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Thursday, August 6, 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Greece in 'final stretch' for deal with creditors: PM

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ATHENS (AFP) - Greece is in the final stretch of talks for a deal with creditors on a new bailout, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Wednesday as Athens faces another daunting debt deadline in two weeks.We are in the final stretch to conclude an agreement with the institutions, Tsipras said in televised remarks.Despite the difficulties, we hope this agreement can end uncertainty over the future of Greece and the eurozone, he added.Greece needs a deal that will unlock bailout funds by August 20, when it must repay some 3.4 billion euros ($3.7 billion) due to the European Central Bank.The Greek economy is also suffering from the effects of capital controls imposed last month to avert a bank run, a procedure that has badly disrupted trade.The Athens stock exchange, which opened with a record drop on Monday after a five-week shutdown, was shedding 4.23 percent in afternoon trade on Wednesday.Bank shares have been the hardest hit, trading near the maximum allowed drop of 30 percent for three straight days.European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker said Wednesday that agreement on the bailout was possible by August 20.All the reports I am getting suggest an accord this month, preferably before the 20th, Juncker told AFP in an interview.Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos on Tuesday told journalists the high-stakes talks were going at least as well as we expected, and that the possibility of an emergency loan for the ECB payment has not figured in the discussions.Autumn elections likelyGreek government spokeswoman Olga Gerovasili on Wednesday said the talks would continue to the end of the year, however.We will have implementation legislation, and points on which the negotiations will not even have ended until the end of the year, such as on labour and non-performing loans, she said.Tsipras is under pressure from a sizeable minority in his radical Syriza party who say the rescue package he agreed to last month piles further austerity on a weakened economy and goes against the governments campaign pledges.On Wednesday the prime minister said Greeks had to adapt to the new circumstances but insisted that his administration would continue to negotiate with the countrys creditors to secure a fair distribution of tax pain.In two successive reform votes last month, more than 30 lawmakers from the ruling Syriza party refused to approve the measures included in the bailout, which is worth up to 86 billion euros over three years.With his popularity among Greeks still high, Tsipras has warned the dissidents of early elections in the autumn if they continue to resist the measures.Elections are likely in the autumn, Gerovasili told Vima radio earlier. It mainly depends on how steady this government can be in the coming period.Tsipras main party opponent, euroseptic ex-energy minister Panagiotis Lafazanis, on Wednesday repeated his refusal to accept the new cuts.When the new memorandum comes to parliament, I will not vote for it, said Lafazanis, head of a Syriza faction called Left Platform.I imagine all the lawmakers associated with Left Platform will not vote (either), Lafazanis said during a visit to Thessaloniki.Greece on Wednesday raised 812.5 million euros ($890 million) in six-month treasury bills.

Fox earnings hit by lower box office, one-time costs

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Media-entertainment conglomerate 21st Century Fox on Wednesday reported a sharp drop in earnings amid weaker film revenues and one-time costs for television programming and pensions.The company created by Rupert Murdoch and now mostly managed by his two sons reported net profit in the past quarter plunged 91 percent from a year ago to $87 million.Fox also announced a $5 billion share buyback program, a move which aims to boost returns for its investors.Revenues for the quarter ending June 30 dropped 26 percent to $6.2 billion, reflecting in part the companys divesting some of its satellite broadcast operations.Film revenue were also lower however, due to an unfavorable comparison with last year when it had big box-office hits from its X-Men and Rio sequels.We made clear operational strides over the last year that will further position us to benefit from the strong and growing global demand for high quality video content, said Murdoch, who now holds the title of co-executive chairman with his eldest son Lachlan after handing the chief executive job to his son James.We delivered a solid financial performance, driven by sustained gains in affiliate fees, while we continued to invest in building our new channels Fox Sports 1, FXX and Star Sports.The company recorded one-time charges of $800 million related to programming inventory that will no longer be aired, contract termination costs for a cancelled Indian cricket tournament and the disposition of certain pension liabilities, a statement said.Fox closed its fiscal year with a net profit of $8.3 billion, led by one-time gains from selling stakes in Sky Italia and Sky Deutschland. Those were integrated into a new group called Sky in which Fox holds a minority position.

