NEW DELHI Nov 5: Chandigarh teenager Shruti Dhawan capped a dream run by toppling top seed and favourite Sai Jayalakshmi in straight sets to claim the title in the Central Bank ITF Women’s Satellite Masters Tennis Tournament today.

The 16-year-old trainee at the recently disbanded Dhaita Centre in the Capital added the vital aspect of temperament to her repertoire of shot-making to overwhelm her surprisingly off-colour opponent 7-5 6-3 in a final lasting one hour and 15 minutes at the Delhi Tennis Association hardcourts here.

Shruti, who had outlasted second seed Rushmi Chakravarthy in the semifinals yesterday, displayed none of the frustration evident as she laboured to win then by keeping her cool to post her biggest victory in her nascent career and the first over her 21-year-old rival in four meetings.

The teenager, who had been a picture of consistency by making the semifinal in the first leg in Ahmedabad and the last eight in both Pune and Indore satellite legs in her very first year in the seniors, collected five WTA points with her winner’s purse of 800 US (around Rs 33,900).

Winner at Pune and Indore and finalist in Ahmedabad, a disappointed Sai Jayalakshmi explained her subdued show to an upset stomach. She collected 500 (around Rs 21,200) and four WTA points.

‘I didn’t expect it to be this easy. Today I just wanted to try harder and played freely without feeling any pressure. She was up all the time. I was mentally cool today,’ said an elated Shruti Dhawan after the victory.

The athletically-bult teenager who will have to play in one more itf event to get into the WTA computer rankings as she collected her first points today, came on top of a first set which saw as many as seven breaks of serves.

Sai Jayalakshmi began in a promising way with two breaks to go up 3-1 but Shruti bounced back by keeping shots deep to either flanks and angling her approaches well to neutralise the sharp backhand crosscourt shots of her senior rival.

After trading breaks in the ninth and 10th games to be level, Shruti steadied her serve to go up 6-5 and ran up two setpoints as Sai Jayalakshmi committed two double faults to concede a 0-40 leeway and surrendered the set with the third.

The top seed showed signs of recovery as she once again ent up 3-1, but Shruti then began tightening up her game. She kept up a positive approach but played patiently by engaging Sai Jayalakshmi in rallies to draw errors. She quickly drew level 3-all and then unleashed a couple of slick backhand shots to hold and go up 4-3.

But Sai Jayalakshmi’s game nosedived and looking uneasy, she took a toilet break, only to return and promptly be broken and Shruti was left to serve for the set and match.

Unlike yesterday, when her anxiety and frustration saw her squander four match points against Rushmi Chakravarthy, she played the waiting game to force mistakes from her rival and converted the first matchpoint when Sai Jayalakshmi sent her backhand just ‘long’. (PTI)

NEW DELHI,Nov 5: There are many checks but only one mate —the Russian saying may serve as a guiding light for the many contestants from around the world who will vie for the World Junior Chess Championships beginning at Calicut in Kerala on November 16.

At a press conference here today hosts of the world event, the All India Chess Federation (AICF), said they had so far received entries from 44 countries including India, England, the USA, China and the Netherlands. More than 60 countries were expected to participate in the 17-day and 13-round Swiss League Tournament, they added.

While the event will have winners fighting for the grandmaster, the non-title holders will, however, directly contest for the international masters.

Each country can field not more than two players, but the restriction does not apply to seeded chesspersons and the host nation, said the organisers.

R Karthik, IMS K Sasikaran and Tejas Bakre (boys), and WIN S Vijayalakshmi, S Meenakshy and Pallavi Shah (girls) represent India on the participants’ list.

Being a host, India will also field 9 additional entries in the boys’ category and three in the girls’.

World’s youngest Gm, Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine, Gm Galkin Alexander of Russia and European champion for 1998 Aronian Levon from Armenia are among those who have confirmed their participation in the contest.

The Government of India and its state counterpart in Kerala have sanctioned Rs 500,000 each for the event even as a healthy financial support from the corporate houses to catch up with an overall budget of Rs 120 lakh. The prize money will be fixed in a week’s time, according to the hosts.

Kerala Chief Minister C K Nayanar will inaugurate the tournament.(UNI)

Titmus gives clean chit to Harbhajan’s action

MUMBAI, Nov 5: The blossoming career of young off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, under a cloud recently, got a shot-in-the-arm when former England test weaker keeper Fred Titmus gave his bowling action a clean chit in London recently.

