PARIS (AP)—Former runner-up Elena Dementieva of Russia cruised into the quarterfinals of the French Open by beating qualifier Chanelle Scheepers 6-1, 6-3 on Sunday.
The fifth-seeded Dementieva committed five double faults in the first set but took advantage of her opponent’s sluggish start to break her four times.
She broke again in the 6th game of the second set after Scheepers missed two consecutive forehands.
Dementieva, who reached the final in Paris in 2004, will next play either American Venus Williams or Nadia Petrova of Russia.
The 131st-ranked Scheepers was the first South African woman to make it this far at the French Open since Amanda Coetzer in 1997..... read more
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Dementieva, Schiavone reach quarters at French
World Cup 2010: Capello picks experimental England
Tottenham midfielder Huddlestone and Sunderland striker Bent will hope to impress against Japan on Sunday.
Chelsea trio John Terry, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard return but there is no place for club-mate Joe Cole.
Capello, who revealed he already knows 20 of his 23-man party, will trim his squad from 30 to 23 on Tuesday.
Manchester City's Gareth Barry missed Monday's 3-1 win over Mexico and is not included in the squad for Sunday's game in Graz but the midfielder will be given right up until Tuesday's deadline to prove his fitness after an ankle injury.
Capello explained: "Barry is getting better and better, he has improved a lot and the doctor has said he will probably be ok for South Africa but we need to have a last check by the doctor.
"He will be with us if we decide he can train normally after the first game, against the USA."
There had been concern regarding the fitness of Steven Gerrard after the Mexico game but the Liverpool captain will be a substitute against Japan and Capello insisted he is not worried about the midfielder.
"He is fit. He was tired after the game against Mexico," said Capello.
"He won't play the first half against Japan but probably the second half.... read more
Steve Nash stands by Game 6 prediction of Suns victory
He is the Suns' savvy psychologist who vacillates between motivational pessimism and guarded optimism. For him to boldly call a Suns Game 6 win two days out and stand by it a day later is an indicator of a team that feels elimination is a lot farther away than Saturday night's four quarters.
The Lakers lead the Suns 3-2 in a conference finals series that has no road wins. The Lakers get their crack at one and an NBA Finals spot Saturday night with Game 6 at US Airways Center, where an orange inferno of fans can wonder if it is watching an Amar'e Stoudemire farewell.
Nash does not know about Stoudemire's "50-50" Suns future but is sure about the team's future, including plans for a Game 7 on Monday in Los Angeles.
"They held home court," Nash said after Game 5's agonizing loss Thursday. "We'll go back and do the same, and we'll come back here (Staples Center) for Game 7."
Ron Artest, the Lakers' Game 5 hero, bristled at Nash's Game 6 prediction.
"That's like no respect for us. There's no respect. That's how it's been for a long time this season. I'm sure we'll talk about it," Artest said before the Lakers left Los Angeles on Friday.... read more
Buster Posey adds spark for Giants
Buster Posey awakened Saturday morning in Salt Lake City, caught a flight to San Francisco, rescued a kitten from a tree, helped an old lady across the street and donated two pints of blood.
Well, not really. But honest to goodness, the stoic rookie with the Eagle Scout looks did arrive at AT&T Park. And gosh darn if he wasn't worth the wait.
Hours after the Giants recalled Posey, their brightest hitting prospect in two decades, he delivered three times in RBI situations and sparked the club to a 12-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
To a series of standing ovations at AT&T Park, the new No. 6 hitter lined a run-scoring single in the first inning for his first major league RBI. He shot another RBI single up the middle in the fifth. And he grounded a single through the left side with the bases loaded in the seventh.
Then he stood on first base, finally cracking a smile.
"It was great. It was fun. It's humbling," said Posey, asked about the crowd's embrace. "That's the time I have to slow myself down because it can get you going a little bit."
Juan Uribe and Eli Whiteside hit home runs to back Jonathan Sanchez as the Giants romped to their largest margin of victory this season.
Posey, 23, was batting .349 at Triple-A Fresno, and Giants officials finally indulged the pleas to promote him, deciding they had a window of opportunity at first base while Mark DeRosa and Edgar Renteria are on the disabled list.....read more
27 ways to commemorate Halladay's perfecto
You held your breath when Juan Castro flagged down the hot smash to third by Jorge Cantu for the first out in the eighth inning, and you somehow knew that Castro was going to keep Ronny Paulino's grounder from getting past him for the last out of perfection.
You stopped what you were doing on this Memorial Day holiday weekend. You went through the anxiety and you deserve to celebrate it now.
Phillies ace Roy Halladay became the 20th pitcher in Major League Baseball history to throw a perfect game when he set down 27 consecutive Marlins on Saturday night for a 1-0 win. Here are 27 ways you can commemorate the achievement everyone is talking about:
Download it on iTunes. The MLB.com 2010 Games of the Year page on iTunes is regularly updated with the games fans want to relive. It will be $1.99 to download Halladay's perfecto and $23.88 to buy all episodes if you want to keep your own best-of-2010 library. Look for this one to show up there any time now.
National League Authentic All-Star BP Jersey. Is there even a doubt? Order this now so you have it in plenty of time for the 81st All-Star Game on July 13 in Anaheim. It would be a big surprise at this point if NL manager Charlie Manuel does not have Halladay on his staff that night, and perhaps even as a starter depending on the coming weeks....... read more
Click here to find out more! LAKERS FYI Lakers forward Ron Artest finding his game at last The defensive stalwart shows up on offense just in time for the big showdown with Boston
The Western Conference finals ended, as did Ron Artest's wildly unpredictable two-game swing.
