MR BEAN IS THERE

Bean there, done that as Massa and Hamilton clash again

GREATER NOIDA (India): Lewis Hamilton’s season took a farcical twist on Sunday as he bizarrely collided with Felipe Massa for the third time in recent weeks – fittingly watched by “Mr Bean” actor Rowan Atkinson (pic).

Hamilton, trapped by Ferrari’s Massa going into a turn at the Indian Grand Prix, shunted the Brazilian across the track before protesting into his radio.

It was their third recent accident after collisions in Singapore and Japan put relations on a knife-edge.

And the latest coming-together was closely watched by comedy star Atkinson, who was a guest in the McLaren pit and went through a series of his trademark grimaces as the drama unfolded on his TV screen.

Massa was hit by a drive-through penalty but fate threw up another quirk as he crashed out when his left front wheel hit a high kerb, mirroring a virtually identical mistake in qualifying.

Hamilton blamed damage from the shunt for his seventh-place finish, which rounded off a tough week in which he announced his split from Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger and then suffered a five-place grid penalty.

“There is not much to say. It’s a disappointing day and my team deserve better,” Hamilton said.

“I’ll fly back (to Britain) and try to get my head back in the game.”

Hamilton, who placed second in Korea and was hoping to end his season on a high, remains fifth in the overall standings and is now 26 points back from McLaren team-mate Jenson Button in second.

The 2008 champion said he made an overture to Massa before the race as drivers observed a minute’s silence for IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon and MotoGP’s Marco Simoncelli, who both died this month.

“We had the one-minute silence before the race, I was standing next to Felipe. He’s not spoken to me for a long time but I made the effort, I put my arm round him and said good luck for the race,” Hamilton said.

But Massa, who was adamant that he should not have been penalised, quibbled with Hamilton’s version of events, although he denied there was any feud between them.

“He didn’t try to do anything. When I tried to speak to him he passed through. He did not look to my face, so no. Not here,” Massa said.

“After the one minute silence he was at my side and then he just said, ‘have a good race’. So this is trying to what?

“Have a good race? Is that not part of talking, or whatever?” — AFP

WORLD JUNIOR BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIPS 2011

Malaysia easily beat South Korea to win world junior title

PETALING JAYA: Sonia Cheah made her critics eat their words when she clinched a crucial point to help Malaysia create history by winning the mixed team gold medal for the first time in the World Junior Badminton Championships in Tai­wan yesterday.

Not many had given her a ghost of a chance after her jittery performances in earlier matches. But the 18-year-old came good, delivering the second point by convincingly disposing of Kim Hyo-min 25-23, 21-12.

Top seeds Malaysia went on to beat South Korea 3-0 for the elusive title.

Sonia Cheah posing with the trophy after helping Malaysia win the mixed team title in the World Junior Championships in Taiwan yesterday.

Zulfadli Zulkifli overcame a stuttering start to beat Lee Hong-je 17-21, 21-11, 21-14 for the first point before Nelson Heg Wei Keat-Teo Ee Yi clinched the winning point with a shaky 16-21, 21-18, 21-11 win over Choi Sol-kyu-Jun Bong-chan.

Sonia was estatic after the team’s breakthrough triumph. She was in the team that lost to China in the final two years ago.

“I am so happy I scored a point for Malaysia. The whole team was jumping for joy. Everyone did their best for the team,” said a delighted Sonia.

“I was not expected to deliver a point but I performed quite well and adopted the right strategy against the Korean. The opening game was quite tight but I kept my cool and kept psyching myself to be focused on the game.

“This gold medal effort is my best in my junior career. Now, I hope to go as far as possible in the individual event.”

The individual event begins today.

Malaysia’s junior programme coordinator Hau Kim Tho was extremely pleased with their success, although it was won in the absence of defending champions China.

China withdrew from the world junior meet without giving any reasons, although it may have to do with politics.

“Our junior team have landed their first-ever mixed team title. I am proud of their achievement,” said Kim Tho.

“This time, we had a balanced team. Even if China had taken part, our team would have given them a tough time. In the Asian juniors, the same team gave China a run for their money in the final before bowing out.

“I am happy for Sonia for finally coming good. South Korea fielded their second ranked singles player but Sonia did not take her opponent lightly and she did well to win.”

Now that Malaysia have achieved one of their targets, Kim Tho hoped they would continue with their good showing in the individual event.

“We won the boys’ doubles last year (in Mexico through Ow Yao Han-Yew Hong Kheng) and we hope that our boys will keep up the good tradition.

“We also have a fighting chance in the boys’ singles and, hopefully, we will return home from Taiwan with more than one gold medal,” said Kim Tho.

Source: Thestar

Tsonga beats Del Potro in Vienna final

Vienna: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga rallied from a set and a break down to beat Juan Martin Del Potro 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday in the final of the Erste Bank Open, claiming his second title of the season and seventh overall.

The top-seeded Tsonga will officially move past Mardy Fish to No. 7 in the 2011 points list on Monday. The top eight will qualify for the season-ending ATP finals in London next month.

"It was a special win," the ninth-ranked Frenchman said. "I was supposed to win some points here and I did it ... For now it's good, but I will have to play well next week (in Valencia) so I will stay focused."

AP Photo

Tsonga had lost all three previous matches against Del Potro but recovered strongly after falling a break down in the second set to win four straight games.

"It was an amazing match. At the beginning it was really tight," Tsonga said. "I was a bit down after losing that tie-breaker but I didn't give away any easy points afterward."

The second-seeded Del Potro, who is now 9-4 in career finals, is still waiting for his first victory at an indoor event. The Argentine will climb to 11th on the points list, leaving him with a slim chance of reaching the London event.

"I was close, had my chances but did not take them. In the important moments, Jo played much better than me," Del Potro said. "After that re-break he played more aggressive, served unbelievable. It was really a different match after that moment."

