OmanObserver_30-06-13

SUNDAY, JUNE 30, 2013
SPORT
Youzhny looms for Murray, Tomic booms
British teenager Robson keeps home flag flying, Seppi ends Nishikori’s run
LONDON — Russian Mikhail Youzhny
loomed on Andy Murray's horizon
and Australian Bernard Tomic hurtled
back on to the Grand Slam radar as an
unpredictable Wimbledon neared its
halfway point yesterday.
Youzhny, the 20th seed, beat Viktor
Troicki in straight sets to reach the
last 16 while bad-boy Tomic continued
his impressive form to knock out
French ninth seed Richard Gasquet.
Tipped as his country's next big
thing the 20-year-old Tomic has instead
gained a reputation as a sports
car-driving playboy and was left out
of Australia's Davis Cup team last year
for what oficials considered a lack of
effort.
A quarterinalist here in 2011,
Tomic had lost his last 11 matches
against top-10 opponents but produced
a display of maturity and skill
to win 7-6 (7), 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (5).
Youzhny's clash with Serb Troicki at
a sun-drenched All England Club was
one of four men's third round matches
in the lower half that had been held
over from a rain-hit on Friday.
In the other matches, Spain's Fernando
Verdasco, Poland's Lukasz Kubot
and Frenchman Kenny De Schepper
also reached the last 16.
Yet another injury blighted the
tournament with Dutchman Igor Sijsling's
retirement from his third round
match with Croatia's Ivan Dodig taking
the tally of withdrawals to 13 —
already equalling the previous worst
toll in 2008.
OLYMPIC PARADE
Apart from appearing on Centre
Court in a parade of Britain's Olympians,
Murray enjoyed a day of leisure
having seen off Spain's Tommy Robredo
under the Centre Court roof on
Friday.
With the hype beginning to boil
as he tries to go one better than last
year and become Britain's irst male
Wimbledon champion for 77 years,
the world No 2 would have enjoyed
seeing Laura Robson win to keep him
company in the second week.
The unseeded 19-year-old rallied
from the brink of defeat against New
Zealander Marina Erakovic to win
Gayle powers Windies past Sri Lanka
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Chris Gayle
notched his irst one-day hundred
against Sri Lanka as he led West Indies
to a crushing six-wicket victory
with more than 12 overs to spare in
the opening match of the three-nation
international series at Sabina Park on
Friday.
Replying to the visitors' modest
total of 208 all out off 48.3 overs, the
hard-hitting opening batsman delighted
his fellow Jamaicans with another
dominant effort on the way to
his 21st one-day international (ODI)
century.
His 109 came off 100 deliveries
and was embellished with seven sixes
and nine fours.
That pushed his team on to 209 for
four off 37.5 overs and they earned a
bonus point as well for reaching their
target before the conclusion of the
40th over.
Any anxiety that home fans may
have had about the target facing them
were erased by the conidence of
Gayle's start.
The former captain dominated an
opening partnership of 115 by the
21st over with Johnson Charles, who
rode his luck for a supporting but
struggling 29 before he fell off the
bowling of left-arm spinner Rangana
Herath.
Ajantha Mendis eventually accounted
for Gayle via a miscued swing
to leg, but the clever slow bowler,
making a return to the Sri Lankan
1-6, 7-5, 6-3, sparking wild celebrations
on Court Two and on the slope
known as Henman Hill where thousands
watched on a huge screen.
There was disappointment, though,
for a legion of Japanese fans watching
12th seed Kei Nishikori as he went
down in ive sets to Italian Andreas
Seppi after twice being in front.
Number 23 seed Seppi has now
prevailed in his last seven ive-set
matches.
Former women's champion Petra
Kvitova avoided becoming yet another
high seed to perish as she completed a
third round victory against Ekaterina
Makarova over two days. The eighthseeded
Czech, champion in 2011, returned
to court 2-1 down in the inal
set after bad light and drizzle stopped
play on Friday and revelled in yesterday's
warmer temperatures to take
the deciding set 6-3.
STEPHENS RECOVERS
American Sloane Stephens moved
away from the abyss against lowlyranked
Czech Petra Cetkovska to
reach the fourth round at Wimbledon
for the irst time where she will face
another last 16 debutant in Puerto Ri-
can Monica Puig. In a match that was
also completed over two days, the
17th seed lost eight games in a row
after winning the irst set on Thursday
in a tiebreak, but from 2-0 down
in the deciding set she pulled herself
together to win it 6-4.
Another American tipped for
a bright future, teenager Madison
Keys, was also seeking a last 16 berth
but lost out in three sets to Poland's
fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska,
who faces Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova
in the last 16.
Youzhny served notice that Mur-
ray's expected charge into the inal
for a second consecutive year will not
be the cakewalk some predict in the
wake of a rash of irst-week retirements
and withdrawals that decimated
the bottom half of the draw.
The burly Russian won 6-3, 6-4,
7-5 but inevitably most of the questions
in his news conference revolved
around his impending battle with
home favourite Murray.
"Don't worry, I will sleep normal,"
Youzhny said, when asked if he was
concerned about being public enemy
No 1 tomorrow.
