Federer survives Raonic ace attack at Madrid Masters

Swiss Roger Federer returns a ball against Canada's Milos Raonic during the Madrid Masters on Wednesday.

Rogerer Federer sweated out a tough win in his first match n Madrid's blue clay on Wednesday, holding off Canada's Milos Raonic 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) to survive into the third round of the Masters 1000.The Swiss needed two and a quarter hours to beat the 23rd-ranked youngster with 36 winners and 37 unforced errors in a battle which was not decided until a third-set tiebreaker."I was trying to weather the storm," said the Swiss. "I don't know where my game is at now and I don't care. I'm happy to train well and be playing some matches."Federer will Thursday face Richard Gasquet, who beat Serb Viktor Troicki 7-5, 6-3.Federer held off seven Raonic break points and ended the Canadian's streak of first serve points at 44 for the week.Federer took victory in his first match since losing in the Miami third round to Andy Roddick on March 26. He has now won 78 of his last 79 matches against players outside the Top 20."To do something here means I have to come back in a few hours and play (Richard) Gasquet. It cold be a tough week."I'm happy to be playing good tennis. It's a big win, this could create good things. It was a struggle for me tonight. But my level was good. I'm happy were I am this season."Raonic stayed in the fight with 16 aces and 21 winners."If I can get things going my way, I can build confidence. Today I stepped on court believing I could win, and left the court knowing I could have won," said the Canadian.Spanish clay powerhouses Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer got on and off the controversial blue clay courts as quickly as possible with the Iberian pair racing into the third round.Second seed Nadal spent 80 minutes in winning his first match against Nikolay Davydenko since 2009, earning a 6-2, 6-2 victory. Fifth seed Ferrer dismissed Czech Radek Stepanek 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in almost the same match time.Nadal, leading critic of the dubious qualities of the Madrid surface being trialled amid huge controversy, tried to end talk of the courts and move onto the tennis."I played as good a match as I could in these strange circumstances," said the king of clay, winner of Monte Carlo and Barcelona titles last month. "I'm happy with the way that I played."The situation is not easy. This is a fantastic tourney, one of the best in the world. My motivation is strong to play here. I had a fantastic result today, I played better than I expected."But Nadal added a final word on the issue."Conditions here are completely different than on the rest of the clay circuit. If this was in the summer or at the end of the season I would have nothing to say."I'm not against change but this is the wrong time of the calendar for it. I don't want to speak more on this."Croatian Marin Cilic overcame eighth seed John Isner 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/3) as the big American fired 14 aces in his losing effort. Cilic dodged a bullet with six double-faults including one as he held match points in the second-set tiebreaker.Frenchman Gael Monfils continued his winning return after more than a month out with an abdominal injury as the 12th seed won as Russian Igor Andreev withdrew with a right shoulder injury trailing 6-3, 1-0.Compatriot and fourth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat racquet-smashing American Ryan Harrison, whose temper tantrum just a few days after leaving his teenaged years, did not help in a 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) loss.Ninth seed Gilles Simon took a win, beating Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4, 6-3.There were also wins for tenth seeded Estoril champion Juan Martin del Potro and 11th-seeded Spaniard Nicolas Almagro.In the WTA second round, Czech Lucie Hradecka beat defending champion compatriot Petra Kvitova 6-4, 6-3 to send the third seed home.Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska brought an end to the 16-match win streak on clay of Sara Errani with a 6-0, 6-1 thrashing in 65 minutes.Roberta Vinci struck a blow for Italy after Errani's loss, sending out Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-1, 6-2. Errani was fresh from the clay title in Budapest at the weekend.Top seed Victoria Azarenka reached the quarter-finals over former number one Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-4.French Open winner Li Na moved to the last eight with a defeat of 12th seed Angelique Kerber 7-5, 6-4. US Open champion Samantha Stosur advanced over Petra Cetkovska 6-3, 6-2.

Misbah steps down as Twenty20 Captain

Mohammad Hafeez took over from Misbah-ul-Haq as Pakistan's Twenty20 captain. 

