Novak Djokovic Scratches Out Opening Cincinnati Victory

CINCINNATI: Novak Djokovic made a scratchy start on Wednesday at the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters as the second seed won his opening match 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 over Andreas Seppi.

The three-time finalist and world number two behind Roger Federer had not even had the chance to hit on the showcase court after arriving in the Midwest from his post-Olympic title in Toronto at the weekend.

"It was not a great performance," admitted Djokovic, who improved to 9-0 over Seppi, whom he struggled with at Roland Garros in a comeback from two sets to love down in the fourth round. "I didn't do anything special out there.

"I was just trying to get used to conditions, trying to keep the ball on the court and hit one more than my opponent.

"This happens in every first match, you have to get used to quite different conditions. I came in late from Canada and it feels a lot different here."

Djokovic won in just under 90 minutes, a contest which included a 59-minute opening set in which the second seed needed four set points to take the lead.

The Serb stepped it up in the second as he ran out the winner with 21 winners and 22 unforced errors.

Top seed and four-time champion Federer was opening later against Alex Bogomolov while third seeded and Olympic gold medallist Andy Murray was playing his first match in a week after quitting in Montreal and taking on Sam Querrey here.

Djokovic will line up in the third round against Russian veteran Nikolay Davydenko, who beat Florian Mayer of Germany 6-3, 6-3.

Argentine sixth seed and former US Open winner Juan Martin del Potro knocked out Germany's Tommy Haas 7-5, 6-2, Mardy Fish, the US tenth seed, beat Argentine Carlos Berlocq 6-3, 6-1. Wild card Lleyton Hewitt of Australia went down to Serb Viktor Troicki 6-2, 6-0.

In the women's second round, top seed Agnieszka Radwanska dispatched Swede Sofia Arvidsson 6-4, 6-3, with Italy's seventh seed and Roland Garros finalist Sara Errani beating Slovak Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 6-4.

Two Italians were eliminated, with American Sloane Stephens stopping Camille Giorgi 6-2, 6-1 and China's Peng Shuai overcoming Roberta Vinci 6-3, 6-4.

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Ronaldo On Target As Portugal Beat Panama 2-0

FARO: Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 36th international goal and Nelson Oliveira scored his first as Portugal beat Panama 2-0 in a friendly game on Wednesday.

Ronaldo span around on the edge of the area and fired a half-volley past Jaime Penedo in the 51st minute after Panama midfielder Gabriel Gomez was sent off for elbowing Joao Moutinho.

Oliveira, viewed as one of Portugal's up-and-coming players for the 2014 World Cup, put the host ahead in the 30th with a left-foot shot on his first start.

Portugal's dominance was never in doubt at the Algarve Stadium in southern Portugal, though Panama striker Edwin Aguilar occasionally rattled the home team's defence.

Coach Paulo Bento made six changes to the team that lost in a penalty shootout against Spain in the semifinals of the European Championship in June.

The match marked the start of Portugal's preparations to qualify for the World Cup. Portugal is in qualifying Group F for the tournament in Brazil. It will face Russia, Israel, Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan and Luxembourg.

With a one-man advantage Portugal was rarely troubled, though it squandered a series of chances to extend its lead, with Ronaldo, Ruben Micael and Hugo Almeida guilty of poor finishing while Nani hit the goal frame. At the other end, Alberto Quintero forced a reflex save from goalkeeper Beto in the 67th.

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Experienced Australian Squad For World Twenty20

SYDNEY: Australia on Thursday named an experienced squad for the World Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka, which selectors said had an explosive batting line-up and depth in the bowling department.

George Bailey again captains the side, which is hoping to go one better than their runner-up finish to England in the 2010 final in the West Indies.

The squad boasts plenty of experience with brothers Mike and Dave Hussey, Cameron White, Brad Hogg and Clint McKay.

It also features ex-captain Cameron White, who will have the opportunity to re-establish himself at international level after strong performances in the Indian Premier League and England's domestic league.

National selector John Inverarity said the 15-man squad was the same one scheduled to play against Pakistan in the UAE ahead of the World Twenty20 from September 18 to October 7.

"A real strength of the squad is its flexibility and versatility. It's a well-balanced side that will provide the captain, George Bailey, with plenty of options in both the batting line-up and bowling possibilities," he said.

"The seam bowling has depth with Clint McKay, Pat Cummins, Ben Hilfenhaus and Mitch Starc along with all-rounders Shane Watson and Dan Christian, and to a lesser extent Michael Hussey, who could be useful for an occasional over.

"Similarly there is depth in the spin bowling department with Brad Hogg, Xavier Doherty and also all-rounders Glenn Maxwell and David Hussey."

But he said it was the batting line-up that would be a worry for opposition teams.

"There is a great deal of explosive strike power in the batting line-up that could see Matthew Wade at six, Cameron White at seven and either Dan Christian or Glenn Maxwell at eight," he said.

"There is also a good blend of left and right-handers with David Warner, Michael Hussey and Wade likely to be in the top seven."

Australia's T20 campaign will start officially on September 19 in Colombo against Ireland, with the final scheduled for Sunday October 7.

