China's Zheng Jie in a later match. Serbian second seed Djokovic overwhelmed Brazil's Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-2, 6-1, 6-2, never facing a break point and winning 90 percent of his first-serve points to reach the third round in 99 minutes. "It was very windy so it was very important to stay focused, but I played great," Djokovic said. "Even if the scoreline doesn't indicate it, it was a tough match." Next for Djokovic will be France's 31st-seeded Julien Benneteau, who ousted Russian-born US teen Dennis Novikov, the lowest-ranked player ever in the second round of a Grand Slam event at 1,098th, by 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/1), 7-5. "It's important to get a day's rest and work on some things in my game and get ready for the next challenge," Djokovic said. Robson ousted 2011 French Open winner Li 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 for her first career triumph over a top-10 foe, booking a fourth-round showdown against Australian seventh seed Stosur. "That's going to be really tough," Robson said. "I'm going to work hard and just do the best I can." Robson, an 18-year-old left-hander who was born in Australia but moved to Britain at age six, ended the career of three-time US Open champion Clijsters with a second-round triumph. Robson, the youngest player in the world top 100 at 89th, became the first British woman in the fourth round of a Grand Slam since Sam Smith at Wimbledon in 1998 and the first in the Open's last 16 since Jo Durie in 1991. Li did not reach the last eight at any Grand Slam tournament for the first season since 2008. Stosur, who has not won a title since lifting the US Open trophy last year, took a 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 victory over US 31st seed Varvara Lepchenko and looked forward to the challenge Robson presents. "She's already had two very good wins and she's full of confidence," Stosur said. "I'm going to have to be ready to play my best game. She's got nothing to lose." Sharapova, the 2006 US Open champion who completed a career Grand Slam by winning the French Open title in June, eliminated 252nd-ranked US collegian Mallory Burdette 6-1, 6-1. "I'm really happy to go one round further than last year," the Russian said. Next up for Sharapova is a fourth-round meeting with 19th-seeded comnpatriot Nadia Petrova. Del Potro, the 2009 US Open winner, took a 6-2, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 victory over American Ryan Harrison and will play for a place in the last 16 against compatriot Leonardo Mayer. Hewitt, the 2001 US Open winner, outlasted Luxenbourg's Gilles Muller 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-4. Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer, a 2007 US Open semi-finalist in his best Grand Slam run, moved into the third round by ousting Dutch qualifier Igor Sijsling 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (14/12). Czech fifth seed Petra Kvitova ousted Pauline Parmentier 6-4, 6-4 to reach a round-of-16 match against her third consecutive French foe, 11th seed Marion Bartoli, who downed compatriot Kristina Mladenovic 6-2, 6-4. - AFP Earlier report NEW YORK: Andy Roddick extended his career by at least another match when he humbled Bernard Tomic 6-3 6-4 6-0 in the second round of the U.S. Open on Friday night. Roddick, who announced on Friday he would retire after the tournament, took just one hour and 27 minutes to beat Tomic at Flushing Meadows. Australian teenager Tomic never really got into his stride and made 27 unforced errors. The 30-year-old Roddick, a former world number one and 2003 U.S. Open champion, will next play unseeded Italian Fabio Fognini. - Reuters |
| Sharapova continues to blaze trail at U.S. Open Posted: 31 Aug 2012 06:11 PM PDT NEW YORK: Maria Sharapova continued her imperious march through the draw at the U.S. Open as she crushed American college player Mallory Burdette 6-1 6-1 on Friday. The French Open champion needed just 58 minutes to send world number 252 Burdette packing. "I expected her to play a big, solid match," said Sharapova, the 2006 U.S. Open champion. "She came out, she has pretty huge groundstrokes, and she likes to go for it. "She's certainly somebody who could be dangerous if you give her the time to do what she likes to do." Burdette, a 21-year-old wild card entry into the tournament, did not have time to do much of anything as she was swept off the court in 58 minutes. Sharapova, who has lost