| Third seed Peer ousted in Memphis tennis
WASHINGTON, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Teenager Olga Govortsova of Belarus toppled third-seeded Shahar Peer of Israel 6-3, 3-6 and 6-4 at the Memphis Championship on Friday to reach her first WTA final. The 19-year-old fifth seed beat four double faults through the tight semifinal which lasted for almost two hours. "It feels great, getting into my first final," Govortsova said," I am playing really well now and in the third set I wanted to win so badly." Peer, a winner of three WTA singles titles and ranked 18th, said that "it was a good match and it could have gone either way. I had some chances in the first set and I didn't make them." Govortsova, who clinched two ITF crowns last year in her first full season on the WTA Tour, will meet the winner between American Lindsay Davenport and New Zealand qualifier Marina Erakovic in the final.
Carrie Underwood Scores A Download Double-Platinum
Carrie Underwood has become the first country artist to receive a double-platinum Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certification for digital download single sales exceeding two million. The American Idol winner's Before He Cheats, which spent five weeks on top of America's country singles chart, has sold more than two million downloads in the U.S. The new certification comes just a week before the Grammy Awards, where Underwood is nominated for Best Country Song and Song of The Year. -Carrie Underwood Pictures (This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network) .
Reyes has strong outing against Mets
JUPITER, FLA. (AP) -- Cardinals right-hander Anthony Reyes thought a strong performance Thursday against the New York Mets was because of hard work in the offseason. Reyes threw 30 pitches in a 7-0 victory over the Mets, 23 for strikes. He allowed two singles and did not walk a batter in three innings. Outfielder Skip Schumaker led the Cardinals with three hits and former two-time American League MVP Juan Gonzalez had two hits. Gonzalez was the designated hitter. He is looking for a spot on the club as a pinch-hitter and reserve outfielder. But the most encouraging news in Jupiter, Florida, was on Reyes, who was 2-14 last season and is 8-23 in 43 big league outings. He said he worked hard in the offseason, and is starting to feel like he used to when he throws. (Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.
Azinger alters first two days of Ryder Cup format
Paul Azinger has already introduced sweeping changes to the U.S. Ryder Cup team selection process. Now he has altered the format of the tournament. The U.S. captain announced Wednesday that the order of the team matches on the first and second days of the competition will be reversed, meaning there will be four foursomes (alternate shot) matches followed by four four-ball (best ball) matches. As usual, the Ryder Cup will conclude with 12 singles matches on Sunday. In each of the past two Ryder Cups -- routs for the European team -- the four-ball format was used in the morning each day. "I believe it was 1997, I think Seve (Ballesteros) changed it to best ball in the morning and alternate shot in the afternoon. I felt like the Americans had an edge in alternate shot and I think it's partly responsible for why Europe has gotten off to a pretty hot start," Azinger said at a news conference in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he is competing in this week's FBR Open.
Rabbis get serious about matching up singles
The rise of interfaith marriage is a sensitive issue among American Jews, and now two powerful forces in the religion are teaming up to do something about it: rabbis and JDate, the top matchmaking Web site for Jewish singles. For the first time in its 10-year history, the site is offering a bulk rate to rabbis who want to buy membership accounts for congregants. According to Gail Laguna, JDate's vice president of communications, singles who sign up through their congregation get a slight discount on the site's $149 six-month subscription fee. "This is a way for us to break down the walls of the synagogue," said Rabbi Michael Cahana, of Congregation Beth Israel in Portland, Ore. The rabbis who negotiated the rate are also picking up the tab. Rabbi Donald Weber of Temple Rodeph Torah in Marlboro, N.J., has paid out of his own pocket for 24 six-month subscriptions.
Retired tennis player Kim Clijsters gives birth to daughter
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -Former U.S. Open champion Kim Clijsters gave birth to a daughter on Wednesday, nine months after retiring from tennis. Clijsters and her husband, American basketball player Brian Lynch, named the baby Jada. "The parents and the baby are in great shape," spokesman Jeroen Jespers said. The 24-year-old Clijsters retired in May, saying a string of injuries had led to fatigue, a lack of motivation and a decline in play. She said she wanted to focus on a new life with Lynch, who plays in the Belgian league. Clijsters was Belgium's first tennis player to reach the No. 1 ranking, holding it for 19 weeks in 2003. She won her only Grand Slam title at the 2005 U.S. Open, but Clijsters also won the 2002 and 2003 WTA Championships as part of her 34 career singles titles.
