Dementieva overpowers Suarez Navarro to reach semis

MELBOURNE: Russia's fourth seed Elena Dementieva overpowered Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 6-2, 6-2 in scorching heat on Wednesday to reach the Australian Open semi-finals for the first time.

Dementieva, 27, had never been past the fourth round of the Open in 10 previous attempts.

But she underlined why she was one of the pre-tournament favourites with her straight sets demolition of the unseeded Spaniard in temperatures reaching 39.5 degrees Celsius (103 F).

"There were a couple of hot days up in Sydney but it gets much hotter on the centre court so I'm glad to have won in two sets," she said.

Suarez Navarro caused one of the shocks of the tournament when she dumped Venus Williams in the second round, but she could not repeat that type of form against an opponent who remains unbeaten in three tournaments this year.

The Russian will now play either Serena Williams or Svetlana Kuznetsova in the semi-finals, keeping alive hopes of an all-Russian Grand Slam final for the first time in history.

Dinara Safina and Vera Zvonareva play the other semi-final on Thursday.

Suarez Navarro, 20, won the toss and chose to serve first, but she started nervously and was broken immediately by the fourth seed.

Dementieva then broke again in the third game and after 20 minutes the Russian had a 4-0 lead.

Suarez Navarro had her first game point of the match at 40-30 in the fifth and managed to hang on to get on the scoreboard.

That seemed to give her some confidence and she began to find the range with her ground strokes which had caused so much damage in her win over Williams.

She had break points in the next game, which lasted an incredible 19 minutes, but she couldn't convert and any chance of getting back into the set was gone.

The players then took a 10-minute heat break and when they came back on Dementieva broke Suarez Navarro to get the perfect start to the second set.

Suarez Navarro had three chances to break back in the next game but Dementieva unleashed some big serves to cancel them out and open up a 2-0 lead.

The Spaniard held her next serve but was broken again in the fifth game, Dementieva then holding on for a comfortable win in one hour, 35 minutes.

Source: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4039885.cms

Perfect Rafa storms into Australian quarters

MELBOURNE: Top seed Rafael Nadal maintained his perfect record as breezed into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Monday.

Nadal, who is yet to drop a set, dominated the 2007 finalist 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to advance to a last-eight clash with France's Gilles Simon as he seeks his first hard-court Grand Slam win.

The Spaniard, capitalising on Gonzalez's four-hour marathon with Richard Gasquet, raced through the first two sets in less than 40 minutes each, pushing the 13th seed back to keep his giant forehand at bay.

Gonzalez mounted a brief revival in the third but Nadal hit back from 3-0 down and got the decisive break 4-3 with a forehand into the corner.

The Wimbledon and French Open champion, looking fit and revived after an extended off-season, is yet to be challenged here after easy wins against Christophe Rochus, Roko Karanusic and Tommy Haas.

Monday's victory also avenges his quarter-final loss two years ago to Gonzalez, whom he also beat in the Beijing Olympic final in August.

He has begun his first season as number one after ending a wait of more than three years by overtaking Roger Federer last year.

Nadal compiled one of the best seasons in tennis history in 2008, winning his fourth successive French Open and ending Federer's five-year Wimbledon reign in a classic final.

Including Olympic gold the 22-year-old claimed eight titles in all, more than any other player.

Soruce: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4032578.cms

India get tough draw for Men's Jr World Cup hockey

CHENNAI: India has been clubbed with Netherlands and New Zealand in Group-D in the Men's Junior World Cup hockey, scheduled to be held in Singapore a nd Johor Bahru in Malaysia from June 7-21.

Poland and Singapore are the other teams in Group-D, an International Hockey Federation (FIH) release said on Monday.

The 20 teams in the fray have been divided into four groups, with defending champions Argentina figuring in Group-A, the release said.

The draw for the BDO Women's Junior World Cup, which is scheduled in Boston, USA from August 3-16, would be released by the middle of next month, the release added.

Groupings:
Group-A: Argentina, Belgium, Egypt, Pakistan, Russia.
Group-B: Australia, Chile, Germany, Japan, South Africa.
Group-C: England, Korea, Malaysia, Spain, USA.
Group-D: India , Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore.

Soruce: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India_get_tough_draw_for_Mens_Jr_World_Cup_hockey/articleshow/4033634.cms

Lifter Kunjarani to make comeback at 40, aims CWG gold

NEW DELHI: Having virtually disappeared from the scene after her gold-winning feat at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games three years ago, 40-year-old Kunjarani Devi now wants to defy age and trains her gun on defending her title in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.

