Schumacher returns

ROME, July 29: Michael Schumacher is to sensationally come out of retirement to race for Ferrari in the absence of the injured Felipe Massa.

Seven-times world champion Schumacher, now 40, has not driven competitively since the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix in October 2006.

But Schumacher, who won five of his titles with Ferrari and who has been acting as an advisor to the team of late, will race in the European Grand Prix in Valencia on August 23.

“Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro intends to put Michael Schumacher in Felipe Massa’s car until the Brazilian driver will be able to race again,” Ferrari confirmed in a statement.

“Michael Schumacher said he is ready and, over the next few days, will undertake a specific training programme at the end of which confirmation will be given of his participation in the championship with effect from the European Grand Prix on the 23rd of August.” source: THE SENTINEL

Haas eyes treble Safin closes in on retirement

LOS ANGELES, July 26: Tommy Haas will bid for a Los Angeles Open title hat-trick from Monday while soon-to-retire Russian Marat Safin ticks off another tournament box in his season-long farewell to the game.

Wimbledon semi-finalist Haas will have it all to play for after his solid showing final four at the All England club.

The 31-year-old will try to back up titles here from 2004 and 2006 after losing in a first-round shock at UCLA a year ago to American Donald Young.

Haas rested after Wimbledon and has had three clear weeks to get ready for the summer hard court season.

Former world number one Safin, 29, will retire at the end of the year and has little to show for a final season.

The mercurial Russian, whose brilliance has led him to a pair of Grand Slam titles, is struggling as his motivation slumps after a decade and a half on the tour. But the eighth-seeded crowd-pleaser, who first played the event in 2001 and reached the quarter-finals last summer, may find his competitive juices again as he faces off in a Monday night exhibition against Pete Sampras, a repeat of the 2000 US Open final won by the then-newcomer Russian.

While he won’t say exactly what his new plans are for a post-tennis future, Safin knows he doesn't want to continue in the game.

“Throughout the years, you have to live with tennis 24/7. There is no way you're going to leave and for days relax and not think about it. Sooner or later you're going to think about tennis,” he complained. (Agencies)

India get direct entry in Golf World Cup

NEW DELHI, July 23: Thanks to Jeev Milkha Singh’s presence among golf's elites, India became one of the six Asian countries to earn a direct entry at the 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup to be played in China from November 26 to 29.

The field, selected on the basis of each nation's leading player on the Official World Golf Ranking as of June 22, is headed by Sergio Garcia - ranked number four at the cut-off date - who will represent his country, Spain, for the first time at Mission Hills.

Among the Asian countries, 42nd ranked Jeev Milkha Singh will represent India, Thongchai Jaidee will spearhead Thailand's challenge for the second straight year, Lin Wen-tang will lead Chinese Taipei, US-based Charlie Wi will represent Korea while Ryuji Imada, who featured for Japan and finished tied third last year, will return for another crack at the prestigious team title.
China qualify automatically as host nation of the World Cup and will be represented by Liang Wen-chong who makes his fourth World Cup appearance. Jeev cannot select his teammate for the prestigious event and Jyoti Randhawa will be his likely partner. According to norms, the leading player, Jeev in this case, may select any player of his choice from the same country provided such player was ranked within the top 100 on the Official World Golf Ranking as of either 22 June 2009 or August 17, 2009.

If no player from that country was within the top 100, as is the case with India, the exempt player's partner shall be the next highest ranked available player. Randhawa is the second highest ranked Indian at 154. Garcia, a five-time Ryder Cup player, can now select his teammate to compete over the course designed by countryman Jose Maria Olazabal, provided the player nominated is inside the top 100 on the World Ranking as of June 22 or the second deadline of August 17. This will be Garcia's fourth attempt to win the World Cup. He played in 2001, 2004 and 2005, with his best finish coming in his native Spain five years ago when he and Miguel Angel Jimenez finished just one shot behind champions England over another Olazabal-designed course, the Real Club de Golf Sevilla in Seville.

