Eden Hazard On his Way to Stamford Bridge

The Belgium Star Eden Hazard Is Rumoured To Go To Chelsea for £78m  As He Has Tweeted In Twitter That '' I will Join The Uefa Champions League Winner ''. Eden Hazard announced on Monday that he is joining Chelsea as Roman Abramovich took another decisive step in his rebuilding of the squad that won the Champions League.Chelsea have beaten off competition from Manchester City - who had been clear favourites to sign the exciting Belgium international but grew frustrated at the negotiations - Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur after becoming the only club who would go close to meeting the forward's demands.City are thought to have walked away from the deal last week with Spurs giving up some time ago. Hazard, currently on international duty and preparing to face England in a friendly this weekend, indicated to Chelsea on Saturday that he was set to accept their offer and yesterday took to the social media site Twitter to announce that he had "made up my mind", adding last night: "I'm signing for the Champions League winner."Chelsea will pay a fee of around euros 40?million (pounds 35.3?million) to Lille, with Hazard having demanded wages of pounds 4.6?million a year net of tax, so around pounds 9?million a year for his new employer. That averages out at pounds 170,000 a week.In addition his agent, John Bico, who has conducted an aggressive auction has made it clear that he wants a fee of pounds 6?million. If all the demands are met and with Hazard expected to agree a five-year deal, it means the overall cost of the signing, fees and contract will amount to around pounds 78 million which, even by Chelsea standards, is a substantial investment.Chelsea hijacked City's deal after receiving a call from Bico on the eve of the Champions League final with the agent telling them that he could persuade Hazard to join them if his demands were met. The 21 year-old can provide some of the width and creativity that Chelsea have lacked although where he fits in remains to be seen as he has suggested he wants to play as a classic 'No?10' - as does Juan Mata.The signing probably ends Chelsea's interest in the Brazil international Lucas Moura, a prime target for previous manager Andre Villas-Boas.Chelsea are without a permanent manager with interim head coach Roberto Di Matteo on holiday and not dealing with transfer targets and negotiations. Instead, technical director Michael Emenalo is working with Abramovich to conduct Chelsea's transfer business, which has so far included signing the German international wide midfielder Marko Marin for pounds 6.5?million from Werder Bremen and releasing Jose Bosingwa and Salomon Kalou, while Didier Drogba, also out of contract, is leaving having agreed a deal with the Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua.It can be expected that the signing of Hazard will hasten the departure of Florent Malouda, who has a year left on his contract and is considering a number of offers, including a lucrative deal from a Turkish club. Paulo Ferreira has also been told he can leave with Chelsea aiming to sign a new right-back. They have again been offered Ajax defender Gregory Van der Wiel, who was a target of former sporting director Frank Arnesen.Hazard becomes the fourth Belgian in the Chelsea squad but, unlike the other three - Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and goalkeeper Thibault Courtois - he will not be loaned out.Courtois spent a successful season with Atletico Madrid and is set to go back to Spain. It was announced yesterday that first-choice Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, who recently turned 30, had signed a new four-year deal.Hazard has enjoyed a hugely successful season in France, where he was named Ligue 1 player of the year for the second season running after scoring 17 goals in 37 league games.City spent 15 months wooing Hazard, who was their guest at the recent Manchester derby, having also been shown houses in the area that afternoon. It had been claimed that Chelsea tried to sign Hazard in January but their interest is far more recent.Abramovich has already told his aides that he intends to create a young, hungry new team for next season. Chelsea also have a deal in place to sign Hulk from Porto, but that was negotiated by Villas-Boas.Hulk's agent, Teodoro Fonseca, has insisted Chelsea remain interested.Chelsea are also in the market for a top-class striker but matters are complicated by Fernando Torres's continued presence at the club and the claims that he has been guaranteed by Abramovich that he will have more opportunities next season.

Kolkata Knight Riders wins maiden IPL 5 Title

Kolkata Knight Riders Celebrating.

Kolkata Knight Riders thrashed the defending champions to grab their maiden IPL title in a nail biting finish on Sunday night.Riding high on Manvinder Bisla's 89 off 48 balls. The visitors acheived 191 runs target with five wickets and two balls to go.Earlier, while chasing 191 runs total, Kolkata Knight Riders suffered a big blow in the last ball of the first over when they lost their skipper Gautam Gambhir. Gambhir was bowled out by Ben Hilfenhaus at the score of two runs. After Gambhir's early departure, Manvinder Bisla took control of the chase and slammed 'quick' fifty off just 27 balls to resurrect KKR's chase. Bisla slammed three sixes and five boundaries to reach this milestone.Experienced Jacques Kallis and Bisla knitted precious partnership for KKR in sttering the team to a comfortable position in chase. Both of them built huge 136 runs partnership to steer out Kolkata to a commanding position in the game before Bisla was caught out after scoring 89 runs off just 48 balls. Bisla slammed five sixes and eight boundaries in his stupendous knock.However on the other hand Kallis was holding the fort; he went on to hit fifty in forty balls.KKR still in need of 39 runs when Bravo striked to scalp Laxmi Ratan Shukla at the score of three runs. He was soon followed by Pathan at the score of one run.With Kallis and Hasan on crease, Kolkata needed twenty runs in last two overs. The visitors suffered another blow in the penultimate over when Kallis was caught out at the score of 69 runs with KKR still 16 runs short of the target. But Shakib al Hasan and Manoj Tiwary steered Kolkata to their maiden IPL title.First it was Murali Vijay and then Suresh Raina and Michael Hussey who lead Chennai's attack against the visiting side in the 'grand finale' of the circketing extravagenza on Sunday night here. Murali Vijay (42 off 32), Raina (73 off 38) and David Hussey (54 off 43) powered Chennai Super Kings to 190 runs total against Kolkata Knight Riders.After electing to bat first, Chennai Super Kings started off strongly in their quest for third consecutive IPL title. Murali Vijay and Michael Hussey slammed KKR bowlers to collect quick runs across the ground. Chennai's first fifty came in just thirty five balls.Murali and Hussey added eighty seven runs for the first wicket before Vijay was dismmissed after a fantastic catch by Shakib Al Hasan. With one six and four boundaries, Vijay added 42 runs off 32 deliveries.Despite Murali Vijay's departure,  Michael Hussey continued to rain runs from the another end.  Hussey took 38 deliveries to slam fifty runs.Suresh Raina, who came in to bat at number two after Murali's departure, took control of the situation and continued the momentum to slam quick fifty of just 27 balls.Hussey was dismissed by Kallis after stupendous 54 off 43 balls in the eighteenth over.While attempting a big shot, Suresh Raina was caught out in the last over at boundary line. He was dismissed by Hasan after a superb 73 off just 38 balls.Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni remained unbeaten at the score of fourteen runs. 

Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao to win Copa Del Rey Final

Messi  Celebrating after winning Copa Del Ray Title.

Barcelona have collected a record 26th Copa Del Rey Title,defeating Athletic Bilbao 3-0 at the Vicente Calderon as Pep Guardiola's illustrious era came to a close.The Blaugrana were ahead after three minutes thanks to Pedro's opportunistic finish following a corner. Lionel Messi, and a second from Pedro, put Guardiola's side three up inside the opening half hour to all but confirm the 14th trophy of a phenomenal tenure. In a repeat of the 2009 final the opening goal came inside three minutes as Barcelona started at a breathtaking tempo.Messi gave Athletic a early warning as he was able to run at the opposition defence before putting his shot narrowly wide, before Adriano crossed for Pedro whose shot was deflected behind for a corner. The Catalans opted to swing the delivery in, and it reaped rewards when the ball fell to Pedro who reacted first to open the scoring.The Basques looked to retain possession in the hope of building a sustained period of pressure on Jose Pinto's goal, but despite the keepers nervous clearances Athletic never truly threatened.Barca continued to exploit the openness of Athletic's defence as Messi cut inside from the right before bending a goal-bound effort toward the top corner. But for Gorka Iraizoz's flying save, Marcelo Bielsa's side would have fallen further behind.The Argentine, however, was not to be denied a second time. Messi latched onto Andres Iniesta's perfectly weighted through ball, taking it into his path with the outside of his left foot before lifting it into the roof of the net with his right.And Barca extended their lead when Pedro curled a precise finish into the far corner, following Xavi's delicate lay off five minutes later.The third goal appeared to awaken Athletic Bilbao as they threatened immediately after the restart with Markel Susaeta forcing Pinto into a smart save.However, Bielsa's side could have conceded a fourth when Messi managed to evade the attentions of Fernando Amorebieta latching onto a long ball, the wily Argentine attempted a lob from inside the area but it lacked the sufficient height to beat Iraizoz.Fernando Llorente, who had cut a lonesome figure in the attacking third for Athletic, was finally offered some support as the Basques found their passing rhythm. Iker Munian slid a pass through to Athletic's talismanic striker who turned expertly beyond Gerard Pique before, with a clear sight of goal, falling to ground only to see his claims for a penalty waved away by the referee.Bielsa made two changes at the break in the hope of overturning the three goal deficit in the second half, the Argentine coach introducing Inigo Perez and Ander Herrera.The changes had an immediate impact on the game as the Basque began to prevent Barca from dominating possession and territory, and were even afforded the first chance of the second half. Substitute Herrera slid an inviting through ball to Ibai Gomez but his attempted lob over an onrushing Pinto dropped beyond the target.As the second half progressed the Catalans appeared to be content with their three goal lead as Athletic's chances were limited to set pieces.With the contest seemingly over Guardiola's side appeared to be content with their three-goal lead as Athletic failed to create an opening. In fact Barca continued to look the more likely as they broke away, with Pedro denied a hat-trick thanks to a last-ditch tackle.Messi then embarked on a typically magical run, evading the challenges of four Athletic defenders, only to be denied a second goal by Iraizoz's outstretched boot.Despite the substitution, Athletic were gifted a golden chance to register a goal when Jon Aurtenetxe was left unmarked at the far post only to direct his header wide of the target from point blank range.Xavi, one of the players to symbolise Barca as a club, was then given a resounding exit by Guardiola as the Catalan's looked to stroll to a comfortable finish.The win, a 14th trophy for Guardiola in four years, cemented his place as the most successful Barcelona coach as he brings his legacy to a close, leaving the reigns to Tito Vilanova.

Krakow Zoo's Elephant to Predict Euro 2012

Krakow Zoo's Elephant Citta To predict Euro 2012 Tournament As He also Predicted Chelsea To win Final Of Uefa Champions League.The South African 2010 World Cup had Paul the Octopus to predict the scores, But this Time Meet Citta.The 33 year-old Citta, Krakow Zoo’s largest inhabitant, will now be applying her wisdom in predicting the results of the forthcoming Euro 2012 football tournament, which begins in Poland and Ukraine on 8 June.“Elephants have great intuition and I am confident that Citta will correctly indicate the favourite,” said zoo director Jozef Skotnicki during a press conference on Monday.Citta beat off competition from two other Krakow Zoo residents, a parrot and a donkey, by correctly predicting that Chelsea would win the European Champions League final in Munich last weekend.As Euro 2012 draws near, Citta will be offered fruit emblazoned with the flags of competing teams, and her instinctive choices will have bookmakers on tenterhooks.