The pint-sized 48kg lifter has won all the gold medals in the Commonwealth Games in her weight category after women's weightlifting was first introduced in Manchester in 2002.

She won three gold in Manchester where one medal each was allotted for snatch, clean and jerk, and total lift, before winning the yellow metal in Melbourne where only the total lift carried a medal.

Kunjarani said she is confident she would gain top form in the 20 months left for the Commonwealth Games at home.

"I have started serious training since December last year. I want to defend my gold in the 2010 Commonwealth Games and stand on the victory podium before my home crowd," she said in an interview.

Kunjarani will be 42 when the Commonwealth Games is held in October next year in Delhi, but the Manipuri lifter said her body is still in good shape and she is lifting a good weight in training.

"I know myself that I still have the capability to win gold in Delhi next year. My body has not said no I should not be doing this. I am lifting the minimum necessary weight from where you can go for more. Otherwise I would not have thought of making a comeback," said the Delhi-based Rajiv Khel Ratna awardee.

"My career-best has been the 190kg in Athens Olympics. That is still the best among Commonwealth lifters. I won gold with 166kg in Melbourne and I am lifting not much less than that now," explained the CRPF Deputy Commandant.

Kunjarani, who was last in action in the All India Police Games in Jalandhar in October 2006, though is not taking part in the Senior Nationals starting in Pune from January 28 because of the one-year ban that has been imposed on Police.

Five of the Police lifters flunked dope tests in the All India Police Games in Haryana last year which attracted one-year ban from the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF).

"I am targeting National Games in Jharkhand (to be held in June) for my comeback to competition mode. After that there are many national and international events lined up before the Delhi Commonwealth Games," she said.

"I have to take part in some national competitions otherwise IWF may not allow me to take part in CWG. So I will take part in the National Games," she said.

Kunjarani said she was concentrating more on the Delhi Games and not thinking much of the Asian Games in China - to be held after the Commonwealth Games - where the competition is much tougher.

"I am not thinking much about the Asian Games. I will concentrate on winning gold in Commonwealth Games," she said.

Kunjarani also feels that Indian women would dominate the lifting event in 2010 CWG.

"Except for one or two categories (out of seven) we should dominate. It should be better than Melbourne," she said.

She spends at least four hours a day training, out of which she devoted two hours lifting barbells at the CRPF headquarters here.

"Morning is one-hour outdoor warm up and running and then another one hour lifting barbells. In the evening I have another light warm up and then lifting again," she said.

Soruce: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lifter_Kunjarani_to_make_comeback_at_40/articleshow/4033159.cms

Mary makes women's boxing's Olympic case stronger: AIBA President

NEW DELHI: M C Mary Kom's unprecedented four World Championship titles don't just make her a legend but also strengthen women's boxing's case for inclusion in the 2012 London Olympics, says International Boxing Association (AIBA) President Ching-Kuo Wu.

Hailing the Manipuri pugilist's record feat, Wu said her remarkable achievement of winning medals in all the five World Championships held so far has added weight to AIBA's effort to get women's boxing included in Olympics.

"Having witnessed the excellent performances at the AIBA World Championships, especially those of the very impressive Mary Kom, it illustrates how popular and successful the sport of women's boxing is right now and adds further weight behind including women's boxing in the Olympic Games," Wu said.

Mary Kom, a mother of two, came back from a two-year sabbatical to clinch her fourth successive world championship gold last year, a feat that prompted AIBA to describe her as 'Magnificent Mary'.

The women's World Championship itself grew by leaps and bounds and in the fifth edition held in Ningbo City, China last year a record 41 countries competed.

Wu said all this has made AIBA confident of getting International Olympic Committee's (IOC) nod for the sport's Olympic debut in 2012 London Games.

"AIBA has filed its application to the IOC to have women's boxing included into the Olympic Games. We now must wait on the decision of the IOC Executive Board. We are confident but we must wait for the IOC, which is expected to make a decision in October this year," Wu said.

We have submitted a comprehensive proposal and we dearly hope that women's boxing in the Olympic Games will become a reality," he added.

Women's boxing is being considered for Olympic inclusion after squash and karate, shortlisted to replace baseball and softball, failed to get the required two-third backing in the IOC.

Lauding India's growing stature in boxing, Wu said the country's continuing rise augurs well for the Asian region.

