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

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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.

Tualatin teams still unbeaten in league tennis action

TUALATIN — The Tualatin High School boys and girls tennis teams have nearly completed the feat.

Both Timberwolf squads moved closer to wrapping up perfect Pacific Conference seasons by scoring key league wins in the past week.

The Tualatin girls moved to 13-0 in league matches by beating Glencoe 7-1 at home on Friday and then notching a 7-1 win at Forest Grove on Monday.

In the win over Glencoe, the Wolves got wins in singles play from Emily Fisher, Nina Yang, Saphire Spencer and Eloise Loen. In doubles action, the Wolves got wins from the team of Megan Freel and Mollie Freel, from Bella Koessler and Nicole Janes and from the team of Olivia Gehrs and Alisha Inkens.

The Tualatin girls were scheduled to host Century in a league regular-season finale on Wednesday. Results of that match weren’t available when the Times went to press.

The Tualatin boys won 8-0 at Glencoe on Friday and they triumphed 7-1 at home over Forest Grove on Monday. With the two wins, the Wolves moved to 13-0 in league play.

In the win over Forest Grove, the Tualatin team got singles victories from Jason Nguyen, Jason Lemieux and from Tyler Hayashi.

In doubles action, the Wolves got wins from the teams of Pierce Fettig and Preston Hiefield, from Jonathan Ng and James Stilson, from Chris Pritchard and Randall Tainer and from the team of Jue Hiefield and Kyle Rinker.

Mustangs tennis team is headed back to Florida

SILVER CITY For the second straight year, the Western New Mexico University men s tennis team is headed back to Florida to participate in the Division II National Championships. The Mustangs are the top team from the Central Region, and they are pitted up against West Virginia Westland, who was runner-up in the Atlantic Region. Action will begin May 11 and run through the 14th.
It was the guys No. 1 goal to get back to the finals, head coach Erik Burton said. In fact our captain stated that after our regional win. But, my main goal is to win a few rounds and maybe even get into the Final Four.
Burton s main concern is the elevation and weather. The Mustangs will travel from near 6,100 feet in elevation to about 100 feet. The humidity will also be a big factor.
The ball doesn t bounce and move as fast in Florida, Burton said. We are going to have to get used to that kind of play quickly. We will have a couple of practices over there and we hope we can make the necessary adjustments right away.
Western has been focusing on fundamentals in practice. Those sessions have been short because of the players trying to finish up finals. Burton added that his squad is in great shape, and they are excited to be able to get an opportunity to go back and compete again.
Yair Banuelos and Henning Thrien are the captains of the squad. Thrien was the RMAC Academic Player of the Year, and Banuelos leadership on the court has helped the team the past couple of years. It s almost unbelievable that this duo hasn t lost a set to a regional team this year, Burton said. To get Thrien as Academic Player of the Year and Banuelos as runner-up is amazing. It s a testament to their dedication and their hard work. They are truly unbelievable.
Last year, the Mustangs lost in the first round, 5-1, to Northwood in the finals. Burton said they are concentration on their doubles game this year to help boost them past the first round.
In Division II, a doubles sweep can give you three points right off the bat, Burton said. If that happens or if we win two out of three, our singles matches normally go pretty well for us.
With Emmanuel Mensah and Johan Weich ranked 34 in the nation in doubles, Burton is counting on them two to set the pace in the action.
We are wrapping up finals here, and getting ready to make the long trip to Florida, Burton said. We hope to go further than we did last year, and I think we have the talent to do that.

For first time ever, tennis will have no Americans in top 10

MADRID (APMSO) — Tennis will be without a top-10 American men's or women's player for the first time in the 38-year history of the rankings after Serena Williams was projected to drop out next week.

The 10th-ranked Williams hasn't competed since winning Wimbledon and could drop as low as No. 19 in the WTA rankings depending on outcomes at this week's Madrid Open.

• MADRID OPEN: Nadal, Federer set to clash in semis

Mardy Fish dropped from the No. 10 spot last week to leave no American player in the men's top 10, while former No. 1 Andy Roddick has bounced in and out but currently sits 12th — one better than Fish.

Monday will mark the first time since the lists — the men's was created in 1973 and the women's two years later — that no American has appeared.

Williams has yet to return from two foot operations and treatment for a blood clot in her lung. Sister Venus Williams, currently No. 16, will drop down after being sidelined since the Australian Open with a hip injury. The seven-time Grand Slam champion is expected to return at Eastbourne next month in preparation for Wimbledon, while 13-time Grand Slam winner Serena has said she will return sometime in the summer.

The U.S. is the most successful country when it comes to No. 1s with the Williams sisters among seven former top-ranked women, while Roddick is the last of six top-ranked players on the men's side.

