Sunday 24 January 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Pak-NZ 1st ODI: Kiwis put together 280 against Pakistan

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WELLINGTON (AFP) - Fine strokeplay from Henry Nicholls and a late assault by tailenders took New Zealand to a formidable 280 for 8 in the first one-day international against Pakistan in windy Wellington on Monday.Nicholls, only in the side as cover for the injured Ross Taylor, made 82 in just his sixth ODI.With another new face of New Zealand cricket, Mitchell Santner, they produced a 79-run stand for the seventh wicket after New Zealand were in a perilous state at 99 for 6.Tailenders Matt Henry, 48 not out, and Mitchell McClenaghan then bludgeoned Pakistan for 73 off 33 balls before McClenaghan took a vicious blow to the head and retired hurt on 31 with one ball remaining.Nicholls, Santer and Henry all produced career best figures with the latter smacking four fours and four sixes in his innings.Before the late charge, Pakistan had been on top with Mohammad Amir picking up three for 28 before he hobbled off after injuring his left leg at the start of his ninth over.The 23-year-old, still working his way back into favour after a five-year ban for spot-fixing, was given the arduous duty of toiling into the strong Wellington wind in his first spell.Two of his first three deliveries were wides as he struggled to get to grips with the conditions but once he settled the full range of skills in his armoury was deployed.He took one wicket upwind and was rewarded with a change of ends for his second spell when he took two more with a range of swing and seam deliveries and well-placed bouncers.After losing the toss and being sent into bat New Zealand saw their prime batsmen fall cheaply, leaving the 24-year-old Nicholls to make the most of his opportunity.He easily passed his previous best of an unbeaten 23 on debut against Sri Lanka on Boxing Day in a well-crafted innings.Openers Martin Guptill and Tom Latham, were both out for 11, in a three-ball burst.Mohammad Irfan, stung by being hit for six by Guptill, came back with a bouncer that was hooked to Wahab Riaz at long leg.Amir then captured the first ODI wicket in his comeback campaign when Latham delicately gloved the ball to wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed.Kane Williamson and Nicholls added 45 for the third wicket before Mohammad Ali claimed the next two wickets in the space of three balls.The sole right-armer in Pakistans pace armoury had Nicholls dropped on 15 by Mohammad Hafeez at first slip with his second ball.But luck went his way in his fourth over when he bowled Williamson (10) and Grant Elliott (0) to reduce New Zealand to 70 for 4 after 16 overs.Amir had Corey Anderson (10) and Luke Ronchi (5) both caught behind before Santner joined Nicholls to provide some backbone to the innings.

Nicholls saves face for New Zealand against Pakistan

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WELLINGTON (AFP) - Fine strokeplay from Henry Nicholls and a late assault by tailenders took New Zealand to a formidable 280 for 8 in the first one-day international against Pakistan in windy Wellington on Monday. Nicholls, only in the side as cover for the injured Ross Taylor, made 82 in just his sixth ODI. With another new face of New Zealand cricket, Mitchell Santner, they produced a 79-run stand for the seventh wicket after New Zealand were in a perilous state at 99 for 6. Tailenders Matt Henry, 48 not out, and Mitchell McClenaghan then bludgeoned Pakistan for 73 off 33 balls before McClenaghan took a vicious blow to the head and retired hurt on 31 with one ball remaining.Nicholls, Santer and Henry all produced career best figures with the latter smacking four fours and four sixes in his innings. Before the late charge, Pakistan had been on top with Mohammad Amir picking up three for 28 before he hobbled off after injuring his left leg at the start of his ninth over. The 23-year-old, still working his way back into favour after a five-year ban for spot-fixing, was given the arduous duty of toiling into the strong Wellington wind in his first spell. Two of his first three deliveries were wides as he struggled to get to grips with the conditions but once he settled the full range of skills in his armoury was deployed. He took one wicket upwind and was rewarded with a change of ends for his second spell when he took two more with a range of swing and seam deliveries and well-placed bouncers.After losing the toss and being sent into bat New Zealand saw their prime batsmen fall cheaply, leaving the 24-year-old Nicholls to make the most of his opportunity. He easily passed his previous best of an unbeaten 23 on debut against Sri Lanka on Boxing Day in a well-crafted innings.Openers Martin Guptill and Tom Latham, were both out for 11, in a three-ball burst.Mohammad Irfan, stung by being hit for six by Guptill, came back with a bouncer that was hooked to Wahab Riaz at long leg. Amir then captured the first ODI wicket in his comeback campaign when Latham delicately gloved the ball to wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed. Kane Williamson and Nicholls added 45 for the third wicket before Mohammad Ali claimed the next two wickets in the space of three balls.The sole right-armer in Pakistans pace armoury had Nicholls dropped on 15 by Mohammad Hafeez at first slip with his second ball.But luck went his way in his fourth over when he bowled Williamson (10) and Grant Elliott (0) to reduce New Zealand to 70 for 4 after 16 overs.Amir had Corey Anderson (10) and Luke Ronchi (5) both caught behind before Santner joined Nicholls to provide some backbone to the innings.