Both players held serve in the opening set until the tie-breaker. Tsonga was 0-40 down in his opening service game but used four aces to hold. He then missed three chances to break Del Potro's serve at 4-4.

In the tie-breaker, Tsonga handed Del Potro a first set point by double-faulting at 5-5 and then hit a forehand long in the next rally.

Del Potro used his first break ball to go 2-1 up in the second set but Tsonga won five of the next six games and closed out the set with an ace.

"After that I was more relaxed," Tsonga said. "I think he had difficulties physically to continue to play aggressively. That made it easier for me to be in the court and be more aggressive."

Del Potro hit a forehand wide on the only break point in the final set before Tsonga wrapped up victory with an approach shot that wrong-footed the 2009 US Open champion.

It was the 12th ATP final this season that featured the top two seeds, but only the fifth time the No. 1 actually won the title.

A farewell ceremony was held at the end of the final for former No. 1 Thomas Muster of Austria, who played his last match on the ATP circuit on Tuesday. The celebrations included an appearance by 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic.

"It was special that Thomas and Goran were there," Tsonga said. "Goran was one of my favorite players when I was young. He did a lot of entertainment on the court too and it was just amazing to be there with him."

Source: Thestar

Wozniacki not the best player in the world, says Wilander

STANBUL: Caroline Wozniacki will top the WTA rankings for the second consecutive year but that does not make her the best tennis player in the world, according to former men’s number one Mats Wilander.       

The 21-year-old Dane failed to reach the semi-finals at the WTA Championships in Istanbul, after winning only one of her round robin matches. She continued her poor record at the biggest events and Wilander believes Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova is the natural heir to the throne.       

“The ranking is the result of not necessarily being the best player in the world it’s the result of being the most consistent player in the world,” Swede Wilander, who is working at the season-ending championships for TV channel Eurosport, said in an interview at the Sinan Erdem Arena.       

“That’s what it reflects. She’s certainly not the best player in the world at her best, but at her worst she’s probably the best player in the world compared to the others.       

“Her range is very narrow, very even.

“But is she playing to be the number one in the world, to win lots of matches and make a lot of money or is she playing to win grand slams. I guess you’ll have to ask her that.”       

Wozniacki’s lack of success at the grand slams where her CV shows just one final, at the US Open in 2009, has raised many questions about her validity at the top.       

Wilander, who won seven in his glittering career, questioned whether she has the mentality to triumph at the majors.       

“The thing is we know she can win small tournaments, what we don’t know is if mentally she can win the big ones,” Wilander said of the Dane who has 18 WTA titles to her name.       

“We know Wozniacki has the head to be consistent but we don’t know if she’s got the head to wrap her thoughts around winning a Grand Slam. Her game is not there just yet.”       

Wilander said the fact that Wozniacki can receive on-court coaching from father Piotr during regular Tour events but not in the Grand Slams was also a telling factor.       

“To be honest, the mistake that she is doing is that she is getting different treatment on the WTA Tour than she does at the Grand Slams because of the on-court coaching,” he said. “You have to look at the obvious reasons.       

“I’m not in favour of it for her because she seems lost compared to when she’s getting coached.”       

Wilander believes Kvitova, who is breathing down her neck in the rankings after reaching the WTA Championships final at her first attempt, already has the weapons to grab top spot and start racking up Slams.       

“Absolutely,” Wilander said. “Kvitova is going to be inconsistent because of the way she plays but mentally she is very consistent.

“She always looks for a way out and looks to come forward and be aggressive, she is happy to go to the net and make her opponents miss.       

“She is very natural in figuring out what she needs to do with her game.

“Unlike Caroline she’s already proved she can raise her game to win a Slam.” — Reuters

Indian Formula One Grand Prix

Vettel cruises to win inaugural Indian GP

RED Bull’s double world champion Sebastian Vettel ran away with the inaugural Indian Formula One Grand Prix yesterday for his 11th victory in 17 races this season.

On a dusty and bittersweet afternoon at the new Buddh International Circuit, the 24-year-old German led every lap of the race after starting from pole position. He also set the fastest lap right at the finish.       

As if those landmarks were not enough, Vettel also set a record for the most laps led in a single season by any driver, leapfrogging Britain’s 1992 champion Nigel Mansell in the statisticians’ lists.

Both championships have already been won by Vettel and his team.       

Thirst quencher: Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel of Germany drinking champagne from his trophy after chalking his 11th win in 17 races this season. — Reuters

Britain’s Jenson Button, the 2009 world champion, consolidated his grip on second place overall by finishing 8.4s behind the German, while Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso took third place a further 15.8s adrift.       

“Yes boys, we did it,” shouted Vettel after cricket great Sachin Tendulkar brought down the chequered flag. “First Indian Grand Prix, great job.”       

Vettel now has 374 points with two races remaining, McLaren’s Button 240, Alonso 227 and Red Bull’s Australian Mark Webber – who finished fourth after starting on the front row – 221.       

The champion celebrated on the podium by drinking champagne from the gleaming silver trophy after being joined in celebration by Red Bull technical head Adrian Newey but struck a more sombre mood afterwards.       

Red-hot: Grid girls making their way to the track prior to the start of the race. — AFP

The afternoon may not have been a thriller but, coming at the end of a grim month for motorsport with two high-profile race fatalities on successive weekends, that was almost a relief.       

Teams and drivers held a minute’s silence, standing stock still on the grid with just the hum of generators, before the race in memory of double Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon and MotoGP showman Marco Simoncelli.

Button, a friend and rival of Wheldon’s early in their careers in Britain, dedicated the race to them while Vettel paid his own tribute.

Tied up: Acrobats performing at the Buddh International Circuit. — Reuters

“I have mixed feelings,” the German added. “I am very, very happy. The first GP in India and I’m very proud to be the first winner. But looking back at the last weekends, we lost two of our mates.”        

