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text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} The Sport Review: “Murray
already flushed with success as US Open takes off” plus 6 more- Murray already flushed with success as US Open takes off - Premiership Rugby season set for record-breaking opener - Korea confirms curtain-raiser 50 days before grand prix - Zlatan Ibrahimovic joins AC Milan from Barcelona - Barcelona already heaping pressure on Mourinho’s Real - Aston Villa seek manager with ‘Premier League experience’ - Colin Montgomerie names his European Ryder Cup side Murray already flushed with success as US Open takes off Posted: 30 Aug 2010 05:28 PM PDT Andy Murray has had an eventful few weeks in North America. First he ditched his coach and went on to reach the final of his first tournament—Los Angeles—since Wimbledon. Then he flowered in August with his first title of the year: a Masters, no less, in Toronto. And now he arrives at the season-ending Slam in New York with the 2010 Olympus US Open Series title. This marks Murray's first USO Series title after finishing second in each of the last two years. Although equal in points with Roger Federer, he sealed top spot by virtue of their head-to-head in the Series. This is a unique competition in the tennis year that links together the hard-court events leading to the US Open. The reward is a chance for a big bonus: an extra million dollars should Murray win the Open. But at this stage, it's not the money that's important, but the players' form on the way to the end-of-summer climax, and Murray has been one of the best performers. He demonstrated in his Toronto win—where he beat both Rafael Nadal and Federer—that he has upped his aggressive game. He has been a runner-up at Flushing Meadows, losing to Federer in 2008, and was runner-up to the same man in Melbourne this year. He looks just about ready to take the winner's podium. Top of the pile of challengers, and aiming to become the youngest man to get a career Slam if he wins his first US title, is Nadal. He has a tour-leading five ATP titles this year already, including the last two Slams, and is in better shape at this stage of the season than ever before. Bearing in mind he has reached the semis in New York for the last two years, this could be his best chance yet. Novak Djokovic, No2 in the world until Federer's win in Cincinnati, has nevertheless not had the best of seasons. His record in New York is good, though, reaching the semis last year and the finals in 2007. He pushed Federer very close in the semis in Toronto and, if the draw for the Open pans out, he will meet the same man in the semis in New York. Five-time US champion, Federer, is running into form particularly well. On his return to the tour after an unexpected quarter-final exit at Wimbledon, he has reached the finals of both Masters events, winning in Cincinnati last week. He has also tied up with Pete Sampras' former coach, Paul Annacone, and is already playing a more aggressive, attacking game. Federer had a 40-match-winning streak at the Open until his loss in last year's final to Juan Martin del Potro, who is unable to defend his title this year due his continuing wrist injury. The Swiss maestro is now attempting to be the first man in the Open era to win the title six times and to match Ivan Lendl as the only man to reach seven consecutive finals. Annacone is courtside for Federer's US preparations, and the draw has thrown up some interesting challenges for the partnership. If neither Federer nor Djokovic makes the semis, and Murray doesn't reach the final, the No5 seed, Soderling, could overtake all three by winning the title. In the third round Federer could meet Lleyton Hewitt, who defeated him in June for the first time since 2003. In the quarters, he could face the man who beat him in the French quarter-finals, Robin Soderling. Beyond that, in the semis, Federer could meet Nikolay Davydenko, who beat him twice in a row before his long break from action with a fractured wrist. In the final awaits an assortment of men who have all beaten Federer this year: Murray, Tomas Berdych, Ernests Gulbis or, of course, Nadal. Added to that, Federer has the possibility of facing every other man in the competition who has won a Grand Slam before. In addition to Hewitt and Nadal, those are Juan Carlos Ferrero in the fourth round, and either Djokovic or Andy Roddick in the quarter-finals. Federer will need to beat all of them to keep his No2 ranking. If Djokovic reaches the final and Federer does not, Djokovic will reclaim No2. If either Djokovic or Murray wins the title, either can become No2. And one more interesting consideration: if neither Federer nor Djokovic makes the semis, and Murray doesn't reach the final, the No5 seed, Soderling, could overtake all three by winning the