Vonn takes 2nd women's World Cup overall title

ARE, Sweden – Lindsey Vonn became the first American woman to win two World Cup overall titles after her victory Wednesday in the last downhill of the season.

The American completed the 1.6-mile Olympia course at the World Cup finals in 1 minute, 42.49 seconds after posting the fastest splits all the way down.

"It's amazing," Vonn said. "It's been a long season and it's been really difficult and challenging, but I'm really happy that it's over."

She needed at least an eighth-place finish to win the title again.

"Winning the overall a second time it's huge," Vonn said. "No American female has ever done that so it means a lot."

Maria Riesch of Germany was second in 1:42.89 and also finished second overall.

Austrian veteran Renate Goetschl, a five-time winner at Are, placed third in 1:44.39.

With three races left at the finals, Vonn has an insurmountable lead in the overall standings with 1,688 points. Riesch is second with 1,299 and Anja Paerson of Sweden third with 990.

A double gold medalist a last month's world championships, Vonn also has a chance to win the super-G title, trailing Fabienne Suter of Switzerland by only 15 points. The last super-G is Thursday.

Vonn had already clinched the downhill title for the second straight year, matching hero and friend Picabo Street's consecutive titles in 1995 and '96.

Vonn topped the final downhill standings with 502 points. She won two downhills this season and earned points in the remaining five races.

Andrea Fischbacher of Austria and Riesch were, respectively, second and third with 326 and 292 points.

"I couldn't asked for anything more," Vonn said. "I'm really, really happy."

Paerson flopped badly as she returned for the first time to the hill where she won the downhill, super-G golds at the 2007 worlds.

She started fast, but lost pace at the bottom, winding up 16th of 24 finishers, 2.38 seconds behind Vonn.

"I made mistakes where I shouldn't have made them and after that it was impossible to catch up," she said.

The race was held in snowy conditions with fog at the top of the course.

South Africa may host Champions Trophy: ICC

South Africa may replace Sri Lanka as the venue of the Champions Trophy tournament later this year, the International Cricket Council said on Wednesday.

A teleconference between members of the ICC's chief executives' committee, comprising representatives of the 10 Test nations, concluded that South Africa would provide better weather conditions than Sri Lanka in September-October.

A final decision on the twice-postponed tournament, the second biggest after the World Cup, will be taken by the ICC's Executive Board in Dubai on Monday.

The committee recommended the tournament be switched to South Africa because "it was felt that it would be too great a risk to stage the tournament in Colombo at a time of year when there was a distinct possibility of rain," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in a statement.

"This was especially relevant given the length of this year's Champions Trophy has been reduced to 12 days, part of our desire to make it a short, sharp event, as on that basis there would be no room for reserve days.

"South Africa was a successful and excellent host of the ICC World Twenty20 at much the same time of year two years ago and the weather pattern in the area around Johannesburg in September and October is stable and ideal for cricket.

"The meeting therefore agreed it would be prudent to look to hold the tournament in South Africa, subject to agreement over financial arrangements."

The eight-nation tournament was originally scheduled to be held in Pakistan last year, but was put off by a year and then taken away from the strife-torn nation due to security concerns.

The teleconference came just over a week after a deadly attack on the Sri Lanka team in the Pakistani city of Lahore that killed eight people and injured seven Sri Lankan players and their assistant coach.

Sri Lanka, the original reserve venue, was also thrown in doubt due to the seasonal wet weather in the months of September and October when the tournament is due to be held.

The previous Champions Trophy was held in India in 2006 and won by Australia.

Ferguson expects golden oldies to keep on shining

AFP/File – Manchester United's English midfielder Paul Scholes. Sir Alex Ferguson has challenged his elder statesmen …

MANCHESTER, England (AFP) – Sir Alex Ferguson has challenged his elder statesmen at Manchester United to extend their glittering Old Trafford careers beyond the end of next season.

Long-serving defender Gary Neville, who turned 34 on Wednesday, penned a new contract extension on Friday which will keep him at the club until June 2010.

Neville followed in the footsteps of Ryan Giggs, the club's most decorated player, and Paul Scholes, who have also committed themselves to the end of next season.

The thirtysomethings boast a combined age of 103 and are in the twilight of their careers.

Yet Ferguson, chasing his third successive Premier League title, believes all three still have something to offer the team and is reluctant to show them the door.

"If they keep their performance levels up then they will be here for another year, there's no doubt about that," said Ferguson. "We'll see what happens next year."

Giggs, Scholes and Neville are all products of United's famous youth Academy and have never played anywhere else in their careers.

Their loyalty has not gone unnoticed by Ferguson, who labelled the trio as the "spirit" of Manchester United and a glowing example for the younger generation of players emerging at the club.

"I think there are a lot of players in the country who are quite wealthy who don't want to put themselves through the whole process of pre-season training," added Ferguson.

"But these three players seem to want to do that all the time. It speaks volumes for their own desires that they want to keep involved with Manchester United for as long as they can.

"They are the spirit of the club and they are an example to everyone."

Although Ferguson is no longer able to guarantee his old guard a starting place in every game, all three are set to feature in some capacity over the coming days as United's pursuit of an unprecedented five trophies in one season enters a crucial phase.

Jose Mourinho and Inter Milan await Ferguson's Club World Cup winners when the Champions League resumes on Tuesday and then it is off to Wembley to face Tottenham in the League Cup final on March 1.

