OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Absolute and unfounded falsity

In relation to what has been published by certain media regarding the continuity of Real Madrid coach, Mr. Bernd Schuster, the Club would like to issue the following statement:

# Said information is absolutely false and unfounded.

# The Club had and has total faith in its coach, Mr. Bernd Schuster, who, accordingly, needs no ratification whatsoever.

It is the responsibility of madridismo to judge and evaluate the attitude of the press who publish lies of this nature and whose intention it is to alter the existing harmony and to transmit a sense of discord and confrontation which, in no way, resembles reality.

Cinderella Davidson dances one more time

DETROIT - Stephen Curry knocked down yet another 3, thumped his chest and pointed skyward.

Heavens yes, Davidson is marching on. Curry scored more than 30 points for a third straight game, and the 10th-seeded Wildcats pulled off another stunner Friday night, rolling over third-seeded Wisconsin 73-56 to advance to the Midwest Regional finals.

Davidson (29-6) extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 25. The Wildcats will play the winner of the Villanova-Kansas game on Sunday for a trip to the Final Four.

Yes, add another defensive powerhouse to Curry’s list of victims. A week after shredding Gonzaga and Georgetown’s vaunted defenses, the son of former NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry dismantled the Badgers and defensive specialist Michael Flowers.

Curry outscored the Badgers all by himself in the second half, 22-20.

Wisconsin (31-5) was holding opponents to 53.9 points, best in the nation, and hadn’t allowed Kansas State a single 3-point basket in the second round.

But instead of being intimidated by the big stage — not to mention the monstrous Ford Field venue — Curry and Davidson played with such ease and attitude they may as well have been in their cozy little gym back home. And it did feel a little like home with Davidson’s rowdy cheering section. The Board of Trustees popped for the trip — bus fare, tickets and a hotel room — for students who wanted to make the 11-hour ride from North Carolina, and a few hundred took them up on the offer.

The Wildcats shot 49 percent, including 12-of-24 from 3-point range. Curry finished with 33 points on 11-of-22 shooting, including six 3-pointers. Jason Richards had 11 points and 13 assists.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Davidson fans bounced up and down and a few chanted, “Rock, chalk, Jayhawk!” in reference to top-seeded Kansas. The Wildcats, meanwhile, calmly shook hands as if they expected to be here all along. And why not, when they have someone as sensational as Curry.

This marked the second time in three tournaments that a double-digit seed got this far. In 2006, 11th-seeded George Mason reached the Final Four. This is the farthest Davidson has advanced since Lefty Driesell’s squad reached the regional finals in 1969, where the Wildcats lost to North Carolina. The big, brawny Badgers were supposed to overpower Davidson, but it was Wisconsin that looked overmatched. Despite four players in double figures, the Badgers never found their rhythm offensively. And the defense that was so fearsome all year never materialized.

Time and again Wisconsin would score only to have Davidson race down the court and make a basket of its own a mere seconds later. Still, the Badgers were within 48-45 with 13:48 to play on Marcus Landry’s jumper. That’s when Curry took over.

He made a 3, and Richards stole the ball on the other end. Racing upcourt, Richards found Curry camped in the corner all by himself and dished off. Joe Krabbenhoft — a member of the Big Ten’s all-defensive team — sprinted toward Curry and jumped, hoping to block the shot.

But Curry calmly waited until Krabbenhoft flew by him and then, with that silky smooth shot that’s becoming a signature of this year’s tournament, made another 3 to put Davidson up 54-45 with 13:03 to play.

As his teammates cheered, Curry thumped his chest and pointed high. The basket gave him 23 points — twice as many as anybody else on the court — and was his fifth 3-pointer of the night.

And he wasn’t done yet.

Davidson had run the shot clock almost all the way down, looking for something. Curry finally took an off-balance shot from NBA 3-point range, falling as he released the ball. No matter. It was good, just like almost everything else he did Friday night.

And a minute later, he scored on a sweet inside reverse, drawing a foul and the admiration of everybody in the arena — including LeBron James. The NBA star had praised Curry earlier this week and, on the eve of a game against the Detroit Pistons, was parked a few rows behind the Wildcats bench with the rest of the exuberant Davidson fans.

Flowers led the Badgers with 12. Brian Butch and Jason Bohannon added 11 each.

