London Olympics 2012

LONDON, July 22: India's national flag was unfurled at the Olympic Games Athletes Village on Sunday in the presence of a small group of sportspersons and contingent officials after their request for deferring the flag-raising ceremony was turned down by the organisers.

According to an IOA media release, an elegant and colorful ceremony, formally welcomed the Indian contingent into the Olympics Games Village.

Brig P.K.M Raja, Indian deputy Chef de Mission, exchanged mementos with Games Village Mayor Charles Allan and then signed on the peace statue pledging India's unflinching support for spreading the gospel of peace and the Olympic movement.

The athletes and the officials were overwhelmed with the warmth and energy of the troupe belonging to the National Youth theater who enthralled the audience with their amazing acrobatics and performances.

Tennis stars Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Boppana, world number 1 archer Deepika Kumari along with Bombayla Devi and Swuro, some hockey players, boxers, and  Games' officials attended the function.

India had sought a postponement of date for its flag-raising ceremony, which is also called the 'Welcoming Ceremony', so that a larger contingent could be present at the function. But the London Olympic Games organisers refused to sanction any change in the schedule and stuck to the original roster.

The Indian contingent's deputy chef-de-mission Brigadier PK Muralidharan Raja had earlier said that the flag-raising ceremony would take place as originally scheduled and a good number of athletes would be present on the occasion.

"We'll have a fair representation of athletes and contingent officials at the flag raising ceremony in the Olympic Village," Brig Raja said on Saturday as he checked the arrangements for the ceremony and also for the other Indian athletes who are arriving in batches from their training venues.

"We wanted a postponement of India's flag raising ceremony, but the organisers are keen to stick to the original schedule drawn up by them," said Brig Raja.

London Olympic Games Organising Committee (LOCOG) officials said that India were among a number of the nations with similar requests but that would have affected schedule and crowded the date closer to the Opening Ceremony, which is scheduled for July 27.

Raja had then said that he was not aware of any change being permitted by the organisers of the Games.

"At the moment it seems that we'll have around 50 members of the Indian contingent present at the flag-raising ceremony, which should include about 35-40 sportspersons," Raja said.

India's hockey squad, boxers and archers, who are already in the village, will get the pride of place at the ceremony, apart from the few shooters who have already checked into the Village.

Rifle shooter Abhinav Bindra, the country's first individual gold medallist in Beijing, will not be able to take part in the ceremony as he has left for Germany to continue his training, while a few other shooters may also find that the practice time allocated to them clashes with the ceremony in the Games Village. This may keep a few of them away from the ceremony.

Among the boxers, India's lone woman pugilist, MC Mary Kom will be missing as she is scheduled to arrive in London only after four days.

Several top officials of the Indian Olympic body may not be able to make it as the travel schedule does not bring them to London so soon.

The officials are hopeful that chef-de-mission Ajitpal Singh, the former Indian hockey captain, will be able to arrive in time for the flag-raising ceremony, or else his deputy Raja will perform the duty. Agencies

London, July 22: Seasoned defender Ignace Tirkey`s sprained ankle and star mid-fielder Sardara Singh`s injured shin has left the Indian hockey team management worried ahead of the Olympic Games starting July 27.

Injuries sustained by star midfielder Sardara, by far the most outstanding Indian player in recent times, and defender Ignace during the practice matches in Spain have kept the duo away from the turf for an entire week.

The team’s medical staff is working overtime to help Sardara back on his feet after a crushing blow on his shin from close range.

Ignace’s ankle sprain nearly saw India lose the most experienced player in the squad, but after a week of limping, he stepped back on to the pitch for a training session last evening, to the delight of the fellow players.

"We had a bad time with these two key players injured, but luckily they have shown good signs of recovery and should be back in good shape ahead of our first Olympic Games outing," coach Michael Nobbs said.

Nobbs said Sardara was unlucky to have been smacked on the leg from very close range during India`s first match of the Spanish tour, after which he did not feature in any game.

