Sunday 15 February 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Why can't Pakistan beat India in the World Cup?

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ADELAIDE (AFP) - If Pakistan were looking for answers for its wretched losing streak against arch-rivals India in the World Cup, they need to cut to the chase and begin with the captains luck with the toss.When Misbah-ul Haq called incorrectly before Sundays 76-run defeat at the Adelaide Oval, it was the fifth time in six World Cup outings that Pakistan had lost the toss to India.In all those five games, Pakistan failed to chase down the target. The only time India batted second, at the Centurion in 2003, the genius of Sachin Tendulkar took the game away from Pakistan.Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq is convinced Indias luck with the toss has played a major role in its 6-0 scoreline against the old foes in the sports premier 50-over showpiece.I believe batting first is always an advantage as batsmen tend to get under pressure while chasing in big games, Inzamam wrote in a guest column for the tournaments official website.I cant find a suitable word to describe what goes wrong when we chase against India, but its more like a mental blockage of players.On Sunday, after Virat Kohlis 107 had set up a 301-run target, Pakistan folded up for 224 with only skipper Misbah contributing a valiant 76 off 84 balls.In previous World Cup games against India, Pakistan failed to chase down totals of 216 in Sydney (1992), 287 in Bangalore (1996), 227 in Manchester (1999) and 260 in Mohali four years ago.Indias latest win came without the reassuring presence of retired batting superstar Tendulkar, who had proved a stumbling block for Pakistan in at least four of the five previous encounters.In 2003, Tendulkar tamed a star-studded pace battery of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar to fashion Indias six-wicket win with a scintillating 98 off 75 balls after Pakistan had piled up 273-7.Misbah was at a loss to explain another failure on Sunday.I dont know what happened, he said. But it is important to forget this loss and look to the future. The game is gone now, so we have to just concentrate on the next one.Six straight losses will hurt more because Pakistan enjoy a superior overall one-day record over India, having won 72 games and lost 51.Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had some comforting words for Pakistan, saying the unbeaten run would not stay for ever.This World Cup record is good and we are proud of it, he said. But a time will come when we will lose to them. This record wont stay for the rest of our lives.That opportunity could come in the ongoing tournament itself if the two sides clash again in the semi-finals or the final.In 1992 when the World Cup was held Down Under, Pakistan recovered from a 43-run loss to India in the league to win the tournament under Imran Khan.Pakistan need to win at least three of their remaining five matches against South Africa, the West Indies, Ireland, the United Arab Emirates and Zimbabwe to confirm a quarter-final placing.Former batting great Javed Miandad, the only other player besides Tendulkar to play in six World Cups, reminded the current squad that all was not lost yet.In a way it is good that Pakistan has got an early jitter, said Miandad. Pressure should be now off from their shoulders and they should concentrate on the remaining five group matches.Miandad blamed faulty selection for Sundays defeat, saying it was mindboggling to open the batting with veteran Younis Khan or drop specialist wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed.What is needed is to field the right combination and look for specialists instead of accommodating players who are not in form, he wrote. Remember Pakistan should come first and not the individuals.Pakistan next play the West Indies at Christchurch on Saturday.

