Mahesh Bhupathi-Huber in mixed doubles second round

Mahesh Bhupathi and Liezel Huber cruised into the mixed doubles second round of the
Bhupathi
US Open.

Bhupathi and Huber beat Vania King and Marcelo Melo in a straight set of 7-5, 6-0. The duo next play Jill Craybas and Eric Butorac in the second round.

Earlier, Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles cruised to the men's doubles second round after scoring a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 win over American James Cerretani and Lovro Zovko of Croatia.

Somdev loses but takes heart at US Open

India's Somdev Devvarman's first Grand Slam campaign came to a end when he lost to 23rd seed Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany on
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Thursday but he said he will learn from the experience. ( Watch Video )

The 24-year-old from Chennai won three qualifying matches to make it into the main draw at the US Open and then won his first-round match against Frederico Gil of Portugal in straight sets.

But the experienced Kohlschreiber, who has taken some notable scalps this year including that of Novak Djokovic at the French Open, had too much experience and ability, winning 6-3, 6-4, 0-6, 6-2.

Devvarman, who won back-to-back US collegiate titles playing for the University of Virginia in 2007 and 2008, said his time spent at Flushing Meadows had been "a great experience."

"Qualifying for the US Open was a great breakthrough for me and then to win a match and take a set off Philipp and have some chances against him will give me great confidence for the future," he said.

"I just have to take the right steps to get better and move up the rankings - work harder, get stronger, hit the ball harder and serve better."

Devvarman said he is also acutely aware that there is growing interest in tennis in India brought on by the recent successes of Sania Mirza in the women's game and in doubles play.

He said he drew early inspiration from the likes of doubles champions Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupati as well as stars from an earlier era like Vijay Amritraj and Ramesh Krishnan.

"I have a great opportunity coming from such a great country with such a great tradition in sport and hopefully I can get better and give them something to cheer about," he said.

Devvarman's exploits at Flushing Meadows, coming after he left the collegiate system, have pushed him up to a world ranking of 162, which will improve when the next ATP rankings come out.

He notably reached the final of his hometown tournament in Chennai in January and then in early August reached the third round in Washington, where he lost to Ivo Karlovic.

YSR laid to rest with full state honours in his hometown

The late Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy has been laid to rest in his hometown Pulivendula, in Kadapa district. Thousands of
Manmohan Singh
PM Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi console Vijaya Lakshmi, wife of Andhra CM Rajasekhar Reddy, in Hyderabad. (PTI Photo)
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mourners gathered to pay their last respects to their beloved leader.

YSR, who died in a chopper crash Wednesday, was buried at his family estate Edupulapaya in Pulivendula town by the side of his parents. This estate was the place he loved the most. The lush green family estate spread over 100 acres is located 40 km from Pulivendula town.

The late Andhra CM stayed at the estate during his every visit to Kadapa district and inquired about various plantations in the estate.

The estate, owned by YSR's family for over three decades, was at the centre of a controversy as opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had alleged that the family acquired the land in violation of various regulations. A case filed by a TDP leader is pending in the court, according to IANS.

YSR’s body was flown on Friday afternoon to Pulivendula for burial. The body was flown in an army helicopter from Begumpet airport here after thousands of people paid their last respects at the L S Stadium in Hyderabad.

There was an outpouring of grief across Andhra Pradesh on Friday with much of the state shutting down to mourn the late chief minister, whose funeral cortege snaked its way through surging crowds from his home in Hyderabad to the stadium where national leaders and people lined up to pay homage.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi were among the many leaders who flew in from New Delhi to condole the death of the chief minister, whose body was found in the forests of Nallamala on Thursday, a day after his helicopter had crashed.

That YSR, as the chief minister was popularly known, was one of the Congress' most powerful leaders was underscored by reports that 67 people had died in the state - either out of shock or by committing suicide - after hearing about the death.

Accompanied by several central ministers, Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi laid wreaths on the body placed in his residence and camp office in Begumpet. They met the late leader's wife Vijayalakshmi, son Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who issued an appeal asking people not to commit suicide, and daughter Sharmila.

From the camp office, the body of YSR was taken to the Congress headquarters Gandhi Bhavan to enable party leaders to pay respect and from there to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, six kilometres away, where he had been sworn in for a second term in office only four months ago.

Y S Rajasekhara Reddy had taken oath as chief minister for a second term on May 20 in this stadium where his body was now brought to enable people to pay their last respects.

Andhra Pradesh CM YSR Reddy dead in chopper crash

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy has died in an air crash, home minister P Chidambaram has formally announced.

"We are in deep mourning," the home minister said, describing YSR, who led the Congress to a spectacular election victory in May this year, as "a tall leader". ( Watch Video )

"... We send our condolences to the families of YSR and the other four (who died in the helicopter crash)." ( Watch Video )

The bodies of 60-year-old Reddy, his special secretary P Subramanyam, chief security officer A S C Wesley, pilot Group Captain S K Bhatia and co-pilot M S Reddy were found on Rudrakonda Hill, 40 nautical miles east of here, besides the mangled remains of the helicopter. ( Watch Video )

YSR's mortal remains are being flown to Kurnool General Hospital. After a postmortem there, they will be brought to Hyderabad, state government sources said.

