Navratilova to Serena: Even if guys do it, it’s wrong

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/sports/30354176

Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova

Navratilova to Serena: Even if guys do it, it’s wrong

sports September 11, 2018 06:14

By AFP

Martina Navratilova, an 18-time Grand Slam singles champion, says Serena Williams was wrong in her outburst at the US Open women’s finals even though she agreed there is a double standard.

Writing in an opinion article for the New York Times, the 61-year-old Czech-born American said a higher standard needed to be observed when Williams called chair umpire Carlos Ramos a “thief” and was penalized a key game in the second set.

“We cannot measure ourselves by what we think we should also be able to get away with,” Navratilova wrote. “In fact, this is the sort of behavior that no one should be engaging in on the court.”

Williams, who was thwarted in her bid for a record-tying 24th Slam singles crown in losing to Japan’s Naomi Osaka, said she was punished for saying something where men have said far worse without incurring such a penalty.

“Serena Williams has part of it right. There is a huge double standard for women when it comes to how bad behavior is punished -— and not just in tennis,” Navratilova said.

“But in her protests…  she also got part of it wrong. I don’t believe it’s a good idea to apply a standard of, “If men can get away with it, women should be able to, too.

“Rather, I think the question we have to ask ourselves is this: What is the right way to behave to honor our sport and to respect our opponents?”

Williams was issued a warning for coaching, something her coach sitting in the stands, Patrick Mouratoglou, admitted to doing.

Williams was unhappy at the violation call and complained to Ramos she hadn’t taken any signals.

Williams later smashed her racquet, resulting in a code violation and a point deduction, which she argued over with Ramos.

“Ramos, effectively, had no choice but to dock her a point,” Navratilova said.

“It was here that Ms. Williams really started to lose the plot. She and Mr. Ramos were, in effect, talking past each other.

“She was insisting that she doesn’t cheat -— completely believable, but besides the point —- while he was making a call over which he, at that point, had little discretion.”

Matters escalated and Williams called Ramos a “thief,” incurring the crucial game penalty.

“It’s difficult to know, and debatable, whether Ms. Williams could have gotten away with calling the umpire a thief if she were a male player,” Navratilova wrote.

“But to focus on that, I think, is missing the point. If, in fact, the guys are treated with a different measuring stick for the same transgressions, this needs to be thoroughly examined and must be fixed.”

Bradley snaps six-year win drought to capture BMW crown

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/sports/30354175

Keegan Bradley plays his tee shot on the 17th hole during the weather delayed final round of the BMW Championship.
Keegan Bradley plays his tee shot on the 17th hole during the weather delayed final round of the BMW Championship.

Bradley snaps six-year win drought to capture BMW crown

sports September 11, 2018 06:11

By AFP

American Keegan Bradley snapped a six-year US PGA winless skid on Monday, parring the first playoff hole to defeat new world number one Justin Rose for the BMW Championship crown.

Bradley won his fourth career title, his third in a playoff, to deny Rose his third triumph of the season even though the runner-up effort was enough to see the Englishman atop the rankings for the first time in his career.

Rose lipped out a 15-foot par putt at the 72nd hole to shoot three-under par 67 and match Bradley, who closed with a 64, on 20-under 260 at rain-softened Aronimink in a final round delayed a day by showers.

Bradley, the 2011 PGA Championship winner, had not won since taking the WGC Bridgestone Invitational. It was also his first title since abandoning the controversial belly putter.

“A lot has happened to me over these six years,” Bradley said.

“The belly putter was a tougher transition than I thought, and I kind of fell off the radar there for a little while.

“It has been tough to go from being on Ryder Cup teams, being on Presidents Cup teams, to outside the top 100 in the world. That was difficult.”

Bradley responded by regrouping with coach Darren May and slowly revamping his game to its peak form.

“I felt so calm today. It was really kind of strange because I don’t normally look at leaderboards, but I looked all day and I felt so solid,” Bradley said.