Vanguard to terminate Gordon deal

NEW YORK (AP) -- A security software firm wants Robby Gordon to remove its logos from his uniforms and equipment as part of a contract dispute that began when the Dakar Rally was canceled because of terrorism threats.

Vanguard Integrity Professionals is suing Gordon in U.S. District Court in California over the sponsorship of Team Gordon in the Dakar Rally and is asking for $1.15 million back from the driver. The company went public with the dispute Wednesday because it wants Gordon to immediately cease using its logos in his NASCAR ventures, and claims the driver was only authorized to promote Vanguard outside the United States.

"We want the world to know that Vanguard is no longer associated with Team Gordon," the company said in a statement released to The Associated Press.

Gordon could not immediately be reached for comment.

Vanguard had a three-year agreement with Team Gordon to sponsor his Dakar efforts through 2010, and company founder Ronn Bailey was scheduled to race as Gordon's teammate.

But the Amaury Sports Organization canceled the event the day before its Jan. 5 start because of "direct" threats of terrorism from al-Qaida-linked militants, and Gordon was outspoken in his belief that at least a portion of the 16-day trek should have continued.

Vanguard, which produces software designed to protect its customers from cyber-terrorism attacks, believed the threats were legitimate and agreed with the cancellation.

Gordon publicly disagreed, and blasted the ASO for not having a backup plan. He also downplayed the extent of the threats, which began with the Dec. 24 slayings of a family of French tourists by al-Qaeda-linked militants in Mauritania.

"Let's put it in perspective. Eleven people got killed over there," Gordon said in January. "I'm pretty sure in L.A., we kill 11 a night on the streets of L.A. ... It was a couple of kids in the back of a pickup truck with a couple of AK-47s shot a couple of people.

"I'm sorry to say that. But the reality of it is it's not like it's this big setup bombing."

The company cited Gordon's comments as one of the reasons it sought to cancel its contract with his Dakar teams, and is seeking in court to officially terminate the deal and recover any money Gordon was paid before the event was canceled.

"It is not positive to be associated with someone who said al-Qaeda attacks are no worse than an average night in America -- especially for a security software company. It's simply not a true or accurate statement," Vanguard told AP.

Gordon contends Vanguard cannot terminate the contract.

Upset that Gordon continues to use Vanguard logos, the company requested a temporary restraining order to prohibit Gordon's use of the logos. The motion was denied March 5 in U.S. District Court.

To certain extent I think that what Gordon say is the fact

Dodgers, Sox to draw record crowd to Coliseum

LOS ANGELES - Carl Erskine vividly remembers a most distressing experience at the Los Angeles Coliseum 50 years ago. Don Newcombe easily recalls the difficulty of doing his job there.

Erskine and Newcombe had plenty of company as pitchers for the Dodgers in their first four years in Los Angeles, having to ply their trade at a facility that was never meant for baseball. Routine fly balls, popups actually, soared over a 42-foot high screen in left field, where the distance from home plate to the foul pole was a ridiculous 251 feet.

“I won’t say it was a joy to pitch in the Coliseum,” Newcombe said. “You felt like you were shaking hands with the left fielder.”

Working in his second game at a stadium built for track and football, Erskine faced Chuck Tanner leading off the ninth with the Dodgers leading the Chicago Cubs by a run.

“I gave him a high fastball that hit him on the fists. He hit it on the handle straight down the left-field line and out,” the 81-year-old Erskine recalled. “As the umpire threw me a new ball while Tanner ran around the bases, I kept glaring at that left-field screen.

“What I wanted to do was throw that new ball over the screen to show how cheap that home run was, to show I could throw a ball that far.”

Modern-day pitchers will get a taste of what it was like Saturday night when the World Series champion Boston Red Sox visit for an exhibition game at the Coliseum as part of the Dodgers’ 50th anniversary celebration of their move from Brooklyn. Actually, it will be even more challenging, because the distance from the plate to the foul pole will be only 201 feet, although batters will have to clear a 60-foot screen.

“It’ll be interesting and definitely something that will be talked about for years,” Boston’s Kevin Youkilis said. “(Batting practice) could be interesting.”

The Dodgers said Friday that the full allotment of 115,300 tickets — with all the proceeds going to ThinkCure, the Dodgers’ official charity — have been sold, including about 25,000 for standing-room only behind the lower fence in right and center fields. Two big-screen TVs will make it possible to watch the action.

Baseball’s current world record is an estimated 114,000 for an exhibition game between the Australian national team and an American services team during the Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956.

