USA TODAY: Hall of Famer Killebrew ends cancer fight

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Baseball Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew, the brawny slugger who remains near the top of the career home runs list, said on Friday he is ending his battle with esophageal cancer and will live out the final days of his life in hospice care.

The 11-times All-Star, whose 573 career home runs are the 11th most in Major League Baseball, said he looks forward to spending his finals days in comfort alongside his wife.

"It is with profound sadness that I share with you that my continued battle with esophageal cancer is coming to an end," Killebrew, 74, said in a statement released by the Baseball Hall of Fame.

"With the continued love and support of my wife, Nita, I have exhausted all options with respect to controlling this awful disease. My illness has progressed beyond my doctors' expectation of cure."

Killebrew started his career with the Washington Senators in 1954 and relocated with the franchise to Minnesota in 1961 where they became the Twins. He played one year with the Kansas City Royals in 1975 before retiring.

Killebrew was named the American League's Most Valuable Player in 1969 after a season where he recorded a career-best 140 RBIs, 49 home runs and a .276 batting average while playing in all 162 of Minnesota's games that year.

The Twins retired his uniform number in 1975 and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984 after a 22-year career in which he recorded 1,584 RBIs and a .256 batting average in 2,435 games.

In April, Killebrew scrapped plans to throw the ceremonial first pitch at the Twins' home opener, saying the trip would disrupt his cancer treatment schedule in Arizona.

TREMENDOUS PROGRESS

At the time, he said in a statement that he had made tremendous progress and remained optimistic and hopeful for a full recovery.

Twins spokesman Kevin Smith said plans to pay tribute to Killebrew at Friday's home game against the Toronto Blue Jays were still being finalized but acknowledged that a video tribute and hanging the former player's No. 3 jersey in the Minnesota dugout were likely.

"This is not anywhere close to a memorial. He is still with us," Smith told Reuters. "This is an acknowledgment of his statement. He just wanted everyone to know what his next step was and beyond that we don't have anything to say."

Smith also said notes of best wishes from current Twins players will be sent to Killebrew overnight by the team.

Killebrew, who still holds the team record for most home runs, RBIs, walks and games played, had announced in December that he had been diagnosed with cancer and started treatment.

"I am comforted by the fact that I am surrounded by my family and friends. I thank you for the outpouring of concern, prayers and encouragement that you have shown me," Killebrew said on Friday.

"I look forward to spending my final days in comfort and peace with Nita by my side."

Homegrown talent helps UConn baseball thrive

The common belief among state high school players used to be the south was the place to be for college baseball.
Jim Penders and the UConn Huskies are doing an excellent job to debunk that theory.
Last season, Pender's program earned its first trip to the NCAA tournament since 1994 with a school-record 48 wins and its first appearance in the national rankings since 1979.
A trip to the NCAAs was a nice reward after UConn dropped its second straight Big East championship game, which came in a 3-0 loss to St. John's. The Huskies were eliminated by Oregon last year in the Norwich Regional.
Stocked with a roster full of homegrown talent and sitting atop the conference with one week to play, the Huskies (34-13-1, 18-3 Big East entering Friday's game against Louisville at Dodd Stadium in Norwicj) have not only stirred up interest in the collegiate game in New England, but made it cool to stay home to play ball again.
"All the talent in Connecticut, most of the top prospects try to go down south," said sophomore designated hitter LJ Mazzilli, from Greenwich, whose father is former major league player and manager Lee Mazzilli. "But we are doing it right here."
The Huskies have 17 players with in-state ties, including their two biggest stars -- junior outfielder George Springer (New Britain) and junior right-hander Matt Barnes (Bethel), who anchors the staff with his 98-mph fastball.
Springer leads the team in average (.376), homers (10) and RBIs (64), while Barnes is 9-3 with a 1.29 ERA and 82 strikeouts.
"If there's a kid who can play baseball, it's foolish for them not to come to UConn," said Penders, who is in his eighth season as the Huskies' skipper. "Right now we are one of the best teams in the region and have a lot of prospects."
One of the rising prospects is freshman southpaw Brian Ward, a Foran graduate who is 4-0 with a 2.60 ERA working at the back end of the rotation behind Barnes, Madison native Greg Nappo and senior co-captain Elliott Glynn, who is one of two California players on the roster.
Ward's emergence has helped offset the loss of righty Scott Oberg, who is out for the year after having Tommy John surgery.
"I've settled in nicely after a couple shaky starts," the 6-foot-3, 185-pound Ward said. "We all complement each other (on the staff). We work well with each other and root for each other."
Pitching is the one thing Penders focused on recruiting plenty of when he took over in 2003 after seven years serving as an assistant coach.
"It all starts with the guy on the bump," he said. "We were determined to build the team with pitching."
Among the other regional players on the Huskies are two Stratford juniors -- catcher John Sulzicki and infielder Tim Martin. Greenwich sophomore Michael Zaccardo is part of the bullpen.
UConn is the only team in the conference to already secure one of the eight postseason spots and entered the weekend ranked first in the New England region and 15th overall in one of the national polls (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper). Baseball America has the Huskies 18th while the NCBWA has them at 29th.
"Jim has done a tremendous job there," said Sacred Heart coach Nick Giaquinto, whose club beat UConn 5-4 earlier in the season. "They've taken the program to new heights."
The new heights include much bigger plans than just being a factor in the Big East. They Huskies want a league championship, which is something the program has not won since 1994 when Penders was a player there.
"One of the things that stands out about this team is we are all best friends on the one team," Mazzilli said. "We're one group with one goal in our lives. Everyone wants the same thing."
The Huskies appear to have the talent to accomplish that goal, but Penders prefers the Huskies focus on their daily tasks, not long-range goals.
"We haven't accomplished any of our goals, but we're making progress towards out goals," he said.

Read more: www.pakihungama.blogspot.com

Pakistan in resurgent form despite youth

Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Hockey Tournament 

IPOH: Pakistan’s manager said Friday that the Asian champions were seeing a return to form and eyeing victory in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, despite the relative youth of their side. Pakistan and Great Britain each have nine points with one game to go to decide who will meet World champions Australia in Sunday’s final. Great Britain will first play South Korea on Saturday followed by Pakistan against Malaysia. “I have told my players that we must play to win no matter what the result of the other match,” Pakistan team manager K.M. Junaid said. “We are under no illusion of the task that awaits us. Malaysia have always been a tough team to play, and they will certainly want to win as well,” he said.

“I also thank God almighty for what we have been able to achieve thus far after having come with a young team,” he said. The Pakistanis have eight players under 21. So far Pakistan have beaten old adversaries India, South Korea and New Zealand but lost against both Great Britain and Australia. Last November, Pakistan won the Asian Games gold medal, bolstering their confidence. Junaid said another title win would be a major boost to efforts to create a top team for their 2012 London Olympic challenge. “(The young players) are the future of Pakistan hockey, and I am glad that they are showing good form. We have to keep exposing them to tougher matches,” Junaid said.

Great Britain have vowed not to take South Korea for granted either. South Korea and India are both joint title holders for the cup, whose final was marred by rain last year. “I have said that we are here to win the title,” Great Britain coach Jason Lee said. “We will go all out to do that against Korea but at the same time we have to be on our toes from the start.” “Frankly it is in our hands to make the final and we have to get the job done,” he said. Behind Great Britain and Pakistan, New Zealand have seven points meaning the Kiwis could sneak into the final if both Great Britain and Pakistan lose their games and New Zealand win their match against Australia on Saturday.

Pathetic PCB preventing cricket’s progress

The inherent trait of conflicts and controversies practiced and promoted by present set-up of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has prevented our cricket from making the desired progress to capture a place among top teams of the world. The six weeks of World Cup 2011, during which Pakistan managed to reach the semifinals, apparently looked like a period of relative peace and harmony but it was not so.

It was a phase of blistering differences between coach Waqar Younis and skipper Shahid Afridi mainly on the matters of selection. The issue if leaked out would have caused tremendous shame to the Pakistan team. Afridi very wisely tolerated all the taunts, gimmicks and shouts, at times agreeing and at times not agreeing with the coach. He, however, remained absolutely firm in his conduct as captain preventing the gang of officials from making undue interference into the affairs of the team. He kept the things under control without giving a clue to the media till Pakistan reached Mohali where the team succumbed to the politics of Himalayan level to create history.

