Thursday, January 31, 2008
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Wednesday, January 30, 2008
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MASCHERANO TO BECOME PERMANENT SIGNING
Javier Mascherano is to become a permanent signing before the transfer window expires on Tuesday.
His comments come after Mohamed Sissoko switched to Juventus for £8.2million, giving the Reds the money to finance the deal.
Mascherano - whose loan switch to Anfield from West Ham began last January and is due to end in the summer - has third-party ownership and the Premier League will have a new rule in place soon to outlaw such agreements.
But with Sissoko's departure, Liverpool have the funds to make a sizeable down-payment on the midfield player who is valued at £17million by his owners, MSI group.Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks agreed to the outlay this week and Benitez wants to tie-up the transfer as quickly as possible to ward off other clubs.
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Kensington has a relaxed atmosphere and has an remarkable collection of shops.The Kensington hotels are also very cheap.Knightsbridge is a great tourist spot and consists of Harrods and Harvey Nichols and the Knightsbridge hotels are very cheap and they range from 67 pounds to 200 pounds.
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Monday, January 28, 2008
TEST MATCH DRAWN DESPITE SEHWAG HEROICS
Sehwag batted into the final session on his way to making 151 and the Indians retreated home with a 2-1 series defeat but having regained some pride after losing the first two Tests.
With Ricky Ponting off the field because of a back injury, Adam Gilchrist captained the Australians for his final day of Test cricket.
The tourists had resumed on 45 for one, eight ahead, and securing the win which would have tied the series was always likely to be tough task.
Fittingly, Gilchrist - who set a world record for Test dismissals on Friday - took Sehwag's scalp.
The 29-year-old tried to open the face of the bat to play the ball behind point but sent a slight edge through to Gilchrist, who had to be alert for the catch.
Sehwag departed to warm applause in a match which was played in a palpably better atmosphere than the first two, when relations between the two sides threatened to deteriorate completely.
There is still the small matter of Harbhajan Singh's appeal against a racism charge due to be heard tomorrow - the issue which at one stage looked like sending the tourists home early - when the spinner will hope to overturn a three-Test suspension.
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RIJKAARD REFUSES TO GIVE UP
Real also have a favourable run-in, where out of the current top 11 sides in the division they only have to play Racing Santander and Almeria away from their Bernabeu home, where they have won all 10 league games this season.
Rijkaard is not about to throw the towel in just yet, though, although he did admit Sunday's draw at San Mames was "a psychological blow for the team" after seeing Athletic net a 79th-minute equaliser through Fernando Llorente.
"We cannot say that we are going to relinquish anything.
"We have to look at ourselves and concentrate on our work. We have to continue working and fighting hard."
Barca midfielder Andres Iniesta added on his club's website: "We will not say goodbye to the league until it is mathematically over. There still remain a lot of matches."
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ROSICKY INJURED
Arsene Wenger has a major worry for Arsenal's major match against Newcastle as he has sustained an injury to his knee.Theo Walcott is ready to fill in the void for Newcastle match by playing on the right hand side of the midfield.Manuel Almunia should return in goal, along with full-back Bacary Sagna. However, striker Robin van Persie (thigh), midfielder Denilson (hamstring) and defender Johan Djourou (groin) are all still sidelined while Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue and Alex Song are on international duty at the African Nations Cup.This match is an important match to Arsenal's title chances.
COVERBIND AND ITS USES
HAMILTON VERY CONFIDENT OF WINNING TITLE
Without the polarising Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton is confident enough to settle for nothing less than the Formula One title this year.
"I think there are no excuses if I cannot win this year," the 22-year-old British driver said of his aspirations for the new season that kicks off on 16 March at the Australian Grand Prix.
"Last year, the only excuse was that I was a rookie and that it was all new. But this year, I have no doubts. I know I am going to be better prepared. I am already better prepared. And I think we have a better package this year. I do not feel there is any room for error."
Hamilton won four races in his debut season to finish with 109 points, one fewer than eventual champion Kimi Raikkonen.
Despite his aim, Hamilton prefers to remain as a team player rather than McLaren's number one driver.
"I like fairness and I want Heikki Kovalainen (his team-mate) to have the exact same opportunities."
Hamilton also feels encouraged by the support of McLaren, who announced a five-year extension to his current deal earlier this month.
"I feel in the right place," he said.Sunday, January 27, 2008
HAIR LOSS AND ITS TREATMENTS
MAN UNITED DEFEAT TOTTENHAM
Manchester United have defeated Tottenham hotspurs in the FA cup clash at Old Trafford 3-1.The United team was earlier on nervous and a great cross by Robbie Keane gave the lead for Tottenham.Then Ryan Giggs' beautiful layoff was smashed home off the left foot by the imperious Carlos Tevez to level the proceedings before half time.Cristiano Ronaldo was off colour in the first half but came storming back in the second.A long kick by Van Der Sar had Rooney and Tottenham center back Richard Dawson scrambling for the ball and it was pushed away off the hand intentionally by Dawson.This resulted in a penalty put away by Ronaldo and also Dawson was given the red card.Cristiano Ronaldo put another one past the hapless goalkeeper to seal the match for manchester united 3-1.United saw Paul Scholes back for them as a second half sub and he had missed 18 games for them.
