Australian Open 2016: Novak Djokovic bids to extend hot streak in Melbourne

January 17, 2016

Melbourne, Jan 17: Novak Djokovic will look to extend his sensational run of form at the Australian Open on Monday as expectations soar about what he could achieve this year.

NovakAll eyes are on the Serbian world number one and his bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam after he fell just short during his brilliant 2015 season.

The 28-year-old is yet to drop a set this year and his performance in the Qatar Open final was described as "perfect" by his flummoxed opponent, Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic could even pick up the first ever men's 'Golden Slam' if he manages to unite the four major titles and be crowned Olympic champion at Rio de Janeiro in August.

He opens his Grand Slam season against South Korea's Chung Hyeon on Monday and is already having to play down his chances of what could be a historic year.

"It's only the beginning of the season. It's too early to talk about what I can or can't do later in the season. I'm here to focus on Australian Open," he told reporters in Melbourne.

"If I am able to do the same or better, like 2015, I'm not sure," he added. "Honestly, as I said, it's just the beginning. I try to take one tournament at a time."

Roger Federer is also in action on day one, against Georgia's Nikoloz Basilashvili, with Djokovic's other main challengers Andy Murray and Stanislas Wawrinka starting on Tuesday.

Djokovic, who has five Australian Open titles, has only lost once in the last five years at Melbourne Park, when he was stopped by Wawrinka in the 2014 quarter-finals.

One wildcard for the Serb could be Melbourne's intense heat, with temperatures forecast at 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday.

Djokovic retired with "heat illness" during his 2009 Australian Open quarter-final against Andy Roddick, but he has steeled himself physically and outlasted Nadal in the 2012 final which ran for nearly six hours. More (AFP) FK

"Sometimes it's very difficult to handle (the conditions) if it goes over 40 degrees," Djokovic said.

"Again, you're not the only one on the court. There's an opponent across the net. He is, of course, handling it as tough as you are handling it. You got to keep that in your mind and try to be tough.

"Whatever is coming our way tomorrow, I'll try to be ready for it."

Murray also has an enviable record at Melbourne Park, reaching four finals in the past six years -- although he is yet to lift the trophy.

His title bid could be distracted by the imminent birth of his first child, which he is desperate to attend even if it means missing the final.

"For me, my child is more important to me, and my wife is more important to me, than a tennis match," said the British second seed.

Federer, as the third seed, could face Djokovic in the semi-finals as the 17-time Grand Slam champion looks to win his first major title since Wimbledon 2012.

The Swiss has won four Australian Opens, but lost to Djokovic in last year's Wimbledon and US Open finals. At 34, he is running out of time to add to his record haul of majors.

A second Australian Open title for Nadal appears a stretch after his slump in 2015, but Wawrinka, champion in 2014, should be a contender after he beat Djokovic in last year's French Open final.

"It's a new year. Hopefully I can do something good this year," said the Swiss.

Outside the top five, Japan's world number seven Kei Nishikori will be looking to get past the quarters for the first time in Melbourne.

Home interest will focus on the farewell of former world number one Lleyton Hewitt, who is playing his final tournament, and the talented but wayward duo of Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios.

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News Network
January 6,2020

Sydney, Jan 6: Nathan Lyon captured five for 50 and 10 match wickets as Australia crushed New Zealand by 279 runs on Monday, capping a golden domestic summer as they swept the three-Test series.

The off-spinner led the powerful Australian bowling attack to dismiss the Kiwis for 136 and seal another heavy win over the Black Caps after similar victories in Perth and Melbourne.

Australia have been unbeatable this season, winning all five Tests at home -- two against Pakistan and three against New Zealand -- after retaining the Ashes by drawing the series 2-2 in England.

"It's been a great summer for the Australian Test side," Lyon said.

"It's pretty special to be part of it, we have been impressive, pretty clinical, the batters have done well and given us bowlers plenty of time."

Australia declared their second innings at 217 for two with David Warner scoring an unbeaten century, leaving the Black Caps with a revised 416-run target in the fourth innings on a wearing Sydney Cricket Ground pitch.

But the Kiwis buckled under the pressure of Australia's superior bowling attack with Mitchell Starc taking three for 25 to support the wiles of spinner Lyon.

"They were clinical in all areas and after the first match they put us under pressure session after session," said skipper Kane Williamson, who missed the Test with a virus.

New Zealand were reeling early at 27-4 and never recovered after Starc and Lyon took two wickets each in the middle session to put the skids under the tourists.

Starc removed both openers, Tom Latham and Tom Blundell, in the first five overs. Blundell fell to a stunning catch by a diving Lyon at point for two and stand-in skipper Latham lost a review for leg before wicket.

Jeet Raval was out in a review to the faintest of edges on 'Snicko' in Lyon's first over for 12.

First-innings top-scorer Glenn Phillips went for a duck after technology detected a faint outside edge to wicketkeeper Paine off Lyon.

