Amir Khan will fight for his first world title against WBA light-welterweight champion Andreas Kotelnik in Britain on June 27.
The 22-year-old from Bolton stopped three-time world champion Marco Antonio Barrera last month and Frank Warren, his promoter, has now agreed a deal that pits him against the German-based Ukrainian. Khan will move up a division for the fight.
"To fight for the world title in only my 22nd fight is fantastic," Khan said. "This is the best news that I could have received. Frank has done a great job getting the world title fight for me in Britain and now I have to go out and win it.
"I've seen Kotelnik a few times and I've always been impressed by him but once my trainer, Freddie Roach, works out the game plan to beat him it's my job to execute it on the night as I did effectively against Barrera."
Kotelnik gained a split decision against Marcos Rene Maidana to hold on to his title on February 7 for his 31st victory against two losses and a draw.
Khan has won 20 fights and has lost once.
Source:the times
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Sir Alex Ferguson is running scared, says Rafael Benitez
Rafael Benitez has accused Sir Alex Ferguson of being scared of Liverpool and talking too much about other teams.
The Spaniard, who is preparing for the Champions League showdown with Chelsea tomorrow, could not resist another swipe at the Manchester United manager as the Barclays Premier League race reaches boiling point.
Benitez was responding to claims from Ferguson that the loser of the quarter-final between the sides will be United's biggest challenger for the title because they will only have one competition to contend with. Benitez will have Steven Gerrard fit following a minor groin problem and Sami Hyypia [knee] and Yossi Benayoun [hamstring] available for the first leg with Chelsea.
"It is not mind games, I think it maybe is that he is a little bit scared [of us]," Benitez said.
Liverpool took over at the top of the table on Saturday evening with a late winner by Benayoun at Fulham. But less than 24 hours later, United produced a comeback victory over Aston Villa with the decisive goal coming in the fourth minute of injury-time from 17-year-old Federico Macheda. That grabbed the initiative back for the Old Trafford club, but Benitez has come out fighting.
"I do not have a problem with United. Clearly one of us, either Chelsea or us, will end up focusing just on the Premier League after this," he said. "I think Sir Alex will be supporting Liverpool in this tie because he knows we are the bigger threat now.
"If we continue in the Champions League maybe he will think we are tired. If we are not in this competition then he knows that we will be a [bigger] threat in the Premier League.
"If Chelsea are not in the competition, then he knows they will then be a threat also in the league. But he will lose anyway, whoever goes out, because they will still be a big threat to United.
"You have to prepare well for every single Premier League game, it is tough (to be in the Champions League as well). So he will clearly be supporting us tomorrow and next week.
"I would like to be worried about both competitions, it means we will continue to be successful. We just concentrate on our team, while he likes to talk too much about other teams."
Benitez claims he was unmoved by United's late heroics against Villa, saying: "We knew there would be situations like this, with us one point ahead, or one point behind. And everyone knows five minutes [of injury time] at Old Trafford is a very long time.
"I watched the game, but once United scored their second you felt they would win the game.
"He [Ferguson] is in the driving seat now and in a better position, but there is still a long way to go and we have confidence. We are pushing them and we will push them until the end."
But before Liverpool can lock horns again with United, they must face a Chelsea side who knocked them out of this competition in the semi-finals last season. A John Arne Riise own goal in the first-leg at Anfield ultimately put Liverpool out, Chelsea winning 4-3 on aggregate after the second leg at Stamford Bridge .
Benitez said: "It is not a good time for either of us to be playing the other. It is a big challenge for both teams. They have a good team with experience and a manager with experience. This game is 50-50.
"I have great respect for a massive club and a very good team. We are both playing in big competitions. We are both big teams.
"We have beaten them twice this season in the league, it will give us confidence, but this is a different competition and it will be down to just one or two mistakes.
"Keeping a clean sheet is important in the first game for both teams, I would prefer to play at Anfield second, but that is not the case so we must get on with it."
