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'We have hit rock bottom' - criticism as play suspended in Paris

Published in Tennis

Friday, 07 June 2019 11:58

World number one Novak Djokovic trailed Dominic Thiem when their French Open semi-final was suspended because of bad weather - a move that drew criticism on social media.

Austrian fourth seed Thiem led 6-2 3-6 3-1 when wind and rain halted play.

Former world number one Amelie Mauresmo said "we have hit rock bottom", while many pointed out it had stopped raining with daylight left.

The women's semi-final scheduling was also subject to negative comments.

"The tournament referee decided to halt the match because conditions were becoming more and more difficult (including gusts of wind of up to 90 kph)," said tournament organisers.

"There had already been two interruptions and the forecast predicted fresh showers in the hours to follow. This uncertainty led the referee to opt for an immediate postponement."

Former players and tennis journalists tweeted their complaints about the decision to cancel play on Friday, with Britain's Fed Cup captain Anne Keothavong branding it a "strange decision" and British former player Mark Petchey among those posting pictures of blue skies.

Will the women's final start on time?

The men's semi-final will resume at 11:00 BST on Philippe Chatrier, three hours before the women's final between Ashleigh Barty and Marketa Vondrousova is due to start.

French Open organisers explained the decision, saying: "The conclusion of this men's semi-final is scheduled for midday tomorrow. The two players therefore have three hours to finish their match. That should be sufficient time to allow the women's final to start on time at 3pm."

Scheduling at this year's tournament was already under the spotlight after the women's semi-finals were moved away from Chatrier to two other show courts when they were postponed from Thursday to Friday.

Britain's Johanna Konta said she was "surprised" at her semi-final being moved out to the 5,000-seater Court Simonne Mathieu, which was barely a third full for her 7-5 7-6 (7-2) defeat by Vondrousova.

WTA boss Steve Simon had called the decision to move those matches "inappropriate and unfair", while Mauresmo said it was a "disgrace".

Djokovic drops first set of tournament in windy conditions

Djokovic, 32, is aiming to become the first man in the Open era to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time on two separate occasions, while Thiem, last year's runner-up, is bidding to become the first Austrian player to reach a second Grand Slam final.

Both players had to play quarter-finals on Thursday after rain stopped play on Wednesday and the weather interrupted them again in the semi-final, the winner of which will play 11-time champion Rafael Nadal in Sunday's final.

There were strong winds on Chatrier, whipping up the red dirt and at one point sending an umbrella flying across the back of the court.

Thiem, 25, who has never beaten a world number one at a Grand Slam, coped better with the conditions initially.

The Austrian's powerful shots cut through the breeze, while Djokovic, playing in his first French Open semi-final since 2016, made repeated errors.

After being broken twice in the first set, Djokovic asked the umpire whose responsibility it was to decide whether it was too windy to continue, but play carried on and he dropped a set for the first time this tournament.

Play was then suspended because of rain with the score on serve in the second set. The break only lasted 10 minutes before the players were back on court.

Momentum then shifted Djokovic's way as he got a break of serve, then held to level things at one set each.

Thiem went 3-1 up after breaking the 15-time Grand Slam champion's serve in the third set but he was halted once more as the wind and rain worsened.

Djokovic and Thiem left the court at about 16:45 BST, with the decision to cancel play for the day taken about 40 minutes later.

At that stage there was bright sunshine and clear sky over Roland Garros, which lasted for about another 50 minutes before dark clouds returned.

However, the expected rain did not reappear until around 18:40 BST.

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'I can still reach Slam final' - Konta has 'no regrets' after French Open semi loss

Published in Tennis

Friday, 07 June 2019 09:44

British number one Johanna Konta has "no regrets" after her French Open semi-final defeat and believes she can still reach a Grand Slam final.

Her surprise run to the last four ended in a 7-5 7-6 (7-2) defeat by Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova on Friday.

The 28-year-old had not previously won a main-draw match at Roland Garros.

"I'm proud of this past fortnight and working towards going one step better," said Konta, who was appearing in her third Grand Slam semi-final.

Konta, seeded 26th, became the first British woman since Jo Durie in 1983 to compete in the French Open semi-finals.

She reached her first major semi-final at the 2016 Australian Open and did the same at Wimbledon the following year, losing to multiple Grand Slam winners Angelique Kerber and Venus Williams respectively.

These experiences meant she was the only player left in the Roland Garros last four to have reached that stage of a Slam singles previously, yet she missed vital opportunities as Vondrousova fought back from 5-3 down in both sets to win.