UN presses Yemen militia to cede power

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SANAA (AFP) - The United Nations Security Council on Sunday urged Yemens Huthis to cede power, release President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and negotiate in good faith, after the Shiite militia vowed to defy the bodys threats.Yemen is a traditional US ally in the fight against Al-Qaeda, but the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country has descended into chaos since the Huthis overran the capital in September.In another city they captured last year, Ibb in central Yemen, Huthis fired on hundreds of protesters to disperse them on Sunday, wounding several.Militiamen also clashed with Sunni tribes east of the central city of Baida, which the Huthis have been trying to overrun as they extend their influence.Tribal sources said at least 12 Huthis were killed, but there was no independent confirmation of the toll.On February 6, the Huthis ousted the government and dissolved parliament, tightening their grip after Western-backed President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi resigned in protest at their advance.UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned that Yemen is falling apart and called for Hadis reinstatement.Citing security concerns, nine Arab and Western countries shuttered their embassies in Yemen last week and evacuated diplomats.In its resolution, the Security Council demanded that the Huthis immediately and unconditionally engage in good faith in UN-brokered negotiations, withdraw their forces from government institutions and relinquish power.The text, adopted unanimously by all 15 council members, also demanded that the militia release Hadi, Prime Minister Khaled Bahah and other officials and activists under de facto house arrest or in detention.All parties must accelerate inclusive UN-brokered negotiations and set a date for a constitutional referendum and elections, the resolution added.It raised the possibility of sanctions, without going as far as Gulf countries, which have demanded coercive measures under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter.Western diplomats said Russia, which is already under US and European sanctions over its annexation of Crimea and backing of rebels in eastern Ukraine, was reluctant to vote for sanctions.It was the councils first resolution on Yemen since the Huthis grabbed power in a move the United States and Gulf Arab countries described as a coup.The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council said Saturday it would act if the rival factions in Yemen fail to resolve their differences, without elaborating.The 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) voiced support for the GCC statement, and the Arab League said it will hold an emergency meeting on Yemen on Wednesday.Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam, quoted by the official, militia-controlled Saba news agency, insisted that the Yemeni people wont cede power in the face of threats.He denounced as provocative blackmail demands for the Huthis to relinquish power and criticised the withdrawal of ambassadors.In their bid to establish authority across Yemen, the militiamen have tried to stifle opposition and have been accused of detaining and torturing opponents.They announced a ban on anti-Huthi protests last week and have repeatedly used live ammunition to disperse demonstrations in Sanaa and Ibb.The family of one protester detained by the Huthis last week said he had died late Friday of torture wounds suffered in captivity.Another two demonstrators held with him are in hospital after being found wounded and left on a street.On Sunday, several protesters were wounded in Ibb when the Huthis fired live rounds to disperse hundreds of people demanding the release of an activist, witnesses said.Ahmed Hazzaa, a leader of the anti-Huthi Rafdh (rejection) Movement, was detained on Saturday by Shiite militiamen, members of his group told AFP. The Huthis are accused of receiving support from Shiite-dominated Iran, which criticised the hasty action of closing embassies in Sanaa, and insisted the Huthis were fighting corruption and terrorism.Meanwhile, political forces and governors of three southern provinces -- Aden, Lahij, and Mahra -- formed a local leadership group rejecting the Huthi coup.In a statement issued at the end of a meeting in the souths main city Aden, leaders of the three provinces demanded Hadis reinstatement and affirmed their support for Yemen becoming a federation based on the outcome of a national dialogue held last year.

