Health scare for Serena Williams.

WASHINGTON — Serena Williams, recovering from the removal of a blood clot in her lung as well as a nagging foot injury, plans to play tennis in July for the Washington Kastles of World TeamTennis.
The nine-team US league, which will stage a 36th season from July 4-24, announced on Thursday that Williams is scheduled to play in Washington on July 7 against the Boston Lobsters and when the Kastles visit Sacramento on July 9.
The reigning Wimbledon champion had said after her surgery for a blood clot that travelled from a leg into her lungs that she was hopeful of a summer return, but was unsure exactly when she might be back on the court.
The former world number one, a 13-time Grand Slam champion, would need to be ready by June 20 to defend her Wimbledon title. The women's final is set for July 2.
Williams has not played a top-level match since last year's Wimbledon final after cutting her right foot on broken glass at a restaurant last July.
Williams suffered a pulmonary embolism and underwent an emergency operation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles last week, a health scare she called "the scariest moment in my life".
"Luckily enough, I was able to catch it soon enough that my career won't be affected," Williams told NBC on Wednesday. "I love tennis and now more than anything I have so much to look forward to just playing.
"I really just want to come back and do well."
Venus Williams, Serena's elder sister and a five-time Wimbledon winner who has seven Grand Slam titles overall, plans to play for the Kastles on July 5 against visiting Kansas City despite being sidelined currently with an injury.
Venus Williams withdrew from the Australian Open with a right hip injury and has not played since, unable to defend her only titles from 2010 last month at Dubai and Acapulco.

The news that 13-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams has suffered a serious medical crisis is sobering. On Wednesday it was revealed that Williams, a force of nature on the tennis court who overwhelms her opponents with her strength and vigor, was treated last month for a pulmonary embolism, and then subsequently developed a hematoma.
I asked Dr. Mark Neuman, an assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care at the University of Pennsylvania, for a primer on this kind of condition. He explained that a pulmonary embolism is a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or blood clot, which travels from where it developed -- typically in a leg, where blood vessels are relatively big -- to the lungs. The fact that Williams is one of the finest athletes in the world does not protect her from this kind of scary episode. DVTs are fairly common in people who have been immobilized during long flights, or those who have just had orthopedic surgery, which can stir up inflammation or interrupt normal venous flow.

Wozniacki wins Dubai Open tennis final.

DUBAI — Caroline Wozniacki, who takes over from Kim Clijsters as world number one again in Monday's new WTA ranking list, celebrated with the 13th title of her career, the Dubai Open, on Sunday after outplaying Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-3.
Denmark's Wozniacki turned in her fifth solid performance of the week against Kuznetsova, even though the former US and French Open champion had previously been showing signs of revival after more than six months in the doldrums.
Wozniacki broke serve at once for 2-0, and although she played one indifferent game, broke twice more to capture a one-sided first set in only half an hour.
Kuznetsova only briefly threatened a fightback as she broke serve when Wozniacki tried to close the match out at 5-2, but made far too many unforced errors to trouble the athletic, consistent Dane.
"I was very happy with my performance," Wozniacki said. "I went for my shots and I am definitely playing better than I have before."
Wozniacki certainly came forward more often than she used to, and was notably potent with a backhand drive hit with accelerated pace down the line.
But the foundation of her success was still based on her excellent movement, smoothly constructed rallying, good concentration, and intelligent tactics.
On one occasion in the first set she did all this so well that a man yelled out "I love you, Wozniacki," making the crowd titter.
Importantly, she made a livelier start than in the semi-finals when she had gone 0-3 down to Jelena Jankovic and had then slipped to set point down before recovering.
This time she broke serve at once for 2-0, and although she played one indifferent game, broke twice more to capture of the first set quickly and establish a psychological stranglehold.
Thereafter, Wozniacki comfortably contained the most powerful blows of Kuznetsova, who had claimed she is trying to emulate Serena Williams' forcefulness, but paid too high a price for doing so.
The second set continued in a similar vein to the first, with Wozniacki rallying with increasing confidence and once again breaking serve straight away.
Again Wozniacki then played a bad game, but immediately returned serve with energetic enterprise, her pendant, ear-rings and ponytail all swinging giddily as she leapt about.
Again she reached 3-1, only for Kuznetsova to achieve her first hold of serve of the match. It was though a brief reprieve and after only 75 minutes Wozniacki completed the task with a huge grin.
"After my semi-final loss in the Australian Open (to Li Na), it's great to have this as my first tournament back, and, you know, to see me smiling again."
There was no doubt that her triumph felt like a part-atonement for her Melbourne disappointment, which had contributed to the temporary loss of the number one ranking.
"I was already back on the court the day afterwards," Wozniacki said. "There were a few things I wasn't happy about. I worked hard, and I knew that if I just keep working hard, and I take my chances, my time will come. And I'm back here playing well."
Kuznetsova, who will return to somewhere just outside the top ten, her highest ranking since the French Open in June, took the setback all in her stride.
She had previously made clear why she has more often been able to treat life's ups and downs with this relaxed attitude.
"You know, sometimes I think, so I win or lose, what happens? What changes? The world wouldn't change, she said. "If I have more or less points or money in my pocket, it's not going to change me.
"I want to be somewhere in the top of the game. But health, family, not having any terror attacks in countries - those are the important things in life."

Rafael Nadal,TOP PLAYER.

Nadal broke Devvarman in the twelfth game of the first set and won it. Well, the Indian  Devvarman pushed the World No. 1 to the limits, as Nadal took 1 hour and 8 minutes to win the difficult first set. Nadal fired 18 winners, but also committed 22 uncharacterstic errors, as compared to  Devvarman's 16, which delayed the proceedings for him. Nadal won 7 out of 7 net points and converted 2 out of 8 break points.

Excerpts from the first set commentary:

What a start for  Devvarman, as Nadal gifts away the break to him. Nadal messes up with a forehand early on and then sends an easy forehand into the net to offer a dream start to the Indian. Its 0-1, first set.
Devvarman holds on to a tricky service game and extends his lead. The Indian is showing fine temperament here to tackle the might of Nadal. Once again, the World No. 1 makes uncharactestic unforced errors and fails to capitalize on the break point opportunities. Its 2-0, first set.
Nadal gets on board this time. The Spaniard brings in his quick forehand on the forefront to force an error on Devvarman and then executes a fine drop-shot and duly compliments it with a forehand winner. Its 2-1, first. set.  Devvarman leads with one break of serve in his hand.
Nadal breaks back! The Spaniard straightway puts pressure on the Indian, but  Devvarman manages to save two break points - then commits a terrible double fault to lose the edge to Nadal. Its 2-2, first set. Nadal equalizes the proceedings in the first set.
Nadal holds on to his serve this time and gets a slender lead. Well, the World No. 1 nudges ahead of  Devvarman for the first time in the match. Its 3-2, first set.Devvarman is standing up for the challenge.
Devvarman once again shows fine temperament and equalizes the proceedings by holding on to his serve this time.  Devvarman commits a double fault, but makes up for this mistake by forcing an error on Nadal. Its 3-3, first set.
Another defiant hold from  Devvarman! Tremendous tennis from the Indian there, as he executes a superb volley winnner to outsmart Nadal and then executes another drop shot. Now, Nadal must be feeling a bit of pressure. Its 4 all first set.
Nadal holds on as  Devvarman commits two unforced errors. Now, the pressure is back on Indian, as he needs to hold on to his serve now to keep his chances alive in the first set. Its 5-4, first set.
Tremendous hold from  Devvarman - amidst circumstances! The Indian keeps coming back to Nadal with his well executed and well timed shots and stays on course. The pressure is back on Nadal. Well, the Indian is having a gala time out there - testing Nadal. Its 5-5, first set.
Nadal holds on to a difficult service game here. Finally, the World No. 1 sails home.  Devvarman tests the mighty Nadal to the fullest with his presence of mind and fine range of shots. Tremendous tennis is on. Now,  Devvarman will serve to take this intense battle into a tie-break. The Indian is having a time of his life - in the middle.

