Martin Kaymer, seemingly the master of all he surveys in this part of the world, took everything that Ian Poulter could throw at him before emerging victorious after a brilliant final day at the Abu Dhabi Championship yesterday.
Kaymer, winner here in 2008 and runner-up a year later, had a round of 66 for a 21-under-par total of 267 and victory by one shot over Poulter, who also went round in 66, and two over Rory McIlroy, who lost touch with the pair midway through the outward nine but fought back to finish with a 67.
When the world rankings are released later today, Kaymer, who started the week at No 14, is expected to have moved up eight places to No 6, with Poulter at No 10, his highest ranking, and McIlroy at No 11. That would be just reward after a day in which Poulter and Kaymer, in particular, traded blow for blow, birdie for birdie, with golf of the highest order.
One stroke behind at the start of the day, Poulter opened with three birdies on the trot, drawing level at the 3rd, and took the lead for the first time with his sixth birdie, at the 12th. Six under par after 12 holes would normally be regarded as championship winning form, except that Kaymer was equal to the task. Both players reached the turn in 32, McIlroy taking three shots more.
Kaymer, a 25-year-old German, drew level once more with a huge birdie putt at the 14th and then, after chipping past the hole, held his nerve to sink one of about 15 feet at the 17th to save par when it looked as if he would go to the last trailing by a shot. In fact, Poulter was most disappointed with his own birdie attempt at that hole. He hit it perfectly on line from 20 feet, but it came up agonisingly short. It was a telling moment.
At the par-five 18th, Kaymer finished well past the Englishman with his drive and was able to reach the green with his three-wood approach from 275 yards. Poulter and McIlroy had been forced to lay up and were unable to exert any pressure on Kaymer with their approach shots.
And when the German ran his first putt from 60 feet to within three feet of the hole, he was able to start mentally celebrating his fifth victory on the European Tour in two years. It brought him a first prize of €250,000 (about £220,000) and gave an early boost to his bid to make the Europe Ryder Cup team later this year.
Asked if he had considered laying up at the 18th, Kaymer was bemused. “No way,” he said. “I’m an aggressive player and I wanted a birdie on the last. I knew if I got that, I knew I would at least be in a sudden-death play-off. We were all playing so well. It was all about birdies, birdies, birdies. We were going for the flags, going for the putts. We just went for everything, which was great.”
Between them, the group were 17 under par for the day, which is exceptional scoring in anybody’s book. And that is probably why Poulter accepted his fate with such good grace. “I’m pretty frustrated that I have walked away shooting that score and I haven’t won,” he said. “But Martin played very well. And what more can you want? When other parts of the world are suffering right now, you just realise how fortunate you are to be playing golf for a living.”
In three years playing the pristine National Course, Kaymer is a barely credible 56 under par. He, for one, will hope the tournament remains at the same venue next year, although the chances are that it will be moved to one of the new courses taking shape on the nearby multibillion-dollar development of Saadiyat Island.
Back to his best after a 2009 season that was curtailed when he broke his right foot in a go-karting accident last August — the metal plates have still to be removed — Kaymer has improved beyond all recognition from the player whose first victory on the European Tour was here in 2008. He led from start to finish that year but struggled to get across the finishing line.
Now, the barriers have come down. “My self-confidence is much higher than two years ago,” he said. “It comes from winning and playing around the world. You feel really comfortable when you know you can beat these guys.” McIlroy is another player closing in on another victory. At 20, his only victory so far was at the Dubai Desert Classic last year. But this was his seventh top-five finish in nine events, which is highly impressive. Soon, he will take some stopping.
Source:The times
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Michael Schumacher aims his Mercedes silver arrow towards more golden moments
It is going to feel like he was never away. Oozing confidence and the swagger of a champion, looking fit as a fiddle at 41 and giving as good as he got from those prepared to remind him of his days in Formula One that were less than glorious, Michael Schumacher returned to the biggest stage in motor sport yesterday.
After his long reign at Ferrari and a three-year retirement, this time the seven-times world champion was not decked out in the bright red livery of the Prancing Horse but the silver of Mercedes, a company positively purring with delight at having persuaded Formula One’s most successful driver to return at the wheel of one of its “Silver Arrows”.
Presented at the company’s Stuttgart headquarters alongside Nico Rosberg, his German compatriot and new team-mate, Schumacher made it clear that he has no qualms about what his hotly awaited comeback is all about. There was only “one target”, he said at a stage-managed event in front of 600 guests, and that is more championships. And he admitted he is champing at the bit to get going.
“I’m hot,” he said, when asked if he was sure he was up to it, with the first pre-season official Formula One test now only a few days away. “It’s just taking far too long to get going and we can’t wait for next week.”
There was always an edginess and a coldness about Schumacher, who never gave an inch on the track or off it and he was back to his best on that score when confronted with the legacy of a career punctuated by some of the sport’s worst episodes of gamesmanship.
It was put to him that Rosberg’s father, Keke, the former world champion, remarked after Schumacher stopped his car on purpose at the Rascasse corner during qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix in 2006 that Formula One would be better off without him. So how did he feel now about driving alongside Rosberg’s son? “Good,” came Schumacher’s monosyllabic reply.
And the German responded acerbically when it was put to him that his return to the grid was really a way for him to atone for his past misjudgments and show the motor sport world that he can win the right way. Schumacher was having none of that.
“Yeah,” he replied, “I’m sure 91 wins and seven titles, you only win them in the bad way, absolutely, you are right.”
