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ENGLAND VS PAKISTAN TEST MATCH

England won the toss and decided to bat against Pakistan. Salman Butt, the Pakistan captain, said he would also have batted first but he won’t be overly disappointed to be able to unleash his new-ball attack straight away.

England, who won the toss, were in trouble at 118 for four shortly after lunch, with Kevin Pietersen out for nine in his first match since injuring his thigh in a one-day international against Australia at Lord’s on July 3.
But former Ireland left-hander Morgan hit back with 44 not out featuring nine boundaries and together with Paul Collingwood (27 not out) had so far shared an unbroken stand of 72.

In a series where the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) was being used in England for the first time, Pakistan wasted both their two permitted unsuccessful challenges on appeals by Mohammad Asif for lbw and caught behind against Pietersen on one and five.
But Asif then bowled Pietersen, leaving a gap between bat and pad, off the inside edge.
England’s other South Africa-born batsman, Jonathan Trott, had added just three to his lunchtime 35 when he padded up to an inswinger from Aamer.

Trott, successful with a previous referral, asked for New Zealand umpire Tony Hill’s lbw verdict to be reviewed.
But replays suggested the ball was clipping the top of the stumps and Trott was out, with England 118 for four.
And there was a fresh flashpoint when wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal appealed for a catch against Morgan, on five, off the bowling of left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Aamer.

But even before the third umpire ruled in Morgan’s favour, crowd jeers were ringing round Trent Bridge as replays on the giant screen showed the ball had clearly bounced into Kamran Akmal’s gloves.
It took Collingwood 30 balls to score his first four but then two came in as many Umar Gul deliveries, courtesy of a couple of square cuts.

Morgan then cover-drove and glanced off-spinner Shoaib Malik for fours.
Both batsmen cashed in against Pakistan’s slow bowlers and Morgan made it six boundaries for England in 12 deliveries with a trademark reverse sweep off leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.

Before lunch Aamer, who took seven wickets in Pakistan’s dramatic three-wicket second Test win over Australia at Headingley last week, had Alastair Cook caught at first slip and had England captain Andrew Strauss caught behind for 45.
Earlier, Strauss had a huge reprieve when, on 15, he edged an outswinger from the 18-year-old Aamer only for Kamran Akmal to drop the routine chance.

Cook struggled in overcast conditions similar to those in which Pakistan bowled Australia out for just 88 in the first innings at Headingley and on eight edged Aamer to first slip Imran Farhat.
Trott then became the first batsman to use DRS in England when, on 13, he given out, lbw to Kaneria, by de Silva. As replays showed Trott had got an inside edge, de Silva reversed his original verdict.
But Aamer did have Strauss, playing loosely outside off-stump, eventually caught behind by Kamran Akmal to end a second-wicket stand of 51.
Pakistan players wore black armbands in memory of the 152 people killed in after an airplane crashed near the capital city of Islamabad on Wednesday.

SCORES IN BRIEF

ENGLAND: First innings 190 for 4 at tea (Strauss 45, Morgan 44 not out, Trott 38, Collingwood 27 not out; Aamer 3-25)

PAKISTAN: Butt, Farhat, Ali, Amin, U Akmal, Malik, K Akmal, Aamer, Gul, Kaneria, Asif

Source :thedailystar.net

DIEGO MARADONA

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) decided not to renew Maradona’s contract.
Maradona’s future had been in doubt since Argentina’s 4-0 thrashing by Germany in the World Cup quarterfinals in South Africa this month, less than two years since his headline-grabbing appointment.

“There needed to be some changes among Diego’s staff … and we couldn’t come to an agreement,” AFA chief Julio Grondona told reporters. “No one’s being kicked out; a contract hasn’t been renewed because we didn’t have the conditions to do so.”
An AFA spokesman cited “unbridgeable differences” with the flamboyant Maradona, who led Argentina to World Cup victory as captain in 1986 and is adored by many Argentines.

