Murray wins 4th Queen's Club title

Tennis Updates:

Andy Murray joined the likes of John McEnroe and Boris Becker as a four-time Queen’s Club champion with an impressive victory over Kevin Anderson. The British number one played superbly to win 6-3 6-4 in just 64 minutes at the Aegon Championships in London.

Murray, the top seed, had earlier finished a rain-delayed semi-final, beating Viktor Troicki 6-3 7-6 (7-4).

“I played better as the week went on and hopefully I can continue that into Wimbledon,” the 28-year-old said.

“I tried to play each point and come up with some great shots. I had to play that way if I wanted to win today.”

The Scot also won the title in 2009, 2011 and 2013, and he will hope to repeat his effort of two years ago when he went on to make it a grass-court double at Wimbledon.

“It’s great preparation obviously, but I think it has only happened six times where someone has won Queen’s and gone on to win Wimbledon,” Murray added.

“There are no guarantees that winning here gives you a Wimbledon title.”

He can head to the All England Club in confident mood after dismantling the big-serving game of 6ft 8in Anderson.

Having resumed his semi-final against Troicki at 11:00 BST with the score at 3-3, the Briton wrapped that match up in a clinical 65 minutes and returned two hours later to face Anderson.

The South African, ranked 17th, had looked impregnable on serve as he made it through the draw but he found Murray’s returns just too testing.

Anderson made 78% of his first serves in the opening set but even that was not enough as Murray broke in game four, a brilliant backhand winner setting up the chance before Anderson netted a volley.

A forehand winner made it 4-1 after just 17 minutes, and a ferociously focused Murray pumped his fist before heading to his chair.

There was simply no let-up as he closed out the first set and proved similarly clinical when his chance arose in the second.

“I need to train well the next five, six days, prepare as well as I can,” said Murray. “It gives me that little bit of confidence going in there.

“It’s been a really good start, but it’s a long way to go before Wimbledon even starts, and then all sorts of things can happen during Slams.”

by ScoresPro.com

Murray wins 4th Queen's Club title

Queen's Club: Murray's semi-final delayed until Sunday

Tennis Updates:

Andy Murray will have to play twice in one day if he is to win a fourth Queen’s Club title after his semi-final was suspended because of rain. The top seed and Serbia’s Viktor Troicki were tied at 3-3 at the Aegon Championships, with the winner to play South African Kevin Anderson.

Murray and Troicki will resume at 11:00 BST, and the final is scheduled to get under way at 14:25 at the earliest.

The weather forecast suggests a clear day in west London on Sunday.

Murray will hope to pick up where he left off against Troicki, having earned his sixth break point of a dramatic seventh game when the weather intervened.

Troicki was being treated for a shoulder injury at the time following a heavy fall.

The world number 25 had returned to the court and was preparing to try and fend off another break point when the rainfall became too heavy to continue.

Murray, 28, has recent experience of playing twice in a day, having beaten Lukas Rosol and Roberto Bautista Agut on the Munich clay last month.

The delay would appear to favour Anderson, the 6ft 8in world number 17 who has racked up 96 aces and dropped serve just once on his way to the final.

Anderson, 29, beat France’s Gilles Simon 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 in Saturday’s first semi-final and must wait to learn his final opponent.

“Just for me it’s a little strange not knowing who you’re playing still and waiting around, but I can’t really let that affect my preparations,” he said.

“I will sort of treat it like a normal match.”

He added: “It’s going to be a big match. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s a tournament I remember watching at a very young age.

“I didn’t really understand how the tour worked. Everybody knew Queen’s, though, the week before Wimbledon and you had the best players in the world playing it.”

by ScoresPro.com

Queen's Club: Murray's semi-final delayed until Sunday

Murray is planning on sticking with Mauresmo for long-term

Tennis Updates:

Andy Murray says he plans to stick with his French coach Amelie Mauresmo and her deputy Jonas Bjorkman for the forseeable future.

World number 3 Murray, on the 6th backroom team of his career, is currently working with Bjorkman at Queen’s Club while the heavily pregnant Mauresmo takes a break ahead of Wimbledon.

The 28-year-old Scot endured a painful parting with his previous coach Ivan Lendl last year after a successful period together that brought him Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and the US Open.

“I hope that my coaching arrangement just now lasts for a long time,” said Murray, who defeated Spain’s Fernando Verdasco on Thursday to move into the Queen’s quarter-finals.

“I think it’s better to have continuity. I don’t want new coaches every year. I’m not that young anymore.

“I don’t want to have new coaches every year or couple of years.”

Murray also thinks highly of Sweden’s Bjorkman, a former Wimbledon semi-finalist who joined his team in April.

“I know him from when we were back when he was playing on the tour, so I know him pretty well,” Murray said.

“So it’s a lot quicker to understand each other’s personalities and stuff than it was maybe with Amelie or with Ivan because I didn’t know either of them at all when I started with them.

“All of these relationships, they always take a bit of time to start, you know, before you start to see the benefits of working together.”

Murray’s burgeoning relationships with Mauresmo and Bjorkman meant he was able to side-step questions about whether he would ever consider working with compatriot and friend Jamie Delgado.

Delgado has helped Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller, who faces Murray in the last eight at Queen’s, turn a career-threatening elbow injury into a rise back into the top 50.

“I think Jamie’s very knowledgeable about the game, he loves tennis, he’s been on the tour himself for a long time and he’s done a very good job with Gilles,” said Murray.

by ScoresPro.com

Murray is planning on sticking with Mauresmo for long-term

Queen's Club: Murray with another win

Tennis Updates:

Britain’s Andy Murray remains on course for a 4th Queen’s Club title after a hard-fought win over Fernando Verdasco in round 2. The top seed came through 7-5 6-4 against Spain’s world number 42 to reach the quarter-finals of the Aegon Championships.

He goes on to face Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller, who managed to beat defending champion from Bulgaria, Grigor Dimitrov 6-4 7-6 (7-5).

“It was a tricky match,” the Scot told reporters.

“I was happy with the way I moved. It was a little bit better than the first match.”

It was the 28-year-old’s 11th win in 12 matches against Verdasco, stretching back to 2007, and their first meeting on grass since the Scot recovered from two sets down to win their Wimbledon quarter-final two years ago.

The 2013 Wimbledon champion appeared in complete command at Queen’s Club after Verdasco double-faulted twice in his opening service game, with Murray then thumping away a forehand on break point.

Verdasco got the break back in game 7, however, and the 3-time champion was made to toil on a warm afternoon.

A tie-break loomed at 6-5 before Murray was able to take control once again, increasing the pressure and converting his 3rd set point when Verdasco found the net.

The early stages of the 2nd set saw the top seed severely tested on serve, with Verdasco missing a backhand on break point in game one and Murray finding two aces as he recovered from 0-40 in game three.

Verdasco, 31, then snuffed out a fleeting chance for Murray at 2-1 with a forehand down the line and the left-hander held firm until game 10.

Serving to stay in the match, the Spaniard double-faulted twice and saved a match point before, facing a second, he saw two aces ruled out by net cords.

When Verdasco finally made a second serve, Murray attacked with a forehand return and the Spaniard dragged a wayward backhand well over the baseline.

Muller earlier hit 19 aces to knock out Dimitrov, and the Bulgarian sixth seed joined former winner Rafael Nadal and French Open champion Stan Wawrinka as early casualties at Queen’s Club.

“I’ve been coming here for a long time and it was my first time on Centre Court,” the 32-year-old, ranked 48th, told BBC Sport.

“It’s tough to beat that.”

Later on Thursday, Feliciano Lopez plays John Isner before Marin Cilic takes on Viktor Troicki.

by ScoresPro.com

Queen's Club: Murray with another win

Queen's: Murray wins against Yen-Hsun Lu

Tennis Updates:

Andy Murray made a winning start to his grass-court season with a straight-sets win over qualifier Yen-Hsun Lu at Queen’s Club. The Scot won 6-4 7-5 at the Aegon Championships and will play Spain’s Fernando Verdasco in round two.

Murray, the top seed and a three-time champion, fell behind in both sets but came through in one hour and 19 minutes.

“I’ve had good runs here, I love playing here,” Murray told BBC Sport.

“But it’s an extremely strong field this year, stronger I think than any years previously, so I’m going to have to play good tennis if I want to do well this week.”

On a day when Rafael Nadal made a shock early exit, Murray avoided a similar fate despite some edgy moments against Lu.

The 31-year-old from Chinese Taipei is ranked 63rd but made it through qualifying and can point to a Wimbledon quarter-final appearance on his CV, albeit five years ago, and a win over Murray at the Olympics in 2008.

Lu certainly looked at ease on the grass as he broke serve in game five with a running forehand pass, jolting Murray to life.

The Scot, 28, broke straight back and appeared to have the match under control when a Lu error gave him the set.

There were signs of rustiness, however, when Murray let a 40-0 lead slip at the start of the second and Lu consolidated for a 2-0 lead.

With Swede Jonas Bjorkman – on coaching duties this week – watching from courtside, Murray hauled himself level again at 2-2 with a forehand into the corner.

With serve then holding sway, a tie-break loomed and the possibility of a third set, but Murray averted that danger at 6-5 by taking his first match point with a forehand lob.

“I felt like I moved pretty well,” Murray added. “I didn’t start the match off serving so well but I got that rhythm more in the second set.

“I felt like I hit the ball well from the back of the court but could have served a bit better today.”

