Ten-man Wanderers break Heart

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Warrior ... Shinji Ono scores for the Wanderers. Source: Quentin Jones / AAP

Even a 10-man Western Sydney proved too strong for Melbourne Heart as the A-League newcomers continued their remarkable rise with a 1-0 victory.

Despite having defender Jerome Polenz sent off in the 13th minute, the Wanderers were totally dominant in front of 14,624 fans at Parramatta Stadium.

Shinji Ono's 73rd-minute penalty secured the win, after Josip Tadic earlier had a spot kicked saved following Polenz's sending off.

The win was Western Sydney's third straight and they climb into third place, ahead of Adelaide United on goal difference.

		P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	Central Coast	18	11	5	2	17	38
2	Victory	18	10	3	5	3	33
3	Western Sydney	18	10	2	6	8	32
4	Adelaide	18	10	2	6	4	32
5	Heart	18	6	3	9	-2	21
6	Newcastle	17	6	3	8	-8	21
7	Brisbane	18	6	2	10	-1	20
8	Sydney	18	6	2	10	-9	20
9	Perth	18	5	4	9	-1	19
10	Wellington	17	4	4	9	-11	16

The Heart were left to rue a big opportunity to boost their finals hopes after Polenz's early exit, and the defeat leaves them in danger of dropping out of the top six.

Referee Strebre Delovski showed no hesitation in brandishing a red card early after David Williams had broken on goal before being clattered from behind by right back Polenz.

Tadic stepped up for the resulting penalty but couldn't convert it, with Ante Covic swatting his shot away with relative ease.

Midfielder Aaron Mooy was sacrificed for Lacopa La Rocca in a tactical switch and the Wanderers remained the more dangerous side.

Mark Bridge, Dino Kresinger and Ono all forced decent saves out of Andrew Redmayne while Nicholas Kalmar came closest for the visitors with a long-range drive in the 34th minute.

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As Australia Day fireworks exploded around the stadium, the tempo of the game slowed early the second half as the Heart started to grow into the game.

But Western Sydney regained the ascendancy and finally got their breakthrough when Youssouf Hersi - who had caused havoc in attack all night - was brought down in the box by David Vrankovic.

Ono stepped up and buried the penalty for his fifth goal of the season.

Tadic had a late chance for redemption but was denied by a great Covic stop.

In a positive for the Heart, former Socceroos midfielder Vince Grella made his long-awaited return from injury off the bench in the 67th minute, his first appearance since last playing for Blackburn in September, 2011.

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Striker Eli Babalj also came on, having returned to the club on after being released by Serbian club Red Star Belgrade.

Wanderers coach Tony Popovic felt the way his side reacted to going a man down showed how much it had matured.

"That's another first for us. The boys have shown that down to 10 men, they're not just going gung-ho. They're playing with structure and playing with belief and confidence,'' Popovic said.

"You could see at halftime in the change room, they really believed they could win the game. It wasn't just hope.''

The coach feared at one stage the Wanderers may not get a reward for their dominance.

"But I certainly would have been proud after the game whether we won or lost that one,'' Popovic said.

Heart coach John Aloisi was at a loss to explain his side's flat performance.

"We weren't good. The penalty incident I don't think would have changed much,'' Aloisi said.

"They were better than us ... which is disappointing because 10 against 11, you expect it to be the other way around.

"We can't be performing like that, it's just not good enough.''

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Azarenka downs Li in dramatic final

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Still the one ... Victoria Azarenka retains her No.1 ranking and Aussie Open crown. Source:AAP

Victoria Azarenka broke down in tears after retaining her Australian Open crown and world No.1 ranking with a drama-charged final triumph over Chinese challenger Li Na.

In an extraordinary encounter, Li needed two separate medical timeouts and was treated for possible concussion before finally succumbing 4-6 6-4 6-3 to the top seed after two hours and 40 suspense-filled minutes on Saturday night.

Australian Open: Ladies Singles

Round F, 26/01/13

Aza (1)	4	6	6
Li (6)	6	4	3

Li had hundreds of millions of Chinese hearts in mouths for the first time when she collapsed in a heap during the second set and hobbled off court.

She returned, though, six minutes later with her left ankle strapped and recovered from a service break down to draw level at 4-4 and close to within two games of taking the title.

Li looked for a second time like she may have to retire after falling heavily and hitting her head on the Melbourne Park centre court on the very first point after the resumption from a nine-minute break for the Australia Day fireworks.

Li was cleared after medical testing from tournament doctors and conjured a break point while leading 2-1 in the deciding set, only for Azarenka to rally and deny the 2011 French Open champion a place in the history books as the oldest woman to win the Open singles crown.

Had Azarenka lost, the Belarusian would also have relinquished her top ranking to Serena Williams, the reigning Wimbledon, US Open and Olympic champion.

Instead, she joins Williams (17), Venus Williams (7), Maria Sharapova (4) and Svetlana Kuznetsova (2) as the only active players with multiple grand slam titles.

It was not the most popular Open victory after the 23-year-old was roundly condemned for taking a controversial double medical timeout immediately after blowing five match points in her semi-final victory over American teenager Sloane Stephens.

While Li was afforded a rousing reception upon her entry to Rod Laver Arena, applause for Azarenka was subdued and at times the top seed was heckled by fans.

The Belarusian had the last laugh, though, collecting the winner's cheque for a record $2.43 million after seeing off Li in a tense rollercoaster ride lasting almost two-and-three-quarter hours.

"It's been a long two weeks for me," Azarenka admitted.

Li, turning 31 next month, had been bidding to remove Australian great Margaret Smith Court from a page in the Open record books as the oldest woman to reign in the 45-year open era.

Alas, lightning struck twice for the Chinese tennis pioneer who two years ago became her country's first and only major singles champion with a breakthrough success at Roland Garros.

Entering Saturday night's final, Li was the only player in the past 25 grand slam women's deciders to squander a one-set lead.

That defeat came against Kim Clijsters at Melbourne Park in 2011.

Now it has happened again in a final full of twists and turns.

But she vowed to return to try again.

"I know I'm not young, but I have to say I'm very (much) looking forward to next year," Li said.

Drama and tension aside, it was not the highest-quality final with the match featuring 16 service breaks and 77 unforced errors in 29 games.

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Warner heroics can't stop Sri Lanka

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Flying start ... Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera celebrate Sri Lanka's win. Source: Rick Rycroft / AAP

David Warner's best-ever international innings couldn't help Australia turn around their reputation as Twenty20 battlers in a crushing five-wicket loss to Sri Lanka on Saturday night.

Sri Lanka lost 4-23 midway through their chase, but eventually cruised to victory with seven balls to spare in front of 40,242 fans on Australia Day at ANZ Stadium in Sydney.

T20 - ANZ Stadium

26 January 2013 - Day 1, Session 2

Sri Lanka 1st Innings

A. Mathews	35	27	3	1	129.63
T. Perera	19	12	0	2	158.33
B. Laughlin	3.5	0	46	0	12.00

Thisara Perera (19 off 12) brought up the win with consecutive sixes, after Kusal Janith Perera (33 from 22) and skipper Angelo Mathews (35no from 27) paved the way for victory.

Warner (90 from 62 balls) was let down badly by his fellow batsmen as Australia set a meek target of 138, despite losing just three wickets.

George Bailey was the only man other than Warner to find the fence - a solitary six in the ninth over.

Adam Voges (25 from 29) summed it up best: "I think Davey was playing on a different wicket to the rest of us."

