Settle down: The West Indies' Kieron Pollard celebrates after dismissing Australia's Pat Cummins on Sunday. AFP-JIJIGayle's performance helped the West Indies to a formidable 205-4 in their 20 overs. Australia was then bowled out for 131 with 20 balls to spare in the second semifinal at R. Premadasa Stadium, which will also host Sunday's final.Player of the match Gayle faced 41 deliveries and shared 83 runs with Dwayne Bravo (37) for the third wicket and put on 65 off 25 balls with Kieron Pollard. Pollard's 38 off 15 balls helped West Indies become the first team of this tournament to pass the 200-run mark. The previous best score was 196-5 by England against low-ranked Afghanistan.Along with driving up the West Indies total, Gayle also eased the pressure on his fellow batsmen."It was actually a slow track so to be there till the end was helpful for the rest of the guys to come and play around me," said Gayle, who acknowledged his cautious opening to his innings."It was a slow start. I didn't get that sort of strike which I needed in the first six overs," Gayle said. But he added: "It was important I didn't panic and lose focus in that particular area."Australia captain George Bailey was straightforward in his verdict."We were absolutely outplayed," he said. "Gayle was subdued for a while but while he's at the crease he's always in your mind. But we set ourselves to get to the semifinals and I don't think there's one area specifically where we can improve on. But from tonight you can probably say all three."To chase down such a daunting target, Australian openers Shane Watson and David Warner needed to put on another fiery performance at this tournament.However, they were dealt an early blow when leg spin bowler Samuel Badree removed Warner with just two runs on the board. The ball missed Warner's outside edge and clipped the off stump on its way to the wicketkeeper. He was adjudged out by English television umpire Richard Kettleborough after viewing replays.Watson and Mike Hussey showed some promise, sharing 22 runs off 13 balls, but off spinner Marlon Samuels had Hussey caught and bowled for 18.Watson was then bowled by Badree for seven, leaving Australia three down for 29. Three more wickets fell for just 14 runs, from where Australia had little real chance of recovering despite a spirited 63 off 29 deliveries by captain Bailey who shared 68 runs with No. 8 batsman Pat Cummins (13).Bailey hit four sixes and six boundaries for his maiden Twenty20 international half-century.However, seam bowler Pollard dismissed both men in consecutive deliveries to end any chance of an Australian win.
Showing posts with label reach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reach. Show all posts
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Windies beat Australia to reach Twenty20 final
COLOMBO — An imperious Chris Gayle hit six sixes and five boundaries in an unbeaten 75 as the West Indies crushed Australia by 74 runs on Friday to secure a place in the World Twenty20 final against Sri Lanka.Settle down: The West Indies' Kieron Pollard celebrates after dismissing Australia's Pat Cummins on Sunday. AFP-JIJIGayle's performance helped the West Indies to a formidable 205-4 in their 20 overs. Australia was then bowled out for 131 with 20 balls to spare in the second semifinal at R. Premadasa Stadium, which will also host Sunday's final.Player of the match Gayle faced 41 deliveries and shared 83 runs with Dwayne Bravo (37) for the third wicket and put on 65 off 25 balls with Kieron Pollard. Pollard's 38 off 15 balls helped West Indies become the first team of this tournament to pass the 200-run mark. The previous best score was 196-5 by England against low-ranked Afghanistan.Along with driving up the West Indies total, Gayle also eased the pressure on his fellow batsmen."It was actually a slow track so to be there till the end was helpful for the rest of the guys to come and play around me," said Gayle, who acknowledged his cautious opening to his innings."It was a slow start. I didn't get that sort of strike which I needed in the first six overs," Gayle said. But he added: "It was important I didn't panic and lose focus in that particular area."Australia captain George Bailey was straightforward in his verdict."We were absolutely outplayed," he said. "Gayle was subdued for a while but while he's at the crease he's always in your mind. But we set ourselves to get to the semifinals and I don't think there's one area specifically where we can improve on. But from tonight you can probably say all three."To chase down such a daunting target, Australian openers Shane Watson and David Warner needed to put on another fiery performance at this tournament.However, they were dealt an early blow when leg spin bowler Samuel Badree removed Warner with just two runs on the board. The ball missed Warner's outside edge and clipped the off stump on its way to the wicketkeeper. He was adjudged out by English television umpire Richard Kettleborough after viewing replays.Watson and Mike Hussey showed some promise, sharing 22 runs off 13 balls, but off spinner Marlon Samuels had Hussey caught and bowled for 18.Watson was then bowled by Badree for seven, leaving Australia three down for 29. Three more wickets fell for just 14 runs, from where Australia had little real chance of recovering despite a spirited 63 off 29 deliveries by captain Bailey who shared 68 runs with No. 8 batsman Pat Cummins (13).Bailey hit four sixes and six boundaries for his maiden Twenty20 international half-century.However, seam bowler Pollard dismissed both men in consecutive deliveries to end any chance of an Australian win.