title. Only Nadal is secure at the top. So looking beyond the top five, who are the dark horses? A good indicator is that US Open Series ranking. Mardy Fish took third place after a fine summer of great all-court tennis. He won in Newport and Atlanta, and was runner-up in the Cincinnati Masters. He sits in the Djokovic quarter—the Federer half—of the draw, but one of the best face-offs could be his third-round match against Marcos Baghdatis, the fourth man in the US series rankings. The Cypriot was a finalist in Washington and a semi-finalist in the Cincinnati Masters, and he now sits 100 places higher than a year ago. Another man enjoying a great return from extended injury is David Nalbandian, fifth in the US Series, winner in Washington, and quarter-finalist in Toronto. He faces one of the most vulnerable of the top seeds in the third round, Fernando Verdasco. He could then play the winner from David Ferrer or Ernests Gulbis—another standout third round match. On the horizon is a Nalbandian/Nadal quarter-final, and the Argentine has shown before that he is one of the few men with the game to counter the top seed. Nadal gets underway on Tuesday, and will not be looking that far ahead. His first match should be a pushover, but he will treat it like every other: 100 per cent. Premiership Rugby season set for record-breaking opener Posted: 30 Aug 2010 08:01 AM PDT The opening weekend of the Aviva Premiership season is set to break attendance records after over 70,000 tickets were sold for the London Double Header over the weekend. A record crowd of 67,684 supporters attended the event at Twickenham last season, but officials say they are expecting up to 75,000 fans as the new season gets underway next weekend. Tickets are valid for the two matches next Saturday, with London Irish playing defeated Premiership Rugby finalists Saracens at 2pm and London Wasps taking on Harlequins at 4.30pm. Club matches will now have attracted over 150,000 supporters to Twickenham for the last two Premiership Rugby matches at the famous stadium. Tickets are still available, however due to stadium regulations they will not be available on the day. New Premiership Rugby title sponsors Aviva signed a four-year £20 million deal earlier this summer to take over from Diageo Great Britain under the Guinness brand. Korea confirms curtain-raiser 50 days before grand prix Posted: 30 Aug 2010 07:32 AM PDT The organisers of the forthcoming Korean Grand Prix insist the new circuit will be ready for the race next month and have confirmed it will stage a curtain-raiser next weekend. Photographs showing the facilities seemingly far from completion had emerged recently, prompting speculation over whether they would be ready in time for the race. Now, organisers have announced that the Circuit Run 2010 will mark the 50-day countdown to the country's first ever Formula 1 grand prix, and will include a run by Hispania driver Karun Chandhok in Red Bull's show car – as well as a variety of other two and four wheel performances and parades. Organisers are using the event as a promotional tool for the Grand Prix and will also look to get up to speed with the smooth running of the facilities, including crowd management. To counter the images of the uncompleted facilities, the Korea Auto Valley Operation has released their own photographs, showing work to be 90 percent complete. The KIC was supposed to host a round of the Formula BMW Pacific championship last week, but the event had to be postponed due to the circuit not being ready. Most teams and drivers expect to race in Korea, and have now made travel arrangements, which was not the case in June. The BBC have confirmed that their plans had been made "a couple of months ago" with only a handful of detractors still expecting the race not to go ahead. Should KOVA fail to complete in time to stage the race, F1 could be left without a race for four weeks between Suzuka and the penultimate race at Interlagos. F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has already made initial enquiries with other venues around the world to prevent an anti-climax to the 2010 season. Zlatan Ibrahimovic joins AC Milan from Barcelona Posted: 30 Aug 2010 05:49 AM PDT AC Milan have signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Barcelona on a season-long loan with the option of making the deal permanent next summer. The 28-year-old forward experienced a turbulent year with the Catalan giants as he failed to settle at the Camp Nou despite a return of 21 goals last season. La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that the former Inter Milan striker passed a medical, but Rossoneri chief Adriano Galliani was unable to register the striker in time for Sunday’s clash with Lecce, which Milan won 4-0. “The fans were fantastic with me, I felt welcome,” said Ibrahimovic. “I