Archive for July, 2004
Life In The Fast Lane
Life in the fast lane
Time is indeed precious if the price of these watches is anything to go by
At the launch of the Formula One model from Tag Heur — Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash
FINNISH F-1 racer Kimi Raikkonen a.k.a. the Iceman. His dress sense (in mufti of course, no offence to the McLaren driver’s suit) has been described as “as exciting as the drizzle-damp Woking afternoon”, his interviews have been written off as “as interesting as watching paint dry”, and his style likened to a good beer — “cold, crisp, and dry”. But he is young, very young — just 24, and hugely successful, having just placed second in the British Grand Prix.
Enough qualification to be the ambassador for a luxury watch brand (Swiss watchmakers TAG Heur) and also, apparently, to inspire a new collection of Formula One sports watches and help in designing them.
National launch
The new TAG Formula One watches had their national launch in Bangalore recently. In the lobby area of the Forum Mall, models in black sashayed around a makeshift McLaren model — symbolising the association of Kimi Raikkonen as brand ambassador — punching an upward facing wrist at curious audiences on Level One, and giving everyone a glimpse of the expensive watches described by Manishi Sanwal, Brand Manager, as the “lower end models”. Despite their exorbitant price, Sanwal says he hopes to sell some 500 watches a month. Bangalore is not the only city retailing the new TAG sports watches; other metros will soon stock them as well.
Target group
Company representatives say the watch is targeted at those between the age-group of 16 to 25 (but in all likelihood, intended to be bought by indulgent parents). TAG defines the look of their new sports watch as “daring and casual” and says it’s intended for outdoor activities.
Available at the TAG showrooms at Ethos in Forum Mall and at Rodeo Drive, the store on Richmond Road, these watches are priced between Rs. 26,800 and Rs. 33,900 — showing just how precious time can be.
HEMANGINI GUPTA
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Haas Has The Mercedes-Benz Cup
Haas has the Mercedes-Benz Cup
LOS ANGELES,
JULY 19.
Tommy Haas defeated Nicolas Kiefer 7-6(6), 6-4 to win the Mercedes-Benz Cup in the first all-German ATP Tour final in 10 years.
Haas joined Jimmy Connors as the only unseeded winners of the tournament since the Open era began in 1968. Connors won the 1973 title over Tom Okker in the only other final between unseeded players.
It was Haas’ second title of the year after he missed all of 2003 with a right shoulder injury that eventually required two surgeries.
He defeated Andy Roddick in May for the U.S. clay court championship. Before his January return to the tour, Haas hadn’t played a match since October 2002.
Sunday’s final featured two former top-four players seeking to regain their form. Haas’ highest ranking was second in May 2002; Kiefer was fourth in January 2000.
Kiefer blew a 4-2 lead in the first set and failed to cash in on two set points. He led 5-1 in the tie-breaker before Haas won seven of the final eight points to take the set.
Haas broke Kiefer at 15-40 to take a 2-1 lead in the second set. Haas survived a break point on his serve — the only one against him in the set — for a 4-2 lead. Kiefer held to trail 5-4 before Haas closed out the victory with a 40-love service game, punctuated by a backhand winner up the line.
Kiefer is 0-3 in finals this year, having previously lost in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Memphis. Meanwhile in Stanford, Lindsay Davenport held off Venus Williams 7-6(4), 5-7, 7-6(4) to win her third Bank of the West Classic title.
Davenport snapped a six-match losing streak to Williams in the longtime rivals’ 23rd meeting — and quite possibly the best. After countless thrilling points in a tense, well-played match stretching nearly three hours, Davenport thrust her arms into the air in relief when Williams’ final backhand went wide.
Davenport, the second seed, has won three of her finals meetings with Williams at the Stanford tournament, including previous victories in 1998 and 1999.
It was Davenport’s 41st WTA singles title and her third this year, after Tokyo’s Pan Pacific and Amelia Island.
Williams, the top seed, fell just a few key points short of her third title of the season, making crucial unforced errors on a handful of shots. Williams still has a 12-11 lead in her career over Davenport — but if Davenport retires after the season, the match was an appropriate finale. How close was it? Williams won 142 total points to Davenport’s 141 in a match that lasted 2 hours, 55 minutes.
Davenport claimed the $97,000 winner’s share of the $585,000 purse — but more importantly, she played her best tennis against one of the game’s premiere players, bolstering her confidence for what might be her final months on tour.
The results (finals): At Stanford (Bank of the West Classic): Lindsay Davenport bt Venus Williams 7-6(4), 5-7, 7-6(4).
At Los Angeles (Mercedes-Benz Cup): Tommy Haas bt Nicolas Kiefer 7-6 (6), 6-4.
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Raikkonen Takes First Pole Of The Season
Raikkonen takes first pole of the season
SILVERSTONE,
JULY 11.
McLaren Mercedes’ Kimi Raikkonen took the pole position for the British GP after turning the fastest time in Saturday’s qualifying. Raikkonen clocked 1m18.233s, on the 5.141km Silverstone circuit.
It was his third career pole position and first of the season. His last pole was the 2003 U.S. Grand Prix.
Ferrari’s Rubens Barrichello was second in 1:18.305. Barrichello had the pole position and claimed victory in last year’s British GP. Jenson Button of BAR-Honda qualified third in 1:18.580.
Six-time world champion Michael Schumacher came in fourth with 1:18.710 as he bids to win his 10th race in 11 this season.
Schumacher’s win last weekend in France was the 79th of his career and the 60th with Ferrari.
“Of course it’s nice to be in first place, especially with the start of the season being very difficult,” Raikkonen said.
“This weekend has been very good. The balance has been good all the way through the weekend.”
Raikkonen also had the quickest times in three of the four practice sessions including both on Saturday.
The Finn finished just two points behind Schumacher in last year’s final standings, but this season has been abysmal. He scored only one point in the first seven races, but has scored points in the last three.
He has gotten progressively quicker since McLaren introduced its new model MP4-19B a week ago in the French GP.
Button is currently the best of the rest of the non-Ferrari drivers. He is third in the overall standings with 48 points, 42 behind Schumacher and 20 adrift of Barrichello.
Like every driver, Barrichello and Button wrestled with changeable weather, rain threatened but never happened.
“We knew it could well rain in the middle of the session,” the Brazilian said. “We had to go out. We had a plan to slow down. There was a strategy.”
“It was a bit of a close one to call,” Button added. “It was very windy out there, the same for all of us. When I got to the high speed parts of the circuit, the car was different.”
Fernando Alonso of Renault finished sixth in qualifying, but will be dropped to 16th at the start of Sunday’s 60-lap race after his team replaced the engine following Saturday morning’s practice. New regulations penalise a driver 10 places for an engine change.
He won the pole position a week ago in France and finished second. He is one of two non-Ferrari drivers to win a race since last August. — AP
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