McLaren’s 2008 champion Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Felipe Massa again collided, their sixth on-track clash of the season. The Brazilian was handed a drive through penalty for causing the collision and later retired with a broken front suspension.

Hamilton, who had qualified in second place but had a three place grid penalty after ignoring warning flags in practice, finished seventh behind the Mercedes pairing of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg. — Reuters

Source: Thestar

BADMINTON FRENCH OPEN 2011

PETALING JAYA: World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei will return home from Europe with a very big smile today.

Top seed Chong Wei disposed of Kenichi Tago 21-16, 21-11 in the men’s singles final of the French Open in Paris yesterday – extending his unbeaten run against the Japanese – to nick an amazing seventh title of the year.

The Malaysian has won all his seven previous matches against Kenichi.

It was also Chong Wei’s 11th individual tournament and 11th final appearance this year – a record that will be quite impossible for others to emulate.

A day earlier, Chong Wei had shown more fire in his game to overcome a psychological barrier against China’s rising star Chen Long.

Having lost twice to Chen Long in the finals of the Japan and Denmark Opens, Chong Wei turned the tables on the 22-year-old with a well-deserved 23-21, 17-21, 21-15 win.

National coach Tey Seu Bock commended Chong Wei for making a quick rebound after the disappointment in Denmark just a week ago.

“His most significant win was over Chen Long (in the semi-finals). He is certainly a strong-willed player,” said Seu Bock in a telephone interview yesterday.

“He lost a lot of energy against Chen Long but yet, today, he was able to return to court and play his game against Tago.

“Yes, there were moments when he made some uncharacteristic mistakes but he quickly made up for it.”

Seu Bock said that Chong Wei was almost back at his best after a demoralising loss to Lin Dan in the final of the Word Championships in Wembley in August.

“I think his confidence is almost 80% back. He has been struggling to get his game going after the defeat at the world meet,” said Seu Bock.

“It is not easy to reach the final of every tournament. Expectations are high on him and he has to deliver all the time.

“That could be mentally tiring but he has defied all the odds and I have nothing but respect for him.”

WTA CHAMPIONSHIPS 2011

Kvitova downs Azarenka to win the US$1.75mil jackpot

ISTANBUL: Petra Kvitova provided further proof that she is the rising force in women’s tennis when she beat Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 to win the WTA Championships yesterday.

The 21-year-old Czech, who shot to fame by winning Wimbledon this year, produced a display of power and skill to finally overpower the gritty Azarenka and claim the US$1.75mil jackpot after remaining undefeated at the year-ending event which featured the world’s top eight women tennis players.

Victory also confirmed Kvitova at a career-high second in the WTA rankings after ending 2010 in 34th spot and she will enter the new year with No.1 Caroline Wozniacki in her sights.       

Solid form: Petra Kvitova returns the ball to Victoria Azarenka during the WTA Championship final in Istanbul. Kvitova won 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. —AFP

Left-handed Kvitova’s free-flowing game took her into a 5-0 lead in the opening set inside the Sinan Erdem Dome but she lost the next five games as the errors began to stack up.       

She finally edged the opening set on a fifth set point but Azarenka, who could also have taken the number two ranking with victory, refused to be cowed by her opponent’s superior firepower and kept her nose front to win the second set.       

Azarenka had three break points at the start of the third set but could not convert any of them and it was to prove a pivotal moment as Kvitova regained control to take the title on her debut at the showpiece tournament.

● VIENNA: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga bounced back from a set behind and a service break down to beat Juan Martin del Potro for the first time and win the Vienna ATP tournament yesterday.

The Frenchman’s 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 win also kept him on course for a place in the season-ending World Tour Finals in London next month, moving him to seventh place in the 2011 rankings ahead of Mardy Fish.

Top-seeded Tsonga crashed 25 aces on his way to a first win in four meetings over the former US Open champion, who has been fighting his way back to form after being plagued by a wrist injury last year.

“That was really tough,” said Tsonga. “Juan Martin played very well.

“I lost a little motivation after losing the first set but fortunately I got it back quickly.”

Neither player managed to break serve in the first set and, having fought back from a break point down in the tiebreak, Tsonga then served a double fault to hand Del Potro the opportunity.

The Argentine duly took it when Tsonga over-hit a forehand.

Del Potro appeared to be heading for a win when he broke in the third game of the second set, but Tsonga replied in the next game in what appeared to be the turning point of the match.

The Frenchman broke again in the sixth game when, having missed one break point, he was handed another by a Del Potro double fault and gleefully seized it with a stunning forehand drive down the line.

In the third set, the 26-year-old served nine aces and broke in the seventh game to claim his second ATP title of the year following his win in Metz. — Reuters

Source: Thestar

Kvitova, Azarenka the future of tennis

The centre court of Istanbul has given rise to two players who I believe will be the future of women's tennis - Petra Kvitova and Victoria Azarenka.

They could begin their domination next season, or it might be a little later, but it will happen within the next three years.

Caroline Wozniacki remains the world number one player but she has again reminded us of her flaws. Kvitova and Azarenka though have developed aggressive games despite two different styles.

Wozniacki is finishing number one for the second time in a row so we must show her respect because it is a great achievement.

She's getting results because of her perfect physical training and because she's a true professional in the way she prepares her matches: she thinks her game plans out perfectly with the help of her father who is also very professional; she understands the ranking system and schedule of the WTA; and finally she also has an amazing fighting spirit.

However, Kvitova owns unique abilities. She plays faster than anyone and can be absolutely unplayable when she's moving forward with good footwork. The result of any given match basically only depends on her.

Her fitness and her state of confidence play a key part in her success or failure. When she's moving with the explosiveness and frequency needed for a high risk game and when she remains inside of the court and puts all her body into the ball with the belief she's going to win, then she can beat anybody.

