Italian Di Luca, who had a previous positive for the same banned substance in 2009, failed an out-of-competition test taken on April 29 at his home, five days before the start of this year's Giro.
The 2007 Giro champion has been sacked by his Vini-Fantini team who said in a statement they would be ...
VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Luke Donald, the PGA Championship winner in 2011 and 2012, is almost certain to miss the cut after returning a level-par 72 for a six-over total of 150 at Wentworth on Friday.
The real damage was done in Thursday's opening round when the world number six ...
MUMBAI (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee has set India a September 1 deadline for a new election to facilitate the country's return to the Olympic fold.
The IOC banned the country in December after refusing to recognize the results of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) elections due to ...
FRANKFURT/LONDON (Reuters) - German sportswear makers Adidas and Puma will renew their own decades-old rivalry when Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund meet in the Champions League Final at Wembley on Saturday.
Adidas is the long-standing kit supplier to Bayern and owns a stake of around nine ...
The 35-year-old was found guilty of conspiring to commit a corrupt or fraudulent practice along with owner Neil Clement at a BHA disciplinary hearing on Wednesday. Clement, a former professional footballer, was banned for 15 years and fined 3,000 pounds ($4,500).
"Eddie Ahern lodges appeal ...
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian billionaire Vincent Tan is exploring an IPO of British soccer team Cardiff City for as early as this year, people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, in a deal that would follow the team's recent promotion to the Premier League.
The process is in its early ...
The defending Stanley Cup champions maintained the series theme of home-ice domination to seize a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven set before the teams return to San Jose for Game Six on Sunday.
After a goalless first period, Anze Kopitar opened the scoring for the Kings in the final few minutes of ...
Seventh-seeded Detroit, who eliminated No. 2 seeds Anaheim in the first round, can seal the Western semi-final series with a win over the Blackhawks in Game Five on Saturday in Chicago.
After a scoreless first period, Detroit got on the board when Jakub Kindl scored on a power play midway through ...
The 59-year-old shrugged off lingering back pain with accurate driving and deft course management to end a cool, blustery day tied at the top with compatriot Duffy Waldorf, who qualified for the over-50 Champions Tour last August.
Japan's Kiyoshi Murota and American club professional Sonny Skinner ...
Roy, who won two Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens and two with Colorado before retiring in 2003 after a 19-year career, reached an agreement in principal to become the sixth head coach in Avalanche history.
"This is an unbelievable day for me," Roy, 47, said in a statement ...
INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - They are the Indianapolis 500's odd couple.
Crusty team owner A.J. Foyt, a 78-year old American motor racing legend and his driver Takuma Sato, an impeccably groomed 36-year-old from Tokyo who arrived in IndyCar from the glamour world of Formula One.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - For most of her life, Sanya Richards-Ross has done everything at full speed. As an Olympic sprinter, it is an occupational hazard she has learned to live with.
But surgery has put a halt on her athletic ambitions, at least for now. The 28-year-old took a break after last ...
The 36-year-old Texan piled up eight birdies on the way to a flawless eight-under-par 62 on a relatively calm morning at iconic Colonial Country Club, matching the lowest first round ever recorded at the long established PGA Tour event.
Palmer, who began his round at the par-four 10th and ended it ...
(Reuters) - The star-studded U.S. national basketball team cannot afford to get complacent about being the sport's superpower given the pace of emerging talent around the globe, head coach Mike Krzyzewski said on Thursday.
According to Krzyzewski, having the privilege of coaching teams that have ...
VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Sergio Garcia, embroiled in a racism row with Tiger Woods this week, got by with a little help from his friends on Thursday as he battled to a level-par 72 in the PGA Championship first round.
South African veteran James Kingston led the way on 66 but most of ...
Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs and Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers joined James and Bryant on the first team.
James, who has won four of the last five league MVP awards, earned first team honors for a sixth consecutive season and seventh ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - Midfielder Stuart Holden will return to the United States national team next week, ending over two years of injury nightmares and with the World Cup finals in Brazil as his goal.
Holden, who plays in England for Bolton Wanderers, was seen as a central part of the rebuilding of ...
MONACO (Reuters) - Formula One has taken a big gamble with its radically different 2014 engine and manufacturers who get it wrong will pay a heavy price, commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone warned on Thursday.
The 82-year-old billionaire has been a consistent opponent of the new 1.6 liter ...
POLSA, Italy (Reuters) - Italy's Vincenzo Nibali took a major step towards overall victory in the Giro d'Italia on Thursday after powering to his first stage win during this year's race in an individual uphill time trial.
Nibali more than doubled his overnight advantage over his closest overall ...
MONACO (Reuters) - Formula One tire supplier Pirelli warned teams on Thursday that they will quit the sport at the end of the season if a new contract from 2014 is not agreed soon.
Motorsport director Paul Hembery did not hide his impatience when he told reporters at the Monaco Grand Prix that ...
VIRGINIA WATER (Reuters) - European Tour chief executive George O'Grady was forced to issue an apology on Thursday after re-opening the Tiger Woods-Sergio Garcia racism row by making an unfortunate comment about "colored athletes".
Just when it seemed the fuss was starting to die down ...
VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - World number two Rory McIlroy was blown off course by unseasonally cold weather at Wentworth on Thursday, bogeying five of the last six holes to sink to a two-over 74 in the PGA Championship first round.
The 24-year-old Northern Irishman made an encouraging ...
(Reuters) - Mike Krzyzewski said on Thursday he is returning for another term as the U.S. men's national basketball team coach with the aim of leading the squad to a third successive Olympic title at the 2016 Games in Rio.
Krzyzewski, the Duke University coach who has amassed the most wins in U.S. ...
MONACO (Reuters) - Kimi Raikkonen would much rather be left alone but he is happy to admit that sometimes he does not know what he is doing.
Social media is never going to be the Finn's thing and the Lotus driver has never hidden his distaste for interviews but he overcame his reluctance and spoke ...
VIRGINIA WATER (Reuters) - World number two Rory McIlroy suffered a late first-round meltdown in almost wintry conditions at Wentworth as he ballooned to a two-over-par 74 in the PGA Championship on Thursday.
With some players wearing beanies and thick mittens for protection against chilly eight ...
VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Former European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal drew on the memory of his 2003 spat with Padraig Harrington as he urged fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods to settle their differences.
Garcia and 14-times major winner Woods have always had a ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Watching Rafa Nadal churn his way through the claycourt season over the past few weeks, it seems nothing much has changed since his French Open triumph a year ago despite a lengthy injury layoff.
Titles in Barcelona, Madrid and Rome, where he dropped only three sets in the ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Based on form, Serena Williams is a stand-out favorite to win a second French Open title but her record at Roland Garros means she approaches the tournament with a touch of apprehension and fearful of the "lady in the mirror".
Williams is world number one, unbeaten in ...
PARIS (Reuters) - After 30 years without a male grand-slam winner, France's tennis establishment is beginning to question whether the absence of success is purely down to a lack of natural-born winners.
Since Yannick Noah's triumph at the French Open in 1983, France has endured a barren spell at ...
IOC Executive Board member Wu is the fourth IOC member following Germany's Thomas Bach and Singaporean Ng Ser Miang, both IOC vice presidents, and Puerto Rico's Richard Carrion to decide to run for the post.
The election is set for September 10 at the IOC session in Buenos Aires.
(Reuters) - The royal and ancient game of golf, renowned for its etiquette and self-imposed penalties, has undergone many changes to the rules over its 600-year history but few issues have triggered as much debate as the proposal to outlaw the anchoring of putters.
In a genteel sport where an ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - The Indiana Pacers fell just short in the Eastern Conference finals opener but their gritty display pumped life into the NBA playoffs and let the defending champion Miami Heat know they have a battle on their hands.
The ease with which the top-seeded Heat have brushed aside ...
With the Dodgers bottom of the National League West despite having one of the highest payrolls in Major League Baseball, Mattingly questioned his team's toughness and benched outfielder Andre Ethier.
"It's not all grit and no talent that gets there, and it's not all talent and no grit. It's a ...
James Neal and Jarome Iginla each scored twice, and Kris Letang had four assists, as the Penguins took a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven semi-final series.
The Penguins, who finished the regular season as the East's top seed, will have the chance to seal the series in Game Five in Pittsburgh on ...
MONACO (Reuters) - Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton gave Mercedes a dream start to the Monaco Grand Prix weekend with the fastest times in practice for Formula One's most glamorous race on Thursday.
Rosberg, who has been at home on the twisty streets ever since he was a boy growing up in the ...
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - America's Cup organizers said on Wednesday that they have made rule changes to improve safety in the upcoming regatta after a fatal training accident on San Francisco Bay earlier this month.
As a result of investigations into the death of a sailor when an ultra-fast AC72 ...
Crabtree, San Francisco's leading receiver last season when they reached the Super Bowl before being beaten 34-31 by the Baltimore Ravens, injured his right Achilles during an organized team activity on Tuesday.
"(Coach) Jim Harbaugh tells media @KingCrab15 has torn Achilles tendon but has ...
The Canucks ended the regular season by winning the Northwest Division championship with a 26-15-7 record but were swept 4-0 by the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference quarter-finals.
"Alain, Rick and Newell worked tirelessly to lead this team to great on-ice success," Canucks ...
A news conference hosted by USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo to announce the selection has been called for Thursday at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, where Krzyzewski presides as head coach of the Blue Devils.
Krzyzewski said before and after the United States won the 2012 gold ...
A medium-length hitter who is renowned for his accuracy, tenacity and a superb short game, the 37-year-old American has always loved playing at Colonial Country Club, an iconic venue where high quality shot-making reaps rich reward.
"I'm going to hopefully take some of those good feelings ...
VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Sergio Garcia said "sorry" 11 times and used the word "apology" on five occasions as he spoke of his regret at causing a furor by making a "fried chicken" jibe at world number one Tiger Woods.
Spaniard Garcia told reporters on ...
MONACO (Reuters) - As a race, Mark Webber loves Monaco. As a place, he would much rather be somewhere else.
Red Bull's gritty Australian racer has won the most glamorous event on the Formula One calendar twice in the last three years and counts doing so as one of the greatest thrills of his career.
The 35-year-old was found guilty of conspiring to commit a corrupt or fraudulent practice, intentionally failing to ensure the horse Judgethemoment was ridden on its merits at Lingfield in January 2011 and of passing information for reward, the BHA said in a statement on its website ...
VICENEZA, Italy (Reuters) - Italian Giovanni Visconti recorded his second stage win of the Giro d'Italia on Wednesday to give his Movistar team their third straight victory and their fourth overall in the 2013 race.
His compatriot Vincenzo Nibali retained the overall lead as the race reached its ...
MONACO (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton made his point and Roscoe, his pampered pet bulldog, promptly proved him right at the Monaco Grand Prix on Wednesday.
Positioning, the 2008 Formula One world champion told British reporters gathered round him in the Mercedes harbourside motorhome, is everything in ...
"After spending a lot of time this spring thinking about my NFL future, I have made a decision to retire," wrote the eight-times Pro Bowl linebacker and Defensive Player of the Year in 2005 who will turn 35 this week.
"Although I could continue playing, I'm not sure I would bring a ...
VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - World number two Rory McIlroy refused on Wednesday to confirm reports he had parted company with his management group, Horizon Sports.
Close friend and fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell suggested at last week's World Match Play Championship in Bulgaria ...
MONACO (Reuters) - Red Bull sound like sore losers for complaining about the Formula One tires, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso suggested on Wednesday.
The Spaniard, winner in China in April and Barcelona this month, told reporters at the Monaco Grand Prix that it was up to the champions to explain ...
His punishment will be decided later on Wednesday, the BHA said in a statement on its website (www.britishhorseracing.com)
Ahern was found guilty of conspiring to commit a corrupt or fraudulent practice, intentionally failing to ensure the horse Judgethemoment was ridden on its merits at Lingfield ...
(Reuters) - Former Manchester City and United States international midfielder Claudio Reyna was named as the first director of football for new Major League Soccer (MLS) team New York City Football Club, the team said on Wednesday.
The new club, which will start playing in 2015, is jointly owned ...
VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Ernie Els would not have won last year's British Open without the aid of a belly putter, the South African four-times major champions said on Wednesday.
Golf's governing bodies announced on Tuesday a ban on the anchoring of putters from 2016 and Els believes he ...
VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Sergio Garcia said "sorry" 11 times and used the word "apology" on five occasions as he spoke of his regret at causing a furor by making a "fried chicken" jibe at world number one Tiger Woods.
Spaniard Garcia told reporters that his ...
BERLIN (Reuters) - Puerto Rican banker Richard Carrion launched his bid for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday, with his long financial experience a powerful pitch in his quest for the world's top sports job.
The 60-year-old Carrion, who is chairman of Puerto ...
Del Potro, who reached the quarter-finals at the claycourt grand-slam event last year, flew home after losing to Frenchman Benoit Paire in the Rome Masters last 16 last week.
"He has withdrawn," a French Federation spokesman told Reuters, confirming Argentine media reports.
The court said the main reason for turning down his appeal was that the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) "did not comply with applicable rules and regulations".
The London 2012 bronze medalist and the JOC had opted to appeal to CAS after the IOC barred him from the commission over ...
Woods reacted on his Twitter account after Garcia issued an apology to a comment he made at Tuesday's European Tour awards dinner when he was asked on stage whether he would be inviting Woods for dinner during next month's U.S. Open in Merion.
"We will have him round every night. We will ...
Tomic's father John faced a charge of causing criminal injury in a Madrid court earlier this month after allegedly assaulting his son's hitting partner Thomas Drouet.
Tomic senior says he acted in self defense and the court hearing has been suspended until October.
The Cavaliers were able to edge out the Orlando Magic, who had the highest probability of winning the top selection, as they continue to rebuild a franchise reeling from the loss of LeBron James following the 2009-10 campaign.
"It's huge for us," Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert told ...
The reigning AL rookie of the year singled in the third inning, tripled in the fourth, doubled in the sixth before completing the feat with a home run in the eighth.
The 21-year-old finished with five RBIs while starter Jerome Williams pitched eight scoreless innings to get the win.
Up by 14 in the fourth, the Spurs failed to score in the last four minutes of regulation and were pushed to overtime by the rallying Grizzlies.
However, Duncan scored his team's first six points in the extra session to put the Spurs back on track for the Game Two win. The series now shifts to ...
The 29-year-old, who won both races at the 2011 world athletics championships in Daegu, South Korea, took silver and bronze in the 5,000 and 10,000 at last year's London Olympics.
In a statement released by her agent Ricky Simms on Wednesday, Cheruiyot said she would resume her career next year. ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Boston Bruins scored twice in the final period to beat the New York Rangers 2-1 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday and grab a commanding 3-0 lead in their National Hockey League (NHL) playoff.
Boston fourth-liner Daniel Paille scored the game winner with 3:31 left on the ...
The National Basketball Association (NBA) team will ask the league's board of governors in July to approve changing the franchise's name to Charlotte Hornets effective with the 2014-15 season, Bobcats owner Michael Jordan said on Tuesday.
Charlotte's original NBA team enjoyed sellout crowds as the ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - For a brief but dazzling spell in the 1970s, New Yorkers fell in love with soccer as Pele and the Cosmos showcased the world's most popular game in a city long dominated by baseball and American football.
Now Major League Soccer hopes that a new team, called the New York City ...
"It's a really tough decision and I love playing in Paris, but after seeking medical advice, I am not fit to compete," Murray said in a statement released by his management company.
"Apologies to the organizers and thanks to everyone for the messages of support. Now my complete ...
Del Negro compiled a 128-102 record with the Clippers in three seasons, guiding them to the playoffs in 2012 and 2013.
The Clippers finished the 2012-13 season with a franchise-high of 56 wins, including a 17-game winning streak, and were fourth-seeded in the Western Conference playoffs before ...
IVREA, Italy (Reuters) - Italy's Vincenzo Nibali fended off several surprise attacks by his rivals to maintain his grip on the overall lead for a ninth straight day on Tuesday's hilly 16th stage of the Giro d'Italia, won by Spain's Benat Intxausti.
In a fast and frantic finale as the main pack ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - San Francisco and Houston were chosen on Tuesday as host cities for the 2016 and 2017 Super Bowls after National Football League (NFL) team owners voted for the two ahead of Miami.
The San Francisco Bay Area will host the 50th Super Bowl in early 2016 at Levi's Stadium, the ...
VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Martin Kaymer's popularity has gone down a notch on the other side of the Atlantic after he holed the winning putt for Europe in last year's Ryder Cup against the United States, he said on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old German, who spends a lot of his time on the U.S. ...
QPR said on Twitter that he was training with them but had not officially joined their academy.
Beckham senior, who began his career by joining Manchester United's academy also at the age of 14, retired from the game last week after helping Paris St Germain to the French league title but now has a ...
"I will be out for some time," Cheruiyot, 30, told Reuters by telephone from her home town of Eldoret. She gave no further details.
Cheruiyot, who won both races at the 2011 Daegu world championships, also took silver and bronze in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters respectively at last year's ...
Georges, the French AG2R rider, tested positive for the stimulant Heptaminol in a urine sample taken on May 10 and was forced to pull out of the Giro by his team.
He was not provisionally suspended by the UCI because Heptaminol, a drug that widens blood vessels and can be used in the treatment of ...
VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Sergio Garcia's feud with Tiger Woods will not stop him shaking hands with the world number one the next time they are drawn together in a tournament, the Spaniard said on Tuesday.
Garcia blamed a roar from the crowd watching the 14-times major winner for an ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - The New York Yankees and Premier League club Manchester City have formed a Major League Soccer (MLS) team to play in New York City from 2015, aiming to win over America's largest sports market to the global game.
City, owned by Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi, will be the majority ...
Former test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and two other players were arrested along with 11 bookmakers on Thursday on suspicion of spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The case has prompted the Indian government to look at the possibility of introducing a law to combat matchfixing and ...
VIRGINIA WATER (Reuters) - Golf's governing bodies announced on Tuesday that they will ban the anchoring of putters from 2016 in a move which will please traditionalists but could lead to a split in the game among the professional ranks.
The ban was first proposed by the Royal and Ancient ...
VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - European captain Paul McGinley was given a "little bit of wriggle room" after being granted an increase in wildcard selections from two to three players for next year's Ryder Cup match against United States.
The Irishman asked the European Tour for the ...
The 23-year-old struck out 10 and allowed just three hits during his complete game, while Didi Gregorius went 3-for-5 with two RBIs to help keep Arizona top of the National League West.
Corbin is now one of five undefeated starting pitchers in baseball with a minimum of eight starts.
After squaring the best-of-seven series in Chicago on Saturday, the Red Wings maintained the momentum on home ice to beat the top-seeded Blackhawks and move ahead 2-1 in the series.
Game Four is on Thursday, again in Detroit.
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff took a swipe at the naysayers on Monday as she officially inaugurated the last of six stadiums that Brazil will use next month to host a warm-up for the 2014 World Cup soccer tournament.
"The pessimists said the stadiums would not be ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - San Francisco is favored to be named the host city for the 50th Super Bowl when National Football League (NFL) owners vote Tuesday on the site of the 2016 championship game.
The Californian city, home to the NFL's 49ers, is up against South Florida (Miami) while Houston will ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Within the next 24 hours, professional and amateur golfers will likely know whether or not they will be permitted to use long putters anchored to any part of their body from 2016 onwards.
The game's rulemakers are widely expected to announce the controversial proposed ban ...
Zhang, who had already beaten Wang in the 2011 world championships final and the Olympic final last year, prevailed 11-7 11-8 6-11 14-12 5-11 11-7 on his first match point.
"It was a tough match," the 25-year-old Zhang told French TV Channel L'Equipe 21 after running towards the stands ...
The sprinter's agent had previously said August's world championships in Moscow were "on the radar" after Pistorius' bail conditions were relaxed on March 28 and the 26-year-old was granted permission to travel abroad.
But the double amputee, nicknamed ‘Blade Runner', will not return ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton will be reunited with Paddy Lowe sooner than expected after Mercedes announced on Monday that the former McLaren technical head was joining their Formula One team next month.
Mercedes said in a statement that the Briton had been appointed executive director ...
Godolphin trainer Al Zarooni was handed an eight-year ban by the BHA last month for doping horses with anabolic steroids after 11 tested positive at his stable in Newmarket, England.
Al Zarooni, who admitted administering prohibited substances to four others, has appealed against the severity of ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Changes to the Formula One tires due to be introduced next month will be less dramatic than some have feared or hoped for, supplier Pirelli said on Monday.
Motorsport director Paul Hembery told Reuters that the Italian company would find a solution that all teams could agree on ...
After losing the first two games of the series and trailing 1-0 on the night to Tyler Kennedy's second period goal, Ottawa were just seconds away from losing a third straight to the top-seeded Penguins.
However, Daniel Alfredsson scored with 29 seconds left in regulation, despite the Senators ...
Moore tossed seven innings and allowed just five hits and one run to stay undefeated and win his ninth straight decision, setting a Rays' franchise record.
The 23-year-old left-hander's start is the best by a pitcher that young since the 22-year-old Ruth went 8-0 in 1917.
Brazil's Ana Beatriz and Britain's Pippa Mann and Katherine Legge joined Swiss Simona De Silvestro, who was among the 24 cars that qualified on Saturday for next Sunday's race.
"I'm much happier than I was this time yesterday (Saturday)," said Mann, who failed to earn a spot on Pole Day ...
Tony Parker had 20 points and nine assists, Kawhi Leonard added 18 and the Spurs wasted little time sending a message to the visiting Grizzlies who are experiencing their first conference finals.
San Antonio, meanwhile, is trying to get back to the NBA finals for the first time since 2007 and ...
The best-of-seven series now shifts to New York for a pair of contests with Game Three set for Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.
"We expect them to come harder than ever," said Bruins forward Milan Lucic, looking ahead to the next game in New York. "We know MSG (Madison Square ...
Former U.S. Open Champion McDowell, the highest-ranked player in the field, battled back from two holes down after four and one at halfway to secure his eighth European Tour title.
"I'm very excited because it's a massive event and it was hugely disappointing to lose the final last ...
"Tonight was a nice way to go out, in front of my family and in front of the capacity crowd who were excited because we won the league," the 38-year-old former England captain told reporters after his 10th and probably final Ligue 1 appearance.
"The celebrations were incredible so ...
A 40-foot putt from the back of the green on the 18th guaranteed him the third-round lead on Saturday and it turned out to be the winning shot at the 1 billion Korean won ($895,700) OneAsia event at the Pinx Golf Club.
"It's unfortunate to finish like this, but I'll take it," Griffin, ...
The Sharks clawed back into the best of seven series after Couture took advantage of a power play penalty just 1:29 into the extra period.
The Kings' Robyn Regehr (hooking) and Trevor Lewis (interference) were both penalized inside the final minute of regulation to give San Jose a five-on-three ...
Jason Kipnis, who belted the go ahead three-run homer in the 10th inning on Friday, was driven in from third by Mark Reynolds on a fielders choice grounder in the bottom of the ninth to keep the Indians at the top of the American League Central (24-17).
In New York, Robinson Cano drove in four ...
BALTIMORE (Reuters) - Orb's disappointing fourth-place finish in the Preakness Stakes meant it just wasn't his day, trainer Shug McGaughey said on Saturday.
Orb had won five successive races, including a dominant performance in the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, but the 3-5 favorite in the field of ...
Carpenter, IndyCar's only owner/driver, delivered the big surprise on Pole Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway clocking a four-lap average speed of 228.762 mph in his Chevrolet powered Dallara around the sprawling 2.5 mile oval.
Rookie Colombian Carlos Munoz was second fastest.
BALTIMORE (Reuters) - Orb trainer Shug McGaughey said on his colt emerged from the Preakness Stakes in excellent shape and remained at a loss to explain the colt's puzzling performance.
The Kentucky Derby champion was a prohibitive 3-5 favorite in Saturday's $1 million race at Pimlico Race Course ...
Torres was suspended for the remainder of the Western Conference semi-final series against the Los Angeles Kings for his hit against Jarret Stoll in Game One of the best-of-seven series.
It is the fourth career suspension for Torres, who is considered a repeat offender.
The 26-year-old, an 11-time champion on various professional tours in Asia, held his nerve in difficult conditions on a firm, fast-running layout to close with a one-under-par 69 at the TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas.
Bae, who had charged four strokes clear with 11 holes to play, fell back ...
The best-of-seven series now shifts to Detroit for two games with Game Three set for Monday at Joe Louis Arena.
Jimmy Howard was rock solid in the Detroit net, facing 20 shots, and the Red Wings scored twice in each of the second and third periods after surrendering a first period goal to ...
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Switzerland's fairytale run at the world ice hockey championships continued on Saturday when they reached the final thanks to a 3-0 victory over United States.
They now face host nation Sweden who beat Finland 3-0, Loui Eriksson scoring twice.
Freeney, a free agent after being released by the Indianapolis Colts in February, will help fill the gap left by outside linebacker Melvin Ingram, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during team in practice on Tuesday.
Though the Chargers did not reveal financial details, ...
World number eight McDowell, the highest-ranked player in the field, avenged his defeat in last year's final by easing past holder Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium 2 & 1.
Colsaerts was already trailing when his drive at the 10th hole found a hazard after flying over an on-course toilet.
Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said on the team's website that a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test revealed a third-degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament and rehabilitation should last three months.
It is expected Staal will be healthy and ready to start the 2013-14 season.
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Badminton's world governing body (BWF) will create a separate commission to deal with match-fixing problems, Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen said after being elected president on Saturday.
Denmark's 1996 Olympic men's singles gold medallist Hoyer Larsen beat Indonesian Justian ...
Kuroda (6-2) allowed just two hits in eight innings and lowered his ERA to 1.99 to keep the Yankees (26-16) on top of the American League East Division while ensuring the Blue Jays (17-25) remain rooted to the bottom.
Boston (25-17) kept pace, just a game behind the Yankees, with a 3-2 win over ...
The top-seeded Penguins won the first game of the best-of-seven series 4-1.
"I think we did a great job all game of putting a lot of pressure on them but when we gave up chances they were pretty big ones," Crosby said.
Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame just 11 days ago, Venturi had been in hospital for the last two months for a spinal infection, pneumonia and an intestinal infection, the PGA Tour said in a statement.
Venturi's son, Matt, said his father had died in a hospital in Rancho Mirage, ...
Beckham and Ferguson, who were synonymously linked with Manchester United until the former England captain moved to Real Madrid, both announced in the past 10 days they would retire from soccer at the end of the current season.
The 71-year-old Ferguson's final game in charge after 26 years at Old ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A year ago, the unfancied Los Angeles Kings delivered their own unforgettable Cinderella story as they beat the odds en route to claiming the franchise's first Stanley Cup.
They snuck into the National Hockey League's postseason as an eighth seed and went on to beat the ...
Three ahead of the chasing pack overnight after opening with a blistering course record 60, Bradley had to contend with strengthening winds and firming greens at the TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas en route to an 11-under total of 129.
American journeyman Tom Gillis (63) and South Korean Bae ...
ALAMEDA, California (Reuters) - The head of the Italian sailing team in the America's Cup called on Friday for lowering limits on wind speeds and other safety measures to make the regatta less dangerous following a deadly accident last week.
Prada fashion house co-founder Patrizio Bertelli said if ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Carmelo Anthony's scoring prowess has powered the New York Knicks all season but he may need someone to fill the role of sidekick in order to stave off playoff elimination against the Indiana Pacers.
With defensive-minded Indiana focused on stopping Anthony, a potent second ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Golf's governing bodies are widely expected to announce whether they will go ahead with a controversial proposed ban on players anchoring putters to their body when they hold simultaneous news conferences next week.
The U.S. Golf Association (USGA) and the Royal & ...
Earlier, Alexander Povetkin knocked out previously undefeated challenger Andrzej Wawrzyk in the third round to retain his WBA heavyweight crown, setting up a long-awaited clash with super champion Vladimir Klitschko later this year.
Lebedev, who knocked out previously undefeated Colombian ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - David Beckham could return to the United States as owner of a new club and his advisors have already held talks with Major League Soccer.
Beckham announced his retirement from professional soccer on Thursday but has been tight-lipped about his future plans after ending the season ...
BALTIMORE (Reuters) - Shug McGaughey, the soft-spoken trainer of Kentucky Derby champion Orb, admits he thinks of what it would be like to saddle a Triple Crown champion.
He knows it's premature to be thinking like that. He just can't help it.
WADA had expressed its disappointment with the judge's decision last month to order evidence including bags of blood to be destroyed, depriving the agency and other sports bodies of the chance to analyze them.
The Spanish doctor at the center of the trial, Eufemiano Fuentes, had told the court ...
Edler collided with Staal in the first period of Thursday's quarter-final in Stockholm, leaving the Canadian forward on the ice in visible pain and clutching his right knee.
Staal, captain of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Carolina Hurricanes, was helped off the ice and did not return to the ...
CHERASCO, Italy, May 17 - A series of small but challenging climbs late on Friday's stage of the 2012 Giro d'Italia could not stop Britain's Mark Cavendish taking his fourth stage win and second in two days.
Italy's Vincenzo Nibali remained overall leader but it was sprinter Cavendish who stole ...
(Reuters) - International Boxing Federation (AIBA) President C.K. Wu has decided to run for the post of the president of the International Olympic Committee as the race for one of the world's top sports jobs heats up, a source said.
"Dr Wu handed over a letter this morning to Dr (Jacques) ...
ROME (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal made short work of his great rival Roger Federer to win the Italian Open, his sixth trophy of the year, 6-1 6-3 on Sunday.
The crowd sitting in the sunshine at Rome's Foro Italico watched Nadal race to victory in 69 minutes on the red clay.
(Reuters) - The owners of the Sacramento Kings basketball franchise have struck a tentative deal to sell the California team to local investors after the National Basketball Association denied a proposal to move the team to Seattle, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said on Friday.
The deal by an ...
Beckham, 38, announced on Thursday that he was retiring at the end of the season after winning trophies and titles in four countries and earning 115 caps for England - a record for an outfield player.
In a glittering career, the former England captain has become one of the world's best known and ...
"He is going to play," Italian Ancelotti, who ducked questions about his own future, told a news conference.
Beckham, 38, said on Thursday that he would retire from playing at the end of the season after a short stint at PSG, triggering an avalanche of tributes to the former England ...
ROME (Reuters) - Italian Referee's Association (AIA) president Marcello Nicchi has said that Mario Balotelli will be sent off if he were to leave the field to protest racist chanting.
"Everyone is free to express their own opinions but there are rules. Whoever leaves the field to make a ...
The Russian is set to defend her French Open title later this month.
Italian Open officials did not elaborate further on the reasons for Sharapova's Rome exit but the 26-year-old said on her Twitter account she was sick.
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - When Alex Ferguson wakes up on Monday morning without a Manchester United team to manage he will not be putting his feet up and settling into a quiet retirement.
The 71-year-old Scot takes charge of his 1,500th and final United game at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday ...
BUSSETO, Italy (Reuters) - This year's Giro d'Italia claimed two major victims when pre-race favorite Bradley Wiggins and defending champion Ryder Hesjedal withdrew prior to Friday's 13th stage, the pair citing illness as the reason for abandoning the tour.
Wiggins enjoyed a stellar 2012 when he ...
White admitted to doping with the U.S. Postal team and voluntarily stood down from the GreenEdge position in October after being implicated in the United States Anti-Doping Agency's dossier on disgraced drug cheat Lance Armstrong.
White was subsequently sacked and Orica-GreenEdge (OGE) launched a ...
BUSSETO, Italy (Reuters) - Defending Giro d'Italia champion Ryder Hesjedal has withdrawn from this year's race, the Canadian's Garmin-Sharp team announced before the start of Friday's stage 13.
Hesjedal had slipped to 38th place after 12 stages, 32 minutes and 55 seconds down on overall leader ...
Led by Tim Duncan's 19 points, the second-seeded Spurs claimed victory on the road in Oakland to seal a 4-2 triumph in the best-of-seven series and set up a showdown against the fifth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.
All five Spurs starters contributed to the victory by registering double figure scores ...
Geovany Soto belted a three-run homer and Mitch Moreland had a pair of doubles and three RBI's in the rout, as Darvish (7-1) claimed the win after a shaky start, throwing a career-high 130 pitches and giving up four runs.
Despite his early troubles, Darvish was streets ahead of Verlander (4-4), ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Stanley Cup champions Los Angeles fought back from a goal down with less than two minutes to play to stun the San Jose Sharks 4-3 in a frenzied finish to Game Two of their Western Conference semi-finals on Thursday.
With the Kings on a five-on-three powerplay, captain ...
Taking advantage of preferred lies on a rain-softened layout at the TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas, the 26-year-old American piled up 10 birdies and an eagle at the par-five seventh to grab a three-shot lead in the PGA Tour event.
Winner here in 2011 before going on to claim his first major ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Indiana Pacers point guard George Hill will miss Thursday's Game Five of the NBA Eastern Conference semi-finals against the New York Knicks because of a concussion, the team said.
The Pacers lead the best-of-seven series 3-1 and can advance to the conference finals against the ...
Torres will miss a maximum six games if the best-of-seven playoff series goes the distance and as little as four games if San Jose, which trails the series 1-0, wins four straight.
The 31-year-old Canadian, who attended an in-person hearing at NHL offices on Thursday, delivered the hit late in the ...
Price, who won the Cy Young Award last season as the best pitcher in the American League, had his start against the Boston Red Sox cut short on Wednesday after 57 pitches.
"We're just giving it some time to calm down," Price said in a report on the team's website.
Trickle, 71, was found lying near his pickup after a man believed to be him called the Lincoln County Communications Center to say "there would be a dead body and it would be his," according to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office.
Workers tried to call the phone number back, but got no ...
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Team captain Paul Stastny scored two goals and assisted on two more as the United States hammered Russia 8-3 to dump the defending champions out of the ice hockey world championships in Helsinki on Thursday.
Stastny's two goals bookended a powerful performance in the first of ...
BALTIMORE (Reuters) - Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas offered an ominous assessment for those hoping Kentucky Derby champion Orb will have his Triple Crown aspirations trampled at the Preakness Stakes on Saturday.
"If he'll scratch, I'll feel better about the whole race," said Lukas, ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - David Beckham's impact on soccer always went well beyond his performances on the field and nowhere was that more evident than in the United States where he became the sport's first household name since Pele.
Beckham's two Major League Soccer titles are unlikely to feature near ...
TREVISO, Italy (Reuters) - Britain's Mark Cavendish racked up the 100th win of his career on stage 12 of the Giro d'Italia on Thursday but Bradley Wiggins's hopes of overall victory were in tatters when he lost time on the main bunch.
Tour de France champion Wiggins, who has been suffering from a ...
Donovan told Reuters before the squad was due to be announced on Thursday that he was not expecting his name to be included on the playing list.
"As far as I know, I will not be on the roster and that's disappointing," he told Reuters in an interview during his campaign with The Skin ...
BOSTON (Reuters) - Thousands of runners whose Boston Marathon was cut short by the deadly bombings at the finish line will be invited back next year, the organizer of the world-famous race said on Thursday.
The Boston Marathon attracts runners from the United States and all over the world who ...
