Amir must focus on rehabilitation - Lorgat

Mohammad Amir must go through a process of rehabilitation and not focus on the reduction of the ban imposed on him by an ICC tribunal, the ICC chief Haroon Lorgat has said

Palladino plans quick recovery from broken jaw

Derbyshire seam bowler Tony Palladino has a fighting chance of being fit for the start of the county season after flying back from a pre-season tour to Barbados with a broken jaw

Furth lament 'bitter' exit

Greuther Furth coach Mike Buskens has spoken about last night's dramatic DFB-Pokal defeat to Borussia Dortmund and his decision to switch goalkeepers just before the German champions' winning goal.

Mariners, Nagoya finish all square

Markus Tulio Tanaka put Nagoya Grampus ahead away to Central Coast Mariners, but Patrick Zwaanswijk earned the Australians a draw to move both sides on to four points from two outings.

Marseille eliminated by French Cup part-timers

Struggling Marseille have been eliminated from the French Cup quarter-finals as third-tier part-timers Quevilly claimed a 3-2 extra-time win to advance to the last four for the second time in three years.

Mexico beat Canada to book London trip

Mexico became the last team to qualify in the North, Central and Caribbean region for London 2012 with a 3-1 victory over ten-man Canada in the semi-finals of the CONCACAF U-23 Men's Championship.

Iniesta and Messi goals sink Athletic

Andres Iniesta opened the scoring before Lionel Messi sealed Barcelona a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao from the spot, keeping the Catalans within six points of La Liga leaders Real Madrid.

Tigre stumble, Banfield move up

Tigre suffered a 2-1 defeat at home by Argentinos Juniors, and as a result, failed to make up ground on leaders Estudiantes, while Banfield moved off the bottom of the table with an emphatic 5-2 win over Olimpo.

Benfica snap Braga run

Benfica ended Braga's 13-game winning run as they claimed a 2-1 win with Bruno Cesar scoring a last-minute decider, while Porto took over top spot with a 2-0 defeat of Olhanense.

Wenger: Something was missing at QPR

Following Arsenal's defeat by Queens Park Rangers, coach Arsene Wenger has said his side lacked commitment, while Mark Hughes believes his relegation-threatened club can rack up more wins before the season's end.

Iniesta, Messi see Barça past Athletic

Andres Iniesta opened the scoring before Lionel Messi sealed Barcelona a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao from the spot, keeping the Catalans within six points of La Liga leaders Real Madrid.

Mainz stun shaky Bremen

Mainz moved five points clear of the bottom three in the Bundesliga with a convincing 3-0 victory over Werder Bremen, who are on the brink of missing out on Europe next season.

Real maintain lead, Barça keep chase

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Real Madrid retained their six-point lead at the top of the La Liga table with a 5-1 thrashing of Osasuna, while Barcelona kept up the pressure with a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.

Parma bag vital victory over Lazio

Parma put some much-needed space between themselves and the bottom of the table in Serie A, while simultaneously denting Lazio's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League next season with a 3-1 win.

Robben edges Bayern past Nurnberg

Arjen Robben scored in the second half to edge Bayern Munich 1-0 past Nurnberg in the Bavarian derby, which moves the second-placed side to within three points of Borussia Dortmund at the top.

Paes Captures 50th Doubles Title

Seventh seeds Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek rallied to defeat second-seeded Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor 3-6, 6-1, 10-8 to win the Sony Ericsson Open on Saturday, their second team trophy of the season.

[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]]

Nancy shock PSG, Nice snatch points

Yohan Mollo scored in the 89th minute to snatch Nancy a 2-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain, who were unable to leapfrog Montpellier at the Ligue 1 summit, while Nice dealt Saint-Etienne a blow in a narrow 3-2 win.

F1B Sector 3: March 31, 2012

Here’s what you NEED to know about formula One this week! Join me for our Sector 3 news wrap up of the week in formula 1 in 5 minutes or less

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Zenit edge closer to title as CSKA draw

Russian Premier League leaders Zenit St Petersburg beat Spartak Moscow 2-1 to move nine points clear at the top of the table, while nearest chasers CSKA Moscow were held to a 1-1 draw by Kuban Krasnodar.

Petrov: I will beat this illness

Aston Villa midfielder Stiliyan Petrov appeared at Villa Park today to watch his side against Chelsea in the Premier League, and has said he is drawing inspiration from Fabrice Muamba since he was diagnosed with acute leukaemia.

Bayern close on Dortmund, Freiburg triumph

Bayern Munich grabbed a vital three points against Nurnberg in their pursuit of leaders Borussia Dortmund, Freiburg claimed a 2-0 win over a lacklustre Bayer Leverkusen, while Mainz moved up to tenth with a 3-0 win at Werder Bremen.

Radwanska defeats Sharapova in Miami final

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP)â€"Maria Sharapova lost her serve in the final game of each set Saturday and again fell short in a bid for her first Sony Ericsson Open title, losing to Agnieszka Radwanska 7-5, 6-4.
 
Sharapova, a three-time Grand Slam champion, fell to 0-4 in Key Biscayne finals. She was also the runner-up in 2005, 2006 and last year.

Radwanska, ranked a career-best No. 4, earned her ninth career title and fourth since last summer. She’s 0-4 in 2012 against top-ranked Victoria Azarenka and 26-0 against everyone else.
 
The match was 72 minutes old before Radwanska hit her first baseline winner. She was content to play steadily and extend rallies until the more aggressive Sharapova would make a mistake.
 
Sharapova finished with 45 unforced errors, many from the backhand side. Radwanska committed only 10 unforced errors and erased all three break points she faced.
 
On a sunny, 85-degree afternoon, the South Florida crowd was divided in its support.
 
“Vamos Maria!” one spectator hollered for the Russian.
 
“Vamos Agnes!” another shouted for the Pole.
 
Sharapova draped a rolled-up cold towel around her neck during changeovers, but the heat didn’t seem to faze either player. But the pressure to hold serve made Sharapova wobble twice.
 
Serving at 5-6 in the first set, she committed four unforced errorsâ€" including a blown overheadâ€"to lose the set.
 
The pattern was similar in the second set, when Radwanska had only one break pointâ€"the last point of the match. Sharapova sailed a forehand long, and Radwanska lifted her arms in triumph.
 
Radwanska beat Venus Williams en route to the final and won every set she played. She improved to 2-7 against Sharapova, with her other victory at the 2007 U.S. Open.
 
Sharapova was trying to extend her streak of winning at least one title for a 10th consecutive year. Instead she settled for her third runner-up trophy in 2012â€"she also lost finals at the Australian Open and Indian Wells, both to Azarenka.

WTA addresses grunting issue in meeting

The WTA is considering putting into place measures that may cut down on grunting, the New York Times reports.

In a meeting last weekend in Key Biscayne, the WTA board of directors took up the topic, which according to WTA vice president of communications Andrew Walker, "stemmed from an increase in negative fan reaction to excessive grunting and an increase in media coverage, and we made a determination that the landscape had changed, and we owed it to the fans to take a look at it."

However, Walker told TENNIS.com that the WTA "hasn't developed a detailed plan re: education or rules/rules enforcement."