Azarenka on the other hand has a totally different style of game and mentality.

Yes she's an offensive player, but she's also plays the percentages. Contrary to Petra, she's not the one making all the winners and the errors.

Her style reminds me of Rafael Nadal's. Victoria hits the ball very hard and puts a lot of energy into each shot. She uses top spin a lot which pushes her opponents backward and she can play very fast because she takes the ball early. She doesn't miss much because of her top spin and because she hits into safe areas.

Her defensive game is one of the best in the world because she is a real athlete.

As I write this we are at the semi-final stage of the WTA Championship but whatever happens in the rest of the tournament, Kvitova and Azarenka are without doubt the duo that we will often see in semi-finals and finals of the Grand Slams in the years to come.

Source: Eurosports

Tennis-Tsonga and Del Potro to meet in Vienna final

VIENNA Oct 29 (Reuters) - Top seeds Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Juan Martin del Potro set up a mouth-watering final at the Vienna Open after winning their semi-finals on Saturday to keep up their chances of qualifying for the season-ending World Tour finals next month.

"I have not done well at the Masters events and the Grand Slams so this win is important for me," said Del Potro, after battling to a 6-4 3-6 6-4 win over South African Kevin Anderson to aim for his third title of the year after Delray and Estoril.

The 23-year-old Argentine, a former U.S. Open champion, is gradually fighting back to his top form after missing much of 2010 with a wrist injury.

"I don't know if I am playing at my best but I am working hard I want to end the season well and start 2012 on a good note."

Del Potro was made to work hard against rising Anderson, firing 18 aces against the South African's 17.

Tsonga, the top seed and world number nine, looked to be cruising to victory over German qualifier Daniel Brands after two early breaks saw him clinch the first set 6-2.

Brands, ranked 182nd in the world, improved his serve and rushed to the net at every opportunity in the second set to hold serve, save two Tsonga break points at 4-4 and then lead 6-5.

But the Frenchman kept his cool and was lucky to get a point off the German's serve and grab the tiebreak at the first opportunity. (Writing by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Dave Thompson)

Source: AF.REUTERS

CIMB ASIA PASIFIC CLASSIC GOLF 2011

KUALA LUMPUR: Bo Van Pelt won the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic Malaysia golf title with a tournament record total of 23-under 284 at the Mines Resort and Golf Club here on Sunday.

The 36-year-old American carded a final round 64 to win by six strokes from second-placed American Jeff Overton. Overton carded a final round 69.

Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson carded a final round 68 to finish third with a 16-under total.

Local ace Danny Chia carded a final round 70 to finish joint 13th on 12-under 284.

Danny took home about US$85,000 - the biggest pay cheque of his career thus far.

Van Pelt was two-under at the turn on Sunday and went three shots clear after Overton bogeyed the 12th and 13th holes. He pulled away from the hapless Overton with three birdies on the trot from Holes 13 to 15 for the 23-under total.

American Ben Crane won the inaugural event last year with a 18-under 284.

Van Pelt pocketed US$1.3mil for the victory.

Although Overton failed to mount a strong challenge, he still walked away with US$550,000 for second place.

Former Asian Tour No. 1 Jeev Milkha Singh of India was the best placed Asian finisher. He carded a final round of five-under 66 for a share of 10th spot with a 13-under total. 

Results 

261: Bo Van Pelt (US) 66-64-67-64;

267: Jeff Overton (US) 67-62-69-69; 

268: Fredrik Jacobson (Swe) 65-64-71-68;

269: Camilo Villegas (Col) 69-66-68-66, Cameron Tringale (US) 66-68-71-64, Mark Wilson (US) 67- 66-67-69;

270: Vijay Singh (Fij) 72-64-66-68, John Senden (Aus) 67-70-68-65, Ryan Palmer (US) 71-65-67-67;

271: Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 69-69-67-66, Jerry Kelly (US) 69-66-69-67, Jason Dufner (US) 70-67-65-69;

272: Brandt Snedeker (US) 71-68-67-66, Robert Allenby (Aus) 63-72-70-67, Stewart Cink (US) 67-66-71-68, Jimmy Walker (US) 66-67-71-68, Chris Kirk (US) 71-65-67-69, Danny Chia (Mas) 71-65-66 -70; 

273: Ricky Barnes (US) 69-71-66-67;

274: Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha) 70-67-72-65, Jonathan Byrd (US) 69-68-69-68, Ben Crane (US) 69-68-68-69;

275: Tommy Gainey (US) 68-70-70-67, Spencer Levin (US) 70-67-72-66, Jhonattan Vegas (Ven) 64-69-72-70; 

276: Kyle Stanley (US) 68-69-72-67, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 68-71-68-69; 

277: Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 68-70-73-66, Jbe Kruger (Rsa) 70-70-72-65, Chinnarat Phadungsil (Tha) 70-66-72-69; 

278: Stuart Appleby (Aus) 72-67-71-68, Brendon De Jonge (Zim) 68-72-70-68, Scott Stallings (US) 67-72-70-69, Chez Reavie (US) 69-71-67-71;

279: D.A. Points (US) 71-68-71-69, David Gleeson (Aus) 73-71-70-65;

280: Carl Pettersson (Swe) 68-67-78-67, Brian Davis (Eng) 71-71-71-67, Lucas Glover (US) 71-70-71-68, Mohd Siddikur (Ban) 68-73-68-71;

281: Tetsuji Hiratsuka (Jpn) 70-72-72-67; 

286: Brendan Steele (US) 74-73-70-69, Charley Hoffman (US) 69-73-75-69;

288: Chan Yih-shin (Tpe) 72-70-74-72;

291: Angel Cabrera (Arg) 73-73-69-76, Shaaban Hussin (Mas) 72-72-75-72;

293: S.S.P. Chowrasia (Ind) 75-71-74-73.

