Nadal stunned at Wimbledon by unknown Rosol

WIMBLEDON, England — Chasing a drop shot in the second set, Rafael Nadal stumbled and tumbled into the net as his racket went flying to the sideline.

It just wasn’t his day. Nadal rose slowly to cheers from the Wimbledon crowd but found himself off balance the rest of the way and made his earliest Grand Slam exit since 2005.

Nadal was overpowered in the second round Thursday by Lukas Rosol, a Czech ranked No. 100, 6-7 (9), 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

The 26-year-old Rosol earned the biggest win of his career playing in Wimbledon’s main draw for the first time. He lost each of the past five years in the first round of qualifying.

As the match stretched beyond dusk, the conclusion came with the retractable roof closed for the final set on Centre Court. The upset on tennis’ biggest stage was no fluke: Rosol served brilliantly and repeatedly stepped instead the baseline to hit aggressive groundstrokes, while Nadal found himself pinned deep and on the defensive.

Among those shocked by the result was Rosol.

“I’m not just surprised; it’s like a miracle for me,” he said. “I never expected something like this.”

Nadal saved three set points to win the opening set, but his demeanor grew glum as Rosol overtook him. After falling behind in the third set, Nadal grumbled to the chair umpire during a changeover, apparently irritated by Rosol’s movements as he awaited serves.

“I was concentrating on myself,” Rosol said. “I don’t know what he was complaining about.”

Two games later, Nadal bumped into Rosol — and didn’t acknowledge the contact — as they walked to their chairs for a break.

Rosol exhaled before hitting his final shot, which was his 22nd ace. He fell to his knees, arms up, then collapsed face down on the famous grass. He then rose and shook hands at the net with a frowning Nadal.

“I think I was better today a little bit,” Rosol said.

Rosol became the lowest-ranked player to defeat Nadal in a major tournament. The 6-foot-5, 178-pound Czech lost only 16 points on his first serve, cracked his returns into the corners and won 22 of 28 points at the net.

In short, it was a complete performance that had spectators wondering why they’d never heard of him before. Nadal lost despite committing only 16 unforced errors in 276 points.

The Spaniard had reached the final in the past five Grand Slam tournaments, and had played in the final of his past five Wimbledons.

It was a good day for Americans — Serena Williams, Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish and No. 126-ranked Brian Baker advanced, as did No. 28-seeded Christina McHale and Varvara Lepchenko.

Maria Sharapova’s old serving problems resurfaced, costing her the second set before she recovered to beat dangerous Tsvetana Pironkova, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (3), 6-0. The Court 1 match took two days and ended three minutes after Williams concluded her victory on Centre Court, beating qualifier Melinda Czink 6-1, 6-4.

Defending champion Petra Kvitova, seeded fourth, advanced by beating Elena Baltacha of Britain 6-0, 6-4.

Roddick advanced to the third round at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in 2012 when he beat Bjorn Phau 6-3, 7-6 (1), 6-3. Roddick is seeded only 30th and fended off questions in recent months about retirement before he won his fifth grass-court title last week as a wild card at Eastbourne.

British hopeful Andy Murray faced only one break point and beat big-serving Ivo Karlovic 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (4). Kei Nishikori became the first Japanese man in 17 years to reach the third round at Wimbledon by beating Florent Serra 6-3, 7-5, 6-2.

Sara Errani committed only five unforced errors and beat Anne Keothavong of Britain 6-1, 6-1. The 25-year-old Errani, an Italian who has blossomed in Grand Slam competition this year, matched her best Wimbledon showing by advancing to the third round.

Nadal broke twice in the fourth set to even his match, and gathering darkness made lights necessary for the final set. Tournament officials suspended play for 45 minutes so the roof could be closed.

Nadal was clearly unhappy that the delay interrupted his momentum, shaking his head and frowning when advised of the situation by an official.

Serving to start the final set, Nadal shanked a groundstroke on the first point and was broken when he failed to put away an overhead. Rosol easily held from there, winning his final 13 service points, seven with aces.

Nadal won a record seventh French Open championship this month and was bidding for his third title at Wimbledon, where he was runner-up last year to Novak Djokovic.

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The Bronx tops Queens as new Battle of the Boroughs format gets underway

The Bronx knocked off Queens in the first contest in the Battle of the Boroughs – but unlike the previous two years, this was just the beginning.

The Battle of the Boroughs was previously a one-day event featuring all four boroughs in August, but now the teams will play a series of scrimmages to set up seeding for the one-day tournament in August.

The entire schedule will be announced in the coming days, with all games played Rivington Court, the newly-built home for Team Nike 2 – a professional streetball all-star team which will face other star-studded teams on a weekly basis this summer on the Lower East Side.

Robert Cole

DayshonSmith scored seven points, including a big dunk, in The Bronx's 65-48 win over Queens in the first Battle of the Boroughs scrimmage.

Photos: Battle of the Boroughs

“Now it formalizes into a program, not just a game,” Bronx coach Bernard Bowen said. “That’s something that the kids can look forward to.”

In the opener on Wednesday, Deandre Bembry of St. Patrick (N.J.) scored 14 points, Terry Larrier of Our Savior Lutheran had nine points, Christ the King’s Adonis DeLaRosa added eight points and Putnam Science Academy’s (Conn.) Dayshon Smith had seven as The Bronx knocked off Queens, 65-48, Wednesday night. Boys & Girls’ Rashad Andrews scored 15 points for Queens and Holy Cross’ Marquise Moore had 14.

"It gives us a chance to feel each other out and see what we are up against," said Long Island Lutheran forward Kentan Facey, who played for Queens.

The highly recruited Smith, who has scores of mid-major offers and is beginning to compile high-major interest, had the play of the game, a steal and right-handed slam over Andrews, who prides himself on his defense.

“I got sneaky athleticism,” said the 6-foot-2 point guard who is playing with the New York Lightning this summer. “A lot of people don’t know I can jump. … I told my teammate [Adonis DeLaRosa] it was going to happen, not particularly on [Andrews]. I felt I was going to dunk on somebody. It was that type of night.”

Andrews laughed it off afterward, in front of Smith, though it was no laughing matter during the game as the facial was replayed on the big screen several times.

“He got lucky,” Andrews said.

Andrews will have a chance at redemption and the next time Queens takes the floor together, it will likely have former St. John’s and Dayton commit Jevon Thomas and national prospect Jermaine Lawrence, neither of whom were on hand on Wednesday. The Bronx, it should be noted, was without Chris McCullough, considered one of the top players in the country in the Class of 2014.

"It's better," DeLaRosa said of the new format. "Now we are going to play with and against each other throughout the summer."

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Devils won’t stop Oates from seeking head coaching job

The Devils have granted assistant coach Adam Oates permission to seek a head coaching job, with the Capitals said to be a possible destination.

“We have given Adam permission to talk to one team,” general manager Lou Lamoriello told The Post yesterday.

Oates has been an assistant under John MacLean, Jacques Lemaire and Pete DeBoer during the past two seasons. A former center, Oates stands 16th all-time with 1,420 points with the Red Wings, Bruins, Caps, Flyers, Ducks and Oilers.

Meanwhile, Devils defenseman Mark Fayne will be out until October after undergoing surgery to repair a ligament in his left wrist Friday. Lamoriello said the ailment nagged Fayne through the end of the season and playoffs.

Getty Images

Devils' assistant coach Adam Oates.

The Devils protected their Group 2 free agent compensation rights with Fayne, defenseman Matt Corrente and forward Vladimir Zharkov. They did not qualify goaltender Timo Pielmeier nor forward Kory Nagy, prospects who become unrestricted free agents.

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GAMETRACKER: Mets at Cubs

Follow live as the Mets take on the worst-in-baseball Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Johan Santana gets the start for the Mets against Chicago lefty Travis Wood.

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Soccer Victory Ignites Greeks Before Election

Associated Press

Greek players celebrate their 1-0 win at the end of the Euro 2012 soccer championship Group A match between Greece and Russia in Warsaw, Poland on Saturday night.

Do politics and sports intersect? Greece's miraculous defeat of Russia in Europe's quadrennial soccer tournament on Saturday night offers one of the most interesting test cases in years.

Greeks haven't had much to cheer for lately. Their economy is in free-fall. Their future in the euro zone is in doubt. Talk of hoarding food, gasoline and cash is rampant.

