Sports

Tokyo, Sep 24 (IANS) Chinese teenager Zheng Qinwen extended her rapid rise up the rankings by claiming a spot in her first WTA Tour singles final at the Pan Pacific Open with a 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(3) win over 13th-ranked Veronika Kudermetova in a 3 hours and 4 minutes long semi-final, here on Saturday.

The victory over No 4 seed Kudermetova marks Zheng's fifth win over a Top 20 player in her career, all coming this season.

"After the match when I won the last point, the feeling was incredible. The opponent, she's playing unbelievable tennis. She has a really good serve and hits the ball hard, she moves well," Zheng said.

"I'm so glad in the tiebreak I sometimes choose the right ball and make a good effort to win the match. It's my first time in the final. I'm so happy," he added.

In Sunday's final, Zheng will meet Liudmila Samsonova, whose surge through the second half of the season continues unabated with a trip to her third WTA singles final of the year.

World No.30 Samsonova defeated 28th-ranked Zhang Shuai 7-6(4), 6-2 in a hard-hitting semifinal to reach Sunday's championship match in Tokyo. Samsonova is currently undefeated 3-0 in WTA singles finals in her career.

This time last year, Zheng was ranked outside of the Top 150, but the 19-year-old has repeatedly proven over the last 12 months that she can contend with the elite players on tour. This week has been no exception, as she ousted No.1 seed Paula Badosa in straight sets in the second round.

Zheng was severely tested on Saturday by Kudermetova, who is in the Top 10 in the Race to this season's WTA Finals. Kudermetova came back from 4-1 down in the first set to take it, after holding break points in each of Zheng's service games.

However, Zheng leapt to another 4-1 lead in the second set and she held onto that advantage this time around, leveling the match at one set apiece. The pair moved into an intense third set, which was settled by a tiebreak after both players held serve all the way through.

In the decisive tiebreak, a volley winner gave Zheng the first mini-break at 3-2, which she followed up with two commanding service winners to lead 5-2. On Zheng's second match point at 6-3, Kudermetova fired a return long, and Zheng was into her first final.

Zheng is the second teenager to reach a final at WTA 500-level or higher this season, joining Coco Gauff, who reached the Roland Garros final at age 18.

As for Samsonova, she has won 17 of her last 18 matches, including two consecutive titles in Washington, D.C. and Cleveland. Her only loss since July came in the Round of 16 at the US Open, where she saw a 13-match winning streak snapped by Ajla Tomljanovic.

Samsonova fired 40 winners in Saturday's 1-hour and 27-minute semifinal, well outpacing her 25 unforced errors. 13 of those winners were aces, which gives her a total of 34 in her four victories this week.

After an early exchange of breaks, Samsonova and Zhang settled into a rhythm of fast-paced groundstrokes as they moved inexorably into a first-set tiebreak. Samsonova took command with fiery forehands down the stretch of the breaker to reach set point at 6-4, which the powerful server converted with her seventh ace of the set.

Zhang had three game points for a 2-0 lead in the second set, but Samsonova returned to top gear from there, with her high-octane game garnering her an immediate break back. Samsonova cruised through the rest of the affair, winning the final four games of the clash.

Looking ahead to the final, Zheng leads Samsonova 1-0 in their head-to-head. As a qualifier, Zheng surprised second-seeded Samsonova in the first round of Palermo on clay last year.

--IANS
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By B. Shrikant
Nagpur, Sep 24 (IANS) At times, even Rohit Sharma is surprised by the way Rohit Sharma bats! Friday night was one such occasion as the India captain helped his team defeat Australia by six wickets in a truncated eight-over-a-side match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA), Jamtha near here.



Sharma blasted a scintillating unbeaten 46 off 20 deliveries as India chased a target of 91 off eight overs, helping his side reach 92/4 with four balls to spare and helped the home side level the three-match series 1-1 ahead of Sunday's final encounter at Hyderabad.

