A capsule look at the year's second Grand Slam event in tennis.
French Open
A look at the French Open tennis tournament:
Schedule: The tournament is 15 days, with play beginning today. The women's singles final is June 6; the men's singles final is June 7.
2008 men's singles champion: Rafael Nadal of Spain.
2008 women's singles champion: Ana Ivanovic of Serbia.
Last year: Nadal beat Roger Federer, 6-1, 6-3, 6-0, in the final, the most lopsided Grand Slam loss of Federer's career. Ivanovic won her first major title to briefly rise to No. 1 in the rankings.
Key statistic: 28-0 -- Nadal's career record at Roland Garros. He is trying to become the first man to win the French Open five years in a row.
Prize money: At the current exchange rate, the total is about $21.8 million, with about $1.4 million each to the men's and women's singles champions.
TV: ESPN2, Tennis Channel, Channel 4.
On the Web: http://www.rolandgarros.com/en--FR/index.html
Source: Associated Press
Originally Posted on www.latimes.com
Sunday, 24 May 2009
Saturday, 23 May 2009
Loss galvanizes Cavaliers
This article was posted by Doug Doughty on www.roanoke.com
As Virginia's players and coaches prepare for the men's lacrosse Final Four, Will Barrow is never far from their thoughts. In fact, they want to be reminded of him, hence the team T-shirts that bear the expression, "Just the boys."
It's a saying that many associate with Barrow, a co-captain for the Cavaliers' team that reached the Division I men's lacrosse semifinals in 2008.
"It's a term that morphed into a rallying cry for the team," said Max Pomper, one of UVa's co-captains this year. "When everything hit the fan, all we had was each other. When the going gets tough, it's just about us, just about the boys.
"If anyone coined the phrase, it was probably Will."
Barrow would not have been a member of this year's team. He completed his eligibility last year, but he was around the team in the fall and was living in Charlottesville when he took his life Nov. 22.
"We lost one of our best friends and we still think about him every day," said Pomper, who was on the same midfield unit as Barrow. "We loved him like a brother. We don't really have to say much to get fired up for games. We're playing for Will now."
Top-seeded Virginia (15-2) has returned to the Division I men's lacrosse final in Foxborough, Mass., where the Cavaliers will meet fifth-seeded Cornell (12-3) this afternoon at 2:30. Third-seeded Duke (15-3) and No. 2 Syracuse (14-2) will play at noon in the first semifinal.
Syracuse defeated Virginia in a 2008 semifinal that featured a breathtaking individual effort by Barrow, who absorbed multiple checks while spinning his way through the Orange defense for a second-period goal.
"I've seen the highlight plenty of times," said UVa coach Dom Starsia said, who is in his mid-50s. "It's one of the really, really remarkable plays I've ever seen made in our sport.
"When we're doing our scouting sessions, we're always referencing back to previous games with our opponents and I told our team before our first game, 'Be prepared to see Will on the screen, fellas. If we need to talk about it, let's talk about it, but we're not going to be able to avoid it.'
"It's always sort of bubbled just below the surface, not necessarily in a bad way. It's always there with us."
From the moment that the 2008 season ended, Virginia was viewed as one of the favorites for 2009, but the UVa men's lacrosse family has been through a lot.
Matt Poskay, an All-America midfielder on the UVa team that won the 2006 national championship, recently was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Chris Sanderson, goalie for the Cavaliers' 1997 national championship team, is dealing with a brain tumor.
"It's been a tumultuous year, but Will's thing is very, very real for kids this age to have to deal with," Starsia said. "Imagine if you lived next door and a friend of yours hung himself in his room. It's kind of unfathomable in a lot of ways."
The obvious question is, "Why?" But, the players don't ask.
"Not really," Pomper said. "We've moved past that. More than anything, it kind of brought us all together and told us how special this program is and how much we care for each other. Coach Starsia was a big help in keeping us together, 40 of us with all different personalities."
Barrow's first name is embroidered on the sleeves of UVa's game jerseys, but the tribute has been intentionally understated.
"I wasn't completely comfortable with having a big sign on our chests," said Starsia, who was voted into the lacrosse hall of fame this year.