Yet despite winning it 10 times in the past, it is the Premier League that Ferguson, whose team are also in the last eight of the FA Cup, craves the most.

But the Scot believes his players have a long way to go before they can celebrate their latest league triumph.

"You can't forget the chances we missed at West Ham when we only needed one goal to win the league in 1995," Ferguson said.

"Then there was the 12-point lead over Arsenal that we threw away in 1998.

"It was a foregone conclusion until the beginning of March when injuries played their part.

"When you lose a game it gives the chasing team encouragement. These are great reminders to us.

"My feeling is we should never get carried away because this game can kick you in the teeth.

"We can go the distance but we just have to make sure we keep our focus because every game for us now is a must-win situation."

Dubai event fined record $300,000 for Peer ban

MIAMI: The Dubai Championships was fined a record $300,000 by the governing body of women's tennis (WTA) on Friday after top Israeli player Shahar Peer was barred from taking part in the event.

The WTA said in a statement that the fine was largest ever levied against a WTA Tour member and that Peer would be awarded $44,250, an amount equal to the average prize money she earned per tournament in 2008.

"The actions taken are intended to redress the wrongs suffered by Shahar Peer, who was victimised by an unjust policy of discrimination by the UAE," WTA chief Larry Scott said in a statement.

"These actions are also intended to send a clear message that our Tour will not tolerate discrimination of any kind and that we will never allow this situation to happen again in the UAE or elsewhere."

The UAE, like most Arab countries, has no diplomatic ties with Israel and routinely denies entry to Israelis.

Mashrafe now a $6 lakh cricketer

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza hit an amazing figure when the Kolkata Knight Riders purchased the Bangladesh fast bowler for six-lakh dollars (US) after a sensational bidding in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction in Goa yesterday.

There was more good news for the Tigers as Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful was sold to Mumbai Indians, who roped in the batsman at his base price of US$ 75,000.

After a dramatic bidding, Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan's Knight Riders got pace spearhead Mashrafe, dubbed "Narail Express", for a price that is the biggest ever deal for any Bangladeshi sportsman in history.

Mashrafe's bidding started with a base price of US$ 50,000 but the figures skyrocketed with the Kings XI Punjab also wanting him. They stayed hot on the heels of Knight Riders but the Kolkata side had the last laugh offering 12 times higher than the floor price.

The 25-year-old Bangladesh vice-captain, number eight in the ICC ODI rankings for bowlers, will be playing beside the likes of former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly, Australian captain Ricky Ponting, West Indies' Chris Gayle and New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum.

It is the first time Bangladeshi players have been put to the IPL auction after left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak signed for Bangalore Royal Challengers after negotiations in the first version of the million-dollar Twenty20 competition.

Surprisingly, no buyer showed interests to Tigers' star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, the world's number one all-rounder in ODI rankings, while dashing opener Tamim Iqbal, the other Bangladeshi cricketer in the auction, also remained unsold.

England's Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff were sold for US$ 1.55 million each making them the highest-paid cricketers in the competition.

USA Swimming bans Phelps for three months

WASHINGTON: Record-setting Olympic champion Michael Phelps has been banned for three months by USA Swimming amid controversy over a photograph pub

Michael Phelps takes a break while training at the Meadowbrook Aquatic Center in Baltimore. (AP Photo)

lished in a British newspaper purportedly showing him smoking marijuana.

Phelps's financial support has also been cut off for the same three-month period, the sport's national governing body said in a statement on its website on Thursday.

"This is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated, but we decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero," the federation added.

"Michael has voluntarily accepted this reprimand and has committed to earn back our trust," the statement said.

The photograph, said to have been taken at a November party at the University of South Carolina, was published by British tabloid newspaper News of the World last Sunday.

Phelps accepted the ban, saying he understood USA Swimming's "point of view," the swimmer's spokesman Drew Johnson said.

"He feels bad he let anyone down," Johnson added. "He's also encouraged by the thousands of comments he's received from his fans and the support from his many sponsors. He intends to work hard to regain everyone's trust."

Phelps has repeatedly apologised for the incident and said he may backtrack on his plans to compete at the London Olympics in 2012.

The International Olympic Committee said his apology was proof of his sincerity and the world swimming's governing body FINA is also backing the embattled swimmer.

Phelps has won 14 career Olympic gold medals, making him the most successful competitor since the modern Olympics began 113 years ago.

Best phase for Sania to improve: Amritraj

CHENNAI: Legendary Vijay Amritraj feels Sania Mirza is in the best phase of her life to improve on her results and rankings because she would be l

Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza hold up their trophy after winning the mixed doubles final at the Australian Open. (Reuters Photo)

ess prone to injuries as Indian players mature late physically.

"We Indians mature late physically. Do not push your muscles at young age because (Boris) Becker did it or someone else did it. The best period for an Indian player is 25 and 32. This is the period an Indian is physically strong enough to take huge load of work but for the rest of players in the world it is about 18 to 26," Amritraj said.

"For a female, it is little bit more. For example, Sania is 22. Now is the best chance for Sania to improve upon her results and ranking for another five or six years to do what she need to do and work harder without getting hurt," he added.

Asked reasons for Sania's injury prone nature, Amritraj said it was because she had put in extra effort at young age.