Nevertheless, it has been a successful clay-court swing for the Briton, who reached two WTA finals on the surface before her exploits in Paris, and will climb back into the world's top 20 when the latest rankings are released next week.

"I didn't regret anything I did there," Konta said. "I feel comfortable with how I played and what I tried to do.

"I don't feel like I came into this week trying to prove anything to anybody, including myself.

"I think what's most pleasing is to play a lot of matches and I definitely did in this month. I'm really pleased with how many tough matches I was able to come through."

Asked whether she can make the next step into a Grand Slam final, Konta said: "There is no reason why I cannot.

"I'm putting myself into positions. It's either going to happen or it's not.

"I still have a lot to be proud of. Even if I were to stop playing tomorrow, I have done a lot of great things in my career so far.

"I'm not at all disappointed in the player that I am or things that I have achieved.

"But equally, I'm just as hungry and just as motivated to keep going forward and to one day be in a position to be winning a major."

Now the focus moves to the grass-court season - particularly Wimbledon, which starts on 1 July - with former British number one Durie warning the world's best to "watch out" for Konta at her home Slam.

As well as her Wimbledon run two years ago, Konta has also reached finals and semi-finals at Nottingham and Eastbourne in recent years.

"She's had this great run of form on what is probably her worst surface so she will feel great going on to the grass," Durie, 58, said.

"Grass must be her favourite surface, every year she does well."

Empty seats - 'it didn't feel like a semi-final'

While she was more than satisfied with her performances here, Konta was less happy with the decision to move the women's semi-finals away from the main Philippe Chatrier court after rain washed out play on Wednesday.

The 5,000-capacity Court Simonne-Mathieu was barely a third full for her match, while there were also plenty of empty seats on Court Suzanne-Lenglen for Ashleigh Barty's victory over Amanda Anisimova in the other semi-final at the same time.

Asked if it felt like her two previous Grand Slam semi-finals, played on Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena and Wimbledon's Centre Court, she replied: "In terms of the surrounding and the occasion, probably not.

"Obviously, I'm aware in what match I'm playing and what round. But in terms of where we were, probably not.

"To be honest, I think the way it looks probably speaks for itself more than anything."

The two men's semi-finals were being played on Philippe Chatrier on Friday and organisers said they had chosen to hold the women's semi-finals at the same time away from centre court earlier in the day "to respect sporting fairness".

Tickets for both men's semi-finals were sold to fans as separate sessions to be played on Chatrier on Friday, leaving Roland Garros with little room for manoeuvre as they tried to plan for heavy rain and strong winds forecast.

WTA boss Steve Simon called the decision "inappropriate and unfair", while former world number one Amelie Mauresmo said it was a "disgrace".

"If the organisers do not feel that [women's semi-finals] are something that can be promoted and celebrated, then I think it's the organisers you need to have a conversation with, not me, because I did my job and I did my job well," Konta said.

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Hong Kong highlights: host hopes over, top seed falls

Published in Table Tennis

Friday, 07 June 2019 09:11

Most certainly it was value for money for all present in the Queen Elizabeth Stadium.

Men’s Singles

…………China’s Zhou Yu caused the biggest upset of the day, required to qualify, in the second round he beat Korea Republic’s Jang Woojin, the no.5 seed (11-8, 11-7, 11-2, 11-5).

…………Sweden’s Mattias Falck, the no.7 seed, ended the hopes Hong Kong; he accounted for Wong Chun Ting, the no.13 seed (11-5, 10-12, 11-13, 11-4, 11-8, 5-11, 11-9).

…………Leading Chinese players were in form. In round two Lin Gaoyuan beat colleague, Ma Te (11-9, 11-9, 11-5, 11-9); Liang Jingkun, the no.3 seed, ousted Germany’s Benedikt Duda (5-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-7, 11-7).

…………Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto, the no.2 seed, ended the adventures of Africa; he beat Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna, the no.15 seed (11-7, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8).

…………Germany’s Timo Boll, the no.4 seed, progressed to the last eight but he was severely tested. He needed the full seven games to beat Japan’s Maharu Yoshimura (7-11, 12-10, 7-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-7).

Women’s Singles

…………Japan’s Kasumi Ishikawa was the biggest casualty, the top seed, in the second round she was beaten by Chinese qualifier, Wang Yidi (11-6, 12-10, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9).

…………In round two, Japan’s Mima Ito and Miu Hirano responded, both beat Chinese qualifiers; Mima Ito, the no.2 seed, accounted for Sun Mingyang (11-5, 11-7, 11-9, 11-5), Miu Hirano, the no.4 seed, overcame Feng Yalan (11-4, 11-7, 15-13, 11-5).

