Tennis; Ruthless Nadal downs Ferrer to hurtle into seventh final

PARIS: Rafael Nadal defeated fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 on Friday to reach the French Open final where he will bid to become the first man to win seven titles at Roland Garros.

His opponent in Sunday’s championship match will be either top seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia or third seed Roger Federer of Switzerland, who were playing their semi-final immediately afterwards.

Seeded second, despite winning six titles here in the last seven years, Nadal once again proved to have too much power and drive for his close friend, who was bidding to reach a Grand Slam final for the first time in what was his 37th campaign.

“I probably played my best match here at Roland Garros this year,” said Nadal.

“I am sorry for David to lose like this. He is one of my best friends on the tour and one of the best claycourters.

“It was a fantastic match for me and I am so happy to be in another final at Roland Garros.”Nadal’s straight sets victory over another Spaniard, Nicolas Almagro, in the quarter-finals brought up his 50th win at Roland Garros against just the one defeat – to Swede Robin Soderling in the 2009 fourth round.

The 26-year-old Spaniard had the added motivation this year of a seventh title win at Roland Garros, which would snap a tie with Swedish legend Bjorn Borg.

It would also be his 11th Grand Slam title, putting him level with Borg and Rod Laver.
Ferrer carried into the match a 4-15 head-to-head record against Nadal, but he had defeated him twice in Grand Slams – at the 2007 US Open last 16 and at the 2011 Australian Open quarter-finals.

His only win over him on clay, however, dated back to their first encounter eight years ago when Nadal was just 17.

Ferrer opened well with a love service game and he more than held his own in the early exchanges.

The sixth seed set up the first two break points of the match in the fourth game, but the steely resolve of Nadal denied him a 3-1 lead.

The man they know as “The Bulldozer” immediately paid the price as the defending champion broke him to love.

Two games later Nadal produced another love break to take a 5-2 lead and already an all too familiar pattern had once again been set.

Nadal tucked away the set 6-2, prompting a change of shirt for Ferrer from white to pink.

But the result in the second set was much the same with Nadal at one point winning a marathon rally during which he hit one shot sitting on the court after losing his footing.

Nadal secured a third break of serve to lead 4-1 after which the heavens opened to give Ferrer some respite from the Nadal assault.

Play resumed 55 minutes later and Nadal wasted no time in going two sets up with two holds of serve.

Ferrer’s second double fault of the match opened the way for Nadal to break serve again at the start of the third set and Ferrer was left with a mountain to climb.

He never looked likely of doing that as Nadal swept into the final for the seventh time in eight years on the back of his 51st match win.

Tennis; Aisam’s Olympic dream all but over with French Open loss

Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi/Jean-Julien Rojer 3  6 [6]
Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan         6   7 [8]

So Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi’s Olympic dream is all but over. He can, reportedly, still make it if he receives a wildcard entry from the organisers. Qureshi and Jean-Julien Rojer showed a lot of intent against the second-seeded Bryans but were unable to capitalise on their advantages. There wasn’t much difference between the two sides but the men’s doubles world-record-holders showed whey they have multiple grand-slam titles under their belt. (Scroll down for older updates)  

Match (and set) point for Bryans on Qureshi-Rojer serve but tenth seeds hold nerve and make it 6-6. They can’t, however, hold serve on the next point and give away the set and match on the Bryan set.  8-6

Wide serve and following return make it 4-3 for Bryans. Qureshi-Rojer win both points on their serve to make it 5-4.

Bryans open the tie-break and make it 2-1. Qureshi-Rojer are back with 3-2 lead.

Bryans hold serve despite some fight from Qureshi-Rojer. Into the tie-break.

Nervy game as Bryans threaten to break Qureshi-Rojer show grit to make it 6-5.

Bryans hold back and it’s 5-5 in the second.

Qureshi-Rojer wobble on serve but are able to hold on to the lead. 5-4

Bryans hold serve but Qureshi-Rojer look better now. 4-4

Qureshi-Rojer have a spring in their step after breaking back. They sail to game point and seal it. 4-3 in the second.

Smooth sailing for the Bryans in their service game until 15-40 as Bob (or Mike?) hits a ‘tweener but finds a strong return. It gets to deuce when Qureshi hits a SLICK return and gets the advantage. The break back with a strong point! Game on.

Poor service game from Qureshi gives Bryans a break in the second set. This isn’t looking good for the Pak-Dutch pair.

Qureshi scores an overhead winner at 0-40 down but that doesn’t hold the Bryans back from restoring parity.

On-the-line winner from Bryans and unforced error from Qureshi-Rojer makes it 0-30. The tenth seeds make it 30-30 before Rojer sends an ace for game point. Piercing winner from Bryans gives them deuce. At Bryans’ advantage, their return bumps off the net to fool Qureshi. However, Qureshi-Rojer fight back. Qureshi’s smash and it’s advantage Qureshi-Rojer. Bryans score a winner and bring it back to level terms. Long game but Qureshi-Rojer are able to maintain their service lead.

Qureshi-Rojer go on to take a 40-30 lead Bryans make it a deuce and take the game. Chance of breaking the second seeds gone.

