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| Tiger pounces past Hunter to capture PGA National title |
| Tuesday, July 7, 2009 |
Tiger Woods turned a Hunter into the hunted on Sunday, stalking his prey for several holes before pouncing on a rare birdie chance to win the PGA National by one stroke over Hunter Mahan. World number one Woods sank a tension-packed 20-foot birdie putt on the par-5 16th hole to seize the lead, then added two routine pars to capture his 68th career title and third of the season in his final British Open tuneup.
"This golf course is not easy and we only have basically one real birdie chance coming in, which was 16," Woods said. "At the very end it started going left and it was like, 'Oh God just don't lip out now.' It went in." The 14-time major champion who doubled as tournament host shot a three-under par 67 final round to finish on 13-under par 267 at Congressional Country Club and claim the $1 million top prize at the $6 million event.
"It was kind of in Tiger's court there," Mahan said. "I'm proud of how I played." Mahan matched the 18-hole course record of eight-under 62 set in Thursday's opening round by fellow American Anthony Kim to seize the clubhouse lead on 268 with Tiger still on the prowl and stalking Hunter across the back nine.
"I don't know what golf course he was playing. I didn't see a 62 out there," Woods said. "He put so much pressure on us. We had to play really well. There was a lot of heat back there." Woods sent his tee shot at the 16th into the left rough, put his approach into the right greenside rough and left his chip 20 feet short of the cup.
The 14-time major champion backed away from his putt after being disturbed by a noise, then rammed the ball into the bottom of the cup to reclaim the lead for good. Woods, a winner for the 46th time in 49 US PGA events when leading after 54 holes, also won this year at Bay Hill and Memorial, each victory coming two weeks before a major championship. Woods shared sixth at the Masters and US Open but hopes to better that position two weeks at Turnberry, Scotland.
Mahan made three birdies on the front nine and had runs of three birdies in four holes to begin and end the back nine, taking his lone bogey at 14 and dropped a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th to intensify the pressure on Woods. "At that time I wasn't exactly hitting the ball where I wanted," Woods said.
Woods was on his nemesis hole, the par-4 11th. He found weeds and a ditch off the tee and sank a clutch five-foot putt to salvage a bogey, falling into a tie for the lead with Mahan where he stayed until the critical birdie at 16. Woods had three bogeys and a double bogey at the 11th.
"Great playing. Takes a lot of talent to make 5 or worse four different ways," Woods said sarcastically. "Funny thing is I didn't feel bad over any tee shot. For some reason, just one of those holes that just got me for the week."
The week's five-over par showing by Woods at the 489-yard 11th matched the worst hole for Woods in any non-major tournament in his career, a dubious mark set at Kapalua's first hole in the 2002 Mercedes Championship.
Mahan, whose only US PGA title came at the 2007 Travelers Championship, shared fourth at last week's Travelers and sixth two weeks ago at the US Open. Kim was third on the all-American leaderboard, four strokes off the pace. Bryce Molder was fourth on 272 with US Open champion Lucas Glover and Brandt Snedeker fifth on 273.
Molder and countryman Paul Goydos claimed British Open berths with their results in a select series of events over the past few weeks while Snedeker also booked a trip to Turnberry in two weeks by virtue of a top-five showing.Labels: golf |
posted by Prijent Shrestha @ 10:28 AM  |
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| Roger Federer wins sixth Wimbledon title |
| Monday, July 6, 2009 |
Roger Federer made history on Sunday when he defeated brave Andy Roddick 5-7, 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 16-14 to win a sixth Wimbledon title and claim a record 15th Grand Slam crown in a classic final. But the Swiss second seed was given a huge fright by the American sixth seed who led by a set, had four set points in the second and didn't drop serve until the final, heartbreaking game of the match.
In an extraordinary conclusion, the last set was the longest ever played in a men's Wimbledon final. Federer, 27, now has six Wimbledon titles, five US Opens, three Australian Opens and a French Open trophy, and has surpassed Pete Sampras's mark of 14 majors.
He will also reclaim his world number one spot from Rafael Nadal, who beat him in a five-set final here last year, on Monday. Sampras, and fellow greats Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg were on hand to watch Federer's bid for history, as were Hollywood giants Woody Allen and Russell Crowe, such was the attraction of the Centre Court blockbuster.
Federer, in a record seventh straight Wimbledon final and 20th Grand Slam title match, saw Roddick save four break points in the 11th game of the opening set and he immediately paid a heavy price. The Swiss went wide with a crosscourt drive, which put him set point down, and then repeated the error to hand the American the opener 7-5.
Roddick, whose only Grand Slam title came at the 2003 US Open, lost the 2004 and 2005 finals here to Federer, just two of his 18 defeats in 20 career meetings with the world number two. But on Sunday he wisely adopted the same game plan he employed in his semi-final win over Britain's Andy Murray, a powerful mix of trademark big groundstrokes punctuated by regular visits to the net.
Serve again dominated the second set before Roddick stretched to a 6/2 lead, and four set points, in the tiebreaker but Federer fought back and levelled the final when the American unleashed a wild backhand. Roddick was now under siege, saving a break point in the sixth game of the third set before another tiebreaker was required.
