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Tennis Bytes: Of Grand Slam rivalry,aces for charity and Indian hopes
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Will 2011 see more head-to-head matches between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal?
The man from Mallorca certainly hopes so.
“I would love to play against Roger Federer this year a few more times because when we play each other it’s in the final, so that’s already a very good result for both of us to be in the final of important tournaments,” said Nadal.
Federer seconded the motion: “We only played twice last year in Madrid and the [Barclays] ATP World Tour Finals in London, which was a great end for both of us.There’ll be huge hype going into the new season with him going for his fourth Grand Slam in a row and me trying to defend the Australian Open title. So right off the bat we’ll have some excitement.”
The recent invitational Abu Dhabi tourney finished with Nadal edging out Federer in two sets 7-6, 7-6.
Here’s a toast to the New Year and more exciting tennis and finals between the supremoes of the sport.
IPL and Ranji:Of re-slotting and Mumbai’s early exit
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If you don’t like the bracket you’re in, you can re-slot yourself in a higher one. That’s the message Saurav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble have sent out. The four were initially categorised into the 200,000 USD fold. IPL rules allow players to increase their base price and the members of the Fab Five (Tendulkar is the fifth) have chosen to do so.
None of the four were retained by their teams. Speculation as to why the four were not in the initial top bracket is useless. The IPL has done little to enhance reputations. VVS Laxman has struggled, Ganguly shone amidst his team’s inconsistency and Dravid is just coming to terms with T20 cricket.
India make it 1-1 against South Africa:Takeaways from the Second Test at Durban
The second Test at Durban ended with India triumphant, levelling the series 1-1.
A few takeaways from a thrilling encounter:
VVS Laxman is Very, Very Special. He has proved that before and did so anew. What can be said about the Hyderabadi maestro that has not been said before? Dealing in mere superlatives seems trite given the backdrop of his recent achievements. Suffice to say, that he was man-of-the-match (MOM), top-scoring in both innings, the only player to score over 50 from both sides.
Indian Hockey: World Series Hockey may set off a conflagration
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There’s trouble brewing in the small state of Indian Hockey. Or maybe it’s gold rush fever. You cannot have smoke without a fire unless it’s dry ice. What would you call that—a smoke screen? But I digress.
The launch of the World Series Hockey (League) by Nimbus Sports and The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) on Tuesday, the 28th of December, 2010 witnessed another twist in the faceoff between the FIH approved Hockey India and the Indian government recognised IHF.
Hockey India is the current arbiter of the team selections for international tournaments. (The IHF fell out of favour with the international administrative body(FIH) because of its inability to bring the men’s and women’s representation under a single umbrella.)
IPL: Player auctions, Australian absences and Pakistani stalemate
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The IPL show moves on.
The IPL player auctions are scheduled for January 8 and 9 in Bangalore. Over 400 players will go under the hammer.
Each team has a cap of $9 million to be played with.
Only two teams have opted to retain their full complement of four players—Mumbai Indians and Chennai SuperKings. Their kitty is whittled down to $4.5 million.
The cricketers have been classified into six brackets—ranging from $20,000 to $400,000.
Sachin Tendulkar: Why Graeme Smith Called Him Out
Graeme Smith scathed Sachin Tendulkar for not doing enough on the final day to try and ensure a draw. The South African skipper believed that the great should have shielded the tail-enders, that the master showcased a dereliction of duty.
Independent Reactions To English loss
“The Ashes were so close that England could touch them. But after less than an hour of play on the fourth morning of the third Test yesterday, during which time they lost five wickets and the match, it must have felt that the urn was on another planet.
Or if not quite that far away, heading towards Australia at the speed of sound. England will wonder how it could happen like this. Coming into the match they were dominant, 1-0 ahead in the series after a thumping win in Adelaide and all was well with their world.
The opening stages of the Test went exactly according to plan and form. It is usually the local breeze known as the Fremantle Doctor which influences matches at the Waca, but this tricky little blighter was absent throughout. Instead a human whirlwind, Mitchell Johnson by name, swept in and blew England away.”
A tale of two Tests: Eng vs Aus, SA vs India
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Two tests began on the 16th of December, 2010. One at Perth, the other at Centurion.
The similarities were striking. Both pitches were expected to have something for the speed demons. And they did.
For Australia, after being shot out for 268 on the first day, it looked like deja vu. The Englishmen were on top and were pressing for an unprecedented third Ashes triumph, in the process, signalling their willingness to end the Punter’s reign at the helm.
Tendulkar’s 50th ton: An essay in patience
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Sachin Tendulkar scores yet another century.
What’s the big deal?
Oh, it’s his 50th one. Is this the best of the lot?
Not by a long shot.
IPL: Court Battles,Keralite preparations and Moral Leadership
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For the BCCI, it has not been a good week, by any standards. Their No. 1 Test side has floundered in the series that could decide who has bragging rights.
But it’s the two setbacks in the Mumbai High Court that will set the agenda this weekend when the working committee meets.
The BCCI are undecided how to tackle the adverse rulings against them in the court cases against the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab.
Should they pursue the matter further all the way to the Supreme Court? Or should they let laying dogs lie?
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Make Time For Sports. 