BADMINTON FRENCH OPEN 2011

PETALING JAYA: A quick tactical change saw World No. 1 singles shuttler Lee Chong Wei regain his supremacy over China’s Chen Long on a day when walkovers and injuries in China camp marred the French Open in Paris yesterday.

Yesterday, Chong Wei was on fire, mixing up his speed and well calculated moves to take down the six-footer Chinese with a 23-21, 17-21, 21-15 win in an energy sapping 77-minute semi-finals to set-up a meeting with Kenichi Tago of Japan.

It was a contrasting style of play by Chong Wei yesterday compared to his less aggressive approach against Chen Long at the Denmark Open just a week ago. The Malaysian had also lost narrowly to the Chinese at the preceding Japan Open final too.

The sweet revenge after the two painful defeats within a month also enabled Chong Wei to keep his perfect record of reaching every final in every tournament he had competed so far – which is a total of 11 to be exact.

Chong Wei’s win, however, must have been a bitter pill to swallow by the Chinese camp.

Just a day ago, they had given Chen Long a free ride into the semi-finals by withdrawing his opponent Wang Zhengming, citing injury as the main reason.

And yesterday, four-time world champion Lin Dan pulled off his antics again. He was on the verge of a victory over Japan’s Kenichi Tago after taking a 25-23, 18-15 lead in the semi-finals when he suddenly walked out citing injury, and leaving everyone stunned.

He was in perfect condition when he dumped team-mate Chen Jin in the quarter-finals a day ago.

This is not the first time that Lin Dan had pulled off such a stunt this year. He had also cited injury in ending his campaign prematurely at the Malaysian Open, Singapore Open and Japan Open.

National coach Tey Seu Bock was happy that Chong Wei got his act right in his third attempt against Chen Long.

“Today, Chong Wei was different and was all focused. He was bent on not losing to this player anymore and played with more aggression. It worked well for him,” said Seu Bock in a telephone interview.

“If not for some mistakes in the second game, he could have even won in a straight games. The plan was to take the first game and then wear the opponent down. And it worked.

“I was not surprised when Chen Long got a walkover in the quarter-finals. They had hoped to keep him fresh against Chong Wei and I am glad that their plan backfired. As for Lin Dan, I heard that he has a leg injury. We are used to this.”

On the final today, Seu Bock said: “Tago has been playing well here. The shuttle is really fast in the stadium and the match can be quite unpredictable. But I hope that Chong Wei will still remain steady to nick his seventh title of this year.” he added.

National coach Rashid Sidek let out a cynical laugh when asked about Lin Dan’s exit and Chen Long’s free ride into the semi-finals.

“Lin Dan was in the lead but he allowed Tago to go through. I do not know what to say about Lin Dan anymore. We are not clear about his intentions but this is not doing badminton any good,” said Rashid.

“I would sum up all these as mind games.”

RESULTS

> QUARTER-FINALS

Men’s singles: Chen Long (Chn) w/o Wang Zhengming (Chn); Kenichi Tago (Jpn) bt Hu Yun (Hkg) 13-21, 21-18, 21-7; Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Shon Wan-ho (Kor) 21-11, 21-11; Lin Dan (Chn) bt Chen Jin (Chn) 11-21, 21-19, 21-16.

Men’s doubles: Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (Den) bt Mads Conrad-Petersen-Jonas Rasmussen (Den) 21-23, 21-14, 21-19; Hirokatsu Hashimoto-Noriyasu Hirata (Jpn) bt Chris Adcock-Andrew Ellis (Eng) 16-21, 21-19, 21-10; Jung Jae-sung-Lee Yong-dae (Kor) bt Angga Pratama-Ryan Agung Saputra (Ina) 21-16, 21-12; Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng (Chn) bt Mohd Ahsan-Bona Septano (Ina) 21-12, 21-12.

Women’s singles: Li Xuerui (Chn) bt Sayaka Sato (Jpn) 21-15, 21-13; Porntip Buranaprasertsuk (Tha) bt Sung Ji-hyun (Kor) 21-15, 13-21, 21-18; Wang Xin (Chn) bt Juliane Schenk (Ger) 21-11, 21-15; Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe) bt Wang Yihan (Chn) 21-18, 21-13.

Women’s doubles: Ha Jung-eun-Kim Min-jung (Kor) bt Miyuki Maeda-Satoko Suetsuna (Jpn) 21-16, 21-16; Mizuki Fujii-Reika Kakiiwa (Jpn) bt Anneke Feinya Agustin-Nitya Krishinda Maheswari (Ina) 21-9, 21-13; Wang Xiaoli-Yu Yang (Chn) bt Vita Marissa-Nadya Melati (Ina) 21-9, 21-7; Tian Qing-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) bt Shizuka Matsuo-Mami Naito (Jpn) 21-16, 21-14.

Mixed doubles: Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) bt Yoo Yeon-seong-Jang Ye-na (Kor) 21-17, 21-18; Xu Chen-Ma Jin (Chn) bt Nova Widianto-Vita Marissa (Ina) 18-21, 21-19, 21-11; Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen (Den) bt Lee Yong-dae-Ha Jung-eun (Kor) 21-14, 16-21, 21-17; Tantowi Ahmad-Lilyana Natsir (Ina) bt Chen Hung-ling-Cheng Wen-hsing (Tpe) 21-9, 21-14.

> SEMI-FINALS

Men’s singles: Kenichi Tago (Jpn) bt Lin Dan (Chn) 23-25, 15-18 rtd.;Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Chen Long (Chn) 23-21, 17-21, 21-15

Men’s doubles: Jung Jae-sung-Lee Yong-dae (Kor) bt Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (Den) 21-17, 21-17; Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng (Chn) bt Hirokatsu Hashimoto-Noriyasu Hirata (Jpn) 21-11, 13-21, 21-9.

