When he arrived in America a month ago, still coughing and spluttering and not knowing how much real, hard-edged competitive tennis he would be able to play, if someone had suggested to Andy Murray that he would play in successive Masters finals, he might have looked at them askance.
But here the British No.1 is, hot on the heels of one final in Indian Wells, California - where he was buffeted and blown aside by Rafael Nadal, the world No.1, and into the next, the Sony Ericsson Open here, where he will play Novak Djokovic, of Serbia in what is almost an official play off to decide who is the third best player in the world.
Statistically, Murray, currently in fourth position, cannot overhaul Djokovic this week, but the Scot's breath is heavy on Djokovic's neck. Murray has won their past two meetings as he had against Juan Martin Del Potro, of Argentina, an advantage he extended last night with a 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 victory over the 6'6" totem, one in which his full repertoire of strengths, of versatility in defence and attack (never has one seen him defend better), of purpose and poise and of a sheer refusal to be overpowered.
He even managed to keep his cool when, in the seventh game of the final set, as Del Potro was forced to bend and stretch to try to generate a volleyed response to a craftily flighted backhand and seemed to seize up, the Argentinian was alowed to walk to his chair and have a breather. What other sport allows its rules to be bent with such impunity? Though Del Potro summoned a trainer and had his right thigh rubbed, it was clearly a stalling tactic - one which he should not have been allowed to get away with. Tennis needs to revisit its rule book.
Notwithstanding such an interruption, Murray stood firm, clamined Del Potro's serve on the ensuing break point when he drew a forehand error and served out beautifully to love just to drive the dagger home. The pair exchanged friendly words at the net but Murray's response to his victory, with clenched fists and jaw set, showed how much it meant to him.
Having won two tournaments already this year, in Doha and Rotterdam, a third is not beyond his powers, eve n given the quality of the opposition. He lost in the semi finals here to Djokovic two years ago but he was injured and ill, so it was not really a match at all. When he chose not to play in the Davis Cup tie against Ukraine last month because of a virus, he was vilified in certain quarters but it was always a greater concern that his body and mind were in shape for this American hard court swing when so many rankings points are up for grabs. Murray is going for a second fistful here tomorrow.
The mutilated remains of one of the rackets with which Roger Federer had dominated men's tennis lay in bits on the cement of Crandon Park yesterday as an emblem of the sense of brokenness that has overcome him. All that could have gone wrong with the 27-year-old went wrong yesterday and as he sat facing the press, wiping away the tears with the collar of his tennis top, you wondered when he would look at the world with a clear vision again.
When Federer smacked his implement into the ground and the jeers of the Florida crowd rang in his ears - they are an uplifting lot in these parts - there was a feeling of emptiness, even though 8,000 odd people were in his company. It is a sensation he has felt before in a period of his career that has provided an awful lot of questions but very few answers.
He has been a great player for so long - 237 consecutive weeks as the No.1, 13 grand slam titles and assorted other tournaments bear testimony to his brilliance - that to see him in such disarray really comes as a bit of a shock. In the aftermath of his 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 defeat, one suggested that to him with all the diplomacy one could muster.
"You try hard and then it's just not working," he replied, the tears adhering to his eyelid. "Today it is different just because there's so much wind, as well. Once you start feeling bad, it's tough to regroup. Once one guy gets the upper hand, the other guy is a bit uncertain. He played so bad in the first set, I had a great effort by finishing even worse than him. It was good." The last two quotes were, of course, Federer being facetious, which is not like him at all.
Actually, nothing about Federer is like him at all at the moment. There was so much mis-timing yesterday, it was difficult to believe you were watching a Swiss. The forehand that used to be Mr Dependability has become a liability, his footwork was non-existent and far too often, he simply does not seem to have the will to make himself move to the place where he needs to be. It was only because Djokovic was terrible at the start and was as tight as a drum at the end, that the result was not more convincing in his favour.
Both Murray and Djokovic will have eyed Federer's discomfiture - he did not shake the hand of Fergus Murphy, the umpire, which is another eye-opener - with a good deal of eagerness. They can see that Federer is wounded and this year, he has been unable to beat any of the top three players and struggled with a few from lower down the scale. This is simply an unprecedented period for Federer the professional, the veneer that was once unbreakable, is being shattered far too easily. "Thank God the hard court season is over," he said. But can he really be looking forward to the clay?
