Tuesday, 30 August 2011

Vidic a shock target for Anzhi

Vidic a shock target for Anzhi
Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic has emerged as a shock transfer target for cash-rich Anzhi Makhachkala.
The Russian side have stunned the football world by signing Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o from Inter Milan and Yury Zhirkov from Chelsea this summer, with the former earning a whopping £300,000 a week.
And according to The Sun newspaper, they have now turned their attention on defence, where they see Vidic as the ideal man to lead their backline.
A bid for the Serbian centre-back is believed to be imminent as Anzhi are set to test Sir Alex Ferguson's resolve in keeping his skipper.
The club, controlled by Russian billionaire Suleyman Kerimou, who has an estimated personal fortune of £5billion, are expected to go all out to prise the 29-year-old from Old Trafford.
Vidic was signed from Spartak Moscow for just £7million back in 2006 and has been an integral part of the Red Devils.
But it remains to be seen if he would be able to resist a mega salary package expected to be tabled by Anzhi.

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Report: Hargreaves set for City move

Report: Hargreaves set for City move
Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves is set for a shock move to rivals Manchester City.
The 30-year-old was released from Old Trafford at the end of last season after years of struggling with injuries which have threatened to end his career.
But he has showed his determination to resurrect his career by publicly showcasing his fitness on YouTube during the summer.
According to The Sun newspaper, Hargreaves is set for a shock move to Eastlands after being spotted having a three-hour medical with City.
Should the Citizens be satisfied with his level of fitness, they could make the former Bayern Munich man their latest summer signing.
However, the move will enrage the Old Trafford faithful who have supported Hargreaves throughout his time at Old Trafford.

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Federer advances in New York

Federer advances in New York
Roger Federer was victorious if not entirely convincing in a 6-4 6-3 6-2 first-round win over Colombia's Santiago Giraldo at the US Open on Monday night.
The five-time former champion began the match looking unstoppable, powering winners off both wings past Giraldo, and in a little over 20 minutes he had moved 5-1 ahead.
But Federer struggles to find the consistency of old these days and he inexplicably dropped his serve twice in succession, the second time to love, before pulling himself together to take the first set.
The second was more of the same, with Federer, who made 35 unforced errors in the match, getting off to a flying start, being broken back, and then pulling away again.
Despite the third seed's wobbles, Giraldo never seemed likely to pose more than a passing threat, and in the third set Federer was totally in control, moving into a 4-0 lead and this time holding onto his serve to clinch victory in an hour and 46 minutes.
The 30-year-old next faces Israel's Dudi Sela, a five-set winner over Thomaz Bellucci on Monday.
Federer, who equalled Andre Agassi's tally of 224 grand slam match wins, second only to Jimmy Connors' 233, loves the night sessions and he was content with his display.
He said: "It's always one of those moments you train for, to get on the first night of the US Open. You try to put on a good show and I was able to play a good match today, so I'm pleased. It could have been swifter maybe but I'm happy."
Federer put his slight struggles down to adjusting to the slower pace of the courts this year, which he admits he is not a fan of.
The world number three added: "You're not getting many free points on your serve and maybe that was part of the inconsistent play over the first two sets.
"It's just unfortunate maybe that all the slams are too equal. This should feel very different to the Australian Open and it doesn't. I don't think it's really what tennis needs."

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Monday, 29 August 2011

Wenger says sorry to Arsenal fans

Wenger says sorry to Arsenal fans
Arsene Wenger has apologised to the Arsenal fans for their humiliating defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The Gunners conceded eight goals for the first time since 1896 as they suffered a catastrophic 8-2 loss at Manchester United on Sunday.
It was a result that prompted extreme criticism on TV from Alan Hansen and Gary Neville, in addition to former Gunners Lee Dixon and Paul Merson, who all accused Wenger's team of lacking even the most basic defensive cohesion.
Wenger has insisted he will not walk away from what is clearly a massive job to rebuild the confidence of a club who are still to find replacements for Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, and have collected just a single point from their three Premier League games so far.
The Arsenal boss has pledged to try and find some new players ahead of the transfer window closing on Wednesday night.
However, for now, the best he can do is say sorry.
"The fans do not want to see their team like that," Wenger told Arsenal World.
"We can only apologise and come back in our strength and desire in the next game.
"Big scores are humiliating and difficult to swallow but I don't think they have a special meaning.
"They are always under special circumstances."
For Wenger, those special circumstances were a lengthy injury list, which robbed him of the services of Jack Wilshere, Thomas Vermaelen and Bacary Sagna amongst others, plus the suspensions of Alex Song, Gervinho and Alex Frimpong.
Yet others see that as window dressing. Indeed, some see the scale of Arsenal's defeat yesterday as a positive because it will force the club's hierarchy to take a long, hard look at the future direction of a club who have gone six years without a trophy and already seem incapable of mounting a championship challenge this term.
Confirmation that South Korean forward Park Chu-young will arrive from Monaco in a £10million deal did not do much to lessen the anger around the Emirates Stadium.
Supporters remain mystified as to why Arsenal did not make an attempt to sign Scott Parker, who is bound for Tottenham, and are questioning the amount of money being made available by the club's owners given the much-needed acquisition of Gary Cahill floundered on Friday following a bid claimed to be around £6million, which Bolton regarded as an insult.
Even with injuries returning - and it could be a month at least before Wilshere is back in action if Fabio Capello's assessment is accurate - Arsenal urgently require reinforcements, otherwise the Champions League campaign they set up by winning at Udinese on Wednesday could be their last for a while.
The visit of Swansea immediately after the international break offers the perfect opportunity for a morale-boosting victory, although for now, skipper Robin van Persie accepts his team-mates have to face up to some pretty harsh facts.
"It is an honest result if you look at the game," said the Gunners captain.
"It sounds crazy maybe but Manchester United were much better than us and they punished us hard.
"We were simply not good enough. We have to deal with that.
"I don't think we can hide behind injuries or suspensions. It is no excuse. They had injuries too, this is football."

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Liu upgraded to silver after controversy

Liu upgraded to silver after controversy
China's Liu Xiang was upgraded to the silver medal in the men's 110m hurdles at the World Championships after race winner Dayron Robles was disqualified in Daegu.
Meanwhile, Briton and European champion Andy Turner was also upgraded to the bronze medal.
He had finished fourth behind Robles, who was involved in a clash with Liu during the closing stages.
The pair touched arms in the final 30m, something which clearly hurt Liu's chances - he had been leading at the time.
Instead Robles crossed the line first in 13.14secs, 0.02 ahead of American Jason Richardson, with Liu in third (13.27).
However, the Chinese team soon protested, Robles was disqualified for obstruction and a counter-protest from the Cuban team was rejected by the IAAF jury of appeal.
Robles was disqualified under IAAF rule 163.2 which disqualifies "any athlete who jostles or obstructs another athlete so as to impede his progress".
Richardson was instead crowned champion, with Liu upgraded to silver and Turner, who had finished in 13.44, the same time as American David Oliver, taking the bronze.
That completes a stunning turnaround in fortunes for Turner, who recovered from losing his lottery funding for the 2009 season to win European and Commonwealth gold last year and now has a global medal in his collection.
He said: "I've got mixed emotions - I don't know what to do. I want to cry, but I don't want to cry - I won't believe this is happening until I have got that medal round my neck!
"I've thought about this and dreamt about winning a world medal after my success in Barcelona last year but it was a big step and I just won't believe it until I've got that medal."
After all the changes, Turner's team-mate Will Sharman was joint fifth in 13.67.
In the immediate aftermath of the race, Robles had described his clash with Liu as "normal" on Channel 4 and denied he was concerned about a possible protest from the Chinese.
"It's normal in the hurdles. Every athlete has a different technique.
"I feel great."
That would not last long, however.
Liu had added: "I felt like someone touched my elbow and I lost my balance for a while but then I managed to stabilise it.
"It happens all the time in competitions, but this time, in the final of the World Championships, it was kind of different. I am okay with everything that happened today and this is a good achievement for me. I tried my best, no regrets.''