Spice Girl status: All you need to know - from Baby to Posh
Children: One, a boy named Beau Lee Bunton, born Aug. 10 this year.
Known for: Her babydoll dresses and pigtails, which gave the act the true Lolita-esque hook that a grownup group - whose name has the word "Girls" in it -requires.
Solo-career assessment: Fair.
The position she would play on a North American football team (because we live on a continent where football is football, and not soccer): Wide receiver. Can make big plays when number is called.
What accent besides British would best suit her: Valley Girl.
Biggest 'scandal': She slept with Justin Timberlake in 2003.
Random Spice Girls fact: The band has sold more than 55 million albums, with 10 No. 1 singles.
Random Emma Bunton fact: Bunton joined Touch (the group's original name) in 1994 after the original fifth member, Michelle Stephenson, left the group.
Cupid.com/PreDating Offers the Ultimate Blind Date with National ...
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Cupid.com/PreDating (www.cupid.com/predating), North America's largest speed dating company, will hold simultaneous speed dating events in more than 100 North American cities on February 12, 2008 during which one male and one female attendee will be chosen for the "ultimate blind date." Eric P. Straus, President & CEO of Cupid.com said, "As thousands of Cupid.com Pre-Daters will attest, speed dating is a really fun event. In recognition of Cupid's ultimate holiday, we want to find the hottest male and female speed dater in the country and match them in a blind date in Las Vegas." Bill Cloutier, Executive Vice President of Cupid.com commented, "This very special speed dating event will enable thousands of singles to meet their special Valentine.
Mandisa moves from 'American Idol' to gospel glory
Mandisa has successfully made the transformation from a popular Top 10 contestant on season five of American Idol to a Grammy-nominated Christian singer. She became the first new female artist to debut atop the Christian album charts, and her single "Only the World" was a multi-week No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales Chart. She's also written a book, Idoleyes: My New Perspective on Faith, Fat & Fame, and become a spokesmodel for Ashley Stewart stores. .
Radwanska topples Craybas for Pattaya crown
Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland captured the Pattaya Women's Open with a three-set triumph over American Jill Craybas in Sunday's final. The top-seeded Radwanska notched a 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4) victory Sunday for her second career WTA singles crown. She posted her inaugural win last year in Stockholm and has opened 2008 in solid fashion, having reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open last month.
Craybas, seeded seventh this week, was trying for her second career WTA singles crown and first since 2002.
The 33-year-old Craybas appeared to be on the ropes in the third set, facing a 5-1 deficit, but she fought off a pair of match points and won five games in a row. She then gained her own match point in the 12th game, but missed on a backhand and Radwanska held serve.
Black Singles Meet Online Over Greens and Cornbread
GreensandCornbread.com is a premiere online dating site for African Americans. Carlton Enoch the sties creator has found a creative way to target the growing market of minority singles looking for love online. African Americans are very passionate about soul food. Soul food represents a down home quality and triggers warm and loving memories. .
Magley named FGCU's women’s tennis coach
Jennifer Magley will join the FGCU athletics staff on July 1 as the womens tennis coach and assistant academic advisor for the Eagles.
Magley, who is the associate womens tennis coach at Wichita State University, comes back to the state of Florida with outstanding credentials.
She was the 2005 NCAA number-one ranked singles player in the nation, the 2003 number-two ranked doubles player, and led the University of Florida to an NCAA championship. She was a four-time All- American, a four-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American, an Arthur Ashe Scholar, a finalist for the 2005 Honda Award, and the 2005 SEC Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year. She graduated cum laude from the University of Florida in 2005.
It is with the utmost reverence and excitement that I accept the position of head womens tennis coach and assistant academic advisor at FGCU, said Magley.
Clijsters has baby girl
BRUSSELS, Belgium—Former U.S. Open champion Kim Clijsters gave birth to a daughter on Wednesday, nine months after retiring from tennis. Clijsters and her husband, American basketball player Brian Lynch, named the baby Jada. "The parents and the baby are in great shape," spokesman Jeroen Jespers said. The 24-year-old Clijsters retired in May, saying a string of injuries had led to fatigue, a lack of motivation and a decline in play. She said she wanted to focus on a new life with Lynch, who plays in the Belgian league. Clijsters was Belgium's first tennis player to reach the No. 1 ranking, holding it for 19 weeks in 2003. She won her only Grand Slam title at the 2005 U.S. Open, but Clijsters also won the 2002 and 2003 WTA Championships as part of her 34 career singles titles.
|