American player Bethanie Mattek-Sands is the next highest ranked American after the Williams sisters, and will climb to No. 38 after reaching the quarterfinals of the Madrid tournament, where she bowed out to seventh-ranked Li Na of China 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 on Friday.

Mattek-Sands said changes are necessary in the United States Tennis Association's development program, with a variety of factors to blame from pressure to burnout to general work ethic.

"In other countries there's a little more of that grit to get out of where they're coming from. Take some of the Russians, they're trying to get out of there — make some money, and get out of there. The U.S. have it too good," Mattek-Sands told The Associated Press and one other major news agency at the Caja Magica on Friday.

"It will take some people getting out of their comfort zone."

Eight Russian players are ranked ahead of Mattek-Sands, with two in the top-10. Earlier this year the top-10 was made up of 10 players from different countries. The last time there were no American women in the top group was May 20, 2007.

So are American players getting lazy? Or has the talent pool just grown deeper?

Mattek-Sands believes it's a bit of both.

"Some people stop because they don't like sport any more, a lot of kids were pushed when they were young and they hate tennis now," said Mattek-Sands, a regular on the U.S. Fed Cup team who has yet to win a top-level event.

"I've seen a ton of juniors not make it — nobody's playing anymore, nobody's playing. Where are they now? They don't even touch tennis rackets."

The news is worse on the male side coming out of an era marked by No. 1's Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Jim Courier, with Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe before. This is the longest drought in major singles titles during the Open era with Roddick's 2003 U.S. Open victory the last.

"A new generation has to come," said top-ranked Spanish player Rafael Nadal. "(Roddick) has enough potential to (get back into the top-10). Sam Querrey, John Isner, (Ryan) Harrison: these guys have to come and be there in the future — that's the new generation."

But while Americans aren't racking up Grand Slams, they did combine to win nine singles titles in 2010 to trail only Spanish players as a collective. Four American men finished the year in the top 20 for the first time since 1999.

Mattek-Sands, known for her knee-high socks and unusual tennis clothes, said she would never consider herself the top American unless she cracks the top 10.

"There's a lot of talent out there, but it's just tough right now. A lot of juniors get injured and their flame gets put out before they get a chance to go out on tour," she said. "There is a lot of pressure in the U.S. to be No. 1."

GAME WORLD:Virtua Tennis PS3, Xbox 360 pre-order under $33 in new sale

Retailer Amazon.com Inc. this week discounted pre-order sales for Sega Corp.’s Virtua Tennis 4 for Sony Corp.’s Playstation 3 and Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 to under $33 in a new sale.
This week, the Virtua Tennis 4 PS3 SKU and the Virtua Tennis 4 Xbox 360 SKU hold a sale price of $32.49, down from a $49.99 MSRP.
The Virtua Tennis 4 PS3 SKU will include exclusive content like tennis legends Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, and Pat Rafter.
In addition, two exclusive mini-games – Pin Crusher and Net Blitz – will be available.
Virtua Tennis 4, to be released May 10th, will be developed in Japan by the original Virtua Tennis team.
It will include 3D support and Playstation Move compatibility said to allow pinpoint accurate shots for players to improve their racquet skills.
The Playstation Move Console Bundle includes a new PS3 320 GB SKU with the Playstation Move Controller, Playstation Eye, and Sports Champions at $399.99.
The Playstation Move controller sells at $49.99 each.
The Move Navigation Controller holds an MSRP of $29.99 each.
In addition, the Playstation Move Starter Bundle, which includes the Playstation Move Controller, Playstation Eye, and Sports Champions title, sells at $99.99.
All Playstation Move product is now available at U.S. retail.
The Playstation Move utilizes two motion sensors, a three axes gyroscope, and a three axes accelerometer to detect controller angle and movement, Bluetooth 2.0 and a Lithium-Ion rechargeable internal battery.
Move titles include Sports Champions, The Fight: Lights Out, and The Shoot.
Move compatible titles include Resident Evil 5 and SOCOM 4.
Sony in Feb. began sale of the Playstation 3 160GB Killzone 3 Bundle, which includes the PS3 160GB hardware SKU and a copy of Killzone 3 $299.99.
The PS3 is sold in a 160GB SKU at $299.99, 320GB SKU at $349.99.
Microsoft in Nov. began sale of the Xbox 360 250GB Kinect Special Edition Bundle at $399.99.
The Xbox 360 4GB with Kinect bundle sells at $299.99.

