Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
Andre Villas-Boas insists Tottenham have received no further bids for Luka Modric as the club stand firm on their £40 million valuation of the midfielder.



Real Madrid are preparing a £33 million bid for Croatia international Modric, but Villas-Boas insists there have been no further offers at this point.
Modric, who has made no secret of his desire to leave White Hart Lane, has not travelled with Spurs on their pre-season tour of the United States, but while Tottenham have said they will not stand in Modric's way if he wants to leave, they are holding out for their asking price.
"There is no news at the moment," Villas-Boas said ahead of Tottenham's pre-season friendly against Liverpool in Baltimore. "The player is training in London. There have been no further bids, no improved bids. The value hasn't been met for what we think is correct.
"We have a big squad and we are fielded in most of the positions, so we just have to wait and see how that deal goes or doesn't go. If the player eventually stays, he is a player of fantastic talent for us and will certainly add to our squad."
Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is believed to be looking to ease tensions with Tottenham and, when asked about Modric on Friday, he offered a diplomatic response. "I don't talk about players from other clubs," he said.
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Roberto Mancini has confirmed Manchester City are in talks over potential signings and said he hopes to bring in new players in the next fortnight.



City have had an uncharacteristically quiet summer so far, and Mancini - who had aired his frustrations last summer over the protracted signing of Samir Nasri - this week hinted at a dissatisfaction with the failure to further strengthen the squad.
It is thought City executive Brian Marwood is loath to add to an already substantial wage bill as the ramifications of UEFA's Financial Fair Play plan loom, and as yet the club have been unable to offload the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz and Kolo Toure.
Nonetheless, Mancini remains convinced that City need to spend to enhance the squad, and has indicated that arrivals are expected in the near future.
"It's important to change some players in some positions," Mancini said. "If we are going to have a winning mentality and we want to win, it is important. We won the last championship and we have a good team, but this year will be harder because, when you win, the problem is to win again. For this reason I think that we need to improve our team with maybe some new players.
"I'm sure that maybe in the next two weeks we can do something about new players. We are talking to some players, but the market is not easy. It's difficult, and for this reason we need more time."
Asked how many players he is looking to sign, Mancini said: "We have a lot of players - I don't think we need ten new ones. We need to improve some positions, but I won't say two, three, one. Any new player must come here and help the team improve."
Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi and Arsenal striker Robin van Persie have both been strongly linked, though Mancini said he did not believe a bid had been lodged with the Gunners for the latter.
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Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani has pledged his future to Napoli amid reported interest from a number of Premier League clubs.




Cavani, who is currently in England to represent his country at the London Olympics, has been linked with both Manchester City and Chelsea but insists he is happy to stay at the Stadio San Paolo.
"Are the big Premier League clubs looking at me? My response can only be Forza Napoli!" he told Il Mattino newspaper.
But the 25-year-old added that he may consider a move to the Premier League one day. "It is said that English football is art, why not think about it one day if there is that possibility?"
There were fears that Cavani, who only signed a new five-year contract with Napoli last summer, would quit the club this summer after his wife was mugged and robbed of a watch worth €18,000 in Naples, but the striker dismissed the notion.
"The men who attacked my wife were not Napoli fans, not the kind I have learned to know and appreciate in these years. This incident certainly won't make me move away from under the shadow of Vesuvius."
Cavani scored 23 goals in 35 appearances for Napoli in Serie A last season.
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Great Britain booked their place in the Olympic quarter-finals with a routine 3-0 victory overCameroon at the Millennium Stadium.