The team’s earlier-than-expected exit from the tournament followed a shaky qualifying campaign, but the former player was still given a hero’s welcome when the squad returned home and President Cristina Fernandez urged him to stay on.
Several dozen fans, some banging drums and chanting, gathered outside the AFA’s headquarters after Tuesday’s announcement.
Speculation had mounted ahead of the meeting that Maradona would not stay on as coach — a position he had held since November 2008 — because of the disagreement over his coaching staff.

Maradona, 49, said Sunday he wanted to stay on, but only if he could keep control over the choice of his assistants.
Maradona was widely seen as one of the world’s best-ever players in his 1980s’ heyday, but he battled drug addiction, obesity and alcoholism for years after retiring from the game in the 1990s.

That made his comeback as national team coach an even more remarkable personal achievement, especially because he had very little experience as a manager. He had a patchy tenure as coach of Argentina, however, even though the team’s convincing wins in their opening World Cup games propelled them into the list of favourites. Maradona’s exit means Argentina need to find a new coach for the Copa Americaregional tournament next year but Grondona said there was plenty of time to recruit a new training staff.

Local media said former Boca Juniors coach Carlos Bianchi, who led the Buenos Aires club to a string of national and continental titles in two stints between 1998 and 2004, was a popular favourite. Other names circulating as possible successors include Estudiantes coach Alex Sabella, Independiente’s former coach Americo Gallego, former Argentina coach Marcelo Bielsa and ex-River Plate, Inter Milan and Argentina striker Ramon Diaz.
Grondona said youth team coach Sergio Batista, Maradona’s former 1986 team mate, was the logical choice as caretaker coach and he will lead the team for a friendly against Ireland in Dublin Aug. 11.

Source: thedailystar.net

SERENA WILLIAMS PROFILE

Serena Jameka Williams (born September 26, 1981) is an American professional tennis player who is currently ranked World No. 1 in both singles and doubles. The Women’s Tennis Association has ranked her World No. 1 in singles on five separate occasions. She regained this ranking for the fifth time on November 2, 2009. She became the World No. 1 for the first time on July 8, 2002. On July 3, 2010, she became 6th on the all-time greatest champions list.

Williams is the reigning champion in both singles and women’s doubles at the Australian Open, the reigning singles champion at Wimbledon, and in women’s doubles at the French Open and the US Open. Her 27 Grand Slam titles places her ninth on the all-time list: 13 in singles, 12 in women’s doubles, and 2 in mixed doubles. She is the most recent player, male or female, to have held all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously and only the fifth woman in history to do so. Her 13 Grand Slam singles titles is sixth on the all-time list.Williams ranks fourth in Grand Slam women’s singles titles won during the Open Era, behind Steffi Graf (22 titles) and Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova (18 titles each).She has won more Grand Slam titles in singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles than any other active female player.

2010:

Williams’s first scheduled tournament was the Medibank International Sydney. She defeated Frenchwoman Aravane Rezaï in the semifinals 3–6, 7–5, 6–4 after trailing 5–2 in the second set and being two points from defeat. She then lost the final to World No. 5 and defending champion Elena Dementieva 6–3, 6–2.

At the Australian Open, Williams was the defending champion in both singles and doubles (with sister Venus). She reached the singles quarterfinals without losing a service game or a set, where she eliminated Victoria Azarenka for the third straight Australian Open, 4–6, 7–6(4), 6–2 after trailing 4–0 in the second set. In the semifinals, Williams defeated 16th seeded Li Na 7–6(4), 7–6(1) on her fifth match point to reach her fifth final in Melbourne and her fifteenth Grand Slam singles final. She then defeated 2004 champion Justine Henin 6–4, 3–6, 6–2 for her twelfth Grand Slam singles title. This was the first time that Henin and Williams had played each other in a Grand Slam tournament final.Williams is the first female player to win back-to-back Australian Open titles since Jennifer Capriati in 2001–02.In doubles, Serena and Venus successfully defended their title by defeating the top ranked team of Cara Black and Liezel Huber in the final 6–4, 6–3.

