Uva Malays, Malay CC hot contenders
INDIAN WELLS, California, March 15, 2013 (AFP) - Eighth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki outlasted fourth-seeded Angelique Kerber 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 to reach the women's final at Indian Wells for the third time in four years.
The Dane, formerly ranked No. 1 in the world, lifted the trophy in a first title since her French Open triumph last year, which gave her a career Grand Slam. She is playing just her third tournament of the season after reaching the semi-finals at the Australian Open and at Doha.
She, too, has one victory and one runner-up finish at Indian Wells, but in Kirilenko she was coming up against a player brimming with confidence after toppling third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska and fifth-seeded Petra Kvitova.
Wozniacki, owner of 20 WTA titles, will be seeking her first tournament win since Moscow last year.
In an odd twist, both Wozniacki and Kerber had reached the semifinals via walkover. Wozniacki had been slated to face top seed and defending champion Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals, but the Belarussian withdrew with painful inflammation in her right foot and ankle.
Kerber moved through when seventh-seeded Samantha Stosur of Australia pulled out of their quarter-final with a calf injury.
The two-hour, 31-minute match featured 14 breaks of serve -- seven in the third set.
After Kerber won the first set and broke Wozniacki to open the second, the Dane broke back for 22. Wozniacki saved five break points in a marathon seventh game that went to deuce nine times.
Wozniacki broke to end the set, and in a third set in which both continued to struggle on serve she again gained the decisive break to end it in the 12th.
The Amateur Sepaktakraw Association of Sri Lanka, a senior affiliate member of both the Asian Sepaktakraw Federation and the International Sepaktakraw Federation, has made elaborate arrangements to conduct the Sepaktakraw Championship 2013 for the 10th time on May 18 and 19 at the Indoor Sports Complex of the Colombo University. A large number of Men’s’ teams and eight Women’s’ teams for the first time are expected to participate at this year’s championship which augurs well for the sport in Sri Lanka.
Sepaktakraw is a sport similar to volleyball but played without the use of hands, leaving room for a lot of acrobatic movement.
The championship will consist of 2 events namely: The doubles event and the regu event. The doubles event will be held on May 18 and the regu event on May 19 with the finials of both events scheduled for the May 19. Entry forms and invitation letters have already been posted to all associations, clubs, schools and institutions according to the sect. gen. to enable all teams to commence training well in advance.
The contenders for the championship this year will be between the Uva Malay Association and the Colombo Malay Cricket Club who were champion and runners-up respectively at the last championship. However, the Malay Cricket Club bounced back to beat all oppositions at the recently concluded Sepaktakraw competition to commemorate the 140th year anniversary of the club.
The Sect. Gen. and Chairman of the organising committee M. Jaldin clarify- ing the situation said that the Association has conducted sepaktakraw orientation and development programmes from February 2012 to-date amongst the youth in the districts of Trincomalee, Nawalapitiya, Hambantota, Tissamaharama, Kegalle, and Colombo and assisted them to form their respective sepaktakraw clubs and associations. The association has also provided them with balls, nets, etc; free of charge. The coaching panel of the association makes periodical visits to all these places to monitor the progress made.
The special general meeting of the association will be held soon after the Sepaktakraw championship 2013, probably with an observer from the Ministry of Sports as the Association is now geared for affiliation with the Sports Ministry with the game being stabilised in the outstations and has a greater representation of members.
Jaldin further added that the association with a dedicated band of officebearers led by its’ President Nizam Hajireen, (a double international in rugby and football) had so far withstood and had overcome all obstacles and obstruction caused by certain disgruntled individuals who are unaware that the game of sepaktakraw has been sustained and kept alive so long by exhausting the meager personal resources of the president and office-bearers of the association which is in keeping with the motto of the association: ‘Service before Self’.
However the President has stressed that all efforts and the struggles undergone patiently for so long should culminate ultimately with the long overdue affiliation with the Sports Ministry of the country.