Community Shield: Chelsea Vs Man City : Uefa Super Cup:Chelsea Vs Athletico Madrid:

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Dehli Daredevils to reach Final of IPL

Knight Riders' bowlers put in a tidy performance to help their side beat Daredevils by 18 runs and seal their spot in the IPL final.

Kolkata Knight Riders brazed into the final  Indian Premier League after scoring a thumping 18-run win over Delhi Daredevils in the first Qualifier on Tuesday.It was an interesting clash between the two IPL heavyweights but Kolkata emerged winner as they bowled with more discipline with each and every bowler taking at least one wicket.Kolkata Knight Riders recovered from regular blows to post a fighting 162 for four after electing to bat and then stopped Delhi to 144 for eight at Subrata Roy Sahara stadium.It is for the first time that KKR have made it to the summit clash in five editions of the league so far.Yusuf Pathan, who was going through a lean patch so far, struck form just at the right time for Kolkata as his uneaten 40 and a crucial 56-run stand with Laxmi Shukla (24 off 11) in just four overs helped his side cross 150-run mark.The top three KKR batsmen -- Gautam Gambhir (32), Brendon McCullum (31) and Jacques Kallis (30) batted well but could not convert the starts into big knocks.Delhi too paid the price of not having big partnerships as they lost wickets intermittently. Pressure gradually grew and the lower-order batsmen failed to soak in that.Mahela Jayawardene top scored for them with his 40 and for Kolkata Jacques Kallis (2/24) and Sunil Narine (2/24) shared four wickets between them.Delhi still have a chance to make the final as they will play in second Qualifier on May 25 against the winner of the Eliminator, which will be plyed between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings.For Delhi it was a forgettable start to the chase with both the openers -- Virender Sehwag (7) and David Warner (10) were dismissed within 13 balls.Warner was bamboozled by a turning ball from Shakib Al Hasan which hit his pads before landing in gloves of McCullum. However umpire Billy Doctrove held the appeal.Sehwag was out next ball when he chased a widish Balaji delivery and just managed an edge into the gloves of McCullum.Jayawardene (40) and Ojha (29) added 59 for the third wicket to not let Kolkata build on the momentum. The Sri Lankan hit some majectic shots and Ojha too was impressive with his shots.Rajat Bhatia broke the partnership by having Ojha caught at point and Iqbal Abdulla had Jayawardene stumped as the match again shifted in Kolkata's over.Delhi surprisingly kept Ross Taylor behind in the line-up and sent Venugopal Rao ahead of him. Delhi needed 54 off the last five overs and Venugopal did not help their cause by taking 22 balls for his 13.Taylor struck a towering six off Sunil Narine and now everything depended on him as Delhi required 33 from 12 balls.However, the Kiwi fell while going for a big shot off Kallis. Negi and Mokel were out in the last over, in which they required 26 runs and it was all over for Delhi in this contest.

Drogba Set To Leave Chelsea

Didier Drogba The Striker Of Chelsea Is Set to leave Chelsea After Long Spell Of 8 Years.The 34-year-old, who scored a late equaliser and the decisive penalty in the shoot-out win over Bayern Munich on Saturday, is reported to have told team-mates his decision during Sunday's trophy parade.Members of the triumphant Blues squad chanted for Drogba to stay in front of his adoring fans but the Ivory Coast international appears to have decided his eight-year spell at Stamford Bridge is up."We will not be together next season," Drogba told France Football magazine."As I have decided to leave, I wanted to tell them (my team-mates) straight to their faces."Except that I could not do it. They made me break down."Even though it's been three years since I said I wanted to leave, I found it hard to admit that it was finished with me and the club."But I don't envisage sitting on the bench watching others play at a time when the club is looking at putting together a new team."So there we go, I am readying myself for a great leap into the unknown. It will be another adventure."Drogba has been linked with a lucrative move to Chinese side Shanghai Shenhuan, where his former Chelsea team-mate Nicolas Anelka is now a player-coach.

England Victorious Over West-Indies In the 1st Test.

In The 1st test of England vs West-Indies the match looked like West-indian will seal the victory even though West-Indies Gave The Target Of 191 but due to the fall of Quick Wickets England were no way In But Bell and Cook Guided Them To Win.Alastair Cook and Ian Bell made composed fifties to guide England to a comfortable five-wicket win over West Indies in the first test at Lord’s on Monday.The hosts had crumbled to 57 for four chasing 191 for victory on a chilly morning but Cook and Bell steadied the ship with a fifth-wicket partnership of 132.Cook was out for 79 just before the end but Bell steered England home, clipping Marlon Samuels for four through mid-wicket to seal victory and finish on 63 not out.Cook was out for 79 just before the end. “There’s always a bit of pressure when you’re chasing a score but we always had faith the wicket was going to stay very flat,” England captain Andrew Strauss told a news conference.“It was an outstanding performance from Cook and Bell, they played in a very professional way and showed their class.“We had to work very hard for this victory and it certainly wasn’t a formality to wrap it up today.”After resuming on 10 for two, Jonathan Trott became Kemar Roach’s third victim of the innings when he nicked a rapid seaming delivery to Darren Sammy at slip before Kevin Pietersen edged a catch to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin trying to pull a short ball from Shannon Gabriel.That left West Indies scenting an unlikely victory against the world’s top-ranked team.The touring side have won only one of their last 18 tests in England and trailed the hosts by 155 runs on first innings but a battling 345 second time round kept them in the match.Cook and Bell displayed exemplary calmness in a tense atmosphere, however, rotating the strike neatly and hitting bad balls to the boundary to steer England to 131 for four at lunch.Cook got to his fifty just before the interval with a late cut for four off spinner Samuels, the left-hander reaching the milestone off 78 balls having hit eight boundaries.Bell passed fifty for the second time in the match midway through the afternoon session and the pair strolled through the final overs picking up runs at will before Cook was caught at gully by Kirk Edwards off Sammy with just two runs needed.“We are quite pleased with the way we played, we took the game to the fifth day,” Sammy said. “There were good performances by some of our players when nobody gave us a chance.“We kept coming back and that shows a good team spirit.”The second test in the three-match series starts at Trent Bridge on Friday.