"At a young age, I think she puts in a lot of efforts. So, injury come fast and fury. You think you have been playing well and working harder but suddenly when injuries come you had it," he said.

"(Roger) Federer reached the top of the peak at 26. For an Indian that will be the time that he has to be hitting at it," he said.

3rd ODI: Praveen gets rid of Jayawardene

NEW DELHI: Just when the Sri Lankan run chase was gaining momentum, Praveen Kumar dismissed their captain Mahela Jayawardene to reduce the hosts to 118/3 in 18.2 overs in the third ODI in Colombo on Tuesday.

Jayawardene tried to hit a delivery over mid-off but didn't time it properly and Virender Sehwag just took a couple of steps behind to grab the all important wicket of the Sri Lankan captain.

Jayawardene added 67 runs for the third wicket with his deputy Kumar Sangakkara.

Sangakkara and Jayawardene completed the 50-run partnership off just 41 balls keeping their team in the hunt for the huge victory target.

Sangakkara reached his 46th ODI fifty off 48 balls with the help of six fours and Jayawardene hit four fours in his 32-ball 30.

When he reached 18 with an inside out shot over the covers for four off Ishant Sharma, Jayawardene became the fourth Sri Lankan to complete 8000 ODI runs.

The resurrection act came after Indian pace spearhead Zaheer Khan dismissed Tillakaratne Dilshan to reduce Sri Lanka to 51/2 in 8.4 overs.

Zaheer cramped Dilshan for room who tried to free his arms by pulling the delivery from outside off to mid-wicket but ended up edging it onto his stumps. The Lankan opener hit four fours and a six in his 26-ball 30.

This was after Sri Lanka got off to a disastrous start as Praveen Kumar dismissed Sanath Jayasuriya for a duck.

The Meerut medium pacer made the early inroad on the first ball of the second over of the Lankan run chase when Jayasuriya looked to cut a delivery that was too close to his body and ended up edging it onto his stumps.

The huge Indian total of 363/5 in 50 overs was powered by centuries from Yuvraj Singh (117) and Virender Sehwag (116) and late big-hitting by all-rounder Yusuf Pathan (59).

Pathan reached his 2nd ODI fifty off just 33 balls and remained not out on 59 with the help of 4 fours and 3 sixes.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni seemed content in taking singles early in his innings and his score of 35 off 45 balls contained only one boundary.

This is the third time that India has scored more than 300 runs against Sri Lanka on their soil. No other team has achieved the feat.

Muthiah Muralitharan failed to break Wasim Akram's world record of 502 ODI wickets as he finished his quota of 10 overs with only one wicket.

Earlier, Ajantha Mendis had Suresh Raina stumped by Kumar Sangakkara to reduce India to 280/5 in 39 overs.

Mendis made Raina (9) come down the pitch giving the ball a bit of air, Raina charged but failed to connect with the ball that spun away for Sangakkara to do the rest.

Raina's dismissal came after India lost centurions Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag in space of three overs.

Sehwag was run out by Sanath Jayasuriya with a direct hit from mid-off after scoring 116 runs off 90 balls with 17 hits to the fence.

Shortly before that, Sri Lankan off spin genius Muthiah Muralitharan put an end to Yuvraj's magnificent innings to equal Wasim Akram's world record of 502 ODI wickets.

Murali had Yuvraj caught by his captain Mahela Jayawardene at cover point after the dashing southpaw scored 117 runs off 95 balls with the help 17 fours and a six and added 221 runs with Sehwag for the third wicket.

Yuvraj reached his 11th ODI century, his first against Sri Lanka, off just 82 balls.

Sehwag reached his 10th ODI hundred off 76 balls and was studded with 15 boundaries.

India took the batting powerplay as soon as both the bowling powerplays ended to continue inflict misery on the Sri Lankan bowlers.

No Sri Lankan bowler was spared as both Sehwag and Yuvarj scored at almost eight runs per over.

The partnership came after India lost Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar in quick succession.

Gambhir followed Sachin back into the pavilion as he was unlucky to get out after Dilhara Fernando's hand touched the ball on the follow through and hit the stumps at the bowlers end.

Dilhara Fernando gave a denting blow to India early on as he trapped Sachin in front of the wicket after Indian skipper MS Dhoni won the toss and decided to bat first.

Sachin once again became umpire's victim as the ball was visibly going down the leg side. Sachin has also been a victim of poor umpiring decisions in the previous two matches.

Bhupathi claims 11th Slam title, first for Sania

BANGALORE: Mahesh Bhupathi was slow to arrive at the Rod Laver arena on Sunday. Fortunately for him, his partner Sania Mirza showed up

Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi hold the winners trophy after their mixed doubles final match in Melbourne. (AFP Photo)

bright and early, steady in nerve and furious in her shot making. At 3-3 in the first set Bhupathi weighed in and the wildcard entrants of the Australian Open mixed doubles event went on to clinch 10 of the final 11 games of the title clash that saw an interesting mix of flair and firepower.

The all-Indian pairing powered to 6-3, 6-1 win over Israel's Andy Ram and France's Nathalie Dechy in 55 minutes. The win gave Sania her first Grand Slam title and Bhupathi his seventh mixed-doubles crown and 11th Grand Slam title.