A leg injury then caused Williams to withdraw from five consecutive tournaments, including the Premier 5 Dubai Tennis Championships and the Premier Mandatory Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne.

She returned to the WTA tour at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome where she lost to Jelena Jankovi? in the semifinals 4–6, 6–3, 7–6(5) after failing to convert a match point while serving at 5–4 in the third set, and then surrendering a 5–2 lead in the deciding tiebreaker.

At the Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open, she received a first round bye. In her first match, she made 73 unforced errors in defeating Vera Dushevina in the longest match of her career, 3 hours, 26 minutes, 6–7(2), 7–6(5), 7–6(5). Williams saved a match point at 6–5 in the second set, then injured her upper leg early in the third set. She then fell to 16th seeded Nadia Petrova 4–6, 6–2, 6–3. Williams won only two of her eighteen opportunities to break Petrova’s serve. She teamed with Venus to win the doubles title.

At the French Open, she moved through the first three rounds with ease, and then defeated Shahar Pe’er in the fourth round before losing to Samantha Stosur in the quarterfinals 6–3, 6–7(2), 8–6. Williams made 46 unforced errors and squandered a match point at 5–4 in the final set. Williams has not advanced past the quarterfinals at this event since 2003. She also played doubles with Venus as the top seeds. Their defeat of Huber and Anabel Medina Garrigues in the semifinals improved their doubles ranking to World No. 1. They then defeated 12th seeds Kv?ta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik in the final 6–2, 6–3 to win their fourth consecutive Grand Slam women’s doubles title

MY CONFIDENCE IS REALLY HIGH RIGHT NOW…………. MARDY FISH

Mardy Fish. Bearing the brunt of a lot of puns in yesterday’s papers, American Fish finished off Andy Murray in a third set tie-break, 7-2, in the resumption of their third round match. Dusting off his shoes and changing his top, the American returned an hour and a bit later to face Michael Llodra for a place in the last four. Pulverising the Frenchman with his big serve, Fish won his second match of the day 6-4, 6-4, and blasted his way into the semi-finals. He then went back on court for doubles.
The match win was the ninth in a row for the inspired American, who came through in just under three hours in blistering 37 Celsius conditions.

“It feels great. This is what I’ve been putting in the work for. I feel as good as I’ve ever felt in my career,” said Fish, winner of his last 10 matches and a winner of two tournaments in a year for the first time in his career.
“Playing in the heat, you have to convince yourself you feel better than the other guy, even if you’re feeling it. I struggled at the end of the match. I wasn’t used to the weather as I had played at night.

“I felt great until about 5-all in the third set, but I didn’t want to leave anything out there. I was maybe a little lucky to pull through. It was an extremely physical match with all of the heat. He’s no fun to play. He gives a lot of people trouble.
“My confidence is really high right now.”

Second seed Isner, winner of the longest match ever played in the sport when he won in the first round at Wimbledon, may still not have totally overcome the mental physical drain from that 11-hour contest a month ago.
Isner remains on one title this season, obtained at the start of the season in Auckland.
“Conditions were brutal again,” said Isner. “The first hour was the hottest. It took a lot out of both of us. I’ve never played in conditions this hot and humid.

“We were both just scrapping it out. This is the third final this year that I could have won. It’s disappointing — four finals this year and I’ve lost my last three.
“I know that sooner or later it will happen — I’ll make sure of that. It stinks to lose this tournament.”
The second seed was unable to put the match away after winning the first set with the break of serve which counted at the end after missing on his first five.

