WTA Tennis- Sharapova Won Title in Tokyo after 10-Months Away

by Ally White

Former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova finally (re-)experienced success after a 10-month layoff from tennis. The unseeded Sharapova took the title at Saturday's Pan Pacific Open final after 7th-seed Jelena Jankovic retired in the first set due to a wrist injury. Her withdrawal did not, however, bring joy to Sharapova, who wanted to win the final through her own efforts. Nevertheless, the Russian understood the need for withdrawal; the tennis star had had surgery on her should last October, not returning to tennis until May.
The title is Sharapova's first since her surgery and the 20th of her career. Her last title was attained in April of 2008 at Amelia Island.

Sharapova got off to a rough start; the Servian Janovik began strong, breaking her Russian opponent's serve and taking a 2-0 lead. Sharapova, however, rallied and took the next four games. By the time Jankovic took a timeout to have her right arm examined by her trainer, Sharapova had taken the lead in the first match 5-2. The Serb managed just two more points after the medical timeout before deciding to withdraw.

After Jankovic left the court, Sharapova expressed her disappointment but nonetheless hoped for the Serb's quick recovery.

"It was a tough start today. Jelena started off so strong. It's disappointing. It's toward the end of the year and there are a lot of injuries so I wish Jelena a speedy recovery. It was my second final of the year and I was a bit nervous. But I played well enough this week to know I could give her a good match. I just wanted to keep fighting out there and unfortunately Jelena had to stop," said the Russian.

Tokyo is the place in where the 22-year-old Russian attained her first WTA singles and doubles titles, at the 2003 Japan Open.

With this most recent victory, Sharapova is looking forward to her last event of the season at the Beijing tournament, where she hopes to play in top form. After Beijing, Sharapova will prepare herself for the offseason, during which she will train even harder for a strong 2010 performance.

"I have one more tournament left in Beijing. During the off-season, I'll be training and working on my game. It's going to be really a good time for me to create a good base. Actually I have a good enough time to prepare for the next year. I'm really looking forward to the period," Sharapove said.

Jankovic, on the other hand, will try to rehabilitate her arm before the Beijing tournament, but also said that her entry would depend on her doctor's advice. If a short-term recovery becomes unlikely, she will prepare herself for the offseason.

The best of luck to these two great tennis players; hopefully both players will be able to demonstrate their great superb athletic skills at Beijing and prepare for an even better year next season.

About the Author
Ally White is a top senior copy writer for the international tennis championships as well as the top ranking sportsbetting:www.instantactionsports.com/uk Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.

2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics: Was it a Good Choice?

by Simon Lowenstein

The 2016 Summer Olympics have been awarded to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, over Chicago in the United States, Tokyo in Japan, and Madrid in Spain. Many viewed Rio as the favorite to become the host of the 2016 Olympic Games, since the Olympics have never been held in South America; Rio is also a cosmopolitan city host to many cultural events such as the Brazilian Carnival, or "Carnaval", a yearly celebration of culture where people wear costumes and have a massive block party. It also helps that Brazil is emerging as a world power, economically and politically, which certainly helped Rio's cause in the race to be the host city of the 2016 Summer Olympics. But was Rio De Janeiro a good choice? There are reasons why it was, and a few good reasons why it probably will be risky. But all in all, since South America has never played host to the Olympics, it probably was time for them to join the party.

With an ethnically diverse population of over 6 million inhabitants, Rio de Janeiro is Brazil's second largest city, only to Sao Paulo. Despite it being the second largest city, Rio is actually considered to be Brazil's cultural capital, since it is home to a multitude of museums such as the Quinta da Boa Vista, and libraries, and its buildings are heavily influenced by Portuguese, English, and French architecture. Rio is also home to the Brazilian Carnival, or "Carnaval", an annual showcase of costumes and Brazilian music and dance that draws millions of visitors worldwide. In addition, the city is rich in athletic tradition, home to numerous football (soccer) teams, including Flamengo, one of the best-supported football (soccer) clubs in the world, according to FIFA. Brazil as a whole also boasts an impressive list of popular figures, including esteemed author Paulo Coelho, Pele, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Ronaldinho.

