Sania-Bhupathi enter final of Australian Open

Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi overcame a sluggish start to sail into the Australian Open mixed doubles final for the second consecutive year as they beat Czechs Iveta Benesova and Lukas Dlouhy in straight sets on Friday.

The Indian pair thrashed the Czechs in straight set of 6-4, 6-1 to reach the final stage of the tournament in Melbourne. Sania and Bhupathi, who were runner-up at the Melbourne Park last year, trailed 1-3 in the opening set before storming back to seal the issue in 54 minutes.

In the summit clash, they will take on the unseeded French-Israeli combine of Nathalie Dechy and Andy Ram, who stunned seventh seeded Spaniards Anabel Medina Garrigues and Tommy Robredo 7-6 (9/7) 6-4.

It was hardly the kind of start Sania and Bhupathi, who have dropped just one set en route to the semis, would have wanted as Benesova and Dlouhy broke them in the opening game to race to a 1-3 lead.

However, the Indians got their act together soon after and broke back twice to take the first set in 32 minutes. Sania and Bhupathi continued their dominance in the second set and broke their rivals thrice.

Such was their hold over the proceedings that the Indians did not face a single break point in the second set, which they wrapped up in a mere 22 minutes. The win makes it a double delight for Bhupathi, who along with Bahamas' Mark Knowles, has also made the men's doubles finals to be played tomorrow.

Bhupathi has six mixed doubles Grand Slam titles under his belt with different partners. His last mixed doubles Grand Slam was incidentally the Australian Open in 2006 when he had partnered Swiss Martina Hingis. Sania, however, would be aiming for her maiden Slam title.

Saina revises her goal, aims to crack top five by 2010

Citing that she needs more experience in the international level, ace shuttler Saina Nehwal has now revised her target from being the numero uno to just breaking into the elite top five bracket by 2010.

"I had earlier said that I was aiming to be on the top but realistically to be among the first five will be fine with me," Saina told reporters.

"Right now, I am doing well and I am satisfied with my performance in the international tournaments. But I need more experience. Playing in different tournaments will be important," the 18-year-old teen added.

The current world number 10, Saina, who is training under her coach and former All England champion P Gopichand at his academy in Hyderabad, does not feel the need to train abroad.

"I think training in India is as good as training elsewhere as we have the best of facilities (in India)," the Beijing Olympic quarter-finalist said.

Referring to the World Badminton Championship to be held in Hyderabad in August, Saina said though she would have home advantage, she would not take the event lightly.

Federer beats Roddick to reach Open final

Switzerland's Roger Federer blasted Andy Roddick off-court in another fearsome display to reach the Australian Open final and stay on course for a record-tying 14th Grand Slam title on Thursday.

The second seed absorbed Roddick's serve and dominated the rallies to take it 6-2, 7-5, 7-5, with arch-rival Rafael Nadal playing Fernando Verdasco in the all-Spanish second semi-final on Friday.

Federer, now in his 18th Grand Slam final, has not lost any of his three previous Australian Open title matches and continues his unbeaten record against Roddick in Major tournaments. Nadal is hot favourite for his semi with Verdasco, raising the prospect of a mouth-watering sixth Grand Slam final between the world's top two players and long-time rivals.

It was demoralising for Roddick, who came into the match revitalised by a change in coach but got off to an appalling start and argued with the chair umpire as the first set slipped past in 32 minutes.

Federer had the seventh seed on a string and he reeled off 12 straight points to take the second, breaking for 6-5 and serving out with grim precision for the two-set lead.

Roddick tangled again with the umpire when he swore loudly and received a code violation, and was left staggered when Federer dug himself out of trouble with a brilliant drop shot, lob and stop-volley to hold for 5-5.

The American was then guilty of a howler as he patted the ball to Federer's feet with the court begging, gifting the crucial break point which the Swiss converted with an unstoppable forehand before calmly serving out the win.

Federer lost in the semis here last year and was beaten in the Roland Garros and Wimbledon finals by Nadal, who ended his record 237-week stint as world number one.

But he rescued his season by winning his fifth US Open title to move to 13 Grand Slam victories, one fewer than American great Pete Sampras.

Federer moves to 16-2 against Roddick, the former number one who won the 2003 US Open but has not reached a Grand Slam final since 2006.

He beat Andreas Seppi, Evgeny Korolev and 2005 champion Marat Safin in the early rounds before fighting back from two sets down against Tomas Berdych.

Federer then thrashed Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro in the quarter-finals, winning 6-3, 6-0, 6-0 in his most comprehensive victory in the last eight of a Grand Slam.

Federer also reached the semi-finals at the previous five Australian Opens, winning in 2004, 2006 and 2007, and last failed to make the last eight in 2003.

He can join Roy Emerson, Andre Agassi, Jack Crawford and Ken Rosewall as the only men to have won four or more titles here.

Roddick won against Bjorn Rehnquist, Xavier Malisse, Fabrice Santoro and Tommy Robredo to reach the quarter-finals, when defending champion Novak Djokovic retired with cramp in intense heat.