Sargodha: 16 injured as bus turned turtle

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SARGODHA (Dunya News) – According to details, a passenger bus carrying wedding guests turned turtle when its tie rod got loose near bypass at the Bhalwal Road near Sargodha on Sunday, injuring at least 16 passengers. The ill-fated bus was taking back wedding guests from Salam to Lalyan. Women and children are among the wounded.Rescue teams reached the spot and shifted the injured District Headquarters Hospital Sargodha where condition of three wounded persons is stated to be critical.

Tennis: Murray guns for seventh Aussie quarter-final

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MELBOURNE (AFP) Andy Murray will be looking to put a medical drama involving father-in-law Nigel Sears behind him as he aims for a seventh consecutive Australian Open quarter-final on Monday.The British second seed rushed to see Sears in hospital after he collapsed mid-match collapse late Saturday while watching Ana Ivanovic, who he coaches.Murray, whose wife Kim Sears is heavily pregnant, was playing on the neighbouring Margaret Court Arena unaware of the emergency.The four-time finalist was back on the practice courts on Monday as Sears was given the all-clear, and preparing for his night match on Rod Laver Arena against Australian Bernard Tomic.Im sure it will have no effect for him when he plays on Monday, said Tomic, while offering sympathies to the Scot.With Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova safely into the tournament last eight, two-time champion Victoria Azarenka will be keen to join them when she squares off against Czech Barbora Strycova.Im pretty happy with the way Im playing. I just want to still keep improving from match to match, because its only getting harder from here, said the Belarusian, seeded 14.Strycova will be a tough test after she sent third seed Garbine Mururuza packing in the last round.Angelique Kerber faces compatriot Annika Beck in another fourth round clash, with at least one German assured of a quarter-final berth.Other womens action sees Johanna Konta, the first British woman to reach this stage at the Australian Open in 29 years, against Russian 21st seed Ekaterina Makarova.Meanwhile Chinese qualifier Zhang Shuai aims to keep her giant-killing run going against American 15th seed Madison Keys.I really want to win one day. I really want to win a Grand Slam, said Zhang, who has the belief that she can go all the way in Melbourne this year.Stan Wawrinka will have his work cut out against big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic, who has been extra intensity by his grief over a Canadian high school shooting on Friday.Wawrinka, who won his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne two years ago, admitted it will not be easy despite leading their head-to-head 4-0.Hes a tough player. Ive never lost, but always been some tough matches, he said. I still think it depends a lot on my game. I always find some solution to break his serve, even if its really tough. Well see.Frances Gael Monfils takes on Russian Andrey Kuznetsov, and 10th seed John Isner is up against eighth seed David Ferrer in the other mens fourth-round matches.

Football: Chelsea deny Arsenal as Guidolin makes winning start

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LONDON (AFP) - Arsenal missed out on the chance to regain top spot in the Premier League after losing 1-0 at home to London rivals Chelsea on Sunday.Meanwhile Swansea gave new coach Francesco Guidolin victory in his first game in charge with a 2-1 win away to Everton as the Welsh club moved four points clear of the relegation zone.At the Emirates, Arsenal were reduced to 10 men in the 18th minute when Per Mertesacker was sent off for a challenge on Chelsea striker Diego Costa, with referee Mark Clattenburg ruling the Gunners defender was the last man.Four minutes later, Costa gave Chelsea the lead when he got on the end of a Branislav Ivanovic cross at the near post.Arsenals defeat left them in third spot, three points behind shock leaders Leicester City, while Chelsea moved up into 13th place.For all their contrasting fortunes this season, Chelsea are now unbeaten in nine league games against Arsenal and Blues skipper John Terry told Sky Sports: It is a good three points and gets us up the league. Weve drawn too may of late so we needed to pick up three pointsMentally we were sound and on top. As soon as they had the man sent off they sat back so we pressed up higher and won the ball back. We are delighted with the win.As for where Chelsea might finish this season, central defender Terry added: Anything is doable. Everybody is beating everybody else. It is a tough league and if we put a run together we have a good chance (of fourth). We will fight until there are no points to play for.Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech, who joined the Gunners from Chelsea in pre-season, said the home side had been unlucky.For 60 minutes, we were the better team and showed great character, we just needed a bit of luck to find the net.Turning to the sending-off, Cech added: The referee made the decision to give the red card and he had a clear view, if there was contact then it was the correct decision because Per Mertesacker was the last man.A hard-fought victory at Goodison Park saw Italian boss Guidlolin off to a winning start with the Swans.Swansea went ahead though Gylfi Sigurdssons 17th-minute penalty but Everton were level nine minutes later when Gareth Barrys near-post flick was turned into his own net by the Swans Jack Cork. But Swansea regained the lead in the 34th minute. Left-back Neil Taylor burst clear and released Andre Ayew, whose shot deflected in off the sliding John Stones.This was a notable win for Swansea as it meant they had recorded back-to-back league successes for the first time this season following last weeks 1-0 defeat of Watford. It was also their first league victory over Everton.Six points in two matches is very important for us because the table was not good, said Guidolin. I hope to have the possibility to go up in the table.In this moment I am very happy. This is the first match in the Premier League for me.Guidolin added: I dreamt of working in the Premier League but I didnt dream of winning the first match.Everton manager Roberto Martinez had to make two substitutions in the first half, with the injured pair of Muhamed Besic and Kevin Mirallas now set to miss Wednesdays League Cup semi-final second leg against Manchester City.We were very slow in our performance -- pedestrian -- but two aspects affected our momentum which was the two injuries, said Martinez.We created enough chances to win the game. The fearful aspect of our performance was a real shame, added former Swansea manager Martinez, whose Everton side now have the worst home defensive record in the Premier League.

