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Net Gains: Tennis at the Australian Open

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One year ago, the world's tennis elite opened their hearts and their wallets to help ease the pain of a Caribbean nation torn apart by a devastating earthquake – "Hit for Haiti" exhibition matches convened in Melbourne and later in Indian Wells, CA helped raise tens of millions of dollars for Haitian relief efforts and cemented the reputations of the ATP and WTA Tours as first responders among the world's community of athletes.

This year, the 2011 Australian Open, as the year's first Slam the unofficial opening of the tennis season, started with a similar quest, as pro tennis players led by Roger Federer staged a "Rally for Relief" exo on Sunday to raise money for the victims of devastating floods in the Australian state of Queensland – much closer to home than Haiti for most, as the New York Times noted, especially "when they saw Pat Rafter Arena, where many of them played the Brisbane International last week, under water."

More than 15,000 attendees watched stars including Federer, Rafael Nadal, Kim Clijsters, Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Murray, Justine Henin, Ana Ivanovic, and Aussie natives Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Stosur rally and banter for the cause. "Joker" Novak Djokovic borrowed a camera from a courtside media photographer, while Andy Roddick coaxed a referee to take his place on court. About $750,000 was reportedly raised at the event, matched by government agency funds and enhanced throughout the tournament, as the players continue to auction off racquets and shirts and donate generously for every ace they serve.

The players' pockets won't be empty for long. This year's Australian Open will offer a $24 million prize pool, the biggest in its history. Looking to the future, Emirates Airlines is interested in securing the title naming rights to the season opening major. Kia is the "major partner" of the Open until 2013, while V Australia is the official airline partner through 2013 as well.

Melbourne Park is undergoing a $350 million renovation to ensure future Australian Opens beyond 2016. The biggest beneficiary of the improvements is Margaret Court Arena, which will install a retractable roof and increase capacity from 1,500 to 7,500. Back stateside, the USTA has approved a similar $300 million overhaul of the National Tennis Center over the next eight years, including a renovation of Louis Armstrong Stadium that will make it "roof ready."

Wozniacki has some fun with the media


Caroline Wozniacki defeated Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova on Friday.



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Agence France-Presse







Updated Jan 21, 2011 6:00 PM ET
World No. 1 tennis star Caroline Wozniacki humbled media at the Australian Open in Melbourne with a hilarious rebuke Friday after being told reporters thought she was "boring."

More from Down Under

Stay on top of all the news and commentary from Melbourne during the Australian Open. Keep tabs on who's playing by following the Men's singles draw and Women's singles draw.

See the best pictures from Melbourne with the daily photo gallery and check out what the on-court styles with the Australian Open fashion gallery.

Get the latest courtside chatter from our friends at FOX Sports Australia with a daily interactive blog.


After her win over Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova in the third round, the 20-year-old did not ask for questions but decided she would do the media's job for them.
"Yesterday (I was told) my press conferences were kind of boring, that I always gave the same answers," she said. "I find it quite funny because I always get the same questions. I know what you're going to ask me already, so I'm just going to start with the answers."
Wozniacki then stunned journalists by rattling off a monologue answering the predictable questions she knew she would face.
"I felt great out there today on the court. I think I played a pretty good match. I am happy I got the revenge since I lost to her in Sydney last week. It was not an easy match. She went out there, she was really on fire," Wozniacki dead-panned.
"I'm happy to be through to the next round. I don't know who I'm playing, so maybe you can ask me that afterwards. But I'm really looking forward to playing my fourth round. It's the second time in a row that that's happened."
She added that she felt she deserved to be world No. 1 and was happy with her new racket, to laughter from the journalists present.
Then Wozniacki challenged the media to ask her some "more interesting" questions than the ones she usually hears.

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After a moment's hesitation, questions came about Kenny Dalglish becoming manager of EPL soccer club Liverpool, global warming and whether she was going to get married and have children.
Regarding Daglish, she said, "I'm hoping that will give some positive energy into the guys, into the lads. I'm hoping things will turn and they'll start winning more matches."
The extraordinary news conference overshadowed Wozniacki's 6-4, 6-3 win over Cibulkova, which avenged a shock defeat at last week's Sydney International.
Wozniacki took advantage of Cibulkova's 41 unforced errors, many on key points, to book a fourth round meeting with unseeded Latvian Anastasija Sevastova.
The far steadier Dane made only 11 winners, but she stayed in control because of her low error rate, just 11 over the two sets.
Wozniacki became world No. 1 in October but has faced questions over whether she deserves the top ranking because she has never won a Grand Slam tournament.

Federer speaks out about match-fixing


FOX Sports
Richard Evans

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Updated Jan 21, 2011 12:00 PM ET
MELBOURNE, Australia

Roger Federer called out players who engage in match fixing, saying they harm the integrity of the game.
Federer, who swept into the fourth round of the Australian Open with a straight-sets win over Xavier Malisse, learned in his post-match news conference Friday that the Tennis Integrity Unit is investigating a possible fixing case after a match last year between Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia and Filippo Volandri of Italy in St. Petersburg, Russia was deemed suspicious.