Unfortunately for Australia, most of Sri Lanka's batsmen also found a way through the slow conditions.

Warner's excellent innings featured five boundaries and three heaving sixes.

But it counted for little, with usual big-hitters Aaron Finch (1), Shaun Marsh (6) and Bailey (11) failing to take golden opportunities to ride on the coat-tails of arguably the world's best T20 striker.

Bailey called Australia "underachievers" before the first of two T20Is against Sri Lanka.

Despite promises to turn things around, that tag remains for the team ranked a lowly seventh in the world - who play Sri Lanka again on Monday in Melbourne.

Tasmanian carpenter Ben Laughlin stung Tillakaratne Dilshan with a vicious bouncer in the fourth over and then took a spectacular leaping catch in the seventh to inspire hope in the Australians.

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Left bloodied above his eye by the bouncer, Dilshan hit Xavier Doherty over Laughlin's head into the out-field - only for the recalled quick to sprint with his back to the ball and reel in one of the catches of the summer.

In-form Doherty took two wickets, as did Indian Test hopeful Glenn Maxwell - but it wasn't nearly enough protecting such a slender total.

Bailey and Warner said Australia fell 10 to 15 runs short of posting a par score, but credited the expert bowling of Sri Lankan pace weapons Lasith Malinga (0-19 from four) and Nuwan Kulasekara (1-21 from four) at the death.

Warner described Malinga as a "genius", while Bailey refused to blame Voges in particular for not hitting out earlier with seven wickets in hand.

Bailey said shabby fielding - including numerous dropped chances - cost Australia any chance of victory.

But he was reluctant to make changes ahead of Monday's match.

"Our fielding was disappointing and probably cost us 10 runs and that adds up," he said.

"I thought Sri Lanka bowled unbelievably well their last four overs. Any side that can bowl to Davey set and deprive him of boundaries ... they executed unbelievably well."

Warner said it was unusual to score nearly two thirds of the team's total and not win the match.

The 26-year-old defended the performances of Finch and Marsh, denying they were nervous.

"I don't think they had any fear in their eyes at all either, they're two quality players, they've been in fantastic form and it's just one of those nights where it doesn't come off," Warner said.

Mathews said an assessment is needed on Dilshan's health and availability for Monday.

The Sri Lankan captain said his side did all the little things right in the field and praised Malinga and Kulasekara - who allowed just 14 runs in the final two overs - as the difference.

"We started brilliantly, we were electric in the field and the bowlers bowled extremely well," he said.

"Lasith and Kulasekara were the ones who pulled us back.''

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Brisbane scrape through in Perth

Breaking through ... Brisbane's Thomas Broich makes a run through Perth's defence. Source: AAP

A 30-metre wonder strike from Brisbane midfielder James Meyer lifted the Roar to a crucial 1-0 A-League triumph over an injury-riddled Perth Glory at nib Stadium on Saturday night.

Brisbane entered the match on a three-game losing streak and with their finals hopes hanging by a thread.

But Meyer's low drive in the 16th minute was enough to secure a vital three points, the win lifting the Roar into seventh spot and back to within a point of the top six.

		P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	Central Coast	18	11	5	2	17	38
2	Victory	18	10	3	5	3	33
3	Western Sydney	18	10	2	6	8	32
4	Adelaide	18	10	2	6	4	32
5	Heart	18	6	3	9	-2	21
6	Newcastle	17	6	3	8	-8	21
7	Brisbane	18	6	2	10	-1	20
8	Sydney	18	6	2	10	-9	20
9	Perth	18	5	4	9	-1	19
10	Wellington	17	4	4	9	-11	16

The ninth-placed Glory have now gone six straight games without a win, but remain just two points adrift of sixth spot.

Perth almost snatched a share of the spoils in a frantic final few minutes, but Nick Ward and Ryo Nagai saw their goalward-bound attempts cleared off the line.

The Glory limped into the match missing six players from their first-choice line-up.

Midfielder Liam Miller and defender Josh Risdon were suspended, while Bas van den Brink and Dean Heffernan (back) couldn't be considered.

But the biggest losses were that of striker Shane Smeltz (groin) and skipper Jacob Burns (back), their absence leaving a gaping hole.

Brisbane were also missing a host of key players, with skipper Matt Smith (hip), Henrique (hip), Jade North, Besart Berisha (suspended) and Shane Steffanutto (suspended) all unavailable.

Glory created the better chances of the first half and both Travis Dodd and Steve Pantelidis should have put away their close-range efforts early on.

Those misses proved costly, with Meyer giving Brisbane the lead against the run of play.

Meyer's charge towards goal looked fairly innocuous at first, but his unexpected low drive beat a diving Danny Vukovic, who was furious to let in the long-range goal.

Glory had a penalty appeal turned down in the 54th minute when Chris Harold crashed to the ground after trying to squeeze his way past two Roar defenders.

And Brisbane goalkeeper Michael Theo endured some nervy moments two minutes later when he charged 11 metres outside of his box but failed to clear the ball.

Glory midfielder Nick Ward streamed towards goal.

But with only a Roar defender manning the net, Ward sent his shot high of the target.

The passage of play summed up Glory's night, with the home side left ruing a series of missed chances to square the game.

Meanwhile, the Roar announced on Saturday that they've signed Australian youth international Steven Lustica on loan until the end of the club's A-League and Asian Champions League commitments.

Lustica has been loaned to the Roar from Croatian powerhouse Hajduk Split.

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Duke double wins it for Mariners

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Matchwinner ... Mitch Duke scored a double for the Mariners. Source:AAP

Young striker Mitchell Duke came off the bench to fire Central Coast to a come-from-behind 3-1 victory over Adelaide and extend their lead atop the A-League.

Duke scored twice in the second half to turn what had been a frustrating match for the Mariners in front of 8294 fans at Bluetongue Stadium.

Despite totally dominating the first half, the home side trailed 1-0 at halftime of the top-of-the-table clash after Reds defender Daniel Bowles' scored against the run of play.

		P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	Central Coast	18	11	5	2	17	38
2	Adelaide	18	10	2	6	4	32
3	Victory	17	9	3	5	1	30
4	Western Sydney	17	9	2	6	7	29
5	Heart	17	6	3	8	-1	21
6	Newcastle	17	6	3	8	-8	21
7	Sydney	17	6	2	9	-7	20
8	Perth	17	5	4	8	0	19
9	Brisbane	17	5	2	10	-2	17
10	Wellington	17	4	4	9	-11	16

But Duke's performance, and an inspired substitution by Graham Arnold, ensured Central Coast moved six points clear of second-placed Adelaide.

Arnold was delighted with the performance, comparing it to the Mariners' 7-2 thumping of Sydney FC earlier this season.

"It was up there with our best (performance) of the season," Arnold said.

"I think if we were more clinical in front of goals, you could have had another Sydney FC score. We had that many chances.

"I think the boys really stepped up tonight and set their own standards again and they have to maintain them."

Arnold was full of praise for Duke, who started in the season opener but has struggled with an ankle injury since.

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"Over the last few week he's been getting back to his best," Arnold said.

"I just said to him 'it's your night, tonight. No one else has been able to put it in, so put it in' and it was two great finishes."

Midfielder Michael McGlinchey sealed the win with a goal in the 89th minute.

Celtic-bound playmaker Tom Rogic was officially farewelled at halftime and life after the young playmaker won't be looking quite as dim following the performance of 22-year-old Duke.

