BEAUTY AND BIG MONEY: On a day when fame and fortune were not in short supply, Rajasthan Royals’ Shilpa Shetty shares a laugh with IPL chairman Lalit Modi during the players’ auction
Panaji: The auction of players for the DLF-IPL second edition surpassed the first in many ways here on Friday with Chennai set to become the home for Andrew Flintoff for three weeks in April and Bangalore for Kevin Pietersen.
The Englishmen, in auction for the first time, had a good outing at the Taj Aguada with the two former captains turning out to be the top draw and commanding a price of $1.55 million each for 21 days of the competition from April 10.
Fortune favours Mortaza
The other big story of the day was Bangladesh seamer Mashrafe Mortaza being bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at 12 times above his reserve price of $50,000.
Delhi Daredevils picked Owais Shah and Paul Collingwood for $275,000 each while Kings XI Punjab, after an initial round of fierce bidding between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), ensured that Ravi Bopara will travel to Mohali.
Though Luke Wright and Samit Patil remained unsold, the franchises who have replacement rights can still rope them in because they are part of the initial list of 115 players made available for the auction.
Mumbai Indians picked up South African Jean-Paul Duminy ($950,000) while Rajasthan Royals took Duminy’s compatriot Tyron Henderson for $650,000.
CSK, which had bought Mahendra Singh Dhoni for $1.5 million last year, shelled out $600,000 in excess of Flintoff’s reserve price. RCB got the flamboyant Pietersen by paying $20,000 more than the reserve price.
However, Flintoff and Pietersen will receive much less because of their 12 per cent commitment to their agents and a possible 10 per cent disbursement to their respective counties. Moreover they will be paid by the number of matches they play for their team.
Franchise owners happy
“Flintoff is an outstanding cricketer and he will indeed improve the balance of the team,” said CSK’s N. Srinivasan.
“Pietersen and Robin Uthappa, whom we traded with Mumbai Indians for Zaheer Khan, will significantly strengthen our batting.
“I was prepared to pay more but how much I would be stretched is irrelevant now. The captaincy issue is wide open,” said RCB’s Vijay Mallya.
Both said they had consulted Dhoni and Rahul Dravid respectively.
The IPL Chairman and Commissioner, Lalit Modi, said the bidding for Duminy was aggressive. 
Apart from Duminy, Mumbai Indians also picked Kiwi seamer Kyle Mills and Bangladesh’s Mohammad Ashraful.
The eight franchise owners filled all the 17 slots available from a lot of 49 (Shane Harwood withdrew from the auction) but what made six franchises mere spectators and chewing their nails was the way Kings XI and KKR sustained their interest for Mortaza.
Kings XI’s smart move
By being in constant touch with coach Tom Moody, Kings XI owners Preity Zinta and Ness Wadia outwitted KKR’s John Buchanan by making the latter loosen the purse strings for Mortaza and got a bargain in West Indian fast bowler Jerome Taylor for $150,000, who was unsold at the first round of bidding.
Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff under pressure to deliver in IPL
Their combined $3.1million annual salaries have become emblems of national pride in India after the second IPL auction dominated the news agenda for another 24 hours on Saturday.
The auction, quickly becoming one of sport's great publicity stunts, was carried by live by five 24-hour news channels on Friday, and Saturday's newspapers were dominated by its results.
Two names stood out above all others. Flintoff and Pietersen are stars already in India but for 21 days in April their presence here will be monitored like no other English cricketers past or present.
"In soccer you might have 11 highly paid players on the field," said John Buchanan, the former coach of Australia and now head of cricket with the Kolkata Knight Riders. "With this it is different so there is a sense that you are paid big money to deliver. That is fair enough but if they don't deliver then questions will be asked about their contracts and their future at each club."
No pressure then. "This is a unique tournament," continued Buchanan when asked to compare it to the Ashes. "It is evolving the whole time and what it looks like now is not necessarily what it will look like in four or five years time.
"Packer changed the way the game was viewed, played and commercialised. This has the capacity to do that and more. It's an extravaganza but you also have a quasi-international tournament with eight teams with quality overseas and Indian players. It is a hectic time. It's only 40-odd days. It tests skills physical, technical and mental. KP can look forward to that. When you are here with England it is like you versus the country. Now they will be supported by huge sections of the country. It is like county or state cricket but elevated to a significantly higher level."
And not just on the field. A glimpse into the world Pietersen in particular will be entering was offered on the night of the auction. Vijay Mallya, the owner of Bangalore and now Pietersen, threw one of his lavish parties at his Goan holiday home – Kingfisher Villa. Mallya had reason to celebrate. He believes he has the "best batsman in the whole world." He also has a new commodity to add to his brewery and airline. "During 2008 we (the team) broke even and in fact made a small marginal profit and in 2009 that's our endeavour," he said. "So quite apart from the financial aspect, the branding aspect and the branding opportunity, the benefits that accrue USL (his company) are huge."
Despite the money spent on Friday and the insistence of its commissioner, Lalit Modi, the IPL is not immune to the financial squeeze. Sources indicate ad rates are being offered at huge discounts a year after broadcasters had companies queuing up to be associated with the league. Modi himself is in a spot of bother. Political ructions in his home state of Rajasthan threaten his position of influence on the Indian board.