Settle down: The West Indies' Kieron Pollard celebrates after dismissing Australia's Pat Cummins on Sunday. AFP-JIJIGayle's performance helped the West Indies to a formidable 205-4 in their 20 overs. Australia was then bowled out for 131 with 20 balls to spare in the second semifinal at R. Premadasa Stadium, which will also host Sunday's final.Player of the match Gayle faced 41 deliveries and shared 83 runs with Dwayne Bravo (37) for the third wicket and put on 65 off 25 balls with Kieron Pollard. Pollard's 38 off 15 balls helped West Indies become the first team of this tournament to pass the 200-run mark. The previous best score was 196-5 by England against low-ranked Afghanistan.Along with driving up the West Indies total, Gayle also eased the pressure on his fellow batsmen."It was actually a slow track so to be there till the end was helpful for the rest of the guys to come and play around me," said Gayle, who acknowledged his cautious opening to his innings."It was a slow start. I didn't get that sort of strike which I needed in the first six overs," Gayle said. But he added: "It was important I didn't panic and lose focus in that particular area."Australia captain George Bailey was straightforward in his verdict."We were absolutely outplayed," he said. "Gayle was subdued for a while but while he's at the crease he's always in your mind. But we set ourselves to get to the semifinals and I don't think there's one area specifically where we can improve on. But from tonight you can probably say all three."To chase down such a daunting target, Australian openers Shane Watson and David Warner needed to put on another fiery performance at this tournament.However, they were dealt an early blow when leg spin bowler Samuel Badree removed Warner with just two runs on the board. The ball missed Warner's outside edge and clipped the off stump on its way to the wicketkeeper. He was adjudged out by English television umpire Richard Kettleborough after viewing replays.Watson and Mike Hussey showed some promise, sharing 22 runs off 13 balls, but off spinner Marlon Samuels had Hussey caught and bowled for 18.Watson was then bowled by Badree for seven, leaving Australia three down for 29. Three more wickets fell for just 14 runs, from where Australia had little real chance of recovering despite a spirited 63 off 29 deliveries by captain Bailey who shared 68 runs with No. 8 batsman Pat Cummins (13).Bailey hit four sixes and six boundaries for his maiden Twenty20 international half-century.However, seam bowler Pollard dismissed both men in consecutive deliveries to end any chance of an Australian win.
Orioles win to reach ALDS
ARLINGTON, Texas — Yu Darvish's first big league season ended on Friday, when the Texas Rangers lost the American League Wild-Card game 5-1 to the Baltimore Orioles.
Up to the challenge: Orioles outfielder Nate McLouth hits an RBI single against Texas on Friday. APDarvish allowed three runs, two earned, in 6? innings to take the loss."It's over so quickly," said Darvish, who went 16-9 with a 3.90 ERA during the regular season. "It's said that a season is like running a marathon. It feels like we just started and we've stopped. It doesn't feel like it's done."After both teams traded runs in the first, the Orioles took the lead in the sixth when back-to-back singles put runners on the corners and Adam Jones delivered a sacrifice fly. Darvish allowed a leadoff single in the seventh. He left with two outs and a runner on second, but reliever Derek Holland uncorked a wild pitch and surrendered an RBI single to Nate McLouth."Overall, my command was good," Darvish said. "From a personal standpoint, I kept us in the game and pitched well, but winning is really all that matters."Koji Uehara kept the Rangers within two runs with three swinging strikeouts against his former teammates in the eighth, but closer Joe Nathan surrendered two more runs in the top of the ninth to make it 5-1 Baltimore."It's too bad we couldn't win, but I pitched 100 percent of my own style out there," said Uehara, who was traded to Texas last year from Baltimore.The Orioles advanced to play the East champion Yankees, the AL's top seed. The teams split 18 games this season.The upstart Orioles spent the whole second half chasing the Yankees, never passing them and falling just short in a neck-and-neck race for the division title.Turns out, the Yankees haven't brushed off these Birds just yet."Real proud of everybody. Tacking on runs were big, knew they were going to run at you," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "But just a real proud moment for us."NEW YORK — Ichiro Suzuki has spent a decade of Octobers watching the baseball playoffs, shouting at his TV like so many fans.Celebrating an AL East championship Thursday night with his new teammates, he noticed life is different now that he's with the New York Yankees."Usually that would be the end of my season," Suzuki said Friday night before a workout at Yankee Stadium. "What I've realized is here, for the Yankees, is that it's the starting point."Acquired from the Seattle Mariners in late July, Suzuki helped spur the Yankees to their 13th division title in 17 years with a special September. On Sunday, he most likely will be playing in the outfield for Game 1 of the division series against the Baltimore Orioles.The 10-time All-Star came to New York hitting a career-low .261 and with a reputation for being a malcontent in the Seattle clubhouse. He dismissed all that immediately, impressing the Yankees with his knowledge of English, sense of humor and a remarkable stretch at the plate.He helped carry the Yankees through a thrilling September run — hitting .385 (35-for-91) with 11 RBIs for the month — and New York won the division on the last day of the regular season.He's fun," Derek Jeter said last week. "In order to do what he has for that many years, you have to have fun."
Up to the challenge: Orioles outfielder Nate McLouth hits an RBI single against Texas on Friday. APDarvish allowed three runs, two earned, in 6? innings to take the loss."It's over so quickly," said Darvish, who went 16-9 with a 3.90 ERA during the regular season. "It's said that a season is like running a marathon. It feels like we just started and we've stopped. It doesn't feel like it's done."After both teams traded runs in the first, the Orioles took the lead in the sixth when back-to-back singles put runners on the corners and Adam Jones delivered a sacrifice fly. Darvish allowed a leadoff single in the seventh. He left with two outs and a runner on second, but reliever Derek Holland uncorked a wild pitch and surrendered an RBI single to Nate McLouth."Overall, my command was good," Darvish said. "From a personal standpoint, I kept us in the game and pitched well, but winning is really all that matters."Koji Uehara kept the Rangers within two runs with three swinging strikeouts against his former teammates in the eighth, but closer Joe Nathan surrendered two more runs in the top of the ninth to make it 5-1 Baltimore."It's