Wins lift Lanus, Bolivar to summit

Mario Regueiro scored twice as Lanus gained a 2-0 away win against Emelec to go top of their Copa Libertadores group, while it was a similar story for Bolivar thanks to their 2-1 victory against Junior.

Australia in finals after 87-run win

India succumbed meekly to the pressure of a chase of 253 and were bowled out for 165 by an Australia side that eagerly grabbed the chance to seal its spot in the competition deciders

Vettel ‘finger’, Button ‘Dub’, Malaysian reality

McLaren’s victory in Australia may have signaled a changing of the guard in Formula One. At least that’s the thinking of Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel. The two-time, defending champion feels McLaren have made the jump in performance needed to be the team to beat in 2012: “Surely they look very strong, they had an excellent winter.

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Your View: Is Mercedes rear wing system legal?

After reading many comments in the press and from teams, I think it is high time we put the question to F1B readers. Edd and Matt over at AUTOSPORT have McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale telling press during a conference call today: “Mercedes were very quick during qualifying and there is enough YouTube footage of Michael [Schumacher] being very

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Platt: Balotelli was exceptional

Manchester City coach David Platt has praised Mario Balotelli for his discipline and temperament in the club's 3-0 win over Blackburn Rovers, and warned supporers that not every win will be emphatic.

Matri rescues Juve draw at Milan

Tempers flared as Alessandro Matri rescued a share of the points for Juventus, securing a late 1-1 draw with AC Milan at the San Siro in a thrilling top-of-the-table encounter.

Kleybanova wins in return from Hodgkin's

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP)â€"Alisa Kleybanova of Russia won the first match she’s played since being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma last May at the Sony Ericsson Open on Tuesday.

The 248th-ranked Kleybanova, who received a wild card into the tournament, dropped the first set to Johanna Larsson of Sweden before rebounding to secure a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

“I’m really happy I won the match, but I really enjoyed playing,” Kleybanova said. “It’s not like if I didn’t win it today I would be all mad.

“Just to feel again all those emotions was really great and something I missed the most from tennis.”

It had been 10 months since the 22-year-old Kleybanova played a professional match.

“For me, it’s not like I won the tournament,” Kleybanova said. “For the rest of us, in normal conditions, I just won the first round. For me, inside, it was really emotional, and for my coach and friends who were out there.”

Kleybanova said she was constantly getting sick last year with flu-like symptoms and fatigue that would go away for a while and come back.

Finally, after she lost to Shahar Peer of Israel in the second round of the 2011 Rome tournament in May, she decided to undergo complete medical testing.

The diagnosis came as a shock. But her competitive instincts went into overdrive as she prepared to battle cancer.

“Doing professional sport you always have something, some pain,” Kleybanova said. “You have so much fatigue every day.

“No one was expecting something like that, but on the other hand I knew something was wrong and I wanted to figure out what was wrong.

“I knew it was going to be a very tough time for me, another big fight and take a long time, so I had to be focused.”

She underwent chemotherapy treatment until December. She was treated in Rome where her boyfriend, Italian professional volleyball player Giacomo Rigoni, lives.

Kleybanova, who will play fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko in the second round, looked rusty in the first set. But she picked up her play to take care of the 64th-ranked Larsson.

“It’s amazing but it’s not just about the win,” she said. “I was always trying to be positive and even though I lost the first set I tried to stay out there.

“If today I’m not winning, it’s OK because I was enjoying myself. And I think that’s why I was able to stay out there and change the match.”

By the time Kleybanova went 4-1 up in the second set, Larrson was losing her cool. She threw her racket to the court at the end of that fifth game, and had further meltdown moments throughout the match.

The Russian failed to take advantage of three match points at 0-40 with Larsson serving at 1-5 in the third set.

She closed out the match on her own serve in the next game, but it took some serious effort. She went down 30-40, but fought back for the win, taking the match when Larsson netted a forehand.

“I’m happy I was there for three sets which is a good test for me, I think, for the first match,” Kleybanova said. “I’m happy for the way it went because I didn’t know what to expect.”

Tuesday’s schedule only featured 12 women’s first round matches. The rest of the matches played were qualifying matches.

Heather Watson of Great Britain, another wildcard recipient, won a tough 6-3, 3-, 7-6 (4) winner over Sorana Cirstea of Romania.

Ekaterina Makarova of Russia, the player who upset Serena Williams at this year’s Australian Open, outlasted Jelena Dokic 6-1, 7-5.

Mona Barthel of Germany defeated Greta Arn of Hungary 6-1, 6-0.

Celtic move step closer to title

Celtic extended their lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League to 23 points with a narrow 1-0 win at home to Motherwell, Gary Hooper scoring the only goal of the game.