The suggestion that the smashing of his racket equated with seminal moment in his career, was met with disdain. "Just because I smashed the racket doesn't mean I am losing it. I didn't feel great, it's just a natural thing I did." Natural for Marat Safin, for Goran Ivanisevic, for Djokovic himself maybe. But for Roger Federer?
Source:the times
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Rory McIlroy hunting Tiger Woods at the Masters
They are getting younger and younger, aren’t they. Policemen? No, golfers. In 1997 Tiger Woods won the Masters when he had been a professional for eight months. As impressive as his 12-stroke victory was, there was admiration that he was only four months past his 21st birthday and 26 years younger than Tom Kite, who finished second.
When the Masters starts on Thursday there will be three talented competitors who are not yet 20. It would be rash to suggest that
Rory McIlroy, Danny Lee or Ryo Ishikawa could win the first major championship of the year, but if golf has tectonic plates, the events in Georgia next week could come to be regarded as a sign of them shifting, a glimpse of the generation from which Woods’s next challenger will emerge.
Leading the trio is McIlroy, 19. Whereas most golfers climb steadily up the world rankings, his ascent has been rapid. The young star from Holywood, near Belfast, the only teenager in the world’s top 50, took 18 months to break into that group and only three to move into the top 20. Now No 17, he has made such an impression on his first foray to the United States that a 69-year-old former champion rushed over to him the other day, stuck out his hand and said: “Rory, isn’t it? Hi, I’m Jack Nicklaus.”
Lee, 18, the South Korean-born New Zealander, became the youngest winner of the US Amateur last year and is the only one who has not turned professional. Yet do not describe his game as amateurish. The way Lee won the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth, Australia, in February was impressive. Two behind after 54 holes, he had four birdies in the last six holes of his final round, including on the 17th and 18th, to snatch victory by one stroke, becoming the youngest winner of an event on the European Tour.
Then there is Ishikawa, 17, perhaps the most talented of all. Just eight months past his 15th birthday, the young man nicknamed Hanikami Oji — “Bashful Prince” — has won a professional tournament in Japan, his homeland. No one has broken into the world’s top 100 professionals at so tender an age. He is No 71.
If that were not enough to whet the appetite, there is more. Padraig Harrington won the Open at Royal Birkdale last July and followed that with victory one month later in the US PGA. The Irishman will drive down Magnolia Lane towards the wooden clubhouse at Augusta National next week knowing that he has a chance of winning a third straight major championship — a feat achieved only twice, by Ben Hogan in 1953 and Woods in 2000.
Watch out for a quintessential ploy as Harrington eyes up the “Paddy Slam”. He may report that he has injured himself or be playing so badly that his mother would not give him an outside chance. Harrington has form in this regard. He is a master in the art of relieving pressure on himself.
His victory as defending champion in last year’s Open came after he revealed on the eve of the event that he had injured a wrist so badly the previous weekend that he might have to pull out. At Oakland Hills in Michigan in August, he declared his first two rounds to be so bad as to be laughable — then, while everyone was wondering who else was going to capture the year’s last major championship, Harrington had successive rounds of 66 to win by two strokes.
There is still more — for example, the form of Woods, the world No 1, in the first major championship since his stunning victory in last year’s US Open. Woods won his fourteenth major despite his left knee being so badly injured that his playing partners could hear it crack as he walked. Last Sunday in Orlando, Florida, in the third event of his comeback after reconstructive surgery, Woods began the concluding round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational tournament five strokes behind the leader, Sean O’Hair. The way that Woods willed a 16-foot putt into the hole for a birdie on the 72nd hole and a one-stroke victory was remarkable.
The lesson was clear: Woods is back. But at Augusta he has a talented young trio and a determined Irishman on his case, as well as all the usual suspects, including Phil Mickelson, Sergio García and Vijay Singh. The Masters is always interesting; but this year more than ever.