Ex-England off-spinner Titmus felt there was nothing wrong with the delivery style of the 18-year-old Punjab bowler in total contrast to the "throwing panel" of the International Cricket Council (ICC) which had termed it as "suspect" and recommended that corrective measures be taken at the earliest.

"Frd Feltand told me that there is nothing illegal about Harbhajan’s action. He only recommended some changes to improve the youngster’s bowling", former Mumbai off-spinner and Indian Board’s (BCCI) Executive Secretary Sharad Diwadkar, who had accompanied Harbhajan to London, told here today.

The duo returned home last night.

"Fred told Harbhajan not to allow his head to fall to his side at the instant of delivery so that there is very little gap between the head and his bowling arm. He also told the bowler to land his left foot in front and not wide. The suggestions were well taken", Diwadkar said.

"Both Fred and I felt Harbhajan needs to curtail his run-up, but the bowler feels more comfortable with his present run-up", the BCCI official said.

"The two-day stint was held indoors at middlesex and Harbhajan’s new style of bowling has been videotaped. Fred’s report and the videotape would be sent soon to all the members of the ICC panel", Diwadkar said and added he expected Titmus’ view about the legality of Harbhajan’s action to be included in the report.

The younster’s bowling came under the scrutiny of two ICC match referees — South Africa’s Peter Van Der Merwe and Sri Lanka’s Ranjan Madugalle — last season when Harbhajan made his international debut at home.

The reports of the match referees prompted ICC’s "throwing panel", chaired by West Indan Clyde Walcott, to reveiw video footages of the matches featuring the young Indian bowler.

The panel decided that corrective action needed to be taken by the Indian Board and a letter to this effect was written to BCCI which, in turn, directed its selection committee not to consider Harbhajan for the tours to Dhaka (nine-nation wills cup) and Sharjah (the tri-nation tournament to start tomorrow).

BCCI also accepted ICC’s suggestion and sent the youngster to Titmus for taking corrective measures on his "suspect" action.

Board Secretary Jaywant Lele has already stated that Harbhajan is free to be picked for India now. The bowler is to play for the Board President’s XI against the visiting West Indies "A" in thre-day match here from November 18. (PTI)

Warne likely to miss three tests: Border

SYDNEY, Nov 5: Former Australian cricket captain and current selector Allan Border says star spinner Shane Warne may be left out of the opening three Ashes tests against England for his own good.

Border doused Warne’s optimism that he might recover from a shoulder injury in time to play in the opening test in Brisbane from November 20.

Writing in a syndicated newspaper column today, Border said Warne would likely miss the first two tests to prevent him causing further damage to his injured shoulder.

"Given an incident-free comeback to first class cricket and a spotless report from the specialists, the best-case scenario is for Warne to return in the third test in Adelaide from December 15," Border wrote. "But, in my view, the more realistic date is the fourth test in Melbourne on (December 26)."

Warne bowled for the first time since surgery in April during a district cricket match last weekend. He got a wicket with his third ball and finished with 1-13 from six overs.

He had hoped to make Victoria’s team for the Sheffield Shield match being played against new South Wales in Melbourne but was left out and has one more shield chance before the first test.

But Border’s statements were the strongest indication yet that the selectors would take a hardline on Warne.

"Only last week there were headlines about Shane bowling 30 balls in the nets," Border wrote. "You simply cannot go from bowling 30 balls at moderate intensity to delivering 80 test match overs at maximum intensity within three weeks."

Border said he had spoken to warne on the phone and the match-winning leg-spinner had raised the possibility of a return for the first test.

"I have said to him you have some serious talking to do to convince me that would be possible," Border wrote.

Border played a record 156 test matches and is the highest run-scorer in test cricket. He said Australia had begun to adopt a tougher stance on injured players.

"We want him for five to seven years," said Border. "One extra month on the sidelines is not a big price to pay."

Warne has dominated england since his first ball in ashes conflict, a leg-spinner which knocked over Mike Gatting’s off stump.

England team management made a special effort to counter Warne on this tour, handing out an extensive document detailing the art of leg-spin. The tourists brought former Australian test bowler Peter Philpott on tour as their spin doctor and shortly after arrival the squad had a clinic where they were shown how to bowl like Warne.