The final field of 28 nations will be completed following three Qualifying Tournaments to be played in Asia (Kuala Lumpur), Europe (Estonia) and South America (Venezuela), with three countries going through from each regional qualifier to join the 18 exempt nations and hosts, China, at Mission Hills. (PTI)

Pietersen ruled out of rest of Ashes

London, July 22: England’s Ashes hopes suffered a severe blow as Kevin Pietersen was ruled out of the rest of the series following a surgery that rules him out of cricket for six weeks.

“As an England cricketer the Ashes are the pinnacle of the game, so I’m absolutely devastated,” said Pietersen. “Up until now the injury has been manageable but it recently reached the point where we needed to look at other options in terms of treatment. I hate missing matches for England and especially during an Ashes summer but I’m confident I can return to the England team injury-free following a course of rehabilitation,” he was quoted as saying in the English media.

Amubi Devi to lead India in u-18 Asia Cup hockey

New Delhi, July 17: Manipur’s Ningomban Amubi Devi will lead the 18-member India girls squad in the under-18 Asia Cup Hockey that will be held in Shanghai from July 20-26. India are in Pool A and will play their first match against Sri Lanka, Monday. In their second match Tuesday they will face China and will conclude their group stage Thursday against Thailand. Japan, South Korea and Pakistan are in Pool B. The Indian team along with four officials, an umpire and a judge will leave for Shanghai Saturday.

The squad: Ningomban Amubi Devi (captain), Suniti Kispotta and Sanarik Chanu (goalkeepers), Pinky Devi, Apoorva Vishwakarma, Sunita Lakra, P. Sushila Chanu, Jyoti Sharma, Monika, Jamila Bano, Pratibha Chaudhary, Binita Kindo, Anila Sosan Beck, Rajani, Kavita Vidyarthi, Anupa Barla, Lalrothuami and Ramngaihzuali.

Coach: Y S Chauhan; Manager: Helan Soy; Physical trainer: I S Gill: Physiotherapist: Iksha Khare; Umpire: T Asha; Judge: Davinder Bhatia. (IANS)

Monica Seles inducted into Hall of Fame

NEWPORT, July 12: Nine-time Grand Slam singles champion Monica Seles and three others were inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Joining the former women’s world number one in the honor shrine were 1960s Spanish player Andres Gimeno, pioneer marketer Donald Dell and the late Robert Johnson, a junior player developer who helped launch the careers of black players Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe.

"What an amazing group," Seles said at the induction ceremony. "It’s such a great honor. Standing here, I’m just a bundle of nerves.

"Growing up as a little girl, I could never dream I would be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I have a hard time believing it now."

Seles sat atop the WTA rankings for a total of 178 weeks and won the 1991 and 1992 US Opens, the 1990-1992 French Opens and the 1991-1993 and 1996 Australian Opens.

"I grew up on the WTA Tour. That was my home," Seles said. "I grew up in the media spotlight. It can be challenging at times."

Her 15-year career was interrupted in dramatic circumstances when she was stabbed in the back by a fanatical supporter of rival Steffi Graf during a 1993 match at Hamburg.

It would be 27 months before Seles would return to competitive tennis. She won her comeback event at the Canadian Open, reached the US Open final and then captured her final Slam crown at the 1996 Australian Open.

The Yugoslavian-born American won 53 singles titles and more than 14 million dollars in prize money. She donated many of her trophies to the honor shrine.

"I hope it will inspire young children to pick up a racket, hit a few balls and fall in love with the sport the way I did," Seles said. "I look forward to watching the sport and seeing how much faster it can get."

Seles poked fun at her habit of grunting whenever she struck the ball, giving the crowd one final edition.

"For old times sake, here it is - eeeunnh," Seles said with a smile. "I just had to do it."

Seles, the 2000 Olympic bronze medalist, was the youngest champion in French Open history at 16 1/2 years.

"When I won my first French Open at age 16, mom kept me from getting a big head by saying I had to be back downstairs for dinner," Seles said.