“I just feel like this is a huge dividend for an old-timer,” said Newcombe, the longtime director of community relations for the Dodgers.

Among other old-timers expected to attend are a pair of former left-handed hitters — Wally Moon, a journeyman who earned lasting fame for his ability to slice the ball off or over the left field screen, known as Moonshots, and Duke Snider, a Hall of Famer driven to distraction because the outfield fence in the power alley in right field was 440 feet away.

Now 81, Snider remembers Willie Mays’ reaction to the dimensions at the Coliseum.

“(Mays) said: ‘Duke, it kills you. Look at that right-field fence,”’ Snider remembered. “He started laughing. ‘They had to put some real estate on the field. They put it all in right field.’

“It was not and never will be a baseball stadium even though baseball was played there.”

Maybe not, but the Dodgers beat the Chicago White Sox in the 1959 World Series. They moved to Dodger Stadium in 1962. The Dodgers acquired Moon for outfielder Gino Cimoli after the 1958 season, and he was an immediate success with an inside-out swing that sent the ball toward left on a regular basis.

“I enjoyed every minute of it,” said the 77-year-old Moon, who batted .302 and hit all but five of his 19 homers at the Coliseum in his first year with the Dodgers. “When I hit Los Angeles for that 1959 season, I went to work immediately. As the year progressed, I got a little bit better with my bat control and especially with my ability to loft the ball.”

Former teammate Tommy Davis, a right-handed hitter, said he hit several balls into the screen that would have been homers elsewhere.

“That did disturb me,” he recalled.

As far as Moon was concerned, Davis said: “He kind of cut it up there, like a 9-iron, an 8-iron or something. It just went right over the fence, he did that so perfectly. I’d hit the ball hard; if it went over, great. If it didn’t, I had to hustle to first base.” Snider recalls hitting a few balls over the screen, but said his approach was to go with the pitch and he never changed that.

“I’m just looking forward to seeing the Coliseum the way it was,” he said. “It’s going to be interesting to see them playing a game there and being a spectator instead of hitting a ball 430 feet and making an out to right field.”

Snider remembers the exhibition game played in May 1959 between the Yankees and Dodgers as a benefit for Roy Campanella, a star catcher in Brooklyn who was paralyzed in an automobile accident before the 1958 season. A crowd of 93,103 attended.

“It was a very emotional evening,” Snider said. “Being a teammate for quite a few years with Roy Campanella was quite a treat for me.” The night was highlighted by a candlelight tribute to Campanella.

“It was something I’ll never forget,” Snider said. “I learned how to play the game of baseball by watching Campy and Jackie Robinson.” Moon said he looked forward to taking batting practice before Saturday night’s game.

“I haven’t picked up a bat in 30 years, but I’ll take a shot at it,” he said. “Some young lady from the Dodgers wanted to know what my uniform size was. I wouldn’t mind taking a shot at it. I’d probably swish, but I’d take a shot at it. I wouldn’t run after I hit it. I’m a little slower than I was then. If I hit it out, I could walk."

Top seeds Koo-Tan make it to the semi-finals

ALOR STAR: Top seeds and defending champions Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong marched into the semi-finals of the Proton National Grand Prix Finals after scoring a convincing 21-13, 21-18 victory over Chew Choon Eng-Hong Chien Hun at the Kedah BA Hall here last night.

Needing a victory to avoid elimination, Kien Keat and Boon Heong were in command throughout the match and the win gave them second spot in Group A.

They failed to top the group after losing in three closely contested games to national team-mates Gan Teik Chai-Lin Woon Fui on Wednesday night.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong will take on Group B winners Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah in the semi-finals.

The other semi-final match is between Teik Chai-Woon Fui and Group B runners-up Tan Bin Shen-Ong Soon Hock.

“The heat inside the hall was unbearable tonight. But luckily we managed to keep our focus together. We knew that nothing less than a win was needed and managed to rise to the occasion,” said Boon Heong.

“It does not matter that we have to play against the in-form Tan Fook-Wan Wah in the semis itself. Our goal is to win every match regardless of the opponents.”

In the men's singles, second seed Tan Chun Seang qualified for his first-ever semi-finals in the national Finals after triumphing 21-16, 18-21, 25-23 over Mohd Arif Latif in the titanic battle to determine the Group B winner.

