Shakib steals the show in first one-dayer



Bangladesh superstar Shakib Al Hasan pulls one on way scoring an enterprising 51-ball 58 in the first one-day international against New Zealand at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday



Daniel Vettori's pre-series prediction came true as Shakib Al Hasan almost single handedly guided Bangladesh to a nine-run victory in the rain-interrupted first one-day international of the five-match series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.

"Shakib is the main threat for us", was the words from the New Zealand skipper and the world's number one all-rounder was simply brilliant in scripting Bangladesh's second victory against the Kiwis in front of 14,000 spectators who braved the scorching heat.

Speaker Advocate Abdul Hamid congratulated the Bangladesh team on their brilliant victory.

Shakib's well-composed 51-ball 58 that contained eight sweetly-timed boundaries gave Bangladesh a reasonable total of 228 on a slow track and then his four-wicket burst made sure New Zealand were restricted to 200 for 8 after the Duckworth-Lewis method revised the target at 210 runs from 37 overs.

The target was revised after rain stopped play for nearly one hour with New Zealand scoring 85 for four in 15 overs and Bangladesh grabbed the opportunity with both hands despite some sloppy fielding.

Shakib not only contributed with the bat and the ball but also led the team brilliantly in the absence of Mashrafe Bin Mortaza who left the field in the very third over after twisting his ankle while releasing the first delivery of his second over and took no further part in the match.

Bangladesh didn't feel his absence as the slow bowlers including Naeem Islam, who claimed the vital wickets of Ross Taylor and Daniel Vettori at crucial moments, provided their best support to Shakib.

New Zealand got off a flying start riding on Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder's scintillating batting as the pair contributed 53 runs in 6.5 overs before Shakib dismissed Ryder for 21.

The home side tightened their grip on the match when Shakib sent back dangerman McCullum and Grant Elliot in one over just before rain stopped play. McCullum hammered 61 off 45 balls with seven fours and two big sixes before being bowled while Elliot was trapped in front for naught.

Vettori, who frustrated Bangladesh on their last trip, joined Taylor to take away the Tigers' initiatives, but Naeem broke the 50-run fifth wicket partnership by removing Vettori (24), who played a paddle sweep against a full toss on middle straight to fine leg where Junaed Siddiqui made no mistake to bring joy to the local crowds.

New Zealand's misery mounted when Shanan Stewart fell victim to a run out and off-spinner Naeem killed the Kiwis' hopes by trapping Taylor, who hit a 56-ball 42 that saw one four and a six, in front.

The match reached its climax when New Zealand required 21 runs from the last two overs, but Shakib conceded only three runs in the penultimate over to all but confirm the home side's victory. Nazmul Hossain then bowled the last over brilliantly before he cut his finger on the last ball of the match.

Earlier Imrul Kayes and Shahriar Nafees made a slow but steady start after Mashrafe had decided to bat after winning the toss.

Agonisingly all the top-order batsmen including Nafees, who returned to one-day cricket after a two-and-a-half year gap, got starts but failed to carry on to put up a fighting total on the board.

Nafees was dismissed for 35 while his partner Kayes added 16.

Junaed (30), Rokibul Hasan (21) and Mushfiqur Rahim were the other batsmen who threw away their wickets after settling in.

Shakib's stroke-filled innings and Mashrafe's 11-ball 15 however gave the hosts a total to defend.

Kyle Mills was the most successful Kiwi bowler by picking up three wickets while Andy Mckay, Vettori and Ryder took two wickets each.

Bangladesh's celebration however was marred for the injuries to captain Mashrafe, who is unlikely for the remaining matches of the series, and pacer Nazmul, who is going to miss the next two games.

Drogba nemesis again

Chelsea's Didier Drogba proved Arsenal's nemesis again as he inspired the champions to a 2-0 win over their London rivals and Blackpool pulled off a stunning 2-1 victory at Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday.

Chelsea bounced back from defeat at Manchester City to overpower Arsenal at Stamford Bridge and move four points clear at the top as Liverpool slumped into the relegation zone following Blackpool's triumph on their first league visit to Anfield since 1971.

Results
Chelsea 2 (Drogba 39, Alex 85) Arsenal 0
Liverpool 1 (Kyrgiakos 53) Blackpool 2 (Adam 29-pen, Varney 45)
Manchester City 2 (Tevez 18-pen, Johnson 75) Newcastle 1 (Gutierrez 24)

Liverpool's day started badly when more than 2,000 fans marched from the city centre to protest against the ownership of Americans Tom Hicks and George Gillett and the defeat left new manager Roy Hodgson with just one league victory in seven matches.

Manchester City beat Newcastle United 2-1 to leapfrog Manchester United and Arsenal and move into second place.

Chelsea, who have beaten Arsenal in their last four league matches, top the table with 18 points, followed by City on 14, United on 13 and Arsenal on 11.

The victory was Chelsea's sixth in seven league games and Drogba again proved an unstoppable force against Arsenal, giving his side the lead with a stunning flick on the turn after 40 minutes to notch up his 13th goal in 13 appearances against Arsene Wenger's team.

Defender Alex sealed victory with an unstoppable free kick after 85 minutes, ending a difficult week for Chelsea, during which manager Carlo Ancelotti's father died, on a high.

“For the last two days the players have trained exceptionally wellthe day after Carlo's father's death was a bit lacklustre,” Chelsea assistant coach Ray Wilkins told a news conference. “We were disappointing against Manchester City last week and we did not perform all that well today. You saw not a fantastic performance but a different performance in that we ground out a win. The three points was what we went for and that's what we got.”

Wenger said he was pleased with Arsenal's performance.

“I just want to say that the game demonstrates how you can play well and lose the game,” he said.

“We had the chances to score today, two in the first two minutes, but when you have the chances you have to score. We need to be more clinical offensively and defensively.”

Blackpool stunned Liverpool with a 29th-minute penalty from Charlie Adam after Glen Johnson's foul on Luke Varney who struck again for the visitors before halftime.

Defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos pulled one back for Liverpool after 53 minutes when he headed home a Steven Gerrard free kick, but the home side, who lost Spain striker Fernando Torres with an injury after nine minutes, were unable to fight back.

“It's a bad result and a very bad day,” Hodgson told a news conference. “There's nothing more I can say. We were very anxious to get back on track, to get the three points and lift ourselves up the table.