Gimeno became the oldest French Open men's winner by taking the 1972 title at age 34. He also reached the 1969 Australian Open final and the semi-finals of the 1968 French Open and 1970 Wimbledon tournaments. He won seven singles titles and reached a best ranking of ninth in the early days of the Open era. (Agencies)

Stage nine of Tour de France gets under way

Saint-Gaudens, France, July 12: The ninth stage of the 2009 Tour de France got underway on Sunday in the Pyrenean city of Saint-Gaudens with Italian Rinaldo Nocentini still the surprise leader of the race.

The 160.5km course to Tarbes, the last of three stages in the Pyrenees Mountains, will take the 172 riders left in the race over two formidable climbs.

First they tackle the 12.3km ascent to the Col d'Aspin. With an average slope of 6.4 per cent, the climb is rated Category 1 in difficulty. Less than 30km farther on comes one of the legendary climbs of the Tour de France, up to the Col du Tourmalet, a gruelling 17.1km at an average gradient of 7.4 per cent.

The Tourmalet, which has been climbed 76 times in previous Tours, is rated Beyond Category in difficulty, the highest rating. However, after the Tourmalet more than 70km remain in the stage, which diminishes its tactical importance for the outcome of the Tour.

It is likely that a breakaway group of riders who combine climbing ability and road-racing savvy, but with little chance of gaining the title, will use the stage to try and snatch a famous victory.

This was the case Saturday, when Spaniard Luis Leon Sanchez outsprinted three other riders to win the eighth stage.

The 31-year-old Nocentini began the stage with a 6-second lead over Alberto Contador of Spain, with Contador's Astana teammate, seven-time champ Lance Armstrong, another 2 seconds adrift.

Nocentini struggled Saturday on less testing climbs than he will face Sunday and was able to retain the race leader's yellow jersey only because his team worked hard and because of Astana's repeated declaration that it was not in their interest to take the race lead so early in the Tour.

The Tour ends July 26 in Paris. (IANS)

Espanyol’s Nakamura protests Ronaldo comparisons

Barcelona, July 12: Japan’s Shunsuke Nakamura protested against his "Galactico" billing after his arrival in Spain sparked a chaotic airport crush among Espanyol fans. Hundreds of fans greeted the midfielder as he swept into Barcelona for a medical on Saturday while Spanish media compared him to new Real Madrid signing Cristiano Ronaldo. "I’m not a star," the 31-year-old told Sunday's Japanese media. "I will have to work twice as hard as everyone else at the club and be prepared to put in a defensive shift. "It's not easy to make an impact in Spanish football. I'll be trying hard to establish myself step by step." Nakamura joined Espanyol on a two-year deal from Scotland's Celtic last month after winning three Scottish Premier League titles at Parkhead. He opted for Espanyol after snubbing a return to his boyhood J-League club Yokohama F-Marinos. The former Scottish player of the year will instead make his home debut against the likes of Ronaldo and Kaka when Real Madrid visit Espanyol in the second week of the La Liga season. (Agencies)

Holden stunner gives US late draw

Massachusetts, July 12: A spectacular injury-time equaliser from Stuart Holden saved the United States' blushes as they drew 2-2 with Haiti on Saturday to clinch a quarter final berth in the Gold Cup.

The result put the United States top of Group B with seven points from three games. The draw was also enough for Haiti, on four points, to progress to the quarter finals.

In other Group B action, Honduras thrashed Grenada 4-0 to finish second and advance to the last eight.

Haiti looked to have pulled off the first major upset of the tournament after two goals inside the first five minutes of the second half put them 2-1 up.

The US took the lead in the sixth minute when Scottish-born midfielder Holden threaded a delightful pass to Davy Arnaud who finished confidently with a left-foot strike.

Holden was then denied by the under-side of the cross-bar after launching a thundering drive from 30 yards out. But the game was transformed just a minute after the break when Vaniel Sirin squared the ledger with a diving header at the back post after accepting a fine cross from Leonel Saint-Preux.

Three minutes later, a rocketing strike by Mones Chery from over 25 yards whistled past Luis Robles in the US goal.

