LONDON: Andy Murray will carry the weight of a nation on his shoulders as he bids to end 74 years of disappointment and become Britain`s first men`s Wimbledon champion since 1936 when he kicks off his campaign on Tuesday. Murray, who fell at the semi-final stage to eventual runner-up

COLOMBO: Indian opener Virender Sehwag will miss the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka with a hamstring injury. Team manager Ranjib Biswal said Sehwag suffered the injury during India`s three-wicket win over Pakistan at Dambulla on Saturday and has been ordered to rest. Sehwag will

BLOEMFONTEIN: Some of the France team may not want to play against South Africa in their final Group A game on Tuesday following a row over the expulsion of striker Nicolas Anelka, beleaguered coach Raymond Domenech said. Domenech told a Monday news conference that he backed the French

CAPE TOWN: A World Cup fan charged with trespassing after he entered the England team`s locker-room and lectured the squad following a lacklustre 0-0 draw with Algeria will go on trial on Friday. Briton Pavlos Joseph says he wandered by accident into the dressing room while looking for a

COLOMBO: Captain Shahid Afridi blasted 124 off 60 balls to lead Pakistan to their highest one-day international score of 385 and a 139-run consolation victory over Bangladesh in the Asia Cup at Dambulla on Monday. Afridi stole the show, flaying the hapless Bangladesh bowlers all over the

MELBOURNE: Uncapped New South Wales batsman Usman Khawaja was named on Tuesday in Australia`s 14-man squad on Tuesday for next month`s two-test series against Pakistan in Britain. The 23-year-old Khawaja, who was born in Pakistan but moved to Australia as a youngster, was named in the

JOHANNESBURG: Ghana already has one milestone behind it and now it stands a victory away from achieving maybe an even bigger one—sending Germany to its earliest exit from a World Cup. Ghana became the first African team to win a World Cup game on African soil when it beat Serbia 1-0 in

NELSPRUIT, South Africa: The return of two suspended players and the absence of two others could prove to be a deciding factor in Wednesday`s World Cup Group D clash between Australia and Serbia. Australia welcome back arguably their best player in Tim Cahill, who missed last week`s 1-1

PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa:  Chile broke through the formerly impenetrable Swiss defense, and Mark Gonzalez`s goal might be enough to get the South Americans into the second round of the World Cup. Substitute Gonzalez scored on a header in the 75th minute Monday as Chile beat 10-man

RUSTENBURG, South Africa: England`s preparations for their pivotal World Cup meeting with Slovenia on Wednesday have been left in disarray after Fabio Capello savaged former skipper John Terry for challenging his authority. Terry will start Wednesday`s must-win match in Port Elizabeth

JOHANNESBURG: Goals either side of half-time by Barcelona`s new signing David Villa saw Spain beat Honduras 2-0 in their Group H clash at Ellis Park on Monday to put their World Cup back on track. After losing their opening game 1-0 to Switzerland, the easy victory puts Spain on course

IRENE, South Africa: Landon Donovan thinks the best is yet to come for the U.S. soccer team. Yes, 2006 was a disappointment and even the quarterfinal finish in 2002 wasn`t completely satisfying. "The two World Cups I`d been a part of, we hadn`t strung together three consecutive good

JOHANNESBURG: Portugal thrashed North Korea 7-0 on Monday in the World Cup`s highest score so far, restoring some bruised pride for Europe`s stuttering soccer powers and dashing the Asians` chances of progress. Little-known North Korea were back at a World Cup for the first time since

LONDON (Reuters) - Six-times champion Roger Federer came back from the brink of a dramatic first-round exit at Wimbledon on Monday, recovering from two sets down to beat gritty Colombian Alejandro Falla 5-7 4-6 6-4 7-6 6-0. Federer, bidding for a record-equalling seventh men`s singles

JOHANNESBURG: Brazil showed their true World Cup colours on Sunday, turning on the turbo to beat Ivory Coast 3-1 in Group G with two goals from Luis Fabiano securing their place in the last 16. But Brazil`s delight was curtailed when midfielder Kaka was controversially sent off for a

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa: A powerful Paraguay side beat toothless Slovakia 2-0 in Bloemfontein on Sunday to leave the South Americans on the brink of qualification for the World Cup knockout phase. A first-half goal from Enrique Vera and a late strike from Cristian Riveros at a

NELSPRUIT, South Africa: New Zealand achieved their greatest footballing result here on Sunday holding on for a stunning 1-1 draw against defending champions Italy in their World Cup Group F match. The All Whites - who lost all three of their matches on their previous appearance in 1982

LONDON: Wimbledon champion Roger Federer will step on to Centre Court on Monday (1200 GMT) to face Colombia`s Alejandro Falla with the prospect of a record-equalling seventh men`s title on his mind. Asked if he had been thinking about Pete Sampras`s modern-era record at the grasscourt

DURBAN: South Korea have targeted the sometimes fragile Nigerian temperament as a route to victory when a tight World Cup Group B reaches a climax on Tuesday with all four teams still in the hunt for a second round spot. Despite a thrashing at the hands of Argentina in their last match,

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa: A big win against a scandal-hit France side on Tuesday might not be enough for South Africa to meet a nation’s wild expectations but is the only way they might avoid making unwanted history. Victory with plenty of goals could save South Africa from becoming