Zvonareva beats Bartoli to reach Aussie Open semis

Russian seventh seed Vera Zvonareva reached the Australian Open semi-finals with a crushing 6-3, 6-0 win over French 16th seed Marion Bartoli on Tuesday in searing conditions at Melbourne Park.

Zvonareva kept her cool after going down 3-1 in the first set to win 11 straight games as Bartoli wilted in the heat.

The 23-year-old Russian has been in ominous form in reaching her first ever Grand Slam semi-final. She is yet to drop a set in the tournament while holding her opponents to 6-0 in four of the 10 sets she has contested.

Her ability to deal with the testing conditions proved crucial against Bartoli, who could not find the red-hot form with which she ousted world number one Jelena Jankovic.

Bartoli, a Wimbledon finalist in 2007, came out swinging early in the match but her aggressive tactics proved unsuited to the hot conditions. She drew first blood, taking advantage of a Zvonareva double fault and a rash of unforced errors from the Russian to go up a break in the first game.

Zvonareva, playing in only the second Grand Slam quarter-final of her career, managed to break back in the next. But Bartoli, covering her head with a towel between games to provide some relief from the heat, lobbed an advancing Zvonareva on her way to another break.

The 23-year-old Frenchwoman surrendered the advantage three games later, committing two double faults and allowing Zvonareva to level the set at 3-3. The Russian, who took a 6-1 winning record against Bartoli into the match, began to recover from her slow start, her penetrating ground strokes finally finding their mark.

She gained the upper hand with another break to go up 5-3, sending down her first ace of the match in the next as she went on to serve out the set after 38 minutes.

The conditions took their toll on Bartoli in the second set and Zvonareva moved her around the court, breaking her three times as she raced to a 6-0 lead in just 30 minutes.

Gerrard keeps Liverpool in FA Cup

Steven Gerrard was Liverpool's hero yet again as they remained in the FA Cup on Sunday after, for the second time in a week, being held to a 1-1 draw by city rivals Everton at Anfield.

When the teams met on Monday in a Merseyside derby draw which dented Liverpool's Premier League title ambitions, it was Everton who fought back but Sunday's match saw the Reds come from behind.

Everton took the lead in this fourth round tie in the 27th minute when Liverpool, as happened on Monday, failed to mark Tim Cahill in the box.

The Australia midfielder's header from Steven Pienaar's corner was nodded home from close range by Joleon Lescott.

But Gerrard, as he's done so often before, dragged Liverpool back into the match with a well-struck shot six minutes before the hour although Everton's United States goalkeeper Tim Howard ought to have saved at his near post from the England midfielder.

Earlier, Arsenal were also left contemplating the somewhat unwelcome prospect of an FA Cup replay, against Cardiff City, after their Welsh opponents held them to a goalless draw at Ninian Park.

Cardiff, beaten in last year's final by Portsmouth, spurned several good chances in the first half in a match where Arsenal missed opportunities of their own against the second-tier Championship club.

This match was a repeat of the 1927 final which Cardiff won 1-0 to become the only non-English club to win the FA Cup.

Afterwards Cardiff's Roger Johnson praised the Bluebirds' defending which helped earn them a second crack against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on February 3.

Holders Portsmouth were knocked out of the FA Cup on Saturday after losing 2-0 at their Fratton Park home to Cardiff's bitter Welsh rivals Swansea, who also play in the Championship.

Flawless Federer makes Safin suffer

Switzerland's Roger Federer floored fellow former champion Marat Safin in straight sets to reach the Australian Open's last 16 on Friday.

Federer, seeking a record-equaling 14th Grand Slam, hit sparkling form as he overwhelmed his old rival 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) to stay on course for a semi-final match-up with Novak Djokovic.

The two ex-number ones have met twice before here, with Federer winning the 2004 final and Safin winning a classic semi a year later en-route to the title. But Federer won their previous three meetings, including last year's Wimbledon semi-final, and now holds a 10-2 record in a rivalry stretching back to 2001.

The Swiss had a close look at Safin's serve in the fifth game of the first set and pounced in the seventh, creaming a backhand down the line and snapping up the first break point on a double fault.

Federer whipped another backhand to break early in the second and went a double break up with a heavy forehand before sealing the set with a simple volley.

A furious Safin berated the line judge when he was foot-faulted in the third set tie-break and charged back from 4-1 down but Federer blazed an ace and service winner and took the first match point with another memorable backhand.

The second-seeded Swiss will play Tomas Berdych in the next round and is on track to meet defending champion Djokovic in the semi-finals.

World number one Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray are in the other half of the draw with the 'Big Four' all in fine touch here so far.

Federer can match Pete Sampras's 14 Grand Slam titles record here after starting his first season without the top ranking since 2004. He has reached the semi-finals at the last five Australian Opens, winning the tournament in 2004, 2006 and 2007.

