Though a relaxing time in Hanover, the Fourth of July was a busy and monumental weekend in the international sports world. Here is a look at some of the holiday weekend's sports highlights:
Sharapova and Federer victorious at Wimbledon:
Seventeen-year-old Russian Maria Sharapova dominated two time defending champion Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4 in the final of the women's draw, becoming the third youngest champion in the history of the event on Sunday.
Sharapova's victory was Russia's second major tennis triumph in less than a month: Anastasia Myskina won the French Open in June, defeating fellow countrywoman Elena Dementieva.
In a showdown between the two brightest young stars in the men's tennis world, Swiss-born No. 1 seed Roger Federer, 22, bested No. 2 seed American Roddick, 21, beating him 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 Sunday for his second consecutive grand slam championship at the All-England Tennis Club.
With the victory at Wimbledon, Federer kept alive his impressive grass court winning-streak, which currently stands at 24. Only 1970s and early 1980s tennis luminary Bjorn Borg has won more consecutive matches (41) on grass.
Clemens-Piazza duo to highlight the July 13 All-Star game:
Starters and reserves for baseball's summer classic were named Sunday. The All-Star game is now slated to set up a potentially uncomfortable encounter between Houston Astros RHP Roger Clemens and New York Mets C Mike Piazza at Houston's Minute Maid Field.
Both named starters, Clemens and Piazza are slated to be the National League's starting pitcher-catcher tandem, less then four years after their notoriously heated encounters at the 2000 World Series, when Clemens was a member of the New York Yankees.
Texas Rangers 2B Alfonso Soriano and St. Louis Cardinals 3B Scott Rolen were the top vote-getters in the fan ballot for the American League and National League, respectively.
Rolen currently leads Major League Baseball with 80 RBIs.
The AL All-Star roster is heavy on the Yankee pinstripes: three position starters, and three reserves are currently members of the New York squad.
The NL team features a trio of future Hall of Fame outfielders -- Cincinnati Reds OF Ken Griffey Jr., Chicago Cubs OF Sammy Sosa and San Francisco Giants OF Barry Bonds -- all members of baseball's elite 500 home run club.
"It's an honor for me to be there with Mr. Barry Bonds and Griffey," Sosa told MLB reporters. "I'm really going to enjoy it. I don't know if that will ever happen again. It's a situation that's happened, and it's happened to good people."
Coach K turns down Lakers' position:
Duke University announced Monday that men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski will remain at the University to coach for a 25th season. The announcement ended speculation that Krzyzewski would fill the Lakers head coaching position, a job that remains vacant following former coach Phil Jackson's decision to part ways with the team in June.
Krzyzewski, who has led Duke to three National Collegiate Athletic Association men's basketball titles, met with Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak on Thursday to discuss the Lakers job, which set off a media frenzy.
The Lakers reportedly offered Krzyzewski $8 million annually for his services, according to Associated Press News Services reports.
Greece stuns Portugal in Euro 2004 championship:
Greece defeated Portugal 1-0 in the Euro 2004 finals held in Lisbon, Portugal on Sunday. The championship marked the first Greek victory in the tournament, which has been held once every four years since 1960.
Greece had never won a game in a major soccer tournament before the Euro 2004, and British bet takers set 50-1 odds against a Greek victory prior to the tournament final.
Theodoros Zagorakis was selected player of the tournament Monday, and was one of five Greeks chosen for the Euro 2004 All-Star team.
Zagorakis, 32, a midfielder for AEK Athens FC, played every minute for Greece, including the national team's three knockout-round matches in which it did not allow a single goal.
Zagorakis was joined by goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolidis, defenders Traianos Dellas and Georgios Seitaridis and forward Angelos Charisteas on the 23-player tournament select team.
