Sunday, 03 April 2011 12:47

BY BRIAN NKIWANE

SHE has also won all four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles and three of the four Grand Slam titles in women’s doubles, yet Cara Black is still hungry for more success.
At 32, it could time for Zimbabwe most successfully tennis player entertained thoughts of retiring but in fact, Cara dreams of another grand slam.
The tennis ace could not hide her ambition for more glory when she spoke to The Standard last week.

The player who is in the country on three-week break said all she could do was cutting down on the number of tournaments she compete in this year.

“I have just discovered that age is catching up with me. I am not saying I am retiring, no, but I have to do with a lesser schedule,” she said.

“I used to play 40 weeks a year, but now I am looking forward to reducing the number of matches that I play per year. My body still tells me to go but I have to make a decision so as to manage my body,”

Cara is also recovering from a knee operation she underwent last year.

“I have to fully recover from operation that by giving myself a lesser schedule, these are some of the results that come with 25 years of playing tennis. So I have to manage my body,” added Cara.

It remains to be seen if Cara, who is ranked the 34th richest tennis player by the Women Tennis Association, will not go back to her routine once her knee has healed.

Being constantly on road has been Cara’s business since 1998 when she started the hunt for titles.

And in that journey she reaped 63 women’s doubles titles, and US$6,4 million prize money.

While her career prospered Cara had to put other important things on the backburner.

She told Standardport that though she was married five years ago to Australian Brett Stephens, her wish to sire a “bundle of joy” had not materialised since she put her career first.

“At times one has to consider your career first,” she said.

“I have been in marriage for the past five years but I do not have any kids. It is my wish like any other grown up or married woman to have kids, but because of the profession, at times you have to measure twice and cut once.

“I got married to an Australian guy called Brett Stephens who used to play Australian football but later joined the tennis field as a fitness trainer,” Cara said.

Stephens was the fitness trainer for the world’s best tennis player Pete Sampras before he retired for four years. Stephens also worked with Cara’s brothers, Byron and Wayne Black as their fitness trainer.

Cara has not lost her love for her mother country and comes back to the capital every November to mix and mingle and coach tennis.

“I make it a point that when I come for a holiday, I liaise with Tennis Zimbabwe so that I have a day which I spend with kids just to show them that you can be someone in life through tennis and that they can also have chances to be celebrities as well,” Cara said.

But one thing that the tennis Queen will never forget in her life are the days that her late father (Don) used to wake them (Byron, Cara, Wayne) up early in the morning for an hour of training before going to school, after school and in the evening.

“We have four grass tennis courts and one hard tennis court which our father constructed for us when we were still young.

“He would work us up at 5:30 am to train for an hour, at 2pm to 3pm after school and 4:30 to 5:30pm a day which made us all what we are today. But as an athlete, you must watch whatever you eat, your diet might put everything astray,” she concluded.

From www.thestandard.co.zw

Azarenka drops Sharapova in Sony Ericsson title match

Swapping shrieks along with their shots, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka made rallies sound like a car alarm. Azarenka’s skills ultimately won out in a 6-1, 6-4 victory Saturday in the women’s championship match of the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla.

The final pitted two of the most notorious grunters in tennis, and while both were noisy, the eighth-seeded Azarenka’s shots had more bang as she won nine straight games at one point. Sharapova, seeded 16th, committed 43 unforced errors, held serve only once and came up short with a late comeback bid.

But Sharapova, a three-time Grand Slam champion, is healthy again after battling a series of injuries, and the results are starting to show. She’s projected to climb next week to No. 9, the highest she has been ranked since early 2009.

While the women’s tournament was full of surprises, the men’s draw is down to the game’s top-ranked players. No. 1 Rafael Nadal will play for the championship today against No. 2 Novak Djokovic, 23-0 this year.

COLLEGES

UNLV baseball team succumbs to late comeback by Utah, 8-4

The UNLV baseball team lost to Utah 8-4 in the second game of a three-game Mountain West Conference series in Salt Lake City.

