UNSEEDED Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine beat Marcos Baghdatis in three sets 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(4) in the quarter-finals of the ATP World Tour 250 Pilot Pen Tennis in New Haven early yesterday morning Cyprus time.
Stakhovsky broke Baghdatis’ serve to take a 4-3 lead in the decider, but then conceded the lead as he dropped his serve in the next game. In the tie-break he raced out to a 5-1 lead and succeeded in closing out the match after two hours and 22 minutes. The top-seeded Cypriot managed to convert only three of his 15 break-point opportunities... 1 comment

A WEEK that began with so much potential for success ended in gallant failure all round as Cyprus’ three remaining Europa League teams all succumbed to their respective opponents. APOEL forced Spanish side Getafe to extra time at GSP on Thursday but were defeated 2-1 on aggregate after a late goal from the Spaniards. Similarly, Omonia earned a highly creditable 2-2 draw away in Ukraine against Metalist Kharkiv, losing out 3-2 overall. This came after Anorthosis crashed out on Tuesday night, suffering an overwhelming 6-1 aggregate defeat at the hands of Russian giants CSKA Moscow. The series of disappointing results means that Cyprus will be completely unrepresented in European competitions this season – failing to live up to the success of the last two years... Read on

CYPRIOT tennis player Marcos Baghdatis, beat world number one Raphael Nadal, 2-1 sets in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati, Ohio Masters Tournament.
Baghdatis won the first set 6-4, lost the second 4-6 and won the third 6-4.
Nadal was well below his best against an inspired Baghdatis, whose big serve was on full power - he blasted 18 aces while the Spaniard could manage just four.
The match turned decisively in favor of Baghdatis, who had lost all six previous meetings with Nadal when the Spaniard double-faulted at break point with the game at 4-4 in the third... 4 comments

MARCOS Baghdatis defeated the seventh seeded Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic 7-5, 6-4 in the third round of the ATP World Tour Masters Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati late Thursday night Cyprus time.
This was second win over a Top 10 player in the last three weeks for Baghdatis who now improved to a 34-19 record this season, reaching the quarterfinals of an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament for the first time since 2007 and the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris... 1 comment

PFC CSKA Moscow hit four without reply past Anorthosis Ammochostos in the Russian capital despite Vágner Love missing a late penalty, Getafe CF topped APOEL FC 1-0 at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, while the Ukrainian side FC Metalist Kharkiv beat AC Omonoia 1-0 at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League play-offs on Thursday night.
The Russians were inspired by the Ivory Coast forward Seydou Doumbia who scored twice in the first half and the Serbian winger Zoran Toši? who netted two more goals after the interval. The Cypriot team had their goalkeeper Marcos Argüello sent off in 77th minute and a penalty against them, but the substitute goalkeeper Matúš Kozá?ík denied Love from the spot... Read on

MARCOS Baghdatis overcame a tough challenge in the promising Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(4) in the second round of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati late Tuesday night Cyprus time.
The Cypriot number one should have finished off the stubborn Bellucci in two sets, but he managed to gamble away a 4-2 lead in the second set and was forced to a third-set tie-break in the match that lasted two hours and seven minutes on the Grandstand... Read on

PAVEL Slezak scored 17 points as Czech Republic trounced Cyprus 93-50 in the second game of the FIBA EuroBasket 2011 Division B Group C Qualifications on Tuesday night in Decin.
After suffering a narrow loss to Switzerland in Nicosia last Saturday the Cypriots had an absolutely horrendous offensive display ahead of 1200 spectators in Decin as they failed to score more than 14 points in any of the quarter, while shooting poor a 42.1 percent from the charity stripe... Read on

MARCOS Baghdatis upset the World’s No. 12 Marin Cilic of Croatia 6-4, 7-5 in the first round of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati early yesterday morning Cyprus time.
In the first match of the event’s main draw Baghdatis and Cilic kept the proceedings exciting despite the Cypriot’s straight sets victory. The Limassol native fought off three break points in his opening service game and saved another one later in the opener to eventually clinch the first set at 6-4 making his single break of serve count... Read on

MARCOS Baghdatis has been sent packing from the Toronto Masters, beaten 5-7, 6-2, 6-7 by Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in the opening round in the early hours of yesterday morning
The Cypriot had been in great form leading up to the tournament, reaching the final of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington on Sunday, where he lost to David Nalbandian.
In Toronto however, Baghdatis struggled to find a period of sustained momentum, allowing big-hitting Chardy to unleash some massive forehands and secure victory after more than two-and-a-half hours of play.
Baghdatis was cautious in the opening set, anticipating that Chardy would make unforced errors as he was visibly nervous at the beginning of the match... 4 comments

Greece's national basketball team won the Love Cyprus Basketball Tournament on Sunday, beating Croatia 90-81.
At the Tournament, which was held at the ''Tassos Papadopoulos - Eleftheria'' stadium in Nicosia and at the “Spyros Kyprianou” arena in Limassol, Greece won all three games it played.
On Sunday, Germany beat Russia 76-73 and took second place.
The Tournament ended with Greece first, Germany second, Croatia third and Russia fourth... Read on