IS in Libya says it has beheaded 21 Egyptian Christians

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CAIRO (AFP) - The Islamic State group in Libya released a video on Sunday purportedly showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians, prompting Egypts president to threaten a suitable punishment for the killings.President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said his country reserved the right to punish these murderers as he called a meeting of security chiefs and declared seven days of mourning after the video was released by jihadists on social media.The footage released by IS online shows 21 handcuffed hostages wearing orange jumpsuits being beheaded by their black-suited captors in a coastal area the group said was in the Libyan province of Tripoli.In the latest issue of the IS online magazine Dabiq, the group said the same number of Egyptian hostages were being held in Libya.The Coptic Church issued a statement saying it was confident the killers would be brought to justice as it confirmed those beheaded were Egyptian Copts, while Al-Azhar, the prestigious Cairo-based seat of Islamic learning, denounced the barbaric killings.Egyptian state television broadcast some of the footage from the IS video wihout showing the beheadings but showed the hostages marched along by their captors on a beach.Egypt reserves the right to respond in a suitable way and time to punish these murderers, a visibly angry Sisi said in a televised speech.The security body that is meeting in Cairo includes Sisi, his defence and interior ministers and military commanders.Egypt last year denied reports of having carried out air strikes on Islamists in Libya, but US officials said its ally the United Arab Emirates carried out the strikes using Egyptian bases.French President Francois Hollande, whose government has agreed to sell Egypt advanced Rafale fighter jets, expressed his concern at the expansion of Daesh in Libya, referring to the Islamic State group.The group has been hammered by a US-led air strikes in Iraq and Syria after it took over swathes of the two countries, and has active affiliates in Egypt and Libya.Sundays video, entitled A message signed with blood to the nation of the cross, has a scrolling caption in the first few seconds referring to the hostages as People of the cross, followers of the hostile Egyptian Church.One of the masked captors, wearing a military uniform and pointing a knife to the camera said in English: Today we are in the south of Rome, in the land of Islam Libya... the sea you have hidden Sheikh Osama bin Ladens body in, we swear to Allah we will mix it with your blood.Al-Qaeda founder Bin Laden was shot and killed in a dramatic helicopter raid by US special forces in Pakistan in the early hours of May 2, 2011 and later buried at sea in an unidentified location.After the beheadings, a scrolling caption on the footage said: The filthy blood is just some of what awaits you, in revenge for Camilia and her sisters.Egyptian women Camilia Shehata and Wafa Constantine were the wives of Coptic priests whose alleged conversion sparked a sectarian dispute in Egypt in 2010.Shehata went missing for five days in July that year after a domestic argument before police found her and escorted her back home.When she went missing, Coptic Christians staged protests, but when she was returned, Islamists took to the streets alleging she had willingly converted to Islam and was being held by the church against her will.Wafa Constantine also went missing, in 2004, reportedly after her husband refused to give her a divorce. She was temporarily sequestered at a convent as reports of her conversion were circulated.Following the videos release, the Coptic church said it was confident its homeland would not rest until the evil perpetrators get their fair retribution for their wicked crime, in a statement on its Facebook page.Al-Azhar meanwhile said it had heard the news of the beheadings of a group of innocent Egyptians with great sorrow and grief.The latest IS video comes just days after the jihadists released footage showing the gruesome burning alive of a Jordanian pilot the group captured after his F-16 came down in Syria in December.The UNs mission in Libya said the groups actions should be rejected and denounced by all Libyans, describing the apparent beheadings as a terrorist crime against these guest workers from neighboring Egypt.In January, the IS branch in Libya claimed it had abducted 21 Christians.A spokesman for the Egyptian foreign ministry confirmed to AFP in Cairo at the time that 20 Egyptians had been kidnapped in two separate incidents.

Rain turns weather cold in Lahore, twin cities

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Heavy rain in different parts of the country, including Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi, on early Monday morning turned the weather gold again.Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted widespread rain for most parts of the country during the next 48 hours with chances of heavy snowfall over the hills.

PM to visit Karachi today to review security situation

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ISLAMABAD (Online) - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will fly to Karachi today (Monday) to chair a high-level meeting on the law and order situation, sources said here on Sunday. The prime minister will chair the meeting at the Governor’s House to get update on the ongoing operation in the metropolitan. Leaders of PPP, MQM and other parties will also attend the meeting, which will also discuss the JIP report on the Baldia Town inferno. Separately, the prime minister will also hold a meeting with PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

