Fedex beats Murray to set up Nadal semi

MELBOURNE: Roger Federer fought back from a mid-match stumble against Andy Murray Wednesday to set up a classic Australian Open semifinal with Rafael Nadal, as women's champion Victoria Azarenka became the latest star to fall.

After Nadal battled through an unexpectedly tough quarterfinal with Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov, Federer showed both his vintage best and his fallibility in beating Murray 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3.

The Swiss great was electric in the first two sets but he tightened as he neared the finishing line, and was broken when serving for the win before passing up two match points in the third-set tiebreaker.

However, he extended Murray in a 19-minute hold at the start of the fourth set, then got the crucial break for 5-3 and, after setting up a third match point, he grabbed the opportunity with an ace.

"I thought Andy did well, he kept the ball in play and put the pressure on me and unfortunately I couldn't get it done in the third set, with either the serve or the forehand missing. So I am happy to get the win in four," Federer said.

"I am much higher than I was last year and that's very satisfying just because I have confidence in my movement."

Federer, in his 11th consecutive Australian Open semifinal, will face the man who has become his Grand Slam nemesis, winning their last five encounters at major tournaments.

But a day after Novak Djokovic's three-year Melbourne reign was halted by Stanislas Wawrinka, Nadal also flirted with disaster before getting out of jail against rising Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.

The 13-time Grand Slam champion, troubled by a huge blister on his racquet hand, went a set down against the exciting young prospect and, facing set points in the third, he was tottering.

But Dimitrov, 22, went just long on the first set point and Nadal saved another before the Bulgarian gave him a one-set lead when, gifted an easy winner off a net cord, he ballooned his forehand out.

"I was so lucky," admitted the Spaniard, who ran out a 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (9/7), 6-2 winner to set up a meeting with Federer in his 22nd Grand Slam semifinal.

Djokovic's defeat by Wawrinka, who will play Tomas Berdych in the other semi, ensures that one of them will be able to challenge either Nadal or Federer for their maiden Grand Slam title.

"I'm a bit shattered," said Dimitrov, after his title hopes slipped away. "It's tough losing that match, my first (Grand Slam) quarterfinal. I came out expecting nothing less than to win."

The women's contest has been even more up-ended and there was an air of resignation rather than shock when Azarenka tamely followed Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova out of the tournament.

The Belarusian world number two was unbeaten in two years at Melbourne Park but she was comprehensively dismantled by an inspired Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 5-7, 6-0.

"I'll be fine tomorrow. I'll be working tomorrow. It's not the end of the world. But I'm not happy with what I did today," said Azarenka.

It ends a sometimes unhappy run of 18 wins at the tournament for Azarenka, whose loud grunting and perceived gamesmanship has earned her critics as well as fans in Melbourne.

But it was a major scalp for Radwanska, who had lost all seven previous meetings with the Belarusian, and now goes into a semifinal with Slovak 20th seed Dominika Cibulkova.

"It's hard to play someone I lost (to) so many times before. I knew she's a great player. Especially here, she was playing amazing tennis," said Radwanska.

The upset also ensures the tournament will have a new women's champion with none of the semifinalists -- Radwanska, Cibulkova, Li Na and Eugenie Bouchard -- having won before.

Cibulkova reached only her second Slam semifinal when she also won against a favoured opponent in fast-rising Romanian Simona Halep.

Halep is set to break the top 10 in next week's new rankings, but she froze in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal as the energetic Cibulkova dominated 6-3, 6-0 in one hour exactly.

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Fedex beats Murray to set up Nadal semi

NEW DELHI: World number six Roger Federer proved that he is back to his best as he defeated Britain's Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 to advance to the Australian Open semifinals.

17-time Grand Slam winner set up a last four clash with Rafael Nadal, who fought off a big challenge from rising Bulgarian star Grigor Dimitrov in the quarterfinals.

The pair have faced first time since Murray's five-set semifinal win at last year's Australian Open - the only time the Scot has beaten Federer in four Grand Slam encounters.

Federer won the latest of his record 17 Grand Slam tournaments at Wimbledon 2012 and has not reached a major final since.

