The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Argentina, Serbia reach Davis Cup semis
- Tiger feels his age as Chinese teen reaches Masters
- Laird earns Masters' spot with Texas triumph
| Argentina, Serbia reach Davis Cup semis Posted: 07 Apr 2013 05:47 PM PDT PARIS: Argentina are into the Davis Cup World Group semi-final after their world number 71 Carlos Berlocq beat 13th-ranked Frenchman Gilles Simon to hand the South Americans a 3-2 win on Sunday. A distraught Simon, who saved five match points before finally succumbing, said it was the lowest point of his tennis career. "By a long way that was the most difficult defeat to accept of my entire career," he said. "What disappointment, it was a very important match for everyone. I had to win it, but didn't. "I did the best I could. "All I wanted to do was win - for me, for the others, for Jo (Tsonga) who didn't deserve to lose after winning two matches." Argentina will face defending champions Czech Republic after they eliminated Kazakhstan earlier in the day. Serbia and semi-final newcomer Canada also won their quarter-finals on Sunday. Berlocq said he didn't want to let down his family, friends and teammates who were pulling for an Argentina victory at the Parque Roca in Buenos Aires. "When you are in your own country, with everyone around, your family, your friends, who have confidence in you, their confidence is contagious. "All the team believed victory was possible. It was a battle, fortunately we won it." France had levelled the quarter-final tie earlier after Jo-Wilfried Tsonga dismantled Juan Monaco 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in one hour, 42 minutes to force a deciding rubber. Against the odds, that went to Berlocq, who fought back to prevail 6-4, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 against Simon who was called in late to replace Richard Gasquet. David Nalbandian and Horacio Zeballos had also come from behind to win Saturday's doubles, which gave the hosts the upper hand going into the final day. World No. 1 and Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic's victory over Sam Querrey of the United States on Sunday advanced Serbia into the semi-finals. Djokovic, who had to battle through an ankle injury he suffered in the opening set, earned a 7-5, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-0 win to give the Serbians an insurmountable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five tie. It is the second win for Serbia in four years over the 32-time titlist USA. In their only other previous Davis Cup encounter Serbia defeated the Americans in Belgrade in 2010. "I am sorry for team USA but it was a thrilling weekend for all of us," Djokovic said. Djokovic had to play through the pain of a bad right ankle, which he sprained in the third game of the opening set. "I took some anti-inflammatories, and they kicked in at the end of the second set," he said. Djokovic said he probably wouldn't have finished the match if it wasn't Davis Cup. "If I wasn't playing for Serbia and didn't have my team watching me, I don't know if I would have continued," he said. The 25-year-old Djokovic clinched the victory over world number 20 Querrey with a backhand winner, ending the two hour, 35 minute match. Serbia will now meet Canada after Milos Raonic sent the Canucks to their first-ever semi-final by beating Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. The 22-year-old Raonic overpowered Seppi with his booming serve before Seppi stepped up and won the third set in Vancouver, British Columbia. But Raonic rebounded to win the fourth, finishing the match with 35 aces to complete the historic win for Canada, who will travel to Serbia for the semi-finals in September. Lukas Rosol of Czech Republic put the defending champions into the semi-finals with a tough win over Kazakhstan's Evgeny Korolev at Astana. Rosol, who is 63rd in the ATP rankings, won 7-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-2 in his first ever head-to-head meeting with the 25-year-old Korolev to give his team an unassailable 3-1 lead in the tie.-AFP |
| Tiger feels his age as Chinese teen reaches Masters Posted: 07 Apr 2013 05:19 PM PDT AUGUSTA, Georgia: Tiger Woods fears almost nothing in golf, but having 14-year-old Chinese prodigy Guan Tianlang set to become the youngest starter in Masters history has sent a shiver down his spine. Guan had not been born when Woods won his first major title at the 1997 Masters, but the Asian schoolboy has been inspired by Woods and has spent the past month in Augusta preparing for his historic debut on Thursday. "It's frightening to think that he was born after I won my first Masters," Woods said. "I mean, that's just frightening." Woods, 37, played in his first Masters at age 19 and Italy's Matteo Manassero, at age 16 in 2010, had been the youngest player in Masters history until now. Guan qualified for his historic moment at Augusta National Golf Club by winning last year's Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Thailand. "I'm so excited," Guan said. "I'm