More from Down Under

Stay on top of all the news and commentary from Melbourne during the Australian Open. Keep tabs on who's playing by following the Men's singles draw and Women's singles draw.

See the best pictures from Melbourne with the daily photo gallery and check out what the on-court styles with the Australian Open fashion gallery.

Get the latest courtside chatter from our friends at FOX Sports Australia with a daily interactive blog.


"I do not know whether to get more angry or more disappointed," said Federer, whose influence in the game extends far beyond the court. The Swiss is president of the ATP Players Council.
"I think it's just unacceptable when athletes or players try to do things like this or play with the integrity of the sport. It is a just a pity to a game that has given us everything. Why would you want to play with that? You're not only taking a chance for yourself but for so many others to harm the sport. That's why it's disappointing to hear those sort of things."
Federer was asked for his reaction by Italian journalist Ubaldo Scanagatta, who had listed the story on his website earlier in the day. There has been no comment from the Tennis Integrity Unit, which was set up a few years ago to investigate betting in the game. The International Tennis Federation is waiting for the unit's final report before deciding whether to launch a full inquiry.
Several Italian players were fined and suspended a few years ago for placing small bets amongst themselves, but the real threat usually seems to emanate from big betting syndicates in Russia. The most notorious case involved the Russian player Nikolay Davydenko when he defaulted midway through a match in Poland. Huge sums of money were placed on his opponent during the match. The ATP eventually was forced to drop the case against Davydenko through lack of evidence.

Wozniacki plays kangaroo joke on media


NewsCore
AFP







Updated Jan 23, 2011 1:25 AM ET
Tennis star Caroline Wozniacki got another one back on the media that dubbed her "boring" on Sunday by leading them to believe she had been the victim of a kangaroo attack in the lead up to her fourth round win over Latvian Anastasija Sevastova at the Australian Open.

Caroline Wozniacki's right shin told the tale of a rough encounter with something ... but not a kangaroo.
AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama
Speaking after her 6-3, 6-4 win, Wozniacki said she had been scratched by the kangaroo while visiting a wildlife sanctuary, then showed reporters her bandaged leg, AFP reported.
"The other day I went to the park and I saw this kangaroo lying there," she said. "I wanted to go over and help it out. As I went over to it, it just started to be aggressive and it actually cut me.
"I thought maybe it needed some help. It wasn't big, it was a baby. I found out that I shouldn't do that."
Wozniacki went on to say the although she liked boxing, she was not interested in taking on the kangaroo.
"It looked so cute but once it started scratching me, I was a coward and I run away," she laughed.
She even said she saw a doctor who urged to have it stitched, but she refused.
"I said, 'There's no way you're going to do stitches.' I just told them to glue it together. It's looking fine, so everyone is happy."
But later, via her Twitter account, Wozniacki revealed the entire story was made up.
"Round 2 with the media: (hope you enjoyed my kangaroo story, hope you know i was just kidding🙂 see you on tuesday for round 3!," she tweeted.

OUCH!

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Tennis officials also confirmed the story was a complete fabrication.
It was Wozniacki's second entertaining press conference after word reached the Dane that some reporters thought her media appearances were "boring."
On Friday, she turned the tables on journalists by rattling off answers to a list of predictable questions she usually faces.
The Dane is playing her first major as world No. 1 and has now reached her third successive grand slam quarter-final.

Fashion cops on alert at Aussie Open


Venus Williams has opened many eyes at the Aussie Open, but with her wardrobe.



NewsCore

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Updated Jan 23, 2011 12:32 AM ET
"Nude" underwear and black knee-socks have led a parade of women's fashion disasters at the Australian Open, in a welcome distraction from some humdrum tennis, AFP reported Sunday.

Aussie Open fashion

As much as we love the great tennis action, sometimes the outfits really take the cake. Check out some of the fashion highlights and lowlights from the Australian Open.


Fashion police were alerted when aspiring designer Venus Williams took the court in her "Alice in Wonderland" creation, a yellow criss-cross number showing large amounts of flesh.
The ensemble was completed with a tiny patterned skirt and Venus' famous "nude" shorts, which give the impression she has forgotten to put on knickers.
"The outfit is inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Don't laugh," she said, to guffaws. "It's kind of about a surprise, because when Alice goes down the hole, the rabbit hole, she finds all these things that are so surprising."
Fellow competitors were certainly taken aback, and did not temper their comments about the unusual attire, which one wag said looked like a garden trellis.