“No words or anything I can say can change that situation or make it better,” he added.

“It's pointless to try and be positive and say the second half was better and we could have got an equaliser because we lost the game--a game we did not want to lose.”

Manchester City took the lead against Newcastle with a first-half penalty from Carlos Tevez and England's Adam Johnson fired a 75th-minute winner after Jonas Gutierrez had equalised.

Berbatov alone too much for Liverpool



HATTRICK HERO: Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov (R) is about execute a spectacular back volley for his second goal against Liverpool during their English Premier League match at Old Trafford yesterday.

Dimitar Berbatov scored a hattrick as Manchester United overcame a Liverpool fightback to win 3-2 in a classic Premier League battle at Old Trafford on Sunday.



Berbatov rose high to nod home an 84th-minute header to seal maximum points for United, who had seen Liverpool recover from two goals down thanks to a second-half brace from skipper Steven Gerrard.

The win saw Sir Alex Ferguson's side go level on points with second-placed Arsenal, and one point behind leaders Chelsea, who play Blackpool later on Sunday.

All the pre-match attention had been on the return of Wayne Rooney but it was in-form Bulgarian striker Berbatov who stole the show with a virtuoso display that left Liverpool shattered.

Berbatov put United 1-0 ahead on on 42 minutes after being left in acres of space by marker Fernando Torres when Ryan Giggs swung in a corner.

The Bulgarian then doubled United's lead on 59 minutes with a sublime effort, using one touch to control a Nani cross before sending an overhead kick crashing in off the underside of the Liverpool bar.

Ferguson later hailed the performance of Berbatov, who is enjoying his best run of form for United since his transfer from Tottenham in 2008 in a deal worth 30.75 million pounds (36.86 million euros).

"There was a lot of criticism of him last season from the media, and it happens when we buy a player for a lot of money and he's not scoring a hat-trick every game," Ferguson told Sky Sports.

"This season he's started off in the right fashion, his pre-season training was very good, the pre-season tour was good and he's carried that on.

"But there's never been any doubt about the quality of the man. And we saw that again today."

However, for the second league match running, United's defensive frailties were exposed once more as Ferguson's men saw a two-goal lead evaporate.

Centre-back Jonny Evans blatantly brought down Torres in the box to allow Gerrard to convert a spot-kick on 64 minutes.

Then, six minutes later, United's defence were at fault again for Liverpool's equaliser.

Referee Howard Webb booked John O'Shea for a tackle on Torres that left Gerrard with a free-kick from the edge of the area.

Gerrard's shot was accurate and hit with power but went straight through a hole in the United wall left by Darren Fletcher, to the disgust of United's beaten keeper Edwin van der Sar.

It was the second time in the space of a week that United had let slip a two-goal lead, having been held to a 3-3 at Everton last weekend.

Buoyed by the goals, Liverpool looked capable of taking all three points, but Berbatov's late header ended their fightback and left Roy Hodgson's team with only one win from five games.

"I thought our second-half performance was good and we deserved to get back in the game," Hodgson said.

"I think we were a bit unlucky to go two down when we did -- and of course to concede late on was tough. Had we had a little bit more composure at the end, maybe we'd have seen the game out."

Hodgson also defended the mixed performance of Spanish World Cup winner Torres, who was at fault for Berbatov's opening goal before winning the penalty and free-kick that allowed Liverpool to get back on level terms.

Real Madrid go on top

Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (L) leaves his marker behind during their Spanish league match against Real Sociedad at the Anoeta stadium in San Sebastian on Saturday.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a fortunate first goal of the season with his deflected 75th minute free-kick proving the winner in a 2-1 win at promoted Real Sociedad as Real Madrid moved to the top of La Liga for the first time under Jose Mourinho.

Ronaldo saw his free-kick take a huge deflection off team-mate Pepe and loop in 15 minutes from time and the world's most expensive player seemed embarrassed to celebrate the winning goal which handed Mourinho his first away win.

Argentine international winger Angel di Maria a 25 million-euro summer signing from Benfica  scored a memorable first Real goal on 51 minutes only for veteran Raul Tamudo to equalise as Real conceded their first goal under Mourinho.

However, Ronaldo had the final say with his freak goal and Madrid rode their luck to go top  a point ahead of Atletico Madrid and Valencia who have played one game less.

Despite the win, Mourinho was far from happy throwing his water bottle in the dug out late on.

"It was great to get my first goal and the points in a tough match against a very good team," said di Maria. "Now we'll see what Atletico (Madrid) do against Barcelona."

Champions Barcelona are four points behind Real and travel to league leaders Atletico on Sunday.

It was Sociedad's first defeat of the season but the league newcomers tested Real to the limit in a sensational atmosphere at the Anoeta stadium and were denied a late equaliser at 2-2 by goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Mourinho made just one change from the side that convincingly beat Ajax 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League on Wednesday with Sergio Ramos replacing Alvaro Arbeloa.

It was a special game for Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso who began his career at hometown club Sociedad and was part of the Sociedad side that finished league runners-up to Real in 2003.

Real started on the front foot but it was Sociedad who had the best chances with French midfielder Antoine Griezmann guilty of two glaring misses.

In the fifth minute Xabi Prieto found Griezmann unmarked in the penalty area but he headed over the crossbar to the relief of Casillas.

Sociedad continued to attack and on 25 minutes everyone was celebrating -- in particular Sociedad coach Martin Lasarte  the opening goal only to realise that Griezmann had shot just wide.

The Frenchman was one-on-one with Casillas but contrived to shoot wide and let Madrid off the hook again.

Real had long distance efforts from Ronaldo, di Maria and Alonso to show for their attacks but then needed a last ditch intervention from Ricardo Carvalho to stop the hosts from scoring on 31 minutes.

Real were lucky to be level at half-time after Sociedad's missed chances, yet, Mourinho refused to change things for the second half and di Maria shot the visitors ahead on 51 minutes curling in with his weaker right foot for his first Real goal.

Sociedad showed real character to equalise 10 minutes later with Real failing to defend a fizzing cross and Tamudo was on hand to slot in the leveller.

However, Ronaldo's deflected free-kick 15 minutes from time sealed a fortunate win with Casillas pulling off a late save from the hapless Griezmann.

Earlier Danish coach Michael Laudrup enjoyed his first win in charge of Real Mallorca as the islanders recorded a 2-0 home victory over Osasuna.

