Top seeds make Australian Open progress as title bids gather pace January 22, 2015 WORLD No1 Novak Djokovic’s quest for a fifth Australian Open title remains on course after dismantling Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov in the second round at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne yesterday. Djokovic showed few signs of the virus which has hampered him in recent weeks and secured a straight-sets 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 victory in just [...]
Smad Place to put down serious Gold Cup marker January 22, 2015 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS THE BEST OF THE WEEKEND RACING CHELTENHAM hosts Festival Trials Day tomorrow and the ante-post markets are certain to be in for a shake-up. The highlight of a strong card is the BetBright Cup Chase (1.50pm) and, despite a field of eight, it actually looks like a decent running of this Gold [...]
Road to Cheltenham January 22, 2015 PAUL Nicholls is having another excellent season and as long as Nicky Henderson doesn’t have eight Cheltenham winners, and then follows up in the Grand National, the master of Ditcheat is virtually guaranteed a ninth trainer’s championship in the past 10 years. But a notable sub-plot to this year’s jumps campaign has been the continued [...]
United look set for safe passage into round five January 22, 2015 BEN CLEMINSON PREVIEWS THE PICK OF THIS WEEKEND’S FA CUP ACTION NEWS of Cambridge United fans camping out to buy tickets for their team’s plum tie against Manchester United shows the magic of the FA Cup is still alive and well – but their chances of witnessing a fairlytale tonight are remote. The U’s can [...]
Bournemouth can pile the misery on Paul Lambert’s Villa January 22, 2015 FOR A team that only secured their Football League status back in the 2008/2009 season with a late winner on the final day of the campaign, Bournemouth’s meteoric rise to the top of the Championship has been a brilliant advertisement of the club’s management. The Cherries have played extraordinary football at times this season, smashing [...]
Maximum excitement with sporting index January 22, 2015 The thrill of the world’s oldest football competition returns tonight and Manchester United will see the FA Cup as by far their best chance of silverware this season. Despite sharing the record of 11 FA Cup wins with Arsenal, United haven’t lifted the trophy since 2004. Sporting Index have them trading as joint-second favourites on [...]
Newcastle named the 19th richest club in the world – but how much of Mike Ashley’s money goes on transfers? January 22, 2015 Newcastle United are the 19th richest football club on the planet. In an era in which St. James’ Park has become synonymous with fan discontent, that seems tough to believe. Yet according to Deloitte’s Football Money League for the 2013/14 season, the north east club made more cash than European giants such as Roma, [...]
What to watch, see and listen to in 2015: From Avengers and Shaun the Sheep to an exhibition about beards January 21, 2015 Our pick of the upcoming films, music art and theatre. FILM SELMA David Oyelowo in Selma 6 February This movie chronicles Martin Luther King’s epic march from Selma to Montgomery as part of the civil rights movement, which culminated in President Johnson signing the Voting Rights act of 1965. English actor David Oyelowo [...]
Capital One Cup: Slender lead fails to quash Spurs worries January 21, 2015 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1 SHEEFIELD UNITED 0 TOTTENHAM manager Mauricio Pochettino has warned his team they will have to win at Bramall Lane next week to earn a place at Wembley after meeting stubborn resistance in the Capital One Cup semi-final first leg last night. Spurs needed a second-half penalty from Andros Townsend to breach League [...]
Murray ready for Sousa after romp past Matosevic January 21, 2015 WHILE the Australian Open draw means Britain’s Andy Murray will have to beat some decorated players to reach the latter stages, the third round sees him pitted against a man widely regarded to be his country’s best ever. Murray will come up against Joao Sousa early tomorrow morning, a player he thrashed in Melbourne two [...]