Federer downs Sampras in just 61 minutes

SEOUL: The world’s former number one tennis player was no match for the current champion when they met on court on Tuesday for only the second time.   

In an exhibition match in the South Korean capital, Roger Federer beat Pete Sampras 6-4, 6-3 in a match lasting just 61 minutes. Serving for the match leading 5-3, Federer was stretched to deuce when he badly mishit a return on 40-30. But he won the next two points for the victory. After taking the first set 6-4, Federer took four of the first five games in the second set. Sampras showed signs of life in the sixth, winning it easily with the help of his booming serve.    

But the 36-year-old American could only muster one more game against the 26-year-old Swiss, whose effortless performance demonstrated why he has been the world number one for four years running.    The Swiss ace is at the peak of his powers, lifting his fourth Masters Cup title on Sunday, whereas Sampras retired from the professional game in 2002.   

But the American legend had been working hard on getting back in shape and is unbeaten in three starts on the Jim Courier Outback Champions seniors tour, his first serious tennis since hanging up his racket. “It was a little tricky situation. I’d been playing well and Pete’s been retired for five years,” Federer said. “I expected myself to win tonight.”I am very happy with my performance but I think Pete’s still playing very, very well.”    

Astle not sure about availability of players for IPL

MUMBAI: Former New Zealand batsman Nathan Astle on Monday sounded skeptical on whether the BCCI-backed Indian Premier League will succeed in bringing top foreign players due to the packed international calendar.
   
“IPL (floated by the Indian Cricket Board), Indian Cricket League (of which Astle is a part of) and the Stanford League are all very good for the game. But I am not sure how it can bring together so many players here in India (for 44 days) with the packed calendar,” he said today.

Astle, who is part of the ICL’s Mumbai Champs team, said he did not get an offer from the IPL after he chucked away his international career in January prior to the World Cup, adding ICL would benefit young Indian cricketers.

“I threw it away (international career) in January itself. I am sure the young Indian cricketers will learn by playing with or against people like (Brian) Lara, Chris Cairns, myself and other ex-international players. This is applicable to Twenty20 games too, the learning process,” he said at the Western Railway ground in Mahalakshmi.
   
The 36-year-old former opener, who considers the back-to-back Test hundreds he struck in the West Indies against the pace attack of Courtney Walsh, Curtley Ambrose and Ian Bishop in 1996 as something very special He feels his retirement besides those of Craig McMillan and Chris Cairns is impacting New Zealand team.

“I am passionate about New Zealand cricket. I feel it will take two years for the team to recover following the retirement of Chris Cairns, McMillan and myself,” he said.

Astle, scorer of 4702 runs in 81 Tests and 7090 runs in 222 ODIs, trashed the revolutionary idea of former Australian team’s coach John Buchanan to allow players to choose the country for which they wanted to play.

“I know where it’s coming from. It needs to be thrown out the window. I don’t think any cricketer from any country would want to play for any other country,” he declared.

He also hit out at former Australian hockey skipper Ric Charlesworth for trying to induct methods alien to New Zealand players’ culture within a short period of two years as New Zealand Cricket’s high performance manager.
   
“Good luck to you people. I heard he’s here (to advise Indian hockey officialdom). He tried to change too much in our cricket in too short a time. Australians are confident by nature and we, Kiwis, are reserved,” he said with a smile.
   
The ex-New Zealand player felt that Twenty20 format was the ideal one to help spread the game to places like China and the America.
   
“It’s a good format for spreading the game to China and America. It’s exciting and gets over in three and a half hours. It has rejuvenated cricket in rugby-mad New Zealand and has brought in the younger generation,” he said.
   
But he also cautioned the authorities not to go for an overkill by playing too many Twenty20 internationals leading to fans’ disinterest as is the case with 50-over games.
   
“But the organisers need to be careful that there’s not too much of this thing and prevent overkill as is happening now (in 50-over games). One match is followed by another within two days,” said Astle who has signed a two-year contract with the ICL.

Virtuoso Federer seals Masters title

Shanghai: World number one Roger Federer claimed his fourth Masters Cup title with a virtuoso display against David Ferrer of Spain today.

The Swiss defending champion dominated his fifth consecutive year-end final from the outset, winning 6-2,6-3, 6-2 in just one hour and 38 minutes.
Federer leaves with 1.2 million dollars in prize money, pushing his season earnings to a record 8,630,620 dollars, and a Mercedes-Benz car.

“I m so happy,” Federer beamed. “This is the year-end tournament championship where only the best play, so for me to have won this year again is a great experience. I m looking forward to some vacation and then come back hopefully stronger next year.”

Ferrer was left in no doubt about the quality of his opponent.

“Roger is the best in history,” he said. “I tried to do my best. I was a bit nervous but he did it all: serve, volley, slice. I was never comfortable on the court. I don t return badly but when Federer serves on line, I can t do anything, he added.

Federer entered the final as strong favourite against the sixth-ranked Ferrer after routing Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal.

He volleyed his way out of a break point in his first service game and turned the tables with a mesmerising lob-and-volley in Ferrer’s next game, converting the first break point as the Spaniard netted.