Mallorca scored their first goal of the season with a Chori Castro penalty on 25 minutes and a first club goal from Dutch midfielder Jonathan de Guzman helping former Barcelona and Real Madrid star player Laudrup to his maiden league win.

"I can say the same thing as (Jose) Mourinho and that is that my teams play better in the second season," explained Laudrup."

Venus Williams wins against Shahar US Open

When Israel’s Shahar Peer was denied a visa to play in the United Arab Emirates last year, Venus Williams spoke out on her behalf because she felt it was the right thing to do under those circumstances.

When Peer and Williams meet on a tennis court, as they’ve done rather frequently lately, the American shows not a trace of empathy because that is the right thing to do under those circumstances.

The No. 3-seeded Williams got through a tougher-than-expected test and beat the 16th-seeded Peer 7-6 (3), 6-3 Sunday to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the 10th time. It was their sixth head-to-match, fourth this year alone, and Williams has won every time in straight sets.

“Every time I played Venus, I had tough time, and she was always kind of killing me,” Peer said with a smile. “So today was much closer.”

Afterward, both women discussed what happened at the Dubai Tennis Championship in February 2009.

Peer was blocked from entering the country because of what the government said were security concerns. Williams was critical of the decision, first in a news conference, then far more publicly during the trophy ceremony after she won the title there.

“She was really supportive for me,” Peer said Sunday. “She stood up in that final and spoke for me. … She understands what I feel.”

Williams was honored by the Anti-Defamation League last year for her stance in Dubai, but Sunday said that “in a way, I don’t think it’s something too huge.”

No, instead, it seemed like the obvious thing to do.

“Well, I think just because of my history, too, as African-American my parents both came from the South in the ’40s and ’50s, and just, it was an outrage, really. Just like, ‘Are you serious? Can you really exclude someone, Williams said. “This is professional tennis in 2010. We’re all athletes here. We’re not politicians or anything like that.”

“So really,” she continued, “the feeling inside of me was just one of almost rage and discontent. Like, ‘Is this for real

Williams made it clear she would defend her Dubai title this year only if Peer were allowed to play, and the WTA fined tournament organizers a record $300,000 and told them they needed to make sure Israeli players would be able to compete.

As it happened, Peer did play at Dubai in 2010 and met Williams in the 2010 semifinals there. They also faced each other at Rome and Madrid this season.

In none of their encounters before Sunday did Peer ever manage to win more than four games in any set, but she made things more interesting at Flushing Meadows. Peer probably must have thought she deserved to take the opening set Sunday, because she broke Williams’ big serve twice and played solidly, making only 13 unforced errors, three fewer than the American.

Serving while down 6-5, Peer fell behind love 40, but saved those three set points. Peer would go on to save two more set points in that game, a 22 point marathon that featured eight deuces and lasted more than 10 minutes.

But two-time U.S. Open champion Williams finally found her form in the tiebreaker, taking four consecutive points including a service winner and ace  to lead 5-1. There was one more blip for Williams, a double-fault at 6-2, her sixth set point, but she closed it with a big cross-court forehand that forced an error by Peer.

“Winning the first set always feels good,” said Williams, whose younger sister Serena watched from the stands, “instead of having to regroup and figuring out how you’re going to win the match.”

That, of course, is where Peer was left, much as she always is when standing across the net against Williams.

The owner of seven Grand Slam singles titles is playing in her first tournament in more than two months, having missed time with a left kneecap injury that forced her to skip a pair of hard-court tuneup events. Before coming to New York, Williams hadn’t competed anywhere since June 29, when she was upset in the Wimbledon quarterfinals by a woman ranked 82nd.

To get to her first major semifinal since Wimbledon in 2009, Williams will have to beat French Open champion Francesca Schiavone next. The sixth-seeded Italian defeated 20th-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3, 6-0 Sunday to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first time since 2003

“When the tournament started, it was a little uncertain on … how I would hit the ball in a match,” said the 30-year-old Williams, who is 7-0 against Schiavone. “It’s just very exciting to obviously be here and hitting well and getting the games on my side, so that’s what I want to continue. I haven’t played as much as the other players, but still I’m getting the win, so that’s what’s important.”

US open showdown Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray

US teenager Ryan Harrison plays an extraordinary shot against Sergiy Stakhovsky of the Ukraine during their third round match of the US Open at the Flushing Meadows on Friday. Despite his best efforts, the American lost the five-setter 6-3, 5-7, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6.

Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray stayed on course for a US Open semifinal showdown in Friday's second-round action with both recording straight sets victories.

Top-seeded Nadal pounded his way past Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 6-2, 7-6, 7-5 in the featured night session match on Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

Fourth-seeded Murray saw off Jamaica's Dustin Brown 7-5, 6-3, 6-0 on the same court earlier in the day.

Nadal next plays France's Gilles Simon who defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 4-6, 6-3, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3, while Murray takes on Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland who ousted Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.

There were mixed fortunes for US hopes with teenager Ryan Harrison squandering three match points against Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky in a fifth set tie-breaker before losing 6-3, 5-7, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6.

But twin giants Sam Querrey and John Isner both won through in the same quarter as Murray.

At the start of the day there were nine Spaniards and seven Frenchmen involved in the 16 ties that made up the top half of the draw.

By the end of play, seven of the Spanish had survived (the two losers going down to compatriots) and only two Frenchmen remained.

Nadal  seeking in New York to become just the seventh man to complete the career Grand Slam of Australian, French, Wimbledon and US crowns -- was made to dig deep from 1-5 down in the second set tie-break against the 39th-ranked Istomin, taking six points in a row.

He then grabbed the only additional break he needed in the 12th game of the third set to clinch the win.

Murray had been expected to sweep past the unconventional Brown with little or no effort, and in the end he did so.
 

But he was left scratching his head at times in the first set by the towering Brown's unorthodox play focused around a huge, whipping serve and some outrageous drop shots.

On top of that, early play was suspended for around 20 minutes as, courtesy of Hurricane Earl churning up the US eastern seaboard, a rain shower dampened the Flushing Meadows courts.

In the end, the dreadlock Brown, ranked 123rd in the world, had little left to offer and Murray even went for some extra practice afterwards to complete his day

The emotional high of the day for home fans came out on the atmospheric Grandstand Court where 18-year-old Harrison, the youngest player left in the tournament, had three match points against Ukraine's Stakhovsky in the fifth set tie-break.

