News Portal: June 2013

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Under-20 World Cup: England knocked out after Egypt defeat

England were knocked out of the Under-20 World Cup at the group stage following a 2-0 defeat by Egypt.

Peter Taylor's side needed to win to reach the quarter-finals in Turkey but were beaten by late goals from Trezeget and Hassan Ahmed.

England drew their first two matches - 2-2 with Iraq and 1-1 against Chile.

Their exit follows a disappointing performance from the Under-21s,who lost all three games at the recent European Championship.

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Egypt goalkeeper Awad Mossad made fine saves from Larnell Cole, Conor Coady and Harry Kane to deny England a first-half lead.

Defender Eric Dier then cracked a 20-yard free-kick against the crossbar midway through the second half.

And England were punished for missed opportunities when Trezeget curled in a brilliant 80th-minute strike before Ahmed added a second in injury time.

Taylor said: "I was disappointed with our performance in open play, but we created more chances."

And reflecting on the tournament, he added: "We could have won our first match, we were 2-0 up and then I thought we played exceptionally well against Chile when we could have won too.

"I thought we would win tonight to be honest, because I thought we were improving as a team.

"I think we're very disappointed tonight because they didn't do as well but the experience of playing in the U20 World Cup will have been fantastic for everybody."

England have now gone 16 matches without a victory at the Under-20 World Cup - their last win was in 1997.

Wimbledon 2013: What we learned in Week 1

WIMBLEDON, England — One thing that we might be able to count on after a wild first week at Wimbledon: Order will be restored.

Or not.

U-S-A, U-S-A: Stephens, Serena carry the flag

DAY 6: Top seed Djokovic looks dominant

Here are some things we learned in the first six days of the fortnight:

There's room for the veterans: Nine of the 32 players remaining for the second week of Wimbledon will be 30 or over, tying the Wimbledon Open-era record for the fourth round, last reached in 1975. One of those players is 35-year-old Tommy Haas, who continues his career resurgence. "A lot of people are smarter over the years about what to do in order to get in better shape," Haas said. "You have a good team around you. You can do a lot of stuff, also, nutrition-wise."

This game is a grind: Tennis, increasingly, is no place for the weak of heart, or, indeed, the weak of limb. When Igor Sijsling of Netherlands retired in the third round Saturday, it marked the 13th singles retirement/walkover of the tournament. That equals the Open era Wimbledon record (set in 2008). Ivan Dodig was the beneficiary of injury WDs twice (Philipp Kohlschreiber retired in the first round).

Now more than ever, one match at a time: Top players always like to say that they never look ahead in the draw, keeping their focus only on their next match. We always used to roll our eyes at that. Not so much anymore. Rafael Nadal went out in the first round (to Steve Darcis, who then became one of the injury casualties); Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova in the second round. There are always upsets; just not quite so many of such magnitude. On his way out the door, Federer chided prognosticators for overlooking the depth of the men's game and giving too much weight to his potential quarterfinal meeting with Nadal. "You guys hyped it up so much, me playing Rafa, and we're both out," the 17-time major winner said. "Maybe it's also somewhat a bit disrespectful to the other opponents who are in the draw still." Indeed.

American men aren't getting it done: OK, so maybe we already knew that. Even though expectations were low, they weren't met. No U.S. man reached the third round of Wimbledon for the first time since 1912 (there were none in the draw that year; it also happened in 1911). But in this case, perhaps it's not as bad as it sounds. Andy Roddick retired last year; he reliably played deep into the tournament. Sam Querrey, the No. 21 seed, had a difficult first-round match in Bernard Tomic, who is still playing. John Isner had to withdraw after a freak injury two games into his second-round match. Isner was the best chance to make it to Week 2. There are some potential bright spots out there.

OK showing for American women: Four made the third round, two (Serena Williams, Sloane Stephens) make the second week. Alison Riske, 22, showed some potential on grass, and Madison Keys, 18, keeps improving. The big-serving Keys took 2012 finalist Agnieszka Radwanska to three sets in her third-round loss. Williams is a huge favorite to win her sixth Wimbledon crown (but we aren't projecting ahead, really; see third item above), and Stephens, who is in the depleted bottom half of the draw, has a big chance.

Grass is slippery: Players of all stripes — from Novak Djokovic to Grigor Dimitrov, from Maria Sharapova to CoCo Vandeweghe — have picked up grass stains, and injuries, at an alarming rate. Victoria Azarenka managed to survive after going down hard in her first-round match. She didn't, however, make it two her second-round match. Complaints were loud from some, muted from others. Sharapova said it was too dangerous to play; David Ferrer simply said it's grass. The hubbub has slipped, so to speak, now that we are six days in. We'll have to see how the footing is the rest of the way.

If you're going five with Andreas Seppi, he has you right where he wants you:Seppi, the No. 23 seed from Italy, defeated No. 12 seed Kei Nishikori of Japan 3-6, 6-2, 6-7, 6-1, 6-4 in the third round to record his seventh successive five-set victory in 2013.