But Fish, playing in the faster daytime conditions which speed up the court and ball, managed to find his rhythm in the second as the heat began to war down big man Isner.
Floridian Fish profited as Isner struck a double-fault to set up a set point, which Fish grabbed to square the sets at one each.
The sixth seed went up a 3-1 break in the third set only to lose it a game later. As the last set wound into a tiebreaker Fish’s form again began to lift.

The winner over top seed Andy Roddick in the semi-finals earned a 4-1 margin, held off Isner and earned three match points as Isner hit a tired return long.
Fish advanced to victory on his second chance on a concluding unforced error from his weary opponent.
Fish lost around 15 kilograms last autumn as he recovered from knee surgery and the results has been a vast improvement in his game and fitness.

He now stands 16-2 on the ATP since the start of June after earning a finals spot on grass at Queen’s club but losing to American Sam Querrey.

Source : thedailystar.net

MANO MENEZES PROFILE

He began his career in football as a defender for Guarani de Venâncio Aires in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He gave up playing to become a fitness coach, beginning in 1986 in SESI, Rio Grande do Sul, before going on to Guarani de Venâncio Aires, Juventude and Internacional (as well as a spell in 1997 with Paulo Autuori at Cruzeiro).

He was the coach of Grêmio from 2005 through 2007, a remarkably long time for a coach in Brazilian football. He led them to promotion in 2005 and followed that up with a third place finish in the 2006 Brasileiro. In 2007, he led Grêmio to the final of the Copa Libertadores.

At the end of the 2007 season, he took over as coach of Corinthians and started the 2008 season with a 3-0 win over Guarani. Menezes led Corinthians to the 2008 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B title with 25 wins, 10 draws and 3 losses, finishing with 85 points.

Menezes was hired to manage the Corinthians at the end of 2007, and to raise them back up from relegation. In 2008, Corinthians played the Copa do Brasil, losing to Sport Club do Recife. That year they also took the title of Campeonato Brasileiro Série B 2008. In May 2009 Menezes led the Corinthians to become unbeaten champions of the Campeonato Paulista. On July 1, 2009, Corinthians won the Copa do Brasil against Internacional. With the win, Corinthians gained entry to the Copa Libertadores 2010.

On July 24, 2010, the CBF announced that Mano would replace Dunga as the Brazil manager. He was not the CBF’s first choice, but Fluminense had refused to release Muricy Ramalho on the day before.
Mano’s apointment was generally well received, although some pointed out that his favoured playing style resembled Dunga’s defensive style quite a lot.

Titles

Brazil Grêmio

* Campeonato Brasileiro Série B: 2005
* Campeonato Gaúcho: 2006, 2007

Brazil Corinthians

* Campeonato Brasileiro Série B: 2008
* Campeonato Paulista: 2009
* Copa do Brasil: 2009

Other Important Results

Brazil 15 de Novembro

* Copa do Brasil: 3rd Place (2004)

Brazil Grêmio

* Copa Libertadores da América: Runner-up (2007)
* Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 3rd Place (2006)

Brazil Corinthians

* Copa do Brasil: Runner-up (2008)

Mohammad Aamer profile

After his successful 2009 T20 World Cup tournament, Aamer was selected in the test squad for Pakistan for the series in Sri Lanka.He was chosen alongside fast bowler Umar Gul and Abdur Rauf, ahead of more notable and experienced names such as Sohail Tanvir. He started his Test career well, taking six wickets in the match, which included the wicket of Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara in both innings, as well as the Sri Lankan batsman, Mahela Jayawardene’s wicket in the 2nd innings.

However he did not get any wickets in his next two test matches. His next test wickets came in New Zealand where he managed to take four wickets in the first test match, during a losing game. He won his first test match with the Pakistan team during his 5th test match, as Pakistan won comprehensively by 141 runs, he managed to take three wickets in the match including the wicket of Ross Taylor, who scored 97 runs in the second innings. He shone brightly with the bat as well and showed a solid technique for a lower order batsman.