The moments of tension were few on a day when Schumacher celebrated a new beginning that he hopes will bring more titles. “The main reason I am doing this is because I am thrilled about it,” he said. “I feel big excitement to just drive and compete at the highest level of motor sport. I have been doing it for two or three years in go-karts, and other categories, which was great, but now I say, ‘Why not do something at a higher level?’ ”
While it was a great day for Schumacher and Mercedes, which bought the team that Ross Brawn steered to the constructors’ and drivers’ championships last year, it was another painful one for Honda. The “Silver Arrow” presented by Mercedes was in fact last year’s “Brawn GP” car, built by Honda in 2008 at a cost of hundreds of millions. Having sold the team to Brawn, the Japanese have since watched their racing machine capture two championships and now the signature of the sport’s most successful driver.
It emerged yesterday that a tweak to the new Formula One points system is likely. A meeting of the Formula One Sporting Working Group decided on Friday to reward race winners with 25 points, while awarding points down to tenth place. The latest points system, which has yet to be formally approved by the FIA, is: 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1.
Source:The Times
After his long reign at Ferrari and a three-year retirement, this time the seven-times world champion was not decked out in the bright red livery of the Prancing Horse but the silver of Mercedes, a company positively purring with delight at having persuaded Formula One’s most successful driver to return at the wheel of one of its “Silver Arrows”.
Presented at the company’s Stuttgart headquarters alongside Nico Rosberg, his German compatriot and new team-mate, Schumacher made it clear that he has no qualms about what his hotly awaited comeback is all about. There was only “one target”, he said at a stage-managed event in front of 600 guests, and that is more championships. And he admitted he is champing at the bit to get going.
“I’m hot,” he said, when asked if he was sure he was up to it, with the first pre-season official Formula One test now only a few days away. “It’s just taking far too long to get going and we can’t wait for next week.”
There was always an edginess and a coldness about Schumacher, who never gave an inch on the track or off it and he was back to his best on that score when confronted with the legacy of a career punctuated by some of the sport’s worst episodes of gamesmanship.
It was put to him that Rosberg’s father, Keke, the former world champion, remarked after Schumacher stopped his car on purpose at the Rascasse corner during qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix in 2006 that Formula One would be better off without him. So how did he feel now about driving alongside Rosberg’s son? “Good,” came Schumacher’s monosyllabic reply.
And the German responded acerbically when it was put to him that his return to the grid was really a way for him to atone for his past misjudgments and show the motor sport world that he can win the right way. Schumacher was having none of that.
“Yeah,” he replied, “I’m sure 91 wins and seven titles, you only win them in the bad way, absolutely, you are right.”
The moments of tension were few on a day when Schumacher celebrated a new beginning that he hopes will bring more titles. “The main reason I am doing this is because I am thrilled about it,” he said. “I feel big excitement to just drive and compete at the highest level of motor sport. I have been doing it for two or three years in go-karts, and other categories, which was great, but now I say, ‘Why not do something at a higher level?’ ”
While it was a great day for Schumacher and Mercedes, which bought the team that Ross Brawn steered to the constructors’ and drivers’ championships last year, it was another painful one for Honda. The “Silver Arrow” presented by Mercedes was in fact last year’s “Brawn GP” car, built by Honda in 2008 at a cost of hundreds of millions. Having sold the team to Brawn, the Japanese have since watched their racing machine capture two championships and now the signature of the sport’s most successful driver.
It emerged yesterday that a tweak to the new Formula One points system is likely. A meeting of the Formula One Sporting Working Group decided on Friday to reward race winners with 25 points, while awarding points down to tenth place. The latest points system, which has yet to be formally approved by the FIA, is: 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1.
Source:The Times
Troubled Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu fails drugs test
Adrian Mutu, the Fiorentina and Romania striker, tested positive for a banned stimulant following a Serie A match earlier this month, the Italian Olympic Committee has announced.
A statement said traces of sibutramine, an anti-obesity drug, were found in a sample given after the 2-1 victory over Bari on January 10 in which the Romanian scored.
This is Mutu's second failed drug test after he was sacked by Chelsea after testing positive for cocaine and was given a seven-month worldwide football ban.
Following his ban, Mutu joined Juventus in January 2005 before moving to Fiorentina at the end of the following season.
Chelsea sued Mutu for breach of contract, and the player is still in the process of making a third appeal against a fine of more than €17million (£14.75million).
Mutu, who faces a ban of between one and four years, is under contract at Fiorentina until June 2012 and has scored four goals in 11 league appearances this season.
Source:The Times
A statement said traces of sibutramine, an anti-obesity drug, were found in a sample given after the 2-1 victory over Bari on January 10 in which the Romanian scored.
This is Mutu's second failed drug test after he was sacked by Chelsea after testing positive for cocaine and was given a seven-month worldwide football ban.
Following his ban, Mutu joined Juventus in January 2005 before moving to Fiorentina at the end of the following season.
Chelsea sued Mutu for breach of contract, and the player is still in the process of making a third appeal against a fine of more than €17million (£14.75million).
Mutu, who faces a ban of between one and four years, is under contract at Fiorentina until June 2012 and has scored four goals in 11 league appearances this season.
Source:The Times
FA adds extra game to Rio Ferdinand's ban
Rio Ferdinand has had his ban for violent conducted extended to four matches after the Football Association ruled that he made a frivolous appeal against the charge. The Manchester United defender was initially banned for three games.
Ferdinand will miss the Premier League match away to Arsenal on Sunday, as well as games against Portsmouth, Aston Villa and Everton next month. However, he will be available for the first leg of the Champions League tie against AC Milan in the San Siro on February 16 and the Carling Cup final against Aston Villa at Wembley on February 28.