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Saturday, January 26, 2008
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CHELSEA BEAT THE BLUES
Nicholas Anelka and Shaun Wright Phillips came into the party for Chelsea against Wigan athletic in the FA cup.Nicolas Anelka proved why Chelsea recently paid 15 million pounds for his services by scoring his first goal for the FA Cup holders to steer the Blues into the last 16 of this year's competition.
Anelka's predatory instincts came to the fore in the 51st minute of a mediocre fourth-round tie, before he then set up Shaun Wright-Phillips for the game-killing second goal eight minutes from time.
Wigan substitute Antoine Sibierski did score a stunning strike in the 87th minute, before Marcus Bent almost forced an unlikely replay when he rattled the crossbar in injury-time.
But in the end it was a comfortable night's work for Chelsea, whose current unbeaten run stretches to 10 matches - despite the fact they continue to be without an array of stars.
Frank Lampard, John Terry, Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko are all out through injury, while Mikel Jon Obi, Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and Michael Essien are on African Nations Cup duty.
With Ashley Cole also absent - perhaps as a result of recent revelations about his private life - it is a case of continuing to mend and make do for boss Avram Grant.
But Chelsea continue to find a way to win, even if the opening 45 minutes were disjointed by their standards as defences dominated - neither Chris Kirkland nor Petr Cech made any kind of meaningful save in the first half.
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GILCHRIST TO RETIRE
Adam Gilchrist has announced his decision yo retire from all forms of cricket after the Australian summer.Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist will retire from international cricket at the conclusion of the upcoming triangular one-day series against India and Sri Lanka."It is with great pride and happiness that I make the decision to retire from Test and one-day cricket," he said in a statement at the conclusion of the third day of the fourth Test against India in Adelaide. Gilchrist, 36, became the record holder for most Test dismissals by a wicketkeeper when he claimed his 414th victim during Friday's play in the fourth Test against India. But his greatest achievements came with bat in hand - an average of 47.89 from 136 Test innings tells part of the story. Gilchrist also changed the expectations of number seven batsmen in Test matches with his pace of scoring and ability to contribute centuries, 17 of them in Tests. He also enjoyed much success at the top of the order in one-day internationals since his debut in 1996. Gilchrist was part of the World Cup winning sides in 1999, 2003 and 2007 and played perhaps his finest innings in the 2007 final against Sri Lanka - 149 from 104 balls.
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Friday, January 25, 2008
WALCOTT WILL STAY DESPITE CRITICISM
Theo Walcott's recent performances have come under fire but Wenger insists that he is not going anywhere else.Arsene Wenger has no intention of letting Theo Walcott or any other of his Arsenal youngsters out on loan.
The Gunners - who host Newcastle in the fourth round of the FA Cup Saturday - are still smarting from the midweek mauling at arch-rivals Tottenham, as Juande Ramos' men booked their place in the Carling Cup final at Wembley after a resounding 5-1 win.
Walcott started the game at White Hart Lane from a central attacking role, having netted an equaliser in the first leg.
However, the England Under-21 international produced only an average display.
Wenger accepts Walcott, who turns 19 in March, is not where he was expected to be after two years with Arsenal - but maintains "he will get there" following what has been a rollercoaster ride after a big-money move from Southampton and subsequent controversial inclusion in Sven-Goran Eriksson's ill-fated 2006 World Cup squad.
There have been suggestions the Arsenal manager could now be ready to let Walcott, who has battled back to match fitness following a shoulder problem, spend some time away from Emirates Stadium, with Liverpool and Coca-Cola Championship promotion hopefuls Stoke both said to be keen on a loan deal.
AKTHAR LOSES CONTRACT
The Pakistan Cricket Board have decided not to renew Shoaib Akhtar's central contract.
Shoaib, 32, has paid the price for fitness and discipline problems during the last 12 months.
Fellow fast bowler Mohammad Sami and opening batsman Imran Nazir have also lost their central contracts.
PCB chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf offered the axed trio hope by saying the national team will not exclusively be drawn from the list of contracted players.
"The players not given central contracts have been given special retainers and if they show commitment and form they can come back into the team after a year," he said.
RONALDO NOW HAS A CHALLENGE
It is said that competition makes one to be better and Ronaldo has been challenged by Ferguson to score 30 plus goals this season.
The Portuguese winger has already scored 23 times in all competitions this campaign for the reigning Premier League champions and heads the top-flight scoring table with 17 goals.
The 22-year-old has shown great skill in front of goal despite playing down the wing and could record 30 if his present form continues with United still on course in the league, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League.Ronaldo is set to feature in the FA Cup fourth round clash with Tottenham on Sunday and Ferguson believes he has what it takes to reach the hefty target.
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STARTERS FOR THE ALL STAR GAME 2008
Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James have been named as starters for the Eastern Conference team in next month's NBA All-Star Game, the league announced on Thursday.
Garnett, the Eastern Conference's leading vote getter, will be making his 11th straight appearance in the mid-season event.
The 13-year veteran has averaged 19.5 points and 9.8 rebounds this season to help the Celtics to the best record in the league at 33-7, one year after they finished with the second-worst record.