The Lakers forward scored 25 points in Game 6 of the conference finals, adding to an already memorable 48-hour time frame.
He was practically booed off the Staples Center court in Game 5 before scoring on a last-second follow shot, and he helped push the Lakers to a 111-103 victory Saturday over the Phoenix Suns.
He made 10 of 16 shots in Game 6, four of seven from three-point range, and also had three steals, including one in which he picked clean Channing Frye under the Lakers' basket and scored on a left-handed layup..... read more
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Wacky? Wild? Game 1 was both
CHICAGO -- A Rembrandt or Van Gogh? Hardly. More like Doodle Art.
But on a night when their top line was a combined minus-9 with just two shots on goal, and they gave up five goals, the Chicago Blackhawks will take their first win in a Stanley Cup finals game since 1973 and be happy.
Very happy.
"A lot of action, a shootout at the O.K. Corral," Chicago's Joel Quenneville said after his squad produced a 6-5 victory over Philadelphia in what was his first Stanley Cup finals game as a head coach.
Wacky? You bet.
The Flyers led 1-0, 3-2 and 4-3, didn't take a penalty and still lost.
In fact, without being too harsh, if starting netminder Michael Leighton had come up with even one big save, the Flyers might be heading into Game 2 on Monday with a 1-0 series lead. But he didn't and was given the hook by Flyers coach Peter Laviolette with 4:42 left in the second period after Troy Brouwer scored his second of the game to give the Blackhawks a 5-4 lead.
Even then, this pond-hockey exhibition could have gone either way.
Arron Asham scored with 1:11 left in the second to tie the score at 5, and the Flyers nearly scored again before the second frame ended.
"I came out after the second period and we were starting in the third and I looked up and it's 5-5 and I was like, 'Holy crap, what is going on,'" said Chicago forward Kris Versteeg, who scored midway through the second period to make it 4-4. "It was obviously a bit different than what we were used to and the way we want to play, but we've got to really sit down and talk about how we're going to be better next game."
As a kid, Versteeg said he's played many Stanley Cup finals games in his driveway, but even those paled in comparison to the ice rodeo the packed United Center was witness to Saturday night.
Celtics take well-earned break
That would have tied for the third-longest rest period in Finals history. And while history suggests no particular detriment to an extended break, the Celtics have struggled coming off large breaks so it's reasonable to wonder if that would have worked against them.
So when the Magic rallied for an overtime triumph in Game 4, one line of thought suggested staying in game mode for a couple extra days wouldn't be the end of the world for these celtics.
But no one could have predicted the carnage that occurred in Game 5, where Boston emerged with an injury list typically reserved for the football team in Foxborough.
Still, the Celtics soldiered on and closed out the Magic on Friday night in Game 6 with a 96-84 triumph at TD Garden and will enjoy a modest five-day break before tipping off on the road Thursday against the winner from the Western Conference finals.
Boston players probably didn't want to be dusting off their grills or opening their swimming pools on Memorial Day weekend. But as it turns out, they'll be doing just that and still have a chance at bringing home Banner 18.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers gave his team two days off from practice and the team won't get back to work until Monday morning....... read more
JJ, Marlins fall in Doc's perfect game Unearned run proves very costly in close loss
MIAMI -- Josh Johnson was very good on Saturday night. What the Marlins ace wasn't was perfect. He needed to be on a day that will go down as one for the ages.
Roy Halladay, already regarded as one of the best of his era, cemented his legacy by tossing a perfect game against the Marlins.
On a night of razor-thin margin for error, the Marlins made a costly one, and Halladay made history. In front of 25,086, the right-hander's brilliance punctuated a 1-0 Phillies victory at Sun Life Stadium.
Halladay retired all 27 Marlins he faced, striking out 11. There were a few anxious moments, as he had seven counts reach three balls. In six of them, he ran the count full, only to frustrate Florida.
"You've got to take your hat off to the Doc," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "That's why he is what he is. That's what they got him for. Maybe, five, 10 years, I'll sit back and enjoy this one. We still wish we could have scored a run. Right now, you've got to tip your hat to him."
Halladay tossed the 20th perfect game in MLB history, and remarkably two have come in this month. On May 9, Dallas Braden of the A's retired every batter he faced from the Rays in Oakland.
The sting, from the Marlins end, is that they lost their fourth consecutive game, a season high. And the lone run came as a result of an error.
"We should still be playing," Gonzalez said. "Deep down inside, we should still be out there. Make an error and they score a run. That's what hurts."
In defeat, Johnson was impressive, striking out six in seven innings. Johnson entered the game with a string of 18 consecutive scoreless innings, and that was snapped at 20, with an unearned run.
"He was perfect," Johnson said. "I need to go out there and be perfect as well. To give my team a chance to win, that's what I needed to do."...........read more
Can't wait for Lakers-Celtics matchup in NBA finals
I know I started talking about it a week ago, but who didn't?
But a funny thing happened on the way to that matchup. The semifinal opponents didn't play along.
With the Magic slicing their 3-0 lead to 3-2, the Celtics were one home loss and one in Orlando from the NBA gag job of the new century.
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Not that their fans ever stopped believing but there was concern as the Bruins had just blown a 3-0 lead over the Flyers for the NHL gag job of the century, starting with a Game 4 overtime loss to the Flyers … like the Celtics' Game 4 overtime loss to the Magic.