Australia unveiled another promising leg-spinner in Pakistan last month when Stuart MacGill took nine wickets in Australia’s decisive first test victory in Rawalpindi. (AP)

PARIS, Nov 5:

Pete Sampras survived a first-set scare against Thomas Johansson before storming back to beat the Swede 7-6 (9-7), 6-1 in yesterday’s second round of the 2.55 million dollar Paris Open.

Serving at 3-5 in the first set, the world no. 1 saved two set points before winning the game and immediately breaking Johansson’s service to force a first-set tie break.

Even then, Sampras needed to be at his best.

With the scores tied at five points each, he played a breathtaking cross court backhand winner at full stretch.

The second set proved a much easier task, with Sampras in total command and losing only one game.

"I didn’t feel too comfortable in the first set and it showed. It took me a while to find my bearings," Sampras said. "I was struggling but I managed to squeek it out."

"Johansson played here a couple of days ago, so he was used the conditions," Sampras added.

Richard Krajicek, the no. 11 seed, withdrew with a knee injury while leading 5-2 in the final set, giving Marc Rosset of Switzerland a place in the third round.

"My season is finished," Krajicek said, adding that he will have an operation on his left knee next week.

No. 2 seed Marcelo Rios, one of the players battling with Sampras for the end-of-year no. 1 spot, had an easy second-round contest, beating Todd Woodbridge, 6-0, 6-4.

Woodbridge had a 2-0 record against Rios, and the Chilean had never previously won a match at the Paris Open. Despite that, the match was one-sided from the start.

Thanks to some wayward Woodbridge serving and blistering backhand returns from the Chilean, Rios took the first set without losing a game. He won in just one hour and two minutes.

No. 3 seed Patrick Rafter was in equally good form, beating France’s Nicolas Escude 6-3, 6-1.

Rafter set the tone by breaking Escude’s first service game, and holding his remaining serves to take the set.

At 1-1 in the second set, Rafter broke service again with a blisering forehand return that the Frenchman couldn’t reach.

"Today was the first time since the U S Open that I really got rhythm on my serve," Rafter said. "I also had a lot more confidence with my knee, which has given me problems recently."

Among other seeds to fall yesterday were no. 12 seed Jonas Bjorkman, who lost to fellow Swede Magnus Gustafsson, 6-3, 6-2, and no. 15 Jan Siemerink, who was eliminated by American Vincent Spadea, 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 7-6 (7-4).

Spain’s Albert Costa continued his dismal indoor form, crashing out to unseeded Frenchman Jerome Golmard, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5.

Golmard’s second-round win over the no. 16 seed means that the Frenchman will face Sampras in the next round.

Clay court specialist Costa, who benefited from a bye in the first round, has never won a match indoors.

Carlos Moya was another clay court specialist to lose, beaten by Australia’s Jason Stoltenberg, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Mark Philippoussis, this year’s U S Open finalist, ousted another seed, beating Petr Korda of the Czech Republic, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

After a fine start to the year, which saw him win the Australian Open, no. 10 seed Korda has been in poor form recently.

Korda, 30, said he only decided to stay on the ATP tour for another year after last month’s Ostrava Tournament. I am not doing what I should be doing on the court. I really need to win one match to change things. But I am not going to give up,’’ he said.

Russia’s Yevgeny Kafelnikov, the no. 8 seed, had a tough second round win, beating Magnus Norman of Sweden, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

No. 7 seed Karol Kucera was also pushed to three sets, before a sparkling third set display against France’s Fabrice Santoro.

The Slovak player eventually won 6-2, 3-6, 6-0. (AP)

LEIPZIG (GERMANY), Nov 5: In the second match of her latest comeback, Steffi Graf overcame a slow start and beat sixth-seeded Ai Sugiyama 6-4, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals of the Leipzig Open.

Graf, a four-time winner of the tournament who is unseeded this time because of her low ranking, yesterday had trouble finding her timing and clearly showed the lack of match practice early on against the quick Japanese.

But the former no. 1 picked up her game late in the first set and went on to post a workmanlike victory.

" I expected a tough match. She’s been playing good tennis in recent months. I played her a few months ago and lost in three close sets," Graf said. "I knew she would be aggressive."

In the quarterfinals, Graf will meet 19-year-old Frenchwoman Anne-Gaelle Sidot, who upset top-seeded Aranta Sanchez-Vicario, the reigning French Open champion and Graf’s old rival.

