Friday 6th June, 2008

Mohammed Asif tests negative but Safina defeats still under drug investigation Kuznetsova to reach

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Fast bowler Mohammed Asif has tested nega- final tive for drugs but remains under deten- tion in Dubai on suspi- PARIS (AP) - Dinara Safina 2-seeded Ana Ivanovic and No. 3 Safina broke in that game for a 3-2 cion of carrying an needs only one more win to join Jelena Jankovic. lead and overcame two break illegal substance, the her older brother as a Safina, seeded 13th, was one points to win the next game. Soon Pakistan Cricket Board Asif champion. point from defeat against top- she was serving for the match, said Thursday. Dispensing with the come- ranked Maria Sharapova in the and one last shanked forehand by An official with Dubai Public from-behind drama of her previ- fourth round and No. 7-seeded Kuznetsova gave Safina the victo- Prosecution office said Asif, who ous two matches, Safina advanced Elena Dementieva in the quarterfi- ry. was detained at Dubai's airport to the French Open final by beat- nals before mounting comebacks. The men's semifinals Friday Sunday, was carrying 0.25 grams ing fellow Russian Svetlana But against the error-prone will include the world's three top- (0.01 ounces) of opium but had not been charged. Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-2 Thursday. Kuznetsova, Safina jumped ahead ranked players - No. 1 Roger The official, who sought It's the first berth in a major 4-1 and led the rest of the way. Federer, No. 2 Rafael Nadal and anonymity because he was not final for the 22-year-old Safina. Her Kuznetsova, the 2004 U.S. Open No. 3 Novak Djokovic - and authorized to speak to the press, said brother, Marat Safin, is a former champion, seemed surprisingly Frenchman Gael Monfils, at No. 59 Asif remains under investigation No. 1 player who won the 2000 U.S. nervous and hardly looked like a the lowest-ranked men's semifinal- and detained at the airport. Open and 2005 . No. 4-seeded player as she strug- ist at Roland Garros since 1999. Authorities in Dubai conducted "I'm doing it for him and for gled to keep her groundstrokes in Monfils plays Federer, who is urine and blood tests on the myself," Safina said. "I feel amaz- the court. By the second set she seeking the only Grand Slam title Pakistani paceman, "but both came ing. I didn't expect that I could get became so frustrated that after yet he has yet to win. Djokovic faces out negative," PCB chief operating to the final." another errant shot, she angrily Nadal, who is 26-0 at Roland Russia’s Dinara Safina reacts after defeating compatriot Svetlana officer Shafqat Naghmi told Her opponent Saturday will be smacked a ball into the 12th row at Garros and two wins from a reporters. Kuznetsova during their semi-final match at the French Open the winner of the second semifi- the far end of the stadium. fourth consecutive French Open Asif was at Dubai airport en tournament in Paris on Wednesday June 4, 2008. nal, an all-Serb affair between No. The outburst failed to help. title. route to Pakistan from the Indian (AP Photo/Laurent Baheux) Premier League Twenty20 tourna- ment when the substance was allegedly found in his wallet. Naghmi said Asif recorded a statement in front of a public prose- ITF grant of US$ 1,000 for After mini-collapse Pietersen cutor in Dubai on Thursday but the hearing was deferred until Sunday. Naghmi said he had no informa- guides England to 180-5 tion about the substance the bowler Sri Lanka’s Jayawickrema is purported to have carried. NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) - Scoreboard Earlier this week, a PCB official by Revata S. Silva according to a last week media release Kevin Pietersen steadied England to quoted Asif as saying he had been The Sri Lanka Tennis Association by the ITF. 180-5 at tea Thursday after an early England 1st Innings given herbal medicine for an elbow injury he suffered four or five (SLTA) has received a grant of A special emphasis, according to afternoon batting collapse on the first A. Cook b Mills 6 months ago and had forgotten he US$1,000 on behalf of Jithmie the above said release, has been made day of the third test against New A. Strauss c Taylor b Mills 37 was still carrying it. Jayawickrema, who is the highest by the ITF on junior tennis where Zealand at Trent Bridge. M. Vaughan b O'Brien 16 Asif is one of Pakistan's most ranked Sri Lanka women’s player at regional tournament circuits have England had lost Andrew Strauss, K. Pietersen not out 71 promising fast bowlers. He has present. According to the SLTA, the been organised and teams of young Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood for just I. Bell lbw b O'Brien 0 claimed 51 wickets in 11 test match- particular grant is part of the ITF players compete outside their own two runs in 13 balls in three overs after P. Collingwood c Taylor b Mills 0 es. Development Programme, financed by regions. In 2007, twenty three regional lunch to slump to 86-5. That left T. Ambrose not out 36 Asif and fellow speedster Shoaib both ITF and the Grand Slam circuits have been funded by the afore- Pietersen to steady the innings with Extras: (4b, 6lb, 4nb): 14 Akhtar tested Development Fund. said Development Programme creat- Tim Ambrose, and the two had com- Total (for five wickets): 180 AUCTION SALE positive for the Jayawickrema, who will be 17 ing competition for the best players at bined for a 94-run partnership by tea. Overs: 59. banned steroid The Pledges Pawned and re- tomorrow, is a Fed Cup rep for Sri ages of 18, 16 and 14 and under across After the loss of captain Michael Fall of Wickets: 1-14, 2-44, 3-84, 4-85, 5- nandrolone in main unredeemed between Lanka and the reigning national the globe. I.e.: Central America & the Vaughan and Alastair Cook within the 86. 