Two a penny

.Defending champions Spain proved there is life without Rafael Nadal when it swept aside Switzerland 4-1 overnight to set-up a mouthwatering Davis Cup quarter-final clash with France.
World number two Novak Djokovic won a five-set thriller to defeat America’s John Isner and hand Serbia a first ever place in the Davis Cup quarters.
Serbia will face bitter rivals Croatia at home on July 9-11 for a spot in the semi-finals after Djokovic claimed a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4 win over Isner in a four hour, 16 minute marathon as his team took an unassailable 3-1 lead.
Croatia, the 2005 champions, the Czech Republic, which was runners-up to Spain last season, and France had already wrapped up their quarter-final places on Saturday.
Russia also went through thanks to a 3-2 win over India, its 17th successive home win, which gave it a last eight clash against Argentina who defeated Sweden 3-2 in Stockholm.
Nicolas Almagro then eased past Marco Chiudinelli 6-1, 6-3 in the dead rubber.
In Logrono, world number 16 David Ferrer scored the winning point for Spain as he easily saw off an exhausted Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 to give the hosts an unbeatable lead after they had led 2-1 overnight.
Despite his heroics, Ferrer admitted that his place in the team for July’s clash with France was not guaranteed with Nadal and Fernando Verdasco expected to return. I just want to focus on the next tournaments,” said Ferrer. .
“It’ll be like a final, it’s the kind of thing you dream about,” said France captain Guy Forget.
France maintained their 72-year domination of Germany when they wrapped up a 4-1 win in Toulon, leaving the French eager to face Spain on home ground..
“Facing the defending champions with Nadal, Verdasco, Ferrer, Lopez…”
France will have the advantage of playing the tie at home and will – not surprisingly – opt for a hard court rather than the clay courts favoured by the Spanish. We have started to talk about it and I hope that the boys will be in peak form.
Croatia wrapped-up a 5-0 win over Ecuador in their first round tie.
“You play tennis for moments like this, at home, in front of your own fans and against a very strong team,” said Forget.
Rohan Bopanna won the dead rubber, beating Teimuraz Gabashvili 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, to ensure a final scoreline of 3-2, after veteran doubles pairing Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi won Saturday’s doubles to keep India in the tie.
In Moscow, Mikhail Youzhny eased Russia into the last eight when he beat Somdev Devvarman 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 to give his side a 3-1 lead over India.
“It was much easier for me in the first two sets.
“It wasn’t as easy as the scoreline may suggest,” Youzhny said.”
David Nalbandian was Argentina’s match-winner in Stockholm when he defeated Andreas Vinciguerra 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the deciding rubber after Robin Soderling had seen off Leonardo Mayer 7-5, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 to pull Sweden level. I won many points with drop shots as he (Devvarman) was not running well. Chile were 2-0 ahead after the opening singles. Chile were 2-0 ahead after the opening singles.
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.Real Madrid has become the first team in any sport to post revenues in excess of 400 million euros ($602 million) in a single year, according to an annual survey of the richest soccer clubs by accountancy firm Deloitte.
In its survey released today, Deloitte said the figure of 401.4 million euros had been helped by high broadcast revenue.
European and Spanish champion Barcelona overtook Manchester United, which was hit by the weak pound, into second position.
Real topped the “Football Money League” report, which ranks the 20 biggest clubs by revenue, for the fifth consecutive year. The club’s revenue rose by 57 million euros to 366 million euros.
Barcelona posted the largest absolute increase in the Deloitte report, from the 2008-09 season.
“Real Madrid and FC Barcelona have created a clear revenue gap between themselves and their European competitors, and look set to contest the top two positions in the Money League for the foreseeable future, particularly if the pound doesn’t strengthen against the euro,” Alan Switzer, director in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, said in a statement.
The combined revenue growth for the 20 clubs slowed compared with previous years to over 3.
Top clubs weathered the worst economic crisis in decades thanks to their loyal fan bases and large broadcast audiences, according to the report.8 billion).9 billion euros ($5.
