serena williams news: Serena Williams battles on as US Open farewell underway

Serena Williams delayed her departure from tennis on the opening night of the US Open on Monday, as the sports icon battled for victory in front of a star-studded crowd.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner – who hinted earlier this month that she plans to retire from tennis after the tournament – has put all of her experience on her way to defeat Montenegrin rival Danka Kovinic 6-3, 6-3. defeated.

A galaxy of celebrities ranging from Hollywood stars, fashion icons and former presidents could be Williams’ final appearance in a Grand Slam singles match at Flushing Meadows’ Arthur Ashe Stadium.

But the 40-year-old ensured that his fans would have at least one more chance to taste his talent as he won despite his flawed performance.

“I feel very comfortable on this court and here in front of everyone,” a

Williams said after his win.

“The crowd was crazy — they really helped pull me in. I was really pumped,” said Williams, who won her first Grand Slam title in 1999 in the same field as a 17-year-old prodigy.

Williams admitted that the decision to walk away from the sport after 27 years as a professional was “such a difficult decision.”

“I think when you’re passionate about something it’s always hard to walk away from it,” she said. “I’m trying to decide what to do. I love this sport.

“But I was like ‘Okay, I guess it’s time.’ I have a family, there are other chapters in life. I call it growth.”

Williams later declined to be certain about her retirement, though asked if the US Open would be her last tournament, teasing the possibility that she might still play.

“I’ve been very vague about it, haven’t I?” he said. “I’m going to remain unclear because you never know.”

A sellout crowd of 23,500 roared their praises for Williams as she walked into the arena wearing a dainty glitter bodice and six-layer black skirt – one for each US Open title she has won.

A-listers’ roll-call for the occasion included former US President Bill Clinton, Vogue editor Anna Wintour, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, tennis legends and Hollywood stars such as Hugh Jackman and Queen Latifah.

Williams acknowledged that leaving the spotlight – whenever it happens – would be a wrench.

“The more tournaments I play, the more I feel like I can be out there,” she said. “It’s a hard feeling, the more you do it, the more you can shine.”

Tsitsipas was stunned
In the other women’s draw on Monday, former world number one Simona Halep, seeded seventh, had her biggest first-round crash, losing 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 to qualifier Daria Snigur of Ukraine.

But that wasn’t a problem for American teenager and 12th seed Coco Gauff, who defeated France’s Léolia Jeanjean 6-2, 6-3.

Meanwhile, the men’s draw began with an upset for fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, who was beaten 6-0, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 by Colombian qualifier Daniel Ilahi Galan.

Earlier, defending champion Daniil Medvedev of Russia defeated Stepan Koslov of the United States in the top half of the draw.

Russia comfortably beat world No. 111 Kozlov 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 in 2 hours and 1 minute.

Medvedev, trying to become the first man to defend the American crown since Roger Federer retained the title in 2008, will face France’s Arthur Rinderknecht in the second round.

Britain’s Andy Murray, another veteran at the end of his career, marked the 10th anniversary of his first Grand Slam win with a straight sets defeat to Argentina’s 24th seed Francisco Cerundolo.

The 35-year-old Scott showed no signs of cramp problems recently in a 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 win but later admitted: “It felt like five sets.”

It was Murray’s first straight set win at a Grand Slam event since 2017.

Elsewhere on Monday, Wu Yibing claimed a piece of history in the men’s draw, becoming the first man from China to win a Grand Slam singles match since 1959.

The qualifier defeated 31st seed Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia 6-3, 6-4, 6-0.

But the men’s draw was in pain for other China player, Zhang Zhizhen, who lost seven match points in 3-6, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (11/9), 6-1, 6- . 4 defeats to Tim Van Rijthoven of Netherlands.

Spain’s Rafael Nadal will start his campaign against Australia’s Rinki Hijikata on Tuesday while chasing a fifth US Open title and 23rd Grand Slam title overall.