OK, it was all-panic-all-the-time on the airwaves, but that's what airwaves are for, to issue alerts in case the sky actually falls.
Happily for New England, the league, the networks, et al., the Celtics polished off the Magic in Game 6, so it's back on!
Well, it will be on if the Lakers win one of the next two against the Suns to avoid the NBA gag job of the new century.
Of course, without a little miracle in Game 5, the Lakers, who led the Suns 2-0, might have come back here trailing 3-2.... read more
Wacky? Wild? Game 1 was both
CHICAGO -- A Rembrandt or Van Gogh? Hardly. More like Doodle Art.
But on a night when their top line was a combined minus-9 with just two shots on goal, and they gave up five goals, the Chicago Blackhawks will take their first win in a Stanley Cup finals game since 1973 and be happy.
Very happy.
"A lot of action, a shootout at the O.K. Corral," Chicago's Joel Quenneville said after his squad produced a 6-5 victory over Philadelphia in what was his first Stanley Cup finals game as a head coach.
Wacky? You bet.
The Flyers led 1-0, 3-2 and 4-3, didn't take a penalty and still lost.
In fact, without being too harsh, if starting netminder Michael Leighton had come up with even one big save, the Flyers might be heading into Game 2 on Monday with a 1-0 series lead. But he didn't and was given the hook by Flyers coach Peter Laviolette with 4:42 left in the second period after Troy Brouwer scored his second of the game to give the Blackhawks a 5-4 lead.
Even then, this pond-hockey exhibition could have gone either way.
Arron Asham scored with 1:11 left in the second to tie the score at 5, and the Flyers nearly scored again before the second frame ended.
"I came out after the second period and we were starting in the third and I looked up and it's 5-5 and I was like, 'Holy crap, what is going on,'" said Chicago forward Kris Versteeg, who scored midway through the second period to make it 4-4. "It was obviously a bit different than what we were used to and the way we want to play, but we've got to really sit down and talk about how we're going to be better next game."
As a kid, Versteeg said he's played many Stanley Cup finals games in his driveway, but even those paled in comparison to the ice rodeo the packed United Center was witness to Saturday night.
"I don't think as many goals got scored in the driveway as did tonight," Versteeg said. "But it was definitely exciting, and it wasn't the way we wanted to play, though, in the end. I think the third period was the way we wanted to play, and we came out and played strong, but we've got to be a lot better next game."
John Madden won a Stanley Cup with New Jersey in 2003. In the finals against Anaheim -- one of the worst Cup finals series of all time -- it would have taken a week for those teams to combine for 11 goals. The goal production in Game 1 was the most in a Cup finals game since Game 4 of the 1992 finals, which coincidentally marked the last finals appearance by the Blackhawks............... read more
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Andrew Strauss revels in England's performances under other captains
Strauss said: "What amazed me was the way they played – to continue playing such positive and aggressive cricket was a delight to watch and a really good template for how we should play in the future."...........read more
Milan in talks to make Massimiliano Allegri their new manager
Allegri has been strongly linked with Milan in the past two months. However, Galliani said the deal to bring Allegri to San Siro is far from done. "It's premature," he told Gazzetta dello Sport. "I cannot add anything more as coaches arrive at the beginning of July. We are nevertheless negotiating."........read more
Jean de Villiers withdrawn from South Africa side to face Wales
The Munster centre, one of six overseas-based Springboks players named in the starting line-up for the Millennium Stadium Test, has hurt his shoulder. He has been replaced by Jaque Fourie, who will play alongside Bath's Butch James in midfield..........read more
Talking Horses
Darley Sun will have the services of Frankie Dettori when he makes his eagerly-anticipated debut for Godolphin in Thursday's Blue Square Henry II Stakes at Sandown.
The popular Italian was marked down for stablemate Sabotage when the declarations were made this morning with Ted Durcan aboard last year's Cesarewitch winner, but that situation has now reversed.
Dettori's agent Ray Cochrane confirmed: "Frankie was originally down to ride Sabotage but that has now changed and he will be on Darley Sun."
3.40pm Win a trip to the Meydan FEI Nations Cup in Rome
Click here to find out how you could win a pair of VIP tickets to the second round of the Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ at the Piazza di Siena in Rome, Italy.
Be quick, the competition closes at midnight tonight.
11.30am Ted Durcan to ride Darley Sun for Godolphin
Darley Sun will make his eagerly anticipated first start for Godolphin in Thursday's Blue Square Henry II Stakes at Sandown... read more
Tim Cahill rebuked by Australia manager over reckless tackle
The New Zealand manager, Ricki Herbert, was also quick to condemn Cahill, of Everton, and Grella, of Blackburn. He said both players should have been sent off for two tackles on Leo Bertos in the space of three minutes in the first half, which resulted in the winger being carried from the field with a leg injury.
Herbert said Bertos had suffered "bad contact" to his shin as a result of the tackles and will undergo scans to ensure he has not suffered structural damage, before being cleared to play in the World Cup. "I am probably a little disappointed with those tackles and I think in a normal game we would have been up against nine [men]," Herbert said...............read more
It's the Sids 2010! The complete review of the past La Liga season
But while the Madrid sports media tried to sell their club's rip-roaring Champions League success, the rest of the country couldn't help noticing a sixth successive last-16 knockout against Olympique Lyon. Or a season that ended with the Second Coming looking rather like the First Going, Madrid finishing empty-handed. The good news for Madrid was that despite the presence of Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben, they avoided the embarrassment of watching Barcelona contesting the final. And worse still, winning it. Even T-shirts couldn't rescue Pep Guardiola's side against Inter in the semi-final.........read more
Maxi Rodríguez shines as Argentina thrash Canada 5-0
Lionel Messi was left on the bench as Diego Maradona, the Argentina manager, played Javier Pastore up front with Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain.