"Parents have to explain these things to kids and I said, 'Hey, look, I would prefer that we low-key this the rest of the way and maybe we'll do something at the end of the year.' I don't think we're throwing it up in somebody's face."
Virginia has a tradition before each of its games in which a senior addresses the team, sometimes reading from notes that run a page or more. Invariably, said Starsia, this year's seniors mentioned Barrow.
"We're both from Long Island," said Pomper, son of former Roanoke College lacrosse standout Bruce Pomper, a member of the Maroons' 1978 national championship team. "When I was being recruited here, Will was one of the guys I stayed with on my official visit.
"We started alongside each other for three years. Basically every memory I have on the lacrosse field involves Will."
During one stretch at midseason, Virginia won three straight games by one goal, including a seven-overtime affair against Maryland, and the Cavaliers are 4-0 in one-goal games for the season. However, they were hammered in a pair of late-season losses to Duke (15-10 and 16-5) and Starsia wondered if his team had any more to give.
The Cavaliers didn't play for 16 days following a loss to Duke in the first round of the ACC tournament, then came back and blew out Villanova and Johns Hopkins in NCAA games, 18-6 and 19-8.
"We kind of felt a well of emotion here at the end that's picked us up a little bit," Starsia said.
Barrow is with them in spirit.
"That's definitely the case," Starsia said. "Not to be melodramatic, but there were so many life lessons there -- how short life is, those sort of things. It's there when you try to get kids to wake up and smell the coffee a little bit. You never know when this thing can be snatched away from you."
As Virginia's players and coaches prepare for the men's lacrosse Final Four, Will Barrow is never far from their thoughts. In fact, they want to be reminded of him, hence the team T-shirts that bear the expression, "Just the boys."
It's a saying that many associate with Barrow, a co-captain for the Cavaliers' team that reached the Division I men's lacrosse semifinals in 2008.
"It's a term that morphed into a rallying cry for the team," said Max Pomper, one of UVa's co-captains this year. "When everything hit the fan, all we had was each other. When the going gets tough, it's just about us, just about the boys.
"If anyone coined the phrase, it was probably Will."
Barrow would not have been a member of this year's team. He completed his eligibility last year, but he was around the team in the fall and was living in Charlottesville when he took his life Nov. 22.
"We lost one of our best friends and we still think about him every day," said Pomper, who was on the same midfield unit as Barrow. "We loved him like a brother. We don't really have to say much to get fired up for games. We're playing for Will now."
Top-seeded Virginia (15-2) has returned to the Division I men's lacrosse final in Foxborough, Mass., where the Cavaliers will meet fifth-seeded Cornell (12-3) this afternoon at 2:30. Third-seeded Duke (15-3) and No. 2 Syracuse (14-2) will play at noon in the first semifinal.
Syracuse defeated Virginia in a 2008 semifinal that featured a breathtaking individual effort by Barrow, who absorbed multiple checks while spinning his way through the Orange defense for a second-period goal.
"I've seen the highlight plenty of times," said UVa coach Dom Starsia said, who is in his mid-50s. "It's one of the really, really remarkable plays I've ever seen made in our sport.
"When we're doing our scouting sessions, we're always referencing back to previous games with our opponents and I told our team before our first game, 'Be prepared to see Will on the screen, fellas. If we need to talk about it, let's talk about it, but we're not going to be able to avoid it.'
"It's always sort of bubbled just below the surface, not necessarily in a bad way. It's always there with us."
From the moment that the 2008 season ended, Virginia was viewed as one of the favorites for 2009, but the UVa men's lacrosse family has been through a lot.
Matt Poskay, an All-America midfielder on the UVa team that won the 2006 national championship, recently was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Chris Sanderson, goalie for the Cavaliers' 1997 national championship team, is dealing with a brain tumor.
"It's been a tumultuous year, but Will's thing is very, very real for kids this age to have to deal with," Starsia said. "Imagine if you lived next door and a friend of yours hung himself in his room. It's kind of unfathomable in a lot of ways."
The obvious question is, "Why?" But, the players don't ask.