“It’s so gratifying to get what comes with hard work. Sometimes you never even get it. To be back here and win this tournament is just incredible.”

Rose, unlike Bradley, will be among five players who can capture the US PGA $10 million season playoff crown by winning in two weeks at the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta.

“I’d love to go the Tour Championship winning because obviously I want to get to number one by winning golf tournaments, but today was fun,” Rose said.

“I birdied 16 and 17. I knew Keegan was ahead of me doing the same thing, so I kind of was responding to that. Hit a great putt in regulation to (try and) win it, but then it was a poor playoff putt from me.”

Americans Billy Horschel and Xander Schauffele shared third on 261 with Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy on 262.

 

– Tiger shares sixth –

 

Tiger Woods, a 14-time major champion in his comeback season from spinal fusion, produced a closing 65 to share sixth place on 263 and ensure himself a spot in the 30-man finale.

Woods has been in the hunt at majors, finishing second at last month’s PGA Championship and leading on Sunday in July’s British Open, but still seeks his first win in more than five years.

“I played a few tournaments now where I was close at the end and at the end of the season here to say that I made it back to the Tour Championship after what I’ve been through is a pretty good accomplishment,” Woods said.

“To have a chance to win again this year, it’s a very positive feeling. If I had made a few more putts this week could have been a different deal coming down the stretch.”

Jordan Spieth is likely to be fined $20,000 for failing to play the minimum 25 tour events after failing to reach the Tour Championship.

By posting a 73 Monday to share 55th, Spieth was one spot outside the qualifiers.

“I assume it will either be a fine or I’m adding some events in the fall,” Spieth said. “I don’t know if that counts.

“If it becomes a situation, then I obviously accept whatever fine it is and move on and try and add one every year but it’s kind of tough.”

Young Thai stars head to Japan for the title defence

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/sports/30354164

Young Thai stars head to Japan for the title defence

sports September 10, 2018 20:27

By Lerpong Amsa-ngiam

The Nation

Former national striker Piyapong Pue-on is determined to orchestrate a hat-trick win for his Thailand under-12 team in the Toyota International Junior Cup in Japan this coming weekend.

Thailand dominated the past two eitions which this year runs from September 15-17 at the Toyota Sports Centre.

“We have won the title for two years in a row. So we are going there to defend our title only,” said Piyapong, in charge of the udner-12 squad of players selected 24 players from the Toyota Junior Football Clinic project.

The team endured a roller-coaster ride of friendlies last week, winning 7-0 over Sacred Heart Convent School Bangkok on Monday at the Srisaman Football Club before being thrashed 10-1 by the under-13 team squad then posting a 6-2 win over PSW Futera Football Academy.

Toyota General Manager of Marketing (Commercial Vehicles) Bheema Hutchesson presents a certificate to a player.

“We used the warm-up matches to test the abilities of the boys and to decide who will make to the first line-up for the games in Japan,” said Piyapong.

“We tried to allocate the players in all those warm-ups, changed strategies and adjusted the attitudes of our players. After they learnt a great experience from their predecessors in the second game, they showed improvement in the last game and impressively adopted techniques and attitudes, “ Piyapong added.

Striker Assada Homhuan from Phuket is the name to look out for in Japan, having emerged the top scorer with five goals from the three games, including a hat-trick in the final game against PSW Futera Football Academy.

Eight teams from Japan, Vietnam and Thailand will compete for the Toyota International Junior Cup this weekend.

Players show their certificates.

Four Grand Slams, four events in ‘sexism’ rows

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/sports/30354085

Serena Williams with her controversial Black Panther outfit.
Serena Williams with her controversial Black Panther outfit.

Four Grand Slams, four events in ‘sexism’ rows

sports September 10, 2018 10:00

By AFP

Serena Williams’s claims of sexism during her spectacular US Open final meltdown follows similar controversies at the season’s three other Grand Slams.