Source:the times
The Spaniard, who is preparing for the Champions League showdown with Chelsea tomorrow, could not resist another swipe at the Manchester United manager as the Barclays Premier League race reaches boiling point.
Benitez was responding to claims from Ferguson that the loser of the quarter-final between the sides will be United's biggest challenger for the title because they will only have one competition to contend with. Benitez will have Steven Gerrard fit following a minor groin problem and Sami Hyypia [knee] and Yossi Benayoun [hamstring] available for the first leg with Chelsea.
"It is not mind games, I think it maybe is that he is a little bit scared [of us]," Benitez said.
Liverpool took over at the top of the table on Saturday evening with a late winner by Benayoun at Fulham. But less than 24 hours later, United produced a comeback victory over Aston Villa with the decisive goal coming in the fourth minute of injury-time from 17-year-old Federico Macheda. That grabbed the initiative back for the Old Trafford club, but Benitez has come out fighting.
"I do not have a problem with United. Clearly one of us, either Chelsea or us, will end up focusing just on the Premier League after this," he said. "I think Sir Alex will be supporting Liverpool in this tie because he knows we are the bigger threat now.
"If we continue in the Champions League maybe he will think we are tired. If we are not in this competition then he knows that we will be a [bigger] threat in the Premier League.
"If Chelsea are not in the competition, then he knows they will then be a threat also in the league. But he will lose anyway, whoever goes out, because they will still be a big threat to United.
"You have to prepare well for every single Premier League game, it is tough (to be in the Champions League as well). So he will clearly be supporting us tomorrow and next week.
"I would like to be worried about both competitions, it means we will continue to be successful. We just concentrate on our team, while he likes to talk too much about other teams."
Benitez claims he was unmoved by United's late heroics against Villa, saying: "We knew there would be situations like this, with us one point ahead, or one point behind. And everyone knows five minutes [of injury time] at Old Trafford is a very long time.
"I watched the game, but once United scored their second you felt they would win the game.
"He [Ferguson] is in the driving seat now and in a better position, but there is still a long way to go and we have confidence. We are pushing them and we will push them until the end."
But before Liverpool can lock horns again with United, they must face a Chelsea side who knocked them out of this competition in the semi-finals last season. A John Arne Riise own goal in the first-leg at Anfield ultimately put Liverpool out, Chelsea winning 4-3 on aggregate after the second leg at Stamford Bridge .
Benitez said: "It is not a good time for either of us to be playing the other. It is a big challenge for both teams. They have a good team with experience and a manager with experience. This game is 50-50.
"I have great respect for a massive club and a very good team. We are both playing in big competitions. We are both big teams.
"We have beaten them twice this season in the league, it will give us confidence, but this is a different competition and it will be down to just one or two mistakes.
"Keeping a clean sheet is important in the first game for both teams, I would prefer to play at Anfield second, but that is not the case so we must get on with it."
Source:the times
Paul Casey has power to master Augusta
Paul Casey's victory in the Shell Houston Open on Sunday did more than enable the Englishman to leap from twelfth to sixth in the world rankings. And it did more than allow him to demonstrate that with his power and the way he hits the ball so high, he should now go on and win a few more times in the United States.
More than Luke Donald, Ian Poulter and perhaps more than Justin Rose, Casey has the raw power to take on the backbreakingly long courses the professionals play these days.
By winning on the PGA Tour in the US for the first time, Casey surely has laid to rest once and for all the ghosts of the remarks about “properly hating” Americans that he made in November 2004, remarks that have haunted him since. Of all the Europeans, Casey is perhaps the most American, the one most at home in this country, where he lives most of the year with Jocelyn, his American wife, whom he married late last year, and is coached by Peter Kostis, an American.
“I've lived here for 12 years. I am very comfortable here,” Casey said yesterday. “For me that chapter is done. It is closed. All I have about America are good feelings.”
Casey arrived at Augusta National late yesterday to prepare for his fifth Masters, one for which he will now begin as a favourite as a result of his success in Texas. Initially, he asked Craig Connelly, his caddie, to get his clubs ready for a session on the range.
