Champions Trophy Hockey: Latest Pool Standings and Matches Results (Thu, Dec. 08)

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (Dec. 08) – Four matches were played today in ongoing Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy Tournament at Auckland’s North Harbor hockey stadium.

Champions Trophy Hockey: Today's Matches Results (Thu, Dec. 08) 

In first match of the day; Asian Champions Pakistan beat Korea by 6-2 in a Pool D fixture. This is the first victory of wild card entrants Pakistan in this coveted tournament. Pakistan are now placed at the second spot in the Pool ahead of Great Britain due to better goal average.

Penalty corner goal by German forward Jan-Marco Montag in the last moments of the second match of the day earned all three points for European Champions and broke the hearts of Brits after a shocking 8-1 defeat in the first round match against Spain. Germany is on top in Pool D after 2-1 victory against Britain; while GB slipped to third spot in this pool.

Australia become the first team to qualify for the finals of the Champions Trophy Hockey Tournament after beating the Netherlands 4-2 in the third match of the day and first of the Pool C. The defending champions and World No. 1 Australia were in ruthless goal-scoring with Chris Ciriello, Matt Gohdes (2) and his cousin Jamie Dwyer gave Australia a 4-2 win over the Dutch.

In the last match of the day and second of the Pool C; high-spirited Spain defeated the hosts New Zealand by 3 -2. The Black Sticks lead their European opponents twice courtesy to goals from Andrew Hayward and Blair Hilton but were pegged back by strikes from Ramon Alegre and Edi Tubau before Ramon’s brother David Alegre hit a brilliant winner four minutes from time.

With this win over New Zealand in the Championship pool; Spain managed to alive their hopes of reaching into the finals of coveted tournament.

The latest and updated pool standings and points table are given below:

Champions Trophy Hockey: Latest Pool Standings and Points Table (Thu, Dec. 08) 

Brilliant Dutch take over Germany in Hockey Champions Trophy

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (Dec. 05) – Tied at 2-2 at the half time the Netherlands emerge as the victorious in the end against Olympic and European Champions Germany in the third match day 2 here at Auckland’s North Harbor hockey stadium.

Champions Trophy Hockey Tournament (Day 2): Netherlands 3-2 Germany

The Dutch number 28 Billy Bakker scored first goal in the 12th minute of the match on a great pass from Teun de Nooijer. But the Netherlands couldn’t succeed to enjoy the lead for more than few minutes when number 28, this time for Germans, Tobias Matania scored the equalizer with a powerful strike by the reverse stick.

It was Christoph Menke who didn’t miss the opportunity, created by the class of Thilo Stralkowski, to give their side a 2-1 lead which couldn’t last long, as well. Netherland’s Jeroen Hertzberger pulled their side level when he cut inside his marker and crashed a reverse stick shot between the legs of German goal keeper Max Weinhold.

The second half clearly belonged to the Netherlands as they forced Germans deep into their own territory with the classy exhibition of the field hockey they produced. The Dutch forward Valentin Verga missed a open chance by overrunning and failing to put the ball into nets. Several penalty corners were also wasted by the Netherlands in the pursuit until a dazzling goal from Rogier Hofman gave his team a superb and deserved victory.

It was The Netherlands’ 5th consecutive triumph against Germany in the Men’s Champions Trophy. The Dutch have not lost to Germany in their last nine meetings. The win puts The Netherlands clear at the top of Pool B, a position that they will have overnight regardless of the result between Korea and New Zealand.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won Monaco Grand Prix 2011 after a Close Finish (Celebrating Moments in Pictures)

MONACO – German Formula One Driver Sebastian Vettel having a wonderful season taking his tally to five wins out of six races this season with the latest victory today (Sunday/may 29) in Monaco Grand Prix. 

Red Bull’s Vettel achieved the latest victory over Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button in a thriller in which many drivers couldn’t succeed to finish.

Michael Schumacher, seven-time former champion, was among those who failed to finish the race; along with Ferrari's Felipe Massa, and Vitaly Petrov, whose Renault was involved in the late crash that halted the race.

Sebastian Vettel, defending F1 Champion, had only one loss in this season against McLaren's Lewis Hamilton beat him in China.

It is the best performance of the season for second placed Fernando Alonso who happened to be the two-time Formula One champion. However, Jenson Button will surely be frustrated by losing the race after coming so close to be victorious again in Monaco.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won Monaco Grand Prix 2011 (Celebrating Moments)

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won Monaco Grand Prix 2011 (Celebrating Moments)

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won Monaco Grand Prix 2011 (Celebrating Moments)

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won Monaco Grand Prix 2011 (Celebrating Moments)

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won Monaco Grand Prix 2011 (Celebrating Moments)

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won Monaco Grand Prix 2011 (Celebrating Moments)

2007 World Champion Germany's Betty Heidler broke World Hammer-throw Record

BERLIN — The world hammer-throw record broken on Saturday by Betty Heidler broke, Germany's European champion, at a meet in Halle, Germany.

2007 World Champion Germany's Betty Heidler broke World Hammer-throw Record

The world record was broken by clear more than one-meter difference as Betty Heidler threw 79.42m. The previous record was made by Poland's world champion Anita Wlodarczyk by throwing 78.30m in June 2010.

The 2007 world champion, Betty Heidler, improved her own previous record by more than two meters. She threw 77.12 metres during the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.

Nikolay Davydenko and Florian Mayer to meet in BMW Open Munich final

Munich, Germany - Former champion Nikolay Davydenko and fifth-seeded Florian Mayer secured berths in Sunday's final at the $580,000 BMW Open.

A seventh-seeded Davydenko, who won this tournament in 2004, advanced when Saturday's semifinal opponent Czech Radek Stepanek retired in the second set with a left leg injury. The Russian was leading 6-3, 4-0.

Davydenko will appear in his second ATP singles final this season. He was a runner-up to Roger Federer in Doha. That loss dropped his career record in championship matches to 20-6.

Mayer, meanwhile, defeated Philipp Petzschner 6-3, 6-4 in an all-German semifinal. Mayer, who is 0-3 in his previous career ATP finals, is bidding to become the first German to win the Munich title since Philipp Kohlschreiber in 2007.

Davydenko and Mayer have split four lifetime meetings.

The 2011 Munich champion will collect $100,225.