Pakistan beat S. Korea in field hockey - Paki Sports

IPOH — Asian Games champions Pakistan came alive in the last 10 minutes of a Sultan Azlan Shah Cup match Friday, defeating South Korea 4-2 to go top of the standings.
However, world champions Australia were lucky to salvage a 2-1 win over hosts Malaysia after rallying in the second half to remain in the running for a shot at the title.
Despite trailing the Koreans - joint reigning champions alongside India - twice in the match, three goals in the last few minutes turned the tide for the Pakistanis.
Jubilant team manager K. M. Junaid said it was a great day for Pakistani hockey as the team played as a family and more importantly, was able to withstand 70 minutes of impressive hockey from their opponents.
"We are never a 70-minute team and many times we have faltered at the later stages of a match. This is a turning point and it shows the mental strength of the players here," said Junaid.
"To come back after trailing twice is also great and there is the fact that we managed to score three goals in the last seven minutes. I am pleased and this augurs well for the team," he added.
The Koreans were the stronger team in the first half, scoring an early goal in the 13th minute from a penalty corner taken by Hyun Hya-sung. Rehan Butt pulled his team level in the 21st minute and it remained 1-1 through to half-time.
The Koreans again took the lead in the second half with Hya-sung scoring in the 48th minute with another set piece move but the Pakistanis slowly clawed back into the game and soon were attacking in greater numbers.
The turning point came in the 63rd minute from their fifth penalty corner when Sohail Abbas scored with a high flick against goalkeeper Lee Myung-ho.
A minute later, youngster Abdul Haseem Khan scored a field goal and Waqas Akbar ended a great day for the Pakistanis with a 70th minute field goal.
The Pakistanis will face Britain on Sunday while the Koreans have New Zealand in their sights.
Meanwhile, the top-ranked Australians' first match of the tournament saw them just secure a 2-1 win despite a 23rd minute goal by Malaysia's Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin.
A late Aussie comeback brought goals in the 59th minute from Simon Orchard and Jason Wilson in the 69th.
In the second match of the day, 23-year-old Rupinderpal Singh turned hero for India as he scored the first hat-trick of the tournament in a 3-1 defeat of Britain.
A much improved Indian team got off to a flier as Rupinderpal scored the first goal in the 10th minute for a 1-0 first half lead and he was again on target in the 55th and 57th minutes.
James Tindell pulled a consolation goal back for Britain in the 62nd minute.
Indian coach Harinder Singh was pleased with what he saw as an improved effort after an opening loss to South Korea - who were declared joint champions alongside the Indians last year after heavy rain caused play to be abandoned.
"The young players had more confidence in their abilities and it showed in the game. It was a good result for us and put us back in the fold for a podium finish," he said.
India, Britain and South Korea now have three points after two matches in the seven-nation event while Australia have three points from one match.
Saturday is a rest day.

Manchester United have final date with Barcelona in sight - Routers

MANCHESTER, England (Routers) - Manchester United are favourites to book a Champions League final date with Barcelona and will hope to expend the minimum amount of energy against Schalke 04 on Wednesday before this week's big domestic battle.
Holding a 2-0 lead from the first leg in Germany, United will make changes to keep players fresh for Sunday's key Premier League match against Chelsea although they are expecting Schalke to pose a stiffer challenge than last week.
"Schalke have nothing to lose and I think they'll have a go, they'll try to win the match there's nothing else they can do," United manager Alex Ferguson told a news conference before bidding to take his team to their third final in four years.
United striker Wayne Rooney faces a late fitness test on his tight hamstring but is likely to be on the bench after Ferguson suggested Premier League top scorer Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen would be involved.
Schalke, wounded by a 4-1 Bundesliga defeat by Bayern Munich at the weekend on top of last week's timid performance against United in Gelsenkirchen, have a point to prove and have hailed April's stunning 5-2 win at Inter Milan as proof they are capable of an upset.
"It's up to us to perform in contrast to the first leg," Schalke manager Ralf Rangnick said. "We need to take a different approach, learn from that and apply the lessons."
Rangnick has yet to decide whether to play central defender Benedikt Hoewedes, who scored in the second leg against Inter, but said he would not take "unnecessary risks" if he has not recovered 100 percent from an abdominal muscle injury.
Barcelona completed a 3-1 aggregate victory over Real Madrid on Tuesday. The final is at Wembley stadium on May 28.

Cricket-S.Africa abide by order to reinstate former president

By USAMA ABBASI

JOHANNESBURG May 4 (Reuters) - Cricket South Africa (CSA) will abide by a high court order to reinstate former president Mtutuzeli Nyoka, the governing body said.
Nyoka was removed in February after a vote of no confidence from the board but he took CSA to court, claiming the correct procedure was not followed because he did not receive proper notification of the meeting that led to his ousting.
"The board has agreed in the interests of cricket to abide by the judgement handed down in the South Gauteng High Court on April 15," CSA said in a statement after a board meeting on Wednesday.
"Accordingly ... Nyoka has been reinstated as president and chairman of the board of directors with immediate effect. The meeting unanimously agreed to abandon any appeal process in relation to the judgement."
Nyoka had argued in an affidavit that the reason behind his ousting was his criticism of bonus payments totalling 4.7 million rand ($684,900) paid to CSA employees after South Africa hosted the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Champions Trophy in 2009.
Chief executive Gerald Majola received 1.77 million rand but was cleared of financial wrongdoing after CSA conducted an internal inquiry, with Nyoka having initially called for an external investigation.
CSA said on Wednesday there would be an external probe into the allegations of financial wrongdoing.
"There were problems and we cannot underestimate that but there are sound leadership skills in Cricket South Africa and we will be going forward for the sake of cricket," Nyoka told reporters.

