Chang knocks off top-seed Stosur to advance to Japan Women's Open final

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.

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Shin crushes field to claim Women's British Open title

HOYLAKE, England — Jiyai Shin avoided mistakes in miserable weather conditions Sunday to cruise to a record nine-stroke victory in the Women's British Open.

In the 36-hole finish Sunday in the wind-delayed tournament, Shin took a three-shot lead into the final round after shooting a 1-under 71 in the morning. She stayed calm while strong wind and heavy showers sent scores soaring at Royal Liverpool in the afternoon, closing with a 73 to finish at 9-under 279.

"It was a long, very, very tough day out there," Shin said. "But I kept my focus and concentrated on every shot, and when I made the winning putt, it was great.

Mika Miyazato was fourth at 2 over after rounds of 72 and 77.

The 24-year-old Shin won the major championship for the second time in five years and also won for the second time in seven days on the LPGA Tour. Last Monday morning in Virginia, she finished off Paula Creamer on the ninth hole of a playoff in the Kingsmill Championship.

"When I won at Sunningdale, it was a totally different kind of course, but I finally think I've got the right tempo with my swing for links golf," Shin said.

The 10-time LPGA Tour winner entered the day with a five-stroke lead after shooting a 64 — the lowest competitive round ever at Hoylake — on Saturday. She broke the record for margin of victory of five set by Karen Stupples in 2004 at Sunningdale.

"My goal was 1-under par every single day. So my goal was 4 under. I think it was enough score," Shin said. "So, I'm really surprised even from yesterday and then also today, I hit even par with 36 holes with this weather, so I'm really surprised and inspired by myself. Because it's a really tough course here, so when I finished it today, I'm just like, 'Wow, I can get a good score on any other course.' I'm pretty sure of that."

Shin completed an Asian sweep of the four majors. South Korea's Yoo Sun Young won the Kraft Nabisco, China's Shanshan Feng took the LPGA Championship, and South Korea's Choi Na Yeon won the U.S. Women's Open. Asian players have won nine of the last 12 majors.

Shin missed the LPGA Championship and U.S. Women's Open after having surgery on her left wrist.

"I think so many Asian players are playing at the moment on the LPGA Tour, so it makes a lot of chances to win," Shin said. "Especially, I don't know how can I say, I didn't play the last two major tournaments, but I played in Nabisco and here. Well, I work so hard, I guess that's why I got this trophy, but, I don't know, I know all the other players are doing their best and they work hard, too. So it makes it just happen."

Shin is 2-for-2 working with new caddie Florian Rodriguez.

"I'm happy with my new work with my new caddie because he makes me feel relaxed," Shin said. "Actually, he's one year younger than me, but he like tried to be relaxed on the golf course and I really appreciate my caddie."

South Korea's Inbee Park was second, shooting 72-76.

Creamer shot 72-72 to finish third at 1 over.

Australia's Karrie Webb, a three-time winner in the event, pulled within three shots with a 68 in the morning, but finished with an 82 to tie for fifth with South Korea's Ryu Se Yeon — 12 shots back. Ryu shot 71-76.

Play was abandoned Friday because of high wind, forcing the 36-hole finale Sunday. Play was suspended for a few minutes during the fourth round as the rain and wind pelted the course, but organizers decided to play on.

"It was like we were standing under a shower," Creamer said. "That's the best way I can describe it. It was hard, my goodness gracious."

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Women's British Open postponed

HOYLAKE, England — Play was called off for the day at the Women's British Open on Friday because of strong wind that disrupted the second round so badly that organizers declared early scores "null and void."

With wind gusting up to 96.5 kph, players struggled to keep the ball on the tees and greens before the round was suspended after an hour of play in the morning.

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Ryu, Kang lead Women's British Open; Miyazatos one behind

HOYLAKE, England — Ryu So Yeon won the U.S. Women's Open last summer in Colorado and backed it up with a victory last month in the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic.

The 22-year-old South Korean player made another big statement Thursday at Royal Liverpool in her Women's British Open debut, shooting a 2-under 70 for a share of the first-round lead with Haeji Kang.