Article previews tennis matches involving Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Roger Federer vs Ryan Harrison. Rafael Nadal vs Somdev Devvarman.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are both on the Order of Play at ATP Indian Wells for Wednesday March 16th and they both play opponents that have a relatively low ranking, at least for a fourth round Masters series match.

Federer will face Ryan Harrison, a player ranked outside of the top 150, while Nadal will face Somdev Devvarman, a player ranked outside of the top 70.

Harrison is a very talented 18 year old American player who has been tipped as the future of American tennis. Based on his current run at ATP Indian Wells, it is not hard to see why many consider him to be a player with a bright future. 

Federer and Harrison have never met in a tour match however Harrison has never beaten a player ranked in the top 15, let alone the top 5.

Despite Harrison's improved play, it would be surprising to see him hold his own against Federer in their fourth round match on Wednesday evening. 

Rafael Nadal should not face much of a challenge either as he faces India's Somdev Devvarman. 

Devvarman is into the fourth round having come through the qualifying draw at the event and having defeated both Marcos Baghdatis and Xavier Malisse in the main draw. 

While those are solid victories for Devvarman, Nadal is on exceptional form at Indian Wells as he is into the fourth round having lost just six individual games combined against Rik De Voest and Ryan Sweeting.

Dvvarman's appearance in the fourth round is surprising as it's not what we've come to expect on tour from the former NCAA champion. Despite his improved play the fact remains that Devvarman is very inexperienced for matches of this magnitude and he cannot have much confidence heading into a match against the current world number one.

Harrison and Federer are on the Order of Play for Stadium 1 where they will meet in the final match of the day following the Rafael Nadal vs Somdev Devvarman match. The Nadal match is set to start not before 7pm PT. (CNN) -- World No. 1 Rafael Nadal has continued his impressive run of form at Indian Wells with a straight-sets third-round victory over American qualifier Ryan Sweeting.
The 23-year-old Spaniard has dropped just 11 points on his serve in the tournament so far, and took just 68 minutes to brush aside the world No. 105 6-3 6-1 on Monday.
"I played solid," the two-time winner of the Californian hard-court event, who had a first-round bye, told the official ATP Tour website. "I think today the more positive thing is I finished much better than the beginning of the match. In general I'm happy."
The nine-time grand slam champion will meet world No. 84 Somdev Devvarman in the fourth round, after the Indian qualifier secured just his third win in a Masters event with a 6-1 3-6 7-6 (7-5) victory over Belgium's Xavier Malisse.
"I have a lot of respect for Nadal," the 26-year-old said. "He's one of my favorite tennis players, one of my idols, so when I'm out there I'm gonna do everything I can to win the match. I'm gonna compete as hard as I can."

Vera Zvonareva.

Zvonareva has won eight WTA Tour singles titles, four WTA Tour doubles titles and two ITF Women's Circuit singles titles.

helping Russia to its third win in four years. She will be looking for yet another quality victory with her match against Zvonareva. She is currently ranked at number 27 in the world.

World number three Zvonareva has been wining titles this year. She reached the semi final at the Australian Open and the Pattaya Open this year and also managed to fish out a title at Doha after defeating Wozniacki in the finals. She will be looking out for a decent performance at this tournament too.

Both the players have met three times before and Zvonareva leads the head-to-head by 3-0. The last time they met was this year at Doha where Zvonareva won in two straight sets. Zvonareva can play aggressive backhands and come out with well placed serves to penetrate any game plan. On the other hand Cibulkova can run down balls at extreme corners as she is armed with good foot speed. She can moreover slam swift forehands from the back of the court. Zvonareva should be able to come up with a win in straight sets on a good day of play.

Second seed Vera Zvonareva held her nerve to see off world number one Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets and win the Qatar Open.

The Russian came through 6-4 6-4 in one hour and 49 minutes in Doha.
Wozniacki had been looking for back-to-back titles following her success in Dubai last week but ran out of steam against the world number three.
The Dane was reduced to banging her racquet on the court as the frustration showed in the closing stages.
Zvonareva broke the Wozniacki serve at the first two opportunities on her way to taking the first set, and then recovered from a break down in the second to secure victory.
The Russian had lost twice before in Doha finals, and collected her first title since Pattaya City last year.
"It's a special moment for me," said Zvonareva. "I have so many fans here and it's an unbelievable feeling to come to Doha and win this tournament.
"It was a tough match and I had to play aggressive and go for my shots."
Wozniacki said: "I had a great few days but today it was Vera's day. I had my chances but she really played well. I failed to convert several break points.
"I'm always disappointed to lose but I played a great competitor today. Vera played a great match and a great tournament."
In Acapulco, Argentina's Gisela Dulko defeated Spaniard Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-3 7-6 (7-5) to win the Mexican Open - her fourth WTA singles title.
"I love this tournament but I was always struggling here," said Dulko.
"I felt great this week though, on and off the court. I couldn't go to the beach too much though, so I'll try to do that tomorrow morning before I leave."

World number one Caroline Wozniacki will play Vera Zvonareva in the WTA Qatar Open final on Saturday.

Wozniacki, 20, cruised past world number 18 Marion Bartoli, beating the unseeded French player 6-1 6-1 in just over an hour.
Russian second seed Zvonareva booked her place in the final after a tough match against Serbian Jelena Jankovic.
Zvonareva, 26, won the first set 6-1 but Jankovic battled back to win the second 6-2 before losing the third 6-4.
A finalist of both Wimbledon and the US Open in 2010, Zvonareva will now face an in-form Wozniacki who is chasing her second title in a week.
Wozniacki, who won the Dubai Championships on 20 February, had been beaten by Bartoli in Stuttgart in 2009 and Cincinnati in 2010.
But Bartoli, a 2007 Wimbledon finalist, had no answer to her opponent on Friday as Wozniacki won six of her eight break points to take the match.

Caroline Wozniacki escaped the fate of several seeded players at the WTA Qatar Open with a 6-3 6-2 win over Nadia Petrova in the second round.

The world number one will meet Flavia Pennetta in the quarters but third seed Francesca Schiavone, fourth seed Li Na and eighth seed Shahar Peer all lost.
Second seed Vera Zvonareva progressed after a 6-1 6-2 victory over Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova.
And Jelena Jankovic also advanced after beating India's Sania Mirza 6-0 6-1.
Wozniacki, who won in Dubai on Sunday, was given a first-round bye in Qatar and the Dane said: "It's great to start off with a win and continue with my good form after Dubai.
"Nadia is a very experienced player who has won before in Qatar, so it was particularly pleasing."
Italian Schiavone, the world number five, was the biggest casualty after losing to China's Peng Shuai 7-5 6-3, while Li lost 6-2 6-1 to Czech Klara Zakopalova.
Schiavone, who last year became the first Italian to win the French Open, said she needed a short break from the game.
"I should take some days off, but there is no time.... sometimes tennis players can decide, sometimes not," said the Italian after the defeat.
Israeli Peer, who had beaten two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kusnetsova on Tuesday, was thrashed by Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli 6-1 6-0.

