OBAMA SPARS WITH ‘DREAM TEAM’ PRESIDENT Barack Obama Sunday sparred with a “dream team” of current and former basketball stars, before holding a belated birthday barbecue on the White House lawn. Obama celebrated his 49th birthday on Wednesday in his adopted hometown of Chicago.
AFP
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BY JOSEF T. RAMOS CORRESPONDENT A
sports The ˜Manila Times TUESDAY August 10, 2010
Smart Gilas bounces back, routs Syria KUZNETSOVA ENDS 10-MONTH DROUGHT WITH WTA TITLE
FTER absorbing a loss the other day, Smart Gilas Pilipinas developmental team bounced back by beating Syria, 81-67,
its first win, in the 2010 FIBA-Asia Stankovic Cup in Beirut, Lebanon.
Smart Gilas team captain Chris Tiu and ageless Coca-Cola center Paul Asi Taulava rallied the team from the start to finish to get over the humiliating 59-74 loss it had received from host Lebanon in the opener. Tiu, a former Ateneo team captain, scat- tered nine of his 14 points in the third quar-
ter, while the 6’9” Taulava bulldozed his way to 16 points along with 19 rebounds and 2 blocks to complete the one-sided win. Tiu unloaded a pair of booming triples as Smart Gilas turned a 35-40 halftime deficit to a 63-53 cushion going into the final canto.
Former Far Eastern University stand- out Mark Barroca and Mac Baracael also came up big by hitting 16 and 11 points, respectively, while Japeth Aguilar fin- ished with six points, 4 blocks, 3 re- bounds and 2 assists. For Smart Gilas manager Frankie Lim,
Taulava’s presence spelled the difference. “He’s what the doctors ordered for Smart Gilas,” said Lim referring to the 35- year-old Filipino-Tongan, a veteran of many international battles. Taulava was drafted to fill in the big
void left by 6-10 Marcus Douthit, 7” Fili- pino-American Greg Slaughter and 6-7 Rabeh Al-Hussaini.
The Philippine Basketball Association
SAN DIEGO, California: Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova squndered four match points before outlasting Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 6-7 (7/9), 6-3 on Sunday to win the WTA San Diego Open. “This just made me stronger. It didn’t kill me,” Kuznetsova said. “I didn’t kill myself in the third set.” Kuznetsova captured her 13th career title at the $700,000-hard- court event, a tuneup for the United States Open, and it was the first crown for the 21st-ranked veteran since she beat Radwanska in the Beijing final in October. The two-time Grand Slam champion botched four match points in the second-set tie- breaker after squandering leads of 4-0 and 6-3, double-faulting twice on match point to open the door for 10th-ranked Radwanska to force a third set.
“I think I did choke for the
very first time in my life,” Kuznetsova said. “I never had this choke before. I don’t know why it happened. Here I couldn’t make a ball. My knees were shaking.” It was the first final for both play- ers since 10 months ago in China. Kuznetsova, who won three ti- tles in 2009, will jump back into the WTA’s top 20 with the title af- ter reaching only one prior quar- ter-final this year. She had not tumbled outside the top 20 since February of 2004. Radwanska will advance to ninth
■ Svetlana Kuznetsova. AFP PHOTO
but that was little consolation. “It’s always dis- appointing when it’s a long, very tough match,” Radwanska said. “I think it’s much easier to lose 6-1, 6-1 and have no chance. But if it’s a match like this, it hurts,” she added.
AFP Llena to compete in World Powerlifting tourney
PROMISING power lifter Patricia Llena will participate in the 2010 World Sub-Junior Powerlifting Championships at the Parkhotel Congress Centre Plzen in Pilsen, Czech Republic slated from August 30 to September 4. The 16-year-old Llena vowed to make an impact in the prestigious five-day meet, which is expected to
draw huge names from different parts of the world.
“I’m confident of my chances. It’s going to be tough as some of the world’s best junior lifters are ex- pected to show up but I’m ready,” said Llena, who will first compete in the 1st Youth Olympic Games in Singapore before proceeding to Czech Republic.
Llena won three gold and one bronze medals in the 2009 World Sub-Junior Championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
She ruled the squat (170 kilo- grams) deadlift (170kg) and total (420kg) of the girl’s 60-kg division. She also finished third in the bench press event with 80-kg effort. The Nueva Ecija native recently
Keeping top spot little solace after Tiger Woods’ worst week
AKRON, Ohio: Tiger Woods struggled to the worst 72-hole performance of his career on Sunday, fin- ishing an astonishing 30 strokes behind winner Hunter Mahan at the World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational. Woods claimed he was not injured and hinted his final-round seven-over par 77 and level-78th
finish in the 80-man field at 18-over 298 was caused by his off-course woes in the wake of his sex scandal.
“It has been a long year,” Woods said. After posting his most miserable effort in 14
years as a professional on a course where he has won seven times and was defending champion, Woods faces the Thursday start of 2010’s last ma- jor, the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. “I’ve got to be ready come Thursday. That’s all that matters,” Woods said. “I need to hit the ball better, chip better, putt better and score better. “I don’t see how it can be fun shooting 18-
over, especially since my handicap is supposed to be zero.” It was no consolation for Woods to retain his
world number one ranking for at least one more week, his five-year reign surviving only because second-ranked United States star Phil Mickelson shot a worse round than Woods did. Reigning Masters champion Mickelson had to finish solo fourth or better to surpass Woods, but Mickelson fired at 78 to plunge all the way to equal 46th at the $8.5-million event. “It’s hard to be upbeat after a round like to-
■ Tiger Woods. AFP PHOTO
day,” Mickelson said. “I felt sharp and ready to go attack the course and it just didn’t happen. I’ve got a lot to work on the next three days.” Mahan, 28, has little work to do after a bogey- free six-under 66 for his third PGA title, first WGC triumph and a $1.4-million top prize. He had never dreamed he could finish 30 strokes ahead of Woods at an event. “I never, ever thought that would be possible,” Mahan said. “It never crossed my mind. It’s defi- nitely different.”