Rodríguez scored in the 16th and 32nd minutes, and Ángel di María added another in the 37th. Tevez scored in the 63rd and Sergio Agüero clinched Argentina's fifth goal 19 minutes before the final whistle.... read more
UCI admits accepting Lance Armstrong donation was a mistake
The money was used to purchase a Sysmex machine in 2002, a piece of equipment used to analyse blood samples, although the governing body denied any suggestion that the seven-times Tour de France winner used this in an attempt to bribe the UCI, as has been claimed by Floyd Landis.
"To the best of my knowledge, the UCI has not accepted other donations and I'd just like to clarify that there was only one donation from Lance Armstrong not two or three," McQuaid said. "You have to consider that at the time, in 2002, no accusations against Lance Armstrong had been made. They've all came up since then. We accepted the donation to help develop the sport. We didn't think there's a conflict of interest. It's easy to say in hindsight what could or would have been done. You have to put yourself in the situation at the time..... read more
Wayne Rooney promises to give his all for England despite injuries run
Rooney injured his neck during the latter stages of England's friendly win over Mexico at Wembley, sparking yet more concerns about his wellbeing.
It is only a month ago that Rooney was struck down by ankle and groin injuries which damaged Manchester United's attempts to win the Premier League and Champions League.
Fabio Capello moved quickly to allay fears about the 24-year-old's latest knock, and Rooney clearly has no intention of wrapping himself in cotton wool to avoid further fitness concerns.
"You have to go into each game and play like you normally do," he said. "If things happen then hard luck. We'll just have to get on with it.....read more
McNamee testifies before Roger Clemens grand jury
WASHINGTON (AP)—The star witness in a possible perjury case against Roger Clemens(notes) testified before a federal grand jury Tuesday, a sign that the panel could be nearing a decision on whether to indict the seven-time Cy Young Award winner for allegedly lying to Congress.
Brian McNamee, Clemens’ former personal trainer, spent more than 2 1/2 hours inside the courthouse where the grand jury meets. Wearing a dark suit, a bright blue tie and accompanied by two lawyers, McNamee gave a quick wave to reporters as he left the meeting rooms but did not speak.
“No comment,” said one of his lawyers, Richard Emery. “Everything is fine.”
The grand jury has been hearing from witnesses for at least 16 months as it tries to decide whether a case can be made that Clemens lied under oath in 2008 when he told a Congressional committee that he had never taken steroids or human growth hormone. It is not known how many witnesses have come forth or been subpoenaed because the process is conducted in secret, but a former pitcher (Jason Grimsley(notes)), a former gym owner from Texas (Kelly Blair) and a former New York Mets clubhouse attendant (Kirk Radomski) are among those who have passed through the third-floor courthouse doors.
“They’ve been very deliberate about it,” said Clemens’ lawyer, Rusty Hardin. “And we don’t have any idea where it stands. We’re just waiting like everybody else. They have been at it a long time, but that’s not for me to comment on. We’ll be really glad when there’s a decision one way or the other.”
McNamee is Clemens’ chief adversary in the case and could be considered a logical final witness for the jury. There is at least one more witness on the itinerary—former slugger Jose Canseco on June 3—but he was originally set to testify in April before scheduling conflicts forced a pair of postponements.... read more
Lakers look to dismantle Suns’ zone in Game 4
PHOENIX (AP)—Losing one game in Phoenix was tolerable for the Los Angeles Lakers. Two losses and things start to get uncomfortable for the reigning NBA champions.
It’s safe to say that coach Phil Jackson was giving his team a refresher course on how to beat a zone defense when the Lakers worked out at US Airways Center on Monday after Phoenix employed the strategy to great success in its 118-109 victory on Sunday night. The Suns can square the series at 2-2 with another home win in Game 4 on Tuesday night.
Jackson said he had never seen a team use the zone so much in a playoff game since the NBA legalized the defense in the 2001-02 season, not that Kobe Bryant(notes) seemed all that concerned.
When asked if a day of practice would be enough to work out how to attack the zone, he answered sarcastically.
“Nah,” he said. “We’re doomed.”
The Suns used the zone much of the second quarter and the entire second half. Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said that was more than he anticipated but he stuck with it because it worked when nothing else had against the Lakers, who averaged 126 points and shot 58 percent in the series’ first two games.
There were inferences on Monday that the zone is somehow an “unmanly” defense, that real teams play man-to-man.
“We have to try every way we can to find a situation where we can win,” Gentry said. “Whatever that takes, that’s what it is. If we have to play our ‘girlie zone’ as somebody said, we’ll play our ‘girlie zone.”’..........read more
Lightning hire Steve Yzerman as new GM
A person familiar with the decision confirmed the hiring Tuesday on the condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t made the announcement. The Lightning said its new GM would be introduced at a 3 p.m. ET news conference.
Yzerman has worked as a vice president for Detroit, the only team he played for during his Hall of Fame career. He recently led Canada to men’s hockey gold as Hockey Canada executive director at the Vancouver Games.
