The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Rod Laver back in town

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 27, 2006

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Sport - Tennis

Rod Laver back in town

MELBOURNE: A year after he had to pull out due to an illness in his family, tennis great Rod Laver has travelled to Australia and will present the trophy to the winner of the men's singles title at the Australian Open on Sunday.

Laver arrived in Melbourne on Thursday from his home in California. He was originally scheduled to present the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup to winner of the men's singles at the 100th anniversary tournament in 2005.

The 67-year-old Laver is the only player to win the Grand Slam twice. He won all four majors in 1962 and in 1969. He won the singles title in Australia three times among a career total of 20 Grand Slam championships — 11 singles, six doubles and three mixed.

The centre court ceremony on Sunday will take place in the auditorium that bears his name — Rod Laver Arena.

An animated dad

Sitting in the stands, Yuri Sharapov is an animated, ever-moving figure. His behaviour often draws some of the spotlight from his daughter — Maria Sharapova — on the court, and at times the ire of opponents.

He was at it again at the Australian Open on Thursday as 2004 Wimbledon champion Sharapova lost 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 to eighth-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium in the semifinals.

Sharapov has been seen gesturing, holding up his fingers and calling towards his daughter during her matches, as well as mixing drinks for her while seated in the players' box.

During Thursday's match a comment from the crowd seemed to anger Henin-Hardenne in the fifth game of the third set, with the Belgian serving and when Sharapova won the second point to lead 0-30.

Henin-Hardenne turned and angrily made some remarks towards the stand, at which point television cameras showed Yuri Sharapov looking around and motioning as if it wasn't him.

When asked afterward if she had been yelling at Sharapov, Henin-Hardenne insisted she did not know who had called out.

"I don't know. It was maybe upper or in the box. I have no idea who did that," she said.

"I was just upset against the person who screamed because it's not fair to do that during a point," she added.

And the winner is...

If they awarded trophies for fines at the Australian Open, Nicolas Kiefer would take home the silverware.

The often volatile German has been hit with fines totaling US$6,000 in three different matches, including a $3,000 fine in his third-round match. They cover verbal abuse and audible and visible obscenities. He wasn't fined for his racket-throwing incident in his quarterfinal win over Sebastien Grosjean on Wednesday. Kiefer takes on Roger Federer in a semifinal on Friday. — AP

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