Montpellier Wins French League Title

Montpellier Won It's First French League Title After a Win Over  Auxerre  On a Final Day By 2-1.Second-placed Paris Saint-Germain did all they could by winning 2-1 at Lorient, and the delays at Auxerre meant that Rene Girard’s side had to endure a nervous wait before their title success was confirmed.Montpellier finished the season three points clear of PSG in the final standings, which gave the southern club 14th in Ligue 1 last season their first major honour since the 1990 French Cup.“I think it’s deserved,” said Montpellier coach Girard amid scenes of jubilation on the pitch at Auxerre following the final whistle.“It was a huge fight right until the end. Looking at the number of points, you have to say that the three teams at the top (Montpellier, PSG and Lille) have had extraordinary seasons.”There was no hint of the drama to come when Auxerre broke the deadlock in the 20th minute at Stade Abbe Deschamps, with Olivier Kapo heading home from a corner.A defeat was the only means by which Montpellier could have been denied the title but they equalised in the 32nd minute when John Utaka converted a low right-wing cross from Souleymane Camara.The Auxerre fans’ protest at their relegation which saw them throw tennis balls and toilet rolls onto the pitch began at the start of the second period and forced the players to return to the changing rooms.When play resumed, Montpellier were 19 minutes behind the Lorient-PSG game, and with PSG winning, the leaders were left living on their nerves.Goalkeeper Geoffrey Jourdren repelled a powerful drive from Delvin N’Dinga before flares thrown by Auxerre’s fans obliged the players to leave the pitch again and led to a second delay lasting around 20 minutes.With PSG’s players watching on television from Lorient, riot police began to clear the protesting fans from the stand behind the Montpellier goal and play was able to resume.There were still 16 minutes to play, but Utaka calmed the visiting fans’ nerves in the 76th minute when he swivelled to slam home his second goal and take the title to Stade de la Mosson for the very first time.Montpellier’s Olivier Giroud finished as the top scorer in Ligue 1, ending the season level with PSG’s Nene on 21 goals but prevailing by virtue of having scored fewer penalties.PSG needed to win to stand any chance of winning the title, but they fell behind in the 28th minute at Lorient when Kevin Monnet-Paquet ghosted in behind Zoumana Camara to score with a back-post header.Carlo Ancelotti’s men equalised in the 61st minute through record signing Javier Pastore and claimed victory through Thiago Motta with 15 minutes left, but although PSG had done their job, it was not enough to deny Montpellier their day in the sun.“I’m disappointed that we haven’t won the title but the team has done some good work this season, even though we’ve had difficulties in certain matches,” said Ancelotti.“Montpellier had a great season, as did PSG, and it’s good to be in the Champions League because it’s a strong league.”Elsewhere, Bordeaux won 3-2 at Saint-Etienne to pip their opponents to fifth place and a berth in the Europa League, with Rennes consigned to sixth despite a 5-0 thrashing of Dijon that sent the promoted side into Ligue 2.Caen were also relegated after going down 3-1 at  Valenciennesm.Eden Hazard bade farewell to outgoing champions Lille by netting a first-half hat-trick in a 4-1 win at home to Nancy in his final game for the club.Fourth-placed Lyon signed off by losing 4-3 at home to Nice, while Marseille fell 1-0 at Sochaux and finished the season in 10th place.Lorient ended the season a point above the drop zone, with Ajaccio winning 2-0 at Toulouse to preserve their place in the elite and Brest escaping the drop courtesy of a 1-0 success at ninth-placed Evian.

