World Sport News

I’m back !!!

22Apr09

i know it has been a long time since i last wrote but I’m back and i will regularly write now ..

cheers

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Spain claimed their first major title for 44 years after winning Euro 2008 with a deserved victory over Germany. Liverpool striker Fernando Torres was Spain’s goal hero, striking after 33 minutes when he cleverly lifted Xavi’s pass over Germany keeper Jens Lehmann.Spain dominated the final throughout, with Torres heading against the post and Marcos Senna almost adding a second from close range after 80 minutes.Michael Ballack came close for Germany, shooting narrowly wide after the break.

MATCH STATS

Germany: Lehmann, Friedrich, Metzelder, Mertesacker, Lahm (Jansen 46), Hitzlsperger (Kuranyi 58), Frings, Podolski, Ballack, Schweinsteiger, Klose (Gomez 79).
Subs Not Used: Enke, Adler, Fritz, Westermann, Rolfes, Neuville, Trochowski, Borowski, Odonkor.

Booked: Ballack, Kuranyi.

Spain: Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Puyol, Marchena, Capdevila, Senna, Iniesta, Fabregas (Alonso 63), Xavi, Silva (Santi Cazorla 66), Torres (Guiza 78).
Subs Not Used: Palop, Reina, Albiol, Fernando Navarro, Villa, Sergio Garcia, Arbeloa, Juanito, De la Red.

Booked: Casillas, Torres.

Goals: Torres 33.

Att: 51,428

Ref: Roberto Rosetti (Italy).

HIGHLIGHTS

Lack of Updates!

27Jun08

OK people, so these days are turning out to be some of the busiest days of my life. I almost have no time for blogging, so unfortunately I won’t be able to post frequently [ sorry for saying this the umpteenth time but thats the way it is 😦 ].

Hope to be back to regular blogging soon.

Cheers

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Wimbledon 2008 Update

25Jun08

MEN’S NEWS

Nadal cruised past German qualifier Andreas Beck 6-4 6-4 7-6 (7-0) in two hours 19 minutes.

Andy Murray safely negotiated his opening match at Wimbledon, but not without some nervous moments against wily Frenchman Fabrice Santoro. The British number one, seeded 12th, came through 6-3 7-5 7-6 (7-5) to set up a meeting with Xavier Malisse.

Nikolay Davydenko’s miserable Wimbledon record continued on Tuesday when the fourth seed was stunned in straight sets by Germany’s Benjamin Becker. Becker converted four of his five break points to seal a fine 6-4 6-4 6-4 win.

Two-time finalist Andy Roddick, seeded six, brushed aside the Argentine Eduardo Schwank 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7/0).

Becker, 27, was broken by Davydenko once but sent down 10 aces to help set up a match with Arnaud Clement after the Frenchman beat Jonas Bjorkman 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 7-6 (7-4).

“First round matches are always a little uncomfortable at any grand slam,” said Roddick, who is joined in the second round by ninth seed James Blake after he beat Christophe Rochus 3-6 6-3 6-1 6-4.

The unseeded Grosjean enjoyed a similarly comfortable passage, cruising to a 6-2 7-5 6-1 victory over Italy’s Potito Starace.

Paul-Henri Mathieu, seeded 14, recovered from an uncharacteristically sluggish first set to drop just four games in the subsequent three to overcome Oscar Hernandez 3-6 6-2 6-0 6-2, while Gilles Simon sailed to a 6-3 6-4 6-2 win over Dawid Olejniczak.

In the battle of the Czechs, 16th seed Radek Stepanek ousted Jan Hernych 6-3 7-5 6-0 and the unseeded Serb Viktor Troicki awaits him in round two after he beat Nicolas Lapentti, who retired hurt.

British number one Andy Murray’s French Open campaign was ended by Nicolas Almagro and the Argentine showed his talents extend beyond clay by dispensing of Marcel Granollers-Pujol in four sets.

Tommy Robredo has made only one previous appearance at SW19, which ended in a third-round defeat in 2003, but he generally seemed at ease during his 6-1 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 win against Kristof Vliegen of Belgium.

Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen was the first man through on day two when the 24th seed benefited from Wayne Odesnik’s retirement at 6-3 0-0.

Another seed to ease through his first-round match was number 27 Nicolas Kiefer, appearing at the All England Club for the 11th time.

The 30-year-old German beat Julien Benneteau 6-1 7-5 6-3 and will now play Argentina’s Martin Vassallo Arguello, a five-set winner against Ivo Minar.

Another big name to fall was number 26 seed Ivan Ljubicic. Ljubicic fought back from losing the first two sets against Jurgen Melzer, only to succumb to the unseeded German in the fifth.

WOMEN’S NEWS

Third seed Maria Sharapova shrugged off a minor second-set downturn to claim a 6-1 6-4 victory over Stephanie Foretz in the first round at Wimbledon.

Venus Williams opened her Wimbledon title defence with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 win over Naomi Cavaday, despite a spirited display from the Briton.

Second seed Jelena Jankovic also had a straightforward passage with a 6-3 6-2 win over Ukraine’s Olga Savchuk.

Meanwhile, veteran Ai Sugiyama set a new record for consecutive appearances in Grand Slam tournaments. The 32-year-old beat Yanina Wickmayer 6-4 6-2 in her 57th consecutive appearance in a Grand Slam, beating the previous record of South Africa’s Wayne Ferreira.

Another 32-year-old, 1999 champion and 25th seed Lindsay Davenport, battled through injury to record a 6-3 5-7 6-3 win over Renata Voracova.

Ninth seed Dinara Safina held off a spirited first-set challenge from Yung-Jan Chan to seal a 7-6 (10-8) 6-2 win, while Daniela Hantuchova, Vera Zvonareva and Nadia Petrova all had good workouts before sealing victories.

Fellow seeds Victoria Azarenka, Francesca Schiavone, Flavia Pennetta, Sybille Bammer and Caroline Wozniacki also progressed to the second round.

India’s Sania Mirza, the 32nd seed, recorded a scrappy 7-6 3-6 6-4 win over Colombia’s Catalina Castano as she continued her comeback from a wrist injury.

But 23rd seed Katarina Srebotnik fell to an epic 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 16-14 defeat at the hands of Germany’s Julia Goerges.

HIGHLIGHTS

Williams v Cavaday

Murray v Santoro

Full Highlights

BBC SPORT

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Tags: sports, Tennis, Wimbledon 2008, Wimbledon 2008 Update

Wimbledon 2008 Update

24Jun08

MEN’S NEWS

World no.1 Roger Federer won the first 11 points against Slovakian Dominik Hrbaty on his way to a crushing 6-3 6-2 6-2 victory.

Third seed Novak Djokovic also made progress but had to work much harder to beat Michael Berrer 7-5 2-6 6-3 6-0.

Men’s seventh seed David Nalbandian lost to world number 95 Frank Dancevic of Canada 6-4 6-2 6-4 in just 96 minutes.

Hewitt, seeded 20th, was given a stern test before beating Dutchman Robin Haase 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 6-3 6-7 (1-7) 6-2.

But 18th seed Ivo Karlovic lost 6-4 6-7 (7-4) 3-6 5-7 to Simon Stadler.

The number 30 seed Gael Monfils bowed out of Wimbledon before a ball was hit. The 21-year-old Frenchman was due to play Chris Guccione but withdrew from SW19 with a right shoulder injury.

Fifth seed David Ferrer raced into a two-set lead against Sergiy Stakhovsky before the Ukrainian retired at 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 1-3.

Mario Ancic was leading 31st seed Michael Llodra 6-4 7-6 (9-7) 2-0 when the Frenchman quit.

Marcos Baghdatis, seeded 10, moved into the second round with a 6-3 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 victory over Belgium’s Steve Darcis.

In a battle of two 33-year-olds, Sweden’s Johansson lost the first two sets to Vince Spadea before mounting a stunning comeback to win 6-7 (10-8) 6-7 (7-5) 6-3 6-4 6-3.