Garnett will be joined in the frontcourt by James, who leads the league with 29.5 points per game and will be making his fourth straight All-Star appearance.
There is a changing of the guard at centre as Orlando's Dwight Howard earned his second straight appearance and first start.
Howard was a reserve last year behind Miami Heat centre Shaquille O'Neal, who has started in the last five All-Star Games but could miss out this season after an injury-plagued year.
O'Neal's Miami team mate, guard Dwyane Wade, will make his fourth straight appearance in the backcourt alongside Jason Kidd of the New Jersey Nets, who appear at his ninth All-Star Game.
On the Western Conference team, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant will make his 10th straight appearance.
Bryant is second in the league in scoring behind James at 27.4 points.
Denver Nuggets guard Allen Iverson will make his ninth straight appearance, while his Denver teammate, forward Carmelo Anthony, makes his second straight appearance and first as a starter.
San Antonio Spurs centre Tim Duncan and Houston Rockets centre Yao Ming will fill out the rest of the frontcourt for the Western Conference. Duncan will be making his 10th straight appearance, while Yao will be headed to his sixth straight All-Star game.
The All-Star Game will be played on February 17 in New Orleans.CASH ADVANCE PAYDAY LOANS
Thursday, January 24, 2008
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SISSOKO TO JUVENTUS?
Momo Sissoko is all set to become an Juventus player if everything goes right in the upcoming week.Liverpool midfielder Mohamed Sissoko could fulfil his dream move to Juventus by the end of this week.
The Serie A outfit hope to acquire the 23-year-old, who was signed by Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez from Valencia in the summer of 2005 for a reported 8million euros.
"It's a matter of a few days," Sissoko told Gazzetta dello Sport. "Three days, a maximum of four, and then everything will be decided. I know there has been some movement but we have to wait."
The Mali international is currently with his national team at the African Nations Cup.
"I confess that wearing the Juventus shirt would be the maximum for me," he said. "I have been a Juve fan since I was a child because when I was young I was fixated with (Zinedine) Zidane. Then, having followed this team, I have become a fan of (Juve captain Alessandro) Del Piero, a great player."
Sissoko would also like to work again under coach Claudio Ranieri, his boss in Spain.
"I've known Ranieri since my time at Valencia," said Sissoko. "I did really well with him."
Sissoko has struggled to keep a regular starting place at Anfield and wants to have more playing time.
"My reason is a very simple one, I am young and I want to play," he said. "In Liverpool, I'm not playing.
"But I will also be grateful to Benitez for what he has given me. But in football, things change."
BAROS TO PORTSMOUTH?
Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp has admitted his interest in bringing Lyon striker Milan Baros to Fratton Park.
Redknapp's admission he would like to sign the Czech Republic forward came after Baros' agent, Pavel Paska, made Pompey's interest public.
"Baros is a player I know. I like him and I would be interested. I think he's a good player and certainly has a great pedigree." Redknapp told the Portsmouth News.
He added: "We need more bodies up front. That was the case before Kanu went (to the African Nations Cup) and now we've only got two. We need to strengthen there, for sure."
Pompey's chief executive Peter Storrie is now understood to be in France negotiating the release of the 26-year-old from Lyon and a deal could be done before the end of the week.
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BIANCHI TO LAZIO
Manchester City striker Rolando Bianchi has joined Lazio on loan until the end of the season, with a view to a permanent deal.
The 24-year-old has made a quick return to Italy after struggling to establish himself at City since his summer arrival from Reggina.
Bianchi scored just four goals in 19 Premier League appearances and failed to make himself a regular in Sven Goran Eriksson's starting XI.
The Italian claims he turned down offers from other clubs to make the move to Lazio. "First I will have the opportunity to play and, moreover, I will be happy. "I was pleased to meet the other Lazio players. I have the impression that they're a very united group, which is right when you want to build something solid for the present and the future." Bianchi could make his Lazio debut this weekend against Torino.
CHELSEA DEFEAT EVERTON
Joe Cole lashed home a second-half winner as Chelsea saw off Everton to book their place in the Carling Cup final.The holders, already leading 2-1 from the first leg at Stamford Bridge, broke the deadlock in the 69th minute with a rare moment of quality in an otherwise disappointing clash at Goodison Park.Florent Malouda's stunning cross-field pass from just inside the Everton half cut out Joleon Lescott and Nuno Valente, before Cole controlled with his first touch and fired beyond Tim Howard.The home side rarely looked likely to break down a resilient Chelsea defence, and their best spell came in the 10 minutes before the visitors struck, with Petr Cech denying Phil Neville and Phil Jagielka.Nicolas Anelka rattled the Everton bar at the start of the second period as his search for his first Chelsea goal goes on, and it was left to Cole to set up a Wembley meeting with London rivals Tottenham next month.
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Wednesday, January 23, 2008
WILLIAMS LAUNCH NEW CAR
“With four years of regulation stability, we have a good basis to be progressive about the development of this season’s car,” explained Michael. “With a good reliability record last year, we have been able to build on this quality while also turning some of our attention to clear performance objectives.”
