Nadal,Fish,Kvitova wins Hidiago, Bellucci, Amanmuradova Exit

Mardy Fish.

Fish in new health after heart Op comeback Mardy Fish made a winning return to tennis on Tuesday following his operation to treat a frightening heart condition, but immediately felt unwell after coming off court.The world number 12 beat Spain's Ruben Ramirez-Hidalgo 7-6 (7/3), 7-5 7-6 (7/1) in a first round clash and looked comfortable moving around the court.But afterwards, the US number two felt too ill to attend an obligatory press conference."He is feeling unwell," said an ATP tour spokesman, who added it should be "nothing worrying" and Fish had pledged to return on Wednesday, his day off, to speak to media.Fish had postponed his press conference for half an hour to see if he felt any better but, in the end, decided to cancel.Tuesday's match was his first tournament appearance since April, when, as the top seed, he fell at the first hurdle in Houston.He had a procedure called cardiac catheter ablation in Los Angeles on May 23 to correct faulty wiring in his heart.Fish said the arrhythmia had made it hard for him to sleep and his heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest.Fish is the top American left in the draw after world number 10 John Isner was knocked out on Monday.During his two-hour, 37-minute match on the Court 12 show court against Ramirez-Hidalgo, the world number 82, Fish sent down 24 aces and hit 61 winners.He was at ease in the third set tie-break, sealing his victory with a cross-court return of serve for his first win since Miami in March.Fish plays either British wildcard James Ward, or another Spaniard, world number 36 Pablo Andujar, in the second round.Spanish number 10 Ramirez-Hidalgo was the oldest player in the men's singles at 34 years and six months. He has never won a match on grass and has won just one tour-level match this year.Fish, by contrast, is a comfortable performer on the surface, has a grass court title to his name (Newport 2010) and only six other men competing here have won more singles matches on grass than him.Last year, Fish equalled his best Grand Slam result by reaching the quarter-finals, where he lost to Rafael Nadal.Meanwhile, his fellow American Brian Baker, 27, who lost six years of his career to an assortment of injuries, won his first-ever match at Wimbledon, beating Portugal's Rui Machado 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 6-0.His marathon ordeal saw him leave the tour completely and become a student and an assistant coach at a university in Nashville, Tennessee."I had two left hip surgeries, one right hip surgery, elbow reconstruction, and then a sports hernia surgery," said the world number 126."I still have one more year to complete my degree."But I never gave up the hope that I would be able to come back. I was always confident in my abilities that if I was ever able to stay healthy that I would have success," the qualifier said."I think it's cool, what I've been able to do, and it's been a lot of fun. I'm enjoying the moment."

Rafae Nadal.

Rafael Nadal wins against  Thomaz Bellucci, beating the Brazilian 7-6 (0), 6-2, 6-3.It took Rafael Nadal time to find his feet on the Wimbledon grass but he eventually saw off the challenge of the free-hitting Thomaz Bellucci.The second-seeded Spaniard, fresh from a record seventh win at the French Open, is gunning for a third Wimbledon title in 2012 - one that would put him just four behind Roger Federer on 12 grand slams.This win set him on the way to that but, despite the 7-6 (7/0), 6-2, 6-3, nature of it, the 26-year-old has had easier first-round tests, especially in light of the first-set going over he was given.Bellucci, ranked 80th in the world but with promise beyond that, took the game to Nadal with a positive approach that saw him break twice in succession to move 4-0 ahead.Underpinning that was a vicious forehand that Nadal could barely get a racquet on, although once the man from Majorca did find some rhythm with two breaks of his own the outcome was rarely in doubt.That was not the case for those supporting Nadal on Centre Court early on, though. As well as his forehand, Bellucci displayed a more-than-handy serve too, something that helped him save a first-game break point before, in the next game when break point down himself, Nadal played a poor drop shot which was picked off with ease.A routine hold followed before a memorable fourth game which, after looking like Nadal's when he had ball in hand at 40-30, ended as a double break after Bellucci unleashed three successive fizzing forehands.At 4-0 down and with an absent first serve, an opening-set whitewash looked possible for Nadal until he turned things around, breaking twice in succession himself as an increase in his aggression on the forehand wing twice forced Bellucci to net.Serve then held through to a tie-break which Nadal gratefully took without dropping a point.His tie-break implosion did not immediately affect Bellucci at the start of the second set though, earning himself a break point in the third game with a neat volley, which Nadal staved off.But Bellucci did start to wobble after that, conceding his serve in the sixth game, with Nadal setting up break point with a wonderful backhand lob and his opponent validating it when he planted a routine one-hander long.A routine hold to love then indicated Nadal had worn Bellucci down and so it proved in the eighth game, with Nadal earning and taking two set points. Two winning forehands got him in the position and a vicious backhand return took him to 6-2.It looked as though it would be a procession for Nadal en route to victory after that, especially when he broke in the second game of the third set - Bellucci hitting a backhand wide.But the break back was immediate, with Bellucci displaying admirable character to pull back into things, applying enough pressure on Nadal to force him to hit off court.However his revival would only be a temporary one, with Nadal benefiting from a clip on the net to earn a sixth-game break point which he converted with a booming forehand, before seeing the game out.

