Showing posts with label final. Show all posts
Showing posts with label final. Show all posts

Monday, July 4, 2011

Hoyt to warm up Nadal for final

Welsh youngster puts Nadal through paces

Welsh teenager Evan Hoyt will join Rafael Nadal for a practice session on Sunday before the Spaniard plays in the men's singles final at Wimbledon.

Llanelli-born Hoyt, 16, has practiced every day with Nadal since losing his second round match in the boys' championship at SW19 on Tuesday.

"This was my best experience ever," Hoyt said after his first rally with the two-time Wimbledon champion.

Hoyt has also hit with Robin Soderling and Marin Cilic at Wimbledon.

His hopes in the boys' event in his debut at Junior Wimbledon were ended by number eight seed Mate Pavic in a 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 defeat. That followed a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Spain's Axel Alvarez Llamas in the first round.

Defending champion Nadal faces world number one Novak Djokovic in Sunday's final.


View the original article here

Broady loses out in boys' final

By Chris Bevan
BBC Sport at Wimbledon Venue: All England Club, LondonDate: 20 June - 3 JulyCoverage: Live on BBC One, Two, 3D, HD, Red Button, online (UK only), Radio 5 live, 5 live sports extra; live text commentary from 0900 BST on BBC Sport website (#bbctennis); iPlayerLuke Saville Luke Saville seals victory in the Boys' Singles final after amazing point against Liam Broady

Liam Broady failed in his bid to become Britain's first winner of the Wimbledon boys' title since 1962 as he lost to Australia's Luke Saville in the final.

On a packed Court One, the 17-year-old left-hander from Stockport was beaten 2-6 6-4 6-2 in one hour and 42 minutes.

A rash of errors from Saville helped Broady take the first set before his big-hitting opponent fought back.

Broady lost 11 points in a row as the second set slipped away and he could not turn the tide in the decider.

Beaten Liam Broady aims for more glory Beaten Broady aims for more glory

"During the whole match I didn't serve my best," a disappointed Broady said afterwards.

"He managed to break me at the start of the second set and started to serve better himself, and the match just slipped away. He upped his game and I played a few slack points."

His defeat means Stanley Matthews Jr, son of the England footballer, remains the last home boys' winner in 1962.

Broady had plenty of support from a noisy crowd, who were hoping to enjoy some British success following the disappointment of Andy Murray's defeat by Rafael Nadal in the semi-final of the men's singles on Friday.

Continue reading the main story

"The crowd were probably one of the best things today, my tennis wasn't," he added.

"It was a fantastic experience. They got behind me and helped me and made me fight."

Initially he outmanoeuvred Saville, who paid the price for some wild shots in a one-sided first set.

Broady, playing some punchy forehands, also went a break up at the start of a topsy-turvy second set but Saville's improving groundstrokes saw him reply instantly as he began to put pressure on the Briton's serve.

From 4-3 up, Broady collapsed, and he was broken to love with a double-fault before quickly finding himself at 0-40 in his next service game.

He saved two of those set-points with big serves but netted a forehand on the third.

Broady looked rattled when Saville broke again to go 3-1 up in the decider, although he did force two break-back points at 2-4.

Both of those escaped him, the latter when Saville recovered to win a thrilling rally, and the Australian went on to dismantle his serve again, sealing his victory with a smash.

Broady suffered another defeat later on Saturday, when he and his Slovakian partner Filip Horansky were beaten 6-3 7-6 (7-2) in the semi-finals of the boys' doubles by Britain's George Morgan and his Croatian partner Mate Pavic.

Morgan and Pavic will face another Briton, Oliver Golding, and Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic in the final after the top seeds beat Spanish duo Andre Artunedo Martinavarr and Roberto Carballes Baena 7-5 7-6 (7-5).

Liam Broady chases in vain Luke Saville's row of points snatches set from Liam Broady


View the original article here

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Nimrod aircraft in final flight

28 June 2011 Last updated at 15:42 GMT Nimrod R1 The RAF's two Nimrod R1 were used for gathering electronic intelligence The Nimrod aircraft has made its final flight for the RAF during a ceremony at a Lincolnshire air base.

The R1 model, used for reconnaissance and gathering electronic intelligence, made a flypast at RAF Waddington.

Chief of the Air Staff Sir Stephen Dalton attended the retirement ceremony and there was also a parade.

Three new Rivet-Joint aircraft will replace the R1 in 2014. Until then, the RAF is sharing - or "co-manning" - planes owned by the US Air Force.

51 Squadron operated the RAF's two Nimrod R1s, with the aircraft using a team of 24 reconnaissance equipment operators, four flight crew and a mission supervisor.

It was typically used to try to intercept communications, such as mobile phone conversations, while flying over enemy territory.

