Sports News
Thursday saw the biggest upset at the Australian Open so far after Czech player Klara Koukalova scored a stunning second-round defeat of 6th seed Monica Seles, a former four-time Australian Open champion. Koukalova downed the American player in a dramatic three sets, after losing the first in a tie-break. The overall score: 6:7, 7:5, 6:3. It is the unseeded Czech player's first appearance at the Australian Open.
Tennis Update:Seles stunned by Czech new-comer Klara Koukalova at Australian Open
Meanwhile, an equally surprising upset on Thursday, saw the Czech Republic's Radek Stepanek oust Brazil's Gustavo Keurtin in the second round. The match went into a marathon five sets, lasting three hours and 27 minutes. Stepanek won the second, third and deciding set, the overall score-line was 5:7, 6:3, 7:5, 4:6, 6:3. Radek Stepanek is one of the most improved players on the tour, and his defeat of Keurtin, a three-time French Open champion, is one of his best performances ever; six previous visits at the Australian Open had failed to make a mark.
And, finally, 7th seed Jiri Novak just scraped past Belgian player Olivier Rochus in another five-setter that saw the first two sets decided by tie-breaks, the score 7:6, 7:6, 4:6, 4:6, 6:3. Novak, a semi-finalist last year, had trouble defeating an especially active Rochus - the match lasted three hours and 34 minutes.
That leaves only one Czech player not so lucky in second-round action Thursday: Daniela Bedanova went out in an unremarkable match against French player Natalie Dechy. The score: 3:6, 3:6.
Ice Hockey: Straka's goal lifts Penguins over Carolina
Wednesday's results in ice hockey from the NHL: long-time Pittsburgh Penguins player Martin Straka scored the first goal in a 2-0 win against the Carolina Hurricane: Straka scored early, in the 9th minute of the first period, by deflecting a shot behind goalie Kevin Weeks. It is Straka's 14th goal of the season; the other goal in the game was netted by Kent Manderville, who scored in an empty net, after Carolina had pulled their goaltender in the last minute to put on the extra attacker.
The New York Rangers meanwhile, won their bout Wednesday over the Washington Capitals, a game that was decided in overtime by a score of 2 -1. Czech player Radek Dvorak assisted in the game winner, when he rang a shot off the post off the Washington net - the rebound was picked up by team-mate Joel Bouchard who was able to lift an impressive backhander past goalie Olaf Kolzig. Czech star Jaromir Jagr got one assist for Washington, but was otherwise shut down by the New York defence. After the game Jagr complained his team was tired, but credited the Rangers with playing the pressure game.
Finally, in ice hockey, Czech player Jaroslav Bednar assisted on two goals Wednesday that saw the Florida Panthers close out the Boston Bruins by a score of 3 - 0.
Football: Czech Under-21 men's team gets set for Brazil
In football the Czech men's under 21 team is set to open an Olympics selection tournament in Doha, Qatar, against Brazil, the tournament favourites. The Czechs hope they will be able to imitate Norway's success against Brazil, snagging two points in the tournament opener on Tuesday. It will be the first encounter for the Czech team with the Brazilians, since they faced Brazil at the Intercontinental Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 1997.