AFP Sport revisits the flashpoints:

Australian Open

— Melbourne Park is famous for its late finishes. In 2008, Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis played until after 4 o’clock in the morning.

This year, however, eyebrows were raised when on seven of the first nine nights, women’s matches were scheduled after the men.

As a result, most were played out in front of empty stands.

The New Daily outlet quoted a media expert Sam Duncan as claiming it was all due to TV ratings.

“That’s not to say women’s tennis doesn’t rate well but the big names in tennis are men, particularly without Serena Williams this year.

“Seven (network TV) definitely has a big say — they want the biggest stars playing in prime time.”

Sydney Morning Herald writer Alecia Simmonds wrote: “Did you notice how the SMH’s Sports Pages reported on Australian Ash Barty on the day that she won her match? No? Neither did I. That’s because the entire back page that day was taken up by Alex de Minaur – the latest top Aussie bloke in a white male lineage stretching from Cash to Rafter to Hewitt – who LOST.”

Three years ago, Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard was asked “to give us a twirl” by an on-court interviewer at the tournament.

Serena Williams also twirled but admitted later that she “didn’t really want to”.

“I wouldn’t ask Rafa (Nadal) or Roger (Federer) to twirl.”

French Open

— Serena Williams took to the court at Roland Garros wearing her ‘Black Panther’ catsuit which she insisted also performed a key health role for a woman who had suffered life-threatening blood clots when giving birth last year.

However, weeks after the tournament ended, French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli created an uproar when he said the catsuit would be banned as it “had gone too far”.

Former US Open winner Andy Roddick condemned the decision, tweeting: “This is so dumb and shortsighted it hurts. Sometimes it’d be nice if the sport got out of its own way.”

Wimbledon

— US legend Chris Evert’s suggestion that the women’s Wimbledon final should replace the men’s title match in closing the championships met with a frosty response from the All England Club.

Evert, 63, who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, including three at Wimbledon, said the women’s final could close the show, saying the current set-up, with the men’s final always on the last day, was “definitely not equal”.

Evert told The Times newspaper that the tradition of having the men’s final close the championships was a throwback to a time when women were “second-class citizens”.

Alize Cornet 

US Open

— Before Williams’s spectacular meltdown, the US Open was already battling accusations of sexism when an umpire sanctioned French player Alize Cornet for removing her shirt on court.

The 28-year-old was handed a code violation for “unsportsmanlike conduct” when she took off her shirt on court after realising she had put it on back-to-front while in the locker room during a 10-minute heat break.

Former world number one and two-timer major winner Victoria Azarenka said there remain serious issues over how men and women are treated on tour.

“If I would say my true feelings, it would be bleeped out, because it was ridiculous. It wasn’t anything disrespectful,” said the Belarusian.

“Things and issues like this need to stop at the beginning. You know, the things with the cat suit, I personally don’t understand it. No idea what it means disrespecting the game playing in the cat suit?

“There is always a double standard for men and women.”

Many on social media were quick to point out that just a few hours after the Cornet incident, Novak Djokovic sat courtside on Arthur Ashe Stadium with his shirt removed and with an ice towel draped around his shoulders.

Djokovic wins third US Open, equals Sampras on 14 Grand Slams

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/sports/30354095

 Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates with the championship trophy after winning his Men's Singles final match against Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates with the championship trophy after winning his Men’s Singles final match against Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina.

Djokovic wins third US Open, equals Sampras on 14 Grand Slams

sports September 10, 2018 08:22

By AFP

Novak Djokovic clinched his third US Open title on Sunday with a 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 triumph over Juan Martin del Potro, taking him level with Pete Sampras’s mark of 14 Grand Slams.

Djokovic, playing in his eighth final in New York and already the champion in 2011 and 2015, is now just three Slams behind Rafael Nadal and six back from the all-time record 20 held by Roger Federer.