Then Casey changed his mind about practising. He saw an umbrella being blown over and decided that after four days of wind in Houston he did not need to practise in it in Augusta as well.
The victory was obviously a very emotional one. Tears were rolling down his cheeks as he was interviewed on US television on Sunday night. “I'm not sure how I can explain how it feels yet,” he said. “It's a little bit like how my first win in Europe felt, which I can remember very vividly. First win in Europe, first Ryder Cup experience, and now first PGA Tour win. Three fairly major events in my life, in my golfing life. I think I need to give it a couple days to let this one sink in.”
Less than one day later, Casey was still not able to express himself as well as he would have liked. “This was something I have wanted for some time and I think perhaps I have wanted it too much,” he said. “I have felt good enough to be able to win in the US. I am not arrogant enough to say I am going to win. I think that is why I was so emotional. I wanted it so much. I do cry quite a lot, though I didn't cry at my wedding.”
Casey became the sixth Englishman to win a tournament in the US following in the footsteps of Tony Jacklin, Peter Oosterhuis, Lee Westwood, Nick Faldo and Luke Donald. His victory was a reminder of just how much English golf has improved since 2001 when Westwood was the only golfer from that country in the top 100. Now there are seven in the top 50, Casey being joined by Westwood, Rose, Donald, Poulter, Oliver Wilson and Ross Fisher.
“I think I'm finally getting to the stage where I'm starting to have belief in myself,” Casey said. “I was twelfth in the world coming into this week and now I am sixth. It's time to start believing that maybe I can be in the top five. I don't worry about prize money and that sort of thing. I look at the world ranking points. They tend to be a better barometer of how I am playing.”
Gary Player will play his 52nd and final Masters this week. Player, 73, from South Africa, first played at Augusta in 1957, aged 21, won for the first time in 1961 and collected two more Green Jackets in 1974 and 1978.
Source:the times
More than Luke Donald, Ian Poulter and perhaps more than Justin Rose, Casey has the raw power to take on the backbreakingly long courses the professionals play these days.
By winning on the PGA Tour in the US for the first time, Casey surely has laid to rest once and for all the ghosts of the remarks about “properly hating” Americans that he made in November 2004, remarks that have haunted him since. Of all the Europeans, Casey is perhaps the most American, the one most at home in this country, where he lives most of the year with Jocelyn, his American wife, whom he married late last year, and is coached by Peter Kostis, an American.
“I've lived here for 12 years. I am very comfortable here,” Casey said yesterday. “For me that chapter is done. It is closed. All I have about America are good feelings.”
Casey arrived at Augusta National late yesterday to prepare for his fifth Masters, one for which he will now begin as a favourite as a result of his success in Texas. Initially, he asked Craig Connelly, his caddie, to get his clubs ready for a session on the range.
Then Casey changed his mind about practising. He saw an umbrella being blown over and decided that after four days of wind in Houston he did not need to practise in it in Augusta as well.
The victory was obviously a very emotional one. Tears were rolling down his cheeks as he was interviewed on US television on Sunday night. “I'm not sure how I can explain how it feels yet,” he said. “It's a little bit like how my first win in Europe felt, which I can remember very vividly. First win in Europe, first Ryder Cup experience, and now first PGA Tour win. Three fairly major events in my life, in my golfing life. I think I need to give it a couple days to let this one sink in.”
Less than one day later, Casey was still not able to express himself as well as he would have liked. “This was something I have wanted for some time and I think perhaps I have wanted it too much,” he said. “I have felt good enough to be able to win in the US. I am not arrogant enough to say I am going to win. I think that is why I was so emotional. I wanted it so much. I do cry quite a lot, though I didn't cry at my wedding.”
Casey became the sixth Englishman to win a tournament in the US following in the footsteps of Tony Jacklin, Peter Oosterhuis, Lee Westwood, Nick Faldo and Luke Donald. His victory was a reminder of just how much English golf has improved since 2001 when Westwood was the only golfer from that country in the top 100. Now there are seven in the top 50, Casey being joined by Westwood, Rose, Donald, Poulter, Oliver Wilson and Ross Fisher.