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - England's best known footballer David Beckham announced his retirement on Thursday after a career laden with trophies and glamour that had a worldwide impact that went way beyond soccer.
The 38-year-old former England captain, who this month helped Paris St Germain ...
The Spaniard, looking for his seventh Rome title, was shaken by a ferocious onslaught from Gulbis, losing the first set in 34 minutes, but recovered to win 1-6 7-5 6-4.
World number one Novak Djokovic had a far more comfortable workout, beating Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-1 6-4 but seventh ...
The AFL differentiates between the use of performance-enhancing substances and those drugs more associated with the social environment, dealing with the latter with a combination of education, counselling, treatment and ongoing support.
The results, which included positive tests for cocaine, ...
(Reuters) - Singapore's Ser Miang Ng officially launched his bid for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee on Thursday, saying he wanted youth to play a central role in the movement and to see IOC members more actively involved.
The 64-year-old businessman chose Sorbonne University ...
TOKYO (Reuters) - Honda is returning to Formula One racing in 2015, after a seven-year hiatus, as McLaren's engine partner, the Japanese carmaker said on Thursday.
The link-up between Honda and McLaren, the second most successful team in the sport after Ferrari in terms of race wins and drivers' ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Jenson Button, the last driver to win a grand prix for Honda, was thrilled to discover on Thursday that the Japanese carmaker was returning to Formula One as engine partner to his McLaren team from 2015.
The British 2009 world champion, who won the Hungarian Grand Prix for Honda ...
Lester pitched seven innings and allowed two runs while Boston's bats exploded for eight runs in the third.
"Just felt a little tightness in my triceps on a couple of fastballs," Price told reporters after being charged with the loss after giving up four runs in 2 1/3 innings.
With their title hopes dashed for at least another year after falling to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference semi-finals on Wednesday, the young and talented Thunder are ready to learn from the heartache.
"Everything is a process and you have to go through some tough times to get ...
Following a scoreless second period, Johnny Oduya broke a 1-1 tie at 8:02 in the third and the top-seeded Blackhawks raised their tempo to pull away from the seventh-seeded Red Wings.
Marcus Kruger netted three minutes later before Patrick Sharp added his sixth goal of the playoffs on an empty-net ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - The Miami Heat reached their third straight Eastern Conference final after a 94-91 win over Chicago on Wednesday secured a 4-1 series victory for the defending NBA champions.
Miami will face the winners of the series between the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers. Indiana ...
The American world number 20, who defends his title at the Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas, this week, has not recorded a single top-10 finish in 11 starts on the U.S. circuit this season, mainly because of his poor form on the greens.
"I don't show it, but obviously it's going on ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Yankees were aiming to stay close with a patchwork lineup assembled to buy them time until the likes of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson returned from injury.
Instead, their collection of cast-offs and rookies have helped set the ...
BALTIMORE (Reuters) - Kentucky Derby winner Orb was installed as the even-money favorite to win Saturday's 138th Preakness Stakes, the middle leg of the Triple Crown, after drawing the inside post at Wednesday's barrier draw.
With just nine horses entered in the $1 million race at Pimlico, Orb's ...
DALLAS (Reuters) - The National Basketball Association denied a proposal on Wednesday to move the Sacramento Kings to Seattle following months of bitter wrangling among potential suitors, and strongly urged the team's owners to negotiate with a group fighting to keep the team in Sacramento.
The ...
The former British Open champion clinched his sixth European Tour title at the Volvo Golf Champions in his homeland in January but since then he has mainly struggled with his game while competing across the globe.
"It's been a bit of a struggle," Oosthuizen told reporters while preparing ...
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - O.J. Simpson, the former football star famously acquitted of murder in 1995, offered sometimes emotional testimony in a packed Las Vegas courtroom on Wednesday as he sought a new trial in the robbery case that sent him to prison five years ago.
Simpson, brought to court from ...
Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova sailed through their second round matches with embarrassingly one-sided wins.
Nadal began his quest for his seventh ATP title of the season by demolishing local hope Fabio Fognini 6-1 6-3, winning 74 percent of his service points and breaking his 25th-ranked ...
The Rangers will face off against the New Jersey Devils on January 26 and then battle the New York Islanders on January 29 in the first hockey games to be played at the Major League Baseball stadium which seats over 50,000 people.
"The Stadium Series affords the opportunity to have all three ...
A fellow passenger on Tuesday's flight further accused the former Argentina captain and coach, who was accompanied by his 22-year-old girlfriend, Rocio Oliva, of insulting and pushing him.
Maradona, 52, came to Argentina to meet Diego Fernando, the son he had with former girlfriend Veronica Ojeda, ...
VAJONT, Italy (Reuters) - A chest infection was the latest setback to hit Britain's pre-race favorite Bradley Wiggins on the Giro d'Italia on Wednesday.
Tour de France champion Wiggins, finished the 11th stage in the main pack behind winner Ramunas Navardauskas to stay fourth overall, two minutes ...
Balotelli told CNN in an interview that he had come close to abandoning the match after being insulted by visiting Roma fans at San Siro on Sunday.
"If it happens one more time, I'm going to leave the pitch, because it's so stupid," he said.
The 36-year-old welterweight - considered the best defensive boxer of his generation - topped the magazine's Fortunate 50 list, issued on Wednesday. Mayweather also took the top spot last year, earning an estimated $85 million, again from just two fights, the magazine reported.
Miami Heat ...
Ubeto, who joined Lampre this year, returned a sample that showed traces of GW1516, also known as GW501516, following an out-of-competition test taken on April 16, the UCI said in a statement.
"The provisional suspension of Mr. Miguel Ubeto Aponte remains in force until a hearing panel ...
The Garmin-Sharp rider shook off his closest pursuer, Italian Daniel Oss, to go clear five km from the finish line at Vajont.
Oss finished in second place, just over a minute back, with Italian Stefano Pirazzi third.
In an interview with Channel Four television to be broadcast on Thursday, the British-based jockey - one of the biggest names in flat racing - was asked why he took cocaine and in what circumstances.
"Things were going bad, I was depressed and I guess a moment of weakness and I fell for it ...
German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on Wednesday that prosecutors had charged the 82-year-old Briton, who has turned the sport into a global money maker over the past three decades, with bribery and inciting others to a fiduciary breach of trust.
"The documents with the charges ...
The suspect was caught after he fled Istanbul by bus, Dogan news agency reported on Wednesday.
Police said the accused man did not know his victim, 19-year-old Burak Yildirim.
Murray retired from the contest against Spain's Marcel Granollers moments after leveling the second-round match by winning the second set having already had treatment on court.
"I pulled out because there is a good chance I wouldn't be playing tomorrow. We'll have to wait for Paris. I'd be ...
Georges tested positive for the stimulant Heptaminol in a sample taken on May 10, the International Cycling Union (UCI) had earlier said in a statement.
"I just talked to him on the phone. He told me he had used a product because he had heavy legs, thinking it was harmless," Lavenu told ...
TOKYO (Reuters) - Honda will return to Formula One in 2015 as McLaren engine partners, replacing Mercedes, sources close to the company said on Wednesday.
Honda's Chief Executive Takanobu Ito is set to make an official announcement as early as Thursday, one of the sources added.
Twice women's Champions League winners Lyon won 6-5 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after the referee had ruled out Montpellier's final attempt in the shootout.
However, TV replays showed the ball had crossed the line after hitting the post and bouncing against the keeper's arm.
Viewers of the edited highlights were baffled to hear chanting at the start of the FC Zurich-Grasshoppers game even though pictures showed that almost nobody was present in the Letzigrund stadium for kickoff due to a protest by fans.
"In order to make the report as attractive as possible, the ...
Cabrera signed with the Blue Jays (16-24) in the off-season after his spell with the Giants ended with a 50-game suspension for using performance enhancing drugs last season.
Toronto starter R.A. Dickey pitched six innings and struck out 10 to get the win and snap San Francisco's (23-16) ...
Quick recorded his second shutout of the post-season as the defending Stanley Cup champion Kings won their fifth straight game. They won four consecutive contests against St Louis in the first round after falling into a 2-0 hole.
Game Two of the best-of-seven set is also in Los Angeles on Thursday.
The Spurs had squandered an eight-point advantage in the fourth quarter of Game Four to let the Warriors even the series, but they much more clinical back at home in the AT&T Center where they only briefly trailed in the first quarter.
Tony Parker recorded 25 points and 10 assists while Tim ...
Game Five is in New York on Thursday when the Knicks will have to win to stay alive in the series, while the Pacers can reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the 2003-04 season.
The Knicks, who scored just 71 points in an 11-point loss on Saturday, failed to show much sign ...
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The America's Cup sailing regatta will go ahead, organizers said on Tuesday, following concerns about safety due to the death of a sailor in a training accident last week.
Regatta organizers said they hope within two weeks to complete an investigation of last Thursday's ...
"David was offered the opportunity to continue his work with us but has declined the invitation. He has decided to leave his role with his close friend Roberto Mancini," City said.
"David has made a significant contribution to the club's success since joining in 2010 and we wish him ...
The International Olympic Committee's 15-member executive board sparked outcry in February when it voted to recommend that wrestling be dropped from the 2020 Olympic program in a bid to modernize the event.
The committee will make a final decision in Buenos Aires in September on which sport will ...
The lingering injury, sustained in the Champions League quarter-final first leg at Paris St Germain on April 2, has kept the World Player of the Year out of several key games and he was forced off on Sunday during a league match at Atletico Madrid.
"The period of absence will be two to three ...
ALTOPIANO DEL MONTASIO, Italy (Reuters) - Colombian Rigoberto Uran moved into third place overall after capturing a solo victory in the Giro d'Italia's first summit finish on Tuesday.
Italian Vincenzo Nibali strengthened his overall lead after dropping Britain's Bradley Wiggins and the ...
BERLIN (Reuters) - Singapore's Ng Ser Miang is expected to announce a bid for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) presidency on Thursday, a source close to the Olympic movement told Reuters on Tuesday.
The IOC Vice President is set to become the second candidate for one of the top jobs in ...
LONDON (Reuters) - A week of worldwide acclaim for Alex Ferguson and his 26 years in charge of Manchester United patently failed to get the message through to Manchester City's trigger-happy owners that stability is the key to sustained footballing success.
Instead, goaded by their rivals' ...
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Manchester City sacked manager Roberto Mancini on Monday following his team's feeble defense of the Premier League title they won exactly one year ago.
Manchester United regained the title last month with four games to spare and City were then beaten 1-0 by Wigan ...
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - O.J. Simpson, the ex-football star famously acquitted of murder in 1995, appeared in court on Monday seeking a new trial in a Las Vegas armed robbery case that sent him to prison as witnesses testified to what they said were blunders by his lawyer.
Simpson, 65, appeared ...
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Antti Pihlstrom's overtime winner completed Finland's comeback from a goal down against Latvia, allowing them to snatch a 3-2 victory in their group at the world ice hockey championships in Helsinki on Tuesday.
The victory lifted the Finns above Russia in the Helsinki group ...
(Reuters) - Henrik Zetterberg nearly went from hero to goat in his team's playoff upset over the Anaheim Ducks, but Detroit's face of calm withstood his latest test to confirm his place in a long line of great Red Wings captains.
Zetterberg's delay of game penalty for accidentally shooting the ...
"The investigation against Mr. Ecclestone has been completed," the Munich prosecutor's office said on Monday.
Under the German legal system, prosecutors need to decide whether to press ahead with charges or drop the matter once a preliminary investigation has been completed. Prosecutors ...
LONDON (Reuters) - The first European race of the Formula One season provided a boost for Ferrari and Fernando Alonso, with Lotus and Kimi Raikkonen also smiling, but left plenty of other former champions feeling the pain.
While Red Bull retained their lead in both championships, they struggled ...
"On May 13 an agreement was signed between Metallurg Magnitogorsk and the Canadian specialist Mike Keenan," the Continental Hockey League (KHL) team said on their website (www.metallurg.ru).
Keenan, 63, replaces fellow Canadian Paul Maurice who quit last month following one season in ...
Venus Williams was despatched in straight sets by Robson in Monday's first round but Serena, fresh from her defeat of Maria Sharapova in the Madrid Open final at the weekend, was a different proposition once she had warmed up.
Robson broke serve in the opening game but the American quickly hit her ...
The hearing could not take place on Tuesday because the alleged victim, Bernard's practice partner Thomas Drouet, was not in Spain and was unable to attend, the authorities said. An exact date had not yet been set, they added.
John Tomic, who was in the Spanish capital as his son was competing at ...
Spanoulis, nicknamed "Kill Bill", buried 22 second-half points to steer recession-hit Olympiakos to a memorable 100-88 win against the eight-time Euroleague winners at London's 02 Arena on Sunday.
As so often before in his illustrious career, which has included one title in Europe's ...
The Briton lies fourth overall, 1:16 adrift of leader Vincenzo Nibali of Italy who took the pink jersey after Saturday's individual time trial.
Team Sky rider Wiggins was expected to claw back the time on his rivals in the individual effort against the clock but finished second to compatriot Alex ...
"Participants in international sporting competition can enter and exit the Russian Federation without applying for visas," the government said in a statement posted on its official website (www.kremlin.ru).
The government would publish a list of international sporting events and ...
BARCELONA (Reuters) - Mercedes urged their many Formula One technical boffins to "think outside the box" and consider the unconsidered after a Spanish Grand Prix that left the team baffled by their cars' lack of race pace.
Despite scorching to their third pole position in a row, with ...
The 26-year-old hurdler suffered what is believed to be a grade-one hamstring tear at the Asian Grand Prix Athletic Championship in Sri Lanka on Sunday after missing the domestic season with the same injury.
The latest setback was, however, unlikely to affect her participation at this year's World ...
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - Playing with controlled aggression, Tiger Woods gave notice at the Players Championship that he stands poised to reassert his dominance once again on the world of golf.
After an uncharacteristic wobble with a double-bogey on the back nine of TPC Sawgrass's ...
CORDENONS, Italy (Reuters) - As the Giro d'Italia enters its second week, cycling's top directors have been reminded just how different the race is from the Tour de France.
"It's so unpredictable," Rod Ellingworth, Team Sky's performance manager who is helping oversee Tour de France ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Olympiakos Piraeus defeated Real Madrid 100-88 with a dominant second half display on Sunday to win Europe's premier basketball trophy for the second year running.
Inspired by a vocal travelling support who defied Greece's economic problems to make the trip to London, Olympiacos ...
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Teenage goalkeeper John Gibson recorded a shutout as the United States beat Germany 3-0 to book their place in the quarter-finals of the ice hockey world championships in Helsinki on Sunday.
Germany outshot the United States 30-29 but, with Gibson in fine form in front of the ...
BARCELONA (Reuters) - Ferrari's Fernando Alonso rewrote the Formula One form book and cranked up the heat in the title battle by winning his home Spanish Grand Prix for the second time on Sunday.
On an afternoon littered with pitstops and full of frustration at high levels of tyre degradation, the ...
MADRID (Reuters) - Serena Williams went from winning the Madrid Open to losing in the first round at Roland Garros last year and she is hoping history does not repeat itself after crushing Maria Sharapova to defend her title in Spain on Sunday.
Williams has one more tournament to play - the clay ...
DARLINGTON, S.C. - Matt Kenseth would never have believed he would fulfill a lifelong dream Saturday night by winning the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. But that is exactly what he did.
"Kyle (Busch) had the best car, but then something happened to him and here we are in victory lane at ...
The Maloof family, which owns the Kings, has favored selling the team to an investment group led by hedge fund manager Chris Hansen, who wants to move the team to Seattle. Hansen's group, which includes Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, said on its website on Friday that it had increased its offer, now ...
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - Sergio Garcia would have loved nothing more than sticking it to his longtime adversary Tiger Woods with a daring shot at the pin on the penultimate hole to win Sunday's Players Championship.
Instead, the Spaniard sunk his title chances and virtually handed ...
MADRID (Reuters) - Far from losing their cutting edge after Pep Guardiola's exit, Barcelona eased to one of their most straightforward La Liga titles as new coach Tito Vilanova fought off cancer to help steer them to a 22nd domestic crown.
Their fourth title in five years - sealed after Real ...
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Less than 24 hours before a British sailor died in an America's Cup boating accident on San Francisco Bay, billionaire Larry Ellison, the mastermind behind this year's competition for the world's oldest sporting trophy, was celebrating his sailing triumphs at a red-carpet ...
Murray lost 7-6 6-4 to Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych in the Madrid Open quarter-finals on Friday but will at least have the consolation of climbing above Roger Federer to number two in the world when the rankings are updated on Monday.
Federer's third-round defeat by Kei Nishikori means the Swiss ...
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - Overnight leader Roberto Castro plunged down the leaderboard at the Players Championship on Friday but the little-known American is still thoroughly enjoying himself at TPC Sawgrass.
Castro carded a stunning nine-under-par 63 on Thursday that put his name ...
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - Sergio Garcia has history with Tiger Woods, but the Spaniard said on Friday he will not be fazed by a third-round pairing with the world number one at the Players Championship.
Garcia, the 2008 champion, vaulted to the top of the leaderboard on Friday with a ...
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The death of British yacht-racing champion Andrew "Bart" Simpson in an America's Cup training accident cast a cloud of doubt over the immediate future of the renowned race, as the event's top official refused on Friday to rule out possibly canceling this year's ...
MADRID (Reuters) - Clay king Rafa Nadal sent another reminder he is not about to surrender his Roland Garros crown without a fight when he crushed Swiss 15th seed Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2 6-4 to win the Madrid Open on Sunday.
It was the Spanish world number five's fifth title since he returned from ...
NEWARK, New Jersey (Reuters) - A federal judge has temporarily blocked an auction house from selling basketball great Kobe Bryant's jerseys, championship rings and other memorabilia worth up to $1 million in a case stemming from a dispute between the Los Angeles Laker and his mother.
The All-Star ...
The Briton had lost both of his previous two matches on the red dust against Berdych, who was runner-up to Roger Federer last year, and produced an erratic performance this time.
Murray battled through a grueling three-hour encounter against Frenchman Gilles Simon on Thursday that finished after ...
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - Lee Westwood believes patience is a virtue, and the former world number one who turned 40 last month believes the best years of his golfing career could be yet to come.
The Englishman put his faith into practice at this week's Players Championship, biding his ...
The 26-year-old FTR Moto rider was ordered to do community service while the girlfriend, who was not identified by name, had her sentence suspended because she had no previous convictions, according to the sources.
"I would like to make clear that it was nothing more than a domestic argument ...
LOS ANGELES/SEATTLE (Reuters) - A Seattle investor group vying to purchase the Sacramento Kings NBA team has vastly increased its offer to buy the basketball franchise, hoping to wrest momentum away from a Sacramento group that wants to keep the team in California's capital.
Hedge fund manager ...
In a rematch of the climax to last year's European season, the defending champions pulled ahead of their Russian opponents in the first quarter and never looked back, leading 40-28 at halftime.
The Moscow team staged a comeback in the second half, cutting the lead to single digits, but strong ...
The tread came off the Scot's still inflated left rear tire in second practice but Di Resta was able to bring the car safely to a halt.
With drivers expressing safety concerns, Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery said the Italian company would investigate the issue.
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - While Brazil struggles to finish its stadiums in time for the 2014 World Cup, Twitter is already working to cash in on what the U.S. company's head of revenue, Adam Bain, sees as a potentially huge business opportunity.
Robust consumer spending, growth potential from ...
JIM THORPE, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - The small Pennsylvania hamlet named for early 20th century sports hero Jim Thorpe has decided to appeal a recent federal court ruling that could clear the way for the athlete's remains to be moved from his resting place in the town to tribal Indian lands in ...
Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, the central figure in the trial that followed a probe into a doping ring in cycling, was given a one-year prison term last month for endangering public health.
The judge ordered the destruction of evidence including bags of blood possibly belonging to athletes ...
BARCELONA (Reuters) - Triple world champion Sebastian Vettel set the fastest lap in Spanish Grand Prix practice on Friday with Ferrari's local favorite Fernando Alonso a close second to split the Red Bull drivers.
With sunshine replacing the morning's drizzle, when Alonso was top of the timesheets ...
The FTR Moto pilot, 26, was detained in the southern town of Jerez early on Thursday following an incident overnight, police said.
Barbera finished 12th in Sunday's Spanish grand prix in Jerez and had stayed on to spend a few days with his girlfriend, who is from the area, local media reported.
LONDON (Reuters) - The America's Cup will remain an irresistible lure for the world's top Olympic sailors despite the tragic death of British gold medalist Andrew Simpson on Thursday.
Royal Yacht Association (RYA) Olympic manager Stephen Park expressed his devastation at the news that 36-year-old ...
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA (Reuters) - Roberto Castro proved himself a sterling student as he followed up a tutorial with 2012 winner Matt Kuchar with a record-tying 63 on Thursday to take the lead at the Players Championship.
Unheralded 27-year-old Castro put his name alongside record holders ...
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - British yacht-racing champion and two-time Olympic medalist Andrew "Bart" Simpson was killed on Thursday when his vessel capsized in San Francisco Bay during training for the America's Cup, his team said.
Simpson, 36, who won a gold medal at the 2008 Summer ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - When Nick Bonino's game-winning shot found the back of the net on Wednesday the Anaheim Ducks finally found the overtime result that had eluded them during a playoff series full of late-game heartbreak.
Despite controlling long stretches of their series with the Detroit Red ...
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - France scored one of the biggest ice hockey upsets ever when they defeated defending champions Russia 2-1 at the world championships in Helsinki on Thursday.
"When I'm 60 I'll tell my grandchildren that I was captain of the team that beat Russia at the world ...
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - A more conservative approach off the tee has Rory McIlroy off and running at the Players Championship.
The world number two from Northern Ireland had never broken par on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass and missed the cut in three previous Players ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - The Chicago Bulls suffered their worst ever playoff defeat on Wednesday to the Miami Heat but took comfort in having stolen homecourt advantage from the defending champions.
A depleted Bulls team split the opening two games of the series and, despite Miami's brutally spectacular ...
MADRID (Reuters) - Roger Federer vowed to get straight back on the practice court after the world number two was dumped out in the third round of the Madrid Open by Japan's Kei Nishikori on Thursday.
Defending champion at the clay Masters event in the Spanish capital, Federer was playing his first ...
The 2008 world champion has obtained a special VIP pass for the animal, complete with a photograph of the dog wearing trendy headphones, but abandoned plans to bring the pet to last month's Bahrain Grand Prix because Roscoe was reported to be feeling under the weather.
The dog has acquired cult ...
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - Tiger Woods held on to clinch his second Players Championship by two strokes on Sunday after long-time adversary Sergio Garcia spectacularly imploded on his last two holes.
Spaniard Garcia shared the lead on 13-under with Woods when he teed off at the short ...
TORONTO (Reuters) - There is little room for panic in the National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs and the battle-hardened Boston Bruins are showing just how valuable experience is as they chase a second Stanley Cup in three seasons.
The Bruins fell into an early hole during a pivotal road game ...
BARCELONA (Reuters) - Kimi Raikkonen has played down any setback to his Formula One championship hopes as a result of the departure of Lotus technical director James Allison.
"For me it doesn't really make a difference," the 2007 champion, second in the standings after four of the 19 ...
MARGHERITA DI SOVOIA, Italy (Reuters) - Britain's Mark Cavendish captured his 99th professional win on Thursday in the Giro d'Italia with a faultlessly executed bunch sprint victory ahead of Italy's Elia Viviani and Australian Matthew Goss.
Home rider Luca Paolini, who rides for the Katusha team, ...
BARCELONA (Reuters) - Pastor Maldonado has put his faith in Williams to provide him with a winning car and silence those who fear he could be destined to join the ranks of one-hit wonders.
A year on from his Spanish Grand Prix victory, the Venezuelan returned to the Circuit de Catalunya on ...
MADRID (Reuters) - Roger Federer's hopes of claiming a second straight Madrid Open title were dashed when the world number two suffered a surprise 6-4 1-6 6-2 third-round defeat to Japanese young gun Kei Nishikori on Thursday.
Playing his first tournament since taking a seven-week break following ...
Moyes, the current Everton manager, will take charge of United from July 1. He succeeds Alex Ferguson who is retiring this month after more than 26 years at United.
(Writing by Keith Weir, editing by Ed Osmond)
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Alex Ferguson's influence at Manchester United will continue past his retirement after the Premier League champions followed his advice and appointed David Moyes as their next manager on Thursday.
Everton boss Moyes, who announced earlier he would be leaving the ...
Stephen Curry added 22 points and Harrison Barnes scored 13 for the Warriors, who snapped a 30-game losing streak in San Antonio dating back to February 14, 1997. The best-of-seven series shifts to Golden State for Game 3 on Friday.
Tim Duncan had 23 points and nine rebounds and Tony Parker scored ...
TORONTO (Reuters) - David scored in overtime to complete a hat trick that gave the Boston Bruins a 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday and a commanding lead in their playoff series.
the Maple Leafs, back in the postseason for the first time in nine years, are now staring at an early ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - Miami Heat bounced back from their series-opening loss to Chicago to thrash the Bulls 115-78 on Wednesday and level their Eastern Conference semi-final at 1-1.
The 37-point margin was the heaviest defeat the Chicago Bulls had suffered in a playoff game and the biggest ever ...
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - Winning the Masters was the ultimate high for Australian Adam Scott.
But after taking a few weeks off to bask in the glow of a cherished accomplishment, the 32-year-old Scott said on Wednesday it was time to come down from cloud nine and build on his legacy ...
Havelange quit as FIFA's honorary president last month, shortly before the publication of a report by the federation's ethics committee into allegations he took bribes from the ISL sports marketing company while president of soccer's governing body.
"The name Joao Havelange is today linked to ...
SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - A Texas judge on Wednesday ruled that the "Bible banners" waved by cheerleaders during football games in a small school district are constitutionally protected free speech and that the tradition will be allowed to continue.
No law "prohibits the cheerleaders ...
Halladay, the Cy Young Award winner as his league's best pitcher in 2003 and 2010, was scheduled to have surgery as early as next week when doctors also plan to clean up fraying in his labrum and rotator cuff.
The right-hander visited Dodgers physician Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on Monday and ...
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Thomas Bach became the first official candidate to be the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) new president on Thursday, saying his long experience in the world of sport was his strong asset.
The 1976 Olympic fencing champion, who is an IOC vice president and has been ...
MADRID (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal avoided a similar fate to beaten world number one Novak Djokovic when he dismissed French young gun Benoit Paire 6-3 6-4 to claim a place in the third round of the Madrid Open on Wednesday.
Serb Djokovic fell to another promising youngster, Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov, ...
(Reuters) - A 17-year-old soccer player accused of punching a referee in the head during a match in Utah was charged with homicide on Wednesday over the assault that ultimately killed referee Ricardo Portillo, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said in a statement they were charging the boy with ...
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - Tiger Woods may get the red carpet treatment wherever he goes but that will be of little help to the world number one at TPC Sawgrass, site of this week's Players Championship.
Woods won his only Players title in 15 starts in 2001 and in addition to a field ...
Three-times major winner Singh was initially found by the PGA Tour to have breached the sport's doping rules after using a spray, which contains a banned substance, to treat an injury but he was later cleared of any wrongdoing after winning an appeal.
He filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court of the ...
Dimitrov, the youngest of the six players aged 23 or under in the top 50, battled through cramp to seal a shock 7-6 6-7 6-3 win in the second round and became the first Bulgarian to beat a player occupying the world's top spot.
"Bulgarian sport found its new hero after Hristo Stoichkov," ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Manchester United itself set out in plain language the importance of Alex Ferguson when the Premier League soccer club floated on the New York stock exchange last year.
"Any successor to our current manager may not be as successful as our current manager," United said ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Alex Ferguson, Britain's longest-serving and most successful soccer manager, will retire at the end of the season after more than 26 years spent decorating Manchester United's trophy room with silverware.
The 71-year-old Scot ended intense speculation about his future at Old ...
- - -
Sharks 4, Canucks 3 (overtime)
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore will host the glittering annual finale of the women's tennis season from 2014 until 2018, the WTA said on Wednesday.
The Southeast Asian city-state beat Tianjin in China and Mexico's Monterrey for the right to stage the WTA Championships after Turkey's Istanbul ends ...
Marc Gasol scored 24 points and Zach Randolph added 15 as the visiting Grizzlies out-scored the Thunder 30-19 in the fourth quarter. Game Three is in Memphis on Saturday.
Kevin Durant had 36 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in another big performance for Oklahoma City. Derek Fisher tallied 19 ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Carmelo Anthony scored 32 points, including 20 in the second half, as the New York Knicks turned on the razzle to thrash the Indiana Pacers 105-79 on Tuesday and level their best-of-seven NBA playoff series at 1-1.
After a slow start, Anthony exploded in the second half as the ...
MADRID (Reuters) - Grigor Dimitrov has long been touted as the next Roger Federer but it may be the 21-year-old Bulgarian's stunning win against world number one Novak Djokovic at the Madrid Open on Tuesday that finally catapults him into the big time.
An inspired Dimitrov battled through cramp ...
MADRID (Reuters) - World number one Serena Williams racked up the 50th title of her illustrious 18-year career when she thumped Maria Sharapova 6-1 6-4 to defend her Madrid Open crown on Sunday.
Williams' victory, her fourth tournament success of 2013 and only the seventh on clay since she turned ...
Grammy-winner Underwood will take the reins from fellow country singer Faith Hill, who had sung the theme "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night" before each telecast since 2007. Underwood's performance will be prerecorded.
"I'm very excited," Underwood, 30, said in a conference ...
(Reuters) - Britain's former world number two Colin Montgomerie repeatedly resisted the lure of the PGA Tour during his prime but now says he intends to compete full-time in the United States on the Champions Tour for players aged over 50.
The Scotsman, who won a record eight order of merit titles ...
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexander Radulov each scored one goal and made another as Russia beat the United States 5-3 to preserve their perfect start at the ice hockey world championship.
The two hockey superpowers played out an entertaining see-saw game in Helsinki that saw Russia ...
Djokovic, who had a bye in the opening round, was already a break down to the promising 21-year-old in the second set when he twisted the same ankle he damaged playing for Serbia in the Davis Cup last month.
After a lengthy medical timeout, he managed to break back and saved a match point on the ...
"Following last week's incident in Madrid concerning John Tomic, and the ensuing investigation, Mr. Tomic's credential privileges have been suspended at all ATP tournaments until further notice," the governing body said on Tuesday.
"The ATP's investigation into this incident remains ...
SERRA SAN BRUNO (Reuters) - Enrico Battaglin led an Italian 1-2-3 to win the fourth stage of the Giro d'Italia on Tuesday as Britain's Bradley Wiggins lost time in a testing finale.
The Tour de France champion lost 17 seconds as the peloton split in the final kilometers that included a quick ...
TORONTO (Reuters) - Tuukka Rask is key to the Boston Bruins' Stanley Cup hopes and the Finnish netminder showed he is up for the challenge with a stellar performance that silenced what had been a raucous Air Canada Center.
Rask stole the show when he turned aside 45 of the 47 shots he faced during ...
SERRA SAN BRUNO, Italy (Reuters) - Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins has yet to show the form of last season that would make him top favorite for the Giro d'Italia, according to Juan Jose Cobo, the last non-Team Sky rider to beat the Briton on a Grand Tour.
"He's not necessarily the ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - For the Los Angeles Kings, it all came down to resilience and winning the final period as they faced the daunting prospect of trailing the St. Louis Blues 3-1 in their best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series.
In front of a packed house at Staples Center, the ...
Previously in charge of Buffalo's American Hockey League affiliate, the Rochester Americans, Rolston becomes the 16th head coach for the Sabres after guiding the team to a 15-11-5 record in 31 games since replacing Ruff.
The 46-year-old also spent seven seasons as head coach with USA Hockey's ...
MADRID (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic was dumped out of the Madrid Open in the second round on Tuesday when he went over on his ankle and incurred the wrath of the locals on the way to a shock 7-6 6-7 6-3 reverse to Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.
The world number one, who had a bye in the opening round, ...
Chasing a fourth title of the year and the 50th of her career, Williams had too much power for the slightly-built Dominguez Lino, who nonetheless managed to unsettle her illustrious opponent with some clever drop shots and lobs.
Williams, 31, said she had enjoyed the test and the experience would ...
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Rangers 4, Capitals 3
The American former world number one, a 15-times champion on the PGA Tour, twice choked up with tears during his acceptance speech in St. Augustine, Florida on what he described as "the coolest night of my life".
Couples was inducted along with eight-times European Tour order of merit ...
It will be Pacquiao's first fight since he was knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez in December, a defeat that prompted many to suggest the 34-year-old should retire after being left unconscious, face down on the canvas by his Mexican rival.
However, Pacquiao, winner of world titles at eight ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two hours without a goal, two games without a win, the New York Rangers' faithful must have feared their NHL playoff campaign had "early exit" written all over it.
On Monday, against a Washington Capitals team in full flight, the Rangers rediscovered the way to win, ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - A depleted Chicago Bulls dug deep for another impressive display of character and collective strength as they stunned defending NBA champions Miami Heat 93-86 in the opening game of their Eastern Conference semi-final series on Monday.
On the night when LeBron James was presented ...
TORONTO (Reuters) - A massive billboard with the smiling face of Toronto Maple Leafs sniper Phil Kessel looks down on all those who enter the Air Canada Centre.
But the reclusive winger had little reason to smile on Monday as his team's first home playoff game in nine years ended in a 5-2 loss to ...
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Control-freak and parasite or loving father determined to help his son make the most of a rare tennis talent - John Tomic does not so much divide opinion in Australia as split it into 'Bernard against the rest'.
On Monday, the father and coach of Australia's top male tennis ...
The 14-time All-Star ran, played catch and hit off a tee before signing autographs for around 40 fans, though he was not prepared to set a timetable for his major league return.
"I'm working 24/7 to get back on the field," Rodriguez told reporters after beginning a 30-day rehabilitation ...
Robson, the world number 41, thumped Radwanska 6-3 6-1 on the clay at the Magic Box arena and 23rd-ranked Suarez Navarro ousted Stosur 7-6 6-2 to delight the home crowd with her seventh career victory over a top-10 player.
Radwanska was the biggest casualty as second seed Maria Sharapova of Russia ...
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Switzerland scored three quick fire goals in the third period to beat the Czech Republic 5-2 on Monday and continue their stunning start to the ice hockey world championships.
Andres Ambuhl gave Switzerland the lead with a power play goal at the end of the first period before ...
ZURICH (Reuters) - FIFA has proposed the introduction of extra officials in stadiums to watch out for incidents of racism, plus a two-tier system of sanctions for teams whose followers indulge in discriminatory behavior.
The new officials "would identify potential acts of discrimination with ...
The game is the latest addition to the NHL's Stadium Series, which will kick off on New Year's Day with the Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium.
The series will also include a game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Pittsburgh Penguins on ...
JIM THORPE, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - The tiny hamlet of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, could lose its namesake, an American sports hero whose interment put the town on the map.
A family squabble has turned into a federal court battle over the remains of the legendary Native American athlete and Olympic ...
The 37-year-old Englishman, returning to the sport after a year-long absence, showed no signs of rustiness over the two weeks of competition, culminating in a comfortable win over world number 14 Hawkins.