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Rooney set sights on Charlton's record

Rooney set sights on Charlton's record
Manchester United hat-trick hero Wayne Rooney is setting his sights on Sir Bobby Charlton's all-time club goalscoring record.
Rooney played a pivotal role in United's stunning 8-2 annihilation of Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The England forward curled home free-kicks either side of the interval before completing his latest three-timer eight minutes from the end of an astonishing rout.
His first effort saw him become the latest man to score 150 times for United. By the end he had overtaken Ruud van Nistelrooy as the 10th most prolific player in Red Devils' history.
Still aged just 25, Rooney now has Charlton's 249 in his sights.
"It is always a great feeling to score," he said. "Now I have over 150 goals for a club like United and hopefully there are many more to come.
"I am delighted with the way it is going. I worked hard in pre-season. I have started well and the team have started great.
"I was aware I was one off 150 before the game. I asked how many Bobby Charlton scored. Giggsy (Ryan Giggs) said I had another 100 to go. That is a target. Hopefully I will do it in the next few years."
Rooney's efforts brought an end to a quite amazing day as the city of Manchester put north London in its place and sent out a clear warning where the power of English football is now housed - not that Sir Alex Ferguson is quite ready to dismiss allcomers just yet.
"It is only three games," he said. "We have a long way to go to get through winter but we have a strong squad.
"Injuries can play a part in this league. Manchester City have a very strong, experienced squad. You can never rule out Chelsea and Liverpool are starting to come good now after spending a lot of money.
"But in eight months' time, you don't know."
After such a comprehensive victory, Ferguson is now hoping skipper Nemanja Vidic will be fit again after his calf problem by the time United return to action at Bolton immediately after the international break.
Unfortunately for Danny Welbeck, who bagged the opener yesterday, he will not after pulling up before half-time with a hamstring injury.
"Danny complained about feeling a tight hamstring but, unfortunately for us, we couldn't get Javier Hernandez on quickly enough.
"The form he is showing just now it is a loss to us and England.
"I don't know how long he will be out, four or five weeks maybe."

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Ponting wanted selection powers

Ponting wanted selection powers
Ricky Ponting has endorsed the move to include captain Michael Clarke in the selection panel, saying it will lead to better communication between the players and the selectors.
Ponting claimed that the communication breakdowns that affected players as Australia tumbled down the Test rankings could have been avoided if the captain had been a selector.

While endorsing the captain and coach being appointed to a five-man selection panel as a result of the sweeping Argus review, Ponting said he also wanted to be a selector when he was the Australian captain.

"Absolutely no doubt in my mind (it will be an improvement). I pushed for it for seven years, for the captain to be a selector, and it's a really positive thing for Australian cricket and certainly for our team," Ponting told reporters ahead of the first Test against Sri Lanka, his first since relinquishing the captaincy.

"Any communication breakdowns in the past could have been avoided if the captain was a selector. I know there was negativity 10-15 years ago about the captain and coach being selectors, but I think that could have been avoided with proper communication.

"I just think the players would appreciate much more honest feedback from the captain and coach on their game and where they fit as far as selection is concerned, so I think it'll work really well for us."

Ponting claimed his concerns were not related to getting the teams that he wanted.

"It wasn't so much at all, it made it really hard for me to communicate with guys when I wasn't a selector," he said. "If my views were slightly different from the selectors' then I couldn't communicate in the right way, if that makes sense," he said.

Recalling an episode ahead of the final Ashes Test in 2001, when Michael Slater burst out after being omitted from the squad by then skipper Steve Waugh, Ponting said, "I think for someone like Slater his axing would have come completely out of the blue.

"Whereas if the captain knowing his role and the way the structure will be around our team now, maybe could've told him four Tests beforehand that if he didn't score runs or if things didn't improve then there might've been a chance that it might happen."

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Sunday, 28 August 2011

Man United 8-2 Arsenal

Man United 8-2 Arsenal
A Wayne Rooney hat-trick helped Manchester United inflict a heavy 8-2 defeat to Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday.
More to follow...

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Bolt majestic in Daegu

Athletics: Bolt majestic in Daegu
Usain Bolt issued an ominous warning to the challengers for his World Championship title with a commanding victory in the heats of the 100 metres in Daegu.
Bolt admitted two days ago that he was not in the same sort of shape which saw him win the sprint double in Berlin two years ago, setting world records in both events for good measure.
But the 25-year-old Jamaican looked in impressive form on the opening evening of the championships in South Korea, cruising to a time of 10.10 seconds - the fastest in qualifying - despite glancing around from halfway and easing down to the line.
"I felt great," said Bolt, who saw perhaps his biggest rival, compatriot Asafa Powell, withdraw from the event with injury earlier this week.
"I got a great start. I feel so happy. I've been working on it so hard throughout the whole season. I got it when it's necessary so I'm happy. A lot of work has gone into it."
Asked about the perception that he can now produce another spectacular time in the semi-finals or final, Bolt added: "If people want to think that...I'm just saying I'm here to defend my title and show the world, 'Look, I'm still the best'."
Britain's Dwain Chambers was second in the heat, behind Bolt, and said: "Judging from what I saw there's nothing wrong with him and he's more than capable of winning.
"Having Usain in the heats helps you get used to situations like that and competitors of his calibre."
Bolt's compatriot Yohan Blake was the second fastest qualifier in 10.12secs, with European champion Christophe Lemaitre, former world and Olympic champion Justin Gatlin and Trinidad's Richard Thompson all advancing.

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Blake claims Bolt's sprint crown

Blake claims Bolt's sprint crown
Yohan Blake is the new 100m world champion after hot favourite Usain Bolt false-started in Daegu.
Blake won the race in 9.92secs but the story was all about world-record holder and defending champion Bolt being disqualified at the start.

Bolt clearly went too early and knew it immediately, ripping off his running vest in frustration.

Once the stunned crowd had calmed down, 2003 champion Kim Collins made the fastest start but he was hauled in by Blake once the Jamaican got into his stride.

American Walter Dix took the silver in 10.08, with the 35-year-old Collins, of St Kitts and Nevis, hanging on for the bronze in 10.09.

Blake said the win felt "like a dream".

"I can't find words to explain it,'' he told Channel 4.

"I feel like I want to cry. I've been praying for this moment. It feels like a dream.

"I felt sorry for Usain, my training partner. I had to take it out in the race for him. When he did the false start I was so surprised because we had been talking about that in training - he false starts a lot - and now it happens.

"I knew I would challenge Bolt one day but I did not expect it today. I am traumatised and have mixed feelings, I am very sad for Usain Bolt but at the same time I am enjoying this very much.''

Bolt was nowhere to be seen after the race and later released a short comment via the IAAF website, saying: "I have nothing to say right now. I need some time.''

Asked about the defence of his 200m title which begins on Friday, Bolt added: "How will I go? We'll have to see on Friday.''

Silver medallist Dix said of Bolt's disqualification: "I couldn't believe it, it's kind of surreal.

"I didn't think they were going to kick him out. It's pretty hard to kick Usain out of the race.''

Collins suggested the false-start rule is not right in its current form, which sees an athlete disqualified for any early move.

"I don't think it is,'' he said.

"These things happen and you've got to give people a chance."

Previously athletes had been allowed one false start before being disqualified for a second, but new rules were introduced by the IAAF for the start of the 2010 season.

Rule 162.7 states: "An athlete, after assuming a full and final set position, shall not commence his start until after receiving the report of the gun. If, in the judgement of the starter or recallers, he does so any earlier, it shall be deemed a false start. Except in combined events, any athlete responsible for a false start shall be disqualified.''

The victorious Blake, just 21, did not compete in the last World Championships in Berlin after testing positive for the stimulant methylhexanamine.

A disciplinary panel organised by the Jamaican Anti-Doping Commission cleared him of a doping infraction on the grounds that the drug was not on the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned list.

However, JADCO appealed their own panel's ruling, stating that Blake should be disciplined as the drug was similar in structure to the banned substance tuaminoheptane.

With no decision possible before Berlin, Blake was withdrawn by the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association and an appeals tribunal subsequently ruled he should receive a three-month ban.

Briton Dwain Chambers had earlier suffered the same fate as Bolt, being disqualified in the semi-finals.

Chambers left distraught after twitching in the blocks and subsequently being shown the red card.

"It hasn't really sunk in yet but I've got to keep my thoughts and frustrations to myself at the moment,'' Chambers said as he left the track. "Obviously the gun went and I moved. It's a bit unfortunate. The rules are the rules and I false-started.

"Today I was optimistic about my chances but I was up against guys on paper faster than me so I would have had to run beyond my best to qualify.''

Asked about his future plans with his Olympic ban ruling him out of the London Games next year, Chambers added: "It's too soon to make any decisions on my current situation. I'm still enjoying it and we will see what happens.''

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Marlon Devonish also went out at the semi-final stage.

Aikines-Aryeetey finished third in 10.23 in his race, while Devonish was seventh in his in 10.25.