Ignace, on the other hand, had to sit out of three matches after spraining his ankle in a match against South Africa during the European tour before arriving in London.

"These two players have a crucial role to play for India and we were obviously concerned with the injuries, but they are getting back into shape," said Nobbs.

Their workout will be increased gradually as India move closer to their opening match against multiple Olympic champions The Netherlands on July 30. The team management is heaving a sigh of relief watching the recovery of the key cogs in the Indian squad.

Sardara, the central midfielder, plays the crucial role of a game-maker and also falls back to bolster the defence, while Ignace`s composure is of vital importance in the deep defence. Agencies

London, July 22: Laid-back American swimming champion Michael Phelps says the passion is back, and he hopes to emerge from the London Olympics as the most decorated Olympian of all time.

He needs to win just three medals to surpass Larisa Latynina Olympic record of 18 set between 1956 and 1964. Swimming has been Phelps‘s life as well but, at 27, he is getting ready to walk away and is determined not to let anxiety, or the expectation of others, spoil the farewell party in London.

The American reckons it would be “kinda cool to rewrite history”, as he has done, one way or another, at every Olympics he has attended since Sydney 2000.

For the record, Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina won 18 medals, including nine gold, five silver and four bronze) in consecutive Games between 1956 and 1964.

Phelps is, after all, already the greatest swimmer in history, of that there can be no statistical doubt. Eight of his 16 Olympic medals came in an adrenaline gold rush in Beijing four years ago, although life has been much tougher since.

Preparations for his farewell Olympics have hardly been smooth.

Phelps thinks he can do it, although he affects calmness bordering on indifference. “I know it won`t be eight medals again,” he says, confirming the obvious, as he has been entered in only four events – the 200m and 400m individual medley, as well as the 100m and 200m fly – and can feature in a maximum of three relays. Agencies

NEW DELHI, July 22: Marathon runner Ram Singh Yadav on Sunday became the third Indian athlete to clear the AFI fitness test for competing in the upcoming London Olympics.

"He is fit for the Olympics and we have cleared him. He bid 32min 30 seconds in a 10km race in Coimbatore Synthetic Trek. We are satisfied with his fitness," Athletics Federation of India secretary general, C K Valson said.

Earlier, triple jumpers Mayookha Johny and Renjith Maheshwary had been cleared to participate in the Olympics after passing fitness tests.

All three were asked by the AFI to prove their fitness on the ground that they have not taken part in a competition for some time after qualifying for the London Games.

Mayookha managed a 14.10m jump - just a shade below her personal best of 14.11m which she did in Kobe last year at the Asian Championships - in the fitness test.

Maheshwary was given the green signal for the Olympics after he leapt to 16.45m in nine strides in a fitness test jump at his training base at Forli in Italy on July 9. Agencies

London, July 22: The Amazons, an elite special forces anti-terror team comprising 40 women, trained to infiltrate terrorist cells and kill, will be Britain’s “secret weapon” during the Olympics to keep trouble at bay.

The team has been dubbed The Amazons after the legendary tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology, the Daily Express reported on Sunday.

The women have been ­training for over the past two years, and have worked in Yemen, Afghanistan and the Middle East.

The unit has played key roles in smashing high-profile terrorist plots, including an operation to free British hostage Judith Tebbutt from Somalia.

Each woman has been “handpicked” from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds and linguistic ability, to blend into a variety of ­situations.

Always undercover, each woman can choose her own weapon after intensive high velocity arms training.

They were recruited from all branches of the armed forces. “They are very gifted and spend weeks in high danger. Women attract less attention than men. They can get into buildings or befriend targets and get close to the wives and families more easily than a man and get right into Al Qaeda cells,” a security official said. IANS

London, July 22: The Olympic torch relay, currently travelling through the British capital after it arrived from Olympia‘s Temple of Hera in Greece, has had to face flash protests on the streets. The protestors are demanding the restoration of cuts in the National Health Services (NHS) that is reeling under massive funding cuts. NHS shares its birth year with the 1948 London Olympics. Londoners, who had rejoiced at opening of NHS and celebrated the arrival of the Olympic torch some 64 years ago, are now divided in their opinion of both.