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Force India unveil new look for 2014

PARIS: Force India on Wednesday became the first Formula One team to reveal their new car for the 2014 season.

Or at least a partial glimpse, as the team backed by Vijay Mallya released a single photograph of the VJM07 on their official website.

The new car, which will be driven by Mexico's Sergio Perez, dropped by McLaren after one season, and Nico Hulkenberg, is kitted out in traditional Indian colours of saffron, white and green on a black background.

"I've always believed our cars have been the most eye-catching, but adding black as a main colour gives us a fierce new look," said Mallya.

"The VJM07 looks stunning and the new livery reflects the way Sahara Force India is evolving," added the boss of the Kingfisher brewery.

Force India, along with their rival teams (apart from Lotus), will start testing at Spain's Jerez circuit next week.

Further internet glimpses of 2014 models are expected from McLaren, Ferrari and Sauber over the coming weekend.

Red Bull, Mercedes and Caterham are waiting until the start of testing on Tuesday to roll out their new models.

Force India finished sixth in the constructors' championship in 2013 and the British-based team has their sights on bettering that performance this campaign.

Mallya told the BBC: "We've got to aim higher than last year. It's an ambitious goal, but I believe it's a realistic one because we have to look forward and take the fight to the teams ahead of us.

"We have the key elements in place to continue moving forward." The 2014 season, which ushers in a sweeping set of rule changes, begins with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 16.

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Time is up for Yuvraj, Zaheer: Morrison

MUMBAI: He picked up a hat-trick against India in an ODI in '94 and at times, swung the ball like a banana during his heydays, but in his 'second innings,' Danny Morrison is known more for his enthusiastic commentary style during the IPL than as a former New Zealand fast bowler.

"You have to be animated, because the IPL is all about razzmatazz. It is fast and furious. It is a different genre- vibrant and loud as opposed to Test cricket. In a way, it's bigger than the World Cup," he shoots off.

Currently in India as an expert in the studio for Sony Six, which is telecasting India's tour to New Zealand live, Morrison took time out for an exclusive interview. Excerpts:

Should Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan been here for ODIs?

I don't think so. They are great players, but unfortunately, time is up for both of them. You have got to look at the 2015 World Cup and start developing players for the future.

Why is India struggling with the ball in New Zealand?

I'm not upset about this attack. Mohammad Shami and Bhuvneshvar Kumar have impressed me. You've run into Corey Anderson, who's in-form, confident, and striking the ball well. For the spinners, it is a tough learning curve, because they are used to bowling at a different pace in India. The modern bats, two new-ball rule and Power Plays make it worse. Remember, the Kiwis are much better in their own backyard.

Ishant Sharma is in horrible form...

Ishant is under-confident and out of form. He is going through a transition. Since he isn't as quick as he used to be, he has become a first change bowler, and has a different role to play now. He has lost his yorker. He is not bowling in the right areas. He need to bowl the 'Glenn McGrath length.'

Tell us about Adam Milne and Corey Anderson- two latest sensations...

Milne has pace. He is exciting, young and raw. It's a shame he's injured and out of this series. Anderson made his debut in First Class cricket when he was 16. He could fill the void left by Chris Cairns in the New Zealand team. He is a specialist No 6, who hits the miles over the fence, and plays proper cricket shots too. He is scoring runs against India at the perfect time. All the franchises would want him now! He's perfect for T20 cricket.

Is it a bad idea to persist with Suresh Raina outside India, knowing he struggles with the short ball?

Look, in a 50 over-game, with two white balls in use, you can expect around 50 short balls. If Raina struggles in the next two games too, they'll surely have a look at it, because India are going be touring abroad for a year-and-a-half. Maybe, they can try someone like Cheteshwar Pujara instead.

India, England and Australia are seeking greater control of world cricket. Will that be good for the sport?

Don't jump to any conclusion here. The strength of the game lies in these countries, though I can understand South Africa's concern. Look, the landscape of the game has changed dramatically. There is the IPL, BBL, the historical Ashes. Unfortunately this may mean that these nations play a two-Test series against smaller nations. But it not a case of India cracking the whip and owning the game. See, 80 percent of revenue is generated from this part of the world. Cricket is a religion here.