At times like this, soccer would seem like a distraction. Instead, on Saturday night, Greece's national team captivated the country -- and the continent -- by pulling off a 1-0 upset victory against the mighty Russians. The nail-biting win means Greece will advance to the quarter-final round of the Euro 2012 tournament in Poland and Ukraine later this coming week -- a stunning outcome for a team and a country widely dismissed as at best second-tier in one of the world's premier soccer competitions.

Photos: Greece Upsets Russia

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Associated Press

Greek players celebrated their win.

Russia, meanwhile, will go home.

The victory ignited celebrations throughout central Athens. Joyous Greeks poured into the streets, some toting the country's blue-and-white flag.

Hours later, Greeks will be filing into voting booths in a national election that many experts say could determine the fate of the 17-country euro zone.The question is whether the national victory on the soccer pitch will sway the too-close-to-call elections.

It wouldn't be the first time that an international sporting event had outsized political repercussions. In February 1980, the U.S. hockey team stunned a much-favored Soviet Union to win gold in the Lake Placid, N.Y., Olympics. That victory -- later dubbed the "Miracle on Ice" -- came to be regarded as a Cold War turning point.

It's not clear how Greece's surprise win on Saturday will play in the Sunday ballot.

In an Athens bar on Saturday night, reveling Greeks were divided when asked about the likely electoral impact of their team's win against the favored Russian squad.

Some thought it would help Syriza, the far-left conglomeration of underdogs that has pitched itself as the fresh-start party of hope.

Others argued that the win in a pan-European tournament could lend credence to the New Democracy party, which emphasizes Greece's place in the European family.

Either way, Saturday's upset sets the stage for a match next week that will be dripping in political symbolism. Greece appears likely to face off against Germany in the tournament's quarter-final round. In the epic drama that is the euro-zone crisis, Greece for the past three years has played the role of nettlesome child. Germany has been the unforgiving parent.

(Greece came in second place in its group, and it's slated to square off against the top squad in the tournament's Group B. Germany currently leads the group, but the final rankings won't be known until Sunday night, after Germany plays Denmark in Ukraine.)

In a tournament that's rich in past and present geopolitical rivalries, the Greece vs. Germany showdown would likely top the list.

Write to David Enrich at david.enrich@wsj.com and Charles Forelle at charles.forelle@wsj.com

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Calder Graded Entries

Post Time: 12:55 p.m.

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8-1

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12-1

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3-Scaladora

12-1

10-AndreasDream

3-1

4-Elsie'sPrncess

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11-Senorarita

20-1

5-Warrntr'sBelle

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TENTH-1 1/8 miles(T); $55,000; 3up

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10-1

11-WheresSterlng

7-2

5-El Romano

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30-1

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3-Trippin' Along

10-1

10-DchssDenyse

15-1

4-Marie's Music

15-1

11-FlattrMeLucky

8-1

5-StarshpAshley

15-1

12-Giant Emily

12-1

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Yonkers Graded Entries

Post Time: 7:10 p.m.

Best Bet: Orange Bigi (4th)

FIRST: mile pace; $11,500; claiming

2 J A's Outlaw

(JPantaleano)

2-7-6

3-1

4 Lodi Governor

(MacDonald)

1-7-7

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7 Mattjestic Art

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3-1-6

4-1

1 Mcardles Star

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7-3-1

5-1

3 Jazz Band

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5-8-7

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5 Letthemagicbegin

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5-7-2

10-1

6 Essential Signs

(JStratton)

3-4-7

15-1

8 Dontakeyourguns

(Stalbam)

4-2-2

5-1

SECOND: mile trot; $23,000; cond

3 CelticMerchant

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2-5-4

3-1

7 Gotta Be Perfect

(Stalbaum)

8-1-6

5-1

5 SecondHandNews

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4-1

1 Genesis Royal Oak

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3-4-8

5-1

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3-4-1

8-1

4 Special Command

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2-6-6

8-1

6 Pass The Popcorn

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1-3-1

10-1

8 Trottin Troy

(JPantaleano)

6-8-7

15-1

THIRD: mile pace; $17,000; claiming

3 Lets Go Blue

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3-6-1

3-1

1 Bolder

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2-3-5

4-1

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5-2-6

5-1

2 Shando Hanover

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8-7-6

30-1

4 Forever Wild

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5-7-7

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6 Lebron

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3-2-5

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7 Manchine

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6-1

8 Don't Let Down

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4 Orange Bigi

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6 RapidStrategy

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6 Feeling You

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8-1

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3 QueenOfRoyalty

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5-1

5 Shaky Hanover

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8-1

8 Red Star Hottie

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6-1

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8 Blacktuxwhitesocks

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1-2-1

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4-1

4 Mm's Lucky Boy

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10-1

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12-1

2 SunOfAVictory

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10-1

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5-1

5 Bad Boy Billy

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6-5-1

20-1

6 Fox Valley Iliad

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6-1

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4 Kissmatt

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5-1

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2-6-5

4-1

2 Hf's Super Star

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2-2-3

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5-1

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12-1

8 Stratus

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15-1

TENTH: mile trot; $26,500; cond

1 Photo King

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7-2-7

5-1

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4-7-6

4-1

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1-3-4

8-1

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2-6-6

6-1

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5 Questions for... John McEnroe

Outspoken former tennis star John McEnroe will be calling Wimbledon for ESPN starting Monday, the first time the company, across its numerous platforms, has had exclusive rights to the entire tournament. McEnroe spoke with The Post’s Brett Cyrgalis about some of the most intriguing storylines.

Q: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have won 28 of the past 29 men’s singles Grand Slam titles. Is that good for the game?

A: I think it’s good for the game, as far as the rivalry. Any one-on-one sport needs that. That [the lack of a rivalry] is what has hurt our sport for a while. It makes it more interesting and now historic as what we’ve seen at the French [Nadal’s record seventh French Open win]. Andy Murray would be the next guy that would have the next best chance.

John McEnroe

Q: Aside from those you’ve already mentioned who, among the men, has the best chance to win?

A: I’d pick [Tomas] Berdych, [John] Isner, and [Jo-Wilfried] Tsonga as the best chance to upset those guys. I don’t know if anyone can do that; they would have to have a great day. If they’re going to beat those guys, they have to play Pete Sampras style, not get stuck in these types of rallies they’re getting stuck in. Grass is made for that type of big-shot tennis, holding serve.

Q: Federer will turn 31 on Aug. 8. When do you think he’ll stop being able to compete for Grand Slams?

A: That’s a question we’d all like to know the answer to. We’d all like to watch it play out. I’m picking him to win this year at Wimbledon. To me, Wimbledon is the best chance. He’s a lot better athlete than he’s given credit for. People are pulling for him, so he can use the crowd to his favor. He doesn’t show much on the court, and he might be losing out on something he can use.

Q: Serena Williams lost in the first round at the French while Maria Sharapova completed the career Grand Slam. What’s going on in the women’s game?

A: Basically, I would’ve thought Serena would’ve won one of the first two already. Unless I’m seriously misreading something, Serena and Maria have definitely distanced themselves. If Maria has problems with her serve, that’s going to be more of an issue because she’s not going to break [opponents’ serves] as easily on grass as on clay.

Q: Is Christina McHale, currently ranked No. 30, possibly the next big U.S. women’s player?

A: I hit with her on a handful of occasions, a month or so before the French. Each time, I’ve noticed improvement in her game. She listens well, she’s well-coached, she’s gotten in better and better shape. If she can develop more a sense of identity, she’ll already get to Top 20. But if she wants to get Top 10, she needs something that gets into the heads of her opponents.

bcyrgalis@nypost.com

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John McEnroe, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Wimbledon, Wimbledon, Maria Sharapova, Brett Cyrgalis, Pete Sampras, Grand Slam, Grand Slam, Serena Williams, online

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Delaware Park Results

FIRST-6f; $12,000; cl($6,250); 4up

1

Wld Apch (CstllnJr.)

3.40

2.80

2.10

6

Ncoles Prospect (Brcho)

8.40

3.40

5

Alex's Vision (Santiago)

2.10

Scr: Indy Krizz, Quarters.

* $1 Exacta (1-6) $11.60 * $1 Trifecta (1-6-5) $26.80

SECOND-1m&70y; $12,500; cl($10,000); 3up; (f&m)

3

Wth Class (Crbllo)

5.20

3.20

2.80

4

Sylv's Buttrcup (Hrnndz)

11.20

6.00

5

Will Unbridled (Rodriguez)

4.60

* $1 Daily Double (1-3) $5.40 * $1 Exacta (3-4) $30.70 * $1 Superfecta (3-4-5-7) $617.90 * $1 Trifecta (3-4-5) $165.60

THIRD-6f; $18,000; mdn cl($20,000); 3up

1

Risk On (Centeno)

9.20

3.60

2.80

3

Deridder (Molina,Jr.)

2.40

2.10

2

Slap Happy (Castillo)

2.80

* $1 Pick 3 (1-3-1) 3 Correct $27.80 * $1 Daily Double (3-1) $25.40 * $1 Exacta (1-3) $14.50 * $1 Superfecta (1-3-2-6) $148.40 * $1 Trifecta (1-3-2) $42.70

FOURTH-1m; $12,000; mdn cl($10,000); 3up

6

Iscndr (CstllnoJr.)

21.60

7.60

4.80

3

Holy Mo (Pedroza)

5.40

3.60

1

Kanati Kid (Rosario)

3.00

Scr: Risky Recovery.

* $1 Pick 4 (1/2-3-1-6) 4 Correct $289.60 * $1 Pick 3 (3-1-6) 3 Correct $185.70 * $1 Daily Double (1-6) $44.70 * $1 Exacta (6-3) $71.30 * $1 Superfecta (6-3-1-4) $1,646.50 * $1 Trifecta (6-3-1) $244.10

FIFTH-1 1/16m(T); $18,000; cl($16,000); 3up

6

Vglnt Lw (Cntron)

10.60

5.20

3.60

8

One Sunday (Diaz)

10.80

7.40

10

Dinner in Odem (Centeno)

4.60

Scr: Tizsilk, Warrensburg.

* $1 Pick 3 (1-6-6) 3 Correct $363.90 * $1 Daily Double (6-6) $104.60 * $1 Exacta (6-8) $66.30 * $1 Superfecta (6-8-10-5) $1,861.50 * $1 Trifecta (6-8-10) $376.50

SIXTH-1 1/16m; $36,000; mdn spcl wt; 3YO

5

Colony Strk (Crbll)

4.40

3.00

2.10

6

Dimension (Santana,Jr.)

5.80

3.00

3

Round Midnight (Centeno)

2.10

* $1 Pick 3 (6-6-5) 3 Correct $244.80 * $1 Daily Double (6-5) $11.30 * $1 Exacta (5-6) $16.70 * $1 Superfecta (5-6-3-1) $150.60 * $1 Trifecta (5-6-3) $32.40

SEVENTH-6f; $12,500; cl($10,000); 3up; (f&m)

5

Fry Rcktt (SntnJr.)

6.80

4.80

3.40

8

She's a Pistol (Ortiz)

16.80

9.20

4

Rebecca Mia (Canchari)

3.80

Scr: Great Motion, Flatter Me Up.

* $1 Pick 5 (1-6-6-5-5) 5 Correct $18,169.30 * $1 Pick 3 (6-5-5) 3 Correct $93.30 * $1 Consolation Pick 3 (6-5-2) 3 Correct $19.40 * $1 Trifecta (5-8-4) $222.30 * $1 Consolation Double (5-2) $2.20 * $1 Daily Double (5-5) $9.70 * $1 Exacta (5-8) $50.10 * $1 Superfecta (5-8-4-7) $625.70

Winner picked by Affrunti

EIGHTH-1m(T); $34,000; alw; 3up

6

Slp nd Drv (RccJr.)

6.60

3.80

3.00

5

Tme for Tutt (Karamnos)

4.60

2.80

12

Capital Fellow (Garcia)

7.20

Scr: Battle Harbour, Big Sur, Standup Comic.

* $1 Pick 4 (6-5-5-6) 4 Correct $376.30 * $1 Pick 3 (5-5-6) 3 Correct $49.50 * $1 Consolation Pick 3 (5-2-6) 3 Correct $10.20 * $1 Trifecta (6-5-12) $146.20 * $1 Superfecta (6-5-12-1) $795.50 * $1 Daily Double (5-6) $10.90 * $1 Exacta (6-5) $13.40

Double picked by Affrunti

NINTH-6f; $10,500; mdn cl($30,000); 3up; (f&m)

2

Elgnt Dncr Mhf (Rvr)

7.60

3.40

2.40

4

Rich Chick (Santana,Jr.)

3.00

2.80

3

A F Ania (Torres)

4.60

Scr: Destinee Lzp.

* $1 Pick 3 (5-6-2) 3 Correct $44.00 * $1 Daily Double (6-2) $15.50 * $1 Exacta (2-4) $9.60 * $1 Superfecta (2-4-3-1) $229.30 * $1 Trifecta (2-4-3) $63.60

Attendance unavailable.

Handle $51,787.

Total Handle $1,788,768.

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Trifecta, Daily Double, cl, cl, cl, Molina,Jr.

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Florida St. eliminates UCLA

OMAHA, Neb. — Scott Sitz gave up five hits and struck out eight in a season-high 6 2-3 innings, and Florida State eliminated UCLA from the College World Series with a 4-1 victory last night.

Florida State (50-16) plays Arizona tomorrow, needing to beat the Wildcats twice to reach the championship round.

No. 2 seed UCLA (48-16) was knocked out a day after No. 1 Florida was eliminated from the opposite bracket.

Sitz (4-3) had not made it through five innings in six of his past seven outings. The junior held the Bruins to two singles through five innings and struck out the side in the sixth after UCLA loaded the bases.

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Florida State, UCLA, night.Florida State, Scott Sitz, Florida, College World Series, OMAHA, Neb., innings, Wildcats

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Mets prospect Evans likes Cyclones ride

Phillip Evans could have spent this spring playing baseball at San Diego State. Instead, after signing with the Mets last year out of high school, the 19-year-old shortstop spent the spring in Port St. Lucie, taking part in extended spring training at the Mets’ facility.

Even after spending the past three months playing daily in the sweltering Florida heat, Evans is happy to have made the decision to turn pro.

“I think I definitely made the right choice,” he said last night before starting at shortstop and going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored for the Brooklyn Cyclones in their 2-0 season-opening win over the Staten Island Yankees at MCU Park in Brooklyn. “Pro ball is awesome.

“Extended’s definitely a grind, don’t get me wrong. But I got through it, everyone got through it, and we’re just excited to be here now, and for the season to get started.”

The Mets took Evans, rated as the 20th best middle infield prospect in the 2011 draft by Baseball America, in the 15th round, and gave him a $650,000 signing bonus to get him to forego his commitment to San Diego State and turn pro.

Because of that, the Mets have high hopes for Evans, who already has impressed Cyclones manager Rich Donnelly.

“I do have a lot of faith in him, and like we tell him all the time, we expect a lot from him,” Donnelly said. “We think he can handle it, and we’re gonna see if he can.’’ We have confidence in him, and I think he’s the type of kid that can be a leader. I don’t care how old you are, they don’t ask if you’re a good leader, and we think he has the qualifications to be one”

Evans, a Carlsbad, Calif., native, grew up rooting for the San Francisco Giants and said his favorite player growing up was Barry Bonds. But he modeled his game after another Bay Area native: Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins.

“He plays the game hard, his ability to swing the bat, his glove is awesome,” Evans said. “He plays the game … the right way, and that’s how I try to approach the game.”

Even though Evans enjoyed his time in Florida this spring, he’s excited for the chance to play in Brooklyn this season, after making a brief cameo appearance during last year’s playoffs.

“It feels great,” Evans said. “Sleeping in every day, getting to the field a few hours before the game, getting work in. … It feels to be great to be here in Brooklyn in front of all of the great fans here.

“I’m just excited to start the season, and hopefully we can start it off on the right foot.”

tbontemps@nypost.com

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Phillip Evans, Brooklyn Cyclones, Brooklyn, Brooklyn, San Diego State, the Mets, extended spring training, Port St. Lucie, Staten Island Yankees, San Francisco Giants

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Bergamo Comes to Manhattan

Accademia Carrara, Bergamo

'The Stoning of Saint Stephen' by Lorenzo Lotto.

New York

Bellini, Titian, and Lotto:

North Italian Paintings From the Accademia Carrara, Bergamo

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Through Sept. 3

Bergamo, Italy, is enchanting. Home of the commedia dell'arte and birthplace of Gaetano Donizetti, it's notable today for its blissfully car-free cittá alta, a perfect miniature medieval and Renaissance hilltown, above the Lombard plain, complete with castle, 16th-century walls built by the Venetians, and a superb piazza. There's also a quattrocento jewel box of a funerary chapel built by Bartolomeo Colleoni, the mercenary soldier and later Captain General of the Venetian Republic, for himself and his family—a supplement to the iconic commemorative equestrian statue by Andrea Verrocchio in Venice.

Lower Bergamo is larger and more modern. The draw here, in addition to a handsome 16th- to 18th-century old quarter, is the Accademia Carrrara, founded in the 18th century by a passionate, civic-minded collector and enriched in the 19th century by two others, one of them the connoisseur Giovanni Morelli, whose "scientific" method of scrutinizing works of art taught generations of art historians, including Bernard Berenson, how to identify the "hands" of particular artists. The museum's outstanding collection of Renaissance art from Venice, Lombardy and Florence reflects the exacting eyes, the sense of purpose and the taste of the founders, who were acutely aware of Bergamo's unique heritage as an outpost of the Venetian Republic close to Milan. An appetite for North Italian realism was part of the local tradition, but so was enthusiasm for the opulence of Venice.

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Now, Bergamo has come to Manhattan. The Accademia Carrara is closed for restoration, so 15 of its masterworks by Venetian and North Italian artists, painted roughly between 1450 and 1550—Bergamo's "Golden Age"—are on view now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in "Bellini, Titian, and Lotto: North Italian Paintings From the Accademia Carrara, Bergamo." It's a spectacular little show.

Every work is noteworthy, whether by an acclaimed master or a less familiar but equally accomplished artist. The celebrated Venetian Giovanni Bellini's early, half-length "Pietá With the Virgin and Saint John" (c. 1455-60) transforms the iconography of a Byzantine icon into an intensely felt, wiry, meticulously rendered study of grief and reminds us of the artist's close connection, in the first part of his career, with his brother-in-law Andrea Mantegna. Equally compelling is "The Three Crosses" (1450 or 1456) by Vincenzo Foppa, who came from nearby Brescia but worked mostly in Milan; this astonishing picture makes us beholders, on an up-to-the-minute classical loggia, contemplating a spatially articulate crucified Christ between the two thieves, bathed in eerie light, against a strangely schematic landscape.

The selection's Titian, "Orpheus and Eurydice" (c. 1508-12), while not universally accepted as by his hand, is plausibly presented here as a very early work, when the youthful artist was under the influence of Giorgione. In the foreground of a fantastic landscape, Eurydice is bitten by what appears to be a miniature dragon. Further back, Orpheus starts turning to gaze, fatally, at his beloved as he leads her out of Hades—here dark, satanic mills, probably inspired by Hieronymus Bosch's nocturnal fire scenes, recently installed in Venice—while Eurydice begins to slip back into the underworld. This fraught moment is presented inventively, although the picture is so embrowned by time (or obscured by darkened varnish) that it's difficult to form a real opinion.

Artists from Bergamo and its region often learned their craft in La Serenissima and the influence of Venetian art is palpable in their work. Bellini's prototypes inform a "Madonna and Child" (c. 1520) by Andrea Previtali that was commissioned by Paolo Cassotti, the richest merchant in the city. In a dramatic reversal of protocol, Cassotti and his wife, Agnese, are presented head-on, standing closer to the Virgin and Child than their patron saints, who face away from us. In 1520, as today, access could be bought. Titian's approach to portraiture haunts a pair of marvelous paintings by Giovanni Battista Moroni (whom Titian is said to have admired). A shrewd young man, painted in 1567, stares appraisingly; a self-possessed, opulently dressed, bejeweled little girl, painted about 1570, fixes us with wide gray eyes.

Lorenzo Lotto is the star of the show, even in this splendid company—a deserved distinction, since the Venetian-trained painter worked in Bergamo for more than a decade. The exhibition's three large predella panels (narrative images placed below an altarpiece) by Lotto, painted in 1513-1516, were enormously influential on local artists, as was the monumental devotional painting to which they originally belonged, made for Bergamo's church of San Bartolomeo.

It's easy to see why. The dramatic moments depicted in the predelle—one of St. Dominic's miracles, the Entombment, and the stoning of St. Stephen—are staged with clarity, elegance and maximum emotional intensity. The firmly modeled, variously costumed protagonists of the narratives move easily in space. Each embodies a particular inner state, from the worried relative of the mortally wounded man whom St. Dominic revives; to the swooning Madonna, recoiling from the body of her dead son; to the anguished, calm St. Stephen, praying in the face of martyrdom. And that's not to mention the classical harmony of Stephen's nude limbs escaping his concealing cloak. The martyred saint's attackers—bending, stretching and turning balletically as they hurl their massive stones—diagram the space of the picture so powerfully that it almost counteracts the gruesome subject. All this: lush Venetian color; poetic landscape and architectural backgrounds; and Lotto's own unmistakable quirkiness, which he apparently cultivated to separate himself from his Venetian colleagues. It's the next best thing to a trip to Bergamo.

Ms. Wilkin writes about art for the Journal.

Accademia Carrara, Accademia Carrara, Saint Stephen, Bergamo, Bergamo, Lorenzo Lotto.New YorkBellini, Venetian Giovanni Bellini, Titian, commedia dell'arte, Bartolomeo Colleoni, Metropolitan Museum of Art, St. Stephen, Orpheus and Eurydice, North Italian Paintings, Gaetano Donizetti, Accademia Carrrara, Bellini, Venice, Italian Paintings, Giovanni Battista Moroni, Renaissance art

Online.wsj.com

Go to Greg

GO TO GREG

I was laid off in December 2011 after 10 years of 60-plus-hour weeks. It was a relief. I was burned out and decided to travel for six months, see family, read books and indulge my creative side.

I feel great and ready to get back to work. Should I explain the work gap on my resume, cover letter or in interviews? I don’t want employers to think I haven’t been able to find a job all this time, and see me as less desirable.

The only risk I see of not being hired is the envy people will have of your sabbatical!

Use this experience to your advantage and include it in your cover letters. But talk about it more positively than you described it to me. Don’t tell prospective employers you were burned out and didn’t have a life. It creates a negative impression about you, your outlook and how hard you might be willing to work going forward.

Portray it positively, saying you took advantage of an opportunity to take six months to travel, explore, learn, etc. — which is something most working professionals don’t get to do until retirement. Add that you are energized to resume your career full- throttle — and that the time off and experience make you even better-prepared for the next gig.

I discovered that someone on my staff was playing golf on a day they took off as a “personal day.” Is that what personal days are meant for?

Personal days were not meant for taking time off from work to play golf. They were meant for taking time off from work to go fishing. Trust me, it’s a lot easier to catch fish than to get that damn dimpled ball to go where you want it to. And you don’t find fishermen breaking their rods over their knees when they don’t hook the big one.

Lighten up. Unless your policy states specifically how personal days can be used — people use them as mental health days, to catch up on errands, to take care of unexpected events (which could be your buddies calling the night before to complete a foursome) — be cool. Now if someone called in sick and was caught on the back nine . . . well, that is a different matter.

cover letters, prospective employers

Nypost.com

Germany eliminates Denmark, advances into Euro quarters

LVIV, Ukraine — Germany failed to sparkle but still advanced to a quarterfinal against Greece after grinding out a 2-1 victory over Denmark on Sunday at the European Championship.

The Danes were eliminated after the two teams finished their Group B campaigns.

Lukas Podolski opened the scoring for Germany in the 19th minute and Lars Bender slotted home the winner in the 80th after Michael Krohn-Dehli had equalized for Denmark in the first half.

“It’s absolutely a day of joy,” Bender said. “I’ll be thinking back to this day a long, long time. We have a positive spirit in the team.”

Germany played without flair, but controlled possession and were never really challenged by the Danes, who go home after stunning the Netherlands in the first match but losing to Portugal in the second.

“We can be satisfied with our effort but not with the result,” Denmark midfielder William Kvist said. “I think we proved that we can play against the big teams. We won (against the Netherlands) and we didn’t lose big. We showed that we can play against the best.”

Germany seized the initiative from the kickoff and came close twice before Podolski, playing his 100th international match, scored his first goal of the tournament.

Mario Gomez set him up with a deft backheel touch following Thomas Mueller’s low cross from the right flank.

Denmark replied just five minutes later with Krohn-Dehli heading in the equalizer from a set piece that stunned the German defense. A corner found Nicklas Bendtner who headed the ball into the area where Krohn-Dehli nodded home his second goal at Euro 2012.

Jakob Poulsen missed a chance to put Denmark in the driver’s seat at the start of the second half when his shot grazed the outside of German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer’s right post.

After that scare, the Germans were firmly in charge and denied Denmark any real chance of getting back into the game.

Coach Morten Olsen’s men were already looking tired when Bender, replacing suspended right back Jerome Boateng, picked up a pass from Mesut Oezil and made it 2-1.

It was the first competitive match between the two countries since the 1992 European Championship final, when the Danes stunned the Germans with a 2-0 win to become champions.

Hoping for another upset, Olsen changed his lineup by moving playmaker Christian Eriksen to the right flank, replacing injured winger Dennis Rommedahl in a five-man midfield.

But the move had little effect as Phillip Lahm effectively closed down the talented 20-year-old, who leaves Euro 2012 without fulfilling expectations of an international breakthrough.

Germany finished top of the group with a perfect record of three wins and now faces Euro 2004 champion Greece on Friday in Gdansk.

Germany, Lars Bender, Denmark, Michael Krohn-Dehli, LVIV, Ukraine, William Kvist, Morten Olsen, Krohn-Dehli, Nicklas Bendtner

Nypost.com

Belmont Charts

June 15th, 2012

Clear and Fast Turf Firm

©2012 Equibase. All Rights Reserved

FIRST-1 mile; $29,000; clm($15,000); 3up(f)

Off: 12:50. Good. near ins,drift out str

Time: 23.84, 47.64, 1:11.57, 1:36.8.

Trainer: Michael Maker

Winner: CH F, 4, by Fusaichi Pegasus-Act Devoted

Scr: She's a Listener.

Horse

Wt.

PP

1/4

1/2

Str.

Fin

Jockey

Odds

Truly Devoted

121

4

1

1

1 3 1/2

1 8

Napravnk

1.75

Summer Flick

121

5

2

2

2 3

2 1 1/2

Castellan

1.00

World Premier

110

6

6

5

3 2

3 3

Garcia

9.10

African Jazz

114

2

3

3

4 2 1/2

4 4

Canchari

7.40

Rum Till I Die

117

7

7

7

6 1

5 5

Ortiz, Jr.

11.90

Tatoo Me

121

3

5

6

5 2

6 1/2

Lezcano

52.50

Donna's Sandee

121

1

4

4

7

7

Montalv

52.25

4-Truly Devoted

5.50

2.70

2.50

5-Summer Flick

2.30

2.20

6-World Premier

3.20

* Exacta (4-5) $11.40 * Superfecta (4-5-6-2) $85.00 * Trifecta (4-5-6) $35.20 *

Winner picked by Vic C.

SECOND-1 mile; $60,000; mdn; 3up

Off: 1:24. Good. 4w move, edged away

Time: 23.48, 46.53, 1:1.72, 1:35.86.

Trainer: Chad Brown

Winner: B C, 3, by True Direction-American Skipper

Horse

Wt.

PP

1/4

1/2

Str.

Fin

Jockey

Odds

Zivo

118

6

6

5

1 hd

1 3

Castellan

1.30

The Kenosha Kid

118

3

1

1

2 6

2 6

Maragh

3.65

Bake Shop

118

7

2

3

4 3 1/2

3 3 1/2

Naprvnk

25.25

Downgoesfrazier

118

2

4

6

3 1/2

4 8 3/4

Prado

58.25

Moneyinyour Pocket

118

4

7

7

6 4

5 2 1/4

Smith

67.25

Five Card Draw

123

5

5

2

5 1/2

6 2 1/2

Dmngez

10.70

Master Cip

118

1

3

4

7

7

Desrmex

1.55

6-Zivo

4.60

2.40

2.10

3-The Kenosha Kid

3.20

2.40

7-Bake Shop

4.00

* Daily Double (4-6) $13.80 * Exacta (6-3) $8.10 * Quinella (3-6) $4.50 * Superfecta (6-3-7-2) $242.00 * Trifecta (6-3-7) $42.80 *

Winner picked by DaSilva, Debbie L., Consensus

Quinella by Smith, Vic C.

THIRD-1 mile; $75,000; mdn; 3up(f)

Off: 1:54. Good. 2p, duel 5/16-1/16

Time: 23.32, 46.34, 1:1.99, 1:37.12.

Trainer: Claude McGaughey III

Winner: B F, 3, by Afleet Alex-Miz United States

Horse

Wt.

PP

1/4

1/2

Str.

Fin

Jockey

Odds

Scampering

119

2

2

2

1 hd

1 2 3/4

Velazqez

0.60

Holiday's Jewel

119

1

1

1

2 5 1/2

2 6 3/4

Castellan

1.40

Darnley Bay

119

4

4

3

3 5

3 6 1/2

Naprvnk

37.00

Acting Class

119

3

3

5

4 1

4 8

Maragh

15.50

Saint Anna Carina

112

5

5

4

5

5

Ortiz

11.00

2-Scampering

3.20

2.10

2.10

1-Holiday's Jewel

2.20

2.10

4-Darnley Bay

3.90

* Pick 3 (4-6-2) 3 Correct $24.60 * Daily Double (6-2) $6.50 * Exacta (2-1) $4.50 * Trifecta (2-1-4) $27.00 *

Winner picked by Smith

FOURTH-6 fur(T); $48,000; mdn clm($65,000); 3YO

Off: 2:27. Good. 3w ang 1/4,brisk urge

Time: 22.06, 44.9, 56.55, 1:08.37.

Trainer: Christophe Clement

Winner: B G, 3, by Put It Back-Minster Abbey

Scr: Ocean Storm.

Horse

Wt.

PP

1/4

1/2

Str.

Fin

Jockey

Odds

Hobbs

122

3

4

3

1 1

1 4 1/2

Lezcano

1.60

Core Inflation

122

1

1

1

2 1 1/2

2 3 3/4

Maragh

5.50

Arthur

122

4

6

5

4 1

3 hd

Domngez

9.30

Darwin Award

122

7

2

2

3 2

4 3/4

Alvarado

3.95

Spring Warrior

122

2

5

6

5 1/2

5 1 1/2

Desrmex

4.80

Came Back

122

6

3

4

6 5

6 4

Castellan

6.10

Four Zees

122

5

7

7

7 10

7 10 3/4

Naprvnk

44.25

El Macho

122

8

8

8

8

8

Nakatan

36.75

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Liberty hammered by Sun

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — The Liberty caught the Connecticut Sun at the wrong time.

Tina Charles scored 20 points and the Sun had a record-setting first half en route to a 97-55 victory over the Liberty on Friday night, handing the Liberty their worst loss in franchise history.

Mistie Mims and Renee Montgomery scored 13 points each, Asjha Jones had 10 points and eight rebounds and Kara Lawson also scored 10 points for the Sun (7-2).

All 11 players scored for Connecticut, which led 61-27 at halftime to set the league record for the largest lead at the break — besting Seattle’s 33-point margin (60-27) at the half against Tulsa on Aug. 7, 2010.

It was also the Sun’s biggest margin of victory, topping their 81-47 win over Washington on Aug. 26, 2005.

Connecticut was coming off an 87-81 loss to Los Angeles on Wednesday night in a game the Sun led with a little over a minute left.

“If you look at our record and see our two losses, we think we could’ve been undefeated,” Connecticut’s Kalana Greene said. “It kind of ticks us off. ... The beauty of this part of the season is you play games almost every day. . You have a short-term memory and you get to kind of let off your energy and frustration on the next team.”

With team owner James Dolan sitting courtside, The Liberty (3-7) eclipsed their 37-point defeat to Seattle on July 22, 2006.

“I don’t want to take anything away from the Sun,” Liberty coach John Whisenant said. “They played well, but to lose like this, we had to play pretty bad. It was just a combination [of things]. I’ve never lost a game like that in my coaching life.”

Essence Carson scored 10 of her 14 points in the first half for New York and was the team’s only scorer in double figures. Liberty leading scorer Cappie Pondexter finished with seven points, all in the second half.

“It was embarrassing, frustrating,” Pondexter said. “We just got a lot of work to do, a lot of soul-searching, trying to figure this thing out before it sinks. ... I know when I’m not aggressive, this team is not good, and it’s my fault. I wasn’t being as aggressive as I needed to be.”

The Sun’s first-half total set a franchise record, topping the previous mark of 59 against Minnesota on Aug. 3, 2010. Phoenix scored a league-record 69 points in the first half against the Lynx on July 29, 2010.

Connecticut also made a franchise-record 24 field goals in the first half, eclipsing the 23 the Sun made against Indiana on Aug. 28, 2008.

“I think on night’s like this, it goes both ways,” Lawson said. “I’d like to think we were so awesome offensively, but clearly we expected it would be a little harder to crack their defense than it was tonight.”

Connecticut took control with a 19-0 run bridging the first two quarters to take a 37-14 lead with about 7 1/2 minutes remaining in the first half.

Hightower made two free throws with 4:04 to go before the break to increase the lead to 30.

Montgomery had a three-point play with 4 seconds to go in the period and Greene had a steal and buzzer-beating layup to give the Sun their 34-point lead at the half.

Mims’ free throws with 3:40 remaining in the third quarter gave Connecticut a 76-35 lead, and Charles’ layup in the final minute of the period extended the lead to 43 points.

the Liberty, The Liberty, Connecticut Sun, Connecticut, Connecticut, UNCASVILLE, Conn, Sun, Kalana Greene, Kara Lawson, Renee Montgomery

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Nieuwenhuis' two homers power Mets to sweep of Rays

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit a leadoff homer and later connected for a two-run shot as the Mets completed a three-game sweep by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 9-6 on Thursday.

Jason Bay also homered and Lucas Duda drove in three runs for the Mets, who had been swept in a three-game series by the Yankees last weekend.

The Mets outscored Tampa Bay 29-9 in this series.

Johan Santana (4-3) allowed four runs and six hits over five-plus innings. Frank Francisco struck out Ben Zobrist with the bases loaded on a 3-2 pitch to end it.

Nieuwenhuis began the afternoon with a home run off Jeremy Hellickson (4-3). Nieuwenhuis homered again during a four-run fourth, helping the Mets take an 8-4 lead. It was his first career multihomer game.

AP

Kirk Nieuwenhuis gets congratulations after hitting the first of his two home runs in the Mets' 9-6 win over the Rays.

Hellickson gave up a career-high eight runs and nine hits in 3 2-3 innings. The AL Rookie of the Year, 0-3 over his last five starts, has allowed more than three earned runs in just five of 46 career starts.

Jon Rauch replaced Santana with the bases loaded and no outs in the sixth and worked out of the jam by striking out Sean Rodriguez and pinch-hitter Jose Labaton, and then getting a grounder from Elliot Johnson.

Santana made his second start since the left-hander held St. Louis hitless on June 1, the first no-hitter in the Mets' 51-year history. He allowed six runs and seven hits - including four homers - in a 9-1 loss to the Yankees last Friday.

Desmond Jennings cut the Rays' deficit to 9-5 with an RBI single off Miguel Batista with one out in the ninth.

Francisco got the final two outs for his 16th save. After allowing a run-scoring grounder to Carlos Pena, the Mets closer fanned Zobrist.

Duda had a sacrifice fly and Ike Davis drove in run with a single as the Mets went up 4-3 in the third. Duda also had a two-run double that chased Hellickson in the fourth.

Tampa Bay took a 3-2 lead during the second when Matt Joyce hit a two-run double and Johnson had an RBI single. Zobrist's RBI double in the third tied it at 4.

Bay, who had been 1 for 21 since returning from a rib injury, gave the Mets a 2-0 advantage on solo home run in the second.

Davis added a run-scoring single in the ninth, giving him seven RBIs over his last four games.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Tampa Bay Rays, the Mets, Jeremy Hellickson, Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay, ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Nieuwenhuis, Lucas Duda, Mets, Frank Francisco, the Yankees

Nypost.com

Zhang, 14, prepared for U.S. Open battle

San Francisco -- The phone call came to 14-year-old Andy Zhang at 5:20 Monday evening. It was USGA official Jeff Hall, who was on the Olympic Club putting green, telling Zhang that he had a spot in the U.S. Open field thanks to Paul Casey withdrawing.

Zhang flew to San Francisco immediately.

“It was funny, like I was on the airplane, and then I was asking Chris [Gold, his caddie], I was like, so I get to practice on the driving range and putt and chip in the U.S. Open facility,” Zhang said. “So is that OK if I go up to Tiger and those great players for autographs. And he goes, like, no, you are going to be the one who is giving out autographs. And I came here and everybody knows me for some reason.”

So there was Zhang Wednesday morning on the range, hitting balls when Woods appeared. Gold said, “Hey Andy, look behind you, it’s Tiger.’’

“I was like, ‘Wow, I just shook Tiger’s hand,’ ’’ Zhang said.

U.S. OPEN: HOLE BY HOLE

Zhang is a native of the People’s Republic of China and grew up in Beijing, but for the past four years, he’s lived in Florida where he attends the Leadbetter Golf Academy.

His English is as good as any American teen, though he did answer several questions in Mandarin. He played a practice round on Tuesday with Aaron Baddeley and reigning Masters champion Bubba Watson.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy said he was preparing to play in the Holywood club championship when he was 14. Eight years later, of course, he was a U.S. Open champion.

“I’m not sure I could give him any words of wisdom,” McIlroy said. “It’s an unbelievable experience for someone so young. I think he should just enjoy it and you take it all in and just realize that he’s got so much more time to develop and mature. By the time he’s 18 he’ll feel like a veteran.”

Matt Kuchar, who was a Georgia Tech sophomore when he earned low amateur honors in 1998 when the U.S. Open last came to Olympic, said he was still trying to break 90 when he was 14.

When Zhang, who was 7 months old when the U.S. Open was last played at Olympic, tees off today at 11:21 a.m. (Eastern) with Mark Wilson and Hiroyuki Fujita, he will become the youngest player ever to compete in the U.S. Open.

“Somebody check his birth certificate,’’ 53-year-old Michael Allen said jokingly. “I’m baffled. I can’t imagine. I wouldn’t let my 14-year-old kid go backpacking over the weekend, besides letting him go to the U.S. Open. My God.’’

“Well, you watch some of these young kids, they’re so good and the kids that qualified with me, how far they hit it, I’m sure this little 14-year-old punk hit it past me already so . . . Oh, excuse me, kid.”

***

Alvaro Quiros of Spain Wednesday aced the 290-yard, par-4 seventh hole with a 3-wood.

“The people on the grandstand behind the green started screaming and standing, so we thought we hit the flag,” said Quiros, who is one of the longest hitters in the Open field. “Then [playing partner Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano] said, ‘I think you holed it.’ I said, ‘I’m not going to hole it. I’m just trying to find the fairway, and now you tell me it’s in the hole. Come on.’

“It’s just a practice round, but it’s still a great shot,” he said. “Sometimes the way to build up confidence is to hit a great shot.”

***

Phil Mickelson, as is his custom the day before major championships begin, played an “off-site’’ round, taking in San Francisco Golf Club along with his caddie, Jim “Bones’’ Mackay, who played as well.

Andy Zhang, San Francisco, 14.When Zhang, Zhang

Nypost.com

Struggling Nokia's Woes Mount

Nokia announced sweeping changes, including 10,000 additional job cuts, and cut its earnings outlook for the third time in little over a year. WSJ's Ben Rooney reports. Photo: AP

Nokia Corp., until this year the world's largest maker of mobile phones, sparked fresh doubts about its viability Thursday by warning that its losses will be worse than the company expected just two months ago.

Shares in Nokia fell 18% in Helsinki on Thursday and have lost more than three-quarters of their value since Chief Executive Stephen Elop was brought in to turn around the company in September 2010.

The profit warning was the third in a little over a year for Nokia, which faces stiff competition from Apple Inc. and Google Inc. in the market for smartphones and from less-costly rivals that are doing a better job of selling basic phones to consumers in emerging markets. Nokia didn't predict Thursday when its losses might come to an end.

The worsening results raise further doubts about Mr. Elop's strategy to turn around the company by focusing on smartphones powered by Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system. Nokia rolled out its first phones under the partnership in October. Yet while generally well reviewed, they are sold in the U.S. at heavy discounts and haven't stemmed the slide.

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In an effort to cut costs as its market position erodes, Nokia said it will cut an additional 10,000 jobs in its mobile division by the end of next year. The cuts follow plans announced last year to eliminate about 14,000 jobs, but observers questioned whether it would be enough. Nokia's mobile-devices division employs 53,000 people, compared with 20,500 at rival Motorola Mobility Holdings, which Google bought this month.

Mr. Elop also shook up the company's marketing and mobile-phone leadership, naming his former Microsoft colleague and U.S. chief Chris Weber as head of sales.

Nokia, once one of the world's cutting-edge technology companies, failed to adjust quickly enough to key changes in how people used their phones. Analysts say that Samsung Electronics Co. of South Korea dethroned Nokia in the first quarter of the year as the world's biggest cellphone maker.

Nokia's failure to adapt to changing technology has spanned the globe. In the first quarter of this year, Nokia for the first time accounted for less than half of the total cellphone market in its home country of Finland, according to research firm IDC, which has been tracking the data since 2004. The company's market share of 48% in the first quarter was 15 percentage points lower than it was a year earlier while Samsung and Apple rapidly gained ground.

Meanwhile, in Indonesia, Nokia's market share plummeted from 52% in early 2010 to 24% early this year, according to IDC. Nokia lagged behind smaller competitors in launching "dual SIM" phones, which have been popular in developing countries for years because they let consumers save money by combining deals from two different service providers.

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China at Heart of Nokia's Troubles 4/19/2012

On Thursday, Nokia warned that the operating loss at its main mobile-devices unit would be larger than it had indicated earlier, saying it would post a negative margin greater than 3%. The company doesn't appear to be gaining much traction in the important smartphone market, saying competition had hit that business "to a somewhat greater extent than previously expected."

On a conference call, Mr. Elop said Nokia is getting new help from Microsoft to go after Android more aggressively at the low end of the smartphone market, where its rival is winning customers quickly.

The new job cuts are aimed at saving an additional €1.6 billion ($2 billion) in annual costs by the end of 2013, the company said. The new round of restructuring measures comes as the combination of Nokia's accelerating cash burn and its continued steep fall in handset sales are starting to fray investors' nerves.

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Reuters

Nokia employees in Finland arrived for a personnel briefing on Thursday. The company announced that it plans to shed 10,000 jobs.

Nokia held €4.87 billion in cash at the end of the first quarter, down €709 million from the end of the fourth quarter and off 24% from the same time last year. Restructuring efforts will cost an additional €1.25 billion by the end of 2013, the company said.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services cut Nokia's credit rating to junk in late April, saying the company's cost cuts and new phones weren't likely to offset the rapid decline in its business.

Nokia, Nokia Phones, Chief Executive Stephen Elop, Apple Inc., Microsoft ebook download, Google Inc., Microsoft Corp.

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Debbie Little at Monticello

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Russia fined for fan violence at Euro 2012

WARSAW, Poland — UEFA has fined the Russian soccer association $150,000 after its fans attacked stadium stewards at a European Championship match.

UEFA says Russia could be deducted six points in its Euro 2016 qualifying group for a repeat offense. The probationary period expires at the end of Euro 2016 qualifying.

Russian fans were filmed fighting with stadium staff in Wroclaw after a 4-1 win over the Czech Republic last Friday. Police said violence flared when stewards tried to detain a man they believed threw a firecracker.

Russia’s fine was also imposed for the thrown firework and because fans displayed nationalist flags.

UEFA rules hold soccer associations responsible for their fans’ behavior inside stadiums.

UEFA, Russia, Czech Republic, European Championship, the Russian soccer association, probationary period, WARSAW, Poland, stadium, soccer associations

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Business briefs

Hope floats

Stocks had a rebound rally as investors cheered the potential for more stimulus from the Fed.

Ponzi sweep

The SEC charged 14 sales agents associated with swindler Nicholas Cosmo with misleading more than 5,000 investors in Long Island and elsewhere into buying securities to fuel his $415 million Ponzi scheme.

Facebook

In a study partially commissioned by Facebook, research firm comScore found that being a fan of a brand on Facebook causes people to purchase that brand more frequently.

Walmart

Walmart lawyers flagged Brazil, China, India, South Africa and Mexico, as countries that represent the highest corruption risk in a global review, according to a letter from lawmakers investigating the company.

Women MDs

A new study says women physician-scientists are paid on average about $12,000 less per year than male counterparts. The study’s authors surveyed 800 doctors/researchers who had received prestigious federal grants. Results are published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters. Click For Restrictions

Facebook, Nicholas Cosmo, comScore, investors, SEC

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Nadal beats Djokovic for record 7th title

PARIS — Rafael Nadal was worried.

A guy so unflinching, so nearly unbeatable, while sliding and grinding and pounding his way past opponent after opponent at the French Open, got a real case of nerves during the 18 hours he and Novak Djokovic waited for the restart of their final at Roland Garros.

When play was halted by showers on Sunday, Nadal was clinging to an ever-shrinking lead. It wasn’t until a few minutes before setting foot back on Court Philippe Chatrier, his favorite arena at his favorite tournament on his favorite surface, that Nadal set aside his anxiety. The King of Clay overwhelmed No.1-ranked Djokovic for the 50 minutes and nine games they played yesterday, wrapping up a 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 victory that allowed Nadal to earn French Open trophy No. 7, breaking a tie with Bjorn Borg.

EPA

SEVENTH HEAVEN: Rafael Nadal holds the trophy after defeating Novak Djokovic for the French Open championship at Roland Garros in Paris yesterday.

“You never know if you’re going to win another one,” said the second-ranked Nadal, who now owns 11 Grand Slam titles.

Djokovic worked his way back into the match with an eight-game run when it was pouring Sunday, but otherwise was outplayed, at the start and the finish.

“He’s definitely (the) best player in history ... on this surface,” said Djokovic, whose 27-match Grand Slam winning streak ended. “And results are showing that he’s one of the best ever.”

Since his French Open debut at age 18 in May 2005, Nadal is 52-1 for his career at the tournament, the only loss coming to Robin Soderling in the fourth round in 2009. He’s just as good elsewhere on clay, too: Nadal has won eight titles at Monte Carlo, seven at Barcelona and six at Rome.

Asked to explain his success on the surface, Nadal pointed not to his uppercut of a topspin-slathered forehand, or his superior returns of serve, but rather to his movement, his mental fortitude, and this: “I always was scared to lose.”

Djokovic gave Nadal reason for added concern, having beaten him in the finals at Wimbledon in July, the U.S. Open in September, and the Australian Open in January. Djokovic was attempting to be only the third man to win four major tournaments in succession, joining Don Budge in 1938, and Rod Laver in 1962 and 1969.

Instead, Nadal gained ground on Roger Federer’s record of 16 Grand Slam titles, tying Borg and Laver for fourth place.

“If Borg had kept playing until he was 30, he might have won 10 French Opens — something Nadal could wind up doing if he keeps playing,” said Corrado Barazzutti, a top-10 player in the 1970s who lost all 10 career matches against the Swede.

“Borg was a player who, particularly on red clay, was unbeatable, in my opinion. Facing him on a court was like being trapped in a tunnel. It was dark. You couldn’t move,” Barazzutti said. “That must be what it’s like to play Nadal.”

Nearly two hours after the match, Nadal and more than a dozen others gathered on the court for a photo session of the sort you might see at a wedding. First, everyone stood together for a picture.

Then came various two-person poses: Rafa with Dad, with Uncle Toni, with his buddy Pau Gasol of the Lakers.

Might seem a tad over-the-top for a guy who’s done this so many times.

Then again, you only win your seventh French Open trophy once.

Purchase US Open tickets

Novak Djokovic, Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, French Open, Roland Garros, Court Philippe Chatrier

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Embracing This Whole Offense Thing

Associated Press

Jets head coach Rex Ryan addresses his team during the first day of mini-camp on Tuesday.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J.—Since January, when the Jets failed to make the playoffs for the first time in three seasons, coach Rex Ryan has preached how he'd be less brash and outspoken in 2012. And for the most part he has been.

There is one area, though, in which he's developed a new-found swagger: The offense.

"We'll be in practice, and you'll hear him shouting out the offensive plays, we're running. 'Oh, that's an Empty-Right 72 Green!'" running back Joe McKnight said, mimicking Ryan's voice. "It's hilarious. It's almost like he's been quizzing himself to see if he can figure out what we're doing in terms of the formation."

Ryan has long been recognized as one of the league's premier defensive masterminds, but in previous seasons he was admittedly lost when it came to the other side of the ball. The lack of offensive knowledge was glaring at times last season, particularly when he didn't initially notice that No. 1 receiver Santonio Holmes had been benched mid-drive by an offensive coach during the team's season finale, or that quarterback Mark Sanchez had dropped back to pass almost 70 times in a pivotal game against the Giants.

But as players opened minicamp Tuesday, several said they've seen their leg-tattooed leader morph into a geeky general of sorts, flaunting his new-found offensive know-how everywhere he can. Some say he's been over the top—even for Rex —about displaying showing off his new smarts.

"A bunch of us are in the weight room lifting the other day, and Rex comes up smiling, saying, 'Oh, man; what do you all think of the new 136 [pass-protection scheme]?'" right guard Brandon Moore said smiling. "And we're looking at him like, 'It's still the same plays as last year, Rex; just with different names.' But it's good, because you can tell he's really studied up in that sense."

In a way, Ryan is a rookie to all the offensive ins and outs. He was most comfortable sticking to what he knew during his first two seasons as coach, usually deferring to then-offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer when it came to offense. Ryan did eventually speak up at the end of last season, though—he prompted Schottenheimer, in Week 17, to run a Wildcat play that went for 41 yards—acknowledging the verbiage in Schottenheimer's offense was "a little much" to understand.

To counter that, he received advanced tutoring from new coordinator Tony Sparano shortly after hiring the former Dolphins coach. For an hour each day in January, Ryan listened to Sparano talk about his schemes to develop a better grasp of how the offense was supposed to work. "What would start out as an hour would turn into an hour and forty-five minutes. It gave me a chance to get him up to speed," Sparano said.

That knowledge has helped Ryan follow through on an off-season promise to stay more in tune with his players—even if it's simply to bark at them. "He's way more hands-on than he ever was. He's literally coming into offensive meeting rooms and telling people, 'OK, if this is our play, and how it works, why can't you line up [correctly]?'" said quarterback Greg McElroy. "It's like, 'Oh my gosh, Rex actually knows what we're doing all the time now.'"

The coach has been present for most offensive-team meetings this offseason, typically sitting in the back of the room, with the veteran offensive linemen (Moore, center Nick Mangold and left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson). He's always on time for Sparano's offensive meetings, but usually bounces around from position meeting to position meeting, staying for just a few minutes of each one. Sometimes he opts to stand in some of the meetings, so he can leave for the next one without making much noise.

Unless, of course, he's giving his two cents on something. "When Rex is anywhere—even a silent auction, probably—he's gonna be speaking up," receiver Jeremy Kerley said, adding that the coach has helped offensive players identify defensive schemes in meetings. "He's definitely been more active and attentive in the meeting rooms."

A version of this article appeared June 13, 2012, on page A24 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Embracing This Whole Offense Thing.

Rex Ryan, Tony Sparano, Brian Schottenheimer, Santonio Holmes

Online.wsj.com

Oracle eyes mortgage business

Berkshire Hathaway, the holding company run by billionaire Warren Buffett, the so-called Oracle of Omaha, offered to buy Residential Capital’s mortgage unit.

Berkshire seeks to replace Fortress Investment Group LLC as the initial bidder at an auction for the bankrupt company’s most valuable asset.

Berkshire is also willing to become the so-called stalking horse, or initial, bidder for the part of ResCap’s loan portfolio that Ally Financial wants to buy.

Berkshire said in court papers filed yesterday in US Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan that it will offer better terms than Fortress and Ally.

AFP/Getty Images

Warren Buffett

“Both offers will remain open for the court to approve and the debtors to execute on or before June 19,” Berkshire said.

ResCap filed for bankruptcy May 14 with plans to sell most of its assets to Fortress. Ally, a Detroit-based bank that specializes in car loans, owns ResCap.

Ally supported the bankruptcy filing as a way to resolve legal claims related to mortgage-backed securities. Ally is 74 percent-owned by the US Treasury after receiving a bailout.

Gina Proia, a spokeswoman for Ally, didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment on Berkshire’s offer.

Gordon Runte, a spokesman for Fortress, declined to comment on Berkshire’s offer.

Berkshire Hathaway, Berkshire, Fortress Investment Group LLC, Warren Buffett, Ally Financial, Ally, US Bankruptcy Court, Oracle of Omaha, online

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Smith's mistake opened door for Velazquez at Belmont Stakes

Ray Kerrison

Eddie Arcaro, the late immortal jockey, used to say those of his profession, on average, contribute at most about 10 percent to a horse’s winning effort. Rarely, but sometimes, it hits 90 percent.

On Saturday, the Belmont Stakes offered a perfect illustration of how the actions and decisions of two jockeys led more to the outcome of the race than the horses themselves.

Mike Smith, a Hall of Fame rider with a glittering record, surrendered a huge advantage he held in the run through the stretch on Paynter. John Velazquez, aboard Union Rags, saw the opportunity and pounced. Their moves determined the result.

Smith is a rare breed. He has a habit of blaming himself for his defeats. When he lost the Breeders’ Cup Classic by a head on Zenyatta, he blamed his own mis-timed ride. When he lost the Kentucky Derby this year on Bodemeister, he blamed himself for setting too fast a pace. And Saturday, he blamed himself for Paynter’s loss in the Belmont.

“I’m such a perfectionist,” he said. “Union Rags should never have gotten through on me.”

Early in the race, Smith had them all over a barrel, nursing his horse through crawling fractions, the two in perfect rhythm. At the furlong pole, Smith still had them all over a barrel. A couple of lengths behind him, Union Rags was on the rail, going up and down in the same place, going nowhere.

Then Smith made a critical mistake. He hit Paynter left-handed with the whip. Paynter shied from the sting and lunged out, opening a hole on the rail wide enough for another horse to sail through. Velazquez said thank you, drove Union Rags through the gap, and got up to win by a neck.

Brilliant riding? Maybe. Velazquez was just as candid as Smith. In essence, he got lucky.

“When I saw Mike hit his horse left-handed with the whip,” Velazquez said, “I said to myself, ‘This could be my chance.’ I decided to stay there [on the rail] and wait for the hole to open. And it just happened and I got lucky.

“When it works, it’s brilliant. When it doesn’t, you’re a bum, basically.”

How true. If Smith had held his ground on Paynter, Union Rags would not have gotten through. He would have been bottled up because there was no room to go outside. And if that had happened, Velazquez would have been excoriated as a bum.

From his perch in the stands, Michael Matz, Union Rags’ trainer, saw what was going on and was having fits.

“It didn’t look like he was going to get through,” he said. “I was worried.”

Later, Matz said, “Johnny rode a brilliant race, and whether he got up there or not, he still rode a great race.”

Do you believe Matz would have thought that if Velazquez had not gotten through?

Velazquez, who will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame this summer at Saratoga, had the last say.

“It just happened that it worked out the way I thought it was going to,” he said, “and I looked like a genius, I guess.”

Former jockey Jerry Bailey will tell you nobody in the riding game today places a horse in a better position to win than Johnny V.

Bailey should know, because nobody ever placed a horse in a better spot to win than he did.

Still, the Belmont result affirmed trainer D. Wayne Lukas’ observation at Pimlico three weeks ago: “More Belmonts are lost through jockey error than any other race,” he said.

Today, Mike Smith would agree with him.This Belmont refuted in a magical way all the rotten publicity about drugs, thieves, cheaters and crooks that has battered racing in the past couple of years. Racing has its problems like other enterprises (see politics, business, clerics, unions, etc.) but this Triple Crown series drew record crowds and betting handles at the Derby and Preakness and an all time high for a non-Triple Crown at the Belmont. It’s been a hell of a run

The New York Racing Association may be falling apart but one thing is sure: It still knows how to stage the big event. Unlike Churchill Downs and Pimlico, it has no infield to accommodate massive overflows. It has to jam them all into the stands and somehow, it works. The 85,000 fans at the Belmont were treated to a marvelous thoroughbred spectacle, the game at its very best, under a bright sun, on a track as vast as it is beautiful.

Union Rags, John Velazquez, Velazquez, Belmont Stakes, Mike Smith, Paynter, Michael Matz

Nypost.com