Sarang Shroff enters last eight - ESPN INDIA

Former national champion Sarang Shroff defeated Anand Raghuvanshi from Pune 3-0 in the pre-quarterfinals of the MHC-Maharashtra State Senior Snooker Selection tournament, hosted by Malabar Hill Club here on Tuesday.
Despite being a snooker player, Shroff had finished second in the billiards selection tournament that began before the snooker selections, thus qualifying for the nationals.
“It is difficult for most snooker players to adapt to billiards.
Fortunately for me the games were in the frame format rather than the time format, which means that the game ends when a player reaches the score of 150. I generally compete because they are held before the snooker selections and they provide good practice for me,” he said.
Shroff is planning to compete in the nationals through the qualifying rounds that are held for cueists who do not qualify from the two positions available from the state selections. Therefore, qualifying for the billiards national tournament directly is helpful.
He said, “I am going for the nationals, I will not have to go though the qualifiers in billiards. However in 1994 when I won the national snooker title I had gone through qualifiers as I had not participated in the state selections.”
The 42-year-old is on a comeback trail and restarted playing competitively in the sport two months ago after a gap of almost five years.
“I last played competitively at the Maharashtra selections in 2006, after which I had to concentrate on the family business. Since, that involved a lot of travel I had to hang up my sticks for a while,” said Shroff.
The comeback has proved to be a good one for Shroff as he won the O B Agarwal promotional series snooker tournament at the Wodehouse Gymkhana.
He said, “I defeated Nikhil Ootam in the finals of the tournament at Wodehouse Gymkhana, which a satisfying victory because I believe he is a good player.”
Results: Pre-quarterfinals: Raj Khandawala bt Kunal Rokade 3-2 (53-28 66-76 55-15 17-59 55-18); Jatinder Singh Dawar bt Mahesh Jagdale 3-2 (53-43 9-63 47-66 67-45 60-35); Manav Panchal bt Nishad Chougule 3-1 (27-64 69-40 52-29 65-27); Nikhil Ootam bt Rahul Narang 3-2 (52-57 56-20 80-15 53-60 61-50); Hitesh Kotwani bt V.Subramanian 3-2 (5-57 67-28 60-26 56-59 61-41); Sarang Shroff bt Anand Raghuvanshi 3-0 (62-27 49-31 79-62); Rovin D’Souza bt Yogesh Sharma 3-1 (67-15 62-33 53-57 60-42); Rishab Pandya bt Chandu Shah 3-0 (76-40 61-3 74-9)

£2.4m for Sheffield coffers from snooker fans

A general view of England's Judd Trump at the table during the final match of the Betfred.com World Snooker Championships at the Crucible, Sheffield.

SHEFFIELD’S economy has been boosted by £2.4 million as visitors flocked to the city to watch the World Snooker Championship, the council has revealed.
The figure has been worked out based on increased business to hotels, restaurants, shops and other attractions from people who travelled from around the world to watch the contest.
The tournament ended on Monday with experienced John Higgins eventually triumphing over young pretender Judd Trump in a tense final.
Sheffield Council leader Coun Paul Scriven said: “It’s been another excellent year, leading up to what can only be described as classic final.
“Sheffield is of course proud to be home of World Snooker.
“The tournament brings around about £2.4m to the local economy and I’m delighted that Sheffield has been confirmed again as the host for the next four years. We’ve worked hard to showcase Sheffield as a city and I think Sheffield is finally getting the national and international recognition it deserves.”
The contest is believed to have been watched by up to 800 million people around the world.
In the UK, viewing figures for the final, shown on BBC2, reached a peak of 5.3 million although they varied between the afternoon and evening sessions.
The corporation revealed an average of two million tuned in during the afternoon - a 19.4 per cent share of the total viewing audience and a peak of 2.5 million - while the evening session was watched by an average of 3.9 million, a 15.5 per cent share of the total viewing audience and a peak of 5.3 million.
Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre has been home of the championships since 1977.
Barry Hearn, chairman of World Snooker, said: “The tens of thousands of people who come to Sheffield over the 20 days are staying in local hotels, buying meals in restaurants and buying a drink in local pubs.
“Snooker brings in millions of pounds of revenue over the year into Sheffield, culminating in this huge event in the last two weeks of April.”
Mr Hearn said this year’s event was one of the most eagerly-anticipated ever, with ticket sales before the tournament hitting record levels and seats for the last 15 sessions having sold out before the championship had even begun.
Beaten finalist Judd Trump, aged 21, was hailed for his performance after being the second youngest player to reach the final.
“We need people to stand up, get the excitement and the interest of the general public. He’s a breath of fresh air…amongst the younger people he’s going to be a new hero,” Mr Hearn said.