"After I won (in Toledo), I was a little more relieved and that helped me a lot," Ryu said. "How can I say, even when I was winning the U.S. Women's Open, a lot of people said it might be just one tournament or just a dark horse like that. But after I won the Toledo championship, I broke that."

Coming off a victory last week in a Korean LPGA event, Ryu had five birdies and two bogeys in relatively calm conditions on the difficult links course.

"This is my first time to play in England, so I have never played this type of golf course," Ryu said. "It's really tough, but fun. Always the first experience, really fun and a little tough, but I want to enjoy this type of golf course.

"Actually, Tuesday and Wednesday were so bad, so today feels like really great weather. But you know, in Korea it was really strong wind, and a little different from this course. This wind might not be a bad wind. I think today the weather was really great."

The 2-under leading score is the highest in the first round since the tournament became a major in 2002, in relatively calm conditions.

The 21-year-old Kang, also from South Korea, had six birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey.

"I hit it pretty good out there," said Kang, winless on the LPGA Tour. "My iron shots were just inside 20 feet all the time, so I could just putt it out."

She hit 13 greens in regulation and needed only 27 putts in her morning round.

"Oh, it was much better this morning," Kang said. "As soon as I made the turn, it started to blow. But I played yesterday the practice round with the rain, also, so I'm ready."

Australia's Karrie Webb, the tournament winner in 1995, 1997 and 2002, was a stroke back along with 16-year-old English amateur Charley Hull, Shin Jiyai, Ai Miyazato, Mika Miyazato, Stacey Keating, Lydia Hall, Vicky Hurst and Kate Kutcher.

"I think it counts for a little bit," Webb said about her experience in the event. "But you've still got to go out there and hit the shot, and you've got to commit to the lines that you want to hit your shots on. . . . There's a lot of links courses that there's a side to miss on, and I don't think this course, especially off the tee, there's a side to miss on. You've just got to get up there and hit a good shot."

Ai Miyazato, seeking her first major title on the U.S. LPGA tour, had four birdies against three bogeys.

"I think that was a good start," said Miyazato, who finished in a tie for seventh last weekend at the Kingsmill Championship. "For the most part, I wasn't thinking about birdies. My thinking was to go for them when the opportunities arose," she said.

Shin, the 2008 winner at Sunningdale, won the Kingsmill Championship on Monday in Virginia, beating Paula Creamer on the ninth hole of a playoff.

Two-time defending champion Yani Tseng opened with a 72. She played alongside Ai Miyazato and Creamer.

"I feel pretty good, first day of the tournament," Tseng said. "I feel like I'm hitting so many good shots out there, making some good putts to save the par, and I'm very happy and very enjoyed playing with Ai and Paula today. It's a four-day tournament, just have to be patient on this tough golf course, and today maybe it's kind of a good day to make some more birdies but I don't think you want to try too hard out there, because the harder you try, the worse you get."

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Germany, United States ready to clash for Under-20 Women's World Cup title

Defending champion Germany and the United States have both lived up to their pre-tournament heavyweight billings and go toe-to-toe for top honors on Saturday in the final of the Under-20 Women's World Cup in Tokyo.

The showcase match at National Stadium features the undisputed giants at this level, with both teams having won the title twice, but it is the Germans that have the psychological edge after coasting past the Americans 3-0 in the group phase behind a double from hotshot Lena Lotzen.

Germany has yet to allow a goal on Japanese soil and the European starlets have not conceded for six games at this level, a run stretching back to the final in 2010. They have also scored 15 times in their five outings so far, with Lotzen, the second top scorer in the tournament, bagging six goals.

Yet despite those impressive stats, Germany coach, Maren Meinert, whose team broke Japanese hearts with a 3-0 defeat of Young Nadeshiko in the semis, was eager to play down her team's status as favorites to take the title.

"I am not sure whether the win over the U.S. in the group stage gives us an advantage," she said. "In the final there are just two teams and for us it doesn't matter who we are playing tomorrow. We start again at zero. How we got to the final is irrelevant."