"I thought it was a brilliant final," O'Sullivan told reporters after making a ...
MARINA DI ASCEA, Italy (Reuters) - Luca Paolini timed his effort perfectly to win the third stage of the Giro d'Italia and snatch the overall leader's pink jersey at the end of an eventful ride on Monday.
Paolini, whose Katusha team were a late inclusion in the race after they won a place on the ...
Julien's Auctions said on Monday that it expects a signed white training robe, worn by Ali in November and December 1981 while he prepared for his final bout against Trevor Berbick, to sell for between $25,000 and $35,000 during a two-day auction starting May 31.
Ali, 71, shot to international ...
Media reports said the man Tomic assaulted was Bernard's practice partner Thomas Drouet, although police could only confirm the victim as "the son's coach".
The incident, which the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Tennis Australia (TA) are investigating, took place on the ...
(Reuters) - The introduction of a female seat on FIFA's executive committee is a significant step in gender inequality being eradicated from the game and not a token position, Australian candidate Moya Dodd told Reuters.
A female seat on the executive committee was first proposed by FIFA president ...
Goalkeeper Martin Gerber displayed nerves of steel in front of the Swiss net and Reto Suri converted twice in the shootout for Switzerland.
The Swiss had already beaten co-hosts Sweden in their opening game.
Shug McGaughey, the Kentucky-based trainer of Orb, wasted no time declaring his intentions to run the three-year-old in the remaining two legs.
Speaking to reporters outside the winner's barn at Churchill Downs on Sunday morning, McGaughey said he was already thinking about the next two races, the ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Redemption was sweet for Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick as he rebounded from what he assessed as two sub-par performances with a flawless display against the St. Louis Blues.
The inspirational Quick made 30 saves to complete the fifth playoff shutout of his ...
James received 120 first-place votes from the panel of 121 sports writers and broadcasters selected to choose the award. Oklahoma's Kevin Durant finished second overall and the New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony, who received the other first-place vote, placed third.
It was the fourth time in five ...
The four tennis heavyweights were joined on the Manolo Santana show court at the Magic Box arena by women's world number one Serena Williams to pay tribute to Australian former player Drewett, who passed away aged 54 after suffering from Motor Neurone Disease.
"It's devastating news for not ...
The 17-year-old player struck the referee, Ricardo Portillo, in the head on April 27 after Portillo penalized the teenager during a soccer game in a Salt Lake City suburb, according to the Unified Police of Greater Salt Lake.
Portillo, 46, died late on Saturday at an area hospital, the police said ...
The 35-year-old, who won last week's Ballantine's Championship in South Korea in a playoff, had a much smoother ride at the Tianjin Binhai Lake Golf Club as he surged ahead of the chasing pack with six birdies over his first 14 holes.
A pair of bogeys on the closing holes made little difference as ...
The 32-year-old American, now ranked 21, was due to play her first-round match against Spanish wild card Anabel Medina Garrigues on the clay at the premier event on Sunday.
She will be replaced in the draw by 56th-ranked Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland.
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Floyd Mayweather showed little sign of ring-rust after a year out of the sport as he used sublime defense and a steady parade of right hands to dominate fellow American Robert Guerrero and retain his WBC welterweight championship on Saturday.
One day short of 12 months since ...
The Italian-born challenger briefly ruffled the champion by landing a couple of punches in the second round but apart from that appeared out of his depth.
Klitschko twice sent his opponent to the canvas in the fourth round before the referee called a halt to proceedings eight seconds from the end ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Major League Baseball broke the color line in 1947 when Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, but the transition to racial diversity was not easy.
Sixty-six years later, with the NBA's Jason Collins breaking another barrier in major U.S. pro sports leagues by becoming ...
Celebrating his 26th birthday, Yamaha rider Lorenzo, who was also fastest in Friday practice, set a best time of one minute 38.67 seconds at the sun-drenched Jerez circuit, with Pedrosa clocking 1:38.92 and Honda team mate Marquez 1:38.971.
Cal Crutchlow of Britain was fourth fastest on his Yamaha ...
Roland Garros committee member Guy Forget suggested last month that the Spaniard, who has slipped to fifth in the world rankings, should be protected to avoid a potential quarter-final clash with world number one Novak Djokovic.
"Considering what Nadal represents in Paris, i.e. the best ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - A proposal by the Miami Dolphins to use taxpayer money to help finance an upgrade of the NFL team's stadium failed on Friday to win broad support among Florida state lawmakers, dealing a potential blow to Miami's bid to host the 2016 Super Bowl.
The Dolphins, owned by real estate ...
Ernst, 22, who sank a four-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to tie for the lead, won his first PGA Tour title with a tap-in par at the par-four 18th after Lynn, runner-up at last year's PGA Championship, got into trouble off the tee in sudden death.
"It feels incredible," Ernst said in ...
The Russians were ruthless in disposing of the Latvian challenge, scoring three goals in the second period to take a 4-0 lead.
Two further goals in the final period put the champions out of sight and into second place behind Finland with a game in hand.
Saunders, who has also been head coach with the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards, was appointed on a five-year deal in place of David Kahn, who was fired on Thursday.
"I've made a lot of great decisions in my life, and a lot of things in business that ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The 2014 Ryder Cup may be a distant 16 months away but United States captain Tom Watson has already identified three winning qualities he needs in his 12-man team to take on holders Europe in Scotland.
Above all, Watson wants his players to have a 'never-say-die' attitude, ...
Drewett's WTA counterpart Stacey Allaster added: "Brad was an incredibly warm human being and a dedicated family man. He also was always an inspiring leader. Today the entire tennis community mourns the loss of a great friend and colleague.
"Brad's contributions as a player and visionary ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Turkey's Asli Cakir Alptekin, who came back from a doping ban to win the women's 1,500 meters under a cloud of suspicion at the 2012 Olympics, faces a lifetime ban after being charged with another anti-doping offence, athletics officials said on Friday.
Cakir, who was given a ...
Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, the central figure in the trial, was given a one-year prison term for endangering public health on Tuesday.
The case attracted international attention because of the high-profile of some of his clients in Spain and beyond and his claim early in the trial that he ...
British Open champion Els was tied fourth, four strokes behind Thongchai, after carding five birdies against three bogeys for a two-under-par 70 at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.
"Today was a bit of a jet-lag day for me. I was trying to get some energy going. Hopefully, I will have more energy ...
Hoeness, who played for Bayern and West Germany in the 1970s, has admitted to evading taxes and said he received a personal loan from former Adidas boss Robert Louis-Dreyfus, who died in 2009 after a long battle with leukaemia.
"We will remain a shareholder of FC Bayern Munich," Adidas ...
The heavy-hitting Argentine reached the semi-finals last year before losing to Czech Tomas Berdych.
"He has a virus and will not be fit to play," a statement on the tournament's website (www.madrid-open.com) said. "We wish him a fast recovery."
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - FIFA president Sepp Blatter again hinted he plans to stand for another four-year term as the head of world soccer during a speech to AFC delegates in which he called for more World Cup places for Asian teams.
The 77-year-old Swiss, speaking at the Asian Football ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - After enduring a roller-coaster season described by Hall of Famer Earvin 'Magic' Johnson as "one of the worst" in franchise history, Los Angeles Lakers fans are scratching their heads over what may happen next.
Widely tipped as National Basketball Association ...
The Northern Irishman was joined atop the leaderboard by Americans Nick Watney, Ryan Moore, Robert Garrigus, Daniel Summerhays, Derek Ernst and Monday qualifier Nate Smith.
Another six players were one stroke back, including former Masters champions Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson, and former U.S. ...
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Soccer fans attending next year's World Cup in Brazil will have no problem going online from stadiums, but they might want to use a local cellphone chip to keep their charges low, Brazilian Communications Minister Paulo Bernardo said on Thursday.
Each of the 12 stadiums ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Development driver Susie Wolff is pushing Williams to give her a proper test in July and keep alive her distant dream of one day racing alongside the men in Formula One.
"For me the next logical step is to do the young drivers test, and do it well, and then see what the ...
For someone who has not won since 2005 and is without a top-10 finish on the European Tour for over two years, Derksen's two early bogeys seemed to suggest a continuation of his wretched form.
The twice European Tour winner, however, staged a remarkable comeback, rolling in three birdies to turn ...
The big South African wielded the long-putter he is phasing out to sink five birdies, against one "silly" bogey, to lie two shots behind Australia's Scott Hend and Korea's Hwang Inn-choon at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.
"I've got to be satisfied with that. Obviously you would like ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - It might be the last Celtics stand for the tandem of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett but they showed their class and determination as Boston humbled the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.
Age, a lack of depth on the roster and the strains of the National ...
Basso was suffering from a cyst, which made it impossible for him to pedal correctly, his Cannondale team said in a statement on Thursday.
Compatriot Damiano Caruso would replace Basso in the squad, Cannondale said.
Lillard, the sixth overall pick in the 2012 draft, was not the highest profile rookie entering the season but he quickly claimed the spotlight to be the unanimous selection for the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy.
The six-foot three-inch guard averaged 19 points per game and 6.5 assists while finishing with ...
After settling near the rear of the field in the sloppy conditions, Orb steadily worked his way into contention, then pinned back his ears and sprinted to the front at the iconic Twin Spires and kicked clear to win the $2 million, 1-1/4 mile classic.
Golden Soul, a long shot who enjoyed a trouble ...
O'Sullivan, who has struggled with depression during a glittering career and last November said he was ending his season, only to return this year, beat Stuart Bingham 13-4 at the Crucible in Sheffield.
"I've realized I don't miss snooker but I needed a bit of money," 37-year-old ...
BARCELONA (Reuters) - Bayern Munich stormed fortress Nou Camp to claim a berth in the first all-German Champions League final when they routed Barcelona 3-0 on Wednesday for a crushing 7-0 aggregate success that saw them hailed as the new kings of Europe.
The Bundesliga champions, chasing a fifth ...
"The military police made a mistake in listing the product among those to be acquired with a view to the World Cup which will be held in the dry season," said the Federal District government in a statement.
Brazilian media had criticized the plans as an example of wasteful spending by ...
The Argentine World Player of the Year suffered a hamstring strain last month and will start on the bench as Barca seek to overturn a 4-0 deficit from last week's first leg in Munich.
Messi's place in the side was taken by Cesc Fabregas, who will play in the roving forward role in a three-pronged ...
The Royal & Ancient (R&A) and United States Golf Association (USGA) released a joint statement explaining in lengthy detail the controversial events that occurred during Woods's second round and sent the year's first major into a frenzy.
Woods controversially avoided disqualification from ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - While Chris Paul was busy scoring a playoff career-high-tying 35 points on Tuesday, Memphis guard Mike Conley was quietly leaving his fingerprints on a series he has helped shift in favor of the Grizzlies.
Conley is the "other" point guard in a playoff matchup ...
BERLIN (Reuters) - German soccer great Uli Hoeness said on Wednesday he made "a foolish mistake" by evading taxes, a scandal that has hurt his friend Chancellor Angela Merkel in her re-election bid, but hoped his decision to come clean would help repair the damage.
In an interview with ...
Designated hosts Pakistan were disqualified from last month's Davis Cup tie, played in Myanmar because of security concerns, after referee Ashita Ajigala ruled that the grass court in Yangon had become unplayable and dangerous.
The Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) appealed against the ruling but ...
Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, the central figure in the trial, was given a one-year prison term for endangering public health and the judge also ordered the evidence, including bags of blood possibly belonging to athletes from sports other than cycling, to be destroyed.
Her decision not to ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Los Angeles Clippers are sweating on the fitness of All-Star forward Blake Griffin, who aggravated an ankle injury during a first-round playoff loss to Memphis on Tuesday that leaves the team on the brink of elimination.
Griffin was withdrawn during the third quarter of ...
(Reuters) - A Seattle hedge fund manager whose bid to move basketball's Sacramento Kings to the Pacific Northwest city was rejected by a committee of NBA owners vowed on Tuesday to push forward with efforts to buy the team.
A day earlier, the National Basketball Association's relocation committee ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Veteran basketball player Jason Collins basked in support and declared himself as happy as he had ever been on Tuesday, but not everyone was pleased about his becoming the first openly gay player in North America's four major professional sports leagues.
Collins revealed he ...
TORONTO (Reuters) - The National Hockey League (NHL) has been preparing for years for the first gay player to come out in public and that groundwork may be about to pay off after the NBA's Jason Collins opened the door to a new era.
Collins, a veteran basketball player, stepped into the national ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - They're big, they're tough, and, presumably, some of them are gay, but so far not a single active NFL player has come out and said so. After NBA player Jason Collins broke that barrier this week, the National Football League is making sure it will be ready for any coming out ...
With the French Open looming large on the horizon, Nadal is back in the claycourt groove as he continues his comeback from a knee injury that sidelined him for seven months.
The Spaniard has won four titles in six tournaments since returning in Chile in February, finishing runner-up in the other ...
In a statement on the official ATP website (www.atpworldtour.com) she dismissed reports that the 34-year-old had suffered a stroke.
"Ivo did not have a stroke, as some outlets have stated; rather, he has viral meningitis," she said.
Bowman, who helped record-breaking American Phelps to 18 Olympic gold medals, will work as a consultant to the Turkish program leading up to the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016.
"It's exciting for me to take part in this project," Bowman told a news conference on Tuesday at which mobile ...
"Its incredible, you just try to live an honest genuine life and the next thing you know, you've got the president calling you," he told ABC's Good Morning America on Tuesday.
Collins said President Barack Obama had been encouraging in the telephone conversation.
SEATTLE (Reuters) - Paul Allen, the lesser known co-founder of Microsoft Corp, has struggled for decades to make his mark as a business mogul beyond the software company he started with Bill Gates.
Since he quit Microsoft in 1983, the quiet Seattle native has lost billions of dollars on ...
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Olympic discus silver medalist Darya Pishchalnikova has been given a 10-year doping ban after failing a drugs test for the second time, the Russian athletics federation (VFLA) said on Tuesday.
A sample taken from Pishchalnikova in May last year was re-tested and proved positive ...
Ryder Cup Europe said in a statement that Scotland, England, the United States, Wales and Ireland made up the top five countries.
Successful applicants for the Sept 26-28 event were being told on Tuesday and European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley welcomed their enthusiasm.
The report by Hans-Joachim Eckert, head of the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA's ethics committee, said Havelange quit his post on April 18.
(Reporting by Brian Homewood)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - With a billionaire owner and a dazzling new stadium in New York City's most populated borough, the Brooklyn Nets are not everyone's idea of an underdog.
But in a sport where giants really do walk the court, the Nets have some legitimate claims to being a David among the ...
(Reuters) - Times are changing for gays in American sports and National Basketball Association (NBA) player Jason Collins' decision to come out will encourage others in the top leagues to be open about their sexuality.
Two years ago, NBA great Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 for using an anti-gay ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The boxer who pummeled opponents with his words as well as with his fast fists rarely talks these days, and his dazzling footwork is a memory frozen on video tape and in the minds of millions of admirers.
But the spirit and sparkle in 71-year-old Muhammad Ali's eyes live on ...
(Reuters) - A committee of NBA owners recommended on Monday that the league reject a proposal by an investor group to move the Sacramento Kings to Seattle, a decision seen as a long-shot victory for a group of California investors trying to keep the basketball team from leaving town.
The unanimous ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Jets cut quarterback Tim Tebow on Monday, ending his ill-conceived stint in the Big Apple and leaving one of the most hyped players in the National Football League (NFL) facing an uncertain future.
The Jets notified Tebow of their decision to waive him after just ...
TORONTO (Reuters) - The playoffs for a National Hockey League (NHL) season that nearly never was open on Tuesday with memories of a bitter labor dispute all but forgotten in favor of an intriguing race for the Stanley Cup.
A compacted 48-game schedule that began in January with NHL players and ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Dwight Howard walked off the floor after his ejection just as Kobe Bryant hobbled to his courtside seat as the All-Star team mates heading in opposite directions symbolized a lost season for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers were mercilessly swept out of the playoffs on ...
The Florida-based Russian insisted that despite her multiple business ventures, her tennis career remains her main focus.
"Right now tennis is the most important for me," the world number two told reporters at an upscale Moscow store, where a small pack of 'Shugarpova' sweets is sold for ...
Collins, a former center with the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Boston Celtics, said in a Sports Illustrated article published on Monday that he had gradually become frustrated with having to keep silent on gay issues.
"I realized I needed to go public when Joe Kennedy, my old ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Veteran basketball player Jason Collins announced on Monday that he was gay, smashing through one of the final frontiers in U.S. sports with a frank personal statement and winning warm praise as a groundbreaker.
Collins, a 12-year player in the National Basketball Association ...
MADRID (Reuters) - Injury-hit Barcelona were picked apart by traditional rivals Real Madrid on Sunday but their meeting at the Euroleague Final Four in London next month will be a different story, Barca center Ante Tomic told Reuters.
The Spanish rivals will clash for berth in the grand final of ...
Rarely are the roles reversed, yet Chechen linesman Musa Kadyrov lost his composure in a Russian fixture on Sunday and launched a vicious assault on one of the players.
The incident occurred at the end of a Russian league reserve game in Grozny between Amkar Perm and local side Terek when a raging ...
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Birmingham City football club owner Carson Yeung pleaded not guilty to charges of laundering more than HK$720 million ($92.74 million) and his defense team sought to have the case thrown out, saying some related documents were no longer available.
Yeung, dressed in a dark ...
The NHL's lockout-shortened regular season drew to a close with the Senators beating the Bruins 4-2 in a game postponed in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, finalizing the league's individual races.
Ovechkin claimed his third Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy as the league's goal-scoring ...
LeBron James had 30 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and visiting Miami pulled away in the fourth quarter to complete a four-game series sweep of Milwaukee.
Ray Allen scored 16 points off the bench and Udonis Haslem added 13 as the reigning NBA champions rolled into the Eastern Conference ...
PARIS (Reuters) - David Beckham picked up a straight red card and Paris St Germain finished with nine men but they continued their march towards a first French league title in 19 years with a chaotic 1-0 win at Evian Thonon Gaillard on Sunday.
Javier Pastore scored the only goal five minutes into ...
Haye, who lost his WBA belt in July 2011 to Ukrainian Vladimir Klitschko before beating Dereck Chisora 12 months later, faces Charr who has won all but one of his 24 professional bouts.
His only defeat came against Klitschko's older brother Vitaly last September when the Ukrainian retained his WBC ...
The Italian, now languishing just inside the world top 50 at 48, has struggled in 2013, losing in the first round of five of the nine previous events she had played.
The 2010 French Open champion, who had failed to progress past the quarter-finals of a WTA tournament since her last piece of ...
The world number five and second seed survived a whirlwind start from Almagro, who broke his first two service games in cloudy, drizzly conditions on the clay of the Real Club de Tenis.
Nadal battled back with three breaks of serve to take the first set and ran away with it in the second, to notch ...
The struggling Stars were beaten 3-0 at home by the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, ending their campaign 11th in the 15-team Western Conference with a 22-22-4 record.
Nieuwendyk, an elegant forward who hoisted the Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames, Stars and New Jersey Devils, was appointed as ...
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Two Russian tycoons will tap the prodigious cash flows of the country's largest mining company to help complete their construction projects for next year's Winter Olympics in Sochi, whose budget has spiraled to a record $50 billion.
Norilsk Nickel will put money into a ski ...
April 27 (SportsDirect) - Highlights of Saturday's Major League Baseball games
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"It's still raining in Barcelona," the ATP said on its official Twitter feed just after 3 p.m. local time (1300 GMT).
"Further updates ... will be posted when available," it added.
(Reuters) - Two human rights groups have asked world soccer governing body FIFA to withdraw Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa from the race to become president of Asian football, accusing the Bahraini royal of human rights breaches.
In a letter to FIFA president Sepp Blatter, the Bahrain Center ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - It was the worst possible combination for the Los Angeles Lakers as their injury-depleted line-up ran into a scintillating shooting display by the San Antonio Spurs in a lop-sided Game Three on Friday.
With the ailing Lakers missing their top four guards, they were pounded ...
Having stunned the golfing world the previous day when he made a second consecutive cut on the PGA Tour, the 14-year-old struggled off the tee before finishing at two-over 218, stone last in the 71-strong field.
"I just didn't do very good in the morning and was definitely in trouble with my ...
Te'o was a notable absentee when the NFL's 32 teams made their first-round selections the previous night but he was the sixth man picked when the second of the seven rounds got underway in New York on Friday.
The Chargers, who have released a slew of veteran players, opening the way for the new ...
The 24-year-old suffered a lateral meniscus tear during the second quarter of Oklahoma's 105-102 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, a win that put them up 2-0 in the first-round best-of-seven playoff series.
Westbrook, a three-time National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star who ...
Olympiakos will meet last season's runners-up CSKA Moscow for a place in the final while eight-times winners Real Madrid will play rivals Barcelona in the other semi-final at London's O2 Arena, which is hosting the showpiece event from May 10-12.
Efes seemed on course for an upset after taking a ...
The surprisingly mature eighth-grader carded a three-under-par 69 in Friday's second round of the PGA Tour event to finish at three-under 141, inside the projected cutline of two-under.
Having already become the youngest player to make the cut in a major championship, Guan all but ensured he would ...
Sharapova, who had needed three sets in all her previous rounds in Stuttgart, found it easier against Li, with her serve setting her up for her second consecutive victory in the indoor arena.
The top seed, her loud grunts echoing around the stadium, snatched a break at the start, with a sizzling ...
LONDON/STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - The focus of the world's gaze during the 2012 Olympics, athletics is now searching for a new title sponsor for its elite series of meetings just two weeks before the season opens.
Electronics giant Samsung pulled the plug on its Diamond League sponsorship last month, ...
Armstrong was banned for life and stripped of his seven Tour de France titles by the International Cycling Union (UCI) in October after USADA found that he had taken performance enhancing drugs throughout his career.
The USADA report into Armstrong's doping also alleged that the UCI had not done ...
The Euroleague's all-time leading scorer Juan Carlos Navarro netted 15 points and Brazilian point guard Marcelinho Huertas added 10 to give Barca a 3-2 win in a rollercoaster best-of-five quarter-final playoff series, while forward Stephane Lasme stood out for the visitors with 16 ...
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentina's first World Cup victory in 1978 was a catharsis for fans desperate for a title to go with the belief their team had often been the best on the planet without being able to show it.
It was not what FIFA president Sepp Blatter claimed on Wednesday, "a kind ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The founder and managing director of Prim Capital Corporation has been charged with attempting to defraud the National Basketball Association players' union out of $3 million with a bogus contract, federal prosecutors in Manhattan said.
A complaint unsealed on Thursday charges ...
Conte was jailed in 2005 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute banned steroids and his association with Khan has been criticized by UK Anti-Doping.
However, Khan said the controversial American, who was introduced to the boxer by trainer Virgil Hunter, had passed on a lot of invaluable ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The struggling Los Angeles Lakers suffered yet another morale-sapping injury setback on Thursday with the news that backup guard Steve Blake will miss Friday's Game Three against the visiting San Antonio Spurs.
Blake, who has produced good form since shooting guard Kobe ...
Suarez is already suspended for Uruguay's South American World Cup qualifier in Venezuela on June 11 and they go from there to Brazil for the June 15-30 tournament.
The English FA handed the Liverpool striker the hefty suspension after he bit Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic's arm during the ...
Two strokes off the pace going into a weather-disrupted final round, Horschel took advantage of rain-softened conditions and preferred lies at the TPC Louisiana as he sealed his long-awaited breakthrough victory with an eight-under-par 64.
The slim 26-year-old, who had recorded top-10s in his ...
Milkins, the world number 19 and making his first appearance in the world championship since 2005, trailed 5-4 overnight but took advantage of a number of errors by the Australian to prevail in a tense finale.
World number two Robertson became the first Australian to win the world title and the ...
Nadal had been set to meet the 13th-seeded Frenchman on Thursday before rain washed out the day's play and he is due to play his quarter-final against Spanish compatriot Albert Ramos later on Friday, the first time he will play two matches in one day since the Monte Carlo Masters in 2009.
However, ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni was disqualified for eight years by the British Horseracing Authority on Thursday for doping racehorses in a scandal that has caused serious embarrassment to Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum.
Eleven horses trained by Al ...
The number of applicants for the June 13-16 tournament eclipsed the previous best of 9,086 for the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York.
"The fact that we have a record number of entries, from across the world, is a testament to both the great appeal of the U.S. Open and ...
PARIS (Reuters) - US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) president Travis Tygart accused the International Cycling Union (UCI) on Thursday of failing in its promise to deal with the consequences of the Lance Armstrong scandal.
Speaking before a French Senate investigation committee on doping, Tygart, the ...
The South African, who flew in from his home in Florida on a private jet provided by the organizers of the European Tour event, was four-under through 16 holes in Seoul.
After a day when play was suspended for more than two hours due to rain and poor visibility, Oosthuizen trailed clubhouse ...
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Metal detectors for spectators will be installed along the entire marathon course at the world athletics championships in August as part of increased security following last week's Boston bombings, Russian organizers said.
"It definitely has given us an extra ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A bevy of beefy linemen are expected to command the spotlight usually reserved for quarterbacks when the National Football League (NFL) Draft kicks off with first-round selections on Thursday.
At the annual NFL Draft, the cornerstone of building winning teams in the enormously ...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Landon Donovan's return to the U.S. squad for June's World Cup qualifiers is no certainty as the country's all-time top scorer dropped down the pecking during his break from the game, coach Juergen Klinsmann said on Wednesday.
Donovan has already missed World Cup qualifiers ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apolo Anton Ohno endeared himself to millions of Americans as the face of short-track speedskating, winning eight Olympic medals in a dazzling career.
With his trademark bandana and goatee, Ohno was an instant hit in a sport where competitors skim around a congested ice track ...
Valcke said one of the reasons FIFA had encountered difficulties in organizing the 2014 World Cup in Brazil was due to the various levels of government in the South American nation.
He expected fewer problems for Russia 2018 with President Vladimir Putin.
TURIN (Reuters) - While most Brazilians will be obsessed with winning a sixth world title when their country hosts the World Cup next year, the country's government insists it is more interested in fiber optics in the Amazon jungle.
For years, research institutes and universities in the region ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The National Football League will step up its efforts to fight discrimination based on sexual orientation, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said on Wednesday.
The action comes after at least three college football players said they had been asked about their sexual ...
Kasatonov, 53, had a stellar playing career winning two Olympic (1984, 1988) and five world titles with the all-conquering Soviet national team in the 1980s.
After retiring in 1996, the St Petersburg native has held various jobs in the game before being appointed general manager of wealthy ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has asked for forgiveness after accepting a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic in last weekend's Premier League match.
The Uruguayan international had until Friday lunchtime to contest an FA Regulatory Commission's decision ...
SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - Pass the metal scanner on arrival at Sochi station or watch Cossacks patrol the streets of the 2014 Winter Olympics venue and you know it did not take the Boston Marathon bombs to alert Russian organizers to two facts:
One, that a major sporting event makes a prime target ...
Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes and four other defendants gave evidence in Madrid earlier this year, after a police operation which came to light in 2006 when anabolic steroids, transfusion equipment and blood bags were seized in raids.
The proceedings have attracted international attention ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A gifted scorer, Carmelo Anthony has always had the talent to put the ball in the basket but rarely has he been able to put his team deep into the playoffs.
The pressure is on the Knicks forward with the bruising inside moves and delicate outside touch to prove himself in the ...
(Reuters) - The U.S. government filed court documents Tuesday laying out its case against cyclist Lance Armstrong, who is accused of defrauding the Postal Service by taking millions of dollars in sponsorship money while flouting professional cycling rules by doping.
The U.S. Department of Justice ...
NEWARK, New Jersey (Reuters) - Rutgers University introduced Eddie Jordan, a star player on its 1976 Final Four team, as the new head basketball coach on Tuesday and said he would restore an atmosphere of respect to the program.
Jordan, who had been a Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach since last ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Chris Paul drove right, stumbled forward, leaned back and banked in a game-winning shot that lifted the Los Angeles Clippers to a crucial playoff win on Monday and elevated his status as one of the game's top closers.
While Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and LeBron James are ...
Dunlap was hired as the fifth head coach in the franchise's history in mid-2012 and posted an overall record of 21-61 as the Bobcats missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season.
"(We) conducted our season-ending review and met with coach Dunlap to reflect on this season," Bobcats ...
Czech Berdych, who had a bye into the second round and is seeded three on the clay at the Real Club de Tenis, served poorly against the 31-year-old Russian, who had won nine of their 11 previous matches.
After having his service broken twice in losing the first set, Berdych managed to turn things ...
Eleven horses tested positive for steroids, including stanozolol - the steroid used by disgraced Olympic sprinter Ben Johnson at the Seoul Olympics.
The trainer, Mahmood Al Zarooni, is to attend a British Horseracing Authority (BHA) disciplinary inquiry after the positive tests from horses in his ...
"I feel that it is time to take some time for myself and try to find some new challenges," the 39-year-old Petacchi said in a Lampre-Merida team statement on Tuesday.
"I gave my best, as I always did in the 18 seasons as professional rider".
LONDON (Reuters) - Manchester United are expanding their marketing activities in the United States to cash in on interest generated by a new deal for NBC to screen English Premier League soccer, the U.S.-listed club's chief executive said on Tuesday.
United, owned by the American Glazer family, ...
Myanmar was to host the 2013 Asia/Oceania Zone Group III and IV events from April 22-May 5 in Yangon where 19 nations were set to take part.
Sectarian violence in Buddhist-majority Myanmar killed 43 people last month. Thousands, mostly Muslims, were driven from their homes and businesses as ...
Wimbledon broke with tradition by installing a roof on Centre Court in 2009 so play can continue even during the often fickle British summer weather.
Chairman Philip Brook told a news conference the design process would begin shortly, taking two years to complete before a three-year construction ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Wimbledon organizers moved to justify a staggering 40 percent rise in total prize money on Tuesday that will make the pot at this year's championships the biggest ever in tennis.
Players at this year's grasscourt grand slam, which starts on June 24, will receive a total of ...
Bahrain did not see a repeat of the mass demonstrations that overshadowed last year's race - though young men armed with rocks did clash with police in outlying villages, as they have done regularly since unrest erupted in early 2011.
Protests in the Gulf Arab country, a Western ally that hosts ...
(Reuters) - Philadelphia is exploring a bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games, Mayor Michael Nutter said on Monday.
Nutter was responding to a letter from the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) sent to 35 cities across the country seeking potential host cities for the international sporting event.
LONDON (Reuters) - Alex Ferguson says his current Manchester United model is a match for any of the previous editions that have rolled off the Old Trafford production line and should they win their last four games it would be hard to mount a case against him.
After beating Aston Villa 3-0 on ...
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Manchester United reclaimed their Premier League crown in style on Monday as Robin van Persie's hat-trick inspired a 3-0 win over Aston Villa that gave them an unassailable 16-point lead over Manchester City and erased the pain of last season.
Van Persie's goals ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - A leading member of the body set up to advise FIFA on its anti-corruption reforms has resigned saying she does not believe world soccer's governing body is taking the process of change seriously enough.
Alexandra Wrage, who served on FIFA's independent governance committee (IGC), ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Jenson Button could be thankful at least that McLaren allowed their drivers to race each other in Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix, even as he accused team mate Sergio Perez of dangerous and 'dirty' driving.
The 2009 world champion looked for positives after he and his Mexican team ...
A statement from FIFA confirmed the account had been hacked, saying: "Some FIFA accounts, incl. @SeppBlatter and @fifaworldcup, have been hacked. If in doubt, please verify any info with FIFA office."
The bogus messages on Blatter's account included a retweet from FIFA World Cup saying: ...
"It will be great to have the team back together," world number two Rory McIlroy said in a news release on Monday.
"It was such a special Ryder Cup, one that will have a special place in history, and I don't think anyone associated with that team will ever get tired of celebrating ...
TURIN (Reuters) - The Brazilian government is worried ordinary fans could be priced out of the country's modernized stadiums in an unwanted legacy from hosting the 2014 World Cup.
Brazil is building two brand new stadiums and remodeling another 10 which will leave the country with a glut of ...
BERLIN (Reuters) - One of Germany's most admired sports managers, Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness, voluntarily reported himself to authorities in a tax evasion investigation that has exposed the government to criticism it is lenient on tax cheats.
The 61-year-old Hoeness, a former soccer star ...
Virgin Money has been title sponsor of the race since 2010 and set a target of helping runners to raise 250 million pounds ($381 million) for charity over the five years.
Many of the 36,000 runners in London on Sunday wore black ribbons to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings a week ...
Suarez, the league's top scorer with 23 goals, has been widely condemned for his behavior in Sunday's 2-2 draw and is expected to get a lengthy ban from the Football Association but Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre said the club would stand by him.
"I think the most important thing is ...
"They have reached this decision following perceived unrest on the Korean peninsula," the sponsors of the European Tour event said in a statement on Monday.
There has been hostility in the region for weeks because of United Nations sanctions imposed on North Korea for a nuclear test.
MIAMI (Reuters) - LeBron James began the Miami Heat's playoff campaign with a display of deadly efficiency on Sunday, leading the defending NBA champions to a 110-87 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
James had 27 points, snaffled 10 rebounds and dished eight assists, leading all players in those ...
Sidelined for the rest of the season after having surgery on an injured Achilles tendon, five-time NBA champion Bryant kept urging on the Lakers big men, Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol, to make the most of their inside presence.
Though Howard finished with a game-high 20 points and 15 rebounds and ...
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (Reuters) - Former FIFA vice president Jack Warner resigned as Trinidad and Tobago's national security minister on Sunday, two days after an investigation accused him of "fraudulent" management of the CONCACAF soccer confederation, the prime minister's office ...
Northern Irishman McDowell sealed the win with a regulation two-putt par at the first extra hole, the 18th, where Simpson three-putted for bogey after missing the green to the right with his approach.
Using a putter for his third shot from 33 feet, Simpson narrowly missed the left edge of the cup ...
The pair finished the 72 regulation holes on nine-under-par 275, McDowell three-putting to bogey the last for a two-under 69 and American Simpson closing with a 71 in gusting winds at Harbour Town Golf Links.
(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Gene Cherry)
Revis signed a six-year extension, which according to multiple media reports is worth $96 million.
In an unusual move, the deal includes no guaranteed money. Revis missed most of last season after tearing ligaments in his left knee.
MANAMA (Reuters) - World champion Sebastian Vettel won a Formula One race on Sunday without anyone kicking up a storm about it, at least inside the confines of the circuit.
The last time the Red Bull driver had stood on the top step of the podium was in Malaysia last month, with grim-faced ...
Gill Jones, the team's head of trackside electronics with responsibility for all the electronics in the racing cars and garage, joined world champion Vettel for the ceremony at the Sakhir circuit.
"It was great to send an important member of our team up today, Gill Jones, who has done an ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Liverpool's Luis Suarez sunk his teeth into Chelsea's top-four hopes with a last-gasp equalizer on Sunday but it was his bite on an opponent that overshadowed a day when Manchester City's Premier League title defense almost ended at Tottenham Hotspur.
Suarez clearly clamped his ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - All-Stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin usually command the spotlight for the Clippers but if the Los Angeles team goes deep into this season's playoffs, it will be because of the high-octane energy of their bench.
