Steffi Graf's presence looms large at Australian Open final

January 29, 2016

Melbourne, Jan 29: It's been two decades since Steffi Graf won her last Australian Open, but her presence looms large over Saturday's final.

Steffi Graf

Serena Williams is one match away from tying Graf's Open era record of 22 Grand Slam titles.

The only obstacle for No. 1-ranked Williams is Angelique Kerber, a 28-year-old German who is seeking Graf's advice on how to win the biggest match of her life.

"Steffi, write me please," Kerber said jokingly in an on-court interview after advancing to the first Grand Slam final of her career.

Graf did just that, in a text message, the No. 7-seeded Kerber said Friday.

"She told me, 'Congrats,' and she is happy for me, and good luck in the finals."

Kerber has joked that it's her national duty to protect the record of Graf, the last German to win the Australian Open in 1994.

Over the course of the two-week tournament, Graf's name has come up repeatedly in both Kerber's and Williams' post-match news conferences.

Kerber has talked about how she grew up watching Graf's matches and later studying them on YouTube.

"She was my idol. She still is my idol," said Kerber, adding that she remembers a lot of the matches, how Graf moved, how she sliced, how she typically beat her opponents quickly.

Last year, she got to hit with Graf.

Around the time of Indian Wells, Kerber took a trip to Las Vegas, where Graf lives with her husband, four-time Australian Open champion Andre Agassi. Graf is now 46 and has kept a mostly low-profile since retiring in 1999, preferring not to join the so-called Legends matches that former pros play at Grand Slams.

"She is still in shape and she is hitting very hard, and moving still like she was moving a few years ago," said Kerber, who has been in the Top 10 for four years but until this week had never advanced past a Grand Slam semifinal. "I was really focusing. The intensity was very high."

Graf also gave her advice, which she is trying to live by.

"She taught me actually that I'm on a good way, and try to believe in myself. I was trying to do it in the last few months," Kerber said.

Kerber got off to a strong start this year, reaching the final in Brisbane where she lost to Victoria Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open champion. When the two met again, in the quarterfinals in Melbourne, Kerber won in straight sets.

Kerber has played Williams six times before, and beaten her once, in 2012, which gives her confidence.

"She is going out there to try to win again another Grand Slam, making history," Kerber said. She expects to be nervous but says the real pressure is on Williams. "I'm feeling good. I'm healthy. I'm fit. I will try to win against her. That's for sure."

The 34-year-old Williams was reminded at one news conference that when she played Graf in 1999, she referred to her as "Miss Graf," out of respect.

Before Graf retired that year, she and Williams played twice. Graf won the first time, and Williams who was just 17 won the second.

But Williams is trying not to think too much about matching Graf's 22 career titles.

"I definitely block it out. I was one off last year, too. If I don't win on Saturday, I'll still be one off," Williams said.

Last year, Williams won the year's first three Grand Slams — the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon — and headed into the U.S. Open trying to become the first player since Graf in 1988 to collect all four titles in one season.

She fell two matches short, losing in the U.S. open semifinals to Roberta Vinci, in one of the biggest upsets in the history of women's tennis. She took an extended break after the loss, saying in Melbourne that she needed several months off to recover physically and mentally.

She has returned to the Australian Open as the overwhelming favorite, serving as strongly as ever and playing with intense power and focus.

Williams was asked if she remembered what Kerber must feel like to be playing in her first Grand Slam final.

"I felt really good my first final. I just had this feeling before the tournament started that I was going to do really well there," said Williams, who won her first major final at the U.S. Open in 1999. "She might have the same feeling. I don't know. But it felt good."

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News Network
January 31,2020

Wellington, Jan 31: A nervous New Zealand threw it away yet again as a perseverant India prevailed in the Super Over for the second successive time to take a 4-0 lead in the T20 International series on Friday.

Needing just 11 runs off the last two overs with seven wickets in hand, New Zealand dug a hole for themselves yet again, taking the game to a Super Over two nights after doing the same in Hamilton.

New Zealand managed 13 runs in six balls and India got there effortlessly.

KL Rahul smashed 10 runs off the first two balls before he was caught. Then, a fired-up Virat Kohli and Sanju Samson finished the game in style.

Earlier, Manish Pandey proved his value to the team with an unbeaten 50 off 35 balls, taking India to 165 for eight from 88 for six in the 12th over.

India's total wasn't enough considering the batting-friendly conditions but the hosts made life a lot tougher for themselves from a commanding position before succumbing to pressure.

The entertaining knocks from Colin Munro (64 off 47) and Time Seifert went in vain (57 off 39).

Mohammed Shami, who was rested on Friday, had bowled a brilliant 20th over on Wednesday and man of the match Shardul Thakur was up to the task this time, conceding just six runs when the opposition needed seven for victory.

