Indian line umpires make their mark at US Open

Tennis fanatics focused on the breathtaking play by stars at the US Open may get a bird's-eye view also from another kind of players those behind the lines. This year's US Open saw at least five Indian line umpires officiating at the games. And while they may not seem as imposing as the chair umpire, they are his backbone.

In fact, line umpires came into the limelight this year, after American tennis star Serena Williams threatened one who assigned her a foot fault during her semifinal match with Kim Clijsters. Williams' conduct resulted in her being penalized, and she lost the match.

With at least three line umpires assigned to specific lines on the court, they get to cover the perimeters and center service lines, plus keep a hawk's eye on foot faults etc., using hand signals and yells to communicate their decisions to the chair umpire.

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International Cricket Council clears controversial video system

Players will be allowed to challenge close umpiring calls after the controversial video review system was cleared by the sport's governing body.

The experiment, allowing players a set number of unsuccessful challenges per innings, was trialled in four test series before it came up for review last month.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) approved the review system on a permanent basis on the first day of its board meeting in London.

It will come into operation from October, so England and Australia players will not be able to challenge decisions during the Ashes series starting next month.

Opinions on the system have been mixed among players, television commentators and fans. There were concerns the authority of the umpires would be undermined, although the ICC said the positives far outweighed the negatives with more correct decisions being made

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Chopra leads in United States: Jeev, Kapur in top-20 in Europe

Daniel Chopra may have missed most of the fairways but he still played some amazing golf to give himself a two-shot lead and fair shot at his third PGA Tour title in eight months at the end of the third round in Buick Open at Warwick Hills.

Chopra, who was nicknamed Rambo by some of his rivals' caddies for his ability to rebound back despite missing the fairways, shot four-under 68 to be at 16-under 200 after 54 holes on June 28.

The Stockholm-born Chopra was two shots ahead of the trio of Dudley Hart (70) who had his first bogey of the tournament on the 18th, Bubba Watson (68) and Woody Austin (69), who were tied for second.

Second-round leader Bo Van Pelt (73) was another shot back along with Kenny Perry (67), the highest-ranked player in the field.

Despite the two shot lead, Chopra said any of the 10 players who are 12 under or better have a chance to win at Warwick Hills, one of the easier courses on the PGA Tour. "It's going to be an absolute shootout," he predicted.

Chopra, who won the Gin-Sur Classic last year and Mercedes Championships in the first event of this year, went to the top of the leader board for the first time at the ninth hole Hart bogeyed for the first time in the tournament.

Chopra found just three of the 14 fairways but he played amazing golf from the roughs and recovered well enough to find 13 of 18 greens. He showed superb and innovative shot making with the irons and wedges and scrambled for par and even got birdies.

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