Huge opportunity ahead: In the bottom half of the draw — dubbed the Group of Death before the carnage of the first week — you will find these eight names: Lukasz Kubot, Adrian Mannarino, Jerzy Janowicz, Jurgen Melzer, Fernando Verdasco, Kenny De Schepper, Mikhail Youzhny, Andy Murray. Some of those names have a ring of familiarity, but if you told us beforehand that these would be the eight into the Round of 16 from this half, we would have suggested therapy. One of these four — Kubot, Mannarino, Janowicz, Melzer — will be in the semifinals.

Having said all that ... we still expect top seed Novak Djokovic to face Andy Murray in the final in a week's time. And we expect Serena Williams to be left standing at the end on the women's side. So there.

GALLERY: WIMBLEDON DAY 6

Feliciano Lopez hits from his knees and returns a backhand shot to Tommy Haas. Susan Mullane USA TODAY Sports

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Dodgers' Josh Beckett needs season-ending neck surgery

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dodgers right-hander Josh Beckett is scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery in about 1 ½ weeks to relieve pressure on a nerve in his neck.

The announcement was made by the club on Saturday following a consultation Beckett had with team physician Neal ElAttrache and Dr. Greg Pearl of Dallas, who will perform the surgery there.

"I know he had some tingling again yesterday after throwing," manager Don Mattingly said. "He didn't throw very long. I know there was a little bit of a setback there."

Beckett, 33, is 0-5 with a 5.19 ERA in eight starts and hasn't pitched since May 13. The three-time All-Star joined the Dodgers last August in a blockbuster nine-player trade along with first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, left fielder Carl Crawford and utilityman Nick Punto.

NOTABLE NAMES ON THE DISABLED LIST:

Reds starting pitcher Johnny Cueto went on the 15-day disabled list -- this third DL stint this season -- because of issues with a lat muscle. Jim Cowsert, USA TODAY Sports

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$The White Sox placed Jake Peavy on the 15-day disabled list on June 6 with a fracture of the left fourth anterior rib.$

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Ray Allen won't opt out of contract with Miami Heat

Miami Heat guard Ray Allen has exercised his player option for the 2013-14 season and will not become a free agent, his agent, Jim Tanner, told USA TODAY Sports.

Allen is scheduled to make $3.2 million next season, but there was the possibility Allen might opt out of the final year of his Heat deal only to sign a slightly more lucrative deal with the team. The Heat confirmed Allen exercised his option.

After the Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Allen said he "would love to" come back for another season.

FUTURE: Allen will be back, but Bosh?

HEAT: Now likable, they face stiffer test

Allen wasn't sure what to expect when he joined Miami in 2012-2013 after leaving the Boston Celtics. But he fit in almost immediately and became close with Heat star LeBron James. The two talked often after practice and competed against each other whether it was cards or to see who ran wind sprints the fastest.

Allen appreciated that James sought out Allen's advice and knowledge. During the playoffs, Allen told USA TODAY Sports: "He was just probably the most dominant player that I played with. Every game, he's ready to play. I haven't seen him play one bad game this year. He may have had games where he didn't shoot the ball the way he would have liked. If you look at his numbers, that's pretty much what he did all year and was unstoppable. Everybody followed suit. He plays with such a motor that everybody had to play at that level.

"He's just an incredible student of the game. He pays attention to everything. He remembers things from previous games. We may have played a team two months ago and he will remember a defensive coverage, and he's got an incredible IQ where he keeps everybody alert."

After Game 7 of the Finals, Allen said, "It's his ability to want to get better and his ability to learn, his ability to adapt to situation. He wanted to learn everything I knew. He always asked me questions about why I do certain things and what they meant. A player of his caliber, I had not been used to that. I'd like to say we competed toe-to-toe a lot this year — off the court, on the court."

Coming off the bench for the first time in his career, Allen averaged 10.9 points a game and shot 41.9% on three-pointers last season. His three-pointer in Game 6 of the Finals completed a huge Heat comeback to force the game into overtime, where Miami beat the Spurs and staved off elimination. Afterward, he said it might have been the biggest shot of his career.

The NBA's all-time three-point leader averaged 11.4 points on 44.6% three-point shooting in 63 Heat regular-season wins to 8.9 on 29.5% in 16 losses (and missed three games). He previously won a championship with the Celtics as part of a now-dissolved star trio alongside Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.

The 37-year-old is fifth behind Kobe Bryant, Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki and Pierce among active players with 23,804 career points.

Former MLB pitcher Justin Miller found dead at 35

EDT June 29, 2013

PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) — Justin Miller, a pitcher for four teams during a major league career that spanned seven seasons, has been found dead. He was 35.

Miller's death was confirmed Friday by his agent, Matt Sosnick. Miller's body was found Wednesday night, but the cause of death hadn't been released by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

Miller pitched for the Blue Jays, Marlins, Giants and Dodgers from 2002 to 2010. He had a career record of 24-14 in 216 games.

The California native lived in Palm Harbor since 2002.

Jessica Korda fires caddie midway through her round

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — One a wild day at sun-drenched, seaside Sebonack Golf Club — high winds, strenuous pin placements and only one player under par in the third round — most everyone at the U.S. Women's Open was on edge from their first tee shot.