An FA statement said: "The Independent Commission felt that the player's claim against the charge was frivolous and on that basis have awarded an additional one match ban upon the statutory three match ban awarded for violent conduct."
It seemed United took a calculated risk when Ferdinand appealed against the charge yesterday, thus making himself available to play last night's Carling Cup semi-final, second leg victory over Manchester City.
However, in his programme notes, Sir Alex Ferguson said Ferdinand would not have been considered for Sunday as it would be unfair to ask him to play three games in a week so soon after his recovery from a back problem. The manager also said Ferdinand had a good case to appeal the charge, which related to an incident in the match against Hull City last weekend.
Ferdinand appeared to catch Craig Fagan in the face with his arm but his manager felt he was provoked. "If he gets a fair hearing Rio has a good chance," said Ferguson. "He was getting wrestled and punched. There were all sorts of things happening. He was trying to get himself free of it and unfortunately caught the lad on the back of the neck."
Source:The Times
Ferdinand will miss the Premier League match away to Arsenal on Sunday, as well as games against Portsmouth, Aston Villa and Everton next month. However, he will be available for the first leg of the Champions League tie against AC Milan in the San Siro on February 16 and the Carling Cup final against Aston Villa at Wembley on February 28.
An FA statement said: "The Independent Commission felt that the player's claim against the charge was frivolous and on that basis have awarded an additional one match ban upon the statutory three match ban awarded for violent conduct."
It seemed United took a calculated risk when Ferdinand appealed against the charge yesterday, thus making himself available to play last night's Carling Cup semi-final, second leg victory over Manchester City.
However, in his programme notes, Sir Alex Ferguson said Ferdinand would not have been considered for Sunday as it would be unfair to ask him to play three games in a week so soon after his recovery from a back problem. The manager also said Ferdinand had a good case to appeal the charge, which related to an incident in the match against Hull City last weekend.
Ferdinand appeared to catch Craig Fagan in the face with his arm but his manager felt he was provoked. "If he gets a fair hearing Rio has a good chance," said Ferguson. "He was getting wrestled and punched. There were all sorts of things happening. He was trying to get himself free of it and unfortunately caught the lad on the back of the neck."
Source:The Times
England have no substance without spin
Eight Tests to go until the Ashes — six if you are Andrew Strauss — and Michael Vaughan thinks that there are only two small things that need to be sorted out if England are to contemplate retaining the urn. The problem is that they are a) the batting and b) the bowling.
To be precise, the former England captain fears that mental weakness among the former could cause physical problems for the latter — and God help us all if Graeme Swann picks up an injury. The spin bowler, who made his Test debut little more than a year ago, is, according to Vaughan, England’s key to beating Australia next winter.
“He is the pivotal member of the team now,” Vaughan said yesterday. “He brings a real zest to the side. My big concern is that if Swann gets an injury, we really will struggle. He has developed into a spin bowler who can take wickets on the first day. If he wasn’t around, we’d struggle with only three seamers.”
And the reason England would have only three seam bowlers is that they could not risk batting Matt Prior as high as No 6 or Stuart Broad at No 7. It has the air of that proverb about kingdoms tumbling because of a shortage of nails for horseshoes. For want of a Freddie, the Ashes were lost?
Vaughan doesn’t mention the F word, though, and he remains optimistic about the year ahead. “There are signs that the team can go down there and be successful,” he said. “The talent is there and they can become the real deal by November. But there are also signs of vulnerability, especially with the batting.”
He is worried by the difficulty that England have in scoring 400 — only four times in their past 20 innings — despite a top six that appears strong. “Sometimes the thinking between the ears is not what it should be,” Vaughan said, showing a Yorkshire bluntness that proved a hit during his commentary debut on Test Match Special over the tour to South Africa.
They will have the chance to earn easy runs on the tour to Bangladesh that starts next month, but Vaughan has seen enough to know that England will need the insurance of six batsmen in Australia next winter.
The problem is that Prior, once a fine batsman but a fallible wicketkeeper, has regressed in what used to be his strength and, says Vaughan, cannot go in at No 6. Against Australia and South Africa in the past year, he had a batting average of 28.
“He plays a lot of shots but they are not controlled enough,” Vaughan said. “Even at No 7 you have to have an element of control. You can’t just be gung-ho and try to hook every ball.”
Yet Vaughan would not have anyone else wearing the gloves. “His keeping is now excellent,” he said. “Prior is definitely the man for the Ashes and they should stick with him.”
Broad offers useful runs at No 8, but lacks consistency, and Swann — that man again — “can take the game away from the opposition at No 9”. Neither should bat higher, Vaughan feels, which means that England must play six batsmen and only four bowlers, which could prove costly in Australian conditions.
“In England you can roll teams over in 70 overs because it is swinging,” he said. “You don’t see that in Australia, particularly with the Kookaburra ball. Generally it takes 130 overs and that will mean some tired bowlers.”
The solution, he believes, is to use the part-time bowling of Paul Collingwood, Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott more.
Vaughan also wants the batting order tweaked. It is past high time that Pietersen batted at No 3, he feels, and is given the chance to show he is as great as he wants to be. Trott would be more secure at No 4 and Collingwood is one of the most underrated No 5s.
“He is a better player than people give him credit for,” Vaughan said. “He is the best aligned player in the team, in terms of being in the right position when the ball is released. He only struggles when he is mentally tired.” And that is the problem.
