ntnews.com.aulllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll SPORT Waratahs in finals contention Mariners target Celtic weapon Tomic seeks Monaco haven WARATAHS jumped into finals calculations with a GRAHAM Arnold has singled out Gary Hooper, a AUSTRALIA’S teen tennis sensation Bernard Tomic thrilling two-point victory over Palmerston in Darwin player who has come under the radar of England has reportedly lodged an application for residency in Netball Association action at Mararra on Thursday manager Fabio Capello, as a Celitc weapon that must European tax haven Monaco. The 18-year-old night. Tahs now sit in fourth place on the ladder after be destroyed by the Mariners at ANZ Stadium Queenslander, fresh from becoming Wimbledon’s the 31-29 win. Competition leaders Pints were easy tonight. The Glasgow club boast other nationalities youngest men’s quarter-finalist since Boris Becker in 58-21 winners over the winless Nightcliff, while but it is Englishman Hooper that the Central Coast 1985, travelled to Monaco on Thursday from London. Hoggies sent Districts’ season into a further tailspin boss fears most after watching a DVD yesterday of Tomic collected $210,000 in Wimbledon prizemoney with a 40-29 triumph. The competition has a round Celtic’s Scottish Cup final victory over Motherwell. and at least a further $100,000 under his contract bye next Thursday. ‘‘He certainly knows how to score goals,’’ Arnold said. for breaking into the world’s top 75.

PLAYERS STATS 5- (RUS) Ranking: 6. Age: 24. Height: 1.88 m. Weight: 59kg. Plays: Right-handed. Career Singles titles: 23. titles: 3 — 2004 Wimbledon, 2006 Legend US Open, 2008 .

8-PETRA KVITOVA (CZE) Ranking: 8. Age: 21. Height: 1.83m. Weight: 70kg. Plays: Left-handed. Career Singles titles: 4. Grand slam titles: 0. backs Maria is itching for title Kvitova

SEVEN years after her stun- TENNIS ning triumph as a 17-year-old, By LEO SCHLINK Maria Sharapova is aiming to crown her career resurrec- GRASSCOURT colossus Mar- tion with a second Wimble- tina Navratilova says Petra It basically comes don title. Kvitova is ready to win a The world’s highest paid Wimbledon final likely to be down to who sportswoman meets danger- decided by first-strike tennis. serves better ous first-time grand slam The nine-time singles finalist Petra Kvitova in to- champion believes world night’s (NT time) title decider No. 8 Kvitova’s superior at the All England Club. serve will provide the crucial Kvitova, 21, advanced to It’s Sharapova’s first ap- edge against fifth seed Maria her maiden Grand Slam final pearance in a grand slam Sharapova’s crushing re- with a rollercoaster three-set final since the shoulder in- turns. Kvitova is attempting win over fourth seed Victoria jury in 2008 which threatened to become the first Czech to Azarenka before Sharapova to derail her career. lift the Wimbledon trophy overcame a series of severe The Russian diva took nine since Jana Novotna in 1998 serving glitches — 13 double- months out of the game and and the first left-hander since faults — to thump German admits she feared she would Czech-born Navratilova to Sabine Lisicki. not be able to climb back to win here since 1990. Navratilova senses 2004 All the top. Navratilova says both final- England Club champion ‘‘Of course, you’re going to ists are flawed — Kvitova is Sharapova’s reconstructed have certain doubts. I mean prone to huge momentum shoulder is still vulnerable. when you go through some- swings while Sharapova’s un- ‘‘I think Petra will return thing like that, knowing that reliable serve is a serious li- better and it will be easier for not too many players have re- ability. her to hold serve. covered fully from something ‘‘For Petra, the key has al- ‘‘That lefty serve will pay like that,’’ said Sharapova af- ways been to minimise the off a little bit more. ter her 6-4, 6-3 semi-final win streaks of bad play,’’ said ‘‘With the serves, I think over German Sabine Lisicki. Navratilova who won the tro- Kvitova will get on top of the Sharapova became an in- phy in 1978, ’79, ’82-87 and ’90. rally a little bit earlier than ternational sensation follow- ‘‘She’s very streaky, which Maria, maybe. ing her straight-sets victory is good on the good side, but ‘‘It’s such a toss-up. It basic- over in the she’s been able to do that for ally comes down to who 2004 Wimbledon final. the most part. serves better.’’ Sharapova feels ‘‘absol- ‘‘She hits such a heavy ball. Prague-born Navratilova utely’’ that she has a much I think she can match up says her respect for Kvitova’s better understanding this pretty well. That lefty serve, game is based not so much on time about how special it is to Czech Petra Kvitova’s serve could prove the difference against Russian Maria Sharapova in she curved a few in there to- nationality as the young reach a Wimbledon final. the Wimbledon women’s singles final Picture: AP day. It was beautiful.’’ Czech’s style.

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www.ntnews.com.au Saturday, July 2, 2011. NT NEWS. 63