GAME, SET, MATCH

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"It looks a little uncomfortable," said Russia's Nadia Petrova. "I hope she doesn't have a tan like a chess board afterwards."
However Petrova could hardly talk after appearing in a frilly purple and blue outfit that she frankly admitted was not really her.
"It wasn't my design ... it doesn't really flatter my physique," she told the Herald-Sun newspaper. "I think that outfit would look cute on someone like Maria Kirilenko, who's a little bit smaller and has this really petite figure."
Williams also caught the eye in a shimmering blue dress in her opening match, and a black studded number with a barely visible skirt in her brief appearance in the third round, before pulling out injured.
"It's all about the dress because it has a mesh and a satin kind of material," she enthused about the blue dress.
"Of course, it's all sports gear, and it's all about that zipper, too. A lot of the focus of the dress is the zipper. So, of course, always I have fun designing my dresses."
World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki has looked below-par in a pleated dress over red pants, and French Open champion Francesca Schiavone did herself no favors with one that ties across her chest, topped with a Tarzan headband.
Meanwhile, American Bethanie Mattek-Sands burnished her reputation for trashy on-court attire with unfetching black knee-socks and a tiger-striped top.
Kim Clijsters managed a classier look with a simple green dress that drew on past outfits worn by Australian great Evonne Goolagong Cawley.

More from Down Under

Stay on top of all the news and commentary from Melbourne during the Australian Open. Keep tabs on who's playing by following the Men's singles draw and Women's singles draw.

See the best pictures from Melbourne with the daily photo gallery and check out what the on-court styles with the Australian Open fashion gallery.

Get the latest courtside chatter from our friends at FOX Sports Australia with a daily interactive blog.


Williams has stolen the show in the absence of sister Serena, whose outrageous outfits have included black leather jackets and knee-high boots, and a constantly evolving hairdo.
"I think maybe we're confused on our identity, because we can't keep one hairstyle for more than a few months," Venus said. "But life is fun when you can change it up and have fun with it."
The oddball fashions have provided excellent cover for some poor performances with a number of former women's number ones, including Ana Ivanovic, Dinara Safina and Jelena Jankovic, crashing in the early rounds.
Williams and Justine Henin are also out, but both are suffering from injury.

Ferguson: Rooney needs luck




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Updated Jan 23, 2011 10:16 AM ET
Sir Alex Ferguson hailed Dimitar Berbatov's third hat-trick of the season and hopes Wayne Rooney can enjoy a touch of luck in front of goal.
Berbatov bagged another three goals in Manchester United's 5-0 win over Birmingham at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.


The Bulgarian opened his account in the second minute, added another before half-time and then tapped home a Ryan Giggs cross to become the first United player to score three hat-tricks in a season since Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The treble took Berbatov's goals tally for the season to 18, all but one of which have come in the Premier League.
That number is 15 more than Rooney, who is performing manfully, yet rarely looks like finding the target.
"We hope the goals are going to come for Wayne," said Ferguson.
"He is working his socks off.
"He produced some great football today and his control from Edwin van der Sar's kick for the fourth goal was fantastic."
It was Berbatov who took the plaudits from a victory that consolidated United's status as league leaders and extended their unbeaten run this season to 22 matches ahead of Tuesday's trip to Blackpool.
"It was a marvellous performance from Dimitar," said Ferguson.


"He could have scored more. We were a bit wasteful with our finishing at times but you can't complain at the performance."
Veteran Ryan Giggs drilled home just before the interval to confirm his well-being after agreeing to stay at Old Trafford for a further season.
And, after a series of failed attempts, Nani wrapped up the scoring midway through the second period.
"It certainly helps the goal difference, there is no question about that," said Ferguson.
"We have some tough games ahead but hopefully the players can grasp the nettle.
"We have some experience. We have the squad. Hopefully we can manage all the games we have ahead."
The only downside was an injury to Michael Carrick that Ferguson described as "sore".
And the United boss also confirmed he will check on the state of Rio Ferdinand's groin injury on Monday before deciding whether to risk the England skipper at Bloomfield Road.
For Birmingham manager Alex McLeish the mauling was not the ideal way to prepare for Wednesday's Carling Cup semi-final decider with West Ham.
McLeish felt his side paid the price for adopting an enterprising approach, although he admitted Birmingham's wounds were self-inflicted.
"To lose a goal to a set-piece in the first minute was criminal," said McLeish.
"We did have a spell after that when we started to get in their final third but to concede again just before half-time was verging on the amateur."

Man United deny latest sale talks






Updated Jan 23, 2011 10:06 AM ET
Manchester United have again insisted the club is not for sale after denying they were holding talks with a potential interested party.
Reports on Sunday claimed United were in talks over a possible £1.5billion deal to sell the club to Qatar Holding.


