Nadal has work cut out against Del Potro, Williams sisters eye final date

DEFENDING champion Rafael Nadal’s Wimbledon campaign runs into the imposing 1.98m (6’6”) figure of dangerman Juan Martin del Potro today while the rejuvenated Williams sisters eye another final date.

World number one Nadal, the 2008 and 2010 winner, has the toughest-looking clash of the fourth round when he tackles Argentine del Potro, the man who blew him off court in the US Open semi-finals in 2009 for the loss of just six games.

But the Spaniard, fresh from his sixth French Open title, can take heart from his form so far at Wimbledon where he has yet to drop a set.

Germany off to perfect start in women's World Cup

Kerstin Garefrekes and Celia Okoyino Da Mbabi led host nation Germany to a 2-1 win over Canada in the official opening game of the women's World Cup on Sunday after an impressive opening ceremony.

Christine Sinclair scored for Canada with a free kick in the 82nd minute.

The game took place after the opening ceremony in which a globe was "peeled" to reveal a mirrorball reflecting the fans in festive mood, before it released hundreds of helium footballs into the sky.

German President Christian Wulff, Chancellor Angela Merkel and FIFA President Sepp Blatter were among the capacity crowd of 73,680 at the Olympic stadium.

Earlier, Marie-Laure Delie scored the first goal of the three-week tournament to give France a 1-0 victory over Nigeria.

Nadal, Venus make comfortable starts to their Wimbledon campaigns

Defending champion Rafael Nadal made an emphatic start to his bid for a third Wimbledon title yesterday while five-time winner Venus Williams was back in the old routine with a dominant display.

Nadal, fresh from a record-equalling sixth French Open, was only troubled briefly by 33-year-old American Michael Russell as he cantered to a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 first round win.

Russell, who has never got beyond the second round, broke for a 4-2 lead in the first set, but Nadal then reeled off six games in succession to take the opener and lead 2-0 in the second set.

Nadal was quickly 4-1 ahead in the third set and there was no way back for the world 91 as the top seed, who unleashed 35 winners, set up a second round meeting with Ryan Sweeting of the United States.

Victorious: Russia’s Ksenia Pervak celebrating her 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 upset win over Israel’s Shahar Peer in the first round yesterday. – AP

Murray beats Gimeno-Traver in 4 sets at Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) - The racket bag emblazoned with messages of support from Facebook fans looked like it might have had the opposite effect Monday when Andy Murray dropped the first set of his Wimbledon campaign.

But as if flicking on a switch, Murray reeled off 15 straight games from 3-3 in the second set for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-0, 6-0 win over Daniel Gimeno-Traver to reach the second round.

Gimeno-Traver began the match confidently under the roof on Centre Court and hit some particularly brutal forehands, but by the end, the 56th-ranked Spaniard looked every bit the player who has lost in the first round at eight of his 12 Grand Slam tournaments.

McIlroy breaks several records en route to capturing his first major title

BETHESDA (Maryland): Rory McIlroy captured his first major golf title in historic fashion on Sunday, turning the final round of the 111th US Open into a virtual victory lap on his way to an eight-stroke triumph.

The 22-year-old Northern Ireland prodigy fired a two-under 69 to finish 72 holes at Congressional Country Club on 16-under 268, the lowest winning total in US Open history, and become the youngest US Open winner in 88 years.

“The whole week has been incredible,” McIlroy said. “I couldn’t ask for much more. I’m just happy to be holding this trophy.”

The Ulsterman humbled course and rivals the same way 21-year-old Tiger Woods ripped apart Augusta National and overwhelmed the field in the 1997 Masters for the first of his 14 career major triumphs.

Proud moment: Rory McIlroy posing with the trophy after winning the US Open tournament by eight strokes in Bethesda, Maryland on Sunday. – AP

McIlroy became the youngest major winner since Woods at the 1997 Masters and the youngest US Open winner since Bobby Jones in 1923.

Casey Stoner makes flying start by topping Qatar MotoGP

DOHA: Australian Casey Stoner won the floodlit Qatar MotoGP season-opener for the fourth time in five years on Sunday ahead of Spaniards Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa.

Starting from pole position after dominating all three practice sessions, Stoner beat Yamaha’s world champion Lorenzo by 3.44 seconds at the Losail circuit in a dream debut with the works Repsol Honda team.

The Australian, who raced for Ducati last year, has now won 24 Grands Prix in the top category.

Spain’s Pedrosa, Stoner’s Honda team-mate, was struggling with a painful arm and looked exhausted after finishing just over five seconds behind the Australian, despite taking the lead on the opening lap and fighting an entertaining duel to the halfway point.

Valentino Rossi of Italy, winner of nine world titles across the classes but struggling with a shoulder injury, finished well off the pace in seventh in his first race with Ducati after leaving Yamaha.

Leaders Milan prepare for life without Ibrahimovic

ROME: Serie A leaders AC Milan enter the final quarter of the season with a severe handicap for the next three games as star forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be watching on from the stands.

Alexandre Pato

A moment of madness against rock-bottom Bari last week, when he slapped Marco Rossi in the ribs, earned the big Swede a straight red card and three-game ban.

He will miss today’s trip to Palermo but then perhaps crucially the top of the table Milan derby against Inter as well.

Without their top scorer and attacking focal point, Milan will have to show greater variety than they have otherwise demonstrated throughout much of this season, where Ibrahimovic has time and again made the difference.

However, he has scored only once since the end of January, and that a penalty, and some may feel that Milan have already been coping admirably without their talisman’s usual input.

But now it will be up to the likes of Alexandre Pato (pic), Antonio Cassano and Robinho to step up to the plate and show their worth.

Chelsea face Red Devils in repeat of 2008 final

LONDON: Chelsea were given the chance to avenge their shattering penalty shootout defeat to Manchester United in the 2008 Champions League final after being drawn to play them in the quarter-finals of the competition yesterday.

One of the most dramatic finals of all time played in driving rain in Moscow ended with United winning 6-5 on penalties after Chelsea captain John Terry blew the chance of winning the European Cup when his penalty hit the post.

United then took their chance to win the shootout and become European champions for the third time.

Yesterday’s draw also paired favourites Barcelona against Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine while nine-time winners Real Madrid will play Champions League debutants Tottenham Hotspur, the highest scorers left in this season’s competition.