During the test match series against Australia, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, he took his first five wicket haul, taking the wickets of Australian batsman Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke.ON 24th july 2010 this sensentional left arm bowler helped pakistan to win the test match against Australia after the long gap of 15 years.During this match he took overall 7 wickets . He was declared man of the match. This helped Pakistan to draw the series against Australia.

Full Name: Mohammad Aamer

Date of Birth: Apr 13, 1992, Gujjar Khan, Punjab

Major Team: Pakistan, Federal Areas, Pakistan Under-19s, Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi Rams

Playing Roll: Bowler

Batting Style: Left

Bowling Style: Left-arm fast-medium

Career Statistics

International Debut: 2009

Test Debut: Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 04-Jul-2009

ODI Debut: Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Jul 30, 2009

Twenty20 Debut: Pakistan v England, Jun 07, 2009

Batting and fielding records

M Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s Ct St
Test 11 22 6 214 30* 13.38 718 29.81 - - 22 1 - -
ODI 15 11 4 163 73* 23.29 205 79.51 - 1 18 3 6 -
T20I 21 7 2 41 21* 8.20 38 107.89 - - 1 3 3 -

Bowling records

M Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Eco SR 4W 5W 10W
Test 11 22 2183 1204 32 5/79 7/106 37.63 3.31 68.22 2 1 -
ODI 15 14 735 547 22 4/28 4/28 24.86 4.47 33.41 1 - -
T20I 21 21 438 514 26 3/23 3/23 19.77 7.04 16.85 - - -

MANO MENEZES BECOME A NATIONAL SOCCER COACH IN BRAZIL

Mano Menezes became the new coach of Brazil’s national soccer team Saturday, one day after first choice Muricy Ramalho turned down the job because of his contract with Fluminense.

Menezes has been coaching Corinthians but will now replace Dunga, who was fired days after Brazil lost to the Netherlands in the World Cup quarterfinals in South Africa

If he accepts, Menezes, who has lifted two of the country’s most popular clubs out of the doldrums, will have the huge task of trying to rebuild Brazil’s national team and win a sixth world title when they host the 2014 World Cup.

Winning their own World Cup is seen as an obligation by Brazil’s 190 million inhabitants.

The job, one of the toughest in international soccer, has been vacant since Dunga quit following the World Cup quarter-final defeat to Netherlands three weeks ago.

Ramalho, who has considerable domestic success but like Menezes is little known outside Brazil, sat down for talks on Friday with Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) president Ricardo Teixeira, who praised the gruff 54-year-old’s track record.

But hours later, Fluminense said that they wanted Ramalho to see out his contract, which runs until 2012.

“Muricy is going to continue at Fluminense, fulfilling his contractual commitments,” club president Roberto Horcades told reporters.

In another twist, the CBF then said in a statement that Menezes had been approached and gave the impression his appointment was a mere formality.

“Mano Menezes will announce his decision at a news conference organised by his club Corinthians, tomorrow (Saturday), in Sao Paulo,” said the statement on the CBF’s website (www.cbf.com.br).

“Mano Menezes was one of a shortlist of three coaches and had his name ratified after a conversation with Ricardo Teixeira, when he showed himself to be in tune with the rebuilding project drawn up by the CBF for the 2014 World Cup.”

Menezes, 48, made his name in 2005 when he led former South American champions Gremio out of the second division.

In an extraordinary decisive game, Gremio had four players sent off, survived a penalty miss by opponents Nautico and then snatched a goal to win 1-0 and clinch promotion.

Two years later, he took them to the final of the Libertadores Cup, the South American equivalent of the Champions League.

The following year he led Corinthians, another hugely popular team, out of the second division.

Former Brazil, Portugal and Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, currently with Brazilian side Palmeiras, was believed to be the other coach on the shortlist.

Fluminense’s move is almost unprecedented as Brazilian clubs are usually happy to oblige if their coach is picked for the national team.

Ramalho took over at Fluminense in April and on Thursday night his side beat Cruzeiro 1-0 to go top of the Brazilian championship.

