The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Cricket: Wade's thrilling ton heralds Australia declaration
- Tennis: Stosur in Zheng clash ahead of Australian Open
- Tsonga, Gasquet withdraw from Sydney event
| Cricket: Wade's thrilling ton heralds Australia declaration Posted: 04 Jan 2013 06:41 PM PST SYDNEY: Matthew Wade scored a thrilling unbeaten century as Australia declared to lead Sri Lanka by 138 runs on the first innings on the third day of the final Sydney Test on Saturday. Wicketkeeper Wade opened up in a last-wicket stand of 39 with Jackson Bird to grab his second Test century and gave skipper Michael Clarke the opportunity to declare his team's innings at 432 for nine in the half hour before lunch. The Sri Lankans made a steady start to their second innings and had wiped 18 runs off the deficit, with Dimuth Karunaratne on 17 and Tillakaratne Dilshan yet to score. Wade scampered towards his teammates in the Sydney Cricket Ground Members Stand and excitedly kissed his helmet after crashing Suranga Lakmal for a boundary to raise his century off 158 balls, after setting out on the third day on 47. He was dropped by Dhammika Prasad at fine leg two balls later going for another big heave before skipper Clarke called a halt with the declaration. Wade, who scored 106 against the West Indies in his third Test match in Dominica last April, faced 158 balls and hit nine fours for his first home Test ton. Bird provided staunch support to give Wade his chance to go after the century. Wade was on 70 when the fast bowler came to the crease. Bird remained six not out. Only last week Bird left Mitchell Johnson stranded on 92 in the Australian first innings in the second Melbourne Test when he was the last man dismissed. Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath finished Sri Lanka's leading wicket-taker with four for 95 off 31 overs. Australia lost the wickets of Peter Siddle (38), Mitchell Starc (2) and Nathan Lyon (4) on the third morning, but the tourists were unable to prevent a rush of late runs as Wade went all out after his century. - AFP |
| Tennis: Stosur in Zheng clash ahead of Australian Open Posted: 04 Jan 2013 06:27 PM PST SYDNEY: Former US Open champion Samantha Stosur faces a tough opponent in China's Zheng Jie in the first round of the Sydney International, a critical lead-up to her Australian Open campaign. World number nine Stosur has had a rocky build-up to her home Grand Slam, being dumped in the first round of the Brisbane International last week by Swede Sofia Arvidsson who took full advantage of the Australian's 48 unforced errors. Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki will also be hoping for some valuable court time at the Sydney tournament, which begins Sunday, ahead of the first Grand Slam of the year after her first round loss in Brisbane to a qualifier. Wozniacki was bundled out of the competition by Kazakhstan's Ksenia Pervak in a battle lasting almost three hours, in which Pervak bested her 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/1). Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska, world No four, heads a strong women's field for the Sydney tournament, which includes three Grand Slam champions - China's Li Na, the Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova and Australia's Stosur. Radwanska, who will be coming straight from Saturday's final of the ASB Classic tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, has a bye in the first round. She is joined in the top half of the draw by eighth seed Nadia Petrova, former world number one Jelena Jankovic and former top five player Daniela Hantuchova. In the lower half, Wozniacki will face number 31 Urszula Radwanska, Agnieszka's younger sister, while German number two seed Angelique Kerber has a bye into the second round. Third seed and last year's French Open finalist Sara Errani will play a qualifier in her first-round match, and could face a potential clash with 2011 Wimbledon champion Kvitova in the quarter-finals. In the men's draw, top seed Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has withdrawn with a hamstring injury sustained while playing for France in the mixed teams Hopman Cup in Perth on Friday. Tsonga was the second top seed to drop out of the Sydney event after his compatriot Richard Gasquet, world number 10, pulled out for personal reasons. The Sydney International takes place from January 6 to 12. - AFP |
| Tsonga, Gasquet withdraw from Sydney event Posted: 04 Jan 2013 04:47 PM PST SYDNEY: French tennis star Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has withdrawn from next week's Sydney International with a hamstring injury, tournament organisers said on Saturday. The world number eight pulled out of the last major lead-up event to this month's Australian Open after suffering the injury playing for France in the mixed teams Hopman Cup in Perth on Friday. "Unfortunately Jo-Wilfried Tsonga sustained an injury in Perth and has been forced to pull out of the Apia International Sydney with a left hamstring injury," tournament director Craig Watson said. "We wish him a speedy recovery and all the best for a successful Australian Open." Tsonga became the second top seed to drop out of the Sydney event after French compatriot Richard Gasquet, the world number 10, pulled out for personal reasons, organisers said. - AFP |
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