Jesse Ryder gets a chance to prove himself

Jesse Ryder Has got a chance in IPL 5 As his team is Pune warriors.The left-hander, who had taken an indefinite break from cricket to resolve his alcohol-related problems, will be supported by his manager Aaron Klee and clinical psychologist Karen Nimmo on his trip to India. 

"Jesse has been making steady progress over the past few weeks. While the IPL has clear challenges, and is a big step, I believe he's ready to take it," Nimmo said. 

"Cricket is Jesse's job and what he's good at, so I was keen to see him return to the game as soon as practical, but only with the right structures in place," he said. 

Earlier this month Klee in a statement had revealed that the cricketer has pulled out of Wellington's squad for their Plunket Shield match against Northern Districts and had not decided on his return to the competitive cricket. 

The announcement came a week after Ryder was dropped from the New Zealand squad for the third ODI against South Africa for breaking the team protocol, which restricts a player from consuming alcohol while rehabilitating from an injury. 

The 24-year-old was also left out of the Test series that followed the three-match ODI rubber. 

After losing to South Africa in the second ODI at Napier, Ryder along with Doug Bracewell went to a hotel and were found in a verbal duel with a patron there. 

"Team protocols dictate that players who are rehabilitating from injury should not consume alcohol and unfortunately both players went to a Napier hotel following the conclusion of the match," New Zealand Cricket (NZC) had said in a release. 

"Also, while at the hotel both players verbally reacted to taunts from a member for the public," the release added. 

The incident was the latest addition to Ryder's indiscretions, which has always found him in the headlines for the wrong reasons. 

Meanwhile, Klee said Ryder was going to try his best to overcome the issue. 

"Karen is travelling to India the day after Jesse and will continue her work with him there while I'll be going over a little later to carry that work on," Klee said. 

"The franchise has been wonderful and Jesse is desperate to perform on and off the field, and get his career back on track," he added. 

Ryder's inclusion in the team will be a big boost for the Sourav Ganguly led side, which has been left a bit depleted in the aftermath of Yuvraj Singh's absence from the cricket field due to a rare germ cell cancer. 

NZC chief executive David White supported Ryder's move to be a part of the cash-rich league. 

"It's really positive that Jesse has reached the point where he is ready to play competitive cricket again," he said. 

Gomez And Robben Helps the German to win by 2-0

Mario Gomez & Arjen Robben Got 1 goal each to give high advantage in 2nd leg Of QF.

Gomez put Bayern ahead with his 11th goal of the competition just before halftime, with Marseille goalkeeper Elinton Andrade to blame for letting the ball slip under his body, and Robben scored a clinical second in the 69th after a quick one-two with Thomas Mueller.

Out of form, hampered by injuries and suspensions, and jeered by it own fans, Marseille barely tested Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer at Stade Velodrome as it slipped to its eighth defeat in the last nine games.

Andrade, Marseille's third-choice goalkeeper, was playing instead of the suspended Steve Mandanda and looked nervous in the first half, spilling an easy catch and hacking a routine clearance away for a corner instead of down the field.

When Gomez struck from the edge of the area, the ball came straight at Andrade, yet he let it roll under his arm and into the bottom right corner. Andrade was playing only his ninth game in three years, and it will be one to forget.But not for Gomez, who has been in prolific form with 23 goals in the league, and moved one behind Barcelona star Lionel Messi in the Champions League scoring charts.

Marseille's fans were in unforgiving mood and refused to encourage the players at the start of the game, even holding up one banner, which said: "Ce soir on est comme vous: on ne sert a rien" (Tonight we're just like you: good for nothing). Other banners, bearing the names of supporters groups, were held upside down in protest.

They did not spare Bayern winger Franck Ribery, either.

He had hoped for a warm welcome from the fans who worshipped him when he played for Marseille from 2005-07, but his name was jeered as soon as the stadium announcer read it out, and then every time he touched the ball.

Marseille had its only clear-cut chance early on when Neuer palmed away Andre Ayew's header and striker Loic Remy, shaking off a thigh injury to start up front, smashed the rebound into the side netting.

After 20 minutes, the fans' strike was over and they started chanting for Marseille, which tried to drag the German side into a physical battle. Marseille closed down space well and stopped Bayern from developing any sort of fluency, and was also winning some crunching tackles in midfield.

Ayew broke free down the left and shot into the side netting in the 28th, although it would have been difficult for the Ghanaian winger to beat Neuer from such a tight angle. Remy's drifting runs and movement off the ball kept Bayern's center halves busy, but the supply to the France forward was often predictable and Bayern dealt easily with long balls over the top.

After a brief spell on top, Marseille fizzled out and Bayern took the lead in the 44th minute after a Marseille move broke down.

Winger Mathieu Valbuena lost the ball to right back Philip Lahm, who passed it to Ribery, who in turn fed Robben down the right. The Dutchman played in Gomez, who took his chance with a drive that squirmed under Andrade - while his teammates continued to complain that the ball had hit Lahm's hand in the build-up to the goal.

Andrade's confidence was clearly shaken after his blunder and, when Robben lobbed a pass over the defense for Mueller to chase in the 52nd, he was slow to come off his line. But Mueller could not keep the ball down. Andrade did atone somewhat for his error when he kicked away Mueller's shot in the 58th.

Marseille coach Didier Deschamps brought on Brazilian striker Brandao with 20 minutes to go and pushed Remy out wide right, but it made little difference.

Robben made the game safe after swapping passes with Mueller on the edge of the penalty area and curling the ball past Andrade. Ribery turned to applaud the Bayern fans after he came off late in the game to a chorus of whistles from the Marseille fans.

Robben was in fine form, darting down the right late on and blazing the ball over when Gomez was in a better position. But with one foot in the semifinals, and having pulled to within one goal of Messi, it was hardly the moment for Gomez to complain.

Andy Murray To meet Rafa after winning The quarter

A close Encounter between Murray And Tipsarevic Came to Conclusion As Murray defeated Tipsarevic By 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 ."Today's match was really important for me to get through after how it was going, [fighting] back after being a break down a few times in the second set," Murray said. "And then also, at the end of the third set when I was up a break, he had  break point in a tight game, and I came up with some big serves and served my way out of trouble, which is important."
After falling behind 2-4, Tipsarevic reeled off six straight games to take a set and a break lead against the 2009 Miami champion. But Murray battled back to win the second set, and converted the lone service break in the final set to prevail over the Serbian in two hours and 39 minutes. With the win, the Scot improved to 5-3 versus Tipsarevic.
"[They were] tough, tough conditions. But I thought I struck the ball pretty well from the back of the court," said Murray. "I was hitting it pretty clean but needed to make better shot selection.  Because of the wind, I was maybe trying to hit it too close to the line and not building the points as much I needed to. So when I did that, I did a bit better."
Murray is bidding to win his second title of the year, having triumphed in Brisbane (d. Dolgopolov) to begin his season. He also finished runner-up to Roger Federer in Dubai and was edged out by eventual Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic in a five-set thriller at Melbourne Park.

Rafael Nadal Beats Tsonga At Sony Ericsson Quarters

A 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 Ensured Nadal Place in Semis against Andy Murray. Rafa although Lost 2nd Set But Came back Strongly.

The Spaniard served for the match at 5-4 in the second set, before Tsonga caught fire to win three games in a row, forcing a third set. Each player held their serve until the ninth game, when Nadal converted his fourth break against the Frenchman to lead 5-4. In an intense final game, the three-time Miami finalist fought off two break points to knock off Tsonga for the second consecutive year in the quarter-final stage at Crandon Park.

"I didn't play very well tonight," assessed Nadal. "I think I started the match playing really well, but later when I had the break in the second [set], I started to play more defensive... My feeling was Jo was having much more mistakes than usual, so the match didn't have the right rhythm."

Nadal is bidding to become the first Spanish man to win the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event and is also seeking his first title of the year, having reached the final of the Australian Open (l. to Djokovic). He holds a 13-5 record against Murray, but the Scot won their most recent encounter in the Tokyo title match last October.

"Playing Andy is a pleasure for me, and exciting playing against a player like him [who] pushes you [to] the limit on everything," Nadal said. "The negative thing is I have to recover well."

The tournament set a new attendance record for Session 18, with 14,176 fans turning out for Wednesday’s night session.

AC Milan 0-0 Barcelona Draw

Barcelona will need to beat AC Milan at the Nou Camp to ensure their place in the Champions League semi-finals after being held to a goalless draw in Italy.