But a double fault and some brave net play from a tiring Stakhovsky saved the day for the east European

There was better news for US hopes, however, shortly afterwards on the adjacent Louis Armstrong Court when Wimbledon marathon man Isner won through to the third round with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 win over Marco Chiudinelli of Switzerland, setting up a third round clash against Mikhail Youzhny of Russia.

Querrey then cruised past Spain's Marcel Granollers 6-2, 6-3, 6-4.

Tommy Robredo got the Spanish challenge off to strong start when his French opponent, Julian Benneteau, retired in a second set tie-break after injuring his left wrist stretching for a shot. Robredo had won the first set 6-4

David Ferrer, the 10th seed, then bulldozed his way past Benjamin Becker of Germany 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 and Feliciano Lopez saw off the challenge of France's Benoit Paire 6-4, 6-7, 5-7, 7-6, 6-2.

French hopes suffered another blow when Jeremy Chardy fell to Daniel Gimeno-Traver of Spain 4-6, 6-2, 6-0, 7-6 and then Fernando Verdasco ousted Chardy's compatriot Adrian Mannarino 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.

But serve and volley expert Michael Llodra brought some consolation for the French when he defied a painful left foot injury to defeat Victor Hanescu of Romania 7-6, 6-4, 6-2.

And late in day, Simon came through against Kohlschreiber to set up a third round clash with Nadal.

Trio appears for probe

Pakistan cricketers (L-R) Mohammad Aamer,
Mohammad Asif and captain Salman Butt leave the team hotel in
Taunton yesterday to face questions from Pakistan Cricket Board
chairman Ijaz Butt and Wajid Shamsul Hasan,
Pakistan's high commissioner to Britain in London.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Pakistan players embroiled in betting scam allegations headed to London on Wednesday to face questioning which is almost certain to sideline them from the team's tour of England.

Test captain Salman Butt plus bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif look set to miss Pakistan's match with county side Somerset in Taunton Thursday, a warm-up match before their limited overs internationals against England.

The trio, all casually dressed, left the team hotel in Taunton at 11:12am (1012 GMT) accompanied by team security officer Major Khawaja Najam, flanked by private security guards and police officers.

Butt shook his head when asked by a reporter if he was "guilty".

The trio were due to face questions from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt and Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Pakistan's high commissioner (ambassador) to Britain, in London on Thursday.

"The boys are leaving today [Wednesday]. They will have a meeting at the High Commission [Embassy] tomorrow [Thursday]," Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed had earlier told reporters.

It appears increasingly likely the trio will play no further part in the tour amid mounting calls for the trio to be barred from appearing while the probe into the allegations is ongoing.

Following the Somerset warm-up, Pakistan play two Twenty20 matches against England in Cardiff on Sunday and Tuesday, then five one-day internationals.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has promised "prompt and decisive action" if the "spot-fixing" allegations linked to betting rings made by Britain's biggest-selling newspaper are proven.

Its chief executive Haroon Lorgat hopes there will be "some sort of conclusion" to the probe within the next few days.

England's players meanwhile are reportedly reluctant to line up against a Pakistan team containing the tainted trio, according to Professional Cricketers' Association chief executive Angus Porter.

"The England players understand it is important the games go ahead and they will be professional but they would or will find it really difficult to play against the guys directly implicated," Porter told the Daily Telegraph.

Customs officials in Britain meanwhile said they had arrested and bailed two men and a woman "as part of an ongoing investigation into money laundering". A source confirmed the arrests were linked to the cricket scandal.

Meanwhile the ramifications of the affair were being felt far beyond the world of cricket, with Asif dropped from a planned role in a film, Indian media reported Wednesday.

The bowler had been slated to play the lead role in the Malayalam-language film "Mazhavillinattamvare" (Till The Tip of The Rainbow), which charts the life of a Pakistani cricket coach in the southern Indian state of Kerala.

The furore erupted on Sunday when The News of the World alleged Mazhar Majeed, a 35-year-old agent for several Pakistan players, took 150,000 pounds (185,000 euros, 230,000 dollars) to arrange for deliberate no-balls to be bowled at precise points in last week's Test match against England.

The information would be of enormous value to the spot-betting industry, where money is wagered on specific incidents in matches.

Majeed was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers in the wake of the allegations, but was released on bail without charge on Sunday, to return at a later date.

Detectives interviewed Butt, Asif and 18-year-old prodigy Aamer, who delivered the no-balls -- normally an accidental and unpredictable occurrence -- and police seized their mobile phones.

The world of cricket has reacted with shock and dismay to claims that huge sums of money had changed hands in alleged fixing schemes at international level, linked to shadowy betting rings.

Investigators from the ICC's anti-corruption and security unit are in Britain looking into the allegations.

Meanwhile in Australia, it has emerged that four cricket stars were targeted by a suspected illegal bookmaker.

Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson were targeted by the unnamed figure who approached two team-mates in England last year, reports said on Wednesday.

The Sydney Morning Herald and Daily Telegraph said Lee and Johnson were confronted in the team hotel's bar during the tour of England, fuelling fears over illegal betting after a newspaper sting snared an alleged match-fixer.

Nadal wins US Open 1st-round

NEW YORK: For all of Rafael Nadal’s considerable talents with a racket in hand, the part of his game that’s most often been criticized by himself and others is his serve.

Serving at up to 131 mph and saving the only break point he faced, Nadal began his bid to complete a career Grand Slam at this year’s U.S. Open by beating 93rd-ranked Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4), 6-3 in the first round Tuesday night.

“My serve worked well. Hopefully, I’ll continue like this,” Nadal said. “My serve is not my best shot, but I always try hard to keep improving. I know if I want to have chances to win here not just this year, but any year I need to serve really well.”

Asked if he’s been focusing on making his serve better this summer, Nadal replied with a smile: “All my life, I worked on my serve. Not this summer, no; all my life.”
In Tuesday’s match, there were zero breaks of serve until 3-all in the third set, and the No. 1-seeded Nadal broke there when Gabashvili put a forehand into the net. Nadal threw his head back and yelled, “Si!”

The 24-year-old Spaniard broke serve again to end the match, closing with a three-game run.
While it was a straight-set victory, it wasn’t necessarily easy for Nadal. He failed to convert any of his first seven break points, and had to weather 49 winners from the big-hitting Gabashvili, 19 more than Nadal produced.

