Thursday, September 13, 2007

India unveils 'champions league'

India unveils 'champions league'
India cricket
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has announced plans for a global Twenty20 tournament in October 2008.

The Premier Cricket league will feature two teams from India, competing against domestic Twenty20 finalists from England, Australia and South Africa.

And there will be a £2.5m prize fund, with £1m going to the winners.

The new competition is the board's answer to the breakaway Indian Cricket league, which is due to take place in October and November.

English county side Leicestershire hosted a similar, but smaller scale competition two years ago, which was won by Pakistan's Faisalabad Wolves.

The prize money on offer in India, however, is on a par with that provided by billionaire Allen Stanford for his own Stanford Twenty20 competitiopn in the Caribbean.

Past and present India captains Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar were present at the launch in Delhi, along with former Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath and ex-New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming.

Spin bowler Shane Warne is also supporting the new venture, having turned down a big-money contract offered by the ICL.

The Premier League plan has been welcomed by the England and Wales Cricket Board and their counteraparts in Australia.

"For county, state and province players, the introduction of the T20 champions competition provides a new and exciting pinnacle," said ECB chief executive David Collier.

"It will provide teams with the opportunity to earn the title of the world club champions in a format which will be eagerly anticipated by spectators and players alike."

Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland said the competition supported their view that Twenty20 cricket's development "should be managed in a way which engages and harnesses public excitement for the format, while complementing Test and one-day international cricket".

He added: "The champions Twenty20 format will enhance rather than compromise existing domestic and international competitions round the world."

India hopes that the competition will be expanded in the future to include teams from the other Test-playing countries.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

US Open Latest photos

Final actionFabulous Federer Wins Fourth Straight Crown

Roger Federer might soon own every record in the sport, but he put a huge one on the board by winning the 2007 US Open title with a dramatic and hard-fought, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-4 victory over Serb Novak Djokovic.
Jump for joyHenin Wins Second US Title By Stomping Kuznetsova

She might not be the tallest or strongest player on the planet, but No. 1 Justine Henin is the mightiest and showed it by devastating Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-3, to win her second US Open title on Saturday.
2007 Men's Doubles ChampionsAspelin-Knowle Continue Dream Run, Take Men's Doubles Title

Simon Aspelin and Julian Knowle came up big on their returns in the men's doubles final and won their first Grand Slam title over Lukas Dlouhy and Pavel Vizner.
Dechy and Safina WinSafina Adds Doubles Title to Family Slams

Dinara Safina won her first Grand Slam title at the US Open – seven years after her older brother, Marat Safin, won his first Slam at Flushing Meadows. On Sunday, Safina and Nathalie Dechy defeated Yung-Jan Chan and Chai-Jung Chuang of Chinese Taipei for the women’s doubles title in straight sets.
Mirni-Azarenka reactMirnyi and Azarenka Take Mixed Doubles Crown

Veteran Max Mirnyi and up-and-comer Victoria Azerenka, both from Belarus, won the mixed doubles title today over American Meghann Shaughnessy and India's Leander Paes.
Kucova hitting hardKucova Takes Out Top Two Seeds for Championship

Kristina Kucova's quarterfinal win over the top seed and defending US Open champ was a telling sign to how her final match would play out. As the underdog, ranked No. 24, Kucova continued her run and defeated the No. 2 seed to win her first junior girls' Grand Slam singles title.
Wearing his colorsBerankis Tops Janowicz to Capture Boys' Singles Title

Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania looked highly composed as he took out Poland's Jerzy Janowicz to win the US Open junior boys' title.
Girls' Doubles ChampionsBoys' and Girls' Doubles Champions Crowned

A duo from the French Riviera, Jonathan Eysseric and Jerome Inzerillo, won the US Open boys doubles title, 6-2, 6-4. Urszula Radwanska and Ksenia Milevskaya won the girls' doubles championship, just 2 hours and 20 mintues after playing each other in the singles semifinals.
Leconte backhandChampions Conclude Action-Packed Tournament

A scorching final day of the Champions Invitational showcased three matches of former Grand Slam greats.
Shingo KuniedaSimply Amazing: The 2007 US Open Wheelchair Tennis Finals

Shingo Kunieda of Japan, Esther Vergeer of the Netherlands and Peter Norfolk of Great Britain all went on to win their respective titles in the 2007 US Open Wheelchair Singles finals.

Friday, September 7, 2007

US Open photos

US Open day one photos

Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin kicks off proceedings at the night session in a ceremony to celebrate 50 years since Althea Gibson became the first black woman to win the US Open

US Open day two photos

Bec Cartwright

Hewitt's actress wife Bec Cartwright is pleased as punch with her husband's quick win

US Open day three photos

Venus Williams

Venus Williams sends down a serve on her way to a 6-4 6-2 win over Romanian Ioana Raluca Olaru

US Open day four photos

Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova makes her point with a 6-1 6-0 win over Casey Dellacqua in 51 minutes

US Open day five photos

Novak Djokovic

But despite being two sets to one down, Djokovic comes through after nearly five hours on court

US Open day six photos

Roger Federer

Top seed Roger Federer struggles to get his racquet on the ball against big-serving American John Isner

US Open day seven photos

Serena Williams

Serena Williams opens up the day's play against Marion Bartoli in the fourth round at the US Open

US Open day eight photos

Agnes Szavay

Teenager Agnes Szavay, playing her first US Open, faces Julia Vakulenko in the fourth round

US Open day nine photos

Carlos Moya celebrates his win

Moya celebrates his four-set victory as he reaches the last eight of the US Open for the first time since 1998

US Open day 10 photos

General view of Arthur Ashe Stadium

The Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd await an enticing evening session, featuring Venus v Jankovic and Roddick v Federer

US Open day 11 photos

Actor Alec Baldwin

American actor Alec Baldwin is in the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd, hoping for a late-night thriller