El Al plans to buy, lease Boeing 787 Dreamliners

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NEW YORK (AFP) - US aerospace giant Boeing said Wednesday that El Al Israel Airlines intends to purchase and lease up to 15 of Boeings high-tech 787 Dreamliners.El Al also has confirmed purchase rights for 13 additional airplanes, Boeing said in a brief statement that did not specify the breakdown between purchases and leasing.The average 2015 list prices for the three-model 787 family range from $224.6 million to $306.1 million, according to the Boeing website. Commercial planes are often sold below their list price.The 787 Dreamliner, which entered service in 2011, is a twin-aisle aircraft with a largely composite structure that Boeing says delivers fuel efficiency.We are honored that El AL has selected the 787 for its fleet renewal plan, said Ray Conner, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive, in the statement.The Dreamliner will be an excellent addition to El Als all-Boeing fleet and marks another chapter in a partnership between our two companies that spans over half a century.

Tesla loss widens as it gears for expansion

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Tesla reported Wednesday its loss for the second quarter widened to $184 million as the electric carmaker geared up for expansion.The net loss tripled from the $61 million in the same period a year ago for the company founded by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk and known for producing vehicles sought after by celebrities and other wealthy individuals.Revenue rose some 20 percent from a year ago as Tesla produced a record 12,807 vehicles and delivered 11,532.Tesla has been in the midst of a global expansion, and is preparing to launch its new Model X, a crossover designed to boost the market appeal for the company.We are now targeting deliveries of between 50,000 and 55,000 Model S and Model X cars in 2015, Musk said in a letter to shareholders with his chief financial officer Deepak Ahuja.We are still testing the ability of many suppliers to deliver high quality production parts in quantities sufficient to meet our planned production ramp.Tesla plans to invest about $1.5 billion this year to expand production capacity, construct its huge Gigafactory for batteries and expand its network of charging stationsTesla is also gearing for a new project to adapt car batteries to store power in homes and businesses.While Tesla produces relatively few vehicles, it has become a star in the sector due to keen demand and a reputation for high quality.

Dollar slips vs euro after mixed US data

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar slipped against the euro Wednesday after mixed US economic data fed uncertainty about growth, as the Federal Reserve prepares to raise interest rates this year.The Institute for Supply Managements blockbuster PMI report on a July surge in US services sector growth contrasted with a disappointing number on jobs growth last month from payroll firm ADP, with only 185,000 jobs added.Clarity on how the US job market and broader economy fared in July is lacking, said Ryan Sweet of Moodys Analytics.Sweet said the jump in the ISM nonmanufacturing index was almost too good to be true, coming after other economic data suggest the economy got off to a slow start in the second quarter.If most of the improvement sticks in August it would be clear evidence that the improvement in the economy has broadened and would support the Federal Reserve beginning to normalize interest rates in September, he said.2100 GMT Wednesday TuesdayEUR/USD 1.0904 1.0882EUR/JPY 136.18 135.32EUR/CHF 1.0677 1.0651EUR/GBP 0.6989 0.6993USD/JPY 124.88 124.36USD/CHF 0.9792 0.9787GBP/USD 1.5603 1.5563

Tokyo shares open 0.75% higher

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TOKYO (AFP) - Tokyo stocks opened higher on Thursday, tracking gains on Wall Street following mixed economic data while a weaker yen supported Japanese exporters.The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange rose 0.75 percent, or 155.11 points, to 20,769.17 in the first minutes of trading.US stocks finished mostly higher Wednesday following a series of data showing a patchy picture on the economy.But a disappointing earnings report from Disney weighed on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which shed 0.06 percent at 17,540.47.The broad-based S&P 500 gained 0.31 percent at 2,099.84, and the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.67 percent to 5,139.94.The Institute for Supply Management said the US service sector expanded 4.3 percent in July to a record high.But payroll firm ADP estimated the US private sector added 185,000 jobs in July, much below the analyst estimate for 220,000 additional jobs.The ISM non-manufacturing data has strengthened the view that US rate hikes will come earlier, weakening the yen, Yutaka Miura, a technical analyst at Mizuho Securities, told Bloomberg News.The weaker currency will be a tailwind for Japanese stocks. Well still see a focus on individual earnings results, he said.The dollar fetched 124.83 yen in early morning trade in Tokyo, against 124.88 yen in New York late Wednesday.The euro was quoted at $1.0907 and 136.16 yen, against $1.0904 and 136.18 yen.