Captain Casey Stoney set them on their way with a close-range finish in the 18th-minute, with Jill Scott adding the second five minutes later. Steph Houghton, the heroine of the opening win over New Zealand, sealed the win with her fierce strike eight minutes from time.
And with Brazil and GB having recorded two wins from two in Group E, both sides are guaranteed a last-eight berth ahead of their meeting at Wembley on Tuesday.
There were moments of concern for coach Hope Powell thanks to some robust tackling from the African opponents, although it was an innocuous challenge from Ajara Nchout that saw defender Ifeoma Dieke leave the field on a stretcher during the second half.
Brazil striker Cristiane pounced on a poor clearance late on to break New Zealand hearts with a 1-0 win in the early match at the Millennium Stadium.
New Zealand had frustrated Brazil thanks to a disciplined defensive display and looked set to hold the Samba Queens to a goalless draw. But stiker Cristiane, who plays her club football in Russia with WFC Rossiyank, calmly lobbed Ferns' goalkeeper Jenny Bindon after her punch went straight to the Brazilian.
"New Zealand are a very good team, very organised," said match-winner Cristiane. "Nobody said any of these matches at the Olympics were going to be easy."
The victory meant Brazil, silver medallists at the last two Olympics, made it two wins out of two at London 2012 after thrashing Cameroon 5-0 in their opening game.
Reigning Olympic champions the United States secured their progress into the quarter-finals with a regulation 3-0 win over Group G opponents Colombia.
Megan Rapinoe opened the scoring with a fine dipping shot from outside the area on 32 minutes and the US would have been further ahead at the break but for two desperate goal line clearances from Colombian captain Natalia Gaitan.
Abby Wambach did eventually make the Americans' domination count 17 minutes from time and Carli Lloyd rounded off an excellent team move for the third three minutes later.
Group G rivals France revived their London 2012 hopes with a thumping 5-0 win over Korea DPR, which was inspired by their speedy supersub Elodie Thomis.
Women's World Cup holders Japan failed to capitalise on their territorial dominance and were held to a goalless draw by Sweden in their Group F clash at the City of Coventry Stadium.
Japan had enough chances to have won comfortably but were let down by poor finishing and some fine saves from Swedish goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl.
After the match, Japan captain Aya Miyama said: "We are not very happy. We want to get a gold medal and win all our matches so we are quite disappointed."
Also in Group F Canada proved too strong for South Africa, winning 3-0 thanks to two goals from captain Christine Sinclair and one from fellow forward Melissa Tancredi.
Canadian skipper and record scorer Sinclair took her tally for her country to 139 after Tancredi had opened the scoring by netting for the second successive match. She is now only 19 short of the highest-ever tally in women's football of 158 by Mia Hamm of the United States.
Coach John Herdman said: "That is the player Christine is. You can contain her for a period of time but when she is on song, she is on song. That is truly the mark of a great player in that some days they are unstoppable."
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West Ham United have beaten Wigan Athletic in the race to sign Real Mallorca defender Ivan Ramis, the player's Spanish club have confirmed.




Wigan chairman Dave Whelan confirmed  last week that his club had made an offer of "around £4 million" for Ramis, but the 26-year-old is now set to join the Hammers.
"Mallorca and West Ham have reached an agreement for the transfer of Ivan Ramis," the La Liga club said in a statement on Saturday night. "The Mallorcan defender has the permission of the club to have a medical with what will be his new team."
Mallorca did not mention any fee for Ramis but said they will "achieve the economic objective for which they have been working for over recent weeks.''
Ramis, who has played almost 200 games for Mallorca and Valladolid, has been linked with a host of clubs including Everton, Sunderland, Aston Villa and Celtic.
Earlier on Saturday, Ramis told the Daily Mirror: "I have played my last match for Mallorca because there is a new and very interesting offer for me. Wigan is not the best proposition for me."
If Ramis completes his move to West Ham he will join a host of new faces at Upton Park this summer, with manager Sam Allardyce having already brought in goalkeepers Jussi Jaaskelainen, Stephen Henderson and Raphael Spiegel, midfielder Mohamed Diame and forward Modibo Maiga.
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How was it growing up with two older brothers?
SP: I looked up to my brothers. Whatever they did, I did. I was a tomboy. I didn't have a lot of dolls and dresses. And everything was a competition. If they biked on two wheels, I was definitely not riding the three-wheeler. One spring when we were getting our bikes out, I saw my brother take off with his two-wheeler and I said, "I want to do that too." When he came back I grabbed his bike, biked about 50 yards and went straight down. I was bleeding. I was crying. I had sand all over me. I got back up, did another 100 yards and fell again. But I got back on it the next day. That taught me the mentality I have today. You might fail, but you get straight back up and try again.


Talk about your back injury in 2005.
SP: It was probably the toughest part of my professional career. When you can't walk or even dress yourself, you're just focused on getting up and trying to move like a human being. It didn't really hit me how bad it was until I asked a doctor, "Do you think I'll ever play golf again?" "Well, I can't guarantee that," he said. But I was like, "I'm going to prove you wrong." You look at every setback as a challenge. It was very tough. The training was quite painful -- starting to hit golf balls again and feeling like an amateur -- but you quickly pick it back up. It's nice when everything flows and everything kind of runs along, but you learn when you hit the wall. It makes you think, makes you appreciate. It's sad to say you have to go through stuff like that to appreciate what you do, but it's true. I used to say golf was my life, but since that time, it's "Golf is a part of my life."




