Champ Kerber set to defend Sydney title
SYDNEY: Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber will defend her Sydney International title in January in preparation for next year’s Australian Open, organisers said on Friday. The German climbed to No 4 in the world rankings after her 6-3, 6-3 win over Serena Williams to claim her first Wimbledon title at the All England Club last week.
Kerber, who downed Australia’s Ash Barty to win this year’s Sydney final, said the tournament will be a good tune-up for the Australian Open starting January 14. “Playing the Sydney International is a great opportunity to face top quality opposition,” Kerber said in a statement.
HURDLER IN THE DOCK
NEWDELHI: The National Anti Doping Agency’s appeals panel (ADAP) is ready with its order on suspended 400m hurdler Jithin Paul but will announce it in a few days time. Paul, a former 400m hurdles champion, had appealed against the Anti Doping Disciplinary Panel’s (ADDP) verdict of suspending him for four years for possession of banned substance meldonium in his room at NIS Patiala during a NADA search on April 17 last year.
The ADDP panel had passed its verdict in February this year after concluding that Paul had “no reasonable justification for possession of the prohibited substance in his room”.
Paul had then appealed against the verdict to the ADAP which had concluded last of its series of hearing on June 14. In case the ADAP upholds the ADDP decision of four years, then Paul’s sentence will be counted from the period of his provisional suspension from May 22, 2017.
TAKALE’S WRC-3 DEBUT
MUMBAI: Pune-based rally driver Sanjay Takale is set to make his World Rally Championship-3 debut at the Neste Rally in Finland next week. The Latvia-based Baltic Motorsports Promotion is providing Takale a WRC-registered car, it was announced on Friday.
PRANAVI WINS
BANGALORE: Amateur Pranavi Urs held her nerves in the final stages and fired a birdie in the final hole to clinch the ninth leg of Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour with an even-par 72 in the third round. Pranavi totalled 4-over 220 to became the second amateur to win a title this season.
Ridhima Dilawari was the first amateur to win a Hero WPGT event this season, when she finished on top at the seventh leg. Tvesa Malik (75) and Gaurika Bishnoi (76) were Tied-2nd and by virtue of finishing on top amongst the professionals, shared the honours on the giant cheque.