On a pitch that was two-paced and against a world-class bowling attack that included the likes of Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Sean Abbott and Adam Zampa and conditions that were not easy to bat in, Sharma came out with an aggressive intent and took control of the match easily.

He smashed Hazlewood for back-to-back sixes in the opening over of India's chase and then struck two more sixes and four boundaries as he blazed his way to 46 off 20 balls to keep India ahead on run rate. India did lose its way a bit with Zampa claiming back-to-back wickets to dismiss Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav, but the target was still achievable thanks to the early assault.

Sharma, who was adjudged Player of the Match, said he was surprised to see that his shots came off well and helped the team chase a difficult target.

"I was quite surprised as well. I didn't expect it to go quite as well as that. For the last 8-9 months I have been playing like that so it didn't change much. But when you are playing a game like that you can't plan too much. You just have to play the situation and use conditions to your advantage," Sharma said after the match.

He complimented his bowlers for using the conditions pretty well and restricting Australia to 90/5. He said he wants his players to learn how to tackle the dew.

"I felt when we were bowling the bowlers had something to bowl to. We used the conditions pretty well. But then at the back end, dew started coming in. That is where we want guys to learn how tough it is," Sharma said.

--IANS

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By Tanya Banon
New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANSlife) Perched on a hilltop with spectacular views of the sea beyond, international cricket icon, Yuvraj Singh's holiday home in Goa pays homage to the town's rich cultural heritage.



"My Goa home has always been extremely special to me. While my work takes me across the world, this villa is where my wife and I come together to spend quality time with our friends and family," shares the cricketer.

Singh is offering his Goa home on travel platform Airbnb for an exclusive one-time-only stay for a group of six. "I am looking forward to being an Airbnb Host and opening the doors of my home to a lucky group of six," adds Yuvraj. The sports icon has delivered outstanding performances and career-defining knocks throughout his career; he is now setting another milestone by becoming the first international cricketer from India to host on Airbnb.

IANSlife speaks to Yuvraj to get all the details about his home:

Cricket Icon Yuvraj Singh. Picture credit: Prabhat Shetty

Tell us about your the home's design and what aesthetics of your own have been included in it?

Yuvraj Singh: Casa Singh offers a serene setting from which to explore the colourful charms of Goa's sun-kissed villages. The house is laden with expansive decks and terraces burst with potted plants and greenery, dotted by pops of color from bougainvillea and flowers. A luxurious pool and several nooks for lazy afternoons spent reading or enjoying leisurely meals alfresco.

The upper floor of Casa Singh houses a master bedroom with a balcony yielding views of the Arabian Sea and a guest bedroom with a small private terrace. Vibrant blues, yellows, and whites are interlaced with plush textiles and local handicrafts such as hand-woven grass baskets. The third bedroom is on the ground floor with direct access to the sundowner deck. The room also has a cozy niche, which is a perfect spot to unwind or read a book.

The spacious living area includes a cozy lounge on one side and a dining area on the other. Local Goan dishes will be served by the home's personal chef in the dining room just off the main mezzanine area.

The house is also filled with photos of my family and cricket memorabilia - including my very first ODI 150 - abounds.

Share with us two memories in your Goa you cherish forever.

Yuvraj Singh: I have many fond memories from our home in Goa. In fact, we hosted our wedding reception brunch at Casa Singh where our close family members and friends gathered to congratulate us and give us their blessings. Another fond memory of mine at Casa Singh is of celebrating my fortieth birthday with my loved ones. That day truly holds a very special place in my heart. I often visit the villa with my friends to unwind from the daily hustle. This home has a very peaceful vibe to it, so the days when we lazed around the pool, and spent some quality time together at the sundowner deck, are memories I still cherish.

How did the collaboration with Airbnb come about?

Yuvraj Singh: I have always loved interacting with my fans, and this collaboration was the perfect opportunity for me to do so in a way that has hardly ever been done before. Casa Singh is an extremely personal space for me, a second home where I share so many memories with my friends and family. To open the doors of such a private space for my fans, for them to experience a day in my life would not be possible without Airbnb. Airbnb's success has always been in fostering human connections and making experiences more authentic, and I feel such collaborations are a testament to that, so, I am extremely excited to be a part of one such iconic campaign.