Ton-up Simmons revives Windies against Ireland

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NELSON (AFP) - Lendl Simmonss dashing hundred and a personal-best 89 from Darren Sammy hoisted the West Indies to 304 for seven batting first in their World Cup opener against Ireland in Nelson on Monday.The pair, who came together with the West Indies in trouble at 87 for five after a three-wicket burst by left-arm spinner George Dockrell, equalled the West Indies sixth-wicket partnership record of 154.Simmons -- whose uncle Phil, the former West Indies batsman, is Irelands coach -- was eventually dismissed in the last over for 104, his second one-day international century.With Andre Russell adding an unbeaten 27 at the end, the West Indies posted 124 off the final 10 overs.But until Simmons and Sammy set about their rescue mission, the innings had revolved around the spin bowling of the 22-year-old Dockrell.He finished with three for 50 after Ireland captain William Porterfield won the toss and opted to field, dismissing thoughts of superstition in a tournament where all four games played so far have been won by the team batting first.His three prized scalps -- Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels and Denesh Ramdin -- came in the space of just eight deliveries.It was another disappointment for Gayle, whose reputation as a cavalier big hitter has deserted him in recent times. He has not passed 50 since playing Bangladesh in August and the last of his 21 centuries was against Sri Lanka in June 2013.Two-time World Cup champions West Indies were banking on Gayle and Samuels in their opener, but their 47-run stand ended when Gayle tried to break Dockrells stranglehold and was caught by Kevin OBrien on the boundary.Two balls later, Dockrell had Samuels lbw for 21. The West Indies appealed but the replays confirmed Samuels was plumb in front.Dockrell fired again in his next over, getting an lbw decision against Denesh Ramdin.The West Indies had lost three wickets for nine runs and were struggling at 87 for five in the 24th over.Enter Sammy and Simmons, who set about dismantling the bowling as they plundered runs at a rate of nearly eight an over.Former West Indies captain Sammy faced 67 balls, including nine fours and four sixes while Simmons struck nine fours and five sixes in just 84 deliveries.The West Indies started cautiously with only six runs in the first three overs and lost their first two wickets in a three-ball burst when Kevin OBrien removed Dwayne Smith for 18 and Darren Bravo was run out by McBrine without scoring.The 21-year-old McBrine, playing only his fourth ODI and for the first time facing a team other than Scotland, conceded just 26 runs from his 10 overs.

Football: Messi hat-trick fires Barca, Atletico beaten by Celta

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MADRID (AFP) - Lionel Messi marked his 300th La Liga appearance with his 31st Barcelona hat-trick as the Catalans moved within a point of Real Madrid at the top of the table with a 5-0 win over Levante.However, champions Atletico Madrid remain seven points off the top in third after losing 2-0 at Celta Vigo.Barca have now won 11 straight matches in all competitions and never looked in danger despite coach Luis Enrique making eight changes from the side that beat Villarreal in the Copa del Rey in midweek.Messi teed up Neymar to open the scoring early on and then took over scoring duties himself to push out his all-time La Liga tally to 269 goals.Yet, even the Argentine was upstaged by a stunning overhead kick from substitute Luis Suarez to round off the scoring.Victory tied Pep Guardiolas best ever run of consecutive wins during his hugely successful four-year spell in charge at the Camp Nou.But Enrique insisted it is winning at the seasons end which matters most.Records are obviously positive, but they dont interest me, he said.The players arent overly euphoric because they know how hard it is to win titles.If the fans are euphoric then great. We need to be optimistic, but it isnt important how many games we have won. What counts is if they help us to win trophies.Messi, Neymar and Javier Mascherano were the only survivors from Wednesdays 3-1 Cup semi-final, first leg win over Villarreal as Enrique continued to use the vast resources of his squad.Those changes did understandably provoke a subdued start, but Barcas luck was in on 17 minutes when Neymar mishit Messis dinked pass over the Levante defence only for the ball to spin high into the air and drop into the far corner of the net.Messi didnt need the same fortune to make it 2-0 as Marc Bartra robbed the ball deep inside the Levante half and fed his teammate to slot home his 35th goal of the season.The four-time World Player of the Year doubled his tally just before the hour mark as Sergio Busquetss lovely pass into Pedro was turned across goal by the Spanish international for Messi to tap home.Neymar was then upended inside the area by Ivan Lopez and, having handed penalty taking duties to the Brazilian when Neymar missed from the spot in midweek, Messi wasnt going to give up the opportunity for his fifth hat-trick of the season as he sent Marino the wrong way.Suarez was introduced at Neymars expense shortly afterwards and the former Liverpool man provided his own moment of brilliance 17 minutes from time as he caught Adrianos cross flush on the volley for just his fourth La Liga goal.Atletico were a shadow of the side that thrashed Real Madrid 4-0 last weekend as a fifth league defeat of the season all but ended their title hopes.Celta dominated the opening 45 minutes without creating a clear-cut opportunity, but they were handed the chance to open the scoring in controversial circumstances from the penalty spot as the referee missed a handball by Augusto Fernandez in the build-up before Nolito was upended by Mario Suarez inside the area.Nolito stepped up to send Miguel Angel Moya the wrong way from the spot and could only look on in disbelief moments later when Joaquin Larrivey somehow failed to turn his cross into an open goal. Atletico then came alive as Sergio Alvarez saved from Saul Niguez and Antoine Griezmann, but they were caught on the break 19 minutes from time when Michael Krohn-Dehli fed Fabian Orellana to drill the ball into the far corner.Valencia needed an Alvaro Negredo penalty 19 minutes from time to see off Getafe 1-0 and move back above Sevilla into fourth.The on-loan Manchester City striker cheekily chipped home the winner from the spot after he had been brought down by Juan Rodriguez.Villarreals chances of a top four finish were dented, however, as they were undone by second-half goals by Alberto Bueno and Gael Kakuta in a 2-0 defeat at Rayo Vallecano.