The next international engagement of our team was the tour of the West Indies in which the series of five one-day internationals (ODIs) was of paramount importance. Having defeated the Windies all ends up during the World Cup, our team had judged the weakness of the opponents and were fully confident of achieving a clean sweep of the series. The relationship with coach Waqar having become extremely bitter, Afridi initially declined to accompany the team to West Indies ‘for personal reasons’. Some of his well wishers, however, advised him not to leave the team after doing so well in a great event like the World Cup. He changed his decision and accompanied the team. The team performed as successfully as planned. Pakistan won the three ODI’s in a row winning the series while the fourth one became the joint victim of rain and the Lewis-Duckworth rules. The fifth and last ODI was gifted to the hosts consequent to a serious altercation between the two officials, the bone of contention being the dropping of in form player Asad Shafiq by the coach.

The major point of contention between Waqar and Afridi was Waqar’s authoritative attitude in selection matters. During the West Indies tour while Afridi wanted to give ample chance to the new players considering that ‘they were not on tour for a joy ride’ while Waqar kept on resisting and playing the tried and tested old hags. Cricket fans, who were aspiring for a straight 5-0 victory, were not pleased with the 3-2 win caused mainly due to a rift between the two top officials. While coach Waqar has stayed back with the team to complete the series Afridi is back home.

Immediately on arrival, Afridi made a press statement criticising coach Waqar for interfering in the team selection. He also touched upon the differences that existed within the team management. The PCB immediately reacted to the statement as a violation of the code of conduct and issued a show cause notice to Afridi to which he has submitted a reply.

It is quite likely that the matter will be decided on Waqar’s return but there are two schools of thought. Some sources indicate that PCB chief Ijaz Butt is not happy with Afridi’s performance as well as attitude to go public about the team affairs. There may thus be a chance of his losing the ‘limited over matches captaincy’. ‘Boom Boom’ Afridi having turned into a legend, I think it would be too big a punishment for an issue which could be easily sorted out by the team’s management headed by a seasoned manager like Intikhab Alam. The other suggestion that he should be set free with a reprieve appears reasonable.

Another alarming conflict of similar nature occurred within the PCB’s headquarters where agitated by the dictatorial conduct of Ijaz Butt, chief selector Mohsin Khan threatened to resign from his post. Mohsin was irked by the fact that he was not given a free hand in selecting the team. The team selected by his committee was often changed by the chairman arbitrarily. His objection is quite valid because the selection committee forms the team after meticulously watching the performance of each player. In contrast since the chairman does not go through such a process the induction of any player by him is based either on ‘safarish or personal liking.’ To prevent the issue from turning into a national debate Ijaz found it convenient to have a compromise with the chief selector. It is high time that the PCB avoids such conflicts and controversies and concentrates on boosting up the game.

49er Women's Tennis Starts NCAA Tournament Competition This Weekend

2:34pm | No. 36 Long Beach State will be making its eighth all-time appearance in the NCAA Women's Tennis Tournament this weekend, playing No. 27 Pepperdine at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 14, at Stanford.

Long Beach State’s eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament comes off the heels of claiming the team’s eighth

Big West Championship over the last 10 seasons, making it the best team in the strongest Big West Conference season top-to-bottom in recent memory. With Cal Poly’s at-large selection, the league earned two bids for the first time since the 2007 season (LBSU, UC Irvine) and had six teams ranked at the conclusion of the regular season.

The NCAA Tournament host for Long Beach State, Stanford University, will be a familiar site for the 49ers. Long Beach State has played in Palo Alto twice before in the tournament; the first time was back in 2002, the team’s first NCAA appearance, and the other was in 2009.

This will also be the third time that Long Beach State has played Pepperdine in the postseason, and the second time that Long Beach State has faced the Waves at Stanford. Pepperdine defeated the 49ers in 2002 4-1 in the first appearance for the program. The last time the teams met was in 2007 at Fresno State, when Long Beach State nearly upset the No. 20 Waves, getting wins from Hannah Grady and Katy Williams and leading them in the unfinished match in a 4-3 defeat.

Pepperdine and Long Beach State are meeting for the 19th time; the 49ers have never defeated the Waves but have come tantalizingly close in the last three meetings, losing all three by a 4-3 margin while being ranked lower in all three matches.

In this season’s meeting, Long Beach State won the doubles point, taking the top two matches, and did the same in singles, as Anais Dallara defeated Arianna Colffer at No. 1 singles and Klaudia Malenovska won at No. 2 over Ale Granillo.

Dallara has also defeated Khunpak Issara in fall play, giving the 49ers junior a pair of wins against the Waves this season. She’ll likely match up with Colffer once more, while Deborah Armstrong will get a rematch with Anamika Bhargava, who entered the singles rankings this week at No. 122.

With Malenovska out due to injury, Rachel Manasse will draw Granillo this time around, while Jaklin Alawi will likely face Issara. Sarah Cantlay and Anna Jeczmionka will round out the singles lineup for the 49ers, facing Marie Zalameda and either Andrea Oates or Megan Moore.

The doubles point appears to point in the Waves’ favor despite Long Beach State’s triumph earlier in the season, as Pepperdine has two tandems ranked No. 1: No. 65 Bhargava/Zalameda and No. 53 Issara/Granillo. Long Beach State will look to topple the top two a second time, as well as rely on Cantlay/Luzar at No. 3 doubles, a team with a 19-4 record in dual matches this season.

In NCAA Tournament play the Waves have the edge, with a 23-27 all-time record in the postseason. Long Beach State enters with a record of 1-7, getting their win in 2006 by beating No. 46 New Mexico 4-1 before falling to No. 2 USC in Los Angeles.

With a win, the 49ers would play the winner of No. 2 Stanford and Illinois-Chicago at noon on Sunday, May 15. Long Beach State has never beaten Stanford in six matches, but is undefeated against the Flames with a 4-0 record, including a 5-2 win in Chicago earlier this year.

TENNIS: Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray cruise into Rome Masters semis

ROME: Rafael Nadal showed no signs of the fever that has been afflicting him this week as he strolled into the Rome Masters semifinals here with a 6-1, 6-3 demolition of Marin Cilic. Earlier Andy Murray became the first British man to reach the Rome semis in the Open era after a bizarre 1-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory against Florian Mayer. Having been totally off colour on Wednesday in a tortured three-set victory over Italian qualifier Paolo Lorenzi, Nadal proved he was back to his best against Cilic. The big serving Croatian hit twice the number of unforced errors as Nadal in the first set with the world number one clinically taking his only two break point opportunities and securing the set with a powerful, deep forehand that Cilic couldn’t return.

The second set started off going with serve until Nadal broke to love in the seventh game, Cilic’s wildly long forehand on the final point indicative of the loose game he played. And in his next service game the world number 23 plonked a forehand into net to give up match point and then hit another wide to hand Nadal the match. Murray became the first British man since George Hughes in 1932 to get this far in Rome. “It is important, it’s nice to do well in tournaments abroad and this tournament has been around a long, long time,” said Murray. “There’s a lot of history, it’s always had great fields. Every year I’ve been here when you walk to the practice courts there’s a list of winners down a wall that has a lot of great players.” The world number four was completely out of sorts in the first set but then went on to win 11 of the last 12 games as Mayer crumbled alarmingly.

Murray had never even reached the quarters here until this year but after a poor start riddled with unforced errors, he found his form on his least favourite surface, finishing with twice as many winners as his opponent. “He’s a very tricky player, I’d never played against him or even practised against him or anything,” added the 23-year-old. “After the way the first few games went I got a bit uptight because I wasn’t really seeing his game well. “I didn’t put prssure on him, I was rushing a bit, coming to the net, he was moving well and hitting passing shots. “In my previous games I was coming up (to the net) and getting success but I had to back off a bit and made the rallies longer and I had to be more patient.” The first two sets were a poor advert for serving as eight of the 14 games ended in a break.

Murray was the principal culprit in the first set as he put up feeble resistance, going down 6-1 and holding serve only once in his first five service games. But as erratic as the Scot was in the first set, the German was just as bad in the second, in which he failed to hold serve at all. The second opened with three breaks of serve before Murray crucially held for only the second time in the match and he accelerated away from there, closing out the set 6-1 with a backhand crosscourt winner. Mayer had completely lost his way on serve and after Murray held at the start of the decider, the German was broken for the fifth game in a row as he netted a backhand volley on the stretch.

Having found the corners at will in the first set, Mayer was now struggling to find his range. The world number 28 held his next service game but it was a brief reprieve as at 4-1 he was broken to love after netting a forehand and Murray served out the match. In the women’s event, Li Na of China was the first person into the semifinals after completing a quick 6-3, 6-1 victory over Hungarian Greta Arn. The fourth seed has made startlingly easy progress here, losing only 13 games in three matches, and she is yet to drop a set

TENNIS: Kim Clijsters on track to make French Open - ESPN NEWS

BRUSSELS: Kim Clijsters is recovering well from shoulder, wrist and ankle injuries and is on schedule to compete in the French Open. Her spokesman Gert Van Goolen said Friday that “everything is on schedule regarding training and recovery” to make the May 22 starting date of Roland Garros. “There are no signs anything is going bad,” he said. Clijsters had been sidelined since early last month and only resumed on-court training last week. She hopes to be able to make a definitive decision on her participation early next week.