Will a two-tier system work for Test cricket?

It will be a shame if the smaller nations can't play at the big venues— for example Bangladesh won't be able to play at Lord's. But one can understand why it is being mulled. Let's wait and see. It's surely not about three bullies muscling in and leaving scraps for the rest!

Is the two new-ball rule cruel on the bowlers?

Perhaps, the lawmakers want ball staying white and disappearing over the fence all the time!

Can India bounce back in this series?

India have the batting explosiveness to chase down big scores. They are a stronger side, but the Kiwis are playing a nice brand of cricket. This series will go down the wire. If they are able to beat a top side, it will mean a lot to New Zealand.

Should the Decision Review System (DRS) be made mandatory?

The DRS is still a developing thing. After their first-time experience with it, I can understand why India are skeptical about it. We know that a cricket ball can do funny things, and the lbw decision is subjective. You can argue till the cows come home. Until they get it closer to 98 per cent accuracy, India are going to question it. According to me, now that you've let technology in, there's no going back. My argument is that ICC needs to find a sponsor for it, and own it, so that TV production units need not pay for it. That ways, even the less powerful board can use it. It would remove the element of bias while using the technology too! But you do need it. People pay to watch sport these days, and they want to see a correct decision, rather than a shocker.

Who's a better pace-Dale Steyn or Mitchell Johnson?

It's a no-brainer. Steyn is more consistent. His record proves that. Johnson has great self-belief at the moment. He's moved to Perth and spent time with Dennis Lille, who is an inspiring character. Craig McDermott (Aus bowling coach) deserves credit for his success too. He made the difference in the Ashes.

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High-profile IPL 7 likely to stay in India

NEW DELHI: Despite talk of a part of IPL 7 moving out of the country, the high-profile tournament may be hosted at home after all as the BCCI has received a positive response from the Union home ministry.

With general elections set to clash with the world's biggest T20 extravaganza, the franchises may not be able to play all their home matches in their own cities. They will, however, get to host games at 'neutral venues'.

According to insiders, nothing has been conveyed to the teams so far, but this is the tacit understanding BCCI officials have reportedly reached after interacting with the government.

"IPL is here to stay and if after every five years there is talk about taking the league abroad due to general elections, it's not good for the stakeholders. This has to end somewhere," a source told TOI.

It was also suggested that BCCI is going to use all possible grounds in India. There are 23 ODI venues in the country and the board plans to use each and every one of them.

Don't be surprised if Delhi Daredevils play their home matches in Dharamsala and Raipur. Last year, 12 grounds were used for IPL matches.

The foreign idea has not been done away with completely. Another source pointed out that shifting a few matches out of India could still be possible if IPL finds it tough to sort out the match schedules.

Some of the politicians who are with BCCI are against IPL going out of the country. Most team owners had also expressed their wish to play the event in India, at the IPL workshop held in Singapore last November.

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Mumbai to be one of franchises in IPTL

MELBOURNE: Five teams, including Mumbai, will compete in the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) with Australian ace Lleyton Hewitt also confirming his participation in the inaugural edition.

The matches of the league, brainchild of Indian tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi, will be played in Bangkok, Singapore, Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur and in a middle east city, the name of which has not been announced yet.

Leading players in world tennis, including Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams along with some legendary former players are expected to feature in the first season, scheduled between November 28 and December 20 with teams playing each other home and away.

The players auction has been scheduled for March 2 in the United Arab Emirates.

"We are happy to announce today, the ownership of teams. We have been working relentlessly to formulate and deliver a concept that not only meets global expectations of excellence, but also provides quality tennis coupled with entertainment for fans. With this, we confirmed team owners in five of Asia's biggest markets," Bhupathi, co-founder of the IPTL, said at a press conference.

Bhupathi added that each team will have a salary cap of $10 million. He also said that name of the team owners will be announced soon. Each team will have a minimum of six and maximum of 10 players.

Speaking about the initiative, Hewitt said, "I have heard of the many ideas being added to the League and I am excited to have confirmed my participation. I wait to see whose team I am on, I do not have any preferences as I know there are a lot of fans waiting to see world class tennis in all cities."

