Dapper Federer prepares to dazzle

By Martyn Herman
LONDON (Reuters) - Roger Federer's early bow at the 2009 Wimbledon championships confirmed the Swiss maestro as the dandiest dresser at the All England Club and he will be aiming to dazzle the fans and his opponent once again on Wednesday.
His gleaming white jacket, cut in the style of a military general, earned lots of coverage from the fashion writers who inhabit the two-week grasscourt grand slam and his gold-trimmed bag would have looked more at home in an LA boutique.
But Federer does not need props to attract attention and he will provide the main course on an appetizing day of second round matches when he takes on Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.
With lots of sunshine and temperatures expected to be in the high 20s, it is all a far cry from the last occasion five times champion Federer met a Spaniard across the Center Court net.
That was 12 months ago when the sadly absent Rafael Nadal ambushed Federer in near darkness to rip the title from his hands and deprive him of a sixth consecutive triumph.
The 26-year-old Garcia-Lopez is no Nadal, however, and Federer should take another step toward what he hopes will be a record 15th grand slam title with relative ease.
On Court One twice women's champion Serena Williams was in action against Australia's Jarmila Groth after men's fourth seed Novak Djokovic opened the action against German Simon Greul.
Those arriving early on Court Three saw the end of Chinese 16th seed Zheng Jie, whose hopes of repeating last year's run when she became the first Chinese to contest a grand slam singles semi-final were dashed by Daniela Hantuchova 6-3 7-5.
Japan's 33-year-old Ai Sugiyama backed up her opening day victory over Patty Schnyder by reaching the third round with a 7-6 6-3 defeat of Spain's Arantxa Parra Santonja. She next comes up against Hantuchova who is her doubles partner.
Tenth seed Nadia Petrova, one of the army of Russians that dominate the women's draw, cruised through with the loss of just five games against Israeli Shahar Peer.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris)

Source: Reuters

"Spectacular" stadium to light up World Cup

By Mike Collett
SOCCER CITY, South Africa (Reuters) - Built to look like a vast cooking pot simmering above a ring of fire, South Africa's Soccer City Stadium promises to be an unforgettable venue for next year's World Cup and one of the world's most spectacular sporting arenas.
Costing 3 billion rand ($373 million) the 94,000-capacity stadium is distinctive, resembling a huge calabash -- a hollowed-out gourd used as a cooking pot or water carrier throughout Africa.
The calabash has inspired the coloring of the orange and brown membrane that surrounds the stadium while a ring of lights will illuminate the bottom of the building, simulating fire underneath the pot.
When it is completed later this year it will be the biggest soccer stadium in Africa.
The stadium, which will host the World Cup final on July 11, 2010, embraces modern technology and will have more than 150 executive boxes commanding superb views of the pitch, comfort for fans and excellent working conditions for the media.
A 300-seat restaurant is being completed inside the stadium, with parking for 15,000 cars around the perimeter.
Six days a week, between 3,000 and 3,500 construction workers are busy at the site, 10 kms from Johannesburg and on the outskirts of Soweto.
Construction was on schedule, even though cost over-runs had resulted from unfavorable exchange rates and the price of the steelwork which was manufactured in Italy and Germany, Rod Pearce, the project manager, told Reuters.
DAZZLING MONUMENT
"When it is finished it will be the pride not only of South Africa but of the whole continent," he said.
"It will be a dazzling monument to what this country can achieve. I think it proves that we as South Africans, and Africans, can compete with the world's best in terms of what can be done here.
"There is no reason for us to think we cannot match what every other country in the world can do. This is clearly one of the world's most outstanding stadiums and will be a lasting legacy for generations of South Africa's World Cup."
Among the neat touches in the design are windows and seating aligned to point toward the other South African World Cup venues and toward Berlin, the venue for the 2006 World Cup final.
The players' tunnel that leads from the dressing rooms to the pitch has been built to resemble the inside of a gold mine, in tribute to the industry that led to Johannesburg's growth into the powerhouse city of the African economy.
There are plans to incorporate the result of every match in the World Cup into the tiling of the membrane as games are played -- another lasting testimony to the first finals to be staged on African soil. Continued...
Source: Reuters

Rookie Hanson shines in Braves' shutout

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Rookie pitcher Tommy Hanson overcame control issues to shut down the visiting New York Yankees and give the Atlanta Braves a 4-0 victory on Tuesday.
The 22-year-old right-hander walked five batters in 5 1/3 innings but pitched his way out of trouble and improved to 3-0 with the victory in just his fourth career major league start.
"I was pretty pumped up. I felt like I made some good pitches, and I felt like I made some not-so-good pitches," Hanson told reporters. "I definitely battled the whole game. It just feels good to come out of here with a win."
Hanson was relieved in the sixth by Peter Moylan, who forced New York's Derek Jeter to ground into a double play to end the Yankees' (38-32) final scoring threat.
Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano breezed through the final two innings for the Braves to preserve the team's second successive shutout.
"Our team is capable of throwing shutouts," said Braves manager Bobby Cox.
"We've had good pitching performances all year long."
Catcher Brian McCann led the Braves with three hits including a solo home run in the eighth inning, his seventh of the year.
Atlanta (34-36) scored three runs against starter Wang Chien-ming (0-6), who pitched five innings and allowed six hits.
The Yankees have lost five of their last six games to fall five behind the American League East-leading Boston Red Sox.
New York slugger Alex Rodriguez continued his recent struggles at the plate by going hitless in four at-bats. He is batting just .143 in June.
Catcher Jorge Posada struck out four times.
"We didn't hit, we haven't hit, that's why we've been losing," Jeter said. "It's nothing deeper than that."
(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

Source: Reuters

Sutter names brother Brent as Flames coach

TORONTO (Reuters) - Calgary Flames general manager Darryl Sutter named his brother Brent as the team's head coach on Tuesday.
Brent, who left the New Jersey Devils earlier this month, takes over from Mike Keenan who was sacked in May after losing in the first round of the playoffs for the fourth successive season.
His appointment brings the number of Sutters working in the Flames organization to five but Darryl said Brent's last name had nothing to do with him landing the job.
"They (the new coaching staff) were the very best people available," Darryl told reporters.
"It didn't really matter what their last name was," he added while also referring to assistants Ryan McGill, Jamie McLennan and Dave Lowry.
A member of the hockey family that had six brothers playing in the NHL, Brent coached the Devils for two seasons. He posted a 97-56-11 record, leading New Jersey to consecutive playoff appearances and an Atlantic Division title.
During an 18-year playing career Brent recorded 363 goals, 829 points and 1,054 penalty minutes in 1,111 regular-season games and won two Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders.
He also spent seven season with the Chicago Blackhawks including three playing for his brother Darryl.
"We've been involved in this business long enough to know how it works," said Brent when asked if it was wise to mix family and business.
"Darryl is the general manager of the hockey team and I'm the head coach. That's the way it is.
"I played for Darryl when Darryl was the coach and that was our relationship then and it's no different now."
(Writing by Steve Keating in Toronto, editing by Tony Jimenez. To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Source: Reuters

"Spectacular" stadium will light up World Cup

By Mike Collett
SOCCER CITY, South Africa (Reuters) - Built to look like a vast cooking pot simmering above a ring of fire, South Africa's Soccer City Stadium promises to be an unforgettable venue for next year's World Cup and one of the world's most spectacular sporting arenas.
Costing 3 billion rand ($373 million) the 94,000-capacity stadium is distinctive, resembling a huge calabash -- a hollowed-out gourd used as a cooking pot or water carrier throughout Africa.
The calabash has inspired the coloring of the orange and brown membrane that surrounds the stadium while a ring of lights will illuminate the bottom of the building, simulating fire underneath the pot.
When it is completed later this year it will be the biggest soccer stadium in Africa.
The stadium, which will host the World Cup final on July 11, 2010, embraces modern technology and will have more than 150 executive boxes commanding superb views of the pitch, comfort for fans and excellent working conditions for the media.
A 300-seat restaurant is being completed inside the stadium, with parking for 15,000 cars around the perimeter.
Six days a week, between 3,000 and 3,500 construction workers are busy at the site, 10 kms from Johannesburg and on the outskirts of Soweto.
Construction was on schedule, even though cost over-runs had resulted from unfavorable exchange rates and the price of the steelwork which was manufactured in Italy and Germany, Rod Pearce, the project manager, told Reuters.
DAZZLING MONUMENT
"When it is finished it will be the pride not only of South Africa but of the whole continent," he said.
"It will be a dazzling monument to what this country can achieve. I think it proves that we as South Africans, and Africans, can compete with the world's best in terms of what can be done here.
"There is no reason for us to think we cannot match what every other country in the world can do. This is clearly one of the world's most outstanding stadiums and will be a lasting legacy for generations of South Africa's World Cup."
Among the neat touches in the design are windows and seating aligned to point toward the other South African World Cup venues and toward Berlin, the venue for the 2006 World Cup final.
The players' tunnel that leads from the dressing rooms to the pitch has been built to resemble the inside of a gold mine, in tribute to the industry that led to Johannesburg's growth into the powerhouse city of the African economy.
There are plans to incorporate the result of every match in the World Cup into the tiling of the membrane as games are played -- another lasting testimony to the first finals to be staged on African soil. Continued...
Source: Reuters

Red Wings trio united by Hall of Fame call

By Steve Keating
TORONTO (Reuters) - Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille, who won a Stanley Cup together with the Detroit Red Wings in 2002, were reunited on Tuesday when they were voted into the Hall of Fame.
The 2009 class also included Brian Leetch, the first U.S. born player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Stanley Cup's Most Valuable Player (MVP), and New Jersey Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello.
The Red Wings trio will be led into the Hall by Yzerman, who spent his entire career in the Motor City. He guided Detroit to three Stanley Cups before retiring after 22 seasons as the sixth all-time leading scorer with 1,755 points.
Regarded as one of the best leaders to play in the NHL, Yzerman was the team's longest-serving captain (1986-2006).
He also won a Conn Smythe award and the Frank Selke Trophy as the top defensive forward.
Yzerman was a member of Canada's gold-medal winning side at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and now as general manager has the task of assembling his country's team for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games.
FATHER AND SON
Hull joins his father, "Golden Jet" Bobby Hull, in the Hall. They are the only NHL father-son duo to record 600 goals and 1,000 points apiece.
Brett, like Bobby, was one of the league's most feared snipers, his total of 741 goals is third behind the "Great One" Wayne Gretzky (894) and Gordie Howe (801).
During a career that spanned 21 seasons, Brett also had stints with the Calgary Flames, St Louis Blues, Dallas Stars and Phoenix Coyotes. He won two Stanley Cups and a Hart Trophy as
NHL MVP.
"It is hard to put into words what this means to me especially since I'm joining my father in the Hockey Hall of Fame," said Hull.
"Simply getting to the NHL was a challenge for me and I would like to thank all my supporters who made many sacrifices on my behalf."
Greatness was not predicted for Robitaille when he was taken with the 171st pick of the 1984 draft by the Los Angeles Kings. However he played 19 seasons, retiring as the highest scoring left winger of all-time.
Leetch, an offensively gifted player, won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year in 1989 and the Norris Trophy twice as the league's top defenseman. Continued...
Source: Reuters

Murray keeps British faithful happy

Wimbledon begins;rain roof ready
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By Pritha Sarkar
LONDON (Reuters) - The now familiar tide of Murray-mania swept across Wimbledon on Tuesday as Andy Murray began his bid to end Britain's 73-year wait for a men's singles champion in glorious sunshine at the All England Club.
The world number three appeared to have taken a leaf out of former local favorite Tim Henman's Wimbledon manual as he teased, tortured and finally thrilled the expectant crowd with a 7-5 6-7 6-3 6-4 first round win over Robert Kendrick.
Kendrick had talked up his chances of gatecrashing the British party by declaring: "I'd love to disappoint a nation."
Luckily for the fans the American, who entertained the crowd with his acrobatic antics, dived out with a forehand error.
John McEnroe's assessment was that Murray had produced "a B performance" but he did conjure a moment of magic. Sprinting toward the baseline, he flicked a forehand winner over his shoulder which even brought a smile to the dour Scot's face.
However, Murray agreed with McEnroe's verdict.
"He (Kendrick) doesn't give you a whole lot of rhythm, I could have returned better and I didn't hit my groundstrokes as well as I would have liked... but it got better," he said.
With the sun beating down on southwest London, record crowds again flocked to Wimbledon for the second day running as Murray made his much-anticipated appearance on Center Court.
But before the main Murray show began, there had been plenty of supporting acts around to entertain the fans on day two.
MINIMUM FUSS
Venus Williams performed her duties as champion with the minimum of fuss to stride into the second round with a 6-3 6-2 win over Switzerland's Stefanie Voegele.
Williams, described by American great Martina Navratilova as having "the wingspan of a 747," used her long limbs to great effect to easily fly past Wimbledon debutant Voegele.
"It's the best place to be when you are a pro tennis player and I savor every blade of it," said Williams, who is chasing a sixth title at Wimbledon. "I've had that crown for several years and I want to make it mine again."
Marat Safin lost his chance to ever win the men's title when he waved goodbye to Wimbledon. His 10th and final appearance ended in a 6-2 3-6 7-6 6-4 defeat by obscure American Jesse Levine.
His sister Dinara Safina's prospects of living up to her world number one status did not look too promising. Suffering from tendonitis in her knee, she played through the pain barrier to beat Spain's Lourdes Dominguez Lino 7-5 6-3. Continued...
Source: Reuters