Big crowds have gathered outside the state secretariat and YSR's residence. As Thursday is also the day for the immersion of Ganesh idols at the end of the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations and there is a huge traffic dislocation in the city, cops are finding it difficult to manage the situation.

The central leadership of the Congress is understood to have cleared the name of Andhra Pradesh finance minister K Rosaiah as the caretaker CM of the state.

The Union Cabinet is meeting to discuss the matter.

The helicopter carrying YSR Reddy, two of his staff and two pilots went missing in pouring rain Wednesday morning over the Naxal and tiger-infested Nalamalla forests.

Nearly 24 hours after YSR's chopper went missing, it was located atop Serai Salem hill, at a distance 40 nautical miles (70 kms) east of Kurnool.

The CM left Hyderabad on a six-seater Bell chopper at 8.35am for Chittoor accompanied by his secretary and chief security officer. After 9.27am, radio contact was lost with the helicopter.

Soon after the chopper lost contact, multiple agencies of the state launched a massive hunt for possible wreckage in the desolate terrain. By evening, it expanded into the country's biggest-ever search operation with satellites in the sky joining remote sensing aircraft, fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles, troops on the ground and even barefoot deer-hunting tribals with bows and arrows.

Andhra Pradesh CM's dies in chopper crash

Prime Ministers Office declared on Thursday that Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy died in an air crash.

The helicopter carrying YSR Reddy, two of his staff and two pilots went missing in pouring rain Wednesday morning over the Naxal and tiger-infested Nalamalla forests.

Five bodies were been found at the site where Andhra Pradesh chief minister YSR Reddy chopper’s wreckage has been traced.

The government on Thursday confirmed that Nearly 24 hours after YSR's chopper went missing, it was located atop Serai Salem hill, at a distance 40 nautical miles (70 kms) east of Kurnool.

The CM left Hyderabad on a six-seater Bell chopper at 8.35am for Chittoor accompanied by his secretary and chief security officer. After 9.27am, radio contact was lost with the helicopter.

Soon after the chopper lost contact, multiple agencies of the state launched a massive hunt for possible wreckage in the desolate terrain. By evening, it expanded into the country's biggest-ever search operation with satellites in the sky joining remote sensing aircraft, fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles, troops on the ground and even barefoot deer-hunting tribals with bows and arrows.

News about Clijsters cruises into Round 2

Former champion Kim Clijsters reached the second round at the US Open on Monday with a 58-minute, 6-1, 6-1 win over Viktoriya Kutuzova of Ukraine.
It was the Belgian player’s first match at Flushing Meadows since she defeated Mary Pierce in straight sets in the 2005 final.
She was unable to defend her title the following year and then retired from the game in May, 2007 to marry and have a baby, only returning to action earlier this month.
The 26-year-old former world number one, playing in the first game on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court, got off to a storming start by winning the first seven points against her 21-year-old opponent.
Unseeded Clijsters then edged a marathon third game on serve to open a 3-0 lead and broke again with Kutuzova serving up a double fault at 15-40 on break point.
The Ukranian finally got on the scoreboard by holding serve in the sixth game but Clijsters then easily won the next game to take the set.
She then opened up a 2-0 lead in the second and broke again in the fifth game to lead 4-1 as her heavy hitting down both flanks left Kutuzova helpless.
Clijsters ran off eight points in a row against a demoralised opponent to smoothly move into the second round.
“It was nice to come out here on centre court and open the tournament, as I didn’t get to do so as defending champion a few years ago,” said Clijsters.
“I’m glad I won in two sets without wasting too much energy. I had a few butterflies, more than I normally do,” the former champion said.
The win was the sixth for Clijsters against two losses since she launched her comeback and moved her forward to a potential second round clash against French 14th seed Marion Bartoli, whom she beat in straight sets in her first match back in Cincinnati.
Eighth seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus also advanced to the second round with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Romania’s Alexandra Dulgheru.
The 20-year-old right-hander will next face the winner of a later match between two qualifiers, Poland’s Marta Domachowska and Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova. Azarenka could face US third seed Venus Williams in a quarterfinal matchup on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts at the year’s final Grand Slam event.

Transformers' director announces another sci-fi franchise

"Transformers" director Michael Bay has lined up his next sci-fi franchise.

Based on a collection of novels written by author James Frey, Bay's production company has picked up the rights to "I Am Number Four", the first in a series of six books about nine aliens who escape to earth before their planet is destroyed, reports imdb.com.

The movie, which has potential to turn into a multi-part series, follows one particular alien who takes the form of a high school student.

The third instalment in the "Transformers" trilogy is yet to come.




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