Vaughan was a lone voice among former England captains in defending Strauss’s decision to skip the Bangladesh tour. He still supports his former team-mate and feels that other key players, especially Collingwood, should be given a break this summer. However, Vaughan would not have missed the tour himself.
“He has been very honest to say that he is drained after only a year in the job,” Vaughan said. “If he has a stormer in Australia, no one will mind. But I know that I wouldn’t have felt comfortable to watch a team walk out without me if I was fit.
Source:The Times
To be precise, the former England captain fears that mental weakness among the former could cause physical problems for the latter — and God help us all if Graeme Swann picks up an injury. The spin bowler, who made his Test debut little more than a year ago, is, according to Vaughan, England’s key to beating Australia next winter.
“He is the pivotal member of the team now,” Vaughan said yesterday. “He brings a real zest to the side. My big concern is that if Swann gets an injury, we really will struggle. He has developed into a spin bowler who can take wickets on the first day. If he wasn’t around, we’d struggle with only three seamers.”
And the reason England would have only three seam bowlers is that they could not risk batting Matt Prior as high as No 6 or Stuart Broad at No 7. It has the air of that proverb about kingdoms tumbling because of a shortage of nails for horseshoes. For want of a Freddie, the Ashes were lost?
Vaughan doesn’t mention the F word, though, and he remains optimistic about the year ahead. “There are signs that the team can go down there and be successful,” he said. “The talent is there and they can become the real deal by November. But there are also signs of vulnerability, especially with the batting.”
He is worried by the difficulty that England have in scoring 400 — only four times in their past 20 innings — despite a top six that appears strong. “Sometimes the thinking between the ears is not what it should be,” Vaughan said, showing a Yorkshire bluntness that proved a hit during his commentary debut on Test Match Special over the tour to South Africa.
They will have the chance to earn easy runs on the tour to Bangladesh that starts next month, but Vaughan has seen enough to know that England will need the insurance of six batsmen in Australia next winter.
The problem is that Prior, once a fine batsman but a fallible wicketkeeper, has regressed in what used to be his strength and, says Vaughan, cannot go in at No 6. Against Australia and South Africa in the past year, he had a batting average of 28.
“He plays a lot of shots but they are not controlled enough,” Vaughan said. “Even at No 7 you have to have an element of control. You can’t just be gung-ho and try to hook every ball.”
Yet Vaughan would not have anyone else wearing the gloves. “His keeping is now excellent,” he said. “Prior is definitely the man for the Ashes and they should stick with him.”
Broad offers useful runs at No 8, but lacks consistency, and Swann — that man again — “can take the game away from the opposition at No 9”. Neither should bat higher, Vaughan feels, which means that England must play six batsmen and only four bowlers, which could prove costly in Australian conditions.
“In England you can roll teams over in 70 overs because it is swinging,” he said. “You don’t see that in Australia, particularly with the Kookaburra ball. Generally it takes 130 overs and that will mean some tired bowlers.”
The solution, he believes, is to use the part-time bowling of Paul Collingwood, Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott more.
Vaughan also wants the batting order tweaked. It is past high time that Pietersen batted at No 3, he feels, and is given the chance to show he is as great as he wants to be. Trott would be more secure at No 4 and Collingwood is one of the most underrated No 5s.
“He is a better player than people give him credit for,” Vaughan said. “He is the best aligned player in the team, in terms of being in the right position when the ball is released. He only struggles when he is mentally tired.” And that is the problem.
Vaughan was a lone voice among former England captains in defending Strauss’s decision to skip the Bangladesh tour. He still supports his former team-mate and feels that other key players, especially Collingwood, should be given a break this summer. However, Vaughan would not have missed the tour himself.
“He has been very honest to say that he is drained after only a year in the job,” Vaughan said. “If he has a stormer in Australia, no one will mind. But I know that I wouldn’t have felt comfortable to watch a team walk out without me if I was fit.
Source:The Times
Andy Murray confident of making history in Melbourne
It all sounds so simple. Andy Murray is one match away from lifting the cloak of despair that has covered the British men’s game for 74 years when he plays in the final of the Australian Open on Sunday morning.
Tomorrow, Murray will discover whether Roger Federer, the greatest player of them all, or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, of France, is to stand in his way. The 22-year-old reached his second grand-slam tournament final this morning, defeating Marin Cilic, of Croatia, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 at the Rod Laver Arena.
His first final, at Flushing Meadows in September 2008, ended in the rush of a straight-sets defeat by Federer. But that is the man he wants to play and, remarkably, since the 2005 French Open, the last three players to win their first grand-slam final, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Potro, all beat the Swiss en route to their momentous breakthrough.
Federer made 17 grand-slam appearances before he won his first title at Wimbledon in 2003. This is Murray’s 17th grand-slam event. The British No 1, who had not been beyond the fourth round here before, said: “It would be the best way ever, if you win against him, if you beat Federer in a grand-slam final it has to be an unbelievable achievement. I would love to win against him but he’s probably going to be the tougher opponent. I’m just focusing on trying to win and I can start working on the tactics tomorrow once I know who I play.
“I haven’t seen that much of Federer here but I did see some snatches of him against [Lleyton] Hewitt and he played great. It seems that he struggled a bit yesterday [against Nikolay Davydenko when Federer was a set and a break of serve down] but he came through and that’s the important thing. And he’s been winning reasonably comfortably.”
