Serena knocked out in 4th round by Marion Bartoli.

Defending champion Serena Williams was eliminated by Marion Bartoli 6-3, 7-6 (6) in the fourth round of Wimbledon on Monday, cutting short her return to Grand Slam tennis after nearly a year out with serious health problems.

Williams, a four-time winner at the All England Club, saved four match points before the ninth-seeded Frenchwoman closed out the contest by hitting a service winner into the corner. It was Williams' earliest exit at Wimbledon since a third-round loss in 2005.

Bartoli made the Wimbledon final in 2007, losing to Serena's older sister Venus.

Serena missed nearly a year after foot surgery and subsequent blood clots in her lungs. She returned two weeks ago at Eastbourne for the first time since winning the Wimbledon title in 2010.

Williams had 20 unforced errors Monday to go with 29 winners, and managed to convert only one of five break points. Bartoli served 10 aces, two more than Williams, and kept down her errors to 17.

It was the first time Bartoli has beaten the American after straight-set defeats in their previous two matches.

"Beating Serena is almost like a dream come true," Bartoli said. "Even though she didn't play for almost one year, she's probably one of the greatest champions in women's tennis.

"For me to be able come back after having three match points and losing this game at 6-5, and still be able to bounce back, it's really huge."

In men's play, fourth-seeded Andy Murray moved into the quarterfinals by beating Richard Gasquet of France 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-2 — then took a deep bow to the Royal Box, where Prince Wiliam and his new bride Kate joined the rest of the crowd in giving the British winner a standing ovation.

Murray, who has made the semifinals the last two years, is trying to become the first British man to win the title at the All England Club since Fred Perry in 1936.

Bernard Tomic, an 18-year-old Australian qualifier, downed Xavier Malisse 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 to become the youngest man to make the Wimbledon quarterfinals since Boris Becker in 1986.

Among the women's winners was 2004 champion Maria Sharapova, who made it to the quarters here for the first time in five years, beating Peng Shuai 6-4, 6-2 on a sweltering day.

Sharapova started slowly before winning seven straight games to take command against the 20th-seeded Chinese player in an early match on Court 2. The big-hitting Russian had 27 winners and 10 unforced errors.

The match was played with on-court temperatures measured at 93 degrees, and Sharapova covered her legs with ice wrapped in towels during changeovers.

Sharapova could next face top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, who was playing Dominika Cibulkova in the next match on Court 2.

"Last year I lost in the fourth round to Serena and this year I find myself in the quarterfinals and I'm giving myself an opportunity to go even in further so I'm quite happy about that," Sharapova said. "I have to be a little realistic about the fact that I haven't gotten past the fourth round in a few years. This is a step forward."

The first woman to move into the quarters was fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka, who beat Nadia Petrova 6-2, 6-2. German wild card Sabine Lisicki reached the quarters for the second time, downing Petra Cetkovska 7-6 (3), 6-1. No. 8 Petra Kvitova, a semifinalist here last year, needed just 45 minutes to defeat No. 19 Yanina Wickmayer 6-0, 6-2.

Tamira Paszek, an 80th-ranked Austrian, beat another 20-year-old player — Ksenia Pervak of Russia — 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 to secure her first Grand Slam quarterfinal berth.

Sharapova said Monday's scorching heat, after a first week marked by frequent showers and cool temperatures, made it "like playing a completely different tournament."

"You see everyone putting sun screen on and I had the ice bag out today," she said. "I'm used to it. I grew up in Florida and still live there and train there. I'm used to the humidity, so that really helped me."

On Centre Court, William and Kate — who were married April 29 — received a warm ovation from the crowd as they took their seats in the front row of the Royal Box in time for Murray's match. In keeping with Wimbledon's all-white dress theme, Kate wore an off-white, knee-length dress. William wore a blue suit.

St. James's Palace said the couple were at the All England Club "privately." The palace said Kate is an avid tennis fan and has been to Wimbledon "quite a number of times." Queen Elizabeth II came to Wimbledon last year for her first visit in 33 years.

Monday's schedule featured the busiest day in Grand Slam tennis — all 16 men's and women's fourth-round matches.

Two stood out in particular: Top-seeded Rafael Nadal against 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, and five-time women's champion Venus Williams against No. 32 Tsvetana Pironkova in a reprise of a 2010 quarterfinal won by the Bulgarian.

The top four men — Nadal, No. 2 Novak Djokovic, No. 3 Roger Federer and No. 4 Murray — lost a total of three sets during Week 1.

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Gunmen in Mexico kill 22 as FIFA tournament opens.

At least 22 people were killed in a string of attacks in Mexico, authorities said Sunday, including a shooting at a bar in Monterrey just hours after the opening of soccer's Under-17 World Cup.

Gunmen stormed the bar in Mexico's third largest city late Saturday and "executed three people," wounded another, and kidnapped a security guard at the bar who was later found dead, an official of Nuevo Leon state's investigation agency told AFP.