really wanted to play last night (Sunday) but Galliani told me I could not because there was no time for registration.” The Serie A club have the option of permanently signing the 6ft 5″ forward for a fee of €24 million in the summer of 2011. Milan confirmed the deal in a statement: “We have agreed a deal for a season’s loan and then the right to buy.” A Barcelona read: “The deal was done thanks to the collaboration of the player and willingness of his agent.” Barcelona already heaping pressure on Mourinho’s Real Posted: 30 Aug 2010 04:55 AM PDT Barcelona opened the defence of their La Liga title with a comprehensive 3-0 victory away to Racing Santander while José Mourinho’s Real Madrid stumbled to a 0-0 stalemate with islanders RCD Mallorca. Pep Guardiola’s side dropped just 15 points last season – their total of 99 points just enough to secure the title ahead of Real on 96. And day one of the new season has already seen Barcelona open up a two-point lead. Debutant David Villa swiftly settled into the rhythm of the purring Catalan unit in a manner which the man he replaced, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, could not. The giant Swede has returned to Serie A this summer on a season-long loan, joining AC Milan after a difficult spell at the Camp Nou. Within two minutes of their season kicking off, Lionel Messi broke free of the Santander defenders on the right wing and deftly chipped the ball over goalkeeper Rodriguez Martinez Tono. It was the type of sublime finish that Spanish supporters have become accustomed to since the emergence of the wondrous Argentine. Andrés Iniesta added a second in the 33rd minute. A rushed clearance by Tono found the Spain midfielder, who promptly chipped the out-of-position goalkeeper with unerring accuracy. The three points were sealed when new signing Villa emphatically headed Dani Alves’ cross home. Ironic that the goal should come from head of Villa. Last season, the former Valencia striker was considered ahead of Ibrahimovic, but Guardiola opted for the physical presence of the Swede in the belief he would provide the vital ingredient in his much discussed ‘Plan B’ for Barcelona. “This team was already great and it has won everything, so what I wanted to do was settle in as soon as possible at the beginning,” said goalscorer Villa. Meanwhile, on the holiday island of Mallorca, the visiting Real Madrid failed to overcome Brian Laudrup’s aggressive and well-organised side at the Iberostar Stadium. José Mourinho made the surprising choice to start 19-year-old Sergio Canales ahead new signings Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira. Canales showed glimpses of his potential while winger Ángel di María struck an anonymous figure and was duly substituted in the second half. Gonzalo Higuaín was particularly wasteful spurning two one-on-one opportunities against the excellent Mallorca goalkeeper Dudu Aouate. “No one can say we did not create chances,” Mourinho said after the disappointing draw. “We spent the whole time in their half and created three or four good opportunities. There is a big difference between the finished product and a team in construction, like we are.” This weekend’s La Liga Results in full: RCD Mallorca 0-0 Real Madrid Racing Santander 0-3 FC Barcelona Osasuna 0-0 UD Almería Deportivo La Coruña 0-0 Real Zaragoza Real Sociedad 1-0 Villarreal CF Levante UD 1-4 Sevilla FC Málaga CF 1-3 Valencia CF Hércules CF 0-1 Athletic Bilbao Aston Villa seek manager with ‘Premier League experience’ Posted: 30 Aug 2010 04:17 AM PDT The next manager of Aston Villa, according to the club’s statement on Sunday, must have “experience of managing in the Premier League”. After Sunday’s 1-0 win over Everton, caretaker boss Kevin MacDonald explained that he was going to make a decision on Monday over whether he wanted to be a candidate. Villa’s players certainly showed they wanted him, defending heroically through a second half battering as they clung on to Luke Young’s first half goal. But does the club’s position mean their efforts were in vain? MacDonald remains the favourite for the job, but does three games count as experience? If not, then even if he decides he is ready to step up to the plate he has got no chance. It is a peculiar stance, anyway. Carlo Ancelotti had no experience of managing in the Premier League when he turned up at Stamford Bridge at the start of last season. A League and FA Cup double later, he will spend the international break top of the table with the division’s only 100 per cent record, and his team favourites to retain their title. Tony Pulis, whose Stoke side were beaten 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, had not managed in the top flight either before winning promotion and he has not done so badly in two seasons, has he? In fact, only eight of the current top bosses