“I had a difficult match,” Nadal acknowledged, “but I think I did play well.”

The match lasted nearly three hours and, because it began late after three lengthy contests preceded it in Arthur Ashe Stadium, they didn’t finish until 11:32 p.m.
 
The result extended Nadal’s Grand Slam winning streak to 15 matches, after his titles at the French Open in June and Wimbledon in July. He owns eight major championships, but has yet to make it past the semifinals at Flushing Meadows, losing at that stage each of the past two years.

Nadal hopes to become the seventh man in tennis history with at least one title from each of the four Grand Slam tournaments.

Gabashvili, meanwhile, has lost in the first round of the U.S. Open two consecutive years. His best showing at a major tournament came at Roland Garros this season, when he upset Andy Roddick on the way to the fourth round.

In the second round, Nadal will face 39th-ranked Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan, who beat Maximo Gonzalez of Argentina 7-5, 7-5, 6-1 earlier Tuesday.

Might Nadal hit serves even faster against Istomin than he did against Gabashvili?

“Wait,” Nadal said, grinning to make sure everyone knew he was kidding. “Wait for the next one. (I’m) going for 135.”

Barca off to a flier

Barcelona striker David Villa is ecstatic after scoring the third
goal against Racing Santander during their Primera Liga encounter
at the Sardinero Stadium on Sunday.

Jose Mourinho's La Liga adventure got off to a limp start on Sunday when Real Madrid were held to a 0-0 draw at Real Mallorca while champions Barcelona cruised to a 3-0 win at Racing Santander.


Snapped up after last season's treble-winning exploits with Inter Milan, Mourinho's arrival as coach at the Bernabeu has raised expectations he can end Barcelona's two-year reign as champions.

While his new team were struggling to click in Mallorca, Pep Guardiola's well-drilled outfit banged in three goals thanks to Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and David Villa.

Real Madrid's Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain was denied three times by home goalkeeper Dudu Aouate and Cristiano Ronaldo spurned a great chance as the visitors upped the pressure.

Mourinho's new signings Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira, Angel Di Maria, Sergio Canales and Ricardo Carvalho all featured but despite a frantic finish Michael Laudrup's Mallorca were worth their point.

"We were good tactically and very good in defence," Real Madrid's keeper and captain Iker Casillas told Spanish television.

"We did well and little by little will get better. The ball just did not want to go in."

Barca had earlier thrown down the gauntlet, appearing unruffled by the contentious exit of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to AC Milan.

Messi, who grabbed a hattrick in the Spanish Super Cup last weekend, only needed four minutes to rip open the defence and score with a delightful lob.

Iniesta followed up with a volley from outside the area and new signing Villa headed his first league goal in a Barca shirt, after Victor Valdes had saved a penalty before the break.

"We still lack a little continuity in our play but this will improve as the season progresses," Guardiola told reporters.

Second division champions Real Sociedad celebrated their return to La Liga after a three-year absence with a 1-0 win at home to Villarreal.

Xavier Prieto raced on to Joseba Llorente's backheel to score after 57 minutes, making them the only promoted club to win in the opening round of matches.

Levante and Hercules were beaten on Saturday.

A double strike from Pablo Osvaldo helped Espanyol overcome Getafe 3-1 while the games between Deportivo Coruna and Real Zaragoza and Osasuna and Almeria ended 0-0.

RESULTS

Espanyol 3 (Osvaldo 33, 54, Datolo 90) Getafe 1 (Galan 61-og)

Deportivo La Coruna 0 Real Zaragoza 0

Osasuna 0 Almeria 0

Real Sociedad 1 (Prieto 57) Villarreal 0

Racing Santander 0 Barcelona 3 (Messi 3, Iniesta 33, Villa 62)

Real Mallorca 0 Real Madrid

Pakistan will not drop players without proof: PCB

Pakistan will not suspend any players being investigated for alleged corruption without proof of wrongdoing, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ijaz Butt says.

A newspaper report alleging three players had been bribed to fix incidents in last week's fourth test against England has rocked the cricketing world and probes by British police and the International Cricket Council (ICC) are underway.

London police confiscated the mobile phones of test captain Salman Butt as well as pace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, and the trio -- plus wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal -- have been questioned at the team's hotel.

"There is a case going on over here with Scotland Yard," Ijaz told website cricinfo.com.

"This is only an allegation. There is still no charge or proof on that account. So at this stage there will be no action taken."

The Pakistan team arrived in Taunton in west England on Monday to play a warm-up game for a seven-match one-day series against England which starts on Sunday.

The ICC's anti-corruption unit has been asked to submit a report on its investigation within the next three days.

ICC president Sharad Pawar told reporters on Monday the issue had been discussed in a teleconference by the head of the council's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit Ravi Sawani, Ijaz and his English counterpart Giles Clarke.

"We at the ICC are waiting for definite information from the PCB and our own anti-corruption unit. We hope to get something in the next two to three days' time and that information would lead to appropriate action, if required," he said.

Pawar has ruled out the possibility of Pakistan cutting short their tour of England.

ROTTEN TOMATOES

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said anti-corruption officials were assisting London police with the criminal investigation and would ensure "appropriate punishments" for any players found guilty.

"We will not tolerate corruption in this great game," Lorgat said in a statement.

On Monday, the police said they had released on bail a 35-year-old man who had been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers following the report in Britain's News of the World newspaper.

According to the report, Mazhar Majeed, an agent who claimed to represent 10 Pakistan players including Butt, said Amir and Asif had bowled three no-balls between them by pre-arrangement in the fourth test against England which finished on Sunday.

The newspaper report also cast doubt on the second test between Pakistan and Australia in Sydney this year when Australia made a remarkable comeback to win by 36 runs after overcoming a 206-run first-innings deficit.

The scandal has outraged cricket fans in Pakistan where protestors in Lahore threw rotten tomatoes at donkeys who had the names of the players accused of taking bribes stuck on their foreheads.

"These players have let us and the country down. We are already facing so many problems because of the floods and terrorism and they took away our one source of happiness," one protestor told a television channel.

No-balls: who, how & when

They are the three no-balls that will be recorded in the statistics books forever and will be remembered for shaking cricket to its core.

Millions of fans who watched Pakistan bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif send down the trio of deliveries over two days' play at Lord's, had no idea they were bowled as part of a match-rigging scam.