Clijsters is a two-time runner-up at the French Open and slow clay is generally considered her weakest surface. Up to last week, she had been considered doubtful to compete in Paris. During a busy early spring schedule, Clijsters overexerted her right shoulder and wrist and withdrew from the tour last month. Then she compounded her problems when she also injured her right ankle while wearing high heels at her cousin’s wedding. She withdrew from the ongoing Italian Open in Rome and has no plans for a preparation tournament before the French Open. However, after a tentative first training outing last week, she has progressively felt stronger during subsequent sessions. The reigning U.S. and Australian Open champion remains No. 2 in the world rankings behind Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.

Filthy FIFA! World Cup vote chiefs wanted bribes from FA, says ex-chairman Triesman

FIFA were accused of being rotten to the core as six members of their executive committee faced allegations of corruption in the House of Commons.
Former FA chairman Lord Triesman alleged that four of the ExCo members effectively wanted bribes for their World Cup votes for 2018, while the Select Committee investigating football governance named two more who had been paid by Qatar's winning 2022 bid.
Unpublished material provided to the MPs by The Sunday Times newspaper named Cameroon's Issa Hayatou and Ivory Coast's Jacques Anouma as having allegedly received $1.5million (£900,000) each to secure their votes for Qatar.

• The Triesman files: The eight executive members of FIFA accused of corruption

Giving evidence: Former FA chairman Lord Triesman speaks at the House of Commons on Tuesday

As two ExCo members have already been suspended following earlier newspaper revelations, it means a third of world football's leading committee, who decided the venues for two successive World Cups in Zurich last December, are now under suspicion for alleged massive wrongdoing that would shame an already discredited organisation.
Tory MP Damian Collins said: 'The Sunday Times submission claims $1.5m was paid to FIFA  executive committee members Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma who went on to vote for Qatar.'
An alleged Qatar deal had also been struck with the third FIFA ExCo member from Africa, Nigeria's Amos Adamu, although he had already been banned from voting.
Triesman, who was making his second appearance before the inquiry specifically to lift the lid on the World Cup vote shenanigans, went into detail about his unacceptable dealings with a quartet of FIFA officials.

Kingmaker: FIFA vice-president Jack Warner (left) and executive committee member Jacques Anouma (right)

These were led by Trinidad's Jack Warner, the most vocal critic of England's campaign who had nevertheless pledged his support to Prince William in Zurich.
Triesman claimed Warner had told him and Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards in October 2009 that he wanted financial support from England to build an education centre in Trinidad that would cost around £2.5m. The funds would be channelled through him and he would guarantee they would be 'appropriately spent'. 
Another request from Warner came after the Haiti earthquake. He wanted £500,000 to buy TV rights so the country could watch the World Cup in South Africa.

He wanted a knighthood! Triesman has made allegations against Nicolas Leoz (left) and Worawi Makudi (right)

Paraguay's Nicolas Leoz, who had a breakfast meeting with Prince William in Zurich, wanted a gong rather than hard cash, according to Triesman. The Labour peer said Leoz had asked him to arrange a knighthood for him through Triesman's Foreign Office connections.
Brazil's Ricardo Teixeira met Triesman after his country had beaten England in a friendly in Qatar in November 2009. When Triesman told him he was looking forward to meeting Brazil's President Lula on his 2018 campaign travels, Teixeira is said to have replied: 'Lula is nothing, you come and tell me what you have for me.'
Triesman's final allegations of major FIFA misdemeanours were aimed at Thailand's Worawi Makudi, with whom the FA foolishly arranged a friendly international which was due to take place in Bangkok next month.

More allegations: FIFA executive committee members Ricardo Teixeira (left) and Issa Hayatou (right)

But the game was cancelled after the Zurich fiasco in which the only votes for England came from our own Geoff Thompson and African confederation president Hayatou, one of the six in the dock.
Triesman claimed that Makudi had asked for the UK TV rights for the proposed match to come his way. He added: 'These were some of the things that were put to me personally, which did not represent ethical behaviour.'
Asked why he did not report the incidents to FIFA, Triesman said he feared it would damage the England bid but admitted he should have done so in retrospect. And he will now take belated action, sending a transcript of his Select Committee appearance to FIFA as the first step.

I'll clean up FIFA! President Sepp Blatter promised to investigate Lord Triesman's claims

FIFA overlord Sepp Blatter, who is seeking a fourth term as president in the elections on June 1, said: 'If this is true, I will fight this. I am fighting for FIFA to clean FIFA. I cannot answer for individual members of our committee. I cannot say if they are all angels or if they are all devils.'
Makudi was the first to refute Triesman's allegations, saying he was negotiating for the Thailand FA to get the rights money, not himself.
Warner predictably called the accusations against him a 'piece of nonsense' and said Triesman 'no doubt feels he can revive his dying political career by mentioning that piece of foolishness'.

Doomed: Lord Triesman (left) and Prince William were both involved in England's unsuccessful World Cup bid

Warner added: 'I've never asked Triesman nor any other person, Englishman or otherwise for any money for my vote at any time. Before (Triesman) was unceremoniously kicked out, I've spoken to him on his initiative on only three occasions, while not one of his colleagues will ever corroborate his bit of trivia. This is the last I intend to say on this matter.'
But Warner is sure to be among those under the spotlight again when the BBC's Panorama, whose documentary on the eve of the Zurich vote was said to have helped derail England's chances, broadcast a second programme about FIFA's alleged super-corrupt affairs. It is due to be broadcast on May 23. 
In a statement, Qatar 2022 dismissed the latest claims. It read: 'We categorically deny these allegations. We have nothing to hide and are prepared to support and cooperate with any further investigations and will be happy to counter any allegations from whistleblowers with real evidence.
'The Qatar 2022 bid team ran an historic campaign that changed football. We were beset by rumours and allegations from the outset. Bidding, like football, is a rough sport. Happily, our promise of bringing football to new lands and expanding its legacies across the developing world compelled FIFA.'

R-truth injures John Morrison – WWE Monday Night Raw Update

R-truth injures John Morrison – WWE Monday Night Raw Update
The World Wrestling Entertainment Raw superstar R-Truth injured John Morrison in Monday Night Raw event on May 9, in Knoxville, Tennessee.
R-Truth became the Number One contender for the WWE Championship on April 11. The Number One contender match was fought between five deserved superstars Randy Orton, Dolph Ziggler, John Cena, R-Truth and Morrison. R-Truth won the Number One contender match.
Cena also became the second contestant for the WWE Championship against The Miz in the same show. The rivalry between Morrison and R-Truth was started in the following Monday Night Raw on April 18. R-Truth was very excited on becoming the Number One contender of the WWE Championship. He appeared in Monday Night Raw to give his comments about the WWE Championship.
R-Truth said that he was very happy that he was in line for WWE title. Morrison came out and greeted R-Truth on his great accomplishment. Morrison said that he was not in a position to win the match. Actually everything was in the favour of him, as he was tired in the match just because of his smoking. That argument set one more Number One contender match between R-Truth and Morrison.
It was set that if R-Truth lost the match, he would be out from the WWE Championship and Morrison would get in. The match was finally taken by Morrison and he became the new contestant to fight against Cena and The Miz. On May 1 at Extreme Rules, R-truth interrupted in the Triple Threat match of The Miz, Cena and Morrison. He cost Morrison the WWE Championship.
On May 2, Morrison attacked R-Truth from behind and beat him down. Although the match was set between both, it ended with no contest. R-truth took pay-back in the following Monday Night Raw. He attacked Morrison and hit his submission “What’s Up” on Morrison. Referees came out and stopped R-Truth. While referees were taking Morrison towards the ramp, R-truth attacked again and hit his submission again. Referees stopped him and called the Emergency Medical Technicians to take Morrison to the hospital.