Football: Zidane's Madrid held at Betis, Atletico in Sevilla stalemate

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MADRID (AFP) - Zinedine Zidane suffered his first setback as Real Madrid boss as Los Blancos were held 1-1 at Real Betis on Sunday to slip four points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona.Atletico Madrid also spurned the chance to move back on top as they failed to break down 10-man Sevilla in a 0-0 draw at the Vicente Calderon. A point means Atletico and Barcelona are now level on points at the top of the table ahead of their meeting at the Camp Nou next weekend, although Barca also have a game in hand on both sides from the capital.Gary Nevilles winless streak in La Liga as Valencia boss stretched to seven games despite Alvaro Negredos 93rd minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Deportivo la Coruna.Betis hadnt scored in their previous seven games as part of a 10-game winless streak, but needed just seven minutes to make the breakthrough in spectacular fashion.Keylor Navas made a fine save to block Ruben Castros first effort, but the ball eventually fell to Cejudo on the edge of the area, who unleashed a volley into the top corner Zidane himself would have been proud of in his playing days.Betis intense start unsettled a Madrid side that had struck 10 goals in Zidanes first two games in charge, but the visitors slowly began to take control and Ronaldo missed a huge chance to level when he scuffed his shot wide with just Antonio Adan to beat.Pepe also sent a header wide when unmarked from point blank range and Benzema wrongly had a penalty appeal waived away when he was stood on by Petros.However, Zidanes men did get a break for the equaliser 19 minutes from time when James Rodriguez appeared to be offside as he latched onto Toni Krooss through ball and squared for Benzema to tap home his 21st goal in 20 games this season.Antonio Adan then produced two stunning saves to prevent Rodriguez and Benzema in as many minutes as Madrid piled on the pressure in search of a winner.Yet, it was Betis who had a huge chance to win the game in stoppage time when Ruben Castro fired inches wide.At the Calderon, Antoine Griezmann had Atleticos best effort when he headed against the post early in the second-half, but the hosts failed to take advantage after Vitolo was shown a second yellow card just after the hour mark.Even after the red card the hosts struggled to open up the Sevilla defence, but a well-worked free-kick freed Yannick Ferreira Carrasco inside the area and his fierce shot was brilliantly saved by Sergio Rico.When you dont score it is normal that is what people talk about, but we had plenty of chances today, said Atletico boss Diego Simeone.We hit the post, their keeper made a great save and the only way to score in football is by creating chances.The team worked hard and there were positives from the game in how we kept going. We tried in every way to break down the Sevilla defence.Valencia remain a mammoth 16 points off fourth place in 11th as their run without a league win since November 7 continued at Deportivo.Lucas Perez coolly slotted home his 13th goal of the season to give the home side a deserved half-time lead.However, Nevilles men again came from behind to salvage a point for the fifth time in his seven league games in charge when Negredo powered home Dani Parejos cross with virtually the last action of the game.Athletic Bilbao gunned down high-flying Eibar 5-2 in a Basque derby at San Mames.