Interestingly, Chelsea football manager Jose Mourinho was at Queen’s Club.

by ScoresPro.com

Queen's: Murray wins against Yen-Hsun Lu

Queen's: Rafael Nadal out

Tennis Updates:

Rafael Nadal made an early exit at Queen’s Club with a three-set defeat by unseeded Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov. The Spanish 5th seed led by a break in the final set but went down 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 in round one of the Aegon Championships.

Nadal, 29, had arrived in London following victory at the Stuttgart grass-court event on Sunday.

French Open champion Stan Wawrinka and title holder Grigor Dimitrov both progressed.

Wawrinka began his grass-court season with a 6-3 6-4 win over Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, and Dimitrov completed a 4-6 6-3 6-4 victory over Sam Querrey.

Britain’s Andy Murray beat Taiwanese qualifier Yen-Hsun Lu, before US Open champion and fourth seed Marin Cilic beat Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-2.

Nadal made a slow start against Dolgopolov, dropping serve immediately and almost falling a double break behind.

Dolgopolov served out the first set with little fuss, keeping Nadal at bay with his unorthodox mix of pace and spin, and had his first chance to win the match at 6-5 in the tie-break in the second set.

A swinging serve saved Nadal and the 2008 champion seemingly made the decisive move early in the third, converting his first break point after one hour and 42 minutes.

However, a time violation followed for the Spaniard and Dolgopolov got back on level terms at 4-4, fending off three break points before grabbing his second match point with a forehand winner.

“I was fighting in every point,” Nadal said. “I was with the right concentration, with the right motivation, not giving up when I had tough moments.

“I’m not happy I lost a match that I had a chance to win, but that’s it. That’s tennis on grass.”

Nadal made a slow start against Dolgopolov, dropping serve immediately and almost falling a double break behind.

Dolgopolov served out the first set with little fuss, keeping Nadal at bay with his unorthodox mix of pace and spin, and had his first chance to win the match at 6-5 in the tie-break in the second set.

A swinging serve saved Nadal and the 2008 champion seemingly made the decisive move early in the third, converting his first break point after one hour and 42 minutes.

However, a time violation followed for the Spaniard and Dolgopolov got back on level terms at 4-4, fending off three break points before grabbing his second match point with a forehand winner.

“I was fighting in every point,” Nadal said. “I was with the right concentration, with the right motivation, not giving up when I had tough moments.

“I’m not happy I lost a match that I had a chance to win, but that’s it. That’s tennis on grass.”

“I was very positive and woke up in a good spirit,” said the sixth seed.

by ScoresPro.com

Queen's: Rafael Nadal out

Soccer News: Radamel Falcao to join Chelsea next season

Soccer News and Rumors:

Last season was more than a bust for the Colombian star, Radamel Falcao. The forward just wasn’t able to find his place with Manchester United and played arguably the worst campaign of his professional career as a football player. However, it seems that hasn’t bothered Chelsea even one bit. The latest reports are that the club from London has reached an agreement with Monaco for receiving Falcao as part of a one-year loan deal. Furthermore, there will be an option for Chelsea to buy the striker for €50 million at the end of next season.

The most interesting part of this is that Falcao has stated that he is ready to even take a large pay cut in order for the deal to be made.

“[Falcao] is keen to join the champions and is willing to take a massive pay cut to make the deal happen – his current deal with Monaco is worth £265,000 a week. The Colombian is ready to accept being part of Chelsea’s squad and Blues boss Jose Mourinho is considering the deal which would see him back up Diego Costa and Loic Remy. Agent Jorge Mendes is trying to broker the deal as he looks after both Falcao and Mourinho.”

There aren’t any details whether Falcao has actually agreed to receive less money per week, but in my opinion he will definitely not receive his full £265,000 a week. However, it will be quite interesting to see how the Colombian striker will play next campaign. It’s a bit hard to see him as a starter, but it’s not impossible and it all depends on what kind of tactic Jose Mourinho will choose. In my opinion, Falcao will undoubtedly play a lot better than he did during his stay at the Old Trafford.

By ScoresPro.com

Soccer News: Radamel Falcao to join Chelsea next season

Queen's Club: Ward loses to Raonic

Tennis Updates:

Canadian third seed Milos Raonic recovered from a set down to beat Britain’s James Ward in round one of the Aegon Championships. Ward, ranked 109, served superbly early on but Raonic came through 5-7 6-3 6-2.

“It’s tough on the body – I’m glad with the way I played and competed,” said Raonic, playing his first tournament since foot surgery in May.

Four-time champion Lleyton Hewitt earlier lost to Kevin Anderson on his last appearance at Queen’s Club.

The Australian had a match point in the second set but could not convert, and South Africa’s Anderson came back to win 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-2.

Hewitt, 34, was making his 16th and final appearance at the west London club.

“It was special to come back, knowing it was going to be the last one as well,” said the wildcard, who plans to retire after the Australian Open in January.

“I have played so many big matches in front of big crowds here over the years with big names, quality players.

“For most of the first two sets I played pretty well out there.”

Defending champion Grigor Dimitrov recovered from a break down in the second set to level at 4-6 6-3 against 2010 winner Sam Querrey, with the match to conclude on Tuesday.

Ward, 28, had appeared on course for one of the best wins of his career against Raonic as both men looked to overcome recent foot problems.

The Londoner made 81% of his first serves as he dominated the first set and then threatened to break early in the second.

However, Raonic held on and began to find his range, converting his first break point to lead 5-3 and going on to drop just two more games.

The Canadian, playing his first tournament since Madrid in April, goes on to face Frenchman Richard Gasquet in round two.

“It’s past me,” Raonic said of the trapped nerve in his foot. “I’m just trying to make the most of being back on court.

“James played great. The next match is going to be a very difficult one but I’ve got to get myself together and give it my all.”

Ward said he took “a lot of positives” from the match, adding: “I played really well for the first set and a half, probably two sets.

“I may be dropped off a little bit in the beginning of the third, which gave him a bit of extra confidence and he was serving well throughout.”

Fernando Verdasco and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez also went through on Monday, with British number one Andy Murray in action on Tuesday, along with former champion Rafael Nadal and French Open winner Stan Wawrinka.

by ScoresPro.com

Queen's Club: Ward loses to Raonic

Nadal triumphs in Stuttgart

Tennis Updates:

Rafael Nadal managed to win his 2nd title of the season and his 4th on grass as he defeated Serb Viktor Troicki 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 on Sunday to become the first man to triumph on both clay and turf at the Stuttgart Open.

The Spanish top seed set another minor record, as he won the inaugural grass edition after taking clay trophies here in 2005 and 2007. Stuttgart made the switch to grass starting with this edition as part of the new Wimbledon pre-season.

Nadal’s 66th career title marked his 2nd in 2015 after claiming a trophy on South American clay last February. The Spaniard now owns two grass titles at Wimbledon plus 2008 Queen’s Club, London and now Stuttgart.

The 14-time grand slam champion who is ranked 10th, polished his record against eighth seed Troicki to 5-0, last facing the Serb in a Tokyo semi-final nearly five years ago. Nadal took victory as he played his his 95th career final, now standing 66-29 in finals.

His last grass final came at Wimbledon in 2011 when he lost to Novak Djokovic. Troicki was playing his seventh career final – and first on grass – and now stands 2-5 in title matches.

Nadal’s victory boosted him to 33-10 this season as he prepares for what he hopes is a better second half of 2015. He is now 17-2 in Stuttgart, where he last competed eight years ago.

“It’s fantastic to win here on grass after winning on clay. Victor is a tough opponent.

“But I’ve been gaining confidence over the past month and a half after a very poor first three and a half months of this season.

“I’ve been feeling my game better since after my first match in Monte Carlo (mid-April). It was mentally tiring for me to play tennis in the first part of the year. I was not feeling comfortable on court.

“I was not able to play the way that I wanted. I didn’t feel confidence. But that has been changing and my focus now if to prepare as best as I can for Wimbledon.”

Nadal added: “My level has always been there, I’ve not forgotten how to play tennis. But now things are coming together for me.”

Nadal spent 48 minutes in winning the opening set, which he took into a tiebreaker with a love game. The top seed grabbed the early 4-2 lead in the decider and fired a ninth ace to wrap up the opener.

In the second, the Spaniard broke for 3-1 and took victory on his third match point, ending with 11 aces in the 88-minute contest.

by ScoresPro.com

Nadal triumphs in Stuttgart

Nadal into Stuttgart final

Tennis Updates:

Rafael Nadal reached the final of the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart with a straight-set victory over France’s Gael Monfils. The 29-year-old Spaniard, who is the top seed, won 6-3 6-4 inside 80 minutes and will play Viktor Troicki in Sunday’s final.

Monfils was hindered by five double faults and he failed to convert any of his four break points.

Nadal’s last title on grass came at Wimbledon in 2010.

“I think I’m playing well,” Nadal told Sky Sports. “It’s important for me, after losing at Roland Garros, to keep going and have the right attitude, the right level of tennis in the next couple of weeks and that is what I am trying.

“I’m practising every day with a very positive attitude, working a lot of hours on court. I’m enjoying again the tennis and every victory is important and being in the final is great news.”

His opponent in the final, Troicki, beat Croatia’s Marin Cilic 6-3 6-7 (1-7) 7-6 (7-2) and the 29-year-old Serb will be bidding to win his third career title, and second of the year, after his success in Sydney in January.