Stony Brook baseball winning while at home on road

NEW YORK (AP) - Stony Brook's baseball team has piled into buses and hit the road for home games all season.
It's certainly been a strange and successful year for the nomadic Seawolves (34-10), a resilient bunch while their ballpark received a facelift. Show 'em a field, and they'll play on it - and probably win, too.
"We really have been bouncing around, but we all take it in stride,'' sophomore infielder and reliever William Carmona said. "When it all comes down to it, though, it doesn't matter where we play.''
That's because the America East-leading Seawolves are on the verge of setting the school record for victories, just three from topping the 1999 team that won 36 games while still playing at the Division II level. Coach Matt Senk's squad has also thrown two no-hitters - the first in the program's history - and is tied for the Division I lead in fielding percentage.
"Not having a field obviously wasn't too pleasant, but we didn't think about it too much,'' junior right-hander Nick Tropeano said. "We all talked and said, 'Hey, it's baseball, so let's keep taking as many groundballs and flyballs as we can, no matter where it is.' Despite the adversity, we've overcome it.''
It appears the Seawolves can finally settle in at home now and leave the bus rides for actual road trips. Stony Brook practiced for the first time Tuesday on Joe Nathan Field, named for the former Seawolves shortstop and Minnesota Twins All-Star closer who donated $500,000 to the program.
"It's hard to get guys to go to that school,'' Nathan said before the Twins' game against the Detroit Tigers in Minnesota on Wednesday. "You bring them in and show them the (old) field and that's not going to be something that impresses them. So hopefully this field is something that helps a player's decision-making process to go there.''
The team expects to play there during its last regular-season series next weekend, and hopes to host the conference tournament if it maintains its hold on first place.
"It's definitely going to make an improvement,'' said Nathan, who gets regular updates on the team from athletic director Jim Fiore. "The players were pumped to get on it. Anytime you get a new toy, you're excited to play with it. Hopefully it brings excitement and only greater things to come.''
The team hoped the field, which has a FieldTurf surface, would be ready to start the season. But a lousy winter and spring in the Northeast delayed the completion and sent the Seawolves looking for alternative locations for home games. Practice was limited to the turf inside the school's new track and indoors on campus.
"We all made jokes about it and said it's called 'No Nathan Field,''' Carmona said with a laugh. "And then when we're on a bus, we're like, 'Oh, I guess we're playing at home today.'''
Despite all that, the Seawolves are 10-3 at "home'': 4-1 at Dowling College in Brookhaven, 3-0 at New York Tech in Old Westbury, 2-1 at the Baseball Heaven Sports Complex in Yaphank, and 1-1 at Adelphi in Garden City.
"I've never been around a more resilient group,'' said Senk, in his 21st season at Stony Brook. "Whether it was another snowstorm or another batch of bad weather, whatever has come this group's way, they haven't complained or moaned. It's just been, 'Tell us where we have to be, coach, and let's play.'''
The Seawolves, 15-2 in the America East and 2 1/2 games ahead of Binghamton, have been doing it with solid pitching, terrific defense and timely hitting.
"When we go out to the ballpark, we really expect to win,'' Carmona said. "We just don't expect to lose, ever.''
Tropeano heads the pitching staff, going 9-1 with a 1.36 ERA and four complete games. Last year's conference co-pitcher of the year, whom Senk calls the most competitive player he's coached, also combined with freshman Brandon McNitt (6-2, 1.55) on a no-hitter against Army in March. It came just over a week after freshman Frankie Vanderka tossed one against NJIT. McNitt also came within three outs of a seven-inning no-no last weekend.
"I never thought I'd be able to coach a team that had a no-hitter, and to have two happen within a five-game span was just incredible,'' Senk said. "The pitching showed early signs they were going to be very good.''
The offense has also done its part with Carmona (.370, five homers, 34 RBIs), center fielder Travis Jankowski (.373, 2, 33 and 29 stolen bases), second baseman Maxx Tissenbaum (.333, 2, 37) and third baseman Stephen Marino (.329, 5, 37). Stony Brook is ranked in the top 10 nationally with a .318 team batting average and is second with 122 doubles, led by Carmona's 25, which ties a school record.
Stony Brook has its sights on its third NCAA tournament appearance in four years. The Seawolves know they can win on the big stage, too, after upsetting North Carolina State in the regionals last year for their first NCAA tourney victory. And that, not to mention all those bus rides around Long Island, has made the Seawolves even hungrier.
"We are under the radar,'' Carmona said. "I mean, we're a small school from Long Island, we play in the Northeast, but when we go out on the road or go down South, everyone knows who Stony Brook is when we leave. They can call us underdogs or whatever, but I'll take this team any day against anybody.''

Basketball: Pistons thrash Sharks

Jason Crowe lit up the Hamilton Boys High School gym from outside the three-point arc while Alex Pledger was even more dominant inside as Waikato thrashed Southland 102-69 in a National Basketball League (NBL) match last night.
Crowe, the American point guard and a former NBL MVP, only had eyes for the big shots, landing seven from 14 three-point attempts in a 21-point haul and adding nine assists in a top drawer individual performance that was notable for another statistic - he did not attempt any shots from inside the arc during 33 minutes of court time.
New Zealand Breakers centre Pledger was arguably the man of the match, however, dominating inside and shooting at 83 per cent in a game-high 25 points.
Import Jerry Smith and Breaker Thomas Abercrombie also featured prominently as the Pistons notched their third win from six matches, which takes them into sole possession of third early into the fifth week of the season.
The hosts were all over Southland from the outset. They were hot with the ball in hand and pressured the Sharks on defence, causing the visitors to cough up the ball too often and making a habit of immediately punishing them.
Southland's shooting percentages were low and new signing, Breakers star Kevin Braswell, struggled on his debut for the franchise, making four shots from 16 from the field and totalling just nine points.

New coach Turgeon calls Maryland 'a special place'

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - Before he accepted the offer to become Maryland basketball coach, Mark Turgeon needed to get the lowdown on the job from Gary Williams.
Williams held the post for 22 years before retiring, and Turgeon was poised to become his successor. Working at a school with a great basketball tradition was very appealing to Turgeon, who had spurned several other opportunities to move during his four years at Texas A&M.
After speaking at length with Williams on Sunday night, Turgeon knew it was time to leave College Station for College Park - even if it meant replacing an iconic coach.
"If I was apprehensive, I wouldn't be standing here,'' Turgeon said at his formal introduction Wednesday. "I had a great conversation with Gary, and he made me feel comfortable. I know Gary's not going to try to sabotage Maryland basketball.''
The comment drew a roar of laughter in a room filled with Maryland alumni, former players and booster club members.
Last month, former Maryland athletic director Debbie Yow said Williams "tried to sabotage'' her search for a new basketball coach at North Carolina State.
Current Maryland athletic director Kevin Anderson was beaming about the results of his quick and efficient quest to replace Williams, who announced his retirement late last week.
"It's a great day to be a Terp,'' Anderson declared.
Turgeon, 46, compiled a 97-40 record at Texas A&M and took the team to the NCAA tournament in each of his four seasons at the school. He learned last Thursday that he might be a candidate for the Maryland job, but that didn't stop him from leaving on a camping trip Friday.
Turgeon couldn't get cell reception until Sunday, and that's when Anderson called to set up a meeting in a Pittsburgh hotel. With Anderson in jeans and a scruffy Turgeon wearing a Kansas City Chiefs shirt over his Texas A&M shirt, the two talked about the future of the basketball program.
"When he left the meeting, I knew it was my job to take or leave,'' Turgeon said.
It was too good to turn down. Less than 24 hours, Turgeon became part of a group that includes such names as Lefty Driesell, Len Elmore, Tom McMillen, John Lucas, Walt Williams, and, of course, Gary Williams.
"I've followed Maryland basketball. The reason I'm here is because of its great tradition and all the things this basketball program accomplished over the years,'' Turgeon said. "It was going to take a great job for me to move. I've turned down a lot of jobs over the last four years. It was going to take a special one for me to move my family, and Maryland is a special place. That's why I'm here.''
Turgeon has been associated with successful programs since his playing days at Kansas. He won as an assistant at Kansas under Larry Brown and Roy Williams, then experienced success at Jacksonville State, Wichita State and Texas A&M.
He expects more of the same at Maryland.
"My style of play is winning,'' Turgeon said.
After turning down so many other jobs, why Maryland?
"This is a basketball school. That's first and foremost,'' his wife, Ann Turgeon said, said. "We've been in great areas, we have a great group of kids we left behind at Texas A&M, and a phenomenal university. But he was really attracted to the idea of being at a basketball-minded school.''
Exactly.
"This is a school that loves basketball. They value their basketball,'' Mark Turgeon said. "I was lucky enough to play at the University of Kansas, and they were the same way. I'm glad to be a part of something like that. We're going to do some great things here.''
Anderson had a few other coaches on his search list, but it was evident Wednesday that he had absolutely no doubt he ended up with the perfect replacement for Williams.
"He's a great man, a great leader, and he wants everything that we stand for,'' Anderson said of Turgeon. "He wants our young people to be successful in the classroom, he wants them to be good leaders in the community, and they're going to be good basketball players. We're going to compete at the highest level for championships, there is no question about that.''
Turgeon made it clear that he would welcome, rather than shun, any comparison to his predecessor.
"Gary Williams was Maryland basketball for the last 22 years,'' Turgeon said. "He did it with class, he did it with dignity, he did it the right way. I'd like to think I have a lot of the same qualities that Gary has. So it should be an easy transition for the fans and the players as we go forward.''