It was also the third time the 31-year-old Serb — who missed last year’s tournament with an elbow injury which sent his career into a mini-crisis — completed the Wimbledon-US Open double.

“I want to say Pete, I love you, you’re my idol,” said Djokovic of Sampras.

“To the support of the loved ones, my kids, my wife, my small team of people that has been there with me through difficult times as well,” added the Serb who underwent elbow surgery after the Australian Open in January.

For world number three Del Potro, it was a heartbreaking experience coming in just his second Slam final, nine years after he was crowned US Open champion before a long battle with wrist injuries pushed him into depression and to the brink of retirement.

“When I had my surgery I could truly understand what Juan Martin was going through when he had surgeries that kept him away form the tour for two or three years,” added Djokovic.

It was Djokovic’s 15th win over the Del Potro and fifth in five at the Slams.

It came in a final which was business-like rather than thrilling, a relief for a tournament still reeling from the controversial women’s final on Saturday.

The result also means that 50 of the last 55 majors have been won by the ‘Big Four’ of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Andy Murray.

Del Potro backed Djokovic to surpass Federer’s mark of 20 Slams.

“Of course he can. Novak has everything to make records in this sport,” said the Argentine.

 

– ‘My idol’ Djokovic –

 

“I was so happy to be playing the final against this magnificent idol,” added Del Potro of his close friend Djokovic.

“He knows that he’s one of my friends on tour and he knows he’s one player I want to watch win on tour. Of course I’m sad to lose but I’m happy for Novak as well. You deserve to win.”

With the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof closed as heavy rain swept New York, conditions were slow and sluggish.

After taking just two points off Del Potro’s first three service games, Djokovic, in his 23rd final at the majors, pounced to break for 5-3.

The key was his success with a lung-busting 22-shot rally and he pocketed the set when the 29-year-old del Potro netted a forehand.

It was only the second set dropped by the Argentine at the tournament.

For Djokovic, it was an illustration of him growing into the championships as he took his run of consecutive sets won to 14, stretching back to the second round against Tennys Sandgren.

Djokovic was soon 3-1 up in the second set before Del Potro carved out his first break point of the match to level at 3-3.

He had three more chances in the eighth, all saved by Djokovic in a marathon 20-minute game which left even Hollywood superstar Meryl Streep clasping her head in astonishment.

The effort took its toll on a suddenly weary-looking Del Potro as a 95-minute set was claimed by Djokovic in the tiebreak.

Del Potro was looking at having to become the first man since Pancho Gonzales in 1949 to win the US title from two sets down.

Djokovic sprinted into a 3-1 lead in the third set before a battling Del Potro clung on, hitting back for 3-3.

But off the back of a 24-shot rally, Djokovic broke again for 5-3 and he was within tantalising touching distance of his 14th Grand Slam title, just three months after he had left Roland Garros in despair after a shattering quarter-final exit.

Mother of all meltdowns: Did Serena overstep the mark?

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/sports/30354084

Serena Williams of the United States reacts to umpire Carlos Ramos after her defeat in the Women's Singles finals match to Naomi Osaka .
Serena Williams of the United States reacts to umpire Carlos Ramos after her defeat in the Women’s Singles finals match to Naomi Osaka .

Mother of all meltdowns: Did Serena overstep the mark?

sports September 10, 2018 07:00

By AFP

Serena Williams absorbed a $17,000 fine in the wake of her tumultuous US Open final loss to Naomi Osaka on Sunday as debate raged over whether the code violations that sparked her meltdown were sexist.

US great Billie Jean King was among those coming down hard on Serena’s side in her claim that chair umpire Carlos Ramos penalized her for comments that a male player could have gotten away with.

“When a woman is emotional, she’s ‘hysterical’ and she’s penalized for it,” King tweeted. “When a man does the same, he’s ‘outspoken’ & and there are no repercussions. Thank you, @serenawilliams, for calling out this double standard. More voices are needed to do the same.’