Women’s singles: Li Xuerui (Chn) bt Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe) 21-8, 21-19; Wang Xin (Chn) bt Porntip Buranaprasertsuk (Tha) 15-21, 21-4, 21-7.

Women’s doubles: Tian Qing-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) w.o. Ha Jung-eun-Kim Min-jung (Kor).

Mixed doubles: Xu Chen-Ma Jin (Chn) bt Tantowi Ahmad-Lilyana Natsir (Ina) 16-21, 21-14, 21-11; Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen (Den) bt Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) 21-14, 22-24, 22-20.

Source: Thestar

Maria Sharapova pulled out of the WTA Championships

Maria Sharapova pulled out of the WTA Championships with a sore ankle Wednesday after losing her second straight match at the season-ending tournament.
The second-ranked Russian’s withdrawal ensures that Caroline Wozniacki will finish the year with the No. 1 ranking, despite losing her group-stage match against Russia’s Vera Zvonareva.
Sharapova entered the tournament after sitting out since withdrawing in the quarterfinals in Tokyo last month because of an ankle injury.
After losing 7-6 (4), 6-4 to Li Na in her second round-robin match Wednesday, Sharapova said “the ankle didn’t recover as well as I had hoped after the first round.”
Sharapova lost to Sam Stosur in her opening match on Tuesday.
“The swelling got a little worse,” the second-ranked Russian said. “It just limits my movement a lot, and it’s not something I really want to risk, especially at the end of the season, knowing that I have some time to recover and let it heal naturally instead of really pushing it and damaging something else.”
The Russian will be replaced by alternate Marion Bartoli of France, who will face Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in the final group round. Azarenka maintained her perfect record against Sam Stosur with a 6-2, 6-2 win earlier Wednesday.
Wozniacki fell to 1-1 in the round-robin phase after losing 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 against Zvonareva in the late match. Even with the loss, she will finish at No. 1 in the rankings for the second year in a row, despite never having won a major. Sharapova was the only player with a chance to overtake the Dane going into the tournament.
“It’s amazing for me to finish the year as No. 1 once more,” Wozniacki said. “I mean, only very few players have finished a year as No. 1, and to do it two years in a row is very special. I’m only in the beginning of my career, and to have achieved so much already, it’s a dream come true.”
Sharapova led 4-2 in the first set before Li broke back to force the tiebreaker, where the Russian let a 4-0 lead slip away. Li then took a 5-2 lead in the second and served out the match on her second attempt.
Sharapova said she expects to return to the court in Brisbane next year ahead of theAustralian Open.
“Obviously disappointing to end it this way,” the Russian said about her season. “But I have no regrets. ... I definitely progressed from last year and I’ve improved, and my game has stepped up. I still feel like going into next year there’s so many things that I can improve that can make me better. It’s just something I look forward to when I start training again.”
Li, the French Open champion, is the first Chinese player to qualify for the season-ending event for the world’s top eight players.
Stosur, the U.S. Open champion, was coming off her first ever win over Sharapova on Tuesday but appeared flat as she came out for Wednesday’s opening match. In her first match in the White Group, the fourth-seeded Azarenka broke four times to take her head-to-head record against Stosur to 5-0.
“I didn’t play aggressive enough ... I don’t feel like I did anything,” Stosur said. “I just kind of got pushed around the court, and eventually was made to make an error or she would hit a winner.”
The Australian said her performance wasn’t affected by the late match against Sharapova the previous evening.
“Oh, I can’t blame that,” she said. “Yeah, it was a quick turnaround, but I felt like I was ready to go.”

Source : Taiwannews

Wozniacki to end year as world number one as Sharapova pulls out

ISTANBUL: Caroline Wozniacki celebrated in defeat on Wednesday after injured Russian Maria Sharapova’s withdrawal from the season-ending WTA Championships made sure the Dane would end the year as world number one.       

Wozniacki lost 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to Russian Vera Zvonareva but with Sharapova already packing her bags for home, the loss in her second round-robin match in the Sinan Erdem Dome did nothing to weaken her grip on the top ranking she has enjoyed for 36 weeks.       

World number two Sharapova, who began the day as the only player still able to topple the Dane in the rankings, quit after losing 7-6, 6-4 to China’s Li Na in the White Group.       

Take that: Vera Zvonareva of Russia making a return to Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark during their WTA Championships match in Istanbul on Wednesday. — Reuters

Wozniacki, 21, now faces Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova needing victory to have a chance of reaching the semi-finals of the US$4.9mil event.       

Wednesday though was all about the rankings and she could shrug off the defeat to Zvonareva with a smile.       

“I like to play long matches,” the world number one told reporters after a presentation by the WTA.

“I like to give the crowd a little bit for their money.       

“Five hours of tennis in two days, that’s perfect. It’s good conditioning. I need to keep in shape because when I go on holiday I probably won’t do too much,” added Wozniacki who beat close friend Agnieszka Radwanska in three sets on Tuesday.       

Wozniacki, whose father and coach Piotr was urging his daughter on at the changeovers, said the number one ranking was just as important as winning Grand Slams – a feat that has so far proved beyond her.       

“I think people do realise the true importance of it,” she said. “If you ask any little girl or any little boy, everyone will know what it means to be number one.       

“Maybe not everyone will understand what a Grand Slam (is) because you have to be into tennis to know that. If you’re number one it means you’ve done something remarkable.”       

Wozniacki has spent all but one week as number one since last October, briefly losing it to Kim Clijsters in February.       

While the Dane could bask in her achievement of finishing top of the rankings for the second consecutive year, Sharapova suffered a sad end to a season which propelled her back to the top of the game after shoulder surgery.       

“The ankle didn’t recover as well as I had hoped after my first match,” the former world number one told reporters.       