Injured Del Potro still hopes to make French Open

(Routers) - Former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro said on Wednesday he remained hopeful of playing the French Open starting in 11 days' time.
The Argentine suffered a setback in his comeback season, having missed almost all of last year following wrist surgery, when he tore a hip muscle at the Madrid Masters last week.
"I'm not certain to be in Paris. I'll have tests in the first days of next week to see if I can play five sets on clay," Del Potro told a news conference.
He said he did not, however, want to rush into the tournament at Roland Garros if he was not fit, saying: "I'll respect the recovery time, what the doctors say.
"If I'm fit I'll be there," said the 22-year-old former world number four, who won his first grand slam title at the U.S, Open in 2009.
Del Potro, who sunk to a ranking of close to 500 during his rehabilitation from the operation on his right wrist, said he was not concerned about reaching a particular ranking this year.
Ranked 31 since his victory at Estoril on May 1, his ninth title and first tournament on clay since his return to the circuit, he said he wanted to get back to his former level competing on equal terms with his former peers in the top 10.
"I had one of the highest protected rankings in history," Del Potro, who pulled out before a Madrid quarter-final against Nadal, said.
This opened doors for the Argentine at tournaments but meant he could meet leading players in early rounds.
"I know I may get those matches but further ahead I hope to avoid those super players. Today, my objective is not my (ranking) position but to fully recover my level ... not forget the good things I did and add to them new things I learn.
"I'm the third player after (Novak) Djokovic and (Rafael) Nadal in the number of matches played this year. Apart from this muscle tear, I was able to play all the tournaments I had programed," Del Potro added.
He said he saw no reason to change his plans for the rest of 2011 having started the season with the goal of "playing all year without suffering injuries or setbacks with my wrist."
Compatriot David Nalbandian will definitely miss the French Open due to a lack of fitness after surgery on a groin injury. He said on Tuesday he would return at Queen's.

PCB still undecided on Afridi's future as skipper

Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board is yet to take a call on Shahid Afridi's future as captain of the national team.

The PCB has show caused Afridi seeking an explanation for making his views public regarding his differences with chief coach Waqar Younis on the composition of the team during the recently concluded ODI series in the Caribbean.

Official sources in the PCB said that the flamboyant all-rounder would find it difficult to win back the confidence of board chairman Ijaz Butt.

"Afridi is expected to send his reply to our notice today and so far no decision has been taken on his future as captain," the source said.

"Ijaz Butt was not happy with Afridi's attitude and keenness to go public with team issues even before the World Cup. That was one reason why the board took so long to name the captain for the World Cup.

"Even than the board had warned Afridi to avoid giving too many statements in the media and not to discuss team issues. In fact during a meeting, the PCB Chairman had told Afridi to be careful in future. The delay in announcing the captain for the World Cup was to give a clear message to Afridi that he was not indispensable," the source added.

Afridi had criticised Younis for interfering in team selection during the 3-2 one-day series win over the West Indies.

"Waqar interferes with the team selection and everyone should do his job," Afridi said on his return from the West Indies on Sunday.

Television channels and newspapers have reported in the last 24 hours that the board has decided to sack Afridi as captain and he might not be in the squad that will play two one-day matches against Ireland later this month.

Afridi himself has now tried to downplay reports of a rift within the team management involving him and coach Waqar.

The all-rounder, in a damage control step yesterday, said he had spoken in general terms about job descriptions in the team and had not named Waqar Younis at all.

Afridi also added that he would respond to the board's notice today and try to meet with the chairman of the board in Lahore to convey his point of view to him.

The source said while there were no immediate plans to remove Afridi as captain, the board was planning to send players currently playing in the Tests against the West Indies to Ireland for the two-match ODI series on May 28 and 29th.

"In that case, there is every possibility that Misbah-ul-Haq will be asked to lead the team," the source said.

ICC pondered 'stings' to catch fixers

LONDON — International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat has considered the use of 'sting' operations to trap players prepared to fix matches.
The South African administrator said the use of a "mystery shopper" could help weed out possible fixers as the global governing body tries to eradicate corruption from top-flight international cricket.
"I thought when this issue came up last year that perhaps we could have a 'mystery shopper'," Lorgat told the BBC's Hardtalk programme.
"In other words, some people posing as bookmakers approach players and see if those players report along with our codes of conduct."
However, Lorgat admitted the proposal had met with strong resistance.
"We would have to get the players' federations consenting to it and they of course opposed it and were not happy, they considered it a form of entrapment," he said.
Another plan would give the ICC access to players' bank accounts and assets so that they could be monitored, but Lorgat conceded that had less chance of being enacted than his 'sting' scheme.
"It is a bit more complex than that, there are human rights issues and legalities to understand properly," he said.
Three memmbers of the Pakistan team - former Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer - were all bannned by the ICC for a minimum of five years each for their involvement in a spot-fixing scam during last year's tour of England.
The trio now face criminal prosecution in England.
But the scandal, which involved the bowling of deliberate no-balls during the Lord's Test, only came to light as a result of a 'sting' operation carried out by Britain's News of the World tabloid.
Many pundits said the fact it took a newspaper, rather than the ICC's own anti-corruption and security unit, to expose the affair was an embarrassment for the global governing body.
That was a point the ICC denied at the time but Lorgat told the BBC: "We are doing a review of our whole process and all of our systems right now.
"We have engaged an independent firm to conduct that review and I'm hopeful that some constructive recommendations will come up that will enhance or improve the way we are currently tackling the issue."

IPL: not a real training ground

Why the Indian Premier League showcases cricketing talent but may not be the place to find stars who will ace all formats of the game

Does the Indian Premier League (IPL) really throw up fresh talent and can the money-spinning Twenty20 tournament be a launch pad for international cricket? The chairman of selectors, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, believes so. During a match recently, he said on television that the selectors watch every match to scout for potential.

Paul Valthaty: Can he carry his IPL form to One Day Internationals? AP

Paul Valthaty’s rise to prominence in the ongoing fourth edition has helped buttress this argument ahead of Friday’s team selection for the One Day series in the West Indies starting next month. The 27-year-old opener is being hailed as the new find, at least in the shortest format of the game, after a string of spectacular knocks for Kings XI Punjab. The cricketer from Mumbai is yet to earn his first-class stripes.An eye injury during the 2002 under-19 World Cup in New Zealand almost ended Valthaty’s cricket dreams. He played in just one first-class One Day match in 2006 and there was a lull before Rajasthan Royals threw him a lifeline in the 2009 IPL season in the domestic player category, paving the way for his entry into the Mumbai T20 team. A few powerful performances for Mumbai in the domestic T20 competition won him a contract with Kings XI this season: He’s made a mark with a century against Chennai Super Kings, and followed it up with a sparkling 75 against Deccan Chargers.
If Valthaty keeps up his form, will it open the doors to international cricket?
The answer is both yes and no. It is true that the IPL is an international stage that enables greater exposure. But the format is low in significance outside the biennial T20 World Cup and there are doubts about whether those who’ve gained their stripes in Twenty20 have the basic skills and temperament to make the big jump to One Day International (ODI) and Test cricket. The likes of Valthaty may have to prove they can indeed do it.
For while Twenty20 cricket is gaining popularity, thanks largely to global interest in the multimillion-dollar IPL, its significance is limited. In a move to help each of the three formats retain their importance and identity, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has restricted the number of T20 internationals to be played by a country in a season to a maximum of seven matches, with no more than two in any bilateral series. So countries are yet to send T20 specialists on tours, as is the case in Test and ODI cricket.
Experienced ODI campaigners just need to make minor adjustments to adapt to the demands of the T20 game; it’s not so for those raised on Twenty20 cricket.

