The totally disinterested look on the face of the vanquished Dinara Safina was hardly the perfect illustration for the competitive element on view but the ongoing political situation at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships is proof there is far more to tennis than hitting fluffy yellow balls back and forth.
The very future of this tournament may be hanging in the balance following the decision by the United Arab Emirates Government to deny Shahar Peer, of Israel, an entry visa to contest this week’s women’s event. Political negotiations are ongoing as her countryman Andy Ram, one of the world’s top doubles players, awaits news of whether he can contest next week’s men’s event.
Dubai has long been regarded as one of the most forward thinking events on the world tour. In the 17 years of competition at the Aviation Club, the tournament has led the way as the Arabian Gulf has become one of the true bastions of world tennis. Nine years ago, a WTA event was added, and now the tournament features almost every top 10-ranked player, both men and women. Last year more than 125,000 people attended.
Indeed, the current site is now becoming too small for such a prestigious gathering of talent, and plans are under way to move to a new location. "We are in discussions with the authorities at the Dubai Sports City for hosting the tournament there," said Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, owners and organizers of the $4 million event. But the events of the past few days have thrown everything in doubt.
Larry Scott, chief executive of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, insists debate will be thorough on whether to continue with the event in forthcoming years. Pessimists are even speculating that next week’s ATP event, set to include Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and, if fit enough, world No 1 Rafael Nadal, will not take place if Ram is treated the same as Peer.
Justin Gimelstob, an ATP board member, was one of many who looked on in dismay as the WTA simply shook their heads, voiced their disappointment and told the rest of their players to get on with the tournament.
Gimelstob was adamant the ATP would be firm in their support of Ram and said: "We are very disappointed to hear about the decision with Shahar Peer and we are looking at it and are very concerned."
"We believe very strongly that players of all religions, ethnicities and nationalities be allowed to play. We discussed that with Dubai and are adamant all players get access to the tournament.
"If Andy Ram were not to get his visa that would be very troubling. It's a clear-cut rule that everyone should be allowed to play tour events. We are on top of it and are trying to sort out the information."
There are of course two sides to every story. While Francisco Ricci Bitti, the International Tennis Federation's president, reminded the UAE politicians that sport should not be used as a political tool but rather as a unifying force, tournament officials maintain they took the decision over Peer.
Feelings understandably remain very high among the Arabic residents of Dubai after the three-week Israeli offensive in Gaza, which killed 1,300 Palestinians. Concerns were rife that local fans would have boycotted the event if Peer had played and she in turn would have been in danger.
"Public sentiment remains high in the Middle East and it is believed that Ms Peer's presence would have antagonised our fans who have watched live television coverage of recent attacks in Gaza," Salah Tahlak, the tournament director, said in an official statement. "Ms Peer personally witnessed protests against her at another tournament in New Zealand only a few weeks ago.
"Concern was raised about her well-being and her presence triggering similar protests. Given public sentiment, the entire tournament could have been boycotted by protesters.We do not wish to politicise sports, but we have to be sensitive to recent events in the region and not alienate or put at risk the players and the many tennis fans of different nationalities that we have here in the UAE."
Meanwhile Safina, completely humbled by Serena Williams in the Australian Open final two-and-a-half weeks ago, simply cocooned herself in her own world. Just when women’s tennis needed a boost to its credibility, the Russian, who has surged to second spot in the world rankings, produced a display perhaps even more indolent and inept than her display at Melbourne Park.
As Safina lost out 6-4,6-2 to Italy’s Flavia Penetta, she looked like somebody who simply didn’t want to be on the court. “It was a bad day,”she mumbled. “Probably worse than the Australian Open final. I don’t know why.”
Source:the times
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Andy Murray feels the heat in Indian Wells
Roger Federer struts on to the court where Andy Murray's practice has not exactly been perfect. Federer is radiating health and wellbeing, blue initialled cap pulled low, not a stitch out of place, the collar of his training top clipping the ear lobes just so, socks at precisely the same height, calves shimmering. Murray is caked in sweat. They exchange the odd word, the Scot sits on the bench and watches Federer ease sweetly into his rhythm for a few minutes before taking his leave.
It is a common enough scene in the paradise venues of professional tennis, but you stop and wonder about the two men, their places in the sport and how the next 12 months will shape their careers. Federer is going to become a father; heck, they quizzed Murray on whether he thought impending parenthood for the Swiss might have an impression on the title race. “For me, family is the most important thing,” he answered. “Tim Henman had babies and it didn't affect his career too much.”