Murray confessed that nerves almost consumed him against Cilic in the semi-final, the Briton's longest and most troublesome match of the six he has played in the tournament. The memory of last year’s Wimbledon semi-final, when he was so close and yet was beaten by Andy Roddick, was in the back of his mind as well. “I had the chances to win that day,” he said. “But I don’t feel the expectation so much here.“
When the subject of Britain’s long wait for a grand-slam champion was raised by an Australian reporter, Murray said: “I don’t read the newspapers here, I haven’t been on TV that much so I can just kind of avoid it, I guess.
“I would love to do it. It’s not the only reason [breaking the 74-year duck]. I want to win for the people I work with, for my parents who did so much for me when I was growing up, then doing it for British tennis and British sport would be excellent as well. The pressure that I feel doesn’t come from the people around me. They are happy with anything I do. I want to win for them first of all.
“I would rather be in the position of having to wait for the final than what happened to me at the US Open in 2008 when I had to play on three consecutive days. In a slam, that hardly ever happens, so physically I’m going to be in good shape. This is the best I have played in a slam. I’m old enough and experienced enough to be able to deal with everything I need to.
“I love the atmosphere on the centre court here. When I played Nadal in 2006, it was the most amazing thing I had ever experienced. This is right up there as one of the best places in the world to play.”
Source:The Times
Tomorrow, Murray will discover whether Roger Federer, the greatest player of them all, or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, of France, is to stand in his way. The 22-year-old reached his second grand-slam tournament final this morning, defeating Marin Cilic, of Croatia, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 at the Rod Laver Arena.
His first final, at Flushing Meadows in September 2008, ended in the rush of a straight-sets defeat by Federer. But that is the man he wants to play and, remarkably, since the 2005 French Open, the last three players to win their first grand-slam final, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Potro, all beat the Swiss en route to their momentous breakthrough.
Federer made 17 grand-slam appearances before he won his first title at Wimbledon in 2003. This is Murray’s 17th grand-slam event. The British No 1, who had not been beyond the fourth round here before, said: “It would be the best way ever, if you win against him, if you beat Federer in a grand-slam final it has to be an unbelievable achievement. I would love to win against him but he’s probably going to be the tougher opponent. I’m just focusing on trying to win and I can start working on the tactics tomorrow once I know who I play.
“I haven’t seen that much of Federer here but I did see some snatches of him against [Lleyton] Hewitt and he played great. It seems that he struggled a bit yesterday [against Nikolay Davydenko when Federer was a set and a break of serve down] but he came through and that’s the important thing. And he’s been winning reasonably comfortably.”
Murray confessed that nerves almost consumed him against Cilic in the semi-final, the Briton's longest and most troublesome match of the six he has played in the tournament. The memory of last year’s Wimbledon semi-final, when he was so close and yet was beaten by Andy Roddick, was in the back of his mind as well. “I had the chances to win that day,” he said. “But I don’t feel the expectation so much here.“
When the subject of Britain’s long wait for a grand-slam champion was raised by an Australian reporter, Murray said: “I don’t read the newspapers here, I haven’t been on TV that much so I can just kind of avoid it, I guess.
“I would love to do it. It’s not the only reason [breaking the 74-year duck]. I want to win for the people I work with, for my parents who did so much for me when I was growing up, then doing it for British tennis and British sport would be excellent as well. The pressure that I feel doesn’t come from the people around me. They are happy with anything I do. I want to win for them first of all.
“I would rather be in the position of having to wait for the final than what happened to me at the US Open in 2008 when I had to play on three consecutive days. In a slam, that hardly ever happens, so physically I’m going to be in good shape. This is the best I have played in a slam. I’m old enough and experienced enough to be able to deal with everything I need to.
“I love the atmosphere on the centre court here. When I played Nadal in 2006, it was the most amazing thing I had ever experienced. This is right up there as one of the best places in the world to play.”
Source:The Times
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Sports Round up
10. FABIO CAPELLO (down):
Not content with blaming the WAGs for England's 44 years of hurt, killjoy Capello now believes New Order, Frank Skinner and the bass player from Blur have held key roles in the conspiracy. Yes, there will be no World Cup song because "we want to be fully focused on football". Never again will we see John Barnes rapping or Mooro and the boys fiddling with their dickie bows and nervously averting their eyes from Pan's People. We believe this England side should express themselves by recording an album of Leonard Cohen covers. The game's gone.
9. SKIERS (down):
Inevitably that they should be going downhill really, the British ski team heads off to the Winter Olympics next month with their national federation on the verge of collapse. Cue doubts about funding and jobs and whether they will even be allowed to compete.
Wayne Rooney's metatarsals have better timing.
8. DAVID ATTOUB (down and out):
The Stade Francais prop has been given a 70-week ban for gouging. Club president Max Guazzini blamed an "anti-French bias" and pointed out Springbok Schalk Burger got eight weeks for the same offence, which admittedly is better than a poke in the eye. Attoub, a man possessing the look of an outtake from The Sopranos, has previous. Gouging is abhorrent, even in a sport that is based upon cheating. It is not sure what he will do during his absence, but he is said to have his finger in several pies.
7. ANDREW STRAUSS (down):
Funny old game cricket. With a face made for widescreen TV, the England skipper was previously the toast of the nation, steering Ashes heroes to the cusp of a Test series triumph over nasty South Africans and being in the shake-up for BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Then he oversees a water bed resistance and decides he does not much fancy taking on Bangladesh.Sports Watch notes that even Captain Bligh turned up.