“We never needed these Games at a time when the country is in a double-dip recession,” Gurjeet Kaur said. She had been waiting for the torch to arrive for more than two hours in Leyton High Road. “My kids brought me here,” she said while watching her children curiously engaging with street magicians.

Leyton, known for the massive indoor velodrome and a sprawling outdoor racing track, borders the main Olympic venue of Stratford. Largely populated with migrants from Asia and Africa, Leyton is a dense and crowded neighbourhood after World War I Zeppelin raids devastated the entire area.

The long stretch of road between Leyton tube station and Walthamstow Central station was set up like an open carnival. The stilt walkers with painted faces were energetically accepting greetings and posing for photo opportunities while allowing a droll to trail behind them with a painted trolley bag containing their accessories. Agencies

London, July 22: He is one of India‘s best bets for an Olympic medal in boxing, but world number six Vikas Krishan does not quite like the spotlight on him as he feels it is better to be “unknown” to lead a normal life. “It is good to be unknown,” 20-year-old Asian Games gold-medallist said in an interaction at the Games Village here today.

“Too much publicity impinges in the private life of a person. I can`t do normal things which people of my age do. I can’t even talk loudly or criticise somebody because people and media will blow it out of proportion,” he added.

But the boxer conceded that a bit of limelight is good for the sport in general.

“I am talked about because media has highlighted my performance and for that I am grateful. But beyond a point, I miss the simple enjoyments of life which my friends indulge in,” he said.

About his journey to stardom, Vikas said, “I took up boxing at the age of 10 because most of my friends were in it. Basically this sport is considered to be for tough persons, so I also wanted to be tough and healthy. Agencies

London, July 22: David Beckham has been given a last minute call to take part in the Olympics opening ceremony to be watched by nearly four billion global audience, a gesture to thank him for helping to get the games to London.

Organizers have “specially created” a part for Beckham in Friday’s opening ceremony.

“He’s really excited and delighted at being involved in the Olympics. It is in his home city so it couldn’t get any better. It’s going to be very special,” a source close to him said.

The former England captain, one of the prime campaigners for the London 2012 Games, is said to be in talks about his exact involvement.

“David will have a starring role in the games and he is excited at the prospect. Meetings will be held this week. It`s going to be a big, big surprise,” an Olympics source was quoted by The People as saying.

Beckham, 37, was expected to be part of the Britain‘s football squad in recognition of his work in helping London win its bid to host the Games at the 2005 International Olympic Committee vote in Singapore. Agencies

New Delhi, July 22: Realistic about her chances in the Olympics, Indian triple-jumper Mayookha said she is targeting a top-six finish in London by improving her personal best effort. Very few Indians have made it to the final round in Olympics track and field events and Mayookha said that it would be an achievement if she makes the grade in London.

“I don`t want to promise big things. I want to qualify for the final round and that would be a big thing. My target is to finish in top six,” she said from her training base in Germany.

Qualifying for the final round would not be easy for Mayookha, who holds the national record of 14.11m which she recorded in the Asian Championships last year.

Her best outdoor effort this year has been 13.57m according to the IAAF rankings though she has a season‘s best of 13.95m in indoor competitions. Agencies

London, July 22: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that it will continue its investigation into allegations of illegal ticket sales for the London Olympics.

The IOC issued a statement Saturday regarding the allegations which were made in The Sunday Times.

“The Ethics Commission has received evidence from the newspaper and noted that each individual case merits a detailed analysis involving the hearing of all parties, particularly with regard to the existence of deliberate intent to breach the various rules that govern the sale of tickets for the Olympic Games,” read the statement.