Murray has beaten Federer in five of their past six meetings, the bragging rights are his and may be enhanced here if both reach the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open. The Scot has not played since February 25. He then retired at the Barclays Dubai Championships and staggered into the office of Gerry Armstrong, the British ATP supervisor, who thought he had seen a ghost. The last sighting of Federer was the Australian Open final, marked for his tearful outpourings after a defeat by Rafael Nadal, the world No 1.
This is the first time since Melbourne that the elite are all in one place, Novak Djokovic completing the leading foursome after a spectacularly frenzied taxi ride from Gatwick to Heathrow, concluding the Serb's complex journey from a Davis Cup tie in Benidorm to the Coachella Valley in southern California. Djokovic is defending champion here, one of two Masters Series titles he won in 2008, a year that culminated in him taking the Masters Cup in Shanghai.
Murray's first opponent in the singles today is Albert Montañés, a Spaniard whom he defeated en route to the ExxonMobil Qatar Open title in Doha in January. The British No 1 looked lean and lithe yesterday, although he had a tendency to swallow hard before every sentence, giving the impression that something nasty was lodged in the back of his throat. “I don't exactly know how I caught this virus or exactly what it was because my symptoms changed a lot,” he said. “I went from having a sore throat, to night sweats, an upset stomach, nosebleeds and was throwing up. I feel OK now, but matches are a lot more stressful than practice. My blood tests show that I am better. I'm up for it.
“But there's no point in me coming here and saying I'm feeling perfect and I've had the best preparation possible. I didn't feel my best going into Rotterdam [for the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament] last month, but I found a way to win the tournament. As you get older, you start to understand you're not going to feel perfect every week.”
So we are not sure what we should expect from the world No 4. Barring Nadal, whose victory sweep against Serbia in the Davis Cup last weekend was frighteningly conclusive but who has woken up at 4 the past two mornings and been hitting golf balls at 6.30am, there is not much of a form guide for the favourites.
The air is clear, the sun is high and the temperatures are set to soar next week, which adds to the desirability of the location but will test athletes - and certainly those at less than 100 per cent - to the extreme. In Murray's case, just to be here beats lying in bed, watching what was left of Great Britain's Davis Cup team disappearing down the plughole last weekend.
Source:the times
It is a common enough scene in the paradise venues of professional tennis, but you stop and wonder about the two men, their places in the sport and how the next 12 months will shape their careers. Federer is going to become a father; heck, they quizzed Murray on whether he thought impending parenthood for the Swiss might have an impression on the title race. “For me, family is the most important thing,” he answered. “Tim Henman had babies and it didn't affect his career too much.”
Murray has beaten Federer in five of their past six meetings, the bragging rights are his and may be enhanced here if both reach the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open. The Scot has not played since February 25. He then retired at the Barclays Dubai Championships and staggered into the office of Gerry Armstrong, the British ATP supervisor, who thought he had seen a ghost. The last sighting of Federer was the Australian Open final, marked for his tearful outpourings after a defeat by Rafael Nadal, the world No 1.
This is the first time since Melbourne that the elite are all in one place, Novak Djokovic completing the leading foursome after a spectacularly frenzied taxi ride from Gatwick to Heathrow, concluding the Serb's complex journey from a Davis Cup tie in Benidorm to the Coachella Valley in southern California. Djokovic is defending champion here, one of two Masters Series titles he won in 2008, a year that culminated in him taking the Masters Cup in Shanghai.
Murray's first opponent in the singles today is Albert Montañés, a Spaniard whom he defeated en route to the ExxonMobil Qatar Open title in Doha in January. The British No 1 looked lean and lithe yesterday, although he had a tendency to swallow hard before every sentence, giving the impression that something nasty was lodged in the back of his throat. “I don't exactly know how I caught this virus or exactly what it was because my symptoms changed a lot,” he said. “I went from having a sore throat, to night sweats, an upset stomach, nosebleeds and was throwing up. I feel OK now, but matches are a lot more stressful than practice. My blood tests show that I am better. I'm up for it.
“But there's no point in me coming here and saying I'm feeling perfect and I've had the best preparation possible. I didn't feel my best going into Rotterdam [for the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament] last month, but I found a way to win the tournament. As you get older, you start to understand you're not going to feel perfect every week.”
So we are not sure what we should expect from the world No 4. Barring Nadal, whose victory sweep against Serbia in the Davis Cup last weekend was frighteningly conclusive but who has woken up at 4 the past two mornings and been hitting golf balls at 6.30am, there is not much of a form guide for the favourites.
