OSAKA — Unseeded Chang Kai-chen of Taiwan upset Australian No.1 seed Samantha Stosur 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3) to reach the final of the Japan Women's Open on Saturday.Chang was two points from defeat, serving 5-6 and deuce in the third set. But she won eight of the next 10 points to win that game and take control of the tiebreaker at Utsubo Tennis Center.Chang reached her first WTA Tour final as did her opponent for Sunday, Britain's Heather Watson. Watson beat southpaw Misaki Doi 7-6 (7-2), 7-5 in a tight semifinal.Before this week, Watson's best WTA results were three quarterfinals, all last year, at international-level events in Auckland, Memphis and Quebec City.Like Watson, Chang's best WTA results before this week were three quarterfinals — Kuala Lumpur and Osaka in 2010 and Birmingham this year.
Showing posts with label advance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label advance. Show all posts
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Cards advance with epic comeback
WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals finally brought winning baseball back to the nation's capital. They also collapsed in the postseason in a way that will be tough to live down.Washington's historic season came to an end Friday night with a 9-7 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the NL Division Series. The Nationals sported the best record in baseball during the regular season, but the newfangled "Natitude" of a roster flush with young postseason neophytes blew a six-run lead against the experienced club that won the World Series a year ago.Closer Drew Storen took the mound with a two-run lead in the ninth and gave up four runs, allowing two-run singles to Daniel Descalso and Pete Kozma. Storen had the Cardinals down to their last strike with two outs, but he walked Yadier Molina and David Freese."We had it right there, and the most disappointing thing I'll say is that I just let these guys down," Storen said. "I know there's an unbelievable crowd and unbelievable support, but for the amount of adversity we dealt with this year, for it to come down to that was kind of tough."It was the largest comeback ever in a winner-take-all postseason game, according to STATS LLC. No other club in this sort of ultimate pressure situation had come back from more than four runs down.Storen threw five pitches with two strikes and two outs in the ninth. All were balls."I think he just tried to be too fine," Washington manager Davey Johnson said. "He's got a great-moving fastball. Just need to throw it over."Storen said he had no problems with the umpire's strike zone. The Cardinals were just disciplined at the plate when it counted."I made good pitches," he said. "I wouldn't change a thing. I have no regrets."The Nationals had been let down by their bats in the first four games of the series, scoring only nine runs. But they greeted Adam Wainwright with a double, triple and homer by Jayson Werth, Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman in the first inning and chased the St. Louis starter with home runs by Harper and Michael Morse in the third.The Cardinals battled back, cutting into the 6-0 deficit with a run in the fourth, two in the fifth, one in the seventh and one in the eighth. Descalso's solo homer in the eighth off Tyler Clippard made it a one-run game, but Washington pulled back ahead by two in the bottom of the inning on Kurt Suzuki's RBI single.But Storen, who regained the closer's job late in the season after Clippard struggled, couldn't finish the job. The season of Natitude was over.In the clubhouse afterward, part-owner Mark Lerner patted players on the shoulder and shook their hands. He wiped a tear from his eye as he spoke to Morse."Someone just said to me, 'We've learned to win now,' " Lerner said. "And that's no easy task."At least the series gave the local faithful an uplifting moment no one will forget anytime soon: Werth's bottom-of-the-ninth homer on the 13th pitch of an at-bat that gave the Nationals a 2-1 win in Game 4.
Efficient Antlers advance to Nabisco Cup final
KASHIWA, Chiba Pref. — Defending champions Kashima Antlers earned a shot at a record fifth Nabisco Cup title after claiming a 5-4 aggregate semifinal win over Kashiwa Reysol with a 2-2 second-leg draw on Saturday.