The top 20 was little changed from last year, with Werder Bremen and Manchester City replacing VfB Stuttgart and Turkish club Fenerbahce.
“However, it will not be until 2009-10, the season currently in progress, before we see the full impact on clubs’ revenues,” said Paul Rawnsley, director in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte.
The list was again dominated by European clubs, with seven English clubs, four from Italy, and two each from France and Spain.
The list was again dominated by European clubs, with seven English clubs, four from Italy, and two each from France and Spain. (1) Real Madrid (ESP) 341.
Rankings (position, last year’s position, club, country, revenue in millions of pounds, revenue in million of euros):
1.4
2.9, 401.7, 365. (3) FC Barcelona (ESP) 311. (2) Manchester United (ENG) 278.93.0 4.5, 327.6, 289.6, 289.5 5. (6) Arsenal (ENG) 224.0, 263.06. (5) Chelsea (ENG) 206.4, 242.3 7. (8) Liverpool (ENG) 184.8, 217.0 8. (11) Juventus (ITA) 173. .29. (10) Inter Milan (ITA) 167.4, 196.510. (7) AC Milan (ITA) 167.4, 196.511. (15) Hamburg SV (GER) 124.9, 146.712. (9) AS Roma (ITA) 124.7, 146.413. (12) Lyon (FRA) 118.9, 139.614. (16) Marseille (FRA) 113.5, 133.215. (14) Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) 113.0, 132.716. (13) Schalke 04 (GER) 106.0, 124.517. (n/a) Werder Bremen (GER) 97.7, 114.718. (20) Borussia Dortmund (GER) 88.1, 103.519. (n/a) Manchester City (ENG) 87.0, 102.220. (17) Newcastle United (ENG) 86.0, 101.0 -

.Europe’s major airports are in the grip of strikes, with at least one more staff walkout now threatening services.
French air traffic controllers are threatening to strike for four days from today.
From today, strikes by air traffic controllers in France are set to affect services all over the country.
In the UK, British Airlines cabin crew have voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action, and Germany’s Lufthansa is now negotiating with pilots over a strike which affected tens of thousands of passengers.
Five unions are taking part. Civil aviation authorities will ask airlines to cancel some flights at Paris’ two main airports, Orly and Charles de Gaulle.
The union’s Len McCluskey says work conditions are also a major concern for unionised British Airways cabin crews, who have voted overwhelmingly to go on strike. They are worried about how Europe’s single sky policy will affect their jobs.
In the face of big losses, British Airways this year cut cabin crew numbers on long haul flights and brought in a two year pay freeze.
“A clear indication of the deep sense of grievance that our members feel,” he said.
“These are people who fly together, these are people who put each other’s health and safety in each other’s hands, and to try to pit one against the other which the company has done and I have to say some pilots, not all, but a number of pilots have behaved in a way that I think when they look back on this in time to come when we have resolved this dispute, they’ll be rather ashamed,” he said.
Mr McCluskey says the airline is threatening to take away staff travel perks if they strike, and bringing in strike breakers to pit workers against each other.
“We are not talking about the death knell for the airline, but we are talking about a situation in which the airline will be severely damaged and long term damaged, and it would lose out to its competitors,” he said.
However, analyst Howard Wheeldon, of BGC Partners, says British Airways has nothing left to give, and the striking crew will price themselves out of a job. The company has just agreed to head back into talks with pilots, after a strike of less than 24 hours.
Mr Wheeldon says German airline Lufthansa is in a similar position. They don’t trust us anymore.
Lufthansa spokesperson Klaus Walter says the airline has already been damaged
“We have passengers that are now cancelling their flights even if they have tickets for a later date and they could fly.
The pilots’ union was planning a four day walkout, which Lufthansa says would have cost it 100 million euros. .
“I just came back from Afghanistan and want to go to my family in the United States.
The shorter strike was enough to disrupt the trips of 10,000 passengers.
Lufthansa’s 4,000 pilot strike has only been suspended for two weeks, putting extra pressure on talks. It is difficult,” said one affected traveller in Dusseldorf.