Misbah-ul-Huq has stepped down as Pakistan's Twenty20 captain and Mohammad Hafeez has been named his successor for the Sri Lanka series in June.Misbah had captained Pakistan in eight games. His last Twenty20 assignment was the three-match series against England in the UAE in February, which England won 2-1. Misbah scored 67 runs there, with a strike-rate of just over 80.Hafeez said he was looking forward to the additonal responsibility. "Representing Pakistan is always an honor and captaining it is more than that. Now being a captain, I don't see any added pressure," Hafeez said. "The strategy might be different but while implementing them I will take my coaches and the PCB on board to get the best results for the team."Fast bowler Mohammad Sami, who last played for Pakistan in 2010, made a comeback. Sami had taken only one wicket in five matches for Karachi Dophins in the domestic Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 Cup in March, but had finished as the joint leading wicket-taker in the Bangladesh Premier League for Duronto Rajshahi. He was particularly successful against Dhaka Gladiators, claiming a hat-trick and then figures of 5 for 6 against them in two league games.The new faces in the squad include Sialkot Stallions batsmen Shakeel Ansar, who came into the limelight with his maiden Twenty20 hundred against Peshawar Panthers in March in the Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 Cup, and Haris Sohail who went through that tournament scoring 173 runs in four matches without being dismissed. Left-arm spinner Raza Hasan, who claimed 12 wickets in five games in the Super Eight T20 Cup for Sialkot, also made it to the squad.Pakistan will play two Twenty20s, five ODIs and three Tests between June 1 and July 12 in Sri Lanka.

• Pakistan Twenty20 squad

  Khalid Latif, Ahmed Shahzad, Mohammad Hafeez (capt), Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Shakeel Ansar (wk), Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Saeed Ajmal, Raza Hasan, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Sami, Hammad Azam, Nasir Jamshed
• In: Mohammad Sami, Shakeel Ansar, Haris Sohail, Raza Hasan

Rafael Nadal Out Of Mutua Madrid Open

World No.2 Rafael Nadal has Been Defeated By His Spanish compatriot Fernando Verdasco By 6-3, 3-6,7-5 In the third Round match."I never was in control of the match, I didn't know how to win a point," said Nadal, who intimated he will not show up next year unless the controversial blue clay surface he abhors is modified.Nadal's perfect record on the dirt for 2012 was marred as Madrid native Verdasco clawed out the opening set to stun multiple Monte Carlo and Barcelona champion Nadal, who, though he dug out the second set, succumbed in the decider."Movement is very important for me and I couldn't move,” Nadal said."I couldn't hit ball the way I wanted. I lost because I deserved to lose."Verdasco lost the second set as Nadal found his rhythm, but the 15th-seeded challenger rallied from 1-4 down in the third to work his upset miracle, winning his first match over the king of clay from 14 attempts.The final set was littered with seven breaks of serve, with a nervous Nadal well off his game and expressing inward and outward frustration with the surface which has drawn his ire for weeks.Verdasco applied the pressure in the final game to break Nadal and advance on his second match point, with the winner kissing the surface in gratitude."I couldn't close out the match at 5-2. He played better than me," said Nadal, by far the harshest critic of the experimental switch to blue clay."The ATP and the tournament can do what they want, I tried my best, I've trained here since Thursday. I was as prepared as I could be."I was not good enough to adapt my game to this court. If things continue like this, it will be very sad."Next year this will be one less event for my calendar."The devastated number two will need to regroup if he is to regain equilibrium, with next week's Masters 1000 in Rome restoring some normality with a return to classic red clay and sea level altitude.Nadal last won Madrid in 2010 over Roger Federer and had dominated Verdasco including the loss of just four games in a Barcelona semi-final victory two weeks ago.The Mallorcan now stands 22-1 on clay since losing in the Rome final last year to Novak Djokovic.Elsewhere, Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych ended the injury comeback effort of Frenchman Gael Monfils, the number 12, with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-1 victory.Monfils was playing for the first time since a March abdominal muscle problem. The flamboyant French player lost serve five times while never earning a break point against Berdych.Estoril champion Juan del Potro, the 10th seed, beat Croatian Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-4.In women's play, Serena Williams staged a recovery at the expense of Caroline Wozniacki as the American reached the quarter-finals 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.The comeback win in 1hr 42min put Williams into a showdown with second seed Maria Sharapova, who earned her last-eight place when opponent Lucie Safarova withdrew before their match with stomach illness.Williams sleep-walked through the opening set as Denmark's sixth seed had it all her own way in half an hour."I had a slow start today, I don't know why," said Williams. "I was sluggish and mentally maybe fighting some demons."Wozniacki had been bidding for a sixth quarter-final of the season but, having won six titles in 2011, she is still searching for her first of 2012.The Dane rolled her ankle earlier in the week but said that was not a problem in her loss."It is feeling better, which is a huge plus. I can take a lot of positives from this match into the French Open," she said. "I believe in myself, the confidence is there. I can beat anyone on a good day."Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska advanced over Italy's Roberta Vinci 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 while Lucie Hradecka beat Elena Makarova of Russia 6-2, 7-6 (7/5).