Loew drops 6 German World Cup players

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Germany coach Joachim Loew dropped six World Cup players from the 23-man squad to play Kazakhstan in a Euro 2012 qualifier and Australia in a friendly next week.

As expected, Loew also did not select former captain Michael Ballack, who still has not reached top form after a long injury layoff.

Loew picked one newcomer, midfielder Sven Bender of Bundesliga leader Borussia Dortmund.

Andre Schuerrle of Mainz, with one previous appearance, was also included, along with fellow midfielder Toni Kroos of Bayern Munich. Dortmund midfielder Mario Goetze, with two caps, and teammate and defender Marcel Schmelzer, with one, also return.

Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira and Mesut Oezil are both in the squad.

But the coach dropped six players who were on the team that finished third at the World Cup — Marko Marin, Cacau, Serdar Tasci, Piotr Trochowski, Marcell Jansen and Stefan Kiessling. All are struggling with form in their clubs.

Loew selected only two strikers, Bayern Munich teammates Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose. Gomez leads the Bundesliga with 18 goals, but Klose was getting little playing time. Lukas Podolski of Cologne was also included, but was listed as a midfielder.

Germany plays Kazakhstan on March 26 in Kaiserslautern, and Australia three days later in Moenchengladbach.

Loew's team leads Group A of qualifying for next year's European Championship in Poland and Ukraine with four wins from four games.

Loew has said he will give some of the reserves and newcomers playing time against Australia, the Asian Cup runner-up.



Germany:

Goalkeepers: Rene Adler (Bayer Leverkusen), Manuel Neuer (Schalke), Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen).

Defenders: Dennis Aogo (Hamburger SV), Holger Badstuber (Bayern Munich), Jerome Boateng (Manchester City), Arne Friedrich (Wolfsburg), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Marcel Schmelzer (Borussia Dortmund).

Midfielders: Sven Bender (Borussia Dortmund), Mario Goetze (Borussia Dortmund), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich), Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich), Mesut Oezil (Real Madrid), Lukas Podolski (Cologne), Andre Schuerrle (Mianz), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Christian Traesch (Stuttgart).

Forwards: Mario Gomez (Bayern Munich), Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich).

Messi fit for Argentina friendlies

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina coach Sergio Batista says his Barcelona star Lionel Messi has recovered from a knee injury picked up in the Spanish league last weekend and will be ready to play upcoming friendlies against the United States and Costa Rica.

Batista said Friday he had talked with Messi and had been assured the world's best player was ready to go.

Argentina will play the United States on March 26 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and Costa Rica on March 29 in a new stadium in San Jose.

Batisita also said that starting goalkeeper Sergio Romero of AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands would miss the matches. He said the club notified Argentine officials, although Batista did not explain why Romero would be absent.

He said Mariano Andjuar of Italian club Catania would start in goal and Agustin Marchesin of Argentine club Lanus would be the backup.

Andrey Arshavin's goal completes the Arsenal recovery against Barcelona

The Arsenal substitute Andrey Arshavin, left, scores their winner
against Barcelona in the Champions League

Arsenal would not tolerate a remake of the past. They had taken just a draw with Barcelona at home last year before being knocked out of the Champions League. Here, they rallied from 1-0 down to win. Robin van Persie tied the score with a drive that beat the goalkeeper Víctor Valdés at his near post 11 minutes from time. Four minutes later, Cesc Fábregas set Samir Nasri moving on the right and the cut-back was drilled home perfectly by the substitute Andrey Arshavin.

There was a conviction to Arsenal that offered yet another illustration of the maturity being attained. The return is perilous, but Barcelona themselves will suspect that this team will not be brushed aside at Camp Nou as they were a season ago.

Meeting Barcelona is a predicament for virtually all teams, but Arsenal's case is unusual. Rather than being the normal contrast of styles, this encounter saw Pep Guardiola's side taking on opponents who would like nothing better than to emulate their methods. The hosts aimed for that same fluent movement, but a flawed version of Barcelona could not be expected to outdo them.

The initial impression was that Arsenal could withstand the comparison. Even when the visitors took the lead through David Villa in the 26th minute it came in a spell where they might just as easily have fallen behind.

Tottenham beats AC Milan 1-0 at San Siro

MILAN (AP) - Peter Crouch's late goal gave Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 win at Serie A leader AC Milan in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie on Tuesday.

Crouch scored with 10 minutes remaining after Aaron Lennon had broken clear from his own half.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic thought he scored an injury time equalizer, but his overhead kick was ruled out for a push on Spurs captain Michael Dawson.

The Milan players' frustration boiled over at the final whistle and Genaro Gattuso appeared to headbutt Tottenham assistant coach Joe Jordan - a former Milan player - before both sets of players began scuffling.

Milan captain Gattuso, who had earlier shoved Jordan during the match, was also booked in the 75th minute and will miss the return leg at White Hart Lane.

It was an unseemly end to a match in which Tottenham again impressed at the San Siro, having recovered from 4-0 down to 4-3 against Inter Milan in the group stage earlier in the season.

Crouch was picked up front, with Jermain Defoe on the bench, and Harry Redknapp had clearly set up his side to target Crouch's height as a way to trouble the Milan defense.

Raul earns Schalke a 1-1 draw at Valencia

VALENCIA, Spain (AP) - Raul Gonzalez extended his Champions League record to 69 goals to give Schalke a 1-1 draw at Valencia Tuesday in the first-leg of their last-16 series.

Raul - returning to Spain for the first time since his summer move from Real Madrid - held off defender David Navarro in the 64th minute before slotting a shot inside the far post beyond outstretched goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.

Valencia had taken a 17th-minute lead at its Mestalla Stadium when Roberto Soldado redirected Jeremy Mathieu's deep cross past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer at the near post.

But Raul's record 71st goal in UEFA competitions allowed the Bundesliga team to take a valuable away goal home in the knockout stage matchup.

Schalke played the final minute with 10 men after Lukas Schmitz was sent off for a second booking, but former Spain striker Raul put the Bundesliga team in control of the tie after gathering Jose Manuel Jurado's pass inside the area for the type of finish that characterized his 18 years at Madrid. Raul now leads AC Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi by one goal in the overall UEFA tally.