“As a result the Executive Board (EB) approved the recommendation of the Ethics Committee that it will continue its investigations as it is currently not in a position to recommend provisional measures ahead of the London 2012 Games.” IANS

Hambantota, July 22: Virat Kohli, who fashioned India‘s 21-run voctory over Sri Lanka in the first one-dayer here, says that wearing India colours was a big motivating factor for him.

“I get really motivated when I put on India jersey. It is a responsibility so I want to perform the best way I can,” Kohli told reporters at the post match press conference last night.

“I was fortunate to have done well on a consistent basis. It was a matter of going out there and applying yourself and look for the best possible result,” said Kohli who scored a 133-ball 106 to give India a 1-0 lead in the five-match ODI series.

Kohli hit his 12th ODI century and his third against Sri Lanka this year.

He said the breeze at Hambantota played a big role in the day part of the innings.

“Ball travels much quicker off the bat in the night. We made a few mistakes in the field because we had not played here before,” Kohli said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene conceded that it was a tough target to chase down but felt his side did not give up and tried till the end.

“It was a tough target to chase under lights, but there were positives from the game that we can take,” Jayawardene said.

Commenting on Kohli‘s performance, Jayawardene said that despite the young Indian‘s three hundreds against Sri Lanka in the recent past, there were others in the Indian side the Lankans have to be aware of.

“We must try to stop him from scoring but its just not him only,” he said.

Jayawardene said no Sri Lankan batsman was able to bat alongside Sangakkara, who hit 133 for a losing cause, to keep up with the required run rate.

“Kumar batted exceptionally well dragging the game to where it needed to be so that we can have a crack at it,” Jayawardene said. Agencies

South Africa declare on 637-2, Kallis hits 43rd ton

LONDON, July 22: Hashim Amla hit South Africa's first Test triple century as England's bowlers continued to suffer on the fourth day of the first Test match at the Oval on Sunday.

Amla made 311 not out as South Africa declared at 637 for two at tea; a first innings lead of 252. Amla and Jacques Kallis (182 not out) put on an unbeaten 377 for the third wicket, a record for South Africa against England.

South Africa's declaration left England with a potential 43 overs to see out before close of play on a dry, wearing pitch.

It was another day of toil for the England bowlers, who conceded two successive double century partnerships for the first time in their 924-Test history.

Amla and captain Graeme Smith added 259 for the second wicket on Saturday, also a record against England.

It was a relentless performance by the South African batsmen on a pitch that has yet to deteriorate to the extent expected earlier in the match.

Amla, who gave his only chance when he was on 40 on Friday, went past numerous landmarks, lifting the tempo of his innings but seldom playing a false stroke.

He beat his own previous highest score -- 253 not out against India in Nagpur in 2009-10. Next to fall was the highest score against England -- 277 by Smith at Edgbaston in 2003.

Then a clip through mid-wicket for four off Tim Bresnan took him past the South African record of 278 not out by AB de Villiers against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2010/11.

England set ultra-defensive fields but could not halt the flow of runs.

With Amla on 299, England captain Andrew Strauss brought the field up to stop a single but the batsman played a rare lofted drive for four over cover to earn a prolonged standing ovation from the crowd.

Kallis reached his 43rd Test century in measured style off 227 balls but then went on the attack as South Africa took the match far beyond England's reach. By tea he had faced 326 balls and hit 23 fours and a six.

Amla reached his double century off 392 balls and needed only another 123 deliveries to reach 300 with his 35th boundary. Agencies

HAMBANTOTA, July 22: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Doni was fined 20 per cent of his match fee while his teammates were docked 10 per cent of their earnings for maintaining a slow over-rate during the first ODI against Sri Lanka.

“India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the India team have been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during its 21-run victory against Sri Lanka in the first one-day international held in Hambantota on Saturday,” the ICC said in a statement.