The defending champions' claims for a penalty were turned down when Alexis Sanchez fell under Christian Abbiati's challenge in a dominant first half.But Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic had clear openings at the other end as AC Milan threatened on the break. On The other side Sanchez & Messi had clear chances.Cristian Tello was denied by a last-ditch block as Barca ran out of ideas.The sides played out two pulsating games in Group H earlier in the tournament and AC Milan once again provided a fascinating counter to Barcelona's staccato passing style.With the winners set to play the winners of Chelsea and Benfica's quarter-final, the Serie A leaders maintained their record of never having lost a home quarter-final tie in the competition.The visitors created a raft of excellent chances in the opening half as they weaved passing patterns around Milan's defensive veterans Alessandro Nesta and Massimo Ambrosini.But their finishing could not match the precision of their build-up play.Xavi's toe-poke was clawed away by Christian Abbiati after a sharp one-two with Lionel Messi, before Sanchez could not quite burn off the pursuing Luca Antonini, allowing the left-ack to get in a last-ditch block.The Catalan side also had a strong claim for a penalty turned down by the officials after Sanchez was up-ended after he had peeled off the end of the Milan wall as part of a clever free-kick routine.But in an absorbing contest, Milan also headed to the dressing rooms ruing what might have been.Their pressing game frequently unsettled Barcelona and twice they carved through the remnants of the defending champions' rearguard after winning possession high up the pitch.Robinho's awkward side-foot volley cleared the bar from six yards early on before Zlatan Ibrahimovic, playing against his former club, scuffed a shot into the grateful arms of Victor Valdes after holding Carles Puyol at bay.The hosts continued to disrupt Barcelona's usually reliable supply lines after the break and Pep Guardiola's side could not muster the same sustained level of threat.The more attack-minded Tello was introduced in place of Andres Iniesta and the 20-year-old wriggled away from Daniele Bonera before rippling the wrong side of the side-netting.But it was rare opening as the ageing legs in the AC Milan side chased gamely and Barcelona's stream of attacking invention dried up.Ambrosini, 34, slid in to block Messi's shot as the Argentine shaped to pull the trigger just inside the box, before Antonini stretched every sinew to get to a loose ball first with Abbiati out of position.Their efforts were rewarded as Milan became the first side to keep a Champions League clean sheet against Barcelona for more than two years.

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri: "We played better football after the restart, but in the first half we created several clear chances and despite not exploiting them, we gained in self confidence after such a performance. I think that the final result is fair, now we know we can get the qualification in Barcelona."Barcelona defender Carles Puyol: "No matter who you play against you are always motivated and that's what Zlatan Ibrahimović showed out there. We tried to stop him and the rest of his team-mates and it worked out well for us."

The Miami ATP and WTA

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal stayed on pace for a possible final showdown while Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki booked a last-four match-up at the Miami ATP and WTA event Tuesday. Top-ranked defending champion Novak Djokovic, winner of the past three Grand Slam singles crowns, reached the quarter-finals of the $9.6 million hardcourt tournament with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over French 17th seed Richard Gasquet. The Serbian top seed will next face Spanish fifth seed David Ferrer, who defeated Argentina s 11th-seeded Juan Martin Del Potro 6-3, 6-3. "It s going to be very difficult. But I m ready," Djokovic said. "I m fresh physically, fit. Mentally I m always there. I have a day off tomorrow, which gives me enough time to prepare for the next challenge." World No. 2 Nadal, a three-time Miami runner-up who has never lifted the trophy, ousted Japanese 16th seed Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-4. Up next is French sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who ousted German Florian Mayer 6-3, 6-2. The Spaniard fired eight aces and won 65 percent of first-serve points while saving six of the eight break points he faced to advance in two hours and 11 minutes, improving to 16-3 on the season. "The beginning was very tough," Nadal said. "I started playing more aggressively. At the end of the first set, I felt that I started to win my serves easier than him. I believe that I had more the control of the game. "In the second set I started well. At 5-3, I didn t play my best game there and he broke me. Happy to have the break back later and finally win the match." On the women s side, second seed Sharapova advanced with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Chinese eighth seed Li Na, the Russian snapping a four-match losing streak to the Asian star. "I came into this match losing to her the last few times," Sharapova said. "I really wanted to change that." Danish fourth seed Wozniacki ended the comeback run of US 10th seed Serena Williams 6-4, 6-4. Wozniacki had lost all three prior meetings with the 13-time Grand Slam champion. "It was important for me, definitely," Wozniacki said. "Serena has won so many Grand Slams and so many tournaments, something I would love to achieve one day. So to beat someone like her that I know that never gives up is definitely something that means a lot to me." Williams had been sidelined from WTA events since the Australian Open due to an ankle injury. "She definitely served the best she served in her career," Williams said. "She moved well and I just made too many errors. I felt a bit off. I probably played about 20 percent." The frustration had Williams wanting to smash a racquet but she thought better of it, saying, "I thought about it, but I m trying to be better now." Sharapova, like Nadal a three-time Miami runner-up who has never won the crown, has a 3-2 record against Wozniacki. "It s the semifinals, a tough stage and a tough opponent," Sharapova said. "Caroline has been one of the most consistent players on the tour for many reasons." Sharapova s match began with five consecutive service breaks, but she found her form at 4-3, winning the last eight games of the match and 12 points in a row in one stretch to move on after 68 minutes. "I was really consistent in conditions where it was a little gusty and blowing around and I faced a tough opponent too," Sharapova said. "I did a good job of maintaining my consistency throughout the whole match." British fourth seed Andy Murray ousted French 13th seed Gilles Simon 6-3, 6-4. The Scotsman booked a last-eight date against Serbian ninth seed Janko Tipsarevic, who defeated Bulgaria s Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (7/3), 6-2. US eighth seed Mardy Fish outlasted Spanish 12th seed Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3. Next for Fish will be Argentina s Juan Monaco, who eliminated Andy Roddick -- surprise conqueror of long-time foe, Roger Federer -- 7-5, 6-0.