Qatar Holding, who bought Harrods last year, is an an indirect subsidiary of Qatar Investment Authority and is run by Sheik Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr Al Thani, Prime Minister of Qatar.
The reports claimed that United's current owners, the American based Glazer Family, had opened talks with the group but the deal failed to materialise as they were seeking £2billion.
But United have denied the reports, again insisting club is not for sale.
"There has been no approach of any kind to buy the club and one wouldn't be welcome anyway because it is not for sale," a spokesman said.
The Glazer Family bought United in 2005 for £790million.

Ancelotti: Old guard can deliver






Updated Jan 23, 2011 10:18 AM ET
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti insists his players are not past their sell by date and are as hungry as ever to win silverware.
Opinion is divided over the reasons behind the Blues' worst run in the Premier League for almost 15 years, from which they have only just emerged.

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Some blame the shock sacking of assistant manager Ray Wilkins, while others point to the loss of key players to injury, which in turn is linked to the club's decision to offload a number of experienced squad members last summer.
But there are also those who have questioned whether the stars that remain at Stamford Bridge are still willing and able to compete for the big prizes.
Manager Ancelotti is adamant they are on both counts, rubbishing suggestions his current first-choice XI is over the hill.
He said: "Do you know what is the oldest team in the world? Inter Milan - 29.6 years average.
"Another question: who was the winner of the Champions League last year?
"We are not the oldest because the oldest is Inter."
The Italian is also certain his double winners remain as motivated as ever to win trophies.
"I think so because when you win, the next desire after the victory is to win again," he said.
"This was in my mind and in their mind."
Nevertheless, with key men like John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba the wrong side of 30, there will come a time in the not-too-distant future when Chelsea will need to consider life without them.
Ancelotti believes there are ready-made replacements at Stamford Bridge in the shape of Branislav Ivanovic, Ramires, Josh McEachran and Daniel Sturridge.
"If you mention Terry, Lampard and Drogba, I would like to continue to have this kind of player," Ancelotti said.
"We can mention Ivanovic, we can mention Ramires, we can mention Sturridge, we can mention McEachran.
"They are our young players, they are improving and growing in this club."

TRANSFER SPECIAL

Keep up with all the biggest moves around the globe with our 2011 January transfer gallery.

Injuries to Terry, Drogba and Lampard co-incided with Chelsea's miserable run of one league win in nine and they could be without the latter tomorrow when they travel to Bolton as he battles to overcome a calf injury.
Ancelotti is acutely aware of the importance of Lampard to the Blues' cause, in both the short and long-term.
"We were without him for three months and we knew it was very important to have him," he said of the England midfielder, who missed most of the first half of the season with a hernia injury.
"He came back from the injury very well and is showing a good condition.
"Surely he can have a lot of seasons to come because he is fit and very professional."
Having sold or freed the likes of Michael Ballack, Ricardo Carvalho, Juliano Belletti, Deco and Joe Cole in the summer - partly due to the UEFA's upcoming financial fair play regulations - Chelsea are looking to the likes of Lampard, Terry and Drogba to help nurture the next generation of Stamford Bridge stars.
Explaining the rationale behind the club's change of direction last summer, Ancelotti said: "At the end of the season, a lot of players were at the end of their contract.
"We wanted to change our ways, give the young players more chance to grow from the academy.
"That was the reason and now we can come back to say we have players with experience.
"Now we have to wait to see if we had a good idea or bad idea. We were agreed to change this direction."

Wenger feeling good after win






Updated Jan 23, 2011 11:30 AM ET
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger feels his players are getting "stronger in every game" following their 3-0 demolition of Wigan on Saturday.
The Gunners, with five changes from the starting XI which beat Leeds in their FA Cup third-round replay on Wednesday night, set about Wigan from kick-off, but were denied by a string of fine saves from Latics keeper Ali Al Habsi before eventually taking the lead through Robin van Persie after 21 minutes.


The in-form Dutchman fired in a second just before the hour, but then blasted a penalty over the bar after Gary Caldwell had been sent off for pulling back Cesc Fabregas.
However, Van Persie duly completed his hat-trick with five minutes left to make it six in the last three games.
Arsenal have responded with victories in each of those matches after losing the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final first leg at Ipswich 1-0 - a deficit they are expected to comfortably overturn at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.
Wenger feels everything is starting to come together.
"It was a good team performance overall," he said.
"The players were a bit frustrated at half-time as they did not take their chances, but during that first half, we played outstanding football.
"We feel stronger and stronger in every single game. It is interesting the chance we have in front of us because for me the way we play is fantastic to watch. Let's just keep going."
Wenger admitted he did not want to risk over-using Van Persie, who missed much of the start of the season through injury.
"It is down to us to use him in the right proportion of the games we play," he said.
"Robin handles it all right. He is intelligent but of course he wants to play."