He entered the game in the 61st minute in place of Oliver Bozanic and needed only six minutes to pull the Mariners level.

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The Reds failed to defuse a Nick Montgomery cross and Duke was on hand to poke the ball home for his second A-League goal.

Duke was again involved a short time later as his cross was handballed by Bowles in the box and referee Peter O'Leary pointed to the penalty spot.

League top scorer Daniel McBreen stepped up but had this spot kicked denied by a brilliant diving save from Eugene Galekovic.

The miss was quickly forgotten, though, when Duke gave the Mariners the lead in the 72nd minute with a fine solo effort.

He controlled the ball well, created space for himself, then unleashed a powerful shot from just outside the box to score.

Duke would have had a hat-trick if not for another great save by Galekovic.

Arnold also introduced new signing Nick Fitzgerald and he provided the assist as McGlinchey scored from close range in the dying minutes.

Remarkably, Adelaide took a 1-0 lead into halftime despite being totally dominated by the Mariners.

The home side's best opportunities came in a frantic three-minute period, with Bernie Ibini hitting the side netting from a dangerous McBreen ball in the 16th minute.

Ibini then made a spectacular run into the box two minutes later before Bozanic scuffed a shot, allowing Galekovic to stop it from point-blank range.

The frustration continued as McBreen struck the post a minute later and chances continues to go begging as the half went on.

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Adelaide almost stole the lead against the run of play in the 36th minute through Jeronimo Neumann but they did so three minutes later.

Bowles' long-range shot took a deflection off Bozanic and Mariners 'keeper Mat Ryan could do little as it went in off the left upright.

Adelaide coach John Kosmina admitted his side was simply outplayed.

"There's a reason they're top and we're not - they're a good side," Kosmina said.

"Having said that, we turned the ball over way too cheaply.

"If you keep doing that you're going to build pressure on yourself and eventually you're going to start to feel the pinch."

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Parked cars blamed for TDU crash

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Carnage ... Tim Duggan was one of the cyclists to go down in a crash. Source: Ben MacMahon / AAP

Retired Australian cycling legend Robbie McEwen has blamed parked cars for helping contribute to another massive crash at the Tour Down Under.

But race director Mike Turtur says that is "ridiculous" and blamed the crash on rider error.

Chief commissaire Peter Stuppacher also defended the road conditions at the end of stage four on Friday.

German sprint ace Andre Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) won the 126.5km stage from suburban Modbury to the Barossa town of Tanunda, meaning he has broken McEwen's race record for stage victories.

It was Greipel's third win in Adelaide this week and he is now the most prolific stage winner in the Tour's 15-year history with 13.

Australian riders Graeme Brown (Blanco) and Bernie Sulzberger (UniSA) went to hospital for X-rays after the sickening pile-up in the last kilometre.

Brown lost a horrific amount of skin off his left forearm, but tweeted he had not broken any bones, while Sulzberger has a badly-damaged finger.

The crash took out about 15 riders, including Orica-GreenEDGE's sprint train of Matt Goss, Daryl Impey and Jens Mouris.

"I ended up going into the side of a (parked) car," Goss said.

The crash happened on a flat, wide and straight stretch of road, with the riders travelling at close to 70km/h.

The bike of Zak Dempster (UniSA) was left in pieces by the force of the impact.

"They might say no-one actually hit them (cars), the crashes were in the middle of the road, but the problem is riders swing away from the cars," said McEwen, who retired from cycling last year.

"It goes across the bunch like a wave - somebody cops it and they crash over the other side.

"It comes directly from having cars there ... it's not good enough."

But Turtur strongly disagreed.

"It is basically a situation of rider error in the sprint," he said.

"To suggest parked cars contributed to the crash is ridiculous."

Turtur added the Tour had crash barriers for the last 800m - more than many major European races.

Stuppacher also backed the road conditions and called the crash a race incident.

There were also two other crashes in the last few kilometres as riders frantically fought for position.

One left American sprinter Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Sharp) with some cuts and abrasions.

There was also a high-speed crash on a descent near the end of stage two that took out a large group of riders.

Welsh star Geraint Thomas (Sky) stayed out of trouble again on Friday and maintained his five-second overall lead heading into Saturday's decisive stage at Willunga, south of Adelaide.

The 151.5km Queen stage of the Tour features a hilltop finish and two ascents of the testing Old Willunga Hill climb.

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Man U confirm Zaha signing

Wilfried Zaha ... is set to undergo a medical at Manchester United. Source: Daniel Hambury / AAP

Manchester United have struck a deal with Crystal Palace for the London club's highly-rated winger Wilfried Zaha to join them in July.

A statement on United's official website said that the 20-year-old, who won his first England cap in November, will stay at Palace till the end of the season and then make the move to Old Trafford.

"The player is having a medical in Manchester today (Friday, January 25). There will be no further comment by any party until Wilfried joins United in July 2013."

Palace confirmed that Zaha had agreed personal terms and that he had been loaned back to them for the remainder of the current campaign.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said: "We are signing a player of potential. We always feel we develop players well. We have proved that many times. We hope the boy enjoys coming here, when he comes in the summer."

Zaha told Palace's official website www.cpfc.co.uk: "I am delighted to be joining Manchester United and ending the recent speculation.

Palace co-chairman Steve Parish said: "I feel this is a great deal for the club and the player. We would like to thank Wilf for all he has done for the club and we all wish him well when he joins Manchester United in the summer.

"It was essential to Wilf and ourselves that he stayed at Palace for the remainder of this season to help the club with its main aim of promotion to the Premier League."

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Murray claws into Open final

Gritty ... Andy Murray grinds past Roger Federer to book a date with Novak Djokovic. Source: Dennis Sabangan / AAP

Andy Murray has clawed his way into Sunday night's Australian Open tennis final against world No.1 Novak Djokovic after seeing off his former grand slam nemesis Roger Federer in a nerve-straining five-setter.

Djokovic would have been delighted to watch Murray slug it out 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-7 (2-7) 6-2 in exactly four hours on Friday night after strolling through his own semi-final against David Ferrer a night earlier in just 89 minutes.

Australian Open: Mens Singles

Round SF, 25/01/13

Mur (3)	6	6	6	6	6
Fed (2)	4	7	3	7	2

Murray's win sets up a rematch of the US Open final, where he beat the Serb for his maiden grand slam title, and he will be trying to become the first man in the open era to notch his first two major victories back-to-back.

But he could not have made much harder work of beating Federer.

The Scot was in control for much of the night, but kept Federer hanging on with poor tiebreakers in both the second and fourth sets as well as failing to serve out the match when he had the chance in the fourth.

Their only three previous grand slam meetings had been in finals, with Federer victorious on each occasion, all before Murray had broken his grand slam duck.

But the Scottish third seed, buoyed by his US Open win and victory over Federer in last year's Olympic gold medal match, looked confident from the start of their semi-final.

Murray controlled the first set, putting constant pressure on Federer's serve and picking up an early break while having little trouble on serve himself.

With great rhythm on serve and his excellent court-coverage making it unusually difficult for Federer to finish points, the Scot also held the upper hand for most of the second set.

That was until the tiebreaker, when forehand unforced errors on three consecutive points put him 3-1 down.

After levelling at 5-5, a badly mistimed Murray overhead allowed Federer to rip a backhand winner past the Scot and gain a set point, which he converted.

But Murray hit back hard, racing through the third set, which he capped with his 16th ace.