Spearheaded by former Sixth Man-of-the-Year Jamal Crawford, ...
The match was held over because of rain on Sunday.
Vinci's triumph gave Italy, winners of the trophy in 2009 and 2010, an unassailable 3-1 lead over the twice defending champions, meaning the doubles was not played.
MONTE CARLO (Reuters) - Rafael Nadal admitted he is still trying to recapture his best form but remained optimistic for the French Open after losing his Monte Carlo crown to Novak Djokovic on Sunday.
Nadal, who returned to action in March after seven months out with injury, went down 6-2 7-6 to ...
The 68-year-old sportscaster was pulled over on Michigan Avenue in Santa Monica after two officers saw him make an illegal U-turn, Santa Monica Police Sergeant Rich Lewis told Reuters.
The officers administered a sobriety test after they observed that Michaels smelled of alcohol and had slurred ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Wearing a black ribbon on her tracksuit top, American Tatyana McFadden dedicated her victory in Sunday's London Marathon wheelchair race to the people of Boston.
McFadden won the Boston Marathon six days ago and was back in her hotel in the city when the two bombs near the ...
MONTE CARLO (Reuters) - Current anti-doping measures in tennis are a "disaster" and the introduction of biological passports can only improve matters, world number six Tomas Berdych said.
"The system right now... I don't know how it works with the others but with me, it does not ...
MANAMA (Reuters) - Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel won the Bahrain Grand for the second year in a row for Red Bull on Sunday to extend his overall lead to 10 points after four races.
In a controversial race that went off without major drama, untroubled by anti-government protests and ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Priscah Jeptoo took advantage of a fall by Ethiopia's Olympic champion Tiki Gelana to give Kenya their third successive victory in the women's race at the London Marathon on Sunday.
Ethiopian Tsegaye Kebede made up for missing out on the Olympics and destroyed Kenyan hopes of ...
Kebede, winner in 2010, timed his attack perfectly to overhaul tiring Kenyan Emmanuel Mutai, the 2011 champion, and pull away to win by 30 seconds.
Ethiopia's Ayele Abshero was third over the 42.195-km race. Last year's champion Wilson Kipsang of Kenya finished fifth with Ugandan Olympic champion ...
(Writing by Alison Wildey, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
World champion Edna Kiplagat was runner up for the second successive year and Japan's Yukiko Akaba took third.
Jeptoo had been leading with Kiplagat at 30 km but began to increase her pace to leave her rival trailing and eventually won by over a minute.
(Reporting by Alison Wildey, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The bitter New York-Boston sports rivalry, dating back nearly 100 years, observed a momentary truce before the start of Saturday's NBA playoffs opener between the New York Knicks and the visiting Boston Celtics.
The teams came together in solidarity over the Boston Marathon ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - NBA scoring champion Carmelo Anthony led with 36 points but veterans Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin helped spark the New York Knicks to an 85-78 win over the Boston Celtics in Saturday's postseason opener.
Kidd, 40, and Martin, 35, former team mates on the old New Jersey Nets, ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Undaunted by the Boston Marathon bombings, big crowds lined the route of London's mass road race on Sunday to cheer on around 36,000 runners, many of whom wore black ribbons to honor the dead and wounded.
Hundreds of extra police were deployed to secure the first race in the ...
World number seven Sara Errani got the Italians off to a great start with a 6-4 6-2 defeat of Lucie Safarova before Roberta Vinci was a surprisingly easy 6-4 6-1 winner against former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.
Kvitova, who had won 13 of her last 14 singles rubbers in the competition, was ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Steve Nash gave the Los Angeles Lakers a welcome boost on Friday when he said he was "very optimistic" he would play in Saturday's Game One of their first-round playoff series against the Spurs in San Antonio.
The 39-year-old point guard missed the last eight ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Golf's governing bodies are expected to announce shortly whether they will go ahead with a proposed ban on players anchoring putters to their body, a rule change which makes no sense at all to Bernhard Langer.
The German former world number one, long renowned for his ...
PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - United States Soccer Federation (USSF) president Sunil Gulati was elected to FIFA's executive committee by CONCACAF on Friday, defeating Mexico's Justino Compean by one vote.
Gulati replaces fellow American Chuck Blazer, whose term had ended and who opted not to stand again ...
Hoffman, who has not won on the U.S. circuit in almost three years, barely missed a putt on the way to a flawless five-under-par 66 on a mainly overcast day at the picturesque Harbour Town Golf Links.
Wearing sunglasses, the long-haired Californian totaled only 21 putts as he posted an 11-under ...
The Red Sox were due to play the Kansas City Royals in a Major League Baseball game at Fenway Park, while the Bruins were down to host the Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League at TD Garden.
"Tonight's Red Sox game at Fenway Park scheduled for 7:10 pm has been postponed to support ...
Scoring was difficult at the El Saler course but Uihlein made light of the conditions to shoot a four-under-par 68 for a six-under tally of 138, one ahead of Chile's Felipe Aguilar (71), Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin (66) and Swede Rikard Karlberg (67).
Spanish pair Miguel Angel Jimenez, on his ...
PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - CONCACAF's former leaders Jack Warner and Chuck Blazer were slammed as "fraudulent in their management" of the soccer confederation's affairs by the head of the regional body's Integrity Committee on Friday.
David Simmons presented CONCACAF's congress with a ...
One suspect in the Boston bombing was killed in a city suburb on Friday and a manhunt was underway for a second suspect.
Two explosions near the finish line of the Boston race killed three people and injured 176, triggering security scares across the United States and prompting British authorities ...
MANAMA (Reuters) - McLaren questioned Lewis Hamilton's version of events on Friday after the 2008 Formula One champion told an interviewer he had been thrown out of his old team's garages in pre-season testing.
Asked how much contact he still had with McLaren, Hamilton told the official ...
The United States Anti-doping Agency (USADA) issued a statement saying Crawford had been handed a two-year suspension because he had failed to notify drug testers of his whereabouts during the last 18 months.
But his agent told Reuters in an email Friday that Crawford, who voluntarily gave his ...
MANAMA (Reuters) - Formula One's sole tire suppliers Pirelli warned on Friday that time was running out on a new contract if they were to stay in the sport beyond the end of the season.
"Time is of the essence, I would suggest," the Italian company's motorsport director Paul Hembery told ...
MANAMA (Reuters) - Opposition youths skirmished with police after 10,000 Bahrainis rallied peacefully for democracy on Friday, two days before a Formula One car race that puts the Gulf Arab kingdom in the global spotlight.
An authorized rally attended by men, women and children west of the capital ...
MANAMA (Reuters) - Formula One 'Iceman' Kimi Raikkonen lapped fastest for Lotus in the Bahrain desert heat on Friday after Ferrari had set the early practice pace.
The Finn, 2007 world champion for Ferrari and chasing his 21st successive race in the points, sped to a best time of one minute 34.154 ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of tickets for Usain Bolt's return to the scene of his London Olympic victories sold out within 75 minutes of going on sale on Friday, organizers said.
Bolt, who won three sprint golds in London last year to match his Beijing haul, will compete in the IAAF ...
MANAMA (Reuters) - The Brazilian Grand Prix is set to stay at Sao Paulo's ramshackle but atmospheric Interlagos circuit after the city mayor assured Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone that it would be given a revamp.
Ecclestone had said the only race in South America could switch to Rio de ...
MANAMA (Reuters) - Bahrain could return to a season-opening slot on the Formula One calendar, with a test at the Sakhir circuit preceding it, if local officials can convince commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
Circuit chairman Zayed Alzayani told reporters that his personal preference was for ...
TORONTO (Reuters) - Toronto fans filled the Air Canada Centre ready to celebrate their team clinching an NHL playoff spot for the first time in nearly a decade on Thursday but the Maple Leafs' 5-3 loss to the visiting Islanders left many poised to push the panic button.
The Leafs are clinging to ...
Other opening weekend marquee match ups include the Dallas Cowboys hosting the division-rival New York Giants while the round concludes with a doubleheader on September 9 with the Washington Redskins hosting the Philadelphia Eagles and the Houston Texans visiting the San Diego Chargers.
The NFL's ...
PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - A detailed account of serious financial mismanagement within CONCACAF, the governing body for soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean will be presented to the sport's leaders on Friday.
CONCACAF's congress will hear a breakdown of the 'forensic audit' that was ...
Englishman Davis piled up six birdies in a sizzling seven-hole stretch from the par-five fifth on the way to a six-under-par 65 at the picturesque Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Seeking his first PGA Tour title in his 261st career start on the U.S. circuit, Davis ...
(Reuters) - Can anyone stop LeBron James and the Miami Heat?
For nearly two months during the regular season the answer was an emphatic no as the reigning NBA champions went on a 27-game winning streak, second-longest ever in the league.
Civil Aviation Minister Wellington Moreira Franco announced a plan to increase by 77 percent the number of police, customs and immigration officials and airport workers to avoid delays at airports in the six cities hosting the games, plus Sao Paulo's Guarulhos airport, the country's largest ...
The 38-year-old returned six birdies and two bogeys in a four-under 68 to set the pace along with Challenge (second tier) Tour graduates Morten Madsen of Denmark and Frenchman Gary Stal.
Former Ryder Cup stalwart Miguel Angel Jimenez, competing for the first time since breaking his leg in a skiing ...
BOSTON (Reuters) - Several gold-colored medals strung on yellow-and-blue ribbons for runners of Monday's Boston Marathon were being offered for sale on eBay on Thursday, listings the manufacturer described as "disgusting" because of the twin bombings at the finish line.
Dan Ashworth, ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Kenyan marathon world champion Edna Kiplagat loves London and after a disappointing Olympic performance wants to finally last taste victory in the city she considers a second home.
Kiplagat is one of the favorites for Sunday's London Marathon having finished third in 2011 and ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Not even odds of 25-1 can persuade double Olympic champion Mo Farah to abandon his carefully laid plans and complete the London marathon on Sunday.
Farah, who won the 5,000 and 10,000 meters gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics, will run the first half of the race as ...
MANAMA (Reuters) - Mexican Sergio Perez is not afraid to admit he is feeling the pressure at McLaren.
The 23-year-old, who took over from Lewis Hamilton after the 2008 Formula One world champion left for Mercedes at the end of last season, assured reporters at the Bahrain Grand Prix that he could ...
Scott and Frank were both fired by their team while Collins resigned his post, leaving three head coaching vacancies.
Frank spent two seasons with the Pistons without making much of an impact posting 54-94 record and failing to make the post-season.
MANAMA (Reuters) - Mark Webber left the big question unanswered at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Thursday: Who paid for his dinner with Fernando Alonso?
Ferrari's Alonso, the race winner in China last Sunday, set the ball rolling earlier in the week when he posted a picture on Twitter of himself and ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Golf's European Tour is keeping a close eye on developments on the Korean peninsula ahead of the Ballantine's Championship in Seoul next week but organizers say it will be business as usual.
There has been hostility in the region for weeks because of United Nations sanctions ...
"The big novelty of this Thursday's training session was Leo Messi," Barca said in a statement on their website (www.fcbarcelona.es).
The Argentine World Player of the Year damaged the muscle during Barca's quarter-final first leg at Paris St Germain on April 2.
Nadal, the only player to win a tournament eight times in a row, had enjoyed a 46-match winning streak at the claycourt Masters event before world number one Djokovic prevailed to claim his first title in the principality.
The Serbian celebrated his 14th Masters crown and became the first player ...
Explosions at the Boston marathon finish line on Monday killed three people and injured 176. No arrests have yet been made.
The London race, first run in 1981, will attract 36,000 runners on Sunday, among them Britain's double Olympic champion Mo Farah, who will be cheered on by hundreds of ...
Britain's most successful Olympian, who won two golds at the 2012 London Games to add to three from Beijing four years earlier and his first in Athens in 2004, said the time was right to quit the saddle having exhausted "every last ounce of effort and energy".
"I am officially ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California investors made a formal offer to purchase the Sacramento Kings basketball team, the NBA said on Wednesday, in the hopes of staving off a competing bid that would move the team to Seattle.
The offer comes shortly after Seattle investors raised their bid to buy the ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York judge has dismissed a civil lawsuit against the coach of the champion University of Connecticut women's basketball team brought by a security official who accused him of grabbing her and trying to kiss her.
The official, Kelley Hardwick of New York, works for the ...
"What happened to Boston is a drama, it is a tragedy and an attack on sport, in one of the most popular sports, the marathon," Blatter said during a visit to Cuba.
"It is incredible, but it is our society, a society that is violent," he added in Havana during a week-long tour ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Stephen Kiprotich, who overcame childhood illness and the might of the Kenyans on his way to winning marathon gold at the London Olympics, now seeks to inspire young athletes in his native Uganda.
Kiprotich takes on the Kenyans again in Sunday's London Marathon and he wants to ...
LONDON (Reuters) - London Marathon men's champion Wilson Kipsang plans to work with his Kenyan colleagues on Sunday in a bid to keep the title in the east African country.
Kenya have won all but one of the last nine men's London marathons, with 2010 being the odd year out when Ethiopia's Tsegaye ...
PARIS (Reuters) - Lance Armstrong returned four samples with traces of banned corticosteroids in the 1999 Tour de France, the International Cycling Union (UCI) said on Wednesday, although the governing body added it did not handle them as positive tests.
On Tuesday the Belgian newspaper Het ...
The 38-year-old originally retired in 2010 but made a comeback last year, joining the Knicks on a one-season deal.
However, injuries limited his playing time and he had already been ruled out of the playoffs, which start this weekend, because of a recurring foot problem.
Durant needed to score at least 70 points in Oklahoma Thunder's last game against the Milwaukee Bucks but said he was taking a break before the playoffs start this weekend.
"SITTING OUT TONIGHT'S GAME, if you disappointed I didn't try to go for the scoring title, oh well!!" he posted on ...
Fernandez-Castano's top-20 finish included a third round in the company of Tiger Woods, following on from the world number one's dropped-ball controversy.
Next stop for the genial Spaniard, nicknamed 'Gonzo', is the venue for the only European Tour event this season in his home country.
MANAMA (Reuters) - Formula One's most controversial race, the Bahrain Grand Prix with its simmering backdrop of teargas and petrol bombs, might just give Mark Webber something to celebrate on Sunday.
Red Bull's Australian has had a pretty thin time of it recently but Sunday's race, in a tiny Gulf ...
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - As Brazil rushes to introduce a blazing-fast fourth-generation wireless network before the 2014 World Cup, fewer than a dozen compatible smartphones will be available in stores, compared with the hundreds of models on sale worldwide.
And the phones will be operational in ...
(Reuters) - Easton-Bell Sports, which makes Riddell helmets for the National Football League and other equipment for the National Hockey League, is being prepared for a sale by its private equity owner, in a deal that could fetch as much as $900 million, three people familiar with the matter said ...
MONTE CARLO (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic's gamble on his injured ankle at the Monte Carlo Masters appeared to be backfiring before he dug in to battle past Russian Mikhail Youzhny 4-6 6-1 6-4 in the second round on Wednesday.
While Djokovic grimaced and growled through the pain barrier to fight back ...
Hennes & Mauritz (H&M), the world's second-biggest apparel retailer after Zara owner Inditex, plans to expand its sports collection early next year to help broaden its offering and boost sales.
Olympics organizers say billions of people in over 200 countries watch the games. A team's kit ...
MANAMA (Reuters) - Jean Todt, the head of Formula One's governing body, will not attend this weekend's controversial Bahrain Grand Prix but officials played down the significance of his absence on Wednesday.
A spokesman for the International Automobile Federation (FIA) said the Frenchman had never ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Usain Bolt will return to London to compete in the IAAF Diamond League meeting at the Olympic Stadium in which he achieved a clean sweep of gold medals last year.
The Jamaican six-times Olympic champion will head a glittering cast as London's Queen Elizabeth Park celebrates the ...
The six-year-old mare won her final race in front of a sell-out crowd last Saturday when she claimed the TJ Smith Stakes at Royal Randwick in Sydney.
"We thought 25 was a great number... it's the right time to call it a day on what's been a wonderful career of one of the finest horses we have ...
Summerall, best known as the NFL play-by-play broadcaster alongside former Oakland Raiders football coach John Madden, died in Texas, Fox Sports Senior Vice President for Media Relations, Lou D'Ermilio, said.
Inducted into the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame in 1999, Summerall ...
"The Boston Marathon is a deeply held tradition - an integral part of the fabric and history of our community," Thomas Grilk, executive director of the Boston Athletic Association, said in a statement. "We are committed to continuing that tradition with the running of the 118th ...
Television cameras caught Gordon, who has since apologized for his comments, making an anti-gay slur to Portland Timbers midfielder Will Johnson during Sunday's game.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Gordon used "unacceptable and offensive language" and that he should attend diversity ...
After Panathinaikos slumped to a 72-70 overtime defeat in the first game of their best-of-five quarter-final series last Wednesday, Giannakopoulos blamed officials for the defeat.
"The infractions concerned public statements made by Mr. Dimitris Giannakopoulos alleging a lack of impartiality ...
The 49-year-old sustained the injury while skiing in Spain's Sierra Nevada in December.
Jimenez, the oldest winner in European Tour history, will be playing in his 599th event on the circuit and looking to add to the four top-10 finishes he has amassed in 25 appearances in the Spanish Open.
Last year's runner-up picked up the injury when he led Serbia to a Davis Cup quarter-final win over the United States last week.
Djokovic practiced on Tuesday but did not put too much pressure on his right leg when serving.
KINGSTON (Reuters) - Jamaica's world 100 metres champion Yohan Blake could miss the Jamaica International Invitational on May 4 and the Shanghai Diamond League meeting a fortnight later because of a hamstring injury, his coach Glen Mills said on Tuesday.
Mills told Reuters that the right hamstring ...
Denis Shiryakov was banned for life and Maxim Matveyev for four years while six others were suspended for periods of up to two years.
"The Russian weightlifting federation (RWF) banned the eight athletes for breaching anti-doping regulations," the agency said on its website ...
MANAMA (Reuters) - Bernie Ecclestone has assured protesters in Bahrain that he understands their grievances and is willing to meet opposition figures ahead of the most controversial Formula One race of the year this weekend.
However, in comments that could antagonize rights campaigners and ...
Singh, who won a middleweight bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was ordered by the ministry to take a test after local police accused him of using heroin on several occasions amid allegations from a fellow boxer.
"Vijender Singh...along with four others was subjected to an ...
MONTE CARLO (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic will be hoping his gamble to play in the Monte Carlo Masters does not leave his claycourt season going bust after he decided to test his injured ankle in the glamorous principality.
Djokovic's participation provided a boost to the organisers, who now have ...
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian authorities have promised tougher security measures at August's world athletics championships after explosions near the finish line of the Boston marathon killed three people and wounded more than 100.
"The security arrangements will certainly be reviewed after what ...
BOSTON (Reuters) - Investigators released pictures and video of two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing on Thursday, enlisting the public's help in identifying two men wearing backpacks and baseball caps in the crowd minutes before bombs exploded near the finish line.
A 30-second video shows ...
Cueto was hurt while pitching against Pittsburgh on Saturday and was diagnosed with a strained muscle in his back.
"This is unbelievable," the Dominican told reporters.
(Reuters) - Prosecutors selected a grand jury on Monday that will investigate whether more crimes were committed when a 16-year-old girl was raped last year by high school football players in Steubenville, Ohio, authorities said.
Quarterback Trent Mays, 17 and wide receiver Ma'lik Richmond, 16, ...
Guan, who had qualified for the Masters as the Asia-Pacific Amateur champion, earned low amateur honors at the year's first major after a 73-75-77-75 set of rounds left him with 12-over 300 total.
The Chinese prodigy had no three-putts during the tournament and nothing worse than a bogey on his ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Adam Scott's dramatic playoff victory on Sunday provided a perfect exclamation point to the 77th Masters which had endured moments of imperfection while also offering a tantalizing glimpse into golf's future.
The quality of shot-making produced by Scott and Argentina's ...
"We know there is another sport (baseball) in this country that is more important than football and this is a challenge for football," the head of world soccer's ruling body said on Monday during an official visit to Santo Domingo.
Blatter, on a week-long tour of the Caribbean and ...
Sports Minister Hugh Roberston said he was confident of security arrangements for the London event and encouraged people to attend as a show of solidarity with the U.S. city that was rocked by two blasts near the finish line on Monday.
"In security terms we are as confident as we possibly can ...
The Bruins were to host the Ottawa Senators at Boston's TD Garden on Monday night but the National Hockey League (NHL) said the game would be played at a later date to be determined.
"The National Hockey League wishes to express its sympathy to all affected by the tragic events that took ...
"For the engagement of German companies in Qatar, it is very important that tender procedures are fair and transparent and the legal framework is reliable," Merkel told a Qatari business and investment conference in Berlin.
Infrastructure spending in Qatar will average over 10 percent of ...
BOSTON (Reuters) - Two bombs ripped through the crowd at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday, killing three people, maiming others and injuring more than 100 in what a White House official said would be treated as an "act of terror."
It was the worst bombing on U.S. soil ...
(Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by John Mehaffey)
Scott became the first Australian to win at Augusta after sinking a 15-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole to clinch a playoff victory over Angel Cabrera.
He edged past the Argentine to claim the green jacket after the pair had finished locked together on nine-under-par 279 after four rounds.
"(My team) Saxo Tinkoff wanted me to be there and these are races everybody likes to take part in, even if to prepare for the Tour de France it would have been better to skip them," the Spaniard said in a statement.
"But it's only one more week of competition (...) Then I'll take ...
BOSTON (Reuters) - Ethiopia's Lelisa Desisa and Kenya's Rita Jeptoo won the men's and women's Boston Marathon on Monday, continuing African runners' dominance in the sport.
The results underlined both the strength and rivalry of those two nations' running programs, said Kenyan runner Wesley Korir, ...
Roared on by the crowd, the 11th-seeded Frenchman saved five match points in the tiebreak before handing his opponent victory with a netted backhand.
Simon has struggled on clay this year, also losing the decisive match when France lost to Argentina in the Davis Cup quarter-finals last weekend.
The winners of the men's and women's singles titles will each earn 1.5 million euros, up 250,000 euros from last year.
Organizers added that the move was part of plans to boost the total prize money by a further 10 million euros to 32 million euros by 2016.
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Australia and New Zealand may be mortal sporting enemies but the two countries shared an historic Masters victory on Sunday with caddie Steve Williams showing Adam Scott the way.
"I'm a proud Australian and I hope this sits really well back at home, even in New ...
The national Globo network's website (www.globo.com) cited police sources in their report that the two young men, fans of visiting team Ceara, were shot in the head from a passing vehicle allegedly carrying two Fortaleza supporters.
The Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper (www.folha.uol.com.br) said ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Proponents of the long putter celebrated completion of the grand slam when Australia's Adam Scott won the Masters on Sunday in a playoff against Angel Cabrera of Argentina.
The Masters was the last of the four major championships to be claimed by users of belly or ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - It is a place where dreams come true for both golfers and fans alike the place where Australian prayers were answered on Sunday.
It is, as the old-timers say, where the four-day Masters tournament really begins in Sunday's final round, the place where green jackets are ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - When Brandt Snedeker let a Masters title slip through his fingers in 2008 the American was left in tears.
On Sunday it was Snedeker's daughter left sobbing, as she watched her father tumble down the Augusta National leaderboard and a green jacket once again pulled from ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Angel Cabrera came to Augusta National ranked a lowly 269th but once again showed his tenacity with a major title on the line before falling inches short in a playoff loss to Adam Scott at the Masters on Sunday.
Cabrera, who won the 2007 U.S. Open with Tiger Woods and ...
The revised bid comes in advance of a National Basketball Association's Board of Governors meeting to be held on Thursday and Friday, where a decision is expected on whether to have the team stay in Sacramento, California, or award it to Seattle by allowing the investor group to buy it from the ...
(Reuters) - A Texas man used a gun to commit suicide in the infield of a National Rifle Association-sponsored NASCAR race at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth late on Saturday, local authorities said.
Kirk Franklin, 42, of nearby Saginaw died after shooting himself at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Tiger Woods was left to reflect on his bad luck after finishing tied for fourth at the Masters on Sunday.
The world number one shot a final round 70 to finish at five-under, four strokes behind the eventual winner, Australia's Adam Scott, but things might have been ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Bubba Watson, who put his name into the Masters history book with a thrilling win last year, made another splash at Augusta National on Sunday.
Make that three splashes, as he dunked his ball three times into Rae's Creek at the 155-yard, par-three 12th hole on his way ...
For fifth seeded Isner, the runner-up in Houston last year, the title is his sixth on the ATP Tour but his first on clay and his performance drew the praise of his opponent.
"He did a really good job today. He played aggressive," said Almagro, who like Isner was playing in his first ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Chinese eighth-grader Guan Tianlang will get back to homework and thinking about his future after concluding his incredible adventure as the youngest ever competitor in the Masters on Sunday.
The 14-year-old Asia-Pacific Amateur champion hit a delicate downhill lag ...
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Red Bull boss Christian Horner slammed Formula One conspiracy theorists on Sunday after Mark Webber's Chinese Grand Prix ended with a wheel coming off his car and a penalty for causing a collision.
The Australian, barely on speaking terms with world champion team mate ...
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The chief investigator examining allegations of wrongdoing in soccer including the bidding process for the 2018 World Cup in Russia is one of 18 people on a list of Americans barred from entering Russia over what Moscow says are human rights abuses.
Michael Garcia, a former U.S. ...
The overnight leader came up with two remarkable shots on the 17th and 18th to pip Thai veteran Thammanoon Sriroj, who had snatched the lead earlier in the day, and Asian Tour rookie Richard T Lee of Canada by one stroke.
Thammanoon's title hopes were dented by bogeys on the 16th and 18th in a ...
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Fernando Alonso roared to a dominant victory in a highly strategic Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday to give Ferrari their first win of the Formula One season and put the pressure on champions Red Bull.
In a dry race dictated by tire choices and frequent pitstops, the Spaniard beat ...
The newly named World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) will campaign for a return to the Olympic program at the 2020 Games as a single sport. The International Olympic Committee will pick one sport to be included in the 2020 program at its meeting in September.
Seven other sports - wushu, ...
Bryant, the fourth leading scorer in NBA history, sustained the injury late in the Lakers' win over the Golden State Warriors on Friday.
The Lakers announced the surgery had been a success but said in a statement he would be out for a "minimum of six to nine months".
The Spaniard, ranked 12th in the world, will face American John Isner for the title. The fifth seeded Isner defeated champion Juan Monaco 1-6 6-4 6-4, avenging his loss in last year's Houston final to the Argentine.
Almagro won eight of the first 11 points in his match with first-time ...
The easy-swinging, big-hitting Couples has continued to thrive at Augusta into his 50s, tying for 12th last year, for 15th the year before and finishing sixth in 2010.
Couples, 53, was in the mix on the leaderboard again on Saturday before a bumbling finish sent him crashing from five under par to ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Tiger Woods ended a turbulent Saturday, both on and off the golf course, close enough to the leaders at the Masters but will have to negotiate uncharted territory in his bid to win a 15th major title.
Never before has the American triumphed at a major when trailing ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Brandt Snedeker is a man with a plan and it is a simple one after he surged into a share of the third-round lead at Augusta National on Saturday - win the Masters.
After firing a bogey-free three-under 69 to join Argentine Angel Cabrera in the final pair on Sunday, ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Ending Australia's jinx at the Masters is not the only thing on Adam Scott's mind as he prepares for Sunday's final round at Augusta National.
It is also a chance at redemption, to make up for last year's British Open when he threw away a four shot lead with four holes ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - The burly Argentine was on the prowl again at Augusta, coming alive as he has often does with a major championship on the line in the United States.
Angel Cabrera, 43, has made the most of his two career wins in 187 starts on the U.S. Tour, carting away prized trophies ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy's title bid at the Masters was effectively undone by two unexpected gusts of wind on the back nine as he tumbled out of contention in Saturday's third round.
Just four strokes off the lead at the start of a sun-drenched day at Augusta National, the world ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Matt Kuchar feasted on the long holes at Augusta National, making birdie on all four of the par-fives to surge into contention again at the Masters on Saturday.
Kuchar, who tied for third last year, canned a pair of two-foot birdies, one four-footer and one from six ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Caution and 'Bubba Golf' do not normally appear in the same sentence but Masters champion Bubba Watson showed his deliberate side on Saturday as golf's rule book took the Augusta National spotlight.
On a day when Tiger Woods was handed a two-stroke penalty for an ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Neither Tiger Woods nor Masters officials emerged with much credit after a messy resolution to the controversial "penalty drop" affair that sparked widespread debate in the golfing world on Saturday.
World number one Woods, overwhelming favorite to win a ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Chinese teenager Guan Tianlang extended his record run at the Masters into the third round, followed by larger galleries and a 'Guan Army' of young admirers at Augusta National on Saturday.
The 14-year-old Guan, the youngest competitor ever in the Masters, made the cut ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Tiger Woods again found himself at the center of controversy and a target of Twitter-verse on Saturday when he avoided disqualification from the Masters after taking an illegal drop in the second round.
While golf's rules are clear that a disqualification was in order, ...
Bryant, the fourth leading scorer in NBA history, will undergo surgery on Saturday, the team said.
"It's gone, it has to be sewn back together," team head athletic trainer Gary Vitti said.
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton's first pole position for Mercedes at the Chinese Grand Prix on Saturday allowed the 2008 Formula One world champion to relive old memories and prove the critics wrong once again.
The 27-year-old could scarcely of dreamed of such a turnaround after agreeing to ...
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Red Bull's Mark Webber was sent to the back of the grid for Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix after running out of fuel in qualifying.
Formula One's governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said the team admitted they had failed to put sufficient fuel in the car to get it ...
A five-times Asian Tour winner, Lin was in cruise control before he bogeyed the 16th and 17th holes, but finished his round in two-under 70 for a one-shot advantage at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club.
Thai veteran Thammanoon Sriroj, one of four joint leaders after the halfway stage, mixed five ...
In a statement, the league said the fine was for a "menacing gesture", which occurred in the second quarter of Oklahoma City's 116-97 win.
It is the first time Durant has been fined in his NBA career and the player said after the game that the gesture reflected his philosophy of ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Justin Rose, Lee Westwood and David Lynn kept their country's flag flying high at the Masters on Friday as they stayed on track to earn England a first victory at Augusta National in nearly two decades.
It has been 17 years since compatriot Nick Faldo surged past Greg ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Tiger Woods controversially avoided disqualification from the Masters on Saturday when officials used discretionary powers to hand him a two-stroke penalty for taking an illegal drop during Friday's second round.
The world number one, a hot favorite at Augusta National ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Argentina's former Masters champion Angel Cabrera scorched the back nine at Augusta National on Friday en route to a three-under 69 to sit two off the midway lead and in contention for a second green jacket.
Cabrera had looked headed for a disappointing day after ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - A dazzling eagle at the par-five eighth was the highlight of Rory McIlroy's second round at the Masters as the Northern Irishman clawed his way back into contention after making a stumbling start on Friday.
Two bogeys in the first three holes wiped any hint of a grin ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Veteran Fred Couples may be a part-time player these days but somehow he always seem to flourish at the Masters where he has developed a life-long love affair with Augusta National.
Creaking back or not, the easy-going American repeatedly feeds off the energy of his ...
After meeting with officials from the International Olympic Committee and International Ice Hockey Federation, the NHL gave no indication as to whether it will interrupt its 2013-14 season to send players to Sochi, Russia, for the February 7-23 Games.
"We had a good working session and were ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Thorbjorn Olesen's Masters debut was hanging by a thread on Friday despite a much improved performance in the second round by the Dane, who suffered whiplash in a car crash during the tournament buildup.
The 23-year-old rebounded from an opening six-over-par 78 with a ...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nearly 18 months after being kidnapped at gunpoint and held captive at a remote mountain lair in Venezuela, Wilson Ramos remains haunted by the memory.
The Washington Nationals catcher silently points to a tattoo on his muscular left forearm with the date he was rescued ...
BOSTON (Reuters) - Defending champion Wesley Korir, who recently won a seat in Kenya's parliament, said his goal in Monday's Boston Marathon will be to make his countrymen proud with another victory, but he will face a fast field of fellow Kenyans and Ethiopians on the way.
"My first priority ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Companies who help to bankroll Formula One motor racing are limiting their involvement in the Bahrain Grand Prix this month, saving some of their marketing dollars for less politically sensitive races.
The grand prix was cancelled in 2011 following a bloody crackdown on a ...
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Red Bull principal Christian Horner denied on Friday that Sebastian Vettel had weakened the boss's position at the Formula One champions by ignoring orders in Malaysia last month.
"Is my leadership undermined? I don't think so," the Briton told reporters at the ...
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton went from sick to quick at the Chinese Grand Prix on Friday only to find his tires were falling apart.
The two free practice sessions marked the season debut of Pirelli's quick-wearing soft tires and, while Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Lotus found them to their ...
Thailand's Thammanoon Sriroj shot a joint best of the day three-under 69 for a two round total of two-under 142 to share the lead at the inaugural $300,000 Asian Tour event in the Philippines.
He was joined at the top by compatriot Kwanchai Tannin (71), Australian Matt Jager (72) and Lin Wen-tang ...
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Stadium racing, used in the growing Extreme Sailing series, could well be the future of Olympic sailing, thrusting the sport from the periphery to the center of host cities, director Patrice Clerc told Reuters.
Extreme Sailing, in its seventh year, features five-man teams ...
The 27-year-old has joined the Misako Gym stable in Tokyo, Japanese media reported on Friday. No details of his debut bout were disclosed.
Murata beat Brazilian Esquiva Falcao Florentino 14-13 with some shrewd inside fighting at the London Games to win Japan's first boxing gold since 1964.
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Max Chilton laughingly suggested that he would have happily cut off his right arm to secure his place on the Formula One starting grid.
That would have been counter-productive, of course, but fortunately for the glamour sport's youngest and newest British racer, his father ...
Almagro grabbed the decisive break in the eighth game of the deciding set and the Spaniard will fancy his chances of securing a 13th clay-court title of his career in his first appearance at the Houston tournament.
Fifth seed John Isner defeated 20-year-old fellow American wild card Jack Sock 7-5 ...
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Last year's winner Nico Rosberg led Lewis Hamilton in a Mercedes one-two at the top of the timesheets after first free practice for the Chinese Grand Prix on Friday.
The German, who has led the race in Shanghai in the past three editions and whose 2012 win at the monumental ...
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - McLaren can make up lost ground after a difficult start to the year because their car has more development potential than Formula One rivals, according to Jenson Button.
The 2009 world champion has scored just two points from the first two races of the 19-round season and is ...
The Brazilian army said the contract to buy the self-propelled Gepard 1A2 anti-aircraft guns would be signed in the next few days and included ordnance, maintenance and training. The value is still being negotiated, an army statement said, adding the first lot would arrive by June.
The Flakpanzer ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Guan Hong Yu said on Thursday she was not anxious about how her 14-year-old son Tianlang would do as the youngest competitor ever at the Masters.
"I'm not nervous," she told reporters at the practice putting green minutes before he teed off for the first ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Tiger Woods got his Masters campaign off to a solid start on Thursday but the world number one was forced to share the Augusta spotlight.