Stepping up: Yuya Osako scores the second goal for Kashima Antlers in a 2-2 draw against Kashiwa Reysol in Saturday's Nabisco Cup second-leg semifinal. KYODOAntlers, heading into the match at Hitachi Stadium with a 3-2 lead from the first leg, took control with first-half goals from Dutra and Yuya Osako before Jorge Wagner pulled one back for Reysol in the 37th minute.Osako also missed a penalty before the halftime whistle had even sounded, and even though Reysol's Neto Baiano leveled the score on the night in injury time, it was not enough to prevent Antlers from setting up a Nov. 3 final showdown with Shimizu S-Pulse.A Genki Omae hat trick gave S-Pulse a 3-0 second-leg win over FC Tokyo in the day's earlier semifinal, wiping out a 2-1 first-leg deficit to give the Shizuoka side a 4-2 victory overall."Reysol are the J. League champions, and we knew it would be a tough game today," said Kashima manager Jorginho, who won the competition with the Ibaraki club as a player in 1997. "In the first half we found the gaps in their defense, and I was sure that if we could get the third goal it would all be over. But winning games like this is not so easy."Reysol knew that a 1-0 win would be enough to send them into the final at National Stadium on the strength of their two first-leg away goals, but manager Nelsinho had to rip up his game plan after finding his team two down after only 24 minutes.An unmarked Koki Mizuno fluffed the chance to give Kashiwa an early lead when he shot wide in the fifth minute, and the miss would prove costly as Antlers broke the deadlock. Osako split open a static Reysol defense with one pass, and Dutra latched onto it to hit a first-time shot across Takanori Sugeno.In the 24th minute, Dutra returned the favor. The Brazilian again ripped a hole in the Reysol defense with a pass through the middle, and this time it was Osako who dispatched the ball with a crisp finish.But if the match was beginning to look like a lost cause for Kashiwa, Wagner gave the home side hope in the 37th minute. The Brazilian beat Hitoshi Sogahata with a brilliant free kick from the edge of the area, only for the dark clouds immediately to return when Antlers were awarded a penalty less than a minute after the restart.Akimi Barada was booked for felling Dutra in the box, but Sugeno got down quickly to hold out Osako's spot kick, and Reysol breathed another sigh of relief when the striker blasted the rebound high over the crossbar.That left Kashiwa needing two goals to take the match into extra time, but Baiano's late contribution — slamming home a loose ball from a throw-in — was not enough to stop Antlers from taking their place in the final for an eighth time."It is obviously a plus to get to the final, and hopefully it should have an effect on our league performance as well," said first-year manager Jorginho, whose side currently sits 13th in the J. League table. "We had a bad start in the league and it took time for the players to adapt to me."We are still aiming for fourth place in the league and we still have the Emperor's Cup to come as well. This is a sport where results count for a lot, but I hope I'll be back to lead the team next season too."
Stepping up: Yuya Osako scores the second goal for Kashima Antlers in a 2-2 draw against Kashiwa Reysol in Saturday's Nabisco Cup second-leg semifinal. KYODOAntlers, heading into the match at Hitachi Stadium with a 3-2 lead from the first leg, took control with first-half goals from Dutra and Yuya Osako before Jorge Wagner pulled one back for Reysol in the 37th minute.Osako also missed a penalty before the halftime whistle had even sounded, and even though Reysol's Neto Baiano leveled the score on the night in injury time, it was not enough to prevent Antlers from setting up a Nov. 3 final showdown with Shimizu S-Pulse.A Genki Omae hat trick gave S-Pulse a 3-0 second-leg win over FC Tokyo in the day's earlier semifinal, wiping out a 2-1 first-leg deficit to give the Shizuoka side a 4-2 victory overall."Reysol are the J. League champions, and we knew it would be a tough game today," said Kashima manager Jorginho, who won the competition with the Ibaraki club as a player in 1997. "In the first half we found the gaps in their defense, and I was sure that if we could get the third goal it would all be over. But winning games like this is not so easy."Reysol knew that a 1-0 win would be enough to send them into the final at National Stadium on the strength of their two first-leg away goals, but manager Nelsinho had to rip up his game plan after finding his team two down after only 24 minutes.An unmarked Koki Mizuno fluffed the chance to give Kashiwa an early lead when he shot wide in the fifth minute, and the miss would prove costly as Antlers broke the deadlock. Osako split open a static Reysol defense with one pass, and Dutra latched onto it to hit a first-time shot across Takanori Sugeno.In the 24th minute, Dutra returned the favor. The Brazilian again ripped a hole in the Reysol defense with a pass through the middle, and this time it was Osako who dispatched the ball with a crisp finish.But if the match was beginning to look like a lost cause for Kashiwa, Wagner gave the home side hope in the 37th minute. The Brazilian beat Hitoshi Sogahata with a brilliant free kick from the edge of the area, only for the dark clouds immediately to return when Antlers were awarded a penalty less than a minute after the restart.Akimi Barada was booked for felling Dutra in the box, but Sugeno got down quickly to hold out Osako's spot kick, and Reysol breathed another sigh of relief when the striker blasted the rebound high over the crossbar.That left Kashiwa needing two goals to take the match into extra time, but Baiano's late contribution — slamming home a loose ball from a throw-in — was not enough to stop Antlers from taking their place in the final for an eighth time."It is obviously a plus to get to the final, and hopefully it should have an effect on our league performance as well," said first-year manager Jorginho, whose side currently sits 13th in the J. League table. "We had a bad start in the league and it took time for the players to adapt to me."We are still aiming for fourth place in the league and we still have the Emperor's Cup to come as well. This is a sport where results count for a lot, but I hope I'll be back to lead the team next season too."Saturday, May 19, 2012