Originally published at Pen 18

This was the Hardik Pandya that India had always hoped for. He is here now

It was not long before that questions were being asked about Hardik Pandya’s place in the Indian team. Pandya was often injured and reduced him from an all-rounder to a specialist batsman. And, as a batsman, he struggled to counter the fast bowlers when they dug the ball short and hit his ribs. Pandya could neither go inside the line nor cut or cross the ball from the off-side and pull it through the square with any degree of continuity.

Then came the dreadful phase when he was thrown out of the field in 2018. With a back surgery in the offing, the question to be asked was whether he would ever be his old form again. The important thing is whether he will be able to come back and bowl with intensity and zip.

It was only in February this year that some light was shed on it. Pandya had the complete package in the Indian Premier League. He was the captain, floating batsman and originator of the ball for Gujarat Titans. At times it seemed that Pandya was bowling himself extra at the top of the innings to prove his fitness. But, it was not at the expense of the team. Match by match, his pace increased so much that he could push himself back to pick up the new ball. As a batsman, Pandya could open, he could be strong and when asked to do so, would go back to the old times and tonk the ball to finish the match.

This was the Pandya that India hoped to materialize, but had not actually seen with any great consistency in the past. It was Pandya who stepped in the middle against Pakistan.

Although he did not take the new ball, Pandya was bowled to the side in the power play overs. Pandya never looked like a part time bowler. This was a guy who could give you four overs a day. Bending his back to get extra carry on the Dubai surface, which provided a touch of variable bounce, Pandya had stopped Pakistan’s batsmen.

The special thing is that he was right in the game even though he was not bowling. Of course, Rohit Sharma was the captain, but it was often Pandya who was preparing the field and assisting the bowlers with tips on planning wickets.

When he came back to bowl the second spell, Pandya showed that fitness was not an issue even in the scorching heat of Dubai. With wickets in succession that put Pakistan behind, Pandya finished with figures of 4-0-25-3.

But he was not there. India’s familiar struggle with the top three continued as they chased down 148 and at 89/4 in 14.2 overs, it looked like Pakistan would take the win. But, Pandya was surprised, and India deepened the game, with Ravindra Jadeja providing scintillating batting cover.

So much so that people were on the edge of their seats when the last over started. With a scintillating performance from Jadeja and after his stumps were damaged, Dinesh Karthik came on and got a single. Then came the Pandya special. Mohammad Nawaz threw the javelin into a short, sharp dart but Pandya waited. Head still, base stable, feet planted, long levers come out and they launch the ball into the stands. That day, you couldn’t have asked for more from Pandya.

Originally published at Pen 18

Endorsement World: Pandya hits ball out of the park in endorsement world

Mumbai: Hardik Pandya’s six in the final over of the Asia Cup on Sunday not only helped India secure a nail-biting victory against arch-rivals Pakistan, but also ignited their already growing popularity and brand value.

His on-field performances and successful captaincy of the Gujarat Lions team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) leading to his maiden podium finish has made Pandya a darling of brands.

Reliance Industries’ Rise Worldwide, which has been managing Pandya’s business interests for the past six years, has confirmed that its brand value has increased by 30-40% in the last six months alone. For Hardik, we have a portfolio of 11 brands, of which 8-9 have been long term partners. We have closed five new brands and will announce them in the next two months.” Bardia said Pandya will be advertising around 20 brands by the end of this year.

“He is the biggest and most inspiring comeback story both physically and emotionally. The biggest change you will see is in his personality. He has emerged as a leader with calmness, confidence and faith. Hum Sahi Katha We are looking at more long-term deals and unlock 360-degree value with brands through Face-time and digital engagement. To Hardik’s credit , he is focusing on his performance on the field and allowing us to do the off-the-field part.”

While he declined to give details on the advertisements, industry experts said that Pandya is now charging anything between ₹1.5-2 crore per day for at least two-day deals. All deals are multi-year.

