The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Top-ranked Serena wins WTA clay opener
- Jaz in tune with Monza
- Hafizh to get full attention from team
| Top-ranked Serena wins WTA clay opener Posted: 02 Apr 2013 06:21 PM PDT CHARLESTON, South Carolina: World No. 1 Serena Williams served nine aces Tuesday during her first match this season on clay, beating Italy's Camila Giorgi 6-2, 6-3 at the $795,000 WTA Family Circle Cup. Williams did not commit a double fault but took full advantage of 12 by her 85th-ranked rival to win after 82 minutes in her first match since capturing the WTA Miami crown last Saturday by beating Maria Sharapova in the final. "It wasn't great for me - I played well, but I wasn't great, footing-wise," Williams said of the switch from the hard courts of Miami to the clay courts of Charleston. "I was just trying to get my stability. I only had one or two days of practice. But I felt good. I'm glad I came here and hope I can get ready for what can hopefully be another good clay court season." Next in the path of Williams, who was among eight top seeds to receive a first-round bye, is a third-round match against either Germany's 15th-seeded Sabine Lisicki or US qualifier Mallory Burdette. Others reaching the third round included Swiss Stefanie Voegele, who ousted Spanish seventh seed Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-4, and Romanian 11th seed Sorana Cirstea, who defeated Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues in a walkover. US wildcard Bethanie Mattek-Sands rebounded from a marathon first-round victory on Monday to topple fourth-seeded compatriot Sloane Stephens 6-2, 6-0 and reach the third round. Among first-round winners were Britain's Laura Robson, who dismissed Spain's Estrella Cabeza Candela 6-2, 6-2, and New Zealand's Marina Erakovic, who eliminated Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.-AFP |
| Posted: 02 Apr 2013 04:40 PM PDT PETALING JAYA: The itch to race again will end for Jazeman Jaafar this weekend. The 20-year-old will make his debut in the nine-round Formula Renault 3.5 (FR3.5) World Series in Monza in Italy. And Jazeman just can't wait to get behind the wheels in a circuit that he is familiar with, having raced there when he competed in the British F3 and Formula BMW Europe. On his last visit to the Formula One track, Jazeman was on the podium with his third-place finish in the second round of the British F3. "I enjoy racing at Monza, having had some good results there. So, it will be a good starting place for my first weekend of Formula Renault 3.5 racing," said Jazeman, who drove an F1 car as part of the demo event for the Malaysian F1 Grand Prix in Kuala Lumpur last month. "The track is quite challenging but I think the weather could make it very unpredictable. If it rains, it will be very slippery. "I'm very excited about the prospect of racing again, as it will have been nearly six months since my last one. "I have been out testing in recent weeks, so I'm getting more familiar with the car and understanding its capabilities," added Jazeman from his London base. Jazeman, a member of the Petronas Talent Programme, is not cowed by the prospect of racing against some F1 aspirants. "The grid will be a mix of drivers with experience and rookies like me. I'm sure the runners from last season will be the ones to watch. "I did quite well in testing, running comfortably in the top five. I'm certainly not racing to make up the numbers. "I'm there to win. I'll be going all out for quick laps, consistent pace and strong racing to bring home the best results possible," he added. Jazeman finished a creditable second overall in the British F3 last year and decided to move to the Renault FR3.5 Series, a category which features more powerful and technically advanced cars. "I've had a busy off-season, not only with FR3.5 testing with my team Carlin but also working on my fitness. Now I'm only focused on one thing and that is my FR3.5 campaign." The Formula Renault 3.5 Series features 17 races at nine tracks, including a support race to the Monaco round of the F1 championship. |
| Hafizh to get full attention from team Posted: 02 Apr 2013 04:40 PM PDT PETALING JAYA: Petronas Syntium Moto Yamaha Raceline will give biker Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah full attention when he competes in the Spanish National Championship, which begins at the end of this month. The two-time premier class champions have decided to give this year's Petronas AAM Malaysian Cub Prix a miss as they want to channel all their resources to help 19-year-old Hafizh to a better finish in Spain. The team finished sixth overall last season. Said team manager Barry Leong: "Hafizh has a lot of potential to move up to the world championship. "He still needs another term in the Spanish championship and this is a great way for us to assess his performance and decide if he is ready to make the jump." Hafizh definitely has the talent to race on the bigger stage as shown by his performance in the Malaysian Grand Prix last year. Racing as a wildcard rider in the Moto2 class, Hafizh stunned the sell-out crowd at the Sepang International Circuit by finishing fourth. "We did try to run two teams (in the Spanish championship and Malaysian Cub Prix) last year. "But this time, we feel that a 100% focus on one championship is needed and beneficial for all parties concerned," said Barry, adding that they would definitely compete in Malaysia again in the future. |
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