Djokovic beats Delic to grab 4th round spot in Australia

Serbia's Novak Djokovic recovered from dropping his first set of the tournament to beat American Amer Delic 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 in the third round of the Australian Open on Friday.

The defending champion lost the second set after a brief lapse in concentration but regained his composure to win the next two, despite being pushed to a tiebreaker in the fourth.

Delic, who was promoted to the main draw as a lucky loser when Nicolas Kiefer pulled out, troubled the world number three with his booming serve but Djokovic's big-match experience proved decisive.

Djokovic's next opponent will be either Mardy Fish or Marcos Baghdatis.

Merciless Nadal rolls past Roko

Top seed Rafael Nadal rolled over Croatia's Roko Karanusic 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 in the Australian Open's second round to stay on course for his first hard court Grand Slam title on Thursday.

Nadal, who earlier blew away Christophe Rochus, was again merciless, missing only one break point as he wrapped it up in 97 minutes to set up a clash with 79th-ranked German Tommy Haas.

"He played aggressively, it's not easy to play against someone who plays inside the court and hits big shots with the forehand," Nadal said.

"But I feel very comfortable here and I'm very happy with the victory."

The 22-year-old broke twice before sealing the opening set with an ace, then took the second at a canter and clinched victory on his first match point when Karanusic put a forehand wide.

The top seeds have all excelled here with three-time champion Roger Federer and defending champion Novak Djokovic both impressive in their early matches.

Nadal had a slow start to the year after an extended off-season with ongoing knee problems, but he has been in lightning form as he bids to add the Australian Open to his Wimbledon and French Open crowns.

The Majorcan left-hander is starting his first season as number one after ending a wait of more than three years by overtaking Federer in August.

Nadal compiled one of the best seasons in tennis history last year, winning his fourth successive French Open and ending Federer's five-year Wimbledon reign in a classic final.

He also took the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics and claimed eight titles in all, more than any other player on tour.

Sania Mirza crashes out of Australian Open

India's campaign in the Australian Open singles came to an end with Sania Mirza crashing out of the women's section with a 3-6, 2-6 loss at the hands of 10th seed Russian Nadia Petrova in the second round on Wednesday.

The Indian, who is making a comeback after undergoing a wrist injury, had to blame herself for the loss as she squandered crucial break points against Petrova, who hardly left any room for errors.

The unseeded Indian did improve her ground strokes and made the Russian do some running around with some stunning double-handed backhand winners. But Sania lacked consistency and failed to maintain the intensity.

Petrova had a very good serve and hit seven aces while Sania could manage only two. She committed three double faults too.

At times, Sania engaged Petrova in long rallies, but failed to execute a plan to recover points.

In crunch situations, the Russian held her nerve and served extremely well to thrash the Indian.

Sania will now partner American Vania King in the doubles and in the mixed doubles will team up with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi.

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Man United tap Sahara for sponsorship deal

Imagine the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney turning out to play for their club with the name of an Indian company prominently emblazoned on their shirts.

This is no idle fantasy. Manchester United, the world's biggest football club, has reportedly approached the Sahara group for a sponsorship deal.

Sources said the club has been seeking sponsors and has sent a proposal to Sahara - which supports the Indian cricket team - for sponsoring the team's shirt.

Abhijit Sarkar, the head of Sahara's corporate communication, confirmed receiving the proposal but declined to comment further.

When TOI contacted Man U, a club official said, "We have been in touch with a lot of sponsors and hope to strike something in the near future."

Currently, American International Group (AIG) has a contract for sponsoring Man U shirts for £56.5 million (about Rs 415 crore). The four-year deal began in 2006.

But with AIG being hit hard by the financial meltdown, the deal appears to have run into trouble. That could explain Manchester United's search for new avenues of sponsorship.

Sania wins first round at Australian Open

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 singles 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.

Zola fears backlash as West Ham prepare for January sell off

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola fears speculation over the futures of several of his star players could lead to a lacklustre performance in Sunday's London derby
against Fulham.

Zola has spent much of the week fending off approaches for Australia defender Lucas Neill, Wales striker Craig Bellamy, England internationals Scott Parker and Matthew Upson and Portuguese winger Luis Boa Morte.

With West Ham's Icelandic owners badly affected by the global credit crunch, the Hammers are short of cash and open to offers for any of Zola's squad.

The Italian coach has been trying to persuade Bellamy to stay at Upton Park and has turned down several advances from Manchester City and Tottenham, while also rebuffing Newcastle's bid for Neill and Arsenal's interest in Upson.

However, Zola is well aware that his players could be more concerned about their prospective departures than focusing on Fulham's visit to east London this weekend.

Bellamy was one of several players who opted not to attend Friday's voluntary training session at Chadwell Heath, to the frustration of former Chelsea forward Zola.

While Zola knows there is a good chance he will have to sell some players before the window shuts, he is adamant that Socceroos star Neill - his club captain - has not been given permission to speak to Newcastle, despite Magpies manager Joe Kinnear admitting he has been talking to the player's agent.