Source:the times
When the Masters starts on Thursday there will be three talented competitors who are not yet 20. It would be rash to suggest that
Rory McIlroy, Danny Lee or Ryo Ishikawa could win the first major championship of the year, but if golf has tectonic plates, the events in Georgia next week could come to be regarded as a sign of them shifting, a glimpse of the generation from which Woods’s next challenger will emerge.
Leading the trio is McIlroy, 19. Whereas most golfers climb steadily up the world rankings, his ascent has been rapid. The young star from Holywood, near Belfast, the only teenager in the world’s top 50, took 18 months to break into that group and only three to move into the top 20. Now No 17, he has made such an impression on his first foray to the United States that a 69-year-old former champion rushed over to him the other day, stuck out his hand and said: “Rory, isn’t it? Hi, I’m Jack Nicklaus.”
Lee, 18, the South Korean-born New Zealander, became the youngest winner of the US Amateur last year and is the only one who has not turned professional. Yet do not describe his game as amateurish. The way Lee won the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth, Australia, in February was impressive. Two behind after 54 holes, he had four birdies in the last six holes of his final round, including on the 17th and 18th, to snatch victory by one stroke, becoming the youngest winner of an event on the European Tour.
Then there is Ishikawa, 17, perhaps the most talented of all. Just eight months past his 15th birthday, the young man nicknamed Hanikami Oji — “Bashful Prince” — has won a professional tournament in Japan, his homeland. No one has broken into the world’s top 100 professionals at so tender an age. He is No 71.
If that were not enough to whet the appetite, there is more. Padraig Harrington won the Open at Royal Birkdale last July and followed that with victory one month later in the US PGA. The Irishman will drive down Magnolia Lane towards the wooden clubhouse at Augusta National next week knowing that he has a chance of winning a third straight major championship — a feat achieved only twice, by Ben Hogan in 1953 and Woods in 2000.
Watch out for a quintessential ploy as Harrington eyes up the “Paddy Slam”. He may report that he has injured himself or be playing so badly that his mother would not give him an outside chance. Harrington has form in this regard. He is a master in the art of relieving pressure on himself.
His victory as defending champion in last year’s Open came after he revealed on the eve of the event that he had injured a wrist so badly the previous weekend that he might have to pull out. At Oakland Hills in Michigan in August, he declared his first two rounds to be so bad as to be laughable — then, while everyone was wondering who else was going to capture the year’s last major championship, Harrington had successive rounds of 66 to win by two strokes.
There is still more — for example, the form of Woods, the world No 1, in the first major championship since his stunning victory in last year’s US Open. Woods won his fourteenth major despite his left knee being so badly injured that his playing partners could hear it crack as he walked. Last Sunday in Orlando, Florida, in the third event of his comeback after reconstructive surgery, Woods began the concluding round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational tournament five strokes behind the leader, Sean O’Hair. The way that Woods willed a 16-foot putt into the hole for a birdie on the 72nd hole and a one-stroke victory was remarkable.
The lesson was clear: Woods is back. But at Augusta he has a talented young trio and a determined Irishman on his case, as well as all the usual suspects, including Phil Mickelson, Sergio García and Vijay Singh. The Masters is always interesting; but this year more than ever.
Source:the times
Chelsea bring Alan Shearer down to earth
Alan Shearer was unable to inspire Newcastle in his first game in charge as Chelsea emerged with a comfortable 2-0 victory to keep their Premier League title hopes alive.
New manager Shearer quickly discovered the magnitude of the task he faces to ensure his hometown club retain their top flight status as this latest defeat leaves them anchored in the bottom three with just seven matches of the season remaining.
Two goals in nine second-half minutes sealed a deserved win for the visitors, who closed the gap on Manchester United to a single point.
Frank Lampard broke Newcastle resistance in the 56th minute, the England midfielder heading the ball into an empty net after a mis-hit drive from Nicolas Anelka came back off the bar - as Chelsea kept Florent Malouda sealed the win after 65 minutes. Anelka flicked on a long clearance from goalkeeper Peter Cech to Lampard, whose ball released the midfielder to slide his shot past a stranded Steve Harper and leave Newcastle without a home victory for approaching four months.