Football: Cup shocks as South African season kicks off

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JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns lost home cup ties in a shock-riddled midweek start to the South African football season.Former African champions Pirates fell 1-0 against Ajax Cape Town at Orlando Stadium in Soweto with top-flight debutant Ndiviwe Mdabuka scoring the early second-half winner.Expensively-assembled Sundowns paid dearly for conceding a late extra-time equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Bloemfontein Celtic, who won 4-2 on penalties at Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium near Pretoria.There were goals galore at Soccer City stadium in Soweto as title-holders Kaizer Chiefs came from two behind to beat Maritzburg United 5-3 in a thriller that required extra time.And 120 minutes of football were also necessary at Bidvest Stadium close to central Johannesburg before hosts Wits emerged 3-1 victors over SuperSport United.So, Chiefs and Wits expectedly and Ajax and Celtic unexpectedly go into a draw Thursday for the two-leg semi-finals of the South African 8 knockout competition.The novel competition offers just one prize -- eight million rand ($625,000, 575,000 euros) to the winners.That is an excellent financial return for four matches considering the winners of the CAF Confederation Cup pocket $660,000, and must play a minimum of 16 matches, of which eight are away.Millions of football fans and the mobile telephone company which bankrolls the South African 8 will be sad to see Pirates eliminated and the chance of a dream final against arch rivals Chiefs disappear.But traditionally poor travellers Ajax were worthy winners after soaking up first-half pressure with Finnish goalkeeper Anssi Jaakkola producing several fine saves.Mdabuka, a second division footballer last season, struck on 55 minutes with a hard, low, edge-of-the-box snap shot past goalkeeper Brighton Mhlongo.New Chiefs coach Steve Komphela joined from Maritzburg during the close season and he watched his former club punish careless defending to build a 2-0 half-time advantage.But reigning league champions Chiefs stormed back to lead within 18 minutes of the restart only for close-season signing Siyanda Xulu to concede a late own goal, level the match at 3-3 and force extra time.Xulu atoned by putting Chiefs ahead and substitute Hendrick Ekstein put the outcome beyond doubt with a fifth goal a minute into stoppage time.After 90 goalless minutes, Burundian Fiston Abdul Razak scored on his competitive debut for Sundowns following a mid-year move from Kenyan outfit Sofapaka.Musa Bilankulu nodded a 118th-minute equaliser after a free-kick manoeuvre got the hosts napping and Celtic converted all four shootout spot-kicks while Sundowns fluffed two.New signing Daine Klate and Namibian Henrico Botes scored within three extra-time minutes to allow Wits coach Gavin Hunt celebrate success over the club he guided to three league titles.

Boxing: Khan shrugs off Floyd snub, expects Berto threat

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LAS VEGAS (AFP) - Britains Amir Khan took the high road Wednesday after being snubbed by unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather for a third time in quest of a high-profile Las Vegas welterweight showdown.Mayweather, 38, announced Tuesday that he would fight countryman Andre Berto next month in what the 48-0 champion has declared would be his final fight, although many doubt he will settle for retiring at the same iconic record as the late heavyweight Rocky Marciano without taking a chance at 50-0.But first, Mayweather must get past Berto, and that, Khan also warned, is something that is not a sure thing.I wish my stablemate Andre Berto and trainer Virgil Hunter the very best of luck in the fight, Khan said. Ive seen how hard Andre trains and works and know that he is ready to give Floyd a very tough night.Khan was teased about possible Mayweather fights last year that instead went to Argentinas Marcos Maidana and Mayweather finally fought the long-awaited bout against Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao last May, winning by unanimous decision.Im disappointed not to have got the fight for what is the third time after having been one of the frontrunners, Khan said. However, there are many big fights out there for me and Im going to continue working hard to establish myself at the top of the welterweight division.Floyd Mayweather has fought the biggest names throughout his career and has earned the right to face whoever he chooses.Many have criticized Mayweathers choice as too easy a foe, with Berto having dropped three of his past six fights. Mayweather will speak about his choice for the first time Thursday at a Los Angeles news conference to begin promotion for the fight, now just five weeks away.