6. OWEN COYLE (down):
One of the first rules of sport is to whinge when you're winning. Anything else comes across as sour grapes. Hence, while Coyle was right to damn the ever-irritating William Gallas for his "assault" on Mark Davies, he should have kept his counsel, even had the Frenchman stuck the midfielder in his boot, driven to the docks and fed him to the fishes, while The Shangri-Las sang Remember (Walking in The Sand), a la Goodfellas, to the backdrop of a crimson sunset. Of course, should Kevin Davies maim someone next week, the moral outrage will be replaced by Wenger-esque myopia.
5. TIGER WOODS (non-mover):
Reports surfaced this week that the world's greatest golfer had checked into a clinic specialising in sex addiction. You should never judge a book by its cover or a bloke by his undercover activity, and the critics can no longer see Woods for the trysts. A fallen hero perhaps, but the only man able to make golf watchable. As for sex addiction clinics, that sounds like an expensive way to give medical credibility to an inability to keep one's pants on.
The case continues.
4. RAFAEL BENITEZ (up):
We love Rafa here. Says the Spurs game is make or break. Says he can guarantee the top four. That American chap says he is one of the top five managers in the world. People laughed at that one, but when you start compiling names he would certainly make many a top ten. The conundrum is this: is it managerial greatness to see off Spurs with such a modest team or is it managerial ineptitude that means you have such a modest team in the first place? Whatever, Liverpool will finish fourth. Largely because Spurs are not very good either and Villa can let in four at home to Blackburn.
3. EOIN MORGAN (new entry):
It is IPL auction time, that bizarre mix of Bollywood and Bargain Hunt. Morgan was the only English (Irish) cricketer to be picked in the auction for a whopping fee of £135,000.
And the beauty of the IPL is he will hardly have to play for his money as the likes of Jacques Kallis and Kevin Pietersen are in the line-up ahead of him. The best money-spinner this side of suing Portsmouth for your image rights.
2. JAMES MILNER (up):
Regular readers here will know we bow to no man or woman in our appreciation of helium-based tattoo king David Beckham, but we are warming to Milner. Like Beckham he is devoid of pace, but he is refreshingly direct, does the simple things well and plays with a rare degree of common sense. Fundamental to Villa's rise and knocking on the door for South Africa.
1. GARY NEVILLE & CARLOS TEVEZ (new entry):
Obscene gesture? Neville raised a finger. Come on, this is the sanitising of football run amok and ignores the sheer fun of the spat between the former colleagues. We particularly like Tevez's description of Neville as a "moron", although "boot-licker" was pithy too, and feel players should be encouraged to express their feelings with such candid colour. Neville, never one to be confused with Charlie Cairoli, is now turning into the angriest of old men, like an anaemic Hulk with middle-age spread. Expect the sparks and Ovaltine to fly in the second leg next week.
Source: The Times
Rory McIlroy's major mission
During television coverage of the first round in Abu Dhabi on Thursday the commentators briefly discussed how the new regulations on square grooves would impact on the elite players. Generating spin out of the rough will be far more difficult now and all of them will have to adjust to this loss of control. It was mentioned in passing, though, that Rory McIlory would be less put out than all of the other top players because he’s only been a professional for a little over two years. He can’t have been using square grooves for long.
Watching from Bangor Golf Club, McIlroy’s coach Michael Bannon couldn’t help a smile. McIlroy has been spinning the golf ball with square grooves on his irons since he was nine years old. Square grooves are what the pros used. They could see no reason to use anything else.
As a new season dawns manipulating the ball out of the rough will be the least of McIlroy’s worries. The greatest challenge will be to ignore the altitude he has already reached and keep climbing. It is a truism in golf commentary to say that he will reach the summit of the game but what he faces now is the stiffest and most treacherous part of the climb.
He started last year with the goal of reaching the world’s top 10, being a tournament winner and a contender at the majors. By the end of the season he had ticked all those boxes but had done so in a way that suggested he could have done more while he was at it. It would be unfair to say that about any other 20-year-old finding his feet in the professional game but McIlroy’s talent and his temperament are so extraordinary that normal criteria are suspended. His desire to be the best is freighted with those conditionsIn crude terms, he needs to convert more of his winning opportunities and he needs to be a better putter. When he won so early last year — January — it was reasonable to expect that he would do so again and that failure coloured his reflections on the season too.
“Yeah, he would have been disappointed with that,” says Bannon. “If he had won another one it would have been OK. It’s about learning how to get over the line. He needs to convert more of his top fives into wins. That’s what will take him to the next level.”
It wasn’t that he folded on the last day. Far from it. On his three major appearances in the States he posted his best round of the week on Sunday. On the regular tour there were three occasions when he had a winning chance going into the final round, improved his position on the last day and still didn’t win. And not all of his top fives were missed opportunities either: two of them came when he trailed by nine shots after three rounds. But it is easy to identify three events where he was in a stalking position on the final day and couldn’t hunt down his prey.
After such a terrific year his putting numbers were telling. He finished second on the money list in Europe with an average of 30 putts a round which ranked him at 111th in the putting statistics. It suggests a parallel with Sergio Garcia that McIlroy desperately needs to knock on the head. Like McIlroy, Garcia came out on tour as a teenager with a spectacular talent and, like McIlroy, his ball-striking is an ornament on the game but destructive putting has been the impediment between Garcia and major titles.
He has consistently averaged more than 29 putts a round in his career and in the last two seasons on the US Tour his finishing from inside five feet and from inside 10 feet has been outside the top 100 in the statistics. With those putts tournaments are won and lost.