Chigumbura ton gives Mashonaland Eagles title

Elton Chigumbura scored an unbeaten ton to revive the Eagles after they lost five wickets for four runs before coming back to snap up 3 for 27 as Mashonaland Eagles won the Pro50 final

Frustration for Japanese clubs

J.League clubs endured a tough evening in the AFC Champions League with FC Tokyo held by Ulsan Hyundai and Adelaide United defeating Gamba Osaka, while Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad maintained their perfect record.

Roar keep pressure, Phoenix rise

Brisbane Roar cruised past Perth Glory 3-0 to reduce the gap at the A-League summit to three points, Wellington Phoenix climbed to third, while bottom club Gold Coast United drew at home.

No change at top as Sundowns, Pirates draw

Mamelodi Sundowns retained a four-point lead at the top after a scoreless draw with second-placed Orlando Pirates, while Moroka Swallows went equal second with a 2-0 win at struggling Jomo Cosmos.

Neglected MCA academy has no support staff

The Mumbai Cricket Association's academy has been virtually shut for the last seven months because of a lack of support staff, the chairman of the committee that oversees the academy has claimed

Record Messi goals secure points for Barça

Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick to become Barcelona's all-time leading scorer on 234 goals in a 5-3 win over Granada today which moved the champions to within five points of Real Madrid.

Weekly Snapshot: Making A Splash In Miami

In this latest Weekly Snapshot, we look at the week ahead in Miami.

[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]]

Messi, ten dates in the making of a legend

FIFA.com pays tribute to three-time FIFA Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi, who became Barcelona's all-time leading goalscorer tonight, by selecting ten of his landmark goals so far for club and country.

Netherlands name uncapped pair

The Netherlands have named a 24-man squad for their international friendly against England on Wednesday, with FC Twente forward Ola John and Heerenveen winger Luciano Narsingh in line for a maiden cap.

City storm on in Europa

Manchester City produced a strong finish to power into the last 16 of the UEFA Europa League at the expense of ten-man holders Porto, winning out 4-0 on the night and 6-1 overall.

Mancini: Tevez can be key

Roberto Mancini says Carlos Tevez can play a key role in the latter half of the season as Manchester City chase glory in the Premier League and UEFA Europa League.

Had enough from Oz? On to Malaysia!

We’ve scarcely had time to determine why Sebastian Vettel can’t win from anywhere but pole and just how sulky Lewis Hamilton was following his third-place finish in Australia when the first round of preview quotes for the Malaysian Grand Prix arrive. Here they be: Pastor Maldonado, Williams 2011 Qualifying – 18th, 2011 Race – DNF

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France call on Amalfitano, Saha

Marseille midfielder Morgan Amalfitano has been handed his first call-up to the France squad for Wednesday's international friendly against Germany, while Louis Saha has been brought back into the fold.

Nathan Healey has emergency heart surgery

Former Australian player and coach Nathan Healey underwent emergency heart surgery on Monday in the United States. The 32-year-old reached a career-high ranking of No. 58 in doubles and later coached Lleyton Hewitt. He lives in Philadephia with his wife and two young children, and has also played for the Philadelphia Freedoms in World TeamTennis.

Del Potro to play Davis Cup versus Croatia

Juan Martin del Potro will play in the the Davis Cup quarterfinals for Argentina at home next month against Croatia, captain Martin Jaite told the Argentine press. Del Potro skipped Argentina’s first-round victory over Germany last month. David Nalbandian, Juan Monaco, Juan Ignacio Chela, and Eduardo Schwank are also part of the preliminary team for the tie on clay at Parque Roca.

Kleybanova battles back from cancer

Alisa Kleybanova says missing competitive tennis was what drove her back to the courts after a 10-month absence while she was battling Hodgkin's lymphoma.

"I missed the competition a lot," the Russian told reporters in Miami. "I've never had such a big break in my tennis. The thing I like the most about tennis is the tournaments, the matchesâ€"it's not that I don't like hitting tennis balls, because I do love that, but my favorite things are the results, the wins, just all the excitement and emotions during my matches. It was probably that feeling that kept me fighting through all the problems I had. That's why I'm back in such a short time and really excited for my first round here. My dream has come true right nowâ€"I'm back on the court again."

The former Top 20 player will face Johanna Larsson in the first round of Miami. She added that being a pro athlete helped her recover.

"Since I was a kid I've been used to hard work and discipline, and also there are a lot of things you have to overcome when you do this," Kleybanova said. "You have a team around you, but you don't have your family around you a lot, so all your life you learn how to deal with things by yourself. And when you have a huge problem, you're used to itâ€"even though this was completely different to anything I am used to, I was still mentally very motivated to overcome it, which obviously helped me a lot to get through it."

Silva backs Tevez, lauds Aguero

David Silva has said Carlos Tevez’s return to Manchester City could play a crucial role in them winning the Premier League and saluted Sergio Aguero following his performance against Porto.

