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Wednesday, July 2, 2008

WIMBLEDON, Packing a punch

WIMBLEDON

Packing a punch


Venus serves thunderbolts to end Tamarine's dream run in quarters

Defending champion Venus Williams moved a step closer to her fifth Wimbledon singles title yesterday, beating Tamarine Tanasugarn in straight sets to reach the semi-finals and close in on another potential championship match-up with sister Serena.

Williams downed the 31-year-old Tamarine 6-4 6-3 on Court 1 to extend her career record over the Thai player

to 7-0.

The seventh-seeded American, who has not dropped a set all tournament, was limping slightly at the end of the match with a hamstring problem.

Feeling a little pain

"It feels a little bit tight," she said. "I'll be fine. I'm a big girl. I can deal with it."

The Williams sisters are in opposite halves of the draw and could meet in Saturday's final. The two have been twice before in the Wimbledon final, with Serena winning both in 2003 and '04.

"That would be amazing if we both were in the final," Venus said. "I have to take it one more step and keep playing power tennis."

The 60th-ranked Tamarine, playing in her first Grand Slam quarter-final, pushed Williams as hard as she could but did not have enough energy to cope with her power game.

Williams served eight aces and had one serve at 204kph, while Tamarine had no aces and had an average first-serve speed of just 145kph.

Tamarine fashioned 10 break points, but converted only once. The key game was the sixth of the first set, when Williams saved six break points - mostly on Tamarine errors - and finished with a 203kph service winner to hold for 4-2.

With top seed Ana Ivanovic and No 3 Maria Sharapova eliminated last week, none of the top four seeded women reached the quarter-finals - the first time that has happened at Wimbledon and also the first time at any Grand Slam tournament in the 40-year history of the Open era.

The men's quarter-finals are set for today, with five-time champion Roger Federer and two-time runner-up Rafael Nadal seemingly headed toward a third straight championship showdown.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/07/02/headlines/headlines_30077070.php


PTTEP signs deal to drill for gas in gulf of Mataban

PTTEP signs deal to drill for gas in gulf of Mataban


PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) has signed a heads of agreement (HoA) with Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise, paving the way for the drilling and supply of natural gas from offshore Block 9 to PTT, which could entail an investment of US$2 billion (Bt67 billion).



Under the HoA, a non-binding document outlining the main issues relevant to a tentative partnership, PTTEP's wholly owned subsidiary PTTEP International would drill natural gas from Block 9, so-called M9, in the Gulf of Mataban, Burma.

"This contract is of mutual interest and vital for Thailand's gas sourcing in response to increasing gas demand and an attempt to establish long-term energy security," said Energy Minister Poonpirom Liptapanlop.

The Energy Ministry estimated that Thailand's gas demand would expand from 3,600 million cubic feet per day (mcfpd) to 5,350 mcfpd in 2012 and over 7,300 mcfpd in 2021.

The signing marks two years of negotiation for Block 9 exploration. Under the HoA, average sales volume of natural gas from M9 will be 300 mcfpd. Around 240 mcfpd will be exported to Thailand and 60 mcfpd supplied to Burma. The gas price will be based on the existing price under the current Gas Sales Agreement between Burma and Thailand.

The conditions in the HoA will be the essence of the Gas Sales Agreement, expected to be concluded this year.

Thanatthep Chantakarn, an analyst at Bualuang Securities, said the M9 project would require an investment of around US$2 billion for the drilling and pipeline. The work is expected to be complete in the next three years and the company will start to realise revenue in 2012.

He also said that PTTEP told securities houses recently that it may seek partners for the subsidiary as the investment in the M9 project is huge. This could lead to a share dilution in PTT International.

"As the additional gas will be supplied to PTT, this will allow PTT to maintain retail gas prices in the future," he said.

Kitichan Sirisukarcha, an analyst at Kim Eng Securities (Thailand), said PTTEP would not realise revenue from the new investment until 2012.

By Sucheera Pinijparakarn
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/06/25/headlines/headlines_30076440.php


"You're a traitor" : Foreign minister told

"You're a traitor" : Foreign minister told


Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama came under verbal assault from a marathon runner who called him a "traitor" just has he was taking off from the starting block.

Noppadon was standing next to US Ambassador Eric John at the starting point of the race, witnesses said. The two men co-chaired the opening ceremony of the marathon commemorating the 35th anniversary celebration of the Thai-US relationship.

According to witnesses, the runner shouted "Noppadon, you're a traitor" three time as he ran pass the minister.

The embarassed minister reportedly told Ambassador John, "This can happen in the democratic system."

Noppadon and the government have been strongly criticised by the opposition and the protesters led by People's Alliance for Democracy of having hidden agenda in endorsing Cambodia's bid to list Preah Vihear Temple as a Unesco Heritage Site.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/06/29/regional/regional_30076808.php

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