Michael Owen had a deflected late effort cleared off the line by Ashley Cole - TV replays suggested the ball was in - but that was as close as Newcastle came to marking the start of Shearer's reign with a goal.
The new manager probably feared the worst when Blackburn's dramatic late come-from-behind victory over Tottenham in the lunch-time kick-off increased the pressure on his side as the gap to safety grew to three points before they had even kicked a ball in anger.
Almost three years to the day since injury brought a premature end to his playing career, in front of a rare St James' Park full house of 52,000 the new manager took his seat in the dug-out to a predictably rapturous reception.
With Owen the only unenforced change, Shearer handed a vote of confidence to a struggling side which went into the game with just one victory in its previous 14 games. Sadly for the Toon Army, it wasn't to be repaid.
In a predictably nervy opening almost 20 minutes had passed before either team carved out a clear opening, and it was Chelsea, improving after a slow start, who came close to breaking the deadlock.
England full-back Cole made strides down the Chelsea left before delivering an inviting cross for Salomon Kalou. The striker's deft header from 12 yards was heading for the bottom corner, until a fine low save from Harper deflected the ball to safety.
Newcastle hit back inside 60 with their best chance of a first-half lacking in clear-cut openings.
Obafemi Martins, arriving at the near post six yards from goal, came close to deflecting home a low centre from the left from full-back Jose Enrique.
Shearer's edgy defenders had clearly not learned their lesson as Chelsea began to show signs of life to stretch their hosts again on the half-hour.
Anelka looked certain to open the scoring as he sprinted clear but the speedy Frenchman was thwarted by a stunning last-ditch challenge from emergency centre-back Habib Beye.
The interval failed to stop Chelsea's flow. Five minutes after the restart, Malouda, taking a slick pass from John Mikel Obi, turned in a flash inside the box to fire a shot which bounced off Harper's chest and away to safety.
Anelka was then put clean through by Malouda's intelligent lofted pass into the area, only for the striker's first touch to let him down.
It wasn't long however before Lampard and Malouda showed the forward how it should be done in front of goal.
The busy Harper prevented Kalou claiming the third from close range in injury time, but it was still the toughest of baptisms for Shearer. up the pressure at the top of the table.
Source:the times
New manager Shearer quickly discovered the magnitude of the task he faces to ensure his hometown club retain their top flight status as this latest defeat leaves them anchored in the bottom three with just seven matches of the season remaining.
Two goals in nine second-half minutes sealed a deserved win for the visitors, who closed the gap on Manchester United to a single point.
Frank Lampard broke Newcastle resistance in the 56th minute, the England midfielder heading the ball into an empty net after a mis-hit drive from Nicolas Anelka came back off the bar - as Chelsea kept Florent Malouda sealed the win after 65 minutes. Anelka flicked on a long clearance from goalkeeper Peter Cech to Lampard, whose ball released the midfielder to slide his shot past a stranded Steve Harper and leave Newcastle without a home victory for approaching four months.
Michael Owen had a deflected late effort cleared off the line by Ashley Cole - TV replays suggested the ball was in - but that was as close as Newcastle came to marking the start of Shearer's reign with a goal.
The new manager probably feared the worst when Blackburn's dramatic late come-from-behind victory over Tottenham in the lunch-time kick-off increased the pressure on his side as the gap to safety grew to three points before they had even kicked a ball in anger.
Almost three years to the day since injury brought a premature end to his playing career, in front of a rare St James' Park full house of 52,000 the new manager took his seat in the dug-out to a predictably rapturous reception.
With Owen the only unenforced change, Shearer handed a vote of confidence to a struggling side which went into the game with just one victory in its previous 14 games. Sadly for the Toon Army, it wasn't to be repaid.
In a predictably nervy opening almost 20 minutes had passed before either team carved out a clear opening, and it was Chelsea, improving after a slow start, who came close to breaking the deadlock.
England full-back Cole made strides down the Chelsea left before delivering an inviting cross for Salomon Kalou. The striker's deft header from 12 yards was heading for the bottom corner, until a fine low save from Harper deflected the ball to safety.
Newcastle hit back inside 60 with their best chance of a first-half lacking in clear-cut openings.