After the 2008 Irish Open at Adare Manor McIlroy was so frustrated with his putting that he started working with a specialist coach, Dr Paul Hurrion, who lists Padraig Harrington among his clients. Hurrion could see the problem: “He was relying an awful lot on hand-eye co-ordination and science basically tells us that you can’t rely on hand-eye co-ordination to get you through time after time.”
The outcome of the analysis was an hour-long drill that McIlroy has taken with him to the practice green for the last 18 months but he hasn’t closed his mind to other coaching aids. Towards the end of last season he started listening to a Bob Rotella audio book, ‘Putting Out of Your Mind.’ For a player as beautifully natural as McIlroy it reflected the conflict between feel and received correctness.
“I just feel like I need to free everything up,” McIlroy said at the time. “I still work with Dr Paul Hurrion but I just need to let it flow a little more. Obviously, when you are thinking about mechanics the way Paul teaches, you can get a little bit wooden. So I am just trying to free it all up.”
Bannon is convinced that he’s getting on top of it: “He made a few changes in his putting and he’s in a good place with that now. He putted better at the end of last year and he will continue to improve. It’s the result of a lot of hard work. One of the things he does is make a chalk line on the green and keep trying to make putts from 10 feet. In practice he can hole about 100 in a row.”
Going into the final day at Abu Dhabi, one shot behind, with another chance to win, that’s the kind of roll he needs.
McILORY IN EUROPE 2009
Stroke average 69.51 (1st)
Driving accuracy 63% (66th)
Driving distance 301.4yds (5th)
Greens in regulation 78.1% (3rd)
Putts per greens in regulation 1.761 (20th)
Putts per round 30 (111th)
Sand saves 66.2% (9th).
Source:The Times
Andy Murray topples the giant to set up quarter-final with Rafael Nadal
Taking on sporting Goliaths and making them seem weak is currently fashionable in British sporting circles and committed boxing fan Andy Murray followed the example of heavyweight world champion David Haye by cutting down to size 6ft 9in John Isner in the early hours of today.
Just as Nikolay Valuev lacked the craft and guile to get the better of Haye, the counterpunching of Murray, seeded five and chosen by many as the man to win his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, was too accurate and too unyielding for his American opponent.
"I'm playing well, no question about that," Murray said. "I just need to play like I have been and maybe a bit more if I want to win the tournament. Today when I was down I hit a lot of winners, served smart, was just thinking the whole time."
Isner came into the event on the crest of a wave of elation after winning his first ATP World Tour title just a week earlier in Auckland and an impressive win in the previous round over the talented but erratic French 12th seed Gael Monfils underlined his potential but Murray was more than equipped to deal with the threat and is through to the quarter-finals after his 7-6 6-3 6-2 win on Melbourne Park’s Rod Laver Arena. He will now play second seed Rafael Nadal, the defending champion, after the Spaniard overcame Ivo Karlovic, who stands one inch taller than Isner, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Michael Schumacher begins tests for Formula One comeback
Michael Schumacher has begun preparations for the new Formula One season by getting behind the wheel of a GP2 car.
The 41-year-old German legend has come out of retirement to drive for Mercedes GP this season, having not driven a Formula One racing car for more than three years.
While Schumacher awaits the first of four official pre-season tests next month, he has taken the opportunity to practice in a GP2 car to help to get his eye in.
The private test session, which started today and continues until Thursday, has been approved by the FIA, the sport’s governing body, who are not allowing drivers to try their new Formula One cars until the first official test early next month in Valencia as part of its mission to cut costs.
GP2 Series cars are about six seconds a lap slower than Formula One cars in dry conditions. They are normally driven by Formula One hopefuls on the undercard at grand prix weekends and Schumacher is not thought to have driven one before.
"It is an honour and a privilege for us to have Michael Schumacher help us develop our car," GP2 organiser Bruno Michel, said. "This test will be prove to be very important for the future of our GP2 drivers and will be a confirmation of the high standards of our Series.
"Michael's input and advice will be invaluable. I am confident his knowledge and unparalleled driving skills will help us to develop a great car for next season."
Norbert Haug. Mercedes' competition boss, says that although the test is a "warm-up", it will not give Schumacher an unfair advantage over his team-mate Nico Rosberg. "I don't see it that way," he said. "And whoever does, can rent a GP2 car for themselves. The GP2 organisation was smart enough to use the situation in their favour."
Source: The times
The 41-year-old German legend has come out of retirement to drive for Mercedes GP this season, having not driven a Formula One racing car for more than three years.
While Schumacher awaits the first of four official pre-season tests next month, he has taken the opportunity to practice in a GP2 car to help to get his eye in.
The private test session, which started today and continues until Thursday, has been approved by the FIA, the sport’s governing body, who are not allowing drivers to try their new Formula One cars until the first official test early next month in Valencia as part of its mission to cut costs.
GP2 Series cars are about six seconds a lap slower than Formula One cars in dry conditions. They are normally driven by Formula One hopefuls on the undercard at grand prix weekends and Schumacher is not thought to have driven one before.
"It is an honour and a privilege for us to have Michael Schumacher help us develop our car," GP2 organiser Bruno Michel, said. "This test will be prove to be very important for the future of our GP2 drivers and will be a confirmation of the high standards of our Series.
"Michael's input and advice will be invaluable. I am confident his knowledge and unparalleled driving skills will help us to develop a great car for next season."
Norbert Haug. Mercedes' competition boss, says that although the test is a "warm-up", it will not give Schumacher an unfair advantage over his team-mate Nico Rosberg. "I don't see it that way," he said. "And whoever does, can rent a GP2 car for themselves. The GP2 organisation was smart enough to use the situation in their favour."