The air is clear, the sun is high and the temperatures are set to soar next week, which adds to the desirability of the location but will test athletes - and certainly those at less than 100 per cent - to the extreme. In Murray's case, just to be here beats lying in bed, watching what was left of Great Britain's Davis Cup team disappearing down the plughole last weekend.
Source:the times
Kauto Star reclaims Gold Cup crown with majesty
However many Gold Cups he finally wins, Paul Nicholls will look back on his fourth with matchless affection. This was the day when he proved that great jumping horses really can come back, no matter the deterrent of history. And it was the day when the horse closest to his heart repaid his unshakeable faith.
Before Kauto Star's breathtaking triumph yesterday, no horse had ever regained a Cup first contested in 1924. The statistic itself betrays the attritional nature of this race, yet Nicholls worked comparable wonders with its latest hero and casualty, restoring the spirit of Denman when even he had begun to fear it may be impossible.
This time, Denman finished 13 lengths behind the stablemate he beat by seven a year ago - still a striking contribution to another masterclass from the champion trainer. Nicholls saddled four of the first five home, only Exotic Dancer in third a gatecrasher. So close to emulating Michael Dickinson's Famous Five of 1983, Nicholls also secured three of the Festival's four feature races, having failed by only a neck in the first.
Adding to the overwhelming sense of history, the Gold Cup was a fifth winner of the meeting for Nicholls and a seventh for the silver-haired artist among modern jockeys, Ruby Walsh. The previous record was five and Walsh joked: “I just hope I don't wake up and find it's Tuesday morning.”After three days of predictably deflated crowds, Cheltenham was shoulder-to-shoulder bedlam for a Gold Cup with disparate strands of anticipation. At its romantic heart was the royal runner, Barbers Shop, which guaranteed the Queen's presence for only the third time and - in finishing seventh - gave her genuine hope for next year.
The monarch wore a rust-coloured coat rather more modest than the startling purple number sported by Harry Findlay, co-owner of Denman. You could not miss either in a parade ring hectic with expectation and the queasy expression of Nicky Henderson, the royal trainer, told of the unusual pressure on his shoulders.
Walsh looked ridiculously cool, as he must have been to ride Pride Of Dulcote, a horse that had put him on the floor three times, immediately before the Gold Cup. “If you start thinking ‘I don't fancy riding that fellow', you might as well give it up,” he said. Still, many would have taken the safer option.
When the tapes rose, Neptune Collonges imposed himself in front, depriving and disheartening Madison Du Berlais. Snoopy Loopy tried to match strides but eventually paid the penalty. All the while, Denman and Kauto Star kept each other company, just as they do at home.
Last year, Sam Thomas had been audaciously aggressive on Denman but now he was restrained by orders and logic. Alongside him, Walsh felt the Bentley engine of Kauto Star purring, his jumping slick and occasionally spectacular. “He has unbelievable scope, the power to stand off an awful long way,” the jockey said.
Turning downhill for the last time, only Exotic Dancer was travelling well enough to defy another Nicholls win. Walsh looked across once more to check how Denman was moving. He said: “I was surprised he was still there and he takes a lot of credit. I hadn't planned to be in front so early but when we winged the fourth last, I was committed.”
Kauto Star never looked like failing him. Striding clear up the hill with a zest that eluded him last year, he gave demonstration leaps at the last two fences and came home to an earsplitting roar from a properly appreciative crowd of 64,908. Cheltenham may be a forum of opinions and prejudices but it is also a parish that loves a superstar.
As he waited for his victorious flock, of which only Star De Mohaison disappointed, Nicholls resembled an anxious kindergarten mistress. Yet unlike last March, when the strain had shattered his nerves, his transparent expression was joy. A year ago, he spent the days after Cheltenham staring moodily at Kauto Star's box, unable to believe he had been beaten. The horse is a massive emotional investment for his trainer and this was payback day.
“I actually managed to enjoy watching today, because he did what Ruby and I believed he would,” Nicholls explained. “I always dreamed of having one as good as him and he was the first to come along. He's good for racing and he's not finished yet.”
An exuberant Findlay was busy telling everyone that the same applies to Denman, for whom rescaled peaks are now feasible again. Neptune Collonges will go back to Ireland for easier pickings, while Exotic Dancer and My Will ran compelling rehearsals for the Grand National.
These, though, were support artists to a billtopper supreme.
