TOP 100 SPORT SITES
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| Our writers look back at the noughties Highs and lows, round and rounds, up and downs and the ins and outs of a tumultuous ten years ... guardian.co.uk |
Sir Alex Ferguson sees red over Nemanja Vidic The tension between Nemanja Vidic and Sir Alex Ferguson has heightened after the Manchester United defender’s last-minute withdrawal from the team humbled by Leeds United. feeds.timesonline.co.uk |
Maguire finds his form at the Masters • World No2 reaches semi-finals with 6-1 win over Ryan Day• New WPBSA chairman Hearn plans German ranking eventStephen Maguire's 6-1 win over Ryan Day in the Masters was one of the best displays the 28-year-old Scot, the world No2, has produced since he won his fourth ranking title 21 months ago. Qualifying for tomorrow night's semi-final against Mark Allen or Mark Selby will not improve his Âprovisional ranking of seventh as this is an invitation tournament but it is an encouraging portent for the season's remaining three ranking events.Even so, Ronnie O'Sullivan, who plays a resurgent Mark Williams in the afternoon semi-final, remains a hot favourite to retain the title despite his dissatisfaction, shared by no one, with his current form.Apart from musical walk-ons and obtaining an 11th-hour sponsor it is too soon for Barry Hearn's influence as the new chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association to be widely felt but much has been happening backstage, notably a meeting with Âindependent promoters. This has produced a new avowal of common cause and a shortly to be announced calendar that will include a ranking event in ÂGermany, one of the game's greatest growth areas, which has been nurtured for several years by Shaun ÂMurphy's manager, Brandon Parker."Independent promoters on their own don't have the money to do it," said Hearn, promising financial support. "Television ratings on Eurosport are spectacular. Other European broadcasters are interested. We're ready to play a part."I don't mind spending money and Âperhaps taking a loss to start with if I can see a profit at the end of it. By the same token we won't be supporting a ranking event in Malta anymore because there's no potential for growth there."Even the Welsh Open will have to do Âbetter: "We lose £200,000 a year on it." It has not had a sponsor since the Âgovernment banned tobacco sponsorship seven years ago although, even a mere 10 days before the event, Hearn hopes to find one. World Series, founded by John ÂHiggins, the world champion, and his manager, Pat Mooney, will be supported by WPBSA. "I see it as our battering ram into new Âterritories that aren't ready for a full ranking event," said Hearn.Small field tournaments featuring leading players and local heroes have already been staged in Berlin, Warsaw, Moscow, Prague and the Algarve and Jeddah is to host one in March.Mooney and Parker felt that the previous regime's lack of encouragement for their projects amounted at times to obstruction. Both played leading roles in the coup at December's annual general meeting that led to Hearn's livelier and far more inclusive approach.SnookerRonnie O'SullivanClive Evertonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Share and share alike: the key for Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton • Button: 'When we start testing we need to be working together'• Having two world champions will be major lift for McLarenThe Formula One world champion, Jenson Button, and Lewis Hamilton, his predecessor, will get together tomorrow for the first time since becoming team-mates at McLaren. Button is excited at the prospect of working with Hamilton and, though he acknowledged that the team he joined after leaving Brawn has been built around his 25-year-old English compatriot, he is confident the two can combine well and improve on McLaren's poor 2009 season.Last week Hamilton described himself as "just the No2 driver" but Button, speaking this afternoon in central London, said his new team-mate, who joined McLaren as a rookie in 2007, is the team's focal point. "It is understandable that the team love Lewis and they should love Lewis – he is a world champion, he has been with them for three years and he has done exceptionally well," said Button, on his 30th birthday. "Tomorrow we're at the factory together, so that should be good. When we start testing we need to be working together, we need to share everything, that is key for us being ready at the first race."Preparations for that first grand prix in Bahrain begin in earnest when the ÂWoking-based team start testing their 2010 car, the MP4-25, in Valencia. A test driver will be first to sit behind the wheel on 1 February, before Hamilton takes it out the next day and Button the day after.Button said it would be essential that he and his 24-year-old team-mate Âco‑operate if McLaren are to improve on a disappointing 2009, something Button says he has done throughout a Formula One career that began 10 years ago at Williams. "I think they know I have a lot of experience of working with team-mates, good and bad, over the years. I come with a lot of useful information and also a history of working with drivers and us getting along and us working together to improve the car. We are all pretty talented drivers, I must say, so you have got to look for other areas where you can help. Us two working together, with our experience, is fantastic."After a poor start to last season McLaren steadily improved to finish third in the constructors' championship, behind Button's former team, Brawn, and Red Bull as Hamilton finished fifth in the drivers' standings, 46 points behind Button, who is confident that McLaren can look forward to better things this year."I think last year being a difficult year for them is perfect, I'm sure they don't think that but the tough start to the season made me realise how much work they've done and how far forward they can move if they really produce a lot of parts for the car," he said. "They have learned a lot in 2009 and I think that will show in 2010."Boasting two British world champions, the Mercedes-powered team will be expected to mount a serious challenge this season and Button, rather than being daunted by the fact, says the opportunity to drive alongside another world champion is what attracted him to McLaren."In your whole career you come up against the best in the world, especially when you get to Formula One, so for me this year the reason why I made the change is I wanted a new challenge and I wanted to race against not just Lewis and work with Lewis, but also race with McLaren."McLaren principal Martin Whitmarsh has been elected chairman of the Formula One Teams Association for 2010, replacing Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo.FOTA said in a statement that Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali will be vice-chairman while Red Bull's Christian Horner heads the sporting regulations working group.Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn continues to lead the technical regulations working group.Jenson ButtonLewis HamiltonMcLarenFormula OneMotor sportMikey Staffordguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Kim Clijsters outclassed at Australian Open by ruthless Nadia Petrova Kim Clijsters is out of the Australian Open after being outclassed by a ruthless Nadia Petrova. The Belgian was broken five times as she slumped to a 6-0, 6-1 defeat in just 51 minutes on Hisense Arena. feeds.timesonline.co.uk |