Sports News in Brief: July 2009

CHESS
Mainz Classic—Anand's 11-year streak is snapped
Viswanathan Anand's loss in Mainz for the first time in 11 years and the world champion's blotted 'rapid' record have invited commentaries suggesting the end of an era. Worse, Anand could not even make it to the final of the four-player event.

Undisputed champion in rapid chess for a decade, Anand had won the Mainz Chess Classic in one to one contests against Vladimir Kramnik, Judit Polgar and Magnus Carlsen in the last eight years. He had also won the World Rapid Championships held under the auspices of the world body (FIDE) a few times before the event went out of the FIDE calendar. Barring the two significant rapid losses in tie-breakers against Gata Kamsky (Hyderabad, 1993/94) and Anatoly Karpov (Lausanne, 1998), Anand was always the master of all that he surveyed in the shorter version of Chess.

CRICKET
England-Australia Test series
Andrew Flintoff bowled with furious pace and sustained hostility to propel England to their first Ashes win over Australia at Lord's since 1934. Flintoff bowled unchanged from the Pavilion end to finish on the honours' board with five for 92, as England wrapped up the second Ashes Test by 115 runs.

In the first Test, James Anderson and Monty Panesar staged one of cricket's great escapes as England clung on for a dramatic draw. England's last-wicket duo batted together for 40 minutes to deny Ashes holders Australia what seemed a certain victory.

Sri Lanka-Pakistan One Day series
Sri Lanka cruised to a 2-0 series lead with a comfortable six-wicket victory against Pakistan in the second one-day international. Left arm pace bowler Thilan Thushara claimed three wickets as Sri Lanka bowled out Pakistan for a below-par 168 in 47 overs.

Sri Lanka-Pakistan Test series
Sri Lanka snatched an incredible win over Pakistan in the first cricket Test, defending a meagre 167 runs to claim the series opener by 50 runs. Pakistan resumed the fourth day within sight of a convincing win, needing 97 more runs to win with eight wickets in hand and two days to remaining. But Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Rangana Herath and seamer Thilan Thushara upended the Pakistan innings, striking at regular intervals to hasten a batting collapse.

Pakistan suffered a spectacular collapse in the second Test also. Sitting pretty at 285-1 just before lunch on the third day, Pakistan crashed to 320 all out after the break to leave Sri Lanka a victory target of 171 for a decisive 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Sri Lanka cruised home by seven wickets with two days to spare.

Kumar Sangakkara hit an unbeaten century to steer Sri Lanka to a draw in the final Test against Pakistan and win his first series as captain. Sri Lanka clinched the series 2-0, their first at home against Pakistan after five unsuccessful attempts, and provided Sangakkara with a winning start as captain after he took over from Mahela Jayawardene in April 2009. Of the previous five series between the two nations on Sri Lankan soil, Pakistan had won three and drawn two.

West Indies-Bangladesh Test Series
Mahmudullah completed a memorable debut Test when he cruelly exposed West Indies' frailty to spin, and bowled Bangladesh to a historic 95-run victory in the opening Test. Bangladesh's victory, which came about four years after their solitary Test win against Zimbabwe on home soil in Chittagong, was made more remarkable because their new captain and primary fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza spent the entire West Indies innings off the field nursing a knee injury.

Bangladeshi stand-in captain Shakib Al Hasan then led from the front with 96 not out as his side beat the West Indies in the second and final Test and clinch the series 2-0 series. The win was the biggest thing for Bangladesh in nine years.

West Indies-India One Day series
India sealed their fifth One-day series win on the trot after persistent rain ruined the fourth and final One-dayer against the West Indies. The tourists won the four-match series 2-1 following victories in the series opener in Jamaica and the third match played at Gros Islet.

CYCLING
Tour de France
Spaniard Alberto Contador emerged as the new cycling boss when he wrapped up his second Tour de France title on the Champs-Elysees on Lance Armstrong's return to the race.  

GOLF
Bhullar lifts Asian tour title
Gaganjeet Bhullar, 21-year-old Kapurthala lad, pocketed a cheque for $63,400 as he clinched his first Asian Tour title edging past 28-year-old Australian Adam Blyth by two strokes in the Indonesia President Invitational in Jakarta.

HOCKEY
England-India Test series
England beat India 3-2 after trailing 0-2 at one stage and 1-2 at half-time in the third and final hockey test at Birmingham to win the series 2-1 after winning the first Test 3-1 and losing the second 3-4.

MOTOR SPORTS
Lewis Hamilton wins Hungarian GP
Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix to mark McLaren's return to form after a slump of 10 races without success. Kimi Raikkonen, driving the only Ferrari in the race after Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa suffered a serious head injury in qualifying, was second.

TENNIS
Wimbledon 2009
After a marathon slugfest lasting 4 hours and 16 minutes, Roger Federer edged out American Andy Roddick to win his sixth Wimbledon title and embrace history by becoming the only player in the history of the game to have won 15 Grand Slam titles. The last set, played over 30 games and lasting 1 hour and 35 minutes was also the longest ever set in a men's Grand Slam final.

Serena Williams beat sister Venus 7-6, 6-2 to win the women's singles title. She won her third singles crown at Wimbledon, following a six-year gap.

Ninth seeded Mark Knowles (Bahamas) and Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Germany) stunned top seeds and favourite Leander Paes (India) and Cara Black (Zimbabwe) 7-5, 6-3 to win the mixed doubles title.

Serena Williams teamed with big sister Venus to beat Rennae Stubbs and Samantha Stosur of Australia to win the women's doubles title.

Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic lifted their second consecutive men's doubles title at the expense of top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan.

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