When first round action began it seemed for a moment as if the 14-times major winner was part of girlfriend Lindsey Vonn's ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - There were no miracle shots or tears of joy from Bubba Watson at the Masters on Thursday when the American launched his title defense.
Unlike his final round last year, when he produced one of the greatest shots seen at Augusta National to win the green jacket, Watson ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Like all Australian golfers, Marc Leishman knows all about his country's jinx at the Masters.
No Australian has ever won the Masters and for a country that is used to sporting success, it has become a source of national frustration.
AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Disgraced former cycling champion Lance Armstrong has sold his sprawling home in the hills of Austin, Texas, his spokesman said on Thursday.
Spokesman Mark Higgins, who spoke to Reuters, said Armstrong would continue to call the city his home, but did not elaborate on ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - David Lynn has forged a reputation as one of golf's funny men, a wisecracking Englishman who does not take himself or the game too seriously.
When he is not golfing, he is tweeting jokes and photos of himself participating in the 'planking' craze where people post ...
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), an industry-funded watchdog, alleged in a complaint that Success Trade Securities Inc and Chief Executive Fuad Ahmed misrepresented that they were raising $5 million through the sale of promissory notes. It said they continued to sell the notes, ...
BOSTON (Reuters) - The National Hockey League on Thursday formed a partnership with You Can Play, an organization that promotes gay and lesbian equality in sports, intended to make the league more welcoming to gay players, fans and officials.
The NHL is the first of the four major U.S. ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Adam Scott ended decades of Australian agony when he became the first player from his country to win the Masters with a high-quality playoff victory over Angel Cabrera at a rain-soaked Augusta National on Sunday.
Scott sealed the win with a 15-foot birdie putt on the ...
"Unfortunately I will not be able to be in Monte Carlo because of physical problems," the world number four said on his Twitter feed on Thursday, without elaborating.
Ferrer is hoping to recover in time to play in the Barcelona Open that starts on April 20.
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - After having the thrill of winning the Masters a record six times, Jack Nicklaus does not get terribly excited about joining Arnold Palmer and Gary Player to hit the ceremonial first shots at the tournament.
"We kid around with each other," Nicklaus, 73, said ...
"The future interests me much more than the present and past," the German, the most successful grand prix driver who won his titles with Benetton and Ferrari between 1994 and 2004, said in a statement.
"During my Formula One time I always believed that you must not allow yourself to ...
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - The death this week of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher can point to only one outcome for superstitious Formula One gamblers and lovers of bizarre sporting statistics - a victory for Lotus in Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix.
A flick through the sport's record books ...
MANCHESTER (Reuters) - Construction workers who helped rebuild Brazil's Maracana stadium will play in the first match to be staged there later this month, Rio de Janeiro's Secretary of State for Sport Andre Lazaroni said on Thursday.
The rebuilding of one of the world's iconic stadiums, which will ...
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Adrian Sutil wasted no time dwelling on the past on his return to China on Thursday for the first time since a 2011 nightclub brawl left him with a criminal record and almost ended his Formula One career.
"No worries, no emotions. The past, for me, is done and I'm ...
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Mark Webber recognized his mistake on Thursday after returning with a mean new look to a Formula One paddock buzzing with talk of war at Red Bull between the Australian and world champion team mate Sebastian Vettel.
"It was a little bit of a screw up," grinned the ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Watched by huge galleries, the 'Big Three' of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player launched the 77th Masters on Thursday while Bubba Watson prepared to begin his title defense later in the day.
On an overcast morning at Augusta National, four-times champion ...
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Visitors to Brazil for the 2014 soccer World Cup will not be able to use the latest wireless technology operating on a frequency used widely in the United States and Europe, the head of telecom regulator Anatel told Reuters.
Anatel president Jõao Rezende said in an interview ...
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - If troubled Myanmar can host Davis Cup matches then Pakistan should be allowed to follow suit, captain Mohammad Khalid said on Thursday as the country continued to protest at being disqualified from a weekend tie.
Khalid is still smarting after Pakistan were controversially ...
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel met a barrage of questions about his failure to obey team orders on Thursday with an unrepentant smile and cold contempt for Red Bull team mate Mark Webber.
Facing a scrum of reporters crammed into his team's hospitality centre at ...
A Mercedes team spokeswoman said the 2008 Formula One world champion, who moved from McLaren at the end of last season, would be back at the circuit for scheduled practice on Friday.
Mercedes won in China last year with Germany's Nico Rosberg, their first grand prix victory since they returned as ...
The 25-year-old from Wichita, Kansas, holds a two-shot advantage over Thailand's Pawin Ingkhapradit at the inaugural $300,000 Asian Tour event.
"Obviously I played well," Kemmer told reporters. "The shots I did miss, I was able to recover from, which was due to luck. I hit a couple ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - With a resurgent Tiger Woods once again on the prowl and Rory McIlroy seemingly back in form, golf fans eagerly await the start of the 77th Masters which is now only hours away at Augusta National.
The year's opening major is always the most heavily anticipated of the ...
(Reuters) - Voters in south Florida's Miami-Dade County will soon decide if billionaire real estate developer Stephen Ross can tap local hotel taxes to help pay for a $350 million upgrade to the stadium used by his Miami Dolphins.
County legislators on Wednesday approved a May 14 referendum asking ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - For 80 years a defiant Augusta National Golf Club had nothing to say about its male-only membership policy.
But on the eve the 2013 Masters, the club's chairman had just one word to describe the decision last August to finally open its doors to women.
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - The Masters is the only major golf tournament that seems to offer a rare edge to left-handed players as the game's minority group has triumphed there more than the sport's other three majors combined.
The jury is out on whether the majestic Augusta National layout ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Bernhard Langer knows a thing or two about winning the Masters and, while he rates Tiger Woods among the favorites this week, he believes up to 60 players are capable of claiming the green jacket on Sunday.
A twice former champion at Augusta National, the 55-year-old ...
Pakistan were on course to take a 2-0 lead in the three-day Asia/Oceania Group II tie on Friday when Sri Lankan referee Asitha Attygalla abandoned the contest due to an "unplayable court" in the neutral venue of Yangon, Myanmar.
As the encounter had been a designated 'home' tie for ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - The Masters is widening the weekend field for this week's tournament and granting automatic entry next year to more PGA Tour winners, Augusta National chairman Billy Payne said on Wednesday.
The cut for the 93-player field will be expanded by six to the top 50 and ...
BRASILIA/SAO PAULO (Reuters) - More than half a million tickets have been sold for the Confederations Cup in June, but host nation Brazil has yet to finish the main stadiums to be used in the dress rehearsal for the 2014 soccer World Cup.
On the eve of yet another FIFA deadline, Brazil has ...
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Memories of China would have given Nico Rosberg plenty of extra motivation on his return to Shanghai this weekend, even without a 'team orders' furor that blew up at the last race in Malaysia.
While Red Bull caught the full force of the storm at Sepang, with triple world ...
DUBAI (Reuters) - Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday that police had arrested 20 opposition activists in towns near Bahrain's Formula One circuit in a sign of rising political tension before the Grand Prix on April 21.
The Bahrain government denied any arrests had taken place.
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Jack Nicklaus was startled to learn that Tiger Woods has not won a major in nearly five years but the golfing great is convinced his younger fellow American will go on to eclipse his record total of 18 wins.
Though Woods has endured a lengthy grand slam drought since ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - China's Guan Tianlang, the 14-year-old who on Thursday will become the youngest player ever to compete in the Masters, convinced his father at an early age that he was something special.
Guan Hanwen's son showed an interest at age three or four in watching him play, ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Phil Mickelson has always been a magician on the golf course but sounded more like a mad scientist on Tuesday discussing his creation the 'Phrankenwood' he is about to unleash on Augusta National.
The hugely popular Mickelson will never be mistaken for Dr. Frankenstein ...
NASHVILLE, Tenn (Reuters) - At least 30 people were arrested and a police officer sustained a head injury when a celebration of the University of Louisville's national collegiate basketball victory Monday night got out of hand, police said Tuesday.
Those arrested faced a variety of charges, ...
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Lawyers argued in federal court on Tuesday over whether 4,200 former NFL players can sue the league over brain injuries or whether the issue should be decided under the players' collective bargaining agreement.
In what could be a high stakes challenge for both sides, the ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Tiger Woods is happier and healthier than he has been in years.
His aching knee has stopped hurting and he has a new love interest.
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Bubba Watson welled with emotions after winning the 2012 Masters and one year later he cried again when asked if he did anything special with the prized green jacket he took away from Augusta National.
Choking up and taking a couple of minutes to compose himself at his ...
(Reuters) - A veteran Morgan Stanley wealth adviser who played college basketball and lacrosse for Rutgers in the 1970s has been tapped to co-lead the university's search for a new athletic director after the former director stepped down over revelations that the school's basketball coach had ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Hot favorite and four-times champion Tiger Woods has been grouped with Britain's Luke Donald and American Scott Piercy for the first two rounds of this week's Masters.
Woods, who has won three events in just five starts on the 2013 PGA Tour, is scheduled to tee off at ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Golf fans have drooled in anticipation of a one-two rivalry between Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, but the mop-topped Northern Irishman said on Tuesday that talk was premature.
"I don't see myself a rival to Tiger or to anyone," McIlroy said on Tuesday before ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Battle scarred but wiser after a few close calls at the majors in recent years, Adam Scott believes his increased comfort level at Augusta National could make a winning difference at this week's Masters.
The athletic Australian has recorded top-10 finishes in his last ...
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A Singapore businessman accused of bribing three Lebanese soccer match officials with prostitutes has been released on bail after he entered a not guilty plea in court on Tuesday.
Businessman Eric Ding Si Yang, who once worked for the local New Paper tabloid as a football ...
ATLANTA (Reuters) - Louisville won the 75th edition of the NCAA men's basketball championship on Monday, beating Michigan 82-76 in a pulsating final in front of more than 74,000 fans at the Georgia Dome.
The Cardinals overcame a slow start, in which they twice trailed by 12 points in the first ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Guan Tianlang answered questions about his readiness to play the Masters at the record-setting age of 14 when he gave two-times champion Ben Crenshaw a putting lesson at the 18th hole at Augusta National on Monday.
And the Chinese prodigy was not done, heading out at ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Augusta National, the spiritual home of U.S. golf, will be crowning junior champions of a new skills competition that will culminate at the permanent home of the Masters, it was announced on Monday.
The finals of a nationwide Drive, Chip & Putt Championship for ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Steve Stricker could certainly do with a bit of Masters payback after giving his good friend Tiger Woods a valuable putting lesson during last month's WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami.
Helped by Stricker's advice, Woods went on to triumph by two shots over his fellow ...
SEGAS said in a statement on its website (www.segas.gr) on Monday that it welcomed the government's change of heart, although the amount of 4,916,800 euros was still 30 percent less than in 2012.
In February the state promised to revise the severity of proposed funding cuts and allocated an extra ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - With big victories adding up on his PGA Tour profile, Matt Kuchar hopes his natural progression will lead him to the missing piece on his resume - a major championship.
The 34-year-old American won last year's prestigious Players Championship and notched his first ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Guan Tianlang answered questions about his readiness to play the Masters at the record-setting age of 14 when he gave two-times champion Ben Crenshaw a putting lesson at the 18th hole at Augusta National on Monday.
The 61-year-old Crenshaw, whose career was built on ...
Williams won at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya, the first race of the European season, last year with Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado. This year's race is on May 12.
In a preview of Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix, which is followed next week by the Bahrain Grand Prix, technical director Mike Coughlan ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Sometimes golfers just get lucky and Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts could not believe his good fortune after spending an hour last week chatting to golfing great Jack Nicklaus about how to play the Masters.
Nicklaus has won a record six green jackets at Augusta National and ...
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Former British Open champion Darren Clarke has pulled out of this week's U.S. Masters because of a lingering hamstring injury, the Northern Irishman said on Monday.
The 44-year-old, who has made 11 appearances in the season's first major championship, suffered the ...
NEWARK, New Jersey (Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Monday said the president of Rutgers University made a mistake but not a fireable one when he left it to aides to view videos of the men's basketball coach physically and verbally abusing players.
A firestorm of criticism ...
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian athletics chief Valentin Balakhnichyov said he expected more doping cases involving Russian athletes to be revealed in the future because the country conducted more drugs tests than any other nation.
"Don't be surprised if you hear about a few more suspensions ...
PARIS (Reuters) - Team Sky prepared in unconventional fashion for the Flanders classic races this season, hoping to crush the competition as they have been doing on stage events, but results let them down.
The British team have only Mathew Hayman's third place in the Dwars door Vlaanderen race to ...
The Norwegian admitted doping between 1998 and 2003 at a news conference last October, one day after the International Cycling Union (UCI) confirmed it would not appeal against the stripping of Armstrong's seven Tour de France titles.
However, Anti-Doping Norway said in a statement that an ...
The 12th edition of the round-the-world yacht race will begin in Alicante, Spain on October 4, 2014 and visit Recife (Brazil), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Sanya (China), Auckland (New Zealand, Itajai (Brazil), Newport, Rhode Island (United States), Lisbon (Portugal), Lorient (France) and Gothenburg (Sweden), ...
Canada led 2-1 overnight and their top-ranked player Milos Raonic secured the victory for his team when he defeated Andreas Seppi 6-4 6-4 3-6 7-5 in the first reverse singles match.
Canada will now play away to Serbia in the semi-finals in mid-September after the Europeans beat the United States ...
The triumph was American Williams' 49th in WTA play. Only nine players have won 50 or more WTA titles.
After dropping the first set in 45 minutes, Williams cruised through the next two, winning 12 of the final 14 games for her second consecutive title on the clay at Charleston, South Carolina. She ...
ROUBAIX, France (Reuters) - Swiss Fabian Cancellara kept his composure to win a third Paris-Roubaix title, outdoing Belgian Sep Vanmarcke in a session of track cycling tactics at the end of a 254-km ride on Sunday.
Cancellara, who won the Queen of the Classics in 2006 and 2010, entered the Roubaix ...
There was joy for Ethiopia in the women's race, however, when Boru Tadese set a new course record of 2:21:05 to smash the existing mark by more than 30 seconds, according to organizers.
The previous record (2.21:37) was set last year by compatriot Tirfi Beyene.
The unbeaten three-year-old made it four wins from as many starts when he held off Vyjack and Normandy Invasion to win the nine furlong race on dirt at the Aqueduct track in New York.
Verrazano's trainer Todd Pletcher said the colt would not race again before the Derby, at Churchill Downs on May 4.
Overnight leader Park birdied her first two holes and was never threatened at California's Mission Hills Country Club where she finished the tournament with a 15-under total of 273, well clear of second-placed compatriot Ryu So-yeon.
American Lizette Salas started the round three strokes behind ...
Jeff Carter had a goal and an assist as host Los Angeles won for the fifth time in seven games.
Mike Richards and defenseman Slava Voynov also scored goals and Jonathan Quick made 23 saves as the Kings moved ahead of Pacific Division rival San Jose and into sole possession of fourth place in the ...
Laird started the day five shots behind leader Billy Horschel but vaulted into the mix with five birdies on his front nine. He added four more on the back to complete the bogey-free round in nine-under and end the tournament at 14-under 274.
The victory brought Laird his first win on the PGA Tour ...
Zou, whose bronze in Athens was China's first Olympic boxing medal, won gold at the Beijing Games and beat Thailand's Kaeo Pongprayoon in London last year to become the first light-flyweight to win three Olympic medals.
A popular figure in his country, the 31-year-old beat Mexican Eleazar ...
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Carlos Berlocq upset world number 13 Gilles Simon 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-4 to hand Argentina a surprise 3-2 victory over France in their Davis Cup quarter-final on Sunday.
Argentina captain Martin Jaite's team went through to a semi-final away to holders Czech Republic, the nation ...
(Reuters) - A rare Honus Wagner baseball card, dubbed the "Holy Grail" of sports memorabilia, was sold on Saturday for a record $2.1 million, according to Goldin Auctions, which oversaw the bidding.
The selling price of the 1909 T206 White Border Honus Wagner card was $500,000 more than ...
Pakistan were on course to take a 2-0 lead in the three-day Asia/Oceania Group II tie on Friday when Sri Lankan referee Asitha Attygalla abandoned the contest due to an "unplayable court" in the neutral venue of Yangon, Myanmar.
As the encounter had been a designated 'home' tie for ...
BEASAIN, Spain (Reuters) - Colombia's Nairo Quintana fended off overwhelming favorite Richie Porte of Australia to take a surprise overall win in the Tour of the Basque Country on Saturday.
The 23-year-old Movistar rider finished second in the final, hilly individual 24-kilometre time trial at ...
Rosol battled Korolev, who had replaced Kazakh number one Mikhail Kukushkin for the first reverse singles, for more than three-and-a-half hours before sealing the quarter-final tie, played on clay at the National Indoor Tennis Centre in Astana.
The Czechs had built up a 2-0 lead after winning both ...
(Reuters) - Double U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange has hit out at Nick Faldo and Johnny Miller for criticizing world number two Rory McIlroy's recent switch of club manufacturers.
McIlroy ditched his Titleist equipment at the start of the year but Strange believes the 23-year-old Northern ...
Djokovic reeled off the last nine games in a row to win the match 7-5 6-7 6-1 6-0, sealing a 3-1 win for his team and a place in the semi-finals against Canada.
Canada made the World Group semi-finals for the first time when Milos Raonic beat Andreas Seppi 6-4 6-4 3-6 7-5 in the first reverse ...
BOISE, Idaho (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic overcame an early injury to his ankle and lifted Serbia to the Davis Cup semi-finals with a gritty 7-5 6-7 6-1 6-0 victory over American Sam Querrey on Sunday.
"It's very strong emotion when you play for your country. I guess that's the biggest reason ...
The 2008 U.S. Open champion notched six birdies and just a lone bogey to move to seven-under for the tournament at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage California, one clear of American Lizette Salas.
"I'm very happy with my play today on a tough golf course I think I handled myself ...
The American sisters will face off for the first time since the 2009 Sony Ericsson Championships.
But second seed Caroline Wozniacki will be able to head to Augusta National early to watch boyfriend Rory McIlroy contest The Masters next week after being bundled out by Switzerland's Stefanie ...
BALTIMORE (Reuters) - Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis is playing down his early season success despite putting up some eyebrow-raising numbers.
The 27-year-old, six-year major league veteran clubbed an opposite-field grand slam in the eighth inning to lead the Orioles to a ...
McIlroy, who would take the number one ranking back off Tiger Woods with victory, fired a five-under 67 at TPC San Antonio to roar up 40 spots on the leaderboard to five-under 139 in his last warmup for The Masters.
Horschel, who would gain a first invitation to Augusta National with a win, ...
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Juan Monaco beat Gilles Simon 7-6 6-2 6-4 in a duel of world top-20 players to put Argentina level 1-1 with France in their Davis Cup quarter-final on Friday.
The favorites took the first point when Jo-Wilfried Tsonga overcame Carlos Berlocq 4-6 6-2 6-3 5-7 6-2 after a ...
Ayanbadejo, who was cut by the Baltimore Ravens earlier this week after winning the Super Bowl with the team in February, told the paper in an interview that the groundwork was being laid to reduce the pressure on such a player.
"I think it will happen sooner than you think," Ayanbadejo ...
Philadelphia Union's Ghana-born Adu has signed for Bahia until the end of 2013 in exchange for Kleberson. Bahia said the deal would help bring them international attention.
Several Brazilian clubs have signed foreign players in recent months, with Uruguayan Diego Forlan and Dutchman Clarence ...
A playoff between the winners of the 12-team tournament ensures both editions of the Gold Cup in each four-year cycle have the same competitive importance, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) added.
Previously, the winners of the Gold Cup held ...
MADRID (Reuters) - Brazil is hoping next year's World Cup will help the country move away from its standard practice of using riot police to keep order inside stadiums, the head of the local organising committee said on Friday.
As host, Brazil is obliged by FIFA rules to use stewards to keep fans ...
Democratic leader Harry Reid and Republican John McCain, longtime Johnson supporters, joined fellow boxing champions Lennox Lewis and Laila Ali, the daughter of retired boxing legend Muhammad Ali, in backing Tyson's petition on grassroots campaign website Change.org.
The petition says Johnson, the ...
(Reuters) - Tiger Woods has regained his golfing mojo because his artistic talents are combining with his technical prowess to produce the complete player, according to former U.S. Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger.
Fourteen-times major winner Woods has gone through four swing changes in his career, ...
(Reuters) - Top Spanish golfer Alvaro Quiros said it would be "a stupid idea" to play at this month's European Tour event in South Korea due to the growing political tension in the region.
There has been a military buildup by the United States in South Korea following warnings from North ...
NEWARK, New Jersey (Reuters) - Nearly 40 Rutgers University faculty members have signed a letter voicing support for the school's president, who has been under fire since video footage emerged of former basketball coach Mike Rice abusing and berating his players.
Robert Barchi has drawn heavy ...
South Korean Choi and Norwegian Pettersen, playing together, fired unblemished rounds of four-under-par 68 to top a crowded leaderboard at the opening women's major of the year at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.
World number 110 Ewart Shadoff needed six birdies to ...
A rain delay of nearly seven-and-a-half hours forced organizers to push back top seed Serena's round of 16 match with qualifier Mallory Burdette and Venus' battle with Varvara Lepchenko to Friday.
Second seed Wozniacki was given a free pass to the quarterfinals when Andrea Petkovic withdrew with a ...
BOISE, Idaho (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic believes he has left his recent poor form behind and will be in top shape when he leads Serbia in this weekend's Davis Cup quarter-final tie against the United States.
The world number one, who was upset last month in the semi-finals at Indian Wells by Juan ...
The NFL launched a review after a player who attended the February combine in Indianapolis said during a radio interview that he was asked about his sexual orientation, which the league says is against the rules.
"Our review has not established any specific violations, but we have made it ...
(Reuters) - If Masters success was guaranteed by early season form and a high comfort factor at Augusta National, then look no further than Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson for likely champions next week in the year's opening major.
The two Americans have produced hugely impressive, winning golf on ...
Armstrong, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France victories and banned for life last year before admitting to doping, withdrew from the meet shortly after organizers informed his agent Bill Stapleton that FINA had ruled him ineligible.
American Armstrong and meet organizers did not respond ...
"The most important thing is that Gilles is in great form and feeling confident," Clement told a news conference.
"Everyone was expecting Richard given his early season results but he is still feeling pain in his ankle."
Lam birdied the last hole to join the Australian duo of Kieran Pratt and Wade Ormsby in a three-way tie at the top of the first-round leaderboard with a bogey at the 12th the only blot in his otherwise strong five-under 67.
"Losing my Tour card last season was disappointing but I hope to make ...
South African newspapers had published a grainy photograph, reportedly taken by a visiting schoolgirl, of the double amputee in running gear and wearing his carbon-fiber blades on a Pretoria University running track last month.
"Oscar is not back on any official training program," the ...
SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - Civil rights activists in Texas are seeking a pardon from President Barack Obama for the late boxer Jack Johnson, an African-American convicted a century ago for the crime of taking a woman across state lines.
"Here in 2013, this man shouldn't still be carrying the ...
TORONTO (Reuters) - After a quiet start, the National Hockey League (NHL) trade deadline day came alive with a flurry of deals at the final buzzer on Wednesday as teams made final preparations for a Stanley Cup run.
A total of 17 deals involving 30 players and 14 draft picks were consummated, most ...
The "Red Devils," as the club is known, became mired in financial trouble after their Cali drug cartel patrons were jailed in 1995, ending a windfall of cocaine-tied wealth that helped it assemble one of South America's priciest line-ups.
The mayor of Cali, once a major hub for the ...
The decathlon, made up of 10 different track and field disciplines, features mainly in major championships because competition takes place over two days.
"I believe decathlon should have a hand in the Diamond League circuit. I would say we should compete across five competitions, with two ...
ATLANTA (Reuters) - A grand jury has indicted former professional basketball player Javaris Crittenton on murder and gang charges in the drive-by shooting death of a young mother in Georgia in 2011, prosecutors said on Wednesday.
Julian Jones, 22, was gunned down in Atlanta in August 2011 by ...
The British-based team said they had beaten McLaren's previous record of 2.31 seconds, set in Germany last year, on five separate occasions at last month's controversial Malaysian Grand Prix.
The achievement got little attention at the time, with the main focus on the Red Bull drivers who ended ...
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Twice Asia number one Jeev Milkha Singh would like to see a truce between the Asian Tour and its rival OneAsia so the continent can realize its potential as golf's next big market, the Indian said on Wednesday.
For the second time this year, the rival tours went head-to-head ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Valentino Rossi is back on a Yamaha but it will take some heroics for the ageing Italian great to wrest the MotoGP title from Spanish hands in the season that starts under the Qatar floodlights this weekend.
Honda's Dani Pedrosa lines up as the early favorite, closely followed ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - Carmelo Anthony's stunning 50-point performance led the New York Knicks to a 102-90 win over defending NBA champions Miami on Tuesday, extending their winning streak to nine games.
The Heat, already having sealed top spot in the Eastern Conference, were without LeBron James, ...
TORONTO (Reuters) - Excitement over Toronto's offseason of blockbuster trades and big-time spending fizzled on Tuesday when the Blue Jays slumped to a 4-1 home loss to Cleveland in their Major League Baseball season opener.
A sellout crowd packed into the Rogers Center for one of the most ...
TORONTO (Reuters) - The way to catch a knuckleball, famously explained former-Major League catcher Bob Uecker, is to wait until it stops rolling and then pick it up.
It is of course not the preferred technique but it was one used frequently by Toronto Blue Jays J.P. Arencibia on Tuesday when he ...
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the Rangers leading 7-0, Astros shortstop Marwin Gonzalez hit a single through Darvish's legs to break up his bid for a rare perfect game.
In 135 years of Major League Baseball, there have been just 23 perfect games, with no pitcher ever tossing more ...
NEWARK, New Jersey (Reuters) - Thirty-one Rutgers University faculty members have demanded the resignation of the college's president, and the New Jersey state assembly speaker has proposed public hearings into the abuse of players by former men's basketball coach Mike Rice.
The faculty members ...
SEGAS said it fully supported an official petition from the Greek Wrestling Federation and the University of Thessaly urging the IOC to keep wrestling in the summer Games.
Greek Wrestling Federation president Kostas Thanos has condemned the decision as a "sacrilege" of a sport which was ...
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Some of the biggest investors in Russia's 2014 Winter Olympics in the resort city of Sochi are requesting financial help from the government to help ease the burden from the Games' estimated $50 billion price tag.
In a letter obtained by Reuters on Tuesday and addressed to ...
The UCI said Rasmussen was not eligible to race after "documents he was required to provide to Ernst & Young to allow registration were not provided in time".
The governing body did not elaborate.
Muir was elected to the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1980 having set 15 world records in the backstroke at 100 meters, 200 meters, 110 yards and 220 yards.
Her first was in the 110-yards event at the 1965 ASA National Junior Championships in Blackpool, England aged 12 years, 10 months ...
"I had many top-10 finishes last year in professional competitions, and this gave me the confidence that I can make it," the 2010 and 2011 Asian amateur champion said in a statement.
"I want to become a player who can win around the world," added the golfer, whose 2011 Taiheiyo ...
The 30-year-old Jamaican, who has run the 100m in less than 10 seconds more times than any other sprinter, was scheduled to race at the IAAF World Challenge in Melbourne on Saturday.
The injury also forced Powell to pull out of the final of Monday's Stawell Gift, a 131-year-old handicap race run ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Los Angeles Dodgers rolled out their new big-name signings on Monday but it was their ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw who stole the show in Monday's Opening Day game with the San Francisco Giants.
The 25-year-old ace leftie tossed a complete-game shutout and smacked his ...
TORONTO (Reuters) - He is just one of only four players to have played 500 or more games for the Toronto Raptors yet Jose Calderon never appeared to find a home in the National Basketball Association's northern outpost.
Although Calderon spent seven and a half seasons in Toronto and holds the club ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The crack of the bat, packed crowds and the smell of hot dogs on the grill signaled Major League Baseball's Opening Day, a celebration of hope and renewal giving teams and their fans a fresh start to a new season.
It is a rite of spring for millions of Americans, who view ...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper wasted little time proving that last year's Rookie of the Year season was no fluke.
Harper belted two home runs off starter Ricky Nolasco to lift the Nationals to a 2-0 victory over the Miami Marlins on Monday in the season opener ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Alex Rodriguez was back at Yankee Stadium on Monday for the opening day of the Major League Baseball season but made only a fleeting appearance.
The injured third baseman, who underwent hip surgery in January, remains on the disabled list and is expected to miss the first half ...
PORT OF SPAIN/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Under pressure from opposition politicians, the prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago said she had sought information from U.S. authorities about an FBI investigation into alleged corruption in international soccer possibly involving the Caribbean country's ...
The rule-making Royal and Ancient and the United States Golf Association want to outlaw the controversial anchoring of a long-handled putter to the body during the swing - a technique employed by three of the last five major winners including Els - from 2016.
The European Tour has backed the ...
After spending half a century in the National League, the Astros switched to the AL West this year to give baseball an even 15 teams in both leagues.
"It's obviously a great feat for the organization being the 4,000th win in franchise history and our first win as an American League ...
Ware landed awkwardly while trying to block a shot in the first half and his right leg bent at a gruesome angle, leaving the crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in a stunned silence.
"When he landed, I heard it," Louisville guard Russ Smith told reporters. "And then I (saw ...
OUDENAARDE, Belgium (Reuters) - Fabian Cancellara wiped out last year's bad memories when he powered his way to his second victory in the Tour of Flanders cycle race on Sunday.
A year ago, on the same 256 kms of exhausting hills and cobbled sections, the Swiss former Olympic and world time-trial ...
WEST POINT, New York (Reuters) - Sapped of firepower due to a spate of injuries, the New York Yankees found inspiration in a visit to the U.S. Military Academy on Saturday for their last practice game before Opening Day.
Before taking on the Army team on Doubleday Field, named after West Point ...
Crosby sustained the injury on Saturday when he was struck in the face with the puck just over a minute into the opening period of the Penguins' 2-0 win over the New York Islanders.
Dr. Bernard Costello performed the surgery on Saturday night, the Penguins said on their website.
DUBAI (Reuters) - Animal Kingdom, ridden by Joel Rosario, held off a late charge by Red Cadeaux to win the $10 million Dubai World Cup by a comfortable two lengths at odds of 11-2 at Meydan on Saturday.
Red Cadeaux, ridden by Gerald Mosse, finished second nearly five lengths clear of Ryan Moore on ...
LONDON (Reuters) - A Titus Bramble own goal helped Manchester United edge closer to their 20th league title when they won 1-0 at Sunderland on Saturday to stay 15 points clear of champions Manchester City with only eight Premier League games left to play.
City, whose manager Roberto Mancini ...
DUBAI (Reuters) - Monterosso, the mount of Mickael Barzalona, will not defend his Dubai World Cup title on Saturday after his owner pulled him out of the world's richest race.
"We decided to pull him out," Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al-Maktoum told Reuters at the ...
The 36-year-old Australian could only finish seventh in last year's Tour and blamed his poor form on a virus.
"The team will put everything into the Tour de France," he said in a statement from his BMC team on Saturday.
Last year the conservative Islamic kingdom, where women must have permission from a male relative to take many big decisions, sent women athletes to the Olympics for the first time after pressure from international rights groups.
Until now, women's exercise facilities, including gyms, have had to ...
Clinging to a one shot advantage over clubhouse leader Henrik Stenson with four holes to play, Points had his momentum interrupted when a storm swept across the Redstone Golf Club and forced the evacuation of the course.
When play resumed after a nearly three hours, Points picked up where he left ...
BELGRADE (Reuters) - Former Chicago Bulls forward Andres Nocioni produced a vintage performance to keep Caja Laboral Vitoria in the hunt for a berth in the Euroleague playoffs after a rollercoaster 86-82 win at Khimki Moscow on Friday.
The competition's six-time winners Panathinaikos Athens ...
"JT McNamara remains in the Frenchay Hospital, Bristol. Whilst he suffered a serious neck injury resulting in paralysis, he has made progress in the last week and is in a very positive frame of mind," said a statement issued jointly by Dr Adrian McGoldrick, senior medical officer for the ...
The Tigers did not announce terms of the deal but according to media reports, Verlander will remain under contract to Detroit through the 2019 season and could become MLB's first $200 million pitcher.
Verlander has two years remaining on his current five-year $79.5 million deal and combined with a ...
Schumacher, who failed two drug tests in 2008, said in an interview with German magazine Der Spiegel that doping was part of his training just like eating a "plate of pasta".
"The admission ... comes too late. He could have spared himself and his sport some things if he had told the ...
Berdych dropped out after losing Thursday's Sony Open quarter-final against Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-3 6-3 in Miami.
"Last night's match was the last straw for me," he told the Czech Davis Cup Facebook page.
Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) have contacted world soccer's ruling body FIFA about the complaints and the Football Association is awaiting official notification of the incident which could lead to England being forced to play behind closed doors.
Rio and Anton, who is on loan from ...
Dongbu Promy head coach Kang Dong-hee, who resigned after his arrest, was indicted for accepting money from brokers to help fix four matches during the 2010-2011 Korean Basketball League (KBL) season, according to the Yonhap news agency.
Three others, including two gambling brokers, were also ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Unprecedented levels of skill, intensity and endurance have transformed global sport into spectacular mass entertainment and handsomely rewarded its leading exponents.
Now that the euphoria of last year's acclaimed London Olympics has dissipated, however, a spate of troubling ...
TORONTO (Reuters) - The Carolina Hurricanes find themselves trapped in a deadline day dilemma after a seventh straight loss on Thursday, slowly slipping out of a playoff race and pondering whether to make a deal or stick with what they have.
With the National Hockey League's April 3 trade deadline ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A golden period awaits the National Basketball Association (NBA) with global interest and business opportunities growing, the man set to replace Commissioner David Stern, said on Thursday.
Adam Silver, who will replace Stern when the NBA's longest-serving commissioner steps ...
The 36-year-old Points, who had struggled with seven missed cuts from nine events for the season, shrugged off the dismal form with nine birdies and a solitary bogey to be one stroke clear of countrymen Cameron Tringale and John Rollins.
A week after being unseated by Tiger Woods as world number ...
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Builders are threatening to halt construction on Sao Paulo's new World Cup stadium within weeks because of a dispute over financing, a move that could throw next year's global soccer tournament into disarray and embarrass the government.
The "Itaquerão" stadium on ...
Judge Bert Bam said the 26-year-old, a double amputee who won worldwide fame last year when he reached the semi-finals of the 400m in the London Olympics, could have his passport back and no longer needed to report to a probation officer.
The relaxation of initially tough bail conditions for ...
March 27 (The Sports Xchange) - The Miami Heat's quest for history fell short, but it didn't end quietly.
The Chicago Bulls stopped the second-longest win streak in American professional sports history, beating the Heat 101-97 on Wednesday at a raucous United Center.
MIAMI (Reuters) - Britain's Andy Murray defeated Spain's David Ferrer 2-6 6-4 7-6 in a grueling and enthralling Sony Open final on Sunday to move above Roger Federer to second in the world rankings.
