James Blake

INDIANAPOLIS, USA, July 21--Top seed James Blake and two-time winner Andy Roddick were both put to stern tests before earning victories and places in the RCA Championships quarterfinals on Thursday, reported Reuters.
Blake, who had never been past the first round at the event in three previous appearances, ended the run of Wesley Whitehouse, defeating the South African qualifier 6-7 6-3 6-4.
Second seed Roddick labored to a 7-6 7-5 third-round victory over hard-hitting fellow American Jeff Morrison.
“I felt I played well all night,“ Roddick told reporters. “But on every window of opportunity I had, he came up with a huge serve or a great volley.
“I played some of my best stuff this year, but I barely got the win. I was fortunate.“
The 2003 and 2004 champion was out-aced 12 to nine by Morrison, who played well above his 183rd ranking.
World number six Blake was broken after a double-fault while serving for victory at 5-2 in the final set, but the American steadied to finally lift the win on the back of 19 aces and four breaks of serve.
The loss ended a career-best run for 512th-ranked qualifier Whitehouse, who upset Marat Safin a day earlier.
Titleholder Robby Ginepri missed a second-set match point but stepped up the pressure to finally defeat Russian Igor Kunitsyn 6-2 6-7 6-1.
The 17th-ranked Ginepri now stands a modest 8-16 this season a year after winning his second career title at Indianapolis.
Third-seeded Fernando Gonzalez of Chile overcame American number 14 Vince Spadea 6-4 7-6. Belgian ninth seed Xavier Malisse out-duelled Russian Dmitry Tursunov, the number seven, 7-6 3-6 6-3.
Eighth-seeded 2003 finalist Paradorn Srichaphan got out of a 2-4 deficit in his third set against Paul Goldstein, overcoming the American 5-7 6-3 7-6 as he saved three match points.

ZURICH, Switzerland, July 21--Former France captain Zinedine Zidane and Italy defender Marco Materazzi were both fined and banned by FIFA on Thursday after the head-butting incident that marred the World Cup final on July 9.
Zidane, who has retired as a player, was fined 7,500 Swiss francs ($6,014) and handed a three-match ban by FIFA’s five-man disciplinary committee following his red card for head-butting Materazzi, Reuters reported.
As he is no longer a player, he offered to undertake three days of community service on FIFA’s behalf as part of their humanitarian activities, which the committee accepted.
The Italian defender, who admitted insulting Zidane, provoking the Frenchman’s head-butt, was handed a two-match ban and fined 5,000 Swiss francs ($4,010). He attended a hearing last Friday, but his sentence has been fiercely criticized in Italy.
The bans apply to international competitive matches, even though it is a symbolic ban for Zidane who has confirmed he has no intention of reversing his decision to quit the game.
Materazzi will miss Italy’s opening two Euro 2008 qualifiers against Lithuania on September 2 and, ironically, France on September 6.
FIFA said in a statement: “Zinedine Zidane has agreed to do community service work with children and youngsters. “As Zidane has now retired from international football, the committee took note of Zidane’s pledge to do three days of community service work with children and youngsters as part of FIFA’s humanitarian activities.
“In their statements, both players stressed that Materazzi’s comments had been defamatory but not of a racist nature.
“During the course of their hearings both players also apologized to FIFA for their inappropriate behavior and expressed their regret at the incident.“
FIFA spokesman Andreas Herren told around 50 reporters at FIFA’s headquarters: “Both players have a congruent separate account of what was said. The words will remain private, but they were of an insulting nature, not a racist nature.“

FLoyd Landis rides during the 17th stage of the Tour de France from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Morzine, Thursday. (AFP Photo)

