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| Cowboys beat Redskins 17-0 to clinch playoff spot LANDOVER, Md. (AP) -- The Dallas Cowboys returned to the playoffs Sunday night, dominating their 100th meeting with the Washington Redskins and setting up an NFC East title showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles.... hosted.ap.org |
Togo withdraw from African Nations Cup Togo have withdrawn from the African Nations Cup in Angola, according to reports. feeds.timesonline.co.uk |
World Cup plans receive mixed reaction • Scheme a potential challenge to future of the Davis Cup • 'We are trying to improve the sport' says Novak DjokovicProposals to change the sport's calendar drastically with the introduction of a World Cup – complete with substitutes – met with mixed reaction from some of the world's top players today. According to reports, plans have been submitted to bring in a tournament played once every two years and staged over 10 days, in an attempt to create a new following for the sport and help shorten the men's calendar.Novak Djokovic, the world No3, is a member of the players' council, together with the world's top two players Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and has been privy to the proposals, which have been submitted to the All England Club, the United States Tennis Association and Tennis Australia. The Serb, preparing for the Australian Open here, said the calendar was the players' top priority but that nothing has been made official yet."It's all fresh and it's all ideas," he said. "We didn't decide to put anything on an official term because we have to consider other sides as well. But the main point is that we are trying to make this sport improve and get better and players are most important – this is the bottom line."The new team event would reportedly include innovations such as one best-of-five-set match per tie, where players would substitute for each other. There would be a sudden death advantage in doubles – as already happens on the regular ATP tour – and players would be limited to 25 seconds between points.The plans would seem to be a thinly veiled challenge to organisers of the Davis Cup to find a way to revamp the sport's most prestigious team competition. In recent years, many of the top players, including Federer, Nadal and, in 2010, Andy Murray and Andy Roddick, have chosen to miss ties because the event did not fit into their schedule.Ivan Ljubicic, who led Croatia to victory in the Davis Cup in 2005, said the format of the competition made it almost impossible for players to commit to playing for their country, with the Davis Cup potentially taking up four weeks of an already crowded season. "It's because the format is not suited for the players at the moment," he said. "Our sport is going forward so you have to change something about it. Maybe it was perfect 20 or 30 years ago, but now it's really too much, best-of-five sets, three days in a row and then for sure the week after you can't play and the week before you can't play."But the former world No1 Lleyton Hewitt said any plans for a new event that affected the Davis Cup would have to be an improvement on the existing competition. "It would have to be something a lot better if it was going to take away from the Davis Cup," he said. "Obviously Davis Cup has meant a lot to me over the years for me personally and for our country as well."The International Tennis Federation, which oversees the Davis Cup, said: "This proposal, also shown to the ITF, has some interesting elements and, of course, timely branding, given the current worldwide fascination with the 2010 Fifa World Cup. It also has many challenges that must be faced if it is to succeed. Everyone is in agreement that a nation v nation format is very attractive, something Davis Cup has recognised for over a century, and only time will tell if a new competition can earn a regular place in the tennis calendar."TennisSimon Cambersguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Bowe wraps up cup success for Ospreys Tommy Bowe's try proved the difference as Ospreys clinched their place in the quarter-finals at the expense of opponents Leicester with a 17-12 victory. feeds.timesonline.co.uk |
Oudin, Huber head US Fed Cup team to face France WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) -- Melanie Oudin, Shenay Perry, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and top-ranked doubles player Liezel Huber have been picked for the U.S. team that will play France in the Fed Cup quarterfinals.... hosted.ap.org |