David Warner: Aconsistent T20 player who failed in ODIs. PTI

David Warner is a case in point. The aggressive opener bought by Delhi Daredevils for $750,000 (Rs. 3.35 crore) is a regular in the Australian Twenty20 scheme of things. His ODI career, however, kicked off in January 2009 and his last match was in August the same year.Contrast this with Test batsmen Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. The current IPL season has seen Dravid pull his weight for Rajasthan Royals at the top of the order and Tendulkar, who once famously said T20 is for youngsters, crack a remarkable century for Mumbai Indians and be among the top run scorers in the competition.
“It has to do with basics,” says former national selector Kiran More. “Players raised on the three-day, four-day or five-day formats have strong basics and hence can adapt to any format of the game. Those brought up on T20 and 50-over games don’t have sound basics and so find it difficult to make the transition to the longer formats of the game as it requires more skills,” the former Indian stumper adds.
History is replete with instances of players branded as Test batsmen excelling equally in ODIs, although there are far fewer cases of ODI specialists making a mark in the purest form of the game. So how much can T20—and the IPL—really promote young talent and hone skills?
Test cricket gives bowlers and batsmen equal opportunity to showcase their skills. ODIs, despite the growing trend of flatbed pitches, allow a batsman to build an innings and a bowler enough opportunities to have a go at the batsman. In T20, the bowlers get just four overs each, the primary intention being to contain runs, not take wickets.
“There is great exposure for the younger lot to play on an international stage,” argues Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming. “For some of these players who get selected, this is the first time they have got such an opportunity. Since it’s an international stage, they get noticed,” the former New Zealand skipper adds.
“Our game against Kings XI Punjab was a perfect example, where the young lad got a hundred. It was a life-changing experience for him. That’s what the IPL is all about,” he says, referring to Valthaty.
Mumbai captain Wasim Jaffer, however, says Valthaty will need to show consistency to earn a Ranji Trophy call-up. “This performance (in the IPL) will help him,” former India opener Jaffer says. “He has made those runs against quality bowling and I’m sure the selectors will keep that in mind. However, you can’t judge someone for first-class cricket based on performance in Twenty20 games.
“It’s a different format. He has to do well in tournaments like the Times Shield (a local competition in Mumbai) and prove himself. He has always played the odd remarkable innings in the Times Shield, but then would have a lean run. He was inconsistent. However, with age people do mature, and he has become better.”
The “one-season wonder” syndrome seen in each of the previous three IPL seasons is a worrying aspect for players such as Valthaty.
Goa boy Swapnil Asnodkar was the toast of the first season with his attacking batting for Rajasthan Royals. Likewise, medium-pacer Manpreet Singh Gony forced his way into the Indian One Day team for two matches based on his strong performance in the 2008 IPL for Chennai Super Kings. Both were unable to sustain their form and fell off the radar.
At the other end of the spectrum, the IPL has also been a platform for experienced campaigners to display their adaptability. Subramaniam Badrinath, whose batting approach is generally assumed to be suited to four- and five-day cricket, has reinvented himself as a finisher for defending champions Chennai Super Kings (294 runs at an average of 98, strike rate 135).
Mumbai Indians’ Ambati Rayudu, spoken of highly since his junior cricket days, has shown that he is a player with the ability to adapt to fast-changing situations (349 runs at an average of 39, strike rate 119.5 in this IPL).
Ultimately, it is for the selectors to see beyond the slam-bang and identify talent that may endure across formats and seasons.

Pakistan Vs India- Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2011- Big Clash

• 

Indian players celebrate after scoring a goal against Pakistan during their Hockey match in Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. (TOI Photo)

Karachi: Pakistan are hoping to exploit absence of drag-flicker Sandeep Singh in the Indian hockey team to end their four-match losing streak against the traditional rivals, when they clash in Azlan Shah Cup league match on Wednesday.
After recording two victories, Pakistan's suffered back-to-back defeats against Britain and Australia and are hoping to bring their campaign back on track with win against India.
Pakistan skipper Muhammad Imran said his side is determined to see that they do not suffer fifth consecutive defeat against India

Pakistan clash 'just another game', says coach Harinder

India's coach insisted on Tuesday that there was "no room for emotions" on the eve of the highly anticipated grudge match against great rivals Pakistan at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

"Such sentiments can cost us the match as you will not be playing for the points. There is no doubt that this will be yet another good match-up, but we aim to take it as just another game," Indian coach Harinder Singh said.

Going into Wednesday's clash, India - the reigning joint champions - are third in the standings with seven points with two matches to go. Old foes Pakistan are one place and one point behind from the same number of games.

Matches between the neighbours in any sport are always fierce, but the showdown in Ipoh, in northern Malaysia, has taken on extra significance as both sides chase a place in the next round.

It will be the 149th meeting between the two giants of hockey since 1956, but Pakistan have the edge if records are anything to go by - they have 74 wins compared to India's 49. A total of 25 matches ended in draws.

But the form is with India, who finished joint winners with South Korea last year after the final was washed-out and were the outright champions in 2009.

Pakistan team manager KM Junaid said matches between the two teams are always tense, but said any ill-feelings were irrelevant.

"We have to look at the hockey side and play the game to the best of our ability. It is God's will if we win," he said.

"But then again, the points are very crucial for us as well as them.

"My young players are doing well and improving with each match. The Indians too have a young side with a lot of players playing at this level for the first time."

Pakistan started the tournament on a positive note with wins over New Zealand (4-2) and South Korea (4-2), but then lost to  Great Britain 3-2 and were smashed by Australia 5-1.

India lost to Korea 3-2 in their opening match, but then beat Great Britain 3-1, drew with Australia and hammered Malaysia 5-2.

Also Wednesday, New Zealand take on Malaysia and Australia face Korea.

Great Britain top the standings ahead of Australia in the seven-team competition.

Review: Virtua Tennis 4

Platforms: PlayStation 3 (tested), Xbox 360, Wii

If there’s one thing that Virtua Tennis does better than 2K's Top Spin franchise, it’s the overall presentation. Virtua Tennis 4 may not be as truly realistic as Top Spin 4 in terms of gameplay, but it’s arguably more fun to play thanks to the series of mini games and the atmosphere that it delivers. 

The sport of tennis can be explosive, especially if it’s a match between two players going all out in front of thousands of screaming fans. Unfortunately, not every tennis match can be like this and it can be very boring to watch. Top Spin 4’s atmosphere is much like the latter; tt can be fairly boring to play as the only sound you can hear is the grunting of the players. 

Thankfully, Virtua Tennis 4 is much more exciting to play. It’s not entirely realistic, but the background music included in each court adds to the atmosphere and livens up the "gentleman’s sport”. The crowd is also far more animated, cheering enthusiastically for each winning shot played (as opposed to the moderate claps that are heard in Top Spin 4…).

The atmosphere isn’t all that Virtua Tennis 4 has done right, either; the general gameplay has improved dramatically since Virtua Tennis 2009 (which is possibly the weakest link in the Virtua Tennis franchise to date). It was too casual for its own good, but at the same time it was hard for anyone to win a point because it was far too easy to return the ball. 

Virtua Tennis 4 makes this more difficult, which makes it more realistic and interesting to play. It’s all about positioning yourself at the right time on the court and using the right type of shot at the right time. There’s also no sprint button in this game, so you won’t see any long unrealistic rallies like in Top Spin 4. 

Another great addition to the game is the all-new "super shot” meter. Each player in the game has their own strengths, and if you play to that strength your meter will fill up, allowing you to unleash a fast, winning shot. This feature is great, especially if you want to end the point quickly. The only downside to this feature is that some players will find it harder to fill the meter than others. Andy Roddick’s strength is his serve and, subsequently, the meter only fills up when he’s serving.

Speaking of players, old-school tennis fans may dislike the fact that Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras are nowhere to be seen. The only old-school player in this game is Jim Courier, unless you get the PS3 version (which adds Stefan Edberg, Patrick Rafter and Boris Becker to the mix). In terms of current players, there’s the usual line up of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Caroline Wozniacki. Maria Sharapova fans will be happy to know she’s in Virtua Tennis 4 since she was criminally omitted from Top Spin 4. 

However, Virtua Tennis 4 is only mildly better than its predecessors. The courts and environments look bright, but some of the character models are horribly inaccurate. Why does Novak Djokovic have brown hair and not black hair? Also, Svetslana Kuznetsova has a nose as large as WWE’s Triple H! At least Caroline Wozniacki looks cuter than she did in Top Spin 4…

My favourite feature in the whole game is the "World Tour” mode. Virtua Tennis’ iconic mini game training modes are here and are as fun as ever.  There’s a serving exercise where you have to get the ball inside a soccer goal while trying to avoid the goalie and his defenders. My other favorite mini game is one that tasks you with guiding little chickens into their pen.

In the "World Tour” mode, you’ll play a full year of tennis as you try to win tournaments and gain your popularity in the tennis world. On top of that, you will improve your skills and even make new friends who can become your doubles partner too. The "World Tour” mode is much more fun and interactive than the monotonous career mode in Top Spin 4. 

Virtua Tennis 4 is a step in the right direction for the series, and much more enjoyable than its current direct rival. The winning combination of improved gameplay and new game modes serves up a Roddick-sized ace.