Detractors point out that Rio de Janeiro's serious problems with crime, drugs, and poverty are reasons why the Olympics could be a risky proposition. It is known as one the most dangerous cities in South America and the world, with a poor police force and drug lords that are known to rule the poor areas. Since the event draws spectators from all over the world, a strong police force would obviously be needed to prevent crimes that could become a problem. Of course, Rio has 7 years to rectify these problems, but relatively speaking, that's not a very large amount of time. Chicago, Tokyo, and Madrid, the three other cities bidding for the 2016 Olympic Games, are located in better-developed countries with much better infrastructure, which is why many are surprised Rio de Janeiro was awarded the games.

In conclusion, it is safe to say that despite its downfalls, the time has come for South America to host an Olympic Games. As one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, located in a country that is on its way to becoming an international power, Rio de Janeiro is certainly deserving of hosting the 2016 Olympic Games. However, there are quite a few people who are upset over the selection. If you feel the need to vent about it, check out the "Sports" section over at Ventnation.com - a new website that allows individuals to share their innermost, truest feelings about a variety of topics. No matter what your feelings are about Rio being awarded in 2016 Olympic Games, the truth is that it will be the chance for Brazil to showcase its progress to the world.

About the Author
Representative at Ventnation.com, the Internet's premier destination for individuals wishing to vent their innermost thoughts and feelings.

Football spread betting

by Harry

Football has now become the most bet on sport in the world. This is basically down to the excitement and action it brings which has given rise to it's popularity in almost every, if not all countries across the globe.
When they think of betting, most people think of traditional fixed odds betting where you bet your stake on the odds given for a particular market and then your winnings are calculate from the stake multiplied by these odds.

For example, if Manchester United are listed to win against Everton at 1.5 to 1, then for every £1 you bet you will get £1.5 back. Manchester United are favourites here with Everton listed at 5.5 to 1 for the win. Because United are favourites the odds are low and you don't get much back if they win.

Spread betting acts to make each site of the market more equal. When you spread bet you will see a set of two numbers like this: SELL 60 - 65 BUY. You are basically betting on if you think you think the actual result will fall higher or lower than this 'spread'. For every point/unit the actual result move away from the spread number that you bet on you will win your stake multiplied by the amount the spread moves.

We can use an example with football spread betting. For a football match you might see a spread for total goals in a match like this: SELL 2.8 - 3 BUY.

If you think there will be more than 3 goals in the match then you should BUY. Lets say £10 per goal for this example.

If the match then finishes with 5 goals you would have won £20.

Here are the calculations: 5 goals - 3 that you bought at = 2 goals. 2 goals multiplied by £10 per goal = £20 profit.

If the match only finished with 1 goal then you would lose £20

Here are the calculations: 1 goal - 3 that you bought at = -2 goals -2 goals multiplied by £10 per goal = -£20

If you thought before the match that there would be less than 3 goals, the you would have selected SELL at 2.8. The same calculations apply to work out the winnings/loses.

About the Author
We specialise in football spread betting and are here to help as much as possible.

