Paris: Making his comeback after missing the last two grand slams, Rafa Nadal probably expects a warm reception next week when he returns to Roland Garros - an event which is supposed to be one of the summer highlights of the French sporting calendar.
Yet the Spaniard, in pursuit of a record-extending eighth title, is likely to be greeted by cold, grey and damp weather and few would blame him if he turned up at the French Open with thermals covering his bulging muscles.
After being out of action for seven months with a knee injury following a shock second-round exit at Wimbledon last year, Nadal has enjoyed a spectacular run of form which his great rival Roger Federer summed up as: "Eight out of eight finals of eight tournaments. It's amazing."
That run had included six titles, including Masters success in Indian Wells, Madrid and Rome. In Paris, however, the devastating effect of his top spin will be less felt with rain showers forecast and temperatures expected to be between 5-10 degrees below usual....
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11:05 PM, May 24, 2013
Paris: India's Somdev Devvarman qualified for the main draw of the men's singles event at the French Open here on Friday. Somdev defeated eight seed Wayne Odesnik of the United States 6-3 6-4 in the third and final qualifying round at the Rolland Garros. Somdev will now take on Spaniard Daniel Munoz-De La Nava in the first round of the main draw. Somdev had earlier defeated Italian Matteo Viola 6-4...
10:46 PM, May 24, 2013
Virginia Water: Luke Donald, the PGA Championship winner in 2011 and 2012, is almost certain to miss the cut after returning a level-par 72 for a six-over total of 150 at Wentworth on Friday. The real damage was done in Thursday's opening round when the world number six collapsed to a six-over 78 in cold, damp conditions at the European Tour's flagship event. The weather was no better for the...
09:29 PM, May 24, 2013
Monaco: Alain Prost, four times world champion and 'Professor' of Formula One, says radical new engine rules for 2014 will reward drivers who can add brainpower to the horsepower at their disposal. The little Frenchman, now an ambassador for Renault F1, earned his nickname in the turbo era of the 1980s for his analytical skill, strategic acumen and knack of preserving the tyres and brakes. The regulations will undergo the...
09:18 PM, May 24, 2013
Cape Town: Understanding the fragility of the world's top players and the human element of the game have been the cornerstone of Gary Kirsten's approach to coaching international cricket teams. The 45-year-old heads off on his last assignment with South Africa on Saturday to the Champions Trophy in England after deciding to quit the post to spend more time with his young family. It will leave the world's top-ranked test...
08:56 PM, May 24, 2013
Paris: Seven-time champion Rafael Nadal could face top-seeded Novak Djokovic in the French Open semifinals a year after they met to decide the title. Friday's draw for the clay-court Grand Slam tournament placed Nadal and Djokovic on the same half of the field, while Roger Federer could face David Ferrer in the other semifinal. Federer, the owner of a record 17 major titles including the 2009 French Open, will face...
06:01 PM, May 24, 2013
New Delhi: Socialite Paris Hilton wore Indian designer duo Falguni and Shane Peacock's creation at the amFar (The American Foundation for AIDS Research) Cinema Against AIDS Gala in Cannes. Paris, who attended the gala with her boyfriend River Viiperi, was spotted wearing a customised baby pink coloured full-length gown with feather embellishments at the bottom. "Paris has always loved our clothes and we have worked with her in the past....
05:50 PM, May 24, 2013
Los Angeles: South Korean rapper Psy's doppelganger, dressed in a similar style like that of the 'Gangnam Style' hitmaker, attended the Cannes film festival and even took pictures with Hollywood A-listers. The impersonator attended events and parties at the festival uncaught until the real singer tweeted that he was not at the event, reported Aceshowbiz. "Seems like there's another me at cannes... Say hi to him @scooterbraun lol #PSYinSINGAPORE, he...