too bad we couldn't win, but I pitched 100 percent of my own style out there," said Uehara, who was traded to Texas last year from Baltimore.The Orioles advanced to play the East champion Yankees, the AL's top seed. The teams split 18 games this season.The upstart Orioles spent the whole second half chasing the Yankees, never passing them and falling just short in a neck-and-neck race for the division title.Turns out, the Yankees haven't brushed off these Birds just yet."Real proud of everybody. Tacking on runs were big, knew they were going to run at you," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "But just a real proud moment for us."NEW YORK — Ichiro Suzuki has spent a decade of Octobers watching the baseball playoffs, shouting at his TV like so many fans.Celebrating an AL East championship Thursday night with his new teammates, he noticed life is different now that he's with the New York Yankees."Usually that would be the end of my season," Suzuki said Friday night before a workout at Yankee Stadium. "What I've realized is here, for the Yankees, is that it's the starting point."Acquired from the Seattle Mariners in late July, Suzuki helped spur the Yankees to their 13th division title in 17 years with a special September. On Sunday, he most likely will be playing in the outfield for Game 1 of the division series against the Baltimore Orioles.The 10-time All-Star came to New York hitting a career-low .261 and with a reputation for being a malcontent in the Seattle clubhouse. He dismissed all that immediately, impressing the Yankees with his knowledge of English, sense of humor and a remarkable stretch at the plate.He helped carry the Yankees through a thrilling September run — hitting .385 (35-for-91) with 11 RBIs for the month — and New York won the division on the last day of the regular season.He's fun," Derek Jeter said last week. "In order to do what he has for that many years, you have to have fun."Thursday, May 31, 2012
Rangers, Oswalt reach agreement
ARLINGTON, TEXAS — The Texas Rangers agreed to a minor league deal with free-agent pitcher Roy Oswalt, expecting the three-time All-Star to join their rotation within a few weeks.Assuming Oswalt passes a physical Thursday, he is expected to go to Triple-A Round Rock and make his first start Saturday."He's been throwing for quite a while now, he feels good about where he is," Rangers president Nolan Ryan said. "I think he's been away long enough that he's excited about coming to the Rangers and getting back to pitching on a regular basis."The deal, worth $4 million if he joins the team by July 1, was announced in the middle of the Rangers' game Tuesday night against Seattle. Oswalt would be able to earn as much as $1 million more based on the number of starts he makes.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Devils eliminate Flyers to reach Eastern Conference Finals
Ice storm: New Jersey's Dainius Zubrus (right) checks Philadelphia's Erik Gustafsson into the boards during the Devils' 3-1 win on Tuesday. APPHILADELPHIA — Martin Brodeur missed all the postseason fun a year ago. One of the game's all-time greats, the veteran goaltender considered retirement and the New Jersey Devils were absent from the playoffs for the first time since 1996.Flash forward a year later. The cheering and hollering from behind closed doors in the Devils locker room could be heard way down the Wells Fargo Center hallway. Days after he turned 40, Brodeur has the Devils back where they've been six other times before in their 30-year history.The Eastern Conference Finals.Bryce Salvador, David Clarkson and Ilya Kovalchuk scored goals to lift New Jersey to a 3-1 Game 5 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night, sending the Devils into the conference championship round for the first time since 2003.The Devils await the winner of the New York-Washington series, which the Rangers lead, 3-2. New Jersey rebounded this season under coach Peter DeBoer in his first season on New Jersey's bench after the franchise suffered one of its worst years since general manager Lou Lamoriello took over in 1987.Brodeur had 27 saves and the Devils hope they can ride him all the way to June one more time."It seems forever for a lot of guys," Brodeur said. "It's tough to do that. We're fortunate to have made it there so far."The sixth-seeded Devils scored twice in the first period and became the first East team to win four straight games in these playoffs."It was just sticking with the game plan and doing what it takes to be successful," DeBoer said. "Marty made some saves when he needed to, and we held on."Max Talbot scored for the Flyers, but Philadelphia was eliminated in the conference semifinals for the second straight season. The Flyers finished the season without suspended All-Star forward Claude Giroux because of his illegal check to the head on New Jersey center Dainius Zubrus in Game 4."It should have been a tighter series," Giroux said, wearing a suit.The Flyers underwent a facelift last summer that saw them trade team captain Mike Richards to the Los Angeles Kings and acquire goalie Ilya Bryzgalov from the Phoenix Coyotes.The Kings and Coyotes will play in the West finals while the Flyers watch from home.The Flyers again failed in the postseason to hold a quick lead after Talbot scored in the first. Meanwhile, the Devils survived a rugged series of hits unleashed by a frustrated Flyers team that failed to build anything off the surprising first-round victory over Pittsburgh. Anton Volchenkov, Marek Zidlicky and Zubrus all suffered punishing hits that knocked them down to the ice in Game 5.Bryzgalov had a disheartening end to an erratic first season in Philadelphia. He allowed two YouTube-worthy goals like only he can. Salvador unleashed a shot from outside the circle that skipped along the ice as if he threw a rock across a pond and sailed high over Bryzgalov for the tying goal.In a season loaded with head-scratching tallies allowed, Bryzgalov saved the weirdest for the finale. Clarkson's dump-in was pushed by Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen toward the goaltender. Instead of controlling it, wrapping it around the boards or even just covering it, Bryzgalov pushed it right back toward a charging Clarkson, whose stick grazed the puck as it slid through the netminder and past the line."I honestly had no idea it went in until I heard the crowd yelling," Clarkson said. "Just to be on the forecheck when that went in is an unbelievable feeling."Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Inaba, Miyamoto reach greatness despite first-round snub
Join the club: Atsunori Inaba hits an RBI single to right to record the 2,000th hit of his career on Saturday in Sendai. KYODOWhen Kensuke Tanaka and Sho Nakata both apologized to Atsunori Inaba after recording outs that denied the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters veteran a shot at reaching the 2,000-hit milestone last Thursday at Tokyo Dome, Inaba knew he had to get things done quickly.