Murray was far from at his best against a dogged Ferrer but won the tie-break 7-1 after surviving a ...
The six-year-old arena, scheduled to host the athletics events at the 2016 Olympic games, was shut on Tuesday because of structural damage to the roof in a major embarrassment for Brazilian sporting authorities.
"We've received a report about the stadium and it did not come with any solutions ...
The 23-year-old was withdrawn from Greece's team for the London Olympics last July after posting a racist tweet and has yet to return to top-level competition.
"The SEGAS executive board met today and decided to suspend the benefits of the athlete Voula Papachristou from 01/04/2013 because of ...
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Istanbul's presentation of its bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games left an "excellent impression" the head of the evaluation commission said on Wednesday.
Turkey's largest city, which is competing with Tokyo and Madrid for the 2020 Games, presented its candidacy to ...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An FBI probe into alleged corruption in international soccer has recently intensified after investigators persuaded a key party to be a cooperating witness, U.S. law enforcement sources said.
They said that the witness is Daryan Warner, the son of former FIFA vice-president ...
The 27-time World Series champion Yankees, owned by the Steinbrenner family, were valued at $2.3 billion, a 24 percent jump from last year and comfortably above the second ranked Los Angeles Dodgers ($1.6 billion).
The Boston Red Sox ($1.3 billion), Chicago Cubs ($1 billion) and Philadelphia ...
The countries' prime ministers announced the bid after meeting in the Slovak town of Poprad, at the foot of the Tatra Mountains where alpine skiing disciplines would be held to make up for a lack of suitable terrain in mostly flat Poland.
"We have a clear vision. We are not interested in any ...
Known affectionately as "King Happy", Andersen died in an Oslo hospital after suffering a fall in his home on Monday.
Two weeks previously he had said he hoped Norway would win the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics and he would be there to watch.
The German's 6-2 6-4 victory at the Sony Open proved again the widely held belief that but for chronic injury problems and bad luck, grand slam titles would surely have come his way.
Haas's classical, easy-on-the-eye, style took him to world number two in May 2002 and for a while he looked like ...
Cabrera-Bello put the theft of his personal possessions behind him en route to last week's weather-hit Malaysian Open to finish tied-22nd and with a ranking of 65 he is closing in on a Masters' debut with a place in the top 50.
"The main reason I am here is to try to win this tournament and ...
LONDON (Reuters) - When Arsenal hired manager Herbert Chapman in 1925, the job ad told big spenders not to apply. Angry fans who have seen the London soccer team overtaken by lavishly funded rivals are now screaming for the club's U.S. owner to bury that tradition.
The club's billionaire majority ...
The former world champions said in a statement on Wednesday that the 36-year-old would work with her father, who remains principal, in the day to day running and long-term development of the team.
Williams said they had planned to make the announcement before the start of the season on March 17 ...
Haas, who turns 35 next week, needed just 80 minutes to end Djokovic's 14-match winning streak at the tournament and consign the world number one Serb to just his second loss of the season.
"Playing against someone like Novak and coming out on top at this time of my career, it's ...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Memphis Grizzlies have embraced the team concept after shedding Rudy Gay in a cost-cutting move and suddenly find themselves trading elbows with the big boys in the Western Conference.
With their top scorer and go-to guy now wearing a Toronto Raptors uniform, the surging ...
The Japanese dominated possession and created numerous chances but the West Asians secured a memorable win thanks to some resolute defending and efficient finishing against a side who had thrashed them 6-0 at home in June.
It was Jordan's first win over Japan and put them firmly in contention to ...
The U.S. won Friday's match 1-0 in Denver but Costa Rica were furious about the conditions, saying the pitch markings were not visible, the ball could not be passed properly and stadium employees entered the field while the ball was still in play to clear away snow.
"FIFA has examined the ...
Semin, who is thriving after signing a one-year contract with the team as a free agent, put his ink on a new deal worth $35 million.
"We're very happy to retain Alex," Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford told reporters. "Alex is an elite player and has been a major contributor ...
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - For Chris Bosh, the entire NBA season has felt like one big playoff game and there was no easing up on Monday as the Miami Heat dumped the Orlando Magic 108-94 to extend their winning streak to 27 games.
As the reigning NBA champions, the Heat are used to seeing the ...
The race at Sepang was dominated by controversial team orders issued by champions Red Bull and Mercedes but Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko said afterwards that his team had a different approach to Hamilton's.
"The team will have a word because we have to control the drivers," the ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - In the ultra-scrutinized world of U.S. professional sports, there is still one line that no one has ever crossed.
There is still not a single openly gay player in any of America's major professional sports leagues.
The WBC has insurance covering the salaries of MLB players who subsequently miss at least 30 days of the regular season, the spokesman said.
New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, due to earn $22.5 million this season, was expected to miss between eight and 10 weeks with a partially torn ...
TORONTO (Reuters) - For fitness buffs who have dreamed of training with a professional athlete, new apps could be the next best thing.
The apps, dubbed personal trainers in your pocket, are accessible from anywhere on a smartphone or tablet and feature some of the world's most elite athletes.
"We can confirm that FIFA has received a letter from the Costa Rica FA regarding last Friday's World Cup qualifier," said soccer's governing body in a statement.
"FIFA will now analyze the content of the letter and next steps will be determined in due course."
SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - While Moscow digs itself out of a huge snow storm that hit the Russian capital in the last few days, organizers of the Winter Olympics are worried a lack of white powder could become a problem next February.
Unseasonably warm temperatures this winter in Sochi have forced ...
PORTO VECCHIO, France (Reuters) - Andrew Talansky is a changed man in a changed sport and that is enough for the young American to aim for the top 10 of the Tour de France in his first appearance in the race.
The 24-year-old prospect finished seventh overall in last year's Vuelta without a team ...
Tokyo is competing with Istanbul and Madrid to host the Olympics for a second time after becoming the first Asian city to host the multi-sport event in 1964.
Lewis, the nine-time Olympic champion, visited Japan's National Stadium on Monday, a venue where he set two world records in the 1991 world ...
The Eastern Conference-leading Penguins (25-8-0) sent prospect defenseman Joe Morrow and a fifth-round pick in the 2013 Draft in exchange for a third-round pick this year and the 34-year-old Morrow.
Brenden Morrow had to waive his no-trade clause in order to clear the way for the deal.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Major League Baseball likely faces an uphill battle if it hopes to win a lawsuit it filed last week against the owner of a Florida clinic that allegedly provided banned performance-enhancing drugs to the league's players.
If, however, MLB's suit against BioGenesis, an ...
Jones suffered the injury in Friday's 1-0 win over Costa Rica in Denver.
The German-born player was an immense presence in midfield in the snow-plagued game, setting the tone with his hard running and tackling.
MASERU (Reuters) - Zambia and Morocco suffered setbacks in their World Cup qualifying campaigns on Sunday that put their hopes of reaching the finals in jeopardy and undermined previous predictions of a rise in their fortunes.
Zambia extended their winless streak to seven matches as unfancied ...
Only the cellar-dwelling Florida Panthers have a worse conference record than the Lightning (13-17-1), who started the strike shortened season 6-1 but have lost six of their past 10 games.
"Guy has poured his heart and soul into the Lightning organization for these past three years and we ...
PODGORICA (Reuters) - After what amounted to a gentle warm-up in San Marino, England move into the far more hostile territory of Montenegro for a vital World Cup qualifier on Tuesday with captain Steven Gerrard warning of intimidation from the Group H leaders.
The first time England played in ...
Consecutive home draws against Tuesday's hosts and surprisingly against basement team Finland last Friday have left Spain second in the standings, two points behind Didier Deschamps side with four games to play.
Anything less than a victory in Paris would leave Spain contemplating the play-offs ...
(Reuters) - Asian champions Japan can become the first side to qualify for the 2014 World Cup with victory in Jordan on Tuesday, while South Korea, Australia and Uzbekistan are odds on to score home wins and clarify the crowded pool picture.
The Blue Samurai thrashed Jordan 6-0 at home in June, a ...
BERLIN (Reuters) - Victory in Kazakhstan and a slip-up by Group C rivals Sweden in Friday's World Cup qualifiers have sent Germany five points clear but coach Joachim Loew has warned against complacency ahead of Tuesday's home game against the Kazakhs.
The Germans, 3-0 winners in Astana, are ...
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Sacramento officials announced on Saturday that they had reached a $450 million deal with private developers to build an entertainment and sports complex they hope will keep the Kings basketball team from leaving town for Seattle.
A private investor group led by hedge ...
The Briton told the Mail on Sunday newspaper that the 2008 world champion asked him to broker a move to Sebastian Vettel's team but talks ended when Red Bull's billionaire owner Dietrich Mateschitz insisted on Australian Mark Webber having first refusal.
"Sebastian wouldn't have cared if ...
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - African kings Nigeria were rescued by a last-gasp equalizer on Saturday while other heavyweight contenders Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Tunisia won their games to remain on course for World Cup qualification.
Samuel Eto'o scored twice to lead Cameroon to a 2-1 victory in Yaounde ...
DENVER, Colorado (Reuters) - After a week surprisingly dominated by talk of rifts and lack of player confidence in coach Juergen Klinsmann, the United States gave a characteristically battling display to beat Costa Rica 1-0 in driving snow.
There was nothing to learn about Klinsmann's tactics, ...
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - Canada's Mike Weir, winner of the 2003 Masters, withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a rib injury on Saturday.
Weir, who was looking forward to celebrating the 10th anniversary of his only major win at Augusta next month, walked off the Bay Hill course ...
PORTO VECCHIO, France (Reuters) - After spending the 2012 season standing by Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome is learning to become a leader at Team Sky as the Briton gears up for the Tour de France, the ultimate goal of his season.
Last year, Tour champion Wiggins stressed that one of the hardest ...
PORTO VECCHIO, France (Reuters) - Cadel Evans may seem to be past his prime after a mediocre season last year but the Australian still believes he can win another Tour de France despite Team Sky's domination.
Evans, the first Australian to win the Tour in 2011, could not repeat the feat in 2012 ...
SEPANG, Malaysia (Reuters) - Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel won a controversial Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday after defying orders to back off and let Red Bull team mate Mark Webber take the checkered flag ahead of him.
The German's 27th victory, from pole and equaling the tally of ...
DENVER, Colorado (Reuters) - Mexico gave up a two goal lead to draw 2-2 in blazing heat in Honduras, while the United States beat Costa Rica 1-0 in a blizzard by the Rocky Mountains as CONCACAF's World Cup qualifiers served up another night of drama and controversy.
In Kingston, Panama showed they ...
DENVER, Colorado (Reuters) - Furious Costa Rica coach Jorge Luis Pinto said it was an "embarrassment to football" that Friday's World Cup qualifier with the United States was played in strong snow, while his federation promised to make an official protest.
The U.S. won 1-0 but Pinto was ...
DENVER, Colorado (Reuters) - In a heavy snow storm at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, the United States battled to a 1-0 win over Costa Rica with Clint Dempsey's 16th minute goal securing victory in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifier on Friday.
The U.S's decision to try and gain an advantage over ...
Sandusky, Penn State's former defensive coordinator, brought down Paterno, who built a college football powerhouse and lost his job when the case became public in 2011. The university found Paterno failed to previously report Sandusky.
Paterno died 2-1/2 months later at age 85, with many fans ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - Major League Baseball filed a lawsuit on Friday against the owner of a Miami-based anti-aging clinic alleging that he damaged the sport by providing banned performance-enhancing drugs to half a dozen professional baseball players.
The lawsuit filed in Florida state court in Miami ...
LONDON (Reuters) - World champions Spain were held by lowly Finland but there were wins for England, Germany, France and Netherlands as Europe's top teams returned to the task of qualifying for next year's World Cup finals on Friday.
The first of this month's two rounds of qualifiers -- with ...
For the past decade, each NFL season has officially started with the defending Super Bowl champions playing at home.
The 2013 NFL season will open on Thursday, September 5 but the Ravens will have to play away from home because the Baltimore Orioles, the city's MLB team, are scheduled to play at ...
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - Already a global sport, golf's future lies in the growth of the international game and a return to the Olympics, seven-times major winner Arnold Palmer said on Friday.
After 112 years, golf will return to the Olympic program at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games, ...
The Indians from different Amazon tribes had been living on the grounds of the Rio de Janeiro museum since 2006 and were resisting its demolition, which caused further delays to the overhaul of the stadium complex.
Riot police handcuffed the Indians, some of whom wore feathered headdresses and ...
DENVER, Colorado (Reuters) - A leadership role rarely falls to a 24-year-old playing in just his second World Cup qualifier but U.S. defender Omar Gonzalez will have little choice but to be an organiser on Friday against Costa Rica.
Gonzalez, who plays Major League Soccer with L.A. Galaxy, lacks ...
The third seed shrugged off the challenge of Klara Zakopalova, easing to a 6-2 6-2 victory over the Czech to advance to the quarter-finals and inch closer making it fifth time lucky in Florida.
Sharapova was beaten in the last two finals after also falling in the tournament decider in 2005 and ...
DENVER (Reuters) - Juergen Klinsmann shrugged off criticism of his work as U.S. national team coach on Thursday and said he welcomed debate over the team's performance as a sign of soccer's growth in the country.
Klinsmann came under fire from anonymous critics in an article published by the ...
TORONTO (Reuters) - Steven Stamkos is a goal-scoring machine who has had little team success in the National Hockey League (NHL) but he is expected to play a key role for Canada on the sport's biggest stage at next year's Olympics.
The 23-year-old Tampa Bay Lightning forward is in a league of his ...
WADA said the once developmental drug, identified as GW501516, had been bought and used by some athletes despite being withdrawn from research and terminated when "serious toxicities were discovered in pre-clinical studies.
"The side effect of this chemical compound is so serious that ...
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - Not even a ferocious storm that pushed the Arnold Palmer Invitational to a Monday finish could stop Tiger Woods from winning an eighth Bay Hill title and reclaiming the world number one ranking.
Looking like his old imposing self, Woods completed a final-round ...
DENVER, Colorado (Reuters) - The United States will play Germany in Washington D.C in a June friendly to celebrate the 100th year of the country's soccer federation.
The U.S., coached by former Germany striker and coach Juergen Klinsmann, will take on the three-times World Cup winners at RFK ...
DENVER (Reuters) - Former United States head coach Bruce Arena has questioned the selection of foreign-born players on the American national men's team.
In a thinly-veiled attack on current coach Juergen Klinsmann's selections, Arena said he wanted to see more American-born players in the squad.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Philadelphia 76ers opened the 2012-13 NBA season with a new franchise center and lofty goals, but they will exit with neither as their once-promising outlook has given way to an uncertain future.
Andrew Bynum, who was expected to turn Philadelphia into a contender when ...
ZURICH (Reuters) - FIFA has not lost control over the 2022 World Cup, president Sepp Blatter said on Thursday in response to ongoing controversy over whether the tournament should be staged in the European summer as planned.
Blatter reiterated that any request to change the timing of the event to ...
MADRID (Reuters) - Madrid's bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games is an improvement on their failed efforts to secure the 2012 and 2016 editions which could be "third time lucky" for the Spanish capital, the head of the evaluation commission said on Thursday.
Madrid, which is competing with ...
Athletics Kenya secretary general David Okeyo told Reuters on Thursday that Salome Jerono Biwott and Jynocel Basweti Onyancha had both been suspended for two years.
Last month marathon runners Wilson Erupe Loyanae and Nixon Kiplagat Cherutich were banned for two years while Moses Kiptoo Kurgat was ...
Big-hitting Thai Kiradech Aphibarnrat, battling a thyroid problem, sank four birdies on each nine for a seven-under-par 65 to grab the lead before lightning forced an early end to play.
Donald arrived from the U.S. on Tuesday morning following his tied fourth place finish in last week's Tampa Bay ...
"Italian sport is in mourning," it said on its website (www.coni.it), announcing the death of the Barletta-born sprinter - known as the 'Arrow of the South' - after an incurable illness.
Mennea won gold at the boycotted 1980 Moscow Olympics, as well as a 4x400 relay bronze. He later ...
MVP candidate LeBron James took over in the fourth quarter, leading the Heat to a 98-95 victory over the upset-minded Cavs on Wednesday before 20,562 at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Heat (53-14) extended their winning streak to 24 games in a row. Miami hasn't lost since February 1, a span of 47 days.
LONDON (Reuters) - When Ireland's Katie Taylor was taking hits and striking blows for boxing's Olympic debut in an east London ring last year, John Hardy did not want to look.
To this leading neuroscientist and molecular biologist, a boxing bout is little more than a session of mutual brain ...
ZURICH (Reuters) - Football has reached the point where it must choose between becoming an elitist sport, dominated by a handful of rich clubs and leagues, or a universal one, according to former FIFA presidential advisor Jerome Champagne.
The Frenchman, who worked in various senior positions ...
Established U.S. skipper Carlos Bocanegra was not selected in the squad that will face Costa Rica in Denver on Friday and Mexico at the Azteca Stadium on Tuesday, and goalkeeper Tim Howard, who was captain in the February defeat to Honduras, is also missing due to a back injury, forcing Klinsmann ...
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's capital city, struggling to finish a new soccer stadium in time for an upcoming dress rehearsal for the 2014 World Cup, is turning to a surprising partner for help: the United Nations.
The Brasilia government signed this week a 35 million reais ($17.61 million) ...
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy's decision to skip the Arnold Palmer Invitational surprised the tournament host, who expressed his disappointment on Wednesday that the world number one was not at Bay Hill this week.
The 83-year-old Palmer said he had jokingly suggested he might break ...
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - With two wins in his last four starts Tiger Woods appears to have found his groove, found a new girlfriend and by the end of the week could find himself back at the top of the world golf rankings.
Certainly Woods heads into Thursday's start of the Arnold Palmer ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Open will revert to a 14-day tournament from 2015 after United States Tennis Association (USTA) officials reached an agreement with players on restructuring the playing schedule and increasing prize money.
The USTA announced in December it was adding an extra day in ...
(Reuters) - Fox Sports has signed a 12-year contract to carry the new Big East basketball conference, the first major sports rights agreement it has entered since announcing its new national cable channel to compete with ESPN.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. A source close to the matter ...
Contador's press office said in a statement that the double Tour de France champion had caught a cold during races in Italy earlier this month.
His next race will be the Tour of the Basque country from April 1-6.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Wednesday picked Indiana University to win the NCAA annual men's college basketball tournament, joining in the "March Madness" office pool craze that sweeps America every spring.
The president, an avid sports fan, forecast that Indiana ...
"Giving our players one more opportunity to earn a spot on merit, I believe, is the right thing to do," Watson told the official Ryder Cup website (www.rydercup.com).
Watson will take the top nine players from the Ryder Cup standings and make his three picks ahead of the 40th match at ...
Zlateva, who also won five European titles and two Olympic silver medals in the 72-kg category, will run as a candidate for the centre-right GERB party, whose government resigned in February following nationwide protests against low living standards.
"Yes, I accepted the GERB ...
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Major League Baseball (MLB) has no desire to see the World Baseball Classic played at a different time of year despite a chorus of critics who say the tournament is lacking many of the game's top players.
A disappointing showing by the United States, which was eliminated ...
"There was a software-related issue that meant that Mark Webber's...car's garage data system had to be re-started during the formation lap," a McLaren Group statement said.
"That disrupted his preparations for the start of the race, for which Mark and the team has our apology. We ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - As the National Hockey League's (NHL) lockout-shortened regular season nears its final month, the Los Angeles Kings are finding a familiar rhythm that resembles their stunning playoff run of last year.
A 48-game campaign spread across four months is much more of a sprint ...
"It is time that I too - long overdue - admit to having been part of the Epo-era that was a part of the sport in the 90s", Sorensen, who won silver at the Olympic Games road race in Atlanta in 1996, said in a statement.
Sorensen admitted to having taken the hormone erythropoietin (EPO) ...
Sauber said in a preview for the race at Sepang that the car Hulkenberg qualified with in Melbourne had been sent back to the factory in Switzerland for a full examination and he would start with a new chassis for the second round.
Hulkenberg finished ninth in Malaysia last year with Force India ...
"With the power of Brazil, and I don't only speak of the economic power but also with the willpower, Brazil will be ready and will deliver a wonderful World Cup," Blatter told reporters at a news conference at FIFA headquarters on Tuesday.
"When there is one year or less to go ...
The Jamaican world record holder has already announced appearances in the 200 at Oslo's Bislett Games on June 13 and at the Paris Golden League meeting on July 6 ahead of the world championships in Moscow in August.
Bolt, who became the only man to win the 100-200 meters double at successive ...
The Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) said in a statement on Tuesday that it had issued 13 directives to the All Japan Judo Federation (AJJF) after the probe carried out by executive board members and a third-party lawyer.
Fifteen current and former members of the women's team had sent a joint ...
The towering Argentine beat Murray in the quarter-finals last week on the California hard courts and is looking forward to locking horns with him on grass after confirming he will play at the Aegon Championships at London's Queen's Club two weeks before Wimbledon.
"Murray is a big champion, ...
"It's nice to prove people wrong," the 2008 world champion was quoted as saying on Tuesday as he savored his fifth-place finish at last weekend's season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
The 28-year-old Briton had qualified third on the grid.
Perry, who has spent his entire NHL career with the Ducks while playing alongside Getzlaf, will sign an eight-year contract, reportedly worth $69 million, to equal the length of Getzlaf's latest deal.
"It was definitely a huge factor that he did stay here and he's committed here," Perry ...
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Hensley Meulens had ties to both teams in the World Baseball Classic semi-final on Monday, but the Netherlands manager felt the undeniable sting of their 4-1 loss to the Dominican Republic.
"I had my mom on the field today. She's full Dominican," Meulens ...
The NFL and the New York-based private equity firm said they will commit equity and jointly operate the global strategic partnership. Terms of the commitments were not public.
The partnership will target growth equity investments of approximately $25 million to $50 million in private companies ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Maria Sharapova rose to number two in the rankings on Monday after her impressive title run at the BNP Paribas Open but says she is motivated much more by grand slam glory than the prospect of regaining the top spot.
"Number one is a great number," the elegant ...
INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - Former University of Oklahoma quarterback Steve Davis, who led the Sooners to national college football championships in 1974 and 1975, was one of two men killed when a corporate jet crashed in northern Indiana on Sunday, local officials said on Monday.
Investigators on ...
ATLANTA (Reuters) - An Atlanta woman who says basketball legend Michael Jordan is the father of her 16-year-old son has dropped her paternity suit against him.
Pamela Smith, 48, filed a paternity suit against Jordan last month seeking child support. Jordan denies he is the father of the child and ...
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - It's the catchphrase of the year in Brazil: "Imagina na Copa!"
The Portuguese phrase, which basically means "Imagine what it'll be like during the World Cup," has become a favorite among Brazilians stuck in traffic, or in line at their woefully overcrowded ...
LONDON, Ontario (Reuters) - With figure skating on the decline in North America it was hoped that the return of charismatic South Korean skate queen Kim Yuna to this week's world championships would give the sport a badly-needed jolt.
But any boost her comeback gives the sport will be ephemeral ...
A statement from European soccer's governing body said the Serie A club were under investigation for "racist behavior of supporters, insufficient organization and the throwing of missiles and/or fireworks".
Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who scored his side's away goal in a 4-1 ...
Di Stefano, who is just over 10 years older than the 76-year-old Bergoglio, wrote in his regular column in sports daily Marca on Monday that the pair had gone to the same school and lived close to each other in the Argentine capital.
"As you can imagine his election filled me with enormous ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - The fist pump was back, along with the crunching forehand crosscourt winners, energetic movement and the never-say-say-die attitude.
Most significantly, the 'W' was there as Rafa Nadal on Sunday won his third title in just four events since making his ...
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The Dominican Republic capped off an unbeaten campaign by defeating Caribbean neighbors Puerto Rico 3-0 to win the World Baseball Classic on Tuesday.
The Dominicans made up for their first-round exit in the 2009 tournament by taking their record to 8-0 after the title ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal has withdrawn from next week's Sony Open in Miami to strengthen his left leg over the next few weeks before beginning his build-up for the French Open.
The Spanish left-hander, who returned to the ATP circuit only last month after seven months out ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - It was a case of so near and yet so far for Juan Martin Del Potro after he was denied a first ATP Masters 1000 title in a 4-6 6-3 6-4 defeat by Rafa Nadal in the BNP Paribas Open final on Sunday.
The Argentine was a set and 2-0 up on Nadal before the Spaniard ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal added another triumphant chapter to his remarkable comeback story by beating Juan Martin Del Potro in the BNP Paribas Open final on Sunday to win his third title of the year.
The Spanish left-hander was sidelined for seven months last year with a ...
Louisville (29-5) took the overall number one seed with its strong finish. The Cardinals defeated Syracuse on Saturday for the Big East tournament championship and closed the season with 10 straight wins.
Louisville opens play in the Midwest Region on Thursday in Lexington, Kentucky, against the ...
The 34-year-old Streelman shot a final round of four-under-par 67 to finish on 10-under, two strokes clear of his nearest rival at the tricky Copperhead layout at Innisbrook Resort.
"That was really cool," he said in a greenside interview with NBC television.
LONDON, Ontario (Reuters) - The figure skating world championships closed on Sunday as they almost always do with a glitzy gala, arguments and controversy.
With a scoring system that is harder to understand than the theory of relativity and offers about as much transparency as a Papal conclave, ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Maria Sharapova played aggressively from the start to win her first title since last year's French Open with a 6-2 6-2 demolition of Caroline Wozniacki in the BNP Paribas Open final on Sunday.
In a showdown between two former world number ones, the ...
LENZERHEIDE, Switzerland (Reuters) - World Cup winner Tina Maze ended her record-breaking season by winning the final giant slalom of the winter in Lenzerheide on Sunday.
The Slovenian, who began her remarkable season with a giant slalom victory, rounded off the campaign with her fifth win in that ...
SAN REMO, Italy (Reuters) - Gerald Ciolek outwitted the favorites to win a snowbound Milan-San Remo classic and earn an African team its first success at world level on Sunday.
The German former road race champion, 26, clinched his first major win for South African outfit MTN-Qhubeka in freezing ...
LENZERHEIDE, Switzerland (Reuters) - Felix Neureuther finished the season in style when he won the campaign-ending slalom in Lenzerheide on Sunday and promised closer fights with World Cup winner Marcel Hirscher in the future.
The German avenged his World Cup defeat in the discipline by beating ...
The 20-year-old, a former captain of Greece's Under-19 team, made the gesture in celebrating his winning goal in a 2-1 Super League victory over lowly Veria on Saturday.
Katidis apologized and asked to be dropped from AEK's first team.
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Kimi Raikkonen drove a brilliant race to win the Australian Grand Prix for Lotus on Sunday as the new Formula One season opened with an absolute thriller at Albert Park.
Finland's 2007 world champion rode to victory on a two-stop strategy and crossed the line 12.4 seconds ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Looking as though he had never been away, Rafa Nadal gave the tennis world a stark reminder of what they had missed for seventh months last year with a superb display at the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday.
In only his fourth match on hard courts since he returned ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Plenty of lobs, subtle changes of pace, marathon baseline rallies - Maria Sharapova is preparing for all of that and more when she faces Caroline Wozniacki in Sunday's final at the BNP Paribas Open.
Denmark's Wozniacki, like Sharapova a former world number one ...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - A dog left behind at a checkpoint along the route of the Iditarod sled-dog race in Alaska was smothered by windblown snow, in the event's first canine death since 2009, officials said on Saturday.
The fatality broke a safety streak that race supporters had cited as ...
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The World Baseball Classic shifts to San Francisco for the climax of the sport's top international tournament but missing from the party is the star-studded U.S. team, which struck out again.
The U.S. team flopped once again at the 16-team Classic, failing to get out of ...
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - World champion Sebastian Vettel will start the Formula One season-opener from pole position on an all-Red Bull front row later on Sunday after posting the fastest time in the rain-delayed qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix.
The German, chasing a fourth successive world ...
The trio charged to the top of a congested leaderboard to finish the day level at six-under par at the tricky Copperhead layout at Innisbrook Resort.
But the tournament remains wide open with another 13 players, including defending champion Luke Donald, lurking within three shots of the leaders.
LONDON, Ontario (Reuters) - A day after claiming a third consecutive figure skating world championship, Patrick Chan was still profusely apologizing on Saturday for his performance but the defiant Canadian was making no apologies for the win.
With figure skating's credibility under ...
LONDON, Ontario (Reuters) - Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White capped a perfect season by reclaiming the ice dance title from Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir at the figure skating world championships on Saturday.
While the title will change hands, it will not go far with the good ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - While Rafa Nadal continued his impressive comeback to reach the BNP Paribas Open final, Novak Djokovic made a shock exit in Saturday's semi-finals as his winning streak of 22 matches came to an end.
The top-seeded Serb squandered a 3-0 lead in the final set ...
"He has suffered some burns to his body. However he is expected to make a full recovery in the near future," agent Drew Rosenhaus told Reuters.
"We expect him to be able to resume his football activities in a few weeks, most likely," he said.
Lovtsova, 24, a member of the Russian 4x100-metre freestyle relay team at last year's London Olympics, was banned for two-and-a-half years starting from November 30, 2012, the agency said on its website (www.rusada.ru).
On Thursday, RUSADA banned European short-course record holder 23-year-old ...
LENZERHEIDE, Switzerland (Reuters) - Ted Ligety rounded off his season with another giant slalom win on a perfect day for the American team at the Alpine ski World Cup finals on Saturday.
Triple world champion Ligety, who secured the giant slalom World Cup last weekend, beat overall title winner ...
Lee, born in Brazil to Korean parents, mixed eight birdies with a lone bogey in the penultimate round for a 54-hole total of 19-under 197, a shot ahead of defending champion Wood (65) and China's Hu Mu (64).
Scotland's Simon Yates shot a 64 on his 43rd birthday and overnight leader Scott Strange ...
LENZERHEIDE, Switzerland (Reuters) - Mikaela Shiffrin proclaimed her position as the world's number one slalom specialist when she won the season's final race in the discipline on Saturday to add a World Cup title to her world championship gold.
The 18-year-old American pipped Tina Maze to the ...
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - The final stages of qualifying for Sunday's season-opening Australian Formula One Grand Prix were postponed to the morning of the race after heavy rain made conditions impossible on Saturday.
A chaotic opening segment of qualifying was completed after a delay but as the rain ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal continues his impressive comeback on Saturday by bidding for a place in the BNP Paribas Open final and top seed Novak Djokovic is not at all surprised by the Spaniard's swift progress.
World number five Nadal, who returned to the ATP circuit only ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Former champion Caroline Wozniacki battled through a marathon encounter to upset fourth-seeded German Angelique Kerber 2-6 6-4 7-5 on Friday and reach her third BNP Paribas Open final in four years.
The eighth-seeded Dane, winner at Indian Wells in 2011 after ...
The victory gave the Dominicans (6-0) a day off before they meet the Netherlands in the semi-finals on Monday at AT&T Park in San Francisco, venue for the final round of the 16-team international tournament.
Puerto Rico will return to the diamond on Sunday in San Francisco to face defending ...
LONDON, Ontario (Reuters) - Patrick Chan put a season of frustration behind him by completing a hat-trick of world titles on Friday with a victory that establishes the Canadian as the man to beat going into next year's Sochi Olympics.
Although his sloppy free skate to Puccini's "La ...
Leading by two shots overnight, Stefani followed his opening round 65 with a one-under-par 70 at the Copperhead layout at Innisbrook Resort to reach the halfway stage at seven-under.
The 31-year-old briefly lost his lead but regained it when he drained a 14-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole.
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Victoria Azarenka's boyfriend, American musician and rapper Redfoo, has entered the U.S. Open national playoffs in a bid to earn a spot in the final grand slam of the year.
Redfoo, who will play under his given name of Stefan Gordy, has entered the Northern ...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia has won a U.S. Tax Court ruling that could have repercussions for famous international sports stars who cash in on corporate sponsorship deals, tax professionals said on Friday.
In a dispute with the Internal Revenue Service over a $1.7 million ...
The 28-year-old, recalled to Nigeria's squad last week after being left out of their victorious African Nations Cup campaign at the start of the year, bought himself out of his deal with La Liga team Levante on Monday.
According to Spanish media, his contract with Levante was worth three million ...
LONDON, Ontario (Reuters) - Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov took the pairs gold at the world figure skating championships on Friday, putting Russia back on top of an event they once dominated.
The timing of their triumph could not have been better as Volosozhar and Trankov signaled they will ...
LONDON, Ontario (Reuters) - With figure skating on the decline in North America it was hoped that the return of charismatic South Korean skate queen Kim Yuna to this week's world championships would give the sport a badly-needed jolt.
But any boost her comeback gives the sport will be ephemeral ...
Wright was a late scratch prior to Thursday's Team USA game against the Dominican Republic in Miami when he complained about soreness in his rib cage near his back and was examined by Mets doctors in New York on Friday.
"He will rest three to five days and he'll resume activity at that ...
Harrington carded a six-under-par 66 for an 11-under halfway total, two behind Strange (65) and one behind Japan's Azuma Yano (65), Brazilian Lucas Lee (67) and Australian Terry Pilkadaris (64).
A total of 36 players will return on Saturday to the Greg Norman-designed course to complete their ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Yelena Isinbayeva took women's pole-vaulting to new heights and now American Jenn Suhr is threatening to soar higher still. Waiting in the wings, knowing her time will come, is Briton Holly Bleasdale.
Compared to the Russian, twice an Olympic and world champion and also world ...
MUMBAI (Reuters) - A year ago, Roshan Lobo thought American football and rugby were virtually identical but through a twist of fate and inspiration from two Adam Sandler movies, the 21-year-old Indian is hoping to one day show off his skills in the NFL.
The commerce graduate from Bangalore had ...
After a two-game break, the Chicago Blackhawks are back in business, and another point streak is under way.
Patrick Kane scored the shootout game-clincher with a dizzying display in the second round, pushing the Blackhawks to a 2-1 win over Columbus in Nationwide Arena.
Craig Kimbrel had been nearly untouchable for the Atlanta Braves in 2012 but with the game on the line, the hard-throwing closer yielded a pinch-hit, run-scoring single by Erick Aybar and another RBI-single to Jose Reyes.
The victory sent the undefeated Dominicans into delirium and the U.S. team ...
Tim Duncan had 28 points and 19 rebounds to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 92-91 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night at the AT&T Center.
Duncan was 12 of 20 from the field in recording his 13th double-double of the season.
LONDON, Ontario (Reuters) - Kim Yuna felt her short program at the world figure skating championships on Thursday deserved a perfect score and while the judges did not agree they still gave the Olympic champion top marks.
Making a comeback after nearly two years on the sidelines, the South ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - No one knows better than Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro how difficult it is to win a grand slam title in the era of the "Big Four" of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray.
Between them, that elite quartet has scooped up 31 of ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - One of the most charismatic players in the game for nearly a decade, Rafa Nadal has commanded much more attention than usual at the BNP Paribas Open, his first hardcourt tournament in almost a year.
Though the Spaniard has made a highly successful comeback on ...