The Kedahan saved two match points and also wasted three opportunities to seal the match before getting it right in the fourth attempt.

“Due to the immense pressure, both Arif and myself were making errors throughout the match,” said Chun Seang. “The Kedah fans fired me up and I have to thank them for helping me to pull through,” added Chun Seang, who will play Yeoh Kay Bin today for a place in the final.

The other semi-final is between Lee Chong Wei and Mohd Roslin Hashim.

Rising star Tee Jing Yi produced a giant-killing act in the women's singles by knocking out second seed and former national champion Anita Raj Kaur.

Anita, who had already lost to Stephanie Shalini on Wednesday, found the going too tough against the Bukit Jalil Sports School student and was beaten 14-21, 23-21, 15-21.

The 17-year-old Jing Yi, who won all her three Group B matches, will play against Vivian Hoo in the semi-finals.

The other semi-final is between Stephanie and top seed Julia Wong.

All Englang Winner need to do much more than just winning a local, we dont want local champion

Schuey to help distribute US$60m spy fine

LONDON: Ferrari’s retired world champion Michael Schumacher (pic) will help distribute US$60mil paid by McLaren as punishment for last year’s spying controversy, Formula One’s governing body said on Wednesday.
The seven-time world champion, who quit in 2006, will form part of a five-man management committee for the worldwide Motor Sport Safety Development Fund.
The International Automobile Federation (FIA) said in a statement that the intention was to use the fund over the next five years to concentrate on three safety programmes for drivers, officials and facilities.

Other members of the committee are FIA president Max Mosley, former Ferrari team boss Jean Todt, Mercedes motorsport director Norbert Haug and Nick Craw who represents the national sporting associations. – Reuters

Ronaldo helps United rout 10-man Reds

LONDON, England -- Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 34th goal of the season as Manchester United took a five-point lead over Chelsea in the Premier League title race, with a 3-0 win over 10-man Liverpool on Sunday.

Wes Brown and Nani also scored at Old Trafford where Liverpool played the entire second half a man down after Javier Mascherano was sent off for two yellow cards. Chelsea leapfrogged Arsenal into second place by beating them 2-1 at Stamford Bridge, with both goals coming from Didier Drogba.

Bacaray Sagna had given Arsenal a 59th minute lead. In a nervy opening first half at Old Trafford, Wayne Rooney and Ronaldo had chances before the Red Devils went ahead.

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina almost palmed the ball into his own goal in the 33rd minute and fumbled again a minute later to allow United to take the lead.

Rushing out to punch away a cross from Rooney, Reina was beaten to the ball by Brown, who headed it over the line. It got worse for Liverpool in the 44th minute when Mascherano was sent off for arguing with referee Steve Bennett over a foul by United defender Rio Ferdinand on Liverpool forward Fernando Torres.

Just beforehand, Torres had been booked for dissent.

A clearly angry Mascherano initially refused to leave, with members of the Liverpool coaching staff attempting to calm him down before manager Rafa Benitez eventually persuaded him off the field.

Mascherano was shown his first yellow in the 10th minute for a foul on Paul Scholes.

Ronaldo scored his 25th Premier League goal after 79 minutes -- moments after Reina pushed another of his attempts on to the crossbar. The Portugal winger headed in his goal from a corner by Nani. United made it 3-0 nine minutes from time through Nani, who played a one-two with Rooney before shooting into the corner.

True Man Utd color, I really worries when Sir Fergie leave the MU, how are they going to perform miracle like this years after years ?

Fish hooks Federer to reach final

INDIAN WELLS, California (AP) -- Roger Federer lost again, this time in one of the biggest tennis upsets in memory.

Mardy Fish, an American ranked 98th, shocked No. 1 Federer in straight sets Saturday, with the lopsided score -- 6-3 6-2 -- making it even more of a stunner.

Fish, who pulled off by far the biggest of his upsets he's strung together this week in the Pacific Life Open, moved into Sunday's final against No. 3 Novak Djokovic, who ousted defending champion Rafael Nadal by the same score.

Federer, the Swiss star who has seemed almost invincible most of the past five years, has looked vulnerable so far this season.

He hasn't reached a final and has lost three times, including defeats by eventual champion Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinals, and by Andy Murray this month in the first round at Dubai.

The 26-year-old Federer, who was slowed by mononucleosis early in the season, doesn't seem overly concerned.