So he did, carving out a little slice of NPB history in his very next at-bat, on Saturday in Sendai against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, with an RBI single that made him one of only 39 players to reach 2,000 hits in Japan.Soon he'll share that distinction with Tokyo Yakult Swallows infielder Shinya Miyamoto, who with 1,996 hits is poised to soon become the 40th to 2,000.It's fitting the pair will, barring injury, join the Meikyukai, or Golden Players club, in the same season. They may have taken differing routes to the achievement, but the decorated veterans began their journey in the same place, with the Yakult Swallows.Unless there was a crystal ball involved, there's no way the Swallows knew what they had on their hands during the 1994 draft.But that's the funny thing about drafting players. No matter how much you think you know, the whole thing is essentially just one big crapshoot. Quite a few players pegged for greatness flame out, while other prospects, thought of as little more than warm bodies, end up in the Hall of Fame.The supposed can't-miss players are generally drafted early, and in 1994 pitcher Tetsuya Kitagawa was the Swallows' first choice. Yakult selected Miyamoto in the second round and grabbed Inaba in the third.Kitagawa retired in 1999 with four career wins and a 5.18 ERA. Miyamoto, meanwhile, is in his 18th season and has a career average of .283 and eight gold gloves. Inaba has been even better, with a career average of .291 to go along with 249 home runs and 977 RBIs.Between them, Miyamoto and Inaba have been apart of four Japan Series winning teams — three as teammates with Yakult in 1995, 1997, and 2001 and then Inaba's triumph with the Fighters in 2006. They were also members of Japan's triumphant 2006 World Baseball Classic squad.Inaba won the WBC a second time in 2009, while Miyamoto is the owner of an Olympic bronze medal, won at the 2004 Games.Of course, there was no way to know any of that in 1994. Back then no team would even use a first-round selection on them, and Inaba, who has had the more prolific career, had to wait until the third round.Looking back, the only first-rounder to make a major impact over the years was Kenji Johjima, selected by the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks, though Saburo Omura chosen by the Chiba Lotte Marines, has had a productive career.An incredible work ethic propelled Miyamoto and Inaba to new heights, and reaching 2,000 hits will help put their careers into perspective.It's one thing to hang on for as long as they have, but to continue to be viable long enough to reach these heights is something few players do.Inaba deserved the cheers that came his way on Saturday and Miyamoto will have paid his dues for his spot in the sun when his time comes.They began their careers together 18 years ago and now, likely no more than a week or two apart, they'll each take a big step toward cementing a positive legacy in the game.Thursday, January 19, 2012
Wozniacki, Clijsters reach Australian Open third round
MELBOURNE, Australia — Defending champion Kim Clijsters and No. 1-ranked Caroline Wozniacki advanced to the third round of the Australian Open in contrasting styles on Wednesday.
Great Dane: Caroline Wozniacki hits a shot during her 6-1, 7-6 (7-4) win over Anna Tatishvili on Wednesday. APClijsters needed only 47 minutes to beat Stephanie Foretz Gacon of France 6-0, 6-1, then showed just how much support she has at Rod Laver Arena by getting the crowd to sing "Happy Birthday" to her younger sister.Wozniacki seemed to be on the same trajectory, but had to battle to beat Anna Tatishvili of Georgia in the second set, recovering two service breaks and saving a set point en route to a 6-1, 7-6 (7-4) win.She needs to reach the quarterfinals to have a chance of retaining the top ranking she held for all but one week in 2011. That's also the stage when she could come across Clijsters.The No. 11-seeded Clijsters showed no signs of a hip problem that forced her to retire during a semifinal against Daniela Hantuchova at a warmup tournament two weeks ago.She will meet Hantuchova in the next round here, and has a potential rematch of the 2011 Australian Open final with French Open champion Li Na in the fourth round.Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer took differing paths against German rivals to the next stage.Nadal beat Tommy Haas 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the last afternoon match on Rod Laver Arena. Second-seeded Nadal had his right knee heavily taped again after hurting it while sitting in a hotel chair on the weekend, but it didn't seem to restrict him."Much better, I am very happy about how the knee is improving," Nadal said. "I am playing without problems, so that's OK."Federer, who has won four of his 16 Grand Slam titles in Australia, got a walkover into the third round when Andreas Beck withdrew from their scheduled Hisense Arena match due to a lower back injury. It deprived Federer of a different view at Melbourne Park, where he has played every match in Rod Laver Arena since the third round of the 2004 Australian Open.Eighth-ranked Mardy Fish became the first top 10 player on the men's side to lose, falling 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) to Colombia's Alejandro Falla.No. 7 Tomas Berdych advanced 6-1, 6-0, 7-6 (7-4) over Olivier Rochus of Belgium, 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, No. 18 Feliciano Lopez and No. 30 Kevin Anderson all advanced.On the women's side, 10th-seeded Francesca Schiavone was eliminated 6-4, 6-3 by fellow Italian Romina Oprandi and No. 16 Peng Shuai lost 6-2, 6-4 to Iveta Benesova of Czech Republic. Former No. 1-ranked Jelena Jankovic beat Chang Kai-chen of Taiwan 6-4, 6-2.Clijsters and No. 20 Hantuchova, a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 winner over Lesia Tsurenko, have been playing each other for years."When the injury happened, it happened against Daniela," Clijsters said of the hip muscle spasms she had at the Brisbane International."She's been playing well this season so far."We both go back a long way — we grew up playing under-14s together. Now almost 30 — still battling it out."This was Clijsters' best run at a major since the last Australian Open — she lost in the second round at the French Open and didn't play Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.Li is also returning to form, going further than she has at a Grand Slam tournament since her breakthrough win at the French Open. She went out in the second round at Wimbledon and the first at the U.S. Open, but reached the third round at Melbourne Park with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Olivia Rogowska.She next plays No. 26 Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain, who beat Olga Govortsova of Belarus 6-1, 6-0.Li said she loved being back on Rod Laver Arena, where she burst onto the global tennis scene last year, while Clijsters still clearly feels at home on a court where she's still known as "Aussie Kim" long after her relationship with Lleyton Hewitt ended.In a post-match TV interview, she asked presenter Rennae Stubbs a favor, saying her brother-in-law phoned her from Belgium to ask if she could convince the crowd to sing a birthday song for Elke, Clijsters' younger sister.The crowd obliged, after Clijsters kicked it off.Li took longer for her second-round win, saying it was harder than the scoreline suggested.
