Renault and Williams became the latest teams to unveil their new Formula One cars yesterday. The Britain-based teams carried out low-key launches at the Algarve Motor Park in southern Portugal, where the first official test of the 2009 season began in wet conditions. Among the other teams putting new cars through their paces at the circuit at Portimão were McLaren Mercedes and Toyota.
While Renault and their lead driver, Fernando Alonso, are aiming to contest the podium positions this year, the Williams team were a little more cautious about predicting a jump from their lowly eighth-place finish last season to the top of the field, despite switching their development effort to the new FW31 car earlier than normal.
“It will be a very interesting year,” Sir Frank Williams, the team principal, said. “The new aerodynamic rules mean a different approach to the cars in a number of areas. However, by the time we get to Melbourne [for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in March], I would expect the usual suspects to still be dominating the top two positions.
“More importantly, I hope Williams will have made a significantly large step forward with the FW31.”
Ferrari have chosen not to attend the test at Portimão and, instead, ran their new F60 car at the Mugello circuit in similarly wet conditions in Tuscany, Italy, with Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, at the wheel. The car completed 54 laps with no technical setbacks.
source: the london times
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Roger Federer survives Tomas Berdych scare at the Australian Open
Roger Federer was forced to battle back from two sets down to see off Tomas Berdych and reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.
Federer, who had won every one of their previous seven meetings since losing to Berdych at the 2004 Olympics, took three hours 29 minutes to get past the 20th seed and set up a quarter-final with Juan Martin Del Potro.
At once stage Federer looked in danger of failing to reach the quarters at a grand slam for the first time since Roland Garros in 2004, but used all his experience to progress with a 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 win.
The world No 2 got off to a poor start, dropping his serve in the opening game. He was broken again in the fifth when Berdych got back from 40-15 down to nail a cross-court forehand winner to take a 4-1 lead. But Berdych immediately dropped his own service game before Federer held for 4-3.
The next two games went with serve leaving Berdych to serve out the set which he did. The second set was much tighter but this time Federer got the early advantage, holding his serve to love then breaking his opponent in the next for a 2-0 lead.
But again Berdych rallied, breaking the Federer serve for the third time in the match and holding his own to level things 2-2. The remainder of the set went with serve, forcing the tie-break.
Berdych jumped out to a 3-1 lead but errors on the following two points allowed the Swiss back in and another backhand into the net squared it up 4-4. But Berdych made the breakthrough on the Federer serve and a simple volleyed winner on the next point put him two sets up.
Breaks of service littered the start of the third set but Federer made a vital breakthrough at 3-3 when Berdych, on serve, sent a backhand slice wide then smashed an easy volley into the net to give his opponent a 4-3 lead. It was all the three-time Australian Open champion needed and at 5-4 up he served for the set, clinching it with an ace.
The start of the fourth set produced yet another break of serve, this time Federer getting the early advantage. Berdych held his next service game comfortably and a couple of aces from Federer, who served well throughout the match, helped him to a 3-1 lead.
A superb drop-shot from Berdych helped him on his way to holding the fifth game before another ace and a cross-court winner kept Federer in front. Berdych had a medical time out for work on his left hamstring then pushed Federer hard in the next game before a winner to the corner and an ace had the second seed 5-3 up.
Berdych held his serve again and had three break points in the next game but couldn't capitalise as Federer clinched the set at the second opportunity. The world No 2 raced out to a 5-2 lead in the decider as Berdych started to falter.
Federer made a meal of serving for the match, wasting two match points, but he eventually sealed the win with two aces - his 19th and 20th of the match.
source:the london times.
Federer, who had won every one of their previous seven meetings since losing to Berdych at the 2004 Olympics, took three hours 29 minutes to get past the 20th seed and set up a quarter-final with Juan Martin Del Potro.
At once stage Federer looked in danger of failing to reach the quarters at a grand slam for the first time since Roland Garros in 2004, but used all his experience to progress with a 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 win.
The world No 2 got off to a poor start, dropping his serve in the opening game. He was broken again in the fifth when Berdych got back from 40-15 down to nail a cross-court forehand winner to take a 4-1 lead. But Berdych immediately dropped his own service game before Federer held for 4-3.
The next two games went with serve leaving Berdych to serve out the set which he did. The second set was much tighter but this time Federer got the early advantage, holding his serve to love then breaking his opponent in the next for a 2-0 lead.
But again Berdych rallied, breaking the Federer serve for the third time in the match and holding his own to level things 2-2. The remainder of the set went with serve, forcing the tie-break.
Berdych jumped out to a 3-1 lead but errors on the following two points allowed the Swiss back in and another backhand into the net squared it up 4-4. But Berdych made the breakthrough on the Federer serve and a simple volleyed winner on the next point put him two sets up.
Breaks of service littered the start of the third set but Federer made a vital breakthrough at 3-3 when Berdych, on serve, sent a backhand slice wide then smashed an easy volley into the net to give his opponent a 4-3 lead. It was all the three-time Australian Open champion needed and at 5-4 up he served for the set, clinching it with an ace.