The US, fielding a weaker side than the team that reached the final of the Confederations Cup, struggled to break down Haiti's defence until Holden produced another rocket which flew into the top corner of the net.

First half goals from Walter Martinez and Roger Espinoza gave Honduras a comfortable 2-0 lead over hapless Grenada, before Melvin Valladares and Carlos Costly sealed the win after the break.

The win gave Honduras second place in Group B and a quarter final booking with Canada.

The top two teams in each of the three groups go through to the quarter-final stage of the competition along with the two best third-placed teams. (Agencies)

Peirsol ends US trials on spectacular note

Indiana, July 12: Aaron Peirsol closed the US Nationals in spectacular style, demolishing the 200 metres backstroke world record on Saturday, as the American team for the upcoming Rome world championships was completed.

The US trials produced sizzling times including three world records, Peirsol collecting two in the 100m and 200m back and Michael Phelps setting another in the 100m butterfly.

Peirsol was timed at one minute, 53.08 seconds in the 200m, slicing .86 seconds off the 1:53.94 mark set by compatriot Ryan Lochte on his way to gold at the Beijing Olympics.

Lochte took the race out in world-record pace but finished a well-beaten second in 1:54.21, as Peirsol reclaimed the mark he had once held for nearly five years.

Peirsol first snatched the record in March 2002 and lowered it three times until Lochte wrested it from him at the 2007 world championships.

Peirsol equalled Lochte's mark at the 2008 US Olympic trials but then watched his team mate reclaim it and the gold medal in Beijing.

"I knew to win the event someone would have to come close to the world record or beat it," Peirsol told reporters. "We've been going back and forth for a few years now."

"But this is all just a stepping stone.

"He’ll get his shot again in a couple of weeks (at the world championships)."

Eric Shanteau, who competed at the Beijing Olympics despite being diagnosed with testicular cancer, showed he was back in top form after beating the disease, touching first in the 200 breaststroke in an American record time 2:08.01. Shanteau has qualified for three events in Rome, including the 100m breast and 200m individual medley.

Also securing wins and world championship spots on the final night were Dana Vollmer in the 200m freestyle and Olympic champion Rebecca Soni, who touched first in the 200m breaststroke with 2:20.38, just outside her world record of 2:20.22.

Teenager Chloe Sutton, who competed in the 10km open water swim at the Beijing Olympics, will try her luck in the pool in Rome after winning the 800m free in 8:29.34.

The 17-year-old failed to qualify for any of the open water events for the worlds but had earlier secured a spot on the team with a runner-up finish in the 400m free.

Jackson Wilcox won the gruelling 1,500m free in 15:11.98.

The evening began with Cullen Jones winning a swim-off with Garrett Weber-Gale for second in the men's 50m free and a spot on the US team.

Jones clinched the berth with an American record time of 21.41 trimming .06 off the previous mark of 21.47 set by Webber-Gale last year. (Agencies)

Prasad tops among seniors in JK Tyre Rotax national karting

Coimbatore, July 12: Vishnu Prasad, Parth Ghorpade and Tarun Reddy topped their respective categories in the second round of the JK Tyre Rotax National Karting championship here on Sunday.After a disappointing Round 1, Chennai’s Prasad (seniors), of Team Meco Racing was in his elements with an excellent start for an early lead that he retrained till the finish. Kolhapur’s Chittesh Mandody from Mohite Racing finished second while veteran Mumbai's Ameya Walavalkar, also from Mohite Racing, came third. In the junior category, Team Amaron Pro Racing with Meco made a podium sweep. Kolhapur's Ghorpade (juniors) won the race after having built up a decent lead. Placed in second position was Bangalore's Nikhil P Kashyap, who managed to hold off the threat from Chennai’s Shashank Ravishankar. Chennai schoolboy, 11-year old Reddy (Micro) from Team Meco Racing continued his domination to post his second successive win of the season. Staving off a spirited effort from Kolhapur's Dhruv Mohite of Team Mohite Racing Academy, Tarun snatched the victory by a whisker to win the 12-lap race in the Micro Max category. Results:

Seniors (20 laps): 1. Vishnu Prasad 13:24:160; 2. Chittesh Mandody 13:28:608;

3. Ameya Walavalkar 13:31:430.

Juniors (18 laps): 1. Parth Ghorpade 11:54:466; 2. Nikhil P. Kashyap 12:00:761;

3. Shashank Ravishankar 12:01:590.

Micro Max (12 laps): Tarun Reddy 10:01:827; 2. Dhruv Mohite 10:01:968; 3. Surya Raghuraman 10:20:968. (IANS)

Argentina lead women’s Champions Trophy

SYDNEY, July 12: Tight matches on day two of the women’s Champions Trophy field hockey tournament, on Sunday, saw Argentina beat Australia 1-0 and the Netherlands overcome China 1-0, while Germany eased past England 3-1.

Argentina advanced to the head of the leader board on six points, with the Netherlands on four, Australia and Germany on three, England on one and China with no points.

Argentina had a penalty corner disallowed in the last minute of the first half then scored as Australia’s defence went to sleep, conceding a free hit to Luciana Aymar who slipped a pass to Josefina Sruoga in the circle who scored inside the left post.

Madonna Blyth, the captain of the Australians, who wore pink to support breast cancer awareness, conceded the team was not focused after a goal was disallowed after many reviews by the video umpire.

"We probably did not switch back on as a whole group after the goal was disallowed," Blyth said.

"I am a big fan of Australian hockey and a big fan of the way they play," Argentina coach Carlos Retegui said.

"Today the whole squad defended well and our goalkeeper had a really great game," Retegui said.

China held world and Olympic champions the Netherlands scoreless for 60 minutes. But Marilyn Agliotti collected a rebound off China's goalkeeper from Maartje Paumen's sixth penalty corner attempt to give the Netherlands their first win of the tournament.

"We dominated the game as we did yesterday and the win was deserved," said Janneke Schopman, captain of the Netherlands.

"We played physically strong but safe in the first half and we talked about it in the break and told the team they needed to play also to play to win and they did that in the second half," said Herman Kruis, the team's coach. England’s Chloe Rogers backstick slap into the left of goal on England's first penalty corner in the first minute of the match shocked Germany into action.

Germany came back through Natascha Keller, finding gaps in England's defence from long midfield passes to trouble England's defence.

Germany's first goal came from Lydia Haase and Eileen Hoffman combining to set up Janine Beerman for an easy shot into the right of goal.

Fanny Rinne added the second for Germany on her fifth penalty corner attempt, beating two defenders to hit low into the left of goal from near the penalty spot, early in the second half.

Natascha Keller set up Germany's third, beating England defenders along the left baseline, tapping across to Maike Stoeckel in front of goal to push inside the right post. (Agencies)

Khade wins gold, Sejwal silver in Germany swim event

New Delhi, July 12: Olympians Virdhawal Khade and Sandeep Sejwal began their preparation for the World Championship in style, winning gold and silver respectively at the International Schwimmfest in Darmstadt, Germany. Kolhapur boy Khade not only won the 50m freestyle event but also set up a new meet record with a timing of 22.96 seconds. Sejwal bettered his own national record by clocking 28.65 seconds in the 50m breaststroke category event. He had set a record of 28.77 only a few weeks ago at the French Open Swimming Championships. Khade, Sejwal and J Agnishwar, are in Europe for a special training and competition programme as they are preparing for the upcoming FINA World Swimming Championship commencing from July 16. SOURCE: THE SENTINEL

Lower-Central match draw

The match between Lower Asom Zone and Central Asom Zone in the All Assam Zonal Cricket Championship came to an end as a draw. In reply to Lower Asom’s first innings total of 159 runs, Central Asom managed to score 138 runs for the loss of seven wickets when the umpire’s signalled the end of the game. Debojit Das (46), scored highest runs for Lower Asom while Nadiya Doley remained not out for 28 runs. Munna Aziz claimed three wickets for 32 runs. Both teams got one point each from this game.