Moskvina, who was suspended for 12 months in December for a breach of anti-doping regulations, had her ban extended for six more years starting from November 25, 2013, the agency said on its website (www.rusada.ru) without giving any more details.
The 23-year-old has had her best results in the ...
The realignment features a more geographically friendly setup, a new playoff format and the promise of more intense rivalries.
The plan, to be re-evaluated by the NHL and NHL Players' Association after the 2015-16 campaign, realigns the league into a two-conference, four-division format, featuring ...
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Cruzeiro will train in the United States this year, becoming the third Brazilian team to undertake an overseas trip designed to give them more exposure to international competition and promote their brand in new markets.
The Belo Horizonte club, twice winners of the Brazilian ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Erratic serving cost Andy Murray dearly as the U.S. Open champion was knocked out of the BNP Paribas Open quarter-finals 6-7 6-3 6-1 by Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro on Friday.
Though the British world number three edged a close first set 7-5 on the ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Simply reaching the quarter-finals of the BNP Paribas Open was a victory in itself for Rafa Nadal as he celebrated a 4-6 6-4 7-5 win over Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis on Wednesday.
The Spanish left-hander enthralled a near-capacity crowd at the Indian Wells ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Andy Murray had to contend with the loudest grunting he has ever heard from an opponent during his 7-6 6-4 win over Carlos Berlocq of Argentina in the BNP Paribas Open fourth round on Wednesday.
The two players first exchanged words across the net during the ...
Perry put a late check on Minnesota's Jason Zucker during the second period on Tuesday, earning himself a major penalty for interference and game misconduct.
"Perry delivered a late, illegal check that injured Minnesota forward Jason Zucker," Rob Blake, the NHL's Department of Player ...
The 46-year-old, who will lead the European team for the biennial match against the United States next year, has found little time to work on his game since January when he was named as the unanimous choice for the prestigious post.
"I have played a little bit at home and practiced a bit in ...
Alex Rios raced around to score from second base on a two-out infield single for the game-winning run.
Italy, just as they had on Tuesday in a heart-wrenching loss to the Dominican Republic, jumped out to a big lead but could not hold on as they were eliminated from the tournament with their ...
The 20-year-old, who had been at spring training with the Texas Rangers trying to make their Opening Day roster, replaced infielder Yurendell De Caster, who has a strained left foot, tournament organizers said.
The Netherlands and two-times reigning champions Japan have already qualified for the ...
Courier said on Wednesday he expected to use the same team that beat Brazil 3-2 in their first-round tie, and wanted John Isner and Sam Querrey to show more "street-fighting" spirit in the April 5-7 matches at the Taco Bell Arena.
The U.S. captain, a fiery competitor during his playing ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Serena Williams' return to the top of the world rankings last month at the ripe old age of 31 underlined the shifting landscape at the pinnacle of the women's game.
Not so long ago, teenagers such as Martina Hingis, Jennifer Capriati and Monica Seles dominated ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong has been personally urged to make a full confession of all his involvement in doping by the founder of the lobby group Change Cycling Now.
Jaimie Fuller, who formed the group which includes former Tour de France champion Greg Lemond, told ...
The final will be held at Soldier Field on July 28 while the double-header opening games will be held on July 7 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the site for the last final in 2011.
Mexico, the defending champions, will tackle Panama on the opening day after the teams were drawn alongside Canada and ...
Slovak officials will meet with Polish partners by the end of the month to discuss details.
The two European countries share a border straddled by the High Tatras mountains, a favorite winter holiday destination for locals and tourists from Russia, Ukraine and Hungary.
LENZERHEIDE, Switzerland (Reuters) - Austrian Marcel Hirscher was assured his second Alpine skiing overall World Cup on Thursday after fog, wind and snow forced organizers to cancel men's and women's super-G races at the season's finals.
The decision meant Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal clinched the ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Seventeen athletes face doping bans after abnormalities were detected in the International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) biological passports which track changes in their blood profiles.
"Seventeen cases are currently under proceedings," Thomas ...
A spokesman for County, founded in 1862 and the oldest professional football club in the world, said police had donated the confiscated equipment that would previously have been crushed.
Students from Nottingham University were helping to design and build wheeled rigs to house the lamps that ...
LENZERHEIDE, Switzerland (Reuters) - Fog ruined Tina Maze's hopes of bagging all five crystal globes when organizers canceled the downhill at the World Cup finals on Wednesday handing the discipline's title to Lindsey Vonn.
The cancellation of the last downhill of the season meant injured American ...
LENZERHEIDE, Switzerland (Reuters) - Fog on the piste forced organizers to cancel the men's downhill at the Alpine skiing World Cup finals on Wednesday, handing Aksel Lund Svindal the discipline's crystal globe for the season.
The last men's downhill of the campaign scheduled for 0930 local (4.30 ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Sam Querrey was the last man to taste victory against Novak Djokovic but he may have to step outside his comfort zone to beat the world number one again when they meet in the BNP Paribas Open fourth round on Wednesday.
Querrey came from behind to beat the Serb ...
The Dominican Republic overcame an early four-run deficit to beat Italy 5-4 on Tuesday, while the United States team took a quick lead and rode the strong pitching of starter Gio Gonzalez and hot hitting of David Wright to beat Puerto Rico 7-1 at Marlins Park.
Two teams from Pool 2 will advance to ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - The Miami Heat are one win away from becoming just the fourth team in the history of the NBA to enjoy 20 straight victories in a single season and try as they might, they just can't quite hide the fact that it really is great fun beating all comers.
A comfortable 98-81 win over ...
BARCELONA (Reuters) - A fired-up Lionel Messi answered his critics by inspiring Barcelona to a sensational Champions League comeback against AC Milan on Tuesday with two goals in a 4-0 home win to help them reach the quarter-finals.
A rampant Barca, all-but written off after a surprise 2-0 reverse ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic recovered from a poor start while third seed Andy Murray displayed much sharper form as they both advanced to the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday.
Top seed Djokovic beat Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 6-1 ...
BARCELONA (Reuters) - A fired-up Lionel Messi inspired Barcelona to a sensational Champions League comeback against AC Milan with two goals in a thrilling 4-0 home victory on Tuesday to help the Spaniards reach the quarter-finals.
All-but written off after a surprise 2-0 reverse at Milan's San ...
Nelson Cruz's two-out, broken-bat single in the seventh inning scored Robinson Cano for the go-ahead run after a shallow sacrifice fly by Hanley Ramirez tied the game.
Italy had built a 4-0 lead in the first inning, helped by the early wildness of Dominican starter Edinson Volquez who walked the ...
BARCELONA (Reuters) - Barcelona pulled off a remarkable Champions League comeback when Lionel Messi struck twice in a thrilling 4-0 home win over AC Milan on Tuesday that sent the Spaniards through to the last eight 4-2 on aggregate.
Trailing from last month's last 16, first leg at the San Siro, ...
In exchange for Smith, the 49ers get an undisclosed 2013 draft choice, and a conditional pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from Kansas City, the team said on the first official day of the new National Football League calendar.
Smith, the number one overall pick of the 2005 draft by San Francisco, had ...
LONDON, Ontario (Reuters) - Olympic and world ice dance champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir will enjoy home ice advantage this week as they defend their world championship crown but the Canadians will do their best to try and pretend they are somewhere else.
Having grown up in Ilderton, just ...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - The 2004 winner of Alaska's famed 1,000-mile sled-dog race, the Iditarod, won again at age 53 on Tuesday to become the oldest champion, a year after his son became the youngest winner.
Mitch Seavey and his team of dogs sprinted across the finish line just 24 minutes ...
Douglas, 17, a gold medal winner at the 2012 Summer Olympics in both team and individual all-around gymnastics competition, will publish "Raising the Bar", a follow-up to her 2012 best-selling memoir "Grace, Gold & Glory: My Leap of Faith", on April 30, the publishers said ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - In a bizarre coincidence, top seed Victoria Azarenka and seventh-seeded Australian Samantha Stosur withdrew from their quarter-final matches at the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday due to leg injuries.
Australian Open champion Azarenka of Belarus pulled out with an ...
Greinke, who was scheduled for a pre-season start on Monday before being scratched, has been bothered by his ailment since the beginning for the month and his examination revealed no structural damage.
The Dodgers said he would begin a throwing program in a few days and was expected to make his ...
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt and British heptathlete Jessica Ennis won the Laureus World Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards on Monday following their success at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
The team of the year award went to Europe's Ryder Cup team after ...
(Reuters) - Growing up in a city awash with macho sporting icons, Javier Fernandez was mercilessly teased by schoolboy bullies who seemed to think he spent his time twirling around the ice on his toes in a tutu.
Fernandez has no idea where his tormentors have disappeared to but chances are they ...
(Reuters) - Precious medals, valuable momentum and coveted Olympic berths will all be on the line this week at the world figure skating championships with skaters looking to lay down their markers ahead next year's Sochi Winter Games.
London, a southern Ontario university town just north of ...
The Dutch tied the game on a two-run homer in the eighth inning by Andrelton Simmons and won the elimination game on a sacrifice fly from Kalian Sams in the bottom of the ninth.
Winning the showdown allowed the Netherlands to join Japan at San Francisco's AT&T Park for the semi-finals starting ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Two-time champion Rafa Nadal was gifted a place in the last 16 of the BNP Paribas Open on Monday when Argentina's Leonardo Mayer withdrew before their third-round match with a back injury.
Spaniard Nadal, who said he had been "very scared" after ...
TORONTO (Reuters) - "Room open," shouted the attendant guarding the visitors' dressing room at the Air Canada Centre, launching the media mob into a mad sprint as if he had fired the starter's pistol for an Olympic 100 meters final.
"Run, get him," roared a member of the ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - The BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells is widely regarded as the biggest tournament in tennis outside the grand slams and its chief executive officer, Raymond Moore, intends to keep it that way.
Applauded by players and fans for its superb facilities, its ideal ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The National Football League and General Electric Co are teaming up to improve the diagnosis and treatment of brain injuries amid growing concerns about sports-related concussions in youth and professional sports.
On Monday they announced a $60 million effort with leading ...
LONDON (Reuters) - President Sepp Blatter's push to clean up FIFA flushed out another potentially corrupt official on Monday when executive committee member Vernon Manilal Fernando of Sri Lanka was banned from any football activity for three months.
A source close to FIFA said the 63-year-old - a ...
TOULOUSE, France (Reuters) - Former cyclist Laurent Jalabert was seriously injured in a road accident on Monday morning, French police told Reuters.
Jalabert, who won the Tour of Spain in 1995 and was world time trial champion in 1997, was on his bike when he was hit by a car travelling in the ...
The former New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets player has also been slapped with a fine of 250,000 Philippine pesos ($6,100) over the incident, Philippine Basketball Association commissioner Chito Salud said in a statement on Monday.
Balkman, who was playing for the Petron Blaze Boosters against ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - He made 27 birdies on his way to a two-stroke win in the WGC-Cadillac Championship on Sunday and needed just 100 putts in 72 holes as he clinched his second victory of the young year.
Yes, it looks like Tiger Woods is well on the way back.
Trailing 3-2 with two innings to play, the U.S. team scored three runs in the eighth on a booming two-run double into the left-center gap by Adam Jones and Shane Victorino's RBI-single for a 5-3 lead.
After Canada, sparked earlier by a two-run homer from Michael Saunders, crept back to 5-4 with a ...
Co-leader overnight with Argentine Gomez, Brown closed with a two-under-par 70 for a 20-under total of 268 at the Trump International Golf Club to claim a spot at this year's PGA Championship.
Brown, who had tied for fifth here 12 months ago in his rookie season on the PGA Tour, also earned a ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - It did not really need Donald Trump's endorsement for world number one Rory McIlroy to know that his seven-under-par 65 at the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral on Sunday was a fine way to end a difficult week.
While the property magnate and owner of the Blue Monster course ...
The left-hander, one of seven players ejected from the Mexico-Canada game in Phoenix on Saturday, said things got quickly out of hand after his Mexico team mate Arnold Leon hit Rene Tosoni with a pitch after Canada bunted with a 9-3 lead.
Some Mexican players thought Canada was pouring it on by ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - With the tennis world watching closely, Rafa Nadal made a successful return to Indian Wells with a 7-6 6-2 victory over Ryan Harrison in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday.
Though initially looking a little rusty, the Spanish left-hander ...
The 48-year-old boxer claimed a unanimous decision against Tavoris Cloud, winning 116-112, 116-112, and 117-111 on the judges' cards at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on Saturday night to eclipse his 2011 WBC light heavyweight title victory over Jean Pascal at the age of 46.
"(Trainer) Naazim ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - With the tennis world watching closely, Rafa Nadal made a successful return to Indian Wells with a 7-6 6-2 victory over Ryan Harrison in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday.
Though initially looking a little rusty, the Spanish left-hander ...
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia suffered a hammer blow in their preparations for this year's tour of the British and Irish Lions when flanker David Pocock was ruled out for the season with a knee injury on Sunday.
Openside Pocock's ability to turn over ball at the breakdown would have made him one of ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt gave himself a welcome confidence boost by upsetting big-serving American John Isner 6-7 6-3 6-4 in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday.
Australian Hewitt, champion here in 2002 and 2003, made the most of ...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Four-time champion Martin Buser was leading the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Saturday, but his potentially record-breaking pace was slowed by high winds, blowing snow and a soft trail, race officials said.
The Swiss-born Buser reached Kaltag, an Athabascan Indian ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - It is one of the most frequently asked questions in sport: Will Tiger Woods ever get back to the level he was when he utterly dominated golf?
For the 14-times major winner, the query is misplaced.
MIAMI (Reuters) - Tiger Woods sent out a Masters warning shot with his second win of the year, a convincing two-stroke victory at the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral on Sunday.
Composed throughout and deadly on the greens, Woods posted a one-under-par 71 for a winning total of 19 under par, ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Former champion Maria Sharapova survived a tough battle with Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro on Sunday, winning 7-5 6-3 to book her place in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open.
The Russian world number three, seeded second at the elite WTA event, broke the ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - World number one Rory McIlroy said his confidence was returning from its lowest point ever after shooting a one-under round of 71 at the WGC-Cadillac Championship on Saturday.
McIlroy made six birdies as he recovered from a poor start with a bogey on the third and a double-bogey ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer stayed on track for a mouth-watering quarter-final showdown at the BNP Paribas Open after they both advanced to the last 16 on Monday.
Spaniard Nadal, twice champion at Indian Wells, was gifted his spot when Argentina's Leonardo ...
With his family and New York team mates looking on Rivera told a news conference at the Yankees spring training site in Tampa, Florida, this would be his last season.
"I have just a few bullets left," the future Hall of Famer told reporters. "I am going to use them well."
NICE, France (Reuters) - Britain's growing cycling culture has helped to globalize the sport while keeping it close to its European roots, Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said.
"Globalization is necessary but we need to respect the roots of cycling," Prudhomme told Reuters in ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - The Miami Heat are three wins away from becoming just the fifth team in the history of the NBA to win 20 or more games in succession and for the team's longest-serving hero, Dwyane Wade, the moment merits some reflection.
So often those in sport respond to questions about ...
OFTERSCHWANG, Germany (Reuters) - Anna Fenninger kept her end-of-season momentum going to win a women's Alpine ski World Cup giant slalom race on Saturday.
The 23-year-old Austrian, winner of a super-G in Garmisch-Partenkirchen a week ago, triumphed again with a combined time of two minutes 29.39 ...
"FILA will hold its extraordinary Congress on May 18 in Moscow to elect a new president and discuss a variety of issues concerning keeping the sport in the Olympic Games," the sport's governing body said on its website (www.fila-official.com).
Last month, the executive board of the ...
KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia (Reuters) - Taking risks paid off for American Ted Ligety as he won the Kranjska Gora giant slalom for a fifth time on Saturday to secure the World Cup in the discipline.
It was the triple world champion's fourth giant slalom crystal globe and the victory on the Podkoren ...
FOX Sports reported that Pocock, who watched the remainder of the all Australian clash sat pitchside with ice packs strapped to his knee, had suffered a suspected anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Australia coach Robbie Deans was watching on from the stands and will be hopeful that the ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova found herself in a tight spot in more ways than one at the BNP Paribas Open on Friday but managed to escape with a come-from-behind victory after a timely wardrobe change.
Overwhelmed in the opening set on a chilly day at Indian ...
Howard sustained the injury against Oldham Athletic in the FA Cup fifth round replay ten days ago and Everton manager David Moyes said he would be out for several weeks.
"He has broken two bones in his back. We don't think he will be out for the season," Moyes told the team's official ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - A long-time fan of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Novak Djokovic had the time of his life in Los Angeles last weekend while getting up close and personal with the 16-time NBA champion Lakers.
A day after the Serbian world number one clinched a ...
LONDON (Reuters) - No one would have blamed American ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White if they had thrown a hissy fit and yelled at the top of their lungs that they had been robbed of the 2012 world title.
After all it was a tactic that worked well for Yevgeny Plushenko. Having picked up ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Oozing confidence after making a sizzling 13-0 start to the year, Novak Djokovic looks every inch the same player who reigned supreme in the men's game during his astonishingly successful 2011 season.
Though the Serbian world number one was reluctant to make ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy remains well down the leaderboard but the Northern Irishman's swing troubles seem to have eased with his first under-par round of 2013 at the WGC-Cadillac Championship on Friday.
While the 23-year-old was struggling to put his swing back in place during Thursday's ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - When he warmed up on the range at Doral on Friday, Tiger Woods did not sense his seven-under 65 was on the horizon but he got into a groove when it mattered to grab the lead midway through the WGC-Cadillac Championship.
The world number two has made 17 birdies over the first two ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - Looking fully in charge of his game, Tiger Woods fired an outstanding seven-under-par 65 to open up a two-shot lead over Graeme McDowell after the second round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship on Friday.
Woods has 17 birdies from his opening 36 holes for the first time in a PGA ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Former champion Maria Sharapova cruised into the third round of the BNP Paribas Open with a ruthless 6-2 6-1 demolition of Italy's Francesca Schiavone on Friday.
Despite tricky court conditions on a chilly and blustery afternoon at the California desert venue, ...
The USOC sent out letters to the mayors of America's 35 biggest cities last month to gauge their interest in bidding for the 2024 Games and received a mixed bag of responses.
Los Angeles, which hosted the Summer Games in 1932 and 1984, was quick to throw its hat in the ring while most of the other ...
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed by the Ducks but local media reports said it was worth $66 million.
Getzlaf, who leads Anaheim this season with 27 points, was set to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, sparking speculation that the Ducks might try to move the ...
Pistorius, charged with the Valentine's Day murder of his Reeva Steenkamp, 29, was released on strict bail conditions two weeks ago. He was ordered to pay a bond of 1 million rand ($110,000), hand over his passports and forbidden from returning to his house, the scene of the crime.
Television ...
The legislation is seen as an important step in reversing Spain's reputation as soft on doping and the government hopes it will improve Madrid's chances of winning the right to host the 2020 Olympic Games.
"We are going to need some time to become credible," Ana Munoz, director general ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Four-times champion Roger Federer was delighted to welcome back to the ATP Tour his long-time rival Rafa Nadal, a man he could face in the quarter-finals of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
Spaniard Nadal has slipped to fifth in the world rankings after ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Having made early exits from the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells the last two years, U.S. Open champion Andy Murray is banking on a long break from the game to help spark his form for the 2013 edition.
The 25-year-old Scot has not competed since he lost to ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Oklahoma City Thunder are still making big noise in the NBA despite dealing away James "The Beard" Harden and hope their new mix will take them even farther than last year's trip to the Finals.
With Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook leading the way and Serge ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Roger Federer applauded Thursday's announcement that tennis will introduce biological passports for players and urged the sport to make the ATP Tour "as clean as it possibly can be" with a broad approach.
Earlier in the day, the International Tennis ...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - A four-time champion of Alaska's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race was first to reach the halfway point at a one-time gold mining settlement for which the wilderness trail is named, before quickly losing his nominal lead to another musher, race officials said on ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - Tiger Woods's sharp putting helped him to a share of the five-way lead at the WGC-Cadillac Championship on Thursday after he got lessons on the practice green from one of his opponents.
Woods worked with Steve Stricker, one of the game's best putters, for over an hour on ...
The NHL recently unveiled plans to reorganize the league, including switching teams from conferences, reducing the number of divisions and a adding wild-card system.
The NHL Players' Association, which was involved in a bitter labor dispute with the league that delayed the start of the current ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Buoyant after a successful tournament run on clay in recent weeks, Rafa Nadal knows he will face the toughest test of his injury comeback at the BNP Paribas Open starting on Thursday.
Following a shock second-round exit at Wimbledon last year, the Spanish ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - Looking confident and in control, Tiger Woods shot an impressive six-under-par 66 for a share of the lead in the first round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship as world number one Rory McIlroy struggled again on Thursday.
Woods was perched atop the leaderboard with Sweden's Freddie ...
Los Angeles has hosted the Games twice before, in 1932 and 1984, and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa told the USOC the city was keen to try for a third time.
"On behalf of the City of Los Angeles, I am pleased to confirm our enthusiastic interest in bidding to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic ...
(Reuters) - A Florida broker who is accused of steering more than 30 professional football players to invest a total of $40 million in a now-bankrupt casino has been barred from the securities industry, an industry watchdog said on Thursday.
Jeffrey Rubin, who operated Pro Sports Financial Inc in ...
Lalovic, speaking after a meeting with International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge in Lausanne, said he had presented all the actions undertaken by the federation to modernize their sport and remain in the Games.
"I pointed out the fact that we were going in a wrong ...
Warrant Officer Hilton Botha, the first officer on the scene after the Valentine's Day shooting of Pistorius's girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, was also criticized for mixing up key facts about the investigation at the "Blade Runner's" bail hearing.
"He handed in his resignation ...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Milwaukee Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova is a tantalizing talent whose confidence can fade quicker than his jump shot, though a recent dose of self-belief has him firing in both departments.
On some nights, the 6-foot-10 (2.08m) Ilyasova resembles a Turkish Dirk Nowitzki, ...
Jeffrey Rubin, who operated the former advisory firm, Pro Sports Financial Inc in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, agreed to the permanent bar in a settlement with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) dated Thursday. Rubin, whose firm provided financial-related services to professional ...
A FIFA spokesman confirmed the letter but emphasized it was a preliminary inquiry.
Nigerian media reports have widely quoted Dilichukwu Onyedinma, head of the country's women's football league, as saying lesbian players would not be allowed to compete.
A number of players, including 17-times grand slam winner Roger Federer, had called for the sport to up its anti-doping measures in the wake of high-profile cases in other sports.
A biological passport is an electronic document containing test results collated over time that can be used to detect ...
TOKYO (Reuters) - International Olympics officials said on Thursday that they were "hugely impressed" by Tokyo's bid to host the 2020 Olympic games as well as strong government support from a country keen to show it has recovered from the devastating 2011 quake and tsunami.
At stake are ...
HERZOGENAURACH, Germany (Reuters) - Adidas is to stick with its troubled Reebok business even though the German sportswear group had to make a 265 million euro ($344.5 million) write-down on the brand at the end of last year.
Adidas, which bought Reebok in 2005 for $3.8 billion to try to close the ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Having had her own fair share of knocks in recent months while struggling for form on the tennis court, Caroline Wozniacki sprang to the defense of her golfing boyfriend Rory McIlroy in his time of trouble on Wednesday.
McIlroy, golf's world number one, told a ...
INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - For a second successive year, Victoria Azarenka brings red-hot form to Indian Wells for the BNP Paribas Open but the confident Belarusian has no desire to reflect on past glories.
Rather than look for motivation in a perfect 14-0 record in 2013 as she prepares ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - The United States and Mexico, who meet in a crucial World Cup qualifier later this month, are also going head-to-head in the election for a place on FIFA's powerful executive committee.
CONCACAF, the confederation for North and Central America and the Caribbean, said U.S. Soccer ...
MOBILE, Alabama (Reuters) - The professional wrestling community on Wednesday mourned the death of William Moody, a real-life undertaker who gained fame as a wrestling manager with the ring name Paul Bearer.
Moody, 58, who managed the entertainment sport's champion The Undertaker and helped launch ...
DETROIT (Reuters) - Detroit Mayor Dave Bing on Wednesday turned down an invitation to bid on hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics, citing "uncertainty" over the city's long-term financial stability.
One of 35 U.S. cities to receive an invitation from the United States Olympic Committee ...
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The trade group for the U.S. casino industry has asked New Jersey regulators to bar a British-Isles-based online gambling company from returning to the U.S. market in an unprecedented intervention in a state licensing case.
In a brief filed Monday with New Jersey's Casino ...
The 29-year-old Granger, who missed Indiana's first 55 games with the injury, will rest and receive continued treatment before being re-evaluated, the National Basketball Association (NBA) team said.
Since returning last month, Granger, who has averaged 18 points a game in his NBA career, has ...
MOSCOW (Reuters) - American Jenn Suhr's world indoor pole vault record will give extra motivation to Russian Yelena Isinbayeva and push the sport forward generally, former Olympic and world champion Sergei Bubka said on Wednesday.
Suhr broke Isinbayeva's world indoor record of 5.01 meters by one ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - If one thing was clear from Rory McIlroy's meeting with the media on Wednesday it was that five days of constant criticism and speculation have not embittered the 23-year-old Northern Irishman.
McIlroy's appeal, alongside his outstanding talent on the golf course, has been his ...
First baseman Teixeira had to pull out of the tournament after straining his right wrist while taking warmup swings before Tuesday's U.S. exhibition game against the White Sox.
Left-handed hitting Hosmer, 23, batted .232 with 14 homers and 60 runs batted in last season with Kansas City, after a ...
Fletcher also intends to have elbow surgery later this month, he told CBS DC radio.
"Surgery is the first step towards prepping for next season," Fletcher said about getting himself ready for a 16th NFL campaign due to start in September.
MIAMI (Reuters) - World number one Rory McIlroy acknowledged on Wednesday he was wrong to walk off mid-round at last week's Honda Classic and said his toothache was not bad enough to justify quitting the tournament.
Facing the media for the first time since his controversial withdrawal at PGA ...
Armed with a hot putter, the 29-year-old Thai nailed eight birdies, as against two bogeys, at the par-72 Delhi Golf Club to jointly lead the Asian Tour event he famously won four years back with local rookie Khalin Joshi.
Nicknamed 'King Kong' for his big-hitting game, Chapchai set a Tour record ...
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's Olympic chief John Coates is fearful the scandal surrounding the misbehavior of the swimming team at last year's London Games could lead to parents being reluctant to let their children take part in sport.
The reputation of Australian sport has taken a hammering in ...
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Leading Olympic official John Coates was "amazed" that wrestling was recommended for the axe from the Summer Games last month and thinks the sport still has a very good chance of retaining its place in the program.
The Australian is one of 14 members of the ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - Australian Geoff Ogilvy has shrugged off a miserable spell of form on the West Coast just in time for this week's WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral, where he will look to bolster his chances for a Masters invite.
Ogilvy is coming off a second-place finish at the Honda Classic on ...
The incident, which occurred as the two players battled for rebounding position during Sunday's game, was upgraded to a flagrant foul 2 from a flagrant foul 1 after league review.
(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Frank Pingue)
The proposed stadium is key to a plan by a prominent Seattle investor to buy the Sacramento Kings and move them to Seattle renamed the SuperSonics to replace a team of that name which the city lost to Oklahoma in 2008.
A Seattle judge dismissed a lawsuit last month that had sought to block plans ...
Brooks, who averaged 8 points and 2.3 assists with the Sacramento Kings before being released on March 1, spent last season with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, who he helped reach the CBA Finals.
His best NBA campaign came in 2009-10 with Houston, when he ...
(Reuters) - European Tour prankster David Lynn is having a whale of a time sharing banter with the fans in the United States this year as he showed when finishing joint fourth at the Honda Classic in Florida last week.
The journeyman Briton, who has only one tournament victory to his name in 18 ...
Weiss, Florida's first-round draft pick in 2001 and a four-time 20-goal scorer, has produced just one goal and four points in 17 games for the Eastern Conference-worst Panthers.
"He couldn't perform up to his capabilities, in his opinion, and he wanted to get it fixed," Panthers General ...
(Reuters) - News Corp introduced a long-rumored national cable television sports channel, Fox Sports 1, on Tuesday, aiming to compete with leader ESPN in an increasingly crowded TV sports marketplace.
Fox will launch the channel on August 17 in 90 million homes, executives of the network said at ...
Baltimore Orioles prospect Jonathan Schoop belted a two-run homer to lead the Dutch team to a 4-1 victory over Australia for their second win in Pool B round-robin play in Taichung, Taiwan.
Taiwan also advanced in Pool B despite losing 3-2 to 2009 finalists South Korea, who could not overcome an ...
MIAMI (Reuters) - British Open champion Ernie Els says he regrets not advising Rory McIlroy against walking out of the Honda Classic last week but understands the pressure the world number one is feeling.
McIlroy, who was playing with South African Els at PGA National, withdrew after slumping to ...
The 26-year-old was one of three qualifiers from last year's event and wants another chance to compete for the Claret Jug.
"It helps having done it once before," he told reporters at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington golf club.
(Reuters) - Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks, on Tuesday lost a bid to throw out a U.S. regulator's civil fraud lawsuit accusing him of insider trading in a 2004 stock sale.
U.S. District Judge Sidney Fitzwater in Dallas said the U.S. ...
The Czech confirmed on Tuesday that he would take part in the London event, now called the Aegon Championships, in a bid to sharpen his grasscourt skills after the European clay season.
It will be Berdych's first return to the club for eight years and comes on the advice of his new manager and ...
Klitschko, who holds the IBF, IBO, WBO and WBA crown had used the 28-year-old Pianeta as a sparring partner last year.
The 36-year-old Ukrainian's record stands as 59 wins and three defeats after his three successful title defenses in 2012, including a November victory over Poland's Mariusz Wach.
Anthony tumbled near midcourt after landing wrong in the second quarter and did not return. He indicated after the game that the right knee was sore for some time, and the Knicks said their high-scoring forward will be evaluated on Tuesday.
Trailing 52-30 at the time of Anthony's injury, the ...
The world number one was heavily criticized after he quit the tournament midway through Friday's second round with what was initially a mysterious explanation.
The Northern Irishman was playing badly and appeared certain to miss the cut when he shook hands with his playing partners after just ...
(Reuters) - The Chicago Blackhawks will reach the midway point of the National Hockey League (NHL) season on Wednesday having already left their mark on the lockout shortened campaign.
Through 22 games, the Blackhawks (19-0-3) have yet to suffer a regulation loss and with wins over the Minnesota ...
Kaleta received a major penalty for the hit during Sunday's game that saw Richards hit his head and neck as he sprawled into the boards and to the ice in pain.
Richards, who has 13 points in 20 games for the Rangers this season, did not practice with the team on Monday but is expected to be fine.
Cashman, 45, the main executive who decides which multimillion-dollar contracts to offer on Major League Baseball's highest paid team, was attempting to raise awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project, which aids U.S. military veterans when they return from war.
He was injured on the second of two ...
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed but various media reports said it was worth $120.6 million, moving him past New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and his six-year, $120 million deal, as the league's top earner.
The laid back Flacco downplayed the importance of the record ...
Jose Abreu crowned the Cuban triumph with a grand slam home run as Cuba improved to 2-0 in Pool A competition to join Japan into the next round, to be played at the Tokyo Dome.
Japan, winner of the first two editions of baseball's elite international competition in 2006 and 2009, also advanced ...
Mullings, 30, who won a gold medal in the 4x100 meters relay at the 2009 world championships in Berlin, tested positive for testosterone in 2004 and for the banned diuretic furosemide in 2011.
The sprinter, who missed the Athens Olympics because of the first ban, questioned the methods which led ...
Ward was injured midway through the second period of Carolina's 3-2 win over Florida on Sunday, and the injury could sideline him through the end of the regular season, which ends on April 27 for Carolina.
The 29-year-old Ward is 9-6-1 with a 2.84 goals-against average and .908 save percentage ...
SARAJEVO (Reuters) - Nineteen police officers and two supporters were injured in crowd trouble after a Bosnian first division soccer match in Sarajevo on Saturday, police said on Monday.
A second match in the northern town of Gradacac was interrupted for 40 minutes because of nationalist chanting, ...
The meeting on May 10 in Qatar is the first of the 14 Diamond League fixtures.
"This will be my first time in Qatar and I am looking forward to going to Doha, for my first Diamond League appearance on the Asian continent," Blake said in a IAAF statement.
TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo would be an inspirational choice to host the 2020 Olympic Games, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told Olympic officials on Monday, with Japan keen to showcase its recovery from a devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Abe made sure that an inspection tour by an International ...
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (Reuters) - American Michael Thompson kept his head in gusty winds to win the Honda Classic on Sunday by two shots from Australian Geoff Ogilvy.
In testing conditions, the 27-year-old Thompson, the joint overnight leader, held firm for his first win on the PGA Tour, ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The unrelenting Miami Heat notched another win on their pay-back tour in a Sunday matinee, dashing the hopes of the New York Knicks while raising the question of whether any team can deny Miami another NBA title.
The Heat, led as usual by the spectacular LeBron James, erased a ...
McIlroy withdrew after eight holes of his second round on Friday, initially saying he was in a "bad place mentally" and then later citing toothache.
"He shouldn't have walked off the golf course. I think that was unfortunate, because if he had thought about it for five minutes, he ...
(Reuters) - Nearly a half a decade after Jenn Suhr thought she was ready to challenge Russian great Yelena Isinbayeva for women's pole vault supremacy, the gritty American's dreams are coming true.
In the high altitude of Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday, Suhr soared to a height not even ...
The German's time of one minute 20.130 seconds was comfortably quicker than team mate Lewis Hamilton's best lap of 1:20.558 on Saturday and the fastest in this year's Barcelona tests.
"I can feel that the balance of the car is good. I have the general feeling that we are in a better position ...
The referendum was held in the entire Swiss canton of Graubuenden, where both towns are located, and 52.66 per cent of voters said no while 47.34 percent were in favor. The turnout was 59.14 percent, according to the results published on the canton's official website (www.gr.ch)
St Moritz, a ...
The 20-year-old, playing her first singles final, dropped her first set in the tournament but rallied past Mattek-Sands 1-6 7-5 6-3.
"I was a little nervous at the start and couldn't get my serves in. That contributed to the heavy (first set) loss," Pliskova told reporters.
KVITFJELL, Norway (Reuters) - Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal finally won a race in his homeland on Sunday, with victory in a super-G that also gave him the World Cup title in the discipline.
The downhill world champion, who had been on the lower steps of the podium seven times before on the course of ...
Maria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany was second and American Julia Mancuso was third.
(Reporting by Manuele Lang; Editing by Clare Fallon)
LONDON (Reuters) - Stan Kroenke has no plans to sell his majority stake in Arsenal, a spokesman for the Premier League soccer club said on Sunday, responding to a report that a Middle East consortium planned a 1.5-billion-pound ($2.25-billion) bid.
The Sunday Telegraph said the consortium, backed ...
The bid is likely to be mounted in the next few weeks, seeking to buy out the current majority owner, U.S. sports investor Stan Kroenke, the British newspaper said.