Sidot, a qualifier ranked no. 74 in the world, beat the Spaniard 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.

Graf was sidelined nearly two months after having surgery for a bone spur in her right wrist.

The 29-year-old German is now ranked no. 22 in the world, but she could still qualify for the season-ending chase championship in New York November. 16-22. She also plans to play in Philadelphia next week.

Sugiyama, ranked no. 18 in the world, broke Graf’s serve in the opening game and the German could not find her range.

The key game of the match turned out to be the third, Graf’s second service game that went to eight deuces. Graf won a long and spectacular rally and then hit an ace to clinch the game after fighting off three break points.

" That was a very important game. I had possibilities to win it earlier and she had chances to break me," Graf said. "Winning this game gave me confidence. I knew it’d be tough to win the first set if I lost that game. She put me under a lot of pressure."

Graf then broke Sugiyama’s serve twice as she fought back from a 4-2 deficit to win five games in a row, clinching the first set and going up 1-0 in the second.

The German broke once more for a 4-2 lead and held three match points. She wasted one with a double-fault, hit a slice backhand long on the next but the Japanese then netted a backhand.

Graf, who held the top ranking a record 374 weeks and dominated the women’s game for a decade, now has a 22-0 match record in Leipzig, a tournament she helped found.

In other matches in the 450,000 dollar indoor tournament, second-seeded Nathalie Tauziat of France beat Elena Likhovtseva of Russia, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1, third-seeded Dominique Van Roost of Belgium ousted former French Open champion Iva Majoli of Croatia 6-4, 6-4 and seventh-seeded Natasha Zvereba of Belarus defeated Sylvia Plischke of Austria 6-1, 6-7 (7-9), 6-4. (AP)

West Indies Cricket Board fires Lara, Hooper

St JOHN’s (ANTIGUA), Nov 5: The West Indies Cricket Board has fired Brian Lara as team captain and Carl Hooper as his deputy, taking a tough stand against a revolt by players about fees for an imminent three-month tour of South Africa.

Pat Rousseau, the Board’s president, yesterday said the two would not take part in the South Africa tour and that selectors would meet November 13 to replace them. The tour is scheduled to start November 10 with a one-day international.

Only seven of the team’s 16 players arrived in Johannesburg yesterday. The rest, including former captain Courtney Walsh and paceman Curtley Ambrose defied the Board’s directive to travel to South Africa on Tuesday.

Rousseau said senior players still in England would have ten per cent of their tour fee deducted and junior players five per cent if they went on to play in Africa.

Rousseau said ‘the players’ move has dealt a serious blow to West Indies cricket and the public.’

There was no immediate response from the players, who were represented at the Antigua meeting by David Holford, the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of the West Indian Player’s Association and himself a former West Indies allrounder, and Association secretary Roland Holder, a West Indies batsman. Walsh, who is president of the Association, said in a telephone call from his London hotel that the Association would issue a statement, probably from its Barbados headquarters this morning.

In a statement Tuesday, the WICB implied that the dissent was limited to Lara, a controversial but brilliant batsman who pulled out of the team two days before its departure for the 1996 Aurstralia tour and abandoned the team following the third test match on a 1995 tour of England, and Hooper, who also quit the England tour.

But it has become clear that many more top players are involved, enough that a pullout would hurt the West Indian’s chances against the tough South Africans, who beat them in Sunday’s finals of the Wills International Cup in Bangladesh.

The Board also has a tougher task because it is not negotiating with individuals but with the players’ association, which recently got a large cash contribution from the Board, an office from the Barbados Government and on June one appointed its first executive officer. The Association could be looking for an opportunity to show its mettle.

Neither side will discuss details of fees. But the Barbados nation newspaper yesterday said the players want to be paid above their tour fee for one-day internationals and for a one-week training camp to be held before the November ten start of the South Africa tour increased meal allowances and some guarantee of security in Johannesburg, where two Pakistani players were mugged while on tour last year.

The nation quoted unnamed Caribbean sources as saying that players were upset that they would be paid less for the South African tour than their 1996-1997 Australia tour, which also was a five-test series. The nation said those who had played in less than 15 test matches would be paid about 16,000 dollars for South Africa, compared to 22,000 to 25,000 dollars for the Australia tour and senior players 50,000 to 60,000 dollars compared to 60,000 to 70,000 dollars for Australia.