Some of the existing brands include boAT, Monster Energy, Gulf Oil and Dream11. Aman Gupta, Co-Founder, BOAT, said, “Our partnership with Hardik has grown over the 5 years in which we have worked together and I expect this relationship to grow even stronger in the years to come. He is also responsible for Digital Strategic Promotions. Last year, Pandya was roped in for the recreated version of the title track ‘Bella Siao’ from Netflix India’s Money Heist Season 5 along with Bollywood actors Anil Kapoor, Vikrant Massey, Shruti Haasan and Radhika Apte for around ₹40 lakh. was seen in

The 28-year-old all-rounder has been a part of India’s international team since 2016 and is known for his flamboyant ability to hit the ball, fast-medium bowling and quick fielding. Pandya’s number of social media followers has also seen a huge jump in the last six months, after which he is the third most followed active Indian cricketer.

Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Originally published at Pen 18

Against waves of young opponents, Serena Williams just kept winning

For 27 years in professional tennis, Serena Williams has faced generations of stars who jockeyed for position at the top of the sport.

The strength of her claim to be the greatest player of all time lies not only in her longevity – and 23 Grand Slam singles titles – but in her dominance over women of all ages in tennis. She regularly beat out the stars who ruled tennis before her, and she held herself up against recent incidents on the court. Between those generations, Williams overwhelmed the women she grew up with in the sport—and then outlived many of them by more than a decade.

Williams turned pro at the age of 14. Her first title at the top of the tour came in 1999 against Steffi Graf, who ended her career with 22 Grand Slam championships. Williams was 17 at the time and eventually surpassed Graf’s big win with her victory at the 2017 Australian Open.

As Williams settled into her prime, she regularly found enemies in a group of women who came through the ranks around the same time. She went toe-to-toe with Martina Hingis, Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, Kim Clijsters, Justin Henin, and Venus Williams—all of whom reached No. 1 in the Serena Williams era, and all of whom she lost more times than she won. took. Serena Williams had an overall record of 63–38 against those teammates in WTA matches, the Fed Cup, and the Olympics.

With the exception of Venus Williams, who is still playing at age 42, those other former top-ranked women had largely retired from WTA singles competition at around age 30. But when Serena Williams scored 30, she came out stronger.

From 30 to 35, he won 89% of his matches to set a record of 288–34. She spent 186 consecutive weeks in this time frame – from February 2013 to September 2016 – and dominated other women in that era to reach the top echelons of tennis. Her career record was 19–5 against Victoria Azarenka, 10–3 against Simona Halep, 10–1 against Caroline Wozniacki and 20–3 against Maria Sharapova.

Williams became a mother just before she turned 36, and although she returned to court the following year, her time on tour since then has been limited by injury. As a result, the top contenders from this era have had more success against them than the previous ones. Naomi Osaka is up 3-1 and Bianca Andreescu 2-0 against Williams. Both of those young stars beat Williams in the US Open final – Osaka in 2018, Andreescu in 2019.

For the next batch of phenoms, he didn’t have as many chances to play Williams, due to his limited schedule and his less deep runs in the tournament over the past three years. Current No. 1, Inga Swietek never encountered him. Neither is second-placed Annette Kontaveit, although she will be Williams’ next opponent if both win their first round matches. Emma Radukanu, who won the US Open last year, played with Williams for the first and perhaps only time this month at the Western and Southern Open.

Radukanu, who won, said she appreciates playing a woman she idealized, even when in the twilight of Williams’ career: “I appreciate the experience of being able to play her and our careers.” So grateful for crossing over.”

This article is originally from . appeared in
new York Times,

Originally published at Pen 18

bhaichung bhutia: We have seen what non-footballers have done. Now, give a chance to footballers: Bhaichung Bhutia

He is one of the best footballers India has ever produced. Having been associated with football in various capacities including owning a club, Bhaichung Bhutia has now thrown his hat on to become the President of the AIFF and has been pitted against fellow footballer Kalyan Choubey. Speaking to Boria Majumdar, Bhutia outlined his plans for the game if he scores the magic number in the elections to be held on September 2, 2022. Part:

It is indeed a welcome event to see two footballers fighting to become the AIFF President. What is your vision for the game, as it is going to be extremely challenging to get the game back on track in the near future?
Yes, it will be challenging and hence it has to be done. As someone who is deeply invested in the game in various capacities, I know what has to be done. Football players come out of states and districts and if you look at the current situation in those places, it is not good. No facilities, no money, no infrastructure. If you don’t give basic facilities to the youth, how can you expect them to become good footballers? The first and foremost thing is to set up a structure. Provide financial assistance to states and districts to ensure that our young talent can play if they want to play. We have to organize tournaments at district and state level for both men and women. Unless you have a system, there will be no real development.