World number one Caroline Wozniacki claimed the Dubai Championships title after a comprehensive 6-1 6-3 final win over Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova.

The Dane went through the entire tournament without dropping a set on her way to her 13th career WTA title.
And the 20-year-old is expected to keep her place at the top of the world rankings for at least four weeks.
World number 23 Kuznetsova, who endured her third loss in the Dubai final, had no answer to Wozniacki's powerful game.
However, she is expected to climb 10 places when the new rankings are published on Monday.
Wozniacki dominated proceedings from the very start, taking a 2-0 lead before winning four successive games to claim the first set.
Kuznetsova saved two match points at 5-2 in the second set but her resistance eventually relented in the ninth game as Wozniacki sealed victory in 75 minutes.
Wozniacki said: "I was hitting the ball cleanly and aggressively. I knew I had to, because if Svetlana is allowed to dictate, she's just too strong.
"It was very important to stay pretty close to the baseline and keep her moving. I'm a player that can play aggressively, I can play defensively, I can mix it up and wait for the right moment.
"It depends on the opponent and it depends on how I feel."
Kuznetsova admitted she contributed to her own downfall.
"I was just making so many unforced errors," said the Russian.
"She defends well and doesn't really give you many free points. She plays a stable game and she wins.
"I just kept changing my strategy all match instead of just choosing one thing and playing it. She's just a smarter player. That's it."

Player Overview

Year turned pro: 2000 Career matches won: 354 Year to date matches won: 0 Career matches lost: 175 Year to date matches lost: 1 Current 52 week rank for singles: 2 Current 52 week rank for doubles: 32 High rank for singles: (Date: 25 October 2010) 2 High rank for doubles: (Date: 8 August 2005) 9 Career prize money: $10,102,030 USD Year to date prize money for singles: $8,500 USD Year to date prize money for doubles: $0 USD

	Grand Slam Singles Results:
	Year		Australian Open		Roland Garros		Wimbledon		US Open
	2002	-	4TH	2ND	3RD
	2003	1ST	QF	4TH	3RD
	2004	4TH	3RD	4TH	4TH
	2005	2ND	3RD	2ND	-
	2006	1ST	1ST	1ST	3RD
	2007	4TH	-	-	3RD
	2008	1ST	4TH	2ND	2ND
	2009	SF	-	3RD	4TH
	2010	4TH	2ND	RUP	RUP

	Grand Slam Doubles Results:
	Year		Australian Open		Roland Garros		Wimbledon		US Open
	2004	1ST	3RD	2ND	-
	2005	SF	3RD	QF	-
	2006	QF	QF	2ND	WON
	2007	3RD	-	-	2ND
	2008	-	2ND	2ND	2ND
	2009	3RD	-	1ST	2ND
	2010	-	2ND	RUP	QF

Tennis Top Player Dinara Safina.