Great Dane: Caroline Wozniacki hits a shot during her 6-1, 7-6 (7-4) win over Anna Tatishvili on Wednesday. APClijsters needed only 47 minutes to beat Stephanie Foretz Gacon of France 6-0, 6-1, then showed just how much support she has at Rod Laver Arena by getting the crowd to sing "Happy Birthday" to her younger sister.Wozniacki seemed to be on the same trajectory, but had to battle to beat Anna Tatishvili of Georgia in the second set, recovering two service breaks and saving a set point en route to a 6-1, 7-6 (7-4) win.She needs to reach the quarterfinals to have a chance of retaining the top ranking she held for all but one week in 2011. That's also the stage when she could come across Clijsters.The No. 11-seeded Clijsters showed no signs of a hip problem that forced her to retire during a semifinal against Daniela Hantuchova at a warmup tournament two weeks ago.She will meet Hantuchova in the next round here, and has a potential rematch of the 2011 Australian Open final with French Open champion Li Na in the fourth round.Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer took differing paths against German rivals to the next stage.Nadal beat Tommy Haas 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the last afternoon match on Rod Laver Arena. Second-seeded Nadal had his right knee heavily taped again after hurting it while sitting in a hotel chair on the weekend, but it didn't seem to restrict him."Much better, I am very happy about how the knee is improving," Nadal said. "I am playing without problems, so that's OK."Federer, who has won four of his 16 Grand Slam titles in Australia, got a walkover into the third round when Andreas Beck withdrew from their scheduled Hisense Arena match due to a lower back injury. It deprived Federer of a different view at Melbourne Park, where he has played every match in Rod Laver Arena since the third round of the 2004 Australian Open.Eighth-ranked Mardy Fish became the first top 10 player on the men's side to lose, falling 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) to Colombia's Alejandro Falla.No. 7 Tomas Berdych advanced 6-1, 6-0, 7-6 (7-4) over Olivier Rochus of Belgium, 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, No. 18 Feliciano Lopez and No. 30 Kevin Anderson all advanced.On the women's side, 10th-seeded Francesca Schiavone was eliminated 6-4, 6-3 by fellow Italian Romina Oprandi and No. 16 Peng Shuai lost 6-2, 6-4 to Iveta Benesova of Czech Republic. Former No. 1-ranked Jelena Jankovic beat Chang Kai-chen of Taiwan 6-4, 6-2.Clijsters and No. 20 Hantuchova, a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 winner over Lesia Tsurenko, have been playing each other for years."When the injury happened, it happened against Daniela," Clijsters said of the hip muscle spasms she had at the Brisbane International."She's been playing well this season so far."We both go back a long way — we grew up playing under-14s together. Now almost 30 — still battling it out."This was Clijsters' best run at a major since the last Australian Open — she lost in the second round at the French Open and didn't play Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.Li is also returning to form, going further than she has at a Grand Slam tournament since her breakthrough win at the French Open. She went out in the second round at Wimbledon and the first at the U.S. Open, but reached the third round at Melbourne Park with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Olivia Rogowska.She next plays No. 26 Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain, who beat Olga Govortsova of Belarus 6-1, 6-0.Li said she loved being back on Rod Laver Arena, where she burst onto the global tennis scene last year, while Clijsters still clearly feels at home on a court where she's still known as "Aussie Kim" long after her relationship with Lleyton Hewitt ended.In a post-match TV interview, she asked presenter Rennae Stubbs a favor, saying her brother-in-law phoned her from Belgium to ask if she could convince the crowd to sing a birthday song for Elke, Clijsters' younger sister.The crowd obliged, after Clijsters kicked it off.Li took longer for her second-round win, saying it was harder than the scoreline suggested.Saturday, January 7, 2012
Federer shakes off pesky Seppi to reach semis at Qatar Open
DOHA — Defending champion Roger Federer extended his winning streak to 20 straight matches Thursday to reach the semifinals of the Qatar Open, despite being stretched by Andreas Seppi of Italy to three sets in a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 victory.The third-ranked Federer set up a rematch of last year's semifinal against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The sixth-ranked Frenchman defeated Albert Ramos of Spain 6-2, 6-1.Rafael Nadal also reached the semifinals, playing some of his best tennis this week in dispatching of Mikhail Youzhny 6-4, 6-4. He will face Gael Monfils, who won the last four games in each set to beat Viktor Troicki of Serbia 6-2, 6-3 and ensure that the top four seeds reached the semifinals for the second year in a row.The 30-year-old Federer, who is 26-3 at the Qatar Open and is looking to win his fourth title in Doha, hasn't lost since falling to Novak Djokovic in the U.S. Open semifinals."I thought I started well. I was able to play aggressive, not giving too much rhythm. He was obviously missing more shots due to that," Federer said. "I thought he was a better player in that second set and deserved that set, and then the third set was close. I had my chances, he had his chances. But I was able to take mine."Federer, who had never dropped a set against Seppi in seven wins, jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first set and appeared on the way to an easy victory. But he fell apart in the second set, going down 5-1 after a string of unforced errors coupled with improved returns from the 38th-ranked Italian. Federer came back to even the set at 5-5 but Seppi took the last two games, leveling the match when the 16-time Grand Slam champion hit his return long.Federer fully recovered in the third, breaking Seppi to go up 2-1. He saved two break points to take control at 5-3 and closed out the match with a forehand winner into the corner.Federer chalked up his struggles in the second set to the return game of Seppi and his own defensive lapses."I definitely think Seppi, he's a good return player," Federer said. "When you give him too many second serves, he can take advantage of that. . . . I had some chances to maybe not get broken a couple of times. So often I had the lead in some of the service games where I did get broken eventually, and I hope I can sort of not make that happen so often."Facing his toughest test yet in the former eighth-ranked Youzhny, the second-ranked Nadal went on the attack from the beginning.He stretched the Russian with his forehand but failed to convert several break points early on. He finally broke Youzhny in the fifth game to go up 3-2 and held on to win the first set. Nadal broke Youzhny twice in the second set to go up 4-1, before Youzhny earned his only break of the match to make it 4-3.Nadal then struggled to serve out the match, having to save four break points before clinching the victory with a volley into an empty court."I think I played my best match here today," Nadal said. "Doing a lot of things very, very well. . . . For moments, I enjoyed playing tennis a lot tonight."After meeting up with Schalke's Spanish forward Raul Gonzalez, who watched the match with his teammates, Nadal told reporters he is also feeling happier about his game and appeared to have the spark back following a year in which he repeatedly lost to Novak Djokovic and bemoaned his play as sometimes too predicable."Well, I think I am fresh mentally. That's important," Nadal said. "But I want to do it well, and I really am motivated to try to play well . . . I am in the right way. That's what I can say. My feeling is I am in the really right way. We'll see what's going on. I am doing much better than what I felt before this tournament, so that's a really positive thing."