He breezed through his first three matches at Indian Wells without losing a set, then had a walkover in the quarterfinals when Tommy Haas withdrew because of a sinus infection.

"Today it's hard to judge, because Mardy took everything on the rise; not many rallies out there," said Federer, a three-time champion in the desert tournament. "But all in all, I'm happy with the way the week (went) for me. Obviously, the walkover is sort of an awkward situation, but you have to take them when they come around.

"So semifinals to start off with at the first Masters Series is a good thing, and I hope I can go from here and win in Miami, and on to clay."

Federer said the unexpected day off when Haas pulled out Friday may have thrown him a bit off his rhythm, but said Fish simply played "incredibly."

"When he wanted to attack, everything worked," Federer said. "He would never miss, really, when I needed a miss once in a while."

He said it's impossible to not lose such matches occasionally, adding: "I'm surprised myself that it hasn't happened more in the last five years. You always think one guy can outright dominate you on any given day.

"People weren't able to do it against me, so that speaks for itself. But today, Mardy was really impossible to beat, it almost looked like."

Fish, also 26, ended Federer's 41-match win streak against Americans dating to a 2003 loss to Andy Roddick, and beat him for the first time in their six meetings.

"This obviously wasn't Roger's best day, but hopefully I had a little something to do with that. I put the pressure, extremely, on him from the word 'go,' " said Fish, who jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first set and remained in control the rest of the way.

Asked if he could recall another upset in tennis to equal it, Fish smiled and said, "I don't think I'm that bad."

In a career interrupted by various injuries, he reached his highest ranking, No. 17, four years ago.

Federer looked like just another player Saturday, with his backhand especially mediocre. He managed just one winner and had 13 unforced errors with his backhand. Fish kept constant pressure on him, serving seven aces to Federer's two, and peppering the lines with hard groundstrokes.

He hit 26 winners to Federer's 14 in defeating him for the first time in six career meetings.

Fish, who had never beaten as many as two top 10 players in one tournament, defeated three at Indian Wells. He downed No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko and No. 7 David Nalbandian, as well as No. 24 Lleyton Hewitt, before beating Federer.

Australian Open champion Djokovic, ranked No. 3 to Nadal's No. 2, avenged last year's loss to the Spaniard in the Indian Wells final.

The 20-year-old Serb served eight aces to two by Nadal, and hit 20 winners to the Spaniard's 11.

The match included several long, spectacular rallies when each dashed around the court making difficult returns. More often than not, Djokovic would end those rallies by driving a winner down the lines, or Nadal would finally miss a shot.

"I had more mistakes than usual," Nadal said. "I feel a little bit tired from the last two matches. If you play against a player like Novak, you have to play 100 percent if you want to win.

"He's a very complete player -- very good serve, very good backhand, very good forehand. He moves fast and well. He has very good position on the court."

Djokovic said he's trying to take his fast start to the season in stride.

"I need to stay calm and just go step by step and try to get to my lifetime goal, which is to be No. 1," he said. "It's getting closer, but still, I don't want to go too fast and skip some things. I really need to be consistent with my results in the most important events, major events.

"I started the year in the best possible way, but it's not over yet."

In Sunday's women's final, Ana Ivanovic will face Svetlana Kuznetsova

No matter how good you are, you will get to be stopped at some where some time. Dont worry about it Fed, you will get it back in shape in no time at all...

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen wins Malaysian Grand Prix

SEPANG: Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen won the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix (GP) on Sunday, finishing nearly 20 seconds ahead of BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica.
McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen came in third, while teammate Lewis Hamilton, who won the Australian GP in Melbourne last week, finished fifth. Toyota's Jarno Trulli came in fourth, while Nick Heidfeld of BMW Sauber finished sixth.

Ferrari's Felippe Massa, who was on pole position at the start of the race, retired on the 26th lap after he spun off into the gravel.

Hamilton now leads the driver's championship with 14 points, ahead of Raikkonen and Heidfeld, who both have 11 points. Kovalainen is in fourth place with 10 points, while Kubica is fifth with 8 points.

Bravo my scuderian....

Ferrari rue dismal Melbourne weekend

Ahead of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, Ferrari had looked strong enough to lead many to suspect they would dominate the Melbourne race in much the same way as they did last season. The Italian team, however, leave Albert Park on Sunday with just one solitary point, after both Felipe Massa and world champion Kimi Raikkonen exited the Australian race prematurely with engine trouble.

“There's not much to say about a disastrous start to the season,” said sporting director Luca Baldisserri. “We did not work well on any level and this is the consequence of that. We know how important reliability is and we were severely lacking on this front. It is absolutely ages since we have seen two engine failures in a race. We have to look at every detail of this weekend to understand what went wrong and how we can improve.”

The squad’s struggles started during Saturday's qualifying when Raikkonen, who clinched a convincing pole in 2007, was hamstrung by an electronic fuel pump problem on his F2008. Massa, meanwhile, only managed to clinch fourth on the grid after facing stiff competition from the McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen and the BMW Sauber of Robert Kubica.

Although Massa and Raikkonen both had enough pace to fight their way up the field during the race, the duo’s fraught efforts - which included driver errors and off-track moments for both - eventually came to nought with both of their F2008’s succumbing to as yet undiagnosed engine strife. And in the end it was only the disqualification of Honda’s Rubens Barrichello that saved Ferrari’s blushes with Raikkonen scoring one point for eighth place, despite the Finn's DNF.

“It's really disappointing not to finish the race, but at least the point is better than nothing,” explained Raikkonen. “I had an engine problem, the reason for which now needs to be analysed. This result is obviously not the best start to the season but it is a very long one and we are well aware that we are capable of recovering from far worse situations than this.”

Ferrari’s general director Stefano Domenicali added: “This has definitely been a very difficult start to the season and we have got off on the wrong foot. However, we should not react in an over emotional way to this. We weren't a phenomenon before and we're not carthorses now. We have to work out exactly what happened to the engines on both F2008s and they are being sent immediately to Maranello for analysis. The whole team has not performed to our usual standard. We have to roll our sleeves up and react, as we know we can.”

With McLaren scoring 14 points at the Australian race, courtesy of race winner Hamilton and fifth-placed Kovalainen, Ferrari are now left with a substantial deficit ahead of next weekend’s Malaysian event.

Agent: Federer sick with mononucleosis at start of season

NEW YORK -- Roger Federer couldn't figure out why he felt so sluggish at the start of this season. His doctors eventually gave him an explanation: The world's No. 1 tennis player had mononucleosis.

"Roger found out he had mono, and didn't know it. He found out a couple of weeks ago. That's probably what was wrong with him," Federer's agent, Tony Godsick, said Friday. "He doesn't want to make any excuses and take anything away from anybody. In hindsight, had [his doctors] known he had mono, they wouldn't have let him play."

Federer lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinals in January, then didn't play again until this week, when he was upset by Andy Murray in the first round of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Federer had not lost in the first round of a tournament since 2004.

He was diagnosed with mononucleosis last month after seeing doctors in Switzerland and Dubai, Godsick said. Mononucleosis is an infection caused by a virus. Symptoms include fever, sore throat, headaches and feeling tired.

"This gave him a reason for why he wasn't able to move and why he wasn't able to recover," Godsick said. "It was annoying for him to not have reasons for why his body wasn't responding."

Federer was cleared to start practicing five days before the start of the Dubai tournament.

Godsick said Federer is "over it now," and will play Monday night against Pete Sampras in their exhibition match at Madison Square Garden.

"It's good to get an extra match under his belt," Godsick said. "He's looking forward to the Garden, 19,000 people, playing his idol. He's been somewhat down because he didn't know what was wrong with him."

Federer owns 12 Grand Slam singles titles, two away from Sampras' career record.

"I was feeling so great in December up until the moment I got sick, so this has been my problem the last couple weeks: really getting back on track," Federer told The New York Times for a story posted on its Web site Friday. "I haven't practiced and couldn't really work out the way I wanted to, because you have to be very careful with mono."

New hairdo, stellar results, rosy outlook thus far for Sharapova

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- Maria Sharapova chatted amiably with the media Wednesday at the Pacific Life Open, sporting an arresting new haircut. It features blonde bangs, bluntly chopped straight across the eyebrows, and was described by those who know about these things as a Kate Moss Fringe.

On the court so far in 2008, there is only one perfect player left in all of professional tennis. That would be Sharapova, who has won the Australian Open, two Fed Cup matches in Israel and, despite a mysterious virus, the Doha tournament in late February. She is 14-0 and has dropped only two sets; 3 ½ months into the season she has yet to lose.