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Wenger continued: "We will rotate, we have no choice. We play nine games in January, it's the most we have ever played.
"But we have fantastic players on the bench and it is very important because we cannot always play with the same XI."
Arsenal are short on cover at the centre of defence, but Wenger maintains he will not be forced into a panic buy during January.
"I am open-minded on it and if the right opportunity turns up we will take it," he said.
"It is not just because you want to buy that you find exactly what you need.
"Trust us - if the opportunity is there we will take it, if it's not we will play with the players we have, and I will not use that as an excuse if we don't win trophies."
Roberto Martinez felt the awarding of the penalty and resulting red card was "a bit soft".
"I know Cesc very well. He is a wonderful player and very clever, and he knows how to buy decisions off referees," he said.
"There is contact, but you do not know how much of that comes from Cesc looking for it, or from Gary's leg. I don't think that contact is intentional to bring Cesc down.
"Cesc comes from different culture - you do not cheat, if you take a decision from the referee it is because you are clever and you are getting something for your team.
"In England, to do that is cheating, but in South America, Spain, even Italy, to try to get a decision from the referee is just being clever and getting that advantage. Everyone is allowed to do it.
"That action in Spain gets a 'well done' from everyone. In England, they won't be too happy with because it is a completely different approach to the game."
Martinez, though, accepted his team had been well below par during the first half.
"We were very disappointed with our first-half performance, when only player played at his level," said the Wigan boss.
"Ali was composed and alert, the others did not perform in the manner you have to do if you want to get any points coming to the Emirates.
"We played with fear, and that leaves yourself exposed.
"I was extremely pleased with the reaction in the second half, and we frustrated Arsenal until the red card, when obviously the game it taken away from us."
Martinez added: "Today is a painful lesson, but we take it and learn from it if we are going to come here and win against a team of the magnitude of Arsenal."

Dalglish hails two-goal Torres






Updated Jan 23, 2011 5:19 AM ET
Kenny Dalglish hailed Fernando Torres after the 3-0 win at Wolves which gave the Scot his first win as Liverpool manager for almost 20 years.
The Spain international side-footed home the simplest of efforts in the first half from Raul Meireles' pass and then fired home a second in the 90th minute after the Portugal midfielder had made it 2-0 with a spectacular volley.


Torres is now Liverpool's leading scorer with nine - all in the Premier League - after hitting three in his last three matches.
But the manager was equally as pleased to see the 26-year-old putting in a shift leading the line and defending from the front in much the same way as the Scot's strike partner Ian Rush did when they played together three decades ago.
"It is the best [performance] since I've come in, the way he worked," said Dalglish of Torres.
"It was not just his goals it was the work-rate he put in. He really helped us by closing the goalkeeper down.
"The keeper kicks it the full length of the pitch and that is a great asset for him and we asked him to nullify that and he did.
"He showed he wanted to do something and he did it. The goal he scored last week (in the defeat at Blackpool) wouldn't have done him any harm so I'm very happy."
One of Dalglish's key aims is to find a player to support Torres in the current transfer window with the club targeting Ajax's Luis Suarez.
The Dutch club's coach Frank de Boer has urged the Reds to make a swift move for the Uruguay international.
"We won't let Luis go on 31 January at 23.55," he told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.
"It's logical and a deal which I made with Rik van den Boog (general director of Ajax).

Wolves 0-3 Liverpool |Recap
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"To replace Suarez will be difficult, but we are ready. We have a Plan B, we know what we want if he leaves."
Dalglish refused to comment on speculation about Suarez or claims the club have had a £4million bid for Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam turned down.
But he is keen the strengthen the squad and has been told by owners Fenway Sports Group that they will provide funding for the targets they feel are appropriate and available at the right price.
"The owners are very supportive and we can bring players in if we find them but the most important thing is to bring in players who can improve us," said the Reds boss.
"Also we have a huge responsibility to do it responsibly.
"We are not going to comment on any individual player at any club, we prefer to tell you when we have got something to tell you.
"I don't think it is fair for us to comment on what is going on or speculate.
"We can bring players in if we want to and it does not depend on people going out.
"There is no sum of money because that would be stupid but if we need something then it is there."
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy bemoaned the defensive error which allowed Liverpool to take the lead - Ronald Zubar playing Meireles onside by dropping too deep - and felt his side should have done better early on.
"I think we let them off the hook by trying to play offside after 30-odd minutes," he said.
"We then got done by a wonder-strike which no-one is stopping - you could have put two goalkeepers in.
"The third one is incidental because the game was finished - two mistakes and a wonder strike."
McCarthy felt Dalglish's return to the dugout a fortnight ago has had a major influence on Liverpool, although he expressed his sympathy for predecessor Roy Hodgson.
"We beat them when Roy was there. He is such a great guy and a top coach but it is Kenny Dalglish coming out of the stand.
"I think he is enjoying a support and a warmth Roy didn't.
"He has garnered and nutured that and they are on a better roll than they were because of it."