Club president Horcades praised Ramalho for not leaving.

“People with Muricy’s standards are necessary in football,” he said.

The down-to-earth Ramalho won three consecutive Brazilian championship titles with Sao Paulo between 2006 and 2008, although he was never able to win the Libertadores.

PAKISTAN WON BY THREE WICKETS AND SERIES DRAWN 1-1

Australian cricket fans would like to see continuation of Australia’s dominating form over Pakistan. Aussies are in a 13-match winning streak against Pakistan in test cricket. An Australian defeat to Pakistan in a test match last time came 15 years back.

Left-arm quick Mohammad Aamer was five not out and Umar Gul, who hit the winning run off Mitchell Johnson, one not out as Pakistan ended a run of 13 straight Test defeats by Australia — a record for one country against another.
Pakistan were still five short when Australia’s Michael Hussey appealed for a gully catch against Kamran Akmal on 13, off the bowling of Mitchell Johnson but replays were inconclusive.And then left-arm quick Mohammad Aamer, who took seven wickets in the match, edged Ben Hilfehnaus through the slips for four to tie the scores.

But there was one more twist with Kamran Akmal brilliantly caught by Hussey off Johnson and this time there was no doubt.
Gul, though, hammered his first ball from Johnson through the offside and Pakistan had won with more than a day and two sessions to spare.It meant Salman Butt, who replaced Shahid Afridi as skipper after the all-rounder quit Tests after the 150-run series-opening loss at Lord’s last week, tasted victory in his first Test as Pakistan captain.

“It was a bit nerve-wracking, when you have this added responsibility,” Butt told reporters.
“You tend to think more, thank God it went positively and we won.
“It means a lot, it’s a new beginning for Pakistan.”

Left-arm quick Doug Bollinger, starting Friday, took three wickets for five runs in 17 balls on his way to three for 51 and Ben Hilfenhaus three for 39 but even Australia could not turn this match around.
Ultimately, Australia paid the price for being bowled out for just 88 in their first innings — their lowest Test total since they were dismissed for 76 by the West Indies at Perth in 1984.Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who chose to bat after winning the toss, said: “At the end of the day, that’s had a big impact. It’s my responsibility to get those sorts of things right.

“I think everyone was surprised at how much it seemed on the first day. Any decision like that is the captain’s and when you have a loss like that, it’s the responsibility of the captain as well. Obviously, the buck stops with me.”
Australia ‘held’ Pakistan to 258, with medium-pacer Watson taking a Test-best six for 33, following his previous best of five for 40 at Lord’s, after the frontline quicks had been mostly ineffective.

And Australia then made 349 with Michael Clarke and Steven Smith, in his second Test, both making 77.
Ponting contributed 66 as he became only the second batsman, after India’s Sachin Tendulkar, to score 12,000 Test runs.
But Aamer still managed to take four for 86, giving the 18-year-old left-arm quick Test best match figures of seven for 106.
Aammer and Watson won their teams’ respective man-of-the-match awards.

Pakistan resumed Saturday on 140 for three, needing 40 more runs to win with Australia requiring seven wickets.
However, as recently as the Sydney Test in January, Australia bowled Pakistan out for 139, chasing a victory target of 176.
Azhar Ali resumed on 47 not out, with Umar Akmal unbeaten on two.

Ali, off Bollinger’s third ball Saturday, cover-drove a full toss to the boundary to complete a maiden Test fifty off 108 balls with six fours.
But next ball, he could only edge Bollinger to keeper Tim Paine.
Ali was out for 51 and Pakistan were 146 for four.Bollinger appealed for caught behind and lbw against Kamran Akmal, still on nought, in successive balls but Rudi Koertzen, in the South African umpire’s 108th and last Test before retirement, correctly rejected both pleas.