"If you give him a chance he'll do what he did," Soldado said after scoring his sixth goal of the competition. "We knew they were very dangerous, they have outstanding players."

Valencia went on the attack from the start but the visitors were nearly ahead after nine minutes when Klaas-Jan Huntelaar missed with only Guaita to beat.

Valencia's pressure paid off soon after as Aritz Aduritz set Mathieu off along the left with a well-played ball that Soldado fired past Germany 'keeper Neuer.

Guaita judged Peer Kluge's looping header well as the Valencia keeper palmed the ball off the crossbar and out in the 26th.

Valencia dominated the chances until Raul's equalizer as Neuer denied a long-range drive from Mehmet Topal in the 28th, Soldado headed wide of the far post and Aduritz sliced a hard shot into the side netting.

Guaita dived to stop Raul's shot in the 48th before the former Spain striker scored his 14th career goal against Valencia, which will need to score at the Veltins Arena in the return leg to have any chance of advancing to the quarterfinals.

Wingers Joaquin Sanchez and Vicente Rodriguez came on soon after as Valencia pressed for a second, although it had trouble organizing its attack.

Schalke responded with by bringing on 17-year-old Julian Drexler in the 78th just after Aduritz shot wide off the break.

But Schalke held out with substitute Junmin Hao forcing Guaita into a fingertip save in the 90th.

Valencia hasn't beaten Schalke in three games at the Mestalla, with all ending in draws. Its last win over a German opponent on home soil was in 1996.

Roddick wins opener in Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Andy Roddick beat Richard Berankis of Lithuania 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the opening round of the RMK Championships on Tuesday.

The two-time winner in Memphis will face Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic in the second round.

Roddick, playing for the first time since the Australian Open, had plenty of unforced errors, but produced 23 aces with his strong serve.

"It was one of those days where I felt if I made a first serve the point was done, didn't have to do much work after that," Roddick said. "That gave me a chance. And I played a little bit more aggressive in the third set."

Defending champion and fifth-seeded Sam Querrey of the United States opened with a 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory over Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin, snapping a three-match winless streak to open the season. Querrey had lost first-round matches in Sydney, Melbourne and San Jose to start the year and had dropped six straight since to mid-October.

Earlier, No. 2-seeded Mardy Fish of the United States beat Russia's Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-1, 7-5. Fish skipped last week's SAP Open because a thyroid condition was bothering him.

"I felt a lot better today than I did Friday," Fish said. "So that's a good sign. Obviously the goal is to try to get to 100 percent. To be honest, I've felt better each day."

Fish is coming off a year in which he attained a career-high world ranking of 16, won two tournaments and reached the finals of three others.

Among those joining Fish in the second round were American James Blake, who beat Ricardo Mello of Brazil, 6-4, 6-3; and 2009 finalist Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic, who beat German Benjamin Becker, 6-4, 6-2.

Croatia's Ivan Dodig, who won his first ATP World Tour event two weeks ago in Croatia, beat Germany's Rainer Schuettler 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

In second-round matches on the women's side, the Cellular South Cup, No. 7 seed Renata Voracova of the Czech Republic was eliminated by Russian Ksenia Pervak, 6-1, 6-1. Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia beat Britain's Anne Keothavong, a Memphis semifinalist the previous two years.

The only seeded players remaining in the field are No. 3 Melanie Oudin and No. 6 Rebecca Marino.

Nadal out, hopes over for four Slams in a row

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP): Rafael Nadal's bid to win four straight Grand Slam tournaments ended when he lost his Australian Open quarterfinal 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 to fellow Spaniard David Ferrer on Wednesday.

An injured Nadal, who appeared to have tears in his eyes during a changeover while trailing 3-0 in the third set, took a medical timeout for an apparent leg injury after three games and was clearly out of sorts, failing to chase down balls that he would ordinarily return easily.

It was the second year in a row he lost in the quarterfinals here due to injury - in 2010 he retired against Andy Murray due to a right knee ailment that kept him off the tour for two months, again on the Australia Day national holiday.

Federer whips Wawrinka to set up clash with Djokovic, Li Na in last four again

DEFENDING champion Roger Fede rer demolished fellow Swiss Sta­nislas Wawrinka to reach his eighth straight Australian Open semi-final yesterday, setting up a grandstand clash with Novak Djokovic.

Women’s top seed Caroline Woz niacki survived a thrilling quar ter-final with tenacious Italian Francesca Schiavone and will now need to beat Li Na, who ratcheted up Chinese hopes of a first Grand Slam singles title.

Federer, who can become only the second man to win five Australian Opens after Roy Emerson (six), showed no mercy against close friend Wawrinka as he took him apart 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 in just one hour 47 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.

Birmingham through to League Cup final

LONDON (AP): Birmingham rallied to beat West Ham 3-1 after extra time Wednesday and set up a meeting with Arsenal in the League Cup final, while Liverpool climbed to seventh in the Premier League by edging past Fulham 1-0.

Craig Gardner was the match winner for Birmingham in a dramatic semifinal second leg at St. Andrew's, firing home from 25 yards in the fourth minute of extra time to earn the Midlands club a 4-3 aggregate win.

Carlton Cole scored a stunning goal in the 31st to put West Ham 3-1 up in the two-legged series but Birmingham took the game into extra time thanks to second-half goals by Lee Bowyer and Roger Johnson.

The Blues, whose only major trophy came when they won the League Cup in 1963, will be underdogs when they play Arsenal at Wembley on Feb. 27.

Arsenal qualified for the final by beating second-tier side Ipswich 3-0 in the second leg of their semifinal, winning 3-1 on aggregate.

Federer matches Connors’ record, Schiavone in longest women’s match

MEN’S champion Roger Federer stuttered to a record-equalling 27th consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final at the Australian Open yesterday, as Francesca Schiavone won the longest women’s match at a major.

While Federer needed four sets against Tommy Robredo, Novak Djokovic stayed in dazzling form and women’s top seed Caroline Wozniacki also progressed, as Germany’s Andrea Petkovic stunned 2008 winner Maria Sharapova.

However, all attention was on Hisense Arena, Melbourne Park’s second-biggest court, where Schiavone and Svetlana Kuznetsova treated the crowd to an epic, 4 hours 44 minutes slugfest which outstripped the previous record by 25min.