Tomas Berdych struggled for consistency throughout his tie against 20-year-old Evgeny Korolev, eventually seeing off the Russian, ranked 78 in the world, 4-6 6-1 6-4 3-6 7-5.

Fernando Gonzalez, the 15th seed, overcame Robby Ginepri 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 7-5 and now takes on Simone Bolelli after the Italian dispatched British wildcard Alex Bogdanovic in four sets.

Juan Carlos Ferrero, seeded 21, looked to be in trouble when he lost the first set against 20-year-old American Sam Querrey.

But the clay specialist battled back to prevail 2-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 and will now play the unseeded German Mischa Zverev, who beat Alexander Peya 6-3 6-4 6-4.

Ferrero’s fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez joined him in round two by beating Brian Dabul of Argentina 7-6 (7-1) 3-6 6-3 6-4 and now plays Roko Karanusic, a straights-sets victor over Luis Horna.

Italy’s Andreas Seppi was another seed (29) to lose his opening set, to Tobias Kamke, but he was rarely troubled thereafter and came through 5-7 6-3 6-2 6-4.

Progress was far smoother for Marat Safin, the two-time Grand Slam winner storming to a 6-1 6-2 7-6 (7-3) win against Fabio Fognini, which sets up an encounter with world number three Novak Djokovic.

The big-serving Swede Robin Soderling beat Kevin Kim 7-5 0-6 6-3 6-4 to set up a match against world number one Federer.

FULL RESULTS

Gicquel	Fra		bt	Nishikori	JPN		4-6	7-5
Tie-break Scores
Bolelli	ITA		bt	Bogdanovic	GB		7-6	4-6	6-3	7-6
Tie-break Scores							(7-4)			(7-4)
Gonzalez	Chi	15	bt	Ginepri	US		7-6	7-5	7-5
Tie-break Scores							(7-3)
Berdych	Cze	11	bt	Korolev	RUS		4-6	6-1	6-4	3-6	7-5
Tie-break Scores
Montanes	Spa		bt	Berlocq	Arg		6-3	7-6	6-4
Tie-break Scores								(7-2)
Serra	Fra		bt	Lu	Tpe		6-4	6-4	6-7	6-3
Tie-break Scores									(3-7)
Seppi	ITA	29	bt	Kamke	Ger		5-7	6-3	6-2	6-4
Tie-break Scores
Federer	Swi	1	bt	Hrbaty	SVK		6-3	6-2	6-2
Tie-break Scores
Zverev	Ger		bt	Peya	Aut		6-3	6-4	6-4
Tie-break Scores
Del potro	Arg		bt	Snobel	Cze		6-4	6-2	6-3
Tie-break Scores
Wawrinka	Swi	13	bt	Daniel	Brz		6-3	6-2	7-5
Tie-break Scores
Baghdatis	Cyp	10	bt	Darcis	Bel		6-3	6-2	6-7	6-3
Tie-break Scores									(5-7)
Johansson	Swe		bt	Spadea	US		6-7	6-7	6-3	6-4	6-3
Tie-break Scores							(8-10)	(5-7)
Bellucci	Brz		bt	Kunitsyn	RUS		7-6	7-6	3-6	6-2
Tie-break Scores							(7-5)	(7-5)
Soderling	Swe		bt	Kim	US		7-5	0-6	6-3	6-4
Tie-break Scores
Bozoljac	Ser		bt	Guccione	Aus		3-6	6-4	6-4	6-3
Tie-break Scores
Verdasco	Spa	22	bt	Kohlschreiber	Ger		6-4	6-3	6-2
Tie-break Scores
Hewitt	Aus	20	bt	Haase	Ned		6-7	6-3	6-3	6-7	6-2
Tie-break Scores							(4-7)			(1-7)
Lopez	Spa	31	bt	Dabul	Arg		7-6	3-6	6-3	6-4
Tie-break Scores							(7-1)
Petzschner	Ger		bt	Lee	KOR		6-7	6-1	6-4
Tie-break Scores							(4-7)
Andreev	RUS		bt	Vanek	Cze		6-7	7-6	6-2	6-2
Tie-break Scores							(6-8)	(7-2)
Ferrer	Spa	5	bt	Stakhovsky	UKR		7-6	6-3	1-3
Tie-break Scores							(8-6)
Djokovic	Ser	3	bt	Berrer	Ger		7-5	2-6	6-3	6-0
Tie-break Scores
Safin	RUS		bt	Fognini	ITA		6-1	6-2	7-6
Tie-break Scores									(7-3)
Stadler	Ger		bt	Karlovic	Cro	18	4-6	7-6	6-3	7-5
Tie-break Scores								(7-4)
Karanusic	Cro		bt	Horna	PER		7-6	6-3	6-1
Tie-break Scores							(7-4)
Reynolds	US		bt	Volandri	ITA		6-2	6-2
Tie-break Scores
Hanescu	Rom		bt	Falla	Col		6-3	6-7	6-0	6-4
Tie-break Scores								(2-7)
Rochus	Bel		bt	Sela	ISR		6-4	7-5	6-4
Tie-break Scores
Dancevic	Can		bt	Nalbandian	Arg	7	6-4	6-2	6-4
Tie-break Scores
Ancic	Cro		bt	Llodra	Fra	32	6-4	7-6	2-0
Tie-break Scores								(9-7)
Ferrero	Spa	21	bt	Querrey	US		2-6	6-4	6-4	6-4