The Middle Eastern investors do not want to reveal their identities yet but will be backed by funds from Qatar and the United Arab ...
Selig asked MLB executive vice president of labor relations Rob Manfred to enter talks with Michael Weiner, MLB Players Association executive director, about introducing a tougher anti-doping regime.
"If people want to continue to do what they shouldn't do, then the one thing that you have to ...
Gulbis, ranked 109th in the world, beat second seed Haas 6-3 4-6 7-6(2) in two hours and 14 minutes on Saturday before Frenchman Roger-Vasselin, ranked 105th, knocked off big-serving American Isner 6-4 4-6 6-4.
Roger-Vasselin played solid tennis throughout to advance to his first ATP singles ...
ACAPULCO (Reuters) - A dominant Rafa Nadal dismantled fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 6-0 6-2 on Saturday to win his second Mexican Open title and continue his successful comeback from a long injury lay-off.
Nadal, ranked fifth in the world, needed just over an hour to dispatch top seed Ferrer and ...
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (Reuters) - You won't catch Englishman Lee Westwood slipping into a Transatlantic drawl just yet but the 39-year-old from Nottinghamshire is already starting to feel at home in his new base in Florida.
"The quality of life and the ease of life. Nothing is a problem ...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Dogs barked and spectators cheered as 66 mushers and their teams in the 1,000-mile Iditarod race set out from downtown Anchorage on Saturday after religious blessings, singing and glad-handing with fans.
The 11-mile (17-kilometer) first leg ends at a wooded park in ...
The 31-year-old American's stunning vault in Albuquerque, New Mexico, eclipsed Isinbayeva's indoor mark of 5.01m set in 2012 and is sure to heat up their rivalry ahead of August's outdoor world championships in Moscow.
"I was in a groove tonight," Suhr, who set the mark on her first ...
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (Reuters) - Australian Geoff Ogilvy heads into Sunday's final round of the Honda Classic just two strokes back of the lead, refinding his touch with the putter after a poor start to the season.
Ogilvy, the 2006 U.S. Open winner, missed the cut in all four events he ...
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (Reuters) - Unfancied Americans Luke Guthrie and Michael Thompson hold the lead at eight-under after the Honda Classic third round on Saturday but England's Lee Westwood and Australian Geoff Ogilvy are just two back.
American Rickie Fowler finished with a birdie and an ...
The loss of the All-Star guard from France could be a big setback for the Spurs, who enjoy the best record in the NBA with a 46-14 mark.
Parker injured the ankle in the third quarter of Friday's win over the Sacramento Kings. An examination confirmed the sprain.
DUBAI (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic extended his winning streak to 18 matches to claim a fourth Dubai Championships in five years on Saturday, underlining his status as the world's best player after beating Tomas Berdych 7-5 6-3 in the final.
The Serb is unbeaten since October, did not drop a set in ...
MADRID (Reuters) - Real Madrid are bristling with confidence for the Champions League clash at Manchester United after inflicting a second defeat on Barcelona in five days thanks to a late Sergio Ramos goal in a 2-1 win on Saturday.
Lionel Messi equaled Alfredo Di Stefano's record of 18 'Clasico' ...
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (Reuters) - Tiger Woods carded his third even-par round of 70 at the Honda Classic on Saturday as he undid a promising front round with a double bogey on the 17th.
Woods was nine strokes adrift of the overnight leader Luke Guthrie and was left frustrated at a missed ...
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy should not let the pressure of his switch to Nike clubs distract him and focus instead on resolving his swing troubles, fellow-Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell said after the world number one withdrew from the Honda Classic.
McIlroy, who quit ...
"I'm protesting against the recommendation to drop wrestling from the Olympics," Nazaryan, 38, was quoted as saying by the Russian wrestling federation on its website (www.wrestrus.ru).
"Wrestling has always been part of the Olympic program and it's not right to exclude it from the ...
EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Soccer has failed to respond to victims of racism on or off the pitch for far too long and needs to change its attitudes now, Jeffrey Webb, the chairman of FIFA's new Anti-Racism and Discrimination Task Force said on Saturday.
Webb, the president of the CONCACAF confederation ...
The Frenchman, who won a downhill in Lenzerheide two seasons ago, took advantage of the changing conditions to clock the fastest time of one minute 29.10 seconds on a course shortened because of gale-force winds at the top.
"I had a good start with a podium in Lake Louise but otherwise my ...
BELGRADE (Reuters) - Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona moved closer to the knockout stage of Europe's premier club basketball competition with dramatic wins, while six-times Euroleague winners CSKA Moscow also registered an important victory.
Croatia's American-born playmaker Dontaye Draper ...
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (Reuters) - Tina Maze topped an extraordinary campaign with a new World Cup points record of 2,024 after her victory in the women's downhill on Saturday gave her wins in all five disciplines this season.
The dominant Slovenian - now the first woman to have broken ...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Competition in the famed sled-dog race known as the Iditarod began in earnest on Sunday as 65 mushers and their canine teams set off from a frozen lake to venture into the snowy Alaska wilderness.
The Iditarod's official restart, a day after a ceremonial launch in ...
The finals were awarded to Qatar by world governing body FIFA in 2010 and are due to be held in the summer months when the temperature can reach more than 40 degrees Celsius.
In December and January the average is a far less intense 17 degrees.
ACAPULCO (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal advanced to the final of the Mexican Open early on Saturday morning, beating fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 7-5 6-4 in a clay-court slugfest.
Second seed Nadal, who is on the comeback trail after missing seven months due to a left knee injury, will face another ...
The Lebanese Football Association handed out various penalties to 24 players, including life bans for defender Ramez Dayoub and forward Mahmoud El-Ali, following allegations that international and regional games were rigged.
The two-month investigation involving over 60 witnesses was led by the ...
Elsom, who has played 75 tests for the Wallabies, has been dogged by injuries during the last two years and will start training with his new club from Monday.
"I am very happy to join Toulon ... it's a big club with big ambitions," the 30-year-old said in a statement on the club's ...
James has never competed in the showcase event held on all-star weekend but has been pounding down impressive dunks in warm ups to Heat games, prompting calls for his participation.
"Please, LeBron, get in the dunk contest. I'm going to put up a million dollars," former Los Angeles ...
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (Reuters) - Tennis world number one Serena Williams found herself in trouble with security officials at the PGA Tour's Honda Classic on Friday after she tried to photograph Tiger Woods.
Under PGA Tour rules, spectators are not allowed to take pictures or video of ...
(Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and state lawmakers vowed on Friday to continue fighting to legalize sports betting after a federal judge struck down a law that would have allowed it.
The New Jersey law, which Christie signed last year, had authorized sports betting at the state's ...
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (Reuters) - Tiger Woods, who has endured his share of controversy and media scrutiny, said world number one Rory McIlroy should choose his words more carefully after withdrawing from the Honda Classic with what was initially a mysterious explanation.
Before driving away ...
(Reuters) - Horrific race car crashes - like the one at Daytona last week that injured about 30 spectators - are a black eye for the sport. But it's the U.S. economy that is dragging down racetrack operators like International Speedway Corp.
International Speedway hosts about half of the annual ...
(Reuters) - Championship baseball comes early this year as Japan aims to extend their dominance over hungry rivals, including the United States, in the 16-team World Baseball Classic starting on Saturday.
Top players have come together ahead of their own regular seasons for the sport's top ...
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (Reuters) - American PGA Tour rookie Luke Guthrie shot a sparkling seven-under 63 for a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Honda Classic on Friday while world number one Rory McIlroy abruptly withdrew citing a toothache.
Tiger Woods struggled to a second ...
The project was approved by the city's government two years ago but the tribunal ruled that the local residents' complaints were not thoroughly considered and the fee payable by the French tennis federation (FFT) was set too low.
The extension, which the FFT said would cost 273 million euros ...
HANOI (Reuters) - Mention the words "kempo", "vovinam" or "chinlone" and expect an angry response from Southeast Asia's seething sports bosses - if they can remember what they are.
The obscure terms are indigenous sports disciplines and for the few countries that play ...
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy's disappointing start to the season took an unexpected turn for the worst when he withdrew from the Honda Classic on Friday citing a toothache after dropping seven shots in his first eight holes.
Before driving away from the course, defending ...
DUBAI (Reuters) - Third seed Tomas Berdych saved three match points before beating defending champion Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the Dubai championships on Friday to set up a final against Novak Djokovic.
Czech Berdych recorded his fifth win in eight matches over Federer, triumphing 3-6 ...
(Reuters) - When the annual Iditarod sled-dog race begins Saturday, the winner of the Jr. Iditarod will serve as the honorary musher, as is customary, leading the racers 12 miles in a ceremonial start. For the first time ever, the young honoree wearing "Bib #1" comes from outside ...
Slovenia's Tina Maze and American Julia Mancuso finished joint second.
(Compiled by Clare Fallon)
In a statement issued the day after the closing of a 90-day window for the worldwide golfing community to react to the proposed ban, the R&A said it would continue working towards a final resolution.
While the R&A and the United States Golf Association (USGA) are in agreement the thorny ...
Mayor Kevin Johnson also said during his State of the City address that billionaire supermarket mogul Ron Burkle has agreed to work with the city to build a downtown arena, the newspaper reported.
"I hope Seattle gets a team someday," the mayor said, according to the newspaper. "Let ...
ACAPULCO (Reuters) - Former world number one Rafa Nadal breezed through to the semi-finals of the Mexican Open on Thursday, dispatching Argentine Leonardo Mayer in straight sets 6-1, 7-5.
The second-seeded Nadal will face fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro on Friday.
Australian lawmakers are weighing proposed law changes that would boost the powers of the country's national anti-doping agency, including giving it the authority to fine people up to A$5,100 ($5,200) for withholding information in an investigation.
Australian Olympic Committee chief John Coates ...
The 2.06 meter (6ft 9in) Isner blasted 17 aces against the 2.03 meter (6ft 8in) South African to prevail in 79 minutes and will play Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin for a place in the final.
Roger-Vasselin was too good for Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis, advancing with a fuss-free 6-4 6-3 victory.
Earlier this month the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made a surprise recommendation to drop the sport from the 2020 Summer Games, leaving wrestling to fight with seven other disciplines for one spot when the board meets in May.
"It is a major challenge for the sport, by no means is ...
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (Reuters) - When he burst on to the PGA Tour as a rookie in 2006, Colombian Camilo Villegas was billed as the future Latin American star of golf, a marketing dream and a potential major championship challenger.
But the 31-year-old is currently without a PGA Tour card ...
ATLANTA (Reuters) - Former professional women's basketball player and Olympic gold medal winner Chamique Holdsclaw has been indicted in Georgia on charges that she shot into a player's car and smashed the windows with a baseball bat, prosecutors said on Thursday.
The six-count indictment issued by ...
(Reuters) - The Los Angeles Galaxy kick off their campaign for a third straight Major League Soccer title without David Beckham but with the promise of a new star and rivals desperate to end their domination.
The New York Red Bulls have overhauled their coaching and playing staff in the off-season ...
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A top official with the cancer charity founded by disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong acknowledged on Thursday that the athlete's doping scandal had tarnished its reputation and created "headwinds that were not only stiff but heartbreaking."
But Andy Miller, executive ...
Chavez, 27, tested positive for marijuana after losing a unanimous decision to Argentina's Martinez in their World Boxing Council middleweight title fight on September 15 in Las Vegas.
The Mexican would regain his active status on June 15, but lawyers for Chavez vowed to appeal what they thought ...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Frustrated, aggravated and searching for answers, Washington Wizards coach Randy Wittman says former first overall draft pick John Wall needs to remain upbeat during his puzzling slump.
"He is going through a rough stretch," Wittman said. "Whether it's a game, ...
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (Reuters) - Tiger Woods, who saved par with a barefoot shot in water, and Rory McIlroy fired even-par 70s at the Honda Classic on Thursday that left the world's top two golfers six shots back of first-round leader Camilo Villegas.
Colombian Villegas capped a flawless ...
The world's leading two players were joined in the last four by Czech Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina.
Djokovic extended his winning streak to 16 matches as he routed Andreas Seppi 6-0 6-3 to set up a 10th meeting with Del Potro, whose thunderous serving helped him overwhelm ...
The AFLD said in a statement on Thursday the UCI (International Cycling Union) had guaranteed "information on the whereabouts of the riders and their biological profile data in order to carry out random tests".
Two weeks ago the AFLD said it would not carry out tests on the Paris-Nice ...
TORONTO (Reuters) - The Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens faced off against each other for the 717th time on Wednesday and as always the bad blood flowed.
It was the same when the two teams met 17 days earlier on Montreal ice, the nastiness no different from that witnessed in hundreds of ...
Curry's career-best mark saw him land 18 of 28 shots from the field, 11 of 13 from the three-point arc and all seven free throw attempts.
"I felt good all night," Curry told reporters.
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - The last thing NASCAR fan Whitney Turner saw before she turned and ran was the undercarriage of Kyle Larson's race car flying toward her Saturday in the grandstands at the Daytona International Speedway.
"It was a scene from a horror movie," said Turner, 33, ...
The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced the bans in a statement one day after the pair got into a shoving match late in the fourth quarter, triggering a fight that involved several members of both teams.
Hibbert will serve his suspension on Thursday when Indiana hosts the Los Angeles ...
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (Reuters) - World number one Rory McIlroy will be keen to dispel any doubts about the impact of his equipment change in this week's Honda Classic where he comes up against a field featuring Tiger Woods.
McIlroy is the defending champion at the PGA National course after ...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Olympic freestyle wrestling champion Henry Cejudo is entering the mixed martial arts arena knowing that he has a lot to learn.
Some things, however, he already knows.
Vazquez, trying to come back from right knee surgery, told El Nuevo Dia newspaper in San Juan that discomfort in the knee will prevent him from participating in the WBC, according to a report on MLB's website on Wednesday.
Puerto Rico still has major league experience on the pitching staff with ...
The 38-year-old Wallace, who came out of a two-year retirement to join the Knicks last October, had been sidelined since mid-December with a foot injury.
Wallace played well for the Knicks (33-20), who lead the National Basketball Association's Atlantic Division despite recent struggles, averaging ...
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (Reuters) - Tiger Woods supports the idea of banning players from anchoring long putters to their body despite the PGA Tour's recent public opposition to a proposal from golf's rulemakers to outlaw the practice.
Last November, the United States Golf Association (USGA) ...
In exchange for the 28-year-old Smith, the Chiefs will send a second-round draft pick in 2013 to San Francisco and possibly a 2014 draft pick, according to the report.
The trade, first reported by Fox Sports, cannot be officially completed until March 12 when the new league year begins.
World number 13 Paula Creamer and seventh-ranked Suzann Pettersen were also involved in the six-car crash late on Sunday in Bangkok, where they were driving to the airport to catch a flight to Singapore for the $1.4 million tournament which starts on Thursday.
World number nine Miyazato, who won ...
American Isner was tripped up in the opening round of last week's Memphis International by Uzbek Denis Istomin and the world number 15 again found himself in trouble on the hard courts.
This time, however, the 6-foot-9 inch Isner was able to blast 28 aces en route to victory in an opening match ...
James scored 40 points, a career-high 16 assists and eight rebounds while Wade tacked on 39 to rescue the Eastern Conference leading Heat (41-14) and give them a league-high 12th consecutive victory.
"It was probably like 20 innings if it were a baseball game," James told reporters. ...
The Flyers sent the Kings a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2013 draft that will improve to a third-round choice should they reach the playoffs with Gagne, who spent the first 10 years of his NHL career with Philadelphia.
Expected to be one of the top teams in the East, the Flyers have ...
The Duke University coach, speaking to ESPN Radio, denied a report that he might stay on with the U.S. national team after a seven-year run that included two Olympic gold medals and a world championship.
"My stance hasn't changed," Krzyzewski said in the telephone interview. "I've ...
The tax collection agency says it is owed almost 40 million euros ($52.3 million) by the former World Cup winner, most of which is interest built up since 1984 when he joined Serie A club Napoli.
"I am innocent," Maradona told a news conference in the southern Italian city. "I want ...
Twice major champion Olazabal, who along with the late Seve Ballesteros forged the most successful Ryder Cup partnership in the history of the competition, said standards were dropping in his native country.
"It's true that for a while we had great players in Spain but we are struggling to ...
Guan is hoping to secure one of the four available spots at the Amata Spring Country Club in Thailand where he won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in November to seal his Masters debut.
"I have played at some professional golf tournaments before and it is always great to play with the ...
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (Reuters) - American Keegan Bradley says he is sick of being called a 'cheat' by fans for using a long putter, as the controversy intensifies over the rules on anchoring the shortest club in the bag.
Bradley was the first player to win a major using a belly putter, at ...
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (Reuters) - Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy responded to their surprise early exit from last week's WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship by going head to head in their own private challenge.
World number two Woods and top-ranked McIlroy spent Sunday morning in a golfing ...
The Jamaican world-record holder will compete against France's European 100 meters champion Christophe Lemaitre in the final race of the evening. Lemaitre finished third in the 2011 Daegu world championships 200 meters which was won by Bolt.
Bolt, 26, who became the only man to win the 100-200 ...
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The political turf war between the Asian Tour and rival OneAsia has created a messy environment that has ruled out the involvement of global golf sponsor HSBC, the bank's head of sponsorship Giles Morgan told Reuters.
The two golf circuits have been at loggerheads since ...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Dennis Rodman, the former NBA star known more for his body piercings and tattoos than international diplomacy skills, said on Sunday he returned from North Korea with a message from its leader Kim Jong-un for President Barack Obama - "call me."
Rodman appeared on ...
TORONTO (Reuters) - With just five wins from their first 33 games there was certainly nothing magical about the Washington Wizards' start to the National Basketball Association (NBA)season.
In fact, it was the type of horrific kickoff to a campaign that would have had Harry Potter thumbing through ...
The framed gloves, donated by former McLaren team co-ordinator Jo Ramirez who was a friend and colleague, were bought by Gerard Lopez - owner of the current Lotus team that traces its lineage back to the Toleman outfit that the Brazilian made his F1 debut with in 1984.
Senna also raced for Lotus, ...
The two-time National Football League (NFL) Most Valuable Player who led New England to three Super Bowl titles, will get a $3 million signing bonus plus salaries of $7 million in 2015, $8 million in 2016 and $9 million in 2017, the magazine said.
Brady, 35, who rose to fame after being taken in ...
LANDQUART, Switzerland (Reuters) - St Moritz is famous as a playground for the rich yet financial concerns are undermining public support for the glitzy resort's bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics in tandem with nearby Davos.
Voters in the Swiss canton of Graubuenden, where both towns are ...
Golf's governing bodies, the United States Golf Association (USGA) and the Royal and Ancient (R&A), proposed a ban of anchoring putters to the body in November but PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem disagreed with their stance.
"This has opened up a whole new can of worms," ...
Holtby, who was set to become a restricted free agent after this season, will earn $1.7 million in 2013-14 and $2 million in 2014-15 while John Erskine, 32, reached a two-year deal worth $3.925 million.
The 23-year-old Holtby has a 5-6-0 record this season with a 3.37 goals-against average (GAA), ...
Other dangers await after Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin Del Potro also claimed straight set wins, but few in Wednesday's 5,000 capacity crowd would bet against another meeting between the big two, winners of 23 Grand Slam titles between them.
Federer dismissed Spain's Marcel Granollers 6-3 6-4, ...
(Reuters) - Spectators injured when they were hit by wreckage from a crash at a NASCAR race on Saturday face a significant obstacle if they want to pursue injury lawsuits against Daytona International Speedway, its owner and the sport's governing body NASCAR: the fine print on their ...
Bynum was punished by the National Basketball Association for striking Tyler Hansbrough of the Indiana Pacers in the stomach as he struggled to get around a pick set by Hansbrough during Detroit's 90-72 loss to the Pacers.
Six-year NBA veteran Bynum is averaging 9.4 points and 3.8 assists a game ...
The British number one opted to buy the hotel where his brother Jamie, a Wimbledon mixed doubles champion, got married in 2010.
"I am pleased to have acquired Cromlix House and look forward to securing its future as a successful business," Murray said in a statement on his website ...
"We are delighted to welcome Standard Life Investments as a worldwide partner to both the 2014 and 2016 Ryder Cups in what is an historic agreement," said Pete Bevacqua, chief executive officer of the PGA of America.
"This announcement follows the launch of the unified Ryder Cup ...
The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) executive board made a surprise recommendation this month to drop the sport from the 2020 Games, leaving wrestling to fight with seven other disciplines for one vacant spot when the board meets in May.
The Japanese federation plans to submit the ...
ZURICH (Reuters) - CONCACAF, which represents soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean, has backed a proposal to limit the FIFA presidency to two four-year terms and to impose an age limit of 72 for the president.
CONCACAF, whose 40 member associations compromise just under one fifth ...
Smith debuted for the Brumbies in 2000 and notched 128 caps before heading overseas in 2010 after retiring from international rugby. He returns to Canberra after stints with French clubs Toulon in 2010 and Stade Francais last year.
The 32-year-old, one of Australia's finest loose forwards in a ...
MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - Matt Kuchar felt as if he ruled the golfing world on Sunday after landing his first World Golf Championships (WGC) title with a 2&1 victory over Hunter Mahan in the Accenture Match Play Championship final.
The 34-year-old American emerged triumphant after a marathon ...
DAYTONA BEACH (Reuters) - Five-times Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson returned to the peak of the sport with a Daytona 500 triumph achieved with a perfectly timed drive.
Johnson powered past Brad Keselowski after the final re-start and led for the last 10 laps with his challengers unable to ...
MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - Hunter Mahan came up agonizingly short in his bid to complete a successful title defense at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship on Sunday but felt he had become a better player than he was a year ago.
Until he went one-down to eventual winner Matt Kuchar at the ...
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - NASCAR favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr predicted Danica Patrick will "make a lot of history" in the sport after she finished eighth on Sunday in just her second start in the Daytona 500.
Patrick, the first woman to start the race on pole, went into the final ...
Granderson was hit by a pitch from Toronto's J.A. Happ in the first inning at Tampa, Florida and is expected to miss about 10 weeks, the Yankees said on their website.
X-rays revealed the extent of the injury.
While Rask was neutralizing the home team, Boston's offense took advantage of 23-year-old Florida netminder Jacob Markstrom, who faced 31 shots in just his second start of the season.
Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara scored in the first period for a 2-0 lead, with Chara's goal providing the highlight ...
After Cuban recently suggested the Lakers should consider waiving Bryant and his league-high salary next season, the five-time NBA champion showed his worth with an artistic display of clutch shooting and all-around effort that included 12 rebounds and seven assists.
"It was a big win for ...
The Spaniard took his tally of career titles to 20 after winning his third final in four years on the clay center court at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club.
"It's very hard to obtain two titles from one year to the next, tennis is smiling on me and I'm happy for that," the 30-year-old ...
MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - Defending champion Hunter Mahan relied on a sharp short game to book his place in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship final with a commanding 4&3 victory over 2010 winner Ian Poulter on Sunday.
On a bitterly cold and windy morning in Arizona's high desert, ...
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Second-half goals by Yaya Toure and Carlos Tevez propelled Manchester City to a 2-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday that gave a clear message they will not give up on their fading hopes of retaining the Premier League crown.
Trailing Manchester United by 15 points at ...
MERIBEL, France (Reuters) - Tina Maze sealed her near-perfect Alpine skiing season with the overall World Cup when she won a women's super-combined event on Sunday.
Fastest in the morning downhill section, the Slovenian secured her position in the afternoon slalom to bag her ninth victory of the ...
Hammer, who sealed her fifth world title in the individual pursuit on Wednesday, beat her main rival Laura Trott on the last day of the five-day championships to avenge her Olympic defeat to the British rider.
"This is my sixth gold (overall) and I'm so excited with my win," the ...
Carl Pistorius is charged with culpable homicide in the death of a motorcyclist in 2008; the case is unrelated to the Valentine's Day shooting of his younger brother's girlfriend.
However, it was not widely known of until local television e-News Channel Africa reported it on Sunday. A family ...
Humbled 116-90 at home to the Spurs last time out, the Clippers redeemed themselves in front of their fans with the clinical win over Utah, pulling away with a big third quarter.
Los Angeles led by two at the half but outscored their opponents 36-20 in the third to destroy the game as a contest ...
The 29-year-old finished in a time of two hours, six minutes and 50 seconds to smash Swiss Viktor Rothlin's 2008 record by 33 seconds but still outside his target of 2:04.
Last year's winner Michael Kipyego finished eight seconds behind Kimetto in the runners-up spot with Bernard Kipyego ...
Alex Galchenyuk, Erik Cole and Lars Eller each scored a goal and added an assist while Carey Price made 17 saves for his second shutout of the season.
All three goals came in the second period.
MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - Jason Day found it nerve-racking at the end but he could not keep the smile off his face after beating the Masters champion and a former U.S. Open winner on Saturday at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.
The 25-year-old Australian stunned Bubba Watson 4&3 in ...
MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - Whether it is the biennial Ryder Cup or the annual WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, Ian Poulter has always been electrified by the challenge of one-on-one golf.
It has been no different this week at Dove Mountain where the flamboyant Englishman has remained ...
MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - Matt Kuchar derailed Hunter Mahan's bid to win back-to-back titles at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship with a 2&1 victory over his fellow American in the final on a wind-buffeted Sunday.
Four up after nine holes on a chilly, sun-splashed afternoon at Dove ...
DUBAI (Reuters) - Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova claimed her 10th singles title after defeating Sara Errani 6-2 1-6 6-1 in the final of the Dubai Championships on Saturday.
The Czech started as favorite after winning her previous three meetings with the world number seven and the ...
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - At 4 feet 5 inches tall, starting point guard Julian Newman stands waist high next to other players on his Florida high school basketball team. But his talent towers over the competition.
A video of Newman's game highlights and dribbling stunts posted in December on ...
Accra police spokesman Freeman Tettey said on Saturday the former West Ham United player was taken into custody on Friday after he was accused of the stabbing attack by a neighbor.
Paintsil, who has not been formally charged pending an investigation, said there had been a ...
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (Reuters) - Italian Christof Innerhofer secured his third World Cup downhill win of the season when he held off a trio of Austrians on the German Kandahar piste on Saturday.
Dubbed "Winnerhofer" when he won the Super-G world title in Garmisch-Partenkirchen ...
MERIBEL, France (Reuters) - Carolina Ruiz Castillo put Spain back on the alpine skiing map by winning the women's World Cup downhill in Meribel on Saturday, the first victory in the sport's blue riband event by any Spaniard.
At 31, the Chilean-born skier who trains in France outpaced the leading ...
The former All Black great and Italy coach has been charged with reviving the fortunes of the three-time champions and there was much to please him about his team's performance in a tough encounter at Wellington Regional Stadium.
Debutant winger Frank Halai scored two tries and was also involved ...
The win snapped Golden State's 16-game losing streak to San Antonio. The Warriors last beat the Spurs in 2008.
Jack came up big in the fourth quarter and overtime, scoring 17 of his 30 points. He finished the game with 10 assists.
Rookie Brandon Saad's short-handed third-period goal delivered the game-winner as the Blackhawks (14-0-3) remained undefeated in regulation play this season.
"I just took him (Sharks defenseman Brent Burns) wide and tried to get a shot off and luckily I beat him (goalie Antti Niemi) to the ...
Nugent is under fire in the wake of an explosive review into Australia's worst performance in the Olympic pool in 20 years which has sparked an investigation into allegations of drunkenness, abuse of prescription drugs and bullying.
Nugent this week claimed there were no "overt" problems ...
SEATTLE (Reuters) - A Seattle judge dismissed a lawsuit on Friday that sought to block plans to build a $490 million stadium south of downtown, clearing a major hurdle for an investor group aiming to bring back the city's sorely missed basketball franchise.
The proposed stadium is key to a plan by ...
MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - With his reckless nightclubbing days while living "like a roadie" now well behind him, Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts has relished his golfing success over the last two years.
The power hitter from Brussels has triumphed twice on the European Tour during that time, ...
MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - A bold decision to take six weeks off since he tied for ninth at the PGA Tour's season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii has, so far, proved to be immensely beneficial for Ian Poulter.
The fashion conscious Englishman spent much of that time making a few ...
The incident occurred late in the third period of Edmonton's 3-1 loss on Thursday when Hall rammed into Clutterbuck, sending him out of the game.
Hall, who is tied for the Oilers' lead in scoring with 16 points, was assessed a major penalty for kneeing and a game misconduct.
MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - Six years after he overcame the odds to earn a $2 million cheque, Scott Piercy landed a different jackpot with a stunning 7&6 victory over Luke Donald at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship on Friday.
Though he had not competed in matchplay golf during that ...
The third-seeded Frenchman, who lost the first set, eventually grabbed the tie-break 12-10 to seal a 4-6 6-3 7-6 victory after two hours five minutes.
Tsonga, who had won his only previous encounter with the 46th-ranked Tomic, made the most of his opportunities to beat the 21-year-old Australian, ...
DiPietro, taken with the number one overall selection in the 2000 NHL draft, was meant to be the cornerstone of a rebuilding franchise when he signed a then record 15-year, $67.5 million contract in 2006.
But a string of injuries and play that never came close to living up to the superstar ...
BELGRADE (Reuters) - Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar showed the benefits of his extensive NBA experience by giving Anadolu Efes Istanbul a thrilling 63-60 Euroleague win over the competition's six-time winners CSKA Moscow on Friday.
The result kept Efes joint top of their eight-team ...
MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - Former champion Luke Donald was the biggest name to fall in the second round of the snow-delayed WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship after being pummeled 7&6 by American Scott Piercy on Friday.
The British world number three was totally outplayed by Piercy, who ...
(Reuters) - The National Basketball Association (NBA) is opening a glitzy "lifestyle destination" complex with an official basketball court, a hoop-themed restaurant and a children's zone.
You can train like Kobe Bryant, or even a Laker girl, at a state-of-the-art fitness center.
PRETORIA (Reuters) - Springbok flyhalf Morne Steyn gave a faultless kicking display to punish the error-prone Stormers and give the Bulls a 25-17 win in the opening match of their 2013 Super Rugby campaign at Loftus Versfeld on Friday.
Steyn kicked six penalties and a conversion against a Stormers ...
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - Jimmie Johnson cemented his place in NASCAR's list of greats by winning his second Daytona 500 on Sunday, while pole-sitter Danica Patrick placed eighth, the best finish for a woman in the 'Great American Race'.
Five-times Sprint Cup champion Johnson led for the ...
DUBAI (Reuters) - Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova pummeled Caroline Wozniacki 6-3 6-4 in the semi-finals of the Dubai Championships on Friday, while Sara Errani defeated doubles partner Roberta Vinci 6-3 6-3 in an all-Italian showdown.
Kvitova, 22, has yet to drop a set in Dubai, the world ...
MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - Carl Pettersson and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano both advanced when the last two matches in the marathon, snow-delayed first round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship were completed on Friday.
On a sunny but cool morning at Dove Mountain in Arizona's high desert, ...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States accused cyclist Lance Armstrong on Friday of defrauding the U.S. Postal Service by taking its sponsorship money at the same time he was doping and using performance-enhancing drugs in violation of cycling rules.
The government joined a civil suit against ...
Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York have collectively revised their elite athlete contracts to include new provisions that include the right to suspend payment and demand repayments of prize money, appearance fees and performance bonuses.
The sanctions will be triggered for any ...
Cuba were set to play NC Dinos at the Dou Liou Baseball Stadium in Taiwan on Thursday as part of their preparations for the World Baseball Classic, which takes place from March 2-19.
"We have never experienced anything quite like this before," an NC Dinos official with the team in Taiwan ...
Nishikori won the first set 6-4 in 37 minutes against Matosevic before the Australian was forced to retire with a bone bruise on his right foot, sending the Japanese into his fifth ATP final.
"He was playing well from the beginning. Its lucky for me to play just one set and feel fresh for ...
With the NBA's trade deadline passing without any change among top contenders, LeBron James missed just four shots while compiling 26 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists as Miami won their season-high ninth straight and stretched their conference lead to 5 1/2 games.
"We're putting together ...
TORONTO (Reuters) - Playing under a new head coach for the first time in 16 years, the struggling Buffalo Sabres fell 3-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.
A day after firing Lindy Ruff, who had been the National Hockey League's (NHL) longest-tenured coach, the Sabres were mostly flat in ...
SYDNEY (Reuters) - James Magnussen and his team mates from the Australian men's 4x100m freestyle relay squad have admitted using a sedative banned by their national Olympic committee in a bonding session before the London Games.
The prescription drug Stilnox was banned by the Australian Olympic ...
MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - Three-times winner Tiger Woods, despite playing well, was stunningly eliminated in the snow-delayed first round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship on Thursday, losing 2&1 to Charles Howell III.
Woods never led in a flawless encounter where not one bogey ...
MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - Ireland's Shane Lowry knew "deep down" that he could beat Rory McIlroy and drew on that self-belief to pull off a stunning upset over the world number one in the snow-delayed first round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship on Thursday.
Ranked 68th in ...
GOVHU, South Africa (Reuters) - Roger Federer was back in South Africa for the first time in eight years and it was not long before he was surrounded by a swarm of three-year-old toddlers tugging at his shirt and hankering to play a game of tennis.
Unlike many of the fans the 17-times grand slam ...
The Orlando Magic (15-39), with the second worst record in the Eastern Conference, pulled the trigger on the day's biggest swap, shipping sharpshooting guard J.J. Redick to the Milwaukee Bucks in a multi-player deal, according to media reports.
Redick, who is among the league's top three-point ...
Danica Patrick had already clinched pole in qualifying trials last weekend to become the first woman to achieve that distinction, with Jeff Gordon alongside her on the first row.
Patrick played it safe on Thursday, racing with the pack early in the first 'Duel', one of two 150-mile, 60-lap races ...
The 24-year-old Redmond, who has a goal and three assists in eight games this season, was taken to hospital to close a deep gash above his knee that left a pool of blood on the ice.
Winnipeg (6-8-1) are battling to get into the playoffs, standing four points out of the eighth Eastern Conference ...
Shortly after taking silver in the pursuit on Thursday, Irvine clinched his first world title in the 15-km scratch race.
"How is it possible to win two medals in one day? I have no idea. It's unbelievable," the 27-year-old, who was born in Northern Ireland, told reporters.
(Reuters) - New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow, a devout Christian, has canceled an appearance at a Dallas mega-church led by a prominent pastor who has sparked controversy over remarks he made from the pulpit about gays and other religions.
Tebow, 25, who famously kneels in prayer on the ...
MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - World number one Rory McIlroy and three-times winner Tiger Woods were both sent packing in stunning fashion in the snow-delayed first round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship on Thursday.
Northern Irishman McIlroy, a losing finalist last year, was ousted 1-up ...
Sao Paulo (Reuters) - Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt will compete in a 150 meters race on Brazil's Copacabana Beach next month against three other sprinters in what the Jamaican called a "street meet" type showdown.
Organizers are to build a track on the famous sands for the March 31 ...
The Spaniard lapped the circuit with a best time of one minute 21.875 seconds, the fastest of the week so far, which he set on the soft tire in the morning before most teams focused on race simulations.
Thursday was the double champion's final day in the F138 car this week, after having his first ...