In such a situation, the Under-17 World Cup should help a lot.
Absolutely. It will happen and hence it is a very important tournament for India. This will help us to focus on the grassroots level. We did the boys U-17 World Cup and no doubt it helped. The same will happen for girls. Having said that the aim is not to just host the World Cup and play as a host country. The goal should be to qualify and play. Earn our right to play world tournaments. This is where Indian football needs to reach; Only then are you competitive at the international level. Just hosting and playing one tournament will not help us improve in the long term.

As a footballer do you think you can do this job better?
It certainly wouldn’t be bad! We have seen what non-footballers have done. things are not good. We must state things very clearly here and the reality is that the affairs of Indian football are in a bad shape. So, if for so long we’ve given non-football players the opportunity to run the show, it’s time to let the football players do the work and do what they can. I can assure you, as a football player we know what needs to be done and certainly you will not do worse than what you have seen. Really I want all the top football players of this country to come forward and serve the game in future. Someone like Sunil Chhetri or Gurpreet Sandhu. He has seen the world and played at the highest level and is India’s best player. It is very important that they come forward to serve the game in future.

Do you think good players are also good administrators? Isn’t this a very simple argument?
Look, what I’m trying to say is to give us a chance. Footballers have not yet been given a chance to run Indian football. I have been associated with Sikkim Football Association for the last six years and I have seen the challenges for the first time. As you know, I had my own club. Now it is important to use these learnings and serve the game. And I can assure you that I will do nothing worse than what you have seen. So, give us a chance and then decide the good and the bad.

You are an Indian footballing icon. Your name was mentioned in the same bracket in the Supreme Court as Sachin Tendulkar. Do you see a possibility where you and Kalyan Choubey can work together?
Kalyan is a nice guy but he has been away from football since last few years. He has been a full-time politician and I don’t think he can run it as president. The state union and the people of the district will mislead them as they do not know the ground reality. If I see that he has a vision for Indian football, I don’t mind working with him, but I don’t think he is ready yet. That’s why I say, he is a good person but he needs to work and know the ground reality first.

Originally published at Pen 18

zaman: IND vs PAK Asia Cup: Fakhar Zaman walks off without appeal, earns praise from fans

Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman walked away after bowling the ball to the wicketkeeper despite any serious appeal from the Indian team during a high-intensity Asia Cup 2022 clash here on Sunday, earning praise from fans on social media.

Rohit Sharma put Pakistan to bat first and Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave India an early breakthrough with the wicket of Babar Azam. Babar Azam-led Pakistan were struggling to come big in the first six overs when Avesh Khan came to bowl the last over of the powerplay.

Mohammad Rizwan, who was then on nine off 17 balls, hit the pacer for a six and a four in successive deliveries, but the pace changed again in the over when Zaman conceded a run to the wicketkeeper off the last ball.

While there was no appeal from the Indians, Zaman started walking, causing the umpire to point his fingers. He was dismissed for 10 runs in 6 balls.

Soon after the remarkable incident, many fans took to Twitter and appreciated Fakhar’s gesture.

A user wrote, “Fakhar Zaman’s class act. When Pakistanis know they are out don’t watch them walk and the umpire misses it. #INDvPAK,” wrote one user.

Another tweeted, “Many batsmen would have stood there and pretended they didn’t sideline it and hoped the opposition wouldn’t appeal – but it was great sportsmanship of Fakhar Zaman #INDvsPAK #AsiaCup2022.”

Another fan also reminded everyone that cricket is a gentleman’s game.

The user wrote, “Fakhar Zaman salutes you for walking before the umpire raises his finger. Cricket is after all #INDvsPAK.”

After Babar’s early dismissal, Fakhar could have been a potential threat to the Indian bowlers along with Mohammad Rizwan. The left-handed batsman played a crucial innings against India in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, which Pakistan won by 180 runs.