"This is something that tennis needs. Back in my time, we would have loved to have a series of tournaments in Asia, where the demand for world class tennis as an entertainment concept merges with the needs and wishes of millions of fans." says Boris Becker, co-founder of the IPTL.

International TV rights agency MP and Silva, which holds part of the television rights for 2014 FIFA World Cup, the English Premier League and French Open amongst other globally prominent sporting events, have acquired the rights to the IPTL.

They will be distributing the images of the league on a world wide platform according to Morgan Menahem CEO of the IPTL.

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Djokovic knocked out of Australian Open

MELBOURNE: A brilliant Stanislas Wawrinka ended Novak Djokovic's three-year reign at Melbourne Park on Tuesday, closing out a five-set classic at a heaving Rod Laver Arena to sensationally dump the Serb from the Australian Open quarterfinals.

Heartbroken by Djokovic in two five-set epics in Melbourne and the US Open last year, the eighth-seeded Swiss played out of his skin to upset his Grand Slam nemesis 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7 in an exhilarating four hours.

Wawrinka stayed cool in a deciding set of unrelenting tension, sealing it when the former world number one pushed a shot wide on match point.

His triumph blew the tournament wide open, setting up a semi-final with Czech Tomas Berdych while snapping the Serb's 28-match winning streak.

"He's an amazing champion, he never gives up. I'm really, really, really happy," Wawrinka said in a courtside interview.

"I was really focused point after point. I had to stay aggressive, not to give up. I was tired, I was cramping a bit, I was nervous too. But now I'm going to have an ice bath for a very long time.

"Last year was really tough, this year it's a new year."

Wawrinka's bid to claim a maiden Melbourne Park semi-final appearance started nervously as he notched a trio of unforced errors to gift the Serb the opening break in the sixth game.

Djokovic knuckled down to hold serve and prised two set points off his opponent's serve.

The Swiss saved one but was powerless to save the second as a jet-heeled Djokovic rushed in to retrieve a kind net-cord and whipped a drop-shot cross-court.

THRILLING RALLIES

Wawrinka regrouped during a break, found his first serve and went toe-to-toe against Djokovic, edging the Serb in a series of thrilling rallies.

The Swiss blasted an imperious backhand down the line at the end of a 26-shot point to break Djokovic in the seventh game of the second set.

After prevailing in another epic 29-shot rally in his following service game, Wawrinka threw an icy glare at the Serb.

The Swiss thumped a first serve targeted at Djokovic's body to raise two set points and sliced a second serve into the Serb's midriff on the second to level the match.

Thriving in the electric atmosphere, Wawrinka rolled on, breaking a rattled Djokovic in the third game of the third set.

The pressure told on the Serb, and after conceding another break point at 3-1, Djokovic roared in frustration, shooting a beleaguered look at his new coach Boris Becker.

The German frowned as his charge blasted a forehand long to concede a second break, allowing Wawrinka to calmly serve out the set with another booming serve.

Djokovic rediscovered his formidable composure, laying siege on his opponent's serve in the sixth game of the fourth set, but the Swiss saw off threat after threat with a barrage of cracking serves.

At 40-0 on Wawrinka's next serve, Djokovic turned the match on its head with a brilliant passage of play to clinch five consecutive points.

An astonishing, lunging return from the Serb lobbed Wawrinka and dropped just inside the baseline to bring up break point and the Swiss crumbled with a forehand blasted long.

Djokovic pumped his fist and roared while Wawrinka bashed a ball into the air in disgust to earn a code violation as the tension raised another notch.

Serving for the set, Djokovic wobbled to concede two break points but the Swiss netted the first and the Serb saved the second with a blistering ace.

Djokovic blasted another ace to take the match into a decider and bellowed like a man possessed.

The crackling intensity of the decider told on both players as they traded service breaks and with the match delicately poised at 5-5, a brief break in play due to a passing shower only added to the drama.

Having hung tough through five enthralling sets, Djokovic's resolve crumbled at the four-hour mark when serving to stay in the match at 8-7. He missed a cross-court shot to bring up match point, allowing the Swiss to complete one of his greatest victories.