Incredibly, during live coverage, respected TV and radio pundits exclaimed to worldwide audiences how bad every one of the faked no-balls looked little knowing they were ordered by money-grabbing fixer Mazhar Majeed, who just a day earlier had collected 150,000 pounds from undercover News of the World reporters.

And it all played out like clockwork exactly as Majeed promised it would. He claimed the players had demanded we pay the cash as our entry ticket into an existing shady gambling syndicate based in India.

In return he revealed solid details of the three no-balls he'd planned for the Lord's Test:

Majeed: "There's no risk, there's no signal.. these three are definitely happening. They've all been organised, okay? So, the first ball of the third over of the innings, yeah. "[Mohammad] Asif and [Mohammad] Aamer are going to be bowling. Aamer is to bowl the first over [meaning he will also bowl the third], yeah?

"Okay? Then the tenth, the last ball. . . sixth ball of the tenth over."

Reporter: "The tenth over. Who's bowling it?"

Majeed: "Asif will be bowling it."

Majeed then explained that the third no-ball would come in the first over that teen wonder boy Aamer got to deliver to an England right-hander, after one of the opening two left-handers had been dismissed.

Just to convince us Aamer was onside Majeed telephoned the young star at his hotel. "Are you sleeping?" he asked crudely.

Aamer confirmed that's what he was trying to do.

"Okay, sleep," said Majeed. "We've spoken about everything before anyway. 'Okay, don't mind. You sleep'.

But when Aamer prepared for his day's work at the fourth Test on Thursday morning, he was certainly awake to what was expected of him.

Pakistan captain Salman Butt strolled out to meet England skipper Andrew Strauss in the middle of the ground shortly before the weather-delayed toss at 1.10pm on the opening day of the Test.

Pakistan won the toss and elected to put England in to bat. Butt had his customary huddle with his team but bizarrely did not even bother to inspect the recently uncovered wicket like his opposite number Strauss. As predicted Butt put Aamer and Asif on to open the bowling.

And, as promised, on the first ball of the third over to England opening batsman Alastair Cook Aamer overstepped the white line marking his bowling crease by a huge margin.

Umpire Billy Bowden immediately raised his arm to signal the no-ball at 1:56pm.

Pakistan's 18-year-old rising star had sealed cricket's shame on the pitch once illuminated by legends including WG Grace, Ian Botham and Don Bradman.

But the sly player brazenly tried to hide the truth, raking the spikes of his boots across the line and asking for sawdust to be put down as he falsely blamed the no-ball on loose footing.

Bemused Sky commentator Ian Botham exclaimed: "No-ball. Because of the one-dayers, you don't see that too often with the bowlers who play two forms of the game. They've got into the discipline of keeping behind that front line

The BBC online commentary read: "Dirty great no-ball from Aamer, that was fully two feet over."

Seven overs later, yet more disgrace was heaped on the game, as 27-year-old Asif also overstepped the crease on the last ball of the tenth over. He too went through the masquerade of calling for sawdust to dry the ground.

Former England captain Mike Atherton commented: "There's been a couple of biggish no-balls. He was over that front line by a good half-a-foot or so."

Play was abandoned due to bad light and rain at 5.45pm so the third no-ball promised by Majeed didn't happen

But after play ended for the day Majeed smugly rang our reporter to brag. "You a bit more comfortable now?" he asked. "Told you. Once you showed your hand, I showed my hand, okay

Then he revealed how he had arranged another no-ball for the following day's play.

"Right, it's going to be Aamer's third over and third ball," he said.

"It'll be his third over, not the third over of the game." He ended the call by reminding our man: "Boss, I'm telling you, you're dealing with the right person, you're not dealing with an idiot, all right

But on Friday morning Majeed contacted our man saying that he'd received a message from Aamer

Majeed said: "He's briefed up. He's just texted me now to say 'Shall I do it or not

And Aamer did do it -- despite getting off to a sensational start, taking three quick wickets in nine balls.

Commentators described him as being "on fire" as England wickets tumbled to his pace attack. Aamer managed to skittle out England batsmen Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Eoin Morgan without any of them scoring a single run. It was only the fifth time in history the third, fourth and fifth batsmen in an order had been dismissed for ducks. During the blitz, former West Indian fast bowler Michael Holding, commentating for Sky, said: "It's been Mohammad Aamer's morning. He's made that ball talk."

His colleague Michael Atherton said: "Remarkable stuff this morning from Pakistan and in particular Mohammad Aamer. Just 18 years of age. He's running in from the Pavilion End. He's like an old hand.

"He looks like he's going to get a wicket with every ball he bowls."

With Aamer tearing through the batsmen, Majeed quickly contacted our man, warning that the promised no-ball might have to be cancelled and that we shouldn't place big bets on it. He said the captain might tell Aamer to keep up the onslaught. "So much is happening out there at the moment," he added. Majeed was right  captain Butt, who Majeed boasts is one of his players in the fixing scam  did have a quick word with Aamer just before the third ball of the third over.

Usually mid-over conversations between bowlers and captains would be about the placement of fielders and whether to make any changes.

On this occasion, no changes were made, prompting commentator Michael Holding to chip in: "A quick conference between captain and the bowler. Hasn't resulted in the field being changed. Not yet."

But there was a sudden change in Aamer's form. As promised, he bowled and again placed his foot over the crease, into the banned area -- a no-ball. The umpire had a word with Aamer about the surprise delivery, pointing out how far over the line his foot had been.

On the TV replay, the side view showed he placed his foot at least eight inches past the line. It prompted bowling legend Michael Holding to exclaim: "How far over was that? Woh!"

Ian Botham added: "It's like net bowling" -- referring to when bowlers don't try so hard when they are practising in the nets.

With his next ball Aamer bowled a delivery that again caused problems for Jonathan Trott, with both commentators saying how good a ball it had been. Test Match Special listeners on BBC Radio 4 heard Jonathan Agnew and England legend Geoffrey Boycott recall how Aamer had massively overstepped the crease the day before and called the delivery a "hostile ball". Agnew explained to listeners that Aamer's boot was over the line "by a foot".

They then discussed the possibility that Aamer could have done it on purpose in a bid to deliver the quicker ball closer to the batsman.

After the disgraceful cheating by Aamer, Majeed rang back and told our man: "I'm not a joker, boss, okay So you're confident"

Grasping Majeed demanded yet another 10,000-pound payment. He said: "Try and get it to me four or five o'clock, yeah? Because I can give it to them as soon as they're finished, then that's done."

