Dinner on the line when friends clash at Indian Wells

Published>Thu, Mar 18 10 02:08 PM

The cost of dinner will be on the line when good friends Caroline Wozniacki and Agnieszka Radwanska meet in the last four of the Indian Wells WTA tournament on Friday.

The pair, who first met in the junior ranks, regularly eat together on the circuit and they agree that whoever advances to the final will have to foot the bill for the next meal.

"If somebody wins something, it's buy the other one dinner," Radwanska told reporters after reaching her second semi-final of the year with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Russian Elena Dementieva on Wednesday.

"It's always like that," the fifth-seeded Pole added. "But if she wins, it doesn't make any changes with our relationship."

Second seed Wozniacki of Denmark, who battled past China's Zheng Jie 6-4 4-6 6-1 in the quarter-finals, agreed.

"The winner has to buy dinner, so I hope I'm gonna buy dinner," the 19-year-old said with a broad grin. "But she's a good friend. Tomorrow we're just going to relax, have fun and then we have to see what's gonna happen the day after."

Asked what they normally discussed at dinner on the WTA Tour, Wozniacki replied: "We don't talk about tennis.

"There are so many other things we want to talk about, so we prefer just to have a totally different conversation -- clothes, fashion, make-up, nail polish, boys, everything."

The two friends have played each other only twice on the WTA circuit, Radwanska winning the first encounter 6-4 6-1 in Stockholm in 2007 and Wozniacki returning the favour by the same score at the same venue the following year.

"She's a good player," said world number four Wozniacki, whose father and coach Piotr was a professional soccer player in his native Poland.

"She's getting a lot of balls back. She's thinking. She's smart on the court. We're friends off the court, and we want to win and fight on the court.

"Once you start thinking: 'Okay, it's my friend, then what happens is you lose the match. So it's just important to stay focused and don't think about who's on the other side."

Source: Web Search

'Fit' Harris can make Test debut against New Zealand

Published>Thu, Mar 18 10 01:46 PM

Sydney, Mar 18 (ANI): Australian captain Ricky Ponting has said that fast bowler Ryan Harris could make his debut in Friday's first Test against New Zealand, if he overcomes his side strain.

South Australia seamer Peter George has been added to the squad as cover for Harris.

Ponting said he expected Queensland's Harris, 30, to train at full pace at the Basin Reserve on Thursday, but there was some concern that he would pull up sore on Friday.

Victorian quick Clint McKay, who made his Test debut in December, is also vying for a new-ball role in place of injured Peter Siddle, who has been out for several months with a back problem.

"Ryan will play if he gets through as well as we want him to today and we'll wait and see how he wakes up in the morning," he said.

"That's going to be the important thing," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Ponting, as saying.

Harris boasts of an impressive one-day international record of 29 wickets at 15.51 in 12 matches.

Ponting also said 20-year-old NSW all-rounder Steve Smith was unlikely to be promoted ahead of Test No.6 batsman Marcus North, who is struggling for form but has received the backing of his Test skipper. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Winning the Premier League means more than lifting World Cup: Clichy

Published>Thu, Mar 18 10 01:38 PM

London, Mar 18 (ANI): Arsenal defender Gael Clichy has said that winning the English Premier League this season would mean more than lifting the European Cup or even the World Cup.

The French international is desperate to end the Gunners' five-year trophy drought. And with Arsenal in a three-way title battle with Manchester United and Chelsea, Clichy feels he might never get a better opportunity.

"This season is all about winning as much silverware as possible and the Premier League is now so close. The confidence and the quality are there and it's right there for us to take. I won the League in my first season with Arsenal and it was a great feeling," The Sun quoted Clichy, as saying.

"When you work so hard, go through so many good and bad times, to win the title shows that you have been the best team. That's why I want to win the Premier League over the Champions League this year, even though the European Cup may be a better trophy in the eyes of most people," he said.

"That is why I need to maintain my best form to the end of the season. If I am a champion with Arsenal it will improve my chances of going to the World Cup with France. That would be a dream come true, but if I had to choose one trophy right now I'd go for the Premier League," Clichy said.

Clichy and Sol Campbell are the only members of Arsene Wenger's 2004 Invincibles still at Arsenal.

