Japan and Israel are deadlocked 1-1 following the opening day of play in their Davis Cup World Group playoff at Ariake Colosseum on Friday.Japan No. 2 Go Soeda beat Israel No. 1 Dudi Sela in four sets 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the opening match, while Israel No. 2 Amir Weintraub downed Japan No. 3 Tatsuma Ito 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in the second singles contest.Ito was playing in place of Japan No. 1 Kei Nishikori, who was ruled out Friday morning with a shoulder injury. Nishikori has not been completely scratched from the tie and could play in the reverse singles matches on Sunday.Israel captain Eyal Ran was pleased to have the tie even after the first day of action."This was a classical day of Davis Cup with the players going all out and fighting for their country," he commented. "We are in this tie and I think we can do it now."Soeda, ranked 55th in the world, displayed a strong forehand and played solidly from the baseline in recording the victory under a blazing sun on the hardcourt.The win was the first for Soeda against Sela in four career matches."I knew I had to win. I couldn't lose," said Soeda. "I was under pressure to show my best. It was a tough match and a big win for me."After Sela broke Soeda's serve to open the match, the Japanese broke right back. Following the fifth game, Sela took an injury timeout.Soeda broke in the sixth game with a volley to go up 4-2. He then broke again in the eighth game to take the set 6-2 in 46 minutes.Soeda had eight winners in the first set, while Sela committed 21 unforced errors.Sela, ranked 98th, served better in the second set, getting in 74 percent of his first serves, but after breaking Soeda in the first game and holding serve to go up 2-0, he came undone with several more unforced errors.Soeda took six of the next eight games, breaking Sela in the 10th game to claim the set in 43 minutes.Sela had 19 unforced errors in the second set.The Israeli battled back in the third set, using an effective backhand to help record 14 winner's to Soeda two and claimed the set 6-3 in 34 minutes.Sela broke twice and saw Soeda rack up 14 unforced errors in the set."I was tired in the third set and then Sela started playing really well," Soeda commented. "There was an overrule on a call and I lost focus and he took the momentum from me. Then in the fourth set I started playing aggressively again and was able to get it back."The 28-year-old Soeda closed out the match by getting in 74 percent of his first serves in the fourth set and converting several key points to clinch the victory."The start of the match was tough," noted Sela. "I was short with my balls and he was aggressive. I felt better in the second set, but he was solid and didn't give me any free points."Sela recognized fatigue in his opponent in the third set and capitalized on it."I was more aggressive in the third set. He was getting tired at the end of that set. If he kept playing like that, I thought I could win the match, but then he took the first two games of the fourth set at love. He deserved to win."Weintraub routed Ito in the second match, registering the triumph in just 1 hour, 55 minutes. Weintraub didn't let his lower ranking (223) hold him back against Ito (67th), dominating in every phase of the game.Weintraub exhibited a strong serve (11 aces) and excellent groundstrokes in the clinical victory. Ito was bedeviled by his 49 unforced errors in the defeat."I was surprised when I heard that Nishikori wasn't going to play, but I was concentrating on myself," said Weintraub. "It was good news for us. It wasn't easy against Ito, but of course Nishikori has a higher ranking."In analyzing his performance, the 25-year-old Weintraub gave himself high marks."My serve was very good. He didn't break me the whole match," he said. "I used good combinations, mixing up speeds and playing strong from the baseline. This was one of the better wins in my career."Saturday's doubles match will see Ito and Yuichi Sugita take on Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram.
Showing posts with label Group. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Group. Show all posts
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Current group of tight ends reshaping position
NEW YORK — From Gonzo to Gronk to Graham, tight ends are running past, around and through defenders at an unprecedented rate. Hey, the Patriots' Rob Gronkowski does all of those things on one play.
Next generation: Players such as the Patriots' Rob Gronkowski are redefining the tight end position in the NFL. APOnce a glorified tackle, the position now requires the skills of a wide receiver — and a power forward. Speed, size, athletic ability, power, intelligence all are in the mix."The tight end position is taking off," said San Francisco's Vernon Davis, who also is called Duke; his dad is Big Duke and he was Little Duke as a kid before growing to 120 cm, 113 kg. "It's almost as if you have to start playing tight ends with cornerbacks nowadays because they're fast, these guys are strong and they're making plays — they're making plays like wide receivers."Nobody has made more plays at the position in one season than Gronkowski, who became an All-Pro in his second NFL season by catching 90 passes for 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns. The yards and TDs are records, accomplished with plenty of power and flash."The guy is a beast," said Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie, but that seems to be a common description for most outstanding tight ends in what a Hall of Famer from the position, Shannon Sharpe, dubs "the golden age" for tight ends.Gronkowski mixes size and speed with great hands. Huge, great hands. He doesn't drop the ball, and when he grabs it, he's nearly impossible to tackle."He has run over a few guys," noted fellow Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, who along with Gronkowski has been dubbed the Boston TE Party.If not for his production, the Saints' Jimmy Graham would have established an NFL mark with his 1,310 yards. He had 99 catches and scored 11 times.Seven of the top 17 players on the receptions chart this season were tight ends: Graham; Gronkowski; Detroit's Brandon Pettigrew; Atlanta's Tony Gonzalez, the career leader in just about every receiving category for the position; Dallas' Jason Witten; Hernandez; and Tampa Bay's Kellen Winslow."When I was playing," said Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome, who retired in 1990 and now is general manager of the Ravens, "the majority of tight ends were point-of-attack guys. You would line up on the line of scrimmage next to the tackle and we were basically two-back oriented."Now, tight ends are getting opportunities to be extended away from the tackles, able to stand up on the outside as receivers. These guys are getting taller, bigger and faster or as fast as guys in the past. If you were 6-3, 245 (190 cm, 111 kg) you were a big tight end at that time, and now they go 6-5, 260 or 270 (195 cm, 118-123 kg) and are just as athletic."