“I think I'm finally getting to the stage where I'm starting to have belief in myself,” Casey said. “I was twelfth in the world coming into this week and now I am sixth. It's time to start believing that maybe I can be in the top five. I don't worry about prize money and that sort of thing. I look at the world ranking points. They tend to be a better barometer of how I am playing.”
Gary Player will play his 52nd and final Masters this week. Player, 73, from South Africa, first played at Augusta in 1957, aged 21, won for the first time in 1961 and collected two more Green Jackets in 1974 and 1978.
Source:the times
Lewis Hamilton’s reputation risked by people who drove him down the road to chicanery
There are two ways that the Lewis Hamilton cheating saga can affect his future with McLaren Mercedes, which is now on a knife edge. Either Hamilton and his father Anthony, who manages him, can find a way to forgive and rebuild, or the trauma of what happened at the Australian Grand Prix will weep poison into the relationship and it will eventually fall apart.
The more we have found out about what caused Hamilton to lie to the stewards in Melbourne and then repeat those lies four days later to try to cheat Jarno Trulli, the Toyota driver, out of third place, the more it is possible to sympathise with Hamilton and particularly with his father's deep, deep anger about the affair. In short, Hamilton Sr, who is likely to be seeking advice on what to do next, believes the team recklessly sold his son's reputation as a fine, upstanding sportsman and budding icon in a tawdry and ham-fisted bid to gain a championship point to which they had no right.
There is no doubt that Hamilton himself should carry some of the blame. He has told us that he was “misled” and “instructed” by Dave Ryan, the now suspended McLaren team sporting director, to lie to the stewards and he did as he was told. He should not have done so and he knows it and the world champion would give almost anything to turn back the clock.
Having said that, we now know much more about the forces that were bearing down on Hamilton on that fateful Sunday evening in Melbourne. As always with errors of judgment of this magnitude, passions were running high at the critical moment. When Hamilton passed Trulli under the safety car three laps from the end of the race after the Italian briefly went off the track, Ryan made a mistake. He told Phil Prew, Hamilton's race engineer, who talks to Hamilton on the radio during races, to tell Hamilton to give the place back in the mistaken belief that Hamilton might have broken the rules.
But Ryan was wrong and he quickly realised, after Hamilton had moved across to let Trulli by, that what he had in fact done was to give third place on the podium to Trulli on a plate. And this is where the rot started because Ryan was determined to rectify his error in the stewards' room and he recruited Hamilton to assist him, as Martin Whitmarsh, the McLaren team principal, explained on Sunday. “I think Davey carried some guilt because he had made a mistake and was very hard on himself,” Whitmarsh said. “In the heat of the moment with the stewards, [he] unnecessarily caused Lewis, and led Lewis, to mislead the stewards and one event fell into another.”
In this way Ryan had repaired the damage caused by his initial error but the cost was about to spiral out of control and this is where Anthony Hamilton can feel so betrayed. A senior team manager at McLaren - the man who “ran” the team, according to Whitmarsh - had persuaded or induced Hamilton to lie and had done so at the risk of ruining his reputation for good.
In the long run, the general public will forget which teams Hamilton drove for, just as they have in the case of greats such as Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill or Sir Jackie Stewart. But they will remember Hamilton the man and they will remember that he was a champion and that he was also caught cheating, just as Michael Schumacher is widely remembered for at least three acts of gross bad sportsmanship. Whitmarsh, Ryan and everyone else involved will all be forgotten but not Hamilton.
And Hamilton is no ordinary Formula One driver. He is a remarkable young man with maturity well beyond his years and he is ambitious in every way. Not content to be just a great driver, Hamilton wants to set an example to millions of others such as him from poor backgrounds. He revels in the chance to meet iconic figures such as Nelson Mandela, he enjoys the comparisons made with Tiger Woods and he dreams of going on to do great things after his driving career is over. But all this depends on reputation and it was never part of his game plan to lose that.