How did your adjust your training after your injury?
SP: Before the injury, I did a lot of Olympic training. But since then, I look more at what I need to do. As a golfer, do I really need to squat 308 pounds? Maybe not. You can run, but you aren't going to run a marathon as a golfer, so what are you trying to achieve? You are trying to get good cardiovascular conditioning, but is it necessary to run X amount of miles a week? I questioned a lot of the stuff I did. Now I try to train smarter. I don't do anything that I know can hurt my body, but at the same time, you can't be afraid to get injured. Stuff happens. Injuries happen. What I do is so extreme. It's not a hobby where I play golf once a week. I don't think God made the human body to play golf because everything -- the rotations, torque, repetitions -- is against the natural way to move the body. That's why you need to be strong and in good shape. You establish better technique, prevent injuries, recover faster and, obviously, feel better.
What do you like about your body?
SP: It doesn't take me long to get into good shape, and it's easy to maintain. I did a variety of sports when I was a kid gymnastics, skiing, ice hockey, tennis, horseback riding -- which built a great platform of coordination, balance and stability. I think as a kid you need to do a little bit of everything. You're enjoying different sports and having fun but also building a foundation for your body to eventually dial into one sport.
Describe your toughest day of training.
SP: In the offseason, I'll have a workout early in the morning -- could be strength or cardio -- anywhere from an hour to an hour and 30 minutes. Then I'll be out on the golf course for three hours before lunch, working on technique, maintenance or short game. After lunch, I'll play 18 holes, and then I'll have another workout at night. I try to mix it up so it doesn't get too boring. Nine hours is probably the absolute minimum I work out in the offseason. The max is probably 15 hours a day.
When did you start getting serious about training your body for golf?
SP: When I was 13 or so, I started working out in the mornings before school. At that time, Tiger [Woods] was beginning to break through, and he represented a new generation that was very into fitness and workouts. There is no right or wrong in golf. You could have long arms, short arms, short legs, big legs. There's no formula and everyone is different, so you have to maximize what you have and find what's best for your body. But lately you see golfers train as athletes and look at themselves as athletes.
How does fitness help you during a tournament?
SP: Being in shape helps whatever you do. You'll have better balance on the course. Being strong makes golf easier because your body listens and remembers the patterns and movements; eventually it's all about repetition. And if being in good shape can save you one or two shots in a tournament, that could be the difference between first and fifth place.

What is the most unusual training you have ever done?
SP: I recently picked up road biking. It's great because you can get out in the morning and get fresh air. You can work your cardio at the same time as your legs, so you get a lot done in one workout. You'll find a lot of golfers into biking. I biked 96 miles one week, but obviously I won't be able to do that in season. When I did that, my legs were so tired they didn't quite function.
What exercise can't you live without?
SP: Core and back exercises. I have a routine of deep core, back rotations, hip rotations, hip mobility, everything that strengthens the core and back. That 20 minutes is like brushing my teeth. Once I do it, I'm done for the day, and at times it's boring, but I know that if I do it my body will function fine. Plus I don't need any equipment, so there is no excuse to not do it.
What do you tell yourself when you feel like you can't train any further?
SP: I've learned that you have to listen to your body. When I was younger, if it said "training" on the schedule, I trained even if I was tired or not feeling well. But the body is not a machine. Now I might skip a session or two to make sure I get enough rest.
What about your body would surprise us?
SP: My core is probably the strongest part of my body. I can golf for a long time before my core gets tired. I always get sore in my legs and arms, but it rarely happens that I get sore from a core and ab workout. That's where the engine starts, that makes you able to hit the rotations and get the torque you need for golf.
Have you ever felt betrayed or disappointed in your body?
SP: I've had my fair share of injuries ankles, knees, hips, elbows. It's the body's way of telling you it needs a break, so I've learned to listen. You push your body to the extreme, and at some point the body has to let you know enough is enough. Injuries make you realize you can't take anything for granted.
What was your best athletic moment, when everything clicked and you felt completely in tune with your body?
SP: There are times when you feel like you are in your own bubble and your body is responding perfectly to everything you try to make it do. But you also have to deal with when it doesn't feel as great. How often do you actually play to your perfect game plan? It rarely happens, but you have to learn to execute with what you have and make the most of it. That's what separates the great athletes.
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The players are returning to Wimbledon for another go-around, but don't expect the Olympics to be an exact rerun of what happened three weeks ago.
That's partly because of the results at the All England Club. Roger Federer is back at No. 1 after lifting his 17th Grand Slam title, and he will lead the field, followed by No. 2 Novak Djokovic and No. 3 Andy Murray. That means no semifinal rematch between the top two. They can face off only in the final. Things will also look different, with purple backdrops instead of the usual green and players dressed in national colors rather than white.
Federer's recent victory means the spotlight will be squarely on him as the Games begin, but whether it makes him the favorite is still a matter of debate. Many think so. Federer isn't so sure.