Big names advance to quarterfinals
No problem: Rafael Nadal hits a return against Marcel Granollers during their match on Thursday in Rome. APROME — Top-ranked Novak Djokovic overcame a poor first set and a smashed racket to beat Juan Monaco 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 and reach the Italian Open quarterfinals on Thursday.Also through at Foro Italico were five-time Rome champion Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena and Venus Williams and French Open champ Li Na. However, top-ranked Victoria Azarenka withdrew with a right shoulder injury.With the wind whipping the red clay into the air, Djokovic struggled with his serve and backhand in the opening set before settling down and wearing out Monaco."It was a very strange match. It was difficult to play with that wind but the conditions were the same for both us, he just handled it better at the start," Djokovic said, switching between Italian and English. "I was playing far too defensively and passively and he was controlling everything. He was the better player for a set and a half."Djokovic next meets fifth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who cruised past No. 10 Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-1.Federer also dropped a set in a 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 win over 2001 Rome winner Juan Carlos Ferrero. However, except for a brief lapse that resulted in a costly break at the end of the second set, Federer controlled with expert serving and an array of winners on a cool and crisp evening with little humidity.The 16-time Grand Slam winner faces top Italian Andreas Seppi, who outlasted Stanislas Wawrinka 6-7 (1-7), 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (8-6) — after Wawrinka wasted six match points.Earlier, Nadal routed Marcel Granollers 6-1, 6-1 and will next meet seventh-seeded Tomas Berdych, who eliminated Nicolas Almagro 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. Berdych was the runnerup to Federer in Madrid, where Djokovic and Nadal lost in the quarterfinals on the blue clay.On the women's side, the Williams sisters advanced easily.Ninth-seeded Serena rolled past Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain 6-3, 6-1.Serena's quarterfinal opponent will be Italian hope Flavia Pennetta, who routed Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic 6-0, 6-1.Older sister Venus eliminated fifth-seeded Sam Stosur 6-4, 6-3. She will next face defending champion Maria Sharapova, who beat 2008 French Open champ Ana Ivanovic 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 after saving three set points in the first.Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova struggled before advancing with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 win over Sorana Cirstea of Romania. Her quarterfinal opponent will be Angelique Kerber, who easily beat fellow German Julia Goerges 6-4, 6-1.Li eliminated Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 and will meet Dominika Cibulkova, who advanced at Azarenka's expense.Sunday, December 25, 2011
Kyoto Sanga advance to Emperor's Cup semis
KAWASAKI — Kyoto Sanga filled out the Emperor's Cup semifinal bracket as the J2 side continued their scalping of the J. League with a 1-0 win against Shonan Belllmare on Saturday.In a tactical tussle between two sides coached by former national team assistants, Brazilian striker Dutra netted the only goal midway through the first half for Kyoto, which had sent holders Kashima Antlers packing in the previous round.Sanga, who will face J1 heavyweights Yokohama F Marinos in Thursday's semifinal at Tokyo's National Stadium, will be joined in the last four by J2 champions FC Tokyo.No J2 team has yet to win the Emperor's Cup."It was a tough game for us," said Kyoto coach Takeshi Oki, who worked under Takeshi Okada as Japan reached the second round at last year's World Cup."We wanted to attack more than defend, but they wouldn't let us get forward. We've got Marinos next, and we'll do everything to try to beat them."Tokyo edged Urawa Reds 1-0 earlier in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, to set up a date with Cerezo Osaka, who eliminated Shimizu S-Pulse 6-5 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in 120 minutes.Naohiro Ishikawa struck the lone goal in the 20th minute for Tokyo, which reached the semis for the second straight year. Toshiyuki Takagi had equalized for Shimizu in the 104th minute to invite the shootout.Marinos also prevailed on penalties, knocking out Nagoya Grampus 4-3 in the shootout after a goalless extra-time draw at home in Mizuho Athletics Stadium.Dragan Stojkovic's side, which needed penalties to edge J. League champion Kashiwa Reysol 9-8 in Wednesday's quarterfinal, finished the year without a single title.Grampus' Keiji Yoshimura and Danilson missed from the spot as Marinos converted four in a row to advance.At Todoroki Stadium in what turned out to be Yasuharu Sorimachi's last match as Shonan manager, Dutra struck in the 40th minute with the flick of his right foot as Michitaka Akimoto headed down from a right corner.Sorimachi's men were unfortunate not to have scored in the 75th minute as Kyoto 'keeper Yuichi Mizutani twice saved off his line amid a penalty-box scramble.
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