The Rebels (19-10, 2-6 MWC) took a 3-0 lead in the second inning on Travis Feiner’s RBI double and run-scoring singles from Cash Thomas and Trevor Kirk. But UNLV managed just one run the rest of the way — on a Rance Roundy RBI groundout in the fifth — and the Utes scored seven runs in the sixth and seventh innings.

Kirk finished 3-for-5 and also scored a run.

Also: The UNLV softball team split two games in its Pre-Conference Round-Up, losing to Seattle 16-8 and beating Loyola Marymount 6-2 at Eller Media Stadium.

In the opener, Seattle sped to a 13-0 lead, scoring two runs in the first inning, seven in the second and four in the third. UNLV (18-13) lost on the run rule after five innings.

Against Loyola Marymount, Amanda Oliveto threw a complete game, allowing seven hits and four walks while striking out seven. Kylie Wagner had a three-run homer in the fifth inning, and Tayler Aleman went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

The UNLV women’s tennis team routed Colorado State 7-0 at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.

UNLV (13-4, 2-0 Mountain West Conference) swept the three doubles matches for the first point, then took all six singles matches in straight sets. Lucia Batta led the way with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Caitlin Fluegge at No. 1 singles.

The College of Southern Nevada baseball team swept Utah State-College of Eastern Utah 11-1 and 7-5 in Scenic West Athletic Conference action at Morse Stadium.

In the opener, Tyler Blair went 2-for-3 with two doubles and five RBIs for CSN (20-16, 9-11), and Colby Croft went 2-for-2 with a homer. Sam Wolff pitched four innings to get the win, allowing four hits and one walk, with five strikeouts.

Ray Daniels was 2-for-3 with a homer in the second game for CSN, and Duncan Satherlie had a two-run shot as the Coyotes won their eighth straight.

The CSN softball team (25-21, 18-14 SWAC) dropped a doubleheader to North Idaho College, losing 9-7 and 18-10 at the Russell Road Recreation Complex.

Larry Finch, who starred for the Memphis basketball team when it lost to Bill Walton-led UCLA in the 1973 NCAA title game and who went on to coach his alma mater for 11 years, died at age 60.

Memphis spokesman Lamar Chance said Finch died at Saint Francis Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. The cause of death was not immediately known.

Finch suffered a debilitating stroke in 2002 at age 51. In October 2010, he was hospitalized for treatment of pneumonia.

MISCELLANEOUS

Wlodarczyk beats Palacios, retains WBC cruiserweight belt

Krzysztof Wlodarczyk of Poland retained his WBC cruiserweight title with a split decision over Francisco Palacios of Puerto Rico in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Two judges scored it 114-113 and 118-112 for Wlodarczyk, and the third had it 115-113 for Palacios.

Also: Marco Huck retained his WBO cruiserweight title for the sixth time with a unanimous decision over previously undefeated Ran Nakash of Israel in Halle, Germany.

Huck won with scores of 116-112, 118-110 and 118-110. The German champion improved to 32-1, and Nakash lost for the first time in 26 professional fights.

Hassan N’Dam successfully defended his interim WBA middleweight title with a unanimous decision over Giovanni Lorenzo in Le Cannet, France. The judges’ scores were 119-110, 119-109 and 116-110.

Rumors that Kimi Raikkonen was headed to NASCAR became reality when the former Formula One world champion signed with Kyle Busch Motorsports.

The Finn will make his NASCAR debut May 20 driving a KBM Toyota Tundra in the Camping World Trucks Series race at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

England beat the U.S. women’s soccer team for the first time since 1988, handing the top-ranked Americans a 2-1 exhibition defeat in London.

Wayne Rooney’s hat trick kept Manchester United on track to win the English Premier League with a 4-2 comeback victory over West Ham in London, while the title hopes of Arsenal and defending champion Chelsea were hurt by draws.

Second-place Arsenal drew 0-0 with visiting Blackburn, and Chelsea, in third, needed a 33rd-minute header by Didier Drogba to escape with a 1-1 draw against Stoke.

The Minnesota Wild said defenseman Nick Schultz will miss the rest of the season with post-concussion symptoms.

India won cricket’s World Cup for the first time in 28 years with a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in Mumbai, India.