Last month, Tampa Bay’s new owner, Jeff Vinik, fired coach Rick Tocchet and general manager Brian Lawton after the struggling franchise missed the playoffs again. The GM’s two-year contract was due to expire in June.
Yzerman was not going to get a chance to be Detroit’s GM any time soon because two executives above him, Ken Holland and Jim Nill, are expected to sign long-term deals.
“I enjoy working and being a part of this organization and helping out where I can,” Yzerman said earlier this month after Detroit was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. “Someday, I’d love to run a team and if the right opportunity came along, I would consider it. I’m in no hurry to leave. If something good came along, great.”
The 45-year-old Yzerman was born in Cranbrook, British Columbia, and he became one of the best two-way players in NHL history. He won three Stanley Cups and remains one of the most familiar faces of the Red Wings, where he was a longtime captain.......read more
Nadal gets easy win over Mina at French Open
Nadal, who was upset by Robin Soderling in the fourth round last year while struggling with knee tendinitis, committed 28 unforced errors and had to save nine break points against the 655th-ranked Mina.
“First day here is always a little bit more nervous than usual,” Nadal said. “I think I played bad. I played poorly because I made a lot of unforced errors. But I won anyway, without any problem, so that’s always important and a positive thing. But I think I can do much better in the next round.”
Nadal is unbeaten on clay this year, having won titles at Monte Carlo, Rome and Madrid. But the 23-year-old Spaniard refused to acknowledge that he is the clear favorite to win the title again.
“The only favorites are the players who are going to be in the final,” he said. “Right now, it is very difficult to speak about the favorite. I know that if I play my best tennis I will have chances to play a good tournament, but a lot of players think the same.”
“I feel good, this is the most important thing for a sportsman. I went through bad moments last year.”
Mina, who was making his Grand Slam debut after making the boy’s tournament final last year, made Nadal work hard on his serve but repeatedly failed to come up with something special on his break points..... read more
Michigan details football woes to NCAA
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP)—The University of Michigan admitted Tuesday to a series of violations in its storied football program, saying it doesn’t believe the problems related to practice time and coaching activities are enough to warrant major punishment from the NCAA.
Athletic director David Brandon characterized the disclosure as one of relief.
“I don’t think this is a black eye,” he said. “This is a bruise.”
Michigan released more than 150 pages detailing its investigation and self-imposed sanctions it hopes will satisfy the NCAA, which will hold a hearing on the case in August. A final decision on NCAA penalties could take months, but coach Rich Rodriguez is not worried about that distracting his players.
“I don’t think this ongoing case will affect them at all,” Rodriguez said. “I think our players are very excited about the season and our staff is excited.”
The sanctions included a recommendation for two years of probation for the NCAA’s winningest football program, which is 8-16 in two seasons under Rodriguez. The school also said seven people, including Rodriguez, had been reprimanded and another was fired.
“We believe that probation is typically one of the outcomes of major violations,” Brandon said. “Probation puts your program under a microscope.”
The school said it should not be tagged as a repeat offender despite a 2003 scandal in the basketball program—a key argument, since the designation would almost certainly mean harsher penalties from the NCAA.... read more
Henin wins 1st match in 3 years at French Open
PARIS (AP)—Ensconced in retirement a year ago, Justine Henin attended the French Open as a spectator, watching other players go through the physical and mental duress of tennis.
Back then, she insisted Monday, “I never thought, ‘Well, I’ll be on this court again.”’
Yet there Henin was, on the red clay of the main stadium at Roland Garros, competing in the tournament for the first time since 2007—and in so many ways, it was as if the four-time champion never had been away.
Oh, and a victory, Henin’s 22nd in a row at the French Open. The Belgian also stretched her streak to 37 consecutive sets won at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament by beating 81st-ranked Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria 6-4, 6-3 Monday.
“When I woke up, and before walking on the court, I didn’t know really what to expect and how I was going to deal with my emotions,” the 27-year-old Henin said. “It’s my tournament.”
She certainly did make it her own before deciding in 2008, right before the start of that year’s French Open, to walk away from the game, saying she no longer felt the necessary fire burning inside. Henin won titles at Roland Garros in 2003 and 2005-07, which is why she is considered a favorite for the 2010 title, even though she is seeded only 22nd. Seedings are based on rankings, and her standing is limited to points she has accumulated since returning to the tour at the start of the season.... read more
Monday, May 24, 2010
London 2012 funding to be cut by £27 million
Sports | UK
The cuts to the Olympic budget, part of 6.2 billion pounds of savings across government planned for this financial year, will affect the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), the body which is building the venues and infrastructure for the games.
Cutting a deficit running close to 11 percent of GDP is the new coalition government's top priority.
"Given the economic position, no part of government can be immune," Sport and Olympics minister Hugh Robertson said in a statement, adding that the ODA had agreed the savings could be made without compromising the project... read more
Maradona's Argentina hit five in Canada rout
Sports
Winger Angel Di Maria also scored a fine goal at a packed Monumental stadium against a Canada side who were overwhelmed at times by the speed and precision of Argentina's attacks.
Diego Maradona's side, featuring reserve centre backs and without the rested Lionel Messi, went ahead after quarter of an hour with a right-footed free kick from Rodriguez.
Just past the half-hour mark he scored again, finishing off a lightning break that demonstrated the strength of Maradona's team on the counter-attack.