FA Cup: 3rd tier Bradford ousts Sunderland, Arsenal advances

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LONDON (AP) - Third-tier Bradford produced another FA Cup upset against Premier League opposition on Sunday, beating Sunderland 2-0 to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in 39 years as holder Arsenal ousted Middlesbrough by the same score.Jon Stead scored for a fifth consecutive round in the second half after an own goal from John OShea gifted Bradford the lead in the third minute.Bradford, which beat Premier League leader Chelsea to reach the fifth round, is now only one win from a Wembley Stadium semifinal.There was always a danger that because we beat Chelsea everyone would expect us to win today, Bradford manager Phil Parkinson said. We had to guard against that and go in there with the underdog mentality.Right from the first whistle we played with great desire and great spirit and we were first to every ball all over the pitch. Maybe we took Sunderland by surprise.Bradford, which was relegated from the Premier League in 2001 and is currently ninth in League One, produced another stunning cup run in 2013 when it reached a League Cup final won by Swansea.We have done it again and we are obviously buzzing, Stead told BBC radio. It was a terrific start for us to get the goal and we just carried on from there.Sunderland manager Gus Poyet maintained that the loss is not humiliating.If the top teams always beat the smaller teams, then the cup would not exist, Poyet said.It was a routine day, though, for Arsenal. Middlesbrough, which is second in the second tier, never looked like emulating its fourth-round victory over Premier League champion Manchester City.Olivier Giroud scored both of Arsenals goals in the 2-0 win to take his tally in the season to 10.The France forward turned in Kieran Gibbs cross in the 27th minute and netted again inside two minutes after meeting Alexis Sanchezs corner at the near post.Giroud is today a different player to the guy who arrived here (in 2012), Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. He has improved tremendously his mobility, his technical quality.The closest Middlesbrough came was in stoppage time when Kike headed against the post.The days all-Premier League encounter was closer, with Aston Villa beating Leicester 2-1.Leandro Bacuna broke the deadlock in the 68th minute, and Scott Sinclair doubled Villas lead in the 89th, with goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer helping the ball into the net.Andrej Kramaric headed one back for Leicester a minute later, but Villa held on with new manager Tim Sherwood watching from the stands. The former Tottenham manager delivered an impromptu halftime team talk despite leaving coach Scott Marshall in charge for this game.He came in and made a couple of points to the lads, Marshall said. I thought the boys delivered that in the second half and were very good.The fifth round will be completed on Monday when Manchester United plays at Preston.Blackburn, Liverpool, Reading and West Bromwich Albion won on Saturday to secure a place in Mondays draw for the last eight.