"I don't think at the end it matters that much to win Wimbledon prior to the Olympics," he said the day after lifting the Wimbledon trophy. "But at the same time, I believe my situation has got that little star next to it -- you know, I am Wimbledon champion."
That's because the Olympics are being played on the very same courts -- albeit with hurriedly regrown grass.
"I think that gives me even more confidence coming into the Olympics and in some ways maybe takes the pressure off the Olympics because I already did win at Wimbledon this year," he said. "So that is a good thing for me because, of course, there is a lot of hype around me playing the Olympics this year."
There's extra attention because a singles gold is one of the few things still missing from Federer's trophy cabinet, though he still points to winning the doubles with Stanislas Wawrinka in Beijing as one of his many career highlights.
After a week's vacation, much of it spent on a yacht in Sardinia with his family, Federer put in a week's training to prepare for the Games and is staying in a rented house at Wimbledon rather than in the hustle and bustle of the athletes' village.
Djokovic and Murray, meanwhile, hit together on the grounds earlier this week, both looking to erase their Wimbledon disappointments with Olympic success. Djokovic, who took a quick vacation in Greece and is sharing a house near the grounds with the other Serbian men in the competition, had an unexpected fourth-set fade in the Wimbledon semifinals but was playing perhaps better tennis than anyone during the early stages. If he can regain that form, he might be the biggest threat once again.
For Murray, a lot has changed: He comes in as the people's choice after his tears following the Wimbledon final, but has he really recovered from that defeat?
"The night of the final I didn't sleep much. I cried a lot," he said during an appearance with the rest of the British team last week. "That was the first part. Then I just started doing other things to try to take my mind off it."
Murray stayed in England during the interim and made a trip to Centre Court to think back on Wimbledon and ahead to the Olympics. With huge crowd support once more, he has a lot to play for and should rebound more quickly than after his previous Grand Slam defeats.
One thing is guaranteed to be the same at both events: Rafael Nadal will not be in the hunt during the later stages. He lost in the second round at Wimbledon and picked up a knee injury that eventually forced him out of the Games. The Spaniard, who was picked to carry the flag for Spain at the opening ceremonies and was looking forward to staying in the athletes' village, described his pullout as one of the hardest moments of his career. But it has benefited several of his Spanish friends. NBA player Pau Gasol has been named Spain's flag bearer, David Ferrer receives the No. 4 seed, Feliciano Lopez gets into the singles and Marc Lopez into the doubles.
Nadal's absence also means there are only three of tennis' big four taking part, and coincidentally, three medals to be won. Will they sweep, or are there more upsets in store on the grass this year?
The shorter best-of-three format and the quick surface lend themselves to unexpected results, so the top names are braced for dangerous matches. They will be particularly wary of big servers such as John Isner, Milos Raonic and Andy Roddick, as well as erratic talents with a taste for the lawns and big occasions such as Bernard Tomic, Jurgen Melzer and David Nalbandian.
There are other top names hoping to get on the podium as well. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who lost to Murray in the semifinals, will be right in the mix, as could Tomas Berdych, who is looking to rebound from a first-round defeat at Wimbledon. Because of the packed schedule, those who went out early at Wimbledon will have the advantage of extra rest and could make the tournament unfold very differently from what happened at SW19 three weeks ago.
"You only get an opportunity every four years," Federer said. "It takes some getting used to and then obviously you hope you get the right draw, play the right matches and the right points at the right times.
"I think to win an Olympics gold, things all need to fall into place nicely."
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McLaren's Lewis Hamilton was in a league of his own as he took pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The Englishman set two laps fast enough for pole, an early benchmark that proved out of reach of his rivals and then an even faster lap to take pole by 0.413 seconds.
Lotus driver Romain Grosjean was second ahead of Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull.
Jenson Button was fourth, Kimi Raikkonen fifth, Fernando Alonso sixth and Mark Webber only 11th.
The top 10 was rounded out by Alonso's Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa, the Williams of Pastor Maldonado and Bruno Senna, and Nico Hulkenberg's Force India.
Red Bull's Webber, second in the championship behind Ferrari driver Alonso, was knocked out in the second session.
The Australian could manage only 11th fastest time, despite being only 0.308 secs slower than Vettel, who was second fastest in that session behind Hamilton.
Hamilton said: "It is great to finally see the upgrades working and I have been able to put the car where I want to this weekend. We are not saying we are relaxed.
"We know we have a lot of work to do, starting this weekend."
It was a hugely impressive performance by Hamilton, who has looked the man to beat all weekend, and Grosjean lived up to the potential Lotus had appeared to have.
The Frenchman and his team-mate Raikkonen are expected to be a serious threat in the race, where their impressive tyre preservation ensures they are nearly always a factor.
Grosjean said of his second place: "It is good to be back at the front. We had a difficult race in Germany but I am glad we have been able to improve here and I think tomorrow is going to be interesting."
Alonso's performance, meanwhile, proved Ferrari's point that they do not have the fastest car in terms of outright pace in the dry, and that the Spaniard's 34-point championship lead has been caused largely by his impressive consistency.
Although Alonso has been on pole for the last two races, both those qualifying sessions were in the wet.
Red Bull's performance, on a track on which they have dominated for the last two seasons in terms of pure pace, will confirm in many minds that they have been knocked backwards by a rule change before this race restricting the manner in which they were altering engine settings for improved cornering performance and tyre wear.
But Red Bull's Vettel said: "It has been more a case of it being difficult getting everything to work properly. The speed is there but it has been a struggle to get the balance. I think with the progress we have made we should be in a good position tomorrow."
It was a terrible day for Mercedes, the challenging layout of endless corners at the Hungaroring exposing the weakness in their car that has been apparent for some time.
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WIMBLEDON, England -- Fourth-time Olympian Roger Federer overcame a jittery patch to win his opening match at the London Games, beating Alejandro Falla of Colombia 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.
Federer seeks his first singles medal, although he and Swiss teammate Stanislas Wawrinkadid win the gold in doubles in 2008.
Back on his favorite stage Saturday, the top-ranked Federer was a point from victory in the second set, then lost three of his next four service games. But Federer was in fine form at the finish on the same Centre Court where he won Wimbledon for a record-tying seventh time less than three weeks earlier.
American John Isner won in his first Olympic match, making the most of a 15-inch height advantage to beat Olivier Rochus of Belgium, 7-6 (1), 6-4. The 6-foot-9 Isner had 24 aces; the 5-6 Rochus had one.
"A little bit of a David and Goliath thing," Isner said. "I knew I had to serve well, and that's what I did."
Two other U.S. men's players lost Olympic debuts -- Ryan Harrison and Donald Young. Isner and Andy Roddick were eliminated in doubles against Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares of Brazil, 6-2, 6-4, while top-seeded Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan defeated Thomaz Bellucci and Andre Sa of Brazil, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 6-3. The Bryans never lost serve.
Young remained winless since February when he lost to Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-4, 6-4.
The defeat extended the American's losing streak to 15 matches. He's 2-18 in 2012 but is still ranked 60th.
Crowds were smaller than for Wimbledon, with stands on the outer courts less than half full at the start of play.
Federer tried to downplay his drive to win a singles medal, but there's no question being ousted in the first round while ranked No. 1 would have been a bitter loss.
He was never on the verge of defeat of Falla but twice squandered leads. Federer seemed on his way to a routine win until Falla rallied serving at 3-5, love-40 in the second set.
"He hung tough, and I got nervous," Federer said. "It was a tough set to lose for me, particularly in the situation I was in. That's the beauty of the game. Sometimes you're one point away, and the next thing you know, you're 25 points away."
Federer also blew a 2-love lead in the final set, but had the crowd roaring with a succession of deft shots down the stretch. He's now 264 points from a gold medal.
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It seemed as if this speedy winger was destined to be heading out of Manchester United after quotes attributed to him suggested he had criticised Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson early in the 2009-10 season, yet Nani bounced back from that episode to turn in some fine displays for club and country.
Speedy and unpredictable, the lack of clarity in his game may be one of his best qualities. It often seems as if Nani is not sure what he will do next and if that is the case, his opponent has little hope of second guessing him. Trying to fill Cristiano Ronaldo's boots at United has proved impossible, but he had a good try in the second half of the 2009-10 Premier League season, with a memorable performance against Arsenal the highlight of his best campaign yet for United.
His two goals in the Champions League quarter-finals against Bayern Munich in April 2010 appeared to crown the revival in his fortunes at United, only for the German side to stun Old Trafford with two dramatic away goals to dump the 2008 European champions out of the competition.
The tricky winger continued to improve in 2010-11, particularly when the creative pressure rested firmly on his shoulders following Antonio Valencia's ankle break kept him out for six months. Nani contributed more assists (18) than anyone else in the Premier League last season and started the 2011-12 campaign with a blistering brace against Manchester City in the Community Shield.
Strengths: On top form, the Portuguese winger can be a nightmare for defenders. A bundle of pace and trickery, his ability to create and score spectacular goals makes him an important attacking outlet.
Weaknesses: Defensively weak and still too often wasteful in possession, needs to understand that sometimes the simple pass or cross will do.
Career high: A 30-yard winner against Spurs in 2007 was his first goal for the club and lives long in the memory, but his performance against Arsenal at the Emirates in January 2010 was one of the best displays of individual attacking flair of the season.
Career low: Being ruled out of the 2010 World Cup with a shoulder injury three days before the opening match of the tournament.
Style: Pacy, skilful, creative; Nani is a devastatingly explosive winger with the ability to produce moments of magic.
Quotes: "Nani's got the potential to do what he wants. He's one of the sharpest players around, has a great strike with both feet - he's got the potential to be a top, top player." Rio Ferdinand praises his team-mate in May 2010..
Trivia: After coming on as a substitute for Wayne Rooney in the 2008 UEFA Champions League final, Nani scored Manchester United's crucial fifth penalty in the shoot-out.
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Roger Federer and Serena Williams both started their Olympic singles campaigns with victories, although Federer was made to work harder than expected.
-The Swiss world number one was given a stern test by Colombian Alejandro Falla - who almost stunned him at Wimbledon in 2010 - before winning 6-3 5-7 6-3.
American fourth seed Williams beat Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-3 6-1.
Belgium's Kim Clijsters, set to retire at the end of the season, overcame Roberta Vinci of Italy 6-1 6-4.
-Clijsters next plays Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro, while Williams will take on Urszula Radwanska of Poland.
"I was a little nervous in the first set," said 14-time Grand Slam winner Williams, back at the scene of her recent Wimbledon triumph.
"Once I got relaxed, I played a little better. I think I played solid. I felt the ball well. I missed a few shots, but at least I was going forward.
Continue reading the main story
“I have a chance, I'm the number one player in the world so I should have a chance, at medals and hopefully gold”
Roger Federer
"I think the grass is a wee bit slippery. But you've just got to deal with it, so I'll make sure I'm really stretched out before I go out for my next round, get ready to slip and slide, whatever it takes."
Awaiting Federer in the second round is Frenchman Julien Benneteau, a player he needed five sets to beat en route to the Wimbledon title.
"It's a huge deal," said Federer about the prospect of winning his first Olympic singles gold medal. "It would be a massive highlight of my life.
"I remember the emotions I had winning the gold with my Stan [Wawrinka, in the doubles at Beijing 2008].
"I have a chance, I'm the number one player in the world so I should have a chance, at medals and hopefully gold.
"It's already the fourth Olympics for me so I will give it all I have."
Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych, the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up, was upset 6-4 6-4 by Steve Darcis of Belgium.
Berdych was a potential quarter-final opponent for Britain's Andy Murray, who faces Stanislas Wawrinka on Sunday.
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This week, AC Milan fans hold a mock funeral to mark the death of the club, Tom Hanks' life is incomplete without Aston Villa, Adelaide United announce a new signing that doesn't exist and North Korea don't like the South Korean flag very much, plus a tribute to Pippo Inzaghi, who hangs up his boots.




Some AC Milan fans were so outraged and disillusioned following the recent sale of marquee players Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva that they staged a mock funeral outside Milan's Via Turati headquarters this week, with wreaths and candles marking the 'death' of the club.
Other Milanisti didn't feel quite so morbid about the €65 million double sale to PSG and settled for suing the club for "false advertising", alleging that Milan marketed season tickets on the basis that Ibrahimovic and Silva would be playing.
Amazingly, the Italian club caved in over the fans' demands and released a statement that backed up the claim made by vice-president Adriano Galliani that any disgruntled supporter could claim their money back.
It read: "Milan has confirmed its readiness to dissolve agreements for season tickets for the first team's home games for 2012-13. This willingness is dictated by the need for class and affection of the club towards its supporters, and independent of any legal analysis.
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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists Andy Carroll is happy to stay at the club and can fit into the new style of play he is trying to impose at Anfield.



Carroll is widely expected to leave Liverpool this summer after he struggled to make an impact since joining from Newcastle United for a club-record £35 million in January 2011.
The England international's former club have already made a move to take Carroll back to St James' Park but the deal was rejected by the Reds.
West Ham have also made a £2 million bid to take Carroll on loan until the end of the 2012-13 season with a view to a £16 million permanent switch, if the club avoid relegation.
But Rodgers is adamant the striker, who came off the substitutes' bench in Liverpool's pre-season goalless draw against Tottenham in America on Saturday, is still in his plans for next season.
Reds boss Rodgers said: "Not that I am aware of. Obviously I'll know more when we get back.
"There has been a lot written about Andy, but you saw today he's happy to be here and he's worked very well since he's been here.
"The reality is he's still a Liverpool player, he can fit into how I want to play, and he's happy here. I'm certainly not wishing to push him out of the door.''
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Andriy Shevchenko retires to pursue politics career

-Former Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko has announced his retirement from football in order to pursue a career in politics.
-The 35-year-old Ukrainian revealed the news in a statement released by his club, Dynamo Kiev."This could shock everyone," he said. "My future is no longer in football."
-He won his 111th and final cap for Ukraine on home soil at Euro 2012 when he came on as a substitute during his side's 1-0 group stage loss to England.At club level, he made his debut for Dynamo Kiev in 1994 and went on to earn a reputation as one of Europe's most lethal strikers after he moved to AC Milan in 1999.He won the Champions League with them in 2003 - scoring the winning penalty in the shoot-out - in a playing career that also saw him collect domestic silverware in Italy, England and Ukraine.As a 29-year-old, Shevchenko signed for Jose Mourinho's Chelsea for £30m in May 2006, but spent a largely unproductive two-season spell in the Premier League before returning to Milan.After he was unable to reproduce the deadly form of his previous spell at the San Siro, he signed a two-year deal with Dynamo in August 2009.Shevchenko was his country's talisman for more than a decade, and registered a national record 48 goals. He captained his country to the World Cup quarter-finals in 2006 and won the Ballon d'Or in 2004 as European player of the year."I will be going into politics," he said when announcing his retirement, and is expected to elaborate on his plans in the near future.
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The French Football Federation has suspended Samir Nasri for three international matches, and Jeremy Menez for one, following an investigation into incidents at Euro 2012.

Nasri has been banned after a four-letter tirade at journalists in the mixed zone following the quarter-final defeat to Spain, while Menez clashed with Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli and his own goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris during the same game.
The FFF also warned Yann M'Vila, who refused to shake manager Laurent Blanc's hand when substituted against the Spanish, and Hatem Ben Arfa, who argued with the coach after France lost to Sweden, about their future conduct.
FFF discipline commission president Jean Mazzella told L'Equipe: "The meeting was calm, the players gave explanations and showed a very good attitude. They defended themselves but they answered all the questions we asked them. They showed regret.''
Both players will now miss the first game for new coach Didier Deschamps, an international friendly against Uruguay on August 15.
Nasri will also be sidelined for their first two World Cup qualifying matches, away to Finland on September 7 and at home to Belarus four days later.
Menez was represented by his lawyer Carlos Alberto Brusa, who said: "He (Menez) regrets what happened and wants to put this difficult time behind him. It was a youthful error. He is not there, I am there to represent him and pass on his message.
"It is a big responsibility, in front of the commission, to represent a player and to tell his story.''
It was once a topic reached for in desperation by a newspaper needing to fill space or a radio phone-in with a spare hour, but Team GB is now a temporary reality. Playing as a one-shot deal at London 2012 is likely to be remembered as a curio, judging by the leaden opening performance against Senegal. They underwhelmed in an Old Trafford atmosphere that was below the level of one of Manchester United's early-season Carling Cup outings. History was made in subdued fashion on a summer evening that dripped with a sense of unfamiliarity among an unusual mix of both players and fans.