The ball came out of defence to Gonzalo Higuain, who laid it off to Carlos Tevez breaking through the middle. Faced with two defenders Tevez passed it to his right where Rodriguez hit a low first-time shot under goalkeeper Patrick Onstad..... read more
I would be calling the shots at Real - Mourinho
(Reuters) - Jose Mourinho has made it clear that he will be the one making decisions about the Real Madrid first team should he leave Inter Milan and take over from Manuel Pellegrini as coach of the Spanish side.
Sports
Portuguese Mourinho, who led Inter to a Champions League triumph on Saturday at Real's Bernabeu stadium, was quoted by Spanish media on Monday saying that he needed assurances from the La Liga club that he would be free to run the team himself if he took charge.
"I want to see what they can offer me so that I have no concerns about being able to start my work," the 47-year-old was quoted as saying by As sports daily.
"The president is not the one who wins, he's not the one who plays and nor does he decide who is in the team and who is on the bench," he added in Marca.
"That's the responsibility of the professionals: the coach, the technical structure that depends on him and the players...... read more
French Open 2010: Elena Baltacha fights back to avoid 'double bagel' against Agnieszka Radwanska
French Open 2010: Caroline Wozniacki eases into second round; Jelena Dokic departs
The 2009 US Open finalist burst out of the blocks and wrapped up the first set in just 25 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier.... read more
Rangers seek bankruptcy protection to help finalize sale
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- The Texas Rangers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday in hopes of spurring completion of the stalled $575 million sale of the team -- and maybe clear the decks for the new owners to make pennant-chasing decisions this summer.
The bankruptcy filing comes four months after Tom Hicks announced an agreement to sell the team to a group led by Hall of Fame pitcher and team president Nolan Ryan and Pittsburgh attorney Chuck Greenberg.
"I did not want to put the baseball future of the Texas Rangers in jeopardy or uncertainty for an extended period of time," Hicks said. "This action is all about creating an end to the impasse in allowing this team sale to go forward."...Read More
Federer wins; Murray rallies to advance
Miffed by a line call in his first match as French Open defending champion, Federer quickly regrouped to win the opening set two points later and then went on to beat Peter Luczak 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 on Monday.
Fourth-seeded Andy Murray of Britain had a more difficult time, rallying to beat Richard Gasquet of France 4-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-2, 6-1.
The top-ranked Federer committed only 11 unforced errors, lost just 14 of 64 points on his serve and faced only one break point.
"It's always important coming back as defending champion trying to get off to a good start," he said. "It was like a perfect match to get off the French Open campaign, really."
This is only the second time in nine years that Federer arrived in Paris without a title during the clay season. But the 16-time Grand Slam champion showed no signs of vulnerability against Luczak, an Australian who fell to 0-4 in French Open matches.
Although Federer won at Roland Garros a year ago to complete a career Grand Slam, the role of favorite again goes to four-time champion Rafael Nadal. They could meet in the final.
"I hope I'll be playing the finals," Federer said. "If it's him, it's perfect." .... read more
Pavin: Woods has to earn Ryder spot
Woods
Pavin, who has four captain's picks in addition to eight automatic qualifiers for the 2010 American team, is taking a wait-and-see approach as Woods returns from a five-month hiatus from the sport.
"I'm not going to treat Tiger any different than any other player," Pavin told Reuters after the final round of the Byron Nelson Championship. "He's certainly not going to be an automatic pick.
"He's just going to be treated like everyone else. I'd love to have him on the team but I want him to be playing well."
Woods is 11th in the latest Ryder Cup standings. He trails No. 10 Matt Kuchar by 32 points (1,978.69-1,946.16), but has a healthy lead over No. 12 Nick Watney (who has 1,655.24 points). Phil Mickelson has a healthy overall lead, followed by Anthony Kim, Jim Furyk, Lucas Glover, Hunter Mahan, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Stewart Cink, Ben Crane and Kuchar.
Pavin told Reuters he hasn't spoken to Woods this year.... read more
Court: NFL is 32 teams, not one entity
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court rejected the National Football League's request for broad antitrust law protection Monday, saying that it must be considered 32 separate teams -- not one big business -- when selling branded items like jerseys and caps.
"Although NFL teams have common interests such as promoting the NFL brand, they are still separate, profit-maximizing entities, and their interests in licensing team trademarks are not necessarily aligned," said the retiring Justice John Paul Stevens, writing for a unanimous court.
The high court reversed a lower court ruling throwing out an antitrust suit brought against the league by one of its former hat makers, who was upset that it lost its contract for making official NFL hats to Reebok International Ltd.
American Needle Inc. sued, claiming the league violated antitrust law because all 32 teams worked together to freeze it out of the NFL-licensed hatmaking business and gave Reebok an exclusive 10-year license.
The company lost and appealed to the Supreme Court, but the NFL did as well, hoping to get broader protection from antitrust lawsuits.... read more
Nash won't miss time for nose surgery
Nash practiced with the team Monday before leaving to have the nose put back in place. The Suns' ear, nose and throat physician, Dr. Ryan Rehl, was to perform the procedure.
Nash said he didn't expect it to be a problem in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals....read more
Cavs fire Brown before $4.5M deadline
Brown, the most successful coach in franchise history, was fired after failing to win a championship with superstar -- and soon-to-be free agent -- LeBron James.
The Cavaliers had a midnight deadline Sunday night to fire the head coach or pay him his full $4.5 million salary for next season.