Airbnb x Cricket Icon Yuvraj Singh. Picture credit: Fabien Charuau

You have inspired a generation. What advice would you give to budding cricketers beyond what they need to do on the field?

Yuvraj Singh: A cricketer needs to first understand his/her own strengths and then put in countless hours of practice to be their absolute best. I personally believe that learning never ends! From day 1 to the day you retire, you will keep evolving as a player and that is something everyone must accept.

For every sportsperson, the stakes are very high as they are representing their entire team every time they step on to the pitch. This can build immense pressure and even start affecting their performance. The key is to keep calm, stay focused, work hard, and always aim to give your best. Being passionate and sincere about achieving the aim can take you a long way.

You're the first ever Indian cricket Host on Airbnb, how does it feel to open up your home and also give a few fans the opportunity to share a bit of your personal space and get an insight into you?

Yuvraj Singh: This home is extremely close to my heart and holds so many memories with my family and friends. From birthdays and anniversaries to trips with friends, this home has been a part of many important occasions. My mother also loves this home as much as I do, and I love spending quality time here with her here, where we both disconnect from the world and cherish some quiet time with each other.

This home captures my personal and professional journey. For example, the house is filled with pictures of me and my family. We also have a memory wall with pictures of when I scored 150 runs. This one is really close to all of us, and we relive the special moment whenever we see it. I am excited to share this personal space with some special guests through Airbnb, and I hope they get to experience the love that this home embodies.

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)

--IANS
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Nagpur, Sep 24 (IANS) Star India batter Virat Kohli is relishing the win against Australia in the second T20I which helped the hosts level the series against visitors on Friday.

India defeated Australia by six wickets in the rain-curtailed second T20I to clinch the match and remain alive in the three-match series.

Kohli, who scored 11 off six balls was visibly elated with the team's performance. The right-handed batter shared Team India's picture on the homegrown micro-blogging platform Koo app following the win.

"All square. See you in Hyderabad," Kohli captioned the post on Koo.

Australia had scored 90/5 in the 8 overs following Matthew Wade onslaught in the final few balls. However, Rohit Sharma played a captain knock as he smashed 46 off 20 balls to take India home.

India chased down the target in 7.2 overs with 4 balls to spare. Rohit's innings was studded with four fours and four glorious sixes.

The Indian skipper went past New Zealand's Martin Guptill to top the chart of batters with most sixes in T20Is.

Guptill with 172 sixes and former West Indies opener Chris Gayle with 124 sixes are behind Rohit. Meanwhile, Kohli is the only other Indian batter with more than 100 sixes in the shortest format of the game.

Coming back to the series, the third and final match also known as the decider will be played in Hyderabad on Sunday.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANS) Exactly 15 years ago, a young and relatively inexperienced Indian team led by MS Dhoni, held their nerve to beat Pakistan by five runs to win the inaugural T20 World Cup in front of a huge crowd at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, South Africa.

15 years on, the memories of the victorious day are still fresh in the minds of not only the fans but of the players as well, like former India cricketer Robin Uthappa, one of the major contributors in the title triumph.

"I can't believe that it has been 15 years since we won the T20 World Cup. For me, it feels as if it was just a few years ago. The fond memories from our first ever T20 world cup win are still fresh in my memory. I can still remember bowling in the bowl-out and tipping my hat in celebration as we won!" said Uthappa in a Star Sports release.

Former India pacer Irfan Pathan, whose spell of 3/16 in his four overs got him the 'Player of the Match' award in the tense final victory, still feels the adrenaline rush of the proceedings in the final over of the match bowled by Joginder Sharma.