Football: Higuain hits 21st Serie A goal as Inter stumble

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MILAN (AFP) - Gonzalo Higuain struck his 21st goal in as many games to help Napoli tighten their grip on Serie A with a 4-2 win at Sampdoria as title challengers Inter Milan were stunned by a late Carpi leveller.As Napoli battled to their 14th win of the campaign, Inter paid the price for a series of first-half misses when Kevin Lasagna levelled at the death for the minnows to secure a 1-1 draw at a stunned San Siro.Napoli now sit five points ahead of Juventus, who host Roma in Sundays late game, and have a six-point lead on Fiorentina after their 2-0 win over Torino earlier in the day.Inter have dropped to fourth at six points adrift, further enforcing the pundits belief that Napoli and Juve are in a two-horse race for the title.Inter coach Roberto Mancini was furious with his misfiring strikers, lashing out after the game: Im 50 years old and even I would have put some of those chances away.When you get chances like that, you cant afford not to score. We had several opportunities to double our lead and wrap up the game and instead we let them come back at usWe should never be conceding goals like the one Lasagna scored.It had been a dramatic week for Mancini and Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri but as Inter slipped, Napoli put their title-winning credentials on show again.Sarri was caught in the eye of a homophobic storm after calling fellow Mancini a poof during a post-match tirade following defeat to Inter in the quarter-final of the Italian Cup, prompting stinging criticism from Mancini and gay rights groups.Inter only drew a line under the controversy on Friday by publicly accepting Napoli and Sarris apology, but by Sunday afternoon Mancini was wishing he had Higuain playing at the club.If he (Sarri) wants to loan Higuain to me, thats fine by me, added Mancini.A trip to Sampdoria looked a challenging prospect for Sarris title challengers, but after ballooning an early chance over Higuain was soon into his usual, predatory stride.In the ninth minute, the Argentinian pounced on a poor Edgar Barreto back-pass to power towards the area and fire past onrushing Emiliano Viviano.Higuain is becoming what I always thought he should be, in other words the best striker in Europe and perhaps the world, Sarri told Mediaset Premium.I wouldnt even exchange him with Robert Lewandowski.Another Barreto blunder helped Napoli double their lead by the 18th minute, the defender hauling down Raul Albiol and the referee pointing to the spot.Despite Higuains chance to match the 22-goal tally that won the leagues Capocannoniere (top scorer) award for Luca Toni and Mauro Icardi last season, Lorenzo Insigne stepped up to beat Viviano at his near post.Napoli were in command but the visitors were pegged back after Carlos Carbonero did well to snatch possession and powered down the right flank.Sampdoria striker Eders dummy was crucial, allowing Joaquin Correa to run in and beat Pepe Reina first-time from 12 yards.A superb piece of individual skill from Napoli captain Marek Hamsik helped Sarris men restore their lead, the Slovakian shimmying past three players inside the area to toe-poke the ball past Viviano at his far post on the hour.Sampdoria pulled one back on 73 minutes when Eder rose to meet a corner to fire a glancing header through the legs of Reina, but six minutes later the match was effectively over.Dries Mertens had replaced Insigne with 15 minutes remaining and only four minutes later the Belgian international took on two Samp defenders before beating Viviano with a low shot at his far post.Elsewhere, Lazio and Palermo gave their stuttering campaigns a boost by recording impressive 4-1 wins over Chievo and Udinese respectively.Bolognas purple patch under coach Roberto Donadoni continued with a shock 2-0 win away to Sassuolo, who remain seventh but are now only one point ahead of a resurgent Lazio.

