THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 SPORTS Shvedova beats Schiavone, Photo of the day sets up clash with Serena MIAMI: Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Svitolina. like home, I drive just an hour, it feels Shvedova beat former French Open Meanwhile, Serena Williams is a great. “I train here so it is easier to antic- champion Francesca Schiavone 6-4 6-2 daunting opponent no matter the sur- ipate the wind and the heat and all the at the Sony Open on Tuesday, earning a face or tournament, but at the Sony extra elements.” Another title Williams second-round meeting with world Open played near the comforts of her can lay claim to is the Queen of South number one Serena Williams. The world Miami home she has practically set up Beach. Already part owner of the number 59 broke the Italian to take the a second residence in the winner’s cir- National Football League’s Miami first set and broke again to move ahead cle. Dolphins, Williams hinted that she 3-1 in the second before recording one Williams, who lives an hour’s drive could add to her sporting empire say- final break to close out the contest and from the Tennis Center at Crandon ing, “anything is possible” when asked if collect her first win in four meetings Park, site of the Sony Open for the next she was open to getting involved with with the 2010 French Open champion. fortnight, is a six-time winner in Miami. David Beckham and his efforts to bring Schiavone, the first Italian woman to That is more wins than she has at any a Major League Soccer franchise to win a grand slam, has been in miser- other tournament and one better than Miami. But it is on the court where Williams does most of her business and in Miami it is close to a tennis monop- oly. At 32, Williams is one of oldest play- ers in the women’s draw yet remains the sport’s dominant force with retire- ment nowhere in sight. Miami will be her fourth event of the season and the 17-times grand slam winner claimed her 58th career title after opening the 2014 campaign with a victory in Brisbane. “There is a tremendous amount of pressure when you step onto the court,” said Williams. “It’s bigger news to Hughes Beauchamp performs at the Red Bull Retro Pipe held at Centre de ski Val St-Come in Quebec, lose than it is to win. Canada, on February 22, 2014. —www.redbullcontentpool.com “But I don’t look at it as pressure, Billie Jean King always told me pressure is privilege. “The only time it becomes a little boring is the training part but I know there is a bigger picture. “I must Monaghan eyes really love the competition because I keep going and I don’t see any end yet.” Yaroslava Shvedova That is not good news for the rest of able form losing seven consecutive her five U.S. Open, Wimbledon and the players on the WTA Tour as they try first-round matches before ending the Australian Open grand slam victories. to loosen the Williams sisters’ vice-like Wigan revenge barren stretch last week at the BNP In the 12 years since Williams first grip on the Miami trophy. Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Shvedova, claimed the crown in 2002 she has tak- In the 16 tournaments since 1998 whose only career WTA Tour win came en the trophy home with her 50 per- only five women other than Serena and MANCHESTER: Joel Monaghan has lost back-to-back since enjoyed three successive wins. seven years ago in Bangalore, has lost cent of the time and is favoured to add her older sister Venus, a three-time Super League Grand Finals and, as he seeks to make it Monaghan, who scored a try in last weekend’s 28-12 all three meetings with Williams but a seventh to her collection when the champion, have celebrated victory on third time lucky, next up is the side that stood in the win at Salford, added: “We started off slow but we are did push the six-times Miami champion final is decided on March 29. the Miami hardcourts. In the seven way last year. getting better each week. “We have got a couple of big to three sets during a round of 16 A relaxed Williams certainly looked years between 1998 and 2004 the Back then Warrington were beaten 30-16 by Wigan at tests in the next two weeks and we are going to have to meeting at the 2012 Wimbledon. The right at home as she worked her way Williams sisters took virtual ownership Old Trafford and although winger Monaghan scored a go up another level. upset of the day went to 20-year-old through a series of pre-tournament of the Miami property winning it six try that day it was not enough. “It is obviously an achievement to make two Grand Monica Puig who dispatched 36th interviews at a posh Key Biscayne times, only Martina Hingis interrupting And, after each side has made an indifferent start to Finals but it probably hurts a bit more when you have ranked Magdalena Rybarikova of beachside resort on Tuesday stealing their reign in 2000. “I love my fans and the new campaign, they meet for the first time since been there. Hopefully we can turn that around this Slovakia, a four-time winner on the the spotlight from some of the other love having the opportunity to play for October today. Monaghan-last year’s second top try- year.” WTA Tour, 6-1 7-6 (9-7). assembled tennis glitterati, including them, it feels spectacular,” said Williams. scorer in Super League-knows the loss of 2012 Man of Elsewhere Mandy Koukash-wife of Salford owner Dr It was the second match win of the Maria Sharapova and Australian Open “I feel really, really bad when I don’t Steel Sam Tomkins to New Zealand Warriors is a big one Marwan-appears to have conceded defeat in her season for the 58th ranked Puerto champion Li Na. “I have been waiting play well I think that is one of the rea- for Wigan. attempted takeover of Bradford Bulls. Rican. The tournament began on a on this for awhile, it feels good to be sons I tend to be a little hard on myself. But he expects someone who has moved the other The Bulls were deducted six points after a failed down note for the home contingent back here,” the defending champion “I love to play tennis, I love to compete way-former North Queensland Cowboys full-back Matt takeover last month but it appears the Koukash family with American Bethanie Mattek-Sands and world number one told a tableside but ultimately the reason I compete is Bowen-to go some way to filling his shoes. will not soon own one sixth of the Super League clubs. because of the fans.” — Reuters falling 6-3 3-6 6-3 to Ukraine’s Elina gathering of media. “It is home, it feels “It is a big test,” said Monaghan. “They (Wigan) did a “I am hearing my bid will not be the winning one,” number on us in the Grand Final and to say it is forgot- Koukash wrote on her Twitter account. ten about is a bit of a cop-out-everyone still remembers “My bid was focused in helping the Bulls. As I under- Court hears Pistorius shot his it. “Obviously Sam Tomkins is a big loss but it is a pretty stand, the RFL has nothing to do with the decision. It is strong squad they have and you can’t mess with Wigan based on the highest bid to pay the old debt.” girlfriend in hip before head at all. If you do they will turn you over. Meanwhile, Hull KR and former Parramatta Eels back “Matty Bowen, especially coming from the NRL it is Kris Keating believes his side can end their winless start PRETORIA: Oscar Pistorius shot his girlfriend first in the but the defence say she was hit first in the head and going to take a bit for him to settle in-but we know to the season when they host the Bulls on Sunday. hip before hitting her fatally in the head through a therefore could not have made a sound. what type of player he is. “We’re very confident. People have just got to realise locked toilet door, a police ballistics expert testified yes- Earlier, Mangena said the Paralympic gold medallist “I am sure they are looking at this game and one to that the bounce of the ball and little things aren’t going terday at the Paralympian’s murder trial in South Africa. could have been as close as 60 centimetres (24 inches) get them back on track. It has got the makings of a our way,” he said. “But that luck will eventually turn and The ballistics report appears to support earlier testi- to the toilet door, or as far away as 3 metres, when he great contest.” Warrington’s season kicked off with back- we’re going to start putting some points on the board mony that Reeva Steenkamp had time to cry for help fired, though he said 220 centimetres was the most like- to-back defeats by St Helens and Leeds but they have and kick into gear.”—AFP before she died and contradicts the defence team’s ver- ly position.