Petra Kvitova
Defending Champion Petra Kvitova reached the Wimbledon second round on Tuesday with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan, but only after surviving an early truggle.The Czech, who became the first woman born in the 1990s to win a major when she beat Maria Sharapova in the 2011 final, fought back from 3-0 and 4-1 down in the first set before seeing off Amanmuradova, who has now lost all her five first round appearances here.Once Kvitova had reeled off seven successive games to take the first set and lead 2-0 in the second, the 22-year-old was comfortably in control, managing to shrug off a brief rain delay at 40-40 at 5-3 in the second set."It's unbelievable to come back as defending champion," said Kvitova, who started her 2011 title-winning campaign out on Court 15."I was nervous at the start. On grass you never know what to expect from me."World number four Kvitova will now face either Italy's Karin Knapp or Elena Baltacha for a place 
in the last 32.

Heather watson became the first British women after defeating Iveta Benesovato win at Centre Court in 27 years

Heather watson.

Promising tennis star Heather Watson lit up Wimbledon yesterday to become the first British woman to win at Centre Court in 27 years.The Guernsey-born 20-year-old, ranked 103rd in the world, beat a higher-ranked opponent in straight sets to provide the only ray of hope on an otherwise disappointing opening day for our players.She defeated the Czech Republic's Iveta Benesova 6-2, 6-1 to reach the second round in front of a cheering crowd on tennis's most famous stage.She has already got further in the tournament than five-time champion Venus Williams, who crashed out in straight sets to Russian Elena Vesnina - 6-1, 6-3.Thousands of fans roared Miss Watson to victory on a fine day when umbrellas were needed to protect from the sun rather than to keep off the rain.

Li na takes control of 1st round

Li na.

China's Li na took the express route into the second round at Wimbledon with an emphatic 6-3, 6-1 victory over Ksenia Pervak of Kazakhstan on Monday.After a frustrating clay-court campaign, which included a disappointing fourth round defeat at the French Open, Li looked right at home on the lush lawns of the All England Club.She was far too strong for Pervak and brushed aside the 21-year-old in little more than an hour to set up a second round meeting with either Romania's Sorana Cirstea or France's Pauline Parmentier.Just 12 months ago, Li arrived at Wimbledon on the crest of a wave after winning the French Open to become the first Asian to hold a Grand Slam singles title.But that triumph at Roland Garros has proved something of a burden for Li, who has struggled to cope with the significantly increased expectations and demands on her time that come with such a landmark victory.Her form has suffered as a result and the world number 11 hasn't got past the fourth round of a Grand Slam since winning in Paris.But Li admitted last week that the one upside to her slump has been a return to relative anonymity.With that in mind, the 30-year-old must have been delighted to be scheduled to face Pervak far from the spotlight out on Court 12.There was certainly a spring in Li's step as she made a fast start, breaking for a 2-0 lead.Russian-born Pervak, who changed her nationality to Kazakhstan at the end of 2011, reached the last 16 on her Wimbledon debut last year.But Li's combination of experience and power proved far too much for the world number 41.After a brief stumble when she dropped serve in the third game, Li made the decisive break for a 5-3 advantage before serving out the set.The Chinese star quickly took control of the second set with a break to move 2-1 ahead and romped to victory with two more breaks.

1st Test: Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 209 runs

Sri Lanka Beat Pakistan.