Football: Atletico held in Sevilla stalemate, Neville still winless

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MADRID (AFP) - Atletico Madrid spurned the chance to move back on top of La Liga as they failed to break down 10-man Sevilla in a 0-0 draw on Sunday.Antoine Griezmann had Atleticos best effort when he headed against the post early in the second-half, but the hosts failed to take advantage after Vitolo was shown a second yellow card just after the hour mark.A point means Atletico and Barcelona are now level on points at the top of the table ahead of their meeting at the Camp Nou next weekend, although Barca also have a game in hand.Real Madrid can close to within two points of the leaders when Zinedine Zidane gets his first taste of action as boss away from the Santiago Bernabeu at Real Betis later on Sunday.Gary Nevilles winless streak in La Liga as Valencia boss stretched to seven games despite Alvaro Negredos 93rd minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Deportivo la Coruna.When you dont score it is normal that is what people talk about, but we had plenty of chances today, said Atletico boss Diego Simeone.We hit the post, their keeper made a great save and the only way to score in football is by creating chances.The team worked hard and there were positives from the game in how we kept going. We tried in every way to break down the Sevilla defence.There have now been just 17 goals in Atleticos 10 matches at home in La Liga this season and clear-cut chances were again hard to come by for both sides.Griezmann just couldnt stretch to turn Diego Godins header across goal in at the far post early on.Meanwhile, at the other end, Sevillas best chance fell to Ever Banega but his deflected shot spun inches over the bar.Griezmann was desperately unlucky when he timed his run to meet Kokes cross perfectly just after the break only to see his bullet header come back off the post.Atletico were gifted the initiative for the final half hour when Vitolo was handed a second booking for chopping down Luciano Vietto just outside the box.The hosts still struggled to open up the Sevilla defence, but a well-worked free-kick freed Yannick Ferreira Carrasco inside the area and his fierce shot was brilliantly saved by Sergio Rico.The goalkeeper also did well to turn Gabis pile-driver over before Carrascos free-kick at the death was deflected behind as Sevilla held on for a point that keeps them in the race for fourth place, eight points adrift of Villarreal.Valencia remain a mammoth 16 points off fourth place in 11th as their run without a league win since November 7 continued at Deportivo.Lucas Perez coolly slotted home his 13th goal of the season to give the home side a deserved half-time lead.However, for all their faults, Nevilles men again came from behind to salvage a point for the fifth time in his seven league games in charge when Negredo powered home Dani Parejos cross with virtually the last action of the game.Athletic Bilbao gunned down high-flying Eibar 5-2 in a Basque derby at San Mames.On-loan Atletico striker Borja Baston scored twice for the visitors to take his tally for the season to 15. However, two goals from Aritz Aduriz and strikes from Sabin Merino, Aymeric Laporte and a late Mauro dos Santos own goal moved Athletic up to eighth.

Golf: Fowler holds firm to win in Abu Dhabi

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ABU DHABI (AFP) - Rickie Fowler won his fourth title since May last year, producing magical shots en route to clinching the $2.7 million Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Sunday.The world number six had taken the outright lead when third round play was completed early Sunday morning, and then protected his lead with solid play and pulling off crunch shots when needed most.He finished with a three-under par 69 round for a four-day tally of 16-under par 272, one better than long-hitting Belgian Thomas Pieters, who closed with a five-under par 67.World number three Rory McIlroy (68) made an eagle on the 18th hole and world number five Henrik Stenson (67) made three birdies in his last four holes to finish on 14-under par 274, but that was never going to be enough to catch the rock-solid Fowler.The 27-year-old American, who is expected to rise to number four in the world rankings when it is released on Monday, made an eagle on the par-5 eighth hole - a perfect response to a double bogey on the previous hole where he skulled his second shot from the native area.And then, as he surveyed his chip shot from edge of the green on the 17th hole, a loud roar went up signifying McIlroy making an eagle on the 18th and moving to 14 under.Fowler calmly walked up to the ball and chipped in for a birdie to move two shots clear of McIlroy and Stenson as well as his playing partner Pieters.On the 18th, Pieters made a birdie but Fowler got his par without any issues and wrapped up his win.World number one Jordan Spieth fired a four-under par 68 on the final day to finish at 11-under par 277 and in tied fifth place.This was a big one. Last year, obviously having multiple-win season, but to come back and work on getting back in the winners circle after a successful season and keep moving forward; this is a great start, said Fowler, who also won the Scottish Open on the European Tour last year apart from the Players Championship and Deutsche Bank Championship on the PGA Tour.Obviously a great field here. The course was in perfect shape. It was a lot of fun today. It was a bit stressful at times.I just made a bad swing on the seventh, so kind of deserved a little bit of a penalty there. Got a bit of a bad break having a boulder underneath the ball there.So nothing I can really do about that. I walk away with five and then go to the next hole and just try to hop back on the horse. Hit a perfect bunker shot there.When something happens like that, it definitely gives you a little boost of confidence knowing that youve got a good break with that after having a bad break, and sometimes you need to have little luck on your side to get some wins.Pieters, who won twice on the European Tour last year, came agonizingly close to forcing a play-off, but his eagle putt on the 18th from 25 feet stopped inches short.A little bit disappointed. Played pretty good today. Doesnt get much better: Perfect weather, good company. Just looking forward to next week now, said Pieters, who had finished third in Abu Dhabi last year.I didnt do much wrong today. Maybe stay a little bit calmer, but I think I did that too. Next time maybe some more putts drop, thats it.McIlroy was disappointed to finish runner-up for the fifth time in Abu Dhabi, and said: That 68 was the best I could have done.I played well, but a stretch of 18 holes, the back nine yesterday and the front nine today, I was one-over par. You cant do that against a field like this.Stenson, who has pulled out of next weeks Qatar Masters to rest his knee and leg, was happy with how he finished.This is a really encouraging start to the season. I had not even started walking properly when I came here for the tournament, so the first round was huge for me, he said.I then played poorly for some holes in the second round, but overall, I am very proud of this finish, he added.The next stop of the European Tours Desert Swing is the Qatar Masters in Doha, while Fowler flies back to the US to play the Farmers Insurance Open in Torrey Pines.