Much of the stability comes from sticking to settled regulations governing aerodynamics; retaining their highly skilled technical team and maintaining close contact with engine supplier Toyota. This is why the FW30 retains much of the same flavour as the Williams’ products before it, the zero keel and dual pillar rear wing a permanent fixture in the new model.
Having said that, there are still significant changes in the make of the FW30. There are the three-plane front wing, larger side-pod top cooling louvres, the side-pod and side-impact sails, and increased cockpit sides to ensure better driver safety.
“Our focus has been on performance as well as refining our packaging and weight distribution,” added Michael. “We are designing a tidier car with a higher standard of build quality. The FW30 should represent a good step forward when all of the many small areas of attention and improvement are brought together in the overall package.”
Team Williams have also spent a lot of its resources readying the car for the new standard ECU and tweaking it to satisfy the condition of traction control prohibition. A new seamless-shift gearbox is another important feature in the FW30, as well as bio fuel compliance, a product of research with fuel partner Petrobras.
All said and done, it is now time to see if the FW30 really produces the performance it is capable of.
KUMBLE URGES SENIORS
Kumble said that the dropped seniors will play at their best for the fourth test and said that they are very mature cricketers.He hoped that they will play to their best and said that the timing of the selection was not ideal but they had played enough cricket to cope up with it.Kumble himself is no stranger to this sort of treatment and had to endure the pain in the last two worldcups of playing secondary role to Harbhajan singh.He got to play only against weaker teams.He was particulalry happy with the way the Indian bowlers had troubled a batsman of the stature of Ricky Ponting.Kumble said a final decision on whether or not to play a fifth bowler at Adelaide will be taken after taking "another look at the pitch".
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Tuesday, January 22, 2008
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TOTTENHAM BEAT ARSENAL
Tottenham Hotspur secured their first victory over Arsenal in nine years to book a place in the final of the Carling Cup.
Spurs were in rampant mood at White Hart Lane and ran out 5-1 winners on the night to see the tie end 6-2 on aggregate.
Jermaine Jenas got the ball rolling for Juande Ramos' side after just three minutes with a low strike, before Nicklas Bendtner headed into his own net from Jenas' free-kick.
With Arsenal pushing for a way back into the game they were vulnerable at the back, and that proved to be the case as Robbie Keane latched onto Aaron Lennon's long ball to slot home early in the second half.
Tottenham's fourth came in the 60th minute when Lennon finished coolly, and while Arsenal struck back through substitute Emmanuel Adebayor, the evening was Spurs' to savour with Steed Malbranque gleefully tapping home in injury time.
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SHARAPOVA DEFEATS HENIN
The fifth seed smashed 30 winners as she took a tight first set and ripped through the second to line up a semi-final against Serbian third seed Jelena Jankovic.
Sharapova, runner-up in Melbourne last year, had lost six of her eight meetings with top seed Henin but came out firing on all cylinders and stormed into a 5-2 lead.
Henin saved two set points as Sharapova was broken when serving for the set but the Russian broke again to win it and left the Belgian helpless in the second to reach the last four for the fourth successive year.
It was Henin's first defeat since last year's Wimbledon, ending a winning streak of 32 matches, and the first time she has lost a set 6-0 since 2002.FINNAN ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT
Steve Finnan announced his retirement today from international football.Finnan has made 50 appearances for his country Republic of Ireland and also made his debut at the 2000 against Greece.He also made his appearance in the 2002 world cup and was a regular member of the squad for all these eight years.The former Fulham defender felt that with a new national manager set to be named in the near future the time was right to allow fresh faces to be given a chance.He declared"But I'll be 34 when the next tournament comes around so it's the right time for me to step down."
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MELLBERG TO JOIN JUVENTUS
Juventus have confirmed they are close to reaching an agreement with Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg.
With the Sweden international out of contract this summer, the Old Lady are free to discuss a deal with the former Racing Santander defender with a view to him joining in July.
It had been thought Juve may be considering making an offer to Villa in order to land him now.
However, it now appears as though he will move on a free transfer at the end of the season.
"Mellberg is close to signing a preliminary agreement with Juventus," said the club's sporting director Alessio Secco.
"If everything goes well, the player will become a Juve player in July. There are still minor things left to discuss before he signs the preliminary agreement."
Monday, January 21, 2008
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GANGULY WARNS AUSTRALIA
"Australia is still the No. 1 team in the world but I think we have a very good side that could be No. 1," Ganguly told an Australian newspaper after India won the Perth Test by 72 runs.
The southpaw said India had played better against Australia "than any other side in the world".
"To be honest, we have played better than them (this summer)," he told the Herald Sun.
Refusing to discuss the Sydney Test, he said: "I don't want to talk about the past but I feel we were unlucky not to win in Sydney. We were happy to win in Perth and we think we can level the series."
The former captain, who has been axed from the ODI team for the Commonwealth Bank Tri-Series in February, was of the view that Australia had failed to find players who were as threatening as Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.
"They are finding out that players can't go on and play forever. Obviously they have less experience now. Their young players need to step up," he said.
The fourth and final Test starts at Adelaide on Thursday. Australia and India will then play a one-off Twenty20 match on February 1. The tri-series, that also features Sri Lanka, starts on February 3 with India taking on Australia.