…………Chinese Taipei’s Cheng I-Ching, the no.3 seed, also halted Chinese progress; in the second round she beat He Zhuoija, the no.12 seed (2-11, 6-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-8).

…………Austria’s Sofia Polcanova upset the seeding, kept European hopes alive and ended Hong Kong progress; in round two the no.14 seed, she overcame Doo Hoi Kem, the no.6 seed (11-5, 11-6, 11-3, 5-11, 11-7).

…………Suh Hyowon flew the flag for Korea Republic; the no.5 seed, in round two she accounted for Romania’s Bernadette Szocs, the no.13 seed (11-8, 12-10, 11-7, 7-11, 13-11).

Men’s Doubles

…………China’s Liang Jingkun and Lin Gaoyuan, the no.5 seeds, booked their place in the final courtesy of success against Hong Kong’s Ho Kwan Kit and Wong Chun Ting, the top seeds and defending champions (11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9).

…………Korea Republic’s Jang Woojin and Lim Jonghoon, the no.3 seeds, accounted for Chinese Taipei’s Liao Cheng-Ting and Lin Yun-Ju, the no.2 seeds (0-11, 11-5, 15-13, 13-11) to reserve their place in the title decider.

Women’s Doubles

…………Japan’s Miyuu Kihara and Miyu Nagasaki recorded a quarter-final win against Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem and Lee Ho Ching, the top seeds (11-13, 13-11, 7-11, 11-9). However, there was to be no place in the final; in the penultimate round they were beaten by China’s Chen Ke and Mu Zi, the no.7 seeds (11-6, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9).

…………Korea’s Jeon Jihee and Yoo Eunchong, the no.4 seeds, ended the last remaining hopes of Hong Kong. At the semi-final stage they accounted for Ng Wing Nam and Minnie Soo Wai Yam, the no.2 seeds (5-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-7).

Mixed Doubles

…………Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju and Cheng I-Ching ended the hopes of Hong Kong. At the semi-final stage they recovered from a two games to nil deficit to beat Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem, the top seeds (6-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-1, 11-5).

…………Korea Republic’s Lee Sangsu and Choi Hyojoo, the no.6 seed, beat China’s Zhou Yu and Chen Xingtong (8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 12-10) to book their final reservation.

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Search for further honours, leading names assert authority

Published in Table Tennis

Friday, 07 June 2019 10:23

In the one women’s team event organised, for wheelchair players in class 2-5, the top seeded combination of the host nation’s Edith Sigala and Martha Verdin emerged unbeaten after their initial two fixtures.

Notably Martha Verdin, the class 4-5 winner the previous day, maintained her form as did Great Britain’s Lucie Bouron, the surprise class 2-3 women’s singles gold medallist; partnering Chile’s Tamara Leonelli, the second seeds, it was a day without defeat

Meanwhile, in the men’s team events, as in the men’s singles competitions, Thailand made its presence felt. The top seeds in each instance, in class 2-3 Yuttajak Glinbanchuen and Anurak Laowong secured first place in their group as in class 4-5 did Wanchai Chaiwut and Maitree Kongruang. Likewise it was pole position in class 6-7 for Rungroj Thainiyom, and Chalermpong Punpoo.

Similarly, for their major challengers, the second seeds, in the events in question where there were two groups in the first stage, it was first place. In class 2-3, Chile’s Luis Bustamente and Alfonso Diaz remained unbeaten, as in class 4-5 did Cristian Gonzalez and Maximiliano Rodriguez, also from Chile. Likewise in class 6-7, Japan’s Masachika Inoue and Kazuya Kaneko end the day, without defeat.

Meanwhile, in class 8, a group organized event, Japan’s Takumi Shukunobe and Hiromi Sato concluded the day unbeaten as did Canada’s Ian Kent and Curtis Caron. Success for Japan, it was the same in class 9-10; two groups in stage one, the top two pairs remained unbeaten; Koyo Iwabuchi and Takuya Nakajima headed their group, as did Chile’s Manuel Echaveguren and Gustavo Castro.

Play in Cancun concludes in Friday 7th June.

ITTF Para Copa Cristina Hoffmann 2019: Full Results & Draws

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VIDEO: Zeb Wise Chasing Indiana Midget Week Glory

Published in Racing

Friday, 07 June 2019 10:00

SPEED SPORT’s Jacob Seelman catches up with Clauson-Marshall Racing driver Zeb Wise, who is in pursuit of his first Indiana Midget Week victory.

