Agassi, Rafter
dispatch Bryan twins

NEW YORK, Aug 28: Second seed Andre Agassi, the star attraction on the opening night of the U S Open, enhanced his reputation as the king of floodlit tennis with an easy victory over American qualifier Mike Bryan yesterday.......more

Waugh returns to
top of world rankings

LONDON, Aug 28: Australian captain Steve Waugh has reclaimed the top spot in the price water housecoopers ratings for test batsmen.......more

Seles cruises into
second round
at U S Open

NEW YORK, Aug 28: Twice former champion Monica Seles made a fast start to her U S Open campaign with a 6-1 6-2 victory over Australian Nicole Pratt. ..more

India eyeing first series
win abroad in eight years

COLOMBO, Aug 28: Having notched up a comprehensive victory in the second test to come roaring back into the series, India are now eyeing their chances of a rare series win abroad as they go into the third and final cricket test match agains Sri Lanka here tomorrow.......more

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 28: Army School, Ratnuchak defeated Army School, Kaluchak 18-14.........more

Ist Master Rahul, Bhanu Pratap Memorial Cricket
Sanjay Club beats
BCC by eight wickets

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 28: Sanjay Cricket Club today registered a big eight wickets....more

Muni Kamal School
celebrates Annual Day

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 28: Muni Kamal High School, Gangyal today celebrated its Annual Day.......more

2nd Fire Services Inter-Command Sports
Jammu Command beats
Rajouri to bag Volleyball title

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 28: Jammu Command lifted the Volleyball title in the 2nd Fire Services Inter-Command Sports, Professional.....more

 
Final of the basketball between Army School, Ratnuchak and Army School, Kaluchak in progress.

Agassi, Rafter dispatch Bryan twins

NEW YORK, Aug 28: Second seed Andre Agassi, the star attraction on the opening night of the U S Open, enhanced his reputation as the king of floodlit tennis with an easy victory over American qualifier Mike Bryan yesterday.

The twice former U S Open champion got stronger as the night wore on, posting a 6-4 6-1 6-0 victory in 75 minutes to improve his career record under the lights at the national tennis center to an eye-popping 19-2.

"To me it’s the greatest arena to play tennis in, the night match at the open. I’ve always loved it, I love the energy. I’ve had nothing but great experiences and it’s a great way to start," said the 1994 and 1999 champion.

Bryan gave a good account of himself in the early exchanges, breaking Agassi’s first service game.

But once the 31-year-old Agassi not going, there was no slowing him. He stormed through the third set in a mere 18 minutes with the loss of just eight points.

"There was no letting up, he’s like a shark out there," Bryan said. "He has so much depth and his angles take you so far outside the court, it’s hard to hit it."

In a bit of eerie symmetry, Mike Bryan’s identical twin bob also drew a double U S Open champion as his first-round opponent —sixth seed Patrick Rafter.

The popular Australian dispatched Bob Bryan 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 7-5 earlier on the opening day of the year’s final Grand Slam Tournament.

"To get out of it in straight sets was a relief, that’s for sure," said Rafter who lost five-set first-round matches here the past two years after lifting the U S Open trophy in 1998 and 1997.

"It does feel good to actually be in the tournament for a change," joked Rafter who could be playing the final Grand Slam of his career.

The 28-year-old serve-and-volley wizard, who has reached the final of his last four tournaments, including Wimbledon, plans to take at least six months off tennis after this season as he contemplates retirement.

Owner of probably the most deft net game in tennis, rafter produced 52 volley winners in his victory.

Marat Safin launched his title defence with a 6-4 6-2 6-2 victory over French qualifier Sebastien De Chaunac.

The 21-year-old Russian, who beat Pete Sampras last year to capture his first Grand Slam crown, has struggled through a difficult and disappointing season without a single title to his credit after winning a tour-best seven last year.

While the 6-foot-4-inch Safin looked impressive on his return to the scene of his greatest triumph, the win apparently did little to ease his crisis of confidence.

"It’s gonna be a miracle if I can win here because of the way I played all year," Safin said.

Briton Tim Henman looked well on the way to emulating the straight-sets wins of his seeded peers but turned out to be a glutton for punishment.

The ninth seed squandered a two-set lead before pulling out a 6-3 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 3-6 6-3 victory over Czech qualifier Jan Vacek in three hours and 53 minutes.

To add to the unnecessary drama, Henman had to wait for a one hour and 45 minute rain delay at 4-3 in the fifth set before finishing off vacek.

"I would like to have finished it off in the third set, wasn’t able to do that, obviously, and it became a struggle after that," Henman said.

A quartet of former champions — Martina Hingis (1997), Lindsay Davenport (1998), Monica Seles (1991, 1992) and Serena Williams (1999) — all moved safely into the second round of the women’s singles.

Top seed Hingis taught double U S collegiate champion Laura Granville a thing or two about Grand Slam life with a 6-2 6-0 demolition in 46 minutes.

Third seed Davenport was two minutes faster in putting away German Andrea Glass 6-2 6-3 while Seles, the seventh seed, also needed less than an hour to overpower Australian Nicole Pratt 6-1 6-2.

But Williams, sporting an outfit in New York taxi cab yellow, hit a bump in the road on the way to the second round.

The 10th seed needed to shake off some opening night jitters before ousting 95th-ranked German Anca Barna 4-6 6-1 6-2 in the tournament’s opening floodlit match.

"I was maybe a little bit too nervous in the first set," admitted the American, whose over-hitting produced 23 unforced errors in the opening set.

But Williams added: "It never crossed my mind that I was going to lose."

Other winners included sixth-seeded Wimbledon runner-up Justine Henin of Belgium, 12th-seeded American Meghann Shaughnessy, who needed a third-set tie-break to get past Italy’s Rita Grande, and 14th seed Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia.

Fourth seed Venus Williams opens her title defence on Tuesday against Slovakian qualifier Lenka Dlhopolcova. (REUTERS)

Waugh returns to top of world rankings

LONDON, Aug 28: Australian captain Steve Waugh has reclaimed the top spot in the pricewaterhousecoopers ratings for test batsmen.

Waugh, who came back from injury to score an unbeaten 157 in the fifth and final Ashes test against England, replaces Sachin Tendulkar as number one. Tendulkar missed India’s current series in Sri Lanka because of injury.

Paceman Glenn McGrath, named Australia’s man-of-the-series for the ashes tour with 32 wickets, remains top of the bowling rankings, and with 919 points now has the best rating of any bowler from any country for nearly 20 years.

Australian spinner Shane Warne, who claimed an 11-wicket haul in the Oval test, is in sixth — his best rating for over three years.

Ratings

batsmen

Player team points average

1. Steve Waugh Australia 877 51.87

2. Sachin Tendulkar India 875 57.18

3. Andy Flower Zimbabwe 830 51.42

4. Rahul Dravid India 814 54.26

5. Inzamam-ul-haq Pakistan 803 46.79

6. Adam Gilchrist Australia 790 51.30

7. Brian Lara West Indies 769 47.68

8. Mahela Jayawardene Sri Lanka 748 43.54

9. Daryll Cullinan South Africa 746 44.21

10. Mark Waugh Australia 743 42.92

Bowlers

Player team points average

1. Glenn McGrath Australia 919 21.28

2. Shaun Pollock South Africa 896 20.32

3. Allan Donald South Africa 817 21.64

4. Muttiah Muralitharan Sri Lanka 782 25.44

5. Darren Gough England 746 27.57

6. Shane Warne Australia 736 26.01

7. Harbhajan Singh India 693 26.90

7. Heath Streak Zimbawe 693 24.82

9. Saqlain Mushtaq Pakistan 685 29.45

10. Chris Cairns New Zealand 663 29.21 (REUTERS)

Seles cruises into second round at U S Open

NEW YORK, Aug 28: Twice former champion Monica Seles made a fast start to her U S Open campaign with a 6-1 6-2 victory over Australian Nicole Pratt.

Seventh seed Seles was in control yesterday throughout and never gave Pratt a chance to get into the 58-minute match.

Playing in the old Louis armstrong stadium where she won the U S Open as a teenager in 1991 and 1992, the 27-year-old pounded 24 winners in a lopsided affair.(REUTERS)

India eyeing first series win abroad in eight years

COLOMBO, Aug 28: Having notched up a comprehensive victory in the second test to come roaring back into the series, India are now eyeing their chances of a rare series win abroad as they go into the third and final cricket test match agains Sri Lanka here tomorrow.

The side that remained the underdog for most of the tour, with some of the top stars back home nursing injuries, and those here - batsmen and bowlers not performing to potential, is suddenly brimming with confidence after the seven wicket win in Kandy, that squared the series 1-1, and ready to go for the kill.

It is just be a coincidence that India had their last series win on foreign soil at the Sinhalese Sports Club, the venue of tomorrow’s match, in 1993. It is another coincidence that England, who came here before India, took the same route to carve out a memorable 2-1 victory over Sri Lanka.

For, when the Indians walk on to the field tomorrow, it would not be history but their performance that will count. And they will have to come up with something similar to what they did in Kandy to have any chances of victory here.

On their part, Sri Lanka have been quick to realise their follies in the second test with captain Sanath Jayasuriya blaming the batsmen for their inability to capitalise on the 42-run first innings lead. He also criticised his bowlers for not maintaining a tight line in the second innings. And as a firefighting measure, Sri Lanka are most likely to trade all-rounder Suresh Perera for young left-hander Michael Vandort to strengthen their batting.

The Indians look least concerned about the changes in Sri Lankan side. Right now they are eager to do to the hosts what they did to Australia earlier this year.

Probably the best thing to happen to India in the Kandy test, apart from the victory of course, was the return to form of captain Saurav Ganguly. During his prolonged lean patch, Ganguly had been able to come up with a couple of good scores, against Australia at home and on the Zimbabwe tour, but his innings in Kandy was the most convincing which gives the impression that he has finally found his elegant touch.

He missed his century by just two runs in Kandy and that should urge him on in this test to compensate for that miss.

India would need another good performance by the duo of Ganguly and Rahul Dravid, whose innings in Kandy were crucial for victory. They form the backbone of Indian batting and they must click for the team to put up a healthy score.

The youngsters, the likes of Hemang Badani and Mohammad Kaif, are due for a big score now and this is probably their last opportunity to make a mark. When Sachin Tendulkar and V V S Laxman return to the side ahead of the tour to South Africa in October, these young players might be struggling to find their place in the team if they don’t do something big here.

So far in this series, the Indians have relied on a three-pronged pace attack with just Harbhajan Singh as the lone spinner. But there were indications that an extra spinner might be included here if there was some help in the pitch for the slow bowlers.

However, the final composition of the team was likely to be announced only late in the evening today or tomorrow morning after having a good look at the wicket.

Venkatesh Prasad and Zaheer Khan had bowled very tight line in the Kandy test, pitching the ball up and letting it do the trick, and the same would be expected of them here also. Fast bowlers have done quite well on this ground in recent past and both Prasad and Zaheer can look forward to another good haul.

The Sri Lankan speedsters would also be looking to get their acts together after coming under flak from their captain. Chaminda Vaas, Dilhara Fernando and Ruchira Perera have done very well in this series and they would be keen to prove that the second innings in Kandy was just an aberration.

Muthiah Muralitharan too will have a point or two to prove against the Indian batsmen who have been among his favourite bunnies in recent times. Dravid and Ganguly had gone hard against him in the previous test to blunt his attack that became one of the vital reasons for India’s success.

If Vandort gets his debut test, it would mean either Marvan Atapattu or Kumar Sangakkara would have to bat at number six. Both of them have been in fine form and their going lower down will lend solidity to the middle order which had looked just a bit shaky in Kandy.

The key to Sri Lanka, as usual, would be the performance of Jayasuriya. The captain cracked a brilliant hundred in the first test in Galle and the team won by ten wickets. He failed in both innings in Kandy and the result was for all to see. Jayasuriya has an awesome record against India averaging more than double than what he does against other countries. He is one man the Indians need to be wary of.

Teams (from):

India: Saurav Ganguly (Capt), Rahul Dravid, Shiv Sunder Das, Sadagopan Ramesh, Mohammad Kaif, Hemang Badani, Sameer Dighe, Venkatesh Prasad, Zaheer Khan, Harvinder Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Dinesh Mongia, Rahul Sanghvi, Sairaj Bahutule, Jacob Martin.

Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya (Capt), Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardena, Russel Arnold, Hashan Tillekaratne, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Chaminda Vaas, Suresh Perera, Dilhara Fernando, Ruchira Perera, Duleep Liyanage, Muttiah Muralitharan, Thilan Samaraweera. (PTI)

Inter-army school competitions
Army School Ratnuchak wins boys’ Baskebtball final

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 28: Army School, Ratnuchak defeated Army School, Kaluchak 18-14 to take away the winners trophy in the boys’ basketball event in the ongoing Inter-army school (NC) Region No 3 sports meet at Army School, Ratnuchak.

In basketball girls, Army School, Jammu Cantt outplayed Army School, Ratnuchak to lift the winners trophy. Earlier, in the semi-finals, Army School, Ratnuchak defeated Army School, Kaluchak 19-15 to find berth in the final.

In the Volleyball boys, Army School, BD Bari and Army School, Jammu Cantt reached the final. In the first semi-final, Army School, B D Bari beat Army School, Kaluchak, while in the second semi-final, Army School, Jammu Cantt outplayed host Army School, Ratnuchak.

Final in the Volleyball group will be played tomorrow.