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Sunday, January 20, 2008
INDIAN SQUAD ANNOUNCED
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk)
Sachin Tendulkar
Yuvraj Singh
Virender Sehwag
Dinesh Karthik
Robin Uthappa
Gautam Gambhir
Suresh Raina
Rohit Sharma
Irfan Pathan
Praveen Kumar
RP Singh
Ishant Sharma
Sreesanth
Harbhajan Singh
Piyush Chawla
Saturday, January 19, 2008
HEWITT VS BAGHDATIS
In a match which began at 11.51pm on Saturday night and did not finish until deep into Sunday morning, the former world number one had to draw on every ounce of his trademark fighting spirit to prevail 4-6 7-5 7-5 6-7 (4/7) 6-3.
The match should have finished in the fourth set but Hewitt squandered a match-point, two breaks of serve and a 5-1 advantage, much to the amazement of Baghdatis and the Rod Laver Arena crowd.
Hewitt fell to his knees and collapsed onto the famous centre-court surface after securing the exhausting and emotional contest with a forehand that teased the baseline.
The two-time grand slam winner then warmly embraced his vanquished foe at the net, before soaking up the thunderous reception.
Baghdatis overcame what looked a serious ankle injury early in the third set to mount numerous courageous comebacks.
Out on his feet, the Cypriot wiped away tears as he headed up the tunnel to a standing ovation of his own.
Hewitt described the win - which books him a place in the fourth round against Novak Djokovic - as one of his most memorable and brave.
"In a lot of ways it was not only a physical battle but a mental battle for both of us," Hewitt said.
"Having a match-point and serving for it a couple of times in the fourth set (without success), but being able to bounce back as strong as I did and put that all behind me in the fifth, mentally this will go down as one of my best wins."
Baghdatis was proud of his performance but shattered by the defeat.
"It is tough, but it's a positive thing. I love the game," Baghdatis said.
"It's another time that I went out there, I lost the match, but I came out with so many good emotions."
While Hewitt's triumph all about drama, Federer's 6-7 (5/7) 7-6 (7/1) 5-7 6-1 10-8 win against world number 49 Tipsarevic was pure quality.
And if Rafael Nadal, Djokovic and co thought thought that might hamper his quest for a third straight Australian Open, he had other ideas.
"Honestly for me it's good to play five-setters once in a while. It gives me a lot of information on how I'm feeling, what I still have to work on," said Federer, whose next opponent will be Czech Thomas Berdych, who needed four sets to defeat Juan Monaco of Argentina.
"Just being there in a five-setter is good for me because I'm hardly ever there. It's good for my mindset for the next one.
"My last five-setter was back in Wimbledon I guess, so it doesn't happen every time. When it happens you have to take the most out of it, check it out for yourself and then hope you're ready for the next one."
UNITED HAMMER READING
United did not have it all their own way by any means and for a long time it appeared they would be denied by a combination of poor finishing, excellent goalkeeping and brave Reading defending.
But with 13 minutes remaining, Rooney latched onto Carlos Tevez's through ball and directed his first-time shot past Hahnemann.
And as Reading pushed for the equaliser - James Harper's low strike in the last minute went agonisingly wide - Ronaldo broke clear to wrap up the victory.
United arrived in Berkshire after hammering six past Newcastle last weekend and were hungry for more right from the off.
Reading had problems containing Ronaldo, who was enjoying a free attacking role with Owen Hargreaves and Michael Carrick anchoring the midfield.
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FEDERER SURVIVES
The world number one, who has not lost in Melbourne since defeat to Marat Safin in the semi-finals three years ago, appeared to be heading for a shock early exit as a foot injury and a red-hot opponent threatened to derail his bid for a third successive title.
But the Swiss master, who has reached the last four of the past 14 grand slam tournaments semi-finals, came from two sets to one behind to edge out Tipsarevic in four hours and 27 minutes.
His next opponent will be either Juan Monaco or Tomas Berdych.
Federer dropped a set at Melbourne Park for the first time since the 2006 final, when Serbian Tipsarevic produced the shot of his life on set point during the opening tie-breaker.
His cross-court backhand winner left Federer flat-footed and trailing a match at this venue for the first time since Marcos Baghdatis took a one-set lead in the 2006 decider.
Tipsarevic was even more determined in the second set, failing to concede his serve despite Federer having five opportunities to break him.
But the three-time champion did not give the world number 49 a look in in the tie-breaker, winning it 7-1.
Federer looked to have regained the momentum when he broke early in the third, but Tipsarevic battled back to level and it was apparent the champion was in for a difficult match.
The decisive moment came in the ninth game when Tipsarevic faced two set points on his serve and held off both.
Federer then lost his way and his serve in the next game, allowing Tipsarevic to serve out for a two-sets-to-one lead with a 7-5 success in the third set.
Federer again got the important early break in the fourth, but this time was able to capitalise as Tipsarevic's spirit of adventure got the better of him.
The Serbian played a number of ill-advised drop shots which Federer pounced on, and the match was levelled at two sets apiece after just 33 minutes.
But Tipsarevic was not going to be overwhelmed, and once more took the match to Federer in the deciding set.