Strong service game from Qureshi. Takes them to 1-0 lead without any hiccups.

Bryans take the first set with an easy game win in the ninth. Pressure on Qureshi-Rojer now, who will open the second set.

Qureshi-Rojer go 0-30 down before making it 30-30. Rojer’s unforced error gives game point to Bryans. They hit out but call is reversed by the chair umpire and the point is played again. Qureshi nets it to give Bryans a break in the first set.

A few Pakistanis in the crowd, apart from Aisam’s family. Stands almost empty otherwise.

Another smooth ride to the game point for Bryans. End to end.

Qureshi’s serve: Bryans get the first point with a winner but Qureshi-Rojer are able to grab the game. Qureshi hits another ace. His second of the set.

Bryans hold serve without dropping a point. Pressure back on Qureshi-Rojer.

Qureshi hits the net on Rojer’s serve to bring Bryans level at 30-30.  Bryans return the favour and it’s 40-30 to Qureshi-Rojer. It goes to deuce but Qureshi-Rojer are able to convert.

Bryans come back strongly after giving away the first point and go back in the lead.

Qureshi-Rojer hold serve after giving away the first two points to unforced errors. Qureshi serves an ace to seal the first game for the duo.

The Bryans get the match underway and hold serve, opening with an ace.

Play is about to get underway in the second men’s doubles semi-final. Aisam’s family are in the stands.

Cricket; Australia’s World T20 participation under threat

SYDNEY: Cricket Australia and the players’ union were still “further apart” than desired in negotiations over performance-related pay, with the threat of strikes looming, CA chief James Sutherland said Friday.  

The current pay deal expires on June 30, and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) has not ruled out strike action, meaning Australia’s participation in the Twenty20 World Championship in Sri Lanka in September and this month’s one-day international tour of England are both under threat.

Sutherland said the cricket board and the ACA were “further apart than we would like to be” but defended proposals for a new performance-based pay system, which he says will leave players better off.

“We have put a very substantial offer on the table, it’s in the vicinity of $80 million more over a five-year period than what we paid in the preceding five-year period,” Sutherland told Australian Associated Press.

“$80m is a lot of money and that is based on our conservative revenue projections.

“If we go half way towards meeting our more optimistic ambitions with revenue growth, that increase in player payments will be even more significant than $Aus80 million.”

ACA chief Paul Marsh has said the negotiations over the new five-year deal have reached a stalemate and although he did not rule out strike action he insisted it would be “an absolute last resort”.

Players currently get 26 percent of cricket revenue.

Asked about the players union’s resistance, Sutherland said he was “surprised and a little bit disappointed” and that a move to a performance-based pay system was logical.

“The focus is very much about performance and accountability for performance,” Sutherland said.

“There is also a sense of accountability with this that the public would expect — that the players wouldn’t get the same amount of money for losing (a series) 4-0 as they would winning 4-0.

“There is an argument that there is already a performance-based culture and expectation — the players have to perform to get their contract, they have to perform to get an increase in the value of their contract.

“But there is also an element of relative performance against the rest of the world, against the teams that you play against.

“And we believe that Australian players should be paid more for winning games against other teams, they should be paid more for being higher-ranked against other teams.”

Volleyball; PVF gets Rs2m in violation of SC orders

ISLAMABAD: Ignoring Supreme Court’s directives given to the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination to ensure implementation of National Sports Policy 2005, the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has issued a Rs 2 million grant to the Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF). 

Officials of the PVF also hold office in violation of the National Sports Policy, Dawn has learnt.

“The PSB has released the grant as per directives of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination secretary since the team along with its president flew to Bulgaria for an international competition,” said a senior official of the PVF.

However, the official said that giving funds to a federation which has violated the National Sports Policy with a Supreme Court verdict clearly ordering the PSB to implement the sports policy 2005 which bars officials from third consecutive tenure is a question mark over the PSB and officials of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination.

When Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani was approached to comment over the release of Rs2 million, his media representative said: “Concerns related to release of the grant to the national volleyball federation are conveyed to the minister. However, we will give an answer after getting an input from him (Mr Bijarani).”

Despite multiple attempts, PSB director general Amir Hamza Gilani and Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination secretary Anisul Husnain Musavi were not available to give their comments.

It is pertinent to mention that the apex court has recently barred national sports federation officials from holding office for the third consecutive tenure.

However, volleyball federation officials are holding positions for the third consecutive term in violation of the sports policy.

According to a clause of the national sports policy, “President, honorary secretary and the treasurer will be allowed a maximum of two tenures in any office of the federation or association, after which they will become ineligible for holding the same posts of that particular federation or association. However, they will be allowed to contest for next higher post/association at any time.”

The clause further says that tenure restrictions will not be applicable on office-bearers of the federations holding posts of president or secretary of world or Asian federation.

It was early last year that some federations had challenged the clauses related to tenure restrictions in the national sports policy and filed writ petitions in the Lahore High Court.

The high court declared the tenure restriction clause as unconstitutional.