Elsewhere, Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic closed in on a maiden WTA title by beating former world number one Jelena Jankovic to reach the Topshelf Open final.

The fourth-seeded 18-year-old showed no fatigue after a gruelling three-hour quarter-final against Kristina Mladenovic, winning 6-3 6-3 in 87 minutes in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

In the men’s tournament, France’s Nicolas Mahut reached the final with a 5-7 6-3 6-4 victory over Robin Haase.

“I’m slowly improving on grass. It would be fantastic to win here, but I can only focus on the final and try to play my best.”

He added: “I was feeling better with my tennis after the first two matches this week, it is always tough to start on this surface.

“Today I played aggressive and did what I had to do to keep my level high. I’ve not been in a grass final since 2011 (Wimbledon, losing to Novak Djokoic). This is important news for me.

“I’m enjoying being in this final and I’ll hope to be ready tomorrow.”

Serbian Troicki was overwhelmed to have done so well this week.

“It’s my first grass court final and I’m really excited to have gotten here,” he said.

“It was a great match for me, I served very well and used my slice. The match was very even most of the time but I was able to use a couple of chances to make the difference.”

by ScoresPro.com

Nadal into Stuttgart final

Murray ready for Queen's Club tournament

Tennis Updates:

Britain’s Andy Murray is ready to begin his grass-court campaign at Queen’s Club next week after recovering from a bout of illness. Murray, 28, said he suffered with a cough during the French Open and his left eye later closed up.

The Scot lost to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals last Saturday, and took three days off on returning to the UK.

“I was actually sick for about a week, so I needed to recover from that,” world number three Murray said.

“I actually felt OK the first few days, but the day I played David Ferrer, I didn’t feel great.

“When I got on court and started running around it was fine, but when I got back my left eyelid closed up.

“I had a bad cough for a couple of days after that as well.

“I don’t know if I was just run down or tired or whatever, but it had obviously been a long few weeks. I feel fine now.”

Murray confirmed that coach Amelie Mauresmo, who is due to give birth in August, will be with him at Wimbledon, with Swede Jonas Bjorkman taking on coaching duties at Queen’s.

“I would imagine that during Wimbledon Amelie would kind of take the lead and Jonas can see how we operate a bit more as a team,” he said.

The defeat by Djokovic ended a 15-match winning run for Murray on clay, and the two-time major winner now switches his attention to trying to match the likes of John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick by winning a fourth title at Queen’s Club.

Top seed Murray will play a qualifier in round one of the Aegon Championships, with the match likely to take place on Tuesday.

The tournament carries ATP 500 status for the first time this year, upgraded from 250, and takes place a week later, creating a gap after Roland Garros.

Five of the world’s top 10 players are in London for the Wimbledon warm-up.

Second seed Stan Wawrinka, fresh from winning the French Open last Sunday, will play Nick Kyrgios – the Australian who beat Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon last year – in round one.

Kyrgios, 20, described Wawrinka’s tennis in Paris last week as “extraordinary”, adding: “Every time I’m here, it’s hard not to think about what happened last year.

“I’d like to think I’ve done a lot of good things since then as well, which have also boosted my confidence.”

Fifth seed Nadal returns to Queen’s Club for the first time since 2011 and plays Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov, while defending champion and sixth seed Grigor Dimitrov opens against former champion Sam Querrey.

British number four James Ward will play Canada’s third seed Milos Raonic on Monday.

by ScoresPro.com

Murray ready for Queen's Club tournament

NBA Rumors: The Dallas Mavericks looking like strong candidates to land LaMarcus Aldridge in the offseason

Basketball, NBA Rumors:

As the playoffs for the Portland Trail Blazers are now over, they have only one thing to worry about – how to make the team better for next season. However, they may face a little bit of a challenge. Portland’s big man and franchise player, LaMarcus Aldridge, has been constantly surrounded by trade rumors lately, which could be pretty bad news for the Trail Blazers. The latest reports are that the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks have shown a lot of interest in the power forward. Nevertheless, both franchises will have to work very hard in order to lure Aldridge away from Portland.

Last offseason Aldridge stated that he is more than happy in Portland and he wishes to become one of the franchise’s best, but it seems that kind of attitude is long gone. The Trail Blazers haven’t performed as well as everyone expected this season and the fact that the team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs may be the reason why the big man wants to leave. The San Antonio Spurs recognized that, and according to various sources around the league, they contacted Aldridge in order to recruit him. However, they weren’t the only team to do that. The Dallas Mavericks also showed a lot of interest in the power-forward and if the reports are true, Aldridge is more than interested to join them in the offseason.

The Portland Trail Blazers will surely do everything possible in order to keep LaMarcus Aldridge on the team, which includes a pretty big contract if the rumors are true. However, the fact that the team hasn’t been able to advance to the second round of the postseason more than once in the last five years isn’t exactly a big positive.

By ScoresPro.com

NBA Rumors: The Dallas Mavericks looking like strong candidates to land LaMarcus Aldridge in the offseason

Rafael Nadal wins against Marcos Baghdatis in Stuttgart

Tennis Updates:

Rafael Nadal overcame a stubborn Marcos Baghdatis in Stuttgart as he attempts to get his season back on track. The 29-year-old Spaniard, down to 10th in the world rankings, beat the Cypriot 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 on grass to reach the Mercedes Cup quarter-finals.

Nadal, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the French Open quarter-finals last week, took charge in the third set. The 14-time Grand Slam winner will face Australian fifth seed Bernard Tomic, who saw off Tommy Haas 7-6 (8-6) 6-2.

Tomic was taken to a tie-break in the first set of his second round match by 37-year-old Haas, returning after a year out following shoulder surgery, before he progressed.

Nadal, who had a bye into the second round, said: “The first match on grass is always tough. He’s a very good player and he’d already played a match.

“I need to be more aggressive, to return better, and to move better.

Nadal, at his lowest ranking since he was 11th as a teenager 10 years ago, faced solid resistance from 2006 Australian Open runner-up Baghdatis and dipped to a 59% first serve in the second set.

But the top seed powered clear after breaking in the fourth game of the decider to win in two hours and 40 minutes.

It was a morale-boosting win for the Spaniard who suffered only his second defeat in 72 matches at the French Open last week when he lost in the quarter-final to Novak Djokovic.

The 29-year-old top seed, down at 10th in the ATP rankings after a disappointing year, will have been pleased at how he responded in the deciding set having been pegged back by Baghdatis and the two hours 40 minutes he spent honing his grass court game will serve him well.

”I couldn’t serve the way I wanted to,” a frustrated Haas said.

German qualifier Mischa Zverev continued his good run, beating Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-2, 6-4 for a place in the last eight. Zverev will face second-seeded Marin Cilic, the U.S. Open champion, who beat Matthias Bachinger of Germany 7-6 (2), 6-3.

by ScoresPro.com

Rafael Nadal wins against Marcos Baghdatis in Stuttgart

French Open: Nadal and Djokovic through first round ties

Tennis Updates:

Rafael Nadal began his quest for a 10th French Open title with a straight-sets victory over teenager Quentin Halys. Frenchman Halys, an 18-year-old wildcard, had the Roland Garros crowd on his side but was not consistent enough to trouble the champion.

And 6th seed Nadal, 28, won 6-3 6-3 6-4 in an hour and 50 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The Spaniard is in the same half of the draw as top seed Novak Djokovic, who beat Jarkko Nieminen 6-2 7-5 6-2.

Djokovic, 28, has now won 23 matches in a row as he bids to claim his first title at Roland Garros and become the 8th man to complete the career Grand Slam.

He was given a useful workout by Finland’s Nieminen, the 33-year-old taking a surprise 5-2 lead in the second set.

That merely served to bring the best out of Djokovic, who won the next 9 games in a row to effectively seal victory.

He could meet Nadal – who has slipped down the world rankings during a disappointing clay-court season by his standards – as early as the quarter-finals.

Nadal took the first step in that direction, and improved his record at Roland Garros to 67 wins and 1 defeat, with a solid opening effort.

There were a few worried glances to coach Toni Nadal in the stand when one service game went against him in a scratchy first set, but the nine-time champion made just one error in the 2nd.

Halys, the US Open boys’ runner-up in 2014, showed enough flashes of talent to engage his home crowd with his forehand, drop shot and willingness to attack the net.

Nadal was restricted to a single break of serve in the 2nd and 3rd sets but it was all he needed to earn a second-round meeting with compatriot Nicolas Almagro.

“When I’ve had some up and downs during the season, it’s normal that can happen here,” said Nadal.

“I am trying to avoid that. I am here to try to play good tennis and give myself a chance to play well and compete for everything.

“My mentality and my goal is the same always.”

by ScoresPro.com

French Open: Nadal and Djokovic through first round ties

Bundesliga: Roberto Di Matteo is no longer coach for FC Schalke 04

Soccer News:

Roberto Di Matteo is no longer coach for FC Schalke 04. Club has confirmed this new on their web pages. Official news statement that Schalke 04 sport director Horst Heldt and Di Matteo had a meeting in which they analyze last season. As the results of that Roberto Di Matteo steps down as head coach.