The first 16 games went with serve before the top seed came from 40-0 down on the Serbian's serve to get vital edge with his second break point.
Federer then served out for the match, taking his second match-point opportunity.KIMI FULL OF PRAISE
Kimi Raikkonen believes Ferrari are in a "great position" with their F2008 just two months prior to the start of the new season.
Raikkonen, who is chasing back-to-back World titles this year, took part in Ferrari's first big test of the year at Jerez this week where both himself and his team-mate Felipe Massa proved to be on the pace.
The duo in fact led the way on the opening day of testing, beating McLaren's new MP4-23 to the top two places on the timesheets.
And although that was the only day of the three-day test which the Scuderia finished at the top of the timesheets, Raikkonen is confident Ferrari will be competitive this season.
Friday, January 18, 2008
PATHAN COMPARISON
So far in this Perth test, he's scored 74 runs and taken 4 wickets.
But how good is he? Well, it's one of the unwritten rules of being a great all-rounder - your batting average must be higher than your bowling. A look back in history confirms this:
Greatest All-rounders Test matches:
Imran Khan | Batting Average: 37.69 | Bowling Average: 22.81
Ian Botham | Batting Average: 33.54 | Bowling Average: 28.40
Richard Hadlee | Batting Average: 27.16 | Bowling Average: 22.29
Kapil Dev | Batting Average: 31.05 | Bowling Average: 29.64
Andrew Flintoff | Batting Average: 32.50 | Bowling Average: 32.02
Irfan Pathan | Batting Average: 31.27 | Bowling Average: 31.21
This is a list of truly great players. And one thing's for sure, Irfan Pathan is not far away from being right up there – and both sets of figures are going in the right direction.
DHONI MATURING AS A BATSMAN
"Dhoni realised that it was important to play a fighting knock. He's become very mature in the last year or so," Laxman told STAR Cricket after the end of the third day's play.
The two were involved in a crucial partnership after India had lost their middle order cheaply and managed to stage a recovery from where the visitors could set a stiff target for the hosts.
Laxman put on another exquisite performance shepherding the tailenders to take India's lead past the psychological 400-run mark. It wasn't a trademark fluent innings, but a workmanlike 79 that has put India in with a chance to win this Test and upset Australia's bid of a 17th straight Test win.
"It was a different innings because we lost early wickets. The pitch also had become a little slow compared to what it was on day two," he said.
The Hyderabadi said it was "encouraging" to see the way RP Singh applied himself and batted. The two put on 51 runs, 30 of those came off RP's bat.
"It was good to see the way RP hung on. He was not comfortable against Brett Lee so I took more strike. But he was comfortable against the other bowlers," he said.
On batting in Australia, Laxman said he enjoyed the wickets because they were "true and you get purchase for your shots".
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SLOTS
INDIA IN COMMAND
Laxman's 79 helped the tourists scrape to 294 in their second innings and set Australia an unlikely victory target of 413 - a score which would constitute the second highest successful run chase in Test history.
Such a feat would be a fitting way for Australia to beat their own record of 16 consecutive Test wins, but that looks some way away after they ended day three on 65 for two, still 348 runs short of victory, thanks to two wickets from Pathan.
It was nightwatchman Pathan who was the star of the morning session, holding the early part of the India innings together as Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly were all dismissed by a rejuvenated Australian attack.
Starting the day on 52 for one, Sehwag and Pathan made useful progress, although the former was handed a reprieve when Michael Hussey grassed a straightforward catch at gully after the opener had attempted an expansive drive to a delivery from Brett Lee.
Hussey's error was not to prove costly, however, as in the following over Stuart Clark managed to get one through bat and pad to bowl Sehwag for 43.
Dravid quickly followed his colleague back to the pavilion when he nicked Lee's away swinger into the gloves of wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist having made just three.
Tendulkar joined Pathan in the middle but the Indian talisman's stay did not last long as Lee trapped him lbw in the crease for 13 to leave India wobbling on 116 for four.
That became 125 for five when Ganguly departed without troubling the scorers after edging Mitchell Johnson to Michael Clarke at first slip but Pathan and Laxman managed to reach lunch without further mishap.
Pathan, however, did not last long after the resumption, with just two added to the total before he edged a catch to Ricky Ponting off the bowling of Clark, falling four runs short of his half-century.
New batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Laxman steadied the ship as India increased their advantage over the Australians, with Laxman claiming his half-century as the pair added a further 75 runs.
Andrew Symonds brought their partnership to an end when he lured Dhoni into an attempted sweep which ballooned into the air and Gilchrist made the diving catch.
That brought Anil Kumble to the crease with India on 235 for seven, and the score soon became 235 for eight as the captain attempted to drive Symonds only to edge the ball to Clarke.
RP Singh then came to the crease and he and Laxman moved the score on to 245 for eight by the end of the second session.
The ninth wicket brought 51 runs before both fell in quick succession.
First Singh (30) gloved a Clark bouncer through to Gilchrist, then Laxman's wild swing gave Lee his third wicket and Gilchrist his fourth catch as India were bowled out for 294.
Clark finished with four for 61 while Lee contributed three for 54.
Australia were left with an hour to bat out the evening session and that proved enough time for Pathan to remove both openers.