01.05.2006 and 31.03.2007 2006. The PCB women’s champion too. She holds a Caribbean, South America, Eastern day's first 13 overs, Pietersen came to Still to bat: S. Broad, R. Sidebottom, M. with P. P. Rajapakse and K. initially C. D. Rajapakse, Licensed banned the current ITF junior girls rank of 330. Europe, Africa, Asia and Pacific the crease with England on 44-2. Panesar, J. Anderson. Pawn Brokers of Rajapakse players for one Jayawickrema has played in nearly six Oceania. He reached his 11th test half-centu- Bowling: Martin 10-1-49-0, Mills 14-3-39-3 Pawning Centre, No. 52, ITF junior championships since 2007 Last year, there had been 20 ry with a boundary through midwicket (2nb), O'Brien 12-2-33-2 (1nb), Oram 10-5- Pasyala Road, Mirigama, will and two years be sold by public auction on respectively, while emerging runner-up in two of ITF/Grand Slam Touring Teams to take England to 141-5 and was 71 not 12-0, Vettori 13-0-37-0 (1nb). 20.06.2008 at 10.00 a.m. at but the bans them, in Pakistan in 2007 and in Sri involving 183 players from 75 coun- out at tea. Ambrose was unbeaten on Toss: NZ the above premises. were over- Lanka this year. She has won two titles tries creating opportunity for up-and- 36. Umpires: D. Hair (Aus) and S. Bucknor V. Sandrasekaram turned on (Licensed Auctioneer) in doubles in those tourneys. coming junior tennis players across Kyle Mills had the best figures of (WI) 30A, Ramani Mawatha, appeal. During the period of 1986–2007, the world. Former ITF and Grand the New Zealand bowlers, taking 3-39, TV umpire: P. Hartley (Eng) Negombo. more than US$63 millions have been Slam Touring Teams have included with Iain O'Brien returning figures of Match Referee: R. Madugalle (SL) invested by the top ATP and WTA players like Gustavo 2-33. Jacob Oram only allowed 12 runs ITF and the Kuerten (Brazil), Leander Paes and from his 10 overs. form in England this summer. He Grand Slam Mahesh Bhupathi (India), Paradorn England started the day's second scored 16 at Lord's in the first test, and Nations in tennis Srichaphan (Thailand), Marcos session at 84-2, but soon fell apart. 8 and 21 in Manchester. In comparison, development Baghdatis (Cyprus), Viktoria Strauss was the first to go, edging a he hit 110 against New Zealand in the activities in near- Azarenka and Uladzimir Ignatik wide delivery from Mills to Ross Taylor third test in Napier in March. ly 150 countries, (). in the slips for 37. Collingwood also went scoreless, Bell left without scoring being caught by Taylor in the slips off after being trapped leg the bowling of Mills. He has only before wicket by O'Brien scored 32 runs in this series. Troublemakers get warning from after only facing four After New Zealand won the balls. toss and sent England in to Swiss police ahead of Euro 2008 The dismissal bat, Cook only lasted 15 continues Bell's balls and six runs LIESTAL, Switzerland (state) police, on Thursday. poor run before edging a (AP) - Swiss police have been About 320 people are reg- of delivery from writing to suspected football istered on Switzerland's feder- Mills onto his hooligans asking them kindly al hooligan database. leg stump. to refrain from violence at A further 6,000 foreigners Vaughan this month's European are recorded as "risky fans," only made 16 Championship. but federal police declined to before he was bowled "We know you to be a per- say how many of those would by O'Brien in England's son who hasn't always stuck be automatically deported if 13th over, his off-stump knocked to the rules at sporting they come to Switzerland. back. events," explains the letter Although the Alpine New Zealand's incisive attacks, sent to some 60 known trou- country is not usually known taking advantage of the swing-friend- blemakers, before ending: "We for football violence, recent ly conditions at Trent Bridge, meant hope that any encounter incidents during Swiss league England had a tough task to achieve between you and us at this games have caused concern. its aim of scoring 400 or more runs in event will be nothing but Policing levels will be its first innings. England hasn't done pleasant. If you have any increased fivefold for Euro that in its previous 11 tests. questions about this matter, 2008 games, with extra securi- England named an unchanged please contact us. The Police." ty on hand around the host lineup for the fifth successive test The letters were sent out cities and at possible trouble match - for the first time since 1885. two weeks ago to people spots. New Zealand was forced to draft known to have repeatedly Organizers are also hop- in wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins for caused problems at past ing that the cost of match his test debut because of Brendon matches, said Meinrad tickets, travel and hotels will McCullum's sore back. However Stoecklin, a spokesman for keep many potential hooli- McCullum remains in the Kiwi Basel-Country cantonal gans away from stadiums. batting lineup, at No. 3. Kevin Pietersen

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