Birthdate April 27, 1986 (24 years old)
Birthplace Moscow, Russia
Residence Monte Carlo, Monaco
Height 5'12'' (182 cm)
Weight 154 lbs (70 kg)
Plays Right-handed
Turned Pro 2000 (12 yrs on tour)
Official Site www.dinarasafina.com “After Australia there was a moment I came to Moscow for the Fed Cup. I said to my mom, ‘I'm retiring,'" said No. 108 Safina, who beat Daniela Hantuchova at Indian Wells, the first time since September that she scored two straight wins. "I said, ‘I don't want any more of this.’ I really honestly said, because for me it was tough, because I knew that I'm gonna start the next week with a new coach. It was a moment that was going in my mind, like, ‘Will I be back?’ Well, [my mom Rausa] said, ‘Come on; be positive.’ I said, ‘It's not about positive or negative. I was not happy being on the court anymore.’ It was tough, because I love the sport. And once you're not enjoying it, you struggle. When you have some bad moments, like your head's falling down. But when you're believing, you're like, ‘Okay, it's not my day. I'm just gonna keep working hard.’” So I change it around to practice, and Davide, he was really positive every time, because there were moments in the practice I would go down. He's like, ‘Come on; keep it up; let's work hard.’ I mean, thank God it's paying off.”
Safina has consistently said over the years that she doesn’t talk tennis with her mother, a famous junior coach in Russia who taught her to play, but this time, she decided that her mother was the only person she could confide in.
"That moment I felt like she was the person who knows me,” said Safina, who will play Sam Stosur in the next round. "That I could really speak it out what I have deep inside, and that was the thing with her. I knew it would also hurt her, but I cannot keep it anymore inside. So I went to her. She was the closest one for me."—Matthew CroninSerena Williams tells USA Today that she’s unsure when she’ll return to the tour and has been depressed. She suffered a pulmonary embolism last month and had to have a hematoma removed from her stomach
"I definitely have not been happy," Williams said. "Especially when I had that second surgery (on my foot), I was definitely depressed. I cried all the time. I was miserable to be around…What's going to make me happy is going on the court and holding up trophies, singles and doubles."
 No. 1 Williams is on blood thinners to eliminate the clotting in her lungs and will undergo a cat scan in about three weeks to see if the clots are dissipating. She has set no timetable for a return.
Kim Clijsters retires with a right shoulder injury up 6-3, 1-3 against Marion Bartoli in the fourth round of Indian Wells on Tuesday. Clijsters called for the trainer down 1-2 in the second set and had her shoulder worked on, but no avail.
With Clijsters' retirement, Caroline Wozniacki is guaranteed to hold on the No. 1 ranking until at least the end of the Miami tournament.
Four-times Grand Slam champion Clijsters has been taking medication for the injury and said that she was concerned about how it would hold up during the upcoming clay court season. She said she began to take pain medication during her run to the 2011 Australian Open title. The Belgian is going to try defend her title in Miami, which begins next week, but is unsure whether she'll be able to complete the tournament.
"After Miami we have Fed Cup, which I'm taking very seriously," Clijsters said. "And also obviously the clay court season, which i a very tough part of the season for the shoulders. And I'm gonna have to make sure that I'm, fully healed until I start playing on that surface.
Clijsters said the main reason behind her retirement was that she didn't want to risk a more severe injury. She also revealed that she suffered a bad neck injury at the Paris Indoors last month, which she believes in related to her shoulder problem.
"I have been feeling it in my practices when I'm just hitting with my coach. Mostly it's with the serve, but with the higher forehands," she said. "Couple times a day when she wrong-footed me and I went out for my backhand where I tried to [stretch] I could just feel it in the back. Is it something where I can take some painkillers for it and not feel it during a match? Yes, I think so. But then I don't want to risk tearing it. In my stage right now, I don't want to be in that position where I'm taking medication to cover the pain and not knowing if it's getting worse during my match."Ana Ivanovic has parted ways with trainer Marija Lojanica, who is a childhood friend. Ivanovic made the decision in the last couple of days at Indian Wells. Lojanica has been on site, but she didn’t appear in Ivanovic's box during her 6-4, 6-2 win over Serbian rival Jelena Jankovic on Tuesday.
“We are still friends, but it just was a little bit time for me to consider certain things because we had a little bit of different view of my stage and where I should be at," Ivanovic said. “I just felt like I needed to get a little bit stronger. I was feeling very weak on the court and I had quite a few injuries. I just want to take a little bit different approach, and gain some more muscles, because my game is so powerful. I felt weak, and that caused a lot of stress on my body.”
Ivanovic slimmed down in the off-season and did feel quicker, but after suffering an abdominal injury at the Hopman Cup—which derailed her Australian Open plans—she began to feel frustrated. Interestingly, just after the Australian Open, at a tournament in Pattaya City, Ivanovic ended her brief coaching experiment with Antonio Van Grichen, who was actually encouraging her to put on more muscle in order amplify her power game.
"At the end of last year I lost some weight and I felt really fast and strong on the court, but then I lost too much and I just felt like I couldn't produce anything out of the corners," she said. "I was feeling quite weak on the court and I couldn't recover. I could have one match, but then would be exhausted. That's something that I really had to take seriously, because it was also my well being. I just felt like I needed a little bit different approach. I needed to gain some of that strength back. Not dead weight, just some more muscle mass."
Ivanovic, who has traveled with a large team in the past, is now just down to her hitting partner, France’s Olivier Morel, as well as her manager. The 23-year-old says she is taking more control of her own career now."I hurt my foot last week in Davis Cup, and since then it's been pretty bad," he said. "Today it was not very good. I think I lost the match when I decided to go on court, because today I shouldn't have done that. Sitting here after the match, it feels like I couldn't give 100%. I think it's pretty stupid to play. Hopefully they won't find anything bad and then I will be able to play [Miami]. But I'm not sure."—Matthew Cronin
Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal, among other players, expressed sympathy and support for the victims of Friday's 9.0-magnitude earthquake in Japan and the resulting tsunami that has killed thousands, as well as caused an explosion at a nuclear power plant. At Indian Wells, Sharapova,who was born in the wake of the Chernobyl accident in Ukraine 25 years ago, was a wearing a shirt noting the April 26 anniversary date of the disaster. She runs a foundation that gives scholarships to youths from the area around Chernobyl.
"Crazy, right? Can you believe one disaster 25 years ago? Now another? In terms of what's going on over there, it's crazy and something that you can't even prepare for," she said. "It happens, and you see the coverage on it and the videos, and it's really incredible that something like that can even happen in the world. It opens your eyes, and obviously puts a lot of perspective in your life. [Japan] is a country where I have very great memories from. I started playing there when I was very young, and I always loved my experiences there. So to see it going on there to its culture and the people, it's really sad.”
Nadal added that he would like to something for Japan while at Indian Wells: "All of us are have connection with Japan, especially myself. I was there last year, and the people was always really nice with me, so I am open to do everything for Japan, and am very sorry and so sad, because what's happening is terrible. So hopefully the situation gets better soon. Seems like gonna be difficult. But if we can help, I don't know which way, but for sure we gonna try something." - MC
The latter stages of Indian Wells and Miami will be shown on ESPN and ABC. ESPN2 will air the Indian Wells men’s quarterfinals and women’s semifinals on Friday, and ABC will show the men’s semifinals (Saturday) and both finals (Sunday). The two networks will begin broadcasting from Miami on Wednesday, March 30. ESPN2 last televised the events in 2007. Tennis Channel shows most of the earlier rounds.—Matthew CroninYoung North American sensations Ryan Harrison and Milos Raonic will resume their junior rivalry in the third round of Indian Wells.
The 18-year-old Harrison of the U.S. reached the third round of a Masters Series tournament for the first time with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, while Canada's Raonic won his 16th match of the year by overcoming Mardy Fish, 7-5, 6-4. The two have never faced off as pros, but did play three times in the juniors. Harrison won two out of their three contests, including a three-set victory in first round of the 2008 Roland Garros juniors.
With the victory over Fish, Raonic won his 16th match of the year and is sure to crack at least the Top 35 when the tournament is over. "He's a fighter, he's feeling good, he's gonna go for his shots, he's gonna play, and he's gonna do a lot of things," said Raonic, who suffered a lower back injury in his win over Fish. "I feel like I'm posting up a lot of Top 20 wins, Top 50 wins consistently, and I think that's something to be proud of and something that isn't by luck or by chance. It's just a sign of my level."
Wild card Harrison, who hadn't scored a win on the ATP level this year before the tournament, added, "He's playing great and he's made a lot of improvements in his game, especially on the ground. I remember him from juniors. He's a big guy. He's finally reeled in his groundstrokes. I do have full confidence in myself and I feel I can win."—Matthew CroninMen's wildcards for Miami have gone to James Blake, Milos Raonic, Ryan Harrison, Jack Sock and Bernard Tomic.
Blake is the only veteran in the group, his ranking falling after injuries caused him to miss most of the second half of last year.
Women's wildcards were awarded to Dinara Safina, Sorana Cirstea, Sabine Lisicki, Heather Watson, Coco Vandeweghe and Madison Keys.
 world No. 1 Safina has won just one match in four tournaments so far during the year, though she managed to win the doubles in Kuala Lumpur last week. The Russian is struggling to find her form after being plagued with back troubles for the last 18 months.
Cirstea defeated Lisicki in three sets in Indian Wells qualifying this week.

Top women's tennis players wish Serena Williams well.

INDIAN WELLS — The top women's tennis players in the world were quick to point out concern for fellow WTA Tour member Serena Williams at the roundtable event here at the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday.
Reigning Australian Open champ Kim Clijsters said Williams' absence is a blow to the women's game. Williams appeared on TV on Wednesday for the first time after emergency treatment for what has been reported as pulmonary embolism.
“Serena is the best women's player ever to be still out there playing,'' said Clijsters, the current No. 2 player in the world. “Not being able to play is very disappointing to the public, the tournament and everybody. I've had some of the biggest and funnest matches against Serena. You want to have more of those matches, win or lose.”
Serena Williams is a champion with a strong will to win and an equally generous spirit.

her persona and public image is larger than life. As a result many fans find it difficult to relate to Venus’s younger sister and best friend.
The present top ranked player joins an elite group of seven other women to win 10 or more Grand Slam singles tournaments.
Serena has captured four Australian Opens. After her win over Safina, Williams rejoiced in her typically straight-forward manner proclaiming, “I always believe I’m the best, whether I’m number one or whether I’m a hundred. Just having that extra bonus is pretty cool.”
As long as Serena is on the tour, players like Safina, Kusnetsova and Dementieva will be under pressure to elevate their play to remain competitive.
Coupled with her 2008 U.S. Open Championship, Serena has now won consecutive Grand Slams for the first time since 2003. Serena did not perform up to her usual standards at the French Open in Paris in 2008, the site of the year’s next Grand Slam. Uncharacteristically she bowed out in the third round. The younger Williams has set her sights significantly higher this year.
If Serena wins on the slower French clay courts, move over tennis world. Fans could well expect to see a Grand Slam sweep in 2009. As unpredictable as Women’s Tennis can be, it is certain that Serena Williams will show up, will post her lofty credentials and challenge the field to overcome her. As everyone at Melbourne learned, that is no easy task.
Serena Williams says arch-rival Justine Henin can again challenge her as the world's best female tennis player - and would relish a crack at her in the Medibank International.
Williams and Henin struck up one of the fiercest rivalries in the game before Henin's shock retirement in May 2008.
The Belgian's decision to return late last year has fans of the game salivating at the prospect of the pair resuming their hostilities.
Henin has been handed a wildcard for Sydney, and then the Australian Open in Melbourne, and there is a distinct possibility the pair will meet in both tournaments.
Asked if she would enjoy a showdown with her former nemesis in Sydney, Williams said: "That'd be awesome. You know me? I don't really care who I play - as long as I win. But she's a great player and I definitely think she can get back to where she was. She left at the top of her game and she's a great player still."
The pair's duels over the years - both on the court and then in the press conferences that followed - are the stuff of legend.
And bitter acrimony, not least after Henin defeated Williams in the quarter-finals at both the French and US opens in 2007.
"I really am not surprised by anything on this tour any longer," Williams said when asked if she was shocked by Henin's decision to play again. "I mean, I was really shocked when Michael Jackson died. That surprised me. Not much surprises me outside of that."