04:55 PM, May 24, 2013
London: Indian golfer SSP Chowrasia endured a topsy-turvy start, carding a one-under 71 on the opening day to be tied 23rd in the BMW PGA Championship here. The two-time winner on the Asian and European Tours, Chowrasia had an eventful round with five birdies and four bogeys. India's other two challengers in the event, Gaganjeet Bhullar (74) and Jeev Milkha Singh (78) had a rough time in the first round....
04:05 PM, May 24, 2013
Stumps: The first day's play of the second Test between England and New Zealand was abandoned due to rain. TOSS DELAYED: It's raining in Leeds, and even if it stops right now, we are in for an at least 90-minute delay. But the rain doesn't look like relenting at the moment, keeping the ground under covers. Ground News: The conditions are freezing as we approach the toss time. Heavy wind...
02:34 PM, May 24, 2013
Cave HilL, Barbados: West Indies vice-captain Denesh Ramdin has backed his team to make a smooth transition to the 50-over format when they open their campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy starting next month. Several leading members of the squad have been campaigning in the Indian Premier League over the last six weeks but Ramdin said Thursday he expected no fallout from this. In fact, he contended that the IPL...
02:24 PM, May 24, 2013
Paris: Victoria Azarenka used to create the impression on court she was contending with more than an opponent. There seemed to be demons at play as well. Consider her fourth-round meltdown against Nadia Petrova at Wimbledon in 2009. She began mimicking her own movements before sarcastically shaking a linesperson's hand and telling the chair umpire, "You guys have so much power to ruin the whole match." She is now a...
02:19 PM, May 24, 2013
After making heads turn with her classic look on the red carpet, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was recently spotted in an Indian avatar. The actress was seen wearing a shimmery golden saree by designer Tarun Tahiliani. Though, the golden look did go a little overboard but the actress managed to carry it off well. ...
11:31 AM, May 24, 2013
Cannes: Ritesh Batra's debut film 'Lunchbox' has bagged the critics week viewers choice award at the 66th Cannes Film Festival. Starring Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddique in the lead roles, the film received unanimous praise from the audience during its screening at the festival. "Just got the news the lunchbox won its first award at Cannes," Irrfan posted on Twitter. 'Lunchbox', which is one of one of the four films...
10:19 AM, May 24, 2013
After making her appearance on the red carpet in gowns, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan chose for a Indian avatar. She was seen wearing a Tarun Tahiliani golden saree. Though, the golden look a little too much for the red carpet but nevertheless the actress managed to carry the look. ...
10:16 AM, May 24, 2013
Paris: A look at 10 of the top topics at the French Open, the clay-court Grand Slam tennis tournament that begins on Sunday and ends on June 9: 1. WHY STOP AT SEVEN? Rafael Nadal already owns a record seven French Open titles - he broke a tie with Bjorn Borg by winning last year - and is widely considered the favourite to add No. 8. He is 36-2 this...
09:10 AM, May 24, 2013
Nice, France: Second-seeded Gilles Simon of France and third-seeded Sam Querrey of the United States were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Open de Nice on Thursday. Spaniards Alberto Montanes and Pablo Andujar and Frenchmen Gael Monfils and Edouard Roger-Vasselin reached the last four. Wild-card entry Roger-Vasselin beat Querrey 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-1. The Frenchman broke Querrey twice in the final set to lead 5-1 before converting his first match...
08:54 AM, May 24, 2013
Fort Worth, Texas: American Ryan Palmer took advantage of ideal scoring conditions and local knowledge with a birdie fest as he charged into a one-shot lead in Thursday's opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas. The 36-year-old Texan piled up eight birdies on the way to a flawless eight-under-par 62 on a relatively calm morning at iconic Colonial Country Club, matching the lowest first round ever...
08:38 AM, May 24, 2013
Leeds: Spinner and former skipper Daniel Vettori ruled himself out of the second Test at Headingley, ensuring New Zealand will take on England with an all-pace attack from Friday. Vettori's decision to put the team first rather than play a 112th Test and become the sole New Zealand record-holder for caps, means fast bowler Doug Bracewell will complement a seam attack with Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner. "It's...
08:35 AM, May 24, 2013