Tennis: 'Brain freeze' for Djokovic as Federer nails Goffin

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MELBOURNE (AFP) - Novak Djokovic dished up 100 unforced errors in a five-set struggle with Gilles Simon on Sunday as Roger Federer roared into the Australian Open quarter-finals with ruthless efficiency.After the top seeds match to forget, Federer looked in a hurry to brush off David Goffin when they came on court just before 11:00 pm -- and he duly thrashed the Belgian 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 in 88 minutes.There was a big contrast between defending champion Djokovic, who is going for a record-equalling sixth Australian Open title, and the 34-year-old Federer, who hasnt won in Melbourne since 2010.While Simon patiently pushed and prodded Djokovic during his 6-3, 6-7 (1/7), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win, Goffin couldnt lay a glove on Federer as the clockwork Swiss purred through.But both are safely into the quarter-finals, with Djokovic facing Kei Nishikori in his 27th consecutive Grand Slam last-eight clash and Federer up against Tomas Berdych.Berdych also had to come through a marathon five-setter as he outlasted Spains Roberto Bautista Agut 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 to reach the last eight for the sixth year in a row.By comparison, Nishikoris win was a stroll as he crushed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets, and he may fancy his chances against Djokovic after the Serbs flustered performance against Simon.Actually, it gives me great joy to know that I cant get worse than that, than what I played today, Djokovic said. I was obviously pleased to win the match, but in terms of the performance itself, I havent done well at all... Its a match to forget for me.He was at a loss to explain his tactic of continually trying drop shots, which either found the net or were returned with interest by the fast-moving Simon.Sometimes you have a brain freeze, if I can call it that way, the 10-time Grand Slam champion said.Tuesdays clash will be Djokovic and Nishikoris first Grand Slam meeting since the 2014 US Open semis, when the Japanese player won in four sets to become the first Asian man to reach a major singles final.Djokovic hadnt lost to Simon in nine matches stretching back to 2008, but the Frenchmans probing and counter-punching rattled the games top player.The Serb took nearly an hour to win the first set and his frustrations were palpable as Simon took the second on a tiebreak, ending an unbeaten sequence of 26 sets stretching back to the World Tour Finals.He got the crucial break to take the third set but the persistent Simon took it into a fifth after he broke late in the fourth set, amid another flurry of errors from the Serb.Djokovic got two service breaks in the fifth set only to be broken back once, but he finally clinched victory on his third match point with a backhand winner.Earlier Nishikori produced his best tennis of the tournament to breeze past former finalist Tsonga 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in just over two hours on Hisense Arena.Today was one of the best matches Ive had this week. Played good tennis, through in three sets, beamed Nishikori, who showed no sign of his troublesome right wrist injury.Berdych was also taken the distance by a dogged Bautista Agut before he finally put him away after three hours, 18 minutes to reach the last eight. But Federer was in no mood to hang around in the evenings final match, watched by Australian great Rod Laver in the arena that bears his name.It was a good challenge and Im happy I came out and played as well as I did... it was a good surprise out here tonight for me, Federer said.

Tennis: Radwanska back from the brink to make quarters

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MELBOURNE (AFP) - Popular fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska came back from the brink to reach her fifth Australian Open quarter-final on Sunday with a hard-fought win over Anna-Lena Friedsam, who left the court in tears.The Polish star extended her current win streak to 12 matches with a 6-7 (6/8), 6-1, 7-5 triumph over the unseeded German, who struggled with cramp and injury late in the match.It was a tough workout for Radwanska, who is seeking to go one better than the semi-finals she made in 2014. She will face either Spanish 10th seed Carla Suarez or Moscow-born Australian Daria Gavrilova in the last eight.Despite the loss, it was a memorable tournament for 21-year-old Friedsam, ranked 82, who went further at a Grand Slam than she had ever done before.She earned her crack at Radwanska by beating Roberta Vinci, the Italian who ended Serena Williams calendar Grand Slam dreams at the US Open last year.I knew it was going to be a tough one. She plays better than her ranking. She played amazing and I was in real trouble in the first and third sets, said Radwanska. I was just lucky in the end. It was the second time this month she had beaten Friedsam, after coming out on top at the semi-finals of the Shenzhen Open, a tournament she won.Radwanska looked out of sorts as the match got underway and was broken on her first service game with the German going on the attack.The Pole broke back but it was a short-lived reprieve with Friedsam shocking her with another break in the fifth.The momentum kept shifting with Radwanska clawing back to 3-4 as her trademark double-handed backhand finally found its range.Friedsams confidence was fading and she was broken to love again, with Radwanska reeling off four games in a row.But the plucky German, knocked out in the first round last year, regrouped and pushed the set to a gruelling tiebreak, pumping her fist in joy when a net volley gave her the set in 62 minutes.In a battle of the baseliners, the composed Pole held serve to open the second set then got a crucial advantage on a break point in the second game with an overhead volley.The exertions of the first set seemed to have taken their toll on Friedsam and 11 unforced errors allowed the fitter Radwanska to race through the second set in just 26 minutes.Friedsam went off court for a toilet break to regroup and it seemed to pay dividends.While she lost her opening service in the third set she scored two breaks to lead 4-2 and the Pole staring at defeat. But with Friedsam serving for the match, she drew on her big match experience to break back.The intense match took its toll on the German who had a medical timeout for a right thigh problem, then broke down with cramp in the 11th game.Fighting back tears, she gamely continued but the cool Radwanska progressed.