Suarez keen on Prem switch








Updated Jan 23, 2011 7:46 AM ET
Liverpool target Luis Suarez has confirmed that he ready to move to England, as he believes his game would be suited to the Premier League.
The Ajax striker is the subject of interest from the Reds, who are trying to broker a deal for the Uruguayan before the end of the transfer window.

TRANSFER SPECIAL

Keep up with all the biggest moves around the globe with our 2011 January transfer gallery.

The 23-year-old admits that he once thought that he would not be best suited to the Premier League, but having seen Carlos Tevez' success at West Ham, Manchester United and Manchester City, he is now confident he can emulate the Argentine.
"(England) is a league that attracts me, a country where the football is really good," Suarez told the Sunday Times.
"Alongside the Spanish league it is the best in the world. In England you have a lot of clubs with aspirations to become champions and they are also very strong in the Champions League at the European level.
"I used to think that English football was not my style. But I saw Tevez play at Boca and Corinthians and I never imagined that he would play in the Premier League.
"When I see the way that Tevez plays there I think I can be a big name in England. It's because of the energy, and the spirit they put into the game in England. Now, I think it's a kind of football that suits me."

Dutch Eredivisie Roundup, Jan. 22






Updated Jan 22, 2011 8:23 PM ET
Leon Broekhof struck two minutes from time as Feyenoord dropped to 14th place in the Eredivisie table with a 1-0 home defeat to De Graafschap.
Mario Been's side had been seen in some quarters as potential title contenders this term but they have won just five of their 19 games, with the campaign reaching its nadir with the record 10-0 defeat to PSV Eindhoven in October.

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Elsewhere, Heracles Almelo bounced back from their 5-0 defeat to FC Twente last time out by grinding out a goalless draw at home to AZ Alkmaar.
Willem II finally secured their first Eredivisie victory of the season at the expense of Vitesse Arnhem. Rangelo Janga's 26th-minute goal proved enough for the bottom-placed hosts to post a 1-0 win in Tilburg to add to the four draws they collected in the first half of the campaign.
Gert Heerkes' side remain rooted to the foot of the standings but moved within three points of second-bottom VVV-Venlo, who host leaders PSV Eindhoven tomorrow.
Marvin van der Pluijm plundered an equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time as NAC Breda salvaged a 2-2 draw from their mid-table battle at NEC Nijmegen.
Bjorn Vleminckx had earlier put NEC ahead after 39 minutes, with Nemanja Gudelj equalising in the 77th minute.
NEC restored their lead through John Goosens, only to be denied by Van der Pluijm's late effort.

Dutch Eredivisie Roundup, Jan. 23

Updated Jan 23, 2011 11:23 AM ET
Edouard Duplan scored twice Sunday to give FC Utrecht a 3-0 win over Ajax, handing new coach Frank de Boer his first Dutch league defeat.
Ajax stayed third with 38 points but lost ground to league leader PSV Eindhoven, which beat VVV-Venlo 3-0. PSV has 44 points, one more than defending champion FC Twente, which dismissed FC Groningen 2-1.
Wilfred Bouma, Jeremain Lens and Atiba Hutchinson each scored in PSV's win at struggling VVV while Marc Janko netted in each half in Twente's comeback win. The lanky Austria forward missed a penalty in the 84th.

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Tim Matavz had given Groningen a 33rd-minute lead.
After a commanding start, Duplan fired Utrecht ahead from a long-range shot in the 22nd and beat leftback Daley Blind to a Kevin Strootman cross on the far post a minute later to double his tally.
Ajax captain Marteen Stekelenburg twice made diving saves in the first half to keep out Frank Demouge's efforts as Utrecht continued to dominate possession.
"It was really frustrating to see how most of my players underperformed today," said De Boer, a former Ajax and Netherlands defender, who replaced Martin Jol as coach late last year.
Miralem Sulejmani missed Ajax's solitary chance of the game when his shot went wide, two minutes after the break.
Ismo Vorstermans scored the third, converting Michael Silberbauer's cross in the 82rd.
Also Sunday, Jimmy Hempte, Pa Modou Kah, Morten Skoubo were on target as Roda JC beat Exelsior Rotterdam 3-0.
On Saturday, Leon Broekhof's 88th minute goal helped De Graafschap to a 1-0 win at Feyenoord while Willem II ended a 19-game winless streak, edging Vitesse 1-0 for its first win of the season thanks to Rangelo Janga's 26th-minute effort.
Heracles Almelo held AZ Alkmaar to a 0-0 draw and NEC also earned a point against NAC Breda after a 2-2 draw Saturday.

Guardiola: Title not won yet






Updated Jan 23, 2011 8:01 AM ET
Pep Guardiola expects Real Madrid to push Barcelona all the way this season, despite seeing his side move seven points clear in La Liga.
Goals from Pedro, Lionel Messi - from the penalty spot - and Andres Iniesta gave Barca a 14th consecutive triumph in La Liga with a 3-0 win over Racing Santander ahead of second-placed Madrid's 20th-round match at home to Real Mallorca tomorrow.
And Guardiola fully expects the difference at the top to be reduced to four points again following that clash.