Golf bliss on Spain's Costa Brava -Routers

Spain is a country of variety and contrasts and nowhere is this more vividly apparent than in the fascinating region of Catalonia. A triangular wedge of mountains, valleys, plains and 360 miles of Mediterranean coastline, it sits in the northeastern corner of Spain, bursting with character, charm and an individuality entirely of its own.

Emporda Golf Resort offers 36 holes of Spain's best golf.

Emporda's Forest Course - Cathedral-like stands of umbrella pines present a unique challenge.

Emporda's Links offers Bunkers, bunkers and more bunkers.

The Forest Course is drama from start to finish.

Emporda Links -- 6th hole

Emporda Links -- 3rd hole

This region, which has it's own language (Catalan) in addition to Spanish, is an increasingly important force in the world of European golf. There may not be as many courses as in some other places, but when it comes to quality, few can match Catalonia's variety and consistently high caliber of golf layouts.
Most of the courses are concentrated along The Costa Brava, a 125-mile length of ruggedly spectacular coastline, running from the French border to within 45 miles of Barcelona. There are a dozen truly stunning layouts along this balmy coast and four of these are ranked among the top 50 courses in all Europe - when it comes to golf, the Costa Brava has no room for mediocrity.
Leading the small but very distinguished course grouping is the Emporda Golf Resort, a haven for the game's true connoisseurs, with a pair of championship layouts good enough to tempt even the most jaded golf traveler. Emporda's Links and Forest Courses showcase Spanish golf in the grandest of style.
Both courses are the handiwork of Texas born master architect, Robert von Hagge, a maestro at squeezing the most (and then some) from any site. Doral's Blue Monster and TPC Woodlands in Houston are just two outstanding examples of von Hagge's more than 100 US creations, but it's on the international golf scene where the man has really excelled with brilliance. They are to be found in Australia, Japan, Mexico, the Caribbean and in France, where 3 of the country's top 10 courses, Seignosse. Les Bordes and Paris National all bear his signature. Robert von Hagge's well-earned reputation for building handsome, tough, yet thoroughly playable layouts followed him to Spain, as evidenced at Emporda.
The two courses complement each other magnificently, making it difficult to have a preference for either -- so there really is no alternative but to play both and try to decide for yourself -- things could be far worse!
The Forest Course is filled with a majestic drama as its narrow fairways wind their way through a veritable jungle of tall, umbrella pines, at times creating an almost cathedral-like feeling - and when was the last time you played golf in a cathedral? Water has been used in moderation, but it's effective, subtly adding complexity to the test, which at a very respectable 6,750 yards from the back tees, is stern and far from a simple walk in the park.
This is a layout for the thinking golfer, where accuracy, accompanied by correct club selection and a healthy dose of strategy are all rewarded well. The bunkering is bold, at times almost audaciously so and these are not the kind of mild mannered, token bunkers you may be accustomed to on your home course.
The Links Course, although not a true links, does contain many links-like elements. The rippling fairways are wide, filled with sometimes wild undulations and open to a wind that can gust and play its own games. Von Hagge has added dune-like hazards to be contended with and the rough is as close to that found on a Royal Dornoch or a Carnoustie, as you're ever likely to encounter -- deep, thick and with an insatiable appetite, it's to be avoided at all costs.
Any big hitter who lacks accuracy, but feels they must spread their shoulders and let it rip, is likely heading for trouble - this links demands respect from all and makes no exceptions.
Unlike a true links, there's an abundance of water with 8 lakes scattered around the course and Von Hagge has used them with a cunning tenacity. He brings the wet stuff into play on more than half the holes, compounding the need for careful thought before every shot.
Adding to the pleasure of playing at Emporda are the beautiful surroundings and immaculate maintenance that keeps both courses in tip-top condition, including the greens which must be among the very best to be found in Europe. There's no question that all 36 holes at Emporda deserve their ranking up there at the top of the official European rankings, but you should still play both courses and make a judgement as to which deserves first prize.
But take full advantage of your time on the Costa Brava by playing as many of the highly regarded courses as you can -- Pals, Peralada, D'Aro and PGA Golf de Catalunya, are just a few of the outstanding layouts that demand some attention. And there is much more to discover along this stunningly attractive coastline.
The picturesque, white sand beaches are irresistible and even the most ardent golfer can be excused for spending a few hours relaxing under the brilliant blue skies just enjoying the good life, in between golf and sightseeing excursions. There are medieval villages that have been standing here since the beginnings of time to be explored, together with the fascinating ancient city of Girona, which can easily occupy an entire day.
Girona has a small but excellent collection of museums, including one devoted to what was once the most important Jewish Quarter in all of Spain. Be sure to visit Girona's magnificent Cathedral, dating from the 14th century. But the real joy of this amazingly photogenic city is simply to wander the winding narrow streets of the Old Town with its tiny squares and vaulted passageways, just soaking up the centuries of history that lives here. Another excursion not to be missed is a half day or so visit to the town of Figueres, noted for its fine cuisine and as the birthplace of Salvador Dali the famous surrealist painter. The Dali museum located here will be appreciated by all, just be sure to take a sense of humor along with you.
Spain's Mediterranean Coast is blessed with an abundance of excellent golf courses and so much more, including the perfect, year round climate and the Costa Brava shares in it all. Golfer or not, this is a part of Spain that will capture your heart and provide memories enough to last a lifetime.