Friday, December 30, 2011
Kyoto, FC Tokyo reach Emperor's Cup final
J. League second-division minnows Kyoto Sanga set up a historic Emperor's Cup final with J2 champion FC Tokyo after scalping Yokohama F. Marinos 4-2 in extra time on Thursday.No J2 team had ever reached the final on New Year's Day.Substitutes Yuya Kubo and Yoshiaki Komai scored in the second half of extra time from 2-2 for Kyoto, which previously lifted the cup in 2002 with Gert Engels in charge.Kohei Kudo and Dutra also struck during the second half of normal time for Takeshi Oki's side, which had knocked out holders Kashima Antlers in the round of 16.Kazuma Watanabe netted the opener for Marinos in the first half, and substitute Masashi Oguro invited the extra 30 minutes deep into injury time.The Emperor's Cup winners will qualify for next year's Asian Champions League alongside the top three finishers of the J. League — Kashiwa Reysol, Nagoya Grampus and Gamba Osaka."I don't want to say congratulations to my team just yet. Not until we win one more," said Oki, an assistant to Takeshi Okada on Japan's 2010 World Cup team.At Osaka Nagai Stadium, Tatsuya Yazawa scored the 77th-minute winner in a 1-0 victory over Cerezo Osaka, who played their last game under Levir Culpi.Marinos may have had the lead at the break, but it was Kyoto which brought all the excitement in the first half at the National Stadium.Sanga's go-go style was full on as they took the game right to the J1 giants, who had squeezed past Nagoya on penalties after a 0-0 draw in the quarterfinals.Kyoto came within inches of scoring not just once but three times in the 38th minute.First, forward Takumi Miyayoshi had a header cleared off the line. Defender Michitaka Akimoto then pounced on the rebound, hitting the underside of the bar, before Koken Kato smashed the deflection off the left-hand post.A minute later, Dutra had a header kept out by goalkeeper Hiroki Iikura as Sanga continued to pour on the attack.Yet it was Marinos who would break the deadlock against the run of play in the 42nd minute, when Shunsuke Nakamura pierced the Kyoto defense with a through ball for Watanabe.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Marines reach deal with Whitesell
Chiba — The Chiba Lotte Marines signed former Yakult Swallows infielder Josh Whitesell to a one-year contract worth $300,000 on Wednesday.The Marines hit just 46 home runs this year — the worst total among the 12 teams in Japanese baseball."We're expecting him to hit 30 home runs for us," Lotte team president Iekuni Nakamura said. "We hope he can spark our offense."
Sunday, December 18, 2011
F. Marinos reach quarterfinals
TOYAMA — Yuji Ono grabbed the first hat trick of his professional career as Yokohama F Marinos brushed aside third-tier Matsumoto Yamaga 4-0 in an emotionally charged match to advance to the quarterfinals of the Emperor's Cup on Saturday.The 18-year-old striker opened the scoring after 28 minutes at Toyama Stadium and added a quick-fire double before setting up the fourth for Shunsuke Nakamura to earn Yokohama a meeting in the last eight with either J. League champions Kashiwa Reysol or Nagoya Grampus.In the day's big upset, holders Kashima Antlers were knocked out in what turned out to be Oswaldo Oliveira's last game in charge, Takumi Miyayoshi's 59th-minute goal earning a 1-0 win for second-division Kyoto Sanga.The fourth-round tie between Yokohama and Matsumoto brought together the two former clubs of former Japan international defender Naoki Matsuda, who died at age 34 of a heart attack in August after he collapsed during training with Yamaga.Yamaga's players all wore Matsuda's No. 3 shirt during warmups and the Nagano-based club made a lively start, Tetsuya Kijima testing Hiroki Iikura after just 40 seconds with a shot that the Yokohama goalkeeper managed to gather at the second attempt.Nagoya and Kashiwa's meeting was pushed back to Wednesday due to Kashiwa's involvement in the Club World Cup.In another early kickoff an own goal earned promoted FC Tokyo a 1-0 win against Mito Hollyhock.Elsewhere, Yosuke Kashiwagi sealed a 3-1 win for Urawa Reds against Ehime and Shimizu S-Pulse beat JEF United Chiba 2-0, thanks to goals from Alex Brosque and Sho Ito.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Golden Kings, Phoenix reach final
The Ryukyu Golden Kings built a big enough cushion — 19 points to be precise — to sustain a spirited Osaka Evessa comeback. And that's exactly what they did.