Di Matteo survived only seven months on Schalke 04 bench

Di Matteo manages to survive in Gelsenkirchen for only seven month. In October Schalke 04 appointed Di Mateo as new head coach after terrible start of season from Jens Keller. At that point Schalke 04 was at 11 places in Bundesliga, kicked out from DFB Pokal and was close of getting eliminated from UEFA Champions League by Slovenia Champions NK Maribor. After appointing Di Matteo manages to consolidate Schalke 04 ranks and go into UEFA Champions’ League group stage. Schalke 04 was kick out from UEFA Champions League by Real Madrid. They lost first in Gelsenkirchen 0-2 but then almost had a miracle at Santiago Bernabeu where they won 4-3. In Bundesliga Schalke 04 at one time was 3^rd team in Bundesliga behind Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg, but bad results from March and April result with a league drop.

“I suggested my plan about the next season to the club but after several constructive talks I noticed that we don’t share the same opinion for the next season. Because of that I think it is in our best interest that everyone goes in their separated ways.”

 

In his career Di Matteo was coaching West Bromwich Albion, Chelsea and now Schalke 04. Unfortunately he never last long in WBA he gets fired after only six months, in Chelsea he manage to live for eight months and now in Schalke 04 seven months. Probably the biggest achievement in his coaching career was winning UEFA Champions League in season 2012 with Chelsea.

by ScoresPro.com

Photo by Daniel Kraski

Bundesliga: Roberto Di Matteo is no longer coach for FC Schalke 04

French Open: Sharapova opens with a win

Tennis Updates:

Maria Sharapova made a successful start to the defence of her French Open title with a 6-2 6-4 win over Kaia Kanepi from Estonia in the first round.

The 2nd-seeded Russian, 28, will now face compatriot Vitalia Diatchenko.

Former world number 2 and 2012 Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, seeded 14th, lost 6-2 3-6 6-1 to Annika Beck from Germany.

In the men’s draw, 4th seed Tomas Berdych reached round 2 by beating Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka 6-0 7-5 6-3.

The Czech, 29, is next scheduled to meet compatriot Radek Stepanek.

The biggest name to falter on day 2 so far is Spain’s Feliciano Lopez, with the 11th seed suffering a 6-3 7-6 (11-9) 6-3 defeat by Teymuraz Gabashvili.

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, Sabine Lisicki beat Monica Puig 6-3 6-2 while Roberta Vinci lost 4-6 6-4 6-1 to Alize Cornet.

Double Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka , who is seeded 27, marked her return to Roland Garros after missing last year’s event with a foot injury with a 6-2 6-1 win over Spain’s Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor.

French player Virginie Razzano stunned the crowd on the Suzanne Lenglen court by attempting to serve out for victory with an underarm serve.

The wildcard entry, 32, missed with the underarm 2nd serve to concede a double fault against Paraguayan qualifier Veronica Cepede Royg.

Razzano, who knocked out Serena Williams in 2012, recovered her poise to complete a 2-6 6-4 6-2 victory.

She said: “I wasn’t feeling that great today. I’m sorry, I spooned the ball over. That’s the baggage that I carry.”

The shot revived memories of Michael Chang’s underarm service in a 4th-round victory over Ivan Lendl in 1989 before Chang went on to take the title and become the youngest ever winner of the Roland Garros title at just 17.

Japanese teenager Nishioka was unable to make an impact on the court with his tennis but the 19-year-old made an impression with his dapper shorts, sporting the sort of patterns usually seen on a golf course. Hoping for a first victory on the Parisian clay, the qualifier was overwhelmed by his big-hitting opponent.

Berdych secured the first set in 27 minutes and Nishioka’s resistance only slightly improved thereafter, giving the fourth seed his 10th victory on clay this year. What is more, the 2010 semi-finalist won 82% of his first service points and will now prepare to face Stepanek, who beat Ivan Dodig 5-7 6-3 6-4 6-1.

by ScoresPro.com

French Open: Sharapova opens with a win

NBA Rumors: Alvin Gentry a candidate for the coach job in New Orleans

Basketball, NBA News:

The New Orleans Pelicans were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Golden State Warriors, and that led to the firing of their coach. The latest reports are that former Phoenix Suns head-coach and current Golden State Warriors assistant-coach, Alvin Gentry is a strong candidate for the open managerial position with the Pelicans. Even though it is very likely that he will an NBA Championship this season, Gentry still has a desire to be a head-coach of his own team.

The latest rumors circulating around the media are the following:

“He’s more than interested. He really believes that this is a job that would certainly define him as a coach because of the opportunity that it creates. Certainly this is one of those jobs that you feel is probably as god as any job available right now, no question. Even if there were no other jobs, it would still be the best.”

Indeed, the coaching job at the New Orleans Pelicans is a very good one, as the team has all that it takes to improve. Anthony Davis is on the roster, and while he has been a beast this season, there is no doubt that he will be even better in the next campaign. Furthermore, under the right guidance, the rest of team can vastly improve.

The latest reports are that on 18th May, the New Orleans Pelicans received a permission to interview Gentry. It will be very interesting if the current assistant-coach of the Warriors decides to take the job in New Orleans. He is a very capable coach that has the skills to bring out the best from Anthony Davis.

By ScoresPro.com

NBA Rumors: Alvin Gentry a candidate for the coach job in New Orleans

Louis van Gaal confirmed that United will not offer Falcao permanent contract once his loan from AS Monaco ends

Soccer News:

Manchester United confirmed today that they will not go ahead with signing Falcao on permanent basis. Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal told MUTV that they will not offer Falcao permanent contract and once his loan from Monaco end he will go back to France.

“Falcao is a top professional and a good human being. On behalf of myself and everyone at the club I would like to wish him well for the future”

29 years old Colombia striker join Manchester United last year on loan from Monaco, media then speculated that this could be the biggest transfer in the soccer history. But after only 12 months Manchester United is returning Falcao back to Monaco. Falcao started his career in River Plata (Argentina), for River Plata he played 93 games and scored 36 goals. In 2009 for 5.5 million euros he moved to FC Porto and stay with them for 2 years. He starts to shine there and scored 72 goals from 87 appearances and in August 2011 Atletico Madrid bought him for 40 million euros. Falcao stayed in Madrid for two years and again have superb statistic, 70 goals from 90 games. With Atletico Madrid he won Europa League (2011/2012) and UEFA Super Cup (2013). In 2013 Monaco was building super team that would rule the Europe soccer scene and they need a superb striker, they got extra-class striker for 60 million euros. But Falcao didn’t impress anyone in his first season for Monaco; he scored 13 goals from 23 games. Louis van Gaal sign Falcao and hope that Colombian could give him goals and points, but at the end Falcao had disappointing season probably the worst in his career. He played 29 games for Manchester United and scores only 4 goals. With this statement from Louis van Gaal we can only guess that hunt for Falcao is official open.

by ScoresPro.com

Louis van Gaal confirmed that United will not offer Falcao permanent contract once his loan from AS Monaco ends

Transfer Rumors: Jose Mourinho urge Petr Czech to stay in Chelsea while Arsenal and Manchester United are waiting in line for buying him

Soccer News:

Petr Czech is without doubt legend of Chelsea, but this season Jose Mourinho didn’t give him much chance between the posts. With only 32 years on his back Czech is still able to do on world-class scale and not on the bench.

Arsenal and Manchester United first in line for Czech

Because of that there were a lot of rumors that linked Czech with various clubs Arsenal and Manchester United in first place. Arsenal is searching for a goalkeeper for a long time now and Manchester United would love to see Czech if De Gea leaves the club. Recently Jose Mourinho has urge Petr Czech to stay in the club, according to Jose Mourinho Chelsea would not won a title if it wasn’t for him. If we know something about Jose Mourinho that is when he starts praising some player that actually means players is going to leave the club soon. Czech was standard Chelsea goalkeeper for more than 10 years; he arrived in Chelsea in 2004 from Rennes for 13 million euros. For Chelsea Czech has made over 400 appearances in those 12 years and won four Premiership titles, UEFA Champions League and Europa League title. It’s less likely that Czech will stay in Chelsea in the next season, especial with such a good season for Courtois behind him. Young Belgium will probably be options number one for Jose Mourinho in the next season also. Arsene Wenger and his Arsenal are having goalkeeper problem for a long time and with Czech they would finally get good and trusted goalkeeper, the only questions is will Jose Mourinho allow that his goalkeeper go in ranks of direct Premiership opponent.

by ScoresPro.com

Transfer Rumors: Jose Mourinho urge Petr Czech to stay in Chelsea while Arsenal and Manchester United are waiting in line for buying him

Roger Federer to go for the title at the French Open

Tennis Updates:

Undeniably, there are 2 distinct sounds when Roger Federer appears on the courts of Roland Garros. One is the pop of backhands and forehands kicking up puffs of red clay. The other, getting ever louder, is the scratchy tick of life’s clock.

At age 33, with 34 bearing down in August, time is increasingly the enemy to Federer’s quest to add to his already record haul of Grand Slam titles.

The count climbed to 17 with his seventh win at Wimbledon in 2012, when he was still a young 30-year-old. Then, abruptly, it stopped. In Federer’s golden spell from 2004-2009, there were 24 Grand Slam finals. Federer played in 20 of them, winning 14. But since his 2012 Wimbledon win against Andy Murray, just one of the 10 subsequent Grand Slam finals featured the Swiss: an epic five-setter lost to Novak Djokovic last year.

Of all places for Federer to prove that he still has another major title in him, Roland Garros would seem the least favorable. The slow red dust blunts nuances of his game so effective on other, faster surfaces. Having one of the sharpest tactical minds and best right hands tennis has ever seen were never quite enough for Federer at the only major he’s not won multiple times. He needed a sprinkling of luck, too. Federer’s only victory at the French Open, in five finals, came in 2009 against Robin Soderling, who did him the favor of taking ”King of Clay” Rafael Nadal out of the picture in the fourth round.