The start of the fourth set produced yet another break of serve, this time Federer getting the early advantage. Berdych held his next service game comfortably and a couple of aces from Federer, who served well throughout the match, helped him to a 3-1 lead.
A superb drop-shot from Berdych helped him on his way to holding the fifth game before another ace and a cross-court winner kept Federer in front. Berdych had a medical time out for work on his left hamstring then pushed Federer hard in the next game before a winner to the corner and an ace had the second seed 5-3 up.
Berdych held his serve again and had three break points in the next game but couldn't capitalise as Federer clinched the set at the second opportunity. The world No 2 raced out to a 5-2 lead in the decider as Berdych started to falter.
Federer made a meal of serving for the match, wasting two match points, but he eventually sealed the win with two aces - his 19th and 20th of the match.
source:the london times.
Manchester United's Silva lining
THIS tie was settled on the day, granting Sir Alex Ferguson his wish, but replays are still required. Footage from the match is something Manchester United fans will want to watch over and over again. Old Trafford is used to seeing stars being born but always cherishes the experience, and Ferguson finds nothing more sustaining than springing a new player on the game.
At 18, via his unexpected performances at right-back this season, Rafael Da Silva is already a sensation. Yesterday it was the turn of Fabio, his twin, to announce himself as a talent of substance.
Fabio, playing at left-back, was the outstanding performer of a vivid opening act that decided a game that petered out disappointingly. Tottenham led early but were forced on the defensive, never their most convincing state, and buckled in a two-minute period when goals were conceded to Paul Scholes and Dimitar Berbatov. The rest was routine and Harry Redknapp had to defend tactics and a performance that appeared unambitious. “You have to have the ball to put them under pressure. You have to open up, and when you open up you get smashed by four or five,” the manager said. “To say we weren’t trying is rubbish. We got beat 2-1, not 6-1.”
The Da Silva twins are identical, sharing the same wide-eyed, curly-haired boyishness, youthful builds and coltish gaits. Injuries meant Fabio had to wait for yesterday’s debut. Spectators mused that he could not be as good as his brother and soon knew their instincts were right: he looks better. From kick-off until he was forced off early in the second half with a calf knock, Fabio tore up and down his flank, overshadowing the teammate he kept surging beyond on the overlap, Cristiano Ronaldo, World Footballer of the Year but United’s second best left-sided player yesterday.
“His injury’s disappointing because he’s done really well,” said Ferguson, who did not rule out the Brazilian recovering for Tuesday’s league game against West Bromwich Albion.
Danny Welbeck, who hurt an ankle, is definitely out and Ronaldo was revealed to be suffering from a bug. United now have 13 senior players injured and Gary Neville was at centre-back, where he has played rarely in recent years. It took 10 minutes for the makeshift defence to settle, by which time Tottenham were 1-0 up. Tom Huddlestone wafted an expert chip deep into the box and Roman Pavlyuchenko arrived ahead of Nemanja Vidic to glance a diving header past Ben Foster. With Redknapp resting Jermain Defoe, however, further moments of penetration from Spurs were few.
Ben Alnwick, their keeper, assuaged concerns raised by his midweek display at Burnley by executing a fine stop on Carlos Tevez’s volley after Fabio had flitted past two opponents and Berbatov teed up Tevez. The Argentinian also hit the bar and Welbeck was poised to score one of the goals of the season — having tricked his way into a shooting position with fine close control — when Chris Gunter dived valiantly to block.
The arrival of the equaliser was no surprise, though Spurs’ laxity was shocking. Michael Carrick rolled a corner to Scholes, whose shot hit Huddlestone and ricocheted past the unsighted Alnwick. “A lucky goal,” Scholes said with a shrug. Almost immediately it was 2-1 as Carrick speared a beautiful pass between Tottenham’s centre-backs and Berbatov controlled the ball before rifling a volley in off Alnwick’s far post from 20 yards.
Giovanni was Redknapp’s half-time replacement for Luka Modric, who was signed to be Tottenham’s heartbeat but is too often no more vital to their anatomy than a little toe. David Bentley was also replaced — to boos — though not before skimming the post with a drive.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto went close with five minutes remaining and Spurs pressed hard in stoppage time but, these scares aside, United closed out the game in comfort.
Ferguson was pleased, except for the jeering of Berbatov by a section of Tottenham fans. “It’s a social disease. I think we’re the only club who do not barrack former players,” he said.
