Tennis

Maria Sharapova heads to semifinals at Stanford Cup

Russian female tennis star Maria Sharapova will head into the semifinals at the Stanford Cup, beating her compatriot Elena Dementieva 6:4, 2:6, 6:3.

Number 5-ranked Sharapova beat number 2-ranked Dementieva in 2 hours 47 minutes, regardless of her 15 double faults. The Stanford tournament in California is Dementieva’s first tour after injuries at Rolan Garros.

Sharapova is to face Poland’s Agnieszka Radvanska (ranked third) in the semifinals. Sharapova has already beaten Radvanska four out of five games during the tournament.

Roger Federer ousted Tomas Berdych from Czech on Wednesday

Top seed Roger Federer was ousted from the men’s singles quarterfinals at the Wimbledon Championships by Tomas Berdych from Czech on Wednesday.

The six-time Wimbledon champion Federer lost the fight against the 12th seed Berdych 4-6, 6-3, 1-6, 4-6, failing to reach the final at the All England Club for the first time since 2003.

The world No. 2 Swiss insisted that he was not in his best form due to injuries.

“I couldn’t play the way I wanted to play. I am struggling with a little bit a back and a leg issue. That just doesn’t quite allow me to play the way I would like to play,” said the 28-year-old defending champion.

Berdych, 24, lost eight out of ten matches while facing Federer before, but managed to take victory in their latest encounter at Miami this year.

“I didn’t have any special tactics,” said Berdych who advanced into the semifinals of a Grand Slam at this year’s French Open. “For me the important thins was playing my tennis, serving well, playing aggressive. That’s what happened.”

Berdych is going to meet Novak Djokovic as the Serbian third seed smashed Lu Yen-Hsun from Chinese Taipei 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

Lu, the world No. 82 stunned last year’s runnerup Andy Roddick in a five-set marathon match on Monday, but failed to make one step further after becoming the first Asian man to reach the quarterfinals of any Grand Slam since Shuzo Matsuoka of Japan did it at Wimbledon in 1995.

Also on Wednesday, world No. 1 Rafael Nadal lost the opening set 3-6 to the sixth seed Robin Soderling, but managed to conquer the arch rival from Sweden 6-3, 7-6(7-4), 6-1.

The 2008 Wimbledon champion will face British top player Andy Murray as the fourth seed saw off French ace Jo-Wifried Tsonga 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 6-2.

Serena Williams battles into Wimbledon final

Defending champion Serena Williams saw off fearless Petra Kvitova from Czech to grab the final berth at the Wimbledon Championships on Thursday.

The American top seed met strong challenges from the unseeded Kvitova, but managed to defeat the 20-year-old hopeful 7-6(7-5), 6- 2.

Williams suffered a service break first in the fifth game of the opening set, then broke back in the eighth game.

“I always think I have to break back, hopefully sooner than later. I think I should have held. I had a chance. I screwed it up myself,” said the Williams who took the tiebreak 7-5.

Williams is going to fight against Vera Zvonareva of Russia as the 21st seed came from behind to defeat Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova in three sets, reaching a Grand Slam singles final for the first time.

“Vera, I’ve played her several times. She’s beaten some good people. In her last two matches, she’s been down a set, so she’s obviously a fighter. She never gives up,” said Williams.

Zvonareva, who beat Pironkova and also defeated Venus Williams 3-6, 6-3 and 6-2, also used “fighter” to describe her final opponent.

“I know that she’s a great fighter,” said the 25-year-old. ” When I go on the court I will have to expect a very tough match. I will try to fight for every point and I think I have to try to make it difficult for her on every point. Try not to give her any points.”

Vera Zvonareva of Russia advances into final at Wimbledon

Vera Zvonareva of Russia came from behind to defeat Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova in three sets, reaching the women’s singles final at the Wimbledon Championships on Thursday.

Zvonareva, the 21st seed finished the match 3-6, 6-3 and 6-2, advancing into a Grand Slam singles final for the first time.

“At the moment, I think I’m thinking too much about my final. But I’m sure when the tournament finishes, finally I will realize that it’s one of my dreams came true and I was able to make it to the final.”

Zvonareva, 25, reached her career high singles ranking world No. 5 at the beginning of last year with a semifinal finish at the Australian Open, but suffered ankle injuries twice later the same year.

“Injuries are never good. You never want them. But I think definitely when you have bad injuries,you appreciate the opportunity to play out there on the court. You really appreciate that you’re able to do this,” said Zvonareva.

Pironkova, who had never past the second round at a Grand Slam, destroyed the four-time Wimbledon title winner Venus Williams in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. The 22-year-old world number 82 started strongly but was overmatched by her experienced opponent later.

“I felt confident. I starated very well. But Vera started to play amazingly in the second set and in the third one,” said Pironkova.

“I tried my best. I tried every point, every game,” said Pironkova. “But she was playing very aggressive and she was pushing me all the time, and I just couldn’t do it.”

The 25-year-old Zvonareva is going to fight agaisnt American top seed Serena Williams as the defending champion saw off fearless Petra Kvitova from Czech 7-5, 6-2 on Thursday.

Venus Williams out at Wimbledon

The Williams sisters from the United States failed to march on at Wimbledon hand in hand as top seed Serena won but second seed Venus was beaten in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

Defending champion Serena met few challenges from China’s ninth seed Li Na as she served extremely well and consistently. She took advantage of Li’s two double faults in the 11th game to complete the only one service break in the opening set, then took the set 7-5.

Serena, 12-time Grand Slam singles champion, won the second set more easily at 6-3. She broke twice to take a 5-2 lead, before Li fought hard to return a service break. But Serena broke again in the ninth game to wrap it up.

Serena is going to face unseeded Petra Kvitova from the Czech Republic as the 20-year-old grabbed the last semifinal berth by winning a tough three-set match on Tuesday.

Kvitova came from one set down to edge out Kaia Kanepi from Estonia 4-6, 7-6(10-8), 8-6 after two hours and 39 minutes.

Serena’s elder sister Venus was stunned by Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova while the four-time Wimbledon winner was defeated 2-6, 3-6.

Former world number one Kim Clijsters of Belgium was also knocked out of the quarterfinals. The eighth seed managed to win the opening set 6-4, but lost the following two sets to the 21st seed Vera Zvonareva from Russia 4-6, 2-6.

Zvonareva is going to fight Pironkova for a final berth.

Jakarta 2011 South East Asian Games to have 40 sports events

Forty sports, 15 more than those contested last year in Laos, have been initially approved by the Southeast Asian Games Federation to be included in the calendar of events to be disputed in the 26th edition of the biennial conclave next year in Jakarta.

This was reported Friday by athletics president Go Teng Kok, who represented the Philippine Olympic Committee in the SEA Games Federation meeting held May 29 in Jakarta during the SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session at the Kamayan Restaurant-Padre Faura.

“There actually 42 sports that was recommended and approved by the assembly, but futsal was placed under football and soft tennis under lawn tennis, thus reducing the number to 40,” the controversial sports leader said during the public service form.

As in the past Games, disciplines to be contested have been categorized into three – compulsory sports athletics and swimming under Category I, other sports played in the Olympic Games and Asian Games under Category II, those not played in the Olympics and Asiad under Category III and those indigenous events but played in several countries in the region.

Bodybuilding, which was listed under Category III, was also approved for inclusion although on condition that all the cases brought to the Federation for settlement because of rampant drug abuses perpetrated by many athletes.

“In other words, body building can only be officially included upon positive reports on the investigations that are on-going,” Go said, adding that the total number of sports can still be increased as host Indonesia intimated it wants as many sports as possible,” he said. Read more…