'Lifesaver'

The R1 operated for 37 years and served throughout the Cold War, as well as in the Balkans, Afghanistan and in the current conflict in Libya.

Speaking at the event, Air Chief Marshal Dalton said that it was a "day of celebration" for all that the Nimrod had achieved.

"There is no question this aircraft has given us the ability to do things that would be very much more difficult - and could have cost us more lives if we hadn't had it," he said.

The RAF's top officer also alluded to concerns about relying, temporarily, on the use of American planes for UK airborne intelligence.

He admitted it was a blow, but said the air force could still manage: "It doesn't leave a hole - it dents the depth of our capabilities.

"We can still do the missions we need to do, but this was a more efficient way of doing things. We'll have to use other methods now."

Flight Lieutenant Dave McRitchie, an R1 mission commander, also paid tribute to the aircraft's vital role during its years of service.

"It's something that's played a major part in every operation that UK armed forces have been involved in - now it won't be there."

The MR2 version of the Nimrod finished service in 2010, while its replacement the MRA4 was scrapped in the defence review.

It was decided that ?2bn could be saved over 10 years by not operating the nine MRA4 planes, despite the programme already costing taxpayers ?4bn.

Nimrod R1 and RC-135 Rivet-Joint

Four Rolls-Royce Spey 251 turbofans

Four CFM International F108-CF-201 turbofans


View the original article here

Monday, June 13, 2011

Rain delays Murray Queen's final

Venue: Queen's Tennis Club, LondonDate: 6-12 JuneCoverage: Live coverage on BBC One from 1305, online (UK only) and BBC HD and text commentary (#bbctennis) on BBC Sport website; and commentary on Radio 5 live and sports extraAndy Murray Magnificent Murray romps past Roddick

The Aegon Championship final between British number one Andy Murray and French fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at Queen's has been held up by rain.

Mindful of a forecast of prolonged rain in W14 on Sunday afternoon, tournament directors brought the final start time forward from 1430 to 1200 BST.

Morning showers prevented an on-time start, but officials are still hopeful of play at some point on Sunday.

Should that not be possible, the final will be on Monday at 1230 BST.

"The good thing about the British is that we have a sense of humour when it comes to the weather," tournament director Chris Kermode told BBC One.

"We've been told that we have a window of opportunity to play later this afternoon and we will wait as long as we can. We intend to play today.

"We might not wait until a 1900 BST start, for example, out of respect for the players, but we'll delay it as long as we can. We're talking to the players at half-hourly intervals.

"If we don't get any play today, though, the final will be at 1230 BST on Monday and we're finalising contingency plans as we speak."

Murray is looking to regain the title he won two years ago and complete the perfect Wimbledon preparation when the final does get under way.

Tsonga, ranked 19th in the world, ended hopes of an unexpected all-British final with victory over James Ward on Saturday - but is likely to find Murray a far stiffer test.

The world number four was in scintillating form as he destroyed four-time champion Andy Roddick in the first of the semi-finals, and the Scot has won four of his five matches against Tsonga, among them a quarter-final victory at Wimbledon last year.

"I enjoy playing against him," said Murray. "He's a great athlete. He's similar in a few ways to Andy [Roddick].

"He's very flashy, a great shot-maker, can be a little bit erratic at times, but he's one of the best grass-court players in the world, for sure."

For his part, Tsonga is not worried about facing a Briton - and the home crowd - for the second day running.

Murray delighted with form

"I feel good because I know they like me," said the Frenchman. "They like my game. This is sports.

"Sometimes you play in a country, and you play against the countryman and the crowd is behind the other player. This is sports - I accept that. I will try to play my best tennis to win anyway."

Murray showed against Roddick that he is well and truly over the ankle injury that had troubled him since the middle of the French Open, and he now has the chance to win a first title since beating Roger Federer at the Shanghai Masters last October.

"It wasn't the priority coming into the tournament, it will be come Wimbledon," said Murray. "But winning in any sport is good, it gives you confidence. Winning titles is something that you look back on at the end of your career and remember."

Murray beat James Blake two years ago to become the first British winner at Queen's Club since 1938, and another success on Sunday will make him the first Briton since Arthur Lowe in 1914 to claim the tournament on two occasions.

Wimbledon, and a first Grand Slam title, remains the priority though, and his semi-final form was a timely boost.

"It gives me the message that I'm in a good place now," said Murray. "I'm playing well. I struggled at times this year, and I feel like now I'm playing really good tennis again. Physically I feel good, which is important.

"My game is where it needs to be right now. That's all you can ask for. Regardless of how the final goes, it's been the perfect week in many ways and I'll use the next five, six days to really work hard and get myself mentally and physically ready for Wimbledon."


View the original article here