Lucie Hradecka Shows Door to Kvitova

Lucie Hradecka Knocked out Petra Kvitova In straight Sets 6-4, 6-3 in the second round of the Madrid Open on Wednesday (Thursday, PHL time).World number one Victoria Azarenka, who lost to Kvitova in last year's final of the premier clay event, claimed her place in the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 6-4 success against Ana Ivanovic of Serbia.Belarussian Azarenka, winner of four titles this year including her first grand slam singles at the Australian Open, needed four match points to finish off a stubborn Ivanovic and will play China's Li Na for a place in Friday's (Saturday, PHL time) semifinals.Li, the French Open champion and eighth seed, beat 12th-seeded German Angelique Kerber 7-5, 6-4.Ivanovic, who has never been past the second round in two previous appearances in the Spanish capital, made a strong start on the blue clay of the Manolo Santana show court and conjured an early break of the Azarenka serve. However, she tripped up at crucial moments during the remainder of the match and failed to convert three break points in the final game."I think she started really strong and I was a bit too slow and not aggressive enough," Azarenka, who hired another former number one, Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo, as an adviser last month, told a news conference."I was just trying to stay in there and execute better and get some rhythm into the match," she added.Samantha Stosur of Australia, the fifth seed, also made it through to the last eight when she thrashed Czech Petra Cetkovska 6-3, 6-2 to set up a meeting with Hradecka or Russia's Ekaterina Makarova.Kvitova, the world number four and seeded third this year, used her 2011 success in Madrid as a springboard for a first grand slam singles title at Wimbledon and went on to triumph at the season-ending WTA championships.The graceful left hander has yet to win a title in 2012, however, after claiming six last season, and had her serve broken five times by Hradecka, who is ranked 105th in the world and claimed a first win against a top 10 player of her career. There were no such problems for Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, who leap-frogged Kvitova to number three in the latest rankings, in her second-round match against Sara Errani. Radwanska snapped Errani's 16-match winning streak on clay, which netted her titles in Acapulco, Barcelona and Budapest, with a dominant performance, crushing the Italian 6-0, 6-1 to set up a third-round meeting with another Italian, Roberta Vinci. Ninth-seeded American Serena Williams, making her first appearance in Europe this year, plays her third-round match against fellow former number one Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, the sixth seed, on Thursday 

Atletico Madrid wins Europa League Title

Atletico Madrid Celebrating Their Victory.

Colombian Radamel  Falcao's brace gave Atletico Madrid its second Europa football League title in three seasons with a 3-0 victory over fellow Spanish team Athletic Bilbao.Falcao opened the scoring seven minutes into the final Wednesday and then added a second in the 34th before Diego completed Atletico's win in the 85th.Falcao topped the competition's scoring chart for the second straight year, and the Colombia striker now has 29 goals in 29 games over two seasons in the Europa League, reported Xinhua.Atletico, which beat Fulham in the final two years ago, won its last 12 matches in this season's competition.

Today's results In Madrid Women Singles - Second Round

Victoria Azarenka (BLR) d. (Q) Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) 63 76(2)

(2) Maria Sharapova (RUS) d. Klara Zakopalova (CZE) 64 63

(6) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. Mona Barthel (GER) 64 76(2)

Serena Williams (USA) d. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 62 61

(13) Ana Ivanovic (SRB) d. Nadia Petrova (RUS) 75 61

Lucie Safarova (CZE) d. (WC) Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP) 63 64

Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) d. Sorana Cirstea (ROU) 61 36 75