Football: Late Lewandowski winner seals Audi Cup for Bayern

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MUNICH (AFP) - A late goal from Polish international Robert Lewandowski sealed a 1-0 victory for German champions Bayern Munich over Spanish giants Real Madrid in the final of the pre-season Audi Cup tournament in their home stadium on Wednesday.Bayern and Real recorded impressive wins over AC Milan and Tottenham respectively at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday, but it was the hosts who came out on top thanks to Lewandowskis goal two minutes from time.The former Dortmund striker -- who scored in the 3-0 win over Milan the previous day -- was set up by young Danish star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg before firing past Real keeper Keilor Navas in the 88th minute.It handed titleholders Bayern their third Audi Cup triumph in four attempts since the tournament was launched in 2009.The scoreline was very different from the last time Real visited the Allianz Arena with the La Liga giants running riot 4-0 in the Champions League semi-final second leg in April 2014.That victory secured a thumping 5-0 aggregate win for Real as they went on to win a tenth European title in the final against city rivals Atletico.Whilst this victory will be scant consolation for that Munich mauling from last year, it will at least give Pep Guardiolas side a boost as they prepare for the defence of their Bundesliga title, beginning at home to Hamburg on Friday August 14.Real Madrids first match of the Spanish season is nine days later on Sunday, August 23 when they travel to Sporting Gijon. Earlier on Wednesday, Nacer Chadli and Tom Carroll scored in either half in a 2-0 victory for Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur against Italian giants AC Milan in the third-place play-off.

Tennis: Stosur likes odds as Serena Grand Slam spoiler

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Samantha Stosur, the last woman to beat Serena Williams at the US Open, likes her chances of disrupting the American stars calendar Grand Slam bid if she gets the chance.Ive always actually quite enjoyed playing Serena. Ive got a game that disrupts her, Stosur said Wednesday. You have to have the game. My game matches up well against Serena. Ive got the kind of weapons that can bother her.And the 31-year-old Australian advises rivals to play their own games and keep the pressure on the world number one if they hope to derail her bid for a fifth Slam title in a row when the Flushing Meadows fortnight begins August 31.No doubt she is going to be feeling the pressure, as much as you can when youve won four Slams in a row and going for a fifth, Stosur said. You know she wants to get that calendar Slam. Shes not immune to the nerves and pressure.You have to go after it. Whatever it is you do, you have got to bring that at the big moments and make it happen.Coming off a clay-court title at Bad Gastein, second seed Stosur advanced to the quarter-finals of the WTA and ATP Washington Open with a 6-1, 7-5 victory Wednesday over American Irina Falconi.Stosur, ranked 21st, won her only Grand Slam title at the 2011 US Open by defeating Williams 6-2, 6-3 in the final. Since then, Williams has been the queen of Arthur Ashe Stadium, winning three US Open titles in a row in a run of taking eight of the past 13 Slam singles trophies.And despite Williams leading their career rivalry 8-3 (not counting two Stosur wins by walkover) and having won their past four meetings without dropping a set, Stosur takes confidence from a 2-1 record in their Grand Slam meetings, having lost in the fourth round of the 2010 Australian Open but won 6-2, 6-7 (2/7), 8-6 at the 2010 French Open semi-finals as well as in the US Open final.Playing her on one of those big stages, you see what the benchmark is and how you have to get about playing it, Stosur said.Ive gone out there and gotten blasted but I also know that on any given day I can go out there and win and thats quite exciting.Serena success incredibleWith her Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon triumphs this year, Williams has completed the Serena Slam of holding all four trophies at once for the second time in her career, the first time in a run from the 2002 French Open to the 2003 Australian Open.In addition to joining American Maureen Connolly, Aussie Margaret Court and Germanys Steffi Graf as the only women to complete the calendar-year singles Grand Slam, Williams can match Grafs Open Era record of 22 career Grand Slam singles titles by winning the US Open. That would put her two shy of Courts all-time record 24 Slam singles crowns.Its incredible what Serena is trying to achieve and what she has achieved. She is the best player of this generation by far, Stosur said. She deserves all the accolades she gets. To come back and win and play all those big moments really well, its really amazing.That said, Stosur also says that Williams and her bid at more tennis history is not the focus of other players, noting, None of us are really sitting around the locker room saying how great Serena is.