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.Five players from French rugby league club Catalans Dragons have been arrested following an alleged brawl in Leeds, northern England.
The players were detained by police following the weekend’s 28-20 loss to Wakefield in their opening match of this season’s Super League.
A West Yorkshire police spokesman said nine men in total were on custody and that two were taken to hospital for treatment to head injuries. .
In a statement, the Dragons said: “The club are co-operating fully with the police in their investigations.
The incident came less than three weeks after six players from rival Super League side Huddersfield were arrested and bailed following rape allegations during the club’s preseason training camp in Newcastle, north-east England.”
The Dragons are coached by Australian Kevin Walters and the club has eight Australian players on its books.
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.Emerging teen star Melanie Oudin has sealed the United States’ passage to the semi-finals of the Fed Cup with a 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 win over Julie Coin, as the Americans eased through 4-1.
Also advancing were holders Italy, who waltzed past host Ukraine 4-1 in Kharkiv as the sister act of Alona and Kateryna Bondarenko failed to disturb Francessa Schiavone and Flavia Pennetta before Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci carried off the doubles for good measure.
“This victory is very important for me as I lost the decisive match against Italy in the final.
In the absence of the Williams sisters the American contingent has shown its strength in depth and Oudin, who looked a little out of her depth in last year’s final loss to Italy, was delighted to prove her own worth in bagging the all-important point at Lievin.
“Then I got into my game. I was tense to begin with but Julie was also making things tough for me as she was serving very well,” Oudin said.
Oudin, breaking crucially in the fifth game of the second set to steady herself, made headlines last year with an exciting run to the US Open quarters, having reached round four at Wimbledon, shocking former world number one Jelena Jankovic en route. I’m really happy to have helped my team win this match in France,” said the 18-year-old from Georgia, ranked 53 on the WTA computer as she took her country’s Fed Cup record to 11-1 against the French.
Here, she beat Pauline Parmentier in straight sets in the second singles rubber after 140th-ranked Bethanie Mattek-Sands had started the ball rolling with a 7-6 (9-7), 7-5 win over Alize Cornet.
At Flushing Meadows, she then defeated fourth seed Elena Dementieva and another former number one, Maria Sharapova.
But she was unable to prevent Oudin, taking her tournament record to 3-3, from sealing the decisive point which takes the USA through to the semi-finals as it hones in on an 18th title.
That loss being Cornet’s sixth loss in as many Fed Cup starts, team captain Nicolas Escude withdrew her from the firing line and sent in Coin.
Serbia kept in the clash thanks to the impeccable Jelena Jankovic, who made it two singles rubbers out of two when she beat former US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
In the semis, the Americans will play Russia, which edged Serbia 3-2 in a thrilling tie.
Elsewhere, the Czech Republic edged out Germany 3-2 at Brno in a thriller which went down to the final rubber.
However her team-mate Ana Ivanovic’s woeful form continued as she lost to Alisa Kleybanova in straight sets and then she and Jankovic had no answer in the decisive doubles as they were steam-rolled in straight sets.
But the 24-year-old was unable to complete a hat-trick in the doubles as, after seeing off Petra Kvitova early in the day, she and Tatjana Malek went down in straight sets to Lucie Hradecka and Kveta Peschke.
The Czechs, beaten semi-finalists by the USA last year and chasing a sixth title to go third in the historical rankings ahead of Spain, saw Anna-Lena Groenefeld bag two points for the Germans.

.The amateur archaeologist who first discovered a World War I mass grave in the French town of Fromelles says it was “wonderful” to see the first soldier from the site laid formally to rest at the weekend.
Gunshots rang out across the frozen cemetery on Saturday as the first of the 250 unknown British and Australian soldiers, who all died in the 1916 Battle of Fromelles, was lowered into an individual grave.
“It was wonderful to see the services and that’s what it’s all been about – dignity, and in time, identity for the soldiers of Pheasant Wood,” he said.