Still, the West Indians are believed to be the highest paid cricketers in the world, after the Australians.

The last major revolt by the West Indians came in 1978, when the then-poorly paid Islanders snubbed the regional team and contracted to Australian magnate Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket.

When that was disbanded, the West Indians negotiated substantially better contracts with the Board and began a 15-year winning streak that had many thinking they were invincible. (AP)

Ist Jammu Gold Cup Football Tourney
BSF Jammu beat Churchill Brothers; enters semis

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 5: BSF Jammu has entered the semi-finals of the Ist Jammu Gold Cup Football Tournament defeating Churchill Brothers 3-0 in the quarter-final played at Mini Stadium, here this evening.

BSF Jammu dominated the field throughout the play giving little chance to the Churchill Brothers to enter their goal area. Churchill Brothers got an opportunity in the last 10 minutes when a direct goal was hit, but the player was at the off side.

BSF Jammu opened their account in the last minutes of the first half, when S. Hembram converted the plenty kick into a goal. Plenty was awarded to BSF when Churchill player made handball within the plenty area.

Second goal came from Charanjeet Singh, in the 50th minutes of the game. Two goals lead boosted morale of the BSF, fully utilised their stamina and professional game on the under pressure Churchill Brothers.

The third field goal was made by Subir Passi in the 67th minutes of the match making his teams respectable entry into the semi-finals.

Churchill Brothers played equally well game but failed to open their account.

Churchill Brothers had entered the quarters beating National Club.

In tomorrow’s quarter-finals, Young Hero will play Forest 11, Srinagar, while in the second match Jammu Sports will take on BSF Srinagar.

The match was conducted by Suresh Kumar, centre referee, Harbans Lal and Iqbal Singh line referees, while Ramesh Kumar table referee.

Mr Kesho Kripal Singh, BSF Commandant and former Indian football captain, was the chief guest in the first quarterfinal today. He was presented a memento by by Sheikh Mehmood, Staff Officer to DIG, Jammu-Kathua range.

J&K to take on Haryana today
New faces introduced in J&K Ranji, Cooch Behar teams

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 5: Some new faces have been introduced by the selectors in 14 members Jammu and Kashmir team for two Ranji (one day and four day) matches being played against Haryana by tomorrow at M A Stadium here.

According to Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) spokesman, Suresh, Shashi and Rohit Mattoo are the new entrants, who have replaced against those who have shown poor performance against Services and Punjab.

The new team includes: Sanjay Sharma, captain, Kanwaljeet Singh, Surinder Singh, Ashwani Gupta, Vivek Singh, Suresh, Pardeep Bali, Ajay Bhatti, Vijay Sharma, Raju Sharma, Shashi, Raj Kumar, Rohit Matto and Vivek Sharma.

The selectors have also made some changes in the 14 members Jammu and Kashmir Cooch Behar Under-19 squad which will leave for Himachal Pradesh day-after-tomorrow.

Rahil Gupta, Satyajeet, Charanjeet Singh and Firdos have been included in the new squad.

The team includes: Vikrant Taggar, captain, Sohail Sanghoi, Inderjeet Singh, Abhayjeet Singh, Yaseer, Chetan Suri, Firdos Ahmed, Charanjeet Singh, Ishfaq, Rahil Gupta, Sanjay Sharma, Pranav, Tanveer and Satyajeet Singh. The selectors have pinned hopes in the new team after the introduction of fast bowler Rahil Gupta, and all rounder Satyajeet.

Distt Billiards, Snooker Champ from Nov 11

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 5: Eighth District Billiards and Snooker Championship is being held at Maulana Azad stadium from November 11. This was decided in a meeting held under the chairmanship of Mr K K Khosa, president of Jammu and Kashmir Billiards and Snooker Association.

As per a release, entries for participation have been invited by the Association from its members.

The last date for submission of entries is November 10 and draws will be held for the ties at 6 pm on the same day at Billiards hall, M A Stadium, Jammu.

The Championship will be considered as qualifying competitions for the forthcoming State Championship, which is scheduled to begin on November 28, disclosed Mr Sanjeev Gupta, general secretary of the association.

The matches will be held on knock out basis and only 16 players will be selected for the State Championship form the District Championship, the release added.