Good fortune, in the shape of Maria Sharapova’s fingers, is smiling on Federer again this year. The defending women’s champion, called upon to pluck out the seeded men’s names in Friday’s draw, delivered a road map that could hardly be more favorable for Federer.

Sixth-seeded Nadal and third-seeded Murray were both drawn in the half of top-seeded Djokovic. That means second-seeded Federer would only have to play, at most, one of those infernal three who beat him at the semifinal or final stage of majors in 2013 and 2014. And such a blockbuster match could only happen in the June 7 final, if Federer gets that far.

”There is a chance to go very deep,” he acknowledged. ”How deep remains to be seen depending on the level of play.”

Federer opens his 62nd consecutive Grand Slam campaign, extending his record, on Sunday against a qualifier. In the women’s championship, last year’s losing finalist Simona Halep, seeded three, opens against Evgeniya Rodina, ranked 91. The 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic plays Yaroslava Shvedova, quarterfinalist in 2010 and 2012.

Federer has a relatively easy-looking path until the fourth round, where he could meet 13th-seeded Gael Monfils before a potential quarterfinal against his Davis Cup Swiss teammate Stan Wawrinka, seeded eight. In the semifinals, a possible meeting with either Japan’s Kei Nishikori, seeded five, or fourth-seeded Tomas Berdych looms.

”I feel like I have had a great last 12 months,” Federer said. ”I’ve just got to make sure I adjust my game according to the playing conditions here, and then we will see how far it takes me.”

by ScoresPro.com

Roger Federer to go for the title at the French Open

Silvio Berlusconi is offering Carlo Ancelotti task to rebuild AC Milan for 150 million euros if he gets fired from Real Madrid

Soccer News:

According to many sources Carlo Ancelotti is ex-coach for Real Madrid and everyone is waiting official club statement from the club to make those rumors true. According to Italian papers Ancelotti is offer a job in AC Milan. Berlusconi is offering Carlo Ancelotti task to rebuild AC Milan and bring old glory back on San Siro.

Berlusconi thinking to spend 150 million euros for new players in summer

Apparently Ancelotti had a meeting with Real Madrid president Perez and they agree to end Ancelotti contract by mutual consent. This will make Ancelotti free agent and Berlusconi could hire Ancelotti one more time. If Ancelotti get back on San Siro this will be his second time he will be coaching AC Milan. In his first try he was coaching AC Milan from 2001 until 2009, with AC Milan he win two UEFA Champions Leagues (2002/3; 2006/7), two times UEFA Super Cup (2003; 2007), FIFA Club World Cup (2007), Seria A (2003/4), Coppa Italia (2002/3) and Supercoppa Italiana (2004). Total eight major trophies but what was more important is that he brings AC Milan back on “Europe soccer map”. But a lot will depend on ability of AC Milan president Berlusconi to explain Ancelotti why he should get back to AC Milan. No matter that he didn’t win any trophies this season, many clubs would like to see Ancelotti on their bench and Berlusconi don’t have much to offer. Two rounds before the end AC Milan is on 11^th place in Seria A without any chances to get place that lead in some European competition. Italian media suggest that Berlusconi will go in major overhaul of AC Milan at the end of this season and he need coach that he can trust. Berlusconi said several times that he is not for comebacks but with Ancelotti is different. We will see if Ancelotti share Berlusconi vision of “New AC Milan”.

by ScoresPro.com

Photo by Doha Stadium Plus

Silvio Berlusconi is offering Carlo Ancelotti task to rebuild AC Milan for 150 million euros if he gets fired from Real Madrid

Andy Murray hoping on help from Mauresmo

Tennis Updates:

Andy Murray is hoping some home help in the face of his coach Amelie Mauresmo can boost his hopes of winning a first French Open title.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s opening skirmishes at Roland Garros in the year’s second Grand Slam tournament the 28-year-old Briton said that the 2-time Grand Slam winner could be an asset in Paris.

“Aside from the tennis, she’s helped with a few good restaurant choices near the hotel which has been good,” he said.

“But yeah, for me that’s one of the benefits of working with a player that’s just played in the slams and done well in the slams.

“Amelie obviously put a lot of pressure on herself, which probably wasn’t beneficial for her performances and she can obviously give me advice and input based on her experiences of playing in these tournaments.”

It was during last year’s French Open that Murray announced, to great surprise, that he was choosing Mauresmo to be his new coach. What is more, to date their collaboration has been met with mixed reviews with Murray failing to defend his Wimbledon title but finishing the year strongly before reaching the final of the Australian Open in January.

Since then Mauresmo has announced she is expecting her first child, prompting Murray to ask Swede Jonas Bjorkman to help out with the coaching duties in between times. This will be their first Grand Slam tournament together.

Murray comes into Paris on the back of the best clay court form he has shown during his career.

Without a single title win on the surface before this year, he won back-to-back tournaments at Munich and Madrid, defeating Rafael Nadal in straight sets in the final of the latter.

Later, he won his 1st round tie in Rome to take his unbeaten run to 10 matches before wisely deciding to pull out of the tournament and give his body and mind a good rest before the Paris campaign.

“It’s probably the best I’ve played on clay, for sure,” he said despite having reached the semi-finals in Paris last year.

“I mean I never felt particularly comfortable on the surface. In the past I have not really known what was happening on the court and felt like I was struggling with my movement. Whereas this year it doesn’t feel like that.

“I feel like I’m moving well. I feel a lot freer on the court. Body feels good. That’s positive.”

Murray opens against a qualifier and has a reasonably benign path through to the quarter-finals where David Ferrer, who he has never beaten on clay, is a potential opponent.

In case of success there he could go up against the winner of a potential last-8 blockbuster between title-holder Nadal and top seed Novak Djokovic.

That prospect could work both ways for him, he believes.

“If they play a five-hour marathon, then whoever plays them in the semis is happy about that,” he said.

“But if either one of them goes on the court and crushes the other one, they can be pretty confident going into the semi-finals as well.

“Just have to wait and see.”

by ScoresPro.com

Andy Murray hoping on help from Mauresmo

Soccer Rumors: Manchester United interested in signing Schweinsteiger

Soccer News and Rumors:

Even though Manchester United finished in the top four of the Barclay’s Premier League table, if all rumors are true, we will see some pretty new faces next season. The Red Devils already reached an agreement with PSV Eindhoven’s young star Memphis Depay, and the club is continuing to monitor and talk with another player. Dani Alves will most likely join United in the summer, and the team will also look to add Bastian Schweinsteiger. The Red Devils will look to take advantage of the fact that the midfielder hasn’t renewed his contract with Bayern Munich.

“I am in no hurry to renew,” stated Schweinsteiger in an interview. “It is not something that bothers me because I have a year left before it expires. The important thing is that my physical problems and injuries are resolved. The rest will follow.”

It won’t be easy for Manchester United to lure the German midfielder, as he hasn’t said anything about wanting to leave Bayern Munich. However, if the Red Devils find a way to sign him, they will definitely receive a very quality midfielder that can control possession and defend pretty good. Michael Carrick has been the player which was supposed to do that at Manchester United, but he has shown inconsistency throughout the current season.

Furthermore, it will be very interesting to see which players from the current roster will leave the club, as United will definitely have to sell some stars in order to sign new ones. Nevertheless, it will be worth to unload some players if they can find a way to lure Schweinsteiger. He is a born winner, proving it numerous times by leaving everything on the pitch. The Red Devils will become very strong title contenders in the Premier League next season if they can sign the players they want.

ScoresPro.com

Soccer Rumors: Manchester United interested in signing Schweinsteiger

Transfer Rumors: Cristiano Ronaldo to Paris Saint-Germain for 125 million euros

Soccer News:

Lately Spain media, especial ones that are privileges to Real Madrid are writing a lot on subject who will be a new coach for Real Madrid. Almost all of them have inside information that say Carlo Ancelotti will be Real Madrid ex-coach at the end of this season. But that is not the only inside information that media have, lately they have written about possibility that two most expensive players leave Real Madrid.

Ronaldo to Paris Saint-Germain for 125 million euros

Current situation in Europe is like this, there are couples of clubs that don’t have money issues and that can spend big. One of them is Manchester United who would love to see Gareth Bale in their ranks for the next season. Paris Saint-Germain owners also think big, they want to make PSG one of best team in Europe and they are not afraid to spend. According to Spain media sources PSG might be able to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid. It’s not a secret that lately Ronaldo is not happy in Real Madrid, he is fighting with fans and teammates. But even if he is unhappy Ronaldo would like to stay in Real Madrid but under his conditions, he said a couple of times that he needs to speak with Real Madrid president before he made his decision. On the other hand Paris Saint-Germain is willing to send check on 125 million euros for Cristiano Ronaldo, with introduction of UEFA FFA (Financial Fair Play) that check could solve many problems about new players for Real Madrid. It’s less likely that Real Madrid would sell both of his stars Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo but in soccer everything is possible especial if you got the right amount of money.

by ScoresPro.com

 

Photo by Jan S0L0

Transfer Rumors: Cristiano Ronaldo to Paris Saint-Germain for 125 million euros

Murray says he is showing the best clay-court tennis of his career

Tennis Updates:

Andy Murray claims he is playing the best clay-court tennis of his career as he heads into the French Open. The Scot won his first title on the surface in Munich earlier this month and followed up with victory over Rafael Nadal in the Madrid Open final.