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Nadal ready for US Open defence

Nadal ready for US Open defence
Rafael Nadal looked back on one of the biggest moments of his career as he prepared to launch the defence of his US Open title at Flushing Meadows.
The Spaniard had never previously reached the final in New York but he seized his chance at the first opportunity last year, beating Novak Djokovic to complete his set of grand slams.
It also capped by far the best season of his career as he won three grand slams in a row and established himself as the undisputed world number one.
Twelve months on the situation is different again, with Djokovic now the man going for three slams in one season in an incredible year during which he has lost only two of 59 matches and beaten Nadal in five finals.
The Spaniard has his work cut out if he is to repeat his heroics of last year, and his form on the US hard courts suggests it will be a struggle, but returning to Flushing Meadows has provided him with a much-needed boost.
Nadal said: "The emotions probably are a little bit different, because when you come back after the victory of last year the emotions are higher.
"Of course, it was the last grand slam for me to complete all four. It was a very, very nice moment of my career, one of the biggest moments of my career. That makes coming back a little more special.
"But if we talk about the goal, it is the same; to play well, to try to get to the final rounds. That's the same. I don't feel extra pressure. I am happy about how I did. I didn't play very well during the summer, but I am practising much better here."
Nadal lost in the second round in Montreal and the quarter-finals in Cincinnati, but in the latter he was hampered by burnt fingers he sustained on a trip to a Japanese restaurant, which he says are now healed enough to allow him to practise fully.
The man who beat him in Cincinnati was the ATP World Tour's in-form player, Mardy Fish, who arrives at the US Open as the highest-seeded American for the first time.
The 29-year-old has climbed to eighth in the world rankings on the back of a run to the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and a superb US hard-court stretch, comprising a title in Atlanta, finals in Los Angeles and Montreal and a semi-final in Cincinnati.
Fish said: "It's a significant difference for me. It's just great. This is probably one of the biggest events that I'll ever play, just being in this position right now and coming in playing extremely well.
"Winning the US Open Series and coming in on a high and playing great the last two events. And then also having that week to prepare and rest.
"It was great to get away from everything, and then I got back in here Tuesday and started grinding again. I'm super excited to start.
"It's one of those where a lot of times you want to work your way into the tournament. I want to play Monday. I want to get out there and start, start the whole process of it, because it's exciting for me."
Fish has got his wish and he will take on German Tobias Kamke in the second match on Arthur Ashe on Sunday, providing the tournament is able to start as scheduled following Hurricane Irene.
The American, who puts his rise down to improvements in his mental and physical fitness, currently looks the best placed to get among the top four, and he is confident he can take the fight to Nadal, Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray.
Asked how his level compares, he added: "Right now I think it's up there. I expect to see myself in the second Saturday of the US Open because I've never done that before.
"I've been close once, but I'd like to get there now. I'd really like to get there now, because I really feel like I can belong there.
"I can get there. I can get to a really big spot in a grand slam. And, if I were to pick a tournament, a grand slam that I could do that in, it would be this one."
Federer is also in action on Sunday, taking on Colombia's Santiago Giraldo in the night session on Arthur Ashe, while seventh seed Gael Monfils meets rising star Grigor Dimitrov.

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Saturday, 27 August 2011

Arsenal swoop for Park Chu-young

Arsenal swoop for Park Chu-young
Arsenal are reportedly poised to sign South Korea captain Park Chu-young from under the noses of Lille.
Monaco striker Park is set to undergo a medical in London in the next 24 hours with a view to completing a move that could be worth in the region of £10million, Press Association Sport understands.
French champions Lille were convinced they had all but wrapped up a deal for the 26-year-old before Gunners boss Arsene Wenger swooped.
Reports suggested Park had agreed terms with Lille and had completed the first part of a medical but failed to show up for the second part after Wenger came calling.
Lille president Michel Seydoux told BBC Sport: "We haven't had a telephone call, nothing.
"From what we understand he could be at Arsenal."
He added: "Like Monaco, Lille are baffled," added Seydoux.
"Everything had been agreed."
Arsenal have also been linked with Lille's Eden Hazard and it remains to be seen whether their move for Park will have soured their relationship with the French club.
Park, who had previously been linked with Fulham, would become Wenger's fifth summer signing and help offset the loss of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri.
He scored an own goal in South Korea's 4-1 defeat by Argentina at the last World Cup, but redeemed himself in their next match against Nigeria by scoring a free-kick in a 2-2 draw, a goal which helped his country advance to the last 16.

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Vettel on pole for Belgian GP

Vettel on pole for Belgian GP
Sebastian Vettel made it nine poles from 12 grands prix this season at the end of a dramatic and controversial qualifying session ahead of Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix.
In a patched-up McLaren sporting a new front wing and with parts bandaged with gaffer tape following a collision with Williams' Pastor Maldonado at the end of the middle session, Lewis Hamilton appeared to have grabbed his first pole since Canada last year.
But within seconds such pleasure was denied the Briton as reigning champion Vettel made it 24 poles in his career, beating his 26-year-old rival by almost half a second.
As for Michael Schumacher, on the 20th anniversary weekend of his Formula One debut at Spa, his qualifying session lasted just 90 seconds.
The seven-times champion hit a wet patch in his Mercedes which sent him skewering into a wall where he then lost a wheel, his car then sliding all the way down the hill into the gravel trap at Rivage.
Calmly over the radio the 42-year-old said: "I don't know what happened there, something unexpected. I'm out."
On a drying track, after the first two sessions were run mainly in the wet, Red Bull's Mark Webber was third - the Australian not quite adding icing on the cake of his 35th birthday celebrations and after signing a new contract extension for next season.
Ferrari's Felipe Massa starts fourth ahead of Nico Rosberg in his Mercedes, with Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari sixth and Bruno Senna on his qualifying debut for Renault a superb seventh.
Fernando Alonso in his Ferrari could only claim eighth, with Sergio Perez in his Sauber ninth and the Renault of Vitaly Petrov 10th.
With under seven minutes remaining in second practice, the session was red flagged following Adrian Sutil's accident as he crested the brow of the hill coming out of the Eau Rouge/Raidillon complex.
Even in the wet the German was still travelling at considerable speed, but in putting a wheel on the kerb as he turned onto the Kemmel straight, that was enough to send him into a wall.
With debris on the track, race director Charlie Whiting was left with no alternative but to bring a temporary halt to proceedings whilst the marshals made the circuit safe.
The 15-minute run then ended in bizarre and controversial fashion, initially as Hamilton and Pastor Maldonado were involved in their second incident of the season.
The first was in Monaco when Hamilton hit Maldonado late in the race through Ste Devote, sending the Venezuelan out when he was on course for his first points of the campaign.
On this occasion, with Hamilton on a flying lap and desperate to get into the top 10 as he had dropped out at that stage, he bumped wheels with the Williams as he squeezed up the inside coming out of the bus-stop chicane ahead of the start-finish line.
After setting the third fastest time, Maldonado then appeared to exact revenge on the run out of La Source, clipping the McLaren.
In attempting to correct his car, Hamilton subsequently hit the 26-year-old, forcing the Williams off track whilst he trundled back to the garage for repairs.
Over the team radio Hamilton claimed Maldonado's actions were "done deliberately".
In a dramatic few moments for McLaren, the Woking-based team made a woeful error in calling in Button too early believing he had done enough.
However, the victor last time out in Hungary will start 13th behind Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi and Sauber of Kamui Kobayashi.
Behind him will be Williams' Rubens Barrichello, Sutil, Maldonado - if he is not excluded by the stewards - and Heikki Kovalainen in his Lotus.
The conditions also accounted for Paul di Resta's failure to make it out of Q1 for the first time this season.
Throughout the session, on a predominantly wet track, the times tumbled as a dry line slowly began to appear.
But just 90 seconds from the end, and with Di Resta setting his quickest times in the first two sectors, the rain struck again, initially over the start-finish area.
Approaching the bus-stop chicane, the Scot slid on entry, and although managing to recover, he finished a second adrift of those ahead of him and will now start 18th, his worst grid slot of the year.
Behind him will be Lotus' Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock for Virgin, the latter sneaking under the 107% rule by 0.8secs.
However, for team-mate Jerome D'Amrosio and Hispania Racing duo Vitantonio Liuzzi and Daniel Ricciardo, their fate now rests in the hands of the stewards.
The trio will need to cite extenuating circumstances as to why they should compete, and they will likely point to the conditions as one of the factors.
Schumacher is in a similar position, but as he was competitive in practice, one of the factors upon which the stewards base their decision, it appears certain he will start, albeit at the back of the grid.
After claiming Red Bull's 13th successive pole, Vettel said: "It was a difficult session, with Q1 and Q2 very tricky, but with the circuit drying very quickly.
"However, I rediscovered Spa, found some better lines, and in Q3 I pushed on the last lap as hard as I could.
"With Lewis just in front of me I saw him locking up at the final turn and the last thing I wanted to do was lock up as well.
"But I'm very happy, and although they say it's going to be dry for the race tomorrow [Sunday], here you can never be sure."
Hamilton, in assessing his incident with Maldonado, was relatively restrained with his views, aware he would be called to visit the stewards.
"I was at the end of my Q2 lap, with a Williams going very slow in front of me, and I had to squeeze past," said Hamilton.
"After that I exited turn one and I saw Maldonado come up behind me quite quickly, and as he passed he swiped across me.
"There should never be an incident once the red lights are on (to signal the end of the session), but unfortunately there was.
"The front wing was quite badly damaged, and I thought the front suspension too, but the guys did a great job of putting the car back together and getting me out again."
Webber admitted to going "a bit too hard" early in the Q3, adding: "I probably could have built up a bit slower going into the third and fourth lap.
"We've had a smooth weekend, and it's easy to end up like JB (Button) and out of position, but we're in the hunt."
As for Button, he claimed what happened with his team was "a misunderstanding".
He said: "I did my first lap and then cooled the tyres not knowing I didn't have any laps left.
"I was second quickest when I did my lap, and then I didn't get another chance.
"Wow! That is massively disappointing and a huge shock. A big mistake on our part.
"In every practice session we've been in top three, so it's tough being back in 13th, but we've got to deal with it."

