NST Online: Sports

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 10:30 AM PDT

Doubles pair Nelson Heg (left) and Teo Ee Yi are Malaysia's gold hope in the Asian Junior Championships beginning in Lucknow, India today.

MALAYSIA appear favourites, on paper, to win the mixed team title in the Asian Junior Championships but China, as usual, are unknown entities and will be the team to watch out for when the event begins in Lucknow, India today.

The Malaysian squad that lost 3-2 to China in the final in Kuala Lumpur last year are, except for Ow Yao Han-Yew Hong Kheng, in Lucknow and should secure a place in the final on Tuesday.

Malaysia are in Group D with India, Vietnam and Iran and should qualify for the quarter-finals without much trouble.

They play Iran in their opening tie today.

The team have the best opportunity to secure the team title, last won in 2007, with boys' singles Zulfadli Zulkifli, boys' doubles Nelson Heg-Teo Ee Yi and girls' doubles Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean providing Malaysia a genuine opportunity to upstage China.

Last year's individual champion, Huang Yuxiang will be the main drawcard for China who have many new faces but the final is likely to be a close affair.

Malaysia are likely to meet Thailand or Taiwan in the last eight and could battle Indonesia in the semi-finals.

Malaysia had not failed to win a gold in the Asian Juniors since 2006 but the sequence was broken last year.

However, Nelson-Ee Yi are primed for gold in the boys' doubles in India.

The individual events begin on Wednesday.

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Maria poised to regain crown

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 09:38 AM PDT

MARIA Sharapova will attempt to complete her long journey back from the wilderness at Wimbledon today when she takes on Czech eighth seed Petra Kvitova for the women's singles crown.

The 24-year-old Russian fifth seed is the overwhelming favourite to reclaim the title that she won for the first time in 2004, when as a fresh-faced teenager she took the All England Club by storm.

Maria's victory in SW19 seven years ago was followed by further Grand Slam titles at the Australian and US Opens by the time she turned 21, a period that also saw her rise to world number one.

But Maria's march to the summit of women's tennis has been blown off course since 2007, when a serious shoulder injury led to a long lay-off which led many to wonder if she could ever be the same player.

Yet this season has provided the first solid proof that Maria is ready once more to fulfil her vast potential, with a semi-final run at the French Open followed by her serene progress into the Wimbledon final.

With Serena and Venus Williams showing signs of decline, Justine Henin retired and Kim Clijsters injured, there is a vacancy at the top of the women's game that Maria looks equipped to fill.

Maria admitted she had endured dark days in 2008 and 2009, when she was struggling back from shoulder surgery and she dropped out of the top 100.

"There were doubts because I had many expectations on when I would come back. I set myself certain goals and I never really met any of them, to be honest," she said.

"So that was frustrating.

"You're going to have certain doubts when you go through something like that knowing that not too many players have recovered fully."

Maria insists however that quitting was never an option, and she remained driven by the memory of the glittering early years of her career.

"I'm not really the type of person that ever gives up. Even though it was tough, I believed in myself," she said.

"I give a lot of credit to my team that was around me. It takes a good team to really keep you in high spirits."

Maria has yet to drop a set en route to this year's final, and confidently disposed of the big-serving German wildcard Sabine Lisicki in the semi-final, winning 6-4, 6-3.

Maria is bracing for a sterner challenge from Petra in today's final however, the 21-year-old Czech challenger who is appearing in a Grand Slam final for the first time.

"I expect her to be a really tough opponent because she's a really good grass court player," said Maria, who won her only previous meeting with Petra on hard court at Memphis last year.

"She's also a lefty, which on grass is very tricky. It will be tough. She's been playing really good tennis."

Petra is the first left-hander to make the final at the All England Club since her childhood inspiration Martina Navratilova in 1990.

"I saw Martina in the locker room and she wished me good luck. I'm so happy but I don't really believe I am in the final," said Petra, who upset fourth seed Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 to reach the final.

Victoria believes Petra is capable of bucking the odds for a second time when she faces Maria.

"I think she can beat anybody any day, because right now she has really good game. She's really going for it. She's going to play like this, I'm sure she has all the chances to win the next match," she said. -- AFP

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Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Jumaat, 1 Julai 2011

NST Online: Sports

NST Online: Sports

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