Nadal beats Djokovic and wins Rome Title

Rafael Nadal enjoyed the perfect fillipof his French Open defence with a commanding 7-5 6-3 victory over world number one Novak Djokovic on his sixth Rome Masters title in a rain-postponed final against Novak Djokovic here on Monday, defeating the world number one 7-5, 6-3.It was sweet revenge for a straight sets loss to the Serb in last year's final and the win means that he will move back ahead of Roger Federer at number two in the world rankings.It was also the perfect preparation for the defence of his French Open title with the tournament due to get underway in Paris on Sunday and takes his career head-to-head with his rival to 18-14 in his own favour.It meant that Nadal won claycourt titles in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome with his only loss coming in Madrid where he went down to compatriot Fernando Verdasco.Djokovic failed to win a claycourt title as he prepares to go into Roland Garros where he is aiming to make it four Grand Slam titles in a row after winning Wimbledon and the US Open crowns last year and the Australian Open early this year.In a final held over from Sunday because of rain, Nadal immediately pounded out two break points on the opening Djokovic serve, but the Serb saved both with powerful backhands.There were two more break points for the Spaniard in the fifth game as Djokovic made a mess of an overhead smash and Nadal converted the second of these, easily running down a poorly-executed Djokovic drop-shot.But just as Nadal seemed to be taking command, Djokovic earned his first break point of the match in the following game which he took as an out-of-position Nadal flopped a forehand into the net.And two games later he had Nadal back-pedalling again with a series of punishing drives from the baseline only for a bad line-call to rob him of a first set point.Nadal levelled at 5-5 and then, on the back of some stupendous defending, he grabbed a second break of serve and made good on it by outgunning Djokovic in a thrilling exchange of shots at the net.Still riled by the line-call, Djokovic smashed his racquet at the exchange of ends and was warned by the umpire before Nadal comfortably served out to pocket the first set in 76 minutes.Nadal took up in the second set where he had left off in the first and he had the Serb scrambling from side to side in a failed attempt to prevent the five-times champion from grabbing an early break.Djokovic had an immediate chance to get back on level terms in the set but he failed to capitilise on four break points in the next game allowing Nadal to move 2-0 ahead.The defending champion stopped the rot by holding serve to make it 2-1 and he had two break-back opportunities in the next game only to squander both with unforced errors.He was made to pay the price for those missed opportunities as Nadal slammed shut the door on his following serves and then broke again to become the first player to win six Rome titles.

Napoli Beats Juventus in Coppa Italia Final

Napoli win first trophy since Maradona era

Edison Cavani And Marek Hamsik Scored goals For Napoli To Beat Juventus By 2-0. The 1st Goal Was scored By Cavani By Penalty Before 60th Minute and Hamsik Scored His Goal 7 Minutes Before 90th Minute.Napoli last captured a major trophy in 1990, when they won Serie A. They last won the Cup in 1987.It also ended Juventus’ unbeaten record in all competition this season after the Old Lady won 26 and drew 16,In Alessandro Del Piero’s last game for Juventus.Edinson Cavani opened the scoring with a penalty kick. The strike was before the 60th minute when Ezequiel Lavezzi was brought down by Marco Storari. The Juventus goalkeeper was lucky to escape a red card. Marek Hamsik sealed the result with seven minutes left.Also, Torino will be back in Serie A next season following an absence of three years after beating Modena 2-0. Pescara will join Torino in the top tier after a 19-year wait.

Nadal-Djokovic Final postponed due to rain

The championship final in Rome between the Serbian Novak Djokovic and Spaniard Rafael Nadalwas pushed back to Monday because of rain falling in abundance on the Foro Italico on Sunday.  Between the drops, Russia's Maria Sharapova has arrived in the post afternoon to defend his title in the women beating China's Li Na, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), in a final interrupted two hours and ten minutes by rain.  Nadal and "Djoko" will have to wait for their reunion. "The conditions for play are not met, announced around 20:00 at the micro tournament director Sergio Palmieri. The finish is postponed to Monday 24:00 (10:00 GMT)."  This postponement does not help matters by disrupting the two champions their preparation for Roland Garros (May 27-June 10). They will have to shift their projects 24 hours, if the rain saving the Italian capital Monday. They waited as much as possible, but a fine rain still falling on the Foro Italico. It was necessary "to ensure the safety of players," the organizers said in a statement. But the ground of the Foro Italico Central was bathed after the extension of the women's final of ATP Supervisor, Thomas Carlberg, after walked the short, decided it was not possible to play a game of this level. Revenge of the final last year, won by the Serb, was adjourned. The public was furious and hissed and threw little water on the ground, shouting, "Buffone!"(Buffoon), after waiting nearly two hours in the stands and around the stadium. Before that, the rain did not stop Maria Sharapova to stay, Roman empress. The darling of the Foro Italico public kept her crown, and showed its shape to a week of Roland Garros (May 27-June 10), reversing a very compromised to sign his sixth win of the season.  Led 6-4 4-0 after conceding six consecutive games, it has regained its aggressiveness, in the light rain falling at the Foro Italico, and won all eight games to pocket following the second round 6-4 and begin the third with a break in advance (2-0). "At times I could not do anything, said Li Na, she struck too hard."  But the Chinese (30 years) was glued to the score and even won a match point at 6-5 the rain became much stronger. The match was abandoned at 6-6, and included only 2 h 10 min later for the decisive game, won by Sharapova, shaped on the ocher - even when wet - before Roland Garros. "Dominate the clay? This is a big word ... said the Russian world No.2. I think it comes primarily from the physical, I move, I slip, I hit hard in service. " Li Na, queen of Roland Garros in 2011, however, take the seventh spot in the WTA French Marion Bartoli on Monday. "I just lost and I say that I trust, has concluded Li Na, I know it's strange, but I liked how I was hitting the ball, and my travels on the court. It was a good week, I think I'm ready for Roland Garros "

Torres may quit Chelsea

Fernando Torres said being left out of the first XI was a "big surprise".

