h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;}
div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul {
list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody
table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px;
border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody
table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em;
margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link,
table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td
a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000033; font-weight:bold;
text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} The Sport Review: “Josh
Lewsey backs England for World Cup glory next year” plus 4 more- Josh Lewsey backs England for World Cup glory next year - Formula 1 set for radical ‘green’ engine programme - Hodgson calls the shots at Liverpool, insists Comolli - Maturing Djokovic set to shine next year: 2010 season review - Ashes: Kevin Pietersen double ton drives England forward Josh Lewsey backs England for World Cup glory next year Posted: 05 Dec 2010 03:32 PM PST Former England winger Josh Lewsey believes the current national side have what it takes to win next year's World Cup in New Zealand. Lewsey was part of the triumphant 2003 side and was instrumental in England's return to the final four years later, where they were beaten by South Africa. "I think England have finally turned a corner,” said Lewsey, a two-time World Cup finalist. “Last season we were playing a contrived style and it didn’t suit us. Johnno and the coaches have got the environment right and that is palpable. “Last year they were languishing in eighth place and if you had asked me then [if there was time to turn things around] I would have been a bit worried about it." England currently find themselves fourth in the IRB rankings thanks to wins over Samoa and Australia despite losing their most recent international against the Springboks in a replay of the 2007 final. “I enjoyed the autumn internationals,” Lewsey added. “The last game against South Africa was a bit of a kick up the backside but I think it will work well for us because the players realise they are not quite there yet. “Against South Africa we got overpowered a bit and it is learning to have that all-round ability. He added: “To compete against the best teams in the world you need to develop this all-court game. We saw the running game and the mindset of taking a game to these teams that we can live with the best in the world.” Despite coming up short against both South Africa and next year's host nation New Zealand, Lewsey warned England’s rivals not to underestimate Martin Johnson's young side. “Do I think England will win in 2011? If I was New Zealand I would be looking over my shoulder because you just get the feeling that the sleeping giant is beginning to wake,” he declared. England have been drawn in Pool B for next year's tournament alongside Argentina, Six Nations rivals Scotland, Romania and 2003 pool opponents Georgia. Formula 1 set for radical ‘green’ engine programme Posted: 05 Dec 2010 03:18 PM PST Formula 1 stakeholders have reached an agreement for the introduction of a radical new “greener” engine programme in time for the start of the 2013 season. The sport is expected to move from the current 2.4-litre V8s, used since 2006, to more efficient four-cylinder turbo engines with energy recovery systems and fuel limitations, according to BBC Sport. F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has already expressed fears over the move, while manufacturers Ferrari and Mercedes reportedly have misgivings about the change because of the costs involved in the switch. Teams are hoping to attract more engine manufacturers to the sport following the recent withdrawal of BMW, Honda and Toyota – leaving just four engine suppliers for 12 teams. The Volkswagen Group have already been linked with a return to F1 through its Audi or Porsche marques if changes are implemented, and the latest move could be enough to tempt them back. Further speculation has also hinted at possible returns for Honda and Toyota as engine suppliers rather than full F1 outfits. An official announcement from the FIA is expected following the World Motor Sport Council meeting on Friday. Hodgson calls the shots at Liverpool, insists Comolli Posted: 05 Dec 2010 02:56 PM PST Liverpool's director of football strategy Damien Comolli insists Roy Hodgson makes the final decisions at Anfield. Speculation suggested the former Tottenham Director of Football may take charge of transfer operations at the Merseyside outfit after the Frenchmanbwas appointed by new owners New England Sports Ventures in November. But Comolli denies the rumours and insists he would not attempt to bring a new player to the club without the permission of the Liverpool manager. “It is about collaboration,” he said in the Sunday Telegraph. “A lot of people ask: who is going to make the final decision? I can guarantee you, 100 per cent, that in this job – especially in England – I have never signed a player without the manager agreeing to it. Never, ever. “I don’t care what people say. And it won’t happen here. If you sign a player that the manager doesn’t want you are just throwing money into the bin. “We had a very long meeting last week with Roy about the window. We went through the list and there was one player who Roy said ‘This one, I really don’t like him, I know him well and I’m not comfortable with him.' so we took him off. It's not an issue." Comolli believes that the position he has taken up, despite being somewhat untested in English football, will help bring silverware back to Anfield and cited the success that clubs such as Chelsea have had with people in similar positions. "I definitely think English football is ready to understand," he said. "Now a lot of people look back at what we did at Spurs and think it was the right thing because you see the players that are playing now. “They see now how it has worked at Chelsea, where Frank [Arnesen] has done a fantastic job. His relationship with Ancelotti is very good and they have won trophies. "I think people are opening up the idea now because they realise that in the world of football, especially if you are at a big club in the Premier League, is worldwide. “Everything is global: scouting, transfers, coaching, academy methods. I think that's why people have realised that this is probably the way forward, or at least one way forward. The bigger the club, the more useful it will be." Comolli also suggested the Reds board may be willing to sanction moves for a number of signings in the January transfer window and hinted they may move for some high-profile players at continental clubs that are struggling financially. “My feeling about it is that in this economic recession there are so many clubs that are in trouble abroad, more than in England,” he added. “These clubs are under enormous pressure to sell. So this January window could be a very different window from what we have seen previously. “Players that we would never have thought would be available could be. So that’s why we are working away, thinking that if there is the right opportunity we should do it. Strange things could happen.” Maturing Djokovic set to shine next year: 2010 season review Posted: 05 Dec 2010 05:17 AM PST And so 2010 ends much as it began, with the same four men muscling out the rest for tennis's top spots, just as they had done the year before. Rafael Nadal is world No1, as he was in 2008. Last year, it was Roger Federer—as it had been in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. That may surprise nobody: One or other of the super duo has filled the No1 spot since November 2003. What might be more of a surprise is that Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have now filled numbers three and four for the third consecutive year-end – and that shows impressive consistency against challenges from both old and new. And clinging to their top-eight places from last year are Andy Roddick and Robin Soderling. However, 2010 did bring some unexpected absences, not least the slide of the 2009 WTF champion Nikolay Davydenko out that elite band for the first time since 2004. He was forced to withdraw from the tour with a wrist fracture, and has struggled to make it back. Even more of a shock was the withdrawal of the youngest of 2009's London eight, Juan Martin Del Potro, from all but three tournaments this year. He, too, has contended with a chronic wrist injury and succumbed to surgery in May. He now stands way down the rankings at 259, so his comeback, which begins in Sydney next month, will be a long and hard one. And will Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ever be free of the injuries that have plagued his as yet unfulfilled career? He is now out of action with a knee injury and faces another uncertain year. There were yet more top-20 players destined to feel the cut of the surgeon's knife and a dramatic drop in their rankings in 2010: Fernando Gonzalez—11 to 68 after hip surgery; Tommy Haas—17 to 375, also undergoing hip surgery; and Lleyton Hewitt—22 to 54 after a second bout of hip surgery in two years. On top of that, Radek Stepanek slumped from 12 to 62 after contracting glandular fever while Gilles Simon slid from 17 to 42 because of major knee problems. But while the cat's away, the mice will play – and the absence of a clutch of stalwarts opened up space for the flowering of some fresh names—and not just from the youngsters. The qualities they brought with them also refreshed the game itself: maturity, single-handed backhands, and serve and volley tennis making a resurgence via the charismatic tennis of many popular faces. Michael Llodra won in Marseille and Eastbourne and reached his first Masters semifinal in Paris. Juan Carlos Ferrero took back-to-back wins in South America and another title in Umag, though the 30-year-old has since undergone knee and wrist surgery. Mikhail Youzhny reached the finals in Rotterdam, Doha and St Petersburg, won titles in Munich and Kuala Lumpur, and made the semis of the US Open. He was bidding for a place at the WTFs when a back injury forced him to retire from the Paris Masters in the first round, but he turned up at the O2 to join the fun anyway, and perhaps to celebrate ending the year as the top Russian for the first time in his career. Ivan Ljubicic won his first Masters title in Indian Wells, was runner-up in Montpellier and passed the 400 mark in tour-level matches. And Mardy Fish, determined to make one last effort to the top of his sport, lost weight, trained hard, and broke into the top 20 for the first time in his 10 years as a pro, winning titles at Queens, Newport and Atlanta, and reaching the Cincinnati Masters final. But what of the seasons for those who continue to target the Swiss-Spanish dominance? Murray ended the year with one of his finest matches, almost beating Nadal in the semifinal of the WTFs with a spirited performance that bodes well for next year. In January 2010 he became, in Melbourne, the first Briton in 72 years to reach the finals of two Slams. His loss to Federer in Australia, though, hit his confidence and he endured some poor results through the spring, with back-to-back opening round exits at Miami and Monte Carlo. He made up for lost time on the autumn hard courts by beating Federer in both the Toronto and Shanghai Masters finals. He is expected to announce his choice of new coach at the start of the next season, and his tennis target will be to go one better in Melbourne. A truly confident Murray might just do so. Djokovic, the WTF champion in 2008, advanced to a highly-anticipated show-down with Federer in the London semis but could not get a foothold against the Swiss man's best tennis of the tournament. The Serb, though, will certainly win more titles—and the Australian Open might be his best prospect. He ended this year just a whisker behind Federer and Roddick in win rates on hard courts. He reached the quarter-finals or better in all four Slams, and made the final of the US Open. He won two titles from four finals and also—fleetingly—reached No2 for the first time in his career. This year has seen a maturing both of the character and the tennis of the Serb, and if he leads his country to Davis Cup victory this week, he will be brimming with confidence, too. After reaching the semis in 2009, and riding high on his first Masters title in Paris, much was expected of Soderling in London, but Murray left him floundering in his first match while Federer filleted him like a fish in his third. But Soderling has had another year of progress under the calming eye of Magnus Norman. He has worked on his mobility, attacks the net more readily and is quicker