"Not really," Pomper said. "We've moved past that. More than anything, it kind of brought us all together and told us how special this program is and how much we care for each other. Coach Starsia was a big help in keeping us together, 40 of us with all different personalities."
Barrow's first name is embroidered on the sleeves of UVa's game jerseys, but the tribute has been intentionally understated.
"I wasn't completely comfortable with having a big sign on our chests," said Starsia, who was voted into the lacrosse hall of fame this year.
"Parents have to explain these things to kids and I said, 'Hey, look, I would prefer that we low-key this the rest of the way and maybe we'll do something at the end of the year.' I don't think we're throwing it up in somebody's face."
Virginia has a tradition before each of its games in which a senior addresses the team, sometimes reading from notes that run a page or more. Invariably, said Starsia, this year's seniors mentioned Barrow.
"We're both from Long Island," said Pomper, son of former Roanoke College lacrosse standout Bruce Pomper, a member of the Maroons' 1978 national championship team. "When I was being recruited here, Will was one of the guys I stayed with on my official visit.
"We started alongside each other for three years. Basically every memory I have on the lacrosse field involves Will."
During one stretch at midseason, Virginia won three straight games by one goal, including a seven-overtime affair against Maryland, and the Cavaliers are 4-0 in one-goal games for the season. However, they were hammered in a pair of late-season losses to Duke (15-10 and 16-5) and Starsia wondered if his team had any more to give.
The Cavaliers didn't play for 16 days following a loss to Duke in the first round of the ACC tournament, then came back and blew out Villanova and Johns Hopkins in NCAA games, 18-6 and 19-8.
"We kind of felt a well of emotion here at the end that's picked us up a little bit," Starsia said.
Barrow is with them in spirit.
"That's definitely the case," Starsia said. "Not to be melodramatic, but there were so many life lessons there -- how short life is, those sort of things. It's there when you try to get kids to wake up and smell the coffee a little bit. You never know when this thing can be snatched away from you."
Walk-off home run ends Red Demon baseball season
This article was posted by Keith Jenkins at dodgeglobe.com
MAIZE — For the second year in a row, the Wichita North Redskins put an end to the Dodge High Red Demons baseball team's season.
Last year, the Demons lost to the Redskins in the Class 6A regional final, and on Wednesday Wichita North rallied late to once again defeat Dodge City 6-3 in the first round of the regional tournament.
The game remained scoreless through the first three innings, but in the top of the fourth, third baseman Ernie Fernandez doubled to left center field and later scored on a single by first baseman Laton Dowling to give Dodge a 1-0 advantage.
Dodge's starting pitcher, Ty Thomas, continued to keep the Redskins off the scoreboard through four. But with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Thomas ran into his first bit of trouble, and the Dodge defense failed to back him up.
"He pitched great," Dodge City coach John Neill said of Thomas. "Unfortunately, we made him throw a lot more pitches than he needed to. We had plays that were left out there and it cost us, plain and simple."
With runners on second and third, Thomas got Wichita North second baseman Kord Sanders to hit what looked to be a routine popup between Dowling and second baseman Jeff Castillo. But the ball dropped in, both runners scored and the Redskins took the lead 2-1.
"That was a big one right there," Neill said. "It's one of those plays where the middle infielder's got priority, and he needs to take control there. And he gave up on it, assuming someone else was going to make the play, and when you assume stuff like that, it ain't going to go away."
DCHS bounced back the following inning, however, as Fernandez tagged Wichita North pitcher Skyler Sumner for a solo home run to tie the game at two runs apiece.
In the bottom of the sixth, things continued to unravel for Thomas and the Demons.
Wichita North's Daniel Gilchrist scored from third as DCHS catcher Tyson Carpenter failed to handle the delivery from Thomas. The Redskins once again took a one-run lead.
The Demons tied the game once more in the seventh. Outfielder Keanu Espinoza singled and then stole second for Dodge. Zach Harvey hit the ball to right field, bringing home the tying run with Espinoza. But in an attempt to stretch a single into a double, Harvey was called out at second.