Shoaib Malik — on 10 — was brilliantly caught at the second attempt off a well-hit drive by Marcus North at short extra-cover off Hilfenhaus and Pakistan still needed 19 to win, with four wickets standing.Kamran Akmal, with three boundaries, took Pakistan to the brink of victory.Pakistan now have a short turnaround before a four-Test series against England starts at Trent Bridge on July 29.
Australia have to two Tests away to India in October before attempting to regain the Ashes from England on home soil, in a five-Test campaign that starts in November.

This series was played in England after international cricket in Pakistan was effectively suspended after an armed attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus in Lahore in March last year.

Pakistan are back in action soon, beginning their four-Test series against England at Trent Bridge on Thursday, so I hope you’ll join us then. If this game was anything to go by, it will be an absolute cracker.

SCORES IN BRIEF

AUSTRALIA: First innings 88 (Paine 17, North 16, Katich 13, Smith 10; Aamer 3-20, Asif 3-30)

PAKISTAN: First innings 258 (Butt 45, Farhat 43, Ali 30, Malik 26; Watson 6-33, Hilfenhaus 2-77)

AUSTRALIA: Second innings 349 (Clarke 77, Smith 77, Ponting 66, Paine 33; Aamer 4-86, Kaneria 2-74, Asif 2-83)

PAKISTAN: Second innings 180 for 7 (Farhat 67, Ali 51, Butt 13, Kamran 13; Hilfenhaus 3-39, Bollinger 3-51)

SERENA WILLIAMS CUTS ON HER FOOT

The No. 1-ranked Williams had surgery last week in Los Angeles to repair deep cuts on her right foot. She tweeted Tuesday about spending a “5th day in bed. arghhhh”

The American was hurt while she was in Munich this month — shortly after winning her fourth Wimbledon singles title on July 3, and before playing in an exhibition match against Kim Clijsters that drew a tennis-record crowd of 35,681 in Brussels on July 8.

“She will start training again as soon as she’s healed,” Smoller said.

Williams already has pulled out of three hard-court tournaments she was scheduled to enter in preparation for the U.S. Open. The season’s last major championship begins Aug. 30 in New York.

She withdrew from the July 26-Aug. 1 event in Istanbul, the Aug. 9-15 event in Mason, Ohio, and the Aug. 16-22 event in Montreal.

The foot injury also led the 28-year-old Williams to miss the full World TeamTennis season for the Washington Kastles.

Generally, neither Williams nor her older sister Venus, a seven-time major singles champion, publicly discusses injuries.

Serena Williams already missed all of February, March and April this year because of a left knee problem. She is 25-4 with two singles titles in 2010 — at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

She won her first Grand Slam championship at age 17 at the 1999 U.S. Open, and she also won the title there in 2002 and 2008. Last year, as the defendingchampion , she lost in the semifinals to Clijsters when a tirade at a line judge over a foot-fault call at the end of the match resulted in a point penalty.

“Serena Williams is one of our sport’s greatest champions, and we are very hopeful she will be back at the U.S. Open. We communicate with her team frequently, and will continue to do so,” Open tournament director Jim Curley said. “We wish her a speedy recovery.”

Williams is missing the entire World Team Tennis season with the Washington Kastles. Her team said she cut the bottom of her foot and needed stitches.
“Hey guys I’m doing better,” Williams tweeted Monday. “Thanks for all the love.”
On Sunday night she tweeted: “can’t wait to get out of bed & back on the courts & do what i do best!”
Ranked No. 1, Williams won her fourth Wimbledon crown and 13th major title July 3. The injury occurred shortly thereafter in Europe and at first was not believed to be serious.
After hurting her foot, Williams played in an exhibition in Brussels on July 8 against Clijsters before a world-record tennis crowd of 35,681.
Williams attended a WTT match the next night in Glen Falls, N.Y., and did not play but briefly discussed her injury with reporters. When asked how she was able to play against Clijsters, Williams said, “Those Belgian doctors and waffles.”
Clijsters said she knew before the exhibition that Williams was hurt pretty seriously.
“I saw her before we started but she didn’t go into how it happened,” Clijsters said. “I told her how much I admired her for coming out there. A lot of players in her situation wouldn’t have done it.”
Williams subsequently withdrew from upcoming tournaments in Istanbul, Cincinnati and Montreal. The last of those, at Montreal, begins Aug. 16, and the U.S. Open starts Aug. 30.
“You want the best players to be out there, especially at the U.S. Open,” Clijsters said. “It would be sad not to have Serena there.”
After winning the Australian Open at the end of January, Williams was sidelined through April because of an injured left knee.