French Open champion Schiavone saved six match points and needed three of her own before volleying the clincher and raising her arms aloft, and turning her thoughts to a quarter-final with Wozniacki.

The final set alone lasted three hours as the 6-4, 1-6, 16-14 marathon eclipsed the longest Grand Slam women’s match of 4 hours 19 minutes between Barbora Zahlavova Strycova and Regina Kulikova in Melbourne last year.

Uzbekistan advances to Asian Cup semifinals

DOHA, Qatar (AP): Uzbekistan advanced to the Asian Cup semifinals for the first time by beating Jordan 2-1 on Friday after two goals by forward Ulugbek Bakaev within four minutes.

Bakaev scored in the 46th and 49th minutes for Uzbekistan, before Bashar Bani Yaseen cut Jordan's deficit in the 58th at Doha's Khalifa stadium.

"Big, experienced player, I know him well," Uzbekistan coach Vadim Abramov said of Bakaev. "I give him a chance, he scores two goals."

Uzbekistan will play either Australia or Iraq in one of Tuesday's semifinals.

Lee just too good for Taufik in final

The world No. 1 went on a whirlwind rampage to win the Malaysia Open title for a seventh time – beating Indonesian Taufik Hidayat 21-8, 21-17 in a 37-minute final at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

Chong Wei was one cut above Taufik in the opening game. In the art of deception in a cool and confident manner, he unleashed an array of tricky shots to outfox his opponent.

He even had the chance to wrap up the match in quick time when he led 18-9 in the second game but he allowed Taufik to get back into the fight, conceding nine consecutive points.
Chong Wei managed to recover and then romped home, much to the delight of the home crowd.

With the comfortable win yesterday, Chong Wei is one title short of equalling the record of eight Malaysia Open men’s singles triumphs achieved by the late Wong Peng Soon.

Chong Wei, as usual, ran over to hug his coach, Misbun Sidek, after the victory.

Federer takes five sets to beat bogeyman Simon

REIGNING champion Roger Federer was taken to five gripping sets by French nemesis Gilles Simon yesterday before scraping into the Australian Open’s third round.

The world number two, defending his only remaining Grand Slam crown, was pegged back from two sets up before scoring his first-ever win over Simon, 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, to stay on course for his fifth Open title.

It was a desperately close call for the 29-year-old, who holds a record 16 Grand Slam titles and only narrowly avoided his worst performance at a major in eight years, and his poorest ever Australian Open outing.

Venus vows to fight on despite injuring back muscle

VENUS Williams suffered a muscle injury in the second round of the Australian Open yesterday, describing the ailment as one of the toughest to bear in her career, but played through the pain to beat unheralded Czech Sandra Zahlavova 6-7, 6-0, 6-4.

The 30-year-old American screamed in agony after a volley in the final point of the first set tiebreak and hobbled off court to take a medical time-out between sets at a sun-drenched Rod Laver Arena.

She re-emerged gingerly with her right thigh heavily strapped and despite grimacing in pain throughout, blasted her way through the second set before sealing the win with a big serve that Zahlavova pushed wide.

Flamboyant: Venus Williams, dressed in outfit inspired by Alice in Wonderland, celebrates after winning her second round match. — Reuters

The seven-time Grand Slam champion later said she had strained a psoas, a lower back muscle with tendons linked to the spine and hip, and could only hope the injury would “calm down” to allow her to play the next round.

Asian Cup quarterfinals feature familiar teams

DOHA, Qatar (AP): Six teams that made it to the Asian Cup quarterfinals four years ago have progressed to the last eight again, showing little shift in power at the tournament.

The only surprise absentee is three-time champion and 2007 runner-up Saudi Arabia.

Instead, the quarterfinals will feature host Qatar - a welcome boost to the small nation seeking to build a credible team for 2022, when it will host the World Cup.

Qatar will face a major test when it plays three-time Japan in Friday's quarterfinals, while Uzbekistan takes on Jordan - the other country to have shaken up the 2007 order.

In Saturday's games, it's Australia vs. defending champion Iraq and Iran vs. South Korea.

Nadal breezes into 3rd round at Australia Open

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - Rafael Nadal extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 23 matches, continuing his pursuit of a "Rafa Slam" with a 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 win over American qualifier Ryan Sweeting to reach the third round of the Australian Open.

The top-ranked Nadal is aiming to be the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time. He's conceded only four games en route to the third round, sealing his win over Sweeting on Thursday with another of his rifling forehands.

After retiring with an injury in the quarterfinals at the last Australian Open, Nadal rebounded to win the French, Wimbledon and U.S. Open.

Nadal hit some shots that Sweeting could barely believe, including an ace to finish the first set and forehand on set point in the second when the Spaniard's curling shot caught the baseline for the winner. Sweeting challenged the call as he walked off, but the call stood."

The only hint of anything other than complete domination for Nadal came in the third set, when Sweeting broke serve in the fifth game and then had game points to bring it back to 4-2 in a game that to deuce five times. Again, Nadal held on to convert a break and served out in the next game.

Sevilla beats Villarreal to reach cup semifinals

SEVILLE, Spain (AP): Sevilla reached the Copa del Rey semifinals for the fourth time in five seasons after beating Villarreal 3-0 on Tuesday and 6-3 on aggregate.

Villarreal needed victory at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium but saw its hopes deflated from the 10th minute following Renato's opener.

Villarreal created opportunities but the holders put the outcome beyond doubt with goals from Frederic Kanoute and Alexis Ruano within five minutes of the restart.

Sevilla plays either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid next, with Madrid leading 3-1 after the first leg going into Thursday's match at the Vicente Calderon stadium.

Sevilla defender Sergio Sanchez returned to action for the first time since undergoing heart surgery to correct a condition that sidelined the 24-year-old defender a year ago.

Nadal and Murray go through after opponents succumb to injuries

WORLD number one Rafael Nadal and last year’s finalist Andy Murray eased into the Australian Open second round on the back of injury retirements yesterday.

Nadal advanced after Marcos Daniel retired during the second set with a knee injury, while Murray got through when Karol Beck succumbed to shoulder trouble while trailing in the third set.

Swedish fourth seed Robin Soderling was untroubled in downing Italy’s Potito Starace in straight sets, while former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro also made a winning Grand Slam return after missing nearly all of last season with a wrist injury.