Levi, Kevin O'Brien on Pune radar

A wicketkeeper, a middle-order batsman and an allrounder top the buying list of the Pune Warriors, who have started knocking on the doors of rival franchises to explore any possible trading opportunities

Sri Lanka take top spot with record chase

On a day when Peter Forrest announced himself as Australia's new No.3 with his maiden one-day century, Mahela Jayawardene and Dinesh Chandimal helped Sri Lanka complete a record ODI chase in Hobart

Malaysia preview quotes - Williams, Force India, Caterham & more

From the idiosyncrasies of Melbourne's Albert Park, the F1 paddock moves quickly to the first purpose-built venue of the season, the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, host of this weekend's 2012 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix. The teams and drivers look ahead to what should be a hot three days - both on and off the track

Could you play a role at Thailand 2012?

The Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the FIFA Futsal World Cup Thailand 2012 are looking for volunteers to support the 24 teams, media and public who will come from around the world for the event.

Bilateral ties hinge on tour of Pakistan

The relationship between the PCB and the BCB is likely to suffer if Bangladesh do not go ahead with the proposed tour to Pakistan in April because of security concerns, ESPNcricinfo has learnt

Pakistan still positive about Bangladesh tour

The relationship between the PCB and the BCB is likely to suffer if Bangladesh do not go ahead with the proposed tour to Pakistan in April because of security concerns, ESPNcricinfo has learnt

Malaysia preview quotes - Force India, Caterham & more

From the idiosyncrasies of Melbourne's Albert Park, the F1 paddock moves quickly to the first purpose-built venue of the season, the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, host of this weekend's 2012 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix. The teams and drivers look ahead to what should be a hot three days - both on and off the track

Korean GP renegotiates for lower cost, ‘more stable’ race

Time to restart my running “Mayan End of the World” gag. Because the Korean Grand Prix organizers on Monday announced that they had reached an agreement with Formula One Management — aka Bernie Ecclestone — to reduce costs and save $20.5 million this year. Here’s more via AFP: “Negotiations with Formula One Management (FOM) were

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Chris Gayle to discuss West Indies future

Chris Gayle, the West Indies batsman, is scheduled to meet officials from the West Indies Cricket Board and CARICOM in St Vincent on Monday to discuss his future with the West Indies team

Salihamidzic: Always good for a surprise

FIFA.com speaks to Hasan Salihamidzic about his favourite memories in his career so far and why the player nicknamed 'cheeky lad' might not be ready to give up the game just yet.

Malaysia preview quotes - Force India, Caterham, Mercedes & more

From the idiosyncrasies of Melbourne's Albert Park, the F1 paddock moves quickly to the first purpose-built venue of the season, the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, host of this weekend's 2012 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix. The teams and drivers look ahead to what should be a hot three days - both on and off the track

Streaks snap in Mexico as Boca climb

FIFA.com examines the weekend club action in the Americas, where Chivas and Tijuana stumbled in Mexico, Vancouver go from worst to first in the States, and Boca climbed in Argentina.

Ferguson: Title could go to goal difference

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says this season's championship could be decided by goal difference as the Red Devils significantly boosted their goal tally with Sunday's 5-0 win at Wolves.

Gold Coast down ten-man Glory

An early strike by Zachary Anderson and a late brace from substitute James Brown helped Gold Coast United claim their first victory of 2012, a 3-0 win at home to ten-man Perth Glory.

Malaysia preview quotes - Caterham, Mercedes, Lotus & more

From the idiosyncrasies of Melbourne's Albert Park, the F1 paddock moves quickly to the first purpose-built venue of the season, the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, host of this weekend's 2012 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix. The teams and drivers look ahead to what should be a hot three days - both on and off the track

Familiar faces force the pace

FIFA.com reviews the latest women’s club action with the spotlight on the UEFA Women’s Champions League which is heading for an exciting finale, as is the case in Germany and Italy.

Braga close in on leaders

Braga climbed to within a point of Liga leaders FC Porto after a 4-1 victory over Feirense, leaving the losers bottom of the league after Uniao Leiria beat Rio Ave 1-0.

Lucerne held by Sion

Basel were given another boost in their stroll towards the Swiss Super League after second-placed Lucerne were held to a 0-0 draw with Sion, while Young Boys lost 2-0 to Grasshoppers.

Babbel labels Hoffenheim 'naive'

Markus Babbel has bemoaned Hoffenheim's poor defending during their 2-1 defeat by Stuttgart last night and warned that they need more points if they are to avoid relegation from the Bundesliga this season.

Young enjoying United challenge

Ashley Young has explained his excitement at competing for honours with Manchester United and insisted that the team must focus on their final ten games if they are to win the Premier League.

United look to turn screw on City

Manchester United can turn the heat on second-placed Manchester City this weekend with victory over Wolves enough to move the Red Devils four points clear, while their rivals have the weekend off.

de Villiers, tail give South Africa first-innings advantage

AB de Villiers shepherded the lower order with an effortless 83, putting South Africa in front, before Morne Morkel and Imran Tahir propelled the visitors to a 68-run lead at tea on day two