“It limits my movement a lot and it’s not something I really want to risk. I tried to push it as much as I could but I think it was a little too soon.”       

Sharapova injured her ankle in Tokyo recently and only just recovered in time to compete in Istanbul. She will be replaced by first alternate Marion Bartoli of France who will face Victoria Azarenka today. — Reuters

Source: Thestar

ROGER FEDERER WALL!!

I am back in Basel getting ready for my hometown tournament. I
stopped by today at the tennis club I grew up at and this is the wall I hit
against for hours and hours when I was young and just starting to play
tennis.

GREAT WALL OF FEDERER

Italy in mourning as tragic Simoncelli's body is flown back home for funeral

The body of MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli has arrived back in Italy following Sunday's fatal accident in the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Simoncelli's father Paolo and fellow rider Valentino Rossi were aboard the flight that arrived at Rome's Leonardo Da Vinci airport on Tuesday.

They were greeted by Italian Olympic Committee president Giovanni Petrucci.

Devastated: Marco Simoncelli's father Paolo (left) is embraced by Italian Olympic president Giovanni Petrucci

Home: Airport officials remove the container with the coffin of Simoncelli on the Rome runway on Tuesday

Petrucci ordered a minute's silence before all football matches Sunday and players wore black armbands as a tribute to the young rider.

'On Sunday when we held a minute's silence there was a total demonstration of how much this kid was loved,' Petrucci said. 'We're here to demonstrate the love and affection for this kid.'

Simoncelli died of chest, head and neck injuries after he lost control of his Honda and swerved across the track, straight into the path of American rider Colin Edwards and Rossi.

Rossi, the seven-time world champion, was a good friend of Simoncelli's.

A public viewing of Simoncelli's body is planned for Wednesday in the city theatre of his hometown, Coriano, with the funeral scheduled for Thursday.

Tribute: A biker pays homage as the car with the body of Simoncelli leaves the airport in Rome

Rossi led the tributes for Simoncelli after he became the second high-profile death in motorsport in a week.

Simoncelli was killed exactly a week after British star Dan Wheldon died at the IndyCar 300 in Las Vegas.

Loss: Marco's father Paolo as the hearse drives away on Tuesday morning

The Gresini Honda rider lost control of his bike on the second lap of the circuit in Sepang and was hit by Edwards and Rossi.

The 24-year-old's helmet came off in the collision and he was taken to the medical centre for treatment, but died from his injuries.

Simoncelli suffered 'serious trauma' to the head, neck and chest in the accident.

The organisers cancelled Sunday's race as soon as the extent of Simoncelli's injuries became apparent.

Gresini Racing has now withdrawn its teams from the season-ending races at Valencia.

Team boss Fausto Gresini also confirmed his riders would miss the end-of-season tests which follow on from the November 6 races.

Shattered: Marco's girlfriend Kate at the Fiumicino Airport in Rome as his body returns home

'The only certainty is that my team won't participate in the upcoming Valencia Grand Prix and in the tests programmed after the race,' Gresini told Corriere dello Sport.

'Everything happened so fast. I'm lost for words. I know our job is dangerous, that risk is part of the game, but you always hope nothing happens. 

'When it does happen and you find yourself in the middle of it, everything changes, it's difficult to accept it.

'The crash was caused by a sequence of incredibly negative circumstances, the bike that moved towards the inside of the turn instead of the outside, being run over on the widest track of the season.'

Hero: Fans laid flowers in Cattolica after the death of Mario Simoncelli

Rossi said: 'Marco was a star and I'll never forget him. There are a lot of memories that I'll hold onto. We were together everyday, we trained together and racing was our passion. We already knew that this was something that can happen.'

Rossi, who is struggling with Ducati this season, dismissed speculation that he might retire in the aftermath of the crash.

'I never said that. It was probably made up just to sell newspapers,' Rossi said.

Spanish rider Dani Pedrosa had a dispute with fellow factory Honda rider Simoncelli earlier this season, but news of his rival's death left last season's championship runner-up reeling.

Repsol Honda's Pedrosa said: 'In a tragedy like this there is not much to say. I just want to give my condolences to his family and all the people who love him. 

Moment of horror: Simoncelli loses control on the second lap

Fall: Edwards spins off the track along with Simoncelli's bike as the 24-year-old Italian devastatingly lies motionless

'I've been with his father and all we could do was to hug, nothing else matters. It was a fatal accident and everybody in the paddock remains in shock.

'Many times we ourselves forget how dangerous this sport can be and when you lose people on the way nothing has any meaning. It's clear that we all do what we like, what we love, but on days like this nothing matters.'

Newly-crowned MotoGP champion Casey Stoner added: 'I'm so shocked and saddened by the loss of Marco. When things like this happen it reminds you how precious life is, it makes me feel sick inside.

'All I can say is how sorry I am for Marco's whole family. I can't imagine what they are all going through and our thoughts and wishes are with them at this time. I hope they all stay close and pull through this tragedy together.'

Speaking at a press conference following the tragedy, medical director Dr Michele Macchiagodena said of Simoncelli: 'Because of the crash he had during the race, in which he was hit by other riders, he suffered a very serious trauma to the head, to the neck and the chest.

Agony: Marco Simoncelli's father is comforted as he waits outside a medical centre where the rider was taken following a crash at the Malaysian Grand Prix

Sorrow: Honda team members (above and below) react to the sad news

'When our medical staff got to him he was unconscious. In the ambulance because there was a cardiac arrest they started CPR (cardiac pulmonary resuscitation).

'Immediately in the medical centre, with the help also of the doctor of our staff at the Clinica Mobile and local doctors, he was intubated and it was possible to take off some blood from the thorax.

'The CPR was continued for 45 minutes because we tried to help him for as long as we thought it was possible. Unfortunately it was not possible to help him and at 16:56 (local time) we had to declare he was dead.'