Murray, 28, is the 3rd seed at Roland Garros and will face qualifier Facundo Arguello of Argentina in round one.

“It’s probably the best I have played on clay, for sure,” said the Scot, twice a semi-finalist in Paris.

“I never really felt particularly comfortable on the surface. Sometimes by the time I got to the French Open I started to feel good, but obviously winning tournaments and beating good players helps with the confidence.

“I just feel like I have an idea of what I’m doing on the court. Sometimes in the past I have not really known what was happening on the court and felt like I was struggling with my movement.

“This year it doesn’t feel like that. I feel like I’m moving well. I feel a lot freer on the court, my body feels good. That’s positive.”

Murray is in the same half of the draw as 9-time champion Rafael Nadal and top seed Novak Djokovic, who could meet as early as the quarter-finals.

“I think Novak for me goes into the tournament as the favourite now,” said Murray.

“But on that court Rafa’s record is ridiculous. It’s completely possible that he gets out there and feels great, especially if he gets himself into the tournament and wins his first few matches.”

Murray is in Paris with French coach Amelie Mauresmo, who experienced the pressure of being a home favourite as a player but never made it past the quarter-finals in 15 attempts.

“For me, that’s one of the benefits of working with a player that’s just played in the slams and done well in the slams,” said Murray.

“They are also aware of the pressures and stuff that comes with trying to win an event like this.

“Amelie obviously put a lot of pressure on herself there, which probably wasn’t beneficial for her performances, and can obviously give me advice and input based on her experiences of playing in these tournaments.

“So it’s good to have experienced ex-players around I think at these times of year.”

by ScoresPro.com

Murray says he is showing the best clay-court tennis of his career

Xavi is saying goodbye to Barcelona this Saturday against Deportivo

Soccer News:

This Saturday on Nou Camp there will be a lot of mix feelings on one side Barcelona fans will be happy for their 23 Spain title and on other side they will be sad because one of club legends Xavi Hernandez is leaving the club. After 17 years player that change the face of both Barcelona and Spain national team is leaving Barcelona and will continue (end) his career in Qatar.

Xavi: It was time for a change

Today on press conference Xavi confirm all the speculations that were going about his leaving the club. He said that he will be leaving Barcelona and joining Qatar team Al Sadd with who he will sign two years contract.

“I am leaving the club at the end of the season. I made this decision with a heavy heart, it was not easy, but my family and I decide that it was time for a change. We are leaving to Qatar where I will sign two years contract for Al Sadd.”

In 17 years 764 games and 84 goals for Barcelona

Xavi début for Barcelona on 12 May 1998 against Southampton in friendly match, his competitive début was 18 August 1998 in Spain Super Cup final. Since then Xavi played total 764 games and score 84 goals for Barcelona. Xavi was a key role in Barcelona famous “tika-taka” play and he was known as player that has highest percent of successful passes. Xavi admits that Barcelona offer him contract for one more year but he said that he knows that he cannot give anymore 100% and it would not be fair to Barcelona.

“Barcelona offer mi contract until 2018, but I have to deny their offer because I made my decision about leaving earlier. I have played for 17 years in first team and now am time to say goodbye.”

There are rumors that Barcelona and Nike are preparing special goodbye shirt in which will Barcelona play against Deportivo, on the chest there will be a sign “Gracies Xavi” and date of his last game for Barcelona. Barcelona fans are also preparing something spectacular, there are little information’s about it but if we know Barcelona fans then we will be speechless.

by ScoresPro.com

Xavi is saying goodbye to Barcelona this Saturday against Deportivo

French Open: Edmund and Konta advance to the final round

Tennis Updates:

Britons Kyle Edmund and Jo Konta reached the final round of French Open qualifying with straight-sets wins. Edmund, the British number 4, managed to beat Romania’s former quarter-finalist Victor Hanescu 6-1 6-2.

British number 2 Konta overclassed 7th seed Elizaveta Kulichkova from Russia 7-6 (7-1) 6-3.

Brydan Klein lost 6-3 6-1 to Argentina’s Facundo Arguello and Naomi Broady went down 6-1 6-1 to Australian Anastasia Rodionova.

Edmund, 20, was classes over the 33-year-old Hanescu, who lost to Roger Federer in the quarter-finals in Paris 10 years ago.

The Yorkshireman broke serve 4 times as he dominated with his forehand to win in just 67 minutes.

“It was really good,” said Edmund, ranked at 121 in the world, 66 places higher than Hanescu.

“I went out there and really respected my opponent. He’s been around for a while and made the quarter-finals here, so he obviously can play well here and on clay.”

Edmund qualified for a Grand Slam for the first time in Australia at the start of the year, and will look to make it 2 in a row when he faces Spanish 12th seed Adrian Menendez-Maceiras on Friday.

“It would be great if I qualify,” added Edmund. “I want to be playing in the main draw of Slams, but the way I’m going to get there is by my game improving.

“Every day I’m just trying to get better. It’s not just about this tournament, it’s about where your game’s at in six months, in a year. You always want to get better and that’s what I’m focusing on.”

Konta, 24, had a fine win over highly-rated 19-year-old Kulichkova, who is ranked 34 places higher at 110.

“I’m really happy to get through that one,” said Konta, who missed out in the final round of qualifying last year.

“I’m trying not to look too far ahead, I just want to take it point by point, but I’m happy with how I’m hitting the ball, how I’m thinking and how I’m reacting to situations.”

Konta is scheduled to play France’s Clothilde de Bernardi, the world number 315, for a place in the main draw.

by ScoresPro.com

French Open: Edmund and Konta advance to the final round

Madison Keys beats Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, James Ward defeated by Christian Lindell

Tennis Updates:

Top-seeded American Madison Keys rallied from one set and 5-0 down to beat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 4-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0) and reach the quarterfinals of the Strasbourg International on Wednesday. On the brink of defeat, Keys took plenty of risks and the strategy paid off as Lucic-Baroni failed to serve out the match.

”I was definitely thinking that I would be heading to Paris,” where the French Open starts on Sunday, Keys said. ”Mirjana was playing well and I wasn’t playing great, and I was just really happy that I was able to find it and figure it out.”

Keys was more cautious in the tiebreaker of the 2nd set and took advantage of her Croatian opponent’s mistakes to seal it.

Lucic-Baroni missed her chance to serve out the match for a third time at 5-4 in the deciding set and her game collapsed in the tiebreaker.

”For sure, my mental toughness was important.” Keys said. ”Even at 5-0 I was trying hard and putting in all of my effort. My game was there, it was just a couple of points here or there that hadn’t been going my way. It was a battle to the very, very end, and I’m very relieved with this victory.”

Key’s next opponent is Kristina Mladenovic, who advanced past Alison Riske 7-6 (4), 6-2.

Russia’s Elena Vesnina also advanced with a 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 win over fourth-seeded Alize Cornet, with Virginie Razzano waiting for her in the next round after upsetting former French Open winner Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 6-3.

James Ward went out in the 2nd round of French Open qualifying with a three-set defeat by Sweden’s Christian Lindell.

The British number 3 was two points from victory in the second set but lost 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-2.

Compatriot Liam Broady went down 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 to Moldova’s Radu Albot in round one.

In the women’s draw, Jo Konta and Naomi Broady both won their first-round matches.

Konta, the British number two, beat Serb Jovana Jaksic 6-0 6-3, before Broady saw off Cagla Buyukakcay of Turkey 6-1 7-6 (7-4).

They will play their second-round matches on Thursday, along with fellow Britons Brydan Klein and Kyle Edmund in the men’s draw.

Ward, 28, made it through qualifying to the main draw last year and was seeded eighth in qualifying this time, but he let a winning position slip on a rain-interrupted day in Paris.

The Londoner twice led by a break in the second set only to hand the advantage straight back, and then could not convert from 5-5 in the tie-break.

Lindell, ranked 94 places lower at 200, grew stronger in the decider as his opponent faded, sealing victory at 8pm local time.

Andy Murray, Aljaz Bedene and Heather Watson have all qualified directly, with the draw to take place on Friday.

by ScoresPro.com

Madison Keys beats Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, James Ward defeated by Christian Lindell

Soderling looking for Nadal lose at French Open

Tennis Updates:

Robin Soderling is sick of being the answer to a favorite quiz question, the one which asks who is the only player to beat nine-times champion Rafael Nadal at the French Open. That is the reason why he will be happy if the Spaniard’s current vulnerability on his beloved claycourts continues when the tournament begins at Roland Garros this weekend.

Nadal boasts an incredible 66-1 record at the claycourt grand slam, stretching back to 2005 when he won the title on his debut, the only loss coming against Swede Soderling in 2009.

Soderling went on to reach the final, losing to Switzerland’s Roger Federer, and he made the final again a year later when Nadal took his revenge.

“It says a lot more about Rafa than it does about me,” Soderling, in an interview in the Daily Telegraph, said of his unique place in French Open folklore.

“It will never happen again, not in 100 years.

“It’s good to be the only one, but everybody is asking me about only that match. I am really proud of other things in my career: being in the top five, reaching the final of a grand slam twice. I’m actually even more proud of making it to the French Open final in 2010 than the previous year.

“So maybe it’s better if Rafa loses again, then everybody will stop asking me about it.”

Soderling’s four-set victory remains the only blot on Nadal’s French Open copybook, but as he prepares to try to win a record-extending 10th title, many believe his domination may be about to come to an end.

