Posts tagged Drops
Azarenka drops Sharapova in Sony Ericsson title match
Apr 3rd
TENNIS
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
Men’s tennis: FGCU drops home opener to FAU
Feb 20th
No. 5 singles player Mitchell Lvovsky earned the only point for the Florida Gulf Coast University men’s tennis team in its 6-1 home-opening loss to FAU on Saturday.
Many of the matches were close, but the Eagles still dropped to 0-3 on the season.
“I thought we competed well against another tough team,” FGCU coach J. Webb Horton said. “We had chances in both singles and doubles, and did not convert on the big points.”
FAU took the opening doubles point by sweeping the trio of matches. In the singles, FGCU lost a pair of three-set losses.
The Eagles’ next match is at Stetson on Saturday at 10 a.m.
FAU 6, FGCU 1
Singles
No. 1 Marc Abdelnour (FAU) def. Matt Rock (FGCU), 6-1, 6-3
No. 2 Ervin Garibovic (FAU) def. Gabriel Echeverry (FGCU), 6-3, 6-3
No. 3 Daniel Vardag (FAU) def. Carlo Checchia (FGCU), 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
No. 4 Oliver Webb (FAU) def. Dean Tsamas (FGCU), 6-1, 6-7 (5), 7-5
No. 5 Mitchell Lvovsky (FGCU) def. Derek Madon (FAU), 6-2, 7-6 (6)
No. 6 Omar El Kheshen (FAU) def. Collin Brown (FGCU), 6-1, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1 Abdelnour and Garibovic (FAU) def. Rock and Echeverry (FGCU), 8-4
No. 2 Madon and Webb (FAU) def. Binninger and Tsamas (FGCU), 8-5
No. 3 Vardag and El Kheshen (FAU) def. Checchia and Brown (FGCU), 8-3
From www.naplesnews.com
Murray drops belief hint
Feb 10th
British number Andy Murray believes the reason he lost in straights sets to Marcos Baghdatis in the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament is because he didn’t believe he could win the event in Rotterdam (Murray 1/3 not to win a Grand Slam this year).
The Scot was playing in his first match since he lost to Novak Djokovic so convincingly in the final of the Australian Open ten days ago.
Murray had hinted he would take some time off but then changed his mind, only to crash out to Cypriot Baghdatis 6-4 6-1.
After the match Murray revealed he might take some time away from the sport, although he is scheduled to play in the doubles in Rotterdam with brother Jamie (4/5 to beat Julien Benneteau and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga).
“I have to think about what it was,” said Murray. “You have to get the balance right, making sure you come to the tournament mentally feeling you are ready to win it and maybe I didn’t feel like that.
“I struggled to adapt, it was very fast out there and Marcos was hitting the ball well, very flat, and I didn’t really adjust to the conditions so maybe it’s something I need to think about how to prepare better or if it was too soon.”
Murray doesn’t have too much time to get his head right for his next singles tournament as he heads to the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships at the end of the month.
From betting.stanjames.com
Men’s tennis rolls back Alabama, drops UT match
Feb 4th
All good things must come to end, but the men’s tennis team did not expect its win streak to come to such a screeching halt. The 29th-ranked Owls could not pull off the upset over fifth-ranked University of Texas (5-0), falling 4-0. Texas’ doubles’ squads overwhelmed Rice, as the Owls lost all three doubles matches and thus the first point of the overall match. The fifth-ranked doubles team of Ed Corrie and Jean Andersen took out juniors Christian Saravia and Michael Nuesslein, 8-3, and continued to falter for Rice. With Texas’ Andersen, Kellen Damico and Vasko Mladenov all scoring quick victories over sophomore Peter Frank, freshman Phillip Seifert and junior Sam Garforth-Bles, respectively, three of the six singles matches went unfinished due to the fact that the Longhorns had already clinched a match victory over Rice.
The loss means that Rice will not be advancing to the round of 16 to play in the ITA National Indoor Championships, which will be held in Seattle, Wash. from Feb. 18-21. The loss was the first of the spring season for the Owls, whose record is now 4-1 after starting off well in non-conference play.
Assistant Coach Efe Ustundag (Baker ’99) said that, although the score did not reflect the true nature of the match, the Owls committed too many errors and did not take advantage of their chances.
“When you have the chance to close out sets and close out matches, you have to do it and put pressure on the higher-ranked team,” Ustundag said.
Even though Ustundag felt that Rice put forth a great effort in Austin, he felt the team could not derive any real satisfaction from its loss.
“In our opinion, there is no such thing as a moral victory,” Ustundang said. “We don’t go anywhere to play anybody close; the whole point is to beat them.”
The weekend was not all lost for Rice, as the Owls soared to a 4-1 victory on Friday against the University of Alabama (1-1). Rice won the doubles point, thanks to Garforth- Bles and Frank winning the third of three doubles matches, 8-5. Garforth-Bles and Frank also recorded singles victories in three and two sets, respectively. Saravia had little trouble with Ian Chadwell, winning 6-4, 6-3, while senior Oscar Podlewski won his sets 6-3, 5-4. Ricky Doverspike was the only Crimson Tide player to take a singles match, dominating over sophomore Harry Fowler 6-3, 6-1.
From www.ricethresher.org
Federer Drops Five Games in Opening-Round Win at Australian Open Tennis
Jan 17th
Roger Federer opened the defense of his Australian Open title with a straight-set victory in which he lost a total of five games to Lukas Lacko of Slovakia.
Federer, the No. 2 seed this year, won 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 in 84 minutes today on Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. Federer, a 29- year-old Swiss, extended his men’s record to 16 Grand Slam singles titles by winning his fourth Australian Open championship in 2010.
“I’m really enjoying myself, playing extremely well at the moment,” Federer told reporters. “I’m very happy how things are going and I will see how far I can go in the tournament.”
The tournament’s top-seeded woman, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, won 6-3, 6-4 against Gisela Dulko of Argentina. Wozniacki is seeking her first Grand Slam title. Defending champion Serena Williams of the United States is missing the Australian Open because of a foot injury.
“It was a bit windy, so I just tried to stay focused,” Wozniacki said in a televised interview. “I just tried to figure out which way the wind was blowing, which was tough because it was changing all the time.”
Joining Federer in the second round of the year’s first Grand Slam event was American Andy Roddick, a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 winner against Jan Hajek of the Czech Republic. Roddick is seeded eighth.
“Overall, I was happy,” Roddick said in a televised interview. “I did the basics pretty well.”
Also advancing was No. 16 Mardy Fish of the United States, who recovered from a two-set deficit to win. American Sam Querrey, seeded 18th, lost in five sets to Lukasz Kubot of Poland.
Big Monfils Comeback
No. 12 Gael Monfils of France was down two sets and a game away from elimination before recovering to defeat Thiemo de Bakker of the Netherlands in five sets. De Bakker, who lost his serve at 5-4 in the third set, made 71 unforced errors in the match.
Top-seeded Rafael Nadal of Spain, who will be seeking his fourth straight Grand Slam title after winning the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last year, has an opening-round match scheduled for tomorrow against Marcos Daniel of Brazil.
Russia’s Maria Sharapova, the 2008 Australian Open women’s champion who is seeded 14th this year, defeated Thailand’s Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-1, 6-3. American Venus Williams, seeded fourth, plays later today against Sara Errani of Italy.
To contact the reporter on this story: Rob Gloster in Mountain View, California, at 1397 or rgloster@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at msillup@bloomberg.net
From www.bloomberg.com
Marin DA drops molest case against ex-tennis coach
Dec 15th
NOVATO, Calif.—Marin County prosecutors have decided to drop their case against a former high school tennis coach accused of molesting students.
Monday’s announcement caps a four-year ordeal for 46-year-old Normandie Burgos, who was fired from Tamalpais High School while awaiting trial.
A jury deadlocked last month on charges of sexual battery and lewd and lascivious conduct, sending the case back to prosecutors.
Burgos was accused of touching as many as five students’ inappropriately while giving massages or fat tests in the locker rooms.
Burgos’ lawyer argued that the coach, who is gay, was targeted because of homophobia.
Prosecutor Lori Frugoli told the Marin Independent Journal that her office decided to drop the charges based on conversations with the jurors and the alleged victims.
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Information from: Marin Independent Journal, http://www.marinij.com
Steamboat tennis drops 3 tough matches
Oct 3rd
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The Steamboat Springs High School boys tennis team struggled through the weekend in a trio of duals against some of the best competition in their classification.
The Sailors lost six of seven matches both against Colorado Academy and against Cheyenne Mountain on Saturday, and four of seven Friday against Mullen.
Still, Steamboat coach John Aragon said his squad got just the right seasoning as it prepares for next weekend’s regional tennis tournament.
“I was pleased with the performances even if the outcome was 0-3,” Aragon said. “It was a beneficial weekend, and we need to bottle it up and use it next week.”
The weekend may have been a learning experience for much of the young Sailors squad, but for Keegan Burger, it was more proof that he’s among the best in the state.
Burger picked up three key victories at No. 1 singles, defeating Colorado Academy’s Thomas Sisk, 6-2, 6-3, Cheyenne Mountain’s Jon Moore, 6-1, 6-3, and Mullen’s Connor Hudson, 7-5, 2-6, 6-2.
“He had a terrific weekend against three of the toughest opponents we’ve faced,” Aragon said. “We’ve never had anyone do what he did at No. 1 singles, with that type of schedule.”
Jack Burger also picked up a win for Steamboat against Mullen playing at No. 3 singles. He beat Zack Branigan in a marathon 2 1/2 hour match, 7-6, 2-6, 7-5.
Luke Farny and Kyle Rogers at No. 1 doubles also picked up a win with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory.
“Looking at the team and the improvement we’ve made in a short period of time and how they’re starting to compete, we will be a very solid team in another week or two,” Aragon said. “We can’t overlook regionals. There are a lot of good players there. We have had a good season and learned a lot, and hopefully, we can take that into regionals.”
Serena Williams Drops Out of US Open
Aug 22nd
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Serena Williams Drops Out of US Open – Serena Williams has withdrawn from the US Open because she is still reportedly recovering from a foot injury that she suffered several weeks ago. She was forced to have surgery on the right foot after she has sustained cuts in an incident that was not related to tennis. She is reportedly very upset that she will not be able to play, and was looking forward to getting back out onto the court for the US open.
“It is with much frustration and deep sadness that I am having to pull out of the U.S. Open,” Williams said in a statement released by her publicist.
She is the first number one woman in the world to miss the US open since the rankings first began in 1975. It is the biggest tournament of the year and dropping out of it is a huge deal to most players. She has described the series as events that led to her dropping out as “one of the most devastating moments of her career.”
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She was hurt by broken glass in a restaurant while she was in Munich last month. She was her fourth Wimbledon singles title just days before playing an exhibition match again Kim Clijsters, and the match drew a record 35,581 spectators in Brussels.
She had surgery on the foot on July 15th, and has already pulled out of three hart court tournaments before announcing that she would not be taking part in the US Open this year, much to her regret.
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