Bhupathi-Sania win maiden French Open mixed doubles title

June 8, 2012
sania_bhupathi


India's Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza won their second Grand Slam mixed doubles title together, triumphing in the French Open here on Thursday with an excellent performance in the final.

Bhupathi and Sania defeated Klaudia Jans-Ignacik of Poland and Santiago Gonzalez of Mexico 7-6 (3), 6-1 in one hour and 13 minutes, coming through a tough first set and then sailing through the second.

The Indians had won their first title together at the Australian Open in 2009 and their success today fetched Bhupathi his 12th Grand Slam title – eight ofthem from mixed doubles.

For Sania, it was her second title at a Grand Slam. “It's my first Grand Slam in a long while and the first one after I became a father. This is for her,”said birthday boy Bhupathi, dedicating the title to his four-month old daughter.

Sania, while thanking Bhupathi, joked she didn't have to hunt for a birthday gift for her partner. “He is one of the best doubles players in the world and I am lucky to havehim as partner,”said Sania. Sania and Bhupathi had their chances inthe first set but their rivals pushed it to a tie-break, where the Indians proved a cut above.

They carried the momentum to the second set and broke Gonzalez' serve in the very first game itself. They had chances to break Klaudia's serve in the third game but she hung on tomake it 1-2.

Sania then came up with some cracking winners off both the flanks to hold serve for a 3-1 lead and the Indians again broke Gonzalez serve to take a commanding lead. Bhupathi then held his serve comfortably before Klaudia, serving to stay in the match, crumbled, leaving the Indians worthy winners.

Sharapova faces Errani

It was little wonder Maria Sharapova's jubilant coach was holding aloft his index finger on Thursday as the Russian enjoyed a double celebration after sweeping into her maiden French Open final.

Not only did her 6-3, 6-3 defeat of Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova allow her to move within two sets of fulfilling her dream of completing a career Grand Slam but, after a four-year wait, she was finally back on top of the world.

Whether on not Sharapova becomes the newest member of the Roland Garros champions' club when she takes on Italian outsider Sara Errani, who upset sixth seed Sam Stosur 7-5, 1-6, 6-3, on Saturday, the statuesque Russian's name will be on top of the WTA rankings list on Monday. "A few years ago I don't know if I even had a ranking after having my shoulder surgery (in August 2008) and it's special to be back on top again," a beaming Sharapova told the crowd.

The swirling winds on Philippe Chatrier Court made life difficult for both players initially, with Sharapova facing break points on both of her opening service games but it was Kvitova who blinked first.


Two sloppy forehand errors handed Sharapova the break in the fifth game and the Russian barely needed to move off the baseline as she watched Kvitova implode while trying to stay alive in the set.

The fourth seed was broken to love, a forehand into the tramlines on set point summing up the kind of day she was having. Her day went from bad to worse as she dropped serve for a third time, this time with a double fault, to go 1-3 down in the second set.

She managed to show some fight to level for 3-3 but Sharapova kept on pounding winners from the baseline to break for 5-3 before wrapping up the one-sided contest in 77 minutes with an ace.

Errani upset the heavy-hitting sixth seed Stosur to reach her first Grand Slam final. The petite, yet nimble-footed, Italian had been expected to struggle with Stosur's high, kicking serve and heavy topspin groundstrokes, but contrived to out-think and outmanoeuvre the Australian.

"I have no words, it is incredible," a weepy Errani, who collapsed on to her back in her moment of victory, told an on court interviewer. Stosur had fallen into the 21st seed's intelligently contrived plan to force her opponent out of her comfort zone and nullify her principle weapons.



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News Network
May 14,2020

May 14: Veteran South Africa batsman Faf du Plessis has proposed a two-week isolation period for players before and after the T20 World Cup as a way to stage the event as per schedule later this year.

Like other sports, cricketing action too has come to a complete halt due to the coronavirus pandemic. The fate of the T20 World Cup to be held in Australia in October-November is shrouded in uncertainty.