Next generation: Players such as the Patriots' Rob Gronkowski are redefining the tight end position in the NFL. APOnce a glorified tackle, the position now requires the skills of a wide receiver — and a power forward. Speed, size, athletic ability, power, intelligence all are in the mix."The tight end position is taking off," said San Francisco's Vernon Davis, who also is called Duke; his dad is Big Duke and he was Little Duke as a kid before growing to 120 cm, 113 kg. "It's almost as if you have to start playing tight ends with cornerbacks nowadays because they're fast, these guys are strong and they're making plays — they're making plays like wide receivers."Nobody has made more plays at the position in one season than Gronkowski, who became an All-Pro in his second NFL season by catching 90 passes for 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns. The yards and TDs are records, accomplished with plenty of power and flash."The guy is a beast," said Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie, but that seems to be a common description for most outstanding tight ends in what a Hall of Famer from the position, Shannon Sharpe, dubs "the golden age" for tight ends.Gronkowski mixes size and speed with great hands. Huge, great hands. He doesn't drop the ball, and when he grabs it, he's nearly impossible to tackle."He has run over a few guys," noted fellow Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, who along with Gronkowski has been dubbed the Boston TE Party.If not for his production, the Saints' Jimmy Graham would have established an NFL mark with his 1,310 yards. He had 99 catches and scored 11 times.Seven of the top 17 players on the receptions chart this season were tight ends: Graham; Gronkowski; Detroit's Brandon Pettigrew; Atlanta's Tony Gonzalez, the career leader in just about every receiving category for the position; Dallas' Jason Witten; Hernandez; and Tampa Bay's Kellen Winslow."When I was playing," said Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome, who retired in 1990 and now is general manager of the Ravens, "the majority of tight ends were point-of-attack guys. You would line up on the line of scrimmage next to the tackle and we were basically two-back oriented."Now, tight ends are getting opportunities to be extended away from the tackles, able to stand up on the outside as receivers. These guys are getting taller, bigger and faster or as fast as guys in the past. If you were 6-3, 245 (190 cm, 111 kg) you were a big tight end at that time, and now they go 6-5, 260 or 270 (195 cm, 118-123 kg) and are just as athletic."Thursday, June 16, 2011
Kawachi meets group seeking to buy Apache
Toshimitsu Kawachi, the bj-league commissioner, met with the Tokyo Apache's potential new owners on Monday.
Tough predicament: Fans of the Tokyo Apache are hoping the team finds a way to take the court for the 2011-12 regular season. YOSHIAKI MIURAThe group, which includes current team marketing executive Sean Kameoka and Japan-based American businessmen Dan Weiss and Todd Wiley, held talks for about an hour.In a followup phone interview on Monday evening, Weiss said the meeting was productive and pleasant for both parties, though it's unclear when a decision will be made by the team's parent company, Evolution Capital Management, and the league office regarding a potential sale and/or if the Apache's 2011-12 season can somehow still happen.The latter decision is the more complex matter on the table, as the league has already said the Apache will suspend operations for 2011-12, but Weiss said his group wants to find a way to still stage games in the fall rather than waiting an entire year to return to action.Evolution stated last week in a news release that a lack of sponsors sparked its decision to pull the plug on the 2011-12 season. The team's possible sale could change the direction of the organization.Meanwhile, another group, which includes former league executive Daijiro Kusakabe, is also in the mix to possibly take over the Apache.With the annual draft slated for Thursday, Apache players (all free agents now) and staff are "in limbo," Weiss said, so there's a sense of urgency to get things done quickly. He added that he expects the league to finalize its decision within two weeks regarding the team's immediate future.Weiss, a former JBL player and NBA Japan director of business development and business operations, said he thinks the odds are stacked against the team re-entering the league for 2011-12, noting that the league already issued its proclamation last week that the Apache are out of the picture until 2012-13."To flip-flop would be difficult," Weiss said, but acknowledged that his group wants to see the team play in the fall, if it secures ownership. The group, he said, "will do all they can to accomplish that, but it's up in the air right now."Unlike the Oita HeatDevils and Takamatsu Five Arrows, who were on life support in past seasons but avoided suspending operations, the Apache are not the only team in town, Weiss said, which makes finding the right mix of sponsors and business partners a formidable challenge.(A fan group, though, has formed to publicize its support of the Apache. Its website is keep-tokyoprobasket.com/pr/ And the group held its first meeting over the weekend.)What remains unknown is if Evolution is more interested in selling the team or retaining ownership and then getting the team back in place for 2012-13.This will be EVO's decision "up to a point," Weiss said, noting Evolution's team title deed, its possible expiration and the legal contract it has with the league office are not things he knows about, i.e., the technical details of it all. "If they step down (meaning push the sale through), then it creates an opportunity."The plan is not for a "hostile takeover," Weiss said.Evolution's asking price for a potential sale is not known. The global investment firm purchased the Apache last June, becoming the team's fourth owner in as many years.Monday's talks did not produce any concrete evidence of a breakthrough for the Apache, who were 20-14 under ex-NBA bench boss Bob Hill last season, which Evolution opted to end early after the March 11 earthquake, during this crisis time. But Weiss left the meeting feeling that it was productive to a certain point, saying Kawachi was "very polite" and "very appreciative" that there's potential interest in buying the team.