The India side was ruled to be an over short of its target when time allowances were taken into consideration. Match referee Chris Broad imposed a 20 per cent fine on Dhoni while each of his player received 10-per-cent-fines. “The offence is contrary to Article 2.5.1 of the code which relates to minor over-rate offences. The finding and penalty were imposed following a full disciplinary hearing,” the statement said. Agencies

HAMBANTOTA, July 22: Sri Lanka fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara will miss the rest of the five-match One-day International series against India after injuring his groin in Saturday’s opener. Team manager Charith Senanayake said on Sunday that the extent of Kulasekara’s injury was not yet known but confirmed the player will not take any further part in the series.

“We cannot get a scan here in Hambantota. We will get a scan done when we reach Colombo and see the extent of the injury and for how long he will be out,” he said.

A replacement for Kulasekara will be named shortly, added Senanayake.

Kulasekara injured himself while attempting to catch Indian batsman Virender Sehwag in the 11th over while fielding at mid-off during the first game, won by India. The second match takes place on July 24 at Hambantota. Agencies

London, July 22: The 2012 London Olympics will be better than the Beijing Games, a British minister said on Sunday.

Jeremy Hunt, who the minister for culture, Olympics, media and sport affairs, told the Sunday Times he is confident that London can outshine Beijing.

"I believe we'll be better than the Beijing Games. They did a brilliant job, but it was a Games that was playing to China's strengths, and about China's role in the modern world," he said.

"We have something different to say. London is one of the great global cities -- I believe it's the greatest city on the planet, and this is our chance to showcase that to the whole world," he added.

Hunt also described the Danny Boyle-directed opening ceremony on 27th as "absolutely stunning", saying it would "knock us sideways" and be the "biggest single advert for Britain in its history". Beijing Olympic Games were widely regarded as the best ever. Agencies

London, July 22 : Currently ranked World No.1, Chinese shuttler Lin Dan is seeded second in the Olympic badminton tournament as the draw will take place on Monday at the Olympic Park. Across the five medal events - men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles - there will be a total of 172 players in the draw, evenly split between men and women.

The London Games will witness the debut of a new competition formant which includes group stage and knock-out stage. IANS

HOCKENHEIM, July 22: Fernando Alonso extended his lead in this year's Formula One drivers' world championship on Sunday when he drove to a flawless victory for Ferrari in the German Grand Prix.

The 30-year-old Spaniard started from pole position and dominated the 67-lap race in consummate style as he came home 3.7 seconds ahead of local hero, defending champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull.

It was Alonso's third win this year after his triumphs in Malaysia and at the European Grand Prix, and it was also the 22nd consecutive race in which he had finished in the points for Ferrari.

He moves 34 points clear of Webber in the title race with 154 points to the Australian's 120.

"We'll enjoy the win," said Alonso. "Starting on pole was the key factor because it was difficult to overtake and we were not the fastest but we kept the position."

Briton Jenson Button of McLaren, who had proved the potential of his revamped car for a long spell in the race, came home third after being passed by Vettel, who ran wide and off the track, on the penultimate lap.

The race stewards announced they were investigating Vettel's passing move, a statement that left the result unconfirmed pending the result of their decision and any chosen sanction.

"They are going to investigate your overtake you know," Button said to Vettel afterwards. "I didn't know where you were," replied the German, who has yet to win a race on home soil.

"I was fighting like a lion, but I had nothing left," he added. "I am sorry, but we never really had a chance to get close to Fernando Alonso."

Finland's Kimi Raikkonen finished fourth for Lotus ahead of Japanese Kamui Kobayashi and his Sauber team-mate Mexican Sergio Perez, who came home sixth.

Seven-time champion and German hero Michael Schumacher, 43, finished seventh for Mercedes ahead of Australian Mark Webber in the second Red Bull and another German, Nico Hulkenberg, who was ninth for Force India.

Another German, Nico Rosberg, in the second Mercedes, finished 10th.

