07:18
Karthick Dharman
Posted in: Kannada ActressSunday, 9 October 2011
Fowler Storms To Maiden Win In Korea
CHEONAN: American Rickie Fowler claimed his first career victory with a six shot win at the Kolon Korea Open on Sunday, while Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy ended strongly to finish in second.
Fowler, 22, the world number 36, carded a three-under-par 68 final round to top the leaderboard at 16-under-par overall at the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club OneAsia event.
US Open champion McIlroy produced a final round rally, carding 64. But the 22-year-old world number three was left to rue a third round 73 and forced to settle for a second consecutive runner-up finish.
South Korea's Kim Meen-whee was three shots further adrift in third after a level par final round.
"It was a nice way to finish, but all the damage was done during the third round with a couple of bad holes in the middle of the round," said McIlroy, who dropped six shots in eight holes around the turn on Saturday.
"Looking back on this week, I will rue my third round, which could have been a lot better.
"If I had played a little better and shot a few under I might have had a chance, but Rickie has played fantastic this week and he deserves the win."
Fowler said his goal was to make the Ryder Cup team.
"It feels great to have the first win. I played well all week, although I did have to hang in on Friday and post a score," he said.
"But on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday I had good control of my ball, I drove well, and I made some putts."
The 2010 US PGA Tour Rookie of the Year took a four shot lead over defending champion YE Yang heading into the final round after carding a course record-equalling eight-under-par 63 on Saturday.
"This week I played well for four rounds which I have not been able to do that in the past," he said.
"I am looking forward to some time off and then I can look at everything and set some goals for next year."
He said next year he would play mainly on the PGA Tour where he would aim for his first win.
"I also haven't made the Tour Championship in the last two years, so that is another goal for next year. But the biggest goal is to make sure I make the Ryder Cup team," he said.
Korea's Republic's Kim-Meen-whee closed with a level par final round to claim third place ahead of Yang after the 2009 PGA Championship winner could only manage a 75 to slip to fourth.
Fowler, 22, the world number 36, carded a three-under-par 68 final round to top the leaderboard at 16-under-par overall at the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club OneAsia event.
US Open champion McIlroy produced a final round rally, carding 64. But the 22-year-old world number three was left to rue a third round 73 and forced to settle for a second consecutive runner-up finish.
South Korea's Kim Meen-whee was three shots further adrift in third after a level par final round.
"It was a nice way to finish, but all the damage was done during the third round with a couple of bad holes in the middle of the round," said McIlroy, who dropped six shots in eight holes around the turn on Saturday.
"Looking back on this week, I will rue my third round, which could have been a lot better.
"If I had played a little better and shot a few under I might have had a chance, but Rickie has played fantastic this week and he deserves the win."
Fowler said his goal was to make the Ryder Cup team.
"It feels great to have the first win. I played well all week, although I did have to hang in on Friday and post a score," he said.
"But on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday I had good control of my ball, I drove well, and I made some putts."
The 2010 US PGA Tour Rookie of the Year took a four shot lead over defending champion YE Yang heading into the final round after carding a course record-equalling eight-under-par 63 on Saturday.
"This week I played well for four rounds which I have not been able to do that in the past," he said.
"I am looking forward to some time off and then I can look at everything and set some goals for next year."
He said next year he would play mainly on the PGA Tour where he would aim for his first win.
"I also haven't made the Tour Championship in the last two years, so that is another goal for next year. But the biggest goal is to make sure I make the Ryder Cup team," he said.
Korea's Republic's Kim-Meen-whee closed with a level par final round to claim third place ahead of Yang after the 2009 PGA Championship winner could only manage a 75 to slip to fourth.
Posted in: Breaking News
Berdych Beats Cilic To Win China Open
BEIJING: Third seed Tomas Berdych ended his long title drought with a clinical 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Croatian Marin Cilic on a smoggy final day at the China Open tennis on Sunday.
Czech Berdych, who last won a title in Munich in May 2009, staged a second-set revival against the 25th-ranked Croatian and blazed through the decider.
Cilic, facing his first seeded player in this year's competition, set the tempo by breaking Berdych's serve in the second game.
Berdych's errors played a part in the first set which Cilic, who also lost the final two years ago, finished off with an ace.
World number 10 Berdych, playing in his first final since his 2010 Wimbledon centre court loss to Rafael Nadal, fought back, and took the match to a third set.
Both players dripped sweat in the unseasonably humid Beijing autumn weather and the problems were compounded by a pall of smog enveloping the National Tennis Centre.
The air quality monitor at the United States Embassy in Beijing recorded "hazardous" levels throughout the final day of competition.
German Andrea Petkovic was playing Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska in the women's final later on Saturday.
Czech Berdych, who last won a title in Munich in May 2009, staged a second-set revival against the 25th-ranked Croatian and blazed through the decider.
Cilic, facing his first seeded player in this year's competition, set the tempo by breaking Berdych's serve in the second game.
Berdych's errors played a part in the first set which Cilic, who also lost the final two years ago, finished off with an ace.
World number 10 Berdych, playing in his first final since his 2010 Wimbledon centre court loss to Rafael Nadal, fought back, and took the match to a third set.
Both players dripped sweat in the unseasonably humid Beijing autumn weather and the problems were compounded by a pall of smog enveloping the National Tennis Centre.
The air quality monitor at the United States Embassy in Beijing recorded "hazardous" levels throughout the final day of competition.
German Andrea Petkovic was playing Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska in the women's final later on Saturday.
Posted in: Breaking News
England Not Good Enough To Win Euro 2012, Says Neville
LONDON: England are not good enough to win Euro 2012 because the players have "no mobility and can't keep the ball", according to former England defender Gary Neville.
Neville, the former Manchester United and England right-back who won 85 England caps and retired earlier this year, also said Wayne Rooney's sending off in Friday's 2-2 draw with Montenegro should not deflect attention away from what he sees as the team's real problems.
England, who sealed their place with Friday's draw, will start the tournament without Rooney, who will be suspended for at least one match.
"It's as though we think one world class player might be able to propel us to a major trophy," Neville, writing in the Mail on Sunday, said.
"And now we are talking about Rooney possibly missing two games at Euro 2012 when what we should be talking about is the spine of a team that has no mobility and can't keep the ball.
"When I look at it coldly, a team that has John Terry, Gary Cahill, Scott Parker, Gareth Barry, Darren Bent and Rooney in its central positions is nowhere near good enough to take on the major nations such as Spain.
"I'm not having a go at individuals; there are some very good players among those names. Collectively, Rooney aside, there is hardly any pace, very little invention and hardly any rotation of positions.
"The real issue is that the spine of the team is not good enough, as it stands, to take on Spain, Italy, France or Germany at Euro 2012."
England play world champions Spain in a friendly at Wembley on November 12 and Neville says because of the players the visitors have, the match is very important.
"Compare (England) with the spine of Spain: Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Xabi Alonso, Xavi, David Villa and Fernando Llorente. That's the issue Fabio Capello now has to resolve and why the Wembley friendly is so much more than a practice.
"Never has a friendly been more important. "It's like a Cup final. Somehow, Capello has to do something that no England manager has done in 15 years, and that is make the England players believe that this next match could be the most important of their life."
Spain, the reigning European champions, have also qualified for the finals along with England, Italy, Germany, Netherlands and co-hosts Poland and Ukraine.
All 16 qualifiers will be known by next month.
Neville, the former Manchester United and England right-back who won 85 England caps and retired earlier this year, also said Wayne Rooney's sending off in Friday's 2-2 draw with Montenegro should not deflect attention away from what he sees as the team's real problems.
England, who sealed their place with Friday's draw, will start the tournament without Rooney, who will be suspended for at least one match.
"It's as though we think one world class player might be able to propel us to a major trophy," Neville, writing in the Mail on Sunday, said.
"And now we are talking about Rooney possibly missing two games at Euro 2012 when what we should be talking about is the spine of a team that has no mobility and can't keep the ball.
"When I look at it coldly, a team that has John Terry, Gary Cahill, Scott Parker, Gareth Barry, Darren Bent and Rooney in its central positions is nowhere near good enough to take on the major nations such as Spain.
"I'm not having a go at individuals; there are some very good players among those names. Collectively, Rooney aside, there is hardly any pace, very little invention and hardly any rotation of positions.
"The real issue is that the spine of the team is not good enough, as it stands, to take on Spain, Italy, France or Germany at Euro 2012."
England play world champions Spain in a friendly at Wembley on November 12 and Neville says because of the players the visitors have, the match is very important.
"Compare (England) with the spine of Spain: Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Xabi Alonso, Xavi, David Villa and Fernando Llorente. That's the issue Fabio Capello now has to resolve and why the Wembley friendly is so much more than a practice.
"Never has a friendly been more important. "It's like a Cup final. Somehow, Capello has to do something that no England manager has done in 15 years, and that is make the England players believe that this next match could be the most important of their life."
Spain, the reigning European champions, have also qualified for the finals along with England, Italy, Germany, Netherlands and co-hosts Poland and Ukraine.
All 16 qualifiers will be known by next month.
Posted in: Breaking News
It's Gayle And Virat Versus Mumbai Indians In Clt20 Final
CHENNAI: T20 is all about momentum and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have that at the moment. Coming from the brink after losing two straight games, they have made it to the final and are the overwhelming favourites against Mumbai Indians.
RCB's success story has revolved around three top-order players -- Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and Tillakaratne Dilshan. The others have chipped in with bits and pieces performances, but the trio has consistently provided the thrust to help the team go past 200-plus totals in two back-to-back games and against quality Australian attacks.
Gayle, of course, is the biggest threat and MS Dhoni had shown during the IPL how to keep the marauding left-hander in check. In two games, he started with R Ashwin and the offie got rid of the left-hander early. Mumbai, too, have a spinner of the calibre of Harbhajan Singh.
One thing that may go in favour of Mumbai bowlers is the nature of the Chepauk track. It's not like Chinnaswamy where the ball comes on to the bat, something that the likes of Kohli, Dilshan and Gayle really enjoy. The RCB boys haven't played on this new Chepauk surface and that may just make things difficult for them.
"We have been here for a while now and know how the pitch behaves," Mumbai Indians bowling coach Shaun Pollock had said.
The team has played three games here, winning two, and even in the one game they lost against NSW, the bowlers did look good after the batting faltered.
The Mumbai Indians batting, of course, is still a bit of a worry. They lack the one solid batsman, who can take them through if things go tight. James Franklin has tried to play the part, but he doesn't have the quality of a Kohli to do that consistently.
On the bowling front though, there's not much to choose from. The likes of Lasith Malinga and Bhajji have the ability to put the brakes on. RCB's Daniel Vettori and Dirk Nannes, too, know how to operate in Indian conditions.
Local left-arm spinner Syed Mohammad could have been a good option for RCB on this track, but he is out with a ligament tear and that will be a blow.
RCB's success story has revolved around three top-order players -- Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and Tillakaratne Dilshan. The others have chipped in with bits and pieces performances, but the trio has consistently provided the thrust to help the team go past 200-plus totals in two back-to-back games and against quality Australian attacks.
Gayle, of course, is the biggest threat and MS Dhoni had shown during the IPL how to keep the marauding left-hander in check. In two games, he started with R Ashwin and the offie got rid of the left-hander early. Mumbai, too, have a spinner of the calibre of Harbhajan Singh.
One thing that may go in favour of Mumbai bowlers is the nature of the Chepauk track. It's not like Chinnaswamy where the ball comes on to the bat, something that the likes of Kohli, Dilshan and Gayle really enjoy. The RCB boys haven't played on this new Chepauk surface and that may just make things difficult for them.
"We have been here for a while now and know how the pitch behaves," Mumbai Indians bowling coach Shaun Pollock had said.
The team has played three games here, winning two, and even in the one game they lost against NSW, the bowlers did look good after the batting faltered.
The Mumbai Indians batting, of course, is still a bit of a worry. They lack the one solid batsman, who can take them through if things go tight. James Franklin has tried to play the part, but he doesn't have the quality of a Kohli to do that consistently.
On the bowling front though, there's not much to choose from. The likes of Lasith Malinga and Bhajji have the ability to put the brakes on. RCB's Daniel Vettori and Dirk Nannes, too, know how to operate in Indian conditions.
Local left-arm spinner Syed Mohammad could have been a good option for RCB on this track, but he is out with a ligament tear and that will be a blow.
Posted in: Breaking News