National Organization of Women president Toni Van Pelt weighed in with a statement calling for the USTA to sever any ties to Ramos for “a blatantly racist and sexist move”.

“Ramos claimed he was just following the rules, but in actuality men stretch the rules all the time and are lionized for being ‘bad boys’ while women are benched.”

Williams’s second-set meltdown overshadowed Naomi Osaka’s 6-2, 6-4 victory, which made the 20-year-old the first Japanese to win a Grand Slam title.

Osaka, playing in her first major final against a 23-time Grand Slam champion she idolized as a child, capped an outstanding two weeks in which she also beat 2017 runner-up Madison Keys by simply outplaying her hero.

But her triumph was reduced to almost a side note as Williams railed about her treatment, accusing the US Open of being out to get her.

“Always something happens to me here,” she huffed at tournament referee Brian Earley, summoned to the court after she failed to get satisfaction from Ramos.

“Because I’m a woman you’re going to do this to me,” she said.

After the match Williams, playing in her third Grand Slam since giving birth to her daughter last September, took a more measured perspective on whether tournament officials had targeted her in an event she has won six times.

“Sometimes it might seem like things always happen, but you just kind of have to try to realize that it’s coincidence. Maybe it’s coincidence,” Williams said.

But she didn’t walk back her claim that sexism played a role.

“I’ve seen other men call other umpires several things,” she said. “I’m here fighting for women’s rights and for women’s equality and for all kinds of stuff.”

Williams was incensed in the first instance when Ramos assessed her a code violation for receiving coaching from her box, although coach Patrick Mouratoglou admitted in an interview with ESPN that he was trying to advise her with a hand gesture and said that all coaches do it.

Yes, I was coaching just like everybody else. We have to stop this hypocrisy. Furthermore, Serena didn’t even see my gestures. She felt humiliated by the warning,” said the Frenchman.

 

– ‘This should not happen’ –

 

Williams took the charge as an attack on her character.

“I don’t cheat to win,” she told Ramos. “I’d rather lose.”

King took the opportunity to espouse her long-held view that coaching should be allowed “on every point”.

“It isn’t, and as a result, a player was penalized for the actions of her coach,” King tweeted. “This should not happen.”

In a cascade of events Williams was issued a code violation for racquet abuse after giving back a service break in the second set. The one-point penalty, further inflamed the star who branded Ramos “a thief”.

“You will never, ever be on another court of mine, you are the liar,” she fumed and he handed her a game penalty for a third violation for verbal abuse that cost her a game.

Ramos’s actions were strictly by the book, but many observers felt he could have used his discretion and not called the coaching violation, something umpires often let go.

“I will admit I have said worse and not gotten penalized,” James Blake, the former top-ranked US male tennis player, said on Twitter. “And I’ve also been given a ‘soft warning’ by the ump where they tell you knock it off or I will have to give you a violation. He should have at least given her that courtesy.”

Fitzpatrick wins playoff to defend European Masters title

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/sports/30354087

Matthew Fitzpatrick
Matthew Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick wins playoff to defend European Masters title

sports September 10, 2018 05:21

By AFP

Matthew Fitzpatrick edged out Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard in a playoff on Sunday to become the first man to successfully defend the European Masters title at Crans Montana since Seve Ballesteros 40 years ago.

The 24-year-old Englishman, who missed out on a Ryder Cup wildcard pick earlier this week, birdied the 18th hole to reach 17-under par for the tournament and force a playoff, before repeating the feat on the first sudden-death hole to claim victory.

It was Fitzpatrick’s fifth European Tour title in only three years.

“This is what I wanted to achieve this season — another win,” he told europeantour.com. “To get it here again is so special and to get my fifth is amazing. I love this place.

“Of all my wins I’d say that was definitely the most difficult. I didn’t have my A game today, despite loving this place I just didn’t play my best today. I managed to grind it out, made some crucial birdies coming in and I’m delighted. This is one of my best.”

