Defending champion brushes off injury fears following win September 4, 2013 BRITAIN’S Andy Murray refused to blame a long-term back injury for his struggle in overcoming Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin and reaching the US Open quarter-finals late on Tuesday night. Defending champion Murray lost the first set to the world No65 and admitted to toiling as he came back to win 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-4, 6-4, but [...]
Gasquet ends Ferrer US bid September 4, 2013 FRANCE’S Richard Gasquet brushed aside a comeback from Spain’s David Ferrer last night at the US Open to win in five sets and reach only his second career grand slam semi-final. Eighth seed Gasquet raced into a two-set lead and, after fourth seed Ferrer had mustered all his battling qualities to force a decider, completed [...]
Wade carrying Lions buzz into Wasps season September 4, 2013 LONDON Wasps’ flying wing Christian Wade hopes his memorable summer can carry over into the new Aviva Premiership Rugby campaign. Wasps looked on course to secure a return to the Heineken Cup last season only for defeats in their final seven games to see them slip to eighth. And while this was a bitter pill [...]
Cricket Comment: Fans being fleeced by under-strength England September 4, 2013 AS ENGLAND prepare for their one-day series against Australia, which starts tomorrow, it’s hard to escape the feeling that ordinary punters are being cheated. Cricket fans up and down the country have shelled out in the hope of seeing Ashes heroes such as Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Graeme Swann and Ian Bell. None of them [...]
Ozil: Wenger the reason I ditched Real for Gunners September 3, 2013 ARSENAL’S new £42.5m record signing Mesut Ozil has revealed how manager Arsene Wenger personally persuaded him to leave Real Madrid for north London in the biggest deal of transfer deadline day. The Germany playmaker says Wenger lured him to Emirates Stadium late in the window by promising him a pivotal role in the team and [...]
Arsenal spend at last and spark 12-fold increase in shirt sales September 3, 2013 ARSENAL reported an enormous spike in sales of replica shirts yesterday as fans flocked to celebrate the club record signing of Mesut Ozil. Sales of shirts via the club’s online store were 12 times higher than normal, a Gunners spokesperson said, while retail outlets at the stadium also reported huge interest, with the overwhelming majority [...]
England’s captain Morgan turns boos to cheers in hometown win September 3, 2013 ENGLAND captain Eoin Morgan toasted a memorable performance after his career-best score of 124 helped to defeat his native Ireland by six wickets in the one-day international in Dublin. Morgan was booed as he came to the crease on his home ground at Malahide but departed to a standing ovation as his and Ravi Bopara’s [...]
We don’t need Rooney to get past Moldova, says Walcott September 3, 2013 ENGLAND winger Theo Walcott has urged the national team’s new recruits to seize their chance against Moldova on Friday and help ease World Cup qualification fears. Roy Hodgson’s side are without main goal threat Wayne Rooney, while in-form Daniel Sturridge and midfielder Jack Wilshere were not well enough to train yesterday. Tottenham’s Andros Townsend and [...]
Football Comment: Mourinho arms his rivals’ rivals with loan stars September 3, 2013 THE £30m signing of attacker Willian aside, it was not the players who arrived at Chelsea during the transfer window so much as the ones that they allowed to leave that interested me most. Of those who came in, the big-haired Brazilian is the most exciting and, I’m sure, eased Jose Mourinho’s hunger to lure [...]
Summer of brooding leaves Borthwick eager for restart September 3, 2013 RUGBY is a game of inches and fine margins, and no one knows this better than Saracens’ veteran captain Steve Borthwick. Last season was a case of always the bridesmaid and never the bride for Borthwick’s men as they fell at the final hurdle in nearly every competition to end up empty handed. But he [...]