A crash on the opening corner involving the Ferrari of Felipe Massa, Frenchman Romain Grosjean of Lotus and Brazilian Bruno Senna of Williams marred the start of the race.

All three drivers required a pit stop at the end of the opening lap, but surprisingly, there was no red flag despite the incident.

As a result, a lot of debris was left on the circuit and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, in his 100th Grand Prix, picked up a puncture on his second lap and was forced into the pits before dropping to the back of the field.Agencies

CHARTRES, July 22: Bradley Wiggins virtually secured his maiden Tour de France victory after winning the penultimate stage-time trial of the race on Saturday.

Wiggins, who took nearly two minutes from defending champion Cadel Evans when he won the stage nine time-trial over 41.5km, went into the 53.5km race against the clock with a 2min 05sec lead over Sky team-mate Chris Froome.

And after a smooth, controlled ride over a course that suited him to perfection, the 32-year-old Englishman increased his advantage on the Kenyan-born Briton, who finished second on the stage at 1min 16sec.

It means Wiggins will go into Sunday's final stage to Paris -- which usually does not host a battle for the yellow jersey -- with an overall lead of 3:21 on Froome.

Barring catastrophe, the Belgian-born Londoner will become Britain's first yellow jersey champion.

"I don't know what to say. Only one more day to go, and I've won the yellow jersey," said an emotional Wiggins.

Sky team manager Dave Brailsford said: "We made it our objective to win this race within five years with a clean, British rider, and that's what we've done. It might be a surprise to everyone else, but it's not a surprise to us."

Italian Vincenzo Nibali of Liquigas capped a solid performance to cement his third place overall. He now sits 6:19 behind Wiggins and is certain to finish third in Paris as Jurgen Van den Broeck of Belgium dropped to 10:15 in fourth.

Defending champion Cadel Evans, meanwhile, had another day to forget.

He started the day in sixth place overall at nearly 10 minutes behind Wiggins and finished 52nd at 5:54 to drop one place to seventh overall at 15:51 behind the leader.

Having been upstaged by his younger American team-mate Tejay Van Garderen in the mountains, Evans suffered the humiliation of being overtaken by 'TVG' on the stage despite starting three minutes earlier.

Van Garderen is set to finish fifth overall at 11:04 behind Wiggins and has virtually secured the white jersey for the race's best-placed rider aged 25 and under. Agencies

Hockenheim, July 22: Sahara Force India could not carry a strong qualifying performance into the race Sunday when their drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Paul di Resta managed ninth and 11th place at the Formula One German Grand Prix here.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso cruised to his third victory of the season while Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button came second and third for Red Bull and McLaren respectively.

Force India were hoping a better result after a strong show amid wet conditions Saturday. But that wasn't to be as Hulkenberg, who started from a season best fourth place, could only secure two points while attempting a three-stop strategy.Di Resta, on a two-stop strategy, slipped two places from his grid position for his second race in a row without points. Force India stay eighth in the Constructors' Championship with 46 points, one less than the Williams. IANS

LYTHAM, July 22: Tiger Woods will not have a reunion with his ex-caddie Steve Williams in Sunday’s final twosome at the British Open even though for much of the third round it looked like that was set to happen.

Instead, 54-hole leader Adam Scott, who now has Williams as his bagman, will play alongside Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell with 14-time major champion Woods in the penultimate pairing alongside fellow American Brandt Snedeker.

Woods, who fired Williams a year ago and now has Joe LaCava as his caddie, had been the target of insults from Williams last year, after Williams hooked up with Scott and quickly won a World Golf Championships event.

“I was very fortunate on the timing with Steve,” Scott said. “We’re getting on really well out there. He believes in the way I’m going about my business.

“And at some point tomorrow, I’m sure there’s going to be a time when I’m going to lean on his experience and he’s going to have some great advice for me on how to tackle a certain situation. And that’s an advantage.”

Williams, from New Zealand, apologised to Woods last year for his comments when they met at the Australian Open in Sydney and agreed to shake hands and move on.