Source: The times
Tom Hicks dismisses controversy and promises Liverpool will spend
Tom Hicks has shrugged aside the controversial resignation of his son from the Liverpool board by claiming that the club’s debt problems are not as severe as those of Manchester United.
The Liverpool co-owner also vowed to spend “big” in the summer transfer window.
In a day of high drama for the two North-West giants, Tom Hicks Jr announced that he was stepping down as a Liverpool director after admitting sending an abusive e-mail to a fan.
United, meanwhile, announced plans to raise £500 million to restructure their debts after paying out £41.9 million in interest during the past financial year.
United’s problems gave Hicks an opportunity to divert attention from the storm at his own club and he duly took it.
In an e-mail of his own to a fan, he intimated that Liverpool’s debt — in excess of £200 million — is more manageable than that of their great rivals.
He also insisted that while Liverpool will not be splashing out in the present transfer window, they are already planning to invest heavily in the summer to bolster Rafael BenÃtez’s squad, and claimed the long-awaited new stadium will be delivered.
“Our debt is very manageable (see Man U) and we never use player sales for debt service,” Hicks Sr wrote in the e-mail, responding to concerns from a supporter that Liverpool will not be big spenders in January.
“Our interest on £200 million is about £16 million. The new stadium will be the game changer. January is a poor quality market. The summer window will be big.
“We are working hard on the new stadium. We have an excellent management team and manager. We know we need more depth on the squad and will address it this summer. We hope to have a stronger second half of the season.”
Liverpool’s search for investment is continuing, but there is evidence that the financial concerns that have plagued them for so long are beginning to filter down to BenÃtez’s playing squad.
Ryan Babel, the Holland forward, responded to a question on Twitter, the social networking site, about his opinion on Hicks and George Gillett Jr, his fellow American, by saying: “We need money for the club.”
It is that apparent weakness that has prompted fears that Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres or both could be prised away from Anfield should Liverpool fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Reports in Italy suggest that José Mourinho will launch his third attempt to sign Gerrard, this time for Inter Milan rather than Chelsea, next summer.
The chances of Gerrard leaving Liverpool for an Italian club are remote, but rivals sensing weakness at Anfield will give their supporters added cause for concern.
The resignation of Hicks Jr from the club’s board at least solved one problem, the Texan falling on his sword after he sent an abusive e-mail to Stephen Horner, a Liverpool fan, in which he said: “Blow me, f***face.”
The Liverpool hierarchy did not hesitate to accept Hicks’s offer to step down. His place has been taken by Casey Coffman, the executive vice-president of Hicks Holdings.
Manchester City added to the pressure on Liverpool when they opened a five-point gap to them in the Barclays Premier League thanks, to a 4-1 win over Blackburn Rovers at the City of Manchester Stadium, Carlos Tévez scoring a superb hat-trick as Roberto Mancini made it four wins in four games since succeeding Mark Hughes as manager.
Source: The times
The Liverpool co-owner also vowed to spend “big” in the summer transfer window.
In a day of high drama for the two North-West giants, Tom Hicks Jr announced that he was stepping down as a Liverpool director after admitting sending an abusive e-mail to a fan.
United, meanwhile, announced plans to raise £500 million to restructure their debts after paying out £41.9 million in interest during the past financial year.
United’s problems gave Hicks an opportunity to divert attention from the storm at his own club and he duly took it.
In an e-mail of his own to a fan, he intimated that Liverpool’s debt — in excess of £200 million — is more manageable than that of their great rivals.
He also insisted that while Liverpool will not be splashing out in the present transfer window, they are already planning to invest heavily in the summer to bolster Rafael BenÃtez’s squad, and claimed the long-awaited new stadium will be delivered.
“Our debt is very manageable (see Man U) and we never use player sales for debt service,” Hicks Sr wrote in the e-mail, responding to concerns from a supporter that Liverpool will not be big spenders in January.
“Our interest on £200 million is about £16 million. The new stadium will be the game changer. January is a poor quality market. The summer window will be big.
“We are working hard on the new stadium. We have an excellent management team and manager. We know we need more depth on the squad and will address it this summer. We hope to have a stronger second half of the season.”
Liverpool’s search for investment is continuing, but there is evidence that the financial concerns that have plagued them for so long are beginning to filter down to BenÃtez’s playing squad.
Ryan Babel, the Holland forward, responded to a question on Twitter, the social networking site, about his opinion on Hicks and George Gillett Jr, his fellow American, by saying: “We need money for the club.”
It is that apparent weakness that has prompted fears that Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres or both could be prised away from Anfield should Liverpool fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Reports in Italy suggest that José Mourinho will launch his third attempt to sign Gerrard, this time for Inter Milan rather than Chelsea, next summer.
The chances of Gerrard leaving Liverpool for an Italian club are remote, but rivals sensing weakness at Anfield will give their supporters added cause for concern.
The resignation of Hicks Jr from the club’s board at least solved one problem, the Texan falling on his sword after he sent an abusive e-mail to Stephen Horner, a Liverpool fan, in which he said: “Blow me, f***face.”
The Liverpool hierarchy did not hesitate to accept Hicks’s offer to step down. His place has been taken by Casey Coffman, the executive vice-president of Hicks Holdings.
Manchester City added to the pressure on Liverpool when they opened a five-point gap to them in the Barclays Premier League thanks, to a 4-1 win over Blackburn Rovers at the City of Manchester Stadium, Carlos Tévez scoring a superb hat-trick as Roberto Mancini made it four wins in four games since succeeding Mark Hughes as manager.
Source: The times
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