Wozniacki boosted by McIlroy major tips

MELBOURNE: World number one Caroline Wozniacki says she has picked up tips on her mental approach to tennis from her golf major-winning boyfriend, Rory McIlroy, as she pursues her hunt for a maiden grand slam title.

Speaking after she reached the third round of the Australian Open, Wozniacki — who revealed she has also taken up golf — said McIlroy had passed on nuggets of wisdom based on his experiences on the golf course.

The Northern Irishman, whose game collapsed at the US Masters last April when he was within sight of victory, bounced back to win the US Open in style in June.

“Well, it’s just about you can’t really do anything about the past. You just need to look forward. You have a tournament now, and you want to do the best you can. That’s it,” she said, explaining McIlroy’s advice.

“Then if it goes well, it’s great. If not, you have the next one. It’s like tennis. So, you know, it’s just important not to dwell too much in the past.”

The 21-year-old Dane admitted that golf was not as easy as it looked.

“I’ve been out playing a little bit,” she said. “It’s good when you have someone there saying, OK, remember these few key points. Then I can hit it far.

“Once I’m out there alone and have to start playing, it goes right and left and up and down. I get so frustrated. Feel like I just want to break the clubs and go home.”

And she said the mental side of golf was even more demanding than tennis.

“It’s not so easy as it looks on TV,” she said. “It’s not just hitting a ball, standing still. It’s a lot of mental.

“I think it’s more mental than tennis actually. You do one wrong movement and the ball goes in the trees or somewhere and it’s difficult. So definitely it has surprised me how mentally strong you need to be.”

McIlroy also dabbles in tennis, she said, but without taking it seriously.

“I think both of us don’t want to, I mean, be too serious in the other sport. It’s just for fun. Yeah, have a bit of fun.” AGENCIES

Defence Day being observed today

KARACHI: The 46th Defence day is being observed today (Tuesday) countrywide with renewed resolve and  commitment to defend the ideological and geographical boundaries of the country from any aggression in line with the spirit and unity exhibited by the whole nation by standing shoulder to shoulder with defenders of the motherland in September 1965.

September 6th, 1965 is a historic moment when Pakistani nation in concert with its armed forces retaliated an attack by a far ferocious enemy and made it bite the dust.

India, maddened by its military might, undertook an unholy incursion against in order to satisfy its long-harbored desire to efface Pakistan from the face of earth September 6, 1965. But, jawans of Pakistan’s armed forces, carving out an indelible mark on the history of nations, fended off the enemies’ attack.

The daylong celebrations started with Quran Khawani, following special prayers for the sovereignty, solidarity and integrity of Pakistan.

The national flag has been hoisted at all Formation Headquarters, Units and Army installations. Tribute is being paid to the valiant soldiers, who had laid down their lives for the defence of country.

September 6 is marked as the Defence Day of Pakistan as on this day in 1965, the armed forces successfully defended the motherland against the invasion of Indian army. TrendPK

Federer to face Murray in Shanghai final

Roger Federer would face Andy Murray in the final of the Shanghai Masters on Sunday (today).
With the win, Federer would regain the No. 2 ranking he lost when he was beaten by the Serb in the US Open semifinals in September. Murray dispatched Juan Monaco of Argentina 6-4, 6-1 in the other semifinal to reach his fourth final of the year.
Federer could capture the 64th title of his career Sunday, moving into a tie with Pete Sampras for fourth place on the all-time list. Murray has won seven of their 12 career matches, including the last time they played in the Toronto Masters final in Augustthe Scots only title of the year. Federer was under pressure at the start, fighting off four break points in a tight third game before holding when Djokovic hit a forehand long. The Swiss player then began attacking the net more, setting up a break point of his own at 5-5 with a backhand-approach shot that Djokovic hit into the net. He converted when the Serb put another shot in the net. Federer broke twice more in the second set to take a 4-1 lead and sealed the match, his 11th victory over Djokovic in 17 meetings. Djokovic, who had been attempting to capture back-to-back titles in China after winning last week in Beijing, said losing the first break was the key to the match.Murray broke Monacos serve early in the first set before taking a 5-2 lead. But he committed four straight errors when trying to close out the set and dropped serve for only the second time all week.

Flood plays havoc in Jaffrabad, Naseerabad

Flood torrent battered Jaffrabad and Naseerabad areas of Sindh and pulled down thousands of houses, Dunya News reported on Sunday.
As per reports, 9 people including two children drowned in different incidents at Taunsa Barrage and near Chattar Patti when a boat carrying affectees capsized. However, ten of them have been rescued.
Water level would rise to 50,000 cusecs at Sukkur Barrage during the next 24 hours which would pose serious threat to the nearby localities. In Dera Ghazi Khan, floodwater rendered around 0.6million people homeless and damaged standing crops of cotton, rice and others at 0.3 hectares land.

Gilani meets Ban to discuss flood aftermath

A meeting is being held between Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon who reached Pakistan this morningSunday.
The PM thanked Ban for taking personal interest in the flood crises facing the country. Sources said that both the men would discuss the flood situation and the destruction the natural calamity caused across the country. Earlier, UN chief Ban Ki-moon arrived in Islamabad to visit areas devastated by the countrys worst floods in history and to hold talks on relief efforts. He was greeted by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi at Chaklala Airbase. Ban told reporters that he was in Pakistan to share the sympathy and solidarity of the United Nations with the people and government of Pakistan. Im here also to urge the world community to speed up their assistance to the Pakistani people, he said. We will try to mobilise all necessary assistance and remember that the whole world is behind the people of Pakistan in this time of trial. Up to 20 million people face direct or indirect harm. The United Nations believes 1,600 people have died, while Islamabad has confirmed 1,343 deaths.Ban would carry out an aerial view of the affected areas along with President Zardari besides visiting some relief camps in southern Punjab. The UN chief would also hold a joint press briefing with Zardari sometime in evening today.