WOMEN’S NEWS

Top seed Ana Ivanovic needed just 58 minutes to beat Rossana de los Rios 6-1 6-2 in her opening match at Wimbledon.

Former champion Serena Williams came through a testing clash with Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi to seal a 7-5 6-3 victory.

Fourth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia was in trouble after losing the first set against qualifier Mathilde Johansson of France.

The 2004 US Open winner was also a break down in the second, but she battled back to win 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-3.

Amelie Mauresmo, the Wimbledon champion in 2006, had no such problems and put a disappointing run of form behind her – she has slipped to 33 in the world rankings and is seeded 22nd – to beat Ashley Harkleroad 6-4 6-3.

Last year’s beaten finalist Marion Bartoli was similarly convincing in her 6-2 6-4 victory against Sabine Lisicki.

However, 12th seed Patty Schnyder of Switzerland crashed out, losing 6-4 3-6 6-1 to Australian Casey Dellacqua.

Virginie Razzano was the first seed to exit on Monday after the 27th ranked Frenchwoman lost 0-6 6-2 6-4 to Russia’s Evgeniya Rodina.

Seventeenth seed Alize Cornet, 19th seed Maria Kirilenko and Dominika Cibulkova, the 30th seed, also went out at the first stage.

Qualifier Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who at 16 is the youngest player in the women’s draw, beat France’s Cornet 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-4), China’s Jie Zheng knocked out Slovakian Cibulkova 6-4 6-3 and Vera Dushevina saw off fellow Russian Kirilenko 6-3 6-3.

Eighteenth seed Nicole Vaidisova had no such problems though, as she cruised past fellow Czech Zuzana Ondraskova 6-2 6-2.

Eighth seed Anna Chakvetadze came back from losing the first set to oust Stephanie Dubois of Canada 2-6 6-1 8-6, while 14th seed Agnieszka Radwanska, the Eastbourne champion, saw off Iveta Benesova 6-3 6-0.