A mental lapse contributed to him dropping serve for the first time early in the fourth set, but he broke back, then looked poised to quickly finish Federer off when he broke again, to love, for a 6-5 lead.

But after the Scot went up 30-15 to be two points from victory, Federer reeled off the next three to force a tiebreaker, then stormed through that to level the match.

As in the third set, Murray channelled frustration into renewed venom, speeding through the first three games of the fifth.

This time there was no let-off for Federer as Murray kept his foot down all the way to the finish.

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Hazards: Sports' best brain snaps

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Brain snaps ... Athletes can lose their cool when the going gets tough. Source:Fox Sports

Live sport is all about being close to the action, but that's not exactly what these fans and officials were expecting when they had their run-ins with sports elite.

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Hazardous job

In Thursday morning's League Cup match - in scenes needed to be seen to be believed - Chelsea star Eden Hazard appeared to kick a ballboy, who wasn't letting go of the ball, in the stomach.

Hazard was shown a red card, and may yet face further sanctioning, but he isn't the first sportsperson to see the red mist descend in a moment of madness.

Cantona attempts to kick racism out of football

Who can forget Eric Cantona reacting to crowd abuse by hurling himself into the Selhurt Park stands and delivering a kung-fu kick and a series of punches to Crystal Palace fan Matthew Simmons back in 1995?

Cantona received a lengthy ban, but it could have been far worse, his two-week prison sentence eventually overturned on appeal.

Alderman's unfortunate tackle

Terry Alderman discovered the perils of taking on a fan during the 1982-1983 Ashes series when he tackled a pitch invader to the ground.

Alderman dislocated his shoulder in the process and was out of the game for a year, not that it deterred future cricketers, as Andrew Symonds showed when he put the shoulder into a streaker in 2008.

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Watch our video at the top of the page of sports best brain snaps and let us know any we have missed by leaving a comment at the bottom of the page.

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Williams unleashes volley of abuse

The sport brain snap isn't always physical, as tennis superstar Serena Williams showed with a foul-mouthed tirade to a lineswoman at the 2009 US Open.

Irate at a foot fault call at a crucial point in the match, Williams unleashed on the official, reportedly threatening: "I swear to god I'm f***kin going to take this ball and shove it down your f**kin mouth."

Serena later apologised but the damage was already done.

Ron Artest ... brawls with NBA fans in 2004. Source: AP

Ron Artest before his World Peace days

What's the best way to start a fight with an athlete? Throw a cup of soft drink at them of course. That's what happened to Indiana Pacers star Ron Artest during wild NBA brawl in 2004.

A scuffle between players quickly spilled into the stands, with Artest, who has since changed his name to Metta World Peace, fighting with four different fans.

Artest was suspended for an NBA-record 86 games and lost close to $5m in prize money for his role in the ugly incident.

Carmen uses his head

Former Aussie rules bad boy Phil Carmen was never far from the headlines during his career and received a 20-week ban for headbutting an umpire and striking an opponent in a match against St Kilda in 1980.

Carmen marked his return to the game from suspension in the only way he knew how, by being reported.

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Have we missed any great sporting brain snaps? Let us know by leaving a comment below or by tweeting to @FoxSportsNews using the hashtag #fsnbrainsnaps.

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Djokovic through to Aus Open final

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Slammin Serb ... Novak Djokovic celebrates another semi final win at the Australian Open. Source: Dita Alangkara / AP

World No.1 Novak Djokovic will be fresh, confident and in near-perfect form for Sunday night's shot at a record third straight Australian Open title after charging through his semi-final against David Ferrer.

Djokovic made the Spanish fourth seed look like a junior hitting partner as he won 6-2 6-2 6-1 in just 89 minutes on Thursday night.

Australian Open: Mens Singles

Round SF, 24/01/13

Djo (1)	6	6	6
Fer (4)	2	2	1

Ferrer, who has now played in five major semi-finals but never a final, is renowned as a running machine who always keeps fighting.

Those attributes were never going to be enough as the bigger, stronger Djokovic ran the Spaniard around the court then finished points with style and power to keep his unbeaten grand slam record against Ferrer intact.

Djokovic won more than twice as many points as Ferrer, at one stage during the second set stringing together 12 in a row to underline the one-way nature of the contest.

He rode a confidence wave through the third set, making spectacular winners look regulation, as he gave up just 11 points for the set.

The Serb, who extended his Melbourne Park winning streak to 20, will now await the victor of what is expected to be a much closer and more gruelling semi-final on Friday night between 17-time grand slam winner Roger Federer and US Open champion Andy Murray.

Djokovic said playing like he did against Ferrer was a rare feeling.

"I played incredible tennis," he said.

"I felt very comfortable and very confident from the start.

"I was aware of David's quality, I wanted to be aggressive on the court, but this is definitely one of the best performances I've had in my career."

He said it was no coincidence such a stellar showing came at Melbourne Park.

"This has been my most successful grand slam - I love this court, I love this atmosphere," Djokovic said.

"I'm just pleased to have another shot at the title." 

Djokovic's previous three Australian Open finals have all resulted in wins - in 2008 and the past two years - setting him up with a chance on Sunday night to become the first man in the open era to claim three in a row.

If it's Federer he's playing, both finalists will be seeking a slice of history, as the Swiss great will be chasing his fifth Australian Open crown, which would be an open era record.

If Murray wins through, it will set up a rematch of the most recent grand slam final, when the Scot won his maiden major title at last year's US Open, beating Djokovic in a near-five-hour five-setter.

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Blues bowlers restrict Warriors

Stephen O'Keefe ... backs teammate Moises Henriques for a Test call-up. Source: Mark Evans / News Limited

Four wickets in the space of 24 hours combined with more than 1600km travelled have left NSW captain Stephen O'Keefe in no doubt that allrounder Moises Henriques is ready for Test cricket.

Four wickets in the space of 24 hours combined with more than 1600km travelled have left NSW captain Stephen O'Keefe in no doubt that allrounder Moises Henriques is ready for Test cricket.

SHEF - Blacktown International Sportspark

24 January 2013 - Day 1, Session 3

Western Australia 1st Innings

S. Whiteman	41	107	6	0	38.32
J. Behrendorf...	0	13	0	0	0

Henriques claimed just one wicket as the Blues restricted Western Australia to 9-232 at stumps on day one of their Sheffield Shield clash at Blacktown on Thursday.

The 25-year-old faced a battle just to get to the western Sydney venue after playing a vital role for Australia in the one-day win over Sri Lanka in Hobart on Wednesday night with figures of 3-32.

Henriques' travel schedule started with a 7.30am flight out of the Tasmanian capital and ended nearly five hours later.

But it was his nine-over spell for the Blues after backing up from the previous night's heroics that impressed his state skipper enough to suggest another plane ticket - one to India - wasn't out of the question.

With Shane Watson deciding his body is unable to withstand the rigours of bowling, the Test allrounder spot has suddenly opened up, with Henriques and offspinning allrounder Glenn Maxwell looming as the main contenders to fill it for next month's four-Test series in India.

"There's no doubt I believe Moises has got talent as an allrounder (at that level)," O'Keefe said.

"I think his batting's good enough and I think his bowling's good enough.

"He showed in the one-dayer for Australia, that match-winning three-for, I think that's just a small glimpse at the potential he's got to win games.

"When he's on, he's as good a batter as anyone else and he's more than handy with the ball."

In fact, the most impressive bowler of the day was O'Keefe himself, another potential bolter for the Indian tour as the Shield's leading spinner with 12 wickets.