Tennis journalist Matt Cronin reminded Sharapova that this is the 20th anniversary of Steffi Graf's Golden Slam, the unconscious 1988 season during which she won all four Grand Slams and the Olympic gold medal.

"Let's not get carried away now," Sharapova said, convulsing in giggles. "I mean, 14-0 has nothing to do with a Golden Slam and winning the Olympics in one year."

Still, it is technically possible.

"Anything is possible," she said. "I think it is. I don't know if I'm ready for that yet, if I'm capable of doing that, to be honest. But yeah, it can happen, right?"

The reality in today's game of global women's tennis is that a true, single-year Grand Slam is unlikely. Justine Henin won two of the four majors last year and Serena Williams was the last to win three of four, in 2002, despite sitting out the Australian Open.

Sharapova, based on her 2008 form and history, could also go three for four -- the French Open, where the red clay places a premium on movement, remains a stretch -- which passes for dominance these days. She is seeded only fourth here at Indian Wells, but don't be fooled. Sharapova, who is ranked fifth in the world, endured a relatively wretched 2007 season that has left her ranked behind Henin, Ana Ivanovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Jelena Jankovic, but she emerged from the Australian Open as the this year's leading light.

With no visible effects of the shoulder injury that prevented her from serving and volleying effectively for most of 2007, Sharapova blitzed the field in Melbourne. She destroyed new mother Lindsay Davenport in the second round, then hammered Henin in the quarters, Jankovic in the semis and Ivanovic in the final. She won all six sets against the players ranked Nos. 1, 4 and 3 in the world.

"That's the best I ever saw her play," tennis analyst Mary Carillo said on Thursday. "Never took her foot off the pedal. She had a great narrow yet deep focus that allowed her to play exactly the kind of tennis that suits her best.

"I've always said that in women's tennis, the best server wins. That's it. For years it was Venus, then her sister [Serena]. When Lindsay won, it was because she was serving well. Maria is clearly healthy and she's serving well. In women's tennis, it's that simple."

When Sharapova won her first Grand Slam, Wimbledon in 2004, she was just three months past her 17th birthday. It's hard to believe, but she is still only 20 years old -- the age of a typical college junior. This makes her the same age as Ivanovic and three years younger than Jankovic, the two rising Serbians.

"The interesting thing is I'm almost 21 years old and I've already had ups and downs in my career," Sharapova said. "And in a way, I'm fortunate to have the downs, because some of the girls that are coming up that are 20 or 21 or 22 are going up, up, up right now. And, you know, I think everybody's realistic that they're going to have some down moments in their careers and they're going to have injuries.

"I was fortunate that I was able to have this little slump and have the experience of it and know that I was able to come back. In a way, I feel like I'm a veteran."

Lampard fears for his future as deal talks stall

Frank Lampard has told Chelsea he wants his future sorted out as the club continue to stall over a new contract.

The England midfielder is running out of patience over his contract situation, which could remain in limbo until the summer. Lampard, who scored four goals in Chelsea's 6-1 demolition of Derby last night, insists he wants to stay at Stamford Bridge but is perplexed by the fact no offer has been made. 'I've been approached a few times by the club saying they are going to come to me with something and they haven't,' declared Lampard. 'That means they're saying they will have to wait until the summer and I don't really know what that means.

I said at the beginning of the season I didn't want to talk about my contract because I wanted to concentrate on my football. 'They have made contact but it hasn't been with any news. They've been saying that something is going to happen but if we wait until the summer and nothing happens, then I've got a year left, which is not a position I want to be in. 'I've made it clear I want to stay here and I want to know what's going on. I love playing for this club, I'm enjoying the greatest days of my career.

'Every time I run out for the club I don't think about the contract but when I am at home I would like it to be sorted out. 'It's dragged on this season and that's not ideal for me.' Lampard's change of emphasis on his contract situation will throw the spotlight back on the club's plans. Coach Avram Grant refuses to talk about his contract negotiations, saying it is not his area. Grant believes Lampard will stay but Chelsea are in danger of losing one of their biggest assets if they do not open negotiations before the end of the season. Lampard took his goal tally for the club to an amazing 107 in almost seven years with his four-goal haul as Chelsea's victory over Derby put them right back in the title race.