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"Madrid are a very good team and their coach (Mourinho) is the best," he said after tonight's game.
"I imagine they will win on Sunday; I think they will be four points behind us again."
Guardiola believes Mourinho is a great competitor, but says Madrid have always been strong - regardless of personnel.
"Mourinho is a very good coach. He's a very smart guy and he's motivated," the Barca boss said.
"Madrid are a strong team this year, but they have always been a strong team.
"When I was a player and now, as coach, Madrid have always been strong, no matter who is the president and no matter who is the coach - every season they play they are competitive.
"Last season they ended up with 96 points (Barca won the league with 99) and this season will be close again - they will be up there at the end of the season."
And Guardiola reckons the title will go down to the wire once more.
"Five, six or seven points is nothing at this stage of the league," he said.
"The league will be decided in the last few rounds of the championship."
Barca took the lead after barely a minute tonight and Guardiola was full of praise for the way his side went about their task in cold conditions.
"It's cold and we found it hard to get into our rhythm, but I am very satisfied with the way the players went about the game," he said.
"It was a great performance and I congratulate the team - they created many goalscoring opportunities."
Barca lost 3-1 at Real Betis in the second leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-final on Wednesday night, but advanced to the semi-finals of that competition thanks to their 5-0 win in the first leg.
Guardiola's side will continue their pursuit of all three major trophies - which they achieved in the coach's first season in charge - with the first leg of their cup semi-final against Almeria in midweek.
A league match at Hercules then follows next weekend, with a last-16 tie against Arsenal in the Champions League - to be played over two matches in late February and early March - to come as well.
The Barca coach says it is hard to maintain their high standards in three tough competitions.
"It has a lot of merit," he said.
"The games come in thick and fast and it's hard to maintain that intensity day after day after day, in league and cup, to keep winning matches. My players have been sensational."
Meanwhile, Racing coach Miguel Angel Portugal was philosophical in defeat.
"Barcelona's football is on another level," he said.
"Nobody plays football better than they do at the moment and we knew it would be very difficult to get anything from the game."

Spanish La Liga Roundup, Jan. 22

Updated Jan 22, 2011 6:39 PM ET
BARCELONA, Spain (AP)

Barcelona won its 14th straight Spanish league game with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Racing Santander on Saturday.
Pedro Rodriguez and Lionel Messi scored in the first half and Andres Iniesta added another after the restart to send the league leaders seven points clear of Real Madrid ahead of its match against Mallorca on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola's team showed no signs of its midweek defeat to Betis in the Copa del Rey, which ended its run of 28 games without a loss, and continued its dominating play that led it to the midway point of the season with a record points haul of 52.

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Racing did what it could to withstand Barcelona's barrage, but the Catalan side's trademark combination of short, quick passes was too much for the visitors to handle.
Rodriguez opened the scoring in the second minute chesting a lob pass from Messi across the goal line after the Argentina star combined with David Villa and penetrated the area on the left side.
Messi made it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the 33rd after Villa was fouled in the area by Racing defender Henrique, and Iniesta fired a pass from Rodriguez that took a friendly deflection off a defender before landing in the net to cap the win in the 56th.
Barcelona's league-winning run matched a club record from 2005-06, and was just one victory shy of equaling the league record of consecutive wins set by Real Madrid in 1960-61.
''There are no easy games,'' Villa said. ''But we went ahead in the second minute and that took the pressure off.
''Now we have to see if we are lucky tomorrow and Madrid doesn't win.''
Earlier, Luis Fabiano scored a hat trick to help give Sevilla a 4-1 win over Levante.
After Barcelona went ahead on Rodriguez's seventh goal in five games and 11th of the season, Racing striker Markus Rosenberg tested goalkeeper Victor Valdes with a well-taken curling shot.
But the game could have easily turned into a first-half rout if not for the work of Racing goalkeeper Antonio ''Tono'' Rodriguez, who made back-to-back saves on close-range shots by Messi and Carles Puyol in the 28th and cut off Adriano, starting in place of the injured Dani Alves, moments later.
Messi doubled the lead in the 33rd with his 19th goal in the league and 33rd in all competitions. Messi, who had missed a penalty early this week against Betis, calmly rolled the ball into the right corner as Tono dove the other way.
Racing, however, did not roll over and Valdes made a great save to swat a header by Adrian Gonzalez over the crossbar just before halftime.