Baltacha	GB		bt	Kerber	Ger		6-3	2-6	7-5
Tie-break Scores
Zheng	Chn		bt	Cibulkova	SVK	30	6-4	6-3
Tie-break Scores
Medina garrigues	Spa		bt	Yan	Chn		6-3	6-0
Tie-break Scores
Szavay	Hun	15	bt	Garbin	ITA		6-1	6-3
Tie-break Scores
Dellacqua	Aus		bt	Schnyder	Swi	12	6-4	3-6	6-1
Tie-break Scores
Parmentier	Fra		bt	Amanmuradova	Uzb		7-5	6-4
Tie-break Scores
Stosur	Aus		bt	Olaru	Rom		6-2	6-2
Tie-break Scores
Vaidisova	Cze	18	bt	Ondraskova	Cze		6-2	6-2
Tie-break Scores
Rodina	RUS		bt	Razzano	Fra	27	0-6	6-2	6-4
Tie-break Scores
Vesnina	RUS		bt	Llagostera vives	Spa		6-7	6-4	6-4
Tie-break Scores							(6-8)
Gallovits	Rom		bt	Meusburger	Aut		6-1	6-2
Tie-break Scores
Bondarenko	UKR	28	bt	South	GB		6-3	6-7	6-4
Tie-break Scores								(1-7)
Pavlyuchenkova	RUS		bt	Cornet	Fra	17	7-6	7-6
Tie-break Scores							(8-6)	(7-4)
Dechy	Fra		bt	Yuan	Chn		6-7	6-3	6-0
Tie-break Scores							(7-9)
Li	Chn		bt	Rodionova	Aus		3-6	6-0	6-1
Tie-break Scores
Ruano pascual	Spa		bt	Sequera	Ven		6-1	6-4
Tie-break Scores
Domachowska	Pol		bt	Craybas	US		6-1	3-6	6-4
Tie-break Scores
Radwanska	Pol	14	bt	Benesova	Cze		6-3	6-0
Tie-break Scores
Bartoli	Fra	11	bt	Lisicki	Ger		6-2	6-4
Tie-break Scores
Perebiynis	UKR		bt	Kvitova	Cze		6-4	0-6	6-4
Tie-break Scores
Mattek	US		bt	Bremond	Fra		5-7	6-0	6-1
Tie-break Scores
Dushevina	RUS		bt	Kirilenko	RUS	19	6-3	6-3
Tie-break Scores
Mauresmo	Fra	29	bt	Harkleroad	US		6-4	6-3
Tie-break Scores
Radwanska	Pol		bt	Zakopalova	Cze		6-1	6-4
Tie-break Scores
Williams	US	6	bt	Kanepi	Est		7-5	6-3
Tie-break Scores
Ivanovic	Ser	1	bt	De los rios	Par		6-1	6-2
Tie-break Scores
Chakvetadze	RUS	8	bt	Dubois	Can		2-6	6-1	8-6
Tie-break Scores
Kuznetsova	RUS	4	bt	Johansson	Fra		6-7	7-5	6-3
Tie-break Scores							(5-7)
Bondarenko	UKR		bt	Fujiwara	JPN		1-6	6-4	6-3
Tie-break Scores
Zahlavova strycova	Cze		bt	Pin	Fra		7-5	4-6	7-5

HIGHLIGHTS

Men’s Matches

LINK 1

Women’s Matches

LINK 1

Day One Highlights

Ivanovic’s Interview

Federer’s Interview

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Tags: sports, Tennis, Wimbledon News, Winbledon 2008 Update

Euro 2008 Update

23Jun08

Spain 0-0 Italy (4-2 penalties)
Spain beat Italy 4-2 on penalties to reach the semi-finals of Euro 2008 after a dour goalless draw in Vienna. Marcos Senna came closest in normal time when Italy keeper Gianluigi Buffon fumbled his shot on to a post. Spain keeper Iker Casillas was the hero in the shoot-out, saving from Daniele de Rossi and Antonio di Natale. Daniel Guiza saw his spot-kick saved by Buffon, but Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas slid home the crucial penalty to set up a last four clash with Russia. The game never touched the heights and penalties was an almost inevitable outcome given the approach of both sides. There will now be an intriguing backdrop to the semi-final in Vienna on Thursday, with Spain having beaten Russia – admittedly minus the inspirational Andrei Arshavin – 4-1 in a group game earlier in the competition. And it was a change of fortune for the Spanish, who have gone out of three major championships on 22 June, the World Cups of 1986 and 2002 and Euro ’96 – all in the quarter-finals on penalties. In the penalties Villa and Fabio Grosso exchanged successful penalties and Cazorla scored for Spain before Casillas saved brilliantly from De Rossi. Senna and Camoranesi scored, but when Buffon saved from Guiza Italy were back in contention – only for Casillas to repeat his heroics to stop Di Natali’s spot-kick. Fabregas, on as substitute, was left to settle the affair and calmly beat Buffon to spark wild Spanish celebrations.