Cleveland was ousted from the playoffs two weeks ago by the Boston Celtics, who upset the NBA's top regular-season team in six games in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Cavs owner Dan Gilbert made the decision to fire Brown after an organizational review that began following the Cavs' exit from the playoffs.... read more
PGA hero Khan misses US Open spot
A day after his Wentworth win, the Englishman made the play-off at Walton Heath for the last five US Open spots after six players qualified by right.
But Khan was the only player not to birdie the first extra hole after the group were tied at the end of 36 holes.
Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie missed out on the play-off by three shots, and later blamed poor putting.
England's James Morrison carded 68, 65 to end 11 under and win by two strokes from Argentina's Rafa Echenique...........read more
Andy Murray beats Richard Gasquet in French Open
England v Mexico as it happened
2232: So thoughts get closer to South Africa, England taking on the USA on 12 June. Tremendous efforts with the baby names by the way (see comment at 1944). Keep across my twitter if you give a monkeys about what the baby ends up being called - Frank, Pickles, Wayne or even Wenlock or Mandeville? Not sure how I'll break that news to the missus. I'm sure she'll understand at 1am when I get home later.
From stillbrighter on 606: "What lessons have we learnt? That England never perform well in friendlies, but can still beat very tricky sides whilst playing poorly with an experimental side missing at least three world class regulars. And people are pessimistic about that?"
From LivinLaLiga on Twitter: "Whatever players are on that plane, they would get destroyed by Spain, Brazil or any team that can keep hold of the ball" ..............read more
Blackpool star warns England players to take care on Wembley surface
Fabio Capello's side will play Mexico on the same surface tomorrow night with their new captain, Rio Ferdinand, echoing his predecessor John Terry's calls for Wembley to be used solely for football matches. Taylor-Fletcher believes England's players will have to be careful this evening after twice going over on his ankle during his side's 3-2 victory over Cardiff with the midfielder unable to continue after twisting the joint for a second time after half-time.
Terry claimed that the pitch, the 11th laid since the £750m rebuilt stadium opened three years ago, was "the worst we have played on all year" and had "ruined" the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Portsmouth the previous weekend. "The England players have got to be careful," said Taylor-Fletcher. "There is a big World Cup coming up for them all. One slip and it could all be over for them. I have worn three pairs of boots on Saturday and in all of them I was either slipping over or getting caught [in the turf]..... read more
Richard Gasquet gets little time to rest before facing Andy Murray in Paris
This humdinger of a first-round match at the French Open pits the British No 1 against Gasquet, who played with such ardour in the Open de Nice Côte d’Azur to defeat Fernando Verdasco, of Spain.
Such was the extent of Gasquet’s resistance that Verdasco lost the plot in the final set, waving his arms at the crowd in the manner of an on-course bookmaker. That is not a course of action to be recommended to Murray today. If there is any more edge required to an edge-of-the-seat occasion, it has been provided by the intransigence of the French federation (FFT) and the LTA........ read more
Simon Khan storms through the field to win at Wentworth
It was a stunning victory for the 37-year-old Englishman — who only got into the European Tour’s flagship event as a sponsor’s invitation last Monday — and came courtesy of a round of 66 that was made up of six birdies, one bogey and 11 pars. Out in 32, Khan came home in 34 to set a six-under-par target that none in the illustrious field could match.
Among those who fell away on a day that proved tough for scoring were three of Khan’s countrymen — Chris Wood, who led the field by two at the start of the final round, Danny Willett and Luke Donald — and Robert Karlsson, who had a 62 the previous day but crash-landed with a final round of 77, the same score as Wood, his playing partner.
With two holes left to play, Donald was the only player who could deny Khan a famous victory. In the past, with two relatively soft par-fives to come, most would have expected such an experienced hand to have gone on to win, or to secure a play-off at the very least. The final holes, and especially the 17th, have been made tougher, however, and nothing can be taken for granted any more.......read more
Eoin Morgan and Steve Finn look to press case for Ashes
When the squad for the first npower Test against Bangladesh was announced yesterday, Morgan was the primary beneficiary of this month’s World Twenty20 triumph and a new-fangled rotation policy that Andy Flower, the team director, hopes will contribute to his team arriving in Australia in six months’ time in prime condition. To that end, Paul Collingwood and Stuart Broad have been rested..... read more
V Williams off to strong start at French Open
PARIS (AP)—Matches on clay can be a battle of attrition, and Venus Williams seemed ready for the fight in the first round of the French Open. Looking sure-footed on the surface that has vexed her more than any other, Williams defeated Patty Schnyder 6-3, 6-3 Sunday.
Williams’ long legs sent her to the net in only a few strides. Then she scrambled back to the baseline to chase down a lob, which she whacked as she spun around. Finally her opponent dumped a weary shot into the net.
Williams improved to 13 wins from 15 matches this year on clay, raising speculation she has a chance to win her first Roland Garros title on her 14th attempt. But she balked at the notion she has changed her game on slow, slippery clay.... read more
Jose Lima, former major league pitcher, dies at 37
The All-Star right-hander who spent 13 years in the major leagues died Sunday, according to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was 37.