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Brian France Pleads Guilty To DWI

Published in Racing

Friday, 07 June 2019 10:36

SAG HARBOR, N.Y. – Brian France, the former CEO of NASCAR, has pled guilty to the charge of driving while intoxicated stemming from his arrest in August of 2018.

Suffolk County (N.Y.) District Attorney Timothy D. Sini announced the news Friday afternoon.

France will be required to complete 100 hours of community service and undergo alcohol counseling prior to his sentencing date as part of the plea agreement. Should he complete these requirements, France will be able to withdraw his guilty plea and the charge will be reduced to driving while ability impaired.

If he does not complete those requirements, he will be sentenced for driving while intoxicated. France is slated to be sentenced on June 5, 2020 at the Sag Harbor Village Justice Court.

France was stopped shortly after 7 p.m. on Aug. 5, 2018 when he failed to stop at a stop sign on Main Street in Sag Harbor, N.Y. The officer who stopped France noticed several signs that he had been drinking, including alcohol on his breath, slurred speech, watery, bloodshot and glassy eyes, and he was unsteady on his feet.

France was then arrested and given a breath test, which showed his blood alcohol level to be .18 percent.

“This case is a reminder for both residents and anyone visiting Suffolk County this summer that it is all of our responsibility to keep our roads safe,” District Attorney Sini said in a statement. “It is not acceptable for anyone to be driving while drunk or on drugs in our community.”

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Thorson Tops Midget Week Standings At Halfway

Published in Racing

Friday, 07 June 2019 11:00

INDIANAPOLIS – Tanner Thorson, who returned to racing earlier this week following months of recovery from a highway accident in March, leads the USAC Indiana Midget Week point standings at the halfway point of the six-race, week-long mini-series.

Thorson picked up his third-career Indiana Midget Week victory in a thriller at Lincoln Park Speedway on Thursday night, topping Logan Seavey and Kevin Thomas Jr. in a battle of slide jobs and leading the final five laps of an overtime-extended, 31-lap main event at the quarter-mile dirt oval.

With a win, a second-place finish and a fifth-place finish in the first three races this week, the 2016 NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Series champion carries a 17-point margin over Seavey with three rounds to go at Bloomington Speedway, Lawrenceburg Speedway and Kokomo Speedway, respectively.

However, even though earning the title of Indiana Midget Week champion is Thorson’s ultimate goal, the Minden, Nev., driver told SPEED SPORT he’s not focused on counting points at this juncture.

“Not worrying about the standings is the biggest thing, right now, as far as I’m concerned,” Thorson told SPEED SPORT. “That’s one thing that I told Pete (Willoughby, co-owner) when he called me, was that I wanted to win the Indiana Midget Week points. It’s something I haven’t done yet that I hold at the top of the list of accomplishments and something that I feel is valuable and prestigious to win as a driver.

“It’s just a matter of doing what we do and staying consistent. I don’t think about points and never have,” Thorson added. “When you race in USAC for points, you don’t think about it until the last few races, when it matters and you’re in contention. We’ve got a nice buffer right now, but we’re here to win races. The points will take care of themselves after that.

“We’re going to Bloomington, Lawrenceburg and Kokomo to win. If we do that, we’ll take the title.”

Thorson’s chief adversary, on the other hand, has to think about points and making up as many of them as he can down the stretch. Finishing ahead of the Walker Performance Filtration No. 98 is paramount for Seavey and his No. 67 Mobil 1 team.

“We’re going to have to be really good, near perfect,” noted Seavey. “We’re back a little ways right now, after not a great Gas City, but it’s not something that’s impossible to overcome. We’ll have to make up some ground at Bloomington and Lawrenceburg to have a shot going into Kokomo … but we have a great car and have been running really well lately, so I’m not too worried about it.

“We just have to capitalize as best we can, and hopefully beat that No. 98 these next few nights,” Seavey continued. “I wish we could have kept him from winning and gaining that sky-high confidence, but he’s got it and now we just have to counterattack and try to take that momentum back away.”

Tyler Courtney sits third in Midget Week points, 26 markers in arrears, with Jason McDougal and Shane Golobic completing the top five.

Wednesday night’s Gas City winner, Justin Grant, is eighth in the standings with 150 points.

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Michael Self Earns Michigan ARCA Pole

Published in Racing

Friday, 07 June 2019 11:01

BROOKLYN, Mich. – Michael Self sped to his third General Tire Pole Award in his last four ARCA Menards Series starts for Friday’s VizCom 200 at Michigan Int’l Speedway.

Self’s fast lap of 37.296 seconds/193.050 mph exceeded Joey Coulter’s track record set in 2012.