Golden ticket: Ryukyu's David Palmer drives against Osaka's Tseng Wen-ting in the bj-league Western Conference final on Saturday. The Golden Kings won 82-76. YOSHIAKI MIURA PHOTOThe Evessa cut it to five in the final minute, but suffered an 82-76 defeat to their archrival in the bj-league's Western Conference final on Saturday night at Ariake Colosseum. Ryukyu, the 2008-09 champion, advanced to the title game against the Eastern Conference final champion Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix. Sunday's title match tips off at 5:05 p.m.David Palmer paced the Golden Kings, the regular-season conference champ, with 24 points and Anthony McHenry poured in 23, including a pair of big dunks that he said "gave the team a spark."Kings standout Carlos Dixon scored 20, Shigeyuki Kinjo had eight and Naoto Kosuge added seven. Big man Jeff Newton, whose 50 points propelled the Kings past the Evessa in the conference final two seasons ago, didn't score in his 18-plus minutes, finishing with three rebounds, two assists and a steal.Nursing an ankle injury that kept him out of the Shiga Lakestars series two weeks ago, Newton was about 60 percent, coach Dai Oketani said. But having Newton in the game, as a vital player, "helped make the other players better," the coach said.Said McHenry: "We (wanted to use the zone) to keep them out of the paint." With the man-to-man defense, he added, the key was to build a wall behind the person with the ball.This approach helped to slow down Osaka point guard Kenny Satterfield, who finished 1-for-6 shooting with four points, though he did have six assists. Blackwell said Sattefield was aggressive in creating shots for his teammates, but they were not always capitalizing on open shots or space the defense gave them.Washington, the linchpin of the three Evessa title-winning team, had a team-high 25 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter to spearhead Osaka's comeback. Veteran teammate Billy Knight contributed 23 points and 9-for-10 shooting at the line. Center Wayne Marshall scored 12 points.The Evessa were 19-for-49 from inside the 3-point arc as Ryukyu's disciplined 2-3 zone and man-to-man defense worked well throughout the game."Hats off to Okinawa," first-year Evessa coach Ryan Blackwell said. "They had a good game plan. We fought back twice, but in the third quarter, we just didn't get back on defense."Washington said, "It sucks to lose." He added that "every time I come here to Ariake I am confident (in leading) the team to victory. I always feel I'm prepared (to do that)."Palmer, on the other hand, was all smiles after the triumph."It was a hard fought game," he said. "We were able to keep fighting for the win."The players, though, gave Oketani a reason to voice his disgust on the sideline. "He was angry we let them get back in the game in the fourth quarter," Palmer admitted."Last season, Osaka handed Ryukyu a stunning 84-56 defeat in the West final. For the third straight year, the teams faced off in the West final, giving the teams' loyal fans another chance to show their enthusiasm from the get-go.The Evessa, vying for their fifth title game appearance in six seasons, trailed 64-49 after three quarters, not an impossible hole to dig out of, but a major obstacle to overcome.Blackwell's charges were down 68-49 after sharpshooter Palmer flushed a pair of baseline jumpers from right side on back-to-back possessions.Through three quarters, the Evessa were 16-for-51 from the field, including 1-for-11 on 3s. The Golden Kings were 21-for-52 entering the fourth quarter, but that included 18-for-33 on 2s, including 10-for-14 combined for Palmer and McHenry.Washington picked up a pair of quick fouls in the first quarter, sending him to the bench early. When he re-entered the game at the 5:47 mark of the second, the Golden Kings led 25-17, with the last three of those points coming on a McHenry jam and his free throw.The Golden Kings turned a one-point game into a 32-30 lead courtesy of a 13-3 run, including Palmer and Kinjo 3-pointers.But the Evessa rallied back, getting big production from Knight to close out the half. He scored eight points during a 10-2 spurt to pull Osaka within 34-34 with 39.1 seconds left in the half.Palmer then drilled three free throws after being fouled in the act of shooting a long-range shot, pushing the Ryukyu lead back to five. Yonamine produced the final points of the half at the charity stripe. That made it 39-32, Ryukyu.In the East Conference final, Ray Nixon scored 25 points and Jeffrey Parmer added 23 to lead a well-balanced offensive attack as the Phoenix routed the Niigata Albirex BB 88-74 to reach the title game for a second straight season.The Phoenix, boosted by Masahiro Oguchi's nine points and eight apiece by Shingo Okada and Dzaflo Larkai, made 21 of 32 shots from inside the 3-point arc and got timely 3s to keep the Albirex from putting together any sustained runs in the final three periods.The Albirex trailed by as many as 27 points, falling behind 80-53 on Oguchi's second free throw with midway through the fourth.Like a fighter delivering a series of hard punches to the gut before throwing the knockout punch, the Phoenix's aggressive play on defense and ball movement created an impressive performance for those in attendance."That's just how we wants us to play," said Nixon, referring to coach Kazuo Nakamura's game plan. "We play as hard as we can for 40 minutes . . . from start to finish."
Golden ticket: Ryukyu's David Palmer drives against Osaka's Tseng Wen-ting in the bj-league Western Conference final on Saturday. The Golden Kings won 82-76. YOSHIAKI MIURA PHOTOThe Evessa cut it to five in the final minute, but suffered an 82-76 defeat to their archrival in the bj-league's Western Conference final on Saturday night at Ariake Colosseum. Ryukyu, the 2008-09 champion, advanced to the title game against the Eastern Conference final champion Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix. Sunday's title match tips off at 5:05 p.m.David Palmer paced the Golden Kings, the regular-season conference champ, with 24 points and Anthony McHenry poured in 23, including a pair of big dunks that he said "gave the team a spark."Kings standout Carlos Dixon scored 20, Shigeyuki Kinjo had eight and Naoto Kosuge added seven. Big man Jeff Newton, whose 50 points propelled the Kings past the Evessa in the conference final two seasons ago, didn't score in his 18-plus minutes, finishing with three rebounds, two assists and a steal.Nursing an ankle injury that kept him out of the Shiga Lakestars series two weeks ago, Newton was about 60 percent, coach Dai Oketani said. But having Newton in the game, as a vital player, "helped make the other players better," the coach said.Said McHenry: "We (wanted to use the zone) to keep them out of the paint." With the man-to-man defense, he added, the key was to build a wall behind the person with the ball.This approach helped to slow down Osaka point guard Kenny Satterfield, who finished 1-for-6 shooting with four points, though he did have six assists. Blackwell said Sattefield was aggressive in creating shots for his teammates, but they were not always capitalizing on open shots or space the defense gave them.Washington, the linchpin of the three Evessa title-winning team, had a team-high 25 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter to spearhead Osaka's comeback. Veteran teammate Billy Knight contributed 23 points and 9-for-10 shooting at the line. Center Wayne Marshall scored 12 points.The Evessa were 19-for-49 from inside the 3-point arc as Ryukyu's disciplined 2-3 zone and man-to-man defense worked well throughout the game."Hats off to Okinawa," first-year Evessa coach Ryan Blackwell said. "They had a good game plan. We fought back twice, but in the third quarter, we just didn't get back on defense."Washington said, "It sucks to lose." He added that "every time I come here to Ariake I am confident (in leading) the team to victory. I always feel I'm prepared (to do that)."Palmer, on the other hand, was all smiles after the triumph."It was a hard fought game," he said. "We were able to keep fighting for the win."The players, though, gave Oketani a reason to voice his disgust on the sideline. "He was angry we let them get back in the game in the fourth quarter," Palmer admitted."Last season, Osaka handed Ryukyu a stunning 84-56 defeat in the West final. For the third straight year, the teams faced off in the West final, giving the teams' loyal fans another chance to show their enthusiasm from the get-go.The Evessa, vying for their fifth title game appearance in six seasons, trailed 64-49 after three quarters, not an impossible hole to dig out of, but a major obstacle to overcome.Blackwell's charges were down 68-49 after sharpshooter Palmer flushed a pair of baseline jumpers from right side on back-to-back possessions.Through three quarters, the Evessa were 16-for-51 from the field, including 1-for-11 on 3s. The Golden Kings were 21-for-52 entering the fourth quarter, but that included 18-for-33 on 2s, including 10-for-14 combined for Palmer and McHenry.Washington picked up a pair of quick fouls in the first quarter, sending him to the bench early. When he re-entered the game at the 5:47 mark of the second, the Golden Kings led 25-17, with the last three of those points coming on a McHenry jam and his free throw.The Golden Kings turned a one-point game into a 32-30 lead courtesy of a 13-3 run, including Palmer and Kinjo 3-pointers.But the Evessa rallied back, getting big production from Knight to close out the half. He scored eight points during a 10-2 spurt to pull Osaka within 34-34 with 39.1 seconds left in the half.Palmer then drilled three free throws after being fouled in the act of shooting a long-range shot, pushing the Ryukyu lead back to five. Yonamine produced the final points of the half at the charity stripe. That made it 39-32, Ryukyu.In the East Conference final, Ray Nixon scored 25 points and Jeffrey Parmer added 23 to lead a well-balanced offensive attack as the Phoenix routed the Niigata Albirex BB 88-74 to reach the title game for a second straight season.The Phoenix, boosted by Masahiro Oguchi's nine points and eight apiece by Shingo Okada and Dzaflo Larkai, made 21 of 32 shots from inside the 3-point arc and got timely 3s to keep the Albirex from putting together any sustained runs in the final three periods.The Albirex trailed by as many as 27 points, falling behind 80-53 on Oguchi's second free throw with midway through the fourth.Like a fighter delivering a series of hard punches to the gut before throwing the knockout punch, the Phoenix's aggressive play on defense and ball movement created an impressive performance for those in attendance."That's just how we wants us to play," said Nixon, referring to coach Kazuo Nakamura's game plan. "We play as hard as we can for 40 minutes . . . from start to finish."Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Inaba, Kokubo should be among next to reach 2,000 hits
Staring down history: Yomiuri Giants star Alex Ramirez looks likely to join teammate Michihiro Ogasawara in Japan's 2,000-hit club, providing as he stays healthy. KYODO PHOTOMichihiro Ogasawara finally ascended into the 2,000-hit club on May 5, getting the job done with a single up the middle against Hanshin Tigers pitcher Hiroyuki Kobayashi.So as the club welcomes its newest member, the next question becomes, who's next?Exempting the four active players to have already reached the milestone (active hits leader Takuro Ishii, Tomoaki Kanemoto, Tomonori Maeda and Ogasawara) there are seven current players with at least 1,700 hits.The players to reach 2,000 in the near future will come from this group, though upon further inspection, it's likely not all of them will make it.Going down the list in order, Fukuoka Softbank Hawks infielder Hiroki Kokubo (1,883 career hits) and Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters star Atsunori Inaba (1,867) should both get to 2,000.Kokubo is aging and the injury bug is biting, but there is enough life left in his bat to make it to the finish line sometime next season at the latest.Inaba might actually get there this year if health issues don't drag him down.The Fighters veteran is still going strong and coming off back-to-back 150-hit years. Inaba has finished with at least 112 hits in each of the last seven years, playing an average of 132 games per season over that span.Like the above-mentioned, Tokyo Yakult Swallows veteran Shinya Miyamoto (1,861) is worthy of virtual-lock status, having had at least 129 hits, and playing in more than 116 games each of the last four years. If not next season, Miyamoto should be celebrating in 2012.Our next stop brings up the first real question mark in Chunichi Dragons catcher Motonobu Tanishige.Tanishige has 1,824 hits, but hasn't had a 100-hit year since 2006. He's also trending downward, finishing with 90, 77, 62 and 75 hits from 2007-2010.Also troubling is the beating he takes behind the plate for a team that's already sitting pretty in terms of corner infielders.Tanishige, may ease his way to the mark, but it will be a laborious journey.Yomiuri Giants outfielder Yoshitomo Tani is next on the active list with 1,820 hits, but is a longshot to reach 2,000.The Kyojin are bursting at the seams in terms of talent and Tani's chances of being in the starting lineup on an everyday basis seem to be a thing of the past.Talent-wise Tani can get it done, but unless he changes uniforms the plate appearances might not be there.Rounding out the top 10 on the active list is another Giants player who should be a lock, Alex Ramirez.Ramirez (1,738) is still raking at 35 years old and at his current pace should reach the goal sometime in late 2012 or 2013.Ramirez is locked in on that goal and doesn't want to be remembered as having 2,000 hits combined between his career in MLB and NPB. Having risen to superstardom in Japan, the Kyojin slugger wants to record 2,000 hits in Japanese baseball alone.The final player with at least 1,700 hits, and another who may not make it the rest of the way, is Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles slugger Takeshi Yamasaki.Yamasaki currently has 1,721 hits. He's also 42 years old and rapidly declining.Reunited with his old manager Senichi Hoshino this year, the veteran has showed vigor in the early stages of 2011.His skills are leaving him though, and his value with his bat and his glove is something the team will have the assess in the very near future.Possessing a decent power stroke, Yamasaki will remain a major player for the Eagles this year.Still, at this stage in his career, it's likely Yamasaki will run out of gas on the road to 2,000.
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