First debutant Chris Rogers (15) feathered an edge through to wicketkeeper Dhoni and Phil Jaques (16) followed with an edge to Wasim Jaffer at fourth slip.DEXCASINOS
Thursday, January 17, 2008
PODOLSKI FOR MAN CITY?
The striker has failed to shine at the Allianz Arena since moving from Cologne after the 2006 World Cup, netting just four times in the Bundesliga.
The 22-year-old, whose contract runs until 2010, has been in and out of the Bayern side since his arrival and is thought to be growing increasingly unhappy over his lack of first-team football.
Rummenigge confirmed Podolski has attracted the interest of City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson, but insisted the frontman would be going nowhere in the transfer window.
"It is normal that some clubs are interested in our player," he told www.setantasports.com.
"We are speaking about a Germany international. We have received an offer for Lukas but he will be there for the second half of the Bundesliga season.
"Our next manager Jurgen Klinsmann has communicated to us a list of the players that are going to be part of his project, and Podolski's name is included.
"Podolski has been under-rated; he is worth much more money. Manchester City are one of the clubs interested but for us this file is closed."SHOAIB AKTHAR'S CAREER IN JEOPARDY
The 32-year-old was not included in a provisional 21-man squad for Pakistan's forthcoming one-day series against Zimbabwe due to concerns over his fitness.
And those health issues, coupled with Shoaib's chequered disciplinary record, are starting to cause concern within Pakistani cricket.
PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf told the Daily Times: "Shoaib is facing fitness as well as disciplinary problems that were even pointed out during the India tour last year.
"He has repeatedly violated discipline on a number of occasions. His case is referred to the PCB disciplinary committee and his future will be decided in the PCB governing body meeting to be held on January 25."
Shoaib, once the mainstay of the Pakistan attack, has become a peripheral figure in recent years, mainly due to a series of off-field controversies.
He was sent home from the tour of Australia in 2005 amid rumours of a lack of commitment and a year later was banned for two years after failing a drugs test, although this was overturned on appeal.
In September 2007, he was sent home before the World Twenty20 after a scuffle with team-mate Mohammad Asif.BAGHDATIS DEFEATS SAFIN IN A THRILLER
The marquee matchup of the night was packed with drama - long rallies, improbable winners and shifts in momentum.
Baghdatis appeared to be on his way to a straight-sets victory, looked down and out, then pulled himself together to set up a third-round meeting with another former No. 1, Lleyton Hewitt.
The mercurial Safin, the 2005 champion who has slipped to No. 56 on a rash of injuries, tossed his racket twice in frustration while falling behind, then broke it after dropping serve early in the fifth set.
INDIA IN COMMAND
India have seized the initiative on the second day of the third test at WACA.RP singh captured four wickets and the other bowlers Pathan,Kumble and Ishanth Sharma captured two apiece to restrict the Aussies to 212 runs and gave India a precious lead of 118 runs.The Aussie innings was propped up by a 102 run stand between Adam Gilchrist and Andrew symonds who scored 55 and 66 respectivley.In the reply India posted 52 for the loss of Wasim Jaffer who got out to Stuart Clark for 11 runs.It has been a disappointing tour for the Mumbai player so far.India have a overall lead of 170 runs in this test match.
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Wednesday, January 16, 2008
KEVIN KEEGAN IS BACK
Eleven years after ending his first spell in charge, Keegan is on his way back to St James' Park as Sam Allardyce's replacement.
Ashley and chairman Chris Mort found themselves under fire at the weekend as it emerged that Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp had withdrawn for the race to succeed Allardyce.
However, the pair tonight gave the fans what they wanted when they appointed a man who achieved legendary status both as a player and as a manager during his previous spells with the club.
They did so under cover of an extensive smokescreen which had seen a bewildering list of names linked with the post as they cast their net far and wide.
The Magpies confirmed Keegan's appointment shortly before 4.30pm this afternoon, although details remain sketchy.
Indeed, while the confirmation answered one burning question, it left another up for debate as joyous fans wondered if their other long-held wish, Alan Shearer's addition to the management team, would also become a reality.
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INDIA AND AUSTRALIA SHARE THE HONOURS
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
KUERTEN TO RETIRE
The 31-year-old former world number one has struggled to recapture his best form after undergoing hip operations in 2002 and 2004.
"I tried to stay at the top level but I feel I can no longer compete against the players on the tour," he said.
"Everybody can dream, but my reality is very different: if I was 100% physically fit I would play for two or three more years."
'Guga' intends to play several competitions this season and then work as a trainer.
"I want to help young Brazilian players," he said.
"The most important thing is to try to get two or three Brazilians in the top 100 to consolidate the country in the elite of world tennis," he said.
Kuerten is hoping to receive a wildcard from the French Tennis Federation to allow him to play at Roland Garros from May 26.
"Roland Garros always was my favourite tournament," added the Santa Catarina-born player.
"I will train hard to be at my best. I want to compete and enjoy it."
FERRARI BOOST
Ferrari and McLaren both ran their new cars on the first official day of testing for 2008 following their unveiling last week.
And it was world champion Kimi Raikkonen, who clinched the title in dramatic circumstances last year, and team-mate Felipe Massa who topped the timesheets at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain.