Tennis: Nishikori downs Anderson for Memphis three-peat

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MEMPHIS (AFP) - Kei Nishikori extended his Memphis Open reign on Sunday, defeating Kevin Anderson 6-4, 6-4 to win his third straight title at the ATP hardcourt tournament.The top-seeded Japanese captured his eighth ATP crown, and his first since he won in Tokyo in October.That was one of two titles Nishikori captured late last year after a breakthrough run to the final of the US Open.This year, the world number five hadnt made it to a final until this week, but a return to Memphis proved the tonic he needed.It feels great, said Nishikori, who became the first man to win three straight titles at Memphis since the tournament began in 1975. I think Im going to move here soon.His win over the second-seeded Anderson, in 75 minutes, was his most complete performance of the week, and his first match of the tournament in which he captured the opening set.I returned really well, Nishikori said. I felt a lot of confidence and played a lot of deep balls to put pressure on him. I played almost perfect today.Nishikori took charge in the second with a break for a 3-2 lead, coming up with a running backhand down the line passing shot on break point.The drama wasnt done, however.Serving for the match at 5-4, he raced to a 40-0 lead, but Anderson held on for deuce.After the South African pushed a backhand long, Nishikori sealed the win on his fourth opportunity, when Anderson went wide with a forehand.Anderson, the world number 15 who received a wild card into the tournament, fired 12 aces, but was broken three times as he endured his sixth straight ATP finals defeat.His only titles came at the 2011 South African Open and in 2012 at Delray Beach, Florida, where he now resides.He played a really solid match, Anderson said. I have to give credit to him. I had little opportunities but I just played a few loose games. He came up with the good shots when it mattered.For his third Memphis Open title, Nishikori was awarded a trophy of a one-of-a-kind Gibson electric guitar.I love it, he said. Ive never done before, guitar, but I think I will have to get a lesson.

Tennis: Cornet survives Dubai marathon match

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DUBAI (AFP) - Alize Cornet, who sensationally beat world number one Serena Williams in last years semi-final, escaped from danger in one of the Dubai Opens longest ever womens matches on Sunday.The 15th-seeded Frenchwoman trailed 0-3 in the final set against Kirsten Flipkens, before winning 6-0, 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 against the former Wimbledon semi-finalist from Belgium.The match lasted three hour and 11 minutes, even though the first set took a mere 20 minutes and although Cornet appeared to have reached match point in the second set tie-break when her lob landed on the line at six points all. But the ball was wrongly called out and Cornet, who had already used her allocation of three video reviews, was unable to challenge it. After that the match lasted another up-and-down 70 minutes and Cornet, 25, was still cross about the decision after an emotionally draining victory.You know what I told the chair umpire? said Cornet, who lost last years final in straight sets to Venus Williams.I told her, when you will see the replay, you will think of me, you will think of me.Earlier Flavia Pennetta, the former top 20 Italian, provided a substantial payback to organisers, who had given her a wild card, by recovering dramatically to win her first round match.Pennettas attempts to enter the $2.5 million tournament had only happened after the official deadline, and after getting her belated acceptance the 32-year-old responded with an emotional 2-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 win over Germanys Julia Goerges, also a former top 20 player, to score her first victory of the year.Goerges, 26, had also been fortunate to make the main draw, qualifying only as a lucky loser, but seemed certain to make further progress when she led by a set and 5-2 in the second.I was almost crying on the court - I was feeling so bad, admitted Pennetta.Sometimes you dont feel good at the beginning of the year. My good tennis just was not coming.She slipped to 15-40 in the eighth game of the second set, but somehow conjured two steadier rallies to save those two match points, and then saved two more after Goerges got advantage points.After saving those two as well Pennetta claimed: I dont know how I did it.I was just playing until the last point. I wasnt playing well but I was just playing with what I have.When you fight you can get closer to a good level. My coach says I am really tough, but it isnt easy to say what I really did (to survive) there.Pennetta then appeared to take advantage of Goerges disappointment as she followed her escape from match points by breaking serve immediately, then repeating the achievement, and going on to dominate the tie-break.When Pennetta then reached 4-1 in the final set, the match looked nearly over, but Goerges gave it a twist by getting the score back on serve at 3-4 before playing two disappointing service games to concede defeat.By then Pennettas standard had gone up - though its still not good yet, she said.At least I had two hours and ten minutes on court, concluded Pennetta, who next plays the winner of Wang Qiang of China and Kurumi Nara of Japan.Earlier there were wins for Samantha Stosur, the former US Open champion from Australia, who earned a second round meeting with Caroline Wozniacki, the world number five from Denmark; also for Svetlana Kuznetsova, the former French and US Open champion from Russia, and for Sabine Lisicki, the former Wimbledon finalist from Germany.Titleholder Venus Williams begins her defence Tuesday against Belinda Bencic, the 17-year-old former French Open and Wimbledon junior champion from Switzerland.