Graphics: 7/10

Sound: 8.5/10

Gameplay: 8.5/10

Lasting Appeal: 9/10 

Overall: 9/10 

Djokovic proves he's a real threat to Nadal

Novak Djokovic won the biggest tennis match of his life yesterday in Madrid. It isn't like the title, or even the win over world No. 1 Rafael Nadal trumps an Australian Open title, a Davis Cup championship, or back to back hard-court Masters wins (over the same man he beat yesterday). At least not in the order-of-magnitude department. I advance this opinion because almost everyone on planet tennis, including Djokovic and Nadal, knew that this was the ultimate litmus test. This was the "put up or shut up" match (at least in terms of the legitimacy of Djokovic's threat to Nadal).

The world would not have come to an end for Djokovic had he lost yesterday's final, and it certainly will not come to an end for the man who did, Nadal. But Djokovic's inability to win even one match against Nadal on clay until yesterday was glaring, and a powerful mitigating circumstance when it came to bestowing or withholding praise and credit from the Serbian star. Had Djokovic lost yesterday, most people would have hit the re-set button in their minds, writing off to some degree Djokovic's undefeated streak and previous 2011 performances as an impressive and pleasant episode circumscribed neatly by a higher reality once the hard-court segment ended. Djokovic would have seemed good—awfully good—but not really good enough. Part of a Gordian knot at the top of the game, the "third man" who could accomplish some things but not others.

It didn't work out that way. For all I know, Nadal will wax Djokovic in Rome, or Paris, with the loss of just six games. But that's not going to change the fact that on May 8, Novak Djokovic demonstrated that he could step up and handle what probably is the ultimate test in tennis: beating Rafael Nadal on red clay. And he did it in straight sets. Today, Djokovic can claim to be the best player in the world, no matter what the rankings say. He calls the tune.

But that Djokovic did it is less interesting than how he did it. I already filed a post early this morning over at ESPN on five takeaways from the Mutua Madrid Open final, and I want to elaborate on what to me is the most interesting of those five details — the way Djokovic makes his opponent's side of the court look twice as big as his own. The last person who had that facility in a big match was Juan Martin del Potro, in his 2009 U.S. Open final with Roger Federer. Both Djokovic and del Potro are experts at penetrating the other side of the court; del Potro is most effective with his forehand, while Djokovic does it with that spectacular two-handed backhand—a shot that puts all of Roger Federer's past woes in those Nadal forehand vs. Federer backhand exchanges into a new, sharper perspective.

When you can grow the court on the other side, it's that much easier to own the baseline. And if you can own the baseline and receive and positively return your opponents best shots, you're on the way. The greatest lessons we've received in that department were delivered not by an ATP stud but a WTA icon who hailed from roughly the same neck of the woods as Djokovic, Monica Seles.

It's awfully easy to jump on the Djokovic bandwagon today, but you could see this coming. And frankly, Nadal helped bump the process along with the way he played. It was downright foolish of him to keep assaulting Djokovic with those forehand-to-backhand shots. He was on the losing end of too many of them. I don't wish to be cruel here, but if you can reap great rewards with that strategy against a Roger Federer, there's no reason you should shy away from using it against any other right-hander. But at some point, I imagine pride subtly entered into the equation as well. Because for Nadal, it's always been less about, Can I break this guys's backhand down, than, How long will it take to break it down?

You have to tip your hat to the way Djokovic handled that Nadal forehand; I mean, reams have been written about how much more violently Nadal's topspin rotates, and how much bite and jump it has, yadda-yadda-yadda. It's a great shot, no doubt about it. But keep in mind that spin slows the ball, and so does a high bounce. If you can handle the topspin and bounce, you suddenly find yourself with surprisingly appealing and productive options. But that's one whale of an "if.".

Djokovic handled the topspin very well yesterday, although I felt Nadal made it a little easier for him than it might have been due to relatively poor penetration. But that's an occupational hazard for anyone who relies as heavily on topspin as Nadal. Topspin can do an awful lot for you, but one thing that nobody has quite perfected yet is how to put a lot of mustard on the ball and still have it drop on or very close to the baseline, shot after shot. Therefore, the player who uses heavy topspin will always be—at least in theory—at the mercy of one who hits relatively flat, at least if the latter is capable of executing at an extremely high yet always possible level.

If Djokovic made the other side of the court look big, Nadal at times made Djokovic's side look small. On Nadal's side, the sidelines and baseline seemed like an advisory: Warning, you will soon be running out of court and crashing into Ion Tiriac's box. . . For Djokovic those lines were boundaries in a way that had little to do with the customary "in" and "out" business. They proscribed the area in which Nadal had to play—and more important, in which Djokovic wanted to make him play. And it worked.

I expect in future matches Nadal will get better penetration while sticking with his basic game plan, and that he'll serve better and put himself into position to do what I felt, even days ago, was the main task for both men—to own the baseline. This tension between the spin game and the (relatively) flat game is one of the enduring strategic dimensions of tennis; representatives of each school take their turn at the top of the game, invariably making pundits and students of the game smack their foreheads and exclaim, "Duh!"

Yesterday was, for me, one of those "Duh!" moments.

Rafael Nadal admits his reign as world No. 1 is over

NOVAK Djokovic's watershed claycourt victory over world No.1 Rafael Nadal overnight has not only breathed fresh life into the French Open but also drawn the ultimate tennis compliment.
The Serb's stunning 7-5 6-4 victory over king of clay Nadal saw Djokovic tighten in Roland Garros markets and had coach Brad Gilbert describing his backhand as the best since Andre Agassi's.
Dual Australian Open champion Djokovic closed Nadal's rankings points lead after outplaying the Spaniard on his favourite surface, prompting Nadal to concede his reign at the top is almost over.
"The No. 1 ranking is not in danger - it's finished. Let's not lie to ourselves, that's the reality,'' Nadal said.
"Nobody likes to lose. I have to see what's missing and working with a cool, open mind to decipher things and find the solutions. To try to do a little better next time.''

Gilbert was totally impressed as he watched the match on television in California.
"Djoker's backhand is one off the charts right now. He can do it all with that shot,'' Gilbert tweeted.
"The guy leans on his backhand like nobody - ala Andre.
"The man is clearly on his way to being No. 1 in the world, literally, in very short order.''
Djokovic is now a $4 second favourite for the French Open behind Nadal ($1.50), while Roger Federer has blown to $11.
Djokovic is unbeaten in 32 matches this season and is closing in on John McEnroe's record of 42-0, set in 1984 - the season in which the New Yorker was utterly dominant.
Djokovic downed Nadal on clay for the first time in 10 tries despite squandering a 4-0 first-set led to end Nadal's 37-match winning streak on clay.
Significantly, this was Djokovic's third consecutive victory over Nadal in finals this season - and his sixth title of the season.
"Probably it's right at the top,'' Djokovic rated the win. "Under the circumstances I was playing an unbelievable match.
"I stepped onto the court today believing I could win. I needed to be aggressive and it was a great match.''
Djokovic's run of 34 straight wins since Serbia's Davis Cup triumph in December is the eighth best of all time.
Nadal made no excuses.
"I came up against a great player obviously - he's having a monster year,'' Nadal said. "He was better, you have to accept that.''
Nadal also lost to Djokovic in the finals at Miami and Indian Wells this year.
Nadal's previous defeat on clay was against Robin Soderling at the French Open almost  two years ago.
He had won six titles on clay since, and this was only his seventh loss on the surface in 196 matches since 2005.
Djokovic spent most of the past few seasons as the No. 3 player in the world behind Nadal and Federer, but started the year by winning the Australian Open and hasn't looked back.
"I'm happy I can play the best tennis when I needed to and maybe that was lacking a lot in the past,'' Djokovic said.
"Maybe that's what was missing against Rafa and Roger in the past tournaments.''
Nadal is at Djokovic's mercy in the rankings battle, having to defend the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open - and having no ability to extend his lead unless the Serb falters.

FOX SPORTS:Sam Stosur rematch with French Open champ Francesca Schiavone looms

Sam Stosur could meet Francesca Schiavone, who beat her in last year's French Open final, in the quarter-final of the Italian Open. Source: AdelaideNow

SAM Stosur is headed for a French Open final rematch with Francesca Schiavone just days before the grand slam starts in Paris.
After a first-round bye, Stosur launches her Italian Open campaign against either Argentina's Gisela Dulko or Czech Iveta Benesova. She is on a quarter-final collision course with Schiavone.
Stosur and Italy's Schiavone need only to win two matches each to set up a tasty French Open entree.
Australia's world No.7 lost to Schiavone in last year's Roland Garros decider.
Rome will be Stosur's last tournament before the French Open starts on Sunday week. The 27-year-old is keen to build confidence before arriving in Paris.
"I just want to play as many matches as I can this week because obviously the more matches you win, the more confident you feel," Stosur said.
"The last two tournaments in Stuttgart and Madrid I've played a lot better, probably better than I have all year. So if I can keep building on that, then I'd be quite happy."
Fellow Aussie Jarmila Gajdosova was due to play Italian wildcard Corinna Dentoni overnight, while Anastasia Rodionova opens against Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan.