MANCHESTER UTD: Foster 6, O’Shea 7, Neville 6, Vidic 6, F Da Silva 8 (Eckersley 53min, 6), Welbeck 7 (Fletcher 86min), Carrick 7, Scholes 6, Ronaldo 5 (Tosic 72min), Berbatov 7, Tevez 6
TOTTENHAM: Alnwick 7, Gunter 5, Corluka 6, Dawson 6, Assou-Ekotto 5, Bentley 5 (Defoe 72min), Huddlestone 6, Zokora 5, Bale 5 (Taarabt 67min), Modric 4 (Giovanni h-t, 7), Pavlyuchenko 7
SCHOLES’S CHOICE
Paul Scholes has shown his independent streak by leaving Wayne Rooney, Eric Cantona, and Cristiano Ronaldo out of his all-time XI of Manchester United stars he has played with. Cantona does not even make the bench. ‘Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be happy to hear it but he’s a substitute,’ said Scholes, whose team is: Schmeichel, G Neville, Ferdinand, Brown, Irwin, Beckham, Keane, Robson, Giggs, Van Nistelrooy, Sheringham
source:the london times
At 18, via his unexpected performances at right-back this season, Rafael Da Silva is already a sensation. Yesterday it was the turn of Fabio, his twin, to announce himself as a talent of substance.
Fabio, playing at left-back, was the outstanding performer of a vivid opening act that decided a game that petered out disappointingly. Tottenham led early but were forced on the defensive, never their most convincing state, and buckled in a two-minute period when goals were conceded to Paul Scholes and Dimitar Berbatov. The rest was routine and Harry Redknapp had to defend tactics and a performance that appeared unambitious. “You have to have the ball to put them under pressure. You have to open up, and when you open up you get smashed by four or five,” the manager said. “To say we weren’t trying is rubbish. We got beat 2-1, not 6-1.”
The Da Silva twins are identical, sharing the same wide-eyed, curly-haired boyishness, youthful builds and coltish gaits. Injuries meant Fabio had to wait for yesterday’s debut. Spectators mused that he could not be as good as his brother and soon knew their instincts were right: he looks better. From kick-off until he was forced off early in the second half with a calf knock, Fabio tore up and down his flank, overshadowing the teammate he kept surging beyond on the overlap, Cristiano Ronaldo, World Footballer of the Year but United’s second best left-sided player yesterday.
“His injury’s disappointing because he’s done really well,” said Ferguson, who did not rule out the Brazilian recovering for Tuesday’s league game against West Bromwich Albion.
Danny Welbeck, who hurt an ankle, is definitely out and Ronaldo was revealed to be suffering from a bug. United now have 13 senior players injured and Gary Neville was at centre-back, where he has played rarely in recent years. It took 10 minutes for the makeshift defence to settle, by which time Tottenham were 1-0 up. Tom Huddlestone wafted an expert chip deep into the box and Roman Pavlyuchenko arrived ahead of Nemanja Vidic to glance a diving header past Ben Foster. With Redknapp resting Jermain Defoe, however, further moments of penetration from Spurs were few.
Ben Alnwick, their keeper, assuaged concerns raised by his midweek display at Burnley by executing a fine stop on Carlos Tevez’s volley after Fabio had flitted past two opponents and Berbatov teed up Tevez. The Argentinian also hit the bar and Welbeck was poised to score one of the goals of the season — having tricked his way into a shooting position with fine close control — when Chris Gunter dived valiantly to block.
The arrival of the equaliser was no surprise, though Spurs’ laxity was shocking. Michael Carrick rolled a corner to Scholes, whose shot hit Huddlestone and ricocheted past the unsighted Alnwick. “A lucky goal,” Scholes said with a shrug. Almost immediately it was 2-1 as Carrick speared a beautiful pass between Tottenham’s centre-backs and Berbatov controlled the ball before rifling a volley in off Alnwick’s far post from 20 yards.
Giovanni was Redknapp’s half-time replacement for Luka Modric, who was signed to be Tottenham’s heartbeat but is too often no more vital to their anatomy than a little toe. David Bentley was also replaced — to boos — though not before skimming the post with a drive.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto went close with five minutes remaining and Spurs pressed hard in stoppage time but, these scares aside, United closed out the game in comfort.
Ferguson was pleased, except for the jeering of Berbatov by a section of Tottenham fans. “It’s a social disease. I think we’re the only club who do not barrack former players,” he said.
MANCHESTER UTD: Foster 6, O’Shea 7, Neville 6, Vidic 6, F Da Silva 8 (Eckersley 53min, 6), Welbeck 7 (Fletcher 86min), Carrick 7, Scholes 6, Ronaldo 5 (Tosic 72min), Berbatov 7, Tevez 6
TOTTENHAM: Alnwick 7, Gunter 5, Corluka 6, Dawson 6, Assou-Ekotto 5, Bentley 5 (Defoe 72min), Huddlestone 6, Zokora 5, Bale 5 (Taarabt 67min), Modric 4 (Giovanni h-t, 7), Pavlyuchenko 7
SCHOLES’S CHOICE
Paul Scholes has shown his independent streak by leaving Wayne Rooney, Eric Cantona, and Cristiano Ronaldo out of his all-time XI of Manchester United stars he has played with. Cantona does not even make the bench. ‘Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be happy to hear it but he’s a substitute,’ said Scholes, whose team is: Schmeichel, G Neville, Ferdinand, Brown, Irwin, Beckham, Keane, Robson, Giggs, Van Nistelrooy, Sheringham
source:the london times
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