Australia squad: George Bailey (Capt.), Dan Christian, Patrick Cummins, Xavier Doherty, Ben Hilfenhaus, Brad Hogg, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Glenn Maxwell, Clint McKay, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Shane Watson, Cameron White.

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Roger Federer Not Surprised By Rafael Nadal Decision

NEW YORK: Elite players led by world number one Roger Federer expressed their concern at the Cincinnati Masters on Wednesday that Rafael Nadal will be forced to miss the US Open due to left knee tendinitis.

"It's not a surprise, because I wrote him and he told me it wasn't looking good at all," said top seeded world number one Federer. "I kind of saw it coming. But obviously when it's official it's disappointing for tennis, there's no doubt about it.

"I would love to have him in the draw. With 12 days before the Open you figure he might still have time to fix what he has to fix to get ready.

"If he pulls out that early before the Open, it must be something serious. That's what is sort of scary. There is obviously the whole debate going on if he is going come back for this year.

"I hope in hindsight this is a very smart decision by him. But it's obviously a big blow and disappointing news for the tennis world."

Those sentiments were echoed by number two Novak Djokovic and fourth-ranked Olympic gold medallist Andy Murray.

"He's a great competitor, somebody I know really well on and off the court," Djokovic said.

"I'm sure that if he was able to perform in US Open he would come. So I wish him a quick recovery."

Murray, who had been dealing with a knee problem of his own over the last week or so, was equally sympathetic.

"I'm disappointed for him, it's obviously tough. He's had trouble with his knees in the past. So I hope he can rest, doesn't come back too early, and gets them fixed so he can get back to playing his best tennis."

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I'm Not A Quitter, Says Harbhajan Singh

Making a comeback to Team India, Harbhajan Singh gets candid on the ups and downs of life in an exclusive chat with TOI.

The man, who inspired headlines like 'Singh is King' not so long ago, hasn't been a part of Team India for the past 12 months - initially because of injury, and later because of his poor form. But, not one to cow down in the face of adversities, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has been quietly polishing his game, playing county cricket in England and training hard on his own. And now that he's making a comeback in World Cup T20 and (T20) home series against New Zealand, Bhajji says he's "happy and raring to go!" TOI brings you Bhajji unplugged in a tele tete-a-tete from England.

We all go through bad times

Ask him now that he's back in the Indian squad, does he wonder about the unpredictable nature of life, and Bhajji says: "We all go through good and bad times. So, this is an ongoing cycle. But, what is important is - how we handle ourselves in such situations. You have to fight. It's been a tough year, but then tough times teach you a lot! There are a lot of people who quit, but I know one thing for sure that I'm not a quitter! I want to go and play the game to the best of my ability. I'm sure that my hard work will pay off!"

Emotional moment

After battling cancer, his friend Yuvraj Singh is also making a comeback in T20 World Cup, as well as New Zealand (T20) series. To this, Bhajji says: "Yuvi's comeback is an emotional moment for me! I was in Bangalore when we got the news about his cancer, and all of us were stunned! But, it was heartening to see Yuvi fighting his ailment like a true warrior. The entire nation was praying for him, but he fought his cancer all by himself. His fight can inspire many youngsters to face the adversities of life, head-on."

All Olympians : my heroes

Being in England, was he following the Olympics as feverishly as others back home? "We have our practice and gruelling sessions in county cricket, but I was totally clued into India's Olympics run. It was great to see Gagan Narang, Vijay Kumar, Saina Nehwal, Yogeshwar Dutt and Sushil Kumar winning medals for the nation. But, for me, all those who qualified for the Olympics are my heroes, because along with winning, it's equally important to represent your nation at such a platform," says he.

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Our Olympic Medalists Truly Inspire Me: Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan on his recent heroics in Sri Lanka, World Cup dreams, brother Yusuf and more in a dil se chat with Ahmedabad times.

The swing is back, and so is that charming smile which makes women go weak in the knees. Selected against Sri Lanka only after Vinay Kumar got injured, Irfan Pathan responded with two consecutive man-of-the-match performances. Not only did he finish as the most successful Indian bowler in the ODIs, Irfan also cemented his place in Team India for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

As we catch up with the star all-rounder at his bungalow, Irfan is in a jovial mood. As someone knocks on the gate, the prankster yells, "Arre, ghar pe koi nahin hai!" before bursting into laughter and opening it. With a childlike glee, he tells us, "I got back to Vadodara only on Sunday afternoon and ammi prepared four yummy dishes in the evening, including the mouth-watering biryani! For us, a family dinner is the best way to celebrate a special occasion." And least you thought he would rest on his laurels, Irfan quickly dispels those fears, "I am at home for this holy month but soon, I will be off to National Cricket Academy Bangalore for some intense practise sessions." Excerpts from the interview:

CONQUERING LANKA

Destiny played its part, but I worked hard too! Sometimes, pressure makes you do stupid things. I am glad that I kept my cool in tight situations. I love taking challenges head on and this performance has given me a lot of confidence!

EMOTIONAL OUTBURSTS

Because of the experiences I have been through in life, I have calmed down a lot. But on a couple of occasions (during his five wicket haul and hitting a winning four), I was so involved in the moment that I celebrated in an animated manner. Sometimes, it's important to let yourself go!