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The rise and rise of Novak Djokovic

The rise and rise of Novak Djokovic
2011 has so far been a game of numbers for Serbian ace Novak Djokovic.
Consider these figures: Nine titles. Five Masters 1000 titles. A staggering 57-2 match record, with 33-1 on hard courts.
"I am human - I can definitely assure you of that," said the Serb after lifting his Rogers Cup trophy in Montreal. His flummoxed opponents might disagree with him.
As an incredulous tennis fraternity watches Djokovic's run of success in awe, the question on everyone's minds is: how long can it last?
Just last week the top seed showed he was not infallible when he was forced to retire in his final against Andy Murray in Cincinnati, citing exhaustion and shoulder pains. While he could have persevered, he claimed it did not make sense to take the risk.
"I am confident that I can recover and be ready for the US Open," he told reporters. The week leading up to Flushing Meadows will be a crucial one, and should Djokovic regain the form he exhibited before his injury, he is set to go far in the tournament.
Looking at those hoping to edge him out on the rankings, it seems that they will have a tough fight on their hands. Andy Murray is too inconsistent, with the tendency to choke when it matters most. While Roger Federer has beaten Djokovic this year in Roland Garros, he has also lost to him in three straight matches (Melbourne, Dubai and Indian Wells). And besides toppling Rafael Nadal from his 57 consecutive weeks at No.1, Djokovic has also beaten the Spaniard in four ATP World Tour Masters 1000 finals.
More recently, all three challengers to Djokovic have also suffered surprise exits in the recent Rogers Cup, with Nadal and Federer struggling in the Western and Southern Open. These defeats do not bode well for their chances.
That being said, no one would dare suggest that the reason for Djokovic's success is due to his rivals' faltering performances. Mardy Fish, who was beaten by Djokovic in the Rogers Cup final, said that the latter "has no weaknesses... there is no safe place to hit the ball". The hard work that the Serb and his team have been putting in (from regulated diets to specialised balancing drills) has finally paid off - Djokovic is faster, quicker, his serve is improved and his play more aggressive. What his opponents find so frustrating is his ability to move from defensive returns to offensive play, from seemingly irretrievable angles.
This aggressiveness that Djokovic displays in his tennis is a reflection of his hot temper. "You don't want to know what was happening in my head," he once said ruefully a year ago. Incensed with poor performances in Dubai and Wimbledon, he vented his frustration by abusing his racquet.
"I can work on some things, but my temper is my temper. My character is my character. You have to try to take the best out of it, not change it," he insisted. True to his word, in recent months he has caged his inner demons in his rise to the apex of the sport. And perhaps this is the secret to Djokovic's success - six years after his Grand Slam debut, he has taken his natural competitiveness and now wields it as a weapon.
With the world wondering if the new No.1 is possibly flying too close to the sun, self-doubt is a luxury that he cannot afford.
"To be the best is what drives me," he said, claiming that his focus is always on how many matches he wins. He matched those words to his actions by winning the Rogers Cup, becoming the first player since Pete Sampras in 1993 to win an ATP tournament on debut as No.1. When asked to comment if he could surpass the 82-3 record John McEnroe set in 1984, Djokovic professed ignorance of McEnroe's feat, but said that it was now "something to fight for".
Come 29 August, all eyes will be on Flushing Meadows to see if Djokovic can claim yet another win on his beloved hard courts, and continue his walk in McEnroe's footsteps. If the performances the Serb has turned out so far are anything to go by, the Rafas and the Rogers of the tennis world have their work cut out for them.

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Thursday, 25 August 2011

Ferguson caves in to BBC pressure

Ferguson caves in to BBC pressure
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has ended his long-standing boycott of the BBC.
Ferguson has not spoken to the corporation on team matters since 2004 following the broadcast of a TV documentary containing allegations about his son, Jason.
The 69-year-old manager had said he would not speak to the BBC again until an apology was made.
Earlier this year the BBC registered their disappointment with the Premier League when Ferguson refused to speak to any media outlets after a defeat at Liverpool.
They stopped short of an official complaint but the Premier League, who can fine managers for refusing interviews, orchestrated a meeting in an attempt to end Ferguson's seven-year feud with the broadcaster.
A joint statement released by United and the BBC read: "Sir Alex Ferguson and the BBC have decided to put behind them the difficulties which led to Sir Alex feeling unable to appear on BBC programmes.
"This follows a meeting between Sir Alex and the BBC's director general, Mark Thompson, and BBC North director Peter Salmon, and the issues have been resolved to the satisfaction of both parties.
"Sir Alex will now make himself available to the BBC for Match of the Day, Radio 5 Live and other outlets as agreed.
"No further comment will be made by either party on this issue."
Since 2004, the only interviews Ferguson has given to the BBC have been for tributes to figures such as Sir Bobby Charlton and Ryan Giggs.

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Murray smashed into Nadal's half

Murray smashed into Nadal's half
Andy Murray has landed in the same half of the draw as Rafael Nadal at the US Open.
It is the fourth grand slam in succession that the pair have been seeded to meet in the semi-finals, with Nadal having already beaten Murray in the French Open and Wimbledon.
Robin Soderling is Murray's scheduled quarter-final opponent in New York, but Juan Martin Del Potro is also lurking in the section.
Murray will first have to see off world number 64 Somdev Devvarman, of India, in the first round, a player he has not met before but one who won the Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2010.
Nadal, who opens against Andrey Golubev, is seeded to meet David Ferrer, the fifth seed, in the last eight.
On the other side of the draw, top seed Novak Djokovic is on course for a last-four meeting with five-time winner Roger Federer.
That would be a repeat of last year's semi-final which Djokovic won after saving two match points.
Federer could first have to overcome in-form American Mardy Fish in the quarter-finals, while Djokovic is on course for a last-eight meeting with Gael Monfils.
The world number one plays a qualifier first up while Federer meets Santiago Giraldo.

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Fabregas aiming for second medal

Fabregas aiming for second medal
Cesc Fabregas is hoping to claim his second medal at Barcelona, less than two weeks after joining the club, when they meet Porto in the Super Cup.
The Monaco clash against last season's Europa League winners gives the Spain midfielder the opportunity to add to the Spanish Supercopa title he claimed after coming on as a late substitute in the fiery second-leg clash against Real Madrid.
Cynics have suggested Fabregas will struggle to find a regular place in Barca's star-studded midfield but the former Arsenal man was relaxed, and admitted playing in such a talented line-up against Madrid was enjoyable.
He said: "We have not discussed my future position. I have to say I played with some outstanding players and that obviously makes my job much easier.
"They were always talking to me, telling me what movements they were making and from my part I felt very comfortable and at ease.
"The team has treated me extremely well and I think we are in great shape, with this team you can just fight to the bitter end and give your all knowing that everybody trusts you and that everybody works together.
"What I have found most striking in this side is that there's great humility. They have won everything but they still want to keep winning.
"I know 90% of the players and they made it very easy for me. It's a pleasure for me to be part of this great football club and this great team, and we just want to focus on Friday and the rest of the season."
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, rejected suggestions that this Barca side is the best of all time.
He said: "We are not unbeatable. Any team can beat us. We receive a lot of compliments because we have won 11 prizes in the last four seasons.
"But we have to try and forget the past. The most important match is the next one so let's try to focus and keep going and for the players to show to the world they still have desire.
"For people to want to watch us play and to switch on the TV to watch us is the best compliment we can have.
"I have always had ridiculously good teams. We forget that former teams won three titles, and the team before that won six titles, so to say this squad is better than other squads cannot be said.
"This current squad needs to prove it on the pitch.
"This will be decided by history. We try to do the best we can, afterwards people will be able to judge whether they like it or not."
Guardiola is certainly not underestimating Porto despite them losing star striker Radamel Falcao to Atletico Madrid.
He said: "They won the league without losing a match - look at their statistics, they are impeccable.
"(Nicolas) Otamendi, Rolando, (Joao) Moutinho, the two wingers, Hulk, all the players are extremely valuable and can play in any major European team, but they are already playing in a very big European team in Porto."
Porto coach Vitor Pereira insisted Barcelona are the best side he had ever seen.
He added: "But we are not coming here just to watch Barca play, we are here on merit after winning the Europa League last season and we are here to win the Super Cup.
"Of course Barca are difficult to beat, but I believe in the players I have and the game plan I have worked out which hopefully will see us win the game."
Pereira said he was unaware of any moves by Chelsea for any Porto players - the club's former manager Andre Villas-Boas is now in charge at Stamford Bridge and has reportedly made a bid for Uruguayan defender Alvaro Pereira, who is not expected to play against Barca. Joao Moutinho is also reportedly a target.
"I am the coach of Porto to maximise the team's potential," said Pereira.
"These issues are beyond me. As far as I am aware there has been no contact from Chelsea for any of our players.
"We are friends, Andre Villas-Boas and myself. He was one of the people who contributed to us being here, but now we want to savour the moment and prove our quality."