Woods would not say if a potential final-pairing date with Scott and Williams was on his mind as he stood in second place on the back nine at Royal Lytham before a late bogey and birdies by Snedeker and McDowell doomed the bid.

“Final pairing, whatever it may be, I was just trying to cut into the lead,” said Woods, who when asked if he would have wanted to be in the last group replied, “Well, I’m not. So it is what it is.”

Scott, who leads Snedeker and McDowell by four strokes and Woods by five in quest of his first major title, said he would not have minded having Woods alongside him in the final group. Agencies

Lytham St. Annes, July 22: Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh signed off from The Open Championship with a three-over-par 73 Sunday, and was ready to finally celebrate his Scottish Open win and recharge his batteries for a bid to return into the world`s top-50.

Singh, a two-time Asian Tour number one, was disappointed he failed to make an impact at Royal Lytham and St. Annes although he and compatriot Anirban Lahiri wrote a small slice of history by becoming the first two Indians to feature in the weekend rounds of a Major.

The 40-year-old has been on the road for five weeks, which was highlighted by his play-off triumph in Scotland last Sunday. It moved him up to 87th in the world and with the top-50 very much in his sights now which will earn him a return to The Masters Tournament next April.

"I was really glad to be here. I enjoyed every bit of it. I expected better results than the way it has ended up. I fought hard," said Singh.

"My goal was to finish under par but I fell short. Mentally I`m tired and I`ll rest next week and start again at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational (in August). Time to celebrate (the Scottish win). We`ll have a few parties at home."

With a string of big events coming up until the end of the season, including those on the Asian Tour, Singh believes he has every chance of raking up world ranking points to build on his recent return to winning form. Agencies

Gstaad, July 22: Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci won the Credit Agricole Suisse Open Gstaad trophy for the second time Sunday as he upset top seed Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-2 in the final.

The Brazilian won his first ATP World Tour title as a qualifier at the same venue in 2009 defeating German Andreas Beck.

"Gstaad is very special for me because I won my first title here three years ago, which was a surprise and unexpected," Bellucci was quoted as saying by the official ATP website.

"For me to win one more time here is very special. I feel very comfortable here, like I'm playing at home."

The world number eight Tipsarevic was bidding to win his second ATP title in as many weeks, having won his first clay-court crown last week at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart.

In his third meeting with Tipsarevic, Bellucci avenged the defeat he suffered in last week's Stuttgart semi-finals by rallying from a set down to clinch victory in two hours and 24 minutes. He converted five of his 11 break points and struck 10 aces, limiting Tipsarevic to just six points on his serve in the final set. IANS

Melbourne, July 22: The West Indies will renew their rivalry with Australia when they head Down Under for a five-match One-Day International series next February 2013.

The tour will be a part of a hectic summer schedule for the Australians who will also face South Africa and Sri Lanka in three-Test matches, and Sri Lanka in another five-match ODI series, prior to meeting the Windies, reports CMC. “This year we also return to head-to-head Commonwealth Bank Series and the highlight will be the Australian men’s team first international match in Canberra,” Cricket Australia’s Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said. “The match is part of a big year of celebrations for Canberra and fans will be spoilt for choice with the West Indies playing in the city twice and Sri Lanka once over the course of the summer.”

The West Indies will clash with the Australians in the first two ODIs Feb 1 and 3 at Perth before playing the third game at the Manuka Oval in Australia’s capital Canberra Feb 6. The fourth match will be played in Sydney Feb 8 with the final ODI scheduled for Melbourne two days later. The West Indies will meet the Aussies in a one-off Twenty20 International at the Gabba in Brisbane Feb 13. Agencies

MUMBAI, July 22: Playing his maiden Major, Anirban Lahiri has already ‘lived the moment’. Long hailed as one of the most promising golfers in India, Lahiri became the first Indian to register a hole-in-one in a Major championship. He did it in the third round of the British Open, on the par-3 165-yard ninth hole at the Royal Lytham & St Annes with a nine-iron that landed on the right edge of the green before rolling into the cup, only to spark wild celebrations by fellow pros and spectators.