After rain in the morning, the track dried out in the afternoon, with Raikkonen completing 59 laps overall with a best unofficial time of one minute 19.845 seconds.
Massa was just under 0.3secs adrift, with McLaren tester Pedro de la Rosa another 0.4secs off the pace in third place ahead of the Toro Rosso of Sebastian Vettel.
The second McLaren of Heikki Kovalainen was fifth overall, just over a second down on Raikkonen, while Sebastien Bourdais gave Toro Rosso a strong showing with sixth.
Lewis Hamilton, who missed out on becoming world champion by a point to Raikkonen, is on track on Tuesday and Wednesday alongside Kovalainen and is sure to push the Ferraris close.
Overall, nine teams tested, with only BMW Sauber missing out as they launched their new car in Munich today, along with Honda.
James Rossiter was unfortunately last of the 14 drivers due to a problem early in the day with his Super Aguri - with the team awaiting new parts - allowing him to complete just 10 laps.UNLIMITED INTERNET PHONE CALLS
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WIZARDS DEFEAT CELTICS AGAIN
Boston led by as many as 14 points in the fourth quarter but the Wizards finished the game with a 25-6 run to capture the victory, as the Celtics lost consecutive games for the first time this season.
Kevin Garnett had 23 points and nine rebounds and Paul Pierce added 18 points and Ray Allen 16 for the Celtics, who fell to 16-3 at home.
ALONSO GOT IT RIGHT
Trulli spent two seasons as Alonso's team-mate at Renault in 2003 and 2004, before switching to Toyota towards the end of the latter year.
The French marque then helped Alonso become world champion in 2005 and 2006 before his ill-fated move to McLaren for last season.
An ignominious campaign culminated in a bitter fall-out between Alonso and team boss Ron Dennis, ultimately resulting in the 26-year-old being released at the end of the year.
Despite the saying, 'you should never go back', Alonso now finds himself in familiar surroundings again - despite the fact Renault endured a poor season by their previously high standards last year.
"Fernando is a champion, so we can expect him to be fighting at the front. But then Renault has to deliver a good car, which was not the case in 2007," said Trulli - speaking at the launch in Cologne of Toyota's new challenger for 2008, the TF108.
"I think last season they suffered the same problem as Toyota in that they under-estimated the tyre and the influence that had on the car performance.
"I'm sure they've been working hard over the winter to give him a good car, just as hard as Toyota have been working to give me and Timo (Glock) the best possible car.
"Obviously, I wasn't involved in his situation last season - so I don't know the full facts behind it.
"But it is clear things didn't go very well between them, and in the end they decided to split.
"Whether it is right or wrong, that is hard to say. But it's just a shame to see what happened.
"That's the way it is and better for him to have stepped back and returned to his old team."
There were suggestions Alonso's Latin temperament did not help in a team more accustomed to adhering to protocol.
"Whatever your character, you have to get on well with a lot of people in Formula One," added Trulli.
"There are so many people working on two racing cars, and you have to communicate well in this environment.
"Probably there was something wrong in the relationship, but I cannot judge.
"Of course, I am of Latin temperament as well - although probably a bit more polite and quiet. I try to get on well with everyone."
As the experienced older head in the Toyota team following the departure of Ralf Schumacher and arrival of rookie Glock, Trulli is aware of the responsibility on his shoulders.
With Toyota looking to end six winless seasons in F1, the 33-year-old Italian said: "I am the one who provides continuity - so the team will expect good feedback, especially in the first half of the season.
"But Toyota does not rely on one leader. We have never had, and never will have a leader, because the Toyota concept means you are part of the team - one team, one aim."
With 25-year-old German Glock on board, Trulli insists he is not under added pressure to perform.
"In Formula One there is always pressure. It doesn't matter who you have next to you or in front of you," he added.
"But I'm happy to have Timo on board, because he is very motivated and is someone who will help develop the car."NET AUDIOADS
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GAVASKAR IN TROUBLE
Under-fire Indian batting great Sunil Gavaskar on Tuesday said he never called Mike Procter a racist and the word has been wrongly attributed to him in his column back home.
Gavaskar has been receiving mails and phone calls where critics have taken a shot at him on the basis of his column in which he came after Procter.
"Please do not go by the sensationalist headlines. I would ask my detractors to please read the piece carefully and tell me if I, personally, have called Mr Mike Procter a racist," says Gavaskar.
"That is a complete lie," he said ahead of the third Test beginning in Perth on Wednesday.
All hell broke loose since Gavaskar's piece was published close on the heels of Procter's verdict against Harbhajan Singh for an alleged racist remark against Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds.
Harbhajan, on the basis of hearsay, was banned for three Test matches.
Gavaskar in his piece has wondered why the other umpire in the Sydney Test, Mark Benson of England, was spared the rod.
"I never called Procter a racist. People who say so haven't read the piece. It's the headlines which have been ascribed to me," Gavaskar said.
Former New Zealand captain John Reid said after criticising a Match Referee, Gavaskar has no business heading the ICC Cricket Committee.
South African great Barry Richards also criticised the former India captain, accusing him of playing the racism card.