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Dhyan Chand Hockey stadium in London

Dhyan Chand Hockey stadium in London
A newly-laid astro-turf hockey pitch at Indian Gymkhana Club in London has been named after Indian hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.
Major Dhyan 'Chand' Singh, better known as Dhyan Chand, was an Indian field hockey player, widely regarded as the world's greatest field hockey player of all time.

A legendary centre-forward, he is remembered for his goal-scoring feats, first as a player and later as captain.

Dhyan Chand won three Olympic gold medals (1928 Amsterdam, 1932 Los Angeles, 1936 Berlin) and was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honour, in 1956.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the new pitch, Prof Nat Puri, President of the Gymkhana Club said, "The pitch is another step in the direction to provide better sporting facilities at the club."

Lord Gulam Noon, Vice President of the Indian Gymkhana Club said the Gymkhana needed to build 20 studio rooms to facilitate visiting players to stay at the Club.

He sought the assistance of Councillor Jagdish Sharma to get necessary approval from the Council for the project.

Dhyan Chand was the elder brother of fellow player Roop Singh. His father Sameshwar Dutt Singh was in the Indian army, and he played hockey in the army.
Chand joined the Indian Army at the age of 16, in 1922. It was in informal matches in the regiment that Subedar-Major Bale Tiwari noticed his dribbling skills.

A keen enthusiast of the game, Tiwari recognised Chand's talent. He became his mentor and laid the foundations of his technique.

Ajit Singh Sidhu, a compatriot of Dhyan Chand described Dhyan Chand as one of the greatest hockey players of the world.

Swatantra Soni, Secretary of the Gymkhana club said the Club had raised ?250,000 from members and supporters under a 10-year repayment guarantee scheme. He said every visiting team that came from Australia, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka used to play a match at the club but in the last 10 years it has changed.

Councillor Jagdish Sharma said Indian community here could feel "very proud of the Club".

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Wednesday, 24 August 2011

Juan Mata completes Chelsea switch

Juan Mata completes Chelsea switch
Chelsea have completed the signing of Valencia winger Juan Mata on a five-year deal.
The 23-year-old becomes Andre Villas-Boas' fourth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Oriol Romeu, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois.
Mata could make his debut in Saturday's clash with Norwich and moves to Stamford Bridge for a reported fee of £23.5million.
"Right from the first moment there have been good feelings all around me," Mata told the club's official website, www.chelseafc.com.
"Training has been great and the players are a great group to train with.
"Valencia was a big club anyway but I have left to join a bigger club and it is all about the opportunity to win trophies and I have that here."
Mata becomes the third Spaniard at the Blues, linking up with the aforementioned Romeu and fellow Spain international Fernando Torres.
"Fernando got me excited about the thought of coming here," Mata said.
"He said it would be good for me here and that me and him together could be good.
"I also talked to my family and friends about it as well."
The former Real Madrid winger's father, also named Juan Mata, played professionally for Burgos and Salamanca, leading the player to add: "This is obviously a big thing for me, to have a father who knows football.
"He has always given me good advice and I never had a problem because he was there to help.
"Despite there being football in my family, I always wanted to have skills other than football so I studied while I was in Madrid.
"It wasn't easy but I wanted to do it, and I learned about marketing and sports science."
While Torres and his father had an influence on his move to west London, Mata admits it was manager Villas-Boas that ultimately made him decide to end his four-year spell at the Mestalla.
"He said he wanted Chelsea this season to play more attacking football, and that I would be a big part of that," he added.
"Villas-Boas is someone who won almost everything last year and we are both here with the idea of winning lots this season.
"The plan is that I can play on either flank or even in the middle playing in between the lines of midfield and attack.
"I like to keep the ball and use it well, I am an attacking player and above all I like to set up goals and score them also.
"I want to adapt as quickly as possible to my new surroundings, my colleagues and this league, and I would love to win a trophy in my first season.
"If it can be the Premier League then great."
The move brings a quick conclusion to the transfer after Valencia accepted an offer on Sunday evening. Mata trained with his new team-mates for at Cobham earlier on Wednesday and could feature for Villas-Boas' side this weekend.

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Monty issues warning to Ryder Cup stars

Monty issues warning to Ryder Cup stars
Every European star basing himself in the United States - and that includes Rory McIlroy again next season - runs the risk of not making the Ryder Cup.
That was the warning from Colin Montgomerie on Wednesday, a week before the qualifying race starts in Switzerland.
Montgomerie found leaving out world number nine Paul Casey last year the hardest thing he had to do as captain - and he hopes his successor Jose Maria Olazabal does not face the same dilemma next August.
The pair play together in the first two rounds of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles on Thursday and Friday and Montgomerie said: "No doubt we'll have a chat on the way round."
Olazabal has opted for only two wild cards instead of Montgomerie's three - and three did not prove enough to get either Casey or Justin Rose, twice a winner in the States during the qualifying period, into his side.
"I think it surprised us all that a world top-10 player didn't make it and I do hope that Olazabal doesn't have that same issue," Montgomerie said.
"I hope it's more cut and dried for him that it was for me and that the two picks are obvious."
However, Montgomerie adds: "If you base yourself in America you are taking a risk to make the Ryder Cup team, quite simple."
Casey lost out to the uncapped Edoardo Molinari, choosing to play in the (non-counting) first leg of the FedEx Cup play-offs in New Jersey, whereas the Italian birdied the final three holes to win at Gleneagles.
Rose, Padraig Harrington and Luke Donald were also in the States despite Montgomerie asking them all to fly to Scotland instead.
"I feel that Olazabal will have a stronger representation of Ryder Cup players next year than I did," he said.
"It's quite straightforward. If you don't make the top 10 you might not make the team and you can't rely on a pick."
The first five of the team for Chicago next year will be based on their European Tour earnings and the next five from their world ranking points during the 12-month race.
Another of the PGA Tour members hoping to make Olazabal's side is leading Scot Martin Laird, currently ranked 25th in the world - but he will not start earning points until January.
That is because he did not want to commit to 13 European Tour events this season.
"That's unfortunate for him and for Scottish golf," added Montgomerie.
"At the same time Molinari managed to make the team starting from the Challenge Tour. He proved to the captain - me - that he was capable of playing the Ryder Cup and it's up to Martin Laird now to do what Edoardo Molinari did.
"Win three times, get as close as he possibly can to qualification and be one of those two picks of Olazabal's if he doesn't qualify.
"I wish him well, of course. It's been 2006 since a Scot has represented the team and that's too long."
Montgomerie was that player himself and although he is currently down at 285th in the world the 48-year-old has not given up all hope of earning a ninth cap.
He is glad just to be back playing this week. His last event was the Scottish Open at the start of last month and after briefly leading it early in the final round he fell back to 31st and so still has not had a top five finish for over three years.
Molinari is back to defend his title against a field that also includes his brother Francesco, leader after 54 holes last year, Dane Anders Hansen, third in the USPGA Championship, and Irish Open winner Simon Dyson.

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Haskell fit for World Cup warm-up

Haskell fit for World Cup warm-up
England flanker James Haskell has been passed fit for selection against Ireland on Saturday.
Haskell was sent for a precautionary scan on his foot, which revealed only mild inflammation to a tendon.
The 26-year-old trained fully with the squad on Tuesday and will be available for England's final Rugby World Cup warm-up international.
England manager Martin Johnson will name his side to face Ireland at Thursday's lunchtime.
With squad captain Lewis Moody still recovering from a knee injury, Haskell will be in the running to start at open-side flanker, the position he played during England's title-winning Six Nations campaign.
England fielded mix-and-match teams for the games against Wales - but Johnson is looking to field his strongest possible side for the trip to Dublin.
Manu Tuilagi made a try-scoring Test debut in England's victory over Wales at Twickenham earlier this month and he is pushing for a second start.
Although normally considered an outside centre, Tuilagi could emerge as an option for England in the 12 jersey. Shontayne Hape is the only recognised inside centre in England's 30-man World Cup squad.
Johnson must decide whether to stick by Toby Flood, who has been first choice fly-half since the end of the 2010 Six Nations, or reinstall Jonny Wilkinson at number 10.
Whichever decision Johnson makes will set the tone for England, a fortnight before their opening World Cup fixture against Argentina.
England have the option of starting with both Flood and Wilkinson - but that would seem unlikely given Johnson has no other specialist fly-half cover.
Loosehead prop Andrew Sheridan is in line to make his first appearance of the warm-up campaign after recovering from summer shoulder surgery.
As well as Moody, England will be without Ben Youngs in Dublin as the Leicester scrum-half continues his comeback from knee surgery.
Joe Simpson, selected as England's third scrum-half behind Youngs and Richard Wigglesworth, is set to make his Test debut at the Aviva Stadium.