World champions India wary of conident West Indies
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Exactly one
week after clinching the Champions
Trophy in a dramatic, rain-affected
inale in Birmingham, undisputed
world one-day champions India take
on a conident West Indies team today
at Sabina Park in the second match of
the Tri-Nation Series.
Fresh from a convincing tournament-opening
victory over Sri Lanka
at the same venue on Friday, home
Australia’s Bernard Tomic returns against France’s Richard Gasquet during their third-round match at the All England Club yesterday. — AFP
Chris Gayle of West Indies celebrates after scoring a century against Sri
Lanka at the Sabina Park in Kingston on Friday. — AFP
side, did not materialise as the threat
his teammates would have hoped.
Darren Bravo was run out near the
end for 27 and Kieron Pollard was
unlucky to be adjudged lbw to Nuwan
Kulasekara, but by then the match
was over as a contest and Marlon
Samuels, with skipper Dwayne Bravo
at the other end, ensured that victory
was complete.
Earlier, Sunil Narine returned to
his miserly, wicket-taking best, snaring
four for 40 as Sri Lanka faltered
after a deceptively bright start to be
dismissed for 208.
He had an instant impact on the
captain Dwayne Bravo is nevertheless
mindful that Mahendra Singh
Dhoni's side are an altogether different
proposition given their considerable
strengths in all departments of
the game.
India trounced the West Indies by
eight wickets at the group stage of
the Champions Trophy, yet Dhoni has
been publicly advising caution over
the expectation of continuous success,
match when he came on in the 18th
over, removing the proliic and experienced
pair of Mahela Jayawardene
(52) and Kumar Sangakkara (17) in
his irst three overs to immediately
put the brake on what had been a
promising start by the Sri Lankans.
Jayawardene was at his luent best,
dominating an opening partnership
of 62 with Upul Tharanga before they
were separated by Bravo.
In contrast, Sangakkara never really
got going and the West Indies
were understandably delighted when
he pushed a straightforward catch to
Pollard at cover.
given the different context and different
conditions presented by each succeeding
competition.
"What is very important for us is
not to look too far ahead," he said on
the eve of this series. "The demands
(of the fans) remain the same. The
expectation when it comes to the Indian
cricket team has always been the
same."
In conditions quite similar to what
Ravi Rampaul backed up the
frontline spinner's effort with three
wickets and it was left to Sri Lankan
captain Angelo Mathews to hold the
innings together following the demise
of the two big hitters, his unbeaten 55
being the top score as he capitalised
on an early bit of luck when put down
by Gayle off the bowling of pacer Kemar
Roach.
SCOREBOARD
Sri Lanka
U Tharanga c Ramdin b D J Bravo .........................25
M Jayawardene c Ramdin b Narine ......................52
K Sangakkara c Pollard b Narine ...........................17
D Chandimal c D J Bravo b Samuels .....................21
A Mathews (not out) ....................................................55
L Thirimanne c Charles b Rampaul .........................6
N Kulasekara c Pollard b Rampaul ..........................2
J Mendis c Samuels b Narine .......................................5
R Herath c Sammy b Rampaul ...................................4
L Malinga lbw Narine .....................................................8
A Mendis c Charles b D J Bravo ..................................2
Extras: (b-5, lb-2, w-4) ...............................................11
Total: (all out, 48.3 overs) .....................................208
Fall of wickets: 1-62, 2-85, 3-104, 4-140, 5-151,
6-159, 7-176, 8-190, 9-205.
Bowling: Roach 7-1-41-0, Rampaul 10-0-38-3,
Sammy 10-0-34-0, D J Bravo 7.3-0-37-2, Narine
10-0-40-4, Samuels 4-1-11-1.
West Indies
C Gayle c Chandimal b A Mendis .........................109
J Charles c Jayawardene b Herath .........................29
D M Bravo run out .........................................................27
M Samuels (not out) .....................................................15
K Pollard lbw Kulasekara .............................................0
D J Bravo (not out) ...........................................................8
Extras: (b-4, lb-7, w-10) ............................................21
Total: (4 wkts, 37.5 overs) ....................................209
Fall of wickets: 1-115, 2-181, 3-190, 4-193.
Bowling: Malinga 7-0-34-0, Kulasekara 8-1-
39-1, A Mendis 10-0-53-1, Mathews 5-0-28-0,
Herath 6-0-37-1, J Mendis 1.5-1-7-0.
they are accustomed to at home, the
Indians are not expected to tinker too
much with a combination that proved
so successful in England.
They will obviously be conscious
of the ever-present threat of rain at
this time of the year in the Caribbean
in determining their inal eleven, although
the inclement weather thankfully
stayed away for the West Indies'
six-wicket whipping of Sri Lanka, a
result that also brought them a potentially
crucial bonus point.
Bravo effectively set the stage for
this impending showdown immediately
after the win on Friday in urging
Jamaican fans to turn up in huge numbers
for a clash that offers the prospect
of a number of appetising possibilities,
not least the continuation
of the match-winning form shown by
hometown hero Chris Gayle.