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Rafael Nadal has beaten Roger Federer in the Australian Open final, putting on hold the Swiss star's quest to match Pete Sampras with 14 Grand Slam singles titles.
The top-seeded Nadal beat Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2 Sunday at Rod Laver Arena.
It was Nadal's third straight win over Federer in a Grand Slam final. He also beat Federer in the French Open and Wimbledon last year
Nadal crashes Federer at Australian Open final
World number one Rafael Nadal kept his winning record against Roger Federer after beating him at the Australian Open final on February 1 2009 in a five set match 7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2.
It was the first five set final at the tournament in 21 years and both players did their best to make it one of the most interesting ever. If nothing else this proved to be the fifth five set match between the two players, having won two each.
The fist set was a game of cat and mouse. Most predictions for the final expected that Nadal would save his effort after his five set semifinal match against his compatriot Fernando Verdasco while Federer had a day more to rest.
Nothing like this happened. From the first serve, Nadal chased Federer all over the court showing no signs of fatigue. Federer’s answer to Nadal’s pressure was to play close to the net often wining the balls. The other thing Federer tried was the long and deep first serves which Nadal had problems returning.
It worked on both occasions when Federer managed to break Nadal’s serve in the second and fourth set but when things reached the crucial fifth set both players had to show character.
Nadal proved to be the better one in this case. Having won the 2008 Rolland Garros and Wimbledon finals against Federer he had less on his shoulders to worry about. At 2-1 in the fifth set with Federer serving Nadal broke his serve.
Quickly it was Nadal leading with 5-2 and Federer on the serve. This was when Federer lost the game. At 0-15 he had a double fault leaving Nadal two points away from the title.
Amid the cheering crowd, Federer managed to get the match to 40-40 only to lose it two points later, making Nadal the first Spaniard to win the Australian Open final.
The trophy was presented by Road Laver himself who warmly greeted Federer who lost his breath amid spectators’ applause.
"Thanks for the support" Federer told the crowed "congratulations to Nadal, he had a an amazing tournament".
"Sorry for that Roger I know you wanted to win your 14th Grand Slam title but I m sure that it will happen soon" Nadal told Federer. "You are one of the bets players and it is always a pleasure playing against you" he said, cheered by the crowd.
MELBOURNE -- Roger Federer says he was overcome by the emotions of a major defeat when he broke down in tears on the presentation dais after losing the Australian Open to Rafael Nadal on Sunday.
The Spanish world number one downed the Swiss star in a thrilling five-set final 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-2 in four hours and 23 minutes to continue his Grand Slam domination over the Swiss star
The loss meant Federer missed the chance to move equal with American Pete Sampras's world record 14 Grand Slam wins.
After being presented with the runner-up trophy by legendary Australian player Rod Laver, Federer said the realisation of the magnitude of the loss sunk in and he couldn't control his emotions.
"In the first moment you're disappointed, you're shocked, you're sad, you know, then all of a sudden it overwhelms you," Federer said.
"The problem is you can't go in the locker room and just take it easy and take a cold shower. You can't.
"You know, you're stuck out there. It's the worst feeling. So, I don't know, it's rough."
Federer said the emotions were even stronger because he thought the match was his for the taking - he had 19 break point opportunities but could only convert six.
Crucially he was not able to convert any of the six chances he had in the third set, which Nadal went on to win in a tie-break.
"It is, sure, one of the matches in my career where I feel like I could have, or should have, won you know," he said.
"But you can't go through your whole life as a tennis player taking every victory that's out there.
"You've got to live with those, but they hurt even more so like if you're that close, you know, like at Wimbledon or like here at the Australian Open.
"So that's what's tough about it, but I have no regrets, so it's all right." Federer and Nadal were meeting for the first time since last year's epic Wimbledon final, when the Spaniard ended Federer's five-year hold on the trophy before deposing him as world number one.
They have now contested seven Grand Slam finals with Nadal holding a 5-2 edge in the meetings and 13-6 overall.
Both were fortunate to make the final, Federer almost falling to Czech player Tomas Berdych in the fourth round and Nadal surviving a five hour semi-final against countryman Fernando Verdasco.
Federer appeared back to his best in the quarter-finals, where he thrashed rising Argentine star Juan Martin del Potro, and in the semis where he beat an in-form Andy Roddick, so it came as a surprise when he started nervously.
He sprayed errors and double-faulted on break point before handing over the first set.
Federer recovered to push Nadal all the way, but he had trouble with his serve throughout the match, which he said cost him dearly.
"I don't think I served particularly well, unfortunately, and I think that was the key to the match in the end," he said, adding that he just tried to hang in when his serve went off the boil.
"I mean, I won a set against Rafa serving, what, 30 percent first serves.
"I tried to kind of get the grip on my serve, but never really found the rhythm, which was a pity, you know, but it happens.
"I thought it was a good match, but, I had, I guess, many chances.
"I mean I was up a break in the first twice. Yeah, I had many chances. I missed them and they cost me dearly."