Federer won’t throw a match for money: Amritraj

BANGALORE : Vijay Amritraj, the infinity man, as far as number of hats goes, was in Bangalore on a promotional venture of a junior tennis program. The former president of the ATP Player Council, spoke about a number of issues threatening the sport — match fixing, betting and drugs — as also his son Prakash’s return to tennis after a wrist surgery. Excerpts…

On match-fixing being a growing menace in tennis

Roger Federer won’t throw a match for any amount of money. Neither would Rafael Nadal or for that matter any of the top guys. When I was in Shanghai last week, doing commentary for the Masters Cup, we had a situation where Federer was playing (Andy) Roddick, if he won the match he would have to play Nadal in the semi-finals and if he lost it he would play (David) Ferrer. There were pointed questions asked, like wouldn’t it be better for Federer to lose so that he could avoid playing Nadal in the semi-final? That’s bull, there’s no question of anything like that happening. The top guys definitely don’t get into it.

On locker room talk about middle rung guys being involved

I find this difficult to comprehend. Just suppose, a guy aged 28, ranked 28 in the world, is asked to throw away a match, why would he do it? Playing tennis, winning matches is what he does best in life. He has a chance to go from 28 to top 20. That’s what the players are playing for. Tennis has a ranking system, that goes from week to week, 12 months a year, so it would be ridiculous to throw opportunities away. In the old days, before the rankings came, players might have wanted to help another player so that he could get an invitation to another tournament, but it is different these days. Players don’t check rankings once a day, they do it three and four times a day. That’s the gold standard of the sport, you don’t mess with it.

There may be the one-off case that a player at the fag end of his career, say 34 years of age, maybe ranked 32, and someone offers him a couple of million dollars to throw a match. It is possible in that kind of a situation. Otherwise the talk is more froth and fizzle than meat and potatoes. I don’t like it, it is not good for the sport.

On drugs in tennis

Frankly it’s a load of rubbish. I have heard about performance enhancing drugs doing the rounds in tennis for a long time. I ask you, how it would work in a sport like ours, played for 11 months a year, that has a ranking system that runs round the year? We are not competing, nor is our training directed at one high-point in the year. It is not just one Olympic Games or Commonwealth Games where you need to keep the level up for 10-15 days. In tennis we compete round the year. So why would a tennis player take these drugs?

Important win for Pakistan : Zaheer Abbas

I must praise the way Pakistan fought back at Jaipur. They may have lost the One-Day International series, but they took to the field in Jaipur with a purpose and determination, and the results was there to see for all.

Test cricket is a very different ball game, but there is nothing like a win to boost a team’s morale. Victory is always good and especially when a team have been down like Pakistan were till the fourth game, it was pleasing to see the way they fought back.

Let me also say that both teams rested their key players. So, to say that India gave away the advantage is not correct or a fair assessment. If Pakistan were without Younis Khan, Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar, India too were missing Sourav Ganguly, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Rudra Pratap Singh. It was a test of the bench strength on either side, and I was pleased to see the way Pakistan’s boys rose to the occasion.

Which brings me to the point that, I for one, could just not understand what was the Indian team’s think-thank was aiming at?
In today’s highly competitive cricket, why did they not play their best side. It is far batter to see a 4-1 score against your name than 3-2, as has happened. When you have the enemy down, it is better to drive the advantage home. India did not do that and I am surprised that they opted for such tactics.

Pakistan will not complain. The win will have been a huge morale-booster for them and they will go into the first Test at the Feroze Shah Kotla with that in the bag. Shoaib Malik has been under tremendous pressure but he came good at just the right time.

It was a captain’s knock in every way. When you are not delivering yourself as a player, it is difficult to ask your team mates to step up. And when you start to perform, the team also undergo a change. A captain can then guide his players. Malik looked good and the scenario for his team changed altogether.

Pakistan were also fortunate to have found another pitch to suit their strength. Both matches they have won in the series were on quick and lively tracks ~ Mohali and now Jaipur.

Once their batsmen had put on over 300 runs, India were always going to be under pressure and the four early wickets India lost surely played a major role in Pakistan’s win.

Overall, I would say Pakistan at last looked like a cohesive unit. It may not make a very big difference in the Test series but I am glad that they won the Jaipur game.

Simply put, it is better to win than it is to lose. I now look forward to the Test matches with interest for Pakistan have somewhat closed the gap on India.

ICL says ‘severe penalty’ awaits Yousuf

Chandigarh: The Indian Cricket League (ICL) Monday said that Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf could face a severe commercial penalty if he breached his contract with the league.

Amidst reports that Yousuf had expressed his unwillingness to join the ICL and that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had offered to fully back their player in his legal fight with the league, a top ICL official said Yousuf will not be allowed to breach the contract so easily.

Yousuf, who is part of Pakistan team currently touring India, has been summoned before the arbitrator – retired judge B.B. Saraf – in Mumbai Wednesday (Nov 21) after the ICL management sent him a legal notice.

“He has been sent a legal notice. We will not allow him to become a bad example for others to follow. We will deal with him legally,” ICL’s chief executive Ashish Kaul told reporters here. Kaul said that the matter was before the arbitrator and would be decided legally.

The Pakistan team begins its first Test match against India at Delhi Thursday and it will be difficult for Yousuf to appear before the arbitrator in Mumbai just a day before the match in Delhi. “Yousuf will face a very severe commercial penalty if he breaches the contract. He has received good money from the ICL. It is a legal matter now and any backing by the PCB does not change our stand,” Kaul pointed out.

Mohammad Yousuf was the top scorer on either side with 283 runs in five matches in the just concluded one-day international (ODI) series between India and Pakistan that India won 3-2.

Yousuf, who was earlier known as Yousuf Youhana, changed his name to Mohammad Yousuf two years ago after embracing Islam.