YUVI ROCKS!

Just a day before the World Cup team was announced, I was at Yuvraj Singh's home. I am delighted to see him back and it's nothing short of a miracle! He looks very confident and that's bad news for our opponents!

T20 WORLD CUP DREAMS

Quite a few members from the 2007 World Cup winning team are there and that experience will help. Also, the fact that we have played in Sri Lanka recently will act as a huge advantage.

'OLYMPIC' TALK

In Sri Lanka, Gautam (Gambhir) was following every Indian athlete's performance in London very closely and kept us updated. I was following my favourites closely on the internet - Saina Nehwal and Vijender Singh. I am truly inspired by these six medallists and believe some of them will win gold next time!

GAME FREAK!

Of late, I have developed a keen interest in online gaming and I love slaying zombies on the web (laughs)!

ALI THE GREAT

If I ever feel low, I just look at Muhammad Ali's career graph for inspiration. Besides, I love some of his sayings!

YUSUF WILL BE BACK

As professional cricketers, we know that ups and downs are a part and parcel of the game. Yusuf is a lion-hearted guy and a true fighter. He remains focused as ever and is working very hard. I believe he will soon make a comeback to the national team.

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Bcci To Nominate Rahul Dravid For Khel Ratna, Yuvraj Singh For Arjuna

MUMBAI: The cricket board has decided to recommend recently retired stalwart Rahul Dravid for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award and Yuvraj Singh, the player of the World Cup, for the Arjuna Award.

"We will be forwarding the names of Rahul Dravid for Khel Ratna Award and Yuvraj Singh for the Arjuna Award next week (to the government)," BCCI's CAO Prof Ratnakar Shetty said on Saturday.

The government had recently extended the deadline for the nominations till July 20.

The 39-year-old Dravid retired from all forms of the game at the international level following the Test series in Australia last year after having accumulated over 23,000 runs in Tests and ODIs combined since making a spectacular debut at Lord's in 1996.

If awarded the highest sports award in the country that was instituted in 1991-92, former India captain Dravid would follow the footsteps of his illustrious ex-teammates Sachin Tendulkar (1997-98) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (2007-08) as the third cricketer to win the coveted award.

So far 20 sportspersons have been bestowed the award. Yuvraj, who has started practising at the nets at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore after his battle with a rare form of germ cell cancer between his lungs, was India's hero in the 2011 World Cup triumph.

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Playing Federer Takes Pressure Off Me, Says Murray

LONDON: Preparing for what could be the defining moment of his career, Andy Murray believes he will be under less pressure in the Wimbledon final on Sunday because he is playing 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer.

The majority of the 15,000 fans with a golden ticket for Sunday's final, not to mention the millions glued to television screens around the country, will be willing Murray to become the first Briton to win the Wimbledon men's singles for 76 years.

Swiss maestro Federer, who boasts a global army of admirers, will be chasing a record-equalling seventh Wimbledon crown and a return to the top spot in the ATP rankings.

It looks a dream scenario and Murray, the first British man to reach the final since Bunny Austin in 1938, said he is glad it is Federer facing him over the net.

"It's a great challenge, one where I'm probably not expected to win the match, but one that if I play well, I'm capable of winning," Murray said.

"There will be less pressure on me on Sunday because of who he is."

Federer, who will reach another couple of landmarks if he beats Murray, equalling the seven men's singles titles of Pete Sampras as well as the 286 weeks the American spent at world No.1, produced a brilliant performance to beat 2011 champion Novak Djokovic and reach his eighth Wimbledon final.

After falling in the quarterfinals in the last two years, Federer said it was good to be back on the stage he is graced on the final Sunday for much of the past decade.

"All I hoped for was a good match from me, to be quite honest, to give myself a chance to be in the finals and have a shot at the trophy again really," Federer said.

"I missed being in the finals here the last couple years obviously."

Federer said losing in the quarterfinals last year to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga after being two sets up had been tough to take.

"I played so well against Tsonga it was a hard one to sort of accept to lose. You have to wait another year for your chance, and now I am finally back in that final. So it's great."

Murray enjoys an 8-7 lead over Federer in their previous meetings but the Swiss beat him in straight sets in the 2008 US Open and 2010 Australian Open finals and the Briton is under no illusions about the size of the task facing him as he tries to win a maiden major title.

"He's obviously one of the greatest players ever to have played," said fourth seed Murray who beat Tsonga in a gripping four-set semifinal.

"I'd be surprised if he wasn't the best in terms of his win/loss ratio here.

"He's been doing it consistently over a number of years. The matches he has lost the last couple of years was five sets against Tsonga, five sets against Berdych, five sets against Rafa. He's very, very tough to beat here."

Federer, 30, has lost only once in seven Wimbledon finals, an epic five-set battle against Rafa Nadal in 2008, and he is excited by the prospect of playing home favourite Murray.

"He's only going to get better as time goes by. That's what he's been proving," Federer said. "He's actually handled it very well from what I've seen from afar.

"I always say in whatever country I am I like to play the local hero and Andy is exactly that here at Wimbledon.