Football: Toothless Chelsea beaten by Fiorentina

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LONDON (AFP) - The paucity of Chelseas striking options was once again laid bare on Wednesday as they finished their pre-season preparations with a lacklustre 1-0 loss at home to Fiorentina.Visiting captain Gonzalo Rodriguez bundled in the only goal in the 34th minute at Stamford Bridge and with Diego Costa once again absent due to hamstring trouble, Jose Mourinhos side toiled in attack as they went a fifth consecutive game without victory.Radamel Falcao and Loic Remy squandered another chance to prove themselves as understudies for the absent Costa, leaving Mourinho with food for thought ahead of the start of his sides Premier League title defence at home to Swansea City on Saturday.We have the real football on Saturday and today we couldnt face this game in another way, said Mourinho.Competitive minutes against a good team, who played for a result and gave us a very good training session.Asked if Costa would be fit to face Swansea, Mourinho replied: I dont know. I dont risk to say yes, but I also dont risk to say no.It was a second consecutive prestige friendly win for Fiorentina, fourth in Serie A last season and semi-finalists in both the Coppa Italia and Europa League, following their 2-1 victory over European champions Barcelona on Sunday.It was a good victory, a victory for the whole squad, said coach Paulo Sousa. I am happy for all the players.Chelsea made 10 changes to the team beaten 1-0 by Arsenal in the Community Shield at the weekend, with skipper John Terry the only player to keep his place, while Falcao, Asmir Begovic, Bertrand Traore and Ola Aina made their home debuts.Sousa also rang the changes, making seven in total. The visitors threatened first, Matias Fernandez testing Begovic low to his right.Chelsea began to take control, Ruben Loftus-Cheek heading over and seeing a shot blocked and Aina having an effort deflected over, but after Matias Vecino had thundered a shot against the bar for the visitors and Begovic had parried a curling attempt by Khouma Babacar, Fiorentina struck.A cross from the right was chested down by Marcos Alonso and although his left-foot effort was blocked at the near post by former Stoke City goalkeeper Begovic, the ball squirted out to Gonzalo, who bundled home.Beginning at half-time, Chelsea made nine changes in the second half, with Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas, Gary Cahill and Nemanja Matic among the first-team stalwarts to enter the fray.Fiorentina also sent on nine substitutes, including Italy striker Giuseppe Rossi, who missed the entirety of the 2014-15 season following the third serious knee injury of his career.Substitute Josip Ilicic and Ante Rebic threatened for Fiorentina and although Chelsea finished the game in the ascendancy, they could not find an equaliser.Cahill saw a pair of headers saved by Luigi Sepe and Remy, who replaced Falcao on the hour, shot wastefully wide after cutting inside Alonso.Having also lost to New York Red Bulls and drawn with Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona -- both of whom they beat on penalties -- it completed an underwhelming pre-season for Chelsea, who have only two days to find a higher gear.