Aboitiz Cebu golf invitational features mixture of pros, amateurs
IT will be a battle between determined amateurs and seasoned professionals in the P1million Aboitiz Cebu Country Club Invitational on Wednesday at the Cebu Country Club. Ready to do battle against the country’s leading
professionals are reigning national champion Clyde Mondilla, former titlist Mhark Fernando, former national team mainstays Jhonnel Ababa, Jerson Balasabas, Dante Becierra and Peter Villaber. They are actually the leading players set to clash for berths in the national squad vying for at least three big
events abroad this year, making the 54-hole tourna- ment a tune-up of sort for the RP team aspirants. Also in the fold are Sonny Villaber, Zanie Boy Gialon, Justin Limjap, Erwin Madrileño, Art Arbole, John Kier Abdon, Gio
Gandioco, LJ Go, Carl Almario, Eric Deen, Montito Garcia, Jovi Neri, Bayani Garcia, Marko Sarmiento, Gen Nagai and Chepe Dulay. Angelo Que, who won the Selangor Masters
victory, and Frankie Minoza are also expected to play in the tourney.
JOSEF T. RAMOS
won four gold medals in the 2010 Asian Sub-Junior Powerlifting Championships held in Mongolia. During the Asian meet, Llena topped three events in record-break- ing fashion. She registered new Asian junior records in squat (190kg), deadlift (180kg) and total (460kg).
EMIL C. NOGUERA
board of governors allowed Taulava to join Smart Gilas after Douthit remains without a passport, while Slaughter and Al- Hussaini were forced to stay home because of previous academic commitments. It was the second-straight setback for the
Syrians, who’ve lost 75-83 to the Qataris the day before.
The Filipinos are up against the Jorda- nians on Tuesday in a rematch between two teams that split their two games in a pocket tournament held in Philippines two months ago.
In Group A action, Chinese Taipei beat
Kazakhstan, 80-64, and title-favorite Iran won against Japan, 72-68, to seal their first triumph.
King may convince Floyd – Arum
MANNY PACQUIAO’S promoter Top Rank Promotion chief Bob Arum believes the 78- year-old Don King could convince Floyd Mayweather Jr. to fight Pacquiao next spring. “I’m optimistic that if Don King has captured
Floyd Mayweather Jr. then a Pacquiao- Mayweather fight next spring is a real possibil- ity,” said Arum on Monday to boxing site
philboxing.com. “I already spoke to Don and the bout could be possible.” Meanwhile, boxing promoter Don King has criticized Golden Boy Promotion’s Chief Ex- ecutive Officer Richard Schaefer for failing to bring into fruition the Pacquiao-Mayweather bout the second time around. The 78-year-old King told
boxingscene.com on
Monday that Schaefer should be the one to be blamed for the postponement of the bout. JOSEF T. RAMOS
St. Benilde leads NCAA chess tournament
THE College of St. Benilde contin- ued its winning stride as they shut out Arellano University, 4-0, at the start of the second of the 86th Na- tional Collegiate Athletic Associa- tion (NCAA) chess tournament at the Cyberzone of SM City Manila. Joel Pimentel Jr. and Jerson Bitoon worked well with Nar- quinden Reyes to give the Blazers a fitting follow-up of their first round victory.
With the win the Blazers surged with half a point lead over closest pursuer San Sebastian College,
which subdued Jose Rizal Univer- sity, 3-5-.5 in the other match. In the other matches, Mapua Insitute of Techonology won over University of Perpetual Help, 2.5- 1.5, while San Beda College and Emilio Aguinaldo College fought to a 2-2 draw to remain in the hunt for the crown.
Defending high school cham- pion San Sebastian Staglets and Perpetual Help Altalettes won their respective matches for a share of the lead with four points apiece. FRANK CALAPRE
Garcia leads MVP race
SOPHOMORE guard Ryan Roose Garcia of Far Eastern University (FEU) led all candidates for the coveted Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in the University Athletic Association of the Phil- ippines Season 73 men’s basket- ball tournament.
After the first round of elimina- tion, Garcia garnered a 64.7143 statistical points to gain the top spot while Paul Lee of the Univer- sity of the East (UE) ranked sec- ond with 60.2857, FEU’s Aldrech Ramos placed third with 58.4286, Cameroonian Emmanuel Mbe of National University took the
fourth position with 55.8571 and FEU’s Reil Cervantes wound up fifth with 55.
Other candidates are Chris Camus of University of Santo Tomas (UST) in sixth (53.2857), Ateneo de Manila University’s Eric Salamat in seventh (51.8571), Nico Salva also of Ateneo in eighth (50.8571), Eric Camson of Adamson in ninth (49.2857) and another Ateneo player Kirk Long in 10th (49.1429).
FEU will continue its quest on
Thursday against Adamson at 4 p.m. right after the game of UST and UE at 2 p.m.
EMIL C. NOGUERA
AFP
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