The media often glibly call for heads to roll in a crisis such as this. Whitmarsh has demonstrated fairly comprehensively that Hamilton was under the influence of Ryan and Ryan alone and that is why Ryan alone has paid the price. But the affair has inflicted permanent scars on the image of arguably McLaren's greatest ever human asset in Hamilton and this has happened under Whitmarsh's watch and that of his chairman Ron Dennis. No doubt they will think about this a little more in the coming days.
Source:the times
The more we have found out about what caused Hamilton to lie to the stewards in Melbourne and then repeat those lies four days later to try to cheat Jarno Trulli, the Toyota driver, out of third place, the more it is possible to sympathise with Hamilton and particularly with his father's deep, deep anger about the affair. In short, Hamilton Sr, who is likely to be seeking advice on what to do next, believes the team recklessly sold his son's reputation as a fine, upstanding sportsman and budding icon in a tawdry and ham-fisted bid to gain a championship point to which they had no right.
There is no doubt that Hamilton himself should carry some of the blame. He has told us that he was “misled” and “instructed” by Dave Ryan, the now suspended McLaren team sporting director, to lie to the stewards and he did as he was told. He should not have done so and he knows it and the world champion would give almost anything to turn back the clock.
Having said that, we now know much more about the forces that were bearing down on Hamilton on that fateful Sunday evening in Melbourne. As always with errors of judgment of this magnitude, passions were running high at the critical moment. When Hamilton passed Trulli under the safety car three laps from the end of the race after the Italian briefly went off the track, Ryan made a mistake. He told Phil Prew, Hamilton's race engineer, who talks to Hamilton on the radio during races, to tell Hamilton to give the place back in the mistaken belief that Hamilton might have broken the rules.
But Ryan was wrong and he quickly realised, after Hamilton had moved across to let Trulli by, that what he had in fact done was to give third place on the podium to Trulli on a plate. And this is where the rot started because Ryan was determined to rectify his error in the stewards' room and he recruited Hamilton to assist him, as Martin Whitmarsh, the McLaren team principal, explained on Sunday. “I think Davey carried some guilt because he had made a mistake and was very hard on himself,” Whitmarsh said. “In the heat of the moment with the stewards, [he] unnecessarily caused Lewis, and led Lewis, to mislead the stewards and one event fell into another.”
In this way Ryan had repaired the damage caused by his initial error but the cost was about to spiral out of control and this is where Anthony Hamilton can feel so betrayed. A senior team manager at McLaren - the man who “ran” the team, according to Whitmarsh - had persuaded or induced Hamilton to lie and had done so at the risk of ruining his reputation for good.
In the long run, the general public will forget which teams Hamilton drove for, just as they have in the case of greats such as Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill or Sir Jackie Stewart. But they will remember Hamilton the man and they will remember that he was a champion and that he was also caught cheating, just as Michael Schumacher is widely remembered for at least three acts of gross bad sportsmanship. Whitmarsh, Ryan and everyone else involved will all be forgotten but not Hamilton.
And Hamilton is no ordinary Formula One driver. He is a remarkable young man with maturity well beyond his years and he is ambitious in every way. Not content to be just a great driver, Hamilton wants to set an example to millions of others such as him from poor backgrounds. He revels in the chance to meet iconic figures such as Nelson Mandela, he enjoys the comparisons made with Tiger Woods and he dreams of going on to do great things after his driving career is over. But all this depends on reputation and it was never part of his game plan to lose that.
The media often glibly call for heads to roll in a crisis such as this. Whitmarsh has demonstrated fairly comprehensively that Hamilton was under the influence of Ryan and Ryan alone and that is why Ryan alone has paid the price. But the affair has inflicted permanent scars on the image of arguably McLaren's greatest ever human asset in Hamilton and this has happened under Whitmarsh's watch and that of his chairman Ron Dennis. No doubt they will think about this a little more in the coming days.
Source:the times
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Murray eyes third title of 2009
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
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
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
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