Quietly, unobtrusively, the man who rides him every day, who lives and sleeps his changing fortunes, gave his verdict. Clifford Baker, Nicholls's head lad, beamed contentedly as he declared: “That was the best he will ever run in his life.”
Source:the times
Before Kauto Star's breathtaking triumph yesterday, no horse had ever regained a Cup first contested in 1924. The statistic itself betrays the attritional nature of this race, yet Nicholls worked comparable wonders with its latest hero and casualty, restoring the spirit of Denman when even he had begun to fear it may be impossible.
This time, Denman finished 13 lengths behind the stablemate he beat by seven a year ago - still a striking contribution to another masterclass from the champion trainer. Nicholls saddled four of the first five home, only Exotic Dancer in third a gatecrasher. So close to emulating Michael Dickinson's Famous Five of 1983, Nicholls also secured three of the Festival's four feature races, having failed by only a neck in the first.
Adding to the overwhelming sense of history, the Gold Cup was a fifth winner of the meeting for Nicholls and a seventh for the silver-haired artist among modern jockeys, Ruby Walsh. The previous record was five and Walsh joked: “I just hope I don't wake up and find it's Tuesday morning.”After three days of predictably deflated crowds, Cheltenham was shoulder-to-shoulder bedlam for a Gold Cup with disparate strands of anticipation. At its romantic heart was the royal runner, Barbers Shop, which guaranteed the Queen's presence for only the third time and - in finishing seventh - gave her genuine hope for next year.
The monarch wore a rust-coloured coat rather more modest than the startling purple number sported by Harry Findlay, co-owner of Denman. You could not miss either in a parade ring hectic with expectation and the queasy expression of Nicky Henderson, the royal trainer, told of the unusual pressure on his shoulders.
Walsh looked ridiculously cool, as he must have been to ride Pride Of Dulcote, a horse that had put him on the floor three times, immediately before the Gold Cup. “If you start thinking ‘I don't fancy riding that fellow', you might as well give it up,” he said. Still, many would have taken the safer option.
When the tapes rose, Neptune Collonges imposed himself in front, depriving and disheartening Madison Du Berlais. Snoopy Loopy tried to match strides but eventually paid the penalty. All the while, Denman and Kauto Star kept each other company, just as they do at home.
Last year, Sam Thomas had been audaciously aggressive on Denman but now he was restrained by orders and logic. Alongside him, Walsh felt the Bentley engine of Kauto Star purring, his jumping slick and occasionally spectacular. “He has unbelievable scope, the power to stand off an awful long way,” the jockey said.
Turning downhill for the last time, only Exotic Dancer was travelling well enough to defy another Nicholls win. Walsh looked across once more to check how Denman was moving. He said: “I was surprised he was still there and he takes a lot of credit. I hadn't planned to be in front so early but when we winged the fourth last, I was committed.”
Kauto Star never looked like failing him. Striding clear up the hill with a zest that eluded him last year, he gave demonstration leaps at the last two fences and came home to an earsplitting roar from a properly appreciative crowd of 64,908. Cheltenham may be a forum of opinions and prejudices but it is also a parish that loves a superstar.
As he waited for his victorious flock, of which only Star De Mohaison disappointed, Nicholls resembled an anxious kindergarten mistress. Yet unlike last March, when the strain had shattered his nerves, his transparent expression was joy. A year ago, he spent the days after Cheltenham staring moodily at Kauto Star's box, unable to believe he had been beaten. The horse is a massive emotional investment for his trainer and this was payback day.
“I actually managed to enjoy watching today, because he did what Ruby and I believed he would,” Nicholls explained. “I always dreamed of having one as good as him and he was the first to come along. He's good for racing and he's not finished yet.”
An exuberant Findlay was busy telling everyone that the same applies to Denman, for whom rescaled peaks are now feasible again. Neptune Collonges will go back to Ireland for easier pickings, while Exotic Dancer and My Will ran compelling rehearsals for the Grand National.
These, though, were support artists to a billtopper supreme.
Quietly, unobtrusively, the man who rides him every day, who lives and sleeps his changing fortunes, gave his verdict. Clifford Baker, Nicholls's head lad, beamed contentedly as he declared: “That was the best he will ever run in his life.”
Source:the times
Lack of Twenty20 prize-money might enrich England
England have not had to waste too much time this winter checking prize-money on offer, and nobody seemed sure yesterday how much is at stake in the Twenty20 international against West Indies tomorrow. Suffice to say that, to the nearest million, it will be $20 million (about £14.3 million) less than the pot for their previous meeting in the shortest format.