From www.lvrj.com

Sharapova was the soprano, Azarenka the alto, and their alternating arias could be heard on the beach across the street from the Sony Ericsson Open.

But Sharapova was flat and her opponent sharp. Azarenka swept nine consecutive games to take charge Saturday and won the tournament for the second time, beati ng Sharapova, 6-1, 6-4.

The final matched two of the most notorious grunters in tennis, and while both were noisy, Azarenka’s shots had more bang. Sharapova committed 43 unforced errors, held serve only once and came up short with a late comeback bid.

“I played real well the first set,” the No. 8-seeded Azarenka said. “Maria is such a great fighter, I knew she was going to fight to the end. She came up with great tennis at the end, and I had to hang in there. That’s what paid off.”

And who had the better shriek?

“I think mine is quieter,” Azarenka said.

Sharapova committed eight errors in the first game alone. She lined one especially unsightly serve into the concrete in front of the net. By the time she found her range, Azarenka led 4-love in the second set.

“It’s a little bit too late to pick up the pace when you’re down a set and 4-love,” Sharapova said. “I wish I picked it up earlier, obviously. She did many things better than I did today.”

While the women’s tournament was full of surprises, the men’s draw is down to the game’s top-ranked players. No. 1 Rafael Nadal will play for the championship today against No. 2 Novak Djokovic, who is 23-0 this year.

Sharapova lost in a final for the fourth time since her most recent title, at Strasbourg in May 2010. She’s 0-3 in finals at Key Biscayne, where she was also the runner-up in 2005 and 2006.

But the three-time Grand Slam champion is healthy again after battling a series of injuries, as the results are starting to show. She’s projected to climb next week to No. 9, the highest she has been ranked since early 2009.

“It means that I’m winning matches, and winning more of them,” she said. “It has been a long road to get here. It’s not over yet.”

Azarenka’s also on the rise, and projected to be ranked No. 6 next week, matching a career-best.

Alas, the 21-year-old Belarussian can’t play Key Biscayne every week. She also won the tournament in 2009, stopping Serena Williams in the final. The two titles are the biggest of her career, and she joked she’s planning to move to Miami from Minsk.

Serena and Venus Williams, who between them have won eight Key Biscayne titles, missed the tournament for health reasons. But Azarenka still faced a tough path to the final, beating No. 2 Kim Clijsters and No. 3 Vera Zvonareva in straight sets.

Through six rounds, Azarenka avoided the sort of emotional outbursts that derailed her in the past. She said that after losing in the third round at Dubai in February, she went home and reflected on the state of her game.

“I changed my mentality a little bit,” she said. “I’m enjoying myself so much on the court that there’s no room for me for frustration. I just don’t care if I lose — what I mean is not to create such a big drama out of it. If you lose the match, it’s not the end of the world.”

Before facing Sharapova, Azarenka suggested fans wear earplugs, and the two finalists went at it like a couple of “Aida” rejects. The screeching on one early exchange had spectators giggling before the point ended, but a grim Sharapova pretended not to notice the strident soundtrack.

“I don’t really think about it when I play,” she said. “It’s about thinking what I have to do.”

She had trouble there, with Azarenka hitting aggressively from the baseline to prevent Sharapova from finding her rhythm.

Sharapova broke serve to reach 1-all, but it was an hour before she won another game. She failed to convert 11 game points on her serve before holding for the only time to trail 4-2, and briefly steadied her strokes.

Pounding winners, she overcame two match points to break for 5-4.

“I didn’t feel like I was doing anything wrong,” Azarenka said. “She was just playing really good.”

But Sharapova was too erratic to sustain her rally — or the rallies. When she dumped a forehand into the net on the final point, Azarenka dropped her racket in disbelief and celebrated by spinning and dancing across the court.

And then the only noise came from the cheering crowd.

From www.heraldextra.com

Elliott will be joined by freshman Jasmine Lee, who will move into the No. 2 singles slot. Junior Liz Wilm, who played No. 1 singles two years ago, will return at No. 1 doubles.

Elliott and Wilm helped lead Memorial to their eighth Southern Indiana Athletic Conference title in a row last year and a semistate berth.

