June 15 2017 Indian Newslink Digital Edition

24
Sportslink / Entertainmentlink
Grand Slammer Venus lifts the Tennis bar
Apurv Shukla
New Zealand’s Michael Venus
became the first Kiwi in 38
years to win a Tennis Grand
Slam, at the French Open in
Paris on June 10, 2017.
The last time a New Zealander held
aloft a Grand Slam was in 1979 when Judy
Chaloner won the Australian Open.
Pleasing win
Twenty-nine-year old Aucklander,
Venus partnered the big serving American
Ryan Harrison to beat Mexican Santiago
Gonzalez and American Donald Young 7-6
(7-5) 6-7 (7-4) 6-3 in the finals.
Pacific Dance Festival promises cultural extravaganza
Staff Reporter
info@indiannewslink.co.nz
New Zealand tennis fans are familiar
with all players in the finals as Harrison,
Young and Gonzalez have been regulars at
the Auckland ASB Open.
Venus is projected to rise as high as 15
in the ATP doubles rankings after his win.
Kiwi Tennis is in the best health it has
been in years with Marcus Daniel, Artem
Sitak and Michael Venus all doing well
in the international doubles circuit and
Marina Erakovic playing the main draw at
Grand Slams.
India’s feats
India’s Rohan Bopanna became the
fourth tennis player from that country to
win a Grand Slam, when he partnered
Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski to win the
mixed doubles title at Roland Garros.
Playing his second Grand Slam final
after reaching the US open finals seven
years ago, Bopanna and Dabrowski saved
The Pacific Dance Festival, which
attracted thousands of people last
year, returns with a more colourful
and bigger programme this year.
Scheduled to be held at the Mangere
Arts Centre in the South Auckland suburb
of Mangere from June 15 to 24, 2017, the
Festival has been inspired by the Pacific
Dance Choreographic Laboratory.
The Festival will provide an opportunity
for Pacific choreographers to create, develop,
and perform original dance works in a
celebration of Pacific cultures.
Embracing Contemporary Art
Pacific Dance New Zealand has taken
this initiative to embrace contemporary Pacific
dance in the most populous Polynesian
city in the world.
Festival Director Iosefa Enari said that
the Festival is New Zealand’s only contemporary
Pacific dance festival of its type,
showcasing most exciting contemporary
Pacific dance choreographers.
“It is also a wonderful opportunity for
audiences to familiarise themselves with
the incredible diversity of performance out
there. Pacific Dance New Zealand fosters
and encourages the development of the
Pacific dance sector of New Zealand. We
are involved in running dance workshops,
conferences, community and professional
events promoting Pacific dance in New
Zealand.”
The First Week
The first week of the festival will present
Michael Venus
(Picture Courtesy: Radio New Zealand)
two match points to secure a thrilling 2-6,
6-2, 12-10 win over Germany’s Anna-Lena
Groenefeld and Colombia’s Robert Farah.
It also made Dabrowski (who was part
of this year’s ASB Open) the first player
from Canada to secure a Grand Slam win.
Bangalore based 37-year-old Bopanna,
turned professional in 2003, and has spent
close to two decades on the tennis circuit
carving out a solid career where he has
reached a career high ranking of three in
Wahine Toa over two nights, a collection
of four works by female choreographers
in celebration of the strength and
diversity of Pasifika women: Tai Akaki by
Tepaeru–Ariki Lulu French, Ave by Ufitia
Sagapolute, West Meet South by Losalia
Milika Pusiaki, and Found Words by Julia
Mage’au Gray.
The week will conclude with the debut
performance of the highly anticipated Nu’u
by Freshman’s Crew on Saturday June
17, 2017, fusing together Pacific, Maori,
Urban and Contemporary dance styles in
a story exploring three characters and their
experiences growing up in New Zealand.
Nu’u will debut at the Pacific Dance
Festival before travelling overseas, with
interest from as far abroad as Hawaii, Los
Angeles, and Utah already being expressed.
doubles a few years ago.
Coincidentally, Bopanna beat another
Indian Grand Slam winner Sania Mirza in
the quarter finals (she partnered Croatian
Ivan Dodig).
The first Indian to taste victory at the
French Open was Ramesh Krishnan, when
he won the boy’s title in 1979.
Other Greats
Spaniard Rafael Nadal won a record
10th French Open when he beat Swiss
Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 in the finals.
Nadal’s 15th Grand Slam win puts him
just three behind Roger Federer world
record of 18 Slams.
He also lost just 35 games in total at
Paris this year and only six in the final,
recording his most comprehensive victory
since losing only four games in the 2008
final to Federer.
Former World No 1 and 2016 French
The Second Week
Week Two will feature the men of the
programme in action, presenting Tamatoa
and consisting of original works: ‘Muamua
and Keeping the Faith’ by Joash Fahitua,
Fa’aafa by Pati Tyrell, Mea Tau by Elijah
Kennar, and Tu Move by the New Zealand
School of Dance.
Closing the festival will be a huge double
bill performance of Aumaga by Le Moana
and Le Mau by Jasmine Leota, showing on
June 23 and June 24, 2017.
In addition to the evening performances,
the Festival will invite South Auckland
schools to attend free matinees of four of
the works, Tia, Keeping the Faith, Le au
and Aumaga as part of their commitment
to nurture and support the stories of young
Pasifika people.
JUNE 15, 2017
Open winner Novak Djokovic had another
disappointing Slam in losing to Dominic
Thiem in straight sets in the quarter finals.
This was the Serb’s first partnership with
new coach Andre Agassi.
Speculation is rife that he might skip
the forthcoming Wimbledon to stay away
from the game for some time, to hopefully
regain form.
Jelena Ostapenko beat third seed Simona
Halep to win the ladies singles title.
She became the first player from Latvia
to win a Grand Slam. The unseeded
20-year- old played an attack game, and
used it to good effect to beat her fancied
opponent after being a set and 3-0 down in
the second.
Women’s game has been crying for
newer stars and rivalries to emerge –
hopefully Halep and Ostapenko can fill
the void.
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