Maradona To Coach Argentina for 2010

by Giorgio Pirelli

He's one of the greatest players in the world and has now taken over as coach of the Argentinean national team. The legendary wearer of the number 10 soccer shirt, Maradona, is back in action for this country. He dreams of winning the FIFA World Cup one more time - this time from the sidelines as he steers his team to victory and makes soccer history... Now, 48 years of age, Maradona is a seasoned man with a look of having been through it all and survived it. Beset by addiction problems, he seems to have fought his demons hard and won over them. He's even cheated death on occasion! As Maradona himself admits, the worst has already happened... His daughter actually pulled him out from the bottom of the sea... His fans and countrymen have every reason to rejoice as he takes the field again to teach the younger lot. After all, who can forget this legend's on pitch skills? Maradona enjoyed the years when he was playing for Argentine the most, but now duty calls, duty to his country, to his team and to himself. A confident Maradona is sure that Argentina will sail through the 2010 World Cup qualifications. He considers coaching his country a dream come true, though explains that he's only had the boys together for about 40 days since he joined. But Maradona being who he is, he plans to make the most of it. He should have all his players together for 20 days before the World Cup and that's when he plans to lay the foundation and work towards becoming world champions. So, if you're an Argentinean fan, get your world cup soccer jerseys ready for the big event in South Africa!

Coach Maradona's strategy for the team is to vigorously press up front, thereby decreasing the space between attack, midfield and defense. And he's quick to point out that when his team loses the ball, it should be on top of the other team right away without losing precious time. Considering Argentina has an enviable possession rate, it needs to make the most of it.

This soccer uniform number 10 is driven by a dream to win the World Cup once again and to meet Nelson Mandela while in South Africa! He fondly remembers the first time he held the World Cup Trophy... He touched it kissed it and wouldn't let go! That according to Maradona is the 'most beautiful thing'. And that's what he's been telling his players - 30 days of sacrifice to win the World Cup are nothing in a man's life... kissing that trophy is like touching the sky...

Which brings us to something else in Maradona's life that makes him feel like he's touching the sky - his grandson. Yes, this legend is a grandfather! And for him, nothing compares to watching his grandchild... Maybe, it's Maradona's turn to live a calm and smooth life after much struggle and adversity. We are with him... Go Diego!

About the Author
Browse through Custom Soccer Uniforms extensive collection of replica soccer kits.

Who Will Win The South Africa World Cup 2010?

by Tim Lefoe

The World Cup 2010 is now only less than a year away with the qualifying campaigns coming to an end soon. Thus, it might be the best time to see who has done well and who might struggle. With the finalised teams to be decided once the playoffs are done, some of the eventual qualifiers could be considered as trophy favourites.
When trying to decide who might have the best chance of becoming champions, one of the first factors to consider would be the World Cup's location. The 2010 edition marks a landmark event as it will be the first time the competition is hosted in Africa. This could be a boost for African teams while those from Europe and the Americas could face travel fatigue.

The same could have been said when the tournament was first held in Asia in 2002. The end result was more of the same as the European and South American teams continued to dominate. But African teams have continued to evolve since then and are now a serious threat to countries from the two main continents in football.

Of those who have already booked their place in the finals, only Spain and Brazil would be considered likely finalists. Spain have continued where they left off after winning Euro 2008 despite a hiccup during the recent Confederations Cup. That minor setback could prove to be a blessing in disguise as the Spanish now know what mistakes to avoid.

Brazil have outlived a difficult early period during Dunga's time in charge and now look increasingly the best team in the world. Their recent win over Argentina signaled their strong intention to run roughshod over the rest of the competition to claim the title. Whenever the Brazilians have managed to marry their natural talent with modern organisation as they are doing now, they have always come out on top.

Apart from these two representatives from each of the dominant continents, there are few who have also caught the eye. England, Holland and Ivory Coast should be the next heavyweights to join Spain and Brazil in the confirmed list of countries. But none of them have shown the consistent and fearsome form that the latter two have brought fans in the past year.

Until the dust settles down with the final group of countries who have guaranteed their place in the finals, the best choice for the likely 2010 World Cup winner would be Brazil. Their current form is hard to ignore and the country continues to produce top football talent. If the manager Dunga can keep his players motivated and at the peak of their powers, there will be few teams who could actually stop them from a date with destiny.

About the Author
Tim Lefoe is a writer with The Soccer Show where news and previews of the latest football matches all over the world are provided. You may also get to watch live football online via the site to keep up with the latest World Cup action.