The world number 44 took a two-shot lead into the final day, but started slowly with two bogeys in the first six holes to slip two strokes adrift of Bjerregaard.

But he steadied the ship and a birdie at the par-five 15th saw him cut the gap to just a single shot.

His playing partner, Frenchman Mike Lorenzo-Vera, led briefly before a costly double-bogey on 14, and both were left needing to birdie the last to tie Bjerregaard in the clubhouse.

Lorenzo-Vera bogeyed, but Fitzpatrick fired an excellent iron shot to just a few feet and converted the putt with ease.

Another strong approach to the same green followed just minutes later, with a dead-eyed putt securing the win.

Italy’s Dovizioso beats Marquez for third win of season at San Marino MotoGP

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/sports/30354086

Ducati Team's Italian rider Andrea Dovizioso celebrates victory on podium .
Ducati Team’s Italian rider Andrea Dovizioso celebrates victory on podium .

Italy’s Dovizioso beats Marquez for third win of season at San Marino MotoGP

sports September 10, 2018 04:50

By AFP

Italy’s Andrea Dovizioso won the San Marino MotoGP on Sunday for the Ducati rider’s third success of the season, holding off world championship leader Marc Marquez of Honda.

The 32-year-old Dovizioso finished 2.822sec ahead of the Spaniard on the Misano track on Italy’s Adriatic coast with Britain’s Cal Crutchlow snatching third for Honda after pole sitter Jorge Lorenzo of Ducati crashed with two laps to go.

Four-time world champion Marquez extends his overall world championship lead to 67 points ahead of Dovizioso, who moves up two places to take second spot from Italian Valentino Rossi, who finished in seventh place.

Rossi drops to third overall, with Lorenzo now in fourth.

“I’m happy to have beaten Marquez and to win here where I had never manged to before,” said Dovizioso, who was born 60 kilometres up the road from the Misano track.

Dovizioso — runner-up last season to Marquez — set the early pace after starting from the second row on the grid.

He overtook his Ducati teammate Lorezno on the sixth lap and never looked back.

Lorenzo and Marquez closed the gap until the pole starter fell, leaving the way open for Dovizioso to follow on from his wins in the season-opening race in Qatar and the Czech MotoGP last month.

“We’ve done good work towards the title,” said Marquez.

“It was a very difficult race. Fighting against the Ducatis is another world. I had ridden well in the warm up, but I struggled to stay with them.

“I pushed to be second, I’m sorry for Jorge’s fall, but we were both pushing a lot.”

Ducati’s Jack Miller had started on the front row but crashed out with Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales, also on the front row, dropping to fifth.

“I was lucky enough to be third thanks to Lorenzo’s fall,” said Crutchlow, who moves up two spots to sixth in the overall standings.

Italy’s Francesco Bagnaia, of Kalex, won the Moto2 category ahead of Miguel Oliveira of KTM, to extend his lead on the Portuguese rider to eight points in the overall standings.

Djokovic eyes Sampras mark in Del Potro US Open final duel

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/sports/30354046

Serbia's Novak Djokovic
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic

Djokovic eyes Sampras mark in Del Potro US Open final duel

sports September 09, 2018 10:00

By AFP

Novak Djokovic can equal Pete Sampras’s record of 14 Grand Slam titles when he faces Juan Martin del Potro in Sunday’s US Open final where friendship will be put to one side in pursuit of unfinished business.

Djokovic is into his eighth final in New York where he was champion in 2011 and 2015.

But the 31-year-old Serb has also suffered five heartbreaking defeats in 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2016.

Del Potro won his only Slam at the tournament in 2009, memorably defeating Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer back-to-back to achieve the goal.

His career then famously suffered an injury-plagued nosedive which pushed him to the brink of retirement three years ago.

For Djokovic, another appearance in the final at Flushing Meadows looked unlikely just three months ago.

