Murray plays safe for SW19 June 11, 2014 WIMBLEDON champion Andy Murray insists new coach Amelie Mauresmo will not make any significant changes to his game before he begins defending his title later this month. Murray began his grass-court season yesterday with a straight-sets win over Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu at the Aegon Championships at Queen’s Club, the traditional Wimbledon warm-up event. It was [...]
Puncture fails to hamper Froome June 11, 2014 BRITISH cyclist Chris Froome overcame a puncture to tighten his grip on the Criterium du Dauphine yesterday and close in on a successful title defence. The Team Sky rider finished in the peloton on the fourth of eight stages but maintained his 12-second lead over main rival Alberto Contador in the general classification. Froome, who [...]
Man City handed FFP reprieve June 11, 2014 FOOTBALL: Manchester City have received a boost after governing body Uefa confirmed the club will only need to include five home-grown players in their Champions League squad next season. City are restricted to 21 players rather than the standard 25 due to a breach of financial fair play rules, but will now not have to [...]
McIlroy to switch off at US Open June 11, 2014 GOLF: Former US Open champion Rory McIlroy plans to leave his phone at home when he tees off at the tournament today. McIlroy, who plays alongside fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell, has been in the headlines following a recent split from tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, and said: “Sometimes you become dependent on all this new [...]
2014 World Cup: We’ll go nuts for Brazil June 10, 2014 Call it a heady fusion of optimism and romanticism, or a toxic brew of wilful amnesia and false hope, but so many things about the prospect of this World Cup in Brazil make me impossibly excited. The sun-kissed setting is certainly high on the list. England aside, it’s the fantasy World Cup host. It may [...]
London boozers to watch World Cup goals by June 10, 2014 The Square Mile’s best spots for World Cup football: THE ANTHOLOGIST This cavernous venue is perfect for sipping cocktails while cheering on your team. It also does some decent food to keep you going through those late night matches. 58 Gresham Street, City, EC2V 7BB OLD BENGAL BAR If you want a touch of class [...]
How to survive a World Cup with England June 10, 2014 Every minute you are at a World Cup is the most special experience you can have as a professional footballer. You wake up in the morning and instantly appreciate it. It’s an absolute adrenaline rush. But being in the squad is only the first battle. Even if you were initially happy just to be in [...]
Timeline: England’s World Cup campaigns June 10, 2014 1950, BRAZIL Eliminated in group stage in first World Cup with 1-0 defeat to United States remaining one of all-time surprise World Cup results 1954, SWITZERLAND Victory over hosts took England to the quarter-finals where holders Uruguay proved too strong 1958, SWEDEN The tournament which saw Pele announce himself on the world stage, saw England [...]
Lions braced for Latin test June 10, 2014 Roy Hodgson’s team face tricky path to knockout stage ITALY THE FOUR-TIME winners were unsurprisingly unbeaten in qualifying, boasting goals throughout the team and a frightening front two of Mario Balotelli and Serie A top scorer Ciro Immobile. Seeming ever-presents Gianluigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo are back to terrify England, though their focus this year [...]
Group exit looms, predict statisticians June 10, 2014 OPTIMISTIC England fans look away now: the Three Lions only have a four per cent chance of winning the World Cup this summer, according to number-crunching experts. Roy Hodgson’s men are most likely to exit the tournament at the group stage, while Wayne Rooney is the man set to be at the centre of all [...]