Taylor's Kiwi record

Ross Taylor became the leading all-time Kiwi batsman, going past Stephen Fleming (7,172) before he was bowled by Pat Cummins for 22 to take his Test aggregate to 7,174.

Big-hitting Colin de Grandhomme smacked Lyon for six to bring up his fifty but went next ball hoicking to Joe Burns at deep mid-wicket for 52.

Todd Astle was out to a superb diving catch by James Pattinson in the outfield for 17.

Starc yorked William Somerville's middle stump for seven and BJ Watling was the last to fall, caught at backward square leg by Pat Cummins for 19.

Earlier, Warner completed his 24th Test century and remained unbeaten when skipper Paine declared upon the dismissal of Marnus Labuschagne.

"You know you're capable of doing so," Warner said, when asked about how he had bounced back from his disastrous Ashes campaign in England last year.

"I was in the nets hitting the ball well and had the skipper backing me. To be able to play with freedom helped me. It's all paying off."

Labuschagne, who was dropped on four in a regulation caught-and-bowled chance by leg-spinner Astle, was caught at long on off Matt Henry for 59 -- his seventh score over 50 in eight innings this domestic summer.

Labuschagne finished the home five-Test season with a stunning aggregate of 896 runs, made up of his 215 in the first innings, three other centuries and three half-centuries in eight innings.

There was drama late in the Australian innings when Warner was given an official warning by umpire Aleem Dar for running down the middle of the pitch in scampering a single.

It resulted in five penalty runs being added to New Zealand's first innings total meaning their target was revised down from 421 to 416.

The Test was played against the backdrop of one of Australia's most devastating bushfire seasons with at least 24 people losing their lives in blazes raging across the country, including on the outskirts of Sydney.

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News Network
March 2,2020

Mar 2: Indian captain Virat Kohli was left frustrated and deflated as New Zealand won the second Test inside three days in Christchurch on Monday to sweep the series.

India started the day at 90 for six and were all out for 124, before New Zealand chased down the required 132 to win for the loss of three wickets in 36 overs.

It ended a disappointing tour for India and Kohli as New Zealand, who won the first Test by 10 wickets early on day four, wrapped up the series with ease.

New Zealand are now unbeaten in their last 13 home Tests, winning nine of them, and in the past decade their record as hosts is played 39, won 20, drawn 13 and lost five.

In the latest series, on traditional New Zealand green wickets, India managed scores of 165, 191, 242 and 124, reflecting the low contributions from Kohli of 2, 19, 3 and 14.

Kohli came to New Zealand as the world's top Test batsman and oozing charm as he described New Zealand as the “nice guys” of cricket.

But during the series he lost his top ranking to Australian Steve Smith and when Kane Williamson went for three in the first innings of the second Test the pressure showed when he gave the New Zealand skipper a very animated send-off.

There was further evidence of frustration when he was caught on camera yelling an obscenity at a group of New Zealand supporters on Sunday.

The end came quickly for India on day three as Tim Southee and Trent Boult tormented the batsmen with their variety of inswing and outswing deliveries targeting both sides of the stumps.

Hanuma Vihari was the first to fall, in Southee's second over, when he turned a legside delivery too fine and was caught by BJ Watling diving to his left.

Five balls later and with no addition to the score, India's other overnight batsman Rishabh Pant was caught behind off a Boult delivery that swung away.

Mohammed Shami was caught for five by Tom Blundell at deep mid-wicket and Jasprit Bumrah was run out when trying to give the strike to Ravindra Jadeja, who was unbeaten on 16.

Boult and Southee signed for most of the dismissals with Boult taking four for 28 and Southee three for 36. The swing pair accounted for 25 of the 40 Indian wickets in the series.

There was enough seam and swing available for India to keep the New Zealand batsmen guessing but Bumrah and Umesh Yadav were unable to apply consistent pressure and Mohammed Shami was troubled by a sore shoulder.

New Zealand coasted through a century opening stand by Tom Latham and Blundell before losing three quick wickets.

Latham notched his 18th half-century and second of the Test before he was caught behind off Yadav for 52, Kane Williamson had a short stay for five, and Blundell went for 55.

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Agencies
August 1,2020

Bengaluru, Aug 1: Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are aiming to set up their preparatory camp for the 13th edition of the tournament from early August.

This year's IPL was slated to commence from March 29 but the tournament was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Recently, the IPL Governing Council chairman Brijesh Patel had confirmed that the 13th edition of the mega event will commence on September 19 in the UAE.

As per a report in ESPNcricinfo, CSK players have been asked to report to Chennai first, following which they will leave for Dubai via a charter flight only after approval from the Indian government.

The IPL Governing Council will meet on August 2 to finalise the schedule and other key arrangements for the tournament. Also, the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) around securing eight teams for 51 days across three venues will be formally established in that meeting.

CSK, who has the oldest squad in the IPL, are looking for a month's preparation before ahead of the tournament.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, the side was the first team to start their training camp in March. Senior players like Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu had begun training their training in December 2019.

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