MORZINE, France, July 21--Written off as hopeless just a day earlier, Floyd Landis needed a once-in-a-lifetime ride Thursday to revive his sagging chances of victory in the Tour de France, AP reported.
Did he ever deliver. With a sensational display of brio and guts in the style of seven-time Tour champion Lance Armstrong, the American put himself back in the title hunt with a solo win in the last Alpine stage.
The astonishing rebound silenced nay-sayers--including Landis himself--who believed his chances to win on Sunday were doomed after he lost more than 8 minutes to the race leader in a punishing stage just 24 hours earlier.
“I was very, very disappointed yesterday for a little while,“ Landis said. “Today I thought I could show that at least I would keep fighting.
“No matter what-- whether I win or lose--I wanted to prove to my team that I deserved to be the leader,“ he said. “I didn’t expect it to work quite that well.“
Sensing his rivals would be relatively depleted, Landis pedaled like a man possessed--going all out for his Phonak squad.
In the first climb, Landis brashly spurted ahead of Oscar Pereiro, wearing the yellow jersey, and other key Tour contenders--catching then overtaking a breakaway group that had gotten ahead earlier.
“I took a long shot,“ he said, “but after all those hard mountain stages you can usually assume that people are tired and chasing doesn’t work so well.“
One by one, he left them all behind.
Landis, who rides with an injured hip, pumped his right fist in celebration as he crossed the finish of the 124.3-mile ride--the last stage in the Alps--in 5 hours, 23 minutes, 36 seconds.

Justin Langer, seen here in March 2004, broke legendary West Indies batsman Viv Richards's Somerset record score when he made 342 against Surrey at Guildford in the County Championship. (AFP File Photo)

LONDON, July 21--Justin Langer broke legendary West Indies batsman Viv Richards’s Somerset record score when he made 342 against Surrey at Guildford in the County Championship on Thursday, AFP reported.
Australia opener Langer resumed on his overnight score of 234 not out but, after more than 10 hours at the crease, was eventually dimissed when he was caught at long-on by Neil Sarkar off former England leg-spinner Ian Salisbury.
In all the 35-year-old left-hander faced 416 balls with two sixes and 43 fours after passing Richards’s 322, Somerset’s previous highest individual score.
The West Indian set his mark in 1985 against Warwickshire at Taunton.
On Wednesday Langer, in what was set to be his final match in England before returning home, broke the highest ever individual score at Guildford, beating the previous best of 228 recorded by Darren Bicknell in 1995.
“Justin simply continued playing like he did on Wednesday,“ said Somerset director of cricket Brian Rose.
“He never looked like getting out until he did. It was a tremendous effort of concentration by a player who understands his game perfectly.
“I was there when Sir Viv scored his 322 and remember him murdering their attack. Justin is a different type of batsman. He knows his strengths and the shots he’s not so proficient at.
“Those shots he simply doesn’t play and he’s a wonderful example to our younger players.“
Langer was just a boundary away from beating Charlie McCartneys 345 for the Australians against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in 1921, the record score by an Australian in England, when he was dismissed.
Langer’s was the tenth highest score in all first-class cricket in England.

MADRID, Spain,
July 21--Barcelona have signed a deal with troubled Serie A club Juventus for Italy defender Gianluca Zambrotta and France defender Lilian Thuram, the Primera Liga club said on their website on Thursday, Reuters reported.
Zambrotta, 29, has agreed a four-year contract while 34-year-old Thuram has negotiated a two-year deal.
Spanish media have reported that Barca will pay 14 million euros ($23.74 million) for the Italian and five million for the Frenchman.
They become the European and Spanish champions’ second and third new recruits in the close season after Icelandic striker Eidur Gudjohnsen joined from Chelsea.
World Cup winner Zambrotta, who has 58 caps for Italy, was under contract to Juve until 2010. The fullback can play on either side of defense.
He joined Juve as a right-sided midfielder from Bari in 1999 but was converted to a left back by former Juve coach Marcello Lippi, who continued to use him in that role when he took over the Italian national team.
Thuram has won a record 121 caps with France and announced his international retirement after losing in the World Cup final to Italy earlier this month.
A key member of the French side that won the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000, Thuram can play in the center of defense or at right back.
A former Monaco and Parma player, Thuram has won four league titles with Juventus alongside team mate Zambrotta.
Juventus have been involved in a match-fixing scandal in Italy and last week were ordered to start next season in Serie B on minus 30 points by a tribunal investigating the case.
Zambrotta and Thuram will join up with the Barcelona squad in time for next month’s pre-season tour of the United States and Mexico.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid are targeting another three signings following the arrival of Juventus pair Emerson and Fabio Cannavaro, coach Fabio Capello said on Thursday.
“We have five objectives. Two are completed and we’ll have to see how the others go. There is no rush,“ Capello told a news conference at the club’s training camp in Austria.
Italy’s World Cup-winning captain Cannavaro, 32, and Brazilian midfielder Emerson, 30, agreed to join Real from troubled Italian club Juventus on Wednesday.
Real did not disclose the cost of the deal but Spanish media said they would pay about 20 million euros ($24.99 million) for the pair.
The two players will be reunited with former Juve coach Capello, who took charge of nine-time European champions Real earlier this month.