Both have just three more days to push their cases for inclusion in Australia's trip to India, and they'll have to do it against a Warriors outfit desperately fighting to get off the bottom of the Shield ladder.

O'Keefe claimed 3-52 on a slow wicket that offered a little for the spinners, including the scalps of openers Liam Davis (39) and Marcus Harris (25) as well as top-scorer John Rogers (45).

But it was his decision to send the Warriors in to bat which had the skipper most disappointed after a mostly productive day for the Blues.

"I don't think we assessed (the conditions) as best we would've liked on that wicket," he said.

"We thought it would've had a bit more with the new ball, however it's turned out to be pretty slow and offers a little bit for the spinners."

One man no longer pushing for Test selection is the recently retired Michael Hussey, who ended his international career in front of a full SCG earlier this month.

It was a far different sight at Blacktown, where the 37-year-old scored 29 before falling victim to Chris Tremain (1-35) during a period in which the visitors lost 3-37 after lunch to slump to 5-128.

Promising wicketkeeper-batsman Sam Whiteman (41) and Rogers (45) led a lower-order recovery which helped WA push their score towards respectability.

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We bring you NRL Supercoach

Superstar ... Will Billy Slater make your SuperCoach team? Source: Renee McKay / AAP

This NRL season foxsports.com.au and SuperCoach have teamed up to bring you all the features you have been asking for.

You can win big this season with a major prize of $30,000 and $500 up for grabs each week.

The sooner you sign up the longer you'll have to tinker with your team and get it just right for the 2013 NRL season, kicking off on March 7.

Just select your team of 25 players, staying within a salary cap of $5 million, and you're all set to go.

And all new in 2013, you no longer have to worry if a last minute injury brings down one of your top talent - take advantage of the rolling lock-out.

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Sign up for NRL SuperCoach now to start your team by clicking here!  

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With the rolling lock-out you can edit your starting line-up of 17 players prior to the start of and right through each round up until your players' actual individual NRL matches get under way.

And don't forget to get your friends involved by entering up to five public or private mini leagues so you can go after bragging rights.

New year, new format, plenty of new features to make your SuperCoach experience the best yet.

To get you started, trial SuperCoach Gold free for two weeks. You'll have access to detailed analysis, player score projections, analysers, trade wizard, alerts and more.

To register, simply sign in with your foxsports.com.au fantasy account details and you'll be on your way to being a SuperCoach.

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Video: Lights out for teen wrestler

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Lights out ... High School wrestler Michael McComish has a day to forget. Source:AAP

Michael McComish, a high school wrestler in rural South Dakota, has found himself in the spotlight on internet videos since a spotlight literally fell on him during a match.

The Madison High School senior was on his hands and knees on the mat in the 72kg match at his home gymnasium when a huge aluminum light fixture, estimated as weighing between 35kg and 45kg, fell from the ceiling 30 feet onto him.

McComish escaped with only minor cuts from the incident last Friday, although the video of the light falling upon him has been shown nationwide on US news programs and ESPN and gained YouTube attention for him as well.

"Just letting everyone know I'm fine! Stitches in my head. Gash on forehead and back of me head and little cuts from the glass nothin serious,'' he posted on his Twitter page.

"Nothing anybody could've done about it and I'm perfectly fine right now!''

School officials told the Daily Leader newspaper that the light fell after a rope broke that was holding the spotlight, which was brought in for the annual "Madison Square Garden Night'' event.

McComish and rival Thomas Swanson of Chamberlain went out of bounds during the first period of their match and were brought to the middle of the mat just before the spotlight fell, according to the newspaper.

"I walked over to the center, set, and the next thing I know the lights are on top of me,'' McComish told television station KSFY.

"It was bright. I couldn't stand up. It was awkward. I fell back down and got some cuts on my knees."

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DR Congo want to build on bright start

THE Democratic Republic of Congo could take a massive step toward qualifying for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals with a win over Niger Thursday.

The Leopards displayed resilience by fighting back from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 with Ghana, four-time champions and one of the teams fancied to go all the way to the final in the competition.

After the game, coach Claude Le Roy was congratulated by the president of the France Football Federation for "bringing honour to African football".

However, Anderlecht striker Dieumerci Mbokani warned they have to look ahead now if they wish to go past the first round.

"We have not yet qualified for the next stage of the tournament but the result against Ghana has boosted our confidence," said Mbokani.

They will be up against a determined Niger, who are still seeking their first Africa Cup point, having lost all four matches since their debut at the 2012 tournament in Gabon, where they lost to the tournament co-hosts, Tunisia and Morocco.

Niger coach Gernot Rohr has lauded the fighting spirit of his team.

"We fought hard against Mali, who I believe will go very far in this competition, and we will fight against the Congolese," said Rohr.

"We are very strong defensively, but have struggled offensively."

All-action defender Mohamed Chicoto said they will not surrender as long as they have a chance of making it to the knockout rounds.

"It will be a very difficult game against DR Congo but as long as we have a chance to make it past the first round we will not give up," stressed Chicoto," he said.

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Aussies get home in final ODI

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Spin saviour ... Xavier Doherty helps Australia get the job done in Hobart. Source: Chris Crerar / AAP

Australia have overcome the loss of captain Michael Clarke and averted disaster by squaring the one-day series against Sri Lanka at 2-2 with a tough 32-run victory at Bellerive.

An unbeaten century from Phil Hughes and three wickets apiece from Xavier Doherty and Moises Henriques have helped the home side to a fighting win after they were down 2-1 in the series.

5th ODI - Blundstone Arena

23 January 2013 - Day 1, Session 2

Sri Lanka 1st Innings

N. Kulasekara	14	11	2	0	127.27
L. Malinga	2	5	0	0	40
C. McKay	9.3	0	51	2	5.37

Without their skipper and best player due to an ankle injury and less than a week after being bowled out for 74, a disastrous 3-1 loss on home soil beckoned.

But Hughes cracked 138 from 154 balls, his highest ODI score, to anchor Australia's 5-247 and set up a daunting run chase for Sri Lanka.

Doherty (3-21) then removed three of the tourists' top four and Henriques (3-32) made crucial breakthroughs to drag Australia off the canvas.

The Lankans had cruised to 0-57 before losing 4-20 to all but crash out of the decider.

They were 1-57 when Mahela Jayawardene, in his last match as captain, was caught for 38 from 39 balls attempting to chip Doherty over the infield.

Doherty struck again in his next over when he had Lahiru Thirimanne (1 from 10) caught in the deep at 2-62.

When Henriques had Tillakaratne Dilshan (19 from 48) caught behind it was 3-71 and Doherty bowled Dinesh Chandimal (6 from 10) for 4-77.

A patient 79-run stand between Angelo Mathews (67 from 79) and Jeevan Mendis (26 from 40) for the sixth wicket would have brough flashbacks of Mathews' matchwinning performance at the MCG in 2010.

But Henriques bowled Mendis in the 44th over at 6-187 and Mitchell Johnson (2-45) removed Mathews without a run being added to have the home side in sight of victory.

Man of the match Hughes said the Australians had shown plenty of fight in grinding out the win.

"We would have loved to have won it but the position we were in when we came here, we were really behind in the series," he said.

"To bounce back here like we did tonight, it showed fight from all the boys and that's a really pleasing thing to show that fight."

Jayawardene was ruing the series that got away after the fourth game in Sydney was washed out when Australia had made just 9-222.