The Stanford Superstars of the infamous game last November take on the national mantle this time and, with England seeking a first victory of an eventful few months, that miserable week in Antigua is easily identified as the place where things began to go wrong. They have since failed to win in seven Test matches against India and West Indies, and lost 5-0 in the one-day series in India.
Kevin Pietersen's view that India have raised the batting side of their game to a higher level as a result of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cannot be proved either way. Those who consider his opinion to be self-serving, that England players must follow the same road, will note that Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh were established and effective long before the event.
In any case, the immediate future of the IPL is under renewed doubt after the Indian government rejected a revised fixture list because of clashes with the forthcoming general election. Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, has also made what may prove to be a huge error of judgment in rejecting any input from the player associations over security. Dimitri Mascarenhas, the single England player to have participated so far, is awaiting guidance from Rajasthan Royals, his franchise and the defending champions, as well as the ECB before deciding whether to recommit. Having spent two months playing limited-overs matches for Otago in New Zealand he is becoming a one-day specialist in more than just description.
Mascarenhas provides a litmus test for attitudes towards a form of the game still considered inferior in England. Pietersen may be right, but there is no guarantee that performances in the IPL would mean much in the eyes of the selectors. Mascarenhas believes that the IPL can be a source of general improvement, but with a caveat. “In the first stage they play 14 games, which means you get experience in a lot of situations,” he said. “But they do play on a lot of flat pitches.”
He seems certain to play tomorrow and in the 50-over warm-up against the West Indies Players Association in Pointe-a-Pierre today, but Paul Collingwood is a doubt for both matches with a bacterial infection. Whether Mascarenhas retains his place for the first one-day international in Guyana on Friday may depend on the fitness of Andrew Flintoff, who is expected to be rested this weekend.
Source:the times
The Stanford Superstars of the infamous game last November take on the national mantle this time and, with England seeking a first victory of an eventful few months, that miserable week in Antigua is easily identified as the place where things began to go wrong. They have since failed to win in seven Test matches against India and West Indies, and lost 5-0 in the one-day series in India.
Kevin Pietersen's view that India have raised the batting side of their game to a higher level as a result of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cannot be proved either way. Those who consider his opinion to be self-serving, that England players must follow the same road, will note that Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh were established and effective long before the event.
In any case, the immediate future of the IPL is under renewed doubt after the Indian government rejected a revised fixture list because of clashes with the forthcoming general election. Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, has also made what may prove to be a huge error of judgment in rejecting any input from the player associations over security. Dimitri Mascarenhas, the single England player to have participated so far, is awaiting guidance from Rajasthan Royals, his franchise and the defending champions, as well as the ECB before deciding whether to recommit. Having spent two months playing limited-overs matches for Otago in New Zealand he is becoming a one-day specialist in more than just description.
Mascarenhas provides a litmus test for attitudes towards a form of the game still considered inferior in England. Pietersen may be right, but there is no guarantee that performances in the IPL would mean much in the eyes of the selectors. Mascarenhas believes that the IPL can be a source of general improvement, but with a caveat. “In the first stage they play 14 games, which means you get experience in a lot of situations,” he said. “But they do play on a lot of flat pitches.”
He seems certain to play tomorrow and in the 50-over warm-up against the West Indies Players Association in Pointe-a-Pierre today, but Paul Collingwood is a doubt for both matches with a bacterial infection. Whether Mascarenhas retains his place for the first one-day international in Guyana on Friday may depend on the fitness of Andrew Flintoff, who is expected to be rested this weekend.
Source:the times
Fearless Rory McIlroy steps up challenge as Phil Mickelson keeps Woods in shade
The rivalry between Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods is a long and not particularly friendly one. Which is why Mickelson, despite what he says, will have taken pleasure in stealing the world No 1’s thunder after two rounds here at the WGC-CA Championship.
One has the express aim of taking the course apart, and is doing so, while the other is doing everything in his power to restore a respectability to what has so far proved a disappointing return to strokeplay competition after eight months sidelined through injury.
It would be fair to say that Mickelson failed to take advantage while the Big Cat was away. Yet after a barren nine months, he rediscovered his winning touch at the Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles three weeks ago and has looked in fine fettle over the inaptly named Blue Monster course at Doral. After opening rounds of 65 and 66, the world No 3 has moved to 13 under par and holds a lead of two shots over Nick Watney and three over Rory McIlroy and Kenny Perry. Woods had a 70 and is ten shots back.