“It’s the best golfing moment I ever had. Never thought it could happen. It was simply fantastic. The ace is probably the icing on the cake. It wasn’t easy to play that hole but I had played it yesterday. A similar yardage just helped my case,” an elated Lahiri told TOI from Lancashire after ending the day at even par 210 with a bogey on the final hole halting his upward surge on the leaderboard. “The bogey could have been avoided but I am not thinking much about it. I played into the fairway bunker so that did make things a bit difficult,” he added.

The presence of his father, Dr Col Tushar Lahiri, who introduced him to the game at the age of eight, on the sidelines also boosted his confidence. “I was stunned... Didn’t know how to express myself and then I saw my dad jumping amongst the crowd, blowing kisses. He was so thrilled... He was my lucky charm,” said the world No. 226, for whom this was the fourth ace of his pro career.

His choice of local caddy Rob Gibson also helped his cause. “I think that was a great decision. Rob’s knowledge of the greens is very good and that helped me a lot,” he said. Asked about the prevailing conditions on the course, Lahiri said: “Today’s weather was the best but the course is a tough mental test and that is evident in the way many top-ranked players were struggling.”

Lahiri, who was part of the 2006 Doha Asian Games silver medal-winning team, has come a long way since his amateur days. He faced some initial struggle after turning pro but began getting the results in 2009 when he clinched the PGTI Order of Merit with two wins and seven top-10 finishes. The same year he registered five top-10s on the Asian Tour as well.

In 2010, he registered three top-10s from 19 starts on the continental tour, while he had three victories and seven top-10s on the national circuit. The very next year, his wait for the maiden Asian Tour triumph ended with the Panasonic Open after a three-way playoff with local lad Manav Jaini and Singapore’s Mardan Mamat at the Delhi Golf Club.

This year has been a great year for Lahiri so far as he has clinched three top-10s from 10 events on the Asian Tour besides his SAIL-SBI Open win at the DGC in February. Agencies

ATLANTA, July 22: Andy Roddick reached the final of the ATP Atlanta Open after he withstood 26 aces from John Isner to topple the top seed 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4 on Saturday.

Roddick, seeking a second title of the season after victory at Eastbourne, will play Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller, who ousted eighth-seeded Go Soeda of Japan 6-4, 6-3.

“I’m excited,” Roddick said. “I have a chance to win my second tournament in three tournaments.”

Roddick said he was looking forward to teaming up with Isner for the United States in the doubles at the Olympics. “I’m going to be real happy to be on the same side with that serve in the Olympics,” Roddick said, adding that he didn’t get discouraged when he dropped the second-set tiebreaker. “He’s probably the best tie-break player in the world right now,” Roddick said. “You’ve got to stay the course a little bit.” Agencies

Rio de Janeiro, July 22: Former Brazilian star Ronaldinho scored a trademark goal as Atletico Mineiro stayed on top of Brazil’s Serie A standings with a 4-1 victory over Sport Recife.

The two-time FIFA world player of the year ran onto a defence splitting pass from Bernard before dribbling past Edcarlos and then curled an angled shot beyond the reach of goalkeeper Magrao on Saturday.

It was Ronaldinho’s first goal in open play since February when he scored during former club Flamengo’s 3-1 victory over Resende.

The result maintained Atletico’s two-point buffer at the top of the championship standings with 28 points from 11 matches.

“We’re focused on what we have to do and know that it’s still early in the season. It’s been a great start but there is still a long way to go,” Ronaldinho said after the match.

Gilberto opened the scoring for Sport in the northeastern city of Recife with a 25th-minute strike before Danilinho equalized eight minutes later.

Ronaldinho’s goal in the 33rd minute was followed by a thumping header from former Manchester City striker Jo. Agencies