Clijsters added that being a professional athlete you are well aware of your body, but this life-altering medical event has opened her eyes.
Serena’s ranking is a lot like her game. She puts it out there and challenges the world to take it away. As she proved in the 2009 Australian Open, she is the force to beat in Women’s Tennis.
Serena started slowly in the Australian heat and was fortunate to turn back a trio of hard hitting Russian challengers en route to a stunningly convincing 6-0, 6-3 final match victory over third seeded Dinara Safina. The impressive march to the championship was filled with adversity including a near upset by eight seeded Svetiana Kuznetsova in the quarter-finals and a tight semi-final match against fourth seeded Elena Dementieva.
The 2009 Australian Open had remarkable similarities to Serena’s overall career. Originally overshadowed by her older sister, Venus, Serena has always been able to rise to the occasion and claim her rightful spot.
As the Melbourne tournament unfolded, Serena got better and better with each round. By the time she reached the finals, there was no turning her aside. Her powerful serve and ground strokes seemed to wear down the opposition.

Roger Federer Biography.

Birthdate: August 8, 1981
Birthplace: Basel, Switzerland
Roger Federer's sweet forehand and court smarts have made him one of the top-ranked tennis players in the world.
Roger Federer was born on August 8, 1981 in Basel, Switzerland. He is a famous tennis player who is currently World's Number One.
Biography and Career :
He has German, Swiss and South African origins and his parents' names are Robert Federer and Lynette Federer. He grew up in Switzerland and he speaks fluently German, French and English. The person who is always next to him and supports him is Miroslava Vavrinec or Mirka. She is an ex tennis player and they met in 2000 at the Sydney Olympics. He likes children and likes to take care of them, that is why he does a lot of charity actions and is involved in the UNICEF programs. On April 3, 2003 he was named Goodwill Ambassador to UNICEF.
His career as a tennis player started when he was six years old. In 1998 he won the junio
 Wimbledon title and soon became professional.
He won four times at Wimbledon: in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. In 2007 he is the favourite player there and specialists give him great chances to win the fifth consecutive title. At the Australian Open he won three times: 2004, 2006 and 2007. The US Open was conquered three consecutive times 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Tony Roche is his last coach and probably the most famous. Federer has renounced at his services in 2007. He received many awards and also won tournaments at Indian Wells, Toronto, Hamburg, Miami, Cincinnati, Madrid or Dubai.
As you can see his results are amazing. He surprised everyone and famous names in the tennis history see him as a legend and consider that his career is just getting started. We can say that he is phenomenon as many records were smashed by him.
Trivia :
- Height: 185 cm
- Weight: 80 kg
- He plays: right-handed.
- He turned pro in 1998.
Quotes :
- "Previously I always thought it was just tactical and technique, but every match has become almost mental and physical'I try to push myself to move well. I try to push myself not to get upset and stay positive, and that's what my biggest improvement is over all those years. Under pressure I can see things very clear."
- "All four of those are on grass, whereas I have to play some on a hard court!"
- "It's just unreal, I'm shocked myself. I've played good matches here, but never really almost destroyed somebody."
- "It's a match for him to forget and for me to remember."
- "It's great...being there till the end, seeing an empty locker room and a full stadium."
- "Because people sometimes miss it, and sometimes they don't have it, they want it. And when they have it, they don't want it."
Career Review :
- Singles Record: 513 - 130
- Singles Titles: 48
- Doubles Record: 104 - 68
- Doubles Titles: 7
- Prize Money: $31,237,103
- Career High ATP Ranking - Singles: 1 (2-Feb-2004).

"I played really well," said Roger after the match. "In the first round, you never have too much expectation and you just hope to get through."
It was Roger's fourth victory over Andreev in four meetings. But it was the first time our champ didn't have to drop a set against the hard-hitting Russian. In the tiebreak, Roger set up his match point by forcing Andreev to hit a backhand long and then clinched the win when Andreev pounded a forehand into the net.
Roger will face Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela (ATP 32) in the next round of Indian Wells on Tuesday.Dear Fans just decided to enter Monte Carlo. Hopefully I will see some of you in Monaco in the spring.The draw for the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells is out. Roger has a First-round bye and will then either face Russia's Igor Andrejew (ATP 96) or Japan's Kei Nishikori (63). Roger won all three previous matches against Andrejew, dropping one set each time. Roger has never played Nishikori on the ATP Tour before.
In the quarter finals a match against Roger's friend Stanislas Wawrinka (ATP 14) is possible. In the semi final, Roger could meet Novak Djokovic (ATP 3) again - the Serb defeated our champ in the Dubai final.
The top seeded Rafael Nadal, UK's Andy Murray and Sweden's Robin Söderling are in the other half of the draw.

Lionel Messi Master Footballer.

Messi, my love, I can already imagine you getting all possible trophies this season. People don’t realize how young you are and how far you will still go."An agreement has been signed late last month for bringing the star-studded team to Kolkata," Celebrity Management Group executive director Bhaswar Goswami told IANS.
Lionel Messi, adjudged 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or, would be a part of the squad that would play either against an European or an Asian side."We are yet to finalise the opponent. But it would either be a star-studded European side or a team from Asia," Goswami said.
the visit of the Argentine team will be a latest addition to a host of football celebrities and side which have visited the soccer-loving city of a cricket-crazy India in recent years.
Last year Uruguayan star footballer Diego Forlan - the golden ball winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup - spent two days in the city for a promotional program of a channel.
Earlier Kolkata has hosted legendary footbasller like Diego Maradona, Lothar Matthaus, Oliver Kahn, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Gerd Muller, Romario and Branco.
Brazillian stars Zico had come as the coach of Japan's national side for a pre-world cup game, while Cameroon's Roger Milla - adjudged the best African player of the last century - played an exhibition match months after his sparkling performance at the 1990 World Cup.
But it all started with Brazilian's football legend Pele's trip to the city as a member of the cosmos football in 1977.
Goswami however said that the name of the sponsor is yet to be decided.
--IANS Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano has warned Arsenal Lionel Messi is ready to dump them out of the Champions League for the second successive season.
ssi scored all four goalsMe in last year’s demolition of the North London side at the Nou Camp, and Mascherano believes his Argentine team-mate will do the same again to overturn the 2-1 deficit from the first leg..
“Nothing surprises me about Leo,” Mascherano said to the Spanish media.
“He can repeat what he did last year or he could do even better. Nobody can put a limit on the levels he can reach.”
Mascherano, who played at Liverpool for three years, also expects the Gunners to adopt a defensive approach as they will attempt to defend their lead from the Emirates.
“They are not stupid. They have a [2-1] advantage and they will try to protect that lead,” added Mascherano.
“They will come to defend. The difference [from Zaragoza] is that, as we know, when they do have the ball they also like to play and they have the players to do that.
“Arsenal know how to defend as well as attack. We can’t make the mistake of thinking that, just because they know how to play attacking football, they don’t know how to defend.
“In football when a team plays well we all jump to that conclusion. But if Arsenal have to defend, then they will defend.
The problem is that when they have the ball they will try to play football – because of the players and the coach they have.”
Lionel Messi is ready to dump Arsenal out of the Champions League, according to Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano. The Gunners take a 2-1 advantage to the Camp Nou for the second leg of their last-16 tie, but they will be wary of the 4-1 hammering they suffered at the hands of Barca in this competition last season. Messi was the star of the show as he netted four goals that night
We meet again: Mascherano (right) set to resume his rivarly with Nasri but this time in Barca colours Javier Mascherano says Arsenal could face another Lionel Messi master class tomorrow night at the Nou Camp as the world's greatest player looks to book Barcelona's ticket to the quarter-finals

Xavi Hernandez.

Xavi Hernandez

Xavi Hernandez currently plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona. Widely considered among the finest play-makers in the world, Xavi was named the official Man of the match of the 2009 Champions League Final as he helped Barcelona defeat Manchester United to win their third Champions League-title. He was named Player of the Tournament by UEFA at UEFA Euro 2008  and was one of the five finalists for the 2007–08 FIFA World Player of the Year. In all he has been capped 95 times for the Spanish national team, with whom he won the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He is regularly cited as one of the best midfielders currently playing.

Andres Iniesta.

The Spanish champions trail 2-1 from their first-leg encounter at the Emirates last month and need to win in the return leg to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Barcelona have a strong record at home and defeated the Gunners 4-1 in front of their own supporters in the second leg of their last-eight tie in 2009-10, but Iniesta admits that it will be tough this time around.
"For us there are no doubts," said the Spain international midfielder, according to Football365.com. "This is the first final of this season and we cannot fail at home and with the support of our fans."
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has recovered from his injury and could feature at the Nou Camp, but Iniesta believes that they cannot focus on just one player tomorrow.
"We have analysed Arsenal and Cesc is not exclusively the key man," noted the 26-year-old. "Wilshere is also very important for Arsenal. He is still young, but could go far and be the chief in the team."
The Spanish champions trail 2-1 from their first-leg encounter at the Emirates last month and need to win in the return leg to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Barcelona have a strong record at home and defeated the Gunners 4-1 in front of their own supporters in the second leg of their last-eight tie in 2009-10, but Iniesta admits that it will be tough this time around.
"For us there are no doubts," said the Spain international midfielder, according to Football365.com. "This is the first final of this season and we cannot fail at home and with the support of our fans."
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has recovered from his injury and could feature at the Nou Camp, but Iniesta believes that they cannot focus on just one player tomorrow.
"We have analysed Arsenal and Cesc is not exclusively the key man," noted the 26-year-old. "Wilshere is also very important for Arsenal. He is still young, but could go far and be the chief in the team."
Andrés Iniesta is a Spanish football midfielder who currently plays for Spanish La Liga club FC Barcelona. His willingness to play anywhere on the pitch, coupled with a natural humility, has earned him the sobriquet El Ilusionista (The Dreamer), El Cerebro (The Brain), El Caballero Pálido (The Pale Knight) and most recently Don Andrés from the Spanish press. After the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final, Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney stated that he believed the midfielder to be the best player in the world. His current contract with Barcelona runs until 2015. Iniesta scored the winning goal for Spain in the 116th minute of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final against the Netherlands and was the Man of the Match for the game.

MADRID, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Real Madrid kept their calmness under pressure to produce a convincing 3-1 win away to Racing Santander to remain seven points behind FC Barcelona at the end of Spain's 27th round on Sunday.
Real Madrid travelled without the injured Cristiano Ronaldo, but Karim Benzema scored twice and Emmanuel Adebayor added a goal as Ronaldo was forgotten with a comfortable win in what could have been a complicated evening in the el Sardinero Stadium..
Meanwhile Barcelona rested key players such as Andres Iniesta and David Villa for the visit of struggling Zaragoza.
Coach Pep Guardiola was on the bench, despite having spent the previous two days in hospital with a distal hernia and saw a goal from Seydou Keita on the stroke of halftime give his side the points

Frank Lampard.

FRANK LAMPARD has told his Chelsea team-mates not to waste their win over Manchester United.
Tuesday's victory means the Blues are in fourth spot in the Premier League - 12 points behind Alex Ferguson's leaders.
But Lampard has warned that Monday's trip to relegation battlers Blackpool is a potential banana skin.
He said: "Nothing is a given, every game is tough and if we don't get a result against Blackpool in our next game then United means nothing.
"The old cliché about taking each game as it comes has never been more important for us.
"We showed a lot of character and spirit against United and we got the result we needed to get us back in the top four.
"We can't get ahead of ourselves, we have to claw our way back, hope that other teams lose and who knows what can happen.
Lampard began his career at West Ham United, his father’s former club. He had secured a place in the first team by the 1997–98 season, and the following year helped the team finish 5th in the Premier League, their highest ever Premier League placing. In 2001, he moved to rival London club Chelsea for £11 million.
From his debut onwards he was ever-present in the Chelsea first team, setting a record 164 consecutive Premier League appearances. He established himself as a prolific scorer at the West London club and was a key part of the sides which won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2004–05 and 2005–06 and a domestic cup double in 2007. He signed a new contract in 2008, becoming the highest paid Premier League footballer at that time, and scored in his first Champions League Final that same year. He won the FA Cup for the second time in 2009, scoring the winning goal in the final. On 23 December 2009, he was named the Premier League’s Player of the decade by official statistics.In the 2009-10 season Lampard won the Premier League title and FA Cup (domestic cup double) also he had his best prolific season with Chelsea scoring 22 league goals and 17 league assists.

Lampard has won the Chelsea Player of the Year award three times and is Chelsea’s 3rd all-time goalscorer with 158 goals in all competitions, including over 100 league goals, the most in the club’s history for a midfielder. Lampard is the highest goalscoring midfielder in Premier League history with 129 league goals and he’s 2nd in the Premier League’s all-time assists table with 156 assists. Also Lampard completes over 1400 successful passes and has 10 or more assists every season. In 2005, Lampard was voted second place in both the 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year and the 2005 Ballon d’Or.

Fernando Torres.

Football or Soccer (Depends where you are from) is the most famous and followed sport in the world with millions of fans world wide. Many Clubs cost over a billion dollars. Those clubs buy players for tens of millions of dollars. We decided making a list of some of the best players in Football/Soccer and here is what we got.


Fernando Torres

Torres started his career with Atlético Madrid, progressing through their youth system. He made his first team debut in 2001 and finished his career with the club having scored 75 goals in 174 La Liga appearances. Prior to his La Liga debut, Torres played two seasons in the Segunda División, making 40 appearances and scoring seven goals. He joined Premier League club Liverpool in 2007 after signing for a club record transfer fee. He marked his first season at Anfield by being Liverpool’s first player, since Robbie Fowler in 1995–96, to score more than 20 league goals in a season. Torres became the fastest player in Liverpool history to score 50 league goals after scoring against Aston Villa in December 2009.


Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti is confident striker Fernando Torres will end his goal drought soon enough despite the £50million striker drawing another blank at Blackpool on Monday night.

The Blues won 3-1 thanks to two goals from Frank Lampard and one from John Terry, with Jason Puncheon adding a late consolation for the Seasiders. However, Torres - playing up front with Didier Drogba - hardly had a chance all night and never looked like coming close to scoring.

"It is important he works for the team and he is doing that now and game by game he will improve and he will score." Ancelotti said: "We are happy about his performance. He is a top scorer and he will score, this is not a problem."

The former AC Milan boss added: "He is showing good movement; he showed good movement with Drogba in the first half,

"I think they played well, it was a good combination at the start of the game.

"I didn't ask them to play closer, I wanted them to spread the Blackpool defence."

Torres has now gone five matches, a total of 406 minutes, without opening his account since his deadline day move from Liverpool.

The win moved Chelsea within nine points of Barclays Premier League leaders Manchester with a match in hand.

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway, whose side have won once in nine matches and are just two points above the relegation zone, was disappointed with the result but not his side's performance.

"We are a bit sore because we didn't feel we deserved that, we didn't deserve to be more than two goals away from them," he said. "We needed something to give us a bit of belief, we needed the second goal in the game but unfortunately they got it."

World Best Football Player 2011 Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi
Nickname: Lio
Date of Birth: Jun 24, 1987 (Age 23)
Place of Birth: Santa Fe
Nationality: Argentina
Height: 169 cm.
Weight: 67 Kg.
Position: Striker
Squad Number: 10
National Team Page: Argentina


There really are only two players worth mentioning as best player in the world, such is the gap between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo with the rest of the footballing elite. They are the driving forces behind their clubs and the great hopes for each club to achieve success domestically and in the champions league.

Read more at Suite101: World Best Football Player 2011 Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo http://www.suite101.com/content/world-best-football-player-2011-lionel-messi--cristiano-ronaldo-a331538#ixzz1Ft4RxkYC

Lionel Messi SUPER STAR

Early life

Messi was born on 24 June 1987 at the Hospital Italiano Garibaldi in Rosario, Santa Fe, to parents Jorge Horacio Messi (born 1958), a factory worker, and Celia María Cuccittini, a part-time cleaner.[14][15][16][17] His paternal family originates from the Italian city of Ancona, from which his ancestor, Angelo Messi, emigrated to Argentina in 1883.[18][19] He has two older brothers named Rodrigo and Matías as well as a sister named María Sol.[20] At the age of five, Messi started playing football for Grandoli, a local club coached by his father Jorge.[21] In 1995, Messi switched to Newell's Old Boys who were based in his home city Rosario.[21] At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency.[22] Primera División club River Plate showed interest in Messi's progress, but did not have enough money to pay for treatment for his condition as it cost $900 a month.[17] Carles Rexach, the sporting director of FC Barcelona, had been made aware of his talent as Messi had relatives in Lleida, Catalonia, and Messi and his father were able to arrange a trial.[17] Barcelona signed him after watching him play,[23] offering to pay for the medical bills if he was willing to move to Spain.[21] His family moved to Europe and he started in the club's youth teams.[23] He has two cousins also involved in football; Maxi and Emanuel Biancucchi.[24][25]

Club career
Barcelona

Messi made his official debut for the first-team on 16 November 2003 aged 16 years and 145 days, in a friendly match against Porto.[26][27] Less than a year later, Frank Rijkaard let him make his league debut against RCD Espanyol on 16 October 2004 (at 17 years and 114 days), becoming the third-youngest player ever to play for Barcelona and youngest club player who played in La Liga. This record broken by Barca team mate Bojan Krkić in September 2007. When he scored his first senior goal for the club against Albacete Balompié on 1 May 2005, Messi was 17 years, ten months and seven days old, becoming the youngest to ever score in a La Liga game for Barcelona[28] until it was again broken by Bojan Krkić in 2007, scoring from a Messi assist.[29] Messi said about his ex-coach Frank Rijkaard: "I'll never forget the fact that he launched my career, that he had confidence in me while I was only sixteen or seventeen."[30]


Career statistics

Club Season League Cup Supercup Champions League UEFA Super Cup Club World Cup Total
Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists
Barcelona 2004–05 7 1 0 1 0 0 — 1 0 0 — — 9 1 0
2005–06 17 6 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 6 1 1 — — 25 8 4
2006–07 26 14 2 2 2 1 2 0 0 5 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 36 17 3
2007–08 28 10 12 3 0 0 — 9 6 1 — — 40 16 13
2008–09 31 23 11 8 6 2 — 12 9 5 — — 51 38 18
2009–10 35 34 10 3 1 0 1 2 0 11 8 0 1 0 1 2 2 0 53 47 11
2010–11 24 27 16 6 7 3 2 3 0 7 6 2 — — 39 43 21
Career total 168 115 54 25 17 6 5 5 0 51 31 9 2 0 1 2 2 0 253 170 70


Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi[3] (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi]; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team as a forward or winger. He also holds Spanish citizenship, which makes him eligible as a EU player. Considered one of the best football players of his generation[4][5][6] and frequently cited as the world's best contemporary player,[7] Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21 and won both by the age of 22.[7][8][9][10] He also won the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or at the age of 23.[11] His playing style and ability have drawn comparisons to Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi his "successor".[12][13]

Messi began playing football at a young age and his potential was quickly identified by Barcelona. He left Rosario-based Newell's Old Boys's youth team in 2000 and moved with his family to Europe, as Barcelona offered treatment for his growth hormone deficiency. Making his debut in the 2004–05 season, he broke his team record for the youngest footballer to score a league goal. Major honours soon followed as Barcelona won La Liga in Messi's debut season, and won a double of the league and Champions League in 2006. His breakthrough season was in the 2006–07 season; he became a first team regular, scoring a hat-trick in El Clásico and finishing with 14 goals in 26 league games. Messi then had the most successful season of his playing career, the 2008–09 season, in which he scored 38 goals to play an integral part in a treble-winning campaign. This record breaking season was then eclipsed in the following 2009–10 campaign, where Messi scored 47 goals in all competitions, equalling Ronaldo's record total for Barcelona.

Messi was the top scorer of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship with six goals, including two in the final game. Shortly thereafter, he became an established member of Argentina's senior international team. In 2006, he became the youngest Argentine to play in the FIFA World Cup and he won a runners-up medal at the Copa América tournament the following year. In 2008, in Beijing, he won his first international honour, an Olympic gold medal, with the Argentina Olympic football team.

UK Football, Nani suffers deep gash after Carragher tackle

This article is about the Portuguese footballer. For the former technical director at West Ham United, see Gianluca Nani.
Good article
This name uses Portuguese naming customs. The first or maternal family name is "Almeida" and the second or paternal family name is "Cunha".
Nani Nani.JPG
Personal information
Full name Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha[1]
Date of birth 17 November 1986 (1986-11-17) (age 24)[1]
Place of birth Praia, Cape Verde[1]
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2][3]
Playing position Winger
Club information
Current club Manchester United
Number 17
Youth career
2000–2003 Real Massamá[4]
2003–2005 Sporting CP[4]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2005–2007 Sporting CP 58 (9)
2007– Manchester United 87 (17)
National team‡
2006–2009 Portugal U21 10 (1)
2006– Portugal 43 (9)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 March 2011.

† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11 February 2011

Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha (born 17 November 1986) is a Portuguese footballer, commonly known as Nani. He plays as a winger for English side Manchester United and the Portugal national team.

Nani began his career with Sporting CP, joining the youth team in 2003 before making his first-team debut in 2005. During his two-year tenure in Portugal, Nani won only one trophy: the Portuguese Cup in the 2006–07 season. Before the 2007–08 season, Nani's performances attracted the attention of Manchester United, who secured his services in July 2007. He gained first-team status almost immediately and has since won the Premier League twice, the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League, the 2008–09 League Cup, along with the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup and three Community Shields.

Nani made his Portugal debut in 2006, scoring his first goal in the process, and has since established himself as a key member for them. He was heavily featured during Euro 2008 and throughout the 2010 World Cup qualification process. Since his debut, Nani has made 41 appearances and scored 9 goals for Portugal. Though right-footed, he is known for his ability to come inside from the right wing and shoot with power and accuracy with his left foot.

Nani suffers deep gash after Carragher tackle
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - MARCH 06: Goalkeeper Wayne Hennesey of Wolves blocks Jermain Defoe of Tottenham (R) during the Barclays Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur at Molineux on March 6, 2011 in Wolverhampton, England...

Kuyt hat-trick stuns faltering Man United

LONDON, March 6 (Reuters) - Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt's hat-trick dealt a body blow to Manchester United's Premier League title hopes as the faltering leaders were brushed aside 3-1 at Anfield on Sunday.

UK Football

United suffered their second league defeat in a week, after losing 2-1 at Chelsea, and their third in five games to leave them just three points ahead of Arsenal who have played a game less.

Kuyt, who had never scored against United since moving to Liverpool in 2006, struck on 34 minutes after some trickery by new signing Luis Suarez.

The workaholic Dutchman doubled Liverpool's lead five minutes later after a misplaced clearance by Nani who left the field on a stretcher soon afterwards following an ugly tackle by Jamie Carragher.

Kuyt put the game beyond United midway through the second half, again with a simple finish, after keeper Edwin van der Sar failed to hold a Suarez free kick and United substitute Javier Hernandez's stoppage-time header was only scant consolation.

United have 60 points from 29 games. Arsenal have 57 from 28 with Manchester City on 53 from 29. Chelsea, who play Blackpool on Monday, are fourth with 48 from 27 and Tottenham Hotspur also have 48 after Jermain Defoe scored twice in an enthralling 3-3 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday.

Liverpool moved back into the top six on 42 points and their impressive display will add to calls for Kenny Dalglish to get the manager's job long-term after he returned to the hot seat in January to replace the sacked Roy Hodgson.

The Scot, who turned 60 this week, has transformed the club's form since with wins over Chelsea and now United.

"The way we played was really important, and the lads deserve all the credit you can give them for what they achieved today," said Dalglish, who was manager when Liverpool won the last of their 18 titles in 1990.

"We deserved to win, no doubt. It always matters who the opposition are, because you're not going to get too many opponents who are as good as Manchester United."

Liverpool's early-season slump long since ended their own title hopes but they set about trying to put a spanner in the works of United's charge towards a record 19th English title.

Uruguayan Suarez buzzed around from the start and had an early half chance as Liverpool set a high tempo.

However, United's more measured approach gradually got them into the game and Dimitar Berbatov came closest to opening the scoring with a shot that clipped the woodwork.

An absorbing contest played in bright spring sunshine caught fire as halftime approached.



MAZY DRIBBLE

Suarez unlocked United's makeshift defence with an audacious dribble past Rafael, Michael Carrick and Wes Brown before scuffing the ball across goal for Kuyt who swept the ball into the net for one of the easiest goals of his career.

United were rattled and five minutes later Nani's wayward defensive header went back across his own area and dropped perfectly for Kuyt who doubled Liverpool's lead with a simple header.

Jamie Carragher was fortunate to escape a red card for an ugly challenge on the left shin of Nani which ended the Portuguese winger's involvement in the game and as tempers frayed Rafael was booked along with Martin Skrtel.

Berbatov almost got United back into the game on the hour with a header blocked on the line by Raul Meireles but there was little fluency about the visitors who have now lost their last three league visits to their arch-rivals.

Any hopes of a United comeback ended after 65 minutes when Kuyt struck again before the Anfield faithful were given their first sight of club-record signing Andy Carroll in a Liverpool shirt -- the striker getting a taste of the action when he replaced Meireles to huge applause.

Brazilian footballer Ronaldo

Luís Nazário de Lima (Portuguese pronunciation: [χoˈnawdu luˈiz naˈzaɾiu dʒi ˈlimɐ]; born 18 September 1976[1]), commonly known as Ronaldo, is a retired Brazilian footballer who last played for Corinthians. Ronaldo was one of the most prolific scorers in the world in the late 1990s and the early 2000s. He won his first Ballon d'Or as the European Footballer of the Year in 1997 (aged only 21) and again won the award in 2002 (26 years old). Additionally, he is one of only two men to have won the FIFA Player of the Year award three times, along with French footballer Zinedine Zidane.

In 2007, he was named as one of the best starting eleven of all-time by France Football and was named to the FIFA 100, a list of the greatest footballers compiled by fellow countryman Pelé. In 2010, he was voted Goal.com's "Player of the Decade" in an online poll, gathering 43.63 percent of all votes[2] and was also included as centre forward in the "Team of the Decade."[3] On 23 February 2010, Ronaldo announced that he will retire after the 2011 season, signing a two-year contract extension with the Corinthians at the same time.[4] He is widely considered by experts and fans as one of the greatest players of all time.[5]

Ronaldo has played for Brazil in 97 international matches, amassing 62 goals. He was a part of the Brazilian squad that won the 1994 and 2002 World Cups. During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Ronaldo became the highest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup with his fifteenth goal, surpassing Gerd Müller's previous record of 14.

Ronaldo retired on 14 February 2011. He cited pain and hypothyroidism as the reason for his premature retirement. [6] He left football with the record of the most goals scored in the history of the FIFA World Cup, including two goals in the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final.

Robin van Persie will be missing for at least three weeks

with the knee problem he picked up in the Carling Cup Final.

The Dutchman got the injury while scoring Arsenal’s equaliser late in the first half. He soldiered on until the 68th minute before being substituted.

Week 29 - Player Picks

Finally - after 28 weeks - Manchester United are starting to wobble. Wednesday's defeat at Stamford Bridge (a cracking match by the way) was their second in four league games and with trips to Anfield (without Vidic or Rio), the Emirates and the reverse fixture with Chelsea still to come, as well as some tricky matches against teams fighting for survival, it's perfectly conceivable that they will lose more matches. But does the result in midweek throw Chelsea back in to the title race?

No, not in my opinion. If Chelsea were 2nd then I'd offer them a slim chance of overturning the 12 point gap (with a game in hand), but because Arsenal sit between them & United, they're relying on not one, but two teams blowing it; I just don't see that happening (I'm ignoring Man City because they've played a game more and have a weaker goal difference). For what it's worth, I still believe Fergie will seal a record breaking 19th league title to overhaul Liverpool, but Arsenal will be right with them until the end and the race for the Champions League spots between Chelsea, City & Spurs adds an extra bit of spice to the run-in... not forgetting the unbelievable scrap at the bottom with 6th place and the relegation zone separated by just 10 points!

Anyway, Chelsea's win meant the loading up on Manchester United players didn't work out as well as it could've, but there were still plenty of decent scores about and I ended Week 28 on 137 points and 60th overall. It was of course a Blog Cup week, but as has become the norm I won't be calculating the semi-final results until next week to be sure Yahoo don't ruin things by making adjustments - make sure you check back here on Monday!
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