McIlroy, meanwhile, is continuing to amaze. The 19-year-old Northern Irishman dropped a couple of shots in his round of 66, but they paled into insignificance alongside six birdies and an eagle, the latter courtesy of a 268-yard shot across water to within seven feet of the hole at the par-five 8th, his seventeenth.It was a shot of pure brilliance, one that stunned and delighted in equal measure and that matched another at the fearsome 18th, a 200-yard approach shot to the green that set up the only birdie registered on the hole all day. Even McIlroy was impressed.
“They were two of the best shots I’ve ever hit, to be honest,” he said. He has been playing in the States for only three weeks and is living up to his billing in every way.
In Los Angeles last month, Mickelson was forced to dig deep for his one-stroke win over Steve Stricker after throwing away a five-shot lead in the final round. But he did what all the great champions manage to do: to win ugly. When Woods does it, he gets praised and yet Mickelson attracts the opposite reaction.
His performance in Miami, however, has been anything but ugly. He has gone all out with his drives, confident that he has ironed out a tendency to spray the ball left and right — but also in the knowledge that the rough here is virtually non-existent — and has given a masterclass in the art of the short game. He chipped in three times during the first round and did so yesterday at the 7th, his sixteenth. His round included seven birdies and only one bogey.
On the subject of Woods’s travails, Mickelson said all the right things. “It kind of sucks \,” he said. “I came close in ’05 and got beat and I would love the opportunity to play head to head.” Get him when he is down, in other words. “We cannot wait for him to get back on top of his game. Then, hopefully, we will be able to keep pace with him.”
Padraig Harrington, hoping to find some form in the build-up to the Masters, where he will attempt to win his third major championship in succession, had a mixed bag in a round of 71. Starting at the 10th, he opened with an eagle, had picked up four shots within five holes and shared the lead on ten under par. He picked up two more birdies, but with three bogeys and a double bogey on his card, he ended the day six shots off the pace.
There were good rounds for Ian Poulter, whose 67 moved him to eight under par, and Paul Casey, who lies a shot farther back after a 66.
Source:the times
One has the express aim of taking the course apart, and is doing so, while the other is doing everything in his power to restore a respectability to what has so far proved a disappointing return to strokeplay competition after eight months sidelined through injury.
It would be fair to say that Mickelson failed to take advantage while the Big Cat was away. Yet after a barren nine months, he rediscovered his winning touch at the Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles three weeks ago and has looked in fine fettle over the inaptly named Blue Monster course at Doral. After opening rounds of 65 and 66, the world No 3 has moved to 13 under par and holds a lead of two shots over Nick Watney and three over Rory McIlroy and Kenny Perry. Woods had a 70 and is ten shots back.
McIlroy, meanwhile, is continuing to amaze. The 19-year-old Northern Irishman dropped a couple of shots in his round of 66, but they paled into insignificance alongside six birdies and an eagle, the latter courtesy of a 268-yard shot across water to within seven feet of the hole at the par-five 8th, his seventeenth.It was a shot of pure brilliance, one that stunned and delighted in equal measure and that matched another at the fearsome 18th, a 200-yard approach shot to the green that set up the only birdie registered on the hole all day. Even McIlroy was impressed.
“They were two of the best shots I’ve ever hit, to be honest,” he said. He has been playing in the States for only three weeks and is living up to his billing in every way.
In Los Angeles last month, Mickelson was forced to dig deep for his one-stroke win over Steve Stricker after throwing away a five-shot lead in the final round. But he did what all the great champions manage to do: to win ugly. When Woods does it, he gets praised and yet Mickelson attracts the opposite reaction.
His performance in Miami, however, has been anything but ugly. He has gone all out with his drives, confident that he has ironed out a tendency to spray the ball left and right — but also in the knowledge that the rough here is virtually non-existent — and has given a masterclass in the art of the short game. He chipped in three times during the first round and did so yesterday at the 7th, his sixteenth. His round included seven birdies and only one bogey.
On the subject of Woods’s travails, Mickelson said all the right things. “It kind of sucks \,” he said. “I came close in ’05 and got beat and I would love the opportunity to play head to head.” Get him when he is down, in other words. “We cannot wait for him to get back on top of his game. Then, hopefully, we will be able to keep pace with him.”
Padraig Harrington, hoping to find some form in the build-up to the Masters, where he will attempt to win his third major championship in succession, had a mixed bag in a round of 71. Starting at the 10th, he opened with an eagle, had picked up four shots within five holes and shared the lead on ten under par. He picked up two more birdies, but with three bogeys and a double bogey on his card, he ended the day six shots off the pace.