"I hope I have some crowd support, but it's not the most important thing right now."

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4th Odi: David Hussey Guides Australia To 200/9 Against England

CHESTER-LE-STREET: David Hussey's 70 guided Australia to 200 for nine in the fourth one-day international against England on Saturday.

Scorecard

Australia were in dire straits at 96 for five when Hussey took guard but his 73-ball innings, featuring nine fours, kept the tourists in the match.

Together with Brett Lee, he put on 70 for the seventh wicket.

England, 2-0 up in this five-match series, would have been in an even stronger position had they not dropped four catches, with Hussey reprieved on 15 and 29.

Fast bowler Steven Finn, twice on a hat-trick, took four for 37 -- just shy of his career-best four for 34 which he achieved twice against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates earlier this year.

England, after winning the toss in overcast conditions, saw Finn claim two wickets in successive balls as Australia slumped to six for two in the sixth over.

First a full and straight delivery rapped David Warner on the pads, with the normally dynamic left-hander having taken 19 balls for two runs.

English umpire Nigel Llong initially ruled not out, but England requested a review which showed the ball had pitched in line.

Next ball Peter Forrest was plumb lbw for a golden duck after being struck flush on the back pad.

Australia captain Michael Clarke survived the hat-trick after missing an excellent Finn delivery that cut back sharply between bat and pad.

Clarke should have been out for eight but Eoin Morgan at backward point dropped a simple chance off Tim Bresnan.

Opener Shane Watson struck Stuart Broad for four and later in the same over, after Broad had bowled a no-ball, pulled the ensuing free-hit for six.

But a stand worth 51 in 80 balls ended when Watson, trying to run the ball down to third man, played on to Bresnan for 28.

Clarke, also dropped on 28, found runs hard to and was out for 43 off 85 balls when clean bowled by Finn.

Next ball Finn had Matthew Wade brilliantly caught off the inside edge by opposing wicket-keeper Craig Kieswetter, who dived to his right and grabbed the one-handed chance at the second attempt.

Once again Finn was on a hat-trick but Lee watched the next ball pass wide of his stumps.

Hussey, who survived an lbw shout from Ravi Bopara, was dropped off a low caught and bowled chance by the medium-pacer.

He was given another 'life' when Ian Bell, running in from the cover boundary, grassed a low chance off all-rounder Bopara.

Lee, a ball after lofting James Anderson for six, holed out for 27 before Hussey, in the last over, was caught in the deep by Anderson off Bresnan.

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Fernando Alonso Puts Ferrari On Pole At British Grand Prix

SILVERSTONE (England): Spaniard Fernando Alonso slid and splashed through atrocious conditions to hand Ferrari their first Formula One pole since 2010 in a rain-delayed British Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday.

The championship leader, last year's winner at Silverstone, was joined on the front row by Red Bull's Australian Mark Webber - also his closest rival in the standings after eight of 20 races.

The pole was Ferrari's first since Alonso started the Singapore Grand Prix from the top slot on the grid in September 2010, 31 races ago.

"It was tricky conditions for everyone. You have to be calm in some difficult moments," said the Spaniard, who leads Webber by 20 points overall, of his 21st career pole.

There was however a lingering question mark over whether the double champion had set his fastest lap in the second phase of qualifying under yellow warning flags after Frenchman Romain Grosjean slid his Lotus into the gravel.

"I backed off in the area where they were taking away the car," Alonso said of the incident.

Seven times world champion Michael Schumacher qualified third fastest for Mercedes with fellow German Sebastian Vettel, the reigning champion, alongside for Red Bull.

The top four, separated by just four tenths of a second, are all former British Grand Prix winners.

"In a session like this, it's a huge amount down to the driver to get comfortable in the car. It was nip and tuck with Fernando to get pole," said Webber.

Heavy rain had earlier forced qualifying to be halted for an hour and a half, with cars slipping and sliding on pools of standing water.

Alonso had been among those calling for race control to abandon the session.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, the last Briton to win his home race in 2008, qualified eighth while team mate Jenson Button had a nightmare afternoon and should start 16th after grid penalties are applied to others.

"I could not get any heat on the front tyres. I felt it straight out of the pits. I couldn't get any heat on the fronts and that is why I could not get a lap time on those tyres," Button told the BBC.

"It is the story of my year, not getting heat on the fronts so I am not too upset. I know I can drive a car in the wet," added the Briton, a winner in the wet from last place at a restart in Canada last year.

Brazilian Felipe Massa put his Ferrari in fifth place on the grid, his best performance of the season, next to his former team mate and 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen in a Lotus.

Rain also caused chaos on Friday, with teams getting limited practice laps in very slippery conditions while waterlogged campsites caused huge traffic jams outside the circuit as race fans struggled to find parking.

Organisers had urged up to 30,000 ticket-holders with public parking passes to stay away on Saturday to ensure car parks held up for an expected 125,000-strong crowd on race day.

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I Won't Even Be 41 When Ipl 6 Starts, Says Sourav Ganguly

KOLKATA: Turning 40 might club him in the league of veterans but Sourav Ganguly is not yet ready to throw in the towel as far as his participation in the next edition of IPL is concerned.