Pakistani PM vows action against all militant groups

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ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistan Sunday pledged further action to combat militants, but Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif admitted progress had often been slow, speaking just days after a deadly attack by heavily armed gunmen on a university campus killed 21 people. The assault bore a chilling resemblance to the December 2014 Peshawar school assault in which more than 150 people, mostly children, were killed, prompting the government to launch a National Action Plan (NAP) cracking down on extremism.Sharif said Sunday Pakistan would continue the fight against militants.We will fulfil this responsibility, he told reporters in London.In certain areas of NAP the progress is slow, but in many other areas work has been started, Sharif added.The NAP saw the creation of military courts and the resumption of executions after a six-year moratorium, and the initiatives were credited with making 2015 the least deadly in terms of militant attacks since the formation of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistani (TTP) in 2007.The Pakistan military also intensified an ongoing campaign against extremism following the 2014 assault.Sharif said that Pakistan and Afghanistan had an agreement that both countries would not allow militants to use their territory to launch attacks on their neighbour. However, Pakistan officials said the university attack was orchestrated from Afghanistan and that they have arrested five Pakistani facilitators.Pakistan and Afghanistan are strictly following this agreement, but there are certain elements in Afghanistan who on their own are attacking Pakistan, Sharif said.In 2014 our school was attacked from Afghanistan. Such attacks should be stopped, Sharif said.Twenty-one people were killed last Wednesday in an attack at a university campus in Pakistans tribal northwest which was claimed by a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, barely a year after the massacre at a school in Peshawar that killed more than 150 people.Earlier this month Sharif assured US Secretary of State John Kerry that Pakistan was investigating the deadly attack on an Indian air force base.Indian officials suspect the January 2 attack on the Pathankot base, which left seven soldiers dead, was carried out by the banned Pakistan-based group Jaish-e-Mohammed.US President Barack Obama, in an interview with the Press Trust of India published on Sunday, also urged Pakistan to show it is serious about crushing extremist networks operating on its territory, saying the latest mass killing of students underlined the need for more decisive action.

New Zealand reach 109/6 in 25 overs

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WELLINGTON (Dunya News/AFP) – Pakistan pace attack has restricted New Zealand to 109/6 in the first 25 overs of the opening ODI in Wellington on Sunday. Muhammad Amir was the pick of Pakistan bowlers claiming three wickets for 28 runs in 8 overs.Muhammad Irfan provided the first breakthrough to Pakistan when he removed dangerous Martin Guptill in the fifth over of match.Martin Guptill was caught by Wahab Riaz off the bowling of Irfan when the New Zealand score was 23. Guptill made 11 runs off 17 balls which included one six and one four.Tom Latham was removed by Muhammad Amir when the New Zealand score reached 25. Latham gloved a sharp rising delivery from Amir into the safe hands of wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmad. Latham also made 11 runs. An appeal for caught behind against was Latham turned down and Pakistan went to review the not out decision. Amir sent down a sharp bouncer that rose rapidly on Latham, who was trying to hook from his crease. There was no conclusive deviation, though it looked like one. Hot Spot didnt show anything as the ball whizzes past the glove. There was a blip on the real time snicko though. Pakistan were super confident of their appeal. The third umpire decides that the spike on real time snicko is enough to overturn the decision.New Zealand stand-in captain Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls gave some stability to their batting abd added 45 runs for the third wicket before Anwar Ali provided a double breakthrough. Anwar Ali bowled Williamson on the third delivery of the 16th over and after two balls clean bowled new batsman Grant Elliott. Williamson made 10 runs while Elliott failed to open his account. Both the wickets fell when New Zealand score was 70. Then Muhammad Amir struck twice and consecutive overs to give Pakistan an upper hand in the match so far. First he removed Corey Anderson for 10 runs and in his next over got the wicket of Luke Ronchi. Both were caught by Sarfraz.New Zealand were 109/6 at the end of 25th over of their innings. Henry Nicholls was batting on 39 and Mitchell Santner was not out at 9.Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl first on a blustery Monday in Wellington at the opening one-day international against New Zealand.Captain Azhar Ali stacked his side with four fast bowlers, including Mohammad Amir, to try to make the most of the conditions.The wicket looks quite good and I think early on it will do something with the new ball, he said.New Zealand go into the three-match ODI series buoyed by their 2-1 win in the recent Twenty20 series.However, they will be without the injured Ross Taylor, with his slot at number five taken by Henry Nicholls.It is the first ODI match at Wellingtons historic Basin Reserve Test venue since 2005 with the rugby ground at Westpac Stadium preferred for Crickets shorter versions over the past 11 years.Teams: Pakistan: Azhar Ali (capt), Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam, Sohaib Maqsood, Imad Wasim, Sarfraz Ahmed, Anwar Ali, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Irfan. New Zealand: Tom Latham, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson (capt), Corey Anderson, Henry Nicholls, Grant Elliott, Mitchell Santner, Luke Ronchi, Matt Henry, Mitchell McClenaghan, Trent Boult. Umpires: Nigel Llong (ENG), Derek Walker (NZL). TV umpire: Bruce Oxenford (AUS).