"It's tough to get over something like this but we've played some good cricket so we can take something very positive from the entire series," he said.

"Sydney was disappointing but even here today was a bit disappointing because I think if you're chasing anything under 250 it's very much gettable with the new field restrictions."

Earlier, Hughes' second hundred of the series included 13 fours and a six, David Hussey the home side's next best with 34 from 39.

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Re-live the action with our ODI Match Centre.

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Clarke failed to recover from an ankle injury he suffered in a training drill on Tuesday, his place taken by spinning allrounder Glenn Maxwell in a revamped batting order and George Bailey captaining Australia for the first time on his home ground.

Clarke told the Nine Network X-rays had cleared him of any break but he could need an MRI scan.

He has time on his side with the first of Australia's five one-day matches against the West Indies in Perth still nine days away.

Tuesday's match was being played in front of 8102 fans on a day it was announced a $30 million redevelopment of the ground would boost the capacity from 15,000 to 19,500.

Sri Lankan swing bowler Nuwan Kulasekara was named man of the series for his 11 wickets.

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Federer fights off brave Tsonga

All class ... Roger Federer advances to another semi-final. Source: AAP

Roger Federer's trademark poise under pressure has propelled him into his 10th straight Australian Open semi-final after a high-class five-set battle with power-packed Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Australian Open: Mens Singles

Round QF, 23/01/13

Tso (7)	6	6	6	6	3
Fed (2)	7	4	7	3	6

The athletic Muhammad Ali look-alike went shot for shot with the four-time Open champion throughout Wednesday night's quarter-final, with only a few critical points separating them as the Swiss great won 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-3.

It booked the second seed an enticing semi-final match-up with third seed Andy Murray on Friday night.

The Scot beat Federer in last year's Olympic Games gold medal match, after Federer had downed Murray in the Wimbledon final to claim his 17th major title.

With top seed Novak Djokovic and fourth seed David Ferrer through to Thursday night's semi, it means the top four seeds are the last four survivors in the men's draw for just the 15th time in a major in the open era.

While Murray cruised through his quarter-final against unseeded Frenchman Jeremy Chardy on Wednesday, Federer's clash with seventh seed Tsonga - coached by Australia's Roger Rasheed - couldn't have been much tighter.

Federer had not lost a set or even a service game previously in the tournament.

But Tsonga's mix of big serves, big shots, delicate touch at the net and court speed troubled the Swiss enormously as he dropped serve five times for the match.

In the second and fourth sets that proved decisive but in the first and third Federer's poise in the tiebreakers was invaluable.

In the first-set tiebreaker an over-rule fault call on Tsonga's first serve of the game proved critical as Tsonga lost that point, giving Federer an advantage which he maintained throughout.peIn the third-set breaker, Federer produced an exquisite down-the-line backhand to grab a mini-break and 6-4 lead, then clinched it on his first set point.

Tsonga, who became the first man to beat Federer from two sets to love down in a grand slam match in the 2011 Wimbledon quarter-finals, refused to buckle or temper his aggressive game.

He roared through the fourth set, breaking Federer's serve twice.

A crucial unforced error on break point in the fourth game of the fifth set proved costly.

But Tsonga fought to the end, saving four match points on his own serve at 2-5, the third of those with a spectacular lunging volley, forcing Federer to serve it out.

Federer said it was tough to close the match out, but that was typical of the entire clash.

"The whole match was tough. Any set could have gone either way," he said.

"You never know what Jo's going to come up with.

"It was a pleasure to come through.

"I felt like I played some great tennis but Jo played great tennis too."

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Black Caviar sizzles in trial

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Comeback ... Black Caviar is nearing a return to racing after a successful 800-metre trial. Source:AAP

Black Caviar's return to the racetrack appears a step closer after an impressive jump-out this morning.

Peter Moody's champion sprinter was part of a nine-horse field that ran 800m at Sportingbet Park on Tuesday morning.

As expected, Black Caviar made light work of those also in 'Trial 6' - cruising home to win in the impressive time of 45.58 seconds - but of more interest was how the six-year-old looked in her action.

She jumped quickly from the gates, assumed a front position and cornered wide but still cruised to the finish more than three lengths clear of her nearest rival.

Black Caviar's likely comeback race is the Group 1 Lightning Stakes - which has been renamed the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes - on February 16.

Moody has also floated the idea of his superstar running in the Newmarket Handicap on March 9.

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Dellacqua, Barty into doubles semi

Young star ... Ash Barty is still in the hunt for an Australian Open title. Source: Joe Castro / AAP

As the senior partner in a blossoming Australian doubles partnership, Casey Dellacqua senses the opportunity for something special at the Australian Open this week.

The 27-year-old West Australian and 16-year-old Queenslander Ashleigh Barty powered into the women's doubles semi-finals at Melbourne Park with an emphatic straight sets win over Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 6-2 6-3.

For Barty, a Grand Slam semi-final is uncharted territory and the excitement is building and bubbling over.

So too for Dellacqua, who already has a Grand Slam mixed doubles title under her belt.

She won the 2011 French Open with American Scott Lipsky, and has been in the women's doubles semi-finals before at the Australian Open - with Francesca Schiavone four years ago when the duo lost.

But she believes the prospect of her and Barty being able to achieve something special at their home Grand Slam is now a real one.

"I think this is a great opportunity for Ash and I," Dellacqua said.

"I didn't think I'd win the mixed doubles at the French Open, but you keep taking it match by match. Before you know it, you're in the final. then anything can happen.

"It's a great opportunity, and we're making the most of it.

"I didn't expect to be in the semi-final of a Grand Slam. We're both pretty pumped."

Dellacqua and Barty have already won a doubles title together, winning in Toyota, Japan late last year.

Already the duo have knocked out the No.3 seeds at Melbourne Park - Maria Kirilenko and experienced Lisa Raymond - and now face American Varvara Lepchenko and Zheng Saisai of China in the semis.

Barty, from Springfield near Ipswich, has already impressed in the Hopman Cup to kick-start her year and with understandable teenage exuberance, is relishing the opportunity for a Grand Slam title.

"It's unbelievable. We played well, we're pretty excited," she said.

"To be in the semis, to give ourselves a chance to be in the final, it's unbelievable."

Italy's Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci, the top seeds, play Russian duo Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the other semi-final.

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'Samuels not well-liked in Australia'

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Fiery ... Shane Warne and Marlon Samuels face off. Source: Wayne Ludbey / News Limited

Melbourne Stars' batsman Cameron White says he finds it remarkable that Marlon Samuels has escaped with a reprimand for hurling his bat at Shane Warne.

After a surprisingly light judgement for his role in the incident, Samuels lashed out at Warne and his behaviour as the the face of the KFC T20 Big Bash League, and now White has joined the war of words too.

The BBL handed down a verdict on Monday night on a charge of unbecoming behaviour levelled against Melbourne Renegades' batsman Samuels following the heated Melbourne derby on January 6.

An underarm throw from Warne hit Samuels, which prompted the West Indian import to hurl his bat in the direction of Warne.

Cricket Australia Commissioner John Price said in his findings from the code-of-behaviour hearing that Samuels had been officially reprimanded.

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''The player's conduct resulted from extreme provocation,'' Price said.

White is baffled at how Samuels has avoided suspension.

''Being provoked, I don't think you can use that as an excuse,'' White told reporters on Tuesday.

''It's remarkable, isn't it? How many times have you seen someone throw their cricket bat on a cricket field and get (reprimanded) for being extremely provoked?

