Alles Andere » Australian title from three trips to the fi

BELEK, Turkey -- The head of Olympic summer sports federations called for urgent action Tuesday to tackle the critical delays facing the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro and accused the Brazilian government of neglecting the crisis. In an interview with The Associated Press, Francesco Ricci Bitti said Rios troubled preparations are reaching a stage where some sports may need to consider "Plan B" options for their venues. "Its getting very serious," the Italian said. "We have an organizing committee with good people but without the leverage to cope with the problem. ... We are scared. This is not a country like China where you can ask people to work by night. In Brazil, this could not happen. The government has to change speed." Ricci Bitti heads the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations, which represents the 28 sports in the Rio Games. He also leads the International Tennis Federation and serves on the IOC co-ordination commission for Rio, which made its latest visit to Brazil two weeks ago. "We can be flexible in the infrastructure but surely not in the sports venues, and we are at risk at sports venues," Ricci Bitti said. "Even for the ones that dont consider themselves at risk, we dont see a sense of urgency." The timetables are so tight that backup plans may need to be considered by some sports, he said. "We have to sit down and to start looking at some Plan Bs," Ricci Bitti said. Rios problems dominated discussions at the ASOIF general assembly, which took place during the SportAccord convention in this Mediterranean resort in southern Turkey. Rio will also top the agenda for meetings of the International Olympic Committee executive board, which meets here Wednesday and Thursday. "We need to act now because if we wait another six months, as it could be looking at the inactivity of the government, I think it will become very serious," Ricci Bitti said. "The organizing committee is doing its best, but the government is not supporting enough." Brazil is also struggling with delays ahead of hosting the World Cup this summer. With the country focusing on the World Cup, Ricci Bitti said, the Olympic preparations risk falling further behind. "We cant always hope in the fact that in the end we will solve the problem," he said. "This time we have the style and the habits of the South Americans. They are not used to managing big events like this. The Olympics is a very different problem from the World Cup. The World Cup in the end is one stadium, one hotel, in many cities. Rio has a lot of problems." Rio organizing committee chief Carlos Nuzman and CEO Sidney Levy were meeting in Brasilia on Tuesday with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseffs chief of staff to discuss the Olympics. It was left to Rios executive sports director, Agberto Guimaraes, to report to the federations in Turkey. "I still think we can pull this thing together and can have great games," he told the delegates. "The moment I dont I will (give) my resignation. I still believe we can do it. Please help me get through this alive and well." Christophe Dubi, the IOCs deputy executive director for the Olympic Games, said the IOC would be sending special task forces to Rio to monitor the situation. The first group will consist of construction experts, he said. "We have to have special measures in place," he said. Dubi noted that Gilbert Felli, the IOCs long-time executive director, has been assigned to work with Rio after he steps down from his post later this year. The meetings in Turkey come amid a daily drumbeat of troubles in Brazil. On Monday, striking construction workers and security personnel clashed at Rios Olympic Park. Random gunshots were fired but no injuries were reported. Workers also went on strike Monday at the Olympic stadium that will be used for track and field at the games. The venue has been closed since last year to fix problems with the roof. Guimaraes said the repair work would completed by December. The greatest concerns centre on the Deodoro complex, an area that is to host venues for eight sports. Work has yet to begin on the site. In addition, work on the Olympic golf course is far behind schedule, raising concerns for the sports return to the games after more than a century. Guimaraes said grass would begin to be laid on the course later this month and the venue would be ready by September 2015. New York Islanders Jerseys . You can watch all the action on TSN and TSN GO beginning at 8:30pm et/5:30pm pt. 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He has scored one goal and seven assists in 37 career games with the Sabres, who originally selected him in the third round (66th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.MELBOURNE, Australia - Andy Murray has reached the Australian Open final for the fourth time, beating Tomas Berdych in a tension-filled semifinal to earn one more shot at a long elusive title.Serena Williams has five titles from five finals at Melbourne Park, and earned a chance at another one when she advanced to a championship match against Maria Sharapova, who has one Australian title from three trips to the final.Top-ranked Serena Williams beat 19-year-old Madison Keys 7-6 (5), 6-2 in an all-American semifinal Thursday, after Sharapova beat fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova in straight sets.In the night match, sixth-seeded Murray beat No. 7 Berdych 6-7 (6), 6-0, 6-3, 7-5. There was obvious animosity between the players due to a coach switching from the Murray to the Berdych camp.An aggravated Murray bristled when Berdych spoke a few words to him after the first-set tiebreaker, and yelled profanities throughout the match. TV cameras appeared to show his fiancee, Kim Sears, uttering expletives in support.Murray, the former U.S. Open and Wimbledon champion, said the emotional reactions were understandable given the hype leading into the match.Murray has lost three finals at Melbourne Park — to Roger Federer in 2010 and Novak Djokovic in 11 and 13. Hell get a chance to end that streak on Sunday, against either Djokovic or defending champion Stan Wawrinka.Obviously losing in the finals is disappointing. But making four finals is a very, very difficult thing to do, he said. And, yeah, Im proud of my record here. Ill go in with best tactics possible, prepare well — I literally couldnt have done anything more to put myself in a better position come Sunday.Williams has put herself into a prime position. The 18-time Grand Slam champion, who has struggled with a cold for a week, said shed benefit from a tough workout against Keys, who pounded her with heavy groundstrokes and a big serve for the first set.She pushed me really hard the first set ... and I had to really dig deep mentally to get through that, Williams said. It was a little frustrating. I had like nine or 10 match points and couldnt close it out.Keys, playing in her first GGrand Slam semifinal, saved seven match points on serve in a penultimate game that lasted more than 11 minutes.dddddddddddd. Williams kept her cool, though, wasting one match point on her serve before closing with an ace to reach her 23rd major final. Williams was at her best after dropping her opening service game, finishing the match with just one double-fault, firing 13 aces and defending when she needed to defend.Keys had control until she was broken in the sixth game.She held in the 12th game, closing with an ace to force a tiebreaker, but quickly fell behind 4-1 with Serena firing two aces. She saved two set points with aces but had no chance of extending the tiebreaker when Williams hit another unreturnable serve, and started jumping for joy.Williams led 5-1 lead in the second set when Keys held, denying victory for one more game the woman who inspired her to take up tennis.Its been so long since Ive even been in a final here, said the 33-year-old Williams, who will be the oldest woman to play an Australian final in the Open era and will retain top-ranking regardless of the result. My theory now is to relax and play the match as best as I can.Sharapova, who beat No. 10-seeded Makarova 6-3, 6-2, has lost her last 15 matches against Williams. Her only two wins in their 18 career meetings were in 2004.She won the 2008 Australian title, but was comprehensively outplayed in her two other trips to the final — by Williams in 2007 and by Victoria Azarenka in 2012.I think my confidence should be pretty high going into a final of a Grand Slam no matter who Im facing and whether Ive had a terrible record, to say the least, against someone, Sharapova said. It doesnt matter. I got there for a reason. I belong in that spot.The five-time major winner opened the 2015 season in confident style by winning the Brisbane International title but had a close call in the second round here, having to save match points against No. 150-ranked Russian qualifier Alexandra Panova.Its been a strange road for me to get to the finals, but Im happy, Sharapova said. 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