In form Khawaja misses Australia ODI tour of New Zealand

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Australia on Monday named virtually the same squad for a one-day series in New Zealand next month as the lineup that just white-washed India, controversially leaving out in-form batsman Usman Khawaja.This squad remains largely unchanged after a fantastic series win against India, national selector Rod Marsh said.We have selected Adam Zampa as the spinning option for this tour in place of Nathan Lyon.Australia want their leading spinner to return to domestic action to prepare for the upcoming two-Test series in New Zealand.This will give us a chance to have a good look at Adam ahead of the ICC World T20, Marsh added. That tournament takes place in India during March and April.Adam has certainly put forward a strong case for selection through good performances in the KFC Big Bash (League) ... and we think he has thoroughly earned this opportunity.But there was no place for Khawaja despite his man-of-the-match winning performance in the BBL final on Sunday night when he hit 70 off 40 deliveries.Selector Mark Waugh led a charge for Khawajas inclusion, arguing that he was the top opener in the world today.He is batting as well as anyone can possibly bat, Waugh said.Sydneys Daily Telegraph said Monday that if Khawaja was not in the squad, it will be the biggest embarrassment of the summer and create uproar in cricketing circles.Marsh chose to focus on the challenges to be faced in New Zealand.We know one of the biggest challenges we will face in New Zealand is adapting to the change in conditions, he said.The New Zealand side will be very tough to beat in their home conditions.We know we will need to be at the top of our game if we want to be competitive.The Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series starts in Auckland on February 3 and moves on to Wellington on February 6 and Hamilton February 8 with the Test matches to follow.Australia: Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, George Bailey, Scott Boland, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh Hazelwood, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa.

First ODI: New Zealand openers depart early

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WELLINGTON (AFP) - Muhammad Irfan provided the first breakthrough to Pakistan when he removed dangerous Martin Guptill in the fifth over of first ODI against New Zealand.Martin Guptill was caught by Wahab Riaz off the bowling of Irfan when the New Zealand score was 23. Guptill made 11 runs off 17 balls which included one six and one four.Tom Latham was removed by Muhammad Amir when the New Zealand score reached 25. Latham gloved a sharp rising delivery from Amir into the safe hands of wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmad. Latham also made 11 runs. An appeal for caught behind against was Latham turned down and Pakistan went to review the not out decision. Amir sent down a sharp bouncer that rose rapidly on Latham, who was trying to hook from his crease. There was no conclusive deviation, though it looked like one. Hot Spot didnt show anything as the ball whizzes past the glove. There was a blip on the real time snicko though. Pakistan were super confident of their appeal. The third umpire decides that the spike on real time snicko is enough to overturn the decision.Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl first on a blustery Monday in Wellington at the opening one-day international against New Zealand.Captain Azhar Ali stacked his side with four fast bowlers, including Mohammad Amir, to try to make the most of the conditions.The wicket looks quite good and I think early on it will do something with the new ball, he said.New Zealand go into the three-match ODI series buoyed by their 2-1 win in the recent Twenty20 series.However, they will be without the injured Ross Taylor, with his slot at number five taken by Henry Nicholls.It is the first ODI match at Wellingtons historic Basin Reserve Test venue since 2005 with the rugby ground at Westpac Stadium preferred for Crickets shorter versions over the past 11 years.
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