LONDON, July 21--Dennis Bergkamp believes this coming season will see Arsenal push London rivals and reigning champions Chelsea all the way for the Premiership title.
The Dutchman, who called time on his 11-year career with the Gunners at the end of last term, believes Chelsea are vulnerable despite the arrival of Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko at Stamford Bridge, AFP reported.
“I think last year gave a lot of teams some confidence because Chelsea dropped points here and there and lost a few games they weren’t expected to,“ Bergkamp said ahead of his testimonial match at Arsenal’s new Emirates Stadium this weekend.
“Liverpool, Manchester United and us will be up there this year as well. There is more of a chance for the other teams this year than in the last two years,“ the 37-year-old added.
“They’ve bought Shevchenko and they already have the likes of (Didier) Drogba, but you can’t play them all. You can have six world-class strikers, but you can only play two, or maybe three, at a time.
“From us being favorites two years ago it’s different now, and maybe we are not favourites anymore.
“But I feel with this team, every year they are getting stronger and stronger, they are more experienced and many of them played in the World Cup, and if they can bring that to this team I really think they can challenge,“ the Dutch master explained.
“Last season our Champions League run gave us a lot of confidence and at times we took that into the league.
“And with a good pre-season and a good start they can build on that and keep it going again. They have the experience, it’s not new to them.“
Bergkamp also said he wanted Ashley Cole to stay with Arsenal, following increased speculation concerning the England left-back’s future.

MELBOURNE, Australia, July 21-Assistant coach Graham Arnold will take interim charge of the Australian national team for the next two Asian Cup qualifying matches, Football Federation Australia said on Friday, Reuters reported.
Arnold, who was assistant to coach Guus Hiddink during the World Cup finals in Germany, will take charge of the Socceroos for the matches against Kuwait in Sydney on August 16 and Lebanon in Adelaide on August 31. Dutchman Hiddink left his post to take up the coaching position with the Russian Federation after Australia were eliminated in the second round by eventual champions Italy.
FFA, who said Arnold’s appointment would assist continuity, made no comment on its search for a full-time successor to Hiddink.

NEW YORK, July 21--Undefeated Dmitry Salita ended a four-month layoff by stopping Shad Howard, a last-minute replacement, at 1:42 of the fifth round of a scheduled 10-round welterweight fight Thursday night, Reuters reported.
Howard, of Russelville, Mo., did not arrive at Manhattan Center until one hour before the scheduled 11 p.m start of the fight because his flight was delayed in Chicago.
He was replacing James Wayka, of Mount View, Minn., who was jailed in his home state Wednesday for nonpayment of child support, according to the fight’s promoters.
Salita, of Brooklyn, NY who weighed 146 pounds, recorded his 15th knockout and raised his record to 25-0-1. Howard, also 146 pounds, dropped to 12-8-3.
Salita’s last fight was a draw with Ramon Montana in March.
In another bout, Marcos Timera recovered from a punch to the groin in the sixth round to stop previously undefeated Curtis Stevens at 2:24 of the eighth round and win the WBC youth super middleweight championship.
Timera, 164 1/2 pounds, a native of Venezuela who lives in North Carolina, needed five minutes to recover from the low blow. After an uneventful seventh round, Timera sent Stevens, 164 1/2 , to the canvas in the eighth with a flurry of lefts and rights to the head and referee Randy Newman stopped the fight.
Timera improved to 20-15-2 with 13 knockouts. Stevens, of Brooklyn, who was ahead on all three judges cards when the fight was stopped, dropped to 13-1.