"I still get goose bumps when I think about the finals and how we won it in the last over. We played our very best in that World Cup and to be rewarded in the end with the trophy was just one of the most special feelings in my life. I can still picture the team and the crowd celebrating for India as Sreesanth caught Misbah in that final over," said the former left-arm fast bowler.

With India all set to feature in the T20 World Cup next month in Australia, Uthappa is hopeful of the Rohit Sharma-led side doing an encore of what happened in 2007.

"I would like to wish the Men in Blue all the very best as they go Down Under to try and repeat history and get us back the ICC Men's T20 World Cup with 'Mission Melbourne'. It's a special experience to win the World Cup and I wish Rohit and the boys play their hearts out to repeat the feat we achieved 15 years ago!"

Pathan, too, agreed with Uthappa's views. "I hope that the Indian team is fully prepared for 'Mission Melbourne' and aiming to bring the trophy once again to India. I wish them all the very best!"

--IANS

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Karachi, Sep 24 (IANS) England scored a thumping 63-run win over Pakistan in the third T20I, with middle-order batters Ben Duckett (70 not out) and Harry Brook (81 not out) first helping the visitors to a mammoth 221/3 and then the hosts being restricted to 158/8 at the National Stadium here on Friday evening.

With the victory, England have taken a 2-1 lead in the series, and the triumph comes just a day after the visitors had suffered a humiliating 10-wicket thrashing at the same venue.

This was England's highest T20I score at this stadium, and came on the back of a scorching undefeated 139-run stand between Duckett and Brook.

The pair was unforgiving throughout their stay in the middle scoring at an amazing rate of over two runs per ball. Duckett made his unbeaten 70 off 42 balls with eight fours and a six, but it was Brook who was at his devastating best in the death, smashing 44 off only 17 in his 81 not out off 35 (eight fours and five sixes).

England were 89/3 and shifted gears after the drinks break at the halfway stage of the innings, scoring in double-figures every over. The pair added 132 in the last 10 overs, with 69 of them being added to the visitors' total in the last five.

Mohammad Hasnain was superb with the new ball, hitting perfect line and length consistently, as his first two overs leaked only 10 and got the wicket of Phil Salt, who was beaten by the pace trying to pull the right-armer's short-pitched delivery.

Will Jacks, the debutant who replaced Alex Hales at the top of the order, announced his arrival at the international stage with a 22-ball 40 (eight fours) and made sure his team continued at an imposing run rate during the powerplay, hitting half of his boundaries in his 36 off 17 by the end of the first six.

Usman Qadir provided the breakthrough on the second ball of his first over -- the seventh of the innings - by bowling a googly and taking the pace off it against Dawid Malan, who holed out to deep midwicket after an inside edge while attempting a reverse sweep had gone for four.

Duckett began his innings with two fours in four balls, and seemed to be building a partnership with Jacks, but the latter holed out on another Qadir googly. Qadir finished with two for 48 in four. On a day when England scored at a run rate of over 11 an over, Mohammad Nawaz (none for 34) and Haris Rauf (none for 39) finished under the economy rate of 10.

Pakistan required a solid start, but Mark Wood, playing his first international since November 2021 because of an injury lay-off, struck fourth ball (in the third over of the run chase) with the wicket of Babar Azam, who handed an easy catch to Reece Topley playing an uppercut.

Topley struck next over rattling Mohammad Rizwan's stumps, before Adil Rashid grabbed a stunning catch at square leg off Wood, the next over, to send Haider Ali back, according to pcb.com.pk. The sixth over brought the wicket of Iftikhar Ahmed as Pakistan lost four wickets in the powerplay.

Brief scores: England 221/3 in 20 overs (Harry Brook 81 not out, Ben Duckett 70 not out, Will Jacks 40; Usman Qadir 2/48) beat Pakistan 158/8 in 20 overs (Shan Masood 65 not out, Khushdil Shah 29; Mark Wood 3/24, Adil Rashid 2/32) by 63 runs.

--IANS

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London, Sep 24 (IANS) Tennis ace and one of the most revered sportspersons in the modern era, Roger Federer finally bid adieu to his tennis career and fans after losing a doubles match in the Laver Cup to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe of the United States.