Disagreements between player and caddie were frequent as shot selection and the flight of the ball were up for debate on nearly every shot.

IN CHARGE: Inbee Park leads by four shots

LEADERBOARD: U.S. Women's Open

That was a burden for some more than others, and a shouting match between Jessica Korda and her caddie, Jason Gilroyed, ended up in an unusual dismissal.

Korda fired Gilroyed after nine holes and put her boyfriend, Johnny DelPrete, on the bag. Korda went on to bogey the 12th hole. She shot 40 on the front nine but came home with a 36 on the back for a 4-over-par 76.

She is tied for sixth, 11 shots behind Inbee Park, who was the only player to break par.

"We had a couple of disagreements here and there, and I wasn't in the right state of mind. I knew I needed to switch and just have a little bit more fun out there," Korda said. "It's a U.S. Open. It's tough out there. It just wasn't working out.

" … It was tough for me, because I care about Jason a lot. He is a great guy. That's just how it happens sometimes in life. That was one of those things today that it just unfolded. It was very hard for me to do. I'm not that type of person to take these things really easily. For me it was very hard to tell him that and it took a lot for me."

Gilroyed could not be reached for comment.

DelPrete was following Korda when he suddenly had a new job.

"I just told him, 'Johnny, grab the bag, let's go.' " Korda said.

Korda said she does not know if she will rehire Gilroyed. However, while her boyfriend will be on the bag for the final round, he will not become her regular caddie.

DelPrete plays professionally on the Web.com Tour.

"I think everybody has problems every week," Korda said. "You blame the caddie, the caddie blames you. It's just up in the air. I just felt like enough was enough today. I just wasn't mentally ready for it."

Korda's sister, Nelly, 14, was the youngest player to make the cut this week. There is little chance she will fire her caddie — it's her father, former tennis star Petr.

Nelly Korda shot 79.

PHOTOS: Saturday at the U.S. Women's Open

Paula Creamer hits driver. Brad Penner USA TODAY Sports

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Serena, Stephens lead the way for USA at Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON, England — Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens continued their fine form at majors on Saturday, booking spots in the fourth round at Wimbledon.

Williams, 31, and Stephens, 20, represent opposite ends of the current generation of American women — and so far in 2013, they have been its most consistent players.

DAY 6: Djokovic dominates vs. Chardy

They are the only Yanks to reach the second week in all three Grand Slam events — and now have chances to go further when play resumes Monday.

"Both generations getting it done, and both generations are getting better," Patrick McEnroe, general manager of USTA player development, wrote in an email.

Stephens, who upset Williams to reach the Australian Open semifinals and is seeded 17th, shook off a sluggish start in a match delayed by darkness Friday to beat 196th-ranked qualifier Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7-3), 0-6, 6-4.

"It was definitely tough," said Stephens, who blamed the waning light for her mid-match slump. "Lost focus there. But, I mean, it's a Grand Slam, so you just have to play hard, just keep going, know battling will go a long ways."

Top-seeded Williams showed no respect to her elders and dispatched 42-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan 6-2, 6-0 in 61 minutes.

The pair started play past 8 p.m. under a the closed roof on Centre Court when previous matches on their originally scheduled Court 1 ran long.

"I don't think it gets better for me than a closed roof on grass," said Williams, who improved her career-best winning streak to 34-0 and notched her 600th WTA victory.

Williams was generally happy with the match ... that doesn't mean, however, she didn't find things she wants to do better.

"I feel like I'm moving well," she said "I feel like I'm covering the court OK. You know, I'm pretty much insatiable. There's always room that I look to improve. I would love to improve my serve, I would love to improve my return. I think my return was better today than it was in my last match."

The other two Americans on the court Saturday, Madison Keys and Alison Riske, could not join Williams and Stephens.

Keys whacked 15 aces and pushed 2012 Wimbledon runner-up Agniezska Radwanska, but the cool, crafty Pole was too consistent near the end and advanced 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

Riske, a wild card making her Grand Slam debut whose best results have come on grass, lost to No. 46 Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 6-2, 6-3.

Keys, 18, does not yet have the long-rally reliability or all-court movement on grass to fend off a defensive whiz like Radwanska.

But the young player with developing weapons is coming fast.

She played No. 4 Radwanska much closer than she did in March when she managed just two games on hardcourts in Miami.

"She was really playing great tennis," Radwanska said. "Especially she was serving unbelievable."

After ending last year at No. 149, Keys is projected to climbed into the mid-40s when Wimbledon concludes, making her one of six Americans in the top 50, the most since November of 2006.

D.H. Lee caught by television cameras flipping off a fan at Congressional

PGA Tour rookie Dong-Hwan Lee is slowly slipping down the AT&T National leaderboard after his first two round left him in contention, and his frustration bubbled over on the 12th hole at Congressional Country Club. After his approach to the green went long, Lee reacted to a fan in the crowd, flipping his middle finger toward the gallery. Unfortunately for Lee, the gesture was caught by CBS’ cameras, and later replayed on television.

Lee took a bogey on the hole, putting him at 2-over par for the day, five shots back of leader Andres Romero.