However, the Supreme Court upheld the clauses of National Sports Policy regarding tenure restrictions.

Tennis; Mirza, Bhupati win mixed-doubles title at Roland Garros

PARIS :  The Indian pair of Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi won the mixed-doubles titles of the French Open, beating the Klaudia Jans-Ignacik of Poland and her Mexican partner Santiago Gonzalez 7-6 (7-3), 6-1.

The Indian pair started slow, giving up an early break, but got stronger as the match went on. Breaking back their counterparts in the sixth game and forcing a tiebreaker, which they won 7-3.

With the first set in the bag, both Bhupathi and Mirza were able to freely in the second set, breaking Jans-Ignacik and Gonzalez in the opening game and never looked back closing out the match 6-1 in the second set.

Earlier in the day, Maria Sharapova reclaimed the No. 1 ranking and moved one step closer to completing a career Grand Slam by defeating Petra Kvitova 6-3, 6-3 in the windblown semifinals at Roland Garros.

Winning with a second-serve ace, Sharapova raised her arms aloft,  looked up and smiled.

Sharapova will face the 21st-seeded Italian,  Sara Errani, who advanced to her first Grand Slam final after upsetting No. 6 seed Sam Stosur, for the the French Open title.

Cricket; A day of two Umars as Pakistan win first ODI

PALLEKELE: Pacemen Umar Gul and Mohammad Sami each took three wickets as Pakistan posted a comfortable six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first one-day international in Pallekele on Thursday.

Man-of-the-match Gul finished with 3-24 and Sami with 3-19 before Pakistan achieved a rain-revised target of 135 with more than seven overs to spare in the day-night match for a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

The duo helped Pakistan restrict the hosts to 135-8 in a match reduced to 42-overs-a-side due to the poor conditions.

Opener Mohammad Hafeez top-scored with 37, while Umar Akmal (36 not out) and skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (30) were the other main scorers as Pakistan recorded their ninth one-day win over Sri Lanka in their last 11 matches.

Misbah added 51 runs for the third wicket with Hafeez after two wickets had fallen for 27 and then 55 for the fourth with Akmal.

Pakistan’s win was set up by bowlers in seaming conditions as Gul took three wickets in a sharp opening spell, removing skipper Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal to send Sri Lanka reeling at 23-3.

He was superbly backed by Sami, who dismissed Kumar Sangakkara and all-rounder Angelo Mathews in his first two overs to reduce the hosts to 41-5.

Lahiru Thirimanne, who added 50 for the eighth wicket with Nuwan Kulasekara (18), top-scored for Sri Lanka with an unbeaten 42 while extras contributed 31, the second-highest of the innings.

Thisara Perera (17) and Upul Tharanga (10) were the other batsmen to reach double-figures.

Sangakkara, who took 20 deliveries to open his account, made just nine runs before being trapped leg-before while Mathews was caught at first slip by Misbah for no score.

Off-spinner Hafeez bagged two of the last three wickets to finish with an impressive 2-20 off 10 overs.

Gul struck in his third over when he had opener Dilshan (five) caught by Saeed Ajmal at mid-on and then trapped Jayawardene (three) leg-before in his next over.

He put more pressure on Sri Lanka when he bowled Chandimal for no score in his fifth over.

The second one-dayer will also be played in Pallekele on Saturday and the last three games in Colombo on June 13, 16 and 18.

The one-dayers will be followed by a three-Test series starting on June 22.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka 135-8 in 42 overs; Pakistan 135-4 in 34.1 overs

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Rangana Herath.

Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Sarfraz Ahmed, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Sami.

Umpires: Ranmore Martinesz (SRI) and Paul Reiffel (AUS)
TV umpire: Ruchira Palliyaguruge (SRI)
Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)

Cricket; Play washed out on first day of third England-West Indies Test

BIRMINGHAM: The first day’s play in the third Test between England and the West Indies at Edgbaston here on Thursday was washed out without a ball being bowled.

Heavy overnight and early morning rain meant the square was fully covered when the captains should have been tossing up ahead of a scheduled 11am (1000GMT) start.

There was a brief spell when the covers were removed but fresh rain meant it was not long before the pitch and square were fully covered again, as overcast skies threatened another downpour.

The umpires subsequently announced they would be taking lunch 30 minutes early at 12.30pm local time (1130GMT) in the hope of a prompt start to the afternoon session.

But further rain saw the square remain covered and at 3.35pm (1435GMT) the announcement was made that play had been abandoned for the day.

It is estimated somewhere in the region of 650,000 pounds could be paid out if all the 16,500 spectators who purchased tickets for the day apply for a refund.

It was the first time a full day’s play in a Test in England had been lost to bad weather since the third day of the 2009 Ashes clash against Australia at Edgbaston.

And not since the 2007 Test between England and the West Indies at Chester-le-Street had the first day of a Test match in England been abandoned without any play whatsoever.

Rain is also forecast Friday, raising the prospect of the opening two days of a Test in England being called off with no play at all for the first time in nearly 50 years since an Ashes clash at Lord’s in 1964.

England have an unbeatable 2-0 lead in this three-match series.