A quarter-final defeat at Roland Garros, where he had completed the career Grand Slam in 2016, left him in deep despair, threatening even to skip Wimbledon.

It was the latest setback to his motivation already dealt bodyblows by an elbow injury which forced him to skip last year’s US Open and contributed to a last-16 exit at January’s Australian Open.

But the man hardened by the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999 showed his inner steel by confounding everybody by racing to a fourth Wimbledon title in July.

Just as at the All England Club, principle rivals Federer and Nadal departed New York earlier than expected, paving the way for Djokovic to eat further into their legacy.

 

– ‘Almost perfect’ –

 

As well as going level with Sampras on Sunday, a win for Djokovic would put him just three majors behind Nadal and six back from Federer who is six years older.

After needing two four-setters in the opening two rounds, Djokovic has glided into the final, his 23rd at the Slams.

He has dropped serve just five times — three of those coming in the first two rounds.

He also enjoys an impressive head-to-head record over the 29-year-old Del Potro, winning 14 of their 18 matches.

That includes all four meetings at the Slams.

“He’s a gentle giant,” said Djokovic of his giant Argentine opponent.

“He nurtures the right values in life. He cares about his family. He cares about his friends. He respects everyone.

“He fights every match from the first to the last point. He treats others the way he wants others to treat him. I think that’s why people love him.”

Del Potro will be playing in just his second final at the majors.

When he swept to the 2009 title in New York, he was just 20 years old and expected to establish himself as a permanent rival to Djokovic, Federer and Nadal.

But as those three carved up the Slams between them — 50 in total — Del Potro spent more time on the operating table than on the courts.

Three wrist surgeries caused him to miss 10 Grand Slam events and by the end of 2015, his world ranking had plummeted to 581.

“The worst moment was in 2015 when I was close to quitting because I couldn’t find a way to fix my wrist problems,” he said.

“I was suffering a lot. I got depressed for a couple of months also.”

This year, Del Potro has lurked as a major threat, beating Federer for the Indian Wells Masters title and making the semi-finals at Roland Garros and last-eight at Wimbledon.

“I didn’t expect to get this kind of emotions playing tennis again. Reaching finals, winning titles, having my highest ranking ever in this moment, everything is almost perfect,” he said.

Xiong retains strawweight title in One Shanghai

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/sports/30354047

Xiong retains strawweight title in One Shanghai

sports September 09, 2018 09:00

By Agencies

Shanghai – ONE Championship returned to the beautiful city of Shanghai with another evening of authentic world-class martial arts action.

The Baoshan Arena played host to ONE: BEYOND THE HORIZON, showcasing a series of compelling bouts that left fans on the edge of their seats. The blockbuster event culminated with a much-awaited championship clash as China’s Xiong Jing Nan defeated Samara Santos of Brazil to successfully defend her ONE Women’s Strawweight World Championship.

In the main event of ONE: BEYOND THE HORIZON, “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan of China sent the crowd into a rapturous chorus of cheers by clinching a scintillating technical knockout victory over Brazilian challenger Samara Santos to keep the coveted ONE Women’s Strawweight World Championship around her waist. Xiong got the job done in the third round, thwarting the courageous Santos with a thunderous right hand.

In the co-main event of the evening, Singaporean lightweight contender Amir Khan accomplished the biggest victory in his four-year stint on the ONE Championship stage, submitting former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario of the Philippines. Khan finished the task at hand by compelling Banario to wave the white flag with a deep rear naked choke in the first round.

A heated featherweight matchup ended abruptly when Singaporean sensation Christian “The Warrior” Lee was disqualified for executing an illegal suplex onto the head of opponent Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly of the Philippines in the first round. Kelly was unable to continue the bout, forcing referee Olivier Coste to flash the red card at Lee, signifying the latter’s disqualification.