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Djokovic knocked out of Australian Open

MELBOURNE: A brilliant Stanislas Wawrinka ended Novak Djokovic's three-year reign at Melbourne Park on Tuesday, closing out a five-set classic at a heaving Rod Laver Arena to sensationally dump the Serb from the Australian Open quarterfinals.

Heartbroken by Djokovic in two five-set epics in Melbourne and the US Open last year, the eighth-seeded Swiss played out of his skin to upset his Grand Slam nemesis 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7 in an exhilarating four hours.

Wawrinka stayed cool in a deciding set of unrelenting tension, sealing it when the former world number one pushed a shot wide on match point.

His triumph blew the tournament wide open, setting up a semi-final with Czech Tomas Berdych while snapping the Serb's 28-match winning streak.

"He's an amazing champion, he never gives up. I'm really, really, really happy," Wawrinka said in a courtside interview.

"I was really focused point after point. I had to stay aggressive, not to give up. I was tired, I was cramping a bit, I was nervous too. But now I'm going to have an ice bath for a very long time.

"Last year was really tough, this year it's a new year."

Wawrinka's bid to claim a maiden Melbourne Park semi-final appearance started nervously as he notched a trio of unforced errors to gift the Serb the opening break in the sixth game.

Djokovic knuckled down to hold serve and prised two set points off his opponent's serve.

The Swiss saved one but was powerless to save the second as a jet-heeled Djokovic rushed in to retrieve a kind net-cord and whipped a drop-shot cross-court.

THRILLING RALLIES

Wawrinka regrouped during a break, found his first serve and went toe-to-toe against Djokovic, edging the Serb in a series of thrilling rallies.

The Swiss blasted an imperious backhand down the line at the end of a 26-shot point to break Djokovic in the seventh game of the second set.

After prevailing in another epic 29-shot rally in his following service game, Wawrinka threw an icy glare at the Serb.

The Swiss thumped a first serve targeted at Djokovic's body to raise two set points and sliced a second serve into the Serb's midriff on the second to level the match.

Thriving in the electric atmosphere, Wawrinka rolled on, breaking a rattled Djokovic in the third game of the third set.

The pressure told on the Serb, and after conceding another break point at 3-1, Djokovic roared in frustration, shooting a beleaguered look at his new coach Boris Becker.

The German frowned as his charge blasted a forehand long to concede a second break, allowing Wawrinka to calmly serve out the set with another booming serve.

Djokovic rediscovered his formidable composure, laying siege on his opponent's serve in the sixth game of the fourth set, but the Swiss saw off threat after threat with a barrage of cracking serves.

At 40-0 on Wawrinka's next serve, Djokovic turned the match on its head with a brilliant passage of play to clinch five consecutive points.

An astonishing, lunging return from the Serb lobbed Wawrinka and dropped just inside the baseline to bring up break point and the Swiss crumbled with a forehand blasted long.

Djokovic pumped his fist and roared while Wawrinka bashed a ball into the air in disgust to earn a code violation as the tension raised another notch.

Serving for the set, Djokovic wobbled to concede two break points but the Swiss netted the first and the Serb saved the second with a blistering ace.

Djokovic blasted another ace to take the match into a decider and bellowed like a man possessed.

The crackling intensity of the decider told on both players as they traded service breaks and with the match delicately poised at 5-5, a brief break in play due to a passing shower only added to the drama.

Having hung tough through five enthralling sets, Djokovic's resolve crumbled at the four-hour mark when serving to stay in the match at 8-7. He missed a cross-court shot to bring up match point, allowing the Swiss to complete one of his greatest victories.

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West Brom looking for Indian sponsors

NEW DELHI: English Premier League side West Bromwich Albion are in talks with some leading Indian companies after their current sponsor decided to pull the plug in the wake of striker Nicolas Anelka's controversial racism-linked goal celebration in an EPL match.

Albion, a mid-table EPL side, will have to find a new sponsor after London-based property company 'Zoopla' decided not to renew their two-year $3 million sponsorship deal which runs till the end of current season over Anelka's 'quenelle' gesture which some say is an inverted Nazi salute and has anti-Semitic connotations.