"To have such a passionate sporting country as India so strong in boxing is a key ingredient to the development of the sport, especially in Asia which is becoming one of the most competitive continents in the sport," he said.

Men's boxing's format changes to three rounds of three minutes each from the earlier four rounds of two minutes each this year and Wu said this would make the sport more spectator-friendly besides presenting a tougher challenge to pugilists.

"Boxing has always been a sport of stamina, skill and concentration. The change to three rounds of three minutes will add weight to these key skill groups and provide a better spectacle for the boxing public and television audiences around the world," he said.

"The AIBA Medical Commission conducted a thorough study into the pros and cons of making such a change, and the AIBA Executive Committee was consequently thoroughly convinced about approving the move.

"All sports fans want to see the best athletes perform at their ultimate capacity and this change to the AIBA Technical and Rules will provide that," he added.

Source: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mary_makes_boxings_Olympic_case_stronger/articleshow/4032691.cms

Manchester City slap Robinho with 320,000 pound fine

LONDON: Manchester City's owner Sheikh Mansour has backed team coach Mark Hughes's decision to slap Brazilian striker Robinho with a 320,000 fine for
skipping a training session in the Tenerife to return to his hometown San Paolu in Brazil.

A Daily Express report said that Hughes has clearly told Robinho that he will not tolerate any further breaches of club discipline.

Hughes had the clear-the-air talks with Robinho when the player returned to training after going AWOL from the squad's mid-winter break in Tenerife last week to spend five days in Brazil.

Apart from fining Robinho two weeks' wages, Hughes made it clear to his 12-goal leading scorer there could be no special treatment for any players, regardless of status, reputation or transfer valuation.

Hughes knows he had to act because if he had not, his reputation for rigid discipline would have been left in tatters and he would have been open to accusations of favouritism from the other players.

Before the meeting, Hughes said: "I will deal with Robinho in such a way that I absolutely would not expect this to happen again. I feel confident that if there was a longer problem with any player, even Robinho, I would have the go-ahead from Sheikh Mansour to deal with it in whatever way I saw fit."

I have always felt that top players are easier to control because they have a professional maturity and a winning mentality," he added.

Hughes is angered by suggestions he constantly needs to reassure Robinho of City's ambitions.

Hughes said: "People talk about making assurances to Robinho but any reassurances would just be repetition. He knows how I feel. I have no problems with good footballers. The ones that are a problem are those that have a higher opinion of their ability than is apparent and a higher opinion of their worth to the team."

However, there was a conflicting report by The Sun that said Robinho breezed back into Manchester City yesterday and escaped the expected rocket from boss Mark Hughes.

After a week away in Brazil, Robinho did not have a care in the world as he laughed and joked at the training ground.

The pair had what was described as a "brief grown-up conversation" and Robinho, 25, was not fined.

Then the Brazilian departed for a meeting with a group that included his father Gilvan, his lawyer and accountant.

A source close to his advisors said: "There was no showdown between Robinho and Hughes. He doesn't feel he has done anything wrong."

Soruce: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Manchester_City_slap_Robinho_with_fine/articleshow/4035535.cms

Zvonareva beats Bartoli to reach Aussie Open semis

Russian seventh seed Vera Zvonareva reached the Australian Open semi-finals with a crushing 6-3, 6-0 win over French 16th seed Marionoli on Tuesday in searing conditions at Melbourne Park.

Zvonareva kept her cool after going down 3-1 in the first set to win 11 straight games as Bartoli wilted in the heat.

"I like it when it's warm, so it's perfect for me," Zvonareva said of the conditions, which left Bartoli bent double and sucking for breath in the second set rout.

The 23-year-old Russian has been in ominous form in reaching her first ever Grand Slam semi-final. She is yet to drop a set in the tournament while holding her opponents to 6-0 in four of the 10 sets she has contested.

Her ability to deal with the testing conditions proved crucial against Bartoli, who could not find the red-hot form with which she ousted world number one Jelena Jankovic.

"It was a great match for me today because Marion is a very, very good player so I'm happy about that," Zvonareva said.

"I was trying to execute my shots and cut down on the unforced errors a lot, I think that helped me."

Bartoli, a Wimbledon finalist in 2007, came out swinging early in the match but her aggressive tactics proved unsuited to the hot conditions.

She drew first blood, taking advantage of a Zvonareva double fault and a rash of unforced errors from the Russian to go up a break in the first game.