He explained how he was due to meet the team straight after close of play to accompany them to a charity dinner organised by the Pakistan Cricket Board. In an emotional interview after Friday's play on Friday, Aamer hid his secret shame and told of his pride at bagging his first five-wicket haul at Lord's.

The young bowler, who made a big show of kneeling to kiss the hallowed turf on reaching the landmark, told Test Match Special: "These moments are for me good. At Lord's I wanted my name on the [honours] board and I did it."

He called the delivery that snared England's Alistair Cook -- shortly before he carried out his third bent no-ball the "most delightful wicket."

Ironically, the cheat said it was the best day of his career so far

Pakistan taint cricket again

A SLEAZY CHAPTER TO LORD'S HISTORY: Pakistan manager Yawar Saeed (R)
reads the day's News of the World as he sits in the Lord's balcony as Pakistan bat
during the fourth day of the fourth and final Test against England yesterday.
Also sitting in the famed balcony is wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal (C),
one of the four alleged by Mazhar Majeed to be involved in spot-fixing.

Pakistan's cricket team were embroiled in an alleged betting scam Sunday after British police arrested a man on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers during a Test match against England.

The News of the World newspaper said it paid 150,000 pounds (230,000 dollars, 185,000 euros) to a middle man in return for details about the timing of three no-balls in the match, which ended Sunday in victory for England.

The report said that two Pakistan bowlers, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif, delivered the blatant no-balls at the exact points in the match agreed with the alleged fixer.

The Pakistan team manager said the bowlers and captain Salman Butt had been interviewed by Scotland Yard detectives about the allegations.

The newspaper published a photograph of the alleged middle man, Mazhar Majeed, counting wads of banknotes given to him by a reporter posing as a front man for a betting syndicate.

A spokesman for London's Metropolitan Police told AFP: "Following information received from the News of the World we have arrested a 35-year-old man on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers."

The match, the fourth and final Test between the two countries, resumed as normal at Lord's on Sunday with Pakistan collapsing to defeat with the rapid loss of six wickets to give England victory in the four-match series.

Unusually, the post-match presentation ceremony did not take place on the outfield but was moved inside to the Long Room of the Lord's pavilion.

During the ceremony, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Giles Clarke refused to shake Aamer's hand when presenting him with the Pakistan Man of the Series award. The International Cricket Council stressed that no players or team officials had been arrested over the fixing claims.

Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed confirmed that Scotland Yard detectives had visited the team's hotel on Saturday and had spoken to Aamer, Asif and skipper Butt and took away the three players' mobile phones. Despite the allegations, Saeed denied that Pakistan cricket was "institutionally corrupt". The latest allegations will heap further suspicion on cricket in Pakistan, which is already at a low ebb.

Pakistan have been unable to play matches at home since a militant attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in March last year effectively turned the country into a 'no-go area' for international cricket. The team has been dogged by 'fixing' allegations since the 1990s and also embroiled in ball-tampering. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his disappointment at the allegations and promised that any players found guilty would be severely punished.

If wrongdoing was proven, "all the players involved must forget to play for Pakistan in future," the president's spokesman Farhatullah Babar said. The News of the World claimed their reporters had posed as front men for an Asian gambling cartel, paying 10,000 pounds to the alleged fixer as an upfront deposit. They met again on Wednesday in a London hotel room to hand over the rest of the money as their "entry ticket" into what they claimed was a "huge betting syndicate".

In barely two hours of play Sunday, Pakistan rapidly lost wickets to hand England a crushing victory by an innings and 225 runs with more than a day to spare to wrap up a 3-1 win in the series. Pakistan's players now face an awkward time as they must remain in England for a series of one-day matches

US sprinter Tyson Gay flies, Semenya fails

 Tyson Gay

US sprinter Tyson Gay overcame a false start to steam to victory in the 100m at the season's final Diamond League meet here on Friday, but Caster Semenya failed in her bid to win the women's 800m.

In a season which has seen Jamaican duo Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell sidelined through injury, Gay settled his nerves after a starter's error to clock 9.79sec to be crowned the season's top performer in the event, netting 40,000 dollars.

Jamaican duo Nesta Carter (9.85sec personal best) and Yohan Blake (9.91) completed the podium.

"I'm kind of pleased with the time but not with the race as I didn't execute my start," said Gay, whom many in the crowd thought had false-started -- something that would have led to him being disqualified, the organisers' nightmare.

"I didn't false start," he stressed. "I think someone's box slipped. But the cameras kept zooming in on me. It made me nervous and threw me out a bit.

"I'm pleased with my last 30 metres. My plan (this season) was to be victorious."

Semenya, South Africa's reigning 800m world champion, could only finish third in her debut in the Diamond League.

The 19-year-old was racing in only her fourth outing since returning from 11 months on the sidelines following a controversial investigation by IAAF, the sport's governing body, into her gender.

She dropped immediately into last spot in the field and still had six runners ahead of her at 200m.

Kenya's Janeth Jepkosgei dominated the race and won in 1min 58.82sec, with Russian Mariya Savinova coming home in second.

Semenya produced a spurt for third with a season's best of 1:59.65, a way off the 1:55.45 time that won her the world title last year.

"The race was very tactical but also very quick," Semenya said. "I was never up there with the leaders."

In a good night for Kenyan athletes, newly-crowned world record holder David Rudisha won the 800m title, winning in 1:43.50 ahead of Sudan's Abubaker Kaki in a close sprint finish.

Rudisha's compatriot Asbel Kiprop won the 1500m in 3:32.18, American Leonel Manzano producing a fantastic sprint for second, with title contender Augustine Choge in third.

And Vivian Cheruiyot made it four Kenyan titles in one night when she outpaced Ethiopian Sentayehu Ejigu to win the 5000m in 14:34.14.

In the women's events, Canada's Priscilla Lopes-Schliep took victory in the 100m hurdles in 12.54sec, with closest rival Lolo Jones of the United States only managing fifth.

Yargelis Savigne claimed the triple jump title despite finishing second to Kazakh Olga Rypakova and level in the overall standings, the Cuban getting the nod for the title because of her superior number of victories throughout the season.

