In case you were too busy building a moon colony, here’s what you missed this week in the world of sports …
TENNIS — The Australian Open wrapped up this past Sunday. The men’s semifinals consisted of the four top-ranked players (Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray). Federer lost to Nadal in a tight four-set match while Djokovic beat Murray in five sets. The gruelling final match that lasted 5 hours and 53 minutes, the longest final in a major in the open era, ended with Djokovic defending his title. The women’s semifinal saw Victoria Azarenka defeat Kim Clijsters and Maria Sharapova edge out Petra Kvitova. Much was on the line in the final, as the champion would also become the top-ranked women’s player. Azarenka dominated Sharapova in the end with a 6-3, 6-0 match that lasted just over an hour. It was Azarenka’s first win at a major tournament and she is now ranked number one for the first time in her promising career. Former number one Caroline Wozniacki is now ranked number four in the world.
WOMEN’S SOCCER — This past Friday, the Canadian women’s soccer team earned a berth to the 2012 London Olympics by defeating Mexico 3-1 in a critical Olympic qualifying match. Canada, led by their captain Christine Sinclair who scored two goals in the match, will be making their second appearance in the Olympic games. Their previous try came at the last summer Olympics in Beijing, where they finished a disappointing eighth place. This time, however, the team looks stronger and is carrying a lot of momentum after winning gold at the Pan American Games in October. The 2011 season wasn’t all perfect for the women’s team, as disputes between the players and the Canadian Soccer Association over the control of the program dominated much of their year. This clearly hasn’t impeded their drive, as they look hungry and ready for London.
BASEBALL — The MLB offseason started with a bang, with Albert Pujols’ signing with Los Angeles and Yu Darvish bolting for Texas, but news has quieted down since then. On Thursday, however, another huge (as in 280 pounds huge) splash came in Detroit, as the Tigers signed all-star and mammoth first baseman Prince Fielder to a nine-year, $214 million dollar contract. Not bad. The Tigers became interested in Fielder’s services after their current catcher/first baseman Victor Martinez was announced out for the year. The Tigers lineup looks extremely dangerous and rivals that of the Rangers, Yankees, and Red Sox—not exactly what the Jays need right now. The Blue Birds made some news as well by signing Cinicinnati’s former closer Francisco Cordero to continue their rebuild of last year’s porous bullpen. According to Yahoo! Sports, Cordero only weighs 245 pounds. What a shame.
HOCKEY — The NHL all-star break occurred this past weekend in Ottawa, to the delight of many fans in the nation’s capital. Despite the excitement, controversy marred the NHL last Monday, as Bruins goaltender, and last year’s Stanley Cup MVP, Tim Thomas, upstaged his teammates and President Obama by not attending the Bruins’ day at the White House. Thomas cited his opposition to many of the president’s policies as the reasoning behind his ‘political statement.’ The move garnered a massive media reaction, as most major news outlets reported it while Twitter basically exploded. Thomas did attend the all-star festivities in Ottawa, so I guess Prime Minister Harper’s policies weren’t enough to scare him away—to each his own, right?