27
ROBSON BANS MUM
Meanwhile, Laura Robson admitted
she is ready to ban her mum from
watching her at Wimbledon after
the teenager became the irst British
woman to reach the fourth round in
15 years.
The Australia-born youngster, who
won junior Wimbledon in 2008, has
made her historic run without the
support of her mother Kathy, who has
remained at home in Greece, because
she couldn’t get a sitter for the family’s
dogs.
Asked if her mum would ly into
London for the second week of Wimbledon,
Robson said she would prefer
to maintain her current routine without
any family interruptions.
“I don’t think so. I’m doing okay
without her here,” she said.
“Because then like it’s a whole other
situation and it breaks your rhythm
a little bit. So you need to have the exact
same thing all the time.”
Robson underlined her potential
at the US Open last year, when she
defeated Kim Clijsters and Li Na en
route to the last 16, but she claimed
her presence in the second week at
Wimbledon felt like the real deal.
Results (x denotes seeding): Men's
singles: 3rd round: Bernard Tomic (AUS)
bt Richard Gasquet (FRA x9) 7-6 (9/7), 5-7,
7-5, 7-6 (7/5); Tomas Berdych (CZE x7) bt
Kevin Anderson (RSA x27) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4,
7-5; Ivan Dodig (CRO) bt Igor Sijsling (NED)
6-0, 6-1, 1-0 - retired; Andreas Seppi (ITA
x23) bt Kei Nishikori (JPN x12) 3-6, 6-2, 6-7
(4/7), 6-1, 6-4; Juan Martı́n Del Potro (ARG
x8) bt Grega Zemlja (SLO) 7-5, 7-6 (7/3),
6-0; Lukasz Kubot (POL) bt Benoı̂t Paire
(FRA x25) 6-1, 6-3, 6-4; Fernando Verdasco
(ESP) bt Ernests Gulbis (LAT) 6-2, 6-4, 6-4;
Kenny De Schepper (FRA) bt Juan Monaco
(ARG x22) 6-4, 7-6 (10/8), 6-4; Mikhail
Youzhny (RUS x20) bt Viktor Troicki (SRB)
6-3, 6-4, 7-5.
Women's singles: 3rd round: Laura
Robson (GBR) bt Marina Erakovic (NZL)
1-6, 7-5, 6-3; Agnieszka Radwanska (POL
x4) bt Madison Keys (USA) 7-5, 4-6, 6-3;
Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) bt Petra Martic
(CRO) 6-1, 4-6, 6-2; Roberta Vinci (ITA x11)
bt Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x18) 6-1, 6-4;
Monica Puig (PUR) bt Eva Birnerova (CZE)
4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Sloane Stephens (USA x17)
bt Petra Cetkovska (CZE) 7-6 (7/3), 0-6,
6-4; Petra Kvitova (CZE x8) bt Ekaterina
Makarova (RUS x25) 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.
Watson denies forcing
Warner issue
LONDON — Shane Watson has
denied any role in forcing Australia
cricket chiefs to take action
against David Warner for the
opener's attack on England's Joe
Root.
Earlier this month, Warner
was ined A$11,500 ($11,000)
and suspended until the start of
the Ashes in Nottingham on July
10 by Cricket Australia. The sanctions
were for punching Root in
a Birmingham bar following Australia's
Champions Trophy loss to
their arch-rivals.
The fall-out from the saga then
took a shock turn when coach
Mickey Arthur was sacked on
Monday, just 16 days out from the
Ashes.
Following Warner's suspension,
there were reports in the
Australian media that oficials
had only decided to discipline
Warner after Watson had complained
about double standards.
Watson was one of four players
dropped from the Test side during
a 4-0 series loss in India earlier
this year for failing to hand in
a written feedback requested by
team management.
Watson told the Cricinfo
website on Friday that Arthur's
actions in India had set a 'dangerous
precedent' and lauded new
coach Darren Lehmann.
But he insisted he had not done
anything to make oficials suspend
Warner.
"Absolutely not," Watson said
when asked if he had informed
Arthur of events at the Walkabout
bar in Birmingham.
"In the end, the coaching staff
and Mickey and the leadership
group found out about Dave's incident
off their own bat.
"It had absolutely nothing to do
with me in any way shape or form
and I'm not sure why that was
brought out in the media because
it certainly wasn't the truth.
"They obviously found out,
there were some people who
were in and around the incident
at the time who had relayed the
information, so it certainly had
nothing to do with me."
Watson has been told by
former Australia batsman Lehmann
he will be one of Australia's
openers in the Ashes and scored
90 in the ongoing tour match
against Somerset in Taunton.
"The way Darren operates is
a more light-hearted way (than
Arthur)," Watson said.
England begin their defence of
the Ashes against arch-rivals Australia
in the irst of a ive-Test series
at Trent Bridge, Nottingham,
on July 10. — AFP
His 109 turned a potentially tricky
target against the Sri Lankans into a
canter. Yet the West Indies are acutely
aware that in the likes of Virat Kohli
and rising star Shikhar Dhawan, the
Indians have the sort of irepower to
respond in kind, suggesting that the
often overlooked bowlers on both
sides may be the ones making the
critical inputs in this eagerly anticipated
duel. — AFP