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Cavendish pulls out of Vuelta

Cycling: Cavendish pulls out of Vuelta
Mark Cavendish has pulled out of the Vuelta a Espana.
The Manx rider withdrew during Tuesday's fourth stage of the event.
Participants have been subjected to fierce heat in the last few days with suggestions the temperature had adversely affected the sprinter when he endured a tough start before falling further behind the main peloton.
And during Tuesday's 170km Baza to Sierra Nevada leg, it emerged he had pulled out. Cavendish follows HTC-Highroad team-mate Matt Goss in withdrawing after he exited in stage one.
Of wider concern for Cavendish will be his preparations for the World Championships road race in Copenhagen on September 25. The Tour de France green jersey winner will now seemingly need special dispensation to compete in warm-up races before then, due to rules concerning the withdrawal from ongoing events.
The Vuelta does not reach a conclusion until September 11 - the day on which the Tour of Britain begins.
Katusha's Daniel Moreno took the stage victory in the first mountain finish of the tour, fending off Chris Anker Sorensen of Saxo Bank-SunGard by three seconds with Irishman Dan Martin leading home the peloton.
France's Sylvain Chavanel took the overall lead from Spain's Pablo Lastras.

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Tuesday, 23 August 2011

Arsenal, City agree terms for Nasri

Arsenal, City agree terms for Nasri
Samir Nasri is on the brink of finally joining Manchester City after Arsenal confirmed they had agreed terms with their Barclays Premier League rivals.
The France midfielder trained with the Gunners this morning as they prepare for a crucial Champions League play-off second leg match against Udinese on Wednesday night.
But instead of travelling to Italy he instead made for Manchester, where he will undergo a medical as he seeks to finalise his move north.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admitted the constant speculation surrounding Nasri and Cesc Fabregas - who last week completed a move to Barcelona - has been "draining" for the team, who have made a disappointing start in the Barclays Premier League.
The Frenchman said: "The summer was very difficult because we had Cesc Fabregas and Nasri on permanent transfer negotiations and that is draining in the end.
"We lost two great players and that's a sad side of the story but at some stage it has to be over, because you want to focus on the future."
City have reportedly agreed to pay in the region of £24million for Nasri, who is out of contract at the end of the season and has refused to sign a new deal.
Wenger, asked if the timing of the transfer had anything to do with Nasri potentially being cup-tied for Champions League football if he featured against Udinese, added: "You cannot think only about one game in the season and the decision had a logic but it is of course, as well, a business interest.
"But, overall, what you want is that you have players who do not play and think they go the next morning. It's not ideal as well.
"So you want players who are completely committed to the long-term, to defend our chances."
Asked if it was naive to think the deal could have been finalised sooner, Wenger said: "It's not naive but what you forget maybe is that it doesn't depend only on us.
"We wanted to sort all these cases out very early after the summer, but it wasn't possible.
"And the pace is not only dictated by us, unfortunately."
Wenger is waiting to discover whether or not he will be able to carry out his managerial duties as normal against Udinese.
He is set to serve a two-match ban for breaching the terms of an earlier suspension during last week's first-leg meeting with Udinese at the Emirates Stadium, where he passed messages to the dug-out, believing he had UEFA permission to do so.
Arsenal have lodged an appeal against the ban and have requested a stay of execution which would allow Wenger to take his place in the Gunners technical area Wednesday night. A decision on any delay to the suspension will be taken by the chairman of UEFA's appeals body at some stage.
Asked if this was the most challenging time he had ever faced as Arsenal boss: "I believe that's part of my job. I'm not at all destabilised by that.
"Overall, my job is to give my best to do well for my club and that's what I do with complete belief in the team and the players I have available.
"I think that's the best opportunity to show as well that we are good enough to fight for this club."
Wenger has called for a solid performance from his side Wednesday night as they defend a 1-0 first-leg lead.
"They're quick on the flanks, so I think we have to keep them quiet, especially (Mauricio) Isla on the right side, who's a provider.
"In midfield, of course, they have some good players, and (Antonio) Di Natale up front.
"So, overall, we need a good, solid defensive performance.
"But we have experience in the Champions League and that's a good way to use it tomorrow [Wednesday] night."
Wenger revealed England midfielder Jack Wilshere has suffered a setback in his recovery from an ankle injury, but Tomas Rosicky is in the squad after overcoming a thigh problem, as is Johan Djourou (hamstring) and Armand Traore (groin).
Laurent Koscielny will not play after suffering a back injury against Liverpool at the weekend but could be fit to face Manchester United on Sunday.

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Murray cautious despite Cincinnati joy

Murray cautious despite Cincinnati joy
Andy Murray admits his Cincinnati success was perfect preparation for next week's US Open but does not believe it will give him an edge over the world's top three.
The 24-year-old world number four will this week make the journey from Ohio to the east coast of the United States preparing to challenge once again for a first grand slam title, having been a runner-up at Flushing Meadows in 2008 the last time he won in Cincinnati.
His victory on Sunday did not come in ideal circumstances, with world number one Novak Djokovic forced to withdraw from the match with a shoulder injury at 6-4 3-0.
Murray, who has had his fair share of injury problems this season, felt the Serbian's setback was a consequence both of the gruelling schedule in professional men's tennis and of Djokovic's own success this year.
He said: "I think with the amount that Novak has been winning things are going to build up throughout the course of the year. He's played a lot of matches. I've had a few niggles throughout the year and had a few niggles this week as well. It just kind of happens.
"In tennis it's an 11-month year and that'll probably be the only match that Novak pulls out of in the whole year. But you play most of the year not feeling perfect.
"The plan is to be feeling perfect going into the grand slams. That's really been my goal this year, and I've done a good job at it so far."
Despite outperforming Djokovic plus Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer - both quarter-finalists in Cincinnati - Murray refused to get too excited at the prospect that this could finally be his time.
"The thing is, you never know. Those guys could end up making the semi-finals of the US Open, and then you get a chance to see whether it is a chance (to win the tournament).
"If all of them lose early, then, you know, obviously my chances would go up.
"But I'm sure come the start of the US Open next Monday, all of them will be fine. I think each one of them will be playing great tennis, much better than they have played here."
Djokovic revealed he had been suffering with a shoulder problem for about 10 days but was confident he had enough time to recover.
"I've played so many matches this year. I've been winning a lot and reaching the final stages of each event that I've participated in," he said.
"Considering the schedule that is very busy in tennis, it's kind of normal to expect that at some stage you are exhausted.
"But as I said, I am confident that I can recover and be ready for US Open."
Asked if the schedule should be reduced to assist players, Djokovic added: "We can talk about this for the whole day. We do have some things that we are trying to change in the schedule. There have been certain changes from next year - we'll have a year that is two weeks shorter.
"But still, the intensity is going to be the same, if not tougher. But, look, it's the same for everybody. We just have to get used to it and adjust."

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Akram: Nothing cool about Dhoni

Akram: Nothing cool about Dhoni
Former Pakistan skipper found the Indian captain aloof and his batting form a big worry against England.
By Soumitra Bose and Sunil Taneja

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s demeanour was hardly inspiring during the Test series against England, according to ESPN-STAR Sports expert Wasim Akram.

The four-nil drubbing against England has done no good to Dhoni’s reputation as a captain and former Pakistan skipper Akram is just not amused at the way Dhoni handled things during the Test series that concluded at The Oval on Monday.

In an exclusive chat with Mobile ESPN from London on Monday night, Akram, like other cricket pundits, was unhappy with the way Dhoni failed to lead India by example. Captain Cool has suddenly lost a few admirers and Akram is definitely one of them.

At The Oval on Monday, India lost seven wickets for 21 runs after Sachin Tendulkar (a lucky 91) and Amit Mishra (a defiant 84) held the Indian fort with a 144-run partnership. One of the culprits in this frequent middle-order capitulation has been the skipper himself. Dhoni was out for three, Stuart Broad once again exposing the captain’s batting limitation against a moving ball.

“His batting form is of great concern. In this series Dhoni repeatedly got out in the slips region. He may have got a couple of 70-plus scores in the third Test at Edgbaston, but what good are these runs when your opponent has amassed a 700-plus score?” asked Akram.

Akram feels a dressing room can never be a happy one until and unless a captain and coach communicates with the team and lifts their morale. Dhoni’s body language was definitely not motivating enough, felt Akram.

“I feel Dhoni needs to be even more involved in the game. New coach Duncan Fletcher is not a magician and will take time to settle down,” Akram said.

The serious lack of planning by the BCCI (for example, RP Singh arriving late for the third Test) and the communication gap between the team management and the Board bigwigs was eloquently clear. Akram agrees too.

“According to me, it seemed that no one had any idea in the Indian camp about what was going on. Dhoni did not look too involved with on-field proceedings. I know this has been his style, but when your team is getting thrashed, ‘Captain Cool’ can’t afford to freeze! At times, you have to change your style to get the best out of your players. This result should be eye-opener for Dhoni,” said Akram.

In spite of the criticism, Akram backed Dhoni as Indian skipper. Removing him is not a quick-fix solution, he felt.

“Our cricketing culture in the sub-continent doesn’t support a losing captain, but here is where we need to back Dhoni. He can surely prove the critics wrong in the ODI series. While that will work to India’s advantage, Dhoni can pick up his pieces as well,” said Akram.

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Prodigy Fisher finally breaks through

Prodigy Fisher finally breaks through
When you become the youngest ever to do something there is no hiding place and no escaping the fact that expectations go through the roof.
Oliver Fisher was one month and 10 days younger than previous record holder Justin Rose when he made his Walker Cup debut for Britain and Ireland at the age of 16 in 2005.
The following season he finished fifth at the European Tour qualifying school, thus becoming the youngest ever British player to earn a card.
So with no less an authority than Sir Nick Faldo labelling him a star of the future - Fisher won no fewer than five Faldo Junior Series titles - big things were expected.
But, as with Rose, it has not proved easy and one can only imagine the relief he felt when the winning putt dropped at the Czech Open on Sunday.
"It just shows what the game of golf can do - how bad it can be and how great it can be," said the 22-year-old from Essex.
While Rose missed his first 21 halfway cuts as a professional - straight after his fourth place finish in the 1998 Open when still an amateur - it all started so well for Fisher.
He picked up money in his first five starts, including 11th spot at the Qatar Masters. Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey and Darren Clarke were among the players he beat there.
Fisher's first top 10 came later that season and in May 2008, still only 19, he stood on the final tee of the Andalucian Open with a one-shot lead.
His drive was straight enough, but downwind it went far further than he planned - into water. He bogeyed the hole, lost the play-off to Thomas Levet and come the end of the following year found himself back at the qualifying school.
And not just back at it, but failing at it.
Others have crumbled from such a setback. Fisher, though, rebounded to take 81st place on the money list last season and in Madeira was only a single stroke away from another play-off.
But finishing the year with three missed cuts was a sign of more troubles to come. In his first 19 starts this season he crashed out early 18 times and looked to be at a real crisis point.
Hard work was the only way out and after making the cuts in Sweden and Ireland he came back from a two-week lay-off to set up another chance of victory this weekend.
Just as his career has so far been a rollercoaster ride, so was his final round.
From three in front he fell one behind Mikael Lundberg, but then sank 25-footers on the 16th and 17th and, with the Swede three-putting the 17th, triumphed by two.
From 224th on the "Race to Dubai" standings Fisher has leapt to 75th and from 507th in the world he has jumped to 238th.
It will be fascinating to follow his fortunes now he has broken through and, as he put it himself, now that he has "proven myself".
Scotland's Steven O'Hara was joint leader with Fisher with a round to go and he too hoped it would end with his first Tour victory.
The 31-year-old was a team-mate of Luke Donald and Graeme McDowell at the 2001 Walker Cup, but in over 200 starts since then has had only two top-three finishes and has had to return to the qualifying school four times.
O'Hara was still in the hunt with three to play, but four-putted the 16th for a bogey six, went out of bounds on the short 17th and, after chipping in there to salvage a bogey, three-putted the last to drop another stroke.
They were costly errors. By finishing only tied fifth he moved up a mere 14 places on the money list to 129th. Only the top 115 at the end of the season keep their cards.
Hope clearly springs eternal in the mind of Padraig Harrington.
"If I have four good weeks I could win the FedEx Cup and have a great year," said the Dubliner.
"That's what the play-offs are about," Harrington said. "It gives everybody who gets into them an opportunity."
This after Harrington came 47th in the Wyndham Championship, good enough to take him from 130th to 124th on the cup points list, with 125 going through.Unlike Tiger Woods, who chose not to play after missing the cut in the USPGA, Harrington dropped plans for a holiday in the Bahamas to go to North Carolina instead.
"I never like to do things easy," he commented after his closing 68.
It will take an astonishing turnaround in form - he has not won in America or Europe since the 2008 USPGA - for Harrington even to make it all the way through the series, however.
Only the top 100 advance to the second leg, then the top 70 to the third leg and just 30 to the deciding Tour Championship in Atlanta on September 22-25.
Paul Casey joined Woods in missing out on the whole thing and that makes him available for the Vivendi Seve Trophy in Paris on September 15-18.
Having not returned to Europe at the end of the Ryder Cup qualifying race last year and then not being given a wild card, playing for Paul McGinley's Britain and Ireland side could be a useful exercise with next year's match in Chicago in mind.

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Monday, 22 August 2011

Barca rule out Mourinho complaint

Barca rule out Mourinho complaint
Barcelona have decided against filing an official complaint about the actions of Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho the Supercopa second leg at the Nou Camp.
The clash ended in controversy when Mourinho appeared to put a finger in the eye of Barca assistant Tito Vilanova during a melee in the closing stages of the tie, which saw Barca emerge 3-2 winners on the night to claim the Supercopa 5-4 on aggregate.
Vilanova responded by striking the Portuguese on the side of the head as another meeting between the two Spanish superpowers ended on a sour note following last season's similarly ill-tempered Champions League semi-final ties.
Speaking about the incident today, Barca president Sandro Rosell explained why Barca had not lodged a complaint to the Spanish football authorities against Mourinho's behaviour.
"There are several reasons, the main one is that we need to stop this atmosphere of extreme tension," Rosell was quoted as saying by the Spanish press.
"There was a consensus among the technical staff and (sporting director Andoni) Zubizarreta not to report the actions of Mourinho.
"To report Mourinho could have affected the team's preparation (for Friday's UEFA Super Cup against Porto) and it was Tito Vilanova who asked us to forget the matter."
Rosell added: "The federation and the committees, if they want, must act off their own initiative. Barca will not ask them. What we have to do is forget this business."

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World's best in Nokia CL T20 squads

World's best in Nokia CL T20 squads
The world's best players have been in high demand after the naming of the final squads to compete in next month's Nokia Champions League Twenty20 tournament in India.
Eight players were initially chosen to represent more than one team in the tournament: Brett Lee (NSW/Kolkata), Jacques Kallis (Warriors/Kolkata), Kieron Pollard (Trinidad & Tobago/Mumbai), Brad Haddin (NSW/Kolkata), Dwayne Bravo (Trinidad & Tobago/Chennai) Doug Bollinger (NSW/Chennai), Davy Jacobs (Warriors/Mumbai) and Aiden Blizzard (South Australia/Mumbai).
Explaining the process for deciding which teams these players would represent, CLT20 Governing Council member and director of Legal and Business Affairs, Dean Kino, said: “Players nominated by more than one team in the final squads were given 48 hours to advise us which team they would play for. Teams were then permitted to replace any player that withdrew from their squad and elected to play for another side.”
“All eight players selected by multiple teams have elected to play for their ‘away’ team.
“Eleven of the 13 teams that will compete in the tournament have now named their final 15-player squads. Only the England teams are still to be confirmed and they will be decided on 27 August, where the winners of the Leicestershire-Lancashire and Hampshire-Somerset semi-finals of England’s domestic T20 competition will reach the CLT20 qualifier.”
After its success in South Africa in 2010, the CLT20 returns to India with a new naming-rights sponsor, more teams, more prize money and participation fees, and the world’s best T20 talent from 19-21 September (qualifier) and 23 September-9 October.
A number of teams will be able to field virtual international-strength playing XIs, among them defending champion Chennai Super Kings and 2009 CLT20 winners, the  NSW Blues.
The Chennai Super Kings have named 13 players with international experience and the NSW Blues and Cape Cobras 12 each, while the Warriors (10) and Kolkata Knight Riders (10) are also brimming with international talent.
The addition of a six-team qualifier this year gives a record 13 teams from around the world a chance to claim the world’s most prestigious prize for domestic cricket. Three teams from the qualifier will progress to the group stage, where they will play four round matches before the top-two teams in each group qualify for the semi-finals.
The qualifier will be played in Hyderabad from 19-21 September while the 10-team Nokia Champions League Twenty20 starts in Bengaluru on Friday 23 September and ends with the final on Sunday 9 October in Chennai.

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Modric a doubt for Man United clash

Modric a doubt for Man United clash
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has admitted that Luka Modric is in no state of mind to feature against Manchester United on Monday night.
Chelsea have been chasing Modric all summer and are ready to come in with a new £30million offer for the Croatian despite the imminent arrival of Juan Mata from Valencia.
Spurs have been clear in their declarations that they would not entertain offers for Modric, who covets a switch across London, but may now struggle to maintain that stance after Redknapp was forced to leave him out of the squad for his club's Barclays Premier League opener.
Modric is not 100% fit but Redknapp may have been prepared to gamble on him had he been sure of the midfielder's committment to the cause.
Instead, he will play no part against the champions.
Redknapp told talkSPORT on Sunday: "He's got a little bit of an injury. There's a possibility he could have played through it. But at the moment his head's not in the right place."
That judgement is telling given that Arsene Wenger was prepared to play Samir Nasri - thought to be close to a switch to Manchester City - against Liverpool at the weekend.
Gareth Bale has called on the squad not to mourn the loss of Modric if he does leave White Hart Lane.
Bale, like Modric, had an outstanding campaign for Spurs last season, and does not want the 25-year-old to leave.
He does think, however, that the squad cannot dwell on his departure should he do so.
"Luka is a fantastic player," Bale said. "I'm not sure what the situation is with him but I think if he is here then he's great for the team but if he's not then we have to get on without him."
Spurs were without Modric and fellow midfielders Jermaine Jenas, Steven Pienaar and Sandro for last week's 5-0 Europa League qualifying win over Hearts match, but coasted to victory thanks partly to impressive displays from replacements Jake Livermore and Niko Kranjcar.
Bale was impressed with how the Tottenham squad coped against the Scots and thinks that bodes well for the team ahead of what promises to be a long season thanks to their participation in the Europa League.
"Luka and JJ (Jenas) didn't play so it gives confidence to the whole squad that we can play like that," the Welshman said.
"These players that came in are international players and they showed that they are all class. It shows what kind of squad we have got."