Lima, who pitched the Dodgers to their first playoff win in 16 years in 2004, was in full cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived at his Pasadena home early Sunday morning, police said in a statement. He was pronounced dead at Huntington Memorial Hospital.... read more
Byfuglien hero again as Blackhawks win the West
Byfuglien scored his third go-ahead goal of the Western Conference finals, converting on a third-period power play as Chicago rallied to beat the San Jose Sharks 4-2 on Sunday and complete a four-game sweep that sent the Blackhawks to the NHL finals for the first time since 1992..........read more
Stoudemire’s 42 lead Phoenix past Lakers, 118-109
The Phoenix forward listened calmly all week, then responded with a monster game. Stoudemire attacked the Los Angeles Lakers relentlessly, matching his career playoff high with 42 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to power the Suns to a 118-109 victory Sunday night. The win sliced the Lakers’ lead in the Western Conference finals to 2-1..... read more
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Milito leads Inter past Bayern 2-0 to win Champions League
MADRID (AP) -- Inter Milan won the European soccer title for the first time in 45 years, beating Bayern Munich 2-0 Saturday night on a pair of goals by Diego Milito in the first Champions League final played on a weekend.
Milito scored in the 35th and 70th minutes at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium to give Inter its third European title, following back-to-back wins in 1964-65. Inter completed an Italian treble following victories in Serie A and the Italian Cup.
"This is a joy I've never experienced," said Milito, who finished the season with 30 goals. "Football always gives the chance for redemption. I always fought hard and tried to give my all and learn as much as I could, even though I'm 30."
In Milan, thousands of Inter fans gathered in Piazza Duomo before the city's Gothic cathedral. At the final whistle, fans went into the streets, waving flags and honking their cars' horns.
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Hall of Famer Stan Jones dies at 78
DENVER (AP) -- Pro football Hall of Famer Stan Jones, a standout for the Chicago Bears in the 1950s and '60s and an innovator of weight training in the NFL, has died. He was 78.
Jones died Friday night at his daughter's home in Broomfield, Colo., of complications of heart disease, according to his daughter, Sherrill Jones. She said her father also was battling skin cancer.
Jones, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991, also spent more than two decades coaching in the NFL, including 18 seasons with the Denver Broncos.
"He was a wonderful father and teacher, he was our hero," Sherrill Jones said.
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Franck Ribéry ends transfer talk with five-year Bayern Munich deal
Ribéry had been linked with moves to Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid. "We are very pleased that one of the best players in the world has agreed to a contract extension," said the Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. "This is also a sign of the great objectives of FC Bayern in the coming years."
The news will come as a boost to fans of the Bavarian club, who saw their team suffer a 2-0 defeat against Internazionale in the European Cup final last night.Ribéry missed the game at the Bernabéu after his sending-off in the semi-final first leg against Lyon....
Read more
Flyers’ Leighton shuts out Habs for 3rd time
MONTREAL (AP)—Michael Leighton(notes) doesn’t have time to reflect on his latest shutout. He is focused on a much bigger objective now that the Philadelphia Flyers are one win from the Stanley Cup finals.
Much like his team, Leighton bounced back from his worst performance this postseason. He stopped all 17 shots he faced in a 3-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday.
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Cuban fined $100,000 for comments on LeBron
NEW YORK (AP)—The NBA won’t tolerate its teams talking about prospective free agents yet.
The league fined Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban $100,000 Saturday for comments made about free-agent-to-be LeBron James(notes) that violated the league’s anti-tampering rules.
Phoenix Suns president Steve Kerr also was fined $10,000 for comments he made in a radio interview.
Teams are not allowed to talk about another team’s players until July 1, when free agency opens. Commissioner David Stern said recently that his clubs had done well following the rules, even as fans and the media continue to speculate about what James and fellow free agents in summer’s class might do....... read more
Kurt Busch wins $1 million All-Star race
CONCORD, N.C. (AP)—As teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch lined up side-by-side for the final segment of the All-Star race, one way or another, a Joe Gibbs Racing victory seemed a mere 10-lap shootout away.
But with a cool $1 million prize on the line, neither driver had any intention of lifting off the gas in the no-points, dash-for-cash Saturday night showdown.
Of course, it ended badly.
Hamlin used defensive driving to protect his lead, Busch wrecked and his big brother, Kurt, sailed by both JGR drivers to grab his first career All-Star victory.... read more
Celtics cruise past Magic; open 3-0 lead in series
In the hallway, he repeated aloud: “One more. One more.”...........read more
Highlights: All-Star Race
Challengers await should Nadal slip again
But it’s never that simple on the red clay of Roland Garros, the historic site that sits on the edge of Paris, surrounded by the greenery of the Bois de Boulogne and steeped in a history that stretches back from Rafael Nadal to Bjorn Borg, Nicola Pietrangeli and those Four Musketeers — Henri Cochet, Renee Lacoste, Jean Borotra and Jacques Brugnon — for whom the complex was built in 1928.... read more
Hashim Amla & AB de Villiers shine in South Africa win
Amla and De Villiers both hit 102 while Dwayne Bravo finished with 3-40.
And, despite Chris Gayle (45) getting the home side's reply off to a fine start, they were dismissed for 215... read more
Mourinho leaving Inter Milan for Real Madrid
Jose Mourinho said he had almost certainly taken charge of Inter Milan for the last time after leading the Italian side to Champions League glory at the Santiago Bernabeu - and revealed he will be discussing a move to Real Madrid with club president Florentino Perez in the coming days..... read more
Inter celebrates at San Siro at 6 am
MILAN (AP) — It was an all-night celebration for Inter Milan and a party at sunrise before thousands at the San Siro stadium.
After beating Bayern Munich 2-0 for the Champions League title in Madrid on Saturday, Inter's flight back to Milan landed at 5 a.m. (0300 GMT) Sunday and a bus immediately took the team to the San Siro.... read more
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