''I've never seen it before. That's what the judiciary came up with.

White added that it isn't surprising Samuels didn't get much sympathy from him or his Stars teammates after the West Indian was floored by a Lasith Malinga screamer.

''I don't think he's very well-liked, definitely not just from the Stars' point of view but probably in Australian cricket,'' White said.

''People think he carries on a bit.

''There's probably a few reasons (the Stars' players didn't check on his welfare). We were quite busy.''

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Djokovic stems Berdych challenge

Focused ... Novak Djokovic was too good for Tomas Berdych. Source: AAP

He was coming off a five hour marathon but Novak Djokovic left no one in any doubt he had his mojo back as he brushed aside the claims of Tomas Berdych to progress to another Australian Open semi-final.

Australian Open: Mens Singles

Round QF, 22/01/13

Djo (1)	6	4	6	6
Ber (5)	1	6	1	4

Djokovic was challenged as Berdych red-lined his game to steal the second set and level the match but the world No.1 weathered the storm to breeze home 6-1 4-6 6-1 6-4.

He now meets David Ferrer after the Spaniard survived a nerve-wracking, rollercoaster five-setter to beat countryman Nicolas Almagro 4-6 4-6 7-5 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 earlier on Tuesday.

"David is one of the most respected guys on tour because he never gives up," Djokovic said.

"He's one of the fittest guys on tour so I'm expecting a long one."

Despite a string of his trademark forehand winners dotting a highlight-filled second set, Berdych never quite managed to fully sink his teeth in the quarter final clash as he relinquished his opening serve of the third set and never recovered.

Djokovic's epic fourth round match with Stanislas Wawrinka brought about question marks over the two-time defending champion's ability to hit the ground running against another heavy hitter.

But the No.1 seed wasn't in the mood to be drawn into another long match and he quickly found his rhythm in the opening set, getting hold of Berdych's serve and bolting to the lead before sealing it 6-1.

Speaking after the match, Djokovic said he was pleased with his powers of recuperation following the Wawrinka match.

"It was a great performance (against Berdych). I was just hoping not to go over five hours like the other night," Djokovic said.

"It takes a lot of time after a match like that to recover physically, emotionally, mentally."

While Djokovic was playing like his old self again, Berdych was flat and made too many errors to impose his powerful groundstrokes on the intimidating Serb.

That was to turn around out of nowhere in the second set as Berdych shot out of the blocks with some breathtaking winners to break Djokovic in the first game.

It must have felt like a long haul with five service holds to level up the match but the big Czech was able to maintain an exceptionally high level until he served for it at 5-4.

With two tight points to open the game, Berdych looked to have fluffed his lines as he stared down the barrel of a Djokovic break back at 0-30 down.

With some big serving and some brave forehands, Berdych saved a couple of break points before finally taking his chance to serve out the set.

As the winners flowed from the Berdych racquet, expectation grew that another epic was afoot but the crowd was to be stunned by another monumental momentum shift as Berdych dropped his opening service game in the third and suddenly the set was over - again 6-1 to Djokovic.

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Glock, Marussia F1 team part ways

Mutual ... Timo Glock (R) and Mark Webber in Spain. Source: Jan Woitas / AAP

German driver Timo Glock has left the Marussia Formula One team with immediate effect, the team said on Monday.

Glock, 30, had a contract with the team until 2014, but Marussia cited economic reasons for a decision it said was reached "by mutual consent.''

It is believed Marussia is looking for a driver who will bring more sponsorship revenue to the team.

The racing future of Glock, who has been with Marussia since it was formed in 2009, is now uncertain.

It is thought the former Jordan, Toyota and Virgin driver could be eyeing a start in Germany's DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen-Meisterschaft) race series.

Marussia team principal John Booth praised Glock's "very significant contribution'' to the team's development.

"The ongoing challenges facing the industry mean that we have had to take steps to secure our long-term future,'' he said in a statement posted on the team's website.

"Tough economic conditions prevail and the commercial landscape is difficult for everyone, Formula 1 teams included.

"We would like to thank Timo for working with us to reach this decision, especially as he had a valid contract, and also for the contribution he has made to our team.''

Marussia has not yet named a replacement for Glock.

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Watch & vote: best catches of BBL

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Screamer ... Kane Richardson won't forget this catch in a while. Source:Fox Sports

There were plenty of spectacular catches during this season's KFC T20 Big Bash League, but which was the best?

Which catch was the best of BBL|02?

The team at Inside Cricket have trawled through a myriad of impressive fielding feats and come up with their top six grabs from BBL|02.

Kane Richardson's one-handed effort on the boundary during Adelaide Strikers' win over Hobart Hurricanes scored plenty of headlines, and rightfully so, but was it better than Joe Burns's balancing act for Brisbane Heat?

Unfortunately for Hurricanes batsman Travis Birt, he was the unlucky batsman on both occasions.

While the catches off Birt's batting are high on the list, there's also room for a couple of great grabs from earlier in the season.

Adelaide Strikers wicketkeeper Tim Ludeman's amazing one-handed catch during the thrilling win over Brisbane Heat sent Fox Sports commentator Allan Border into raptures, while Cameron Borgas and Scott Coyte's team effort for Sydney Thunder certainly deserves a mention.

Let's not forget big West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard, who followed up his impressive catch against Melbourne Renegades with an even more impressive celebration.

And while he may have grabbed more attention for his efforts with the ball in Test cricket this summer, seamer Jackson Bird showed he's more than just a one trick pony with a nice diving catch for Melbourne Stars.

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Fed express rolls Raonic

Juggernaut rolls on ... Roger Federer dismantles Milos Raonic. Source: Paul Crock / AAP

It was everything everyone's come to expect from Roger Federer - relentless, error-free tennis to bemuse, break down and eventually beat another Grand Slam opponent.

Big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic found himself kicked to the Australian Open fourth round kerb by Federer despite doing little wrong on Monday night.

Australian Open: Mens Singles

Round 4, 21/01/13

Rao (13)	4	6	2
Fed (2)	6	7	6

But the barest of openings offered by the 13th seed were enough for Federer to pierce his defences, and win 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 to book a quarter-final showdown with Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

How a match which barely moved off serve became the Swiss master's in straight sets in under two hours was classic Federer.

Raonic's serve faltered just once in a 10-game opening set - in the last game as Federer increased the pressure exponentially, then took full advantage of his only set point.

In the second set, the Canadian then held his nerve and his serve through to roll into a tie-break.

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Missed a result? Catch all the Australian Open score here!

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The early signs were good, until the No.2 seed uncorked a couple of huge winners to take an advantage, then whipped in a superb forehand winner backed by a guttural roar to seal it.

Raonic's spirit was broken along with his serve in the opening game of the third set, and Federer backed the truck over him again for a second service break soon after.

The highlight of the set - and perhaps of the match - was Federer's deft drop shot return on Raonic's serve which fell dead just over the net cord in the fifth game.

Federer's match against Tsonga will be his 35th consecutive appearance in a Grand Slam quarter-final.

Federer was particularly thrilled with his opening to the third set and his ability to deal with Raonic's huge serve - clocked at one point at more than 230km/h.

"You try to anticipate it a little bit, try to get a feel for it,'' Federer said.

"I'm so happy with the way I played.''

The 31-year-old also did not face a single break point on his own serve, and produced just 12 unforced errors in the match.