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Racing continued to play well after the break and Gonzalez saw his long blast just miss three minutes into the second half, but Barcelona took control for good through Iniesta's goal. The Spain midfielder is having his most prolific scoring season of his career with seven goals in league play, bettering his previous personal best of six in 2006-07.
Racing, which is set to be acquired by Indian businessman Ahsan Ali Syed, has not won in five weeks and stayed in 14th place, four points clear of the drop.
Earlier at Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, Luis Fabiano displayed his full repertoire of attacking skills, scoring with a header, a penalty and through an excellent dipping strike from outside the area.
The Brazil striker opened the scoring in the 28th minute by heading in a cross from Jesus Navas, and defender Julien Escude doubled Sevilla's advantage with a header of his own in the 39th.
Luis Fabiano added his second from the penalty spot in the 43rd before Levante's Xisco Munoz made it 3-1 early in the second half. But the Brazilian's long blast sealed the victory in the 68th and gave him eight goals for the season.
Sevilla coach Gregorio Manzano said the game was an example for his team to follow.
''With our firepower up front, if we defend well we are guaranteed to win,'' Manzano said.
Sevilla's third victory in four games left it just one point off Europa League positions.
Later, fourth-place Valencia hosted a Malaga side full of winter reinforcements.
Levante has lost five straight and risks falling into last place if Almeria beats Osasuna on Sunday.
Also on Sunday, third-place Villarreal looks to stay undefeated at home in league play against Real Sociedad, Sporting Gijon plays Atletico Madrid, Espanyol visits Getafe, and Zaragoza receives Deportivo La Coruna.
Hercules is at Athletic Bilbao on Monday to close week 20.

Mourinho expects more from Benzema

Updated Jan 22, 2011 11:09 AM ET
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho says he expects more from under-fire striker Karim Benzema.

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The coach echoed the words of Kaka from the day before when the Madrid playmaker said Benzema "could do a little more."
Mourinho said Saturday that "we all think the same thing as what Kaka said, even Karim himself."
The Portuguese coach has not given the France international a fixed spot in the starting lineup and has called for the club to sign another striker to replace the injured Gonzalo Higuain.
Mourinho said "he has to give a little more."
Benzema has only started six games and scored one goal in the Spanish league this season.

Spanish Football Results

Updated Jan 22, 2011 6:10 PM ET
MADRID (AP)

Results from the 20th round of Spain's first-division football league (home teams listed first):
Saturday's GamesSevilla 4, Levante 1
Barcelona 3, Racing Santander 0
Valencia 4, Malaga 3
Sunday's GamesSporting Gijon vs. Atletico Madrid
Zaragoza vs. Deportivo La Coruna
Getafe vs. Espanyol
Almeria vs. Osasuna
Real Madrid vs. Mallorca
Villarreal vs. Real Sociedad
Monday's GameAthletic Bilbao vs. Hercules
Saturday, Jan. 29Malaga vs. Zaragoza
Mallorca vs. Sporting Gijon
Levante vs. Getafe
Real Sociedad vs. Almeria
Hercules vs. Barcelona
Deportivo La Coruna vs. Sevilla
Sunday, Jan. 30Atletico Madrid vs. Athletic Bilbao
Osasuna vs. Real Madrid
Racing Santander vs. Valencia

Spanish Football Summaries

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Updated Jan 22, 2011 6:18 PM ET
MADRID (AP)

Summaries from the 20th round of the Spanish league (home team listed first):
Saturday's GamesSevilla 4, Levante 1Sevilla: Luis Fabiano (28, 43 penalty, 68), Julien Escude (39).
Levante: Xisco Munoz (58).
Halftime: 2-0.
Attendance: 35,000.
Barcelona 3, Racing Santander 0Barcelona: Pedro Rodriguez (2), Lionel Messi (33, penalty), Andres Iniesta (56).
Halftime: 2-0.
Attendance: 70,072.
Valencia 4, Malaga 3Valencia: Juanma Mata (16, penalty), Roberto Soldado (53), Ever Banega (67), Aritz Aduriz (90).
Malaga: Jose Rondon (10, 35), Baptista (79).
Halftime: 1-2.
Attendance: 35,000.

Wenger closing in on Saints starlet

Published 18:00 23/01/11 By John Cross

Arsene Wenger has admitted he is closing in on Southampton whizz kid Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Arsenal will push through a £10m deal this week with the 17-year-old forward likely to rejoin Southampton on loan until the end of the season.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has been targeted by Manchester City, Newcastle and Liverpool but the England under-18 starlet has decided to join Arsenal.
"I think, if that is right, that is a very good decision," said Wenger. "We will try now.


"We need an agreement with Southampton, we need an agreement with the player, and we are not the only ones on the case. But we try as hard as we can as I like him as a player."
Arsenal signed Theo Walcott from Southampton in January 2006 and did not want to loan him back.
Wenger is reluctant to loan Oxlade-Chamberlain back but has decided to do it if it means getting his man. Oxlade-Chamberlain wants to help Southampton in their promotion push.
They have agreed a deal worth £5m up front with further instalments rising to £10m based on appearances and success