They are now just five points behind leaders Arsenal with a game in hand. Both Arsenal and second-placed Manchester United are still to visit Stamford Bridge and those games are likely to have a major bearing on the destination of the Premier League crown. Lampard became the first Chelsea player to score four goals in a game since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink achieved the feat eight years ago. The player's goal return from midfield has been phenomenal but he admits he found it hard to hit the net when he first arrived from West Ham as a replacement for crowd favourite Gus Poyet. 'It was a difficult first season when I arrived but there were a few goals that were important to me,' said Lampard. 'Looking back it was a great building block to get me where I am now. When I signed I knew I needed to score goals for the club and it was a nice pressure to have as I think it spurred me on a little bit.

'My first couple of seasons were a bit quiet on the goal front but the last few have been very prolific. 'I was out in Wimbledon with some friends shortly after joining the club when some Chelsea supporters recognised me. They started asking me how many goals I was going to score for the club and if I thought I could do well at Stamford Bridge. 'Of course I was confident and told the fans they wouldn't be disappointed but I never expected to get 100 goals during my time here.

I think it has been made easier because I have had the fans behind me from day one. 'They have always supported me and it's been excellent. We have a special relationship and it is something I appreciate. It's the first time I've scored four at the top level and it feels very nice to do it - especially from midfield.' Lampard has won back-to-back Premier League titles, two Carling Cups and an FA Cup during his time at the club but out of all his goals there are two that stand out - the double that earned Chelsea the title with a 2-0 win at Bolton in 2005.

'Other than the birth of my two children, that day was the best day of my life,' said Lampard. 'Just hearing the commentary gives me goosebumps let alone watching them. It was just a special day all round, for the club, for the fans, everything was meant to be that day. It is something that will live with me forever, it was amazing.'

Raikkonen the early leader in Melbourne

Kimi Raikkonen and Ferrari set the initial pace as practice for the Australian Grand Prix opened today in Melbourne’s Albert Park, in 39 degrees Celsius ambient temperature and a healthy wind.

The first 45 minutes saw the Ferraris battling each other for fastest time, with Felipe Massa gaining that with 1m 27.524s ahead of Kimi Raikkonen 1m 27.709s. Behind them, the Toyotas looked quick, with Timo Glock on 1m 28.913s and Jarno Trulli 1m 29.014s.

Then the McLarens came out and Lewis Hamilton worked down to 1m 27.386s to go fastest. Right at the end Raikkonen did two laps quicker than that, the better of which was 1m 26.461s. That compared very favourably with his pole time of 1m 26.072s from last year despite the ban on traction control and engine braking.

Hamilton’s late response was 1m 26.948s, a difference of only 0.487s suggesting that the two teams are evenly matched. Heikki Kovalainen got off to a good start in the second MP4-23 with fourth fastest time of 1m 27.114s, just behind Massa, who had improved slightly to 1m 26.958s.

Mark Webber gave Red Bull a timely boost with a late fifth fastest run, of 1m 28.263s. That edged out Fernando Alonso, who got along well with the Renault R28 for 1m 28.360s. Robert Kubica was another late improver, lapping in 1m 28.579s in his BMW Sauber which bears distinctive nose fins atop the scuttle.

Glock’s 1m 28.913s stood up for eighth overall, with Sebastian Vettel pushing ahead of Trulli for the ninth best time. The German lapped his Toro Rosso in 1m 28.957s, beating the Italian’s 1m 29.014s.

Jenson Button looked better than expected in the Honda RA108 which he rowed round in 1m 29.124s for 11th ahead of Giancarlo Fisichella’s Force India (1m 29.230s), David Coulthard’s Red Bull (1m 29.301s), Sebastien Bourdais’ Toro Rosso (1m 29.363s), Rubens Barrichello's Honda (1m 29.533s) and Nick Heidfeld’s BMW Sauber (1m 29.561s). Coulthard’s car expired in the pits with a smoking gearbox, while Heidfeld stopped out on the circuit at Turn 10.

Adrian Sutil was 17th for Force India on 1m 30.155s and Nelson Piquet 18th for Renault on 1m 30.357s. The young Brazilian rookie had a difficult morning, bringing out the red flag briefly after spinning and stalling.

The Super Aguris did not go out until the end, Takuma Sato working down to 1m 31.048s for 19th, comfortably ahead of Anthony Davidson’s 1m 31.771s.

It wasn’t a good morning for Williams; Kazuki Nakajima lapped his FW30 in 1m 35.053s for 21st, while technical problems prevented Nico Rosberg from doing more than just three installation laps.