"I don't think there will be any need to motivate the players, but I don't want to think we have peaked too early as if we make mistakes now it will all be in vain. We are not champions yet but we are in good shape for tomorrow's final."

U.S. coach Steve Swanson admitted he is still figuring out how to try and break down the Germans but said he was pleased with the improvement his players have shown in the knockout phase of the competition, and that being in the final was all the motivation his team need.

"Although we didn't score against Germany in our group play I think we created enough quality chances to get something out of it. We are focusing on that and I think we have the kind of team and the kind of players that can be dangerous," said Swanson.

"It's a World Cup final so there is enough motivation for the players. They are very excited to play against Germany again. For us there were a lot of positives in that first game and we have kind of fixated on those during the course of the time we have been preparing for this game. I think there are a lot of things that we have shown we can do better in the quarterfinal and semifinals so I think we are a team that has improved throughout this tournament."

Before the final, Japan will meet Nigeria in the match for third place with both sides looking to bounce back from disappointment and end their campaigns on a high.

Japan's youngsters failed to match the feats of the country's senior side at the 2011 Women's World Cup and were left shell-shocked after their defeat to Germany.

Nonetheless they have made history by advancing to the semis for the first time and will be eager to put smiles back on the faces of their supporters by taking bronze.

"Losing is sometimes a positive thing because the issues you have are identified," said Japan coach Hiroshi Yoshida.

"I don't want the players to forget about the loss (against Germany) as it will serve as a good experience for them in the future. Tomorrow will be our last game and I just hope that we can put on a good performance."

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Young Nadeshiko stumbles in U-20 Women's World Cup semifinals

Two-time champion Germany ended Japan's bid to reach the Under-20 Women's World Cup final for the first time with a 3-0 win in Tuesday's semifinal.

A goal in the opening minute from Melanie Leupolz got the Germans off to a flying start at National Stadium, and it was a blow from which the Young Nadeshiko would not recover as two more from Dzsenifer Marozsan and Lena Lotzen with less than 20 minutes on the clock put the Europeans safely on the road to Saturday's final.

Germany will play the United States in the title match after the Americans beat Nigeria 2-0 in the day's earlier semifinal, but Japan manager Hiroshi Yoshida was left to rue his side's nightmare start having gone on to create the better second-half chances in front of a home crowd of 28,306.

"We wanted to win this game but we weren't able to do anything at the beginning," said Yoshida. "We lost the first goal and after that we weren't able to stay calm. The first goal really shook our confidence, and no one was able to even touch the ball.
"The players were feeling down, but at halftime we said we just had to start again. We had to be confident, but even though we had our moments we weren't able to take our chances."

Japan got off to the worst possible start when Leupolz got between Japan's central defenders to latch onto a slide-rule pass and calmly fire across goalkeeper Sakiko Ikeda for her third goal of the tournament.

Japan reacted with a series of nimble attacks that threatened to find an equalizer, but the hosts were dealt a huge setback when Marozsan doubled Germany's lead in the 13th minute. The forward rushed through to lift a bouncing through ball over Ikeda with her first touch, and there was nothing the goalkeeper could do as the ball dropped under the crossbar and into the net.

Lotzen then rose unchallenged to power home a header for Germany's third, prompting Yoshida to reshuffle his pack and replace midfielder Mina Tanaka with Kumi Yokoyama with only 25 minutes gone.

The change allowed Japan to steady the ship until halftime, and the home side returned from the break with renewed purpose as first Asuka Nishikawa then Hanae Shibata went close to pulling a goal back.

But there was to be no way through as Germany held firm to the final whistle, leaving Japan to contest the third-place playoff against Nigeria on Saturday in the undercard before the headline event.

"The players are feeling really down at the moment," said Yoshida. "Starting tomorrow we have to pick ourselves up and get ready for the next game."

Goals from Morgan Brian and Kealia Ohai either side of halftime were enough to send the U.S. into the final for a third time, seeing off a determined effort from the previously unbeaten Nigerians in the day's earlier semifinal.

