Senior Open: Bernhard Langer

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Taken at the Senior Open golf at Sunningdale on Saturday, 25 July 2009.


Roddick powers to late-night win

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Fifth seed Andy Roddick maintained his good form as he swept past France's Marc Gicquel in the night session to reach the third round of the US Open.

The American won 6-1 6-4 6-4 in a match that finished after midnight local time on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Roddick goes on to face 6ft 9ins American John Isner, who beat Turkey's Marsel Ilhan 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-1)

Fourth seed Novak Djokovic earlier made smooth progress into round three with a straight-sets win over Carsten Ball.

The Serb, 22, came through 6-3 6-4 6-4 and will next face American qualifier Jesse Witten for a place in the last 16.

Djokovic could only break once in each set against the big-serving Australian and missed a further 13 break-point chances.

"It's always hard to predict what to expect in the match against a guy who you don't know basically," said Djokovic.
He was serving between 130, 140mph throughout the whole match. He was going for the serves. I knew he was going to try to be aggressive."

Djokovic added: "Physically I feel great. I feel ready. I feel confident on the court, mentally motivated and willing to do more. I just have a big desire to perform good and to win the matches."

James Blake, the 21st seed, enjoyed a dramatic 6-4 3-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 win over Olivier Rochus that saw the schedule pushed back on Arthur Ashe Stadium and the night session delayed.

As a result, Roddick did not begin his match until 10.20pm, but the 2003 champion had few problems despite some flamboyant hitting from Gicquel.

"Even in the second set when he got down, he started playing a little bit more aggressively and that was certainly the case in the last game," said Roddick.

"He came back and I was getting a little nervous there but I'm glad I was able to pull it out."

Looking ahead to his match with the 6ft 9ins Isner, Roddick added: "John's been playing a lot better and it's going to be a completely different match-up.

"I'm not going to be able to break as much as in these first couple of matches and it's going to come down to a couple of points here and there."

Two-time semi-finalist Nikolay Davydenko swept aside Jan Hernych 6-4 6-1 6-2 to reach the third round.

Spain's Fernando Verdasco, seeded 10th, also won easily, to set up a clash with in-form veteran Tommy Haas.

The 25-year-old - who won his first ATP Tour title in New Haven last week - triumphed 6-3 6-0 6-3 in less than 90 minutes against Florent Serra of France.

Germany's Haas, the 20th seed, had to work slightly harder, converting just two of 18 break points before eventually beating Robert Kendrick 6-4 6-4 7-6 (7-3).

The victory was Hass's 30th at Flushing Meadow and the 31-year-old says that he is enjoying his tennis as his career moves into its final years.

"Other aches and pains come along as you get older," said the German, who has had surgery on his shoulder three times.

"Anybody will tell you that. But it's still good enough for me to go out there and compete."

Robin Soderling, seeded 12th, was handed an easy passage into round three when his Spanish opponent Marcel Granollers was forced to retire in the third game of their match with a back injury.

Sam Querrey, the 22nd seed, also made progress thanks to a 7-5 6-7 (8-6) 6-4 6-4 win over Kevin Kim and will play Soderling next.

And another American, Witten, continued his unexpected run of wins by seeing off Argentina's Maximo Gonzalez 6-7 (7-3) 6-4 7-5 6-2.


World Cup bid eyes Olympic venue

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The 2012 London Olympic Stadium could be used as part of the bid for England to host the 2018 World Cup.

The 'London United' group proposes Wembley, the Emirates, Tottenham's planned new ground and the Olympic Stadium in Stratford should host games.

"The stadium and Olympic Park would strengthen the bid in a whole variety of ways," said Simon Greenberg, chairman of London United.

"That includes the legacy aspect as one of the world's most modern stadia."

There has long been debate about what should be done with the stadium, which will include an athletics track, after the Games, with the future of the track and the seating capacity undecided at the moment.
London Mayor Boris Johnson said it would be "foolish" not to consider the stadium as part of the World Cup bid, but three years ago when there was talk of the venue being used as a football stadium, his predecessor Ken Livingston said there was a "legally binding contract, more like an international treaty" that it was to be used for athletics.

"(Being in the World Cup bid) is clearly subject to a final decision to be made about its capacity - but that decision is likely to post-date our final proposal," added Greenberg.

"It would also compliment the other stadiums in London, which are among the best in the world. Overall, it is a natural to be included in our proposal."

Fifa rules state any ground hoping to host World Cup group matches must have a minimum capacity of 40,000, and 60,000 for quarter-finals and beyond.