(Q) Varvara Lepchenko (USA) d. Shahar Peer (ISR) 76(2) 64

Liverpool Takes Revenge from Chelsea

Liverpool Fc Defeats Chelsea In an EPL Game By 4-1 As Michael Essien turned into his own net after a mazy run by Luis Suarez.Jordan Henderson doubled Liverpool's lead after John Terry's slip and Daniel Agger nodded in to make it three.Stewart Downing then hit a penalty against the post and although Ramires got one back for Chelsea, Jonjo Shelvey sealed a comfortable win for the Reds with his first Premier League goal.The result was a hammer blow for Roberto Di Matteo whose side must now beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League final to seal qualification for next season's European elite competition.While Liverpool ended a dismal league campaign at Anfield by moving above Fulham into eighth and they could yet finish above Merseyside rivals Everton if they beat Swansea on the final day.After their dreadful first half showing at Wembley, the hosts came out with a point to prove at Anfield.Suarez created the first chance after a nutmeg through Terry’s legs but he dragged his shot across stand-in Chelsea keeper Ross Turnbull and wide.Andy Carroll, handed a well-deserved start after his late impact on Saturday, threatened next but he curled well over Turnbull’s bar.The Reds were then saved by the post as Branislav Ivanovic rattled the woodwork with a free close range header from Florent Malouda’s corner.But after that let off, Liverpool went on to run riot.First Suarez produced a brilliant run from wide on the right, leaving Terry in his wake, and as he got to the byline, his cut-back was turned in by Essien at the near post.Just five minutes later, Maxi Rodriguez slid one through to Henderson and as Terry, who had endured a horrible first 25 minutes, slipped, the England Under-21 midfielder was clean through to slot comfortably past Turnbull.And Liverpool were then in dreamland as Carroll beat Terry to get on the end of Shelvey’s corner and the ball bounced down to Agger who nodded home their third.It could have been four moments later as Rodriguez danced into the box down the left but his cross-shot was blocked by Turnbull.Terry then made another mess of a long ball forward but Turnbull again matched Carroll’s left-footed curler.One man enjoying the scoreline even less than his team-mates was Fernando Torres, whose every touched was booed by the fans who used to worship the Spaniard.But he nearly silenced them momentarily with a flash of his old Anfield form as he seized on a loose ball, took one touch and then fired a sizzler from a tight angle against Pepe Reina’s bar.Stewart Downing and Andy Carroll could sense more goals at the other end though and both had pops from range which went wide.Winger Downing then came inches away from his first Premier League goal for Liverpool as he latched on to Suarez’s knockdown and unleashed a dipping 25-yard strike which crashed against the bar.And the former Villa man spurned an even better chance to get off the mark in first-half injury time.Liverpool were awarded a penalty when Carroll went down in the box from an elbow in his ribs by Ivanovic but Downing fired his penalty against the post.Chelsea gave themselves an early lifeline in the second half when Ramires, who scored the opener in the Cup final, bundled Florent Malouda's free-kick past Reina off his waist.But Liverpool sought to restore their three-goal lead soon after when Martin Skrtel’s low shot was well parried by Turnbull.And they did net a fourth when a poor clearance by Turnbull went straight to the unmarked Shelvey 30 yards out and the midfielder found the back of an unguarded net with a perfectly-struck half-volley.Chelsea sub Lukaku should have made an immediate impression but his close-range header was superbly saved by Reina on his line.And the Reds were soon back on the attack with a deep cross from Glen Johnson picking out Carroll unmarked in the area, but the £35million man sliced his attempted volley well wide off his shin.Wantaway Argentine winger Rodriguez appeared to wave goodbye to the Anfield faithful when he came off for teenager Raheem Sterling.And his replacement was immediately in the action but, after being given a shooting chance by Suarez’s headed through-ball, his first touch saw him smash the ball high and wide.Liverpool could not find a fifth but they finished strongly on what was a great night for Kenny Dalglish's side.

Today's results In Madrid Men Singles :

(1) N Djokovicdefeats D Gimeno-Traver 6-2 2-6 6-3

J Melzer defeats (13) F Lopez 3-6 7-6(6) 6-4 

M Raonic defeats D Nalbandian 6-4 6-4 

(6) T Berdych defeats K Anderson 6-4 6-3 

(10) J Del Potro defeats F Mayer 6-4 6-2 

(14) R Gasquet defeats T Bellucci 4-6 6-4 7-6(5) 

(12) G Monfils defeats P Kohlschreiber 7-5 6-7(2) 

(9) G Simon defeats F Fognini 67(1) 6-3 6-3 

M Granollers defeats C Berlocq 7-5 3-6 7-5 

(16) A Dolgopolov defeats P Andujar 7-6(5) 6-4 

F Delbonis defeats A Ramos 6-3 6-2 

R Stepanek defeats B Tomic 6-2 7-5 

S Wawrinka defeats O Rochus 6-4 7-6(3) 

M Cilic defeats A Montanes 6-3 6-3 

A Seppi defeats M Llodra 7-5 6-4