HIGHLIGHTS

LINK 1

LINK 2

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Tags: Euro 2008, Euro 2008 Update, Euro News, football, Italy, Spain, sports

Massa wins in France

23Jun08

Brazilian Felipe Massa was handed victory in the French Grand Prix when Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen ran into problems with a broken exhaust. Raikkonen was in control of a race dominated by Ferrari when his right-hand exhaust cracked at half-distance. But such was Ferrari’s advantage that Raikkonen held on to second place. Jarno Trulli marked Toyota’s best race of the season with third while Lewis Hamilton was 10th after falling foul of officials for the second race in a row. It was always going to be a difficult race for the Englishman following his 10-place grid penalty for crashing into the back of Raikkonen in the pits in the previous race in Canada. But the 23-year-old made it even harder for himself by cutting the Nurburgring chicane in the process of passing Toro Rosso’s Sebastian Vettel as he sought to make up places on the opening lap. That led to a drive-through penalty, the most lenient punishment available to the stewards for the offence, which cost him any realistic chance of scoring points. Trulli dedicated his win to former Toyota team boss Ove Andersson, who was killed in a rally accident last week. Red Bull’s Mark Webber held off the Renaults of Nelson Piquet Jr, having his most competitive race of the season, and Fernando Alonso for sixth place. Alonso lost seventh to his team-mate, who scored his first points of the season, when he ran wide with two laps to go while lapping Force India’s Adrian Sutil. The win, Massa’s third of the season, puts him into the lead of the championship, two points clear of Robert Kubica, with Raikkonen a further three adrift.

Official result of French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours:

1 Felipe Massa (Brz) Ferrari one hour 31 minutes 50.245 seconds
2. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 17.984 seconds
3. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota +28.250
4. Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) McLaren-Mercedes +28.929
5. Robert Kubica (Pol)BMW Sauber +30.512
6. Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull-Renault +40.304
7. Nelson Piquet (Brz) Renault +41.033
8. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault +43.372
9. David Coulthard (GB) Red Bull-Renault +51.072
10. Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren-Mercedes +54.521
11. Timo Glock (Ger) Toyota +57.738
12. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Toro Rosso-Ferrari +58.065
13. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber +1:02.079
14. Rubens Barrichello (Brz) Honda one lap behind
15. Kazuki Nakajima (Jpn) Williams-Toyota one lap
16. Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams-Toyota 1 lap
17. Sebastien Bourdais (Fra) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1 lap
18. Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Force India-Ferrari 1 lap
19. Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India-Ferrari 1 lap
R Jenson Button (GB) Honda 16 laps completed

Fastest lap: Raikkonen, one minute 16.630 seconds, lap 16

Key: R = retired

HIGHLIGHTS

POST RACE [Video]

Filed under: Formula One | 1 Comment
Tags: Ferrari, Formula One, French GP 2008, Hamilton, Magny-Cours, Massa, Mclaren, News, Raikkonen, sports, Toyota, Trulli

Euro 2008 Update

22Jun08

Netherlands 1-3 Russia (aet)

Russia’s Andrei Arshavin was the architect as they dumped Netherlands out of Euro 2008 after extra time. Russia took the lead in normal time when Roman Pavlyuchenko volleyed home, only for Ruud van Nistelrooy to head in an 86th-minute leveller for the Dutch. But the brilliant Arshavin tormented Netherlands throughout and he crossed for Dmitri Torbinski to prod home. Arshavin then sealed a semi-final spot in the 116th minute as he ran through and fired low past Edwin van der Sar. Russia almost had to play with 10 men in extra time after Denis Kolodin was sent off by Lubos Michel in stoppage time, only for the referee to reverse his decision after a chat with one of his assistants. It was the first European Championship quarter-final that did not have to be decided by penalties after going into extra time and was just reward for another spellbinding performance from the young Russians and their destroyer-in-chief Arshavin. The 27-year-old, who missed Russia’s first two Euro 2008 games through suspension, was in electric form and as Netherlands tired in the extra period, they could not get near him. It was a triumph too for Russia’s Dutch coach Guus Hiddink and his side will now meet either Spain or Italy in Vienna on Thursday in the semi-finals.
BBC SPORT

HIGHLIGHTS

LINK 1

LINK 2

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Tags: Euro 2008, Euro 2008 Update, Euro News, football, Holland, Netherlands, News, Russia, sports

The front row is painted red!