The England 2018 bid team will not make a final decision on its list of preferred venues until December, after the applicant cities - Birmingham, Bristol, Derby, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Newcastle/Gateshead, Nottingham, Plymouth, Sheffield and Sunderland - have made their final round of presentations to the Football Association.

They will then select between 12 and 18 match venues as part of their final bid which will be made to Fifa ahead of the vote in December 2010.



Fisichella makes Ferrari switch

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Giancarlo Fisichella will drive for Ferrari for the rest of the season before becoming reserve driver in 2010 after being released by Force India.


Dunne accuses Man City over exit

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Richard Dunne has accused Manchester City executive chairman Garry Cook of trying to sell him behind his back.

Dunne, 29, moved to Aston Villa on transfer deadline day after nine years at Eastlands but was disappointed with the manner of his departure.

"From June I was getting calls saying Garry Cook has been trying to sell me behind my back," claimed Dunne.

"I've been honest with them - they should have been the same with me rather than doing it behind my back."

Dunne, who is on international duty with the Republic of Ireland, said he had gone to Cook earlier in the year and told him if he had any problems to come and deal with him directly.

He added: "I'm disappointed with people who say one thing and then completely do the other.

"Garry Cook has come in and he doesn't really understand football. All he wants is big-money players. He doesn't understand the core of the club and where it begins.

"I'm not a baby, I'm not going to cry just because the club want to sell me. I don't mind, just don't do it behind my back."

City spent £118m in the summer transfer window on the likes of Carlos Tevez, Gareth Barry, Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure and Joleon Lescott.

But they told Dunne they had to sell him, for a fee of £6m, to balance the books.

"They told me they have a certain amount of money they have to recoup each season to make things look better on the books," said the defender.

"I could understand if I was getting sold for 200m euros but it was a bit strange really.

"It just needed people to be honest with me, there were a lot of things going on throughout the summer."


Live - England v Australia

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British boxers eye world medals

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By Nabil Hassan
Khalid Yafai and Luke Campbell will be the Brits to watch in Milan as the World Championships begin on Tuesday.

They are part of a seven-man squad but there is no Bradley Saunders who broke his left thumb in a training bout.

The British Amateur Boxing Association has set a target of one medal, two fewer than in Chicago two years ago.

"It is a young and inexperienced squad and our target reflects that," BABA performance director Kevin Hickey told BBC Sport.

"But in terms of having boxers who can deliver at this level now then we feel Khalid Yafai and Luke Campbell, who won the European Championships in Liverpool last year, have the necessary experience.

"They have had a taste of boxing at this sort of level, while for the other five it is more of a learning curve.

"To target two medals would be unrealistic but it would be fantastic if we could achieve it."

Tommy Stubbs, Andrew Selby, Thomas Stalker, Scott Cardle and Steve Simmons make up the group.

Stubbs and Yafai, a Beijing Olympian, returned from June's European Union amateur boxing championships in Denmark with gold medals.

And Campbell became England's first European amateur champion for 47 years in November 2008.

Missing out on a place in the squad was light-heavyweight Obed Mbwakongo who was heavily beaten at the EU championships in June and heavyweight Danny Price, who has been dropped from the podium programme because of poor performance.

BABA squad for World Amateur Championships in Milan:

Tommy Stubbs (48kg), Khalid Yafai (51kg), Luke Campbell (54 kg), Andrew Selby (54kg), Thomas Stalker (60kg), Scott Cardle (64kg), Steve Simmons (91kg).


British boxing's next generation

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By Nabil Hassan

It is a long road to London 2012, but Britain's boxers begin that journey in Italy this week at the World Championships in Milan.

With the Olympics in London now less than three years away, a young group of seven face their first international test at the 12-day competition which begins on 1 September.

Having tasted European glory over the past year, the GB squad now gets its first opportunity to test itself against the cream of world boxing with Cuba, China and India likely to prove the sternest competition of the 100 nations competing in Italy.

The squad have been putting the finishing touches to their preparations at a training camp in France and are all set to do battle in Milan.

But there is still a lot of hard work to be done before the current GB crop can be considered in the same class as the Beijing group, of who only Bradley Saunders - who is currently injured - and Khalid Yafai remain.

Olympic middleweight champ James DeGale and bronze-medallists Tony Jeffries and David Price have all turned professional.

However, British Amateur Boxing Association (BABA) performance director Kevin Hickey feels the systems are now in place to make Britain as competitive, if not more so, in London 2012.
"It is an early building stage and we have three years to go in terms of the Olympic cycle," Hickey told BBC Sport.