had “experience of managing in the Premier League” before they began their current jobs. Sir Alex Ferguson had only worked in Scotland before Manchester United took him to Old Trafford. If they had applied the Villa rule then the greatest managerial career in modern sport might never have happened. Fergie is still on top of his game all these years later, as demonstrated when Wayne Rooney ended his goal drought and United strolled to a 3-0 win over West Ham. Top flight experience does not seem to be doing Avram Grant too much good, does it? Arsene Wenger was memorably dismissed as “Arsene who?” by one newspaper when he took the job at Highbury back in September 1996. It is just as well the Gunners board had a wider view of the game than Randy Lerner. A 2-1 win at Blackburn where Sam Allardyce worked for both Bolton and Newcastle before taking over underlined that the Gunners deserve to be third favourites for Wenger’s fourth title. Roberto Mancini did not have experience of managing in England, of course, before he was handed the job of moulding Manchester City’s £200m team together. Does a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland mean he is not up to it? It was hardly the boss’s fault that Carlos Tevez missed one of the easiest chances you will ever see. Liverpool’s Roy Hodgson did tick the “experienced” box when he went to Anfield this summer, which no doubt helped him persuade Fernando Torres to stay. The Spanish striker got the only goal in a 1-0 win over West Brom, whose boss Roberto Di Matteo is new to the top flight. Then there is the wonderful Ian Holloway, getting his first taste of the top the hard way, but making it four points from three games after a 2-2 draw with Fulham in Blackpool’s first home game. Alex McLeish had also not managed in England before he started work at Birmingham, but a 2-2 draw at Bolton keeps his team undefeated. Chris Hughton is a good example for MacDonald. He had been a number two for years before he was asked to step up at Newcastle. The signs of Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Wolves were that he has adjusted perfectly well. There are few more experienced than Harry Redknapp, but he still could not stop Tottenham throwing away points as they lost 1-0 at home to Wigan (managed by Roberto Martinez, who wouldn’t have got his job year ago under the Villa principle). The bottom line is that Villa owner Randy Lerner’s stance makes Alan Curbishley and Gareth Southgate strong contenders if MacDonald doesn’t get the chance. Would either be better qualified than the likes of Jurgen Klinsmann or Ronald Koeman? Answers on a postcard addressed to Villa Park. Reproduced with permission from betting.betfair.com. © The Sporting Exchange Limited Colin Montgomerie names his European Ryder Cup side Posted: 30 Aug 2010 03:39 AM PDT The European Ryder Cup squad is set. On Sunday Captain Colin Montgomerie selected his three captain picks to join the nine that were already in. Those who got the nod were Padraig Harrington, Edoardo Molinari and Luke Donald. Let the second-guessing begin. Left out of Monty's team were both Justin Rose and Sean Casey. The Harrington pick may be the biggest head scratcher – he has not won in over two years and has dropped to number 18 in the world rankings. Six of the 12 players in the European squad are Ryder Cup rookies and as a result, the veterans will be heavily relied upon. Lee Westwood, perhaps the world's best player, will be recovering from a calf injury and will not have played much golf going into the matches. Because of the injury to Westwood, Ian Poulter and Like Donald may end up taking the lead of this team. Donald has a stellar 5-1-1 career Ryder Cup mark. The inclusion of players such as Kaymer and Hanson has put captain Montgomerie in tough situation. Leaving both Rose and Casey out was not what he had in mind. Monty stubbornly defended his pick of Harrington, who he said no one would want to face in match play. Just in case Monty didn't know, Harrington is 0-7-2 in his last nine Ryder Cup matches. Seems he has been quite beatable. US squad captain Corey Pavin makes his four picks on 7 September and the leading candidates after the weekend's Barclays Tournament are Tiger Woods, Zach Johnson, Stewart Cink and Sean O'Hair. The full European team to challenge the Americans in Wales in early October: Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington, Edoardo Molinari, Ross Fisher, Francesco Molinari, Miquel Angel Jimenez and Peter Hanson. You are subscribed to email updates from The Sport Review To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 -- Posted By Mas Item Arekjowo to Bwinsport | Gila Bola at 8/31/2010 12:04:00 AM -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Gugukluhayat" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/gugukluhayat?hl=en.