Sania was understandably ecstatic. "After being out for most of last year, not playing for almost six months, and then winning a Grand Slam title in virtually my first tournament back, is just great," she said. "A Slam is a Slam -- singles, doubles or mixed doubles, and winning on these big stages is what I had dreamt of as a child. Winning with Mahesh, he's a friend and fellow Indian, makes it even more special. Last time, we fell one short, this time we did it!"

Bhupathi said, "This whole weekend has been an emotional roller-coaster. The last thing you want to do after a match like yesterday is show-up on the court again today. There was some of that disappointment still there in me, but you have to get up to the job. Fortunately for me Sania was playing great and she got us through the early part and then I served great and when we're playing like that it's tough to beat us. It's been a great two weeks for me, but if I had to return home without a title, it would've hurt. This obviously makes up for Saturday's loss in the men's doubles final."

Bhupathi and Sania, playing their second successive final in Melbourne Park, were off to a quick start, breaking Ram in the opening game of the match. They were, however, equally quick in surrendering the advantage as Dechy and Ram reeled off three games in row to take a 3-2 lead.

Even with the tension mounting Bhupathi and Sania seemed to be enjoying themselves on court. "I'm the one doing all the talking," Sania said, between peels of laughter. "Mahesh always says very little, ha and hum.... But we always have fun together because we're friends and that eases tension on the court."

Sania then led the fightback with some nicely angled returns while Bhupathi provided the finishing touches at the net as the Indians broke Dechy in the seventh game. A Bhupathi forehand down-the-line sealed the set as the Israeli faltered with his serve in the ninth game.

Bhupathi and Sania were unstoppable in the second set, breaking Dechy in the fourth and Ram in the sixth. The 22-year-old Hyderabadi then served out the match in the seventh game.

Bhupathi, who hasn't persisted with his former mixed doubles partners after winning Grand Slam crowns, hoped it would be different with Sania. "This is the most special of my mixed doubles wins because it has come with a fellow Indian. There's been so much excitement and positive energy around us playing together that this title has got to be extra special," he said.

Bhupathi was all praise for his partner. "A lot of great players have started out by winning doubles and mixed doubles titles, so today was a great beginning for Sania. I'm sure there will be more titles to come," he said.

"She's young, she's a quick learner and she's growing everyday as a player. This is just the kind of confidence booster she needed at the start of the year."

Sania was scheduled to fly back home later on Sunday. "My wrist is doing good," she said. "But I've been on painkillers this whole week. I've been experiencing some pain in my abdominal muscle. I'm going to give the Fed Cup a miss, return home and take care of this problem."

Sania, however, refused to look ahead. "I'm living in the moment," she said. "I'm going to enjoy this win. Sure this has done a lot for my confidence and I'm it'll help me in singles too, but I'm not going to get ahead of myself."

Serena wins women's singles title

MELBOURNE: Serena Williams thrashed Russia's Dinara Safina 6-0, 6-3 to win her fourth Australian Open title Saturday, bringing up her 10th Grand S

Serena Wiliams holds the winners trophy as Dinara Safina holds the runner-up trophy after their match in Melbourne. (AFP Photo)

lam and reclaiming the world number one ranking on the way.

In one of the most lop-sided deciders ever, the American utterly dominated third seed Safina, allowing her opponent to win only eight points in the first set on her way to claiming the championship in less than an hour.

"I'm so excited ... I clearly love playing here and I get great support here. I don't get that every place I go," she said after winning the first women's night final played in the Rod Laver Arena.

Williams, the second seed, emphatically backed up her pre-tournament comments that she was the best women's tennis player in the world and will now officially reclaim the top ranking from Serbia's Jelena Jankovic.

She also became the highest ever prize money winner in women's sport during the tournament and won the women's doubles title with her sister Venus on Friday.

Williams said she was thrilled to join the likes of Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova in the elite group of women with 10 or more Grand Slams.

"I idolised Steffi Graf," she said. "When I played her I was like 'Oh My God, it's Steffi Graf' and Martina Navratilova was someone who was my role model, so when I think of these greats I don't really think of my name, I think of them.

"I think people are starting to think of me (in those terms), which is uber-cool, I can't even get my mind around that."

Safina, whose brother Marat Safin won the men's title in 2005, had aimed to enter the history books as the part of the only brother-sister combination to hold Grand Slam titles.

Instead, she narrowly avoided entering the record books as being on the wrong end of the worst drubbing in a final in the tournament's history.

"Serena was too good, I was only a ball boy on the court today," the 22-year-old Russian said.

"Sorry to the people who supported me, today I let you down a little bit but I'll come back next year and try and do better."

Only Graf in 1994 and Margaret Smith in 1962 have posted more comprehensive victories in the decider, both winning 6-0, 6-2.

Williams continued a sequence of winning the Australian Open title in odd-numbered years, with her previous wins coming in 2003, 2005 and 2007.

Safina also lost her only previous Grand Slam final at the French Open last year but Williams was full of praise after the match.

"Dinara has a good future," she said. "She's hitting the ball so hard I just had to go for broke.

"Thanks to her for putting on a great show for women's tennis."

The Russian may take some comfort from compatriot Maria Sharapova, who also managed to take just three games off Williams when she was humbled 6-1, 6-2 in the 2007 final but came back to take the title the following year.

Williams showed no signs of the service problems that dogged her early in the tournament and aggressively took the game to Safina from the outset.

It was Safina's serve, with its trademark high ball toss, which fell apart as she coughed up three double faults in her opening service game to gift Williams an easy break.

She continued to break Safina at will, while the Russian could only manage two points off Williams' serve in a first set that that was over in 22 minutes.

"I saw that it was so fast and I thought okay I've got to stay focussed," Williams said.

"I thought 'Safina, she's a warrior, she never gives up, she's been down a couple of match points already in the tournament, so I've got to stay focussed."

Safina desperately tried to regroup and broke Williams in the first game of the second set but could not stop the rout and conceded the match when she hit a drop shot wide after 59 minutes.

2nd ODI: Yuvraj departs, India five down

NEW DELHI: India lost their sixth wicket in the form of Irfan Pathan, who ran himself out in search of a cheeky single against Sri Lanka in the second One-Day International in Colombo on Saturday.

Pathan scored a quickfire 21 in just 28 deliveries which included four boundaries. Nuwan Kulasekara came back strongly in his second spell to dismiss Yuvraj Singh (66) as India lost half of their side at the score of 180.

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Yuvraj Singh was really unlucky as the ball took an inside edge before wrapping up on to the pads. Umpire Gamini Silva had a long look but he finally gave the decision in Sri Lanka's favour.

All-rounder Tilakratne Dilshan broke the crucial partnership between Suresh Raina (29) and Yuvraj Singh to get rid of well set Raina with a fine delivery that stopped a bit and held his line to deceive Raina. India lost their fourth wicket as Kapugedara held an easy catch at short cover.

The duo added much-needed 85 runs for the fourth wicket that helped India recover well after the loss of Sehwag. The spin duo of Mendis and Murali gave away 44 runs in 10 overs without picking up a single wicket.

Yuvraj Singh slammed his 38th ODI half-century to steady Indian innings after India got off to wobbly start against Sri Lanka in the second One-Day International.

India completed their 100 runs in just 104 balls despite losing their three top order batsmen at regular intervals. Virender Sehwag scored a brisk 42 of just 26 balls that included seven boundaries, before going for a suicidal third run but didn't make it to the crease.

Muralitharan gave the chase from mid-on and released the ball to Jayasuriya in time whose accurate throw to the non-striker's end got rid of Sehwag in the form of India's third wicket.

Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir was going along well when Farveez Maharoof struck to send back dangerous looking Gautam Gambhir (27) as India lost their second wicket just under 10 overs.

The duo stitched a 49-run second wicket partnership in 41 balls to give India a brisk start. India completed their 50 runs in just 46 balls despite losing Tendulkar early.

Nuwan Kulasekara gave India a denting blow early on as he trapped master blaster Sachin Tendulkar (2). Tendulkar, who survived a huge leg before appeal a delivery before, was not at all satisfied with the umpire's judgement.

Indian skipper MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first against Sri Lanka after leading his side to a clinical all-round six-wicket win in the first ODI to take the 1-0 lead in the five match series.

Olympic boxing champ bares all

Posing naked for a glossy women's magazine was tougher than winning an Olympic boxing gold medal, Britain's James DeGale said on Friday.

DeGale stands bare.

London-based middleweight DeGale, who turned pro in December after topping the podium in Beijing, bared all in a centrefold shoot for Cosmopolitan to raise awareness about testicular cancer.

"I was pretty nervous at first and it was definitely tougher than winning my gold medal at the Olympics--but it is a really great and worthwhile charity to be supporting so stripping off wasn't a problem," the 22-year-old said.

He said he hoped the extra exposure will sell a few more tickets for his professional debut in Birmingham on Feb. 28. "As a boxer, your support base tends to be male, but after appearing in Cosmo, fingers crossed, there will be plenty of young ladies at my fight as well!" he said.

Ivanovic slumps out

Australian open Federer Floors Safin

slide showNOWHERE TO HIDE: Ana Ivanovic of Serbia shows her disappointment after losing against Alisa Kleybanova of Russia during their Australian Open match in Melbourne on Friday.Photo: AFPAfp, Melbourne

Pin-up Ana Ivanavic slumped out of the Australian Open Friday but a flawless Roger Federer powered towards a 14th Grand Slam title as ethnic violence again overshadowed the tournament.

The fifth seeded Serbian tumbled to Russian teenager Alisa Kleybanova 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, continuing her miserable run of form since winning the French Open last year.

Her upset came hot on the heels of American sixth seed Venus Williams being dumped on Thursday, throwing the season-opening Grand Slam wide open.

"I gave 100 per cent but she was better and played some unbelievable shots," said the 21-year-old.

"It's disappointing. I'm very, very sad because I felt physically fit and felt I could do well here."

While Ivanovic flopped, fellow Serbs Novak Djokovic, the defending champion, and Jelena Jankovic, the women's number one, scrapped through.

Federer floored fellow former champion Marat Safin in straight sets, hitting sparkling form as he overwhelmed his old rival 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) to stay on course for a semifinal match-up with Djokovic.

"It's special to play Marat, we go way back. I think we like playing each other. It doesn't matter who wins, it is always a good contest," said the Swiss great.

Safin's sister Dinara Safina continued to bulldozer through the draw while young guns Marin Cilic and Juan Martin del Potro set up an enticing fourth-round men's match.

Third seed Safina whipped Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 6-2, 6-2 and is in fine form after a breakthrough 2008, making good on her stated intention of playing a more aggressive game.

"Finally I played my game. Compared to my first two matches, I reached my level," said Safina, 22.

Top seed Jankovic was made to work against Japan's Ai Sugiyama, 10 years her senior, before grinding out a 6-4, 6-4 win.

"I have always had tough matches against her, she has a lot of experience and is a very solid player so I really had to work for every point," Jankovic said.

In other highlights, Australia's former world number four Jelena Dokic continued her fairytale comeback, beating Danish 11th seed Caroline Wozniacki 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.

But attention will inevitably focus on the violent clashes which followed Djokovic's four-set win over Bosnian-American Amer Delic.

Dozens of Bosnian and Serb youths hurled plastic chairs and other missiles at each other, leaving one woman with minor injuries. About 30 people were thrown out as skirmishes continued outside.

"A number of people got into a chair-throwing contest between two groups with the result that 30-odd people were ejected from Rod Laver," said Inspector Chris Duthie of Melbourne East Police.

"We're charging two on summons and one will be receiving an on-the-spot fine."

A male streaker also invaded one court and danced around, naked from the waist down, in another security lapse.

The Australian Open was first marred by violence in 2007, when Serbian and Croatian fans attacked each other with flagpoles, bottles and boots.

Then last year, police used pepper spray to subdue rowdy elements watching a match between Konstantinos Economidis of Greece and Chile's Fernando Gonzales.

Friday's incidents took the gloss off Djokovic's hard-fought 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) victory.

"I'm really sad to hear about it," said Delic when told of the violence.

"As I said a couple of days ago, there's absolutely no place for that here. This is a tennis match."

While Djokovic went through, Spain's 11th seed David Ferrer crashed out to Croatia's Cilic 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 6-4.

Cilic will now meet dangerous Argentine eighth seed del Potro who came from a set down to beat Luxembourg's Gilles Muller 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-3, 7-5.

Sania-Bhupathi advance in Australian Open

MELBOURNE: Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi cleared the first round hurdle in mixed doubles while Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna advanced in men's doubles with their respective partners as India rounded off an all-win day at the Australian Open on Friday.

Bopanna-Nieminin in second round of men's doubles

The unseeded Sania-Bhupathi pair stunned sixth seeds Kveta Peschke and Pavel Vizner of Czech Republic 6-2, 6-4 to set up a clash with local favourites Anastasia Rodionova and Stephen Huss, who defeated compatriots Jessica Moore and Carsten Ball 7-5, 7-5.

In men's doubles, fourth seeds Paes and Czech Lukas Dlouhy sailed past unseeded Italian-Croat pairing of Fabio Fognini and Ivan Ljubcic 6-3, 6-4 in the second round.

In the third round, the Indo-Czech duo will be up against the winners of the match between the 14th seeded Czech-Slovak pair of Frantisek Cermak and Michal Mertinak and locals Paul Hanley and Jordan Kerr.

Sania, who has crashed out of the singles and women's doubles events, was the star of the show with her net play. Sania and Bhupathi, who had no trouble in pocketing the first set in 27 minutes, were given a tough fight by Peschke and Vizner in the second.

Benitez contract row overshadows crunch derby

LIVERPOOL: Rafael Benitez has attempted to reassure Liverpool fans that uncertainty over his future will not seep through to the dressing room a

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez watches his players during a training session. (Reuters Photo)

head of Monday's crucial derby game with Everton at Anfield.

Benitez revealed on Friday that talks over a contract extension had stalled, sparking fears that the Spaniard is ready to quit the club he joined in 2004.

His current deal expires in the summer of 2010 yet negotiations between Benitez's agent and Liverpool's co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have ended without the two parties being able to agree on the extent of the manager's remit.

Benitez is happy with the financial terms of the deal but has demanded more control over football matters, and is adamant that he should not have to answer to chief executive Rick Parry over the buying and selling of players.

Worryingly for Reds fans, Benitez quit Valencia in June 2004 over a similar issue, famously saying: "I asked for a table and they bought me a lampshade." Benitez is negotiating from a position of strength with Liverpool mounting a serious challenge for their first title since 1990, and Hicks has insisted the outstanding contractual issues can be resolved.

Liverpool fans nevertheless will be concerned by the prospect that the coach who guided the club to Champions League glory in 2005 could decide to walk away if his demands are not accepted by the Anfield hierarchy.

Manchester United's last-gasp win over Bolton on Saturday knocked Liverpool off the top of the Premier League table and Benitez knows that his side cannot afford any lapses in concentration over in what is certain to be a tense finale to the season.

For that reason, the Spaniard was at pains to stress that he did not believe his own situation would prove to be a distraction. "We have finished the conversation about the contract and now we can talk about Everton," Benitez said.

"I think it is very clear because I have told the owners of my reasons and explained why. I already have an agreement with one club and that is Liverpool Football Club for one-and-a-half-years. Do I think our build-up to the Everton game has been disrupted by this? No. I don't think so. We had Friday off and I don't think we have any problems."

Benitez, who is poised to welcome back Xabi Alonso to the midfield after the Spain midfielder recovered from a foot injury, believes Liverpool are well placed to win the title even though they have dropped crucial points lately.

"No one can win the title in January. Everyone knows this," he said. "You have to keep calm and analyse the situation. If you want to win the title then it has to be in May. To have Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Manchester United in the title race is normal."

Everton manager David Moyes has warned Liverpool that his side are confident of recording their first win at Anfield since 1999. Despite losing key strikers Louis Saha and Aiyegbeni Yakubu to injury, Moyes's side have been in terrific form.

"We've not played well in the last two Liverpool games so we're looking forward to this one," said Moyes, who has a fitness doubt over Nigeria defender Joseph Yobo.

"I'm quite relaxed about it because I see the players, how well they're doing and if they can show their potential and how they've played recently they'll have nothing to fear. They work hard together, they've got a great spirit but spirit comes from winning on the pitch, pushing each other hard and demanding from one another and they've done that very well."

Sania wins first round at Australian Open

MELBOURNE: Sania Mirza survived a late onslaught from world number 61 Marta Domachowska in her 6-1, 6-4 win in the first round of the ladies singl

Sania Mirza plays against Marta Domachowska on the opening day of the Australian Open. (AFP Photo) More Pictures

es of the Australian Open on Monday.
Sania raced away with the first set in just 25 minutes, breaking the Polish player thrice.

The Indian led 2-0 in the second set before Marta stepped on the gas, winning four games on the trot, breaking Sania in the third and fifth games.
From a comfortable 2-0, Sania found herself trailing 2-4 in no time.
Under pressure, the 22-year-old Hyderabadi got her act together and went on to win the next four games to seal the issue.

Sania broke Marta in the eighth and 10th games in the process.

Sania had lost to Marta in 2003 in their first meeting and now the face-to-face record stands 1-1.

Sania is making her return to singles competition on the WTA Tour, after being forced on the sidelines for four month with a wrist injury.
Sania suffered with injuries after a breakthrough 2005 when she reached the US Open fourth round.
Sania had a 2008 to forget with surgery on her right wrist in April ruining her season. She made brief comebacks before bowing out of the Beijing Olympics in tears.
But she is now hitting the ball harder than ever and hungry for success.

"It was a great way to begin after such a long break," Sania said after the match.

"I've not played a match in almost six months now ... I'm just happy to have come through."

Sri Lanka reach Pakistan for ODI series

KARACHI: The Sri Lanka cricket team reached Karachi on Sunday afternoon for a ODI series against Pakistan.

Tight security greeted the Sri Lankans as they touched down at the Quaid-e-Azam international airport with the touring side due to play back to back one-day games in Karachi on Tuesday and Wednesday and the third in Lahore on Saturday before flying home to take on India.

"It is a very good sign that finally a foreign team is in Pakistan to play an international series. Hopefully this will clear the way for other teams to also tour Pakistan," said Javed Miandad, the Pakistan Cricket Board's director general.

Sri Lanka would return to Pakistan next month to play two Tests after the completion of their home series against India.

"With much difficulty we have arranged this tour as the Sri Lankans didn't want the one-day series because they were more keen to play additional matches against India. So hopefully this series will open a new chapter for Pakistan cricket," another official of the board said.

Pakistan cricket has suffered immensely because of the security situation with many teams refusing to tour last year and the International Cricket Council also postponing the prestigious Champions Trophy last September.

Miandad said efforts were on to get Australia to tour Pakistan in April and if this happened then the ICC would have no hesitation in holding the Champions Trophy as planned in September this year according to the revised schedule.

Phelps gears up for rich London haul

BEIJING: Four months after clinching a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, US swimmer Michael Phelps is set to return to training braced for pain but eager to douse any thoughts of retirement.

"My shape is non-existent right now," the 23-year-old said after emerging from the pool at Beijing's Olympic water polo venue, the Yingdong Natatorium.

"I'm far from being in shape, but I talked to my coach today, and Tuesday is the official day I start," said Phelps, who has set his sights on more glory at the London Olympics, four long, gruelling years down the line.

"Four months has been the longest time I've been away from the pool...I know it will be a lot of pain for the first few months," he said.

Phelps returned to Beijing this week to shoot a television advertisement for Mazda, the latest in a string of commercial endorsements he has signed since breaking fellow American Mark Spitz's record seven-gold haul at the 1972 Munich Games.

The shoot, part of a seven-figure deal which Phelps's representatives said was "the biggest for a Western celebrity" in China, saw the 14-times Olympic champion struggle after swimming butterfly for the first time in months.

UNSURPASSABLE FEAT?

But it also allowed a quick stop at the National "Water Cube" Aquatics centre in Beijing's Olympic Green, giving the American a chance to soak up the memories of what could turn out to be an unsurpassable feat.

"It was pretty cool, a pretty special feeling. I'm glad to have the opportunity to relive some of he moments that I had four months ago," Phelps said.

The long layoff, punctured by television appearances and charity events in between relaxing with friends and family, had not sapped the swimmer's motivation, nor had it completely banished thoughts of retirement.

"It's been fun but I really want to get back into a normal regime and get some kind of structure back into my life," Phelps said.

"There are times where I will wake up and say to myself 'I don't want to do this anymore.' But there are so many goals and times that I want to hit in events.

"I'm not going to retire until those are accomplished," he added.

He was cagey about the new goals, saying he was still working out a plan with his coach Bob Bowman, but he dashed any notions of striving to match or better his record Beijing haul.