Golf: Snedeker rolls to Pebble Beach victory

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PEBBLE BEACH (AFP) - Brandt Snedeker ended a near 20-month victory drought in emphatic style on Sunday with a record-setting triumph in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.Snedeker, the 2013 winner of the $6.8 million US PGA Tour event, had five birdies in a flawless five-under par 67 for a 22-under par total of 265 and a three-stroke win over Nick Watney.He broke his own record 72-hole total of 267 set in 2013.It feels awesome, said Snedeker, who had fallen to 63rd in the world and with the win secured his berth in the first major of the year, Aprils Masters at Augusta National.Im emotional right now, he said. Its been a long time since I felt this feeling and its really special.Snedeker, winner of the 2012 FedEx Cup playoffs, endured a lean year in 2014, when he notched just three top-10 finishes on the US Tour as he battled injury and troubles with his short game.Sundays win was his first since the 2013 Canadian Open.Watney fired a three-under 69 for 268. Charlie Beljan was a further shot back on 269 after a final-round 66.Australias Jason Day, who won last weeks tournament at Torrey Pines in a playoff, shook off illness during the week to finished tied for fourth with Americans Dustin Johnson and Pat Perez.Third-round leader Jim Furyk, who has not won since 2010, struggled on his way to a two-over 74 and finished in a tie for seventh.Furyk has now failed to win the last nine times he has held a 54-hole lead.

Ireland in command against West Indies

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NELSON (Dunya News) – Ireland’s left-arm leg-spinner George Dockrell claimed three quick wickets to restrict West Indies 95/5 after completion of 25 overs in their World Cup encounter on Monday.Dwayne Smith was removed by KJ OBrien in the eighth over of the West Indies innings. Smith scored 18 runs. DM Bravo followed him quickly without scoring any run. Then George Dockrell removed Chris Gayle (36), Marlon Samuels (21) andDenesh Ramdin (1) to restrict West Indies to 93/5 at the end of 25th over.Earlier, Ireland won the toss and opted to bowl first against the West Indies in their opening Pool B match in Nelson on Monday.Captain William Porterfield sees turn in the wicket and has backed his bowlers in a tournament where all four games played so far have been won by the team batting first.

Bangladesh expect big things from top-rated Shakib at World Cup

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Shakib Al Hasan is crickets top-ranked all-rounder and coach Chandika Hathurusingha expects him to play a leading role in Bangladeshs quest for another big scalp at the World Cup.While Bangladeshs deeds have been modest at Test level, the Tigers have beaten Australia by five wickets in an ODI at Cardiff in 2005 before knocking India out of the 2007 World Cup to move beyond the first round for the only time in the tournament.Bangladesh start their 2015 World Cup campaign against debutants Afghanistan in Canberra on Wednesday and Hathurusingha, who has coaching experience in Australia, is tipping big things from Shakib.Weve got the No.1 all-rounder in all formats of the game ... hes a key player for us, Im expecting him to perform and take a lead role and lead us from the front, Hathurusingha said.I think you have seen him a little bit for Melbourne Renegades. Hes an explosive batter when he gets in and he can control the game, and hes a very clever bowler.Shakib is the only Bangladesh player from the current squad to have played some cricket in Australia in the months leading up to the World Cup, having had a short stint with Melbourne Renegades in the Twenty20 Big Bash League.I think winning for any team is important, (but) for Bangladesh especially. This is an opportunity for them to prove where theyre at with world cricket, said Hathurusingha, who was New South Wales assistant coach when they won the Sheffield Shield final last year.So winning, for me, is the No.1 thing, its not just participating, but the key for us is to perform to our expectation, our standard.If we do that, certain games well surprise the opposition.Shakib has been Bangladeshs talisman since 2009 and his all-round form has hardly dipped despite the teams rollercoaster win-loss record during that period.I am also looking forward to the young players and see what they do for us in this big stage, Hathurusingha said.It is a first time in Australia for many of our players and although some of them have played here, it wasnt in the major venues. We are looking forward to doing well here.The pressure is there in the World Cup, especially in the first game. Any team wouldnt know what to expect, he said.We are all a bit nervous. We are expecting to do well. I think it is a good thing to feel a bit of tension, whether against Afghanistan, Australia or New Zealand.It is important to win the first game. We are focusing on doing well, what we can do. If we perform to our best, we can give a good fight.

