Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/378361
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 10 SEPTEMBER 2014 Sport 22 TENNIS POWERBOAT RACING SNOOKER CRICKET Murray falls out of top 10 DUE to Marin Cilic's shock victory at the US Open, Murray drops to 11th in the latest ranking list. Cilic, who beat Kei Nishikori in straight sets in Monday's final in New York, climbs to ninth, equal- ling his career-high ranking. Nishikori is up to number eight in the ATP list as a result of his run at Flushing Meadows, which included a semi-final victory over Novak Djokovic. Despite the two shock finalists – the final was the first in almost 10 years not to feature one of the game's Big Four of Djokovic, Murray, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal – the new ranking list has a familiar look to it. Djokovic remains number one ahead of Nadal, who missed the US Open due to injury but is due to re- turn to action before the end of the month. Federer stays third with his Swiss compatriot Stan Wawrinka fourth. The good news for Murray, who lost to Djokovic in the last eight last week, is that he has no rank- ing points to defend for the rest of the year as he missed the end of the 2013 season after undergoing back surgery. That will give him hope of climb- ing back into the top eight in order to qualify for the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London. However, Cilic's win in New York makes that task harder thanks to a little-known ATP rule. As a Grand Slam champion, Cilic will play in London as long as he finishes in the top 20, something which is almost certain now. So if the Croatian fails to finish in the top eight, Murray will require a top-sev- en spot if he wants to feature at the O2 Arena in November. In the post-US Open WTA rank- ings, Serena Williams remains world number one after successfully defending her title in New York. Beaten finalist Caroline Wozniacki climbs from 11th to ninth, while British number one Heather Watson slips one place to 47th following a disappointing first-round exit. Andy Murray Marsa fight back to level series OVER the weekend the Marsa C.C took on new touring team Emperor's C.C in a two game series. On Saturday the home team won the toss and elected to bat, unfor- tunately for them they were bowled out for 153 runs in the twenty sixth over. Had it not been for the way- ward bowling which included forty three wides, the Marsa team would have been in very deep water. Ron- nie Sacco was a shining light with the bat scoring thirty eight runs. Tony Azzopardi scored thirty runs and Ramadeep Singh seventeen runs. For the Emperor's Jay Umar took three wickets, Charles Andy took two , while Gary Calvocoressi, John Wilkes-Green, N.Waller and Joe Crame all took a wicket each. In reply the visitors smashed their way to victory and in nineteen overs. Joe Crame opening the innings was ex- ceptional and unstoppable with sixty seven runs not out which included five fours and two sixes. J.Wilke- Green batting at number five made thirty five runs from seventeen balls which included five fours and a six. A great effort from the visitors. For Marsa Tony Azzopardi, Simon Lav- endar and Sarfraz Ali took a wicket each. Emperor's take a one nil lead in the series. On Sunday the visitors won the toss and they elected too bat first after the great batting of the day before. As in the previous day the first batting team was bowled out , this time in the thirty fifth over. The Emperor's score was more formidable, that of 182 runs. Five of their batsmen had good starts, N.Waller (twenty five runs), A.Greenfield (twenty two runs), J.Wilkes-Green (thirty four runs), C.Bennet (twenty two not out) and D.Crame (forty runs), un- fortunately none went on to greater scores. For Marsa, the experience of Tony Slater had him take three wick- ets while junior Ali Hamza took two. Mike Caruana, Malcolm Crabbe and Sumair Khan took a wicket each. All was now in the hands of the Marsa batsmen to make the runs and level the series. A fantastic opening stand of fifty four runs between Nowell Khosla (thirty five runs) and Bikram Arora (thirty runs) had the team of to a flyer. Then a fourth wicket partner- ship of seventy seven runs from John Grima (forty seven runs not out) and Frank Spiteri (forty two runs) put the home team in a winning position. Once Spiteri's wicket fell the home team lost a further three wickets before Grima sealed the game with a boundary. The Marsa team level the series. For the Emperor's J.Wilke- Green took four wickets while G.Calvocoressi and C.Bennet took a wicket each. Next Friday and Saturday the Mar- sa team take on new touring team Crouchend C.C. Emperor's C.C Team Chaudron wins 1st Leg of The UIM ClassOne Worlds Higgins out, Williams through in Shanghai THE Maltese legend of Aaron Ciantar and Chaudron Powerboats continued to show its greatness this weekend on the first leg of the 2014 UIM Class One World Powerboat Champion- ship widely regarded as the pinnacle of international offshore powerboat racing. Team Chaudron (Malta) with Aar- on Ciantar retaining his traditional driver's role and the French Corsica man Dominique Martini featuring as throttle-man won Class One V1 at the Ibiza weekend following a 3rd placing yesterday and a 1st place today. The Team also established the best lap timing of the weekend. Last weekend's "Mediterranean Grand Prix 2014" hosted in Ibiza Spain is the first of three meetings making up the 2014 Worlds, organised by H2O Racing under the auspices of the Union Internationale Motonau- tique (UIM). The 2014 Calendar now continues with the second chal- lenge scheduled for the 17th and 19th October in Terracina Italy with Abu Dhabi hosting the U.A.E. Grand Prix between the 29th and 30th November definitely pledging a grand finale to a spectacular Championship. Team Chaudron boat is the 13- metre Chaudron Canopy 41 which had its last international victory in November 2011 at the 31st Key West World Championship in the United States – the ex-Ukrainian Spirit. The twin 800hp inboard engines' boat – a World Champion - now flies the Mal- ta flag. Team Chaudron - on the 13-metre Chaudron Canopy 41 model – making a victorious debut at the2014 UIM ClassOne World Powerboat Championship (Photo: Roberto Runza) JOHN Higgins was blown away in the final three frames as he was beaten 5-4 by Ryan Day in the opening round of the Shanghai Masters. The Scottish former world cham- pion seemed in control of the match, having cruised to a 4-2 lead - though Day had showed some f lu- ent potting with breaks of 70 and 78 to stay in the match. And Day then found an extra gear to overturn the deficit, winning the final three frames in a row with breaks of 55, 102 and 77 to earn a second-round match against either Neil Robertson or Michael White. Mark Williams made it safely into the second round after edging Barry Hawkins 5-4 in a similarly hard-fought match. The players split the first six frames of the match, and though Williams took a scrappy seventh on the black Day hit back with a break of 144 to force a decider. It was the Welshman who held his nerve, however, eking out another hard-fought frame to put himself into the last 16.