"I will take a call next season. As a matter of fact, I would not be even 41 when the IPL 6 would begin in 2013," Ganguly, who turns 40 tomorrow, said when asked about his plans for next year's Indian Premier League.

This despite a poor fifth season for Pune Warriors India as the team's skipper.

Ganguly is a believer and 40 is just a number for him. Ganguly said: "40 is just a number to me. For me life is simple and consistent. It (the age) does not matter to me, it makes no difference at all.

Taking a dig at his detractors, India's most successful Test captain had earlier said: "I'm also a human and prone to failures. Somehow you have to deal with it. Many captains have failed (in the IPL) but it's Sourav Ganguly who always makes the headlines."

Asked to pick his finest moment as a cricketer, the stylish left-hander, who guided India to the 2003 World Cup final, said his entire life has been satisfying.

"I cherish my entire life. I've been blessed with a life full of good memories," Ganguly, who has the most number of Test wins (21) as captain of India, said.

At the same time, he refused to talk about former coach Greg Chappell with whom he had a stormy relationship, leading to his ouster from the Indian team in 2005.

Asked whether he regrets his decision of bringing the Aussie and get him the Indian coaching job, Ganguly said: " As I've said earlier, I don't want to talk about Greg Chappell."

He might not have put it in as many words, but Ganguly obviously seemed unhappy about Chappell's fresh salvo at him in one of the articles in a book on Rahul Dravid.

"Sadly, the success of the team (under Dravid) was not universally enjoyed within the team. Some individuals felt threatened by the new world order and appeared to work against Rahul...," wrote Chappell in the book 'Timeless Steel'.

The Aussie did not name anybody but many believed that he pointed his fingers at Ganguly again.

"I've read his comments. I don't think it has put me against Dravid," Ganguly said.

Sachin Tendulkar might be regularly opting out of the one-dayers but Ganguly felt the veteran Mumbaikar has the right to pick and choose.

"He is Sachin. He has got the right to do it. That's the way it is for the youngsters. He comes and performs for the team."

Recently, Dravid had expressed his apprehension about the future of Test cricket 10 years down the line, but Ganguly thought otherwise.

"It's difficult to predict what will happen 10 years down the line. No matter what, Test cricket will survive. I've always said Twenty20 would be popular but there will be a place for Test cricket," said Ganguly, who is also the BCCI's technical committee chairman.

He was also not unduly concerned by the fact that India's next generation batsmen came a cropper and lost the first-class series (1-2) during the recent 'A' tour of the West Indies.

Asked whether India's bench strength was not up to the mark, Ganguly said: "We will find that out. I don't think one has to worry just on the basis of the outcome of a series."

Ganguly refused to pick his favourites for the World T20 in Sri Lanka and said: "It's Twenty20, anything can happen in the format. It's very difficult to predict and pick a favourite team in this format."

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Serena Williams Wins Her Fifth Wimbledon Title

LONDON: Serena Williams weathered Agnieszka Radwanska's fight back and defeated the Pole in three sets 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 in 2 hours 2 minutes to win her fifth Wimbledon title on Saturday.

Serena continued her power-packed game as she fired 17 aces to wrap the final set 6-2 in 37 minutes.

Radwanska levelled the final one set all after she rallied to win the second set 7-5.

Playing in her first Grand Slam final, Radwanska fought back in the second set after losing the first fairly easily to win the set in 49 minutes.

Serena won the first set of the final 6-1 against Radwanska before rain brought a halt to action on Centre Court for more than 30 minutes.

Serena won the first set in 36 minutes with some aggressive play against the world number three Radwanska.

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Rory Mcilroy Regains World No. 1 Ranking

CHARLOTTE (North Carolina): Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy reclaimed golf's world number-one ranking on Sunday despite falling to Rickie Fowler in a playoff at the US PGA Tour's Wells Fargo Championship.

McIlroy, who celebrated his 23rd birthday on Friday, regained the summit a week after he was supplanted by England's Luke Donald.

The two have exchanged the top spot for the past two months, and McIlroy needed only a top-seven finish at Quail Hollow to return to number one.

"It's a little consolation," McIlroy said. "I would rather win the tournament, but it's good.

"You know, I want to try and play well for the next few weeks and try and solidify my spot there at No. 1 and hopefully start by doing that next week and giving myself another chance to win."

McIlroy, who will defend his US Open title in June, will tee it up in the US tour's Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on Thursday after skipping the event last year.

McIlroy, who won his first US title on the same Quail Hollow course in 2010, finished tied for second Sunday with DA Points, both parring the first playoff hole as Fowler birdied for the victory.

"Overall it's been a decent week," McIlroy said. "To come back after three weeks off and get myself in the mix -- I gave myself a chance to win -- was nice."

McIlroy said he was delighted for Fowler, another 23-year-old who has been touted as a rising star but who had been unable to land that first US Tour win until Sunday.

"It's great to see," McIlroy said. "He probably went through a lot of scrutiny and a lot of pressure trying to get that first win out of the way.

"Hopefully that'll ease the pressure a little bit."

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Novak Djokovic Tested, Testy In Tight Madrid Opener

MADRID: Top seed Novak Djokovic failed to get to grips with the controversial blue clay of the Madrid Masters but still survived a struggle to reach the third round 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 over Daniel Gimeno-Traver on Tuesday.

World number one Djokovic, originally cautious in his comments about the experimental surface which has drawn fire but little praise so far from players, was unable to stay in check after playing his match.

"It's impossible to move. I hit maybe five balls, the rest went just trying to put the ball into the court. I was relying on serve and getting free points from his unforced errors.

"That was not tennis, either I need football shoes or some advice on how to play on this court.

"I cannot find the words to describe this court. It's really tough to play like this on a centre court. We cannot change anything this year, but my first impressions are not good. I don't want to be the one complaining, but I say honestly what I feel.

"We need serious discussion about the future of this blue clay."

The Serb is playing for the first time since losing the Monte Carlo final to Rafael Nadal, the second seed here who has so far led the criticism against the blue look.

Djokovic beat the Spaniard for the Madrid title a year ago, backing up that win with another for the trophy in Rome.

Djokovic advanced after a struggle from seven aces and 20 winners after losing the second set on a double-break against the number 137 ranked Spaniard.

Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych advanced over South African Kevin Anderson 6-4, 6-3, paving the way for a trio of French seeds.

Number nine Gilles Simon beat Fabio Fognini 6-7 (1/7), 6-3, 6-3 after playing his last match eight days ago in the Bucharest final against the Italian.

But Simon was scathing about the blue clay.

"I see no difference from last year, these have always been the worst court of the clay season. I could have sprained something practising," complained the Frenchman.

"There are other priorities ahead of making it blue - it should be better."

Gael Monfils, the number 12, returned after six weeks out with an abdominal injury and put out German Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-5, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3.

Estoril finalist Richard Gasquet won a marathon in two and three-quarter hours against Thomaz Bellucci 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5).

Estoril champion Juan Martin del Potro eased past Florian Mayer 6-4, 6-2.

The two leading women both reached the third round, with top seed Victoria Azarenka made to struggle by Czech Andrea Hlavackova before emerging 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) winner.

The Belarus player was serving for a quick straight-set result but was broken as her opponent pulled level at 5-5 in the second set.

The seed had to save a set point in the 12th game to bring on a tie-breaker, which finally saw her through with 32 winners in one and three-quarter hours.

"The surface is a bit slippery, but it's the same for all of us," she said of the blue clay court surface.

"I don't like to complain - it is what it is and it won't change now."

Second seed Maria Sharapova defeated another Czech in Klara Zakopalova 6-4, 6-3, firing 18 winners and breaking five times.

The Russian, whose match was started before 11:00 am (0900 GMT) due to the demands of television, said that a few days of training on the blue clay surface last week paid dividends.

"It's not so much about the colour. It does look good on television. But it plays a bit different. It's about the amount of clay on the court and the way it bounces," she said.

"You have to get used to it but I came here after winning Stuttgart and got in four or five days on it. I got settled in so it's just a matter of adjusting. It's also the same for everyone."

Number 13 Ana Ivanovic defeated Nadia Petrova 7-5, 6-1.

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Liverpool Avenge Cup Loss To Deny Chelsea Fourth

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool scored three times in nine first-half minutes to avenge Saturday's FA Cup final defeat by Chelsea as they beat the Champions League finalists 4-1 at Anfield on Tuesday.

Michael Essien's own-goal and goals from Jordan Henderson, Daniel Agger and Jonjo Shelvey ensured Fernando Torres endured a nightmare return to his former club since leaving for £50 million ($81 million) in January 2011.

The defeat means Chelsea must beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League final on May 19 if they are to secure a place in the competition next season as they can now no longer finish fourth in the Premier League.

Chelsea caretaker manager Roberto di Matteo made wholesale changes to his side, but the Italian will be concerned the FA Cup winners have now won just one of their last five league games.

Rarely have Liverpool looked forward to the end of the season so much after enduring a campaign where a League Cup final win has failed to mask their mediocre league form.

They lost their last two games at Anfield while their fans had been starved of a home league win since March 13 and even this victory left the Reds, managed by Anfield great Kenny Dalglish, in a relatively lowly eighth place.

Chelsea went into the game having secured more away points (25) than Liverpool had managed at home (24).

But di Matteo's decision to rest his key players ahead of the Champions League final back-fired spectacularly.

Chelsea made eight changes to the side that started the 2-1 FA Cup win over Liverpool at Wembley.

Liverpool, who were without skipper Steven Gerrard, were clearly desperate to put right the wrongs from a disappointing performance at the weekend.

And they never looked back after Essien turned the ball into his own net in the 19th minute while trying to clear from Luis Suarez.

Two minutes earlier Branislav Ivanovic rattled the woodwork after a corner from six-yards when the unmarked Chelsea defender should have done better.

Chelsea captain John Terry then slipped to pave the way for Henderson to double Liverpool's lead in the 25th minute, the former Sunderland player producing a delightful finish past keeper Ross Turnbull.

And Agger made it 3-0 in the 28th minute when the Dane nodded home after clever work by Andy Carroll.

Former Liverpool striker Torres, who had managed just seven goals in his previous 44 Premier League appearances for the Londoners, was denied by the woodwork before half time with an angled shot.

Liverpool's Stewart Downing, yet to score a league goal since joining from Aston Villa in pre-season, then twice hit the woodwork himself before the break.

Having struck the bar with a dipping 25-yard attempt, the winger then hit a post from the penalty spot after Ivanovic had fouled Carroll in the dying moments of a thrilling first half.

Chelsea did reduce their deficit in the 50th minute.

Ramires scored against the Reds at Wembley and the Brazilian was at it again as Florent Malouda's free-kick hit his midriff before trickling into the net.

But Chelsea's revival was short-lived thanks to Turnbull.

The keeper's attempted clearance landed at the feet of Shelvey, who rifled a first-time effort from 30-yards into the net in front of the Kop to make it 4-1 in the 61st minute.

There was time for Liverpool to bring on 17-year-old Raheem Sterling while Maxi Rodriguez appeared to wave goodbye to fans when he was substituted in the closing stages.

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On A High, Mumbai Ready For Bangalore

MUMBAI: As Team Mumbai and Team Bangalore square off in a potentially mouth-watering IPL clash at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday night, you can't but marvel at how both teams are battling similar problems. Barring the fact that the hosts are third on the points table, compared to the men-in-red's fifth, both Mumbai and Bangalore, have an identical tale to narrate in IPL 5.

The teams have overly depended on two batsmen to either set a big score or chase down totals. While Mumbai must thank Rohit Sharma (293 runs from 11 games @29.30) and Ambati Rayudu (208 runs from 11 matches @34.66) for scripting unbelievable heists, the visitors have engineered miraculous jailbreaks through the efforts of West Indies' Chris Gayle (433 runs from 10 games) and talented South African, AB de Villiers (292 runs from 11 matches).

There's another similarity in the form of underperforming captains, but world class spinners at the international level, leading the teams. Harbhajan Singh, captain of Mumbai, may have got 406 sticks in 98 Tests, but in 11 games this IPL, he has picked up five wickets at 50.20. Meanwhile, Team Bangalore skipper Daniel Vettori has also 'grabbed' five wickets at 47. He too has 359 Test scalps in 111 Tests.

Mind you, both have economy rates of 6.78 and 6.71 respectively , which for a spinner, are excellent. Vettori, though, even dropped
himself in the last game to accommodate Muralitharan and may do that again. Want more? Sample this. Both have an interesting home record against each other . Mumbai haven't beaten Bangalore at their traditional home venues, Wankhede Stadium and the CCI. (They beat them in the semifinal of IPL three, but that was held at the DY Patil ground, which is not their home venue). Bangalore too haven't beaten Mumbai at Chinnaswamy.

The two teams have also come off stunning wins over the weekend. Mumbai beat Chennai thanks to Dwayne Smith's pyrotechnics in the last over, while Bangalore mastered Hyderabad, after De Villiers showed a combination of hockey, cricket and fencing skills during his 17-ball stay.

The one thing that separates the two teams though is bowling . Mumbai have perhaps the best T20 bowler in history, Lasith Malinga. With 20 wickets from just eight games, the Sri Lankan slinger, has made a stunning return after missing three games due to a back injury . He averages a surreal 8.45 per wicket and consumes a batsman every 9.4 balls. What's more, in a format where an economy rate of seven runs per over, is considered acceptable, he concedes just 5.36 per over.

Any guesses who Harbhajan will throw the ball to if and when Gayle and De Villiers get going? With almost 60% of the matches ending in the last over, punters betting on another close finish should go home rich. PS: A word of caution for those sitting in the North and South stands. Wear a nose mask. With short straight boundaries, you're right in Gayle's zone.

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By Retiring, Rahul Dravid Has Sent Team A Message: Sourav Ganguly

NEW DELHI: Rahul Dravid will remain one of the greatest cricketers I have had the pleasure of playing with. It'll be very difficult to replace a man with over 10,000 runs in both forms of the game. Indian cricket won't be the same without Dravid.

In Pics: Rahul Dravid's glorious Test career | Rahul Dravid Profile | Statistical highlights of Rahul Dravid's Test career | Dravid bids adieu

I can't say if it's a good time to quit because there is no such thing! Like other areas of life, when you do something with real passion and devotion, it's really hard to move away from it. But he has taken a really hard decision and sent a message to the team.

I believe Dravid formed one of the four pillars around which revolved India's efforts to rise to the top of world cricket. The team was going through a rebuilding phase when Dravid and me joined the team and all of us worked really hard to turn out fortunes around.

My first encounter with Dravid was way back in 1990-91 during India's Under-19 tour to England. His talent was already apparent then but we didn't stay in touch after that. The next time I really got to know him was during our debut series against England in 1996.

That Lord's Test will remain one of our fondest cricketing memories. Both of us were feeling the nerves in the middle but kept egging ourselves on. He was really unlucky not to complete a well-deserved century. Without a shadow of a doubt, he was the best No. 3 batsman in Test cricket of his generation. But to his credit he worked on improving his batting in one-day cricket.