In-form New Zealand wary of Scotland slip-up

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DUNEDIN (AFP) - Co-hosts New Zealand face a potential World Cup banana skin against minnows Scotland in Dunedin on Tuesday, former Black Caps skipper Stephen Fleming has warned.New Zealand justified their tag as one of the pre-tournament favourites with a comprehensive 98-run win over Sri Lanka in their opening match and will be keen to maintain momentum against Scotland.The Scots have not won a match in two previous World Cup campaigns (1999 and 2007), with bookmakers rating them 12-1 outsiders to upset the in-form New Zealanders.But Fleming said the Pool A clash was a banana-skin type match where, if it was allowed, complacency could be a danger.He pointed out that Scotland, an ICC associate nation, lost by just one run in October to a New Zealand XI which included eight of the Black Caps World Cup squad.Only an inspired last-ball run out spared New Zealands blushes on that occasion and Fleming said the Black Caps could not treat their opposition lightly.New Zealand will have to be completely focused, as they were against Sri Lanka, to make sure they do not slip up, he said.Scotland have displayed impressive form this month in the lead-up to the tournament, scoring 310 against the West Indies and cruising to a 179-run win over fellow associates Ireland.Captain Preston Mommsen said the Scots were taking inspiration from Irelands giant-killing exploits at previous World Cups, when they claimed the scalps of Pakistan (2007) and England (2011).Theyve found a way to stand up to the big teams and well be looking to do the same thing, he said. Were not here to fill in the numbers.South African-born Mommsen said he was part of the best-prepared team to ever leave Scottish shores.They are coached by former Black Cap Grant Bradburn, assisted by gritty ex-England batsman Paul Collingwood, who has helped toughen the mental aspects of their game.New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said shock results were inevitable at the World Cup and the Black Caps, more accustomed to being labelled underdogs, were determined not to fall victim to one.I think there will be a number of upsets in this tournament and if sides take any other side lightly they could get turned over, Hesson said.We will respect Scotland as much as we do every other team.New Zealand are expected to rest veteran spinner Dan Vettori and paceman Adam Milne, with Hesson admitting there were some sore bodies in the camp after the Sri Lanka game.The pairs likely replacements are Nathan McCullum and Mitchell McClenaghan.Fine, dry weather with highs of 25 Celsius (77 Fahrenheit) is expected on Tuesday in Dunedin, a city with strong Scottish roos where both teams can expect enthusiastic support.

Ireland opt to bowl against West Indies

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NELSON (AFP) - Ireland won the toss and opted to bowl first against the West Indies in their opening Pool B match in Nelson on Monday.Captain William Porterfield sees turn in the wicket and has backed his bowlers in a tournament where all four games played so far have been won by the team batting first.Ireland have left out Craig Young and Alex Cusack and included Andrew McBrine as a second spinner to join George Dockrell.West Indies, reading the situation differently, have left out their number one spinner Suliemann Benn as well as Sheldon Cottrell, Jonathan Carter and Nikita Miller.The match is widely regarded as crucial to sorting out the fourth quarter finalist in a pool which also includes South Africa, India and Pakistan. Zimbabwe and United Arab Emirates round out the group.Teams:West Indies: Jason Holder (capt), Chris Gayle, Dwayne Smith, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Denesh Ramdin, Lendl Simmons, Darren Sammy, Andre Russell, Kemar Roach, Jerome Taylor.Ireland: William Porterfield (capt), Paul Stirling, Ed Joyce, Niall OBrien, Andrew Balbirnie, Gary Wilson, Kevin OBrien, John Mooney, Max Sorensen, George Dockrell, Andrew McBrine.Umpires: Bruce Oxenford (AUS), Richard Illingworth (ENG).TV Umpire: Chris Gaffaney (NZL).Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG).
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