"I'm exhausted, and I didn't even do anything," said U.S. manager Steve Swanson. "We are obviously very happy to be moving on. It was a difficult match physically. It wasn't pretty at times but getting the first goal was critical. It was a good result for us.

"If we play Japan then it will be quite a treat for their country for their team to do so well, but if it's Germany then we have had good games against them in the past. We will be ready to play either one. We have played a few games against Germany and we have played against Japan, and we have respect for both."

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Japan edges Cuba in Olympic women's volleyball qualifier

Japan scraped out its fourth win of the Women's 2012 World Olympic qualification tournament at Tokyo Gymnasium on Friday, needing five sets to beat Cuba.

Perfect timing: Japan's Saori Sakoda spikes the ball against Cuba's Yanelis Santos in a FIVB Olympic Volleyball world qualifier on Friday in Tokyo. Japan defeated the three-time world champions in five sets. KYODO

The hosts, chasing one of the final four berths at the London Olympics available here, beat three-time Olympic champion Cuba 25-23, 18-25, 25-16, 23-25, 17-15. The five-set win earned Japan two points in the standings, moving it into second place on 11, four points back of Russia in the eight-team, round-robin tournament.

It was power against power as the sides blasted away in the first five-set match of the tournament. Saori Sakoda and Saori Kimura spearheaded the Japan attack with 20 and 19 points, respectively. Yukiko Ebata contributed 10 tallies.

It was Sakoda's late-match heroics that carried Japan to the stirring victory this night as she dominated in the fourth and fifth.

Yoana Palacios had a match-high 22 points in the loss. Wilma Salas added 19 for Cuba, while Rosana Giel and Yanelis Santos finished with 17 and 16.

Cuba made 40 unforced errors compared to only 11 by Japan. The defeated side held the advantage in blocks 16-4 and both sides scored via eight aces.

"I was very happy to win," Sakoda said. "We want to do the same thing again tomorrow. Wearing the Japan uniform means always having to be prepared. My job is to chance the flow and mood of the game when I come in. I was able to do it tonight."

Added Kimura: "I was determined to destroy their attack with a strong serve."

The Russians, who take on Japan on Saturday, defeated Serbia 25-18, 25-11, 14-25, 25-22 as the Serbs became the first team in the tournament to take a set off Russia.

Thailand improved to nine points with a 25-19, 25-19, 25-20 victory over Peru, while South Korea joined the Thais at nine with a 25-8, 25-12, 25-18 win over winless Taiwan.

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Japan, Azerbaijan to vie for final Olympic women's field hockey berth

KAKAMIGAHARA — Japan and Azerbaijan will battle it out for a berth at the London Games after emerging as the two top teams in the final women's Olympic hockey qualifying tournament on Thursday.

The hosts beat Belarus 4-0, securing their place in Saturday's final, while a 2-2 draw with Chile was enough to send Azerbaijan through.

The Japanese women ended top of the table with an unbeaten four wins and a draw in the six-team round robin preliminary round.

Japan opened the scoring just three minutes into the match, with forward Kaori Fujio striking home from close range.

Midfielder Rika Komazawa and skipper Yukari Yamamoto added two more before Fujio scored her second goal in the 65th minute.

"We are determined to fight and clinch the ticket to the Olympics," said Yamamoto, while coach Zenjiro Yasuda said Belarus' defensive play was good preparation for the final.

The winner will take the 12th and final berth for the Olympics.

Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Britain, China, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea and the United States have already qualified.

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U.S. tops Japan in women's soccer

Cary North Carolina — Heather O'Reilly had a goal and set up another to lead the United States women to a 2-0 win over Japan on Wednesday in the Americans' next-to-last friendly before the Women's World Cup.

Amy Rodriguez also scored and Hope Solo made three saves in her second straight shutout to help the U.S. claim its second win over Japan in a five-day span and its third of the year.

The Americans wrap up their pre-World Cup warmup schedule June 5 against Mexico. Three weeks later, they play their World Cup opener against South Korea in Dresden, Germany.

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