“It’s great to have Jasmine Lee; she’ll be a great addition,” Elliott said.

Elliott said she plays with Lee nearly every day, in or out of season.

“She’s a really consistent baseliner,” Elliott said. “She’s really a good player. She’s consistent and still aggressive.”

They hope to spark Memorial to a berth in the team state finals.

“That would be a great accomplishment since we weren’t able to get there last year,” Elliott said.

Individually, she lost in last year’s state semifinals, then won the third-place match to finish 25-2.

“I’ve always been really competitive,” Elliott said. “That’s what really drives me to stay focused to be the best. I try to get better every single day on the court.”

Ray Trapp, who came out of retirement to coach Memorial’s boys last fall, is also coaching the Tigers’ girls this spring. Trapp, who coached North’s boys for 18 years and the Huskies girls for eight before retiring in 2006, said there are some major differences in boys’ and girls’ players.

“Girls are very interested in having a nice uniform and sometimes the boys aren’t real interested in their uniform,” he said. “I have to get them to wear their team uniform.”

Another difference is the weather is usually hot or mild in the fall while it can be cold and nasty in the spring. But he said his girls rarely complain.

As far as Elliott is concerned, Trapp said she has improved her serve and has a complete game.

“She just needs to keep playing at the level she’s playing,” he said. “She needs to continue to work hard. She could be right back at the state finals, I think.”

Memorial will open its season in the 32-team Deco Turf Tournament, featuring teams from Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee, at several sites in Louisville, Ky.

The Tigers’ first match will be against Fort Thomas (Ky.) Highlands at 4:30 p.m. CDT on Friday at Louisville St. Xavier.

While Trapp is not settled on his entire lineup, he said sophomore Rachel Swartwood will play No. 3 singles in the season-opening tourney.

After losing Jessica Huhnke to graduation, Castle hopes Rachel Bottorff will be a top contender as she moves from No. 2 to No. 1 singles.

From www.courierpress.com

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. — Shrieking with every shot, Victoria Azarenka won the Sony Ericsson Open for the second time by beating Maria Sharapova, 6-1, 6-4.

The No. 8-seeded Azarenka was the steadier player Saturday and swept nine consecutive games to take charge. Sharapova committed 43 unforced errors, held serve only once and came up short with a late comeback bid.

“I played real well the first set,” Azarenka said. “Maria is such a great fighter, I knew she was going to fight to the end. She came up with great tennis at the end, and I had to hang in there. That’s what paid off.”

The final matched two of the most notorious grunters in tennis. Beforehand, Azarenka suggested fans wear earplugs, and the two players traded screeches on every rally, drawing giggles from the crowd at one point. Azarenka also won at Key Biscayne in 2009, stopping Serena Williams in the final. The two titles are the biggest of the Belarussian’s career.

Sharapova, whose most recent title came at Strasbourg in May 2010, has lost her past four finals.

She fell to 0-3 in finals at Key Biscayne, where she was also the runner-up in 2005 and 2006.

No. 1-ranked Rafael Nadal will play for the men’s championship today against No. 2 Novak Djokovic, who is 23-0 this year.

Azarenka was sharp, while Sharapova was flat. Sharapova broke serve to reach 1-all, but it was an hour before she won another game to make it 4-1 in the second set.

“It’s a little bit too late to pick up the pace when you’re down a set and 4-love,” Sharapova said. “I wish I picked it up earlier, obviously. She did many things better than I did today.”

Sharapova failed to convert 11 game points on her serve before holding for the only time to trail 4-2, then began to steady her strokes. Pounding winners, she overcame two match points to break for 5-4.

“I didn’t feel like I was doing anything wrong,” Azarenka said. “She was just playing really good, so I just had to hang in there.”

But Sharapova was too erratic to sustain her rally or the rallies.

When she dumped a forehand into the net on the final point, Azarenka dropped her racket in disbelief and celebrated by spinning and dancing across the court.

Azarenka is projected to be ranked No. 6 next week, matching a career best.

From chronicle.augusta.com

It’s appropriate on so many levels, given the celestial brand of tennis the soaring Serb has been playing this year. And since pushing past a fading Roger Federer for the No. 2 ranking, Djokovic is now attempting to horn in on the rivalry with top-ranked Spaniard Rafael Nadal as well.