And the full-back, 24, says there is a huge difference in the dressing room compared to the atmosphere he found as a teenager fresh from French minnows Cannes. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

'Fit' Harris can make Test debut against New Zealand

Published>Thu, Mar 18 10 01:22 PM

Sydney, Mar 18 (ANI): Australian captain Ricky Ponting has said that fast bowler Ryan Harris could make his debut in Friday's first Test against New Zealand, if he overcomes his side strain.

South Australia seamer Peter George has been added to the squad as cover for Harris.

Ponting said he expected Queensland's Harris, 30, to train at full pace at the Basin Reserve on Thursday, but there was some concern that he would pull up sore on Friday.

Victorian quick Clint McKay, who made his Test debut in December, is also vying for a new-ball role in place of injured Peter Siddle, who has been out for several months with a back problem.

"Ryan will play if he gets through as well as we want him to today and we'll wait and see how he wakes up in the morning," he said.

"That's going to be the important thing," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Ponting, as saying.

Harris boasts of an impressive one-day international record of 29 wickets at 15.51 in 12 matches.

Ponting also said 20-year-old NSW all-rounder Steve Smith was unlikely to be promoted ahead of Test No.6 batsman Marcus North, who is struggling for form but has received the backing of his Test skipper. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

NBA results

Published Thu, Mar 18 10 01:06 PM

REUTERS - NBA results on Wednesday (home team in CAPS).

CHARLOTTE 100 Oklahoma City 92

CLEVELAND 99 Indiana 94

PHILADELPHIA 108 New Jersey 97

TORONTO 106 Atlanta 105

BOSTON 109 NY Knicks 97

ORLANDO 110 San Antonio 84

DALLAS 113 Chicago 106

HOUSTON 107 Memphis 94

UTAH 122 Minnesota 100

GOLDEN STATE 131 New Orleans 121

LA CLIPPERS 101 Milwaukee 93

Source: Web Search

Benitez never tried to resolve problems at 'sinking ship' Liverpool

Published>Thu, Mar 18 10 12:56 PM

London, Mar 18 (ANI): Liverpool winger Albert Riera has launched an astonishing attack on coach Rafa Benitez and branded the club a 'sinking ship' after reports of huge rifts in the Reds' dressing room.

"This year has been difficult and he has not changed at all. When you see the ship is sinking and you don't change. I've been here for two years and I know how he is as a person. He's never resolved a situation with a player by speaking with him.

"He thinks he is the boss and turns a deaf ear to everyone else. The dialogue with the players is practically zero," The Sun quoted Riera, as saying.

Riera is fuming with Benitez after starting just once since mid-February and is worried that a lack of games might cost him a World Cup spot with Spain.

The eight million pounds signing from Espanyol added: "When you stop counting as a player like that, it must be something personal. It's frustrating because you see you can help and he doesn't let you."

Liverpool's disastrous season is in danger of taking another turn for the worse if they fail to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit against Lille in the Europa League tonight.

With a top-four Premier League spot also in doubt this year, Benitez's future is hanging in the balance.

Speaking to Radio Marca, Riera left open the possibility of quitting Anfield soon to play in Russia. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Yousuf receives PCB's green signal for Bangladeshi league

Published>Thu, Mar 18 10 12:52 PM

Lahore, Mar.18 (ANI): A day after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) clarified that players must seek permission from it to participate in any foreign cricket tournament, former captain Mohammed Yousuf has been allowed to play in a private league in Bangladesh.

"Yousuf had requested the PCB that he wanted to play in Bangladesh and Ijaz (Butt) has given him the permission," The Daily Times quoted a PCB spokesperson, as saying.

It may be noted that the PCB had issued a strict warning to the players wanting to participate in domestic tournaments of other countries, saying they must obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the board.

"The PCB firmly conveys to all concerned that no player is allowed to play cricket outside Pakistan without having prior approval from the board in this regard. Any player interested to play cricket in any part of the world should apply to the board to seek permission for the same," a statement issued by the PCB said.

The PCB has prohibited players selected for the upcoming ICC T20 World Championship from taking part in Bangladesh's domestic T20 tournament, which is to be played in Sharjah.

Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal, Mohammed Hafeez, Abdul Razzaq and Imtan Nazir had signed for the tournament beginning March 26 but insiders said the PCB do not want to risk these players ahead of the coveted T20 World Cup and is unlikely to grant them the NOC's. (ANI)

Source: Web Search