Argentine 27th seed David Nalbandian came from behind to overhaul Australian Lleyton Hewitt to win a compelling five-setter, 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-1), 9-7 in a 4 hours 48 minutes night match.

Spanish top seed Nadal, bidding for his fourth straight major title to complete a non-calendar year Grand Slam, was leading 6-0, 5-0 when Brazil’s Daniel retired with a painful left knee.

Nadal was only on court for 47 minutes and the nine-time Grand Slam champion sought more work on his service after the injury-shortened match.

City beats Leicester 4-2 to reach FA Cup fourth round

LONDON (AP): Carlos Tevez's 16th goal of the season helped Manchester City earn a 4-2 win over second-tier Leicester in a FA Cup third-round replay on Tuesday.

The Argentina striker set City on its way in the 15th minute with a stunning individual effort and although he later missed a second-half penalty, the hosts had too much for Leicester as they set up a match at Notts County in the fourth round.

Patrick Vieira and Adam Johnson scored in the space of 77 seconds to put Roberto Mancini's side 3-1 up at the break and Aleksandar Kolarov's late finish saw off the plucky visitors, coached by former City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Premier League struggler Wolverhampton thrashed Doncaster 5-0 to progress and will next play Stoke, which beat Cardiff 2-0 thanks to two extra-time goals by striker Jon Walters.

Arsenal travels to Leeds, which plays in the second-tier League Championship, on Wednesday in the other third-round replay.

Barcelona smashes Malaga and records in Spain

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Barcelona extended its unbeaten run to a club-record 28 games on Sunday, strolling to a 4-1 win over Malaga to open up a four-point lead in the Spanish league after second-place Real Madrid drew 1-1 at last-place Almeria.

Andres Iniesta, David Villa and Pedro Rodriguez scored in the first half and Villa added another after the break to set the record in the 111-year history of Barcelona, which had previously gone 27 games unbeaten in the 1973-74 season.

Barcelona has 52 points, a league record for halfway through a season, breaking the mark it set two seasons ago by two points.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola downplayed his team's lead over Madrid.

Qatar, Uzbekistan into Asian Cup quarterfinals

DOHA, Qatar (AP) - Host Qatar reached the Asian Cup quarterfinals for the second time in its history Sunday following a 3-0 victory over Kuwait, and Uzbekistan advanced with a 2-2 draw that sent opponent China home.

Qatar, flying high following its winning bid to host the 2022 World Cup, needed a victory against winless Kuwait to ensure it advanced. Two first-half goals in five minutes set coach Bruno Metsu's side on its way and sent the crowd of 28,000 at Khalifa Stadium into delirious celebrations.

Across town, China fought back from a goal down to draw with Uzbekistan, but the team still finished third in Group A. The early exit was the latest disappointment for the Chinese, which have struggled since qualifying for the 2002 World Cup, having also left the Asian Cup early in 2007.

Uzbekistan topped the group with seven points, one more than Qatar. China has four points and Kuwait has zero.

Nadal, Federer and Co. headline flood fundraiser

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP): Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal teamed up with other top players in a special sold-out "Rally for Relief" charity match to raise money for Australian flood victims, a day before the start of the Australian Open.

Players cracked jokes and poked fun at each other, mixing entertainment with pledges of support at Sunday's fundraiser.

Third-seeded Kim Clijsters told the cheering crowd: "Hopefully, we can take some of the stress away."

Organizers aimed to raise more than $1 million for flood relief at the tournament.

The floods have caused at least 27 deaths in Australia's northeast since late November, and 14 other people are missing, most of them from a flash flood that swept through towns west of Brisbane on Monday.

Soderling and Murray hurdle for Nadal

MELBOURNE: World number one Rafael Nadal faces a likely Australian Open semi-final with Robin Soderling or Andy Murray as he bids to become the first man in 42 years to hold all four major titles simultaneously.

Soderling and 2010 finalist Murray were placed in the top half of the draw yesterday as Nadal chases his fourth consecutive Grand Slam after stringing together wins at the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open last year.

The powerful Spaniard would become the first man since Australian Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four Grand Slam titles at once if he can win the Australian Open, which starts on Monday.

Nadal said while he was constantly reminded of that possibility, he did not feel the weight of history.

McLaren: We have nothing to hide and plan to unveil car after first test

LONDON: McLaren have played down suspicions that the comparatively late launch of their 2011 Formula One car could be because they had something special to hide.

The Mercedes-powered team, winners of five races last year with former champions Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, have set a Feb. 4 launch date in Berlin, after the first pre-season test in Valencia.

Other front-running teams plan to roll out their new cars from day one, with Ferrari unveiling theirs earlier than anyone at Maranello on Jan. 28.

Spaniard Nadal targeting the historic ‘Rafa Slam’

MELBOURNE: Rafael Nadal has already achieved a career Grand Slam but has never owned all four major titles at the same time.

That may all change for the Spaniard in next week’s Australian Open when he vies with his great rival Roger Federer for the first major of the season.

Nadal became only the seventh man in history – and the youngest at 24 in the Open era – to claim a career Grand Slam of the four major tournaments when he conquered Novak Djokovic in the US Open final last September.

Nadal finished 2010 reigning supreme at the top of the rankings and enters the Australian Open 3,145 rankings points ahead of Federer, aided by his French Open, Wimbledon and US Open wins.

And Nadal admits he may never have a better chance than in the coming fortnight of taking possession of all four major crowns simultaneously, a feat not accomplished since Rod Laver in 1969.

Saudi Arabia makes shock Asian Cup exit

DOHA, Qatar (AP) - Three-time winners Japan and Saudi Arabia experienced contrasting fortunes on an eventful day at the Asian Cup on Thursday.

For only the second time since 1984, Saudi Arabia will not appear in the tournament final after a shock 1-0 loss to Jordan sent the team crashing out in the first round.

Japan, which needed a last-minute strike to scrape a draw against Jordan in its opening game, once again relied on a late goal as Keisuke Honda's 82nd-minute penalty earned his side a 2-1 win over Syria in the day's second game.

That was enough to send Japan top of Group B ahead of Jordan, which also has four points, and Syria on three points. The top two go through to the quarterfinals.

Saudi Arabia was definitely eliminated and has only pride to play for in its final match against Japan on Monday, when Syria faces Jordan.

Japan defeats Syria 2-1 in Asian Cup

DOHA, Qatar (AP) - A 10-man Japan beat Syria 2-1 to stay unbeaten at the Asian Cup on Thursday.

Japan moved to the top of Group B on goals scored. It and Jordan each has four points, one more than Syria. Only the top two advance to the quarterfinals.

Midfielder Keisuke Honda scored the winner from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute after a foul on striker Shinji Okazaki.

Japan midfielder Makoto Hasebi opened the scoring off a pass from Daisuke Matsui in the 35th, but Syria striker Firas al-Khatib leveled with a penalty in the 76th after Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima was sent off for bringing down striker Sanharib Malki in the box.

Japan's players fiercely protested the referee's decision to award a penalty and hand a red card to Kawashima, claiming the linesman flagged offside before the foul was called.

New start for Rossi and Ducati

MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO (Italy): Ducati and Valentino Rossi are embarking on a new era after the popoular Italian superstar joined the Italian team from Yamaha for the new season, according to the company’s general manager Claudio Domenicali.

After seven world titles for Japanese teams Honda and Yamaha, Rossi has returned to an Italian constructor for the first time since winning 125cc and 250cc world titles with Aprilia in the late 1990s.

“This coming season opens a new phase with the great news that is Valentino Rossi,” said Domenicali.

“He will try our (road) products and will give his opinion on the bikes of the future.

Federer not leaving the Grand Slam party yet

MELBOURNE: For many of his exasperated rivals desperate to clean up, Roger Federer is the epitome of the annoying party guest – grudgingly invited but typically the last to leave.

The Swiss 29-year-old has guzzled more than his fair share from the victory cups of a record 16 Grand Slams, frustrating the thirstiest of title contenders.

Federer returned this week to Melbourne Park, where he notched his fourth Australian Open win in 2010 and savoured his first grand slam title with his wife Mirka and twin baby daughters.

While his performances at the year’s other three majors may have suggested a hangover, the Swiss maestro’s recent form has shown efforts to usher him out the door may again be set to backfire when the year’s first major starts on Monday.

Arsenal upset in cup, Liverpool beaten in league

LONDON (AP): Arsenal conceded a late goal to lose 1-0 at second-tier club Ipswich in the League Cup semifinals on Wednesday, and Liverpool went down 2-1 at Blackpool in the Premier League.

Tamas Priskin's goal gave Ipswich the first-leg advantage, holding off a defender before sliding the ball past goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny in the 78th minute.

Kenny Dalglish's first Premier League match back as Liverpool manager ended in the club's second loss this season to Blackpool, which returned to the top flight after a 39-year absence.

Fernando Torres scored after three minutes, but Blackpool's Gary Taylor-Fletcher leveled nine minutes later and teammate D.J. Campbell's second-half goal inflicted Liverpool's 10th loss of the season.

Ipswich has had a turbulent week with Roy Keane leaving as manager and Paul Jewell appointed as his successor. The team is only three points above the League Championship relegation zone, and had been thrashed 7-0 at Chelsea in the FA Cup on Saturday.

Messi hits 3 goals in Barcelona's 5-0 win

MADRID (AP): Lionel Messi celebrated his second straight Ballon d'Or award by scoring a hat trick Wednesday in Barcelona's 5-0 win over Real Betis in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals, the Spanish champions' 27th match unbeaten to equal a club record.

Messi, who took the prize ahead of teammates Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez on Monday, was honored before the first-leg match at the Camp Nou stadium. The Argentina forward then showed why he was voted world player of the year.

Barcelona finally broke through against a composed Betis side in the 44th minute, Iniesta playing Messi through in a one-on-one with goalkeeper Casto Espinosa, who was caught off his line and beaten by a lifted shot.

Iran defeats Iraq 2-1 in Asian Cup opener

DOHA, Qatar (AP): Midfielder Iman Mobali scored a late winner as Iran came from a goal down to beat archrival and defending champion Iraq 2-1 in its opening Group D match at the Asian Cup on Tuesday.

Iraq applied the early pressure and was rewarded in the 13th minute when striker Younis Mahmood headed home at the Al Rayyan stadium.

But Iran striker Gholam Reza Rezai scored an equalizer four minutes before the break and Mobali found the net with a free kick in the 84th minute after a foul by Iraq defender Samal Saeed.

It was a close, fast-paced match between the two Gulf neighbors, who have met five times in the Asian Cup.

Federer eyes return to No. 1

DOHA: Roger Federer has set his sights on a return to the world number one spot after demolishing Nikolay Davydenko to capture a third Qatar Open title and 67th career crown.

Federer, who will defend his Australian Open title from Jan 17, eased past his Russian opponent 6-3, 6-4 and immediately pondered regaining the world number one ranking from Rafael Nadal in the opening months of the season.

“Rafa has a lot of points to defend but at the same time he’s very confident,” said Federer.

“It’s going to be really difficult, but if I keep playing at the level I have here, and playing only finals as I have lately, I feel like I have a chance. But I have to keep it up.

Ronaldo's 3 goals gives Madrid win over Villarreal

MADRID (AP) - Cristiano Ronaldo hit a hat trick and Kaka scored his first goal since April as Real Madrid twice came from behind to win 4-2 against Villarreal on Sunday, keeping the team within two points of Spanish league leader Barcelona.

The Portugal forward made it 1-1 by side-footing home Mesut Oezil's pass in the ninth minute, two minutes after Villarreal midfielder Cani had flicked the ball over goalkeeper Iker Casillas to open the scoring.

Villarreal's slick passing game troubled Madrid, and Bruno Soriano's exquisite 18th-minute pass put Ruben Castro through alone on goal to lob Casillas for a 2-1 lead.

However, Ronaldo headed in Xabi Alonso's swerving free kick inside the crowded Villarreal area just before the break to equalize.

Ronaldo scrambled to recover a loose ball in the 79th right after blowing an excellent chance in front of goal. He then swiveled before tucking a low shot past goalkeeper Diego Lopez inside the near post for a league-leading 22nd goal.

Federer brushes aside Davydenko to regain Qatar Open crown

DOHA: Roger Federer hammered out his determination to hang on to his Australian Open title when he brushed aside Nikolay Davydenko to regain the Qatar Open crown yesterday.

Last year the Russian beat the Swiss master on the way to the title.

This time world number two Federer overwhelmed the defending champion, who had put out top seed Rafael Nadal in Friday’s semi-finals, 6-3, 6-4 to complete the capture of the trophy without dropping a set.

He was assertive, consistent, and very intent on taking his 67th career title and third in Doha.

Chelsea's problems deepen with 1-0 loss at Wolves

LONDON (AP): Chelsea's dismal form worsened Wednesday when it slipped to a 1-0 defeat at last-place Wolverhampton Wanderers for one of its most embarrassing defeats in the Premier League.

While Manchester City fell two points behind Premier League leader Manchester United with a 0-0 draw at third-place Arsenal, a fifth-minute own-goal by Jose Bosingwa left defending champion Chelsea outside the Champions League qualifying places after two wins in its past nine matches.

Early season leader Chelsea has now taken just 10 points from the last 11 games.

Chelsea's defeat meant that Tottenham kept fourth place despite a 2-1 loss at Everton, which completed a good night for United, which beat Stoke 2-1 on Tuesday to maintain the league's only unbeaten record. United has 44 points from 20 games as it pursues a record 19th English championship.

Liverpool's poor form also continued with a 3-1 loss at Blackburn, which only led to more chants from fans for manager Roy Hodgson to be fired.

Bell notches elusive first Ashes ton to put England in charge of final Test

SYDNEY: A dominant Alastair Cook scored 189 and Ian Bell his first century against Australia as England took a commanding first innings lead of 208 at the close of play on the third day of the fifth Ashes Test yesterday.

England, who need just to draw the match to secure a first series win in Australia for 24 years having already retained the Ashes, were on 488-7 with Matt Prior (54) and Tim Bresnan (0) at the crease when bad light stopped play.

Cook had been given a rousing standing ovation by the 40,000 crowd after taking his series tally to 766 runs in five Tests, making him the second-most prolific English batsman in an Ashes series after Wally Hammond, who made 905 in 1928-29.

Sainz surges ahead at Dakar Rally

SAN MIGUEL DE TUCUMAN (Argentina): Defending champion Carlos Sainz of Spain added a second stage win in as many days on Monday at the Dakar Rally in Argentina, dominating the 324km special stage from Cordoba to San Miguel de Tucuman.

The Volkswagen driver crossed the line with a 1:03 advantage over Qatari team-mate Nasser Al-Attiyah, with French veteran and multiple champion Stephane Peterhansel 1:34 adrift in his BMW.

Double rally world champion Sainz moved his overall lead over Peterhansel to 3:05 with last year’s runner-up Al-Attiyah third at 3:19 as the drivers head for yesterday’s third stage – a 500km special from San Miguel de Tucuman to San Salvador de Jujuy.

But the Spaniard lamented losing previous time because of windscreen wiper problems.

Smooth ride: Cyril Despres of France rides his KTM during the second stage of the Dakar Rally from Cordoba to Tucuman on Monday. Despres won the stage to take the overall lead. — Reuters

“They wouldn’t work properly and for a dozen kilometres I couldn’t see a thing and I had to drive very slowly,” said Sainz.

Djokovic stars as Serbia overpower Australia in Hopman Cup

PERTH: Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic maintained the buoyant mood in Serbian tennis when they overpowered Australia 3-0 to move closer to a place in the final of the Hopman Cup mixed team event yesterday.

Playing what he described as some of his best tennis “for a year and half” world number three Djokovic brushed aside Lleyton Hewitt 6-2, 6-4 and Ivanovic eased to a 6-4, 6-0 win over Alicia Molik. They joined forces to win the mixed doubles 6-7 7-5, 10-6.

“I played great,” Djokovic, who little more than a month ago inspired Serbia to win the Davis Cup for the first time against France in Belgrade, told reporters. “From the start of the match, especially at the end of the first set, I played some of my best tennis in a year and a half.”

Serbia now need to win just one rubber to when they play Belgium, who whitewashed Kazakhstan 3-0 in the day’s other Group A match.

Man United goes 3 points clear by beating Stoke

LONDON (AP): Javier Hernandez and Nani set each other up for goals as Manchester United beat Stoke 2-1 to go three points clear at the top of the Premier League on Tuesday.

A back-flick from Hernandez put United in front and, after Dean Whitehead headed Stoke level, the Mexico forward fed Nani for a well-placed winner.

"Stoke are such a determined bunch of lads - they don't make it easy for anyone, breaking them down," United manager Alex Ferguson said. "Thankfully Nani produced a fantastic goal ... and from then we were solid."

Unbeaten all season, United not only has a three point lead but also a game in hand over Manchester City, which is at third-place Arsenal on Wednesday.

In Tuesday's other matches, Birmingham and Fulham climbed out of the relegation zone with victories.

Birmingham won for the first time away this season came after Scott Dann's 89th minute goal secured a 2-1 victory at Blackpool, while Fulham beat West Bromwich 3-0.

In the title race, United has now collected 19 points from a possible 21 in its last seven matches.

Federer caps hard-fought win with sensational winner

DOHA: Roger Federer began the season which he hopes will see him add to his record 16 Grand Slam titles with a fighting win and a finish which took the roof off in the first round of the Qatar Open.

The tennis legend was forced to save three successive set points to get past Thomas Schoorel, an enterprising 21-year-old qualifier from Holland, but then concluded the match amidst laughter and tumultuous applause for a shot which should get endless on-line video replays.

For no accountable reason, Federer struck a ground stroke between his legs when he was in no apparent difficulty and watched it go for a sensational winner in the penultimate game of his 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 win.

It was at least a minute before the next rally could start, with Federer unable to contain his grin as he stood to receive and Schoorel still smiling generously as he eventually began his service action.


Swiss stroke: Roger Federer returning a shot to Holland’s Thomas Schoorel during their Qatar Open first-round match in Doha yesterday. Federer won 7-6 (7-3), 6-4. — AFP
Somehow Schoorel rescued that service game and was still smiling broadly as Federer wrapped up the match in the next game, with the crowd again going wild.

“My opponent was good and has quality,” Federer said of a player who was competing in only the second ATP World Tour event of his career. “He hit hard and had good chances in the first set.”

They happened when Federer slipped to love-40 on his serve at 4-5, only to produce three wonderfully timed first serves in a row to repair the damage - though he face other mini-crises too.