Rory McIlroy happy at Quail Hollow after Masters misery - Routers

(Reuters) - Rory McIlroy, armed with advice from Australian Greg Norman, returns to the scene of his first PGA Tour title looking to regain his stride after a stunning blowup at last month's Masters.
McIlroy finished with a scintillating 66 and course-record 62 last year to move from the cut line into the winner's circle at the Quail Hollow Championship, where Tiger Woods missed the cut with the worst 36-hole score of his career.
The Northern Irishman experienced his own stomach-churning slide at Augusta. Leading by four shots going into the final round he soared to an eight-over-par 80 that put him 10 strokes behind winner Charl Schwartzel of South Africa.
A week later he finished third at the Malaysian after yet another late collapse left him two shots back of the winner, Italian teenager Matteo Manassero.
"I had a good chat with Greg Norman the week after when I was in Malaysia, and he sort of just said to me ... from now on, don't read golf magazines, don't pick up papers, don't watch the Golf Channel," McIlroy told reporters.
McIlroy, who turned 22 on Wednesday, said it was hard to avoid media altogether but agreed with the gist of the steer he was given by Norman, who squandered a six-stroke, final-round lead at the 1996 Masters.
"You can't let other people influence what you're thinking and what you should do. I've taken my own views from what happened a few weeks ago and moved on, and that's the most important thing," he said.
McIlroy will face a strong field starting Thursday that includes world number two Martin Kaymer of Germany and number four Phil Mickelson, last year's Wells Fargo runner-up, and Bubba Watson, who is fresh off Sunday's playoff win at the New Orleans Classic.
The irrepressible McIlroy said he was determined to take positives out of the 2011 Masters and move forward.
"I don't think I was ready. That was the most important thing," he said. "I displayed a few weaknesses in my game that I need to work on. But I think you've got to take the positives.
"For 63 holes I led the golf tournament, and it was just a bad back nine, a very bad back nine that sort of took the tournament away from me, I suppose. But what can you do?"
McIlroy said the lost opportunity only bothered him for a couple of days before he turned the page.
"I'm fine. It was a great chance to win a first major, but it's golf. It's only golf at the end of the day," he said.
"No one died. Very happy with my life, very happy with what's going on, very happy with my game, you know, so I'm looking forward to this week."
(Writing by Tehmina hayat Naqvi in University of Karachi, Editing by Inflation)

Ohio State to honor Bob Knight when Buckeyes host son's team - SKY SPORTS

Staff report Sporting News

 

Ohio State will honor former Buckeyes player and Hall of Fame college coach Bob Knight at a game in December against Lamar, which recently hired his son, Pat, as head coach, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
The game, Dec. 20 in Columbus, will come a month to the day after Bob Knight, who was a member of the Buckeyes' 1960 NCAA championship team, is scheduled to be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City.

Former college basketball coach Bob Knight says a few words about Ohio State's 1960 national championship team and coach Fred Taylor during a halftime ceremony honoring the coach and team Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010, in Columbus, Ohio. Some of the most notable players from the 1960 championship team include Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek, named two of the top 50 NBA greatest players in history, and Bob Knight, college basketball's winningest coach. (AP Photo)

Ohio State director of basketball operations Dave Egelhoff told The Dispatch via e-mail that he expects to receive a signed contract from Lamar within a week.
In the e-mail, Egelhoff said the game would be a “great time” to honor Knight, something Egelhoff said Ohio State coach Thad Matta has been a “big proponent of.”
Knight, who will be inducted Nov. 20, has 902 wins, the most by a Division I men’s coach, although it's likely Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, who finished this season with 900 career victories, will have surpassed the record by then.