22Jun08

Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa will start Sunday’s French Grand Prix from the front row in Magny-Cours. Finn Raikkonen secured pole position with a lap of one minute, 16.449 seconds, with Massa 0.041 secs behind. McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, demoted 10 places after a pit-lane crash in Montreal, will start from 13th after finishing third in a time of 1:16.693. Team-mate Heikki Kovalainen was given a five-place penalty for blocking Mark Webber and now starts in 10th. Renault’s Fernando Alonso and Toyota’s Jarno Trulli will share the second row. Kovalainen had been set to start in fifth but was later hit by a penalty for impeding Webber when the Australian was on his fast lap. Championship leader, BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica, will now occupy fifth on the grid. The BMW Saubers struggled for pace at the Circuit de Nevers, with Kubica’s team-mate Nick Heidfeld only narrowly avoiding being dumped out in the first qualifying session before having to settle for 11th on the grid. The Red Bulls of Mark Webber and David Coulthard delivered another consistent performance to start in sixth and seventh ahead of Toyota’s Timo Glock and Renault’s Nelson Piquet.

Qualifying results for the French Grand Prix

1. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1m 16.449
2. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1:16.490
3. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1:16.693 *
4. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault 1:16.840
5. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Toyota 1:16.920
6. Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) McLaren 1:16.944 **
7. Robert Kubica (Poland) BMW Sauber 1:17.037
8. Mark Webber (Australia) RedBull – Renault 1:17.233
9. David Coulthard (Britain) RedBull – Renault 1:17.426
10. Timo Glock (Germany) Toyota 1:17.596
11. Nelson Piquet (Brazil) Renault 1:15.770
12. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) BMW Sauber 1:15.786
13. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Toro Rosso – Ferrari 1:15.816
14. Sebastien Bourdais (France) Toro Rosso – Ferrari 1:16.045
15. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Williams – Toyota 1:16.235 *
16. Kazuki Nakajima (Japan) Williams – Toyota 1:16.243
17. Jenson Button (Britain) Honda 1:16.306
18. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Honda 1:16.330
19. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Force India – Ferrari 1:16.971
20. Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India – Ferrari 1:17.053

* = will be demoted 10 places on the grid

** = will be demoted five places on the grid

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Euro 2008 Update

21Jun08

Croatia 1-1 Turkey (1-3 penalties)

Turkey will meet Germany in the Euro 2008 semi-final after beating Croatia 3-1 on penalties after a dramatic extra-time finale in Vienna. Ivan Klasnic headed Croatia in front with seconds left – only for Turkey’s Semih Senturk to volley the equaliser with the last kick of the game.Arda Turan, Semih and Hamit Altintop scored in the shoot-out for Turkey.Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic missed for Croatia and Turkey keeper Rustu saved the deciding kick from Mladen Petric. It was astonishing finish to a dreadful game, especially for Turkey keeper Rustu, who made an awful error that looked to have given Crotia victory before his free-kick set up Semih for the leveller as referee Roberto Rosetti prepared to blow the final whistle. Croatia coach Slaven Bilic, who had celebrated what he thought was a famous victory with his players only seconds earlier, could not lift his deflated players and they looked a beaten side even before the penalty shoot-out. Turkey, in contrast grasped the lifeline and Euro 2008’s great survivors and late show specialists were through again, having led matches for only nine minutes in the entire tournament. They face a huge task against Germany, however, after losing Arda, Tuncay Sanli and Emre Asik to suspensions after they were given yellow cards – and with keeper Volkan Demirel already out in similar circumstance. But Fatih Terim’s side must believe destiny is on their side after another remarkable escape act to follow their last-minute win against the Czech Republic that put them in the last eight.