Djokovic is 23-0 this year, the third-fastest start since 1981, and two victories away from tying Ivan Lendl’s 25-0 burst out of the gate in 1986.

“I don’t feel invincible,” said Djokovic, who is 8-16 against Nadal, but 8-5 on hard courts, including a victory in the final of Indian Wells two weeks ago.

“I don’t feel like I can’t lose on the court. What I feel is big confidence. What I feel is that I’m playing the best tennis of my life.”

Djokovic, 23, who has won all three tournaments he’s entered this year, including his second Australian Open, has won 25 straight matches. He won Key Biscayne in 2007.

However, Nadal, 24, a nine-time Slam champ, is no pushover. He is motivated by his recent loss to Djokovic, his lack of a title since Tokyo in October, and the fact that none of his all-time high 18 Masters 1000 titles has come in Miami.

“He don’t lose a match this year, so we’ll see is what’s going on,” said Nadal, who has held 47 of 48 service games and is riding the high of dismantling Federer on Friday night. “He’s playing fantastic.

“I felt I had a chance last week in Indian Wells. I lost a little bit the focus and the rhythm on the second set, the intensity of the legs and of the shots, so I started to play a little bit more defensive. Against one player like Novak, is impossible [to] win the match play like this, no?”

Federer was asked to pick a winner.

“I think it’s pretty open, obviously, because of how Rafa played [Friday] and how he can play in finals (43-14),” Federer said. “Novak has been playing great this season. I think Rafa is going to give Novak a run for the money, and I’m going to pick Rafa.”

Doubles title

After a nine-year breakup, the third-seeded Indian duo of Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes downed second-seeded Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor 7-6 (5), 2-6, (10-5) to win their first Sony Ericsson Open doubles title together and split $200,200.

The pair won their 25th title, including three Grand Slams together.

“A lot about life is timing and karma,” Paes said. “The timing seemed to be right and the results prove themselves.”

However, they believe their title will be lost in the headlines after India beat Sri Lanka to win the cricket World Cup.

“The country is going to be at a standstill for a few days. Cricket in India is a religion,” Bhupathi said. “We’re not going to get a mention in tomorrow’s press.”

From www.sun-sentinel.com

Like a koala clinging to a eucalyptus tree, Staten Island Academy is holding tight to its slipping Staten Island High School Tennis League championship chances.

And the three-time defending kings may long for those halcyon days of the past four years when the 2011 season gets under way Monday as the Tigers put their 44-match winning streak out there at St. Joseph by-the-Sea.

SIA was thrown a curve in the preseason when league officials decided that the Tigers could not use elementary school students in their lineup.

Last year then seventh- grader Chris Auteri posted a 20-0 match record. He and seventh-grader Tyler Pasko have been ruled ineligible for SIHSTL matches but will play behind Advance All-Star Eric Brinzenskiy in the school’s ACIS matches.

To add to coach Brian Manske’s Maalox moments is the current wrist injury to Brinzenskiy which could throw his singles lineup — he has no returning doubles starters — into disarray.

Manske is more unsure than a teenager on his first date.

“I don’t know how we’ll stack up,” Manske said. “We lost nine seniors. I can’t make any predictions. We need time to establish ourselves. We could finish anywhere.”

If Brinzenskiy is ready to tango, newcomers Joseph D’Arco and Victor Barbosa will get crash courses in singles. If the Tiger junior is a no go, all bets are off and it’s wide open.

Once-upon-a-time champion (2006) Monsignor Farrell has the best shot at netting its 16th title since 1979. The Lions have a potent singles group in Ryan Amberger, Eddie Esposito, and Rob Pinto.

Sea will be stronger with the addition of Advance All-Star defensive end Nick Altieri, along with returnee Austin Kapetanakis and improved sophomores Anthony Sayed and Nick Doherty.

St. Peter’s Ryan Villarruel, a four-year starter at first singles, will be the next best to Brinzenskiy, and former Wagner College mentor Ed Perpetua will make his high school coaching debut with the inexperienced SIA Gold squad.