Zvonareva, playing in only the second Grand Slam quarter-final of her career, managed to break back in the next.

But Bartoli, covering her head with a towel between games to provide some relief from the heat, lobbed an advancing Zvonareva on her way to another break.

The 23-year-old Frenchwoman surrendered the advantage three games later, committing two double faults and allowing Zvonareva to level the set at 3-3.

The Russian, who took a 6-1 winning record against Bartoli into the match, began to recover from her slow start, her penetrating ground strokes finally finding their mark.

She gained the upper hand with another break to go up 5-3, sending down her first ace of the match in the next as she went on to serve out the set after 38 minutes.

The conditions took their toll on Bartoli in the second set and Zvonareva moved her around the court, breaking her three times as she raced to a 6-0 lead in just 30 minutes.

Soruce: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4034747.cms

Do we still have to plead for recognition, asks Sushil Kumar

NEW DELHI: Olympic bronze medallist Sushil Kumar is disappointed after being ignored for the prestigious Padma awards.

"Last week an official from the Sports Ministry informed us that I and Vijender have been shortlisted for Padma Shri winners. But I was shocked when I heard that both of us were ignored for this prestigious award," the wrestler said on Monday.

"It really hurts when your performance at the highest level goes unrecognised. This shows that Olympic sports in the country is not taken seriously and only cricketers get recognition."

"Do we still have to plead for recognition even after winning Olympic medals?" Sushil wondered.

Boxer Vijender Singh, who was also left out despite winning the country's maiden Olympic medal (bronze) in boxing, said he is not unduly worried.

"Our job is to perform and win medals for the country. It is up to the government to take notice. I am not in race for any awards," he said.

Sushil's coach Yahbir Singh said they were expecting the Padma award for the wrestler.

"We were surprised after learning that Sushil and Vijender were not selected for the award. This is how we treat our champions?," he asked.

Though it was India's most successful Olympic performance ever, only shooter Abhinav Bindra, who won the nation's maiden individual Olympic gold medal, has been conferred with the Padma Bhushan.

Cricketers Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh, too, are in the list of Padma Shri awards, which has not gone well with the wrestling and boxing fraternity.

"Cricketers are given all the awards. What have they done this year to deserve the award? Even the world body of boxing has recognised India as upcoming power in the sport and it is a shame that we are treated in this manner at home," said a boxing official, declining to be named.

Soruce: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Only_cricketers_get_recognition_Sushil_Kumar/articleshow/4033645.cms

Roddick into Melbourne semis after Djokovic withdraws

MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic's defence of his Australian Open title ended prematurely on Tuesday when the Serb was forced to retire from his quarter-final against Andy Roddick after the third game of the fourth set.

American Roddick had been leading 6-7, 6-4, 6-2, 2-1 when a visibly distressed Djokovic said he could no longer continue.

The 21-year-old had called a medical time out after the third game of the third set, when he had held serve to take a 2-1 lead, but looked exhausted when play resumed and lost the next five games.

Roddick held four break points in the first game of the fourth set and while Djokovic battled back to hold serve it may have sapped any semblance of energy he had left, as the seventh seed won the next game then broke him to love.

The third-seeded Djokovic then walked off court, consulted the doctor and told chair umpire Carlos Ramos of Portugal "no more", before he went to congratulate Roddick, who has now advanced to his fourth Melbourne Park semi-final.

Source: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4035594.cms

Bhupathi-Knowles in doubles semi-finals

MELBOURNE: Mahesh Bhupathi and his Bahamian partner Mark Knowles sailed into the Australian Open doubles semi-finals, defeating Feliciano Lopez and F ernando Verdasco in searing conditions at Melbourne Park on Tuesday.

The third seeded Indo-Bahamian pair took 88 minutes to dispatch the Spanish duo 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 in their quarter-final clash.

Lopez-Verdasco showed some resistance in the second set, winning it 6-2, but Bhupathi-Knowles eventually prevailed to move to the next level.

Among the juniors, top seed Yuki Bhambri moved to the third round after defeating Stephen Hoh of Australia 7-6(1), 6-0.

Earlier, Leander Paes, and his Czech partner Lukas Dlouhy advanced to the men's doubles quarter-finals defeating locals Paul Hanley and Jordan Kerr 6-2, 7-5 on Monday.

Source: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bhupathi-Knowles_in_semis_Paes-Black_out/articleshow/4035023.cms