Tough predicament: Fans of the Tokyo Apache are hoping the team finds a way to take the court for the 2011-12 regular season. YOSHIAKI MIURAThe group, which includes current team marketing executive Sean Kameoka and Japan-based American businessmen Dan Weiss and Todd Wiley, held talks for about an hour.In a followup phone interview on Monday evening, Weiss said the meeting was productive and pleasant for both parties, though it's unclear when a decision will be made by the team's parent company, Evolution Capital Management, and the league office regarding a potential sale and/or if the Apache's 2011-12 season can somehow still happen.The latter decision is the more complex matter on the table, as the league has already said the Apache will suspend operations for 2011-12, but Weiss said his group wants to find a way to still stage games in the fall rather than waiting an entire year to return to action.Evolution stated last week in a news release that a lack of sponsors sparked its decision to pull the plug on the 2011-12 season. The team's possible sale could change the direction of the organization.Meanwhile, another group, which includes former league executive Daijiro Kusakabe, is also in the mix to possibly take over the Apache.With the annual draft slated for Thursday, Apache players (all free agents now) and staff are "in limbo," Weiss said, so there's a sense of urgency to get things done quickly. He added that he expects the league to finalize its decision within two weeks regarding the team's immediate future.Weiss, a former JBL player and NBA Japan director of business development and business operations, said he thinks the odds are stacked against the team re-entering the league for 2011-12, noting that the league already issued its proclamation last week that the Apache are out of the picture until 2012-13."To flip-flop would be difficult," Weiss said, but acknowledged that his group wants to see the team play in the fall, if it secures ownership. The group, he said, "will do all they can to accomplish that, but it's up in the air right now."Unlike the Oita HeatDevils and Takamatsu Five Arrows, who were on life support in past seasons but avoided suspending operations, the Apache are not the only team in town, Weiss said, which makes finding the right mix of sponsors and business partners a formidable challenge.(A fan group, though, has formed to publicize its support of the Apache. Its website is keep-tokyoprobasket.com/pr/ And the group held its first meeting over the weekend.)What remains unknown is if Evolution is more interested in selling the team or retaining ownership and then getting the team back in place for 2012-13.This will be EVO's decision "up to a point," Weiss said, noting Evolution's team title deed, its possible expiration and the legal contract it has with the league office are not things he knows about, i.e., the technical details of it all. "If they step down (meaning push the sale through), then it creates an opportunity."The plan is not for a "hostile takeover," Weiss said.Evolution's asking price for a potential sale is not known. The global investment firm purchased the Apache last June, becoming the team's fourth owner in as many years.Monday's talks did not produce any concrete evidence of a breakthrough for the Apache, who were 20-14 under ex-NBA bench boss Bob Hill last season, which Evolution opted to end early after the March 11 earthquake, during this crisis time. But Weiss left the meeting feeling that it was productive to a certain point, saying Kawachi was "very polite" and "very appreciative" that there's potential interest in buying the team.Thursday, April 21, 2011
Investors Group Sports Picks. 50% Commission Reoccuring
The Ig Sports Picks Gold Package includes everything we have to offer including our explosive 10 star picks (76%+). All sports picks will be in your email before 3pm Est every single day. 60 day money back guarantee! 5 dollars first Month!
Check it out!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Reliant Sports Group
Why Choose An Immitator When You Can Have The Real Deal! We Are The #1 Sports Handicapping Service On The Internet.
Check it out!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)