Safina tames Mauresmo after scare June 29, 2009 WORLD No1 Dinara Safina became the first player ever to win under the Centre Court roof after surviving an epic battle with 2006 champion Amelie Mauresmo. The top seed was a set down but 4-1 up in the second when the first rain of the Wimbledon week forced play to be suspended for 30 minutes. [...]
Take up ballet and get tutus, SA coach taunts ‘soft’ Lions June 29, 2009 SOUTH AFRICA head coach Peter de Villiers yesterday further inflamed the eye-gouging row with the British and Irish Lions, accusing them of being soft and suggesting they swap rugby for ballet. De Villiers also reiterated his defence of Schalk Burger after the flanker escaped with an eight-week ban for clawing at Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald’s [...]
Vaughan will be sorely missed, says Trescothick June 29, 2009 FORMER opener Marcus Trescothick believes England will miss the experience of Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan when Australia visit again this summer. Vaughan, the former England captain, is expected to announce his retirement at an ECB-convened press conference this morning, thus ending any suggestion of a recall for the forthcoming Ashes series. Since stepping down as [...]
Ruthless Murray ready to bury best friend Wawrinka June 28, 2009 LAST week they were allies, pinging balls back and forth in an atmosphere of camaraderie. But today Andy Murray and Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka, one of the British No1’s best friends on the tour, will be bitter adversaries. Murray resumes his Wimbledon quest on Centre Court with a fourth-round contest against 19th seed and regular practice [...]
Vaughan poised to confirm retirement after Ashes snub June 28, 2009 FORMER England captain Michael Vaughan looks to have played his last first class match after a press conference was called for tomorrow at which he is widely expected to confirm his retirement. Speculation Vaughan would retire has snowballed since the 34-year-old was left out of England’s initial squad for the Ashes last week. The Yorkshire [...]
World record wages entice Eto’o to City June 28, 2009 MANCHESTER CITY are on the brink of signing striker Samuel Eto’o in a blockbusting £25m deal after Barcelona admitted being unable to compete with the Premier League club’s gargantuan spending power. City are willing to make Eto’o, 28, the highest paid player on the planet in order to pull off the grandest in a series [...]
Rebel trio got me sacked, says Scolari June 28, 2009 FORMER Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has accused senior Blues trio Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack and Petr Cech of getting him sacked.Scolari, a World Cup winner with Brazil, was axed in February just seven months into a lucrative three-year deal at Stamford Bridge. The 60-year-old, now coaching in Uzbekistan, says striker Drogba, midfielder Ballack and [...]
Real steal march on Arsenal and United in Benzema war June 28, 2009 THE TRANSFER battle for Arsenal and Manchester United target Karim Benzema has intensified after Real Madrid opened the bidding with a £27m offer. The Lyon and France striker, 21, is a long-standing target of United’s while the Gunners emerged as rivals for his signature at the weekend. But free-spending Real have stolen a march on [...]
He had a dream career but glory days were over June 28, 2009 HIS omission from the Ashes training squad was the final nail in the coffin for Michael Vaughan’s career at the highest level. But if, as expected, he bows out tomorrow he will finish his playing days with the utmost respect of everyone in the game. Vaughan has had his glory days – and more glorious [...]
Burger gets eight-week ban for eye gouging June 28, 2009 SOUTH AFRICA flanker Schalk Burger was last night hit with an eight-week ban for gouging British and Irish Lions winger Luke Fitzgerald’s eyes in Saturday’s brutal clash. Burger was cited after the Springboks clinched the series with a 28-25 victory in an incident-packed dramatic second Test in Pretoria. His team-mate Bakkies Botha was also banned [...]