There were good rounds for Ian Poulter, whose 67 moved him to eight under par, and Paul Casey, who lies a shot farther back after a 66.
Source:the times
Martin Johnson says England can beat France
Whatever criteria you apply to England, whether you regard them as a side making progress or standing still - or worse, in retreat - there is no room for manoeuvre tomorrow. France must be beaten at Twickenham and Scotland next weekend, the final round of the RBS Six Nations Championship, if Martin Johnson and his cohorts are to emerge with any credit, any kind of foundation laid down during the team manager's first season in office.
Johnson denies that this imposes any more pressure than is normal in international sport. “You always want to win,” he said with a shrug. Particularly in front of supporters who have seen little to cheer them up in the past five matches at Twickenham.
But even if Johnson's reputation, for which he gives scant regard, does not hinge on success in these next two games, his players need it to convince themselves that the graph is pointing upwards. There have been clear signs of that during the away games in Cardiff and Dublin, both lost but any kind of neutral analysis of the set-pieces, the defence, the ability to force turnover ball suggests potential. Unfortunately, the record book is unforgiving in that respect: it tells only who has won or lost, not how the game was played, and when the whole is masked by the cloak of darkness that is England's disciplinary record, it is easy to be pessimistic.
But the record also shows that England need not fear France, even if they overcame Wales a fortnight ago in Paris in particularly difficult circumstances. In this fixture two years ago, England bounced back from a record defeat in Dublin and played one of their most compelling games of 2007; seven months later they overcame France on their own soil in the World Cup semi-finals and, four months further on, did the same again in the championship.
That there are only five survivors from 2007 in the starting XV tomorrow is a reminder of the problems Johnson has been trying to fix. Throw in the two World Cup warm-up games and 46 players have appeared for England against France in the past two years. Even allowing for injuries and retirement, there is still wheat to be sorted from the chaff.
The query is how England will try to win this game. Steve Borthwick, the captain, says the intention has been to attack from the outset, home or away, and that will be the case again. England will have to slug it out at scrum and lineout against one of the biggest France sides to appear at Twickenham. The visiting pack averages 17st 5lb a man and Mathieu Bastareaud, the new centre, is 6lb heavier than that.
England do not want, or need, to become involved in an arm wrestle, even if Johnson has taken the precaution of throwing Simon Shaw into the fray. Now is the time for Brian Smith to earn his corn as attack coach. “France have only lost one game, they have a shot at the championship still, but watching our guys train this week, they have worked the best I've seen from them,” Johnson said. “It doesn't necessarily transfer to the pitch, but our understanding is getting better and better, we have made strides, the spirit in the team is stronger.”
Just as they did against the Wales No8, Andy Powell, England must throw a chain around Imanol Harinordoquy, who has been such an important ball-carrier for France. He has been a sublime presence at the lineout, too, hence the return of Tom Croft, who is the most athletic leaper England have. It will be Joe Worsley's role to act as stopper around the field, backed up by Borthwick, who helped so much to neutralise Powell.
Johnson admits that the use of Croft this season, as an auxiliary lock, is preparation for the possibility that the IRB will confirm this year the experimental law variations (or "English law variations", as the former Wales prop, Graham Price, told his former Lions colleague, Bill Beaumont, this week with graphic detail on why England were being penalised so much). If the free-kick offence overtakes the direct penalty, as in the southern hemisphere, then mobile forwards such as Croft will be at a premium.
But the Leicester man offers something special in the back row and England must not neglect it. They are only beginning to maximise their resources and France are concerned that this may be the day they discover themselves. “I've looked at all their games and looked at all their penalties and I think they've been unlucky,” Dave Ellis, the France defence coach, said. “Those yellow cards could easily have gone the other way. I don't think they're a bad team. If they can be patient, it will be difficult for us.” Soft soap, some might say, but Ellis is right: maybe tomorrow the sceptics will have to change their minds.
England
15 D Armitage 14 M Cueto 13 M Tindall 12 R Flutey 11 U Monye 10 T Flood 9 H Ellis 1 A Sheridan 2 L Mears 3 P Vickery 4 S Borthwick (capt) 5 S Shaw 6 T Croft 7 J Worsley 8 N Easter Replacements D Hartley, J White, NKennedy, J Haskell, D Care, A Goode, MTait
France
15 M Médard 14 J Malzieu 13 M Bastareaud 12 Y Jauzion 11 C Heymans 10 F Trinh-Duc 9 M Parra 1 L Faure 2 D Szarzewski 3 S Marconnet 4 L Nallet (capt) 5 J Thion 6 T Dusautoir 7 S Chabal 8 I Harinordoquy Replacements B Kayser, T Domingo, L Picamoles, J Bonnaire, S Tillous-Borde, FFritz, D Traille
Source:the times
Johnson denies that this imposes any more pressure than is normal in international sport. “You always want to win,” he said with a shrug. Particularly in front of supporters who have seen little to cheer them up in the past five matches at Twickenham.
