Sports in brief - 2011-04-21

  • 2011-04-21

Despite failing to get past the second round of a tournament for the sixth consecutive time, signs are looking up for Latvian tennis player Ernests Gulbis. Playing in the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters last week, Gulbis came up against world no. 21 Aleksandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine in the opening round, prevailing in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4. The win marked the first time that Gulbis has beaten a player in the world’s top 40 this year. In the second round, though, the 22-year-old suffered a 6-4, 7-5 loss at the hands of young Canadian sensation Milos Raonic. Fans are now hopeful this signals a change of attitude in the abundantly talented Gulbis, with the French Open and Wimbledon approaching rapidly. In a cruel case of irony, Gulbis’ best showing in months was followed up by a drop in his own world ranking on Monday, from 30 to 31.

The Latvian U-18 ice hockey team has guaranteed themselves a spot amongst the world’s elite junior teams next season by clean sweeping the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Division 1 Group A championships in Riga last week. Latvia never once looked in any real doubt of losing a match, defeating Italy 3-0, Kazakhstan 8-1, Great Britain 5-1 and Hungary 5-0. Elvis Merzlikins was awarded for his fine goaltending by being named the tournament’s best goalkeeper. By winning the tournament, Latvia will now compete in the U-18 Top Division next year. Despite the tournament being held at home, crowds stayed away, with an average of just 1,837 people turning up to each of the Latvians’ games.

The Mastercard Baltic Basketball League (BBL) will have more of a Lithuanian feel than ever next season with both Juventus and KK Kaunas winning promotion to the Elite Division. After defeating KK Kaunas in the final of the Challenge Cup – the BBL second tier competition – Juventus came up against 2010/2011 Elite Division cellar dwellers, Valmiera, in a home and away promotion/relegation series. Juventus dominated the first leg at home, 81-69, before coming up trumps, 76-72, on the return leg. It was a similar story for KK Kaunas when they took on the 2010/2011 Elite Division’s second worst team, TTU/Kalev of Tallinn. At home they held off the Estonians 85-76 before taking to the road to win the return leg, 75-65. If no changes are made to the format during the summer, then six of the 12 teams playing in the Elite Division next season will be Lithuanian. Speaking to TBT recently, BBL director Romualdas Brazauskas admitted that it is not ideal that so many of the teams are Lithuanian, but such is the current format of the tournament, there is little that can be done to avoid such a scenario from occurring.