Rio enters one-year sprint to Olympic Games

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RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - The one-year countdown to the Rio Olympics began Wednesday with officials promising to overcome Brazils usual chaos in a Summer Games that will transform the city and thrill the world.All the construction work is on schedule, Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes told journalists in a nearly finished arena inside the giant Olympic Park building site.With 12 months left to complete the challenge, its like the end of a marathon, he said.At a ceremony, visiting International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach praised the preparations, while President Dilma Rousseff vowed Brazil would delight the world.On August 5, 2016, the Olympic torch will end its own marathon -- being flown around the globe and carried by 12,000 people through Brazil -- when it lights the flame for the opening ceremony in Rios Maracana stadium.Carlos Nuzman, president of the Rio Olympic organizing committee, reeled off figures illustrating the scope of the worlds biggest sporting event -- and of Rios commitment.There will be 206 countries represented -- the newest being recently recognized South Sudan -- and 10,500 athletes competing in 42 sports over 17 days. Right after, the Paralympics will see 4,350 athletes from 176 countries in 23 sports.To face the onslaught, Rio is assembling the equivalent of eight football fields of sporting gear -- a million items, Nuzman said -- and 45,000 volunteer workers, with 25,000 on call for the Paralympics.We are continuing to work, because there is still much to do, Rousseff said.Pollution scandalThese will be the first Olympics held in South America and a chance for Brazil, the worlds seventh largest economy, to look beyond a growing domestic brew of corruption and economic trouble.Already the Olympic Park is 82 percent ready and Olympic Village 89 percent complete, Paes said.But the generally positive picture darkens in what environmentalists and Rio residents describe as the horrific pollution in Guanabara Bay, where sailing and windsurfing contests will take place.Environment experts say most of the sewage produced by the 12 million people in greater Rio goes untreated directly into the bay.In addition, dozens of rivers leading to the bay are filled with garbage.In its original bid to host the Games, one of Rios promises was to reduce that pollution by 80 percent -- a goal that no one now even pretends can be met.Officials are on the defensive and on Wednesday they once more insisted that there was no danger to athletes health or to their boats.The sailing athletes will be protected, Paes said, estimating that pollution had already been reduced by 50 percent and probably will reach 60 percent by the Games.Changing Rio for goodThere are debates over whether Olympics are good for cities or burdensome vanity projects, but in Rio the occasion has been an opportunity to escape decades of underinvestment, Nuzman said.No city has had the transformation of its infrastructure as has Rio, he said.Paes said that Rio had made an attractive candidate city not because of all its infrastructure but the fact it had so little -- and could use the Games to improve.The biggest positive change will be in transport, linking up a sprawling city where the metro currently only serves a narrow strip and it can take hours in traffic to go from the center to the Olympic Park. A new metro line and dedicated lanes for express buses are on track to consign those nightmare journeys to memory, officials say.But Paes, a flamboyant politician said to have presidential ambitions, went beyond municipal matters, stating that a good Olympics will show the world a new Brazil.There will be a legacy to create in this country a culture that things can be done on time, he said, calling Brazil a country where everything is delayed, everything is beyond its budget.We want to show the other side, he said, joking that tropical Rio might even feel ready to bid for the Winter Games.Who knows if climate change will let us do that?

Tennis: Age no obstacle as Date-Krumm stuns Lisicki

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STANFORD (AFP) - Evergreen Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm came from behind to score an upset victory over Germanys Sabine Lisicki at the Stanford WTA tournament here Tuesday.Date-Krumm, 44, who was forced to qualify for the main draw, looked to be heading to a rapid defeat after Lisicki whizzed through the first set, winning 6-1. But the ageless Japanese favorite fought back brilliantly to clinch a second set tie-break before wrapping up the decider to seal a 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 triumph. Date-Krumm will now play Ajla Tomljanovic in the second round. Tomljanovic defeated Vitalia Diatchenko 3-6, 6-0, 6-0 to advance. Elsewhere Tuesday, both seeded players in action advanced safely, with eighth-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina beating compatriot Kateryna Bondarenko, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5. German fifth seed Angelique Kerber, meanwhile, had little difficulty in dispatching Russias Daria Gavrilova, winning 6-1, 6-3. The field for this years Stanford tournament was weakened on the eve of the event when world number one Serena Williams withdrew with an injury as she builds towards her tilt at a calendar Grand Slam at the US Open. With Williams out, Denmarks Caroline Wozniacki is top seed.Wozniacki, who received a bye in the first round, will play Americas Varvara Lepchenko in her first match. Lepchenko outlasted Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(4) to advance to the second round.