From highschoolsports.silive.com

Eastern opened the match by taking the doubles point, but Jacksonville State (7-10, 4-1) rallied to win four of the six singles contests. JSU’s Ralphaela Lima clinched the win by defeating freshman Milena Poffo at No. 4 singles, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.

Sophomore Jessica Albuquerque picked up her fifth straight win with a straight-set victory at No. 1 singles.

Four of EKU’s five OVC matches have ended with a score of 4-3.

Eastern Kentucky is back in action on Tuesday, April 5 at Morehead State.

Jacksonville State 4, Eastern Kentucky 3

Singles
1. Jessica Albuquerque (EKU) def. Viviane Marani (JSU) 6-3, 6-2
2. Martina Dessbesell (JSU) def. Myriem Mhirit (EKU) 7-6, 6-2
3. Raisa Guasti (JSU) def. Anouk Faure (EKU) 7-6, 6-3
4. Ralphaela Lima (JSU) def. Milena Poffo (EKU) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
5. Saioa Oscoz (EKU) def. Juliana Renesto (JSU) 4-6, 7-6, 6-3
6. Rafaela Wenzel (JSU) def. Sophie O’Neill (EKU) 6-2, 6-3

Doubles
1. Albuquerque/Oscoz (EKU) def. Dessbesell/Marani (JSU) 9-7
2. Guasti/Lima (JSU) def. Faure/O’Neill (EKU) 8-4
3. Mhirit/Poffo (EKU) def. Renesto/Wenzel (JSU) 8-4

Match Notes: Eastern Kentucky (10-10, 2-3 OVC); Jacksonville State (7-10, 4-1 OVC)
Order of Finish: Doubles (3, 2, 1); Singles (1, 6, 3, 2, 4*, 5)

From www.ekusports.com

David Becerra won at No. 2 singles for the Engineers. TERRE HAUTE, IND. — Transylvania University narrowly extended its streak of victories against Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference competition to 43 matches with a 5-4 men’s tennis win over Rose-Hulman on Saturday.

The Engineers return to action against Manchester at 4 p.m. today.

Sophomore Devon Fritz (Lakeside, Calif./West Hills) led the Engineers with a win at No. 4 singles and by teaming with senior Alex Gumz (Palatine, Ill./William Fremd) for a No. 2 doubles victory.

Other winners included senior David Becerra (Brownsburg) at No. 2 singles and Seth Hendrickson (Crawfordsville) at the No. 5 singles position.

Rose-Hulman stands 5-5 overall and returns to action this afternoon.

From www.rose-hulman.edu

“I was pleased with our overall performance today,” said head coach Brian Boland. “Duke is a great team and gave a great effort and we knew we were going to have to rise to that challenge today. We need to keep working hard and continue to improve as we have another tough match Sunday against North Carolina.

Full match results below the fold. As noted by Coach Boland, Virginia returns to action on Sunday against #17 UNC. Virginia and North Carolina are the only remaining undefeated teams in the ACC.

#1 Virginia 6, #10 Duke 1

Doubles
1. #2 Shabaz/Courtney (UVa) def. #6 Cunha/Carleton (Duke) 8-6
2. Singh/Jenkins (UVa) def. Holland/Mengel (Duke) 8-5
3. Hammond/Wietoska (Duke) def. Domijan/Rooda (UVa) 8-6

Singles
1. #6 Henrique Cunha (Duke) def. #5 Michael Shabaz (UVa) 7-6(7), 6-3
2. #2 Alex Domijan (UVa) def. #8 Reid Carleton (Duke) 6-2, 6-2
3. #25 Sanam Singh (UVa) def. #123 Chris Mengel (Duke) 6-2, 6-1
4. #44 Jarmere Jenkins (UVa) def. Fred Saba (Duke) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(3)
5. #37 Drew Courtney (UVa) def. Torsten Wietoska (Duke) 7-5, 6-3
6. Justin Shane (UVa) def. Luke Marchese (Duke) 6-4, 5-7, 6-2

Order of Finish
Doubles: 3,2,1
Singles: 3,2,5,1,6,4

From www.streakingthelawn.com