Albion Sales and Marketing Director Adrian Wright said at the sidelines of an event here that he would meet some top corporates in the country for a possible deal for the main sponsor of the club.

"We are going to meet some top corporate houses in India which have shown interest in becoming a sponsor. It's in a preliminary stage but if an Indian company becomes our sponsor it would be a great development for us. We are going to meet them before we fly out in Saturday," Wright said.

"If it happens the name of an Indian company will be seen for the first time on the jersey of an EPL club during Premier League matches," he said after the launch of its 'Pass It Forward' grassroot international coaching programme in India.

It is learnt that the corporates Albion are going to meet include Airtel, Reliance, Tata and JCB and the meetings have been arranged through the FICCI and CII.

A meeting with Reliance company assumes significance as Albion are reportedly interested in buying a franchisee of Indian Super League proposed to be organised by IMG-Reliance in September.

West Bromwich may be interested in having an Indian company as main sponsor as it has a large Asian population in its surroundings. West Bromwich town is located just a few kilometres from Birmingham, which is Britain's one of the most Asian populated cities.

Wright even went to the extent of saying that the first team of West Bromwich Albion may plan to play exhibition matches in India in the coming years.

"I am surprised that such a beautiful stadium (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium) has not been used much for football matches. I know Bayern Munich played here (in Bhaichung Bhuitia's farewell match in 2012) but the current pitch is not good for top-class football. I am told a new pitch will be laid. If that is done, our first team may play here in near future," Wright said.

Under its 'Pass It Forward' programme, Albion would send FA (Football Association of England) qualified coaches to train Indian youngsters from all walks of life, including from the deprived sections of society. The club also plans to hold a Youth Football League and Street Football Leagues in India.

Albion have joined forces with Youth Football International, a coaching organisation based here.

"'Pass it Forward' coaching sessions will be held at schools and in some of New Delhi's most deprived areas during the week-long trip. Under the programme, we will send coaches to India to train youngsters six times a year," Wright said.

"It is a long-term programme for five-six years initially. In each trip, the coaching programme will be conducted from seven to 10 days. We will come back in March and then may be in August or September. We will not come in peak summer months," he said.

"We don't have any international coaching programme in other countries. This is the only one we have outside UK. We want to have a long-term relationship with Indian football."

Gareth Conte of the YFI said promising players from among the selected Indian youngsters will be trained at the academy in West Bromwich Albion.

"Our coaching approach will be different. Around 30 per cent of youngsters will be from among deprived sections of society. We want to bring changes in their lives through football. The best among the youngsters will be trained in our academy. Who knows some of them may play for India in 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup which India is hosting," Conte said.

He said the club also plans to spread out in other Indian cities later on.

"As of now, our focus is in New Delhi. But we are hoping that in the next five-six years, we want to spread out in around 50 Indian towns and cities. We want to help in raising the profile of Indian football," he said.

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Viru wants to play for Daredevils again

NEW DELHI: Struggling batsman Virender Sehwag, who has not been retained by his IPL franchisee, is hoping that Delhi Daredevils will get him back in the side when the players' auction takes place next month.

The Delhi franchisee chose not to retain a single player from its previous squad.

"This IPL 7 auction presents a good opportunity to franchises to buy exciting talent like Jacques Kallis and Yuvraj Singh and I hope the Delhi Daredevils team buys me once again," Sehwag told a news channel.

Sehwag failed to arrest his slide in this season's Ranji Trophy by flopping continuously with the bat.

But the explosive batsman said that he has not lost hopes of making a comeback to the national side.

He expressed hope that he will be able to open the batting for India again with fellow discard Gautam Gambhir.

"I have had a long Test partnership with Gauti (Gambhir) and the fact that he is also from Delhi also helps our wonderful association. We have handled pressure situations well together and I hope to open with him for India again," Sehwag said.

He acknowledged that with young performing well, now there is stiff competition for a place in the Indian team.

"Everybody wants to get into the Indian team and young players like Shikhar (Dhawan) are doing really well but I am trying my best to get back into the team, which is what I can do from my side," Sehwag said.

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