Old Trafford was all but sold out, Manchester's Metro crammed to its Perspex windows by fans eager to get an early taste of the Olympic spirit. There was a significant amount of GB merchandise being worn by fans. This was perhaps not so surprising considering the popularity of rugby union's British and Irish Lions, who inspire fans from all over the isles to tour the southern hemisphere, or the way that so many get behind Andy Murray as he struggles to break his Grand Slam duck.
And then there is the fact that not every Englishman is fully English, such is the mix of Scottish, Irish and Welsh blood across the four countries. The sense of national identity is shakiest in the United Kingdom's largest nation.
It was unfortunate, however, that the concept of Great Britain was also seized by a section of supporters who are hardly welcome in Manchester, considering the antics that marred the city's hosting of the UEFA Cup in 2008. Rangers FC, or whatever they are now called, are the team most associated with the Union Jack, and there was the unedifying sight and sound of some rather distasteful songs being performed by an unhealthily vocal contingent. What relevance does "Ten German Bombers" have in 2012? And do Rangers really do what they want, as the ditty suggests? If so, why are they not in the SPL? Such small-minded idiocy has no place at an Olympics.
Even regulars at Old Trafford were greeted by an unusual matchday experience. On approach to the ground, spectators were asked to put the contents of their pockets into clear plastic bags, and those with a bag were then sent to the haughtily-named 'Baggage Resolution Centre'. Bags were 'resolved' by being emptied onto a table, then filled again, then wrapped in a clear polythene bag by some rather sheepish staff members. The task was carried out with typical Mancunian wryness. Only a resolved bag - wrapped in plastic - would be let into the stadium, where another shock greeted the old stagers. There were to be no pies on sale, a state of affairs completely against the sacrosanct routine of the British football supporter. Team GB's competitive re-entry would be watched with grumbling stomachs.
For two decades, 'Ten Englishmen plus Ryan Giggs' was the joke cracked - mostly by Englishmen - about the possible make-up of a Great Britain team. While Giggs was present to take his place in the team's first competitive outing since 1971, an English sense of superiority is not what it once was. If, for example, Joe Allen was available, would Jordan Henderson have gone to Euro 2012? That wouldn't have happened if Brendan Rodgers was picking the team.
Yet Rodgers' Northern Irish compatriots are not represented, and neither are any Scots. "No Becks, No Jocks, No Irish," said one wag when Stuart Pearce's 18-man selection was announced and David Beckham's omission was confirmed. The reasons for Caledonian and Hibernian absence are lost in the mire of football politics, though the six counties of Ulster might struggle to produce a worthy candidate. Scotland would seem to be similarly deficient, but Darren Fletcher, as an overage player, might have been a good fit had circumstances been different.
Pearce is looking to find a formula in a short time, and he didn't look capable of it in his team's opening match. Great Britain mirrored England's lack of creativity, with many players seeming to be in pre-season mode. Tom Cleverley, a young man seeking to prove he is footballer rather than brand, disappointed in midfield. Danny Rose looked an odd selection throughout. Daniel Sturridge was well off what was hardly a breakneck pace, which may be understandable considering his recovery from meningitis, but he looked nowhere near capable of landing a place ahead of Chelsea's now-stellar midfield line-up of playmakers.
Of the 'overage' players, Micah Richards was uncomfortable in central defence and was culpable for Moussa Konate's equaliser. Pearce and Richards have been associated since their time together at Manchester City, and the defender was the man called up instead of Beckham to play in a position in which he is rarely employed at Manchester City. A selection on which the coach has staked his reputation thoroughly underperformed.
Two ageing Welshman completed the trio. Craig Bellamy buzzed in his usual style, got the goal and should have been granted a penalty after a mid-air assault by Ciss which caused his eventual withdrawal. Ryan Giggs wore an armband so large that John Terry would blush in its company, and strolled around a turf he has played on for years with the air of a man whose childish pursuit has overtaken him, like a member of a rock band getting a little too old for its look.
Pearce's team lacked pace, verve and tactical versatility - enough to throw up concerns about them progressing to the knock-out rounds, let alone 'medalling', to adopt the word used in Olympic circles for an athlete achieving gold, silver or bronze.
Next opponents United Arab Emirates had looked decent against Uruguay in the match that preceded GB's outing, while a glance at the performance of Brazil against Egypt had many reaching for foregone conclusions about the eventual gold medallists. It already looks as if football will be recalled as a mildly diverting footnote to London 2012 in its host country.


 Real Madrid are preparing to increase their bid for Luka Modric to £33 million but are unwilling to match Tottenham's £40 million valuation of the midfielder.
Modric's future at Tottenham has been the subject of conjecture for the second summer running, after he was linked with a move to Chelsea last year.
Spurs dug their heels in despite the Blues' interest, yet again their Croatia international is the subject of interest, with Real Madrid favourites for his signature this time around.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is seeking at least £35 million for Modric, with the club uninterested in a cash plus player deal - after it was suggested Nuri Sahin could be used as a makeweight.
Affluent side PSG have also been mooted as candidates for Modric's signature, but it is understood the former Dinamo Zagreb player has his heart set on Madrid.
An ESPN source said: "Real Madrid have now indicated they will increase their offer because they can see that Spurs are not interested in the players in part exchange. Andre Villa Boas has said he is not interested in Sahin.
"Real are back with a bid of £33 million but they do not value Modric at £40 million and in any case they don't have so much money.
"With Daniel Levy insisting the price has to be more than £35 million and close to £40 million this will drag on and maybe Levy will wait until the very last minute before making a final decision."
Modric, 26, was recently fined by Tottenham for not training his team-mates and then failing to attend their pre-season tour of America. He has since apologised for his actions.
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