–IANS

Avon/BSK

Originally published at Pen 18

Hardik’s all-round show helps India pull off scrappy win over Pakistan in Asia Cup 2022

Dubai: Hardik Pandya made a special all-rounder effort as India registered a thrilling five-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan in their Asia Cup opening match here on Sunday.

Hardik (3/25 in 4 overs) showed his high value under extreme pressure as his well directed short deliveries helped India bowl out Pakistan for 147. It should have been a straight forward chase, but India’s veteran top-three faltered, putting on extra pressure. middle order. Hardik (33 not out on 17) and Ravindra Jadeja (35 off 29) put on a 52-run partnership to take India to the pinnacle of a famous victory.

The star all-rounder’s three fours off Haris Rauf in the 19th over effectively sealed the game for India. With the team needing 6 runs in three balls, Hardik ended the game with a six off left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz. The focus was on India’s top three going into the tournament and all three – KL Rahul (0), Rohit Sharma (12 off 18) and Virat Kohli (35 off 34) didn’t have the best of times in the middle.

Rahul was dismissed on the first ball with a tentative off body stroke off Naseem Shah, which saw him play on his stumps. Virat, who hit some confident pull shots in his innings, was dismissed in the first over. He also played and missed a few times and got lucky when a wrong pull went all the way for six. With luck running out, it looked like Kohli would finally get a much-awaited big but he was caught at long off by Nawaz.

In his last over, Rohit was similarly dismissed as he attempted to clear the long off fielder. The Pakistani pacers, led by Naseem, troubled the Indian batsmen with extra pace and the spinners kept it tight, scoring 86 runs in the last 10 overs, a daunting task. When Shah returned to rattle Suryakumar Yadav’s stumps, India were reduced to 89 for four, riding on the visiting batsmen Hardik and Jadeja.

The equation was brought down to 32 off 18 balls, with Pakistan being forced to bring an extra fielder inside the circle due to an over-rate penalty. Pakistan’s fast bowlers, especially Shah, who were suffering from cramps, made the task of the Indians a little easier.

Earlier, Rohit Sharma decided to chase after winning the toss and the bowlers led by Hardik set up the game well for India. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4/26) was at his skilful best and his four wickets included the prized skull of Babar Azam (10). However, Hardik’s envious figures of 3 for 25 in four overs during the middle leg destroyed the Pakistani batting.

Young seamer Arshdeep Singh also returned good figures of 2 for 33 in his first appearance in the Indo-Pak match as all 10 wickets were snatched away by Speed ​​Merchant, a first for India in the shortest edition. The first over of the game bowled by Bhuvneshwar was crucial as it involved two DRS calls in favor of Mohammad Rizwan (43 off 42) and a straight drive from Babar. There was not much movement for both Bhuvneshwar and Arshdeep Singh as they managed to keep things tight in their opening spell of two overs.

Babar dismissed Arshdeep straight in the second over, who has been showing great performance in the last 12 months. However, Bhuvneshwar surprised the Pakistani captain with a bouncer in his second over and he went to short fine leg only to pull Arshdeep over the top edge. India went with Avesh Khan as the third pace substitute and he smashed a six and a boundary towards the midwicket region by Rizwan in his opening over.

His fifth ball of the over was faced by left-armer Fakhar Zaman, who decided to walk short and wide to wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, who was picked ahead of Rishabh Pant for the big game. With much noise from the crowd, the Indians did not listen to the edge, but Zaman decided to walk, leaving Pakistan at 43 for two in six overs. After this, Rizwan gave some momentum to the innings by sharing a 45-run partnership with Iftikhar Ahmed (28 off 22) for the third wicket.

However, Hardik changed the course of the game with well-directed short deliveries removing Iftikhar and Rizwan—the former passed it to Karthik and the latter, not sure what he was doing, third man was given a regulation catch. , Soon after, Hardik removed Khushdil Shah with another short ball to bowl Pakistan out for 97 for five in the 15th over. Number 11 Shahnawaz Dahani hit two big sixes in the death overs to take Pakistan close to 150.

Originally published at Pen 18