Talking to Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal, du Plessis said travel was going to be an issue despite Australia being less affected by the deadly contagion.

"I am not sure... reading that travelling is going to be an issue for lot of countries and they are talking about December or January. Even if Australia is not affected like other countries, to get people from Bangladesh, South Africa or India where there is more danger, obviously it's a health risk to them," du Plessis said.

"But you can go in before the tournament (for) two weeks isolation and then play the tournament and afterwards two weeks isolation," said the former captain.

Several countries across the globe, including South Africa, Australia and India, have travel restrictions in place and the veteran Proteas batsman joked travelling by boat is not an option.

"But I don't know when South Africa will open their travel ban because we can't go there like old days on boats," du Plessis said.

In March, South Africa's ODI series against India was called off after the first match in view of the pandemic.

The coronavirus outbreak, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has infected more than 44 lakh people worldwide while causing close to 3 lakh deaths.

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Agencies
March 8,2020

Mumbai, Mar 8: Shikhar Dhawan, Hardik Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned to India's ODI squad as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the team for the upcoming South Africa series.

South Africa are scheduled to tour India for a three-match ODI series, starting from March 12.

India's ODI squad: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Virat Kohli (C ), KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) have already announced their squad for the series and spinner George Linde was given maiden ODI call-up.

South Africa squad: Quinton de Kock (c, wk), Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, Faf du Plessis, Kyle Verreynne, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Jon-Jon Smuts, Andile Phehlukwayo, Lungi Ngidi, Lutho Sipamla, Beuran Hendricks, Anrich Nortje, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Janneman Malan.

The first ODI will be played in Dharamsala while the other two matches will be played in Lucknow and Kolkata on March 15 and 18, respectively.

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News Network
May 6,2020

May 6: They have similar impact on their teams but Virat Kohli is driven by sheer passion to subdue the rivals while Steve Smith just enjoys batting, says Australia opener David Warner.

India skipper Kohli and top Australian batsman Smith are arguably the top two cricketers of the current era. They achieve new milestones consistently, invoking debates, who is better between them.

"Virat's passion and drive to score runs is different to what Steve's would be," Warner said while speaking to Harsha Bhogle on 'Cricbuzz in Conversation'.

"Steve is going out there for a hit in the middle, that's how he sees things. He's hitting them out in the middle, he's having fun, he's enjoying himself, just does not want to get out."

Warner feels, while Kohli is batting he is aware that if he sticks around the middle his team will be on top of the proceedings.

"Virat obviously doesn't want to get out but he knows if he spends a certain amount of time out there, he's going to score plenty of runs at a rapid rate. He's going to get on top of you. That allows the guys coming in, especially in the Indian team you've got a lot of players who can be flamboyant as well."

The Australian opener added that both men are mentally strong and a good knock by them boosts the morale of the entire team.

"When it comes to cricket, they both have got the mental strength, the mental capacity to score runs. They both love spending time in the middle.

"They stabilise, they boost morale - if they score runs, everyone else's moral is up. If they are out cheaply you almost sense that on the field that everyone is (down on morale and thinking) 'now we all have to step up'. It's a very bizarre situation," he added.

Asked about the similarities between himself and Kohli, who are both live wires on the field, Warner said the passion to do better than the opponent keeps him going.

"I can't speak for Virat, obviously, but it's almost like we got this thing in us when we go (out to the middle) we need to prove people wrong, prove someone wrong."

"If you're in that contest, and if I'm going at him for example, you're thinking, 'Alright, I'm going to score more runs than him, I'm going to take a quick single on him'. You are trying to better that person in that game. That's where the passion comes from."

Warner also explained how he breaks down a match into smaller competitions.

"Obviously you want to win the game but you almost break it down to: If I can score more runs than Virat, or if Pujara scores more runs than Steve Smith, you have these little contests and that's how you try to narrow the game in the sense that if we do these little things, we can be ahead of the game or we can be behind the game.

"The passion is driven by...I know my sense - one, the will to win and two, wanting to do better than that person in the opposition," said Warner.

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