Two dacoits lynched in Sialkot

Angry people lynched two dacoits for killing two people on resistance in Sialkot and hung their bodies in a chowk on Sunday.
The dacoits allegedly set up a picket at Daska Road in the limits of Saddar Police Station and looting people. Meanwhile, the robbers gunned down two boys namely Bilal Shaukat (25) and Bilal Sabir (12) on resistance. On this, the locals gathered there and tortured the criminals to death after tying them in the presence of police and later hung their bodies in the chowk. The locals held a protest demonstration and called upon the authorities concerned to take action against the negligent cops.

Federer, Murray reach Toronto Masters final

Defending Champion Andy Murray and Roger Federer have reached finals of Toronto Masters after defeating Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic respectively.
Roger Federer battled his way into the final of Toronto Masters with a gutsy 6-1 3-6 7-5 win over Novak Djokovic on Saturday, reclaiming the number two world ranking from the Serb.
Seeded third at a tournament for the first time since 2003, Federer arrived in Toronto to talk his career was starting to fade, but the Swiss has shined on the Canadian hardcourts and will now play champion Andy Murray for the title on Sunday. Britain’s Murray had earlier brushed aside world number one Rafa Nadal 6-3 6-4 to spoil any chance of a dream final between the Spaniard and his great Swiss rival, who has battled tooth and nail to win two three setters and reach the Canadian final for the fourth time. A day after gaining revenge on his Wimbledon conqueror Tomas Berdych in a nearly three hour match that was decided by a third set tiebreak, Federer was forced again to fend off a determined fight back from Djokovic.Federer, twice a winner in Canada, raced through the first set in just 25 minutes and after surging ahead 2-0 in the second had looked poised for a quick match. But he suddenly lost his way and Djokovic seized his chance, breaking Federer twice to send the match into a decider.The third set swayed back and forth and appeared headed for another tiebreak until Federer broke Djokovic at 6-5 clinching the match on his first match point. Federer will replace Djokovic has world number two on Monday and will set his sights on retaking number one from Nadal. The Swiss has spent 285 weeks at the top of the rankings and needs only one more to match Pete Sampras’s record of 286. Murray, who needed to reach Sunday’s final to retain his number four world ranking, can now focus on clinching his first title of the season and becoming the first back-to-back winner on the Canadian hardcourts since Andre Agassi in 1995.

Djokovic advances to French Open 4th round

PARIS: Third-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia has advanced to the fourth round of the French Open by beating Victor Hanescu of Romania 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

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Djokovic advances to French Open 4th round

Novak Djokovic Meets Youzhny In Dubai Final

Novak Djokovic would face Mikhail Youzhny in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Serbian star Djokovic secured a victory 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 win and a place in the final against Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny. Youzhny beat Jurgen Melzer of Austria in two tough sets to book his final place. 7-5 7-6 (7/4) win.

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Novak Djokovic Meets Youzhny In Dubai Final was first posted on March 1, 2010 at 1:13 am.

Djokovic Reached In Cincinnati Final After Won From Nedal

CINCINNATI: World number one Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will contest the Cincinnati Masters final after both claimed impressive victories on Saturday.

Federer beat holder Andy Murray 6-2 7-6 while a rejuvenated Djokovic hammered former world number one Rafa Nadal 6-1 6-4.

Murray was trying to become the fourth man to win the Canada and Cincinnati Masters Series titles back to back.

But he could not even force a single break point and the Swiss broke serve twice in the first set and then saved two set points in the tiebreak to reach the final.

“It was just overall a very good performance,” said Federer, who beat world number two Murray for only the third time in their nine meetings.

“I stayed aggressive. I was always looking to make the plays and I think in the end I deserved to win, just because I wasn’t scared to go after my shots. And I think I served well.”

Attacking from the start, Federer broke Murray’s serve in the fourth and eighth games to take the first set.

The Briton battled hard to stay on terms in the second set and forced two set points, at 6-5 and 8-7.

But Federer saved the first with a big serve and the second when Murray’s attempted backhand pass landed inches wide, before going on to win it 10-8.

In three of their most recent four meetings, Federer won the first set only to lose the match.

This time, the Swiss said, he felt he would have been confident of victory even had the match gone to a decider.

“(In some of the matches), I really felt like, this is going to get really hard in the third set. I kind of felt it
coming that I was not going to win the match.

“Today was different. Even if I were to lose that second set, I would have been in the match with a good mindset. I played a really good match.”

Murray was pleased with his fightback in the second set, but disappointed at his overall performance.

“In the first set, I was leaving the ball short and giving him a lot of second serves to look at and not making a whole a lot of returns, so therefore I was unable to put any pressure on him,” he said.

“He was going for his shots because I was leaving the ball in the middle of the court. But I was happy I managed to up my game in the second set.”

Last year’s runner-up Djokovic produced his best performance of the American hardcourt season to see off Nadal, who was playing only his second tournament back after two months out with knee injuries.

The Serb forced Nadal into a series of uncharacteristic unforced errors and after claiming the first set in 29 minutes, he held off the Spaniard in the second to book a meeting with Federer.

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Djokovic Reached In Cincinnati Final After Won From Nedal was first posted on August 23, 2009 at 1:23 pm.

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