Simoncelli's compatriot and Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso said: 'I watched the images and I'm shocked: in a race you fight and push hard and disaster is often around the corner.

'Marco was a strong rider and he always pushed hard. We raced together since we were kids, I saw him always pushing to the maximum, he crashed many times, but without major injuries, he was seemed invincible. What happened today seems impossible.'

Simoncelli, who won the 250cc world championship in 2008, clinching the crown in Sepang, stepped up to MotoGP in 2010 and he finished eighth overall last season.

Losing control: Simoncelli (No 58) crashed on the second lap of the race, riding between Edwards and Valentino Rossi

Emergency: Race marshalls quickly arrive at the scene to assist the stricken Simoncelli

His death was the first fatality in MotoGP since Japan's Daijiro Katoh died from his injuries sustained at the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix.

When asked about Simoncelli's helmet coming off, race director Paul Butler said at the press conference: 'I think if I may reply, that will be for another occasion. Quite clearly the consequences and circumstances surrounding the accident will be thoroughly investigated.'

Tributes poured in for Simoncelli from both MotoGP and the wider world of motorsport.

Formula One driver Mark Webber wrote on Twitter: 'R.I.P Marco A special talent that will be missed... Thinking of your loved ones, and all the motogp paddock..mark."

Britain's Jenson Button wrote on his Twitter account: 'R.I.P Marco... Such an exciting talent lost. My thoughts are with his family, friends and everyone involved in MotoGP. Motorsport can be so cruel...'

Wheeled away: Track officials remove Simoncelli's motorcycle after the dreadful accident

British rider Cal Crutchlow added on Twitter: 'RIP Marco Simoncelli ! A great rider and all round nice guy. My thoughts are with all his family & friends.'

Cancelled: Rubbish covers the track after the race was abandoned early in Sepang

Delivering the news: MotoGp officials relay the tragic announcement

'An inconceivable death which has stunned Italian sport. For this reason we decided that all sport today should honor him with a minute's silence.'

A statement on the MotoGP official website read: 'On Sunday 23rd October, during the MotoGP race at the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit, San Carlo Honda Gresini's Italian rider Marco Simoncelli suffered a serious accident in which he received critical injuries.

'The race was stopped immediately with the red flag and Simoncelli was transported by ambulance to the circuit medical centre where the medical staff worked to resuscitate him.

'Despite their efforts, Marco sadly succumbed to his injuries at 4:56pm local time.

Support: Simoncelli's girlfriend Kate is consoled by a TV crew member following her partner's tragic crash

'Everybody involved in MotoGP extends its deepest condolences to Marco's family, friends and team at this tragic loss.'

Simoncelli, who won the 250cc world championship in 2008, clinching the crown in Sepang, stepped up to MotoGP in 2010.

A message on Simoncelli's Gresini Honda team website read simply 'CIAO "SUPER SIC"'.

The Rizla Suzuki team wrote: 'All at Rizla Suzuki are deeply affected by today's tragic events and send their deepest condolences to Marco's family and friends during this time of great loss.

'R.I.P Marco Simoncelli, 20 January 1987 - 23 October 2011 - A true competitor.'

Of the other riders involved, Edwards suffered a dislocated shoulder after being thrown from his bike, while Rossi managed to limp back to the pits.

Meanwhile, Rossi's mentor has denied the Italian great will be retiring from the sport in the wake of his Simoncelli's death.

Davide Brivio, Rossi's manager at former team Yamaha, responded to widespread internet rumours that the 32-year-old was too upset to carry on racing. 

'Many are asking about Vale stopping races. This is absolutely not true and I'm sorry even that I have to explain it,' Brivio wrote on Twitter. 

Tribute: A huge screen shows a picture of Simoncelli during a minute's silence at the Roma v Palermo at the Olympic stadium

MARCO SIMONCELLI: 1987 - 2011

1987: Born in Cattolica, Italy on January 20.
1996: Runner-up in the Italian Minimoto Championship.
1999: Champion of the Italian Minimoto Championship.
2000: Claims a back-to-back title in the Italian Minimoto Championship and is runner-up in the European Minimoto Championship.
2001: Moves up to the the Italian 125cc Championship and wins the title in his rookie year.
2002: Wins the European 125cc title.
2003: Takes part in his first full season in the 125cc World Championship with the Matteoni Racing team.
2004: Joins the Rauch Bravo team and wins his first Grand Prix at a rain-soaked Jerez.
2005: Completes another 125cc campaign with the Nocable.it Race team and finishes fifth in the final standings.
2006: Moves up to the 250cc class riding for Gilera. Finishes the season in 10th overall with a sixth place finish at the Chinese Grand Prix his best result.

2008: June - Wins his first 250cc race at the Italian GP in Mugello in controversial circumstances when Hector Barbera crashed into him after Simoncelli appeared to try to block him off.
October - Wins the 250cc World Championship after a successful season with Gilera with a third place finish in the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang.
2009: Finishes third overall in the 250cc World Championship behind Japan's Hiroshi Aoyama and Spain's Barbera.
2010: Moves up to ride in his debut MotoGP season for Honda. Finishes 16 of the 18 races en route to eighth place in the championship.
2011: May - Collides with Dani Pedrosa while battling for second in the French GP. The resulting crash saw Pedrosa break his collarbone and Simoncelli receive a ride-through penalty, eventually finishing fifth. Simoncelli accepted he needed to re-evaluate his driving style and at times be more cautious.
June - Claims his first MotoGP pole at the Catalan GP but a poor start resulted in a sixth placed finish.
October 23 - Killed in a crash during the Malaysian GP in Sepang.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-2053209/Marco-Simoncelli-funeral-Italy-mourns-body-flown-home-death-crash.html#ixzz1bt2kLxvv


Source : Dailymail