Lambis Englezos, whose work was central to bringing the Pheasant Wood grave to light, said he was moved watching the burial at the weekend. And hopefully in time we can give as many of these soldiers as possible their identity.
“Seeing the Army burying their own – our own – was really quite moving.”
The full military honours burial took place in a specially-built cemetary just metres from where the grave was discovered.
“For me, it’s wonderful to see the burial of that soldier and to know that our boys are in good hands in the village of Fromelles.
The final soldier will be buried and the cemetery will be dedicated on July 19, the 94th anniversary of the battle.
The fallen soldiers, who remained undisturbed for over 90 years, are being buried without headstones as a panel aims to identify as many as possible.
“I think we’ve got a moral obligation to recover our war dead, I think the Australian Army has to be congratulated, having established and maintained a process which has brought us to this point,” he said.
– ‘Moral obligation’ –
Mr Englezos said while it would have been preferable for families to be present to witness the individual burials of their loved ones, the sheer scale of the operation meant this was impossible.
“But having said that, Pheasant Wood and the work there, it’s not blood specific, there’s a general ownership of the Pheasant Wood work, and it’s just been remarkable to see this.
“However I would have hoped that maybe the panel of identification could have sat prior to the burial, so that families could have been given the opportunity to be there.
In 24 hours Australian forces suffered over 5,000 casualties as troops charged German trenches in broad daylight.”
The 1916 Battle of Fromelles was the first offensive involving Australian troops on the Western Front.
Veterans’ Affairs Minister Alan Griffin described the Battle of Fromelles as “the bloodiest 24 hours in our military history, before, or since.
The end of the offensive, which had been deemed unnecessary days earlier by senior commanders, found the Australian troops forced back to their original positions. .”
– Task ahead –
While identifying the soldiers has been central to the recovery process, DNA consultant Dr Peter Jones says many gravestones may remain nameless.
But the organiser of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, David Richardson, says he is hopeful the team will be able to put names on some of the headstones.
“At the very, very best, with everything working completely perfectly, the most we’re likely to match up is about 100,” he said.
“There are so many cemeteries here in France and Belgium and all over the world where we work, where there are unknown soldiers, so I think individual burials for us are just fantastic.
“I think, in a way, that’s a little bit of a bonus,” he said.”
Mr Richardson says it is a relief to see the soldiers reburied.”
Mr Richardson says it is a relief to see the soldiers reburied.
“I’ll be more relieved at the end of February when we’ve buried the full 250, but it’s great to see the cemetery fit for burial,” he said.
“It’s the first new cemetery since World War II, but to build something from scratch on a brand new site in a limited time scale in a wet field in northern France has posed some challenges.”

.Veteran Frenchman Fabrice Santoro has announced he will compete in the Australian Open later this month, making him the first player in four decades to participate in 70 grand slam tournaments.
The 37-year-old – still ranked 68th in the world – had announced his retirement last November following the indoor tournament in Paris.
But he insisted his latest decision did not signal a return to the ATP circuit.
“This is just a very personal thing.
“This decision does not affect my announcement to retire as a professional player,” he said in a statement.”
Santoro, who has been training at Roland-Garros for the past few days, said his intention was not to put away his racquets for good once he retired from the circuit. There is nothing else to it, and it certainly is not a comeback.
“Tennis is my life, my passion,” he said. .
“My decision to retire did not mean I was going to throw my racquets into a cupboard.”
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.Muslim women who wear the full Islamic veil in France will face a possible 750 euro ($1,170) fine, according to a draft bill unveiled by the leader of the parliamentary majority.
Jean-Francois Cope, who heads the governing UMP party in the National Assembly, told Le Figaro newspaper’s weekly magazine that men who force their wives to wear the burqa or niqab could face an even heavier fine.
“The law will address an issue of security,” Mr Cope said in an interview with the magazine.”
The draft legislation will be presented in the next two weeks and should come up for debate in parliament after the March regional elections, he said.
“The proposed measure would prohibit the covering of the face in public places and on the streets, with the exception of special cultural events or carnivals.