With the game knotted 3-3, Thomas forced Wichita North second baseman Wade Shaw and Sanders to hit it right back to the mound for two quick outs. But then he walked two straight, prompting Neill to bring in sophomore pitcher Cesar Lopez in relief.
Lopez, who started the year on JV, faced one batter — Wichita North outfielder Logan Stevenson — who belted a three-run blast to end the game 6-3. The loss put a close on Dodge's season.
"It was a tough situation, a tough spot to be in," Neill said of Lopez making a relief appearance in the bottom of the seventh in a tie game. "He came in and threw strikes, and that's what we want. The kid (Stevenson) made a great hit, and I tip my hat off to him."
Dodge loses six seniors from this year's team, but Neill said he will rely heavily on those junior starters returning next season to lead the Demons to victory in 2010.
"We're going to need a lot of leadership from our seniors next year," Neill said. "We're going to need them to set the bar at how hard we want to work, and determine from there how good we're going to be."
Reach Keith Jenkins at (620) 408-9909 or e-mail him at keith.jenkins@dodgebglobe.com.
MAIZE — For the second year in a row, the Wichita North Redskins put an end to the Dodge High Red Demons baseball team's season.
Last year, the Demons lost to the Redskins in the Class 6A regional final, and on Wednesday Wichita North rallied late to once again defeat Dodge City 6-3 in the first round of the regional tournament.
The game remained scoreless through the first three innings, but in the top of the fourth, third baseman Ernie Fernandez doubled to left center field and later scored on a single by first baseman Laton Dowling to give Dodge a 1-0 advantage.
Dodge's starting pitcher, Ty Thomas, continued to keep the Redskins off the scoreboard through four. But with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Thomas ran into his first bit of trouble, and the Dodge defense failed to back him up.
"He pitched great," Dodge City coach John Neill said of Thomas. "Unfortunately, we made him throw a lot more pitches than he needed to. We had plays that were left out there and it cost us, plain and simple."
With runners on second and third, Thomas got Wichita North second baseman Kord Sanders to hit what looked to be a routine popup between Dowling and second baseman Jeff Castillo. But the ball dropped in, both runners scored and the Redskins took the lead 2-1.
"That was a big one right there," Neill said. "It's one of those plays where the middle infielder's got priority, and he needs to take control there. And he gave up on it, assuming someone else was going to make the play, and when you assume stuff like that, it ain't going to go away."
DCHS bounced back the following inning, however, as Fernandez tagged Wichita North pitcher Skyler Sumner for a solo home run to tie the game at two runs apiece.
In the bottom of the sixth, things continued to unravel for Thomas and the Demons.
Wichita North's Daniel Gilchrist scored from third as DCHS catcher Tyson Carpenter failed to handle the delivery from Thomas. The Redskins once again took a one-run lead.
The Demons tied the game once more in the seventh. Outfielder Keanu Espinoza singled and then stole second for Dodge. Zach Harvey hit the ball to right field, bringing home the tying run with Espinoza. But in an attempt to stretch a single into a double, Harvey was called out at second.
With the game knotted 3-3, Thomas forced Wichita North second baseman Wade Shaw and Sanders to hit it right back to the mound for two quick outs. But then he walked two straight, prompting Neill to bring in sophomore pitcher Cesar Lopez in relief.
Lopez, who started the year on JV, faced one batter — Wichita North outfielder Logan Stevenson — who belted a three-run blast to end the game 6-3. The loss put a close on Dodge's season.
"It was a tough situation, a tough spot to be in," Neill said of Lopez making a relief appearance in the bottom of the seventh in a tie game. "He came in and threw strikes, and that's what we want. The kid (Stevenson) made a great hit, and I tip my hat off to him."
Dodge loses six seniors from this year's team, but Neill said he will rely heavily on those junior starters returning next season to lead the Demons to victory in 2010.
"We're going to need a lot of leadership from our seniors next year," Neill said. "We're going to need them to set the bar at how hard we want to work, and determine from there how good we're going to be."
Reach Keith Jenkins at (620) 408-9909 or e-mail him at keith.jenkins@dodgebglobe.com.
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