He had been 30-40 down in the eighth game, when he also produced a winning first serve, and he had to save two more break points in the third game of the second set.

The first was saved with an approach and a delicately angled stop volley winner, and the second with an ace.

“I took time to get into the match,” Federer admitted.

That may have been partly to the cool, slowish, early evening conditions, but it was also to the awkward angles the left-handed Schoorel projected into Federer’s backhand side, and the uninhibited way he struck fierce flat groundstrokes.

Federer acknowledged that he played better after the morale-booster of winning a tight first set, and said that he hoped it would help him go on to win the Qatar Open title back.

He added:“But I hope to win many tournaments around the world this year,” which sounded like a statement of intent for the Australian Open, where he will begin the defence of the title in less then two weeks time.

Federer now has to play his fellow Swiss player Marco Chiudinelli, a qualifier who came from the brink of defeat to beat Reda El Amrani, a wild card player from Morocco, by 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. — AFP

Kaka back in Real Madrid squad

MADRID (AP): Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has included Kaka in his squad for the first time this season, selecting the Brazil playmaker in his squad for the Spanish league derby against Getafe.

Kaka has not played for the Spanish club since undergoing surgery on his left knee on Aug. 5.

Mourinho says that Kaka "is not close" to starting but "he can give us 15 to 20 super-quality minutes."

Kaka wrote on Twitter that he was very happy that "after a long time, I am back with my teammates for tomorrow's game."

Mourinho also says that injured striker Gonzalo Higuain will have to undergo surgery. Higuain has been out for the past month with a back injury.

"We missed Kaka and we built a team without him," Mourinho says. "Now Higuain won't be here and we will have to build a team without him."

Mourinho said his squad will remain the same, with no players leaving or joining during the January transfer period.

"The information I have is that we will continue with the same 25 players, which will now be 24 with (the loss) of Higuain," he said.

Sharapova eyeing another Grand Slam win

AUCKLAND: Former No. 1 Maria Sharapova is confident of reclaiming a place among tennis’ top-ranked players and says winning another Grand Slam after battling shoulder injuries “would be the greatest achievement of my career.”

Sharapova said her decision to bypass lucrative exhibition tournaments in Australia to play in the ASB Classic in New Zealand from today underscored her determination to lift her world ranking.

The 25-year-old Russian, ranked 18, will vie with compatriots Dinara Safina and Svetlana Kuznetsova and defending champion Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium in her first WTA tournament in three months.

“I have come back from an awful lot, something that could have taken me away from the game. I see myself back on the court, training and getting better and I look at that as a positive.

“Now I have to take that onto the court and build on it little by little.

“If I am able to win a Grand Slam after my injury, it would be my greatest achievement in my career.”

Pedro scores twice as Barcelona beats Levante 2-1

FC Barcelona's Pedro Rodriguez (right),
duels for the ball against Levante's
Xavi Torres during a Spanish La Liga soccer
match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona,
Spain, Sunday. - AP

BARCELONA, Spain (AP): Pedro Rodriguez scored twice in the second half to give Barcelona a 2-1 win over Levante on Sunday, its 11th consecutive victory in the Spanish league.

Both goals were set up by Dani Alves, who provided the second-half spark that energized a Barcelona attack missing Lionel Messi, who was watching from the stands.

Levante succeeded in stifling the home side throughout the first half but at the start of the second, Alves slipped the ball to Pedro, who calmly slotted a shot through a wall of Levante defenders to put Barcelona ahead in the 47th.

Twelve minutes later, the Brazil right back centered low for Pedro to volley into the Levante goal.

Christian Stuani, who had just come on to the pitch, halved the deficit with a sharp strike with ten minutes to play.

Nadal wins Abu Dhabi exhibition

ABU DHABI: Top-ranked Rafael Nadal started 2011 with a win over his main rival, beating Roger Federer 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-3) yesterday to defend his title at the invitational World Tennis Championships.

Both players held serve throughout the match, and Federer had the early momentum in the first tiebreaker, hitting a couple of blistering forehand winners to go up 3-0. But Nadal won the next five points and clinched the set when the Swiss hit a forehand long.

In the second tiebreaker, Nadal went up 3-1 with a drop volley and Federer sent his return long on the next point. The Spaniard then set up match point with a crosscourt forehand winner and converted it when Federer hit a forehand long.

“For both of us, these are the first matches of the season. So it is special for us,” Nadal said.

“This is the perfect place to start the season here in Abu Dhabi.”

Tottenham trying to bring Beckham back to England

LONDON (AP) - David Beckham could be on his way back to England's Premier League - for a little while.

Tottenham, where Beckham trained as a schoolboy before signing for Manchester United, wants to sign the former England captain on loan from Los Angeles Galaxy until the Major League Soccer season starts in March.

Beckham has said he would like to return to the Premier League after more than seven years away and Spurs manager Harry Redknapp thinks the 35-year-old midfielder's experience could be invaluable for a team challenging for a second straight top-four finish and doing well in its Champions League season.

"He just said that he would like to come and play here at Tottenham," Redknapp said after Tottenham beat Fulham 1-0 on Saturday to stay fifth in the Premier League.

"I've left it to the people at the club. I've passed it on to them. They're talking to whoever they have to talk to at his club." Beckham spent the past two northern hemisphere winters in Italy on loan at AC Milan, while his Galaxy teammate Landon Donovan did the same last year at English club Everton. Beckham wants to join a European club on a short-term loan to boost his chances of being recalled to the England team. He made the last of his 115 international appearances against Belarus in October 2009 and missed last year's World Cup because of an Achilles injury at Milan.

Rio de Janeiro unveils its 2016 Olympic logo

RIO DE JANEIRO: Rio de Janeiro unveiled its 2016 Olympic logo before more than one million New Year’s revelers on Copacabana beach on Friday just before midnight.

The flowing symbol resembles three figures - orange, green and blue - embraced at the arms and in a flowing dance.

“The logo for Rio’s 2016 Games conveys passion and transformation.

The passion of all Cariocas and Brazilians for sport and celebration,” said Carlos Nuzman, president of the Rio Olympic organising committee, “Carioca” being the name for Rio’s citizens.

“And the transformation that the Games are already bringing to Rio and to Brazil.”

A giant TV screen set-up on Copacabana beamed the logo to cheering spectators.