 

Boston to erect statue of Celtics legend Bill Russell

Boston is building a statue of Celtics legend and basketball Hall of Famer Bill Russell, a few months after President Obama suggested the city needed one.

The Boston Celtics announced Wednesday the statue would be designed by a local artist, and commemorate Russell as a sports champion, human rights leader and youth mentoring advocate.

In a statement, Russell, 77, said he was "uncomfortable with honors such as this," but added his years as captain of the Celtics "were the proudest moments of my career."

Russell led the Celtics to a record 11 league championships in 13 seasons.

Obama suggested Boston build a statue of Russell when he awarded him a Presidential Medal of Freedom in February. Obama said he hoped one day, children would look up to a statute "built not only to Bill Russell the player, but Bill Russell the man."

Whether winning championships, watching Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech or teaching basketball to an integrated group of kids in Jackson, Miss., during a turbulent period for civil rights in 1963, Russell never considered himself a part of history.

But he is the first person from the NBA to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Still sporting his trademark goatee, Russell wears the championship ring from his rookie season on his left hand and a ring given to him by NBA Commissioner David Stern commemorating every Celtics championship Russell was part of on his right hand.

Music limited at basketball games

By USHER KOMUGISHA
and CHARLES MUTEBI

National Basketball League
Friday at YMCA
Men: Power v Miracle
Women: UCU v A 1
THERE will be less music this basketball season. Sport governing body, FUBA has disclosed that the administration of main league venue, YMCA, has banned music during league matches before 8:15pm on Friday and a complete blackout on Wednesday.

The ban is just one of the major setbacks incurred by FUBA following fresh changes surrounding the home of local basketball. The other is in the reduction of the YMCA’s availability, which has cut back on the number of games to be played at Wandegeya despite an increase in the number of league teams from 41 to 46.

One women’s side and six men’s teams are joining the league, however, only four games can be played at YMCA on weekdays, down from six last seasons. That has forced FUBA to schedule 2nd and 3rd division games to MUBS court, Nakawa.

The changes will have a strong impact on the league, from altering the convenience of clubs to lowering the atmosphere during games. Music adds to the spectator-excitement and has been an integral part of local basketball for years.

Fortunately for FUBA, Lugogo (which has no inhibiting bans) is likely to be ready for use in July, an outcome that will see major games moved from YMCA.

The newcomers include men’s clubs Airforce Academy, City Oil, UPDF Tomahawks, Emperors and Blue Jackets, who collapsed in 2007 and ladies’ side Gladiators. KCC Lions and record eight-time women’s champions Lady Bucks will, meanwhile, not take part.

MEANWHILE, Kampala will host next year’s regional inter-cities basketball championships, adds Reuben Olita.

The Inter-cities commission president, Simon Msote made the disclosure at the end of the regional games in Nairobi.

The five-day event attracted 13 teams from Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia and Southern Sudan.

LSU basketball accepting season ticket deposits

BATON ROUGE – The LSU Athletic Ticket office is accepting deposits for new men’s basketball tickets for the 2011-12 season.

 

The deposit is $50 and the deposit will be applied toward the full payment for the 2011-12 season tickets.

 

 

The men’s basketball home schedule is expected to include in non-conference play: Marquette, which went to the 2011 NCAA Sweet 16, Boise State (a semifinalist in the CBI post-season tourney), Virginia and UC-Irvine. In league play, the Tigers will play all five other Western Division team including 2011 NIT finalist Alabama and Kentucky (NCAA Final Four), Georgia and

Tennessee from the Eastern Division.

 

 

The Tigers return almost their entire team from last year head with seniors Chris Bass, Garrett Green, Storm Warren and Malcolm White. Sophomore Ralston Turner is also back after being named to the 2011 All-SEC Freshman team and leading the team in scoring a year ago.

 

 

LSU will have four new additions to the team in 2011-12 including 6-11 Justin Hamilton, who practiced with the team all year after transferring from Iowa State. He will be eligible to play beginning this season and have two years of eligibility left.

 

 

 

The Tigers have signed three players including All-American forward Johnny O’Bryant of Cleveland, Miss. He will be joined by John Isaac of Pickering (La.) High School and the team’s latest signee, Anthony Hickey, Jr., who was named Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball.

 

 

All season ticket locations will be assigned at a later date using LSU Philanthropic Priority Point rankings. Aug. 31 is the deadline to place a deposit and receive priority consideration.