Self, not noted for his qualifying prowess, needed to regain some momentum after a tough day at Pocono last week.

“I kind of let my emotions get away from me last week so this feels good,” Self said. “I couldn’t do this without my Venturini Motorsports guys. This wouldn’t happen without them and this one is for them.”

Self has one previous start at Michigan Int’l Speedway, a third-place finish in 2017. Without a lot of experience, he’s relying on crew chief Shannon Rursch and his notebook to keep the car under him throughout tonight’s 100-lap, 200-mile race.

“There isn’t as much track activity here today as previous years,” Self said, “but I don’t have a whole lot of experience here so I am not the best one to ask what to expect. What I do recall is that this track doesn’t change a whole lot from morning to noon to evening and it doesn’t change a lot with added rubber laid down. It’s hard to say how different the track will be but I’ll let Shannon make those calls. I am sure he’ll have us in position to win tonight.”

Self’s Venturini Motorsports teammate Christian Eckes qualified second, followed by Tanner Gray, Ty Majeski and Riley Herbst.

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Kaulig Reveals Allmendinger’s Xfinity Schedule

Published in Racing

Friday, 07 June 2019 11:05

LEXINGTON, N.C. – Kaulig Racing has confirmed A.J. Allmendinger’s NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule.

Allmendinger will return to the race track beginning at Daytona Int’l Speedway on July 5. He will also compete in the Xfinity Series events at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Aug. 10), Road America (Aug. 24) and the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL (Sept. 28) with the No. 10 team.

“It’s going to be a blast to get back behind the wheel and compete for race wins,” Allmendinger said. “I can’t thank Matt Kaulig enough for this opportunity, and to be able to drive at some of my favorite tracks. Kaulig Racing and the No. 10 team have had a great season so far and I’m looking forward to helping them build on their success.”

Sponsorship for each race will be announced at a later date.

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Cassidy: Play will define Bruins, not officiating

Published in Hockey

Friday, 07 June 2019 12:46

BOSTON -- Boston Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy was still upset over the state of officiating in the Stanley Cup playoffs on the day after the team's Game 5 loss to the St. Louis Blues, but he said it's time to pivot to a win-or-go-home game on Sunday.

"Today's a new day. So we're going to move forward and get ready for Game 6. That's what's in front of us," he said at the Bruins' practice facility.

At issue in Game 5 was a missed tripping penalty on Blues center Tyler Bozak that took Boston forward Noel Acciari out of the play -- and into the concussion protocol -- moments before David Perron scored what would be the game-winning goal for the Blues.

Cassidy also was critical of the officials for not penalizing hits he felt crossed the line, and the NHL agreed on at least one of them: Blues forward Ivan Barbashev has a hearing with the Department of Players Safety for his hit on Marcus Johansson. The NHL tells ESPN that there's no supplemental discipline for Bozak, despite belief from Boston loyalists that there was a slew foot on the play.

Cassidy also claimed that the Blues were getting the benefit of the officiating after coach Craig Berube's comments after Game 3, in which he wondered how "the least penalized team in the playoffs" could suddenly give the Bruins 14 power plays in three games in the Stanley Cup Final. Berube denied that was the case after Game 5.

But in his postgame comments, Cassidy went beyond criticism of the on-ice officials in the series and expanded it to include the officiating in the playoffs as a whole, calling its quality a "black eye" for the NHL.

"I think I was pretty honest about it yesterday. My feeling hasn't changed. I feel it was a missed call that impacted the game, unfortunately in a negative way for us. Other than that, we talked about how there's been a few in the postseason, because I'm a fan of the game," Cassidy said.

"For me, it's a privilege and an honor to be working in the National Hockey League and in the Final. I'd rather be talking about -- we're ambassadors of the game, too. We want to grow the game. We're miked up, we're trying to give them access, so I'm all for that. That's what we're trying to do. I'd rather be talking about that than a missed call that affects the game. That's how it was last night."

Cassidy said that he doesn't expect his team to let the blown call linger ahead of Game 6 in St. Louis on Sunday.

"Our play should define us, not the call," he said.

"Let's go back to Toronto [in the first round]. We lost Game 5 at home. There was a review on the [Auston] Matthews goal. Some people felt it was goalie interference, some people didn't. We had to go to Toronto and put that behind us. We went to Columbus [in Round 2] and had one off the netting that ended up in our net. So we played through certain situations, and we have to play through this one. I actually thought we responded fairly well. We got ourselves back in the game, cut the deficit to 2-1 and got a chance to win. But our play has to define us on the ice, not a non-call or a call or whatever."

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