A succession of claycourt defeats in the build-up to the tournament have left world number one Novak Djokovic favorite to claim his first French Open title.

“This year, for the first time in a long time, Rafa is not the favorite,” said the 30-year-old Soderling whose career has been stalled by bouts of illness.

“Of course, it’s going to be tough to beat Rafa at Roland Garros, over five sets on clay. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened.”

by ScoresPro.com

Soderling looking for Nadal lose at French Open

Murray on his female coach Amelie Mauresm

Tennis Updates:

Andy Murray says he was “amazed” by the level of criticism his appointment of Amelie Mauresmo as coach attracted. The Scot, 28, became the first leading male player to employ a female coach when he hired the Frenchwoman.

“I knew it would be a big story at the beginning but I thought it would die down quicker than it has,” Murray said.

“I was very surprised at the amount of criticism she received for each loss I had. I couldn’t believe the negativity towards her personally.”

World number 3, Murray employed Mauresmo, who won 2 Grand Slam tournaments and 25 WTA titles, last June after previous coach Ivan Lendl quit 3 months earlier.

When the appointment was announced, Australian player Marinko Matosevic said he would never have a female coach because he did not rate the women’s game.

Murray told Red Bulletin magazine some of the negative comments he had heard were “an eye-opening experience for me”.

“I know a lot of the players were surprised because I do hear what goes on in the locker room,” he added.

“Some comments did make it into the press before it was officially announced, that some people thought it was a joke I was playing along with. To me, it’s amazing to hear that.”

The Briton says he has now “become very passionate about getting more women in sport, giving women more opportunities”.

He added: “I wasn’t thinking of it being a groundbreaking move or having an influence that could cross over into other sports. Then, after seeing the response to it, and some of the things that have been said, I can see it is.”

Asked whether he considered himself a feminist, Murray said: “I’m pro everyone being equal and if that’s being a feminist then you could say so, yes.

“It really opened my eyes when I started working with Amelie. Inequality is something I started to see and become passionate about. It’s opened my mind.”

After Murray’s mixed 2014 season following back surgery, his assistant coach Dani Vallverdu and fitness trainer Jez Green left his team having disagreed with his appointment of Mauresmo, 35.

The 2-time Grand Slam champion’s results in 2015 have been much improved so far as he reached the Australian Open final and won his first clay-court tournaments in Munich and Madrid.

What is more, he is unbeaten on clay going into the French Open, the 2nd Grand Slam of the year, which starts on Sunday.

Murray says he finds it easier to be open about his feelings when talking to women.

“Of course it depends on the person, but generally, when you get five or six men sitting at a table in a competitive environment, it’s not pleasant,” he said.

“I’ve found it difficult to open up sometimes as you feel judged or that it’s seen as a sign of weakness. Sometimes, when we’re competing and working out, trying to be macho, it can get a bit testosterone-fuelled. I’ve ended up having some big arguments.

“I don’t feel like I’m competing with Amelie. When we’re talking, it’s more of a collaboration.”

Swede Jonas Bjorkman recently joined Murray’s coaching team and will have a bigger role as the year progresses with Mauresmo preparing for the birth of her first child, which is due in August.

by ScoresPro.com

Murray on his female coach Amelie Mauresm

Soccer Rumors: Arsenal starts negotiations with Chelsea for Petr Cech

Soccer News and Rumors:

Petr Cech played too little for Chelsea throughout this season, and it was evident that he will leave the club at the end of the campaign. The latest rumors are that Arsenal has started negotiations with the Blues for the transfer of the veteran goalkeeper. According to the reports, Chelsea is ready to part ways with Cech for an amount around £10 million. Recently Jose Mourinho made a statement that if the 33-year-old goalkeeper doesn’t remain with the Blues he would like to see him play for a non-Premier League team. Nevertheless, it seems that it’s quite possible that won’t happen.

“I would never let him go,” said Mourinho. “But it’s not in my hands. My perfect scenario is that he stays with us, I think he belongs to this club, this club belongs to his history and to his life, too.”

Paris Saint-Germain has also been monitoring Petr Cech throughout the season, but the fact that the goalkeeper doesn’t wish to leave England could be a serious problem for the French team. If Arsenal reaches a deal with Chelsea, the Gunners will receive a veteran player with a lot of good years ahead of him. Furthermore, Arsene Wenger will finally get a goalkeeper that is confident in his abilities between the posts. The current players occupying the post, David Ospina nad Wojciech Szczesny, have showed decent skills during this campaign, but they have just been too inconsistent.

For Arsenal to close the gap between them and Chelsea, they will definitely need Petr Cech to join them in the summer. The 33-year-old could quickly become the leader that the Gunners have lacked in the last couple of seasons.

ScoresPro.com

Soccer Rumors: Arsenal starts negotiations with Chelsea for Petr Cech

Transfer Rumors: Pogba will go to PSG only if they triple his current salary and Guardiola see Sterling as ideal replacement for Ribery

Soccer News:

Summer transfer window is getting closer and one of best buys in this summer will be two young players Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba and Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling. For both players there are already a lot of rumors, where will they continue their careers.

Pogba in Paris Saint-Germain only if his wage is more than Ibrahimovic

For young Juventus midfielder there are already a huge line behind them Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United and City, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. And according to some sources PSG have the best chance of getting Paul Pogba into their ranks. The only problem for signing Pogba PSG might have in FFP (Financial Fair Play), but we doubt that Qatar owners would have anything to pay little more just to sign Pogba. Recently interesting facts has been revile about Pogba and PSG. According to them Pogba will be looking to have at least three times bigger wage than he have now in Juventus.  Currently Pogba wage is around 4 to 5 million euros, if those rumors are true that would mean he is looking for more than 12 million euros per year. Currently only one player has that kind of wage in PSG and that is Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Guardiola looks at Sterling and see Ribery replacement

Raheem Sterling don’t have problems with wage, his currently problem is UEFA Champions League. Liverpool is without UEFA Champions League in next season and Sterling is eager to play in it. We cannot compare Pogba and Sterling situation. While Pogba have a contract with Juventus until 2019, Sterling contracts ends 2017 and Liverpool will be looking to sell him player who already denied new contract. In the first row to sign Sterling were Premiership clubs Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea. But recently rumors has spread that Bayern Munich have the biggest chances of signing Sterling. According to some German sources Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola already send his brother in England hoping to negotiate terms with the player. Guardiola thinks that Sterling will be ideal replacement for Franck Ribery who got trouble with injuries.

by ScoresPro.com

Transfer Rumors: Pogba will go to PSG only if they triple his current salary and Guardiola see Sterling as ideal replacement for Ribery

Pars Saint-Germain has the biggest player wages in sports and NFL has the most average spectators per game

Soccer News:

Recently we write about Barcelona impossibility to follow new standards in player wages that Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea are putting.  So let’s see how much players earn or maybe better to say how much clubs are spending on player wages.

Paris Saint-Germain has the biggest wages

If you ask any soccer fans what club in the world spent most on players’ wages you would probably get answer like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea or Manchester City. In that survey Paris Saint-Germain would probably have around 1% of votes, but Paris Saint-Germain is the club with highest wages in world of sport. ESPN and Sport Intelligence made a survey in the world of sport and according to them Paris Saint-Germain has the best wages in sports. According to them Paris Saint-Germain spend around 9.08 million dollars each year on player wages, behind him is Real Madrid with 8.64 million dollars. On third place is Manchester City with 8.59 million dollars and new Spain Champions (and maybe UEFA Champions League) Barcelona is on 4^th place with 8.08 million dollars. In top 10 there are only two clubs that are not coming from soccer on 5^th place Los Angeles Dodgers (Baseball, USA) 8.023 million dollars and New York Yankees (Baseball, USA)on 9^th place with 7.3 million dollars.

Spain players earn the most

They also made statistical earing for each national team that played on recent FIFA World Cup in Brazil. According to them Spain national players have the best wages with average 7.1 million dollars per year. Current FIFA World Cup Champions Germany is on 2^nd place with 6.6 million dollars average. On 3^rd place is team that always goes with high expectation on each World Cup or European Championship but almost always experience a debacle – England with 6 million dollars.

NFL has the most spectators

The only things were soccer is not on first place is average spectators per game. Maybe because of the “short” season or small amount of games but American National Football League (NFL) have the most spectators per game 68 766 spectators watch NFL games. Behind them is Germany Bundesliga with 43 500 spectators, England Premiership is on 3^rd with 36 695 spectators.

by ScoresPro.com

 

Pars Saint-Germain has the biggest player wages in sports and NFL has the most average spectators per game

Soccer Rumors: Gareth Bale doesn't wish to continue his career with Real Madrid

Soccer News and Rumors:

As all of the seasons are coming to their ends, the transfer rumors are starting to heat up at a very fast pace. The latest one will definitely be a good one for Manchester United and other clubs in the Premier League, as there are reports that Gareth Bale no longer wishes to remain at the Santiago Bernabeu. It has been said that the Welshman wishes to return in the Premier League and play for an elite team. He will have no shortage of options, as the Red Devils, Chelsea and Manchester City have all shown interest in the wing.

These reports of Bale wanting to leave Real Madrid are based on the facts that he rarely receives passes from his teammates and that he doesn’t wish to continue playing at the wing position. The Welshman had a decent season, scoring thirteen goals and dishing out nine assists in 31 matches throughout the campaign. He has been booed by the fans of the club a bit too often, and everybody has blamed him for the fact that Real Madrid didn’t win any trophies this season. It can’t be denied that Bale didn’t play as good as he did last year, but it’s a bit harsh to state that he is the main reason the Whites didn’t win anything. He is one of the reasons, but not the only one.