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Man City await Nasri verdict

Man City await Nasri verdict
There will much interest in Arsenal's travelling squad for their Champions League qualifier with Udinese when it leaves Luton on Tuesday morning.
After spending virtually the entire summer being told Samir Nasri was near the top of Roberto Mancini's wanted list and it was only a matter of time before a transfer was concluded, the Blues are now sweating on whether a deal will be completed after all.
With nine days of the transfer window remaining, time is not a particular problem in the haggling over agents' fees, which are believed to be the source of the problem.
What is causing consternation is that if Nasri faces Udinese on Wednesday, he would be ineligible to play for City for the Champions League, so Mancini would almost certainly pull the plug.
Arsenal are aware of this and relations between them and City over the matter are said to be cordial.
However, the brutal truth is that after an already wretched start to the season, if the Gunners were to go out of the competition this week, it would cost them around £30million.
If Arsene Wenger concludes Arsenal's customary place in Europe's elite competition - for which City have already qualified - would be at risk without Nasri's involvement in Italy, he may decide to gamble, risking a £22million transfer fee in the process for a player now heading into the final year of his contract.
Such a scenario is not ideal for anyone, least of all Mancini, whose grumbles about City's recruitment policy have already been aired.
Mancini has already discovered one potential signing, Fiorentina winger Alessio Cerci, has opted to remain in Serie A. If he were to miss out on Nasri as well, the Italian would not be happy despite his side's excellent start.
Blues officials have stressed no resolution has been found to the present impasse, so it seems the next move will be Wenger's.
It all places a rather unnecessary cloud on what is otherwise a virtually blemish-free picture for City.
Shedding two goals at Bolton on Sunday seems a small price to pay for abandoning the safety-first tactics that characterised Mancini's early months at the club.
Seven goals and six points represents a pretty decent return ahead of the first meaningful showdown of the season, at Tottenham next Sunday.
"The team is doing very well but we want to keep doing this for a long time," David Silva told www.mcfc.co.uk.
"We are feeling good. We want to keep improving and getting good results to help us get near the top."
Silva is relishing the chance of starring alongside new signing Sergio Aguero.
With Edin Dzeko netting three times already this term, Carlos Tevez looking more likely to stay than leave, there is little requirement for the volatile talents of Mario Balotelli, let alone the half dozen viewed as surplus to Mancini's requirements.
Of those, a £3.9million 'agreement-in-principle' has been reached for Vladimir Weiss to join Dynamo Kiev, although there are still a few issues to resolve before the transfer can be concluded.
Mancini would hope to get rid of a few big earners so he can make a final plunge into the market as he accepts life cannot always be guaranteed to be quite so comfortable during an arduous English season.
"We have good strikers but the season is long," observed Mancini, who hopes to have combative midfielder Nigel de Jong available at White Hart Lane after the Dutchman missed out with a foot injury.
"After the international break, we have to play every three days.
"It will be very hard."

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UEFA hit Wenger with two-match ban

UEFA hit Wenger with two-match ban
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has received a two-match ban from UEFA for breaching the terms of a previous Champions League suspension.
The Frenchman was found guilty of failing to abide by UEFA rules surrounding his original ban - imposed after last season's last 16 defeat to Barcelona - after they decided he had passed messages to the dug-out during his side's Champions League play-off first leg against Udinese last week.
Arsenal to challenge Wenger's ban
Arsene Wenger Factfile
UEFA have also fined Arsenal €10,000 (£8,743) for the improper conduct of their officials during the match. Wenger and the club have the right to lodge appeals against the decisions.
A statement from UEFA read: "The UEFA control and disciplinary Body has suspended manager Arsène Wenger from carrying out his duties at Arsenal FC's next two UEFA competition matches.
"Today's [Monday] decision was taken in relation to the Arsenal manager not abiding by the decision of the control and disciplinary body during the English club's Champions League play-off game against Udinese last Tuesday, August 16.
"Wenger is therefore suspended for Arsenal's second-leg match against Udinese in Italy on Wednesday and then the next UEFA competition fixture for which he would be eligible.
"The control and disciplinary body has also decided to fine Arsenal 10,000 euros for improper conduct by its officials. An appeal may be lodged against these decisions within three days of the dispatch of the reasoned decision."
UEFA's statement continued: "The UEFA disciplinary regulations stipulate that a manager may not communicate with his team during a fixture for which he is suspended and may follow the game from the stands only."
Wenger claimed UEFA had told him he was permitted to relay instructions to assistant manager Pat Rice through first-team coach Boro Primorac, who was in telephone contact with the Arsenal bench.
But European football's governing body denied giving Wenger the green light and studied the report from their match officials before deciding to take further action.
Arsenal indicated last week their intention to fight the case and Wenger himself admitted his "surprise" at UEFA's decision to open proceedings against him. It is understood the club intend to appeal against both the Wenger suspension and the club fine.
While Wenger's involvement in the second leg against Udinese on Wednesday looks set to be very limited, it may be that England midfielder Jack Wilshere can play a part after Wenger confirmed he had trained towards the end of last week.
Arsenal later confirmed their intention to appeal against Wenger's suspension and the club fine on their official website.

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Sunday, 21 August 2011

Arsenal 0-2 Liverpool

Arsenal 0-2 Liverpool
Liverpool recorded their first away win over Arsenal since 2000. The Gunners saw Emmanuel Frimpong sent off in a 2-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium.
Samir Nasri impressed for the Gunners but the home side's luck was out after Aaron Ramsey's own goal and a last-minute strike from substitute Luis Suarez handed victory to the visitors.
Arsene Wenger - who now has half his first-choice team out because of suspension or injury - must regroup his squad for next week's crucial Champions League play-off second leg in Udinese and the small matter of a trip to Manchester United.
Nasri - whose £22million move to City is, according to reports on French TV, said to have broken down - did not applaud the crowd as the teams came out of the tunnel, and was then jeered by some sections of the Emirates Stadium faithful when his name was announced.
Liverpool showed early intent, as Dirk Kuyt - who netted a late penalty deep into stoppage time to earn a 1-1 draw here last season - drilled a low, angled drive goalwards.
New Arsenal captain Robin van Persie looked lively as he nicked the ball out on the right channel and floated over a cross which Martin Kelly stabbed behind for a corner.
On eight minutes, Frimpong was cautioned for squaring up to Jordan Henderson as the Liverpool midfielder tried to take a quick throw-in.
Koscielny added to Wenger's defensive problems when he pulled up with what looked like a lower back injury on 14 minutes and had to be replaced by youngster Ignasi Miquel, the Spaniard making his Premier League debut.
Liverpool almost took the lead on 20 minutes when Andy Carroll's towering header at the far post brought a brilliant save from Wojciech Szczesny.
The visitors were in full flight now, with Henderson sending a tame header straight at the Arsenal keeper following another quick break down the left.
Charlie Adam then tried an audacious chip from the halfway line, which had Szczesny backpedalling, but flew over the bar.
Arsenal finally mounted a meaningful attack after 30 minutes when Frimpong's low drive from 20 yards was pushed wide by Jose Reina.
Nasri then showed what Arsenal would be missing when he picked up the ball in his own half, dashed forwards and turned Liverpool inside out before unleashing a 25-yard strike which curled past the post.
As the Heavens opened for the start of the second half, Liverpool continued to frustrate Arsenal.
The visitors broke quickly into the Gunners box on 55 minutes, with Carroll laying the ball back to Kelly - and his snapshot struck the outside of the post.
Arsenal eventually started to up the pressure, but lacked a decisive pass in the final third.
Andrey Arshavin turned Kelly and fed van Persie at the near post, but his goalbound flick was kicked behind by Reina.
With 20 minute left, Arsenal were reduced to 10 men when Frimpong was shown a second yellow card when he left his foot up in a 50/50 challenge with Lucas, right in front of the referee.
Liverpool snatched a fortunate lead on 78 minutes when as Suarez darted into the six-yard box, Miquel's clearance cannoned off Ramsey's chest and back over the keeper into the net.
A miserable afternoon for the Gunners was compounded in the final minute when Suarez tapped in from close range following a quick counter-attack.

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