"We are confident that we have the structure and system in place to produce future Olympic gold medallists such as James DeGale in 2012.

"The success through the year to date has been very solid and very promising. The influx of talent we have coming through is making us very confident of good medal return in London."

It is a squad that is three men short of the one that will appear at the Olympics, but BABA officials are determined that they take a team that will be competitive in Milan.

"In terms of numbers it really reflects where we are at this point in terms of filling places for 2012," added Hickey.

"There are some weights that we have not yet got a boxer of the right quality in the programme to give this level of exposure.

"You cannot take chances, especially with the 2012 programme, you are looking for enhancement and progression over the next three years which means if they are not ready they cannot be exposed too early.

"To throw someone in who is not experienced at international level would have a negative impact on their potential of making it to 2012.
So what of the squad?
It includes 20-year-old flyweight Khalid Yafai from Birmingham who appeared at last year's Olympics and who in June won gold at the European Union Amateur Boxing Championships in Denmark.

Yafai was also senior ABA national champion at the age of 17 and is an exciting prospect.

There are also high hopes for Hull's 21-year-old bantamweight Luke Campbell who in 2008 became England's first European amateur champion for 47 years.

And 19-year-old Manchester light-flyweight Tommy Stubbs, who like Yafai won gold in Denmark, is another boxer to keep an eye on.

All three are expected to be in the mix for medals in Milan and Hickey is excited at their chances of glory ahead of 2012.

"Realistically it is early days and this is a very young and inexperienced squad," said Hickey.

"But in terms of having got the necessary experience to be successful in Milan then we have two boxers in Khalid and Luke who can deliver on the world stage.

"Looking at other exciting young talent then I guess Tommy Stubbs in the 48kg category is one for people to look out for.

"He is a character in his own right, he's one eight out of eight bouts this season. He's senior ABA champion and he also won the EU Championships this year.

"Tommy has an unorthodox style, bags of confidence and has a huge character. He may have to move up a weight for 2012, and as far as Milan is concerned he could do something."
Another boxer in the squad who could be competitive in Milan is Liverpool's 25-year-old Thomas Stalker who took silver at the EU Championships, having won the GB Championships in Liverpool in May.

The other members of the team are bantamweight Andrew Selby, light-welterweight Scott Cardle and heavyweight Steve Simmons.

But the squad will be without Saunders, who recently fractured his thumb in a training bout in Dublin.

Hickey's greatest success to date as been the introduction of the three tier squad system that will ensure GB's elite boxers are competitive up until 2012.

The system will be completed by the end of the year and involves the current 10-man podium squad being supported by a similarly sized development squad.

In turn a 10-man feeder squad will come to Sheffield once a month and provide competition for the development group which will then in turn provide pressure on the podium boxers.

It is just one of a number of measures that officials hope will bring rewards in London in three years' time.


Mayweather is fresh for Marquez

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Floyd Mayweather is confident there will no ring rust when he returns to action after a long lay-off against Juan Manuel Marquez on 19 September.

The former five-weight world champion, 32, is back after retiring in December 2007, after he beat Ricky Hatton.

"I feel fast, strong and my timing is there," said the American.

"I feel the same way as before I left. Actually I feel a little better. I think the break helped because I haven't had a break since 1987."

Mayweather, who has won all of his 39 fights with 25 knockouts, faces the formidable Marquez for The Ring welterweight title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
And Mayweather said maintaining his unbeaten record had been the key motivating factor in preparing for the fight.

"When you go out there [against a fighter] with an undefeated record, there is no pressure on these fighters because they have nothing to lose," he said.

"If Marquez gets beat in 12 rounds or he gets knocked out, they are still going to love him in his country because he had the chance to face the best. They will say: 'You lost but you lost to the best'.

"But in the US it doesn't work like that so we have to work that much harder to stay on top.

"If I win, it's normal. If a guy gives me a tough fight or even comes close to winning, that's abnormal. Everybody expects me to dominate.

"It's extremely important for me to go out there to perform well and dominate.

"I've got to go out there and be smart, be intelligent and listen to my uncle Roger [Mayweather, Floyd's trainer]. If I do that, we will come out 'A' OK."

Mexican Marquez, 36, is a former three-weight world champion, but has only ever fought as high as lightweight before.

However, he has 50 wins from 55 professional encounters, with 37 knockouts, and has drawn once and lost narrowly to Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao.

"He is Mexico's numero uno," said Mayweather. "He's one hell of a fighter with over 50 wins and champion in more than just one weight class.

"Believe me, Marquez is not going to lay down. There's going to be blood, sweat and tears on 19 September."