 

 

Ticket renewals for existing season ticket holders will be available beginning in July with a deadline of Aug. 31

Janesville Parker, Craig tennis teams fall

Janesville Parker won the No. 1 and No. 2 singles matches, but Sun Prairie swept the rest of events to down the Vikings, 5-2, in Big Eight Conference boys tennis Tuesday.
Matt Knutson and Ian Weiland were the only Viking winners.
Parker coach Mike Fuhrmann said the nearly three-week layoff due to postponements has hampered the development of this squad.
“I saw a lot of good things in practice and at times, that translated on the court,” Fuhrmann said.
The Vikings (0-4) play at Janesville Craig on Thursday, and in the Parker Quadrangular Friday at Palmer Park.
SUN PRAIRIE 5, PARKER 2
Singles—Matt Knutson (JP) def. Amos Voung, 6-0, 6-1; Ian Weiland (JP) def. Sam Cloughe, 6-2, 6-3; Jordan Noble (SP{) def. Ryan Ploff, 6-0, 6-0; Drew Reindl def. Ethan Zweifel, 6-1, 6-2.
Doubles—Joe Collingwood-Andrew Blectner (SP) def. Austin McDonald-Nick Garey, 7-6, (7-2), 6-4; Kevin Bernard-Calien Rosseter (SP) def. David Palan-Jordan Peyer, 6-1, 6-1; Keegan Modenhauer-Ryan Fitzpatrick (SP) def. Spencer Debroux-Jaren Norrell, 6-2, 6-1.
Junior varsity—Sun Prairie 6-1.
Middleton sweeps
Janesville Craig High School lost to Middleton, 7-0, Tuesday.
“Middleton by far is the best team in the conference,” said Craig coach Justin Long.
Craig (2-2 Big Eight) hosts Madison Memorial today at Palmer Park.
MIDDLETON 7, CRAIG 0
Singles—Ian Markson (M) def. Joel Neher, 6-0, 6-0; Jon Luskin (M) def. Derek Masters, 6-2, 6-2; Bin Luskin (M) def. Sam dePoutiloff, 6-1, 6-0; Tyler Markel (M) def. Ross Sroda, 6-0, 6-1.
Doubles—Erin Schmitz-Ashwin Ramaswami (M) def. Mo McCrone-Stewart Winter, 6-0, 6-0; Joey Niesen-Charlie Cope (M) def. Zack Hardin-Cody Lipetri, 6-0, 6-1; T.J. Webber-Sam Naden (M) def. Joe Worple-Scott Catlin, 6-3, 6-0.
Junior varsity—Middleton 7, Craig 0.

Djokvovic and Nadal extend winning streaks

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal both extended their win streaks with opening victories at the ATP-WTA Madrid Masters on Wednesday as Roger Federer waited for his chance to join them in the third round.
Djokovic, who beat South Africa's Kevin Anderson 6-3 6-4, extended his run of 2011 success to 28 consecutive matches, putting the Serb within striking distance of the record for the all-time best season start in tennis.
The second seed now has a chance to draw level with Ivan Lendl, who went 29 matches without defeat at the start of the 1986 season.
Nadal won a 35th consecutive match on the surface, efficiently dispatching former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis 6-1 6-3 in just under 90 minutes. Nadal has not lost on clay since 2009 in the French Open fourth round to Robin Soderling.
The top-seeded title holder next faces a high-voltage third-round showdown with Argentine Juan Del Potro, who thrashed Marin Cilic 6-3 6-0 after complaining of hip pain a day earlier.
Third seed Federer was opening against Spaniard Feliciano Lopez later having won all seven of their previous encounters.
Djokovic, the world No.2, says he is only interested in replacing Nadal atop the ATP rankings.
"It's a great honour and flattering to be part of the elite, but it's not my priority," said Djokovic.
"I'm only taking it one match at a time and just hoping I can keep winning."
Djokovic needed one hour and 40 minutes to beat Anderson, winner of his home title at Johannesburg in February and a clay quarter-finalist last week in Estoril.
"Where there is altitude it's tough to control the ball, there are more mistakes," said Djokovic, who has won five titles this season.
"It's crucial to stay really focused for each point. You don't get that much time on this court and serving well is an advantage.
"It's a fact that I'm playing the best tennis of my life. I'm definitely happy about it," he added.
Former grand slam finalist Soderling and Tomas Berdych also came through their opening matches.
Two-time Roland Garros runner-up Soderling, seeded fifth, beat Colombia's Santiago Giraldo 6-3 6-3, while seventh-seeded Wimbledon finalist Berdych overcame Spaniard Marcel Granollers 6-4 6-0.
In the women's event, China's Li Na defeated Czech Iveta Benesova 6-1 6-4 to set up a match with Italian Roberta Vinci, who beat Russian Alisa Kleybanova 6-2 6-2.
Li secured her win in 58 minutes with five aces and three breaks of serve.
In the third round, Czech 16th seed Petra Kvitova upset second-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-1 6-4 to earn the first of the quarter-final spots.