Sri Lanka beat Pakistan 209 runs experienced Younis Khan (87) and Asad Shafiq (80) Despite the tough innings, the fourth day of the first Test against Pakistan, Sri Lanka has surrendered 209 runs and suffered a major defeat. Sri Lanka lead 1-0 in the acquired three-match series. Pakistan's team scored 510 goals in the final game of the fourth day for a paltry 300 runs. Fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara took three wickets for 48 runs, off-spinner Suraj Randiv and left-arm spinner took three wickets for 86 runs, 91 runs, two wickets in color Herat Pakistan forced to face a humiliating defeat. Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara, who scored 199 not out in the first innings of the match was declared Man of the da match. Sri Lanka by 472 runs in the first innings after Pakistan had piled on 100 runs. Sri Lanka declared their second innings on 137 runs for five wickets against Pakistan was the target of 510 runs. Pakistan was the match that he is satisfactorily shown the potential to conflict a second time and pulled up to the end of the fourth day. Pakistan's defeat extended the time fixed by the fourth day's play and Pakistan off-spinner Randiv. The last three were parted, her second innings 300 runs together.

Ernests Gulbis,Tipservic,Kim Clijsters,Thomas Berdych, wins Nalbadian, Jankovic out

Ernests Gulbis.

Ernests Gulbis of Latvia, an unsung hero ranked 87th in the world, Tomas Berdych was the highest ranked player to bow out on the opening day after the No6 seed lost in straight sets to Ernests Gulbis.Gulbis, ranked 87, served 30 aces to win 7-6, 7-6, 7-6, his first win at a grand slam since the 2011 US Open.Another seed to lose was John Isner, who was beaten by Alejandro Falla of Colombia 6-4, 6-7, 3-6, 7-6, 7-5, despite serving 31 aces during the match. The No11 seed's defeat ruled out a match against Nicolas Mahut for a third year in a row.Having beaten the Frenchman in the longest match in history in 2010, Isner beat Mahut again last year in the first round, and was slated to meet him in the second round here.

Janko Typservich.

David Nalbandian was on his best behaviour but slipped out of Wimbledon after a first-round defeat to Janko Tipsarevic.Nalbandian was disqualified from the AEGON Championships final eight days ago after kicking an advertising hoarding against a line judge's leg, costing him his prize-money and a fine from the ATP, who run the men's tour.Police launched an investigation after a complaint of alleged assault was made against Nalbandian, and confirmed that a 30-year-old man, understood to be Nalbandian, was interviewed over the injury he caused to line judge Andrew McDougall at Queen's ClubA Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'We were made aware of an incident at the Aegon Championships on Sunday 17 June.'A complaint was made and the MPS [Metropolitan Police Service] are now investigating.'On Tuesday 19 June a 30-year-old man attended a West London Police Station by appointment in connection with an allegation of assault.'He was interviewed under caution.Enquiries continue and there have been no arrests.'The 30-year-old kept his cool but he groaned out of frustration on several occasions as he fell to a 6-4 7-6 (7/4) 6-2 defeat against eighth seed Tipsarevic.Nalbandian, runner-up to Lleyton Hewitt at Wimbledon in 2002, spurned five early break points and Tipsarevic took full advantage, breaking in the seventh game before winning the set.Both players broke each other's serve in the second set, causing a tie-break, which Tipsarevic won after two mini-breaks.Serbian Tipsarevic wasted five break points in the third set but took a sixth when crashing a backhand in to the corner after a weak serve.Serving to stay in the match, Nalbandian buckled, placing an easy forehand wide to seal his demise.Nalbandian graciously accepted defeat, embracing his opponent before shaking hands with the umpire.

Kim Clijisters.