2-year ban for doping

Czech swimmer Michal Rubacek has been banned for two years for banned stimulant. Czech swimming federation head Vladimir Srb says the federation s disciplinary committee issued the verdict Tuesday. Federation official Jan Novotny identified the substance as methylhexanamine. The 25-year-old Rubacek will miss the London Olympics after competing at the games in Athens and Beijing. He holds the Czech records in the 50 and 100 meter butterfly. He tested positive at the national championships in December

Real Madrid In commanding Lead

All the second Half goals Helped Real Madrid take Over Apoel Nicosia by 3-0 . Benzema and Kaka's 2 goals Helped of at least half percent chances of going into semis.The first Cypriot team to ever reach the last eight held out until the 74th minute when Kaka, on as a second-half substitute, crossed for Benzema to score the opening goal.

Kaka tapped in the second in the 82nd after Marcelo went on a determined run to the byline and managed to cut the ball back as he was falling.

Benzema, who missed an open goal in the first half, added his second goal in the last minute of normal time when he connected with a perfect pass from Mesut Oezil.

Madrid coach Jose Mourinho had high praise for APOEL for its performance on Tuesday and throughout the tournament.

"APOEL created many difficulties and I believe we won the game because we played well," Mourinho said. "What they've done, having reached this far is fantastic, and we needed to play to the maximum of our ability to win. They were great in defense and they deserve our respect.

"The dream of the Champions League looks like it's over. It looks very, very, very difficult for APOEL to beat us 4-0 or 4-1 in the Bernabeu. But I think the next dream is to be in the Champions League again."

APOEL coach Ivan Jovanovic agreed that his team's tournament looks certain to end after the return leg on April 4.

"Real has advanced to the next phase of the Champions League, that's for sure," Jovanovic said. "As a team we'll try our best as we have done so far, as we bid farewell to the Champions League.

"I think the score is just. We managed to contain Real as much as we could up to a point. But the pressure on us in the second half was great and, after the first goal, it was easier for Real because there was a sense of disappointment among our players."

But support from the home crowd inside the packed GSP stadium never waned as about 22,000 orange-clad fans chanted ceaselessly, even when their team trailed 3-0. At the start of the match, fans unfurled a giant banner showing a finger knocking down the queen on a chessboard, alluding to Madrid.

Madrid controlled play from the start, besieging the APOEL goal and forcing the Cypriot team into a defensive shell to stifle Madrid's potent attack, which has scored an average of three goals in each of the team's eight previous Champions League matches.

"It was important for us to always be in control, because if you can't win at least you're not going to lose 1-0 and make it difficult for yourself," Mourinho said.

"We knew that the last part of the game would be difficult for them, and we knew that for Kaka and Marcelo to come in when the other team was a bit tired was the right moment to do it."

A volley from an unmarked Oezil from inside the box in the 12th was pushed away by APOEL goalkeeper Dionisios Chiotis.

Cristiano Ronaldo's header from inside the box three minutes later sailed just over the crossbar. In the 28th, Ronaldo latched onto a through pass from Fabio Coentrao inside the box, but his high, angled shot was well saved by Chiotis.

Benzema looked certain to give the visitors the lead their dominance deserved in the 34th when Nuri Sahin delivered a pass across goal - only for the French striker to scoop the ball over the bar from close range and with the goal gaping.

Ronaldo missed again in the 43rd when his flick from Oezil's pass rolled wide.

Nine-time champion Madrid continued to be frustrated in the second half.

Ronaldo misses with a long-range effort in the 49th before his free kick in the 67th cannoned off the wall and fell for Oezil, whose shot was blocked.

APOEL, meanwhile, were limited to a few attacking forays by Brazilian forward Ailton Almeida.

Madrid finished the match with 20 attempts on goal to APOEL's zero, but it took the introduction of Kaka in the 64th minute to provide the spark for the visitors to emphasize the gulf in class.