The 41-year-old Swiss great, the winner of 20 Grand Slam singles titles, teamed up with his long-time friend and rival, Spanish stalwart Rafael Nadal in his last contest on Friday, losing a doubles match to the American duo 4-6, 7-6(2), 11-9.

"It's been a perfect journey," Federer said. "I would do it all over again," in his farewell address.

The former world No. 1 looked sharp around the net and fired his seemingly effortless groundstrokes through the court throughout the two-hour, 16-minute clash, according to atptour.com. However, he was ultimately unable to earn his 1,382nd career win in singles and doubles, falling to the Team World pair of Sock and Tiafoe.

"We'll get through this somehow, will we? Right?" Federer said. "I'm happy, I'm not sad. It feels great to be here and I enjoyed tying my shoes one more time. Everything was the last time. The match was great, I couldn't be happier. It's been wonderful."

Federer, who has not played since the 2021 Wimbledon quarterfinals, had announced last Thursday that he would retire from Grand Slams and the ATP Tour after the Laver Cup here in London. Federer had decided before the start of the tournament that he would only play one doubles match at the Laver Cup held in London's O2 Arena.

The defeat meant Team Europe were locked at 2-2 with Team World at the end of the opening day of the event. Team Europe has earlier won two singles match while Team World claimed one singles victory.

The Swiss is leaving the sport 19 years after winning his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003. Nadal (22) and Novak Djokovic (21) have both surpassed Federer's tally of Grand Slam titles. Team Europe have won all four previous editions of the Laver Cup. Italian Matteo Berrettini will take Federer's spot over the weekend as an alternate in this year's edition.

"Playing with Rafa on the same team, and having the guys, everybody here, all the legends -- Rocket, Edberg, Stefan --thank you," said Federer, who was joined on court by his parents, wife Mirka and their four children.

"I didn't want it to feel lonely out there. It felt lonely for a second when they told me to go out... but to be saying goodbye on a team, I always felt I was a team player at heart. Singles doesn't really do that but I've had a team that travelled with me around the world. It's been amazing with them, so thanks to everybody who made it work for so many years.

"And then of course being on the team with Andy, Thomas, Novak, Matteo, Cam, Stefanos, Rafa and Casper... and also the other team, you guys are unbelievable. It's been a pleasure playing all these Laver Cups.

"It does feel like a celebration to me. I wanted to feel like this at the end, and it's exactly what I hoped for, so thank you."

Federer won 103 tour-level titles and spent 310 weeks at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings. He first faced Nadal in 2004 at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami. They slugged it out a further 39 times over the years, competing against each other in 24 finals.

Having built a special relationship, it was fitting for Federer to end his career alongside the Spaniard, with Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray cheering them on from the sidelines, according to atptour.com.

"My wife's been so supportive. She could have stopped me a long, long time ago, but she didn't. She kept me going and allowed me to play. It's amazing. Thank you."

--IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 22 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday appointed former apex court judge Justice L. Nageswara Rao to prepare electoral rolls, conduct elections, and amend the constitution of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

A bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Hima Kohli said: "Former judge of Supreme Court Justice L. Nageswara Rao to take up the assignment to ensure a fair and development-oriented approach to Olympic sports in India."

Noting that national games are being conducted after a gap of seven years, it asked Justice Rao to lead the election process so that elections are held by December 15, and also asked him to prepare a road map for amending the IOA's Constitution. The bench said all logistical arrangements will be made available to Justice Rao by the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and these will be reimbursed by the IOA.

The top court also allowed the IOA's current Secretary General, Rajeev Mehta and Vice President Adille Sumariwalla to participate in the meeting with the International Olympic Committee scheduled on September 27.

Earlier this week, the apex court had said that it will appoint an independent person to run the IOA administration and also directed the Sports Ministry to interact with the International Olympic Committee.

The apex court had stayed the Delhi High Court order, directing the Committee of Administrators to take control of the IOA governance. The Sports Ministry had submitted before the court that it could lead to suspension due to third party interference.

On September 8, the International Olympic Committee issued a final warning to the IOA to sort out the governance issues and hold elections by December. It told IOA, if it fails, then it would ban India.

After the ouster of Narinder Batra as IOA President, the IOC's executive board, which met in Lausanne (Switzerland), decided not to recognise any acting/interim President, and said it will deal with Mehta as the main point of contact.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 22 (IANS) Former India cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar feels that all-rounder Hardik Pandya is playing the game currently on a different planet as compared to his India team-mates.

On Tuesday, Pandya played a massive part in India making 208/5 against Australia in the first T20I at Mohali. Coming at number five, Pandya hit a sensational 30-ball unbeaten 71 and finished off the innings in a hat-trick of sixes off Cameron Green to give India a mammoth total which they were unable to defend.

"Absolutely (on Pandya being an asset for India in T20Is), and you know we thought in the Asia cup, that maybe he's lost his mojo a little bit and whether if he's quickly going to come in form but that was sort of bump in the kind of batting form that we've seen with Hardik Pandya. When we talk about form it's not about 40s, 50s or 60s," said Manjrekar on 'Sports Over The Top' show on Sports18.

Since his T20I comeback in June during the home series against South Africa, Pandya has scored 402 runs in 17 matches at an average of 36.54 and a staggering strike rate of 152.85, thus providing solidity at the number five position and becoming a vital cog in the wheel of India's batting card.

"The kind of shorts and the impact he's making with the bat and again we're back to the Hardik Pandya who's playing on a different planet currently. Class batting against some quality bowling. I think that is very important to note as well. And because India batted first, it wasn't as easy as it was in the second half of the match. So, hats off to Hardik," added Manjrekar.

Manjrekar further elaborated that leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal looked a little tired in his spell of 1/42 in 3.2 overs in the first T20I against Australia where conditions at Mohali didn't favour him much. "Too many matches. He's somebody that comes good if you see him, how he made a comeback after being dropped for a while. Come Australia, when he's had a little bit of break, he'll be fine."

Manjrekar signed off by pointing out that India don't have a spinner with x-factor in their squad for Men's T20 World Cup. Apart from Chahal, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and left-arm spinner Axar Patel have been included with leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi in the reserves.

"But I've always wanted the X factor in the spin department and that's the only thing that concerns me about the squad that has been announced for Australia. Axar, Ashwin and Chahal. The three spinners. I don't see drama happening in the middle overs which you need to win T20 games."


--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 21 (IANS) Senior sports administrator Anil Khanna on Wednesday resigned as acting president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), saying he respects the views of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

On September 8, IOC refused to recognise any 'acting/interim president' and issued a suspension threat to IOA, saying the sports governing body must hold elections by December this year.

Khanna took charge of IOA after a court ruling ended Narinder Batra's reign as chief of the apex sports body in the country.

"I am honoured to have been part of the IOA sports fraternity for the last many years having served in different capacities. It was a privilege for me to be part of the Commonwealth Games as Acting President where India did remarkably well," Khanna said in a letter.

"Based on the Constitution of IOA, as unanimously approved by the General House and backed by a similar past precedent in the vacancy of the post of President in 2011, I took over the responsibility of the duties and functions of the President for a brief period. This was confirmed by the Hon'ble High Court of Delhi on 24th June 2022," he added.

"It is no secret that IOA has been going through a turbulent time over the last two years and with the elections approaching within a couple of months and also because of the Hon'ble High Court's order which may affect the future of some of the affiliated members, the concerns of many in our family have heightened, resulting in continuous litigation even over the last couple of weeks."

"Different factions of IOA are obviously taking contrary positions on constitutional matters, including the interpretation of the Constitution and the position of the Interim/Acting President. IOC has also stated in their letter that they do not recognize any Interim/Acting President of IOA," he said.


--IANS
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