Nadal eyes 10th French title after stylish opening May 26, 2015 WORLD No7 Rafael Nadal began his quest for a 10th French Open title by cruising past French wildcard Quentin Halys in his first-round tie at Roland Garros yesterday. Defending champion Nadal brushed aside the teenager 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 50 minutes and will now face fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro for a place [...]
Watford set to replace Jokanovic as managerial chaos continues May 26, 2015 PREMIER League-bound Watford are set to replace manager Slavisa Jokanovic with Getafe boss Quique Sanchez Flores despite the former Chelsea midfielder guiding the Hornets to English football’s top flight. Watford are understood to have made an official approach for Flores, who won the 2010 Europa League while in charge of Atletico Madrid after beginning his [...]
Gosden’s pair primed to give trainer second Investec Derby May 26, 2015 PATRICK CALLAGHAN REPORTS FROM YESTERDAY’S BREAKFAST WITH THE STARS EVENT AT EPSOM THE successful rekindling of the partnership between John Gosden and Frankie Dettori has been one of the stories of the season. And the first-named holds all the aces ahead of the Investec Derby at Epsom on Saturday 6 June as he looks to [...]
Legatissimo bidding for Classic history in the Investec Oaks May 26, 2015 KAZZIA was the last filly to complete the 1,000 Guineas/Oaks double back in 2002 and the first since 1990. However, at Breakfast with the Stars, David Wachman gave a bullish bulletin on Legatissimo, who won going away at Newmarket earlier this month and is generally 7/2 to follow up at Epsom on Friday week. Wachman [...]
Arsenal 2014/2015 player stats: How do Santi Cazorla, Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott compare against each other? May 26, 2015 In many ways, it was a familiar campaign for Arsenal. Some new heroes were bought (Alexis Sanchez) and others were discovered (Francis Coquelin) but many of the season’s storylines remained the same. A poor start quickly put paid to any serious attempt at the title, while Arsene Wenger’s men only managed one win against other [...]
Tapping into a priceless showcase for sport: MasterCard’s Mark Barnett wants the World Cup to pay off for rugby and his brand May 25, 2015 For those of a certain age, the day that Erica Roe streaked at Twickenham during an England-Australia rugby international is a sporting image to rival anything that the greats of that generation, from Duckham to Underwood, Beaumont to Carling, achieved on the field of play. For Mark Barnett, president in the UK and Ireland for [...]
Cook focused on present as England thrill May 25, 2015 TEST skipper Alastair Cook insists that England’s thrilling 124-run demolition of New Zealand at Lord’s yesterday is the perfect antidote to the turbulence which has blighted his side on and off the pitch during the past 18 months. The touring Black Caps were dismissed for 220 with 9.3 overs of the fifth and final day [...]
Championship: Neil: Canaries can soar in top flight May 25, 2015 MIDDLESBROUGH 0 NORWICH 2 NORWICH manager Alex Neil believes his side can thrive in the Premier League next season after he wrote the latest chapter in his remarkable ascent by masterminding victory in the Championship play-off yesterday. Two goals in the space of three first-half minutes from striker Cameron Jerome and winger Nathan Redmond saw [...]
Victorious Murray revels in Grand Slam nerves May 25, 2015 BRITAIN’S Andy Murray admitted he thrived on the nervous tension before breezing through to the second round of the French Open with a commanding victory over Argentine qualifier Facundo Arguello yesterday. Third seed Murray was rarely troubled by world No139 Arguello during his straight-sets 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 success, dispatching his opponent in one hour and [...]
Strauss ready to name Bayliss as new head coach May 25, 2015 ENGLAND are set to appoint Trevor Bayliss as their new head coach after the Australian emerged as director of cricket Andrew Strauss’s preferred candidate to succeed the sacked Peter Moores. Yorkshire’s county championship-winning coach Jason Gillespie was believed to be the frontrunner for the position after holding productive talks with Strauss last week, but he [...]