Fernando Torres has dropped a bombshell just hours after they won the Champions League, revealing he will head for showdown talks with the club's owners to determine whether he will stay at the club.Torres was an unused substitute in Chelsea's FA Cup final win over Liverpool, and he was only introduced in the Champions League final after Bayern Munich took the lead with seven minutes remaining. The £50 million man's introduction at the Allianz Arena coincided with a Chelsea revival, which saw them win the trophy on penalties.The Spaniard looked frustrated at being left on the bench for one of the biggest games of his career, admitting later that he "expected to start", and now the former Liverpool striker will look for first-team assurances before deciding if it is "worth it" for him to stay at Chelsea."It's contradictory because I feel like I'm at a peak moment in my career, with more desire and hunger than I've felt in a long time, but I've had to spend the final on the bench," Torres was quoted as saying "It was a huge disappointment when I saw the line-up, perhaps the biggest in my life."This season I have felt things that I never had before. I've felt like they treated me in a way that I didn't expect, not in the way that was spoken of when they signed me."We've had a lot of talks and we'll talk about my future because the role I've had this season is not for me, nor is it the one I expected to play when I came here. I'm not comfortable."I want them to tell me what is going to happen in the future. Football has been fair on us, on me. Now, I do feel like football is worth it, but I've been through a difficult time. The worst in my career. I don't want that again."There's been many times when I've felt lost - I wasn't sure what to do. I felt like I didn't know where I belonged. I'm eternally grateful to my family, who have been by my side, and also for the support of the owners, who have stuck by me, and especially to the fans - if it hadn't been for them this season I would have given up."I need the club to tell me what is going to happen and what sort of role I will have within the team, what my duties are, what the club expects of me - and then judge whether it is worth it."Torres had appeared to be unhappy ahead of the penalty shootout against Bayern and he revealed: "I wanted to take a penalty but they didn't let me."

Bayern munchen vs Chelsea 1-1 [3-4] | All Goals & Highlights | 19/05/2012

Djokovic beats Federer to reach the Final and face Nadal

Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after defeating Switzerland's Roger Federer at the end their semifinal match at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Saturday, May 19, 2012.

Rafael Nadal of Spain.

World number one Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer in straight sets on Saturday (Sunday, PHL time) and will play Rafael Nadal in the Rome Masters final for the second year in a row.Defending champion Djokovic ended Federer's hopes of back-to-back claycourt titles with a gutsy 6-2, 7-6 victory over the Swiss.Five-time Rome champion Nadal wore down fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 7-6, 6-0 to reach his 70th career final.In their first meeting since last year's U.S. Open semifinal, which Djokovic won, the Serb broke twice to win the first set.Dominating the baseline rallies, top seed Djokovic constantly forced Federer on to the back foot and an errant forehand handed him the break for 4-3 in the second.Suddenly Federer became more aggressive and began to vary his game and when he saved a match point at 5-4 before breaking back, he was back in the match.But Djokovic regained his poise just in time to clinch the tiebreak 7-4 when Federer sent a backhand long."That was my best claycourt match of the year," Djokovic told reporters."I expected him to be aggressive but I stayed close to the baseline and I felt good all the way through."Federer said he was feeling tired having won the title in Madrid last weekend but admitted he had been outplayed."I thought he played very, very well," he said. "He's not the number one in the world for no reason."I had a couple of chances in the second set but couldn't take them."But I would have taken my results from these two weeks, so I am very happy going into Paris."GRUELING SET In the first semifinal, Nadal made it 12 wins in a row on clay against Ferrer in a match in which a grueling first set lasted 86 minutes.Sixth seed Ferrer had the better of it early on and led 3-1 but Nadal fought straight back and after taking the tiebreak 8-6, he ran away with the second."At the start of the match, David was playing unbelievably," Nadal said. “My thought was that the best news for me would probably to be level at 3-3."After the first six, seven games then it was more equal because before that he was playing better than me."Nadal said he had not played as well as he did in beating Czech Tomas Berdych in the previous round, but used his mental strength to get through."I was very happy with how I was mentally, because I stayed focused all the time," he said.Nadal, who will go back above Federer to the No. 2 spot if he wins, said he would need to be at his very best if he is to take the title."If I play my best clay-court tennis then hopefully I will have my chances," he said.It will be an important match to close the claycourt season before Roland Garros with perfect feelings."Djokovic said playing Nadal on clay is still “the ultimate challenge" but said he believed he had the game to win again."Before last year, I had never won against him on clay but I won in Madrid and here, so I know I can do it."Djokovic downs Federer to set up Nadal final.

Chelsea's Historic win Over Bayern Munich In the Champions League Final.

Chelsea Crowned as European Champions.

Chelsea Have Beated the Germans Giants Bayern Munich On Penalties 4-3 As Didier Drogba Fired the Last Penalty .In The Beggining Of this Finale The score Remained 0-0 Till Half-time. Robben,Gomez Missed Big Chances But The Blue army Defend stood strong and Brave. Bayern's Created the Most Opportunities With Having Above 50% Possession. After The Half's, Bayern Looked The Same way As Before the Half. Chelsea Defended And Bayern Attacked. Chelsea Did Kept Defense Tight But couldn't Last Long as Kroos Crossed The ball And The Header was scored by Muller. Bayern Celebrated as they are champions But there was still twist in a Tale as Chelsea Got their Corner In 88th Minute Just after Muller scored ,after 5 Min. Mata Who Took The Corner And Drogba Headed Into the Net touching Neur's Hand And Going Into Right net side. 3 minutes were added And the Whistle was blown Of Full-Time. It was Extra Time Of 30 Minutes with Players Having Craps and Hamstrings in their Legs specially Bayern Munich's Player. Chelsea were Very Fresh and Cool. Frank Ribery Got Injured as he Got Craps In his legs was Substituted With Van Buyten.After The First Half-Extra Time It was Dead-Locked Match still 1-1Five minutes into extra time Drogba gave Bayern the perfect chance to go back in front when he clipped the heels of Ribery in the area to concede a penalty but Petr Cech came to his side’s rescue with a superb stop to keep out Robben’s penalty. . The 2nd Period of Extra Time Begin With Players Tired . Chelsea Defended Just Like Italians And Bayern Attacked Like Spain.Substitute Ivica Olic had his head in his hands in the second period of extra time as he prodded a volley agonizingly wide of the post with Cech helpless.As The Whistle was Blown It was Time For Penalties. The night still seemed to be heading Bayern’s way when they moved 3-1 ahead in the penalty shootout after Juan Mata missed Chelsea’s first spot kick but Olic missed for Bayern and when Schweinsteiger struck the post the stage was left for Ivorian Drogba to write his name into Chelsea folkore.