Fulham will make the short trip across the English capital with transfer distractions of their own as Cottagers boss Roy Hodgson admits he is prepared to sell Jimmy Bullard.

Bolton had a bid for the England midfielder rejected earlier this week after failing to match Fulham's five million pounds valuation.

Negotiations to extend the 18 months remaining on Bullard's contract are reported to have stalled, so Hodgson is willing to cash in while his value is still high.

Federer seals easy victory in all-Swiss Kooyong final

Roger Federer won his second Kooyong Classic title on Saturday with an easy 6-1, 6-3 victory over Swiss compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka.

World number two Federer set the tone for the match early, breaking the 23-year-old Wawrinka in the first game and he never looked back, sealing victory in the eight-man invitational tournament in just 57 minutes.

Wawrinka put up more of a fight in the second set, but the result seemed inevitable with the 27-year-old Federer sealing victory with a smash from the net after he had worked Wawrinka around the court.

In the third-place playoff, Spain's Fernando Verdasco used a booming serve and powerful forehand to beat Chile's Fernando Gonzalez 6-4, 6-3 in 47 minutes.

Milan are considering Kaka offer, says club TV channel

AC Milan are considering an offer from Manchester City for Brazil playmaker Kaka, the director of the club's in-house TV channel said on Thursday.

"There's an offer for Kaka from Manchester City and it is being considered by Milan," channel director Mauro Suma said.

"Considered does not mean decided or accepted. We are not faced with a decision made or a done deed. There are still hours and days ahead."

A Milan spokesman said Suma's comments were not an official statement by the Serie A club.

Media reports have said City, the richest club in the world after being taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group, have bid more than 100 million pounds ($146.2 million) for the 26-year-old.

City manager Mark Hughes told reporters on Thursday that a deal to sign Kaka was still on for the Premier League club.

"It has been well documented that we have expressed an interest in signing the player," he said.

Sania to face Marta Domachowska in Australian Open

India's Sania Mirza will begin her singles campaign against Marta Domachowska of Poland in the Australian Open tennis beginning on Monday.

Sania is on a comeback trail after remaining out of action for most part of 2008 due to a career threatening wrist injury and her ranking has slipped from a high of 27 to current 107.

The 22-year-old Indian's first round opponent is ranked 61st and reached Australian Open quarter-final last year to register her best Grand Slam performance so far.

The Hyderabadi has come back to courts only last month in the World Team Challenge in Hong Kong where she showed flashes of her old self when she upset 25th ranked Agnes Szavay of Hungary in straight sets and helped the Asia-Pacific team to become the Silver Group champions.

Sania's best Australian Open performance was her third round appearance in 2005 and 2008.

Marta had the better of Sania in straight sets way back in 2003, the only time they have faced each other.

If Sania manages to get past Marta, she could potentially run into 10th seed Nadia Petrova of Russia in the second round. Nadia is up against Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova in the first round.

Rooney goal gives United victory over Wigan

Wayne Rooney scored the winner but suffered a hamstring injury in a 1-0 victory over Wigan Athletic that moved Manchester United up to second in the Premier League on Wednesday.

The England striker netted after just 54 seconds at Old Trafford but hobbled off soon after scoring and will be sidelined for at least three weeks, manager Alex Ferguson said.

United, who have 44 points and a game in hand, will go top if they beat Bolton Wanderers on Saturday as leaders Liverpool, who have 46, do not play until they host Everton in the Merseyside derby on Monday.

Wigan, coached by former United favourite Steve Bruce, remain in seventh place. Shortly before kickoff they rejected a 10 million pounds bid from Tottenham Hotspur for Honduras midfielder Wilson Palacios.

Rooney's first minute strike came after a good run and cross from newly-crowned FIFA World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo although that was virtually Rooney's last contribution as he limped off eight minutes later.

He was replaced by Carlos Tevez who had a great chance to double United's lead soon after coming on but lost control of the ball after rounding Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland.

Wigan battled hard but failed to score against a United side who have now gone nine Premier League games without conceding a goal.

They tested goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar with a volley from Maynor Figueroa and almost drew level with nine minutes left when Antonio Valencia's drive just went over the bar.

Nadal and Jankovic top seeds for Australian Open

Spain's Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic of Serbia have been confirmed as the top seeds for this year's Australian Open, which begins on Monday.

Roger Federer was listed as second seed in the men's draw ahead of defending champion Novak Djokovic and Briton Andy Murray for the year's first Grand Slam.

Former champion Serena Williams was seeded second for the women's tournament ahead of Russian pair Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva.

The full draw for the tournament will be made at Melbourne on Friday. Seeds for the Australian Open are based on the world rankings. The only man missing from the world's top 32 is Russian Nikolay Davydenko while two women are absent, last year's champion Maria Sharapova and China's Li Na.

Nadal has never won the Australian Open although he has won the French Open four times and Wimbledon once. His best performance in Melbourne was last year when he reached the semi-finals. Jankovic was also a semi-finalist in Australia last year but is yet to win a Grand Slam.

FA Cup holders Portsmouth see off Bristol City in replay

FA Cup holders Portsmouth set up a fourth round meeting with Championship (second division) side Swansea City when they won 2-0 at Bristol City in a third round replay on Tuesday.

West Bromwich Albion, the only other Premier League side in action on a night when nine FA Cup ties were played, beat League One (third division) promotion challengers Peterborough United 2-0 at London Road in their third round replay.

There were no shock results though, with Swansea beating minor league Histon 2-1 and Sheffield United of the Championship beating Leyton Orient of League One (third division) 4-1.

Portsmouth took the lead at Ashton Gate after 38 minutes when England striker Peter Crouch completed a counter-attacking move that began after City appeals that Crouch handled in his own penalty area were turned down.

Croatia winger Niko Kranjcar added Portsmouth's second two minutes from time and Portsmouth's England goalkeeper David James saved a Nicky Maynard penalty a minute later.

Swansea will travel to Fratton Park after winning at Histon with first half goals from Gorka Pintado and Guillem Bauza. Pintado missed a penalty for the visitors after 81 minutes before Josh Simpson pulled one back three minutes later.

West Brom, the Premier League's bottom side, scored a rare away win with Jay Simpson, on loan from Arsenal, scoring the first goal after 18 minutes and defender Paul Robinson heading the second in the 37th minute.

West Brom also beat Peterborough in both the League Cup and FA Cup at London Road last season.

Championship leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers won the midlands derby 2-0 against Birmingham City at St Andrews with Andy Keogh and Sam Vokes securing Wolves a fourth round meeting with Premier League Middlesbrough.

Charlton Athletic, who have not won for a club record 17 league matches, chalked up their first victory since October with a 1-0 win at Norwich City in an all-Championship replay and will now play Sheffield United in the fourth round.

United came from behind to beat Leyton Orient 4-1 with all of their goals coming in the second half.

In other games Cheltenham Town and Doncaster Rovers drew 0-0 in their re-arranged third round tie while Millwall won 3-2 at Crewe Alexandra in a third round replay.

The match between Burnley and Queens Park Rangers was being decided in extra time with the scores level at 1-1 after 90 minutes.

Cristiano Ronaldo wins FIFA World Player award

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

United hammer Chelsea to close in on leaders

Manchester United thrashed Chelsea 3-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday as the Premier League champions moved an ominous step closer to leaders Liverpool. Nemanja Vidic headed United in front in first-half stoppage time and Wayne Rooney doubled their advantage on the hour with a close-range volley.

Dimitar Berbatov completed the rout in the 87th minute to lift United into third place. Alex Ferguson's side are now just five points behind Liverpool and one behind a Chelsea side who were desperately lacking any spark and wilted alarmingly.

United face Wigan Athletic on Wednesday and Bolton Wanderers on Saturday. Should they win both they will be top of the league before Liverpool face Everton next Monday.

Defeat was Chelsea's first on the road in the league this season and continued manager Luiz Felipe Scolari's poor record against the top sides since taking over at Stamford Bridge.

United began to ratchet up the pressure on the Chelsea goal just before the interval. John Terry was forced into one desperate block from a Park Ji-sung shot before Ronaldo had a headed goal disallowed after referee Howard Webb ordered a crafty United corner to be re-taken -- much to the fury of Rooney.

Chelsea failed to learn their lesson and as Giggs delivered the ball again in stoppage time, Berbatov got a slight touch and Serbian defender Vidic crept in at the far post to nod the ball past Cech.

Sharapova pulls out of Australian Open

Russia's Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from the Australian Open, she announced on Sunday.

The 2008 Australian Open champion said she was making steady progress from a shoulder injury but was not fit enough to compete in the first grand slam of the year, starting January 19.

"I am very sorry to announce that I am not going to be able to defend my title at this year's Australian Open," she said in a statement.

"My shoulder is doing great but I just started training a few weeks ago and I am just not near the level I need to be to compete at the highest levels."

Sharapova won her first Australian Open title last year when she beat Serbia's Ana Ivanovic in the final at Melbourne Park but has not played since August.

The 21-year-old won her first 18 matches in 2008 to briefly reclaim the number one ranking before injury struck at Montreal, forcing her to withdraw from last year's Beijing Olympics and the US Open.

"I know she has been working around the clock to try and get back from the shoulder injury. In the end, time beat her this year," Australian Open tournament Director Craig Tiley said.

"We wish her well with her return to tennis and look forward to seeing her back in Melbourne next year."

Sharapova is the first major casualty for this year's Australian Open but the fifth champion in the last eight years not to defend their singles title.

Andre Agassi (2001 winner), Serena Williams (2003), Justine Henin-Hardenne (2004) and Marat Safin (2005) also missed the first grand slam of the year because of injury.

Players have long been demanding the Australian Open, which is traditionally held in the last two weeks of January, be moved back to March to allow them to play in cooler conditions and enable them to take a longer break between seasons.

Tennis Australia officials did agree to push the 2007 tournament back one week but later scrapped the plan and reverted to the original dates.

Saina goes down fighting in Malaysian Super Series quarters

Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal played her heart out but eventually ran out of steam as French Hongyan Pi beat her in a gruelling quarter-final encounter of the Malaysian Super Series on Friday.

The World number 10 Indian went down 17-21, 26-24, 16-21 to Pi, whom she had beaten in the World Super Series last month, after a nerve-wracking 56-minute battle.

World number eight Pi made her intentions clear right from the start and opened a 9-6 lead before stretching it to 15-9.

But Saina soon narrowed the gap to 13-15 claiming four straight points. However, the Indian could not keep up the pace and the first game slipped out of her hands 17-21.

Pushed to the brink, Saina came back strongly in the next game going neck to neck from 5-5 to 16-16 before Pi pocketed three quick points to open a three-point lead at 19-16 but a gutsy Saina smashed three points to draw level.

Levelled at 24-24, Saina broke loose and grabbed two quick points to pocket the game 26-24 and stay afloat in the match.

However, the Hyderabadi teen run out of steam in the last games and after some initial resistance, she lost the plot as Pi walked away with the game 21-16.

Saina will next play in the Korea Super Series from January 13-18 next week.

Nadal and Jankovic look on bright side

World number one stars Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic insist that their Australian Open build-ups are still on track despite dispiriting new year setbacks.

Nadal, the French Open, Wimbledon and Olympic champion, slumped to a 6-4, 6-4 defeat to France's Gael Monfils in the Qatar Open quarter-finals on Thursday.

Jankovic, looking to silence the sceptics by capturing a first Grand Slam title in Melbourne later this month to beef up the foundations of her world top spot, lost her opening singles match of the year to Venus Williams in Hong Kong.

Nadal also lost to Andy Murray in the Abu Dhabi exhibition tournament last weekend, fuelling fears that his off-season preparation had been affected by the knee injury which caused him to miss the last two events of 2008. But he insisted that he had no worries.

"There's no damage to my confidence," said the Spaniard who last season had to wait until April to lift his first trophy of the season.

"I knew that the beginning of the season was not going to be easy because, although I have had more rest than other players, I have also had more time outside of competition than others.

"So it is a little bit more difficult to come back fast to my rhythm. I'll leave here (Qatar Open in Doha) with positive feelings when I go to Australia."

At the World Team Challenge in Hong Kong, Jankovic lost tamely 6-2, 6-2 to Venus Williams as her 2009 campaign got off to a disappointing start.

Jankovic is hoping to use the Hong Kong exhibition tournament to sharpen up ahead of the Australian Open. Last year she reached the final of the US Open as well as the semi-finals of the Australian Open and the French Open.

Derby County beat Manchester United in League Cup

Championship strugglers Derby County, with new manager Nigel Clough watching from the directors' box, beat Manchester United 1-0 in the semi-final, first leg of the League Cup on Wednesday.

Kris Commons 30th minute left foot shot past United keeper Tomasz Kuszczak was enough to claim victory against the World, European and Premiership champions in Derby's first major semi-final since 1976.

Clough chose not to walk on the pitch and acknowledge supporters at Pride Park before kick off. A publicist he is not, but he surely played a part in creating what he hopes to be the second Clough dynasty at Derby County after his new team embarrassed the might of Manchester United.

Alex Ferguson has more than a grudging regard for Derby County's new manager and stated as much when the pair clashed in the FA Cup just over two years ago when Clough was manager of non-league Burton Albion. Little did he know they would turn out to be so prophetic.

The presence of Paul Jewell's permanent successor in the directors box had the predictable effect on the team languishing in 18th place in the Championship, but even he could not have envisaged the fact that he will renew combat in two weeks time with a first leg lead, thanks to Commons.

Despite bravado from Derby players, claiming they wanted to test themselves against the best United had to offer, prior to locking horns with the World club Champions, the sight of a United side with containing only two genuine regulars in Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic and the vastly experienced Paul Scholes, further energised the hosts and they can be assured to face a far more menacing line-up for the second leg.

Clough will not meet his squad of players until Thursday but he "popped" his head around the door of the home dressing room to wish them well and he clearly has a touch of his father's magic and sense of occasion.

Without the calming influence of Rio Ferdinand, Vidic and Tomasz Kuszczak were subjected to early moments of discomfort as United were unable to find any of their customary rhythm and it was hardly against the run of play when Derby deservedly broke the deadlock.

Reaching the semi-final stage cost Commons almost 1,000 pounds in purchasing tickets for his friends, but the fulminating 25-yard shot he guided beyond United's Polish 'keeper after 30 minutes was pure gold dust for David Lowe, elevated from youth team coach to temporary Derby manager for the evening.

United were so unconvincing that Ferguson's plans to rest all his key players ahead of Sunday's Premier League meeting with title rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge had to be abandoned after an hour.

They had barely registered a shot against their former 'keeper Roy Carroll's goal when Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo were introduced to cure the lethargy that gripped the overwhelming favourites.

What his dad Brian, who died in 2004 from stomach cancer, would have made of it all was a question Clough was expecting: "I haven't got the foggiest to be honest. He might have said don't be so stupid, but I hope it would have been a positive response. I just wish he was still around to give me some advice."

Mauresmo sees off spirited Coin in three hour epic

It may have taken three and a quarter hours and five match points but Amelie Mauresmo finally saw off the challenge of compatriot Julie Coin to move into the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International on Wednesday.

Mauresmo, of France, joined countrywoman Marion Bartoli in the last eight when she beat Coin 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (13/11) in a superb second round clash that belied the difference in class and experience between the two players.

The match was the longest of Mauresmo's career, eclipsing the three hours seven minutes she took to beat Mary Pierce in the final of the 2005 Tour Championship.

The final set lasted 89 minutes alone as Mauresmo came from 2-5 down to force a tiebreak.

"I said to myself it's only one break of serve so if I can win my serve and put a bit of pressure on hers, you know it could happen that I go back to five-all, which it did," she said.

Mauresmo had five match points in the tiebreak and Coin three, with the result in doubt right up until the moment Coin hit a backhand long over the baseline.

Mauresmo and Coin used to share the same coach growing up but as the 29-year-old Mauresmo went on to a glittering career including two Grand Slam titles and a stint at No.1, Coin, three years her junior, moved to the US and studied mathematics at Clemson University.

Coin's tour results were so poor in 2008 that she was close to giving up until she beat then world No.1 Ana Ivanovic on the way to reaching the third round of the US Open, where ironically she was beaten by Mauresmo.

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I'm prepared to slug it out: Sania Mirza

Sania Mirza, relegated to the sidelines for the last four months, will be back in the competitive mix on Wednesday. Action begins on January 7 in the star-studded Hong Kong exhibition, now being played in a team challenge format.

The 22-year-old Indian will play alongside China's Zheng Jie in the Asia Pacific team. They open against a formidable Russian side, comprising Anna Chakvetadze and Vera Zvonareva.

Sania will clash with friend and former doubles partner Chakvetadze in her comeback match while Zheng plays Zvonareva. The other teams in the competition are Europe, headed by world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic, and Americas, led by Venus Williams.

Sania, trendily turned out in blue jeans and a white jacket, was part of the inaugural photo session of the Hong Kong event. "I've played enough tennis to know that it's going to take me a while to find my feet again. The more matches I get under my belt, the better for me," she said.

Sania, who was out of action for the better part of 2008 with an injured wrist that went under the knife in April, is at her best physically. "Being fit and being match-fit are two different things," she said. "I know it's going to take me a while to get match-fit again and I'm prepared to slug it out. I'm looking forward to the thrill of competing again."

Ranked No. 31 at the start of 2008, Sania's ranking spiralled out of the top 100. She's presently ranked 100. She has 30 points to defend at Hobart next week (where she'll only play doubles) and 90 during the Australian Open fortnight. If she fails to win a round in Melbourne, her ranking could dip to the 150 region by early February.

Sania's father Imran, who coaches the Hyderabadi, was hopeful that she'd pick up pace by the summer.

United and Villa into FA Cup fourth round

Premier League sides Manchester United and Aston Villa reached the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday after seeing off lower league opponents Southampton and Gillingham.

United beat Championship (division two) strugglers Southampton, who played for almost an hour with 10 men, 3-0 at St Mary's Stadium and will now meet Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford in the fourth round.

Aston Villa won 2-1 at League Two (fourth division) Gillingham with James Milner celebrating his 23rd birthday by scoring both goals.

Villa will travel to play the winners of the postponed tie between Cheltenham Town and Doncaster Rovers in the fourth round in three weeks' time.

United, who were last beaten in the third round of the FA Cup 25 years ago, weathered some early pressure from Southampton but the outcome was rarely in doubt after Danny Welbeck headed home from two metres out in the 20th minute.

United effectively wrapped the tie up in the 48th minute after Riley made another controversial decision, ruling that David McGoldrick had handled a Nani freekick when the ball appeared to hit his back. Nani duly converted the penalty.

Substitute Darron Gibson scored United's third after 81 minutes.

Villa were made to work hard for their victory at Gillingham, who won the praises of Villa manager Martin O'Neill.

Milner put the visitors ahead with a superb strike after 13 minutes after playing a clever one-two with Stilian Petrov, but Gillingham's endeavour paid off after 57 minutes when they equalised through Canadian international Simeon Jackson who blasted an unstoppable shot past Brad Friedel.

Villa though, regained the lead with 11 minutes to play when Milner scored from a penalty after Gills skipper Adam Miller was adjudged by referee Keith Stroud to have brought down Ashley Young.

Murray defeats Nadal to grab Australian Open boost

Britain's Andy Murray defeated world number one Rafael Nadal 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 in the final of the Abu Dhabi exhibition on Saturday to score a crucial blow ahead of the Australian Open.

