NST Online: Sports

Posted: 26 Sep 2011 04:53 PM PDT

2011/09/27
From Zaharah Othman
nstsport@nstp.com.my

Safee Sali spent two weeks training with Cardiff City.

CARDIFF: Malaysia striker Safee Sali, 27, leaves for home today with hopes that one day he will return as a player with Cardiff City.

After two weeks of trials with the Malaysian-owned team, Safee, dubbed the "Malaysian Beckham" by a Welsh newspaper, was full of enthusiasm.

Watching the Cardiff City versus Leicester City match on Sunday, Safee was a known figure among the Cardiff City crowd, mingling and signing autographs.

"I have really had a good experience here, one that is beneficial for my football career, and also one that will benefit the national team," he said.

"The training here is indeed more professional and there is much to learn from them; full concentration, speed and fast and decisive actions. Their standards are really high," he said.

"Football is a team game and I know what I bring back with me will benefit my team. This kind of opportunity is indeed very valuable and I hope many more will have the chance to train here and together, we can form a top team for the country."

It is the striker's hope that he would be able to play with the team but for now, he said it was up to Cardiff and their manager to evaluate his abilities.

And then there is the visa issue, which Safee could not comment much about as it all depended on whether he is selected by the club.

"I do hope to play for the club as I have done my best but it is up to the manager here and also the visa."

Tennis / Malaysian Open: Baghdatis sails through

Posted: 26 Sep 2011 04:49 PM PDT

2011/09/27
Reports by Ajitpal Singh and Fadli Ishak
nstsport@nstp.com.my

Marcos Baghdatis beat Alex Bogomolov Jr 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 yesterday. — Picture by Fariz Iswadi Ismail

CYPRIOT Marcos Baghdatis won his 200th career match on the ATP Tour in style by upsetting World No 40 and sixth seed Alex Bogomolov Jr 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 in the first round of the Malaysian Open at Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

The World No 60, who struggled in the recent US Open, needed to produce his best tennis to overcome his on-form opponent.

Baghdatis, the 2006 Australian Open finalist, and the bad-tempered Bogomolov started cautiously as both held serve to force a tie-break before the former broke serve three times to win the first set 7-3 in 54 minutes.

It was the same story in the second set as both players preferred to stay on the baseline. Baghdatis then raised his tempo in the ninth game and held two match points at 40-15 but Bogomolov, who was on serve, saved both for deuce.

The 26-year-old, who has won two ATP titles, however got the better of Bogomolov to earn his place in the second round, where he will face either India's Asian Games champion Somdev Devvarman or Russian qualifier Mikhail Ledovskikh.

Bogomolov was warned by the chair umpire for throwing his racquet on the court several times during the match.

"You don't really think about it (200th win on the ATP Tour). It is the first round and you just try your hardest to win," said Baghdatis.

"Alex (Bogomolov) played really well and so I had to up my game. It was an even match between us but I had the little bit of edge just enough to win."

In the battle of two wild cards, Belgium's World No 223 David Goffin earned his second career match victory by ousting Australia's World No 137 Matthew Ebden 6-4, 7-6 (4).

Goffin, 20, broke Ebden's serve in the seventh game to win the first set but stomach problems saw him struggle in the second, where he had to come back from 5-2 down to clinch victory in only his second ATP-level tournament this year.

"I have been having stomach problems for the last two days. I called for medical help during the match. I hope I will recover in time for my second round match," said the Belgian.

He will face either Russia's Dmitry Tursunov or Chile's Paul Capdeville, who were involved in a late match, in the second round.

RESULTS: Men's singles -- 1st rd: David Goffin (Bel) bt Matthew Ebden (Aus) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4); Marcos Baghdatis (Cyp) bt Alex Bogomolov (Usa) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4.

Qualifying (3rd rd): Mikhail Ledovskikh (Rus) bt Tatsuma Ito (Jpn) 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 7-6 (8-6); Rik De Voest (Rsa) bt Michael Yani (Usa) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4; Marinko Matosevic (Aus) bt Rajeev Ram (Usa) 6-3, 6-4; Teymuraz Gabashvili (Rus) bt Zhang Ze (Chn) 6-2, 6-4.

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Isnin, 26 September 2011

NST Online: Sports

NST Online: Sports

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