Saina lose in Hong Kong Open

India's challenge in the Hong Kong Super Series ended with Arvind Bhat and Saina Nehwal losing their quarter-final matches.

Bhat lost to Thailand's Boonsak Ponsana 26-28, 22-20, 14-21 while Nehwal went down to Hong Kong's Chen Wang 25-27, 21-24, 15-21.

Ponsana will meet third seed Chinese Jin Chen, who beat third seed Weijie Gong 21-8, 21-10.

Wang will face her second seed compatriot Mi Zhou, who got the better of Pui Yin Yip 13-21, 21-16, 21-14.

Liverpool, Inter and Atletico through to last 16

Former European champions Liverpool and Inter Milan sealed their berths in the Champions League last 16 but last season's finalists Chelsea still have work to do after a 1-1 draw at Girondins Bordeaux on Wednesday.

Inter advanced from Group B despite a surprise 1-0 home defeat to Panathinaikos that left their manager Jose Mourinho fuming while victory put the Greek side in an excellent position to progress to the knockout stage.

"Panathinaikos's win is absolutely deserved," Mourinho said. "People say they were lucky but I don't agree. After that performance we don't deserve to go through and we must be angry with ourselves."

The Italian champions were left on eight points after Jose Sarriegi struck in the 69th minute to lift Panathinaikos into second place on seven and they need only a draw from their final match at home to Cypriots Anorthosis Famagusta, who have six.

In Group D, five time winners Liverpool sealed their passage with a 1-0 home win over Olympique Marseille after captain Steven Gerrard scored his fifth goal in this season's competition.

Liverpool were joined in the last 16 by Atletico Madrid, who beat PSV Eindhoven 2-1 in an empty Calderon as they served a one-match crowd ban in their home game against Marseille.

Barcelona, the 2006 winners, sealed top spot in Group B after a 5-2 away drubbing of also qualified Sporting while Jadson hit a hat-trick for Shakhtar Donetsk who clinched a place in the UEFA Cup last 32 with a 5-0 home rout of Basel. Early goals from Thierry Henry and Gerrard Pique sent Barca on their way while Lionel Messi and Bojan Krkic were also on target for the Catalan side either side of a Marco Caneira own-goal.

Captain Gerrard fit to face Marseille

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has told his players to secure qualification for the Champions League knockout stages on Wednesday night when he will re-write the Anfield record books.

French club Marseille's visit to Merseyside will see Benitez take charge of Liverpool for a 66th European tie, taking him past the record previously held by Bill Shankly, the legendary Scot who managed Liverpool between 1959 and 1974.

A victory for Liverpool will guarantee their presence in the last 16, with one group game remaining, and even a draw could be good enough to secure their passage should Atletico Madrid beat PSV Eindhoven in Spain.

But Benitez wants nothing left to chance and is keen to ensure there is no possibility of Liverpool needing a result in the last game of the group stages against Eindhoven in Holland next month.

Liverpool are on course for a possible Premier and Champions League double this season. Despite a disappointing goalless draw against Fulham last Saturday, they are level on points at the top of the Premier League and Benitez believes his squad have the quality to maintain a strong challenge for both titles.

Gerrard missed the Fulham game with a groin strain, but the Liverpool captain trained on Tuesday and is set to start against Marseille. "Gerrard was training this morning and I think he will be fit," said Benitez.

Liverpool's Spanish full-back Alvaro Arbeloa has warned his team-mates that they cannot afford to underestimate Marseille. The French club is fighting to stay in the competition after taking three points from the first four group games.

But Arbeloa witnessed the damage Marseille inflicted on their last visit to Anfield in October 2007, when Mathieu Valbuena's late goal earned the visitors a memorable victory.

Spain success for the Davis Cup victory

Spain overcame the absence of world No. 1 Rafael Nadal to clinch the Davis Cup on Sunday when Fernando Verdasco beat Jose Acasuso t
o give them a 3-1 win over Argentina in the final.

Verdasco, brought in to replace Spain's off-form No. 1 David Ferrer, won 6-3, 6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to hand Argentina their third defeat in three final appearances and their first home loss for 10 years.

The Davis Cup victory extends this year's sporting success for Spain after its athletes won cycling's Tour de France, the Wimbledon Championship and soccer's European Championship.

Acasuso, ranked 48th, was thrown into the fray after Argentina's No.1 Juan Martin del Potro was ruled out with a pulled muscle in his right leg.

"It's a dream. I've wanted this chance since I was a boy, few get it and even fewer take it," said an elated Verdasco after defying a partisan 11,000 crowd at the indoor Islas Malvinas arena.

Troubled Arsenal beaten as top four fire blanks

The top four failed to muster a goal on Saturday as Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United drew 0-0 while Arsenal went down 3-0 at Manchester City.

Premier League leaders Chelsea could find no way through Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge. Liverpool had the same problem at home to Fulham and third-placed Manchester United were held 0-0 in a lively game at Aston Villa.

Troubled Arsenal's season went from bad to worse as they slid to fifth.

With captain William Gallas dropped for questioning the fighting spirit of his team mates, injury-hit Arsenal capitulated with Stephen Ireland, Robinho and Daniel Sturridge on target for City.

Arsenal are 10 points behind Chelsea and Liverpool who are locked together on 33 points from 14 matches although Chelsea have a superior goal difference. United are eight points behind with a game in hand while Villa rose to fourth.

Arsenal's season appears to be unravelling fast.

City went ahead in first-half stoppage time when a mistake by Gael Clichy gifted Ireland a goal after the City midfielder had burst into the area.

Robinho made it 2-0 early in the second half after a splendid pass from Shaun Wright-Phillips and Sturridge won and converted a late penalty to condemn Arsenal to a second consecutive defeat without scoring a goal.