really happy to become the youngest player at the Masters." Guan, a native of Guangzhou, was born on October 25, 1998 and has intently studied Woods, who has served as an inspiration for young talent globally in collecting 14 major wins, four shy of Jack Nicklaus' career record. "It's exciting that I have inspired kids to play and not just here in the States but obviously in China and around the world," Woods said. "The game has become global. There are more countries represented on the PGA Tour than ever. "It's only going to increase, and we're going to have a lot of players from countries that traditionally haven't been into golf that are going to start to play this game at a high level." Helping that cause has been golf's inclusion in the list of Olympic sports starting with the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games. "With the Olympics being involved, government funding is going to be involved trying to get these kids to that type of level, and that's only going to make it better for the game of golf." That could put Woods and Guan, rivals this week for the green jacket symbolic of a Masters champion, on a collision course once again in three years for another epic prize - Olympic gold. "It is every athlete's dream to represent their home country to compete at the Olympics," Guan told AFP last month. "It will be the greatest honor to me if I can represent China at the 2016 Olympics, and I will definitely keep working hard on it." Guan began playing at age four and won the world junior title by 11 shots in 2011 in San Diego. Last year, he became the youngest player in a European Tour event when he played the Volvo China Open at the age of 13 years and 177 days. Facing the undulating greens of Augusta National and the intense spotlight of a major championship, Guan said making the 36-hole cut will be an achievement this week. "It's an honor for me to be able to play with the best golfers in the world," Guan said. "To me, the only goal is to enjoy the event and give my best and, of course, if I can make the cut that would be even better." But Guan already hungers for the ultimate prize of every elite golfer around the world. "I have a dream since I was a little boy," Guan said. "I wish, one day, I can win all four majors in one year." That's a feat not even his idol Woods has achieved, although Woods did win four in a row, the 2000 US and British Opens and PGA Championship and the 2001 Masters for the "Tiger Slam." "At one point in my career to have all four of them on my coffee table in a row was a pretty neat feeling," Woods said of golf's major trophies.-AFP |
| Laird earns Masters' spot with Texas triumph Posted: 07 Apr 2013 05:18 PM PDT SAN ANTONIO, Texas: Martin Laird punched his ticket to The Masters by firing a closing round of nine-under 63 to capture the PGA Tour's Texas Open by two strokes on Sunday. The 30-year-old Scotsman matched the course record and snapped a USA win streak on the PGA Tour that dates back to last season. Rory McIlroy got within one stroke of the lead when he birdied the 14th hole, but the Northern Irishman ended two back at minus-12 after a final-round 66. Laird, who entered the day five shots adrift of the leader, rolled in birdies on his final three holes Sunday at the TPC San Antonio. "I felt really good coming here because I like this golf course. I played well here a couple of years ago," said Laird, who finished his third PGA Tour victory at 14-under 274. "I wanted to stay aggressive. Finally, in a final round my putter got hot. I can't believe it." Laird also earned his third consecutive trip to The Masters. He tied for 20th in 2011 and shared 57th last year in his previous Augusta efforts. American Jim Furyk holed out for eagle on the par-five 18th for a three-under 69. He shared third place at 11-under with third-round leader Billy Horschel (71) and Charley Hoffman (69), who birdied six of his final eight holes. This marks the first time that the Texas Open has served as the final Masters tune-up with the winner getting a free pass into Augusta. Laird's victory also snapped an American win streak on the PGA Tour which dated back to October 2012. Last Friday, the tournament got some added firepower when McIlroy decided to join the field which featured eight former major winners and four of the top 15 in the world. World number two McIlroy finished two shots back of Laird to post his best finish of the year. "I think over the last three rounds I eliminated the stupid mistakes and mental errors," McIlroy said. "To finish this tournament with a round like today is great going into Augusta. "I am really pleased with my game this has been a great week for me." McIlroy birdied the par-five No. 2 then had two consecutives birdies just before the turn on number eight and nine. He caught fire on the back nine with four more birdies over his last seven holes, including the par-five 18. He also had two bogeys in the round.-AFP |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Star Online: Sports To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan