Venus and Serena Williams, Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva reach Wimbledon semi-finals

The third seed Venus Williams stayed on course for a third consecutive Wimbledon title with a 6–1, 6–2 victory over Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska in their quarter-final while Serena Williams kept the possibility of another all-Williams final alive with a straight sets win over Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.

Venus, seeking her sixth title at the All England Club, has not lost a set at Wimbledon since the third round two years ago, and Radwanska, the 11th seed, rarely threatened a shock on a sun-drenched Court One.

"That first set for me was almost perfect," said Venus. "Do I feel invincible? I'd like to say yes, but I really do work at it. Day in and day out. To clock these matches out takes a lot of work."

Williams took the first set in just 27 minutes and although the Pole broke early for a 2–0 lead in the second, the seven-times grand slam winner reeled off six straight games to advance to the semi-final, where she will play Dinara Safina..

Serena Williams produced an error-free opening set to draw first blood against Azarenko, who was the first woman from Belarus to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon since Natasha Zvereva in 1998. The American made light of the heat to produce a running forehand in the third game and then out-hit her young opponent to gain the first break to lead 4-2. She consolidated the break with a two-handed backhand and broke once more to take the set in just 26 minutes.

Azarenko briefly raised her game in the second set to suggest her straight-sets victory over Williams in Miami earlier this year was no fluke. She threatened to strike back in the opening game of the second set, successfully challenging a baseline call to force her first break points of the match, but Williams simply produced three booming serves to avert the danger.

There was a rare moment of alarm for the American when she went over on her ankle in a baseline tumble but quickly got back on her feet to force a break point. The 19-year-old Azarenko had to dig deep to hold serve in the fourth game after coming up with two double faults, and then pounced on a series of second serves from Williams to achieve the first break of the second set.

But Williams broke back immediately, held to love and then broke the teenager again before serving for the match. Her 6-2, 6-3 victory sets up a meeting with Elena Dementieva and ensures that both Thursday's semi-finals will be American-Russian affairs,

Dinara Safina recovered from going a set down to the unseeded German Sabine Lisicki to win 6–7, 6–4, 6–1. It was the second day running the Russian had lost the first set and she admitted she would have to serve better to stand a chance against Venus Williams. "My service today, I think I was Santa Claus serving so many double faults," she said. "On the practice court I don't serve a single double fault. The serve is there, I just have to put the brain there.

"I know what I have to do, I'm just not doing it. It's not going to be easy against Venus on grass but I have nothing to lose. I want to go out there and enjoy it and show my best tennis. I'm happy that I'm in the semis – I was tough mentally and I think that was the key today."

Safina's compatriot Elena Dementieva reached her second successive Wimbledon semi-final with a straighforward victory over Italian Francesca Schiavone on Court One. The Olympic champion and fourth seed won 6–2, 6–2 to set-up a semi-final against Serena Williams.

"I'm just very happy to be in the semi-final again," said Dementieva. "It was a tough match despite the score. The weather conditions were tough today so I'm glad to go through. I was trying to play very aggressive and make it as quick as possible because it is very hot out there. I am sure it will be a tough challenge for me against Serena, as she likes to play on grass. But I just want to give myself another try."

Foot injury leaves Yao's future in doubt

Casting a degree of doubt on Yao Ming’s immediate and long-term NBA future, Rockets team physician Tom Clanton on Monday described the extent of the center’s foot injury. And with the league’s free-agent shopping season set to begin at 11 p.m. today, the Rockets will quickly discover how far the shock waves reach.

The fracture in Yao’s left foot has worsened and could be severe enough to threaten his entire next season or even his career, depending on the success of potential treatments he could choose, Clanton said.

Less than two weeks ago, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said the team is committed to building around Yao.

“Yao,” Morey said before the latest test results, “is the cornerstone of our franchise now and in the future.”

Now Morey might have to start rebuilding without him.

Yao, who was hurt during this year’s NBA Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers, is scheduled to visit specialists around the country to choose a course of treatment. He could try a more conservative approach by immobilizing the foot in hopes the hairline fracture in his left tarsal navicular bone will heal on its own, as doctors predicted it would when Yao’s season ended May 8. Because Yao has no pain or other symptoms, Clanton said there is reason to be optimistic that approach could work.

But Clanton also revealed Monday that a CT scan showed Yao’s injury not only failed to heal as expected but has gotten worse, potentially requiring a surgical remedy.

“At this point, the injury has the potential for him missing this next season and could be career-threatening,” Clanton said. “One of the things we are trying to get is a consensus opinion on that, to make certain there is no option we are overlooking that would provide an earlier return or would be an option for treatment that he would prefer rather than doing additional surgery.”

Yao, Rockets owner Leslie Alexander and Yao’s agent, John Huizinga, were unavailable for comment. Morey said he would not discuss Yao’s injury or its ramifications until Yao chooses a treatment option and doctors offer a prognosis.

“We are not going to comment,” Morey said, “until we have all the facts.”

Andy Murray vs Stanislas Wawrinka Wimbledon 2009 Betting Odds

Andy Murray vs. Stanislas Wawrinka Wimbledon 2009 Betting Odds: England’s best hope to win Wimbledon 2009 Betting Odds rests on the shoulders of the world’s 3rd seeded player, Andy Murray. On Monday’s fourth round action, Murray will be taking on 19th seeded Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland beginning around 1 PM ET (10 AM PT) on ESPN.

According to Wimbledon 2009 Betting Odds makers at SportsBook.com, Andy Murray [-1800 ML] has been listed as a gigantic sports betting odds favorite against his fourth round underdog opponent in Stanislas Wawrinka [+950 ML].
Needless to say, time is a factor; so don’t wait to make your Wimbledon 2009 Betting Odds Pick for Round 4.

But before you do make your Wimbledon 2009 Betting Odds Picks, get the latest sports betting odds for your free sports picks from the best online Wimbledon 2009 Betting Odds sportsbooks.

Even though the Wimbledon 2009 Betting Odds for this match tell a very compelling story, history and statistics aren’t so one-sided.

In fact, Murray and Wawrinka have met a total of seven times going into today’s match. Head-to-head, Murray only holds a 4-3 advantage against the Swizz, meaning this match will be anything but easy for the Brit.

Interestingly enough, in his career appearances at Wimbledon, Murray has improved a round per year. In 2005, the Brit was eliminated in the third round. The following year he made it to the 4th round.