Some analysts and players have called for chair umpires enforcing the hindrance rule when a player is grunting too loudly.

However, the WTA's two top players and loudest grunters, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova, have strongly come out against any measures that would attempt to change their behavior, which puts the WTA in a tricky position as they are dependent on their star players to promote the tour.

The WTA hopes to convince the International Tennis Federation to help educate players at the junior level, as well as work with academies and coaches.

"If junior players start getting docked points for excessive grunting, they won’t care what their role models do," Walker told the Times. "If we get the proper education and enforcement, it will resolve itself."â€"MC

Nadal: Knees much better than in 2009

Rafael Nadal, who pulled out of his semifinal against Andy Murray at Miami’s Sony Ericsson Open, says his sore left knee is not as bad as it was in 2009, when he was forced to pull out of Wimbledon and did not have chance to defend his title. Nadal said the knee pain began while he was training at home in Mallorca in February, then got worse at the tournament at Indian Wells, where he lost in the semifinals to Roger Federer.

The Spaniard is optimistic about the clay-court season, when he is scheduled to play five tournaments in two months time: Monte Carlo and Barcelona back to back, Madrid and Rome back to back, and then Roland Garros.

“Seriously the tendons are much better today than three years ago,” Nadal told reporters. “The treatments worked fantastic. Even if today a really bad knee and last couple of days were tough for me, but positive thing the tendon improve a lot the last couple of years. I am more health with both tendons than now. So the treatments are working well. In 2009 I compete in very bad conditions a lot of times. For the last couple of years, 2010, 2011, I was able to compete with perfect conditions for almost all the year. So that's always fantastic when that's happening...I try my best in every moment with pain, without pain, but when I see the situation is done and I cannot, I cannot."

WTA discusses grunting issue in meeting

The WTA is considering putting into place measures that may cut down on grunting, the New York Times reports.

In a meeting last weekend in Key Biscayne, the WTA board of directors took up the topic, which according to WTA vice president of communications Andrew Walker, "stemmed from an increase in negative fan reaction to excessive grunting and an increase in media coverage, and we made a determination that the landscape had changed, and we owed it to the fans to take a look at it."

However, Walker told TENNIS.com that the WTA "hasn't developed a detailed plan re: education or rules/rules enforcement."

Some analysts and players have called for chair umpires enforcing the hindrance rule when a player is grunting too loudly.

However, the WTA's two top players and loudest grunters, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova, have strongly come out against any measures that would attempt to change their behavior, which puts the WTA in a tricky position as they are dependent on their star players to promote the tour.

The WTA hopes to convince the International Tennis Federation to help educate players at the junior level, as well as work with academies and coaches.

"If junior players start getting docked points for excessive grunting, they won’t care what their role models do," Walker told the Times. "If we get the proper education and enforcement, it will resolve itself."â€"MC

Chelsea deny Villa, City held by Sunderland

Chelsea quelled an Aston Villa fight-back as they beat the Midlanders 4-2 at Stamford Bridge thanks to a Branislav Ivanovic race, while Manchester City's title tilt took another knock having been held 3-3 at home by Sunderland.

Vegalta go clear as Tokyo stumble

Vegalta Sendai are two points clear at the top of the J.League after a 2-1 victory over Cerezo Osaka, FC Tokyo suffered a 1-0 loss to Sanfrecce Hiroshima, and Kashima Antlers bagged their first point at Yokohama F. Marinos.

Djokovic beats Monaco to reach Miami final

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP)â€"A marathon second set was all even in a tiebreaker Friday night when Novak Djokovic found himself involved in yet another grueling point.

He hit 13 shots, all smacked aggressively from the backcourt, many landing within a foot or two of the baseline at the far end.

Finally Djokovic’s dogged opponent cracked. Juan Monaco sailed a weary forehand long, and moments later the top-ranked Djokovic clinched a berth in the final of the Sony Ericsson Open by winning 6-0, 7-6 (5).

“In the tiebreak I stayed calm and focused and closed it out when I needed to,” Djokovic said.

The final will be Djokovic’s first since winning the Australian Open for his fifth Grand Slam title and third in a row. His opponent Sunday will be 2009 champion Andy Murray, who advanced with a walkover when Rafael Nadal withdrew hours before their semifinal because of a left knee injury that has bothered him in recent weeks.

Nadal said the injury has been getting worse, but he hopes for a quick recovery to avoid missing any of the upcoming clay-court season.

Djokovic won a quick first set and a 96-minute second set against Monaco, an Argentine playing in just his second Masters 1000 semifinal. Djokovic was broken for the only time when he served for the match, but in the tiebreaker he took the lead for good by winning a 26-stroke rally to go up 4-3.

Grinding tiebreaker rallies twice left Monaco with his hands on his knees afterward trying to recover. On match point, he pushed a forehand into the net.

The drama at the finish seemed unlikely when Djokovic dominated at the start. The first set took only 27 minutes, and Monaco won just seven points, two on double-faults by Djokovic.

“All the credit to him for staying in the match, fighting and coming back,” Djokovic said. “It was the semifinals. It was never going to be easy.”

Thanks to South Florida’s large Argentine population, Monaco had plenty of support from the capacity crowd. Fans sang in Spanish, encouraging a rally, and he obliged.

“The crowd started to sing my name, and it was a great feeling for me,” Monaco said. “I started to think a little bit better.”

Monaco’s first serve kept him in the second set, and Djokovic wobbled briefly. Serving at 5-4, he fell behind love-40, erased all three break points but then double-faulted. Monaco finally broke when Djokovic pushed a forehand into the net for 5-all, and the crowd erupted.

“I couldn’t close it out,” Djokovic said. “But OK. I’m in the final, and that’s a positive fact. I’ll try in the final not to have that letdown.”

Djokovic’s experience in big matches showed at the finish, and he improved to 89-8 since the beginning of last year. Monaco fell to 0-5 against the Serb, winning just one of 13 sets.

“The first set was incredible,” Monaco said. “I mean, he played like the real No. 1. It was tough for me. Then it was big fight in the second set, but he really deserved to win. I think the second set we played a great match.”

Djokovic seeks his third Key Biscayne title and second in a row. He has a 7-5 record against Murray and won when they met in the Australian Open semifinals in January.

“We know each other really well,” Djokovic said. “It’s going to be a good match.”

Mancini: City will win the title

Roberto Mancini has explained Manchester City’s dip in form, insisted they will win the Premier League title, discussed Carlos Tevez’s imminent return to action and praised Fernando Torres.

Di Matteo backs Torres to shine after double

Chelsea interim manager Roberto Di Matteo believes Fernando Torres will blossom after the Spanish striker scored two goals against Leicester to end a five-month run without hitting the back of the net.

Farewell Birgit, hello Uruguay

In FIFA.com's monthly review of women's football, we look back on Birgit Prinz calling time on an illustrious career, Uruguay booking their ticket to Azerbaijan 2012 and international cups aplenty.

Le Mans to LeMons

Racing costs money, and lots of it. From F1, ALMS, Grand-Am, and everything in between, each series attaches a respective price-tag. But what if there was a series that didn’t cost much money at all? What if anyone who only possesses a valid driver’s license could sign up for wheel-to-wheel racing? Sounds like a crazy

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Daegu leave it late, Ulsan held

Two strikes in the final five minutes gave Daegu FC a 3-2 win over Jeonbuk Motors to take them into the top four, while Ulsan Hyundai Horangi were prevented from leading the K-League having been held 2-2 by Sangju Sangmu Phoenix.

Tigres close the gap, Cruz Azul held

Tigres Monterrey edged closer to the top of the table in the Mexican Clausura with a 2-0 win over Pumas UNAM, while Cruz Azul were held to a 1-1 draw by Puebla.

Liverpool into cup final four

Stewart Downing's second-half strike was enough to prevent Stoke City getting any joy at Anfield as Liverpool progressed into the semi-finals of the FA Cup thanks to a 2-1 win.

Kuyt: Reds criticism understandable

Following a dismal run of just three points from their last six Premier League games, Dirk Kuyt has said it is no surprise Liverpool are being criticised, but hopes they can address their poor form against Newcastle United.

Levante boost European hopes

A very late winner from Xavi Torres earned Levante a crucial 1-0 victory in their attempt to qualify for Europe next season and condemned Villarreal to a fourth defeat in five matches.

BCCI to probe alleged JKCA financial scam

In the wake of the widespread allegations of embezzlement of the BCCI grants at the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), the Indian board has asked its auditors to investigate the matter and prepare a detailed report on the situation

Barça players dedicate win to Abidal

Barcelona players Cesc Fabregas, Gerard Pique and Victor Valdes have paid tribute to team-mate Eric Abidal, while coach Pep Guardiola has accepted that his team will not win La Liga this season.

Football Ferns put one foot in London

A thumping 8-0 win for New Zealand over Papua New Guinea in their OFC Women's Qualifer final for London 2012 has left the Football Ferns just 90 minutes away from a place at the Olympics.

Brisbane hold edge in play-off

Goals from Henrique and Erik Paartlu gave Brisbane Roar a two goal advantage over Central Cost Mariners in the race to reach the A-League Grand Final in their first-leg showdown today.

Japan 2012 venues and match schedule announced

Some of Japan’s premier stadiums will feature at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Japan 2012 with matches to be played in Miyagi, Saitama, Tokyo, Kobe and Hiroshima.

New and old foes meet in Japan

With FIFA Women's World Cup™ winners Japan set to welcome USA and Brazil in a newly-created three-nation tournament, FIFA.com takes a closer look at the most memorable matches between the elite sides.

Wright to decide on future with New Zealand

New Zealand coach John Wright's contract is due to expire in August after the tour of the West Indies but New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White is hopeful that a decision on Wright's future is made before the end of April

Decision on Wright's future by April end

New Zealand coach John Wright's contract is due to expire in August after the tour of the West Indies but New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White is hopeful that a decision on Wright's future is made before the end of April

Sporting, Salt Lake stay perfect

Sporting Kansas City lead the early Eastern Conference standings in Major League Soccer after beating New England Revolution 3-0, while Real Salt Lake won their second match to top the Western table.

Mirallas: I’ve really blossomed at Olympiacos

FIFA.com spoke exclusively to Olympiacos striker Kevin Mirallas about his improvement in form since moving to Greece, how he has learned from past mistakes, and today's derby with Panathinaikos.

Barcelona see off Sevilla, Rayo win

Goals from Lionel Messi and Xavi were enough to claim Barcelona a relatively comfortable victory at Sevilla, while Rayo Vallecano's impressive progress continued with a 3-0 win over Real Betis.

Aranda brace boosts Morelia

Morelia survived a red card in the second period to beat Estudiantes Tecos 2-1 and take a three-point lead in the Clausura, with Lugo Aranda scoring both goals in the first half.

The entwined journeys of Ba and Cisse

Senegal strikers Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse may have been born in different countries, but they have followed surprisingly similar paths to Newcastle United. FIFA.com takes a closer look.

Marlos: It was very difficult to adapt

Marlos speaks to FIFA.com about what went wrong at Sao Paulo, the testing adaptation to freezing conditions in Ukraine, and Metalist Kharkiv’s UEFA Europa League tie against Sporting.

Chase for Manchester supremacy continues

The race for which side of Manchester the Premier League title will end up this season continues as United face Blackburn Rovers two days after seeing how City contend with Sunderland.

Ibra, Seedorf see chance in Barcelona

AC Milan pair Clarence Seedorf and Zlatan Ibrahimovic believe their team can get the result they need when they face Barcelona in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final next week.

Lacen: I owe my rise to luck

FIFA.com speaks to Getafe's Mehdi Lacen about his remarkable ascent to La Liga from the third tier in France, and his hopes for happier times on the international scene with Algeria.

Djokovic Reaches Fourth Sony Ericsson Open Final

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is one win away from successfully defending his Sony Ericsson Open crown, after defeating 21st seed Juan Monaco 6-0, 7-6(5) in the semi-finals on Friday. In the final, Djokovic will square off against fourth-ranked Andy Murray for the third time at Crandon Park.

[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]]

Djokovic beats Monaco to reach Key Biscayne final

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP)â€"Top-ranked Novak Djokovic advanced to his first final since winning the Australian Open, beating Juan Monaco 6-0, 7-6 (5) Friday night at the Sony Ericsson Open.
 
Djokovic’s opponent Sunday will be 2009 champion Andy Murray, who advanced with a walkover when Rafael Nadal withdrew hours before their semifinal because of a left knee injury that has bothered him in recent weeks. Nadal said the injury has been getting worse, but he hopes for a quick recovery to avoid missing any of the upcoming clay-court season.

Djokovic won a quick first set and a 96-minute second set against Monaco, a dogged Argentine playing in only his second Masters 1000 semifinal. Djokovic took the lead for good in the tiebreaker when he won a 26-stroke rally to go up 4-3.

Broad ruled out of Colombo Test

Stuart Broad has been ruled out of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo because of a right calf strain. The injury could prevent him joining the IPL for the second year running

Broad out of Sri Lanka tour

Stuart Broad has been ruled out of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo because of a right calf strain. The injury could prevent him joining the IPL for the second year running

Stevens gloomy on Schalke's prospects

Schalke coach Huub Stevens has conceded that he doesn't believe it's realistic to expect his side to score three goals in Spain and advance after last night's 4-2 defeat at home to Athletic Bilbao.

A fond farewell to Birgit Prinz

FIFA.com says Auf Wiedersehen to Birgit Prinz, one of the most successful players ever to grace the women's game, who brought an end to her professional career on Tuesday.

Adams challenges Kent culture

Jimmy Adams' task is to raise the temperature among Kent supporters. Kent have slumped from title-contenders at the turn of the century to second-bottom of the pile last season: the third-worst finish in their history.

Van Hattum: A very public first step

After the meeting of the FIFA Executive Committee today, FIFA.com spoke with the chairman of the Task Force Transparency and Compliance, Frank van Hattum about his views on the progress made.

French GP deal not done, but, really, it’s done

Report from France today are that the French Prime Minister didn’t announce a big, final deal to bring Formula 1 back to the real home of grand prix racing. Of course, if you think that means that your beloved Spa is safe, Grace would like to ask you: “Are you new to F1?” Spa’s going

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Sulser: Two-chamber structure will clarify

Chair of both the FIFA Ethics Committee and the Task Force Ethics Committee, Claudio Sulser told FIFA.com about FIFA’s Executive Committee’s decision to adopt proposals made by the Ethics Committee.

No Charleston for Wozniacki; Augusta doubtful

Caroline Wozniacki has decided not to try and defend her title in Charleston next week. The world No. 4, who lost to Maria Sharapova in the semifinals of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, is scheduled to play her home country tournament in Copenhagen the week after next. She is undecided as to whether she will spend any days next week at the Masters in Augusta, Georgia, which her boyfriend, golfer Rory McIlory, will be playing. "I won't play Charleston. I'll take the week off next week," she told reporters. "I'm not sure yet [about the Masters]. I don't think so, but I'm not sure."

No Charleston for Wozniacki, Augusta doubtful

Caroline Wozniacki has decided not to try and defend her title in Charleston next week. The world No. 4, who lost to Maria Sharapova in the semifinals of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, is scheduled to play her home country tournament in Copenhagen the week after next. She is undecided as to whether she will spend any days next week at golf’s Masters in Augusta, Georgia, which her boyfriend, Rory McIlory will be playing. "I won't play Charleston. I'll take the week off next week," she told reporters. "I'm not sure yet [about the Masters]. I don't think so, but I'm not sure."

Nadal pulls out of Miami semi with knee injury

Rafael Nadal has pulled out of his semifinal against Andy Murray at Miami's Sony Ericsson Open with a left knee injury, organizers announced. Nadal has been complaining about knee pain all week. Murray will meet the winner of the Novak Djokovic vs. Juan Monaco match in Sunday's final.

"Well, I have problems on my left knee," Nadal said after his three-set win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals. "That's the thing. I'm not feeling great. I don't know what's gonna happen in the next match, because gonna be a big match against one of the toughest opponents on tour, and probably I don't arrive in my perfect conditions to that match."

Few videotape sessions for Sharapova

Maria Sharapova says she rarely, if at all, watches videotapes of her matches, even her historic wins like the 2004 Wimbledon final, when she upset Serena Williams. "I haven't seen that one in a while, but I don't remember the last time where I sat down and watched a whole match of mine," she told reporters at Miami’s Sony Ericsson Open. "I know that's really disappointing, and I'm sure my coach thinks so, as well. You know, he'd love to see me in the video room watching and observing. I have patience for 10, 15 minutes, but then I'm outta there. Of course it's good to see those moments and to see, you know, the way you played, but I'm not so much of a person that likes to look back  I'll have all of that to appreciate when I'm retired."

Nadal Withdraws From Miami Semi-final

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Sony Ericsson Open prior to his semi-final clash with 2009 Miami champion Andy Murray. The Spaniard cited a left knee injury on Friday in a press conference.

[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]]

Nadal 'Not Ready To Compete'

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Sony Ericsson Open prior to his semi-final clash with 2009 Miami champion Andy Murray. The Spaniard cited a left knee injury on Friday in a press conference.

[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]]

Nadal withdraws from Miami semi with knee injury

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP)â€"Rafael Nadal has withdrawn two hours before the start of his semifinal Friday at the Sony Ericsson Open because of a left knee injury that has bothered him in recent matches.

With his withdrawal, 2009 champion Andy Murray advanced to Sunday’s final. He’ll play the winner of Friday night’s match between top-ranked Novak Djokovic and No. 21-seeded Juan Monaco.

Nadal has had knee problems in recent years, and his left knee has bothered him since Indian Wells. He lost there to Roger Federer in the semifinals two weeks ago.

Nadal took a medical timeout for treatment of his knee during a fourth-round victory at Key Biscayne and said afterward he was in less-than-perfect health. The 10-time Grand Slam champion had hoped to claim his first Key Biscayne title.

Fish: Too many slow surfaces everywhere

Mardy Fish, who lost to Juan Monaco, 6-1, 6-3, in the Sony Ericsson Open quarterfinals yesterday, said that the conditions were slow, which has become a trend on tour.

"This surface is extremely slow. I would love just to have a couple tournaments that are quicker surfaces," Fish said. "It's not necessarily the surface per se but the balls. The balls get so big and so fluffy even after a warm-up that for an attacking, fast-court type player, it's extremely hard to play those guys. Sometimes you have to execute almost every shot.  You have to execute big time to beat those guys  playing on the slower surfaces.

"Indian Wells is extremely slow with the balls, especially at night when we play there. It's two different tournaments: during the day and during the night. Australia is extremely slow. Wimbledon's balls are unbelievably heavy.It's hard to find fast surfaces these days that I can get away with, and the first two that jump out are Montreal and Cincinnati. I don't think it was necessarily a coincidence of my results there, because I'm a fast court player. There's just not many surfaces like it anymore."

Radwanska's dad goes from coach to tourist

Agnieszka Radwanska says that no longer having her father as full-time traveling coach has given a boost to her game. Last July while in California, Radwanska asked her father to go home and she hired Polish Fed Cup captain Tomasz Wiktorowski full time. Her father is at the Sony Ericsson Open with her, but is not coaching her. Since Radwanska relieved her father of full-time coaching duties, she has won four WTA Premier hard court titles and has reached the Miami final for the first time. 

"My dad is also here but is like a tourist," No. 4 Radwanska told reporters. "But when I'm practicing, doing everything with Tomasz. It's good and nice just to separate those things like being a father, being a coach. But at home I'm still practicing with my dad.  So is not a really big change, to be honest…My dad was traveling with me all my life and we practice together for 17 years, almost actually 18. I'm 23 already.  So it's pretty long time.  It's always tough to change after those kind of times. But I think it's working, and he's happy that I'm playing well.  So I think this is the most important thing."

Heleno, Brazil’s first brilliant badboy

Heleno de Freitas was an outstanding marksman and controversy machine in equal measure – so much that his story has been made into a movie. FIFA.com recalls the career of the Botafogo legend.

Alguersuari, Pirelli team up for testing

Displaced driver Jaime Alguersuari has been named as Pirelli’s newest test/development driver for 2012. The Italian tire maker and sole supplier for Formula One has recently received approval from the teams to utilize a 2010 Renault F1 chassis for the testing at Jerez, Spa, Monza and Barcelona over the summer. Alguersuari said: “I’m very happy indeed

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Shakib intent on short break

Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh allrounder, is intent on getting a bit of rest from competitive cricket after the upcoming IPL, as he has not taken any substantial time off the game for more than two years

Brazil announces WTA event for 2013

SAO PAULO (AP)â€"The Brazilian tennis federation says it will host a WTA event in 2013 after an 11-year absence.

The federation said Friday it reached a deal with the women’s tour without a tournament location and date, although negotiations were advanced.

Federation president Jorge Lacerda says Brazil “got the needed approval to give this gift to Brazil’s women’s tennis. One of our goals is to make women’s tennis grow, taking advantage of the 2016 Olympics in Rio.”

The federation says Brazil is taking over the tournament that was played in Marbella, Spain.

Brazil hosts an ATP clay-court event in Sao Paulo each February.

Sharapova tops Wozniacki in semis

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP)â€"Maria Sharapova was confused and Caroline Wozniacki was mad. The linesman was wrong and the chair umpire was right.

Sharapova won the disputed final point after an overrule by the umpire, edging Wozniacki 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 Thursday in the semifinals at the Sony Ericsson Open.

“Obviously you don’t want it to end that way,” said Sharapova, who will meet Agnieszka Radwanska in Saturday’s final.

At 40-30 in the last game, Sharapova hit a second serve that the linesman called long, which would have been a double-fault, but umpire Kader Nouni immediately reversed the ruling and ordered the point replayed. The call couldn’t be reviewed because Wozniacki had no challenges left, although TV replays showed Nouni was correct to overrule.

Sharapova was awarded two serves and took advantage with a big first serve to set up an overhead slam for the victory.

Wozniacki, angry about the overrule, declined to shake Nouni’s hand and had words with him as she walked to the exit.

“It was a pretty crucial point,” she said. “When the ball is so close, I think he should give her a chance to challenge, at least when I don’t have any challenges.”

Sharapova said she didn’t realize Wozniacki had no challenges left, and added she would have challenged the call herself had it not been overruled.

“It’s obviously a tough situation to be in,” Sharapova said, “because it’s so close to the end of the match, and both of us had fought so hard for over two hours.”

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic advanced to the men’s semifinals without argument, beating No. 5 David Ferrer 6-2, 7-6 (1). Djokovic lost a remarkable 40-shot rally that had spectators gasping as it progressed, but he played a nearly flawless tiebreaker to seal the victory.

“Coming into this tournament, I was confident,” Djokovic said. “And I feel that I am playing better and better as the tournament goes on.”

Djokovic seeks his third Key Biscayne title and second in a row. His opponent Friday night will be No. 21 Juan Monaco, who advanced on his 28th birthday by eliminating the last American in either singles draw, No. 8 Mardy Fish. The scrappy Monaco dominated from the baseline and hit only eight second serves during the 6-1, 6-3 victory.

“This is the way to celebrate my birthday, playing like this,” Monaco said. “I feel proud and very happy.”

No. 2 Rafael Nadal, seeking his first Key Biscayne title, plays 2009 champion Andy Murray in the other semifinal.

Radwanska’s progress toward her first Key Biscayne final was interrupted briefly in the second set by a power outage that caused a delay of 20 minutes. She then closed out a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Marion Bartoli, who hurt her left thigh in the early going and limped through the rest of the match.

The No. 5-seeded Radwanska is 0-4 this year against top-ranked Victoria Azarenka and 25-0 against everyone else.

Sharapova, seeded second, improved to 4-0 in Key Biscayne semifinals. She’s 0-3 in finals at the event, losing every set.

“I’m happy that I gave myself another chance to go out there and try to change that,” said Sharapova, who attended the tournament several times as a fan when she was a youngster training in Florida.

Sharapova will play in her second successive final and third this year. She was runner-up at the Australian Open in January and at Indian Wells two weeks ago.

Wozniacki, a former No. 1 now ranked sixth, fell to 1-7 lifetime against opponents ranked in the top two.

Sharapova was in an attacking mode against the Dane, a relentless retriever whose defense helped her beat Serena Williams in the quarterfinals.

Sharapova went for winners at every opportunity and hit 55, but she also committed 46 unforced errors. Wozniacki totaled only 13 winners and 25 errors.

“Being aggressive is really the key,” Sharapova said. “If you let her play many, many balls, she’s such a great mover around the court and she can be out here for many hours, and that’s not really my game.”

Sharapova was a point away from a 5-1 lead in the opening set but then began overhitting her forehand, which allowed Wozniacki to sweep five consecutive games and take the set.

Shrieking with each shot, Sharapova regained her accuracy thereafter. By the time she led 4-love in the second set, she had a 27-4 advantage in winners.

She went ahead 5-2 in the final set before Wozniacki staged one last rally, which fell short amid the fuss at the finish.

“Maria started off really well and played aggressively,” Wozniacki said. “She played some good tennis out there. I tried to do my best, and it just wasn’t enough.”

Sharapova improved to 17-1 in three-set matches since the beginning of 2011.

Lights out in Zurich for WWF Earth Hour 2012

Saturday 31 March will see the WWF Earth Hour take place between 20.30 and 21.30 CET, when the whole world will be called upon to turn off the lights. During this time, the Home of FIFA and the Brazil 2014 Office will be plunged into darkness.

FIFA Executive Committee agrees major governance reforms & Ethics structure

The FIFA Executive Committee convened at the Home of FIFA in Zurich on 29 and 30 March for its first meeting of the year and agreed to major reforms of its governance, in particular relating to ethics, audit and compliance.

Stramaccioni begins, Juve face Napoli

Inter Milan's new coach Andrea Stramaccioni will make his Serie A coaching debut against Genoa today as he hopes to turn their season around, while Juventus host Napoli in the weekend's big fixture.

Mata confident of Chelsea trophy

Chelsea are capable of winning a trophy this season says midfielder Juan Mata, who was pleased with their performance in the UEFA Champions League at Benfica but warned there is still work to be done.

Massa: ‘I feel there is confidence around me’

Felipe Massa has a blog post up at the Ferrari website. Here it is, in full: I know I can count on a second family One day to be with the team, to analyse in detail every moment of these first two Grands Prix of 2012, to understand how and why things did not go

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Kagawa: Dortmund must keep improving

Borussia Dortmund must seek incremental improvement says their in-form Japan forward Shinji Kagawa as the leaders host Stuttgart on Friday aiming to maintain their five-point margin over Bayern Munich who play the following day.

Flu fly into last 16

Brazilian giants Fluminense became the first team to reach the last 16 of the Copa Libertadores with a 1-0 win over Venezuela's Zamora, while ten-man Boca Juniors kept their hopes alive by beating compatriots Arsenal.

Celtic's Rogne dismisses mentality doubts

Celtic defender Thomas Rogne has been speaking about criticism that the Bhoys often fail to shine in big games, while Rangers' Kyle Lafferty has expressed his belief that the Ibrox side are still Scotland's best.

Pirates title boost as Sundowns stumble

A brace from Tukelo Rantie lifted Orlando Pirates to a 3-1 win over Free State Stars and took the Soweto side within two points of leaders Mamelodi Sundowns who were held at Bloemfontein Celtic.

Milan frustrate Messi and co

AC Milan and holders Barcelona played out a tight and nervy 0-0 draw at the San Siro to leave their UEFA Champions League quarter-final finely in the balance ahead of next week's second leg

Alguersuari joins Pirelli testing line-up

Ex-Toro Rosso racer Jaime Alguersuari is to join Lucas di Grassi as an official test driver for Pirelli during the 2012 season, as the Italian firm enters its second year as Formula One tyre supplier. It's the first time Pirelli will have two permanent F1 testers, after former Virgin racer Di Grassi carried out the role single-handedly last year.

Pink ball could work in Tests - Stephenson

Lancashire displayed the determination and resolve that went a long way to securing their first championship title in 77 years last summer as they tore aside a lackadaisical MCC batting display in the season's opener in Abu Dhabi.

Felipe Massa: It's time to turn the page

Ferrari's Felipe Massa insists he is determined to put his bad start to the 2012 season behind him after a day spent at the team's Maranello headquarters analysing what went wrong for the Brazilian in the year's first two Grands Prix. In Australia, Massa qualified 16th and then retired from the race after a clash with compatriot Bruno Senna. And in Malaysia he finished 15th, almost a lap down on team mate and race winner Fernando Alonso.

Lancashire show championship touch

Lancashire displayed the determination and resolve that went a long way to securing their first championship title in 77 years last summer as they tore aside a lackadaisical MCC batting display in the season's opener in Abu Dhabi.

Oman triumph to reach Olympics play-off

Oman continued their "miracle" run by triumphing in the three-team Asian play-off, following a 2-1 victory over Uzbekistan today, to reach April's match with Senegal to decide who will take the final spot at the 2012 Olympics.

Anderson Boosts Strong Houston Field

The eight projected seeds for the 2012 US Men’s Clay Court Championship are all currently ranked in the Top 40 on the ATP World Tour after a wild card was awarded to No. 28 Kevin Anderson.

[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]]

Wenger: We must focus on ourselves

Arsene Wenger has said his Arsenal side must focus on their own performances and ignore the results of others as they push to seal third place in the Premier League, which continues at Queens Park Rangers.

Barton: QPR livelihoods on the line

Joey Barton has said his Queens Park Rangers side's livelihoods are on the line when they face Arsenal on Saturday, having fallen into the Premier League relegation zone amidst a tight fight to dodge the drop.

PSG look to steal march in title rush

With nearest title rivals Montpellier out of action this weekend, Paris St Germain will look to take advantage in the title race as they take on Nancy, with Mohamed Sissoko saying they "have to win the league".

Guardiola: One goal won't be enough

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola believes his side will have to score at least two goals to see off AC Milan and reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals after the Spanish champions were held to a goalless draw in Italy.

Radwanska beats Bartoli, reaches final

The moon over Miami was the lone source of constant light during tonight's strange semifinal saga. Agnieszka Radwanska pulled the plug on power merchant Marion Bartoli, 6-4, 6-2, in a wild ride to the Sony Ericsson Open final. This match featured a seven-minute injury time-out, a 17-minute power outage, and a steady stream of service breaks.

Radwanska broke Bartoli in all nine of her service games, winning 40 of the 55 points played on her opponent's serve. The seventh-seeded Bartoli stormed out to a 4-0 lead in snapping world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka's 26-match win streak last night, and picked up where she left off with a slick drop shot-lob combination to convert her fifth break point, capping an 18-point, nine-minute opening game to break.

It took six games and 36 minutes of play for the first hold. Radwanska dropped to her knees, absorbing the pace of a Bartoli blast, then slid a slice pass up the line for game point. When Bartoli scattered a return wide, Radwanska had the rare hold and a 4-3 advantage. Radwanska entered this match with a 6-0 career edge over the former Wimbledon finalist, effectively exploiting the limitations of Bartoli's reach by stretching her with angles. Radwanska is quicker around the court, plays well off power, and can change spins and speeds, denying Bartoli the pace she craves.

Showing her soft hands, Radwanska jerked Bartoli forward forward for a drop shot, then sent her scurrying back to the baseline for a lob, eventually breaking for the fourth straight time for a 5-3 lead. The game took a toll on the Frenchwoman. In between points, Bartoli bent over and clutched her left hip, paced in a stilted shuffle, and cast concerned glances at her father and coach, Dr. Walter Bartoli. Still, she played on, and when Radwanska sprayed a forehand down the line wide, Bartoli broke for 4-5, but wasn't exactly celebrating. She hobbled to the sideline, called for the trainer, and limped off for treatment of a strained left hip at the 53-minute mark.

Returning to the court with her left thigh taped, Bartoli looked to be in pain, but her lateral movement did not appear compromised. Radwanska, who suggested Azarenka exaggerated an ankle injury in her Doha victory over the Pole last month, greeted her opponent's return by breaking at love to seize the 62-minute first setâ€"collecting her 13th straight set against Bartoli.

The second set followed a similar script, with Bartoli appearing on the verge of retiring a few times, only to stand her ground and continue to swing away. Radwanska broke at love for a 4-2 lead then the lights went out, literally, stopping play for 17  minutes. When play resumed, Radwanska ran off eight of the last 12 points, closing a two hour, two-minute soap opera on Bartoli's 35th error of the evening.

The first-time Miami finalist raised her 2012 record to 25-4, with all four losses coming to Azarenka. Radwanska will try to flip the script against second-seeded Maria Sharapova, who has won seven of eight meetings with the clever counter-puncher.

â€"Richard Pagliaro

Djokovic fends off Ferrer in quarters

After a 32-minute first set utterly dominated by Novak Djokovic, one might've expected David Ferrer to cry uncle, or el tio, the Spanish equivalent. But Ferrer, the little engine that could of men's tennis, turned a match that looked like a Djokovic steamroll into an absolute dogfight. The fifth-ranked Spaniard broke Djokovic twice in the second set, once when he was serving for the match, and if not for two crucial Ferrer mistakes in the tiebreaker, he might've pushed Djokovic to a third. Instead, the world No. 1 cruised through the breaker, 7-1, to capture the second set and the match, 6-2, 7-6 (1).

Djokovic is now 18-2 on the season, and he struck the ball as well tonight as he did when he took down another Spaniard, Rafael Nadal, in the Australian Open final. Twice in the opening three games, Djokovic made Spiderman-like gets off Ferrer drop volleys and came up with backhand and lob winners. The Serb won six of his seven forays to the net and dropped only three points on serve in the first set.

But Ferrer, like Nadal, is not one discouraged easily. At 5-foot-9, he was giving up a half-foot to the 6-foot-3 Djokovic, but after being broken for the third time in the match by Djokovic to open the second set, Ferrer started to cut Djokovic's legs out from under him. After a 33-shot rally in Djokovic's opening service game, the Serb reached for his left ankle in pain and exhaustion. It would not be the only time after a brutal, east-to-west rally that Djokovic would grimace. After Ferrer broke Djokovic, he backed up the break with four great serves to go up 2-1, the feisty Spaniard's first lead in the match.

Djokovic saved another break point on his next service game to even the score at 2-2, but his cheeks started to look more hollow than usual. Ferrer won the next game at love on his serve, and then at love-30, he had Djokovic walking like a defeated man. Ferrer's grunt sounds like a dagger, and it appeared to be sticking out of the Serb's heart. The defending champion's body language looked like he was ready to cave in under Ferrer's unrelenting baseline barrage, but instead Djokovic won four straight points to even the set score at 3-all. Two games later, Djokovic redirected a Ferrer serve to the ad court down the line for a winner and then promptly broke serve.

Serving for the match at 5-4, Djokovic looked like he had weathered the storm. But just like Nadal against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga last night, Djokovic was broken when leading 6-2, 5-4. Ferrer, after another long, grueling rally, chased down a Djokovic drop volley and then smashed an overhead winner for the break. He seemingly had all the momentum, and in going up 6-5 with a hold, the Spaniard reduced Djokovic to stumbling, heaving and reaching for his left ankle again. The skid marks on the court from Djokovic looked like lines in the sand that Ferrer was crossing out.

But Ferrer still needed to win a tiebreaker to extend the match. Djokovic took advantage of his opponent's indecision to go up 3-0, and at 1-4, Ferrer made his second crucial mistake, challenging a shot on the baseline that was called in. Hawk-Eye showed the ball catching the line, and finally, the air seemed to seep out of the Spaniard. Djokovic closed Ferrer out, with the second set taking nearly three times as long as the first set; 81-minutes of brutal, wind-sucking, dynamic ball-striking.
 
Next up for Djokovic is another night match, a semifinal against Juan Monaco, who surprisingly decimated Mardy Fish earlier today, 6-3, 6-1. In pro-Argentine Miami, Monaco has a puncher's chance against Djokovic, even though the No. 21 seed is 0-4 against the top seed.
 
â€"Dan Markowitz

Sharapova tops Wozniacki to reach Miami final

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP)â€"Maria Sharapova was confused and Caroline Wozniacki was mad. The linesman was wrong and the chair umpire was right.
 
Sharapova won the disputed final point after an overrule by the umpire, edging Wozniacki 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 Thursday in the semifinals at the Sony Ericsson Open.
 
“Obviously you don’t want it to end that way,” said Sharapova, who will meet Agnieszka Radwanska in Saturday’s final.

At 40-30 in the last game, Sharapova hit a second serve that the linesman called long, which would have been a double-fault, but umpire Kader Nouni immediately reversed the ruling and ordered the point replayed. The call couldn’t be reviewed because Wozniacki had no challenges left, although TV replays showed Nouni was correct to overrule.
 
Sharapova was awarded two serves and took advantage with a big first serve to set up an overhead slam for the victory.
 
Wozniacki, angry about the overrule, declined to shake Nouni’s hand and had words with him as she walked to the exit.
 
“It was a pretty crucial point,” she said. “When the ball is so close, I think he should give her a chance to challenge, at least when I don’t have any challenges.”
 
Sharapova said she didn’t realize Wozniacki had no challenges left, and added she would have challenged the call herself had it not been overruled.
 
“It’s obviously a tough situation to be in,” Sharapova said, “because it’s so close to the end of the match, and both of us had fought so hard for over two hours.”
 
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic advanced to the men’s semifinals without argument, beating No. 5 David Ferrer 6-2, 7-6 (1). Djokovic lost a remarkable 40-shot rally that had spectators gasping as it progressed, but he played a nearly flawless tiebreaker to seal the victory.
 
“Coming into this tournament, I was confident,” Djokovic said. “And I feel that I am playing better and better as the tournament goes on.”
 
Djokovic seeks his third Key Biscayne title and second in a row. His opponent Friday night will be No. 21 Juan Monaco, who advanced on his 28th birthday by eliminating the last American in either singles draw, No. 8 Mardy Fish. The scrappy Monaco dominated from the baseline and hit only eight second serves during the 6-1, 6-3 victory.
 
“This is the way to celebrate my birthday, playing like this,” Monaco said. “I feel proud and very happy.”
 
No. 2 Rafael Nadal, seeking his first Key Biscayne title, plays 2009 champion Andy Murray in the other semifinal.
 
Radwanska’s progress toward her first Key Biscayne final was interrupted briefly in the second set by a power outage that caused a delay of 20 minutes. She then closed out a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Marion Bartoli, who hurt her left thigh in the early going and limped through the rest of the match.
 
The No. 5-seeded Radwanska is 0-4 this year against top-ranked Victoria Azarenka and 25-0 against everyone else.
 
Sharapova, seeded second, improved to 4-0 in Key Biscayne semifinals. She’s 0-3 in finals at the event, losing every set.
 
“I’m happy that I gave myself another chance to go out there and try to change that,” said Sharapova, who attended the tournament several times as a fan when she was a youngster training in Florida.
 
Sharapova will play in her second successive final and third this year. She was runner-up at the Australian Open in January and at Indian Wells two weeks ago.
 
Wozniacki, a former No. 1 now ranked sixth, fell to 1-7 lifetime against opponents ranked in the top two.
 
Sharapova was in an attacking mode against the Dane, a relentless retriever whose defense helped her beat Serena Williams in the quarterfinals.
 
Sharapova went for winners at every opportunity and hit 55, but she also committed 46 unforced errors. Wozniacki totaled only 13 winners and 25 errors.
 
“Being aggressive is really the key,” Sharapova said. “If you let her play many, many balls, she’s such a great mover around the court and she can be out here for many hours, and that’s not really my game.”
 
Sharapova was a point away from a 5-1 lead in the opening set but then began overhitting her forehand, which allowed Wozniacki to sweep five consecutive games and take the set.
 
Shrieking with each shot, Sharapova regained her accuracy thereafter. By the time she led 4-love in the second set, she had a 27-4 advantage in winners.
 
She went ahead 5-2 in the final set before Wozniacki staged one last rally, which fell short amid the fuss at the finish.
 
“Maria started off really well and played aggressively,” Wozniacki said. “She played some good tennis out there. I tried to do my best, and it just wasn’t enough.”
 
Sharapova improved to 17-1 in three-set matches since the beginning of 2011.

Yellow Canaries flying high

FIFA.com takes a look at Fenerbahce, one of a trio of Istanbul elite, whose success in recent years has seen the Canaries build on their working class origins to finally become the most successful club in Turkey.

Red Bull take 3 or 4 steps back

The Malaysian Grand Prix didn’t go as well as Red Bull Racing would have liked and yet Mark Webber managed to score points and now leads his dual-champion teammate Sebastian Vettel by six points. The coverage of the race here in the United States of America was interesting in that the keen eye of Steve Matchett and

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Novak Moves Closer to Back-To-Back Titles

Novak Djokovic defeats David Ferrer 62 76(1) in the Sony Ericsson Open quarter-finals.

[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]]

Sharapova tops Wozniacki; Djokovic into semis

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP)â€"Maria Sharapova was confused and Caroline Wozniacki was mad. The linesman was wrong and the chair umpire was right.
 
Sharapova won the disputed final point after an overrule by the umpire, edging Wozniacki 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 Thursday in the semifinals at the Sony Ericsson Open.
 
“Obviously you don’t want it to end that way,” Sharapova said.
 
At 40-30 in the last game, Sharapova hit a second serve that the linesman called long, which would have been a double-fault, but umpire Kader Nouni immediately reversed the ruling and ordered the point replayed. The call couldn’t be reviewed because Wozniacki had no challenges left, although TV replays showed Nouni was correct to overrule.

Sharapova was awarded two serves and took advantage with a big first serve to set up an overhead slam for the victory.
 
Wozniacki, angry about the overrule, declined to shake Nouni’s hand and had words with him as she walked to the exit.
 
“It was a pretty crucial point,” she said. “When the ball is so close, I think he should give her a chance to challenge, at least when I don’t have any challenges.”
 
Sharapova said she didn’t realize Wozniacki had no challenges left, and added she would have challenged the call herself had it not been overruled.
 
“It’s obviously a tough situation to be in,” Sharapova said, “because it’s so close to the end of the match, and both of us had fought so hard for over two hours.”
 
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic advanced to the semifinals without argument, beating No. 5 David Ferrer 6-2, 7-6 (1). Djokovic lost a remarkable 40-shot rally that had spectators gasping as it progressed, but he played a nearly flawless tiebreaker to seal the victory.
 
Djokovic seeks his third Key Biscayne title and second in a row. His opponent Friday night will be No. 21 Juan Monaco, who advanced on his 28th birthday by eliminating the last American in either singles draw, No. 8 Mardy Fish. The scrappy Monaco dominated from the baseline and hit only eight second serves during the 6-1, 6-3 victory.
 
“This is the way to celebrate my birthday, playing like this,” Monaco said. “I feel proud and very happy.”
 
With the departure of defending champion Victoria Azarenka, the tournament is guaranteed a first-time women’s winner. Sharapova’s opponent Saturday will be the winner of Thursday night’s match between No. 5 Agnieszka Radwanska and No. 7 Marion Bartoli, who handed the top-ranked Azarenka her first loss of the year Wednesday.
 
The No. 2-seeded Sharapova improved to 4-0 in Key Biscayne semifinals. She’s 0-3 in finals at the event, losing every set.
 
“I’m happy that I gave myself another chance to go out there and try to change that,” said Sharapova, who attended the tournament several times as a fan when she was a youngster training in Florida.
 
Sharapova will play in her second successive final and third this year. She was runner-up at the Australian Open in January and at Indian Wells two weeks ago.
 
Wozniacki, a former No. 1 now ranked sixth, fell to 1-7 lifetime against opponents ranked in the top two.
 
Sharapova was in an attacking mode against the Dane, a relentless retriever whose defense helped her beat Serena Williams in the quarterfinals.
 
Sharapova went for winners at every opportunity and hit 55, but she also committed 46 unforced errors. Wozniacki totaled only 13 winners and 25 errors.
 
“Being aggressive is really the key,” Sharapova said. “If you let her play many, many balls, she’s such a great mover around the court and she can be out here for many hours, and that’s not really my game.”
 
Sharapova was a point away from a 5-1 lead in the opening set but then began overhitting her forehand, which allowed Wozniacki to sweep five consecutive games and take the set.
 
Shrieking with each shot, Sharapova regained her accuracy thereafter. By the time she led 4-love in the second set, she had a 27-4 advantage in winners.
 
She went ahead 5-2 in the final set before Wozniacki staged one last rally, which fell short amid the fuss at the finish.
 
“Maria started off really well and played aggressively,” Wozniacki said. “She played some good tennis out there. I tried to do my best, and it just wasn’t enough.”
 
Sharapova improved to 17-1 in three-set matches since the beginning of 2011.

Blatter meets Marin and Del Nero in Zurich

While in Zurich for a meeting of the Organising Committee for the FIFA World Cup™, FIFA Executive Committee member Marco Polo del Nero and Brazil 2014 LOC Chairman Jose Maria Marin took the chance to meet with Joseph S. Blatter.

Van Bommel mulls PSV return

Mark van Bommel has revealed that he could return to former club PSV Eindhoven when his contract with AC Milan expires at the end of the season, although a move would depend on who is named the Dutch side's new coach.

Fernandes targets mid-pack battles for Caterham

Caterham boss Tony Fernandes hopes his team can break through into the midpack — and finish better than 10th — this season, he tells the official Formula 1 site in an exclusive Q&A. What might be the most noteworthy thing from the piece, however, is it brings up FOTA: Q: Caterham is still a member

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Birthday Boy Monaco Upsets Fish

Juan Monaco celebrated his 28th birthday in style Thursday, cruising into the Sony Ericsson Open semi-finals with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over No. 8 seed Mardy Fish.

[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]]

Fish beaten handily by Monaco in QFs

The yellow ball plopped on the purple court like a splotch of paint on canvas. Streaking forward with the urgency of a man racing after a runaway rental car with his racquets trapped in the trunk, Juan Monaco ran down Mardy Fish's drop shot and knifed a controlled reply up the line. A startled Fish knocked a forehand into net. That sequence typified today's Sony Ericsson Open quarterfinalâ€"on a day in which Monaco ran down almost everything, nothing was working for Fish.

Monaco celebrated his 28th birthday with a cakewalk win, reeling off eight of the first nine games to dismiss a sluggish Fish, 6-1, 6-3, and roar into his second career Masters semifinal.

Argentine flags were flying and Monaco was soaring as that eye-popping get sparked his second break and a 5-1 first-set lead. Fish, who spent much of this match fighting himself, committed three return errors in the ensuing game as Monaco served out the 32-minute set at love. The world No. 21 served almost flawlessly in the opener, missing just one first serve. Fish, who surrendered serve just three times through three tournament matches, was flat and endured the tennis equivalent of a horror show in committing 13 unforced errors in the first set, including several off his typically reliable two-handed backhand, while Monaco converted five of nine break-point chances.

A fast-footed grinder who changes direction quickly, Monaco doesn't own one overwhelming weapon, but he's skilled at constructing points. He doesn't possess the pure power of countryman Juan Martin del Potro, the flashy shotmaking skill of David Nalbandian, or the physicality of former Miami finalist Guillermo Canas, but Monaco is a tenacious competitor who relishes long rallies and can run all day long. Playing with passion from the first point, he consistently beat the American to the ball, and when Monaco looped a leaping lob into the corner, he had another break for a 1-0 second-set lead.

The eighth-ranked Fish grew up in Vero Beach, Fla. and declared his disappointment in being relegated to the outer courts in both Indian Wells and Miami. But Fish didn't bring his A game to the big stage today. The court seemed as small as a sandbox and the net as tall as the back wall, as Fish repeatedly slapped shots into net. "This is the worst I've seen Mardy playâ€"ever," ESPN analyst Patrick McEnroe, Fish's former Davis Cup captain, remarked three games into the second set.

The 2011 semifinalist made a short stand when he broke for 3-3. It was a brief reprieve as Monaco lofted a lob that ticked off the top of Fish's Wilson frame to break right back. Monaco won eight of the last nine points, sealing the march with a stunning half-volley winner. He tossed his racquet aside and punched the air emphatically in dismantling his third straight seeded opponent. Monaco will meet either Novak Djokovic or David Ferrer for a place in the final.

"It's unbelievable to celebrate this way," an ecstatic Monaco told ESPN's Brad Gilbert. "Every shot I want to play, I did. It was a perfect match for me."

â€"Richard Pagliaro

Mirnyi/Nestor Into Final

Second seeds Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor advanced to their third final of the season following a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna at the Sony Ericsson Open on Thursday.

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