But even if Johnson's reputation, for which he gives scant regard, does not hinge on success in these next two games, his players need it to convince themselves that the graph is pointing upwards. There have been clear signs of that during the away games in Cardiff and Dublin, both lost but any kind of neutral analysis of the set-pieces, the defence, the ability to force turnover ball suggests potential. Unfortunately, the record book is unforgiving in that respect: it tells only who has won or lost, not how the game was played, and when the whole is masked by the cloak of darkness that is England's disciplinary record, it is easy to be pessimistic.
But the record also shows that England need not fear France, even if they overcame Wales a fortnight ago in Paris in particularly difficult circumstances. In this fixture two years ago, England bounced back from a record defeat in Dublin and played one of their most compelling games of 2007; seven months later they overcame France on their own soil in the World Cup semi-finals and, four months further on, did the same again in the championship.
That there are only five survivors from 2007 in the starting XV tomorrow is a reminder of the problems Johnson has been trying to fix. Throw in the two World Cup warm-up games and 46 players have appeared for England against France in the past two years. Even allowing for injuries and retirement, there is still wheat to be sorted from the chaff.
The query is how England will try to win this game. Steve Borthwick, the captain, says the intention has been to attack from the outset, home or away, and that will be the case again. England will have to slug it out at scrum and lineout against one of the biggest France sides to appear at Twickenham. The visiting pack averages 17st 5lb a man and Mathieu Bastareaud, the new centre, is 6lb heavier than that.
England do not want, or need, to become involved in an arm wrestle, even if Johnson has taken the precaution of throwing Simon Shaw into the fray. Now is the time for Brian Smith to earn his corn as attack coach. “France have only lost one game, they have a shot at the championship still, but watching our guys train this week, they have worked the best I've seen from them,” Johnson said. “It doesn't necessarily transfer to the pitch, but our understanding is getting better and better, we have made strides, the spirit in the team is stronger.”
Just as they did against the Wales No8, Andy Powell, England must throw a chain around Imanol Harinordoquy, who has been such an important ball-carrier for France. He has been a sublime presence at the lineout, too, hence the return of Tom Croft, who is the most athletic leaper England have. It will be Joe Worsley's role to act as stopper around the field, backed up by Borthwick, who helped so much to neutralise Powell.
Johnson admits that the use of Croft this season, as an auxiliary lock, is preparation for the possibility that the IRB will confirm this year the experimental law variations (or "English law variations", as the former Wales prop, Graham Price, told his former Lions colleague, Bill Beaumont, this week with graphic detail on why England were being penalised so much). If the free-kick offence overtakes the direct penalty, as in the southern hemisphere, then mobile forwards such as Croft will be at a premium.
But the Leicester man offers something special in the back row and England must not neglect it. They are only beginning to maximise their resources and France are concerned that this may be the day they discover themselves. “I've looked at all their games and looked at all their penalties and I think they've been unlucky,” Dave Ellis, the France defence coach, said. “Those yellow cards could easily have gone the other way. I don't think they're a bad team. If they can be patient, it will be difficult for us.” Soft soap, some might say, but Ellis is right: maybe tomorrow the sceptics will have to change their minds.
England
15 D Armitage 14 M Cueto 13 M Tindall 12 R Flutey 11 U Monye 10 T Flood 9 H Ellis 1 A Sheridan 2 L Mears 3 P Vickery 4 S Borthwick (capt) 5 S Shaw 6 T Croft 7 J Worsley 8 N Easter Replacements D Hartley, J White, NKennedy, J Haskell, D Care, A Goode, MTait
France
15 M Médard 14 J Malzieu 13 M Bastareaud 12 Y Jauzion 11 C Heymans 10 F Trinh-Duc 9 M Parra 1 L Faure 2 D Szarzewski 3 S Marconnet 4 L Nallet (capt) 5 J Thion 6 T Dusautoir 7 S Chabal 8 I Harinordoquy Replacements B Kayser, T Domingo, L Picamoles, J Bonnaire, S Tillous-Borde, FFritz, D Traille
Source:the times
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