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.