With the series already in the bag, India gave opportunity to Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar and Navdeep Saini for the first time in the five-match series, resting Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja and Shami. However, none of them was able to make an impact in the game.

Chasing 165, New Zealand lost Martin Guptill early. But Munro and Seifert put on 74 runs for the second wicket to put themselves on track.

Munro scored a half-century of 38 deliveries, inclusive of six fours and three sixes. He was out against the run of play as Kohli's direct hit surprisingly found the target after a relay throw from the deep.

It was the turning point as New Zealand lost regular wickets. Yuzvendra Chahal bowled Tom Bruce (0), but Seifert found a partner in Ross Taylor as they pushed the score past 150 in the 18th over.

Seifert scored a half-century off 32 balls, including four fours and three sixes. But the great choke was yet to come again. Needing 18 off 18, the Black Caps lost four wickets in the last over bowled by Thakur.

Taylor holed out of the first ball, while Seifert was run out two balls later. Daryl Mitchell (4) was caught next and Mitchell Santner (2) couldn't steal two runs off the last ball as the sides engaged in a tie-breaker for the second game running.

This was after New Zealand won a fourth consecutive toss and opted to field. Kane Williamson didn't take part in the match owing to a shoulder niggle.

Tim Southee was the stand-in skipper, with the Black Caps making two changes.

Put in to bat, the visitors were struggling at 88-6 at one stage before Pandey's lonesome rescue act took them to a respectable total. KL Rahul contributed 39 runs off 26 balls, inclusive of three sixes and two fours.

Leg spinner Ish Sodhi got into the act and ran through India's batting order. First to go was Shreyas Iyer (1) and then Shivam Dube (12) was caught at mid-wicket.

Sodhi finished with 3-26 while Santner dismissed Sundar for nought as the New Zealand spinners rounded up a good outing with 4-54 in eight overs.

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Agencies
February 7,2020

New Delhi, Feb 7: It was on February 7, 1999, that Anil Kumble became just the second bowler in the history of cricket to take all ten wickets in an innings of a Test match.

He achieved the feat against Pakistan at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, now known as Arun Jaitley cricket stadium in Delhi during the second Test of the two-match series.

India had set Pakistan a target of 420 runs in the match and the visitors got off to a steady start as openers Shahid Afridi and Saeed Anwar put on 101 runs for the first wicket.

It was then Kumble who came into the attack and wreaked havoc on the Pakistani batting line-up.

The spinner, also known as 'Jumbo' first dismissed Afridi (41) in the 25th over. After the right-handed batter's dismissal, India kept on taking wickets through Kumble and Pakistan was reduced to 128/6 in no time.

Kumble then kept on taking wickets at regular intervals and he got his tenth scalp in the 61st over after dismissing Wasim Akram.

This effort enabled India to register a win by 212 runs, and Kumble became the second bowler after England's Jim Laker to take all ten wickets in a single Test inning.

Kumble finished with the bowling figures of 10-74 from 26.3 overs.

Kumble announced his retirement from international cricket in 2008 and finished with 619 wickets in the longest format of the game.

He has the third-highest number of wickets in Tests, only behind Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Australia's Shane Warne (708).

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Agencies
February 20,2020

New Delhi, Feb 20: Grappler Divya Kakran on Thursday became the second Indian woman to win a gold medal at the ongoing Asian Wrestling Championship.

Divya, a bronze medallist at Asian Games 2018, earned her first gold by winning all her four bouts against Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan and Japan.

Her final bout against Naruha Matsuyuki of Japan was the closest one but she managed to outclass her opponent 6-4 to seal her name on the gold medal. The 68 kg category was played in round-robin format as only five wrestlers were in the fray.

India is likely to add some more medals to its tally when Nirmala Devi, Pinki, and Sarita go out to grapple for the yellow metal in their respective weight categories.

Three-time Commonwealth championship gold medallist, Nirmala Devi (50 kg) first defeated Munkhnar Byambasuren of Mongolia in the quarterfinals by 6-4 to reach the semis.

In the semi-finals, Nirmala got the better of Dauletbike Yakhshimuratova of Uzbekistan by 10-0 and will play against 2018 Under-23 World Champion Miho Igarashi of Japan for the gold medal.

Pinki (55 kg) started her day on a winning note against Shokhida Akhmedova of Uzbekistan by 12-4 in round 3 and lost to Kana Higashikawa of Japan to enter the semis where she defeated Marina Zuyeva of Kazakistan by a score of 6-0.

Pinki will play in the gold medal bout against Dulguun Bolormaa of Mongolia.

Sarita (59 kg) will now face Battsetseg Altantsetseg of Mongolia in the gold medal bout after winning against her opponents in the qualifiers, quarterfinals and semi-final by a score of 10-0, 11-0 and 10-3, respectively.

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