PAKISTAN V AUSTRALIA: MOHAMMAD AAMER TOOK THREE WICKETS IN THE FIRST HOUR

Pakistan, the killer blow was landed by young left-armer Mohammad Aamer, who took three wickets in the first hour, before the arrears had even been cleared. It was a sunny day, the clouds high, and the ball did not swing appreciably. Youthful exuberance and no mean skill enabled Aamer to prevail.

Pakistan teenage Pakistan, the killer blow was landed by young left-armer Mohammad Aamer, who took three wickets in the first hour, before the arrears had even been cleared. It was a sunny day, the clouds high, and the ball did not swing appreciably. Youthful exuberance and no mean skill enabled Aamer to prevail. took three wickets for just 12 runs in 16 balls, on his way to final figures of four for 86 in 27 overs, to leave Australia 215 for five at lunch.

Michael Clarke, the last of Australia’s recognised batsmen, was 76 not out, having started the day unbeaten on 32 and wicketkeeper Tim Paine, who top-scored with 17 in the first innings, was 17 not out.
However Clarke added just one to his interval score when, to Mohammad Asif’s first ball after lunch he was caught behind off a superb full length delivery that just seamed away enough to take the outside edge and end the Australia vice-captain’s four hours’ of resistance.
Australia were plunged into further trouble by a fortunate Kaneria wicket.Paine in what was only his second Test, made a composed 33 in two hours with five boundaries. But his innings ended when he spooned a Kaneria long hop to Azhar Ali at cover.Smith and Mitchell Johnson added valuable runs and with Australia 264 for seven after 80 overs, Pakistan took the new ball as soon as it was available.

But when Asif, unusually, dropped short, Smith pulled him for four to take Australia’s lead past a hundred.
But in the fifth over of the new ball, Johnson was lbw to Asif for 12.
However, new batsman Hilfenhaus cover-drove Asif for four before Smith lofted the seamer over mid-off for another boundary.
Kaneria succeeded where the quicks failed, Hilfenhaus edging him to Umar Akmal at slip after making 17 featuring four boundaries. Aamer took three for 20 as Australia were routed for 88 on Wednesday – their lowest Test total since being dismissed for 76 by the West Indies at Perth in 1984.

Australia resumed on their overnight score of 136 for two, 34 behind Pakistan’s first innings 258.
Ricky Ponting, the Australia captain, was 61 not out, having become in the course of his innings only the second batsman, after India’s Sachin Tendulkar, to score 12,000 Test runs.
But Ponting had added only five more when he drove loosely outside off stump against Aamer and was caught by wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal for 66, having put on 89 for the third wicket with Clarke.

SCORES IN BRIEF
AUSTRALIA: First innings 88 all out (Watson 5, Katich 13, Ponting 6, North 16, Paine 17, Smith 10; Aamer 3-20, Asif 3-30, Gul 2-16)

PAKISTAN: First innings 258 (Farhat 43, Butt 45, Azhar 30, Amin 25, Akmal 21, Malik 26; Hilfenhaus 2-77, Watson 6-33)
AUSTRALIA: Second innings 349 all out (Watson 24, Katich 11, Ponting 66, Clarke 77, Paine 33, Smith 77; Aamer 4-86, Asif 2-83, Kaneria 2-74)