However, I don’t see Bale leaving Real Madrid during the upcoming summer transfer window. The Whites have invested too much money in him, and it’s doubtful that they will let him go for less than £85 million. As a result, it’s more likely than not, that the will see Gareth Bale playing in a Real Madrid uniform once again in the next season.

ScoresPro.com

Soccer Rumors: Gareth Bale doesn't wish to continue his career with Real Madrid

Maria Sharapova triumphs with Italian Open title

Tennis Updates:

3rd seed Maria Sharapova, from Russia, came from a set down to beat Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro 4-6 7-5 6-1 and win her 3rd Italian Open title. Suarez Navarro, the world number 10, battled hard in the first 2 sets but ran out of energy in the decider. What is more, her best chance came at 5-5 in the 2nd set but Sharapova finished the set with 8 straight points.

The Russian capitalized on her opponent’s weakness in the 3rd set as she swept to a 35th career crown.

Suarez Navarro, who was bidding for the 2nd title of her career, made a strong start and broke Sharapova midway through the first set as the Russian tried to force matters.

The Spaniard continued to cause problems in the 2nd set but once Sharapova found her way into the match she looked strong, despite committing plenty of unforced errors.

Sharapova, who will be second seed for the French Open which starts on 24 May, broke Suarez Navarro in the eighth game of the second set for a 5-3 lead and after going on to hand her opponent three break points in the next game, she eventually recovered to level the match.

The Russian handed Suarez Navarro a break point in the opening game of the third set and despite twice saving the game, the Spaniard moved ahead when Sharapova hit an easy return just wide.

That setback only served to spur the Russian on, who broke back immediately, sealing the game with a two-handed backhand return. From then on she dominated, holding serve on her final game to seal the victory.

Sharapova admitted she had too many errors in the opening set and beginning of the second, but said: “I thought the errors I was making… were really close. I felt like I was doing the right thing and I’m glad I gave myself a chance to cut those down.

“She’s a really all-around player who can step in, can step back. She was really far behind the baseline and I feel like I took advantage of that.

“I felt that I was the fresher one, felt like I was more aggressive.”

“Late in the third set I wasn’t there, I hadn’t prepared enough to be ready. To see where I was physically in the third set today was a huge difference against someone who can withstand a very long match,” added the Russian.

“That give me a lot of confidence. I’ve come a long way physically in the last few weeks. But it’s taken a lot of mental and physical work to get to this stage.”

Maria Sharapova vs Carla Suarez Navaro, 17/05/2015, 11:40 GMT, Match Center

Maria Sharapova triumphs with Italian Open title

Italian Open: Djokovic and Sharapova to play in the finals

Tennis Updates:

Novak Djokovic overcame his unhappiness about the court conditions to beat Spain’s David Ferrer 6-4 6-4 and reach the Italian Open final. The top seed raised his game at key points in both sets to earn the breaks.

However, the Serb complained to the umpire in the 2nd set about the conditions on the clay at the Foro Italico.

Djokovic is scheduled to face either Stan Wawrinka or Roger Federer in Sunday’s final with the Swiss pair due to play their semi-final at 19:00 BST.

The world number 1 broke the clay court specialist early in the opening set.

Ferrer battled hard to break Djokovic’s service in a thrilling sixth game of the second set where advantage switched hands several times before the Spaniard sent a backhand return out.

Ferrer’s chances of making the Italian Open final appeared to dip as Djokovic broke in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead and then serve out for the win.

Djokovic is now on track for his fourth Rome title, having won his third in the space of six years in 2014 when he stopped Rafael Nadal from claiming an eighth crown in the Italian capital.

Spanish 10th seed Carla Suarez Navarro will meet Maria Sharapova in Sunday’s Italian Open final in Rome.

Suarez Navarro managed to beat second seed Simona Halep 2-6 6-3 7-5 for a 4tth win out of four against the Romanian.

Sharapova, the two-time Rome champion, overcame Australia-based Russian Daria Gavrilova 7-5 6-3.

The victory, combined with Halep’s loss, means Sharapova will be second seed for the French Open which starts on 24 May.

Suarez Navarro is the form player on the WTA Tour this year with 31 wins and will be seeking her second career title against Sharapova.

Nevertheless, she was 2 points away from losing in the 10th game of the final set before snatching the win.

The Barcelona-based 26-year-old needed seven set points to close out the second set and 3 to end the 3rd.

Sharapova had lost to Gavrilova in their only previous meeting in Miami in March and the qualifier, ranked 78 in the world, put in a spirited performance this time around again in the early stages. But she suffered an abdominal muscle injury and needed to leave the court for treatment late in the first set.

Despite being hampered by the injury, Gavrilova raised her game at the start of the second set and broke her opponent early to go 3-1 up.

But Sharapova regained her composure and her range to reach the final.

She leads Suarez Navarro 3-1 in their head-to-head encounters but Sunday’s decider will be their first meeting on clay.

by ScoresPro.com

Italian Open: Djokovic and Sharapova to play in the finals

Italian Open: Federer and Djokovic reach semifinals

Tennis Updates:

Roger Federer kept up his pursuit of the elusive Italian Open title with a 6-3, 6-3 win over sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych on Friday to reach the semifinals of the clay-court tournament. Along with Monte Carlo, Rome is one of only two Masters series titles that the 17-time Grand Slam champion has never won.

Federer will next face either seven-time Rome champion Rafael Nadal or eigth-seeded Stan Wawrinka, who were playing in the night session at the Foro Italico.

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, was pushed to three sets for the third consecutive match in a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 win over fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori. The defending champion was also pushed the distance by Nicolas Almagro and Thomaz Bellucci in his opening two matches. Still, he extended his winning streak to 20 matches.

Djokovic let out a loud roar and threw his arms forward in a windmill action when he broke Nishikori’s serve early in the third set to take control.

Djokovic’s semifinal opponent will be seventh-seeded David Ferrer, who beat David Goffin of Belgium 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

In women’s action, second-seeded Simona Halep routed qualifier Alexandra Dulgheru 6-1, 6-0 in an all-Romanian matchup. Halep will next face 10th-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain, who eliminated last week’s Madrid Open champion Petra Kvitova 6-3, 6-2.

Under overcast skies with some rain drops falling briefly, Federer fell behind a break midway through the first set but recovered it immediately and cruised from there.

”From the baseline I was playing very well.” Federer said. ”My serve was not quite there from the beginning. I was hitting too many second serves and he was able to take advantage of that and break early. So it was important to pick it up on the serve, which is maybe the easiest thing to do.”

”I felt good again on the return and (was) moving well, so as the match went on I got better and better,” he added. ”The wind picked up in the second set – that’s when I think Tomas didn’t play so well anymore and I was able to get the job done.”

Perhaps fatigued from his three-set win over Fabio Fognini a day earlier, Berdych struggled to get his first serve in and rarely pushed Federer into long rallies.

Berdych attempted to take the initiative while serving at 3-4 in the first set but Federer produced a spectacular backhand cross-court passing shot with a flip of his wrist that left the Czech player looking on in admiration.

”I’m hitting my backhand quite well at the moment,” Federer said.

by ScoresPro.com

Italian Open: Federer and Djokovic reach semifinals

Men's EHF Cup: Fuchse Berlin - HSV Hamburg 30-27 (16-13), First international title for Fuchse Berlin

Men’s EHF Cup Final Four:

In the final game of Men’s EHF Cup Fuchse Berlin manage to win their first European title, in a good game Fuchse young guns Paul Drux and Fabian Wiede win the trophy for their team.

Fuchse Berlin (GER) vs. HSV Hamburg (GER) 30-27 (16-13)

First time in history home team manage to win Men’s EHF Cup, backed up by 8 000 home fans Fuchse manage to win their first international trophy. Fuchse better open the game and took the early lead 6-3 with 4 goals from their Russian right-back Konstantin Igropulo. But HSV quickly manage to get back and with 4 quick goals they took the lead 7-6. Fuchse tried to stop HSV changing their defense but that didn’t do much. In 19’ first shock for HSV, their defense specialist Davor Dominikovic gets a shoulder injury and had to be carried to the hospital. Without Dominikovic HSV defense concept fall apart and Fuchse quickly take the opportunity and scored 9 goals in nine minutes and get to 15-10. HSV manage to get their ranks and get on -3 on the halftime. Second half start with strong defense battles from each side. But Igropulo was unstoppable for HSV players and Fuchse manage to get on 5 goals advantage one more time. Fuchse had several opportunities to close the game but HSV goalkeeper Johannes Bitter didn’t allow that. In 24’ HSV manage to equal the score it was 21-21. In the last 15’ minutes we saw how Fuchse two young players Fabian Wiede and Paul Drux holding Fuchse in the game and at the end wining the finals.

Mahe couldnt win the game alone for HSV

Russian right-back Igropulo (6) and Nenadic (6) were the best scorers for the winner while Mahe with 10 goals was unstoppable at HSV. Unfortunately for HSV they didn’t have one more player that could help Mahe in this game.

by ScoresPro.com

 

Men's EHF Cup: Fuchse Berlin - HSV Hamburg 30-27 (16-13), First international title for Fuchse Berlin