Muay Thai legend Tukkatatong Petpayathai notched his second-straight win in the heavily-acclaimed ONE Super Series, toppling Serbian dynamo Ognjen Topic via unanimous decision. The two locked horns in a spirited clash between talented and fierce strikers, peppering each other with fiery combinations. In the end, it was Tukkatatong who was able to earn the undivided nod of the three ringside judges.

In front of an energetic hometown crowd, Han Zi Hao of China registered his first win under the ONE Super Series banner, defeating Stergos “Greek Dynamite” Mikkios. Han overwhelmed Mikkios with his persistent offense, clobbering the Greek combatant with a stream of powerful strikes from the opening salvo to the third round. After scoring two knockdowns in the bout and maintaining his superiority until the final bell, Han was awarded with the unanimous decision victory by the three judges at ringside.

In a grueling battle between ONE Super Series debutants, Italian kickboxing sensation Mustapha “Dynamite” Haida emerged triumphant against combat sports legend Daniel Dawson of Australia by way of third-round knockout. Haida scored an early knockdown in the first round with a thunderous high kick. Although he was in trouble in the closing moments of the second round, Haida gathered himself in the third and final period, hurting Dawson with a knee to the midsection and then sending him to the canvas with a solid left straight to clinch the victory. His impressive performance earned him the GoDaddy Knockout of the Night.

Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds, “Jungle Cat” Muhammad Aiman of Malaysia pulled off the upset victory, handing hometown hero Chen Lei the first defeat in his professional mixed martial arts career. Aiman had to overcome a hot start from Chen, who dominated the Malaysian standout with his grappling expertise. The complexion of the bantamweight encounter took a drastic turn in the closing moments of the second round when Aiman caught Chen with a staggering knee strike. Aiman then hopped onto the back of Chen, fastening a body triangle before wrenching his opponent’s neck with a rear naked choke. Aiman had no intention to let go of the submission hold, increasing the pressure until Chen tapped out.

In the first ONE Super Series bout of the night, Hakim Hamech of France cruised to a huge knockout win over Japanese champion Yukinori Ogasawara. Operating behind a sound game plan and well-placed strikes, Hamech dropped Ogasawara with a monstrous right hand with less than a minute to go in the opening period of the contest. Ogasawara was able to beat the count of ten, but he struggled to find his balance. Hamech capitalized on his foe’s dazed state with relentless punches to notch the knockout in the first round.

Setting the tone for an action-packed evening was a three-round strawweight clash between Indonesian wrestling champion Elipitua Siregar and highly-decorated Kun Khmer practitioner Phat “Ice” Soda. Driven to claim his second-straight victory as a mixed martial artist, Siregar made quick work of his opponent, raining down heavy blows on the mat to force the stoppage.

Official results for ONE: BEYOND THE HORIZON

ONE Women’s Strawweight World Championship bout: Xiong Jing Nan defeats Samara Santos by TKO (Strikes) at 1:22 minutes of round 3

Lightweight bout: Amir Khan defeats Honorio Banario by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:34 minutes of round 1

Featherweight bout: Edward Kelly defeats Christian Lee by Disqualification (Illegal Suplex) at 2:21 minutes of round 1

ONE Super Series (Muay Thai) Bantamweight bout: Tukkatatong Petpayathai defeats Ognjen Topic by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

ONE Super Series (Muay Thai) Bantamweight bout: Han Zi Hao defeats Stergos Mikkios by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

ONE Super Series (Kickboxing) Catch Weight bout (72.5kg): Mustapha Haida defeats Daniel Dawson by Knockout (KO) at 2:14 minutes of round 3

Bantamweight bout: Muhammad Aiman defeats Chen Lei by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:35 minutes of round 2

ONE Super Series (Muay Thai) Flyweight bout: Hakim Hamech defeats Yukinori Ogasawara by Knockout (KO) at 2:59 minutes of round 1

Strawweight bout: Elipitua Siregar defeats Phat Soda by TKO (Strikes) at 2:30 minutes of round 1