Reasons of Barcelona Will Win La Liga This Season

1) A frugal defence
With attacking talent of the caliber of Lionel Messi & Pedro combined with the mastery of Xavi, Barcelona’s miserliness is often overlooked. But Victor Valdes belatedly received Spanish recognition on the back of his third Zamora trophy during 2009/10, conceding just 24 goals, the lowest of any team in Europe’s major leagues, and he is emerging as one of the best goalkeepers around.

In front of him, the international pairing of Gerard Pique and Carlos Puyol are perhaps only rivaled by Inter duo Lucio and Walter Samuel in terms of experience and ability, and they will continue to provide accomplished cover to allow Daniel Alves and Maxwell to maraud forward from full-back.

2) La Roja backbone = Settled side

Great teams are built on solid foundations, that once established are rarely tampered with, and become the backbone of the side upon which success depends. Barcelona’s spine has a distinctly Spanish flavor, running from Valdes, Pique, and Puyol, through Xavi and Iniesta, concluding with Pedro and Villa in attack. In the very heart of the Blaugrana lies the greatest La Furia Roja side in history, a team of World Cup winners, and their familiarity is a huge asset in the conflict with Real Madrid.

La Roja's triumph included a number of Barca regulars

Guardiola’s side is unlikely to deviate for top-level matches such as the El Clasico double-header and Champions League nights, because he already knows his best XI, and consequently his players know exactly what to expect from him. Jose Mourinho, on the other hand, has yet to watch his side’s reaction to a competitive fixture, and, inevitably, it will take the former Chelsea and Inter coach time to assess his favored XI and therefore establish a settled side.

Mourinho is the master at motivating players to be the vessel through which his tactical nous can be transmitted, and given he will wish to exert his own indomitable influence on the manner of his team’s performances, there is work to be done at los Blancos to get things right. Guardiola will have no such concerns about his own charges.

3). David Villa

For many, Villa’s acquisition is the final piece of the Barcelona puzzle, one that should have arrived last season, and compared to the sacrifice and expenditure exhausted in order to capture the wrong man in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Villa will be nothing short of a revelation.

For one, he is a striker comfortable operating from a left-sided role - a position that Aliaksandr Hleb, and notably Thierry Henry toiled to perform - as highlighted in his glittering performances for Spain at World Cup 2010. He is a proven striker in La Liga over the past seven seasons with both Real Zaragoza and Valencia, and few would bet against him being equally as prolific in a team were opportunities on goal will be plentiful.

Crucially though, he barely feels like a new signing; Xavi and Andres Iniesta have been supplying him with assists for the past four years with the national team, to devastating effect, and that precognitive understanding will require no bedding-in period or cause for adjustment. Last season Lionel Messi became the overly dependent source of goals – Villa will pick up the slack that was never really compensated for upon Samuel Eto’o’s departure.

4). Extinguishing the Mourinho factor

Barcelona have won two consecutive league titles, and The Special One has answered the rivals' call. Real Madrid have suffered six second-round Champions League exits in a row, and who do they enlist? Mourinho, fresh from ending Inter’s 45-year wait to regain club football’s finest prize. The Portuguese has a formidable reputation, and represents a very clear and apparent threat to Barcelona’s domestic supremacy.


But his presence also becomes a source of inspiration for Pep Guardiola, to cut his teeth against a coach from the A grade. Furthermore, last season’s semi-final exit at the hands of Mourinho’s insatiable Nerazzurri remains a sore point for the Blaugrana faithful. His exuberant gesticulations of joy on the hallowed Camp Nou pitch still hurt. ‘The Translator’, as he is disrespectfully dubbed, had wrestled the Champions League from their grasp.

FIFA drops N Korea probe

A FIFA investigation into claims that members of North Korea's World Cup squad had been punished following their failure to win a match has been dropped, world football's governing body said on Wednesday.

The FIFA probe had been launched after reports that several players had been publicly humiliated and coach Kim Jong-Hun sentenced to hard labour for the team's losses in South Africa.

FIFA said in a statement Wednesday that following a letter of inquiry they accepted the North Korean FA's insistence that the reports were "baseless".

The North Korean FA said the team was "training as usual" ahead of the Asian Games and there was no truth to the reports

The association also provided evidence to show that recent presidential elections were held in accordance with FIFA rules and were not affected by the World Cup as only one game had been played at that time.

FIFA said they were satisfied with the information received.

"With all of the information at hand, and having checked all of its sources, FIFA has decided to close the matter," a statement said.

Kenya's David Lekuta world record

Kenya's David Lekuta Rudisha celebrates after winning the men's 800m
race in the IAAF World Challenge in Berlin on Sunday.
He set a new world record with one minute 41.09 seconds.

Kenya's David Lekuta Rudisha set a new world record of one minute 41.09 seconds in the 800 metres on Sunday at Berlin's Olympic Stadium and insisted he can go faster still.

His time shaved two hundredths of a second off the previous best mark set by Denmark's Kenyan-born Wilson Kipketer in August 1997.

The 21-year-old African record holder and a world junior champion in the same distance in 2006, was led through the first 400m by pacesetter Sammy Tangui in 48.65sec.

Rudisha then managed to keep up his pace through to the line to break Kipketer's long-standing record, something he had recently been threatening to do, so promising has been his recent form on the track.

"This was my first real attempt to break the world record, I knew I was good, I had trained hard," said the softly-spoken Kenyan.

"Now that I have run that time, I can say I have the ability to improve and go faster.

"I am very happy, it feels great to have the world record."

Having only reached the 800m semifinals at the World Athletics Championships here in Berlin last August, Rudisha said he came to the German capital with something to prove and wanted to make up for last year's disappointment.

"Last year, I had a bad time in Berlin," he said.

"So I did not want to talk too much about the world record before the race.

"I knew it was my day, the weather was good.

"I told my pacemaker to run the first lap under 49 seconds. He did a great job, but in the last 200 metres I had to push really hard.

"But when I saw the clock at the end, it was amazing, a fantastic feeling.

"I am very happy to be the fastest 800 metres runner in the world.

"Running is like a profession to me, so this means everything."

Rudisha has been in great form all season while competing in Europe.

In Oslo's Diamond League meeting in June, he broke Sebastian Coe's 31-year-old meeting record with a run of 1 min 42.04 sec.

Then at a meet in the Belgian city of Heusden-Zolder in July, Rudisha timed 1:41.51, an African record and the fastest time in the world since Kipketer set the previous best 13 years ago.