Sarena Williams in semis after Penetta retires

Flavia Pennetta, right, shakes hands with Serena Williams of the US after retiring from their quarterfinal match at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Friday.

Sarena Williams advanced to the semi finals at the Italian Openon Friday after Flavia Pennetta retired with a right wrist problem while trailing 4-0 in the first set.The Italian player called for the trainer after falling behind 3-0. She had her wrist re-taped, but conceded during the fifth game after 28 minutes of play.The victory extended Williams' winning streak to 17 matches following titles in Charleston and Madrid. She also has two victories in Fed Cup.Williams will face the winner of match between French Open champion Li Na and fourteenth-seededDominika Cibulkova in the semifinals.Older sister Venus Williams plays defending champion Maria Sharapova later Friday.On men's side, top-ranked Novak Djokovic meets No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and five-time champion Rafael Nadal faces Tomas Berdych.Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Federer beats Ferrero, Djkovic pulls of win

Roger Federer outlasted former world number 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-2 5-7 6-1 in the Rome Masters to move into the quarter-finals.The world number two will now face Andreas Seppi , who overcame Stanislas Wawrinka 6-7 7-6 7-6 in an epic match-up that went all the way.This was Federer's and Ferrero's first meeting in five years and the veteran Spaniard was impressive, Federer at times struggling to overcome his opponent's consistency.The Swiss was impeccable in the opening set though, spraying winners around at will and holding his serve with consummate ease. Ferrero managed to hang on for 2-2, but Federer won the next four to take it.Everyone watching was expecting a stroll through the second set for Federer, but Ferrero's ability and more importantly his nerve shone through.He stayed with the Swiss game for game as Federer's level dropped slightly. It looked like it was drifting for a tie break, but in the 11th Ferrero struck.A vicious backhand winner up the line gave him the opportunity and Federer hit the forehand error, meaning the Spaniard only had to stay solid on serve to take the set.In the end Federer's superior shot making ability told as he hit 46 winners in the match to Ferrero's 12. Federer raised his game to at times ridiculous levels in the third set. Ferrero managed to win just the one game as the Swiss hit some astonishing winners off his backhand side.The point of the match came on break point in the penultimate game as both players hit an array of groundstrokes before Federer ripped an unplayable backhand up the line.The shot of the match came on match point as Federer came to the net and hit a stylish backhand smash to take it. The form player of 2012 continues his run and is looking ominous going into Roland Garros.World number one Novak Djokovic also came through a tough match to reach the quarter-finals, coming from a set behind to beat Juan Monaco 4-6 6-2 6-3.The Serb struggled to come to terms with the conditions on a windswept afternoon in the Italian capital, but eventually booked his place in the last eight against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who outclassedJuan Martin del Potro in a 6-4 6-1 win during the evening session.In the fourth and fifth games, as the change of ends favoured him, Monaco took the match to Djokovic and was rewarded with a break of the defending champion's serve to go 3-2 up.World number 15 Monaco had not taken a set off Djokovic in the last three of their five previous meetings, but he ended that poor run which stretches back to the 2007 US Open.Djokovic did raise his level to save two break points in the ninth game - and see one of his own denied by an exquisite drop shot in the following game - but Monaco was able to hold out and take the first set of their maiden match on clay.During it Djokovic smashed his racket to pieces in frustration, but emerged for the second set with far more focus."I hope the children watching don't do that," a smiling Djokovic later said of his racquet-smashing. "But I show my emotions out there. That's who I am."Monaco again broke early in the set, but this time Djokovic responded immediately in kind, aided in part by a huge gust of wind which gave Monaco an eyeful of clay as he prepared to make a shot. 'Nole' also broke at the next opportunity to take the set 6-2.With Djokovic well into his stride and Monaco recovering from the run of just three points from 19 available which saw him lose the second set, the deciding set was the most competitive of the three. It went with serve until the eighth game, when for the second game in a row Djokovic came from two points down to win the game.That allowed Djokovic to serve for the match, and he converted the second of his two match points with an ace."I struggled with the wind today," the Serb said. "I was a bit defensive and passive in the first set, but once I was more direct I started to play much better."By contrast Tsonga's match against Del Potro was ultimately a comfortable 6-4 6-1 victory on the Supertennis Arena.Del Potro faded badly in the second set and had to call out the physio midway through as his knee started to affect his movement.It was evenly matched in the opening few games though, with some fiersome hitting from both players. It was Del Potro who broke first in the fifth game, a wonderfully executed pass on the back foot taking it.Tsonga replied immediately, then broke again as Del Potro cracked on the big points; the world number nine hitting tamely into the net to hand his opponent the set.The second set was a breeze for Tsonga. He broke in the second and the sixth game either side of Del Potro bringing out the physio. Djokovic won’t be looking forward to playing the Frenchman in this sort of form.In the other part of Djokovic's half of the draw, unseeded home competitor Seppi made it through to the quarter-finals after he came through a thrilling epic encounter against ninth seed Wawrinka (1)6-7 7-6(8) 7-6(6).In a match played in front of a passionate and partisan crowd on the Supertennis Arena, the momentum veered from one man to the other throughout the contest, but all three sets required tie-breaks.In the deciding set Wawrinka spurned six match points, including three in the breaker, before two unforced errors gave Seppi a most dramatic victory.The world number 30's reward for winning that thriller is a last-eight clash against third seed Federer.

