Vanguard, WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2013 — 63
Venus overpowers Azarenka
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ORMER world number one Venus Williams overpowered ailing top seed Victoria Azarenka 6-2 6-4 with ruthless efficiency to reach the last 16 of the Pan Pacific Open on Tuesday. The seven-times grand slam champion showed glimpses of her gunslinging best under the Tokyo floodlights against a grimacing Azerenka, who spent much of the match bending over her racquet between points and tugging sharply on her purple top in frustration. “I’ve sat through two US Open finals between her and Serena and you could tell from the first game she wasn’t herself,” Williams told reporters. “It was definitely hard to concentrate because you sort of feel bad. I don’t know what was bothering her but I just hope she feels better.” Azarenka, beaten by Serena Williams in the US Open final earlier this month in a repeat of
the 2012 championship match in New York, had a large fan brought courtside to try to cool off at changeovers. But such was her obvious discomfort she failed to threaten Williams. The 24-yearold Belarusian threw several tantrums as she repeatedly wafted shots off target or into the net. “I haven’t been able to practise for three days and I didn’t sleep at all last night,” said Azarenka. “I felt hot, then cold. “Maybe I ate something bad but it’s been getting worse,” added the world number two, who complained of having eaten some bad sushi after a quarterfinal exit from the $2.3 million event last year. “You can’t play at 20 percent against a top player — it just doesn’t work that way.” Williams completed her third victory in three meetings between the pair with a second serve. Australian Open champion Azarenka
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large. “It is not within the purview of the LMC to declare a ‘state of emergency ’, which is not, in the first place, backed by any incidences or situation. We did not inaugurate the LMC to serve as an alternate NFF. “There are better ways to deal with expected situations than being alarmist. Nigeria football is very much at peace and I an confirm that,” Maigari stated.
AVING impressed club figures while on trial at the Emirates Stadium, Semi Ajayi has signed a three-year contract with Arsenal. According to the official club website, the Crayfordborn teenager has joined up with the North London outfit as a free transfer, having left Charlton after coming through their academy. Ajayi scored on his Under-21s debut for the Gunners against Blackburn Rovers before contributing with “another accomplished display” in the 1-0 win over West Brom’s youth counterparts, per the Arsenal website.
Bolt extends contract with Puma
•Venus wearily hooked it wide before trudging off court close to tears. “I’m getting better every tournament,” said Williams, currently ranked a lowly 63rd in
the world after two years of illness and injury problems. “I’ve had my issues, to say the least, but it’s given me an unreal amount of character.”
Egypt prepare for Ghana with Sierra Leone
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GYPT have hurriedly arranged a friendly against Sierra Leone on Saturday to help them prepare for next month’s decisive World Cup playoff against Ghana. The Pharoahs will travel to Kumasi to face the Black Stars in a 2014 World Cup qualifier on 15 October in the first-play of the playoff clash. They have lined up the match against the Leone Star on 28 September. But the venue for the game is yet to be decided and because of security concerns in Cairo they are unlikely to host the match in the Egyptian capital. The Sierra Leonean capital Freetown could be the venue for the match. Egypt will be able to play the match because most of their players play in the local league which has not been played for several months because of the political turmoil in the country.
Today’s Games Continues from BP Sevilla Elche
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Maigari: No ‘state of emergency’ in Nigeria football HE Nigeria Football Federation has voided a ‘state of emergency’purportedly declared by the League Management Company and the Club Owners on Nigeria football. The League Management Company, with the support of owners of Premier League clubs, had ‘declared’ a ‘state of emergency ’ in the domestic game as the bodies monitorss the final weeks of the Premier League season. Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari decried the statement and said categorically that “there is no situation in Nigeria football to warrant the declaration of a ‘state of emergency’. “It was a wrong move by the LMC and the Club Owners. If there is a state of emergency in Nigeria football, it is the duty and responsibility of the NFF to alert the public and the world at
Nigerian starlet joins Arsenal
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AMAICAN sprint sensation Usain Bolt has renewed his sponsorship contract with German sportswear maker Puma “through and beyond the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio,” Puma said Tuesday. The six-time Olympic champion, aged 27, has been training and competing in Puma since 2003. “We are very proud to extend our sponsorship contract with him because Usain is the perfect ambassador of the Puma brand,” said chief executive Bjoern Gulden.''
Senate Continues from BP emerged champions of Africa and that such prayer was also needed for the qualification of the Super Eagles in the Brazil 2014 World cup. He told the prayer warriors to bring out their rosaries to embark
on intensive novena and prayers for God’s guidance to ensure that Nigeria emerged successful in the encounter in the first leg in Adis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital.
Ethiopia Continues from BP for a fight in Nigeria,” said Saint George defender Girma. He also warned that the star-studded Super Eagles are wrong to believe it will be an easy game when both teams clash next month. He said since they lost 2-0 to Nigeria at this year ’s Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, they have continued to improve as a team. “We have been together for a while now and have played
so many games both in the World Cup qualifiers and Africa Nations Championship qualifiers,” explained the defender. Ethiopia will take encouragement with their first and only defeat of Nigeria in a 1994 Nations Cup qualifier in Addis Ababa. They won 1-0 only to be trounced 6-0 in the return leg match in Lagos. Nigeria have won four other meetings, while two other matches ended in draws.