around the court. He has been rewarded with two titles and three other finals this year, including his second Roland Garros final in a row. His Paris Masters win took him to a career high of No4, albeit for just a couple of weeks. All the more surprising, then, that Soderling has just announced a split from Norman. But make no mistake: The Swede is here to stay. David Ferrer has been a resurgent force in 2010 but he looked like an also-ran in London. He does, though, end the year as the No2 Spanish player, ahead of Fernando Verdasco, for the first time in two years, and in the top 10 for the first time since 2007. Indeed for a man who talked about retiring at the end of this season, it has been a very successful year. He won two titles and reached three more finals—the most recent just a month back in Valencia. Ferrer is popular, gritty, dedicated and modest. He also maximises every ounce of his talent. He will probably never climb higher than his current ranking but he surely deserves his successes as much as any man on the tour. Roddick's three-match loss in London was a sorry conclusion to his eighth consecutive qualification for the year-end event. Yet his consistency and persistence is without parallel. He is the only active player apart from Federer to finish in the top 10 for the ninth straight year and to win at least one title for 10 straight years. In 2010, he enjoyed success with the Masters title in Miami and a finals finish in Indian Wells. By the late summer Masters, though, he had contracted glandular fever, and fell out of the top 10 for the first time in four years. Does he have another year-end place in him? It is looking increasingly unlikely, but no-one has more fighting spirit than Roddick. The second half of Tomas Berdych's season—after reaching his first Slam final at Wimbledon—saw a dramatic falling off of the form that took him into the top 10 without winning a title all year. Between Wimbledon and the O2, he won just eight matches in 11 tournaments. He will now have to work hard to find the physical and mental durability that mark the top men from the rest. He found it, briefly, in 2010. We wait to see whether he recovers his self-belief in 2011. Names to watch in 2011 The old guard: David Nalbandian and Marcos Baghdatis are both former top 10 players, both are recovering from long periods sidelined by injury, and both made their marks during 2010. The Argentine rose from 160 in March to 27, on the back of fewer than a dozen outings. Baghdatis has risen from 150 to 20 in a year and a half 18. Both can light up a tennis court with their all-court fireworks, but fitness will be the key. The maiden-winning men from Kazakstan: Andrey Golubev won his first title in Hamburg and was runner-up in Kuala Lumpur; Mikhail Kukishkin won his first title in St Petersburg. Both were around the 130 mark this time last year, and they now stand at 36 and 59 respectively. And as if to pick up on the success stories of the older men this year, these youngsters play attacking tennis, can dominate the net and Golubev even has a Federesque backhand. So for new blood in the top 20 in 2011, keep an eye in particular on the classy blond from Kazakhstan. Ashes: Kevin Pietersen double ton drives England forward Posted: 05 Dec 2010 04:43 AM PST Kevin Pietersen blasted his second Test double hundred to continue England's dominant start to the second Ashes Test as the visitors built a 306-run lead in Adelaide. England were too good for an Australian attack which lacked any real threat as the batsman took full control. Alastair Cook fell for 148 before Paul Collingwood (40) and Ian Bell (41*) shared 50-run partnerships with Pietersen able to capitalise on their work during the first two days’ play. Ryan Harris (2-84) and Shane Watson (1-44) took the two English wickets to fall as the hosts endured another trying day in the field. Rain then brought the day to a premature end with England holding a sizeable 306-run lead. Cook and Pietersen continued where they let off the evening before, scoring freely on both sides of the wicket. Their only concern came when an Australian review was called but the original not out decision stood. Unbeaten on 85 overnight Pietersen set off quickly to achieve his milestone and soon brought up his ton with another clip to the leg side boundary. Cook remained convincing on the front foot, strolling towards his 150 before falling just two runs short. Ryan Harris brought one back off the seam to take the England opener’s inside edge for Brad Haddin to collect. But this lift for Australia was quickly dampened as Pietersen, who was able to capitalise on Xavier Doherty's disappointing performance, cut loose. Collingwood meanwhile quietly ticked along almost unnoticed as Pietersen found the boundary with regularity. Pietersen was nearly caught as he top edged a nasty short ball from Harris, and the Australian frustrations were compounded by the home side’s poor ground fielding. Just before lunch Pietersen swept Doherty to the leg side boundary once more and in doing so notched up his sixth score of over 150. The tourists scored their runs quickly in the opening session at over five runs per over in another dominant display. Collingwood was trapped lbw to Shane Watson soon after the restart but Pietersen kept up his dominance, refusing to let Australia build any pressure. The England talisman was imperious through midwicket, revoking memories of the iconic flamingo shot that saw him burst onto the Test scene. Bell displayed his intent to score quickly and extend the lead alongside Pietersen and the pair took the score to 500-4 during the afternoon session. Despite struggling with a leg niggle, Pietersen laboured on and scampered a single to mid off to complete his second double hundred. The England batsman maintained his fine form in Adelaide having made a hundred at The Oval the last time the side was Down Under. Their partnership passed 50 as the pair offered the crowd a real show with some incredible stroke play to take England closer to a declaration, going into tea with a 306-run lead. However, rain during the interval prevented the restart and its persistence washed out the rest of the day to put England's progress on hold. 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 The Sport Review at 12/05/2010 11:11:00 PM -- 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.