just seven games in her first three matches, now plays Russian compatriot Nadia Petrova, a 6-4 7-5 winner over Czech Lucie Safarova. Despite missing the hardcourt run-up to Flushing Meadows, Sharapova is playing as well as anyone in the women's draw. "I didn't know too much going into this event because I hadn't played on hard in a few months," she said. "That made me extra focused, and I wanted to really get going from the beginning and be aggressive. "Took a little bit of a break after Wimbledon and went home. I kind of recharged a little bit. Certainly feel a lot more energy than I did maybe after the French (Open)." Sharapova said Petrova has "been playing really good tennis." "She's someone that likes the faster courts, especially in New York," said Sharapova, who owns a 8-1 lifetime mark against Petrova. "I have had some tough matches against her. "Although I have a good record, they have always been really tough and have gone to some three‑setters, some tough two‑setters. "She has a big game, great serve, a difficult opponent, but I'm looking forward to that challenge." - Reuters |
| Aggressive Jamshed drives Pakistan past Australia Posted: 31 Aug 2012 05:55 PM PDT ABU DHABI: Pakistan, led by an aggressive 97 from opening batsman Nasser Jamshed, cruised to a seven-wicket win in the second one-day international against Australia on Friday to level up the series at 1-1. Jamshed's innings, which spanned just 98 balls and included 11 fours and two sixes, helped Misbah-ul-Haq's side make light work of what looked set to be a testing target after Australia made 248 for nine. The 22-year-old shared partnerships of 66 with fellow opener Mohammed Hafeez (23) and 101 with Azhar Ali before miscuing a drive at Mitchell Johnson to be caught at mid-off by Mitchell Starc just three runs short of his second ODI hundred. Australia's bowlers were handicapped by heavy dew in the second innings of a match that spanned two days and finished in the early hours of the morning local time. "It was a good toss to lose as dew was a major factor," Misbah told reporters. "It was good for us there was so much dew during the second innings but the way Nasser Jamshed played, he showed his class." Australia captain Michael Clarke said on the eve of the match that he wanted bigger contributions from his batsmen but although five of them passed 20, only Mike Hussey (61) was able to reach a half-century. He conceded, however, that it had been a mistake to bat first after winning the toss. "It was definitely the wrong choice but we can't use it as an excuse," Clarke told reporters. "With the late start, dew will affect both sides so it's all about finding a way of executing better than we did tonight. "A big part of the role of our top four is to make big scores and it's disappointing we weren't able to do that again." Australia's batsmen were once again shackled by Pakistan's spinners with off-spinner Saeed Ajmal again proving the key bowler. Ajmal, who took 3-30 in the previous match in the previous match in Sharjah, once again tormented the Australia batsmen and finished with 4-32. "He's our number one bowler and he's the number one in the world," said Misbah. "He is playing his role, helping us win matches but the other spinners are doing that too." Ajmal tormented David Warner (24) and the opener laboured for 68 balls before being put out of his misery when he tried to work the spinner on the on-side and was adjudged leg before wicket. Ajmal also removed David Hussey lbw for a duck leg as he pushed forward and then returned later in the innings to dismiss Mike Hussey and Glenn Maxwell (28), the latter stumped as he charged a doosra after a bright knock. Mike Hussey faced 72 balls and hit a four and two sixes as he and George Bailey (39) got Australia back on track with a stand of 66 in 14 overs after coming together with their team in some disarray at 87-4. There were two late wickets for left-arm fast bowler Junaid Khan (3-52) but at the halfway stage Australia's total looked a useful one until it became apparent that dew would be such a handicap. Asad Shafiq (9) fell cheaply soon after Jamshed was dismissed to give Australia hope but Azhar Ali (59 not out) and Misbah (35 not out) ensured there was no late wobble, adding an unbroken 59 from nine overs to see their side home. The deciding match of the series will take place in Sharjah on Monday, with three Twenty20 internationals to follow. - Reuters |
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