Federer went to three set points, two of which Roddick saved, but the Swiss opened up a two sets to one lead when a Roddick service return fell comfortably into his hitting zone and he despatched a fierce forehand winner. Roddick, playing in his first Grand Slam final since the 2006 US Open, refused to surrender and broke Federer to lead 3-1 in the fourth set on his way to levelling the final.
Federer again failed to convert a break point in the second game of the decider before he was forced to fight off two on his own serve in the 17th game. But eventually Roddick, always having to chase the game, wilted in the 30th game of the decider when he ballooned a weary forehand long.Labels: tennis |
| posted by Prijent Shrestha @ 10:05 AM |
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| Serena captures third Wimbledon title |
| Sunday, July 5, 2009 |
Serena Williams clinched her third Wimbledon title and 11th Grand Slam crown with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 victory over sister Venus, the defending champion, on Saturday. The victory added to her 2002 and 2003 wins at the All England Club and shattered Venus's hopes of a hat-trick of titles and sixth overall which would have taken her level with Billie Jean King.
Saturday's final was the fourth all-Williams title match-up at Wimbledon and eighth in all Grand Slams with the win giving Serena the edge in head-to-head meetings at 11-10. Of the eight major finals the sisters have faced each other in, Serena has won six.
"It feels so amazing. I'm so blessed. I feel like I shouldn't really be holding the trophy, Venus should be holding it, she always wins," said Serena who currently holds three of the four Grand Slam titles. "I can't believe I have won 11 majors. It's a real honour."
Venus, 29, admitted Serena had been the better player of the two. "She was just too good today. She had an answer for everything and played the best tennis," said Venus after a final fittingly staged on US Independence Day. "I don't think the loss has set in yet, that's why I'm still smiling. But I have had some great times here and I'm looking forward to coming back next year."
Serve dominated the first set with 27-year-old Serena fighting off the only two break points in the eighth game and it was the younger of the two sisters who seized control of the tie break. Serena went to three set points by forcing Venus to scramble from side to side before putting away a powerful crosscourt forehand.
Venus saved the first set point but was powerless when a pinpoint lob from her sister left her stranded at the net. It was the first set Venus had dropped at Wimbledon since the third round in 2007, a run of 34 consecutive winning sets.
Serena, who had saved match point in her marathon semi-final win over Elena Dementieva, carved out her first set point when Venus double-faulted to hand her a 4-2 lead and revenge for last year's final defeat to her sister looked likely.
Second seed Serena held to love, backed-up by her 12th ace of the match, to lead 5-2. She then wasted three match points in the eighth game but clinched the title when Venus netted with a forehand.Labels: tennis |
| posted by Prijent Shrestha @ 10:08 AM |
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| Owen could be on brink of Man Utd move: Reports |
| Friday, July 3, 2009 |
Former European Footballer of the Year Michael Owen may be on the verge of joining Manchester United from relegated Newcastle United, according to several British media reports on Friday. The England international could move to the Premier League champions if he passes a stringent medical examination, said the reports.
A Manchester United spokesman said that the club would not comment on the speculation. Owen shot to fame with Liverpool and England before joining Real Madrid in 2004. He had a single, frustrating season at the Bernabeu, where he played well but never managed to cement a first team place, before moving to Newcastle in 2005.
Owen has since struggled for form and fitness and fallen out of favour with England manager Fabio Capello. Last month he said he would be leaving Championship (second division) side Newcastle within weeks. He won the European Footballer of the Year award in 2001.Labels: soccer |
| posted by Prijent Shrestha @ 9:52 AM |
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| Haas rolls back years to reach first Wimbledon semis |
| Thursday, July 2, 2009 |
Tommy Haas rolled back the years as the former world number two defeated fourth seed Novak Djokovic 7-5, 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 6-3 to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon for the first time on Wednesday. At 31, Haas is the oldest man left in the draw, but the 24th seed showed he can still cut it at the highest level with a superb display of grass court tennis.
The German will face five-time champion Roger Federer in the last four as he bids to reach a Grand Slam final for the first time in his 13-year career. If he can somehow shock Federer, he would be one win away from becoming the oldest Wimbledon champion since Arthur Ashe in 1975. It is seven years since Haas was rated as the second best player in the world but a succession of injuries, including a recurring shoulder problem, have forced his ranking outside the top 30 since those heady days.
Things began to look up for Haas at the French Open last month when the Florida-based star pushed Federer all the way in a dramatic five-set match. After beating Djokovic in the final of the grass court tournament in Halle last month, Haas had spent over 10 hours on court at Wimbledon, much of it in sweltering heat, to get to this stage for the first time.
After 10 games of impeccable serving from both players, Haas earned the first break. The German was attacking the net with increasing success and he took the first set with a perfect smash. The second set followed a similar pattern. Djokovic struggled to make an impact on Haas's serve, then dropped his own serve to go 5-6 down.
Haas finally faltered as he served for the set and Djokovic broke back before earning three set points in the tie-break. Even that couldn't halt Haas. He saved all three break points and went for the kill, taking the set with some sublime serve and volley play.
Djokovic refused to go quietly and the Serb broke for a 4-3 lead before serving out the third set. Yet as the temperature rose on Court One, Djokovic began to wilt and Haas broke in the fourth game to move 3-1 ahead. That was one blow too many for Djokovic as Haas closed out a famous victory.Labels: tennis |
| posted by Prijent Shrestha @ 4:43 PM |
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