"These four years are going to be much more relaxed than the last four years ... there will definitely be a lighter programme than what I did in Beijing," said Phelps, who is aiming to be fit for the world championships in Rome in July.

"I think some backstroke is definitely in the mix, hopefully I can master the 100 free. I'm gonna try a few different events I haven't tried before," he sai

Cristiano Ronaldo wins FIFA World Player award

ZURICH: Manchester United and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo was on Monday named FIFA World Footballer of the Year for 2008. Ronaldo, who is also

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal holds the FIFA World Player 2008 award during the soccer awards ceremony in Zurich. (Reuters Photo) More Pictures

holder of the prestigious Ballon d'Or for the European Footballer of the Year, beat off competition from 2007 winner Kaka (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Fernando Torres (Spain) and Xavi (Spain).

"It's an overwhelming moment in my career and I'd like to dedicate this award to my family, friends and colleagues," he said.

Ronaldo went out of his way to heap praise on United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, with whom relations became strained during last summer over whether he was going to leave the club for Real Madrid.

"It's also true that the manager always has an important role to play," said Ronaldo.

"It was a great season for me and for my club, and the coach was important for me because I learned a lot from him. His experience over so many years is of paramount importance - it's a privilege to have such a great club manager. This is the climax of a fantastic era for me. I'm happy and proud about what has been done by my team and what we have won. I am lucky to be part of the history of a club like Manchester United."

The 23-year-old, scorer of 42 goals in all competitions in the 2007-8 season, was one of United's architects behind the club's English Premiership and Champions League double. It was not a perfectly scripted year for Ronaldo, however, as Portugal crashed out 3-2 to Germany in the quarter-final of Euro 2008 in June.

Ronaldo becomes the second Portuguese player to win the FIFA accolade after Luis Figo in 2001, and the first one playing for a British club. He reaped 935 points in the vote in which the coaches and captains of 155 national teams took part. Messi finished second (678 points) and was trailed by Torres (203), Kaka (183) and Xavi (155).

Brazilian midfielder Marta was unveiled as FIFA World Women's Footballer of the year for 2008, for the third year running.

Marta delivered an outstanding performance at the women's Olympic football tournament in Beijing 2008, and equalled the record set by Birgit Prinz by claiming her third consecutive title.

For the women's vote, 139 coaches and captains cast their vote and Marta won comfortably (1,002 points) ahead of Germany's Prinz (328), Brazil's Cristiane (275), Germany's Nadine Angerer (198) and England's Kelly Smith (150).

Lahore Badshah players waiting for ICL prize money

KARACHI: The Pakistani players of the Lahore Badshah team that won the Indian Cricket League (ICL) this season are still waiting for their prize money and other dues totalling around from Rs 40 million.

Some of the players who played for the Lahore team confirmed that they still have to get the payment for winning the ICL Twenty20 championship plus other individual bonuses.

"We had to leave India in an emergency in November due to the tense conditions after the Mumbai blasts and the league (ICL Twenty20 world series) was halted midway," a player said.

"There was no time for the organisers to distribute the money to us," he added.

According to the terms and conditions of the contracts, the Pakistani players will have to be available/play a minimum number of days in the league to get their contractual fees per annum.

"Even our participation in the ICL whenever it is held in India appears remote unless conditions between Pakistan and India improve soon. So we are not sure about our future in the ICL at the moment or when the payment would be made," one player said.

"The situation is unless we are able to make ourselves available for the ICL and play in the matches we can't expect any more payments from our contract for the moment," he added.

Sources said Badshah captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and coach Moin Khan had been in touch with the ICL organisers to ensure their players were not hit financially even if the ICL resumes and Pakistani players cannot go to India.

ECB forced me to step down: Pietersen

LONDON: In a new twist to English cricket controversy, Kevin Pietersen on Sunday alleged that he never resigned and the board did not provide him any reason as to why he was being asked to step down from captaincy.

Daily Telegraph quoted a close confidant of Pietersen as saying that England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) kept him in dark about sacking Peter Moores as coach.

Pietersen said that he had held meetings during the Test matches in India with ECB chairman Giles Clarke, ECB managing director Hugh Morris and ECB chief executive David Collier and had talked about "a few names as possible new coach" with Collier and Morris.

"The last words from David Collier and Hugh Morris during the last Test match in India were for me to do a strategy plan as to how I wanted to take the English cricket team forward," Pietersen was quoted as saying in the report.

"They said we would meet again on January 8 in London. I said I would come straight from the airport so we could have it in the morning but they said come in the afternoon. On New Year's Eve, I sent the strategy email. In my email I said that I can't lead this team forward and take it to the West Indies if Peter Moores is coach."

He said his email was taken as an offer of resignation and Morris rang him and the ECB emailed him to accept it.

"I have not had any reasons for why I was asked to stand down," he said. "I was not told in the telephone conversation or the email that Peter Moores was not coach. I was told that 'your resignation' was accepted yet I had not been told he had been sacked or asked to resign."

Pietersen returned to London early on Thursday morning, whisked through Heathrow airport under police guard, to face a barrage of criticism for his part in the affair.

He is known to have been deeply shocked and upset at the reaction, believing he had done nothing wrong and now he feels utterly let down by offers.

An ECB official last night said: "We are aware of discussions between ECB officials and Kevin Pietersen before he left on holiday, but we have no knowledge of any guarantees given to him."