ESPN USA:Novak Djokovic poised to claim world No.1 ranking

A SERBIAN doctor with a background in Chinese and Indian medical practices has emerged as a threat to Rafael Nadal's reign as the world's No.1 tennis player.
Novak Djokovic's transformation from pretender to contender can be traced directly to Dr Igor Cetojevic, who last year discovered the dual Australian Open champion Djokovic has a gluten allergy.
Djokovic cut some of his favourite foods - including pizza and pasta - from his diet and now is poised to take Nadal's crown.
With Nadal having to defend victories from last season at the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open - a massive 6000 rankings points - it could happen within weeks.
Djokovic yesterday revelled in his third consecutive win against Nadal, inflicting the Spaniard's first claycourt defeat in the Madrid Masters final and landing the sixth title of his unbeaten year.
Djokovic's 7-5 6-4 victory not only breathed fresh life into the French Open but also had Andre Agassi's former coach Brad Gilbert describing the Serb's backhand as the best since Agassi's.
"Djoker's backhand is one off the charts right now. He can do it all with that shot," Gilbert tweeted.
"The guy leans on his backhand like nobody - a la Andre. The man is clearly on his way to being No.1 in the world."
Djokovic is the $4 second favourite for the French Open behind Nadal ($1.50). Roger Federer has blown out to $11.
Djokovic is unbeaten in 32 matches this season and is closing on John McEnroe's record of 42-0, set in 1984.
Cetojevic travelled with the previously sickly Djokovic to Melbourne for the Australian Open, helping him further distance himself from scorn as a player prone to retiring when the battle was too fierce.
The medico studied Chinese traditional medicine and also holds a diploma from the Indian Institute of Magnotherapy in New Delhi.
But most telling of all was Cetojevic's discovery eight months ago that Djokovic's on-court struggles were linked to his diet.
"He's done a great job in changing my diet after we established I am allergic to some food ingredients like gluten," Djokovic said.
"It means I can't eat stuff like pizza, pasta and bread. I have lost some weight but it's only helped me because my movement is much sharper now and I feel great physically.
"A lot of people have been guessing and speculating what the secret formula of my good form was, but there is no secret. It's just that all the pieces have fallen into place after years of hard work and we are now reaping the rewards.
"I have also matured as a player and a person. I feel more confident and more consistent than ever because I am capable of holding my own against the world's best players under any circumstances.
"That wasn't the case earlier. Whenever I needed to be consistent against Federer and Nadal in the latter stages of grand slam events I was unable to stay psychologically balanced and confident."
Djokovic's run of 34 straight wins since Serbia's Davis Cup triumph in December is the eighth best of all time.
Nadal made no excuses.
"I came up against a great player. Obviously he's having a monster year," Nadal said. "He was better, you have to accept that."
Nadal also lost to Djokovic in the finals at Miami and Indian Wells this year.
Nadal's previous defeat on clay was nearly two years ago against Robin Soderling at the French Open. He had won six titles on clay since, and this was only his seventh loss on the surface in 196 matches since 2005.
Djokovic spent most of the past few seasons as the world No.3, but has not looked back after starting the year by winning the Australian Open.
"I'm happy I can play the best tennis when I need to and maybe that was lacking a lot in the past," Djokovic said.
"Maybe that's what was missing against Rafa and Roger in the past tournaments."
Nadal said the battle to hold the No.1 ranking was over.
"The No.1 ranking is not in danger. It's finished," he said.
"Let's not lie to ourselves. That's the reality.
"Nobody likes to lose. I have to see what's missing and working with a cool, open mind to decipher things and find the solutions, to try to do a little better next time."

Aussies give Pakistan a hiding in hockey cup

AUSTRALIA thrashed Pakistan 5-1 to stay on course for the final of hockey's Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia.
The defeat, Pakistan’s second in successive days after they lost 3-2 to Great Britain on Sunday, saw them overtaken in the standings by world champions Australia, who are on seven points having played a game less.
Pakistan, who have six points after four matches, suffered in the humid conditions and it was the Australians who took their chances, forcing errors from their opponents in a fast-paced open match.
Australian coach Ric Charlesworth said the win was a welcome relief after his side laboured to a draw against India, adding that his players were coming into better form.
"No doubt that this performance was an improvement form the previous day but we are still not there yet. The Pakistanis did play well but our attempts at goal was much better and paid off," he said.
The Australians looked dangerous from the start with Glenn Turner, Jason Wilson and Simon Orchard testing Pakistan's goalkeeper Imran Shah early in the first half.
Australia took the lead through a disputed penalty in the 23rd minute with Orchard finally finding a way beyond Shah to give Australia a 1-0 lead.
Pakistan drew level in the 28th minute when Sohail Abbas converted a penalty corner, but they were unable to find further momentum.
Poor defending by Pakistan allowed Jason Wilson to collect the ball at the top of the circle and send it crashing beyond Shah in the 34th minute to give Australia a 2-1 first half lead.
Australia continued to dominate in the second half, with goals from Orchard, Christopher Ciriello and Wilson handing them full points as the Asian champions continued to make mistakes.
Pakistan had their chances, with a couple of penalty corners offering a way back into the game, but they lacked ideas to convert opportunities into goals.
Meanwhile, Great Britain surged to the top of the table with a 3-1 win over New Zealand.
The British side have nine points from four matches and hold a two point advantage over second-placed Australia.

First lady hosts wellness, fitness demonstrations

WASHINGTON -- Joined by standout athletes, from tennis great Billie Jean King to basketball's Grant Hill, first lady Michelle Obama on Monday announced three new physical fitness opportunities for military families.
Mrs. Obama said the International Health, Racquet and Sports Club Association would offer free memberships to immediate family members of actively deployed reservists. She said the American Council on Exercise would provide at least 1 million hours of free personal training. The President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition - composed of athletes, nutritionists, pediatricians, trainers and educators - will hold a series of events with military families.
She said fighting the epidemic of childhood obesity has to be a family effort and "it doesn't take money," suggesting long walks after dinner or dancing in the living room.
"This isn't about physical prowess," she said. "It's about movement. And we have to go from sitting to standing to walking to moving."
Mrs. Obama was joined by council co-chair gymnast Dominique Dawes, and council members including figure skater Michelle Kwan and Hill of the Phoenix Suns and Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets as they led demonstrations at activity stations on the South Lawn. About 80 children and their parents participated in the activities included dancing, ball tossing and a three-part obstacle course.

Pakistan Vs Great Britain

Malaysia-Hockey desk, Green chaddis has to face farangis (Pakistan vs Great Britain) here on Sunday.Pakistan leads the Azlan Shah Hockey cup leaderboard.Pakistan beat New Zealand and S.Korea by 4-2 , 4-2.Pakistan team showing great response in captaincy of M.Imran and in coaching of Michel van den Heuvel.

Pakistan Captain is confident to win CUP back home.

Sherwood girls get another tennis win over Wilsonville

WILSONVILLE — OK, it’s no fluke.

Just a week after getting its first-ever win over powerhouse Wilsonville, the Sherwood girls tennis team did it again.

The Lady Bowmen bested the Wildcats 4-4, with Sherwood getting the victory by winning more total games, 81-78, in a Northwest Oregon Conference dual match held Friday at Wilsonville High.

With that win, combined with a 6-2 victory at Liberty on Tuesday, Sherwood wrapped up the NWOC dual meet championship, going 14-0 in league matches. The Lady Bowmen also went 17-1 on the season with the only loss coming against Jesuit in the title match of the Bend Tournament.

In singles play in Friday’s match at Wilsonville, Sherwood senior Maddie Kirby and junior Jessica Creger each scored three-set victories. Kirby pulled out a 6-2, 0-6, 6-2 win while Creger triumphed by a 6-2, 3-6, 6-0 margin.

In doubles play, the Sherwood team of sophomores Carley Mills and Kelsey Niebergall notched a 6-1, 6-2 win in the No. 2 doubles match.

At No. 3 doubles, the Lady Bowmen duo of senior Gizelle Polanco and sophomore Lydia Ng scored a 6-0, 6-4 victory.

The Sherwood boys and girls tennis teams will next be competing at the Northwest Oregon Conference district tournament, which will be held Monday through Wednesday at the Tualatin Hills Tennis Center in Beaverton.

Action at the district tourney starts at 11 a.m. each day.