The world number four had a double reason to celebrate his 2hr 43min win with this three-day event representing the first time he had beaten both Nadal and world number two Roger Federer in the same tournament.

Murray will get the chance to repeat his achievement when he joins Nadal and Federer at the Qatar Open in Doha from Monday, the opening week of the 2009 competitive season.

The Scotsman also picked up the winner-takes-all cheque of 250,000 dollars for his win over Nadal, the reigning French Open, Wimbledon and Olympic champion.

Nadal, who missed the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai last year because of a knee injury, was playing his first event in more than two months, and was delighted with his game and health.

Murray took the first set after breaking Nadal on his third break point in the third game and, in almost an action-replay of the opener, the Scotsman broke in the fifth game of the second set to go 3-2 up.

But Nadal came back in sensational fashion from 15-40 down in the sixth game and won it on the first break point to even the scores at 3-3. He then took the next service game at love. He had two set points which he converted immediately to take the second set 7-5.

The first seven games of the final set was tennis of the highest quality from both players. Almost each game went the distance and involved spectacular rallies and amazing shots.

Murray broke in the seventh game, which lasted 14 minutes, on his second break point. Once Nadal lost that game, Murray quickly closed out the affair by breaking him again in the ninth game.

Roger Federer produced some magical moments, but wasn't enough to win the game

Former world number one Roger Federer produced some magical moments, but that wasn't enough to prevent a fourth loss in his last five matches to the fast-improving Andy Murray on Friday.

In the semi-finals of the Capitala World Tennis Championship, an exhibition shootout being played at the Zayed Sports City tennis stadium, Scotsman Murray prevailed in three sets 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6).

The world number four next takes on the top-ranked player in the world, Rafael Nadal in the final after the Spaniard's explosive powerplay proved to hot for Russian world number five Nikolay Davydenko to handle. Nadal won 6-2, 6-3.

The winner of the Nadal-Murray final takes home the entire purse of $250,000 in the shootout tournament.

Federer began well, racing to 3-0 in the first set. Murray broke back in the fifth game when the Swiss maestro twice failed to pull of easy drop shots on the net. A double fault by Murray on break point in the 10th game sealed the set for the 13-time Grand Slam champion.

Federer struggled at the net and with his forehand shots in the second set, which was easily won by Murray, who then raced to a 4-1 lead in the third.

It was then that Federer turned on his magic. Suddenly, it looked like he could do no wrong. Some lethal serves and blistering returns saw him win the next four games in nine minutes.

However, Murray held on to his serve in the 10th game and pushed the set into a tie-breaker, where several Federer unforced errors gave him three match points at 6-3.

The Swiss star saved all three match points, but two more unforced errors ensured the result in favour of the Scot.

Chelsea fine Drogba 100k pounds

Ivory Coast star Didier Drogba has been docked 100,000 pounds by Chelsea for criticising the club in Sun Sport.

The whining Ivory Coast striker has angered both team-mates and Blues officials by claiming he did not get the support he deserves, The Sun reports.

Now he has been docked a week's wages after the club ran out of patience with his constant moans.

Drogba claimed the club failed to support him when his grandmother died this year. He also confessed he did not exactly rush back from his knee injury and criticised manager Phil Scolari's team selection.

His comments have infuriated Scolari and chief executive Peter Kenyon, particularly as the club laid on a private jet so he could return to Africa to be with his grandmother.

Drogba, 30, was on Wednesday ordered to explain his outburst and told he would lose a week's wages under an internal disciplinary procedure. And that could spell the end of his 4½-year stay at The Bridge.

Benitez backs Gerrard in lead-up to Preston tie

Rafael Benitez will keep faith with Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard despite his arrest in connection with a bar-room brawl earlier this week.

The Liverpool and England midfielder was arrested on Sunday, after scoring two goals in the Premier League leaders' 5-1 win away to Newcastle, and charged with assault 24 hours later by police following his involvement in the incident at the Lounge Inn in Southport, near Liverpool.

A question mark now hangs over Gerrard's immediate future ahead of Liverpool's FA Cup third round tie on Saturday away to fellow north-west side Preston North End, pushing for promotion to the Premier League.

But Benitez has held clear-the-air talks with his star player and assured Gerrard he will be selected for the game if convinced he is in the right frame of mind to play.

It is understood Gerrard has informed the Liverpool manager he wants to play and that leaving him out of the team would only heighten speculation about his Anfield future.

Preston defender Callum Davidson insists Gerrard's problems will have no bearing on Liverpool when it comes to the game.

On a more positive note for Benitez, he could be in a position to welcome back leading striker Fernando Torres from a hamstring injury.

Albert Riera believes the leaders will be an even more formidable prospect once Torres returns to action.

Riera cannot wait to see his compatriot back in Liverpool's first team and he said: "All wingers, in fact all players, would want to play with Fernando because he is such a good player.