He missed the Wimbledon 2007 due to an injury, but came back the following year and sure enough, he made it to the Quarterfinals. Therefore, one can infer that this season, Murray is destined to reach the Semifinals.

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Wimbledon 2009 - Venus Williams vs. Ana Ivanovic

Ivanovic feels confident in her abilities against V. Williams.

For one reason or another Ana Ivanovic feels comfortable going against Venus Williams in the round of 16 at Wimbledon on Monday June 29th. Taking a look at the two players, their head to head meetings, and their Wimbledon history, it is really hard to figure why Ivanovic should have any confidence at all against Williams.

Ivanovic has only beaten Williams once in 6 head to head matchups and that was at the 2008 Australian Open. Every other time, including in 2007 at Wimbledon, Williams has won and besides the one victory Ivanovic has, Williams has only dropped one other set to Ivanovic in their head to head play.

Not only that but Ivanovic does not have a history of success here at Wimbledon that comes close to mirroring the success of Venus Williams at all. The best Ivanovic has done in past years at Wimbledon is making the semifinals, which shows she's not a pushover on the grass court surface, but Williams is a five time champion here with no hint that she is slowing down, even at the age of 29.

As far as this year goes at The Championships, Venus Williams has been cruising through her matches while Ana Ivanovic almost got dumped right in the first round by Lucie Hradecka before winning in the third set 8-6.

There is no reason for Ivanovic to feel comfortable here at all and the only recommendation that could be made is to pick Venus Williams at -600 (1/6) with bet365. While Ivanovic is +350 (7/2) and that might seem like a good price for a former Grand Slam champion, that pick looks bad in this case.

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Confederations Cup MVP Kaka Hopes To Continue Winning With Real Madrid

New Real Madrid megastar, Kaka has kicked-off off his post-AC Milan life on a triumphant note after helping Brazil to a 3-2 win over the United States to lift the FIFA Confederations Cup on Sunday night.

The €67 million man was also voted the best player of the tournament ahead of top scorer, Luis Fabiano and Clint Dempsey and he hopes that this is just the beginning of another illustrious chapter to his footballing life.

“I’ve already started to win as a Real Madrid player,” he told reporters during the post-match banter, “but I will talk more about Madrid on Tuesday when I am officially presented at the club. This Confederations Cup win is a good start.

“I am very happy to have played my part for the team in the final of this competition. It’s because Brazil became the champions that I was voted man of the match and the best player of the tournament.

“Now, I hope that I can continue in the same manner in the new phase of my career,” he added.

Kaka could have capped off an even more remarkable evening had his 60th minute goal, when Brazil were trailing 2-1, been awarded by the linesman.

“I don’t know if anyone saw the television replays because I don’t know if the ball crossed the line or not,” he said.

“It would have been fantastic to score a legal goal. These are aspects that FIFA can check and improve on. It would have been important for me to have scored this goal.”

The 27-year-old now joins fellow Brazilians, Adriano (Germany 2005), Ronaldinho (Mexico 1999) and Denilson (Saudi Arabia 1997) as previous Confederation Cup Golden Ball winners. Other victors include Thierry Henry and Robert Pires.

U.S. excited to play Brazil in today's Confederation Cup final

JOHANNESBURG — Landon Donovan remembers the first time he played the Brazilians, when his under-23 team trudged off the field, victims of a 7-0 thrashing.

"I haven't beaten Brazil on any level," the U.S. forward said. "It would be amazing to do it tomorrow."

Amazing, unbelievable, spectacular — any adjective would apply.

When the Americans play Brazil in the Confederation Cup final today, they have a chance to create a watershed moment in U.S. soccer. The Americans have never won a FIFA tournament — this is the first time they've even made it to a final — and a victory over the five-time World Cup champions would signal they are closer than ever to the likes of Spain, England, Argentina, Italy and Germany.

It would be a big hit back home, too, where fans who couldn't tell a corner kick from a handball just a few days ago have suddenly become soccer aficionados.

"For U.S. Soccer, this is a very special day," coach Bob Bradley said Saturday. "It's the first time we're playing in a final of a world competition like this, and to play against Brazil — everybody knows their history — is extra special."

The United States has beaten Brazil only once in 14 tries, and that 1-0 victory came in Los Angeles in the semifinals of the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Just last week, Brazil routed the Americans 3-0 in group play at the Confederations Cup. The loss left them on the verge of elimination, and had some critics calling for Bradley's job.

But the U.S. men turned their fortunes around immediately after that game, and are a different team now.

"Winning a major FIFA championship against Brazil, on the heels of beating Spain, the No. 1 team in the world, would be an extraordinary achievement," U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati said. "American soccer is on a long term ascendancy — a win tomorrow would certainly help people appreciate that."

The Americans beat Egypt 3-0 to squeak through from the group stage. They then stunned top-ranked Spain with a 2-0 victory, ending the European champion's record 15-game winning streak.

And now, Brazil.

"This is a big opportunity for us, and one we don't get very often," Donovan said. "There's no promise that we'll ever get back to a final like this, so we've got to try to take advantage of it. If we lose we lose, but we're going to give everything we have."

For Brazil, playing in a final is nothing new. This is its fourth at the Confederations Cup, and it's seeking a record third title.

As if that's not daunting enough for the Americans, they'll also have to try to corral Kaka, Robinho and Luis Fabiano without key midfielder Michael Bradley. Bradley, the coach's son, picked up a red card in the final minutes of the victory over Spain and likely will be replaced by Benny Feilhaber.

Brazil coach Dunga probably will stay with the same lineup from the semifinals. Although Daniel Alves gave Brazil the late winner coming off the bench, Maicon is expected to stay at right back.

Luis Fabiano said he has the flu and had trouble sleeping after the match against South Africa with a fever, but should be ready to play.

"(The first match) was different," Dunga said. "Now they're more consistent. They have more confidence because of their results. We have to impose our rhythm, staying more with the ball and taking advantage of our characteristics."

The Americans also are hoping to get another boost from the South African fans. Though Spain was the heavy favorite Wednesday night, the Americans noticed as the game wore on that fans were firmly on the side of the underdogs.

And the deafening blare of the vuvuzelas that some teams at the Confederation Cup have complained about? The Americans don't mind them one bit.

"I think we've shown a spirit and competitiveness that people love, and that's infectious for people," Donovan said. "We expect the same for tomorrow night, too, that people will be out there wanting to see us do well, and we thrive off that."

Just so they don't get too caught up in the love, Bob Bradley warned.

The U.S. players have been inundated with well-wishes from back home since their shocking upset of Spain on Wednesday. People magazine even posted a story about the team on its Web site, "Boys of Soccer: Meet the U.S. Team's Victorious Hunks."

It's a far cry from the criticism they heard last week.

"For a few games, it was incredibly important that we were very strong and didn't let any of the distractions or outcries interfere with our work. Now, it's just as important that we don't allow any of our new friends and any of the hoopla to interfere with our work," Bob Bradley said.

"It's great that as a country we're excited, that's part of our responsibility, but at the same time, the way we go about our work, the way we treat each other, the way we continue to try to improve and reach new heights can't be affected by those things."

Battle of the babes Maria Sharapova and Gisela Dulko will set temperatures rising

Posh frocks on today for the first action on Centre Court when the sport's reigning goddess, Maria Sharapova, meets her match in the looks department.

She plays Gisela Dulko, an Argentinian named among the sexiest tennis players in the world. Her ranking of 45 suggests she looks better than she plays.

Sharapova has been battling injury for much of the year but won her first round match against the Ukrainian Viktoriya Kutuzova in straight sets.

The pair meet at 1pm, the same time that Novak Djokovic, the men's No 4 seed, plays his second round match against Simon Greul on No 1 Court.


Djokovic came into Wimbledon under the radar with all the media spotlight on Andy Murray, the withdrawal of Rafael Nadal, the reigning champion, and Roger Federer, fresh from his French Open triumph and bidding for a record 15th grand slam title.

The Serbian made hard work of his opener in this year's Championships, coming through a tough four-setter against the little-known Frenchman Julien Benneteau.

Greul, from Germany, should pose no such problems today, although his three-set demolition of Michael Yani might just offer a hint of an upset.

Federer gets the chance to show off his cultured wardrobe again later this afternoon when he takes on Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

The Swiss world No 2 was in imperious form in his first round match with Yen-Hsun Lu but the Spaniard provides a far greater test.

Serena Williams is the other big name involved today as she takes on Jarmila Groth.

Does Maria Sharapova have a backup plan?

Maria Sharapova, above, is dabbling in a second sport: American football. The 2004 Wimbledon champion, who had shoulder surgery in October, frequently tosses a ball when it's time to practice tennis.
"I always do that just to warm up my shoulder," she said.

Maybe Lions rookie QB Matthew Stafford gave her pointers during his makeover for ESPN the Magazine, eh?

Sharapova faces Viktoriya Kutuzova today in the first round of Wimbledon.

Liverpool's money problems ease as Gillett sells ice hockey team

Liverpool's co-owner George Gillett has agreed to sell his ice hockey team, Montreal Canadiens. Photograph


George Gillett, Liverpool's co-owner, has moved to consolidate his position at Anfield and remove some of the financial uncertainty surrounding the club after he agreed to sell his majority share in the NHL team Montreal Canadiens back to the Molson brewing family as part of a deal worth an estimated £330m.

The 60-year-old, who took control of the Canadiens in 2001, has agreed to sell his 80.1% stake in the ice hockey team, together with the Bell Centre Arena where they play and the Gillett Entertainment Group, which promotes sport and music. The deal is not expected to go through until August but today's announcement will help Gillett provide the increased personal guarantees that Royal Bank of Scotland and Wachovia have been seeking in relation to the refinancing of his and Tom Hicks's £350m loan before next month's deadline.

Hicks, Gillett's co-owner, aims to do likewise between now and 24 July. The Texan has been seeking to sell off several of his sporting assets, including Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers and the NHL's Dallas Stars.

The news that Gillett has reached an agreement in principle with the Molsons comes little more than a fortnight after Liverpool's accountants warned Hicks and Gillett their ownership will be in "significant doubt" should they fail to refinance the loans next month. That forecast came after it emerged their parent company, Kop Football (Holdings) Limited, had ­suffered a £42.6m loss in the last financial year.

Gillett had paid the Molsons £165m for a controlling interest in the NHL's most successful ever team eight years ago, with the former owners retaining a 19.9% stake. Their latest transaction must be approved by the NHL's board of governors and is unlikely to be completed for a couple of months, but the Molson's long association with the Canadiens means that few ­complications are anticipated.

Hicks and Gillett are expected to put out a statement today. It is understood it does not relate to finance or the new stadium and could concern the search for a new chief executive.

On Baseball: Red Sox' gambles paying off

The Boston Red Sox were baseball's big gamblers this winter.
Now, they're cashing in with wins.

And more might be coming.

Having been beaten out by the rival New York Yankees for free-agent slugger Mark Teixeira in December, the Red Sox took a series of calculated risks on four players with checkered medical charts.

They signed pitchers John Smoltz, Brad Penny, and Takashi Saito and outfielder Rocco Baldelli to incentive-laden contracts with relatively low base salaries.

It cost the Sox about $13.5 million in guaranteed money - less than the $17 million the Phillies are paying Adam Eaton and Geoff Jenkins not to play for them this season - to sign Smoltz, Penny, Saito and Baldelli. The results, so far, have been good, and that's before Smoltz has even thrown a pitch.

Penny, who had a bad shoulder and a bad attitude with the Dodgers last season, is 6-2 with a 4.94 ERA in 71 innings over 13 starts. His performance has been roughly comparable to that of A.J. Burnett, who signed a five-year, $82.5 million deal with the Yankees in the off-season. Burnett was 5-3 with a 4.46 ERA in 802/3 innings over his first 13 starts. He is making $16.5 million this season. Penny's base salary is $5 million.

Saito was an effective closer for the Dodgers before coming down with a tender elbow last season and not receiving a contract offer from the club. The Sox signed the 39-year-old righthander for $2.5 million, and he has been a major contributor on the best relief staff in the majors.

Baldelli, who suffers from a condition (mitochondrial disorder) that can sap his energy, became a free agent after Tampa Bay bought out his contract. The Phillies met with Baldelli and considered signing him but backed off because they were concerned about his medical condition. The Sox signed Baldelli for a base salary of $500,000, and he has been a solid extra outfielder.

Boston's biggest gamble - and possibly biggest payoff - was with Smoltz. The veteran righthander and former NL Cy Young winner made just five starts - and none after April 27 - for Atlanta last season and had shoulder surgery. The Braves tried to re-sign him with a base of $2.5 million. Boston offered a base of $5.5 million and Smoltz left the city where he had been a pitching icon.

Smoltz has completed his rehab. He is scheduled to start for the Red Sox on Thursday at Washington.

If Smoltz can get back to anything close to top form - and at age 42 with an arm that's felt the pinch of a scalpel five times, that's a big if - he will give the Red Sox' already deep staff another weapon. He is one of the greatest post-season pitchers ever, having posted a 15-4 record and a 2.65 ERA in 40 games, and you know that's appealing to the Red Sox, who always plan on playing in October.

An effective Smoltz would also allow the Red Sox to use some of their depth in a trade, possibly for the shortstop they have been looking for. Their best chip might be Penny. The pitching-needy Phillies have an interest, and the two sides have talked about a deal that could involve infield prospect Jason Donald, who is recovering from what team officials have called minor knee surgery to repair a cartilage problem.

Signings such as Penny, Saito, Baldelli, and Smoltz are smart, but they are not for every team. Boston is a high-revenue club that can afford to take these chances. Hit on them and you look good. Miss on them and - oh, well, what's a few million bucks when you've had 500 straight sellouts?

So far, the Red Sox' gambles are looking good.

Dilshan powers Sri Lanka to World T20 final

Published Date: 20 June 2009
Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara hailed Tillakaratne Dilshan as a "pioneering strokemaker" after the opener batted his side into the World Twenty20 final.

Dilshan's 96 not out was only five fewer than the West Indies managed for the loss of all 10 wickets in last night's semi-final at The Oval.

He took only 57 balls over his knock, the highest of the tournament to date, as he led Sri lanka to 158-5 having been inserted by Chris Gaile.Three wickets from Angelo Mathews in the first over of the reply, at the cost of a single run, then put the Windies on the road to a crushing defeat.

Muttiah Muralitharan weighed in with three wickets of his own while Ajantha Mendis recorded remarkable figures of 4-0-9-2.

Afterwards Sangakkara was full of praise for Dilshan, saying: "I've run out of superlatives to describe him.

"He's been a pioneering strokemaker in the T20 World Cup and I think the best thing about him for us as a side is over the past year and a half he's understood his role, he's become very responsible and very mature and finally come to understand how just good he is.

"(It was a) fantastic knock, greatly supported by all the other guys around him: Sanath (Jayasuriya) again, a great start; Angelo Mathews, Chamara Silva in the middle and it's a great team effort."

Sangakkara admitted conditions played into his side's hands.

"The ball was not really coming on, probably not a typical Oval wicket," he said.

"We expected it to be a lot better and come on really well but this was a perfect pitch for us – batting first, putting up a good total and really turning the screws on the West Indies.

"We've got a great bowling attack and all of them are thinking cricketers so hopefully we can go one more step in this tournament."

West Indies captain Gayle was upbeat in defeat, congratulating his players for reaching the penultimate round rather than dwell on their performance in it.

"I was really happy with the guys for the performance to reach the semi-final" he said.

"Hopefully we can use it for a learning experience and next time around we can actually be strong."

Talks will take place today aimed at ending the dispute between the ICC and the Pakistan Cricket Board over the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

A preliminary meeting yesterday between ICC president David Morgan, vice-president Sharad Pawar and PCB chairman Ijaz Butt has paved the way for a round of talks at the Oval between the four host nations for the tournament, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, to determine where games will be played.

South Africa vs Pakistan, 1st Semi-Final Icc World Twenty20,2009

ICC World Twenty20, 2009
South Africa vs Pakistan, 1st Semi-Final
Trent Bridge, Nottingham, June 18, 2009
Pakistan won by 7 runs



Match Information
Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZ) & Stephen Davis (Aus)
Third Umpire: Simon Taufel (Aus)
Match Referee: Chris Broad (Eng)
Toss: Pakistan (Elected to bat)
Match Status: Pakistan won by 7 runs
Man of the Match: Shahid Afridi

Batting: Pakistan Innings

Batsmen Pakistan (149/4 in 20 ovs) Runs Balls 4’s 6’s SR

Kamran Akmal
(wk) c A Morkel b D Steyn 23 12 4 1 191.67

Shahzaib Hasan c Rvd Merwe b W Parnell 0 2 0 0 0.00

Shahid Afridi c A Villiers b J Duminy 51 34 8 0 150.00

Shoaib Malik c J Botha b Rvd Merwe 34 39 2 0 87.18

Younis Khan
(c) not out 24 18 1 0 133.33

Abdul Razzaq not out 12 15 0 0 80.00

Misbah Ul-Haq

Fawad Alam

Umar Gul

Saeed Ajmal

Mohammad Aamer
Extras: b - 0, w - 3, nb - 0, lb - 2 5
Total: (149 for 4 in 20 overs) 149 Run Rate: 7.45

Fall Of Wickets 1/8 (Shahzaib Hasan, 1.2 ov.), 2/28 (Kamran Akmal, 2.3 ov.), 3/95 (Shahid Afridi, 12.1 ov.), 4/124 (Shoaib Malik, 15.4 ov.) Bowling: South Africa

Bowler O M R W Nb Wd ER
Dale Steyn 4 0 28 1 0 0 7.0
Wayne Parnell 4 0 26 1 0 1 6.5
Jacques Kallis 2 0 14 0 0 1 7.0
Albie Morkel 2 0 13 0 0 1 6.5
Rvd Merwe 4 0 29 1 0 0 7.2
Johan Botha 2 0 23 0 0 0 11.5
JP Duminy 2 0 14 1 0 0 7.0
Power Play: Pakistan innings
Mandatory: (0.1 - 6) overs - 47 Runs


Batting: South Africa Innings

Batsmen South Africa (142/5 in 20 ovs) Runs Balls 4’s 6’s SR

Jacques Kallis c S Malik b S Ajmal 64 54 7 1 118.52

Graeme Smith(c) c & b M Aamer 10 14 1 0 71.43

Herschelle Gibbs b S Afridi 5 4 1 0 125.00

AB de Villiers b S Afridi 1 5 0 0 20.00

Jean-Paul Duminy not out 44 39 3 1 112.82

Albie Morkel run out (F Alam) 2 4 0 0 50.00

Mark Boucher(wk) not out 0 0 0 0 0.00

Roelof van der Merwe
Johan Botha

Wayne Parnell

Dale Steyn
Extras: b - 4, w - 1, nb - 0, lb - 11 16
Total: (142 for 5 in 20 overs) 142 Run Rate: 7.10

Fall Of Wickets

1/40 (Graeme Smith, 5.5 ov.), 2/46 (Herschelle Gibbs, 6.6 ov.), 3/50 (AB de Villiers, 8.3 ov.), 4/111 (Jacques Kallis, 17.1 ov.), 5/134 (Albie Morkel, 19.3 ov.) Bowling: Pakistan

Bowler O M R W Nb Wd ER

Abdul Razzaq 3 0 19 0 0 0 6.3
Mohammad Aamer 4 0 30 1 0 0 7.5
Shahid Afridi 4 0 16 2 0 0 4.0
Saeed Ajmal 4 0 23 1 0 0 5.8
Shoaib Malik 1 0 5 0 0 0 5.0
Umar Gul 3 0 19 0 0 1 6.3
Fawad Alam 1 0 15 0 0 0 15.0
Power Play: South Africa innings

USA-Brazil preview

USA, after losing 3-1 to Italy in their opening group game of the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009, will have a potentially tougher test next. Brazil only eked out a sloppy 4-3 win over Egypt in their first match, but star man Kaka has vowed they will only improve as the tournament rolls on.

The Americans went a goal ahead against the Azzurri in their opener in Pretoria on 15 June, but a man down after the sending off of enthusiastic midfielder Ricardo Clark they couldn't manage to hang on, eventually falling on the wrong side of a 3-1 scoreline that flattered the reigning world champions. The Brazilians managed a 4-3 win in a thrilling goal-feast in Bloemfontein. However, they will have problems to address as Dunga's men looked less than their stellar best, especially in defence.

Historically there has never been a draw between the United States and Brazil, the Seleção winning 12 of the 13 meetings between the two teams. The only time the Americans managed a win over the illustrious South American giants was way back at the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup, when a lone goal by current Chivas USA coach Preki sparked wild celebrations and an historic moment in the history of the US national team.

Sri Lanka and South Africa favourites for final

Related Matches: NZ vs SL, 16th Jun 2009

In keeping with a captivating tournament where sustained excellence has been consistently rewarded the ICC World Twenty20 semi-finalists have been the best teams in the competition.

South Africa meet Pakistan in Nottingham on Thursday (1630) followed by Sri Lanka against West Indies at the Oval on Friday (1630). The final will be staged at Lord's on Sunday (1300).

A Sri Lanka-Pakistan final would provide an emotional climax to the tournament following the armed attack on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore in March.

Captain Kumar Sangakkara was one of six Sri Lanka players wounded by a small group of heavily armed men who killed six Pakistani policemen and the driver of the bus carrying the match officials.

The more likely outcome is an enticing clash of cultures and styles between the innovative and intelligent Sri Lankans and the rigorously drilled and athletic South Africans.

After grinding their way to a narrow victory over New Zealand in the first round, South Africa have gone from strength to strength.

They cover all bases in attack and defence with high pace from Dale Steyn and Wayne Parnell, effective spin from Johan Botha and Roelof van der Merwe, sharp fielding and lengthy batting headed by Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis.

Kallis epitomises the team's ambition and spirit. Derided as too conservative for one-day cricket, he has proven an effective opening partner for captain Smith and at 34 he is bowling with the zest of a man 10 years younger.

Sri Lanka, as they did in the 50-over game at the 1996 World Cup, are setting the pace in Twenty20 cricket.

BEWILDERING VARIETY

Lacking power hitters, once thought essential, they have compensated with artistry and invention. Leading the charge are Tiilakaratne Dilshan with the scoop shot over his head and Mahela Jayawardena, who has discovered a bewildering variety of ways to score runs including a reverse sweep with the back of his bat.

Their bowling is equally effective. Lasith Malinga has demonstrated a masterly command of bouncers, yorkers and change of pace and Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis both contain and attack with their unorthodox spin.

Pakistan, the most mercurial team in world cricket, have improved dramatically since losing to England in the first round.

Their strength lies in the bowling where Umar Gul destroyed New Zealand with reverse swing. Shahid Afridi's batting has fallen off but his brisk leg-spin has been a constant danger backed up by off-spinner Saeed Ajmal and his dangerous doosra.

West Indies look the most fallible of the semi-finalists but, after losing two tests and two one-day internationals to England last month, they feel they have the most to prove.

If the sun shines and their supporters continue to turn out in force they have the talent in Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Fidel Edwards to emulate their heady Lord's triumphs of 1975 and 1979 in the first two one-day World Cups.

2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Schedule

Confederations Cup, June 14-28, from four cities in South Africa, host nation for next summer’s 2010 FIFA World Cup. All 16 matches will also be available live and for replay on ESPN360.com.

ESPN2 will air 12 matches. ESPN will televise four, including two group stage matches – United States vs. 2006 FIFA World Cup champion Italy (June 15, 2:25 p.m. ET), and Italy vs. Brazil (June 21, 2:25 p.m.). ESPN will also air both semifinals -- Wednesday, June 24 at 2:25 p.m. in Bloemfontein, and Thursday, June 25, at 2:25 p.m. in Johannesburg.

The Event

The FIFA Confederations Cup is one of the most competitive tournaments among national soccer teams. It features champions of each of the six FIFA confederations – CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football), UEFA (Union of European Football Associations), CAF (African Football Confederation), CONMEBOL (South American Football Confederation), AFC (Asian Football Confederation) and OFC (Oceana Football Confederation), and both the upcoming host country and past winner of the FIFA World Cup.

Originally organized by and held in Saudi Arabia, and known as the King Fahd Cup, the tournament was founded in 1992. FIFA took control of the event in 1997, renaming it the FIFA Confederations Cup and hosting the tournament every two years. Now contested every four years (since 2005), the Confederations Cup is played one-year prior to the FIFA World Cup.

The teams:

CONCACAF: United States - 2007 Gold Cup
Italy - 2006 World Cup
UEFA: Spain - Euro 2008
CONMEBOL: Brazil - 2007 Copa America
South Africa - Host (2010 World Cup host)
AFC: Iraq - 2007 Asian Cup
CAF: Egypt - 2008 African Nations Cup
OFC: New Zealand - 2008 Oceanic

Group A

1. Spain - #1
2. South Africa - #77
3. New Zealand - #79
4. Iraq - #85

Group B

1. Brazil - #4
2. Italy - #5
3. USA - #15
4. Egypt - #37

#: FIFA World Ranking as of June 7

Date Fixture Time (ET) TV Venue Report
Game times – 9:55 a.m. and 2:25 p.m.
June 14 S Africa v Iraq 9:55 E2/360/EM Johannesburg -
June 14 N Zealand v Spain 2:25 E2/360 Rustenburg -
June 15 Brazil v Egypt 9:55 E2/360/EM Bloemfontein -
June 15 USA v Italy 2:25 E1/360/EM Pretoria -
June 17 Spain v Iraq 9:55 E2/360/EM Bloemfontein -
June 17 S Africa v N Zealand 2:25 E2/360/EM Rustenburg -
June 18 USA v Brazil 9:55 E2/360 Pretoria -
June 18 Egypt v Italy 2:25 E2/360/EM Johannesburg -
June 20 Span v S Africa 2:25 E2/360/EM Bloemfontein -
June 20 Iraq v N Zealand 2:25 360 Johannesburg -
June 21 Egypt v USA 2:25 E2/360/EM Rustenburg -
June 21 Italy v Brazil 2:25 E1/360 Pretoria
Semifinals
June 24 A1 v B2 2:25 E1/360/EM Bloemfontein -
June 25 A2 v B1 2:25 E1/360/EM Johannesburg -
Third Place Match
June 28 Semi Losers 8:55 E2/360/EM Rustenburg -
Final
June 28 Semifinal Winners 2:25 E2/360/EM Johannesburg -

Maple Hill earns first state baseball title

VESTAL — Jaime Schultz has carried the Maple Hill baseball team all season.

His effort in the state semifinal was no exception as he propeled the Wildcats into the Class C state title game on Saturday by pitching nearly four innings of clutch relief and delivered the game-winning single in the ninth inning in a 3-2 victory over Oyster Bay.

Then senior Nick Papas and the Wildcats' offense took over in the final as Maple Hill rolled past Frewsburg, 19-2 later in the day at the University of Binghamton to claim the school's first state championship in baseball.

"It's huge, we've had so much success in other sports, but this is very sweet," Schultz said. "This is special."

Since Schultz had also hurled seven innings in a 7-0 regional final triumph over Ticonderoga on Wednesday, Papas — who hasn't pitched in the postseason — got the call to start in the final.

Papas responded with a complete game victory, scattering seven hits and pitched scoreless ball after allowing two runs in the first inning for Maple Hill, which finishes its campaign at 19-8.

"We won in nine innings in our state semifinal game and we came back," Papas said. "We just all said that we're not giving up, we're going to come back and take it to them. We had to make it count."

In turn, Maple Hill also provided Papas with plenty of run support from the start. After edging past Oyster Bay in the semifinal, the Wildcats — who rapped out 19 hits for the game — erupted for 11 runs over the first three innings.

"It was a great start and we wanted to score more and more," Schultz said. "You never know what to expect, so to just get those runs was incredible."

After the first inning, Papas only allowed six base runners for the remainder of the game, including just two walks, by Frewsburg (23-5).

"Nick Papas stepped up, I think he hasn't pitched in three weeks or so," Maple Hill coach Rico Frese said. "But to come in and pitch in a state championship game, he pitched great and had some big hits as well."

Papas also provided Maple Hill with a lift offensively as he tripled, singled twice, knocked in four runs and scored four runs.

"That first inning was a little rough, but I think it was great we bounced back with three runs in the bottom of the inning," Frese said. "And then we just took it from there -- I'm proud of these kids."

Senior Mike Doughtie led the hit parade with a 4-for-5 performance, including a pair of doubles, and drove in three runs. Senior Joe Dugan contributed a two-run double in each of the first two innings.

"The last game was a nail-biter," Dugan said. "Jaime came through with the big hit and in this game, everyone just came through."

The Wildcats struck for three runs in the first inning, keyed by Dugan's double, and struck for four runs in the second on RBI singles from Papas and Doughtie and Dugan followed with another two-run double.

Maple Hill scored four unearned runs in the third to build an 11-2 lead, sparked by a two-run triple by Papas and a run-scoring double from Doughtie.

"We can hit, we have a lot of guys who hit well," Frese said. "We're a good offensive team that has hit its stride."

The Wildcats continued the onslaught by batting around in the fifth inning to score seven runs and stretch their advantage to 19-2.

"That was great," Papas said. "Just having that support made me feel real comfortable out there."

Schultz likened this experience to playing at the state level with Maple Hill's soccer team, which won the state title in 2006 when he and several seniors, including Papas, were sophomores.

"It kind of feels like soccer," Schultz said after the semifinal victory. "The first game in soccer when we won states (in 2006) it was a tough overtime game and we won it like this one."

In the school's first state semifinal in baseball, Schultz completed the victory both on the mound and at the plate by delivering the game-winning single.

Schultz tossed 3 2/3 innings of relief to earn the win, striking out 11 of 17 batters faced. Doughtie had pitched 4 1/3 innings of six-hit ball before yielding to Schultz.

"Mike pitched real well for us," Frese said. "And then Jaime really stepped up for us. He said he could pitch a couple more innings -- but he's a Division I athlete and he's got a lot of baseball ahead of him. So I wanted to see how he was okay, but he's mature enough to be okay with the decision."

With one out in the fifth inning, Schultz relieved senior Doughtie with runners on first and second and struck out the next two batters to work out of the jam.

Oyster Bay rallied in the seventh inning to score the first run off Schultz in six postseason games.

Shortstop Matthew Copozzo, went to second on a passed ball, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on catcher Marc Douglas' single to center field to even the score at two.

After sending the Baymen down in order in the eighth inning, Schultz worked out of trouble in the ninth as opposing starting pitcher Jake Robinson drew a leadoff walk, but after a strikeout, was forced out at second base and Schultz struck out two batters to end the threat.

In the bottom of the ninth, pinch hitter Brian Pulikowski each drew walks to chase Robinson and after Shane McInerney walked, Schultz drilled a 1-1 pitch into left field to drive in pinch runner Matt Palmer.

"Mike did a good job and went as hard as he could," Schultz said of Doughtie's pitching performance. "When I came in, I just tried to do my best and it felt real good to get that run in."

Maple Hill, which reached the Class C final in boys basketball this year, claimed its third Section II title in baseball en route to the state final four and ultimately the championship.

"I've had some years where we were 0-16 and 2-12, so we've paid our dues to get here," Frese said. "I'm just happy for the kids and happy for the community."

Lidstrom hopes to hoist Cup in Steel City again

PITTSBURGH—Nicklas Lidstrom carried his traveling bag back into the hotel for the Red Wings' final road trip of the season.If all goes well for the Detroit captain and his teammates, Lidstrom will be lugging his luggage along with the Stanley Cup out of Pittsburgh for the second straight year.

The Red Wings returned to the Steel City on Monday, the eve of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals. Like a year ago, Detroit owns a 3-2 lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins and can wrap up another championship on the ice at Mellon Arena.

"We know as a team that we're not there yet," Lidstrom said upon his arrival. "We know we need another win to get to where we want to be."

If anyone knows what it takes to reach that supreme level it's Lidstrom and his teammates, many of whom join him in going for their fifth championship in 12 seasons.

Game 6 has been quite kind to the Red Wings. Detroit won 13 straight Game 6s when the opportunity was there to eliminate an opponent. The run ended when Anaheim forced a seventh game this year in the second round, but that was the only time Detroit has let a team of the hook in these playoffs.

What makes it even more impressive is that the Red Wings have had home-ice advantage so often in recent years that those Game 6s have largely been played on enemy ice.

"The experience that we have on our team has really helped us in those situations when you're going into a Game 6 on the road," Lidstrom said. "You know you have to play well for 60 minutes. You know they're going to come at you real hard and trying to get that win.

"We've been able to kind of play the patient style that we can play when we have to and take advantage of our chances, and I think that's the way we're approaching this game, too. We know they're going to be a desperate hockey team. We know they're going to be coming out hard."

If the Penguins keep the home-ice advantage going for the sixth straight time in this series, Game 7 will be played Friday night in Detroit. For the third time since 1978, the home team has won the first five games in the finals.

This is the second consecutive year the Penguins returned home for Game 6 of the finals, trailing the Red Wings 3-2. The difference is Pittsburgh pulled out a triple-overtime victory at Detroit in Game 5 to stay alive in 2008. This time they limped back following a 5-0 rout at Joe Louis Arena on Saturday night.

"Mentally, I think we're in a different situation," Penguins forward Max Talbot said. "Last year it was 3-1. We tried to battle back and it felt so hard to come back and win three games in a row.

"This year it was 2-2 and we play good at home. We're coming back for a Game 6 and the guys are confident. We're looser. We're ready to go. We know it won't be easy, but it's the biggest game of our career and we definitely don't want to have the same feeling as last year."

The Red Wings recalled the sour taste they had in their mouths after blowing the chance a year ago to win the Cup in front of their home fans in Game 5.

Detroit was 34.3 seconds away from claiming the prize when Talbot scored the tying goal and forced overtime. Petr Sykora, who has yet to play in this series, won it for Pittsburgh in the third extra session.

"Last year was disappointing beyond belief when we lost Game 5," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "We had the game won and we turned it over two times. ... The way it turned out in the end it's not a big deal. Can you imagine if you didn't win the Cup and you did that? You're 32 seconds away from winning. I can remember thinking that for a second.

"But it's like anything. You got up the next day and you refocused. I think that's what happens to teams."

The Penguins will be facing elimination for the second time in these playoffs. They blew out the Washington Capitals on the road in Game 7 of the second round after overcoming a 2-0 series deficit and then a home loss in Game 6.

"This year's series there is a higher confidence," Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said of the Red Wings matchup. "We've seen a lot better results with the way we've played. We'll draw on that experience -- more so the results when we've played our game and the success we've had with it. We'll take that more from this series than we would last year's."

NEW ZEALAND vs SOUTH AFRICA Playerlist and Ground Profile

NEW ZEALAND
Player Matches Avg
Brendon Diamanti N/A N/A
Brendon McCullum (C) 22 33.33
Daniel Vettori (C) 14 8
Iain OBrien 4 0
Ian Butler 4 0
Jacob Oram 14 33.44
James Franklin 7 14.75
Jesse Ryder 7 23.71
Kyle Mills 9 21.2
Martin Guptill 4 17
Nathan McCullum 5 12
Neil Broom 3 20.5
Peter McGlashan 3 3.5
Ross Taylor 18 22.93
Scott Styris 16 20.07
Coach:Andy Moles

SOUTH AFRICA
Player Matches Avg
AB de Villiers 16 23.18
Albie Morkel 17 25.67
Dale Steyn 7 2
Graeme Smith (C) 13 36.55
Herschelle Gibbs 15 18.64
Jacques Kallis 5 18.2
Johan Botha 10 24.5
JP Duminy 11 31
Justin Ontong 3 10
Mark Boucher 14 20.5
Morne Morkel 8 0
Robin Peterson 5 21
Roelof van der Merwe 2 48
Wayne Parnell 3 0
Yusuf Abdulla 1 0
Coach:Mickey Arthur

The Home of Cricket – that best describes the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. Owned by the Marylebone Cricket Club, the Lord’s Cricket Ground has also been termed as the ‘Mecca of Cricket’ by worshippers of the game of cricket. Playing at Lord’s, let alone scoring a century or taking a hat trick there, would be every cricketers aspiration. A venue with so much history attached to it, the Lord’s Cricket Ground has served as home to the England Cricket Board, and until recently the ICC. Although considered a heritage site by many, the Lord’s Cricket Ground adapted to changing times, and came up with a new media centre earlier in the decade of 2000s. With so much history attached to it, it was but obvious that the Lord’s Cricket Ground would contain a museum in its premises – it houses the oldest sports museum in the world, and on display are some of the finest cricketing treasures, including ‘The Ashes’ and equipment used by Sir Don Bradman. When authorities decided to relay the outfield, they put up blocks of the turf for sale, and ardent worshippers of the game lapped up the pieces of turf.


NEW ZEALAND SOUTH AFRICA
N/A ICC Ranking N/A
3 Played 3
1 Won 2
2 Lost 1
0 Tied 0
0 No Results 0
0 Home Wins 2
1 Away Wins 0
New Zealand won by 5 wickets
on Oct 20 2005
Target Chased: 133 Highest Total chased South Africa won by 6 wickets
on Sep 18 2007
Target Chased: 153
Brendon McCullum (64 Runs) Most Prolific Batsman Justin Kemp (97 Runs)
Craig McMillan (48 Runs) Highest Individual Score Justin Kemp (89 Runs)
3/20 by Nathan Astle
on Oct 20 2005 Best Bowling Analysis 4/17 by Morne Morkel
on Sep 18 2007
Jeetan Patel (5 Wickets) Most Prolific Bowler Morne Morkel (4 Wickets)

Men's Final at 2009 Roland Garros French Open

Sunday's final will be huge for both players, but there's no question more of the pressure is on Federer. Everyone expects him to win, since he is no longer facing nadal.But not In the 2009 French Open international tennis tournament great players Robin Soderling SWE (23) and Roger Federer SUI (2) are scheduled to meet Sunday in Paris at Roland Garros.For the fourth year in a row, Roger Federer is in the Roland Garros final, his 19th career final, matching Ivan Lendl's career record.

However, for the first time, Roger Federer will not have his arch-nemesis standing in the way of a major title in Paris. The new opponent is Robin Soderling.When 4-time defending champion Nadal lost in the fourth round, most people thought that Federer became the prohibitive favorite to win the 2009 Roland Garros title.
Friday easily won the first set and put up stiff resistance for nearly 3 and a half hours, finally succumbing 3-6 7-6(2) 2-6 6-1 6-4. And this wasn't even the best match of the day, that honor was bestowed upon the barnburner Fernando Gonzalez and Soderling threw down.



If Federer does win, he can silence (most of) the naysayers who would deny him title of the Greatest Of All Time by winning his 14th major title and completing his career Grand Slam. If Soderling wins, he will ensure his name will be enshrined in the history books, as one of the other men who denied (or delayed?) Federer achieving from achieving this status and who beat and replaced Nadal as the King of Clay.

Head-to-head Federer has played Soderling nine times.
Federer is the most talented player of his generation and at the end of the day he should be able to use his versatility and variety to come up with a solution to win the match. It is also likely that since Soderling is playing in his first Grand Slam final, mentally he will be satisfied with the Finalist label, while Federer will settle for nothing less than his hands on the trophy at the end of the day, for the fourteenth time in a major

Reach women's final Dinara Safina French Open 2009

Dinara Safina defeated Dominika Cibulkova, of Slovakia, in straight sets to reach the final at Roland Garros for the second successive year.

In this age of tall women smacking the hell out of tennis balls, there was undoubtedly something refreshing about Cibulkova, who, at 5ft 3in, could barely see over the net of Court Philippe Chatrier, and who was attempting to become the shortest grand slam champion in the modern era.When Justine Henin won her four French Open titles, the Parisians used to marvel at how someone that short, with the Belgian's height listed as 5ft 5in, could be so successful.



But, if you stood her next to Dinky Dominika, Henin would look like a relative giant. Cibulkova, who was appearing in her first grand slam semi-final, looked even smaller when she was on court with Safina, who is eight inches taller, and has brother Marat Safin's broad shoulders.

It looked as though Cibulkova could have crawled into Safina's racket-bag and zipped herself up from the inside.Safina, who won the two warm-up tournaments in Rome and Madrid, certainly did not have everything her own way against Dinky Dominika, with the Slovakian breaking in the first game of the match.Safina, who went through 6-3, 6-3, is now just one more victory away from winning a first slam.

Safina, who went through 6-3, 6-3, is now just one more victory away from winning a first slam.

French Open:Men’s Quarterfinals-(6) Andy Roddick Betting (11) Gael Monfils

The fourth round of French Open betting continues on Monday morning from Roland Garros.In Monday’s fourth round Grand Slam betting affair, the #6 seed in the men’s bracket, Andy Roddick will be in action against #11 Gael Monfils.



Roddick and Monfils have never met in a five-set match before, but they have met six times in lesser tournaments. In ’09, the American is 2-0 against the Frenchman, but neither of those matches were on French soil. There usually isn’t much in the way of “home court advantage” in tennis, but the French crowd has always rallied behind their countrymen and have always rooted against the Americans, particularly Roddick. Look for Monfils’ energy to be enough to carry him through to the quarterfinals and send the last American man in Paris packing.

It’s been quite some time since a Frenchman captured the French Open, but Gael Monfils is likely the best candidate to capture one of the grandest prizes in tennis this year. Much like Roddick, Monfils hasn’t had much trouble advancing to the fourth round at Roland Garros.

He opened the tournament by beating American, Bobby Reynolds 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 and followed that up by taking our Victor Crivoi 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. He struggled a tad against #24 Jurgen Melzer, but ultimately prevailed 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. Monfils needs to keep his first serve winning percentage high, as he has won over 70% of his first serve points in each of his first three matches.

Up comming result of French Open at Rolland Garros.

Tennis - Andy Murray has been knocked out in the quarter finals of the French Open at Rolland Garros. The world number three struggled against an inspired performance from his opponent, the number 12 seed Fernando Gonzalez of Chile. Gonzalez won in four sets 6-3 3-6 6-love 6-4.He’ll now play the tournaments surprise package Robin Soderling in the semi finals. The Swede kept up his blistering form by demolishing Nicolay Davydenko in straight sets. The remaining men’s quarter finals take place later today. Roger Federer plays Gael Monfis and Juan Martin del Potro takes on Tommy Robredo.

In the women’s competition the top seed Dinara Safina survived a scare from Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.Safina lost the first set before coming through in three to set up a semi final clash with Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia. Cibulkova who’s the number 20 seed crushed Maria Sharapova 6-0 6-2. The other women’s quarter finals between Sorana Cirstea and Samantha Stosur and Svetlana Kuznetzova and Serena Williams are out on court later today.

ICC World Twenty20 England 2009

The ICC World Twenty20 England 2009 takes place from June 5-21 - with the very best players in the world representing their countries, showcasing Twenty20 cricket on a global stage.



It's the second ICC World Twenty20

The men’s tournament format consists of 12 teams, played across three venues – Lord’s, Trent Bridge and The Oval.

The semi-final days hosted at Trent Bridge and The Oval and the finals day hosted at Lord’s will bring the two tournaments together with the men’s games following the women’s game on each match-day.