 Kim Clijsters may have declared that this will be unequivocally her last Wimbledon but she plans on hanging around to enjoy it.The Belgian dispensed with Jelena Jankovic, a fellow former world No1, in persuasive fashion 6-2, 6-4 on No1 court. The Serbian fought gamely in the second set but eventually capitulated to the three-times US Open champion, who has never gone further than the semi‑finals at Wimbledon.Having already retired from tennis once to start a family, returning three years ago after a two-year break and winning three grand slam titles, this time there will be no turning back when Clijsters does so for good after the US Open in September.In completing her first-round victory, she displayed few signs of discomfort from the abdominal injury that forced her to retire from a tournament in the Netherlands during a semi-final last week though she will have an ultrasound scan on Tuesday to make sure the tear has not worsened."It felt OK," she said afterwards. "I had a pretty bad stomach muscle tear in Toronto a couple of years ago and didn't want that to happen again. Pulling out of the tournament last week was a very smart choice because it gave a chance to let the muscle heal."Clijsters has been plagued by injuries in recent months, playing in only two tournaments since reaching the semi‑finals of the Australian Open at the beginning of the year. It was that lack of tennis that left her unseeded for Wimbledon for the first time in 12 years, and those ravages on her body that have led her to decide that this will be her last appearance at the All England Club.She said that her rehabilitation had involved "a lot of ice, some anti-inflammatory, laser, loosening up the whole diagonal chain from the left hip to the right shoulder".There were signs of rustiness against Jankovic but also a few sublime reminders of her talent, not least an exquisite lob midway through the first set and a range of fine passing shots under pressure. After letting slip a 40-0 lead in her first service game, Jankovic never really recovered in the first set.The Serbian broke in the third game of the second but Clijsters immediately hit back and then converted her second break point in the sixth to go 4-2 up. Jankovic displayed resolve and after half-heartedly hurling her racket to the ground during a seventh game that took more than eight minutes, broke back. But the 18th seed then surrendered tamely in her final service game of the set, double-faulting to leave Clijsters with three match points."I knew it was going to be tough. We both had to look for our game a little bit but I felt more comfortable as the match wore on," said the 29‑year‑old.Her victory was warmly received by majority of the crowd. Only her watching four-year-old daughter Jada remained blissfully unaware of her exertions, preferring to doze through most of the match on the lap of her nanny.After making light work of her first-round match against Anastasia Rodinova, the world No1, Maria Sharapova, revealed her relief at overcoming her struggles with injuries and poor form to regain her place at the top this year. Sharapova beat Rodiniova 6-2, 6-3 in just over an hour to set up a second-round tie against Tsvetana Pironkova and looked a decent bet to add a second Wimbledon title to the French Open she won this month."I certainly worked hard for it," she said. "My comeback wasn't the easiest. It wasn't a Cinderella story, that's for sure. It took a lot of tough days and losses and some wins to get to that moment. But you realise when you actually do get there that it's worth it. All of those situations you're put in and put through, if you come out of them, it's a nice prize on the other side."I couldn't really go out and compete at a high level without a lot of pain. Even the losses that I went through, I knew that I was capable of so much better out on the court. I knew that had to come out sometime because I put a lot of work in and I know I have it in me."I'm still very humble and very appreciative of what I have. I still believe that I can achieve a lot more. That's what drives me and gets me up in the morning still, no matter how much success I've had, no matter how many downfalls, I still believe I can be better. I thought I started off the match really well. I had a few letdowns towards the end of both of those sets. Overall I'm pretty happy with the way I performed, especially for a first match."

The Longest T20 Series in History between Pakistan-Australia has Approved

Australia and Pakistan could meet in the longest T20 series ever played between two sides.

The ICC has approved a six-match Twenty20 series between Pakistan and Australia, which, if it goes ahead will be the longest bilateral T20 series ever staged by international sides. The decision has improved chances of the series being staged, most likely in the period between August 22 and September 10.The PCB had deployed a four-man team, including officials from its finance and legal departments, to examine the possibility of staging a series in the UAE. It was originally keen to lock in a series of three T20s and three ODIs in August, but the extreme heat at that time of year raised serious concerns from Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers' Association.The ICC has a rule limiting the number of matches in a bilateral T20 series to three, but countries can ask for special dispensation to hold a longer series in exceptional circumstances. The PCB's struggle to find a suitable venue for an ODI series in August prompted the proposal for a six-match T20 series."The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) requested support for the flexibility to stage a six-match Twenty20 International series against Australia potentially in the United Arab Emirates in August," the ICC said in a statement. "This request required a special dispensation from the CEC and then the ICC Board as the current regulation permits only three T20I in a series."Because of the extreme daytime heat in the UAE at that time of the year, the CEC raised no objections to the principle of a six-match T20I series replacing the scheduled series of three ODIs and three T20Is should the PCB elect to make that switch."A PCB official told"The ICC's approval has made things easier for us. There were many issues apart from the weather but now we can move in one direction and will announce our decision shortly."A Cricket Australia spokesman said on Monday afternoon CA was still waiting for further details of the series from the PCB. Paul Marsh, the chief executive of the Australian Cricketers' Association, said the ICC's decision was sensible given the extreme heat that players would be forced to play in if 50-over games were scheduled, while T20s could start in relatively cooler conditions later at night."It's a good commonsense decision given the circumstances," Marsh told. "It's not a perfect situation playing in the UAE at that time of year but we understand the limitations of not being able to play in Pakistan, so it's a good compromise given the circumstances."A number of three-match T20 series have been held between international sides in the past, but never have four or more games been approved by the ICC.The six games will provide an excellent opportunity for both sides to finalise their preparations for the ICC World T20, which takes place in Sri Lanka in September.