Swimming: Ledecky on verge of history, Peaty strikes double gold

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KAZAN (AFP) - Katie Ledecky claimed her third world championships gold on Wednesday to leave her poised to make history while Adam Peatys breaststroke double capped an outstanding night for Britain in Kazan.Ledecky underlined her status as the stand-out performer in the Kazan pool by claiming victory in the 200m freestyle final just 24 hours after breaking the world record for the second time in winning the 1500m freestyle final.The USAs triple world record-holder had already won the 400m gold last Sunday and she can become the first women to win four freestyle world titles when the 800m heats start on Friday with the final on Sunday.I have trained a lot to be able to do these races and I knew I could trust my training and this confidence has filled my swims this week, said the 18-year-old, who won the 200m freestyle final in 1min 55.16sec.I have a couple of races left to give my all in.I have been preparing all year for the whole year for these world championships.Fresh from setting the world 50m breaststroke record of 26.42secs in Tuesdays semi-final, Britains Peaty added to his 100m world title with victory over the sprint distance on Wednesday.The 20-year-old won the 50m final by clocking 26.51 in the final with South Africas Cameron van der Burgh, the 2013 world champion, taking silver, at 0.15sec back.The Briton has matched David Wilkies breaststroke 40-year-old double when the Scot won the 100 and 200m golds at the 1975 world championships.Peaty then backed up his individual win by helping the British team win the 4x100m mixed medley event in a new world record time.It was the third time the events record had fallen on Wednesday alone after Russia, then the USA broke it in the mornings heats and it means world records have now fallen on ten occasions in Kazan.With two gold and two world records from his worlds debut here, Peaty can still claim a third individual title when the 200m breaststroke heats begin Thursday.Its my first world championships, so I never thought Id walk away with three gold medals, but I fought for every centimetre and every inch, said Peaty.All my training was for the 50m final tonight and then the 100m in the relay.Its been the stuff dreams are made of, but head down now for the 200m heats in the morning.Chinese long-distance expert Sun Yang claimed his second gold with victory in the 800m freestyle final, but he was made to work to retain his title after Italys Gregorio Paltrinieri pushed him all the way.Sun clocked seven minutes, 39.96secs, but Paltrinieri swam a new European record at 0.85secs back as Australias Mack Horton took bronze at 4.06.Defending Olympic and world champion Chad le Clos had to settle for silver in the mens 200m butterfly final as Hungarys Laszlo Cseh beat him on the wall to capture his first major title for a decade.Cseh clocked 1min 53.48sec to beat Le Clos by just 0.20sec.Ryan Lochte of the USA is on course to win his fourth consecutive world 200m individual medley gold as the quickest into Thursdays final in 1:56.81.Australias Cameron McEvoy is also the name to beat in the mens 100m freestyle final, also on Thursday, having been the only qualifier from the semi-finals to go under the 48 seconds mark.There is a lot of excitement around the 100m freestyle, said McEvoy.Its just a matter of recovering as much as I can before then and Ill be using the same race plan regardless of who is in the final.Russias Vladimir Morozov, who had posted the worlds joint fastest time this year coming into Kazan, was disqualified in his semi-final after leaving his blocks too early.Olympic champion Nathan Adrian of the United States was fifth fastest.Fresh from winning the womens 100m world title on Tuesday, Australias Emily Seebohm was fifth fastest into Thursdays 50m final as Chinas Fe Yuanhai clocked the quickest time of 27.18secs.Japans Natsumi Hoshi was the fastest into the womens 200m butterfly final on Thursday at 2:06.36 secs, but the big surprise was Hungarys Iron Lady, Katinka Hosszu failing to qualify as 13th fastest in the semi-finals as the 200m IM champion missed out.

Tennis: Colombian duo wins landmark tie-breaker 25-23

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah won what the ATP Tour believed to be the longest tie-breaker in its history on Wednesday to take their Washington Open first-round match.Cabal and Farah defeated US qualifiers Austin Krajicek and Nicholas Monroe 7-6 (25/23), 6-3 in the historic hardcourt matchup.I had a blast playing that breaker and luckily it went in our favor, Farah said.And they rode the tie-breaker victory to taking the match as well.That tie-breaker, it gave us a little bit of momentum, Cabal said.While it was thought to be the ATP milestone, it fell just shy of the all-time record tie-breaker.That came in the first round at Wimbledon in 1985 when Dane Michael Mortensen and Swede Jan Gunnarsson defeated Australian John Frawley and Paraguayan Victor Pecci 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (26/24).But that didnt dim the thrill for spectators who jammed the outer court as the drama unfolded.It was a great match. It was a great atmosphere, Farah said. If you add both the scores, its like playing a whole set.

Posted by IMRAN ALI SOOMRO (DARVESH) at 8/06/2015 07:29:00 AM

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