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Hodge in last-gasp Ashes bid

Grand ambitions ... Brad Hodge is eyeing an Ashes spot at the ripe age of 38. Source: AAP

Brad Hodge hasn't quite given up hope of a trip to England this winter, and may play for Victoria in a late bid to make the Ashes squad.

Speaking to the Cricinfo website, Hodge - who represented his country in six Tests - said he should have played more for Australia in his prime, but didn't enjoy the benefit of a rotation policy at the time.

"Would I like to play for Australia? Of course, everyone would," Hodge said.

"I probably deserved to play a little bit more when I had the opportunity. It seems that there seems to be a lot more rotating players then when I was in my prime.

"I am still playing good enough to represent Australia I think. But I do believe that my opportunity is passed. Having said that I am considering after this tournament, to go back to four-day cricket and have a quick shot at trying to make the Ashes team."

Victoria's selectors have reportedly discussed the possibility of Hodge playing in the final three Sheffield Shield matches of the summer, against Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania.

Hodge, 38, is currently plying his trade in the Bangladesh Premier League after impressing for Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League. 

Despite his form, national selector John Inverarity described the prospect of Hodge being selected for Australia's T20 team as "unlikely".

Hodge has not played Test cricket for Australia since 2008.

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Ferrer, Berdych ease into quarters

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Big Bad Berdych ... The No.1 five seed smoked Kevin Anderson. Source: Mark Dadswell / AAP

Fifth seed Tomas Berdych advanced to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open with a 6-3 6-2 7-6 (15-13) win over unseeded South African Kevin Anderson.

Australian Open: Mens Singles

Round 4, 20/01/13

Fer (4)	6	6	6
Nis (16)	2	1	4

The Czech made light work of the first two sets, before taking a marathon third set tie-break on his fifth match point for victory in two hours and 44 minutes.

Meanwhile, No.4 seed David Ferrer obliterated 16th seed Kei Nishikori on Rod Laver Arena 6-2 6-1 6-4 to move into the quarter-finals and a showdown with No.10 seed Nicolas Almagro, who was the beneficiary of Janko Tipsarevic's retirement.

Australian Open: Mens Singles

Round 4, 20/01/13

Ferrer's magnificent chasing and defensive play was a feature of the two hour, 10 minute fourth-round encounter.

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A tough first service game was as hard as it got for the Spaniard early as he broke Asia's highest ranked player to go up 3-1 in the first set and closed it out with relative ease.

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But what followed in the second set was at times breathtaking as Ferrer steamed to a 5-0 lead, the Japanese player allowed no chance to find rhythm.

As if to put an exclamation point on his dominance, Ferrer saved three break points before eventually serving out the set.

Nishikori, who appeared to be hampered by a knee problem late in the match, battled hard in the third set.

Australian Open: Mens Singles

Round 4, 20/01/13

They traded breaks of serve throughout - the decisive one coming in the ninth game on Nishikori as Ferrer grabbed a 5-4 advantage, before he comfortably served out the match.

"I played really good the first two sets - I didn't have any mistakes," Ferrer told the Rod Laver Arena crowd post-match.

"So now I am in the quarter-final of the Australian Open. I am very satisfied."

Barely mentioned as the Melbourne Park focus has been squarely on the men's big three of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Roger Federer, Ferrer remains on track for a semi-final with top seed Djokovic should the pair keep winning.

But he will first have to get past countryman Almagro, who had an even easier path to the quarter-finals.

The Spaniard was leading 6-2 5-1 when Tipsarevic retired hurt with what appeared to be a foot injury from late in the first set.

The Serb called a medical time-out when down 5-2 in the first and returned to the court with his ankle and foot heavily strapped and padding on his heel.

But the No.8 seed was unable to finish the second set, calling it quits just past the one hour mark.

Tipsarevic had been involved in an epic five-setter in the previous round before prevailing over France's Julien Benneteau and that may have contributed to his injury.
 

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Bozza's Save of the Week R17

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Mixed emotions ... Birighitti will have been thrilled with his effort but disappointed with the draw. Source:AAP

Newcastle Jets goalkeeper Mark Birighitti has taken out Bozza's Save of the Week for the third time this season with a fine reflex block in his side's 0-0 draw with local rivals Central Coast.

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Birighitti was called into action a number of times on a greasy night at Bluetongue Stadium where the Jets gloveman kept his third consecutive clean sheet.

But it was a firm left hand that denied what would have been a spectacular Michael McGlinchey goal that drew the praise of Fox Sports football commentator Mark Bosnich.

"There were a few good saves, no real outstanding saves, but this one pretty much stood out," Mark Bosnich said of Birighitti's effort.

"Danny Vukovic's was a close one, Matty Ryan's, but they were both basically straight at them.

"This one was a little bit to the side and was a fantastic save because that would have been goal of the round that one if he would have ended up scoring there, McGlinchey."

How did you rate Birighitti's block? Have your say below!
 

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Clarke: We must perform on all decks

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Top-order trouble ... Clarke's batsmen must learn to play on difficult decks. Source:AAP

Australia's top order capitulations on seaming decks have forced captain Michael Clarke to concede his men need to start performing on all wickets - not just flat decks that favour batsmen.

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With an Ashes tour on seam-friendly England wickets headlining a monster 18 months of cricket for Australia, the ability to play the moving ball has become a major headache.

Gentle Sri Lankan medium pacer Nuwan Kulasekara, who ripped Australia apart with five wickets in Friday night's humiliating total of 74 at the Gabba, again was on song in Sunday's SCG washout.

The 30-year-old finished with 3-30, including the prized scalp of Clarke (20) and opener Phil Hughes (1), again getting the ball to hoop into right-handers with great success.

The triple disappointments of the top order in Adelaide, where the hosts slumped to 6-83, the Gabba, where they were bowled out for their lowest total since 1986, and the SCG, where after 12.1 overs they were again struggling at 3-53, prompted Clarke to tell his teammates to overcome the perception they were simply flat track bullies.

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"You need to be able to perform not just on good wickets but on tough wickets as well," he said.

"I think there's areas of our game that all of us need to improve especially when there's a bit of movement.

"The last three wickets have probably swung and seamed as much as I've seen in limited overs cricket, but that's not an excuse for poor performance.

"Our top four needs to find a way to set a platform to build a good total."

The bulk of Australia's runs came from the blades of opener David Warner (60) and tailender Mitchell Starc (52 not out off 37 balls) - both impressing Clarke.

"I thought Davey played really well. It's nice to see him make some more runs for us," he said.

"And I thought Mitchell Starc with the bat was outstanding as well."

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Guildford under investigation, again

Bad boy ... Zac Guildford again finds himself in trouble with NZRU. Source: Marty Melville / AAP

All Blacks and Crusaders winger Zac Guildford has voluntarily stood down from involvement with the Crusaders after a late-night incident in Christchurch.

New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew says both the NZRU and the Crusaders were "very disappointed'' to learn of the incident that happened after Guildford, 23, attended a private house party earlier this month.

"As a result, the NZRU has initiated misconduct proceedings against Zac,'' he said.

"We will be meeting with Zac and his representative in the following week to discuss the matter, and next steps."

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Find more of Guildford's drunken misdemeanours here

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Guildford had previously been called before the NZRU three times in 18 months on alcohol-related issues.

His misconduct kept him out of the Crusaders pre-season matches and their first Super Rugby match last year.

He was recalled to the All Blacks team in May last year, replacing an injured Richard Kahui ahead of the three-Test series against Ireland.

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