Liverpool Coach Kenny Dalgish Fired

Kenny Dalglish rescued Liverpool from possible relegation in 2011, but he was unable to push the team to a top-four finish this season.

Kenny Dalgish second stint as Liverpool manager ended Wednesday when he was fired following the club's disappointing eighth-place finish in the Premier League.Dalglish was in charge for fewer than 500 days, as club owners decided to terminate his contract despite having ended the team's six-year trophy drought with the League Cup triumph in February."Results in the Premier League have been disappointing and we believe to build on the progress that has already been made, we need to make a change," Liverpool chairman Tom Werner said.That decision was taken after Dalglish flew to Boston this week for an end-of-season review with the Boston Red Sox ownership group, which owns Liverpool.After the 2011 baseball season, the Red Sox hired a new manager in Bobby Valentine, after Terry Francona parted ways with the team.A League Cup triumph in February secured Liverpool's return to European play through the Europa League. Dalglish also took the team to the FA Cup final, but he fell short of the owner's target of finishing in the top four in the league as Liverpool went 14-14-10 and wound up 17 points behind fourth-place Tottenham. The Reds finished behind crosstown rival Everton for the first time since 2005 and only the second time since 1987."Whilst I am obviously disappointed to be leaving the football club, I can say that the matter has been handled by the owners and all concerned in an honorable, respectful and dignified way and reflects on the quality of the people involved," Dalglish said."I said when first approached about coming back as manager that I would always be of help if I can at any time and that offer remains the same," he added.Dalglish first left Liverpool in 1991 due to stress, less than a year after delivering the team's 18th -- and most recent -- top-flight title triumph in 1990.He was brought back to Anfield after a 20-year absence to replace Roy Hodgson in January 2011, when the club was in danger of being relegated from the top flight after being bought by the Fenway Sports Group.After lifting Liverpool from its perilous position to fifth place, Dalglish was given a three-year contract at the end of the season."Kenny came into the club as manager at our request at a time when Liverpool Football Club really needed him," Werner said. "He didn't ask to be manager; he was asked to assume the role. He did so because he knew the club needed him. He did more than anyone else to stabilize Liverpool over the past year and a half and to get us once again looking forward. We owe him a great debt of gratitude."Owner John Henry also paid tribute to Dalglish."Kenny will always be more than a championship-winning manager, more than a championship-winning star player," Henry said. "He is in many ways the heart and soul of the club. He personifies everything that is good about Liverpool Football Club. He has always put the Club and its supporters first. Kenny will always be a part of the family at Anfield."Our job now is to identify and recruit the right person to take this club forward and build on the strong foundations put in place during the last 18 months."

Rio Ferdinand out Terry in of England Euro 2012 squad

Rio Ferdinand Man utd defender was the highest profile casualty on Wednesday Roy Hodgson focused on footballing matters as he explained the selection of John Terry and the omission of Rio Ferdinand in his England squad for this summer’s European Championship.Terry was selected despite the July court case awaiting him regarding allegations that he racially abused QPR defender Anton Ferdinand, which Terry denies.Ferdinand’s elder brother Rio being left out of the squad will help to avoid any tension that could have stemmed from the pair sharing a dressingroom in Poland and Ukraine.The impending court case also saw Terry stripped of the captaincy by the English Football Association, a decision which saw Fabio Capello resign his post and Hodgson eventually succeed him. Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard will captain England this summer.Hodgson said: “If we take the court case first of all, that’s obviously very unfortunate for him but we must emphasise he is an innocent man until such time as he is proven guilty.“My decision with John Terry was based purely on footballing matters, I was given a free hand as to the squad I picked.“I realised that when I selected him there would be people who would raise eyebrows but that’s the decision that I’ve made, that’s the decision I shall live with.”“I admire Rio Ferdinand as a player. I think he’s a fine footballer and I respect him, but I had to pick a squad with defenders I wanted to take to the Euros.”Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy were the two uncapped players to get Hodgson’s vote.“My decision with John Terry was based purely on footballing matters, I was given a free hand as to the squad I picked.“I realised that when I selected him there would be people who would raise eyebrows but that’s the decision that I’ve made, that’s the decision I shall live with.”He continued: “I selected John Terry for footballing reasons and I left out Rio Ferdinand for footballing reasons. I’ve spoken to both of them of course. I had to do that.“In the last couple of days I’ve spoken to both of them and explained to them why I’ve come to the decision.”Terry led Chelsea to FA Cup success and helped them reach the Champions League final as they rebuilt their season under interim manager Roberto Di Matteo.

ENGLAND SQUAD 

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Man City), Robert Green (West Ham), John Ruddy (Norwich). 
Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Man Utd), Joleon Lescott (Man City), John Terry (Chelsea). 
Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Man City), Stewart Downing (Liverpool), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Man City), Scott Parker (Tottenham), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Ashley Young (Man Utd). 
Forwards: Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Wayne Rooney (Man Utd), Danny Welbeck (Man Utd), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham).