Maria Sharapova has warned Venus Williams that she won’t be able to push her around again if they meet in the fourth round at Wimbledon.
   Sharapova was overwhelmed by Williams’ brutal power-hitting when they last met on the All England Club grass courts in 2005. The Russian crumbled in the second set of that semi-final and would love the chance to get revenge this year.
   On Saturday, Sharapova eased into the last 16 with a 6-3, 6-3 over Japan’s Ai Sugiyama and will face Williams if the three-time Wimbledon winner beats Akiko Morigami.
   The American was a set up on Morigami when rain forced a suspension.
   With a potential clash of the former champions on the cards, Sharapova, who won the title in 2004, is adamant she has learned from that defeat two years ago.
   ‘I felt like at that stage in my career I wasn’t really ready,’ Sharapova said.
   ‘She played really good tennis and I didn’t think that I was capable of playing the same tennis for two or three sets. I was down in the first, then when I got back my level really dropped.
   ‘It wasn’t so much a wake-up call. I’ve always known there was so much room for improvement physically for me, but it was also the intensity level of putting two games together, breaking her and keeping that intensity after you break your opponent, being smart about things.
   ‘Sometimes I felt like I was going for a little too much when I didn’t have to. Against someone like her, you don’t get away with it as much. That’s something that I’ve improved.’
   The world number two won her last match against Williams, on the hard courts in Miami this year, but admits that victory will count for nothing if they meet again at Wimbledon.
   ‘If I play her, we always have really, really tough matches but it’s a Grand Slam and you try to bring up the intensity with every match,’ she said.
   ‘You can never really underestimate her as an opponent. She’s a champion. She’s achieved many things, won many Grand Slams. You know that when you go out against her, you always have to be at you best.’
   If Sharapova does face Williams, she will hope the shoulder and hamstring injuries that have troubled her for several weeks have receded.
   She revealed she needs lengthy treatment every day to keep her in condition to play. ‘Ice, massage, strength, acupuncture work. You name it, I do it really,’ she said. ‘It takes two and a half hours a day.’
   Sharapova was fortunate to finish her match against Sugiyama. At match point, her Japanese opponent made it clear she wanted to go off because of the heavy rain that was falling on Court One.
   Play had already been suspended on other courts but American umpire Lynn Welch tested the surface and decided to play on, giving Sharapova the chance to quickly wrap up the tie.
   Sugiyama was furious with the decision and Sharapova admitted she was relieved to have won.
   ‘It was really good to finish it because I was starting to get agitated,’ said the Russian.
   ‘I saw the rain in the middle of the second set and I knew if it keeps going, obviously the grass is going to get wet. I didn’t want it to be too dangerous to play out there but it worked out well in the end.’

Nigerian midfielder Emeka Christian slammed his second hat-trick in the B league anchoring Dhaka Mohammedan to a 3-1 victory over Rahmatganj and top spot on Sunday.
   Mohammedan now have 29 points from 15 matches the same as Abahani, but their traditional rivals have played one match less.
   Emeka was in outstanding form at the Bangabandhu National Stadium and was involved in almost every attack. Mohammedan had earlier drubbed their opponents 7-1 in the first phase.
   However, it was Rahmatganj, playing with their Nigerian trio, that began the game promisingly and it resulted in the old-town outfit taking a shock lead in the 15th minute through a swift counter-attack.
   Jahangir Patwary sending a long ball to Nigerian forward Charles Ikhgo who overcame the challenge of Mohammedan defenders Ariful and Biplob before beating custodian Himel with a cracker.
   With his countryman and skipper Paul Mawachukwu having a lapse of form, it was left to Emeka to turn on the style with his defence-splitting runs and accurate distribution.
   In the fourth minute he unleashed an angular shot off a through pass of Paul but the ball floated wide of the side bar.
   Mohammedan were fortunate not to concede a 35th minute own-goal when Nigerian defender Peter Odafe’s back header found Himel out of the position but the ball bounced harmlessly away.
   Paul, who has scored 13 goals so far in the league, squandered an easy chance after he failed to toe poke an Emeka minus on the 36th minute.
   The Black and Whites were frustrated again after a combined effort on the 43rd minute saw Paul volleying over the bar from the six-yard box. But they went into the interval much happier after Emeka headed a Kamal cross from the left flank in stoppage time.
   Five minutes into the second half, Mohammedan could have gone in front but for Rony’s clearance from a goalmouth melee. In the 57th minute Kamal and Emeka scripted the team’s second goal. The left wing back crossed into the box and Mithu helped the ball to Emeka whose side header beat Anwarul in the far post.
   Rahmatganj custodian Anwarul kept his side in contention with a brilliant save on the 72nd minute denying Mohammedan midfielder Mithu, who unleashed a powerful shot from the top of the box. On the stroke of the final whistle Emeka brought up his treble and league’s seventh overall with a spectacular back volley. Rahmanganj have nine points from 16 matches.

England (225) against West Indies
   Fidel Edwards took five for 45 as the West Indies bowled England out for 225 in the first innings of the first one-day international at Lord’s on Sunday.
   England were 184 for four when the game was halted for an hour by rain and when play resumed with 7.2 overs left Edwards ran riot with a spell of four wickets in 13 balls.
   Bowling with pace and ferocity the Bajan started the collapse when he bowled England captain Paul Collingwood for five before dismissing Dimitri Mascarenhas in similar fashion.
   After trapping Liam Plunkett caught behind hooking he bowled a bouncer at young Stuart Broad following up to the batsman’s end of the pitch and exchanging words.
   This may have unnerved the Englishman as his next ball had Broad caught behind.
   Owais Shah made 42 whilst all this was going on at the other end but was run out in the last over as he tried to steal the strike.
   Shah was one of five of England’s early batsmen who got a start and did not convert it into a significant score.
   The most culpable was Ian Bell who made 56, from 75 balls with two fours, but managed to run himself out when set for a maiden one-day international hundred.
   At the non-striker’s end he went for a run when Owais Shah had hit the ball straight to Chris Gayle at cover and was run out by half a pitch length as he tried to scramble back.
   Kevin Pietersen played calmly, hitting just two boundaries in his 47-ball stay but perished to a superb leaping catch at cover point by Marlon Samuels off Dwayne Bravo as he tried to impose himself.
   After West Indies captain Gayle had won the toss his opening bowlers Ravi Rampaul and Daren Powell kept England’s batsmen under control with some disciplined bowling in helpful overhead conditions.
   Matt Prior and Alastair Cook managed to edge the score up to just 26 from the first 10 overs and the normally free-scoring Prior did not manage a boundary until the 11th over when he slapped Rampaul off the back foot to the fence.

Former skipper Brian Lara is interested in an administrative role to help West Indies try to recapture former glories.
   ‘The infrastructure and what’s necessary to produce good cricket is not there in the West Indies.
   ‘I’m interested in what are we doing at the grassroots level and I don’t see anything in that direction,’ he said.
   ‘It doesn’t matter who is the coach or who is playing – if the infrastructure isn’t there, you’re not going to produce the cricket you want to see.’
   Lara is arguably the greatest batsman ever produced by West Indies, having scored almost 12,000 runs in 131 Tests and over 10,000 in 299 one-day internationals.
   He retired from international cricket following the World Cup in the Caribbean earlier this year and told BBC Five Live’s Sportsweek he did not regret the decision.
   ‘My teacher said 20 something years ago that I was going to miss school. I did not, and I’m not missing cricket,’ the 38 year-old said.
   ‘I’ve had 17 years of international cricket. I’ve enjoyed it and that’s enough.’
   Lara did not, however, rule out a comeback, which would be most likely in English county cricket or a new $1m Twenty20 league being planned in India.
   ‘I’m still capable of playing the game, so I wouldn’t say I’ve hung up my boots...I can still play cricket. At what level, I don’t know,’ he added.

Four-time champion Roger Federer of Switzerland was on Sunday handed a bye to the quarter-finals of Wimbledon when fourth-round opponent Tommy Haas was forced to pull out through injury.
   Haas, the 13th seed, suffered a torn abdominal muscle in his four-set victory over Russian Dmitry Tursunov in the third round at the All England Club.
   World number one Federer will play the winner of the match between Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero and Serb Janko Tipsarevic in the last eight as he bids for a fifth straight Wimbledon title, equalling the modern-day record of Bjorn Borg.
   ‘I felt it in my previous match,’ Haas explained.
   ‘I’m just going to go home now and get this thing under control. I will follow the rest of the tournament on TV.
   ‘I wish I could have been on Centre Court but it’s not to be. The way I was playing I think I’m one of the guys who could have been dangerous for Roger. It would have been a nice opportunity.’
   This was Haas’ first tournament since retiring in the opening round of the Masters Series event in Rome in May with a shoulder injury.

Bangladesh will host the board meeting of the International Cricket Council in March 2008, said a Bangladesh Cricket Board official.
   ‘It is a prestigious opportunity for us to host the ICC board meeting for the first time ever,’ said BCB chief executive officer Mahmudur Rahman after returning on Saturday from the ICC annual meeting at Lord’s.
   ‘The board presidents of 10 Test nations will attend the meeting in March 2008,’ said Rahman, who replaced BCB general secretary Mahbubul Anam in the meeting as Anam did not turn up because of a personal engagement.
   Bangladesh had, however, another experience to host an ICC meeting in 2004 where the CEOs of the ICC member countries attended. The last two board meetings of the ICC, apex body of world cricket, were held in South Africa and England.
   Rahman also said that Bangladesh might take part in the Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies if the ICC approves a proposal of business tycoon Allen Stanford, who has offered the ICC to organise a Twenty20 tournament in the Caribbean. According to the proposal, three Test nations will first play in a Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies, and then the champions will play a match against ‘Stanford Eleven’ studded with the West Indies players.
   Rahman said if the ICC approves the proposal, the West Indies will host the newest version of cricket every year onwards.

India won the toss and opted to field first in the deciding match of their one-day series against South Africa.
   Rain in Belfast meant the start of play was delayed by over five hours, and the game was reduced to 31 overs each.
   India made two changes, bringing in all-rounder Ajit Agarkar and batsman Gautam Gambhir in place of Ishant Sharma and Romesh Powar.
   South Africa included their fastest bowler, Dale Steyn, and big-htting Justin Kemp.
   India squared the series 1-1 at Stormont on Friday when Sachin Tendulkar passed 15,000 one-day runs.

The one-off ODI between Scotland and Pakistan was abandoned due to persistent rain without a ball being bowled. The match was due to start at 10:45am local time but was delayed due to a wet outfield caused by overnight rain.
   Minutes before the inspection, heavy rain resulted in an early lunch that never finished as the umpires and the match referee deemed that the outfield and the weather would not improve in time to get in the minimum of 20 overs.
   Pakistan now travel to Glasgow where they take on India on Tuesday in their second and final ODI on this short tour of Scotland.

Indian star Sania Mirza is thrilled to be playing with Israel’s Shahar Peer at Wimbledon, two years after they broke up under pressure from religious hardliners.
   The close friends made their first appearance since feeling forced to split due to militants furious about Mirza, a Muslim, playing together with a Jew.
   Peer and Mirza were cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd on Wimbledon’s 800-capacity Court Three late Friday, with many people of South Asian ethnic origin in the crowd as they won their ladies’ doubles first round clash.
   ‘We had lots of fun out there,’ said a smiling Mirza, 20, who insists they are not trying to make a political statement by renewing their partnership.
   ‘A bit rusty because we played together after a really long time. It’s expected I think. What’s important is we came out with a win.
   ‘We’ve known each other for five or six years. We were playing juniors together and we’re about the same age,’ she added.
   ‘It helps when you’re playing with a friend. You know their personality on court and off the court and you know how they’re going to react to certain things.
   ‘There have been times where I have played with people I have no clue about. I met them once or twice. The last six weeks I have had six different partners. I prefer playing with someone that I know and I know their game.’
   Mirza and Peer, the top-ranked singles players in their respective countries, played together at the 2005 Japan Open, reaching the last four.
   On court Friday, the 16th seeds beat Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden and Lilia Osterloh of the United States 7-5, 6-3.
   ‘If you keep playing with one person you keep improving,’ the Indian world number 44 said.
   ‘Playing doubles is a team thing. It’s always the responsibility of one person to get the other person smiling and up.’
   The duo face Hungary’s Agnes Szavay and Vladimira Uhlirova of the Czech Republic in the round of 32. Aside from the Peer partnership, Mirza is no stranger to controversy.
   A fatwa was once issued against her by extremists angry over the short skirts she wears on court. Asked whether she would prefer to wear a dress, a skirt or shorts while playing, Mirza replied, ‘Whatever’s comfortable. I’m comfortable wearing most things on court.
   ‘I don’t stand in front of the mirror and do make up before going on court because no-one cares whether you have blusher on or not, whether you’re wearing a skirt or shorts. You are there to play tennis and it doesn’t matter for me.’
   Despite it all, it seems Mirza is adored by fans at the All England Club. She was mobbed as she left the court, signing autographs as supporters held up the letters of her first name and took photographs.
   ‘You’re happy when you’re noticed and people are respecting you for who you are,’ Mirza said.
   ‘It is great to know that so many people follow your game and are so interested and you can put smiles on people’s faces by winning a tennis match.’
   In the mixed doubles, Mirza is teaming up with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi, who has racked up 39 doubles titles.
   In the first round, the pair play David Skoch of the Czech Republic and Slovakia’s Janette Husarova – a former ladies’ doubles partner of Mirza.
   ‘In the mixed doubles, I have a great policy: the guy has to do the work!,’ Mirza joked.
   ‘Mixed doubles is a lot easier, there’s more smiles happening. I don’t think Mahesh is going to smile – he’s a doubles player.
   ‘For singles players, when guys are playing I usually see them laughing and joking but when doubles players are playing, for them it’s obviously business.
   ‘It’s great that he’s a doubles player because he’s won so many mixed doubles titles. I don’t think I could get a better partner to play with and it’s even better that he’s from the same country.’