Obafemi Martins, arriving at the near post six yards from goal, came close to deflecting home a low centre from the left from full-back Jose Enrique.
Shearer's edgy defenders had clearly not learned their lesson as Chelsea began to show signs of life to stretch their hosts again on the half-hour.
Anelka looked certain to open the scoring as he sprinted clear but the speedy Frenchman was thwarted by a stunning last-ditch challenge from emergency centre-back Habib Beye.
The interval failed to stop Chelsea's flow. Five minutes after the restart, Malouda, taking a slick pass from John Mikel Obi, turned in a flash inside the box to fire a shot which bounced off Harper's chest and away to safety.
Anelka was then put clean through by Malouda's intelligent lofted pass into the area, only for the striker's first touch to let him down.
It wasn't long however before Lampard and Malouda showed the forward how it should be done in front of goal.
The busy Harper prevented Kalou claiming the third from close range in injury time, but it was still the toughest of baptisms for Shearer. up the pressure at the top of the table.
Source:the times
Jenson Button claims pole position in Malaysia qualifying
Britain's Jenson Button clinched his second successive pole position for the new Brawn GP team at the Malaysian Grand Prix on Saturday while McLaren's world champion Lewis Hamilton could qualify only 12th.
The 29-year-old Button, who won the season-opener in Australia last weekend, will have Toyota's Italian Jarno Trulli alongside on the front row.
Button clocked a best lap time of one minute 35.181 seconds to secure the fifth pole position of his career during qualifying on Saturday. The pole position is his second in the first two weeks of the season, after he went on to claim the Australian Grand Prix last week.
He said starting from the grid twice in two weeks was a huge personal achievement.
"This one is probably more special than in Melbourne because it is not easy to get one pole position but to have two on the trot, I've never done that before.
"I've never achieved that in my F1 career, it shows that the car works on different types of circuit."
Toyota's Timo Glock and fellow-German Nico Rosberg in a Williams will fill the second row.
Germany's Sebastian Vettel was third fastest and Button's Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello fourth in qualifying but both have penalties.
Red Bull's Vettel was handed a 10 place penalty for a collision in Australia while Barrichello drops five places for a precautionary gearbox change after Friday practice.
Hamilton qualified 13th but will start one place up the grid thanks to Vettel's penalty.
Champions Ferrari had a nightmare afternoon, with Brazilian Felipe Massa qualifying 16th after what looked like a team blunder in assuming wrongly that he had done enough to reach the second session.
Team mate Kimi Raikkonen, winner in Malaysia last year, qualified ninth. The race, round two of the championship, starts later than ever on Sunday at 1700 local (0900 GMT) with rainstorms predicted.
Source:the times
The 29-year-old Button, who won the season-opener in Australia last weekend, will have Toyota's Italian Jarno Trulli alongside on the front row.
Button clocked a best lap time of one minute 35.181 seconds to secure the fifth pole position of his career during qualifying on Saturday. The pole position is his second in the first two weeks of the season, after he went on to claim the Australian Grand Prix last week.
He said starting from the grid twice in two weeks was a huge personal achievement.
"This one is probably more special than in Melbourne because it is not easy to get one pole position but to have two on the trot, I've never done that before.
"I've never achieved that in my F1 career, it shows that the car works on different types of circuit."
Toyota's Timo Glock and fellow-German Nico Rosberg in a Williams will fill the second row.
Germany's Sebastian Vettel was third fastest and Button's Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello fourth in qualifying but both have penalties.
Red Bull's Vettel was handed a 10 place penalty for a collision in Australia while Barrichello drops five places for a precautionary gearbox change after Friday practice.
Hamilton qualified 13th but will start one place up the grid thanks to Vettel's penalty.
Champions Ferrari had a nightmare afternoon, with Brazilian Felipe Massa qualifying 16th after what looked like a team blunder in assuming wrongly that he had done enough to reach the second session.
Team mate Kimi Raikkonen, winner in Malaysia last year, qualified ninth. The race, round two of the championship, starts later than ever on Sunday at 1700 local (0900 GMT) with rainstorms predicted.
Source:the times
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