“We can measure the modernity of a society by the way it treats and respects women,” he said.
The majority leader, who is also openly campaigning to succeed President Nicolas Sarkozy as the right-wing candidate for the presidency in 2017, said the burqa must be banned to defend women’s rights. .
Many politicians from the left and right have cautioned that a draconian law banning the head-to-toe veil would be difficult to enforce and probably face a challenge in the European rights court.
The burqa debate has heated up ahead of the release at the end of the month of a much-awaited report by a parliamentary panel that has conducted six months of hearings on the issue.
Critics argue that a specific law enacted to ban the full veil would be tantamount to using a sledgehammer to swat a fly.
Mr Sarkozy himself has said that the burqa is not welcome in France but has not stated publicly whether legislation should be enacted.
In the interview, Mr Cope argued that a law would act as a deterrent by sending a “clear message” that France will not allow women to fully cover themselves. Only 1,900 women wear the full veil in France, according to the interior ministry.
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.Frenchman Richard Gasquet has been cleared over a positive cocaine test, after sport’s highest court accepted that he was probably contaminated inadvertently by kissing a woman in a nightclub.
“The player has been exonerated from any fault or negligence,” the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said as it rejected an appeal from the International Tennis Federation (IFT) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), who had asked for a ban of between one and two years.
“On a balance of probability, the CAS panel concluded that it was more likely than not that the player’s contamination with cocaine resulted, as Gasquet always asserted, from kissing a woman in a nightclub in Miami on the day before the anti-doping test and that the player had met the required standards of proof with respect to the way of ingestion.
“I am totally relieved,” Gasquet told French television channel Canal Plus.”
The world number 52, who appeared before a CAS hearing in Lausanne in November, was provisionally suspended in May after a sample he provided in March tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.
“I thought I had more chances to win grand slams, to beat (Rafael) Nadal at Roland-Garros and (Roger) Federer at Wimbledon than to be tested positive. .
“I am happy to be a hundred per cent cleared.
“I am now ready to go to Australia on December 28, to play two tournaments there and to enter the Australian Open. It was very difficult for me, I’m glad it’s over. I could have done without all this but now I’m happy to be back on the tennis courts.
“Mentally, it was very tough.”
Gasquet, who finished 2007 in the top 10 of the ATP rankings, always claimed his innocence and said he had a hair sample tested by an independent lab which showed no trace of cocaine. My goal is to make it back into the top 10.
In July, an independent tribunal set up under the tennis anti-doping program, found the 23-year-old guilty but ruled that he had been inadvertently contaminated.
In July, an independent tribunal set up under the tennis anti-doping program, found the 23-year-old guilty but ruled that he had been inadvertently contaminated.
The ITF expressed its disappointment at the CAS decision to clear Gasquet.
However, the ITF and WADA appealed to CAS in August for a heavier sanction.
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.Albert Camus’ daughter says critics of the French President have turned her late father into an “anti-Sarkozy missile”, after Nicolas Sarkozy called for the renowned writer be reburied in Paris.
Mr Sarkozy suggested earlier this month that the remains of the author of The Outsider and The Fall should be brought to the Pantheon, the resting place for French national heroes.
The right-wing leader’s idea provoked a largely hostile reaction from France’s intelligentsia, with many pundits arguing that the left-wing existentialist philosopher’s legacy was being exploited for political gain. .
Daughter Catherine Camus said she was shocked by the degree of hatred for the President that was expressed after he suggested her father’s remains be moved from their current resting place in southern France. For me, he represents my country. “I am a republican citizen and the president of the republic was democratically elected.”
But she added that she was surprised that Mr Sarkozy had decided to take an interest in an author noted for his deeply individualist beliefs and for his defence of the downtrodden.
Albert Camus’ son Jean was angered by the Pantheon plan, and denounced it as a cynical bid by Mr Sarkozy to requisition the legacy of a staunchly left-wing thinker.
“Men of power do not usually like Camus,” said Catherine Camus, who has not yet declared whether or not she is in favour of moving her father’s remains to the Pantheon.
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