Three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker says the Lawn Tennis Association should stop handing out wildcards to underachieving British players.
   Britain had a disappointing Wimbledon this year with no singles player managing to make the fifth day.
   And Becker told Five Live’s Sportsweek, ‘I think giving wildcards to older players sends out the wrong signal.
   ‘If a 22-year-old needs a wildcard all the time then maybe the player is not good enough to be a professional.’
   The German added, ‘The ones that get the wildcards are in their early 20s and that’s when you are supposed to have made it already as a professional.
   ‘If you are 23 or 24-years-old and are not in the top 150 in the world then maybe you should look for another job.’
   Tim Henman and Lee Childs, who made it through qualifying, were the only Britons not to require wildcards into the main draw, although Andy Murray would have been there too had he not been forced to withdraw the tournament started because of injury.
   Henman eventually lost in round two to Feliciano Lopez, and, like Becker, has criticised his countrymen and women who continue to underperform.
   ‘Wildcards are a fantastic opportunity, but if you’re any good you don’t need wildcards,’ said the British number two.
   ‘The players get very short-sighted around March, April time, positioning themselves to get these opportunities.’
   With just two British players in the world’s top 100 – Henman and Murray – LTA chief executive Roger Draper has introduced a host of reforms in a bid to improve performances.
   The LTA has built a new £39m National Tennis Centre in Roehampton as well as appointing high-profile coaches such as Brad Gilbert, Paul Annacone, Peter Lundgren and Carl Maes.
   But Becker, who won Wimbledon in 1985, 1986 and 1989, believes the key is to get more youngsters playing the game.
   ‘I can only judge it from the outside and what strikes me is that there are no good British teenagers participating in tournaments,’ he said.
   ‘You are judged by results and the LTA knows what they have to do. ‘They are making changes and appointing top coaches but it is about getting as many British youngsters involved as possible.’

Ottis Gibson, the former West Indies fast bowler, has said that he is keen to become the next West Indies coach. The job has not yet been advertised and the experience of those who have previously held it is not persuasive. The team presently in England is under Australian David Moore, assistant to the former coach Bennett King, whom the West Indies Cricket Board have retained until the post is filled.
   ‘I’ve already sent in my details to Tony Howard, the WICB’s cricket operations manager, and generally outlined how I would go about things if appointed,’ said Gibson, during a break from his current stint with Durham in the English county championship.
   ‘Like every West Indian I’m upset to see how our cricket has gone down in recent times but there’s enough talent there,’ he added. ‘With a proper structure in place and with the right guidance, I’m sure we can turn things around.
   ‘What is noticeable is a lack of passion among the present crop of players and the need to improve skill levels. I believe that, with the support of the right people around me, I could make a difference.’
   Although one of the oldest first-class cricketers around, Gibson is still claiming wickets with his swing and medium-pace and making useful lower-order runs with his forthright batting for Durham. But it is his globe-trotting background both as a player and coach that he advanced his recommendation for a post that has changed hands eight times since 1992, when Rohan Kanhai, the former West Indies captain, was the first to be appointed full-time coach.
   Gibson’s playing history includes two Tests and 15 ODIs and two A team tours for the West Indies, along with first-class seasons with his native Barbados, Border, Griqualand West and Gauteng in South Africa and Glamorgan, Leicestershire and now Durham in England.
   It is such experience allied to his coaching background that Gibson hopes will convince the decision-makers at the West Indies board that he is their man to replace King, who resigned following the team’s poor showing in the recent World Cup.
   He has a level five coaching certificate and spent three years at England’s Centre of Excellence as fast bowling coach under Peter Moores, the current England coach, and Troy Cooley, the Australian bowling coach.
   A resident for a dozen years in England, Gibson has coached the England under-19 and under-16 teams, the latter on a tour of South Africa. He was also one of the England and Wales Cricket Board coaching tutors from 2001 to 2004.
   He acknowledged that ability, rather than nationality, should be the criterion by which a coach is judged. But he argued that West Indies are a special case and that first-hand knowledge of their history and culture would be an advantage.

Many a Wimbledon champion might not have tasted glory on Centre Court had it not been for the humble racket stringer.
   Tucked away out of sight of the public, in a cabin next to the players’ practice courts at the All England Club are a hardworking team of unsung heroes.
   If a player snaps a racket string in the middle of a match the Wimbledon stringing team, headed by Frances Davies, can have it repaired and back on court in around 20 minutes.
   ‘It becomes mission critical as soon as the ball boy’s in here then the racket goes straight on the machine,’ Davies told Reuters.
   ‘We aim for an absolutely maximum 22 minutes from court back to player,’ she said.
   ‘Normally if you took your racket to a shop it would take half an hour to 40 minutes but our guys do three an hour – 20 minutes each – without compromising quality.’
   Over the course of the two-week Grand Slam the team will string 2,200 rackets, and get through 21.73km of string.
   Competition for places is tough and prospective applicants, all of whom have passed their Master Racket Technician exam, have to be at the top of their game.
   ‘It’s seen as the place to string,’ said Davies, who has run the team at Wimbledon for 11 years.
   ‘I have to turn a lot of people down. But I will slot who I can in for a day because it is a wonderful experience for them.
   ‘We are perceived as having the best service of the grand slams and we aim to keep it that way because we’re very proud of that.’
   Davies will use 22 stringers over three weeks, which includes the qualifying tournament and has nine on site at any time.
   The hours are long, starting as early as 6am and finishing well after play has ended for the day.
   ‘We can’t go home until 30 minutes after the last match which gives the players the opportunity to put their rackets in for restringing the following day,’ said Davies, who works for a string manufacturer the rest of the year.
   Runners are used to deliver the rackets back to players, wherever they may be.
   ‘I don’t think there’s a place I haven’t been,’ said head racket runner Matthew Smith, who as a student of fine art at Loughborough University also does the stencilling.
   ‘I’ve gone to the press office, restaurants, if the player wants it the player gets it.’
   The 19-year-old, nicknamed ‘Peter Stringfellow’ by the Wimbledon security guards, uses the warren of tunnels under the courts to get to his destination as quickly as possible.
   ‘Sometimes you have to walk on court after they’ve lost a third set tiebreak but they always say “thank you”,’ added Smith. ‘You forget they’re human sometimes and can be quite chatty.’

Andrew Flintoff fears his off-field antics at the World Cup have cost him the chance to ever captain England again.
   The all-rounder, currently recovering from ankle surgery, was fined and stripped of the vice-captaincy after going out drinking following England’s opening World Cup defeat to New Zealand.
   The Lancashire player, who has seen Michael Vaughan return to his post as Test captain after injury and Paul Collingwood appointed as one-day skipper by new national coach Peter Moores, believes his own opportunities to lead the team in either format will now be limited.
   He told the News of the World, ‘I will probably never captain England again unless something extraordinary happens – I think I might have burnt my boats in that direction. I can cope with that.
   ‘What does keep me awake at night is the thought of never playing for England again. I don’t think people realise just how much cricket I have missed, especially at home, since our 2005 Ashes win.’
   Moores expects Flintoff to play a small part at best in the forthcoming Test series against India, with the one-day series which follows the five-day matches seen as a more realistic comeback target.
   ‘I don’t think he is pencilled in for the Tests, it’s more looking towards, maybe possibly, the last Test or the one-dayers,’ Moores told BBC Radio Five Live.
   ‘We don’t want to rush it because we want to make sure it’s right. The schedules once he comes back are pretty hectic and we don’t want it going again.’
   Moores added, ‘We saw Andrew a couple of days ago and he was doing some work in the hotel and it seems to be going very well with his ankle.
   ‘We know it’s quite a long rehab, he’s got some more work to do but everything he has done so far the medical staff are very pleased about.’

New Zealand vice-captain Daniel Vettori has repeated his claim to succeed Stephen Fleming as the Black Caps’ one-day skipper.
   Vettori deputised for Fleming on 11 occasions before the veteran left-hand batsman resigned the position in April.
   The spinner led the side to eight wins from those matches, and after a decade in international cricket Vettori believes he is well placed to inherit the mantle.
   He told The Sunday Star-Times, ‘You’ve got to remember that, when you play more than 200 ODIs and 70 Tests, and have been on the scene for more than a decade, you’ve got a lot of experience to call on.
   ‘People might question my captaincy experience for one reason or another, but I’ve been rubbing shoulders with
   captains for my entire career, I’ve been involved in the decision-making and I think I know what it takes.
   ‘I’ve been playing top cricket for more than 10 years and it’s always been important to guard against becoming too comfortable and too satisfied with your lot. I need to keep striving and challenging myself, and I see the captaincy as a way to do that.’
   A decision over the captaincy will need to be made before the ICC Twenty20 Championship World Cup in South Africa in September and will rest with John Bracewell or his replacement, should the incumbent coach move on.
   ‘I guess they’ll get the coaching issue sorted out first and everything will fall into place after that,’ said Vettori.
   ‘I should feel confident but we’ve had a couple of months of downtime lately and – given that opportunity – people will always explore all their options and take time to look at the wider picture.
   ‘I know Braces has got this tournament in the forefront of his mind because of that,
   and also because it’s a full ICC-sanctioned international event; it would be a big thing to win it.’

A baseball training camp, conducted by two Japanese coaches, will be held on Saturday, Monday and Wednesday next week at the Paltan Maidan. The camp is intended for U-16 boys only. The intending trainees have been requested to collect admission forms from coach Hiroki Watane at the venue.

The preparation camp of the Bangladesh national hockey team started at the Maulana Bhasani National Stadium on Sunday. Sixteen out of the selected 21 players reported at the camp for the seventh Asia Cup Hockey scheduled to be held from September 1-9 in Chennai.
   Russell Khan Bappi, Issa Miah, Musa Miah, Moksed Alam Habul and Mazharul Islam Moksed did not report. Brothers Issa Miah and Musa Miah are likely join the camp today.
   Mazharul Islam Moksed informed the Bangladesh Hockey Federation that he would be unable to join the camp while custodian Bappi and forward Habul were yet to contact the BHF.
   The selected players have been asked to join on July 6 at 7:00am.

Pete Sampras’ former coach has all but ruled out the possibility of the seven-time Wimbledon champion returning to mainstream tennis. However, Paul Annacone, head of men’s coaching at the Lawn Tennis Association, said he had discussed the matter with the 35-year-old.
   Annacone told BBC Radio Five Live’s Sportsweek programme, ‘It is romantically interesting for all of us and I would love to see it. We have talked about it a number of times but I do not see it happening any time soon.’
   He added, ‘I would never say never but it would shock me if it did happen. Pete does not seem too interested. There is a lot involved in doing that and he is doing just fine just now.
   ‘I speak to him periodically and he is very happy with his life. He is playing a couple of senior events and has a couple of exhibitions with Roger (Federer) lined up.’

Didier Drogba has rejected rumours that he could leave Chelsea this summer.
   The striker’s future has been the subject of conjecture this summer with Milan reported to be lining up a move for his signature.
   Drogba has also cast doubt over his long-term future at Stamford Bridge by suggesting he would like to play in another league before he finishes his career.
   However, last season’s top goalscorer insists he is committed to Chelsea and is focused on helping them regain the Premier League title from Manchester United this year.
   ‘Each summer there is speculation about my exit to other big clubs but I tell you this is not true,’ Drogba told the News of the World.
   ‘Chelsea is my destiny today and I do not want the adventure to change. Milan? What a good club, they are champions of Europe. But I have spoken to nobody.
   ‘I only know what I read in the press but there is no problem with my contract with Chelsea. My deal is clear and no bother to me.’
   Drogba also welcomed Thierry Henry’s departure from Arsenal as he says it leaves Chelsea with one less rival to contend with for the title.
   ‘The exit of Henry to Barcelona is good news for us – it means that there is one less rival in Chelsea’s way,’ continued Drogba.
   ‘And Arsenal have a serious problem because Henry’s absence is a very complicated issue to resolve.
   ‘For us this one rare change means it will be Chelsea and United fighting for the Premiership again.’

Real Zaragoza’s in demand centre-half Gabriel Milito has indicated a willingness to move to Barcelona, but insists he will make a final decision only after the Copa America.
   At the moment, Juventus and Real Madrid are leading the chase for the Argentine international, though recent reports suggest that Barcelona will join it in a big way if they lose Chivu to Inter.
   That seems to something he seemed to be aware of, while remaining cautious.
   ‘It is not right to mix priorities,’ he began, speaking to Sport. ‘Right now, we are playing the Copa America, and we need to focus on this.
   ‘As I have said, when this finishes, I will speak in detail about other things. I am not worried about my future. I just want to enjoy the present. This is the first time I am playing in the Copa America, and I want to win it.
   ‘I don’t know what will happen in the future.’
   However, he did indulge on a possible move to Barcelona, and on playing with Lionel Messi.
   ‘I would love to play in the same team as Lionel,’ he said. ‘Maybe that will happen.
   ‘We all know that he is a player in a different class, and I am already lucky to play with him (in the national team). He makes you really enjoy your time on the pitch.
   ‘However, now is not the time to think about whether or not we will be together at Barcelona. It would delight me to play with him, though.
   ‘They (Barcelona) are one of the most important clubs in the world, but let us not delve into this too much. When this (the Copa America) ends, we will see what happens.’

Former Arsenal supremo David Dein has been offered a succession of clubs since severing his 24-year association with the Gunners but is still keen to return to the Emirates Stadium as part of any takeover, The Sunday Telegraph understands.
   Publicly, Dein has still not broken his silence since dramatically being forced out of Arsenal over ‘irreconcilable differences’ in April, a move that plunged the club into turmoil with manager Arsene Wenger refusing to commit beyond the end of next season and record goalscorer Thierry Henry moving to Barcelona last week.
   Dein left Arsenal as vice-chairman after a massive fallout over US tycoon Stan Kroenke, who owns around 12 per cent of the club’s shares and has been linked with a possible takeover. The pair are believed to have held a series of discussions in recent weeks though neither has indicated his immediate intentions.
   Henry cited the departure of Dein – whose son Darren was best man at the Frenchman’s wedding and led the negotiations over his move to the Nou Camp – as one of his main reasons for ending his love affair with the north London club.
   But amid the upheaval engulfing his former team, friends of Dein Sr – who still has a 14.5 per cent stake in Arsenal – have hinted strongly that he may yet return having turned down a series of options elsewhere. ‘I know that he has been given the chance to buy up to five different clubs, both English and foreign, many of which have since been sold,’ said one rival club boss, a good friend of Dein and fellow member of the G14, the cartel of 18 all-powerful European clubs which Dein chaired until having to give up the role after being ousted at the Emirates.
   Arsenal, apparently, wasn’t one of the clubs Dein was offered, precisely the reason for him holding fire before making his next move.
   ‘I would be very surprised if he doesn’t come back somehow within the Arsenal organisation in the future,’ said the aforementioned friend. ‘It makes sense, with the shares he has, to somehow gain control, or part control.’

Milan are waiting for Andriy Shevchenko to demand a transfer from Chelsea. ‘He knows what to do,’ said Adriano Galliani.
   ‘I speak to Sheva often. He knows what he has to do,’ the Vice-President told ‘Il Giornale’ newspaper.
   Patron Silvio Berlusconi and Coach Carlo Ancelotti have also publicly stated that the Ukrainian is more than welcome to return to the San Siro just 12 months after his £30m move.
   It is reported that Chelsea have rejected a loan deal and that Milan consider £15m to be too much to buy back the Balon d’Or winner.
   Other candidates for the club include Antonio Cassano of Real Madrid and Inter’s unsettled hitman Adriano.
   ‘Is Cassano a real target or a bluff? You decide,’ added Galliani. ‘We have signed four players from Inter. Andrea Pirlo and Clarence Seedorf are still first team players, Dario Simic and Christian Brocchi just behind, while the ex-Rossoneri we sent to Appiano Gentile are long gone.
   ‘After these precedents, I doubt Massimo Moratti would hand us his Press Officer, let alone Adriano!’
   Milan had said they would bring back Massimo Donati, but instead sold him to Celtic for £3m, so will there be a major midfield acquisition?
   ‘We will sign one player, certainly. We think that the entire squad is covered and too much competition would only create problems.
   ‘For example, look at Emerson. Who would he push out of the side? I doubt Gennaro Gattuso and Pirlo, perhaps Massimo Ambrosini or Seedorf, certainly Yoann Gourcuff, who would be sent to the stands. We prefer to defend Gourcuff.’
   Some sections of the media consider this pared down transfer campaign to be a sign of weakness for the European Champions.
   ‘It is the Press who cannot free themselves of these silly clichés even after 20 years of great success. The fans understand how we operate and responded with 27,000 season ticket sales.
   ‘Our victories and ability to climb back up after a fall are all thanks to the rapport between the Coach, the club and the players. We have an airbag compared to other sides and that is created by our consistency.’
   This includes keeping hold of Kaka, who has once again been linked with Real Madrid in Spanish newspaper ‘As.’
   The edition insists that the Brazilian held a meeting with President Berlusconi to demand a transfer, having ‘won everything with the Milan jersey.’
   As the Rossoneri have already released a couple of statements over the summer slamming ‘As’ for its continued ‘harassment’ of Kaka, this is bound to create further tension.

South Africa’s globally recognised Springbok rugby emblem is in the firing line after the country’s ruling party proposed Saturday the creation of a single sports symbol.
   Also at risk are the Protea emblem of the national cricket team and the insignia of the Bafana Bafana national football squad.
   ‘The issue of one sporting emblem was discussed and it was recommended,’ African National Congress (ANC)
   policy head Jeff Radebe told reporters in Midrand, near Johannesburg, at the conclusion of the party’s four-day policy conference.
   Party spokesman Smuts Ngonyama said the move was a necessary part of efforts to unite the citizens of a country in which sport remains a divisive racial issue 13 years after the fall of apartheid.
   Despite efforts to transform the face of South African
   sports teams, there are
   regular complaints that
   especially the rugby and
   cricket teams are comprised mostly of whites in a country with an 80 percent black population.
   ‘In most countries, there is harmonisation of emblems,’ Ngonyama said.
   ‘Within the context of ... nation-building, the creation of a non-racial, non-sexist South Africa, it is important that we rally around single emblems and symbols.
   ‘It is within the context of transforming our society,’ he stated.
   No preferences had been expressed for an emblem theme, said Radebe, who is also transport minister and member of ANC national executive.
   ‘That will be left to the
   professionals to decide,’ he added.
   The conference proposal would be submitted to the ANC’s national congress in December for approval, whereafter its execution would become a government task.

The Bavarian police officers took another look just to make sure, but there it was – the breathalyser clearly showed that the Bayern Munich striker Claudio Pizarro, who had been on his way home from a night out at last year’s Oktoberfest, was over the limit. Not by much, but this was the second time in 10 months that he had been caught for the same offence. He lost his driver’s licence and was hit with a hefty fine by his club.
   Two days later, he scored the first goal as Bayern Munich defeated Inter Milan 2-0 at San Siro in a Champions League group game. It was the German club’s first away win in Italy for 19 years and the rollercoaster 48 hours was typical of the Peruvian. He is an uncontrollable maverick – he explained the drink-driving episodes by saying ‘the problem is not that I drink, but that I drive afterwards’ – but he is also a wonderful footballer.
   At the moment the 28-year-old is captaining Peru at the Copa America and next month he will start his first Premiership season after joining Chelsea on a free transfer in June. He could be the shrewdest signing made all summer.
   His team-mate at Bayern Munich, Mehmet Scholl, called him ‘the best player in the Bundesliga, simply complete,’ while his former coach at Bayern Felix Magath said, ‘He has everything a world-class striker needs. He is a great finisher, he can dribble and also come up with a great pass. His qualities also make him a very good attacking midfielder. If he avoids injuries he is one of the best strikers in the world.’
   Pizarro, whose nicknames in Germany included the ‘Bomber of the Andes’, the ‘Inca-Kaiser’ and ‘Pizza’, joined Werder Bremen from Alianza Lima in Peru as a 21-year-old in 1999. He scored 10 goals in 25 games in his first season and after a further 19 goals in the following campaign he moved to Bayern, where he won three league titles and three German cups in six years.
   However, it seemed that after every goal – he scored 100 goals for Bayern and Werder – or match-winning performance there was a controversy lurking. Apart from the drink-driving, there was a 10,000-euro club fine for suggesting, in the papers, that Bayern should play with two strikers rather than one. Then there was the time he was suspended by Peru for going back to Bayern before a game against Chile and the constant accusations that he cared more about his appearance than his football.
   When Magath ranted about the amount of time the Bayern players spent in front of the mirror putting gel into their hair, it was clear that Pizarro was one of the main culprits (the others were Roque Santa Cruz and Pizarro’s new Stamford Bridge team-mate Michael Ballack).
   Behind the controversial headlines, Jose Mourinho will find a dedicated and motivated player who leads a stable life with his wife, whom he married in 1999, and their three children. He is desperate to win the Champions League – he joined Bayern in the summer after they won the tournament in 2001 – and believes he can fulfil his dream with Chelsea. ‘I am coming with the only aim of scoring for Chelsea,’ he said. ‘I want to be part of a team that wins the Champions League.’
   Mourinho phoned Pizarro to congratulate him after he had scored his hundredth goal in Germany and also gave Newcastle’s Nolberto Solano a ring to get the lowdown on the player. ‘I am very grateful for what Solano said in that conversation,’ Pizarro said after signing his four-year contract with Chelsea. ‘The first thing I’ll do when I’m in London is invite him for a meal.’
   Pizarro will have a busy first few months in London as he has promised to dedicate time to his main passion outside football – horse racing. He missed the first race of his two-year-old filly, Raymi Coya, as she won by a length at Lingfield last month, but will make up for that when he moves to England.
   Pizarro owns more than 30 horses in Argentina. On the same day as Raymi Coya won at Lingfield, he was also able to celebrate Teamgeist winning in Buenos Aires. ‘To start with it was just a hobby for me to enjoy myself and get away from the stress of football but I began taking it more and more seriously. Now I have a satellite dish which just picks up the horse-racing channels and I keep up to date with what happens in the United States,’ he said.
   For the next few weeks, however, his focus will be on the Copa America.
   On Wednesday Pizarro inspired Peru to a surprise 3-0 win against Uruguay in their first group game, giving his country a superb chance to qualify for the quarter-finals. His energetic performance, supported by PSV Eindhoven’s Jefferson Farfan and Hamburg’s Paolo Guerrero, produced the tournament’s best attacking display until Argentina demolished the United States 4-1.
   ‘We have footballers of experience in the Peru squad,’ Pizarro said. ‘Some of us are also young but we are focused on our aims. We plan to compete and go as far as we possibly can. We’re simply not interested in staying on the margins of this tournament.’
   He will arrive at Chelsea with a similar mindset – Pizarro has not come to England to simply make up the numbers. Now it is up to Mourinho to get the best out of one of the most talented strikers in world football.
   — Irish Independent

Wimbledon organisers will be forced to payout more than £1m to spectators who endured a rain-hit day at the All England Club on Saturday.
   Fans on Centre Court only saw 57 minutes of action and are entitled to a full refund on their ticket. If Amelie Mauresmo’s win over Mara Santangelo had lasted three minutes longer, organisers would have saved over £500,000. Court One spectators can claim a half refund after seeing 74 minutes of play.
   Saturday saw the worst weather of the championships so far with play starting almost two hours later than scheduled at 1455 BST. And after Mauresmo and Maria Sharapova completed their matches, the rain arrived again with play finally abandoned at 1850 BST.
   ‘We all share the disappointment and frustration at today’s outcome and thank everyone for their patience and good humour in the face of the trying circumstances,’ said All England Club chief executive Ian Ritchie.
   ‘Although I am sure it will not compensate for the disappointment caused, I can confirm that the appropriate refund will be paid to the original purchaser.’
   There has only been one rain-free day at Wimbledon so far but organisers ruled out playing on the middle Sunday.

Rap may be more in tune with gun-toting gangsters than the tea-sipping members of the genteel All England Club, but American player Vince Spadea is doing his best to bridge the gap at Wimbledon.
   Mobsters, guns and drugs it ain’t, but outspoken part-time rapper Spadea—motto ‘ain’t afraid of ya’—has been spewing out his rhymes around the grounds in his special ‘Wimbledon Rap’.
   The 32-year-old American number five raps about Roger Federer, strawberries and cream, Anna Kournikova, eating scones, Prince William and even doing the laundry with Andre Agassi.
   ‘For a start, it’s pretty obvious I’m white. I didn’t grow up in the ‘hood. I don’t claim I have an urban influence,’ the world number 64 told Britain’s The Sun newspaper.
   ‘Sometimes I’ll rap to other players but I don’t ram it down their throats. I did a rap on Andy Roddick at the Olympics.’
   Spadea was knocked out of the men’s singles first round by Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic, the 15th seed, but he is still in competition playing mixed doubles with compatriot Vania King. Spadea hopes to record an album in future.
   ‘I want to do my best to achieve respect and do something I’m proud of. I don’t want to do something pop-ish. I don’t want to sell out,’ he said.
   ‘I’ve had offers to do stuff in New York and, in a few weeks, I’ll do some tracks to be downloaded off the Internet.’
   The journeyman pro leads a busy lifestyle. His book ‘Break Point: The Secret Diary of a Pro Tennis Player’ upset some of his fellow players with its tales of chasing women while on the tour and hanging out with models.

Uruguay and hosts Venezuela registered their first victories in the Copa America on Saturday, although both victories were marred by foul play and refereeing problems.
   On a wet, windy day in the Andean city of San Cristobal, a bruising Uruguay beat Bolivia 1-0 in a Group A double bill while Venezuela overcame Peru 2-0 after their opponents had a player sent off in the 14th minute.
   Mexican referee Benito Armando Archundia, caught up in a storm last week for his handling of the United States v Canada Gold Cup semi-final, also angered Peru by not awarding a second-half penalty.
   The game, which produced Venezuela’s first Copa win for three decades, ended in ugly scenes after Alejandro Cichero played keepy-uppy near his own penalty area and was booked, apparently for ungentlemanly conduct.
   Cichero’s behaviour incensed Peru, leading to a scuffle on the edge of the area and pushing and shoving as the players left the pitch.
   Venezuela went top of the group with four points, followed by Peru and Uruguay with three apiece and Bolivia with one.
   ‘Venezuela did very little, we created five or six clear scoring chances in the second half,’ said Peru coach Julio Cesar Uribe.
   ‘The sending-off influenced (the outcome) but we have to accept it as part of football.’
   Peru, fresh from a 3-0 win over Uruguay on the opening day, began brightly but the game changed in the 14th minute.
   Pedro Garcia was involved in a fierce tussle with Venezuela’s Giancarlo Maldonado, but the Peruvian was sent off for elbowing while Maldonado, who appeared to start the incident, received a yellow card.
   Television replays showed contact was made on the chin, but Maldonado fell over backwards.
   He laid on the ground, clutching his face in agony before returning to his feet as soon as Garcia was dismissed.
   Peru held out until halftime but four minutes after the break, Cichero outjumped the defence to head in from a corner.
   The visitors were protesting again in the 62nd minute. Paulo Guerrero won a loose ball and crossed to Pizarro, who appeared to be tripped by Hector Gonzalez as he tried to tap the ball in.
   Referee Archunda, who last week infuriated Canada by disallowing what would have been a stoppage-time equaliser in their 2-1 Gold Cup defeat to the US, waved play on.
   Venezuela midfielder Richard Paez was sent off in the 78th minute, picking up a second yellow card for petulantly kicking the ball away after an offside decision.
   But a minute later, substitute Daniel Arismendi burst down the left, cut inside and scored with a low shot which crept inside the post.
   Vicente Sanchez’s 58th minute goal was enough to give Uruguay the points in the first match.
   However, Bolivia were also angry as US referee Baldomero Toledo failed to punish some wild Uruguay challenges, especially a scything tackle from behind by Carlos Diogo on Jaime Moreno.
   Toledo appeared uncomfortable in the pressure-cooker atmosphere of South American soccer and struggled to control the game.

Argentine striker Hernan Crespo commented on the fact that although Lionel Messi is an outstanding player, sometimes he should leave individualities aside and play more for the team.
   He also spoke about Argentina’s title aspirations, and the motivation to represent his country.
   Crespo, who scored twice in Argentina’s 4-1 win over the United States on Thursday, praised team-mate Lionel
   Messi for his brilliant quality, but also said he should
   learn how to play more for the team.
   ‘He is a brilliant player, with lots of future, but maybe he has to learn that this is a team, but that’s normal, he will learn as he gets more experience over the years.
   ‘He has an enormous future and we make the most of his talent, and the quality of the whole team.
   ‘The Cup isn’t won by one (single player), we all win it, and we take note of the good atmosphere in the squad, we are united’, Crespo said.
   Argentina’s outstanding display in their debut caught the attention of the local press that thinks they have what it takes
   to win their first title since 1993.
   Crespo is also convinced about this. ‘I see Argentina (in the final). I see us winning the Cup.
   ‘That’s what I see. It will depend a lot on us, for this group of great players to become a team,’ he said.
   Crespo also commented about a possible meeting with archrivals Brazil in the final, although they will be without lots of their stars.
   ‘I just want to beat Brazil no matter with who they play, with or without their stars. Anyway I have seen who we are likely to face in the next rounds, and I think we will meet each other earlier. If everything goes to plan, we will meet (Brazil) in the semi-finals’.
   Unlike the Brazilian squad Alfio Basile selected Argentina’s best possible squad, with all their stars, including Crespo, Messi, Juan Roman Riquelme, Carlos Tevez, and Juan Sebastian Veron.
   Crespo concluded on the fact that Argentine players take pride in playing for their
   country, ‘National teams in general invite players to play for them, and nobody is obligated to play.
   ‘There is something that (Marcelo) Bielsa said and I will always remember: There is always an amateur spirit that moves you to play.’

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has described himself as a ‘rebel’. The colourful Portuguese tactician has courted controversy throughout his time in England with some of his antics.
   Mourinho has come in for criticism from opposition managers, fans, referees and the media alike during his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
   The former Porto chief admits his ‘rebel side’ came more to the fore when he moved into professional football, as unlike the players, he does not have anyone to prepare him.
   ‘My rebel side started when I moved more seriously into professional football,’ Mourinho told Portuguese radio broadcaster Radio Renascensa
   ‘The players have somebody to prepare them for the games. I do not have anybody.’
   Mourinho’s future at Chelsea has been the subject of intense speculation, but the Portuguese insists he is staying in West London.
   ‘Some newspaper named at least 14 coaches to replace me at Chelsea, but I am staying at the club,’ added Mourinho.
   The 44-year-old indicated he plans to quit management before he turns 60 as he does not want to follow the example of the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Robson, by managing in his later years.
   ‘I promised my wife that I will not be coaching until my 70s like [Sir] Bobby Robson or [Sir Alex] Ferguson,’ continued Mourinho.
   ‘By my 60s, I want to be out of football. I want to do too many things in life I cannot do now.
   ‘I do not want to become a director of football or things like that, observing somebody’s work, like Jorge Valdano or Arrigo Sacchi [at Real Madrid]. No, I don’t want this for me.
   ‘I do not want to become a pundit, or a club chairman either.’
   But Mourinho has reiterated his desire to manage Portugal, insisting it is ‘inevitable’ he will boss his country one day.
   The chance could come as early as next summer, when Big Phil Scolari is expected to step down as Portuguese boss after Euro 2008.
   The Chelsea manager sees himself leading Portugal for years - and he hopes it happens soon rather than being his managerial swansong.
   He said: ‘The international side cannot be my last project in my career. I really, really want it and I believe at a definitive moment the Portuguese FA will want it as well.
   ‘In this way I think it’s inevitable that it will happen. It is inevitable that one day I’m going to be the national coach because it is something I want a lot.
   ‘I watch some of the Under-21 games and a few of the 20-year-olds, when they’re 30 they could be trained by me in the international side.’

Germany marksman Miroslav Klose scored on debut as new-look Bayern Munich came from behind to beat Brazilian champions Sao Paulo 2-1 in the Reunification Cup on Sunday.
   Klose headed an equaliser on 60 minutes before another new signing, Turkish midfielder Hamit Altintop, secured the deserved win with a deflected free-kick.
   Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld gave Klose, who moved from Werder Bremen for a reported 15 million euros ($20 million), 99 marks out of 100 for his performance.
   ‘When a new-signing scores in his first match it’s very important for his morale and to deal with the pressure,’ Hitzfeld said.
   ‘So having a successful debut will help him a lot.’
   Klose was the final piece of a 69-million-euro rebuilding programme for the 20-time German champions, whose fourth-placed Bundesliga finish was their worst in more than a decade.
   In a clash of styles on a sodden pitch, Brazilian flair broke the deadlock on 19 minutes when Rafinha played a quick one-two and chipped the ball onto the chest of Marcel, who poked it past Bayern keeper Oliver Kahn.
   Marcel had earlier tested Kahn with a curling free-kick and Bruno headed a corner over from close range.
   Klose linked well with Germany team-mate Philipp Lahm for Bayern’s best chance of the half but the defender fired straight at Sao Paulo keeper Bosco.

Rafael Nadal has admitted he is nowhere near to matching Wimbledon champion Roger Federer on grass, even though he remains on course to meet the Swiss master in next weekend’s men’s final.
   Second seed Nadal hopes to prevent Federer winning his fifth Wimbledon title in a row, and looks the biggest threat to the champion.
   But the Spanish superstar, who is seeded to meet Federer in the final, is refusing to talk up his chances of beating him.
   Nadal said: ‘Am I close to Federer now? No, I don’t think I’m close. He has four titles here. He’s the best player in the world and he’s special. I have one final but he’s the best.’
   Muscle-bound Nadal, who was born in Mallorca and is only 21, has been chasing Federer’s shadow for some time.
   Nadal is currently ranked second in the world behind the Swiss phenomenon but leads him in the ATP Champions Race and has won 22 singles titles already in his career.
   Nadal is regarded as almost unbeatable on clay but grass is a different matter and having lost to Federer in last year’s final he is refusing to predict a victory this time, no matter how confident he feels.
   Nadal said: ‘Honestly, I think this year I’m going to try my best, that’s all. I can’t imagine winning it right now. But I will try my best in every moment.
   ‘Whatever people say, it’s a special tournament for me. I would love to win here. But it’s very difficult for Spanish players who are brought up on clay. I got to the final last year and that was a success for me and I’m going to try my best every year.
   ‘Being in the final last time will help a little bit this time, it was good for confidence. But every year is different, every year there are changes. It’s going to be very, very tough but I’m trying to play my best tennis and do it.’
   Nadal is improving with every game this year, enjoying an easy passage into the third round with a straight-sets victory over Austrian Werner Eschauer.
   On Saturday the Spaniard had hoped to follow Federer into round four by overcoming No 28 seed Robin Soderling of Sweden, but he was held up by the dismal weather.
   Against Eschauer he actually lost the first two games in the first set but roared back to take the next six in a row. The French Open champion was in total command from then on, eventually winning 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 on Centre Court.
   Nadal last beat Federer in that final on the clay of Roland Garros three weeks ago, winning 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. It was his third French Open title in a row, and he lost serve only once in the final.
   On grass Federer leads 1-0, having beaten Nadal in last year’s Wimbledon final, but Nadal’s confidence on the alien surface is growing since he made early exits from Wimbledon in 2003 and 2005.
   ‘Reaching the Wimbledon final last year has been very good for my confidence this year,’ he says. ‘Every year playing on grass is difficult but it’s important for me that I know I have played well in a grass tournament in the past.
   ‘Many things have to change on grass — you must change your style of shot, you can’t play with the same topspin and you need to be more aggressive inside the court. The current bad weather does not suit Nadal, who is hoping for an upturn in conditions.
   ‘The grass doesn’t change,’ Nadal said. ‘It’s better with the sun. The ball, you can feel a little bit more the ball. With the sun, it’s a little bit slower.’
   Nadal prepared for Wimbledon at Queen’s, winning twice before going out in straight sets to Nicolas Mahut of France in the quarter-finals.

The FA have agreed to set aside a ‘singing section’ at Wembley for England’s friendly with Germany in August.
   ‘The move comes after the governing body polled England’s most committed supporters on how to generate the best atmosphere at a stadium Steve McClaren wants to turn into a ‘fortress’.
   If the ‘singing section’ proves a success, it will be continued in the autumn Euro 2008 qualifiers.
   The FA have also increased the number of tickets available to members of the englandfans scheme, the most loyal of the team’s support.
   Tickets went on sale on Saturday, with 45,000 seats of the 90,000-capacity stadium earmarked for englandfans, reports The Sunday Telegraph.
   New stadia always require time to build an atmosphere but the huge corporate element at Wembley has affected noise levels.
   At the old Wembley, many of England’s most passionate supporters congregated around the tunnel behind one goal, producing a deafening noise when the teams emerged.
   The FA hope to recreate this with the initiative for the friendly visit of Germany on August 22.
   ‘Following feedback from members on the fans’ forum, we have nominated a ‘singing section’ for this match,’ the FA told members of England fans.
   Matches against Germany are rarely quiet but the FA’s plan makes sound sense.
   McClaren calls the fans ‘our 12th man’ and their vocal support will be vital in the Euro 2008 qualifiers that follow the Germany game.
   Israel, Russia and Estonia travel to Wembley in the autumn with England determined to
   rise from fourth place in
   Group E.
   McClaren’s men then journey to Moscow before Croatia come calling in November. An upbeat performance and atmosphere against Germany may set the tone for the year.
   Tickets for Germany range from £30 to £60 for England fans while entrance to the family enclosure costs £30 (adults) and £15 (under-16s).

Frank Lampard and John Terry have not signed new deals with Chelsea because of a dispute over image rights.
   Sunday Mirror Sport can reveal the lack of progress in agreeing new deals with the England superstars lies in the players’ insistence that they retain their image rights, which are worth millions of pounds to them.
   Lampard and Terry want pay parity with last summer’s expensive imports, Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko - and, crucially, they want their image rights too.
   Ballack and Shevchenko are Chelsea’s highest earners on about £130,000 a week. But when they joined, they signed their image rights over to the club.
   Lampard and Terry have shown their loyalty to the Blues since the pre-Roman Abramovich days. Now the England duo believe their proven quality and commitment merits the same wages as their highest paid team-mates.
   But Chelsea are refusing to budge above the £110,000-a-week offer currently on the table to Lamps and England captain Terry.
   Abramovich has decided to play hard ball in the talks with the club’s star names. The owner’s message to chief executive Peter Kenyon has been that the club will not give way over the pay offer of £110,000 a week - if the players insist on keeping their image rights.
   What are image rights? A leading agent explained: “Put simply, it’s the ability to commercially exploit the image of a player.
   “It could be by using his photograph, his autograph, his voice or even his silhouette.”
   If a player signs over his image rights to the club he normally receives higher wages in return for the club exploiting the star’s deals.
   By retaining his image rights, a player can maximise his own commercial opportunities - and keep that income, often paid in a tax-advantageous way.
   England skipper Terry was handpicked by King Of Shaves to front their high-profile advertising campaign. Lampard has lucrative deals with the likes of Orange, Tesco, adidas and Pepsi.

Jurgen Klinsmann has revealed why he turned down the chance to become Chelsea manager this summer.
   The German superstar decided to put his family before his career and opted for life in Orange County, California rather than the King’s Road.
   ‘I realised that as a family we had to move back to Europe if I was going to take such a big job. I did not want to do that to my family,’ said Klinsmann in the Sunday Mirror
   Klinsmann is married to former American model Debbie. They have a son Jonathan, 10, and a six year-old daughter Leila. He went on, ‘For me personally it was not the biggest problem if I had to go back to Europe. But for my family it was not a healthy situation.
   ‘In California my wife and children are who they are. In Europe they would be the wife and children of Jurgen Klinsmann. There would be constant attention, media focus and pressure that I would never want to put on them. The reason I packed up my job as national coach of Germany was the same as why I wanted to leave London and move to California in 1998 after I finished playing. It’s a family decision why I decided not to take up one of the biggest jobs in football.
   ‘I want my kids to grow up in surroundings where they are left alone and where the past and name of their father is not haunting them.’
   Klinsmann does not rule out returning to Europe as a coach one day in the future – but he insists the demands of front-line management mean that every boss should take a sabbatical.
   He explained, ‘I advise every manager to pack the job in for a while.
   ‘I’ve done it and it did me the world of good.
   ‘This is why I could not walk back into management after the World Cup finals with Germany last year.
   ‘I know it’s easier for me because I am financially independent. I realise some coaches have to work for their income every year.
   ‘I am blessed with the fact that I have the resources to sit back and charge up the batteries again.’