He was also a team man to the core. He didn't blink an eyelid when the team needed his services as a wicketkeeper during the 2003 World Cup. We played as a complete unit, which proved to be one of our strengths.

He knows that once again it's time for a change and he needed to step away. I applaud him for his courage.

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CA's Trophy That Was Never Handed To Tendulkar

MELBOURNE: Sachin Tendulkar's much awaited ton-of-tons has not only left his fans world over in anticipation, but it has also made Cricket Australia to wait arduously, as it intended to present the Indian batsman with a memento on reaching the historic feat.

CA planned to present the batting legend a nice little memento after he scored his 100th international hundred during the just concluded tour Down Under, the 'Australian' reported.

Cushioned in a metal box, the trophy, featuring a golden Kookaburra ball on a plinth, criss-crossed Australia and followed Tendulkar at every venue only to fail to find the intended recipient.

"Cricket Australia said the Sachin Trophy was en route from Brisbane, where India played their last tri-series league match, to Melbourne (the venue of first tri-series finals), perchance India made the finals," the newspaper said under the headline 'Sachin gives us a Godot moment'.

Tendulkar, however, received a special presentation from the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) at the Adelaide and was also presented with a sculpted bust of Don Bradman in Sydney.

Interestingly, the plaque on the bust presented to Tendulkar read "in whom Sir Donald Bradman saw something of himself", the newspaper said.

While Tendulkar raised hopes of getting to the elusive feat during the Test series against Australia, with a fluent 73 in the series opener at Melbourne and another 80-run knock during the second Test at Sydney, he looked a distant shadow of his self in the ODI tri-series that followed.

Tendulkar scored 143 runs in seven outings in the tri-series at an average 20.42 with his highest being the 48 against Sri Lanka at Perth.

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India Seek Redemption At Asia Cup

MIRPUR: The 11th edition of the Asia Cup cricket tournament begins here tomorrow with defending champions India hoping to redeem their pride and restore their reputation after the debacle in Australia.

Hosts Bangladesh will take on Pakistan in the opening fixture of the four-nation tournament which will conclude on March 22.

Bangladesh have not won a single ODI series in the four they played last year, even losing 2-3 to Zimbabwe in a five-match rubber when they visited the African country. They lost by identical 0-3 to Australia and Pakistan and 1-2 to West Indies, all at home.

The hosts were also mired in controversies in the run-up to the tournament with young wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim in the dock after voicing his concerns about player payments in the Bangladesh Premier League and had a 24-hour wait before he was made captain.

Opening batsman Tamim Iqbal was dropped by the Board chief, then asked to prove his fitness -- despite being passed fit by the team doctor two days earlier -- and then picked again.

In the middle of it all, chief selector Akram Khan, who happens to be Tamim's uncle, quit over claims of interference.

The young side, however, cannot be taken lightly as Bangladesh can be giant-killers on their day and the other three established sides of world cricket can hardly afford to be complacent.

The unpredictable Pakistan, on the other hand, would want to begin their campaign with a win with a new coach Dav Whatmore taking charge. It will be Whatmore's first assignment with the team and he will be hoping to make an impression straightaway.

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Clijsters Reaches Semis At Brisbane International

BRISBANE: Australian Open champion Kim Clijsters advanced to the semifinals of the Brisbane International with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Iveta Benesova on Thursday.

Clijsters won the Brisbane title in 2010 and, after missing the 2011 edition, now has an 8-0 record in the Australian Open tune-up.

She raced to a 5-0 lead before Benesova, who ousted US Open champion Sam Stosur in the second round, launched a comeback with a run of three straight games.

Benesova held her opening serve and had an early break-point chance in the second set before Clijsters shifted up a gear and dominated the remainder of the match to earn a semifinal meeting against Daniela Hantuchova, who got a walkover in the quarterfinals when 13-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams withdrew from the tournament on Wednesday after injuring her left ankle.

Clijsters had a tough three-set win over Ana Ivanovic in the second round but didn't let Benesova get too close in the quarterfinals.

"I'm very satisfied with the way that I played," Clijsters said. "In my previous match I lost my focus a bit. I was really focussed on not letting that happen today."

Third-seeded Francesca Schiavone will meet Kaia Kanepi of Estonia in the other women's semifinal.

Schiavone saved two match points before coming back for a 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-3 win over former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic.

The 2010 French Open winner saved match points on her serve in the 12th game of the second set and then, after winning the tiebreaker and going down a break in the third set, won the last five games to clinch a quarterfinal berth in just under three hours on her third match point.

Kanepi needed five match points to finish off a 6-1, 7-6 (7) win over second-seeded Andrea Petkovic.

"I just played really bad in the first set," Petkovic said. "My footwork was very sloppy, and afterwards I started moving a little better, but when somebody is hitting as hard as Kaia - and she was serving incredible - then you really have to be on point with your footwork.

"She played really, really well and I have to say, if she keeps playing like this she'll be a force."

In the men's draw, second-seeded Gilles Simon of France advanced with a 7-6 (2), 6-4 win over Santiago Giraldo of Colombia.

Simon will next play either Alexandr Dolgopolov of Russia or former champion Radek Stepanek of Czech Republic.

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