Four other people, 18-25 years old, were killed Sunday morning in Guadalupe, a city adjacent to Monterrey.

"The victims were gathering in front of one of their homes when armed men showed up in several vehicles and shot them," the official said.

Monterrey is one of the host cities for FIFA's Under-17 football tournament and it held two matches on its opening day Saturday: France-Argentina and Japan-Jamaica.

The relatively prosperous industrial hub of northern Mexico, home to several foreign companies, was until recently considered a near-safe haven as drug violence increased in many parts of the country.

But a bloody turf war between the Gulf cartel and its former hitmen the Zetas has spilled into the state in less than two years, producing daylight shootouts, grenade attacks and a climate of fear.

Thirty-three violent killings were recorded in and around Monterrey, an area of some four million, on Wednesday, making it the area's most violent day in recent history.

Another 14 people meanwhile were killed in the western state of Michoacan, whose bodies were found early Sunday, authorities said, also blaming drug cartel-related violence there.

Mexico is in the grip of a brutal wave of largely drug-related violence that has killed some 37,000 people since President Felipe Calderon launched a military crackdown on organized crime in 2006.

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Premier League fixtures have been Announced.

The 2011/12 Premier League fixtures have been announced, with champions Manchester United facing West Brom.Runners-up Chelsea are also away from home on the opening day of the 2011/12 season, when they head to FA Cup finalists Stoke City.

Newly promoted Swansea City will get an immediate taste of the high life with a trip to big-spending Manchester City, who finished third last season and will be appearing in the Champions League for the first time.

Arsenal have a tricky start to the season, travelling to Newcastle United with whom they shared a thrilling 4-4 draw last season, before matches at home to revitalised Liverpool and away to champions United.

Arsene Wenger's side are also not helped by having to play in the Champions League playoff round in August, having missed out on qualifying directly for the group stage after finishing fourth.

Last season's top two do not have long to wait before their first match against each other, with Chelsea heading to Old Trafford on the fifth weekend of the season.

Premier League opening day fixtures, August 13, 2011:

Blackburn v Wolves

Fulham v Aston Villa

Liverpool v Sunderland

Manchester City v Swansea

Newcastle v Arsenal

QPR v Bolton

Stoke City v Chelsea

Tottenham Hotspur v Everton

West Brom v Manchester United

Wigan Athletic v Norwich

Big early-season matches

Manchester United v Chelsea - 17 September

Liverpool v Manchester United - 15 October

Manchester United v Manchester City - 22 October

Chelsea v Arsenal - 29 October

Premier League final-day fixtures, May 13, 2012

Chelsea v Blackburn

Everton v Newcastle

Man City v QPR

Norwich v Aston Villa

Stoke v Bolton

Sunderland v Man Utd

Swansea v Liverpool

Tottenham v Fulham

West Brom v Arsenal

Wigan v Wolverhampton

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Clijsters pulls out of Wimbledon with foot injury.

 Australian Open champion Kim Clijsters withdrew from Wimbledon on Wednesday because of a foot injury, leaving the women's field more wide open.The Belgian, who was seeded No. 2 Wednesday, said she had to pull out of the grass-court Grand Slam after injuring her right foot at the Unicef Open in the Netherlands on Tuesday.

"At this moment I feel frustrated that it has to happen now before one of my favorite tournaments," Clijsters said in a statement. "I've always enjoyed being a part of the Wimbledon atmosphere but I have no other choice now but to rest, recover and to not play tennis for a few weeks."

The two-week tournament starts Monday at the All England Club.

Clijsters, a three-time U.S. Open winner, hurt her right ankle in April while dancing barefoot at her cousin's wedding. She played at the French Open but lost in the second round. At Wimbledon, Clijsters has twice reached the semifinals.

She said Tuesday's injury is not related to the previous problem.

"In about a month, Kim will resume training and start rebuilding," her management company said in a statement. "She wants to prepare the best way possible for the U.S. tour later this summer, with the U.S. Open as the main goal."

Following her withdrawal, the rest of the seeded players moved up one spot, with Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria taking over the No. 32 spot. Top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki, who has never won a Grand Slam, is seeded No. 1.

Sam Querrey of the United States and Benjamin Becker of Germany also withdrew, both citing elbow injuries.

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Top ranked Wozniacki eliminated from French Open.

Top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki will have to wait for her first major title after losing to Daniela Hantuchova 6-1, 6-3 Friday in the third round of the French Open.The Dane has been No. 1 in the WTA rankings for almost the entire season but never really challenged her Slovak opponent on Court Suzanne Lenglen, having her serve broken five times.

This is the first time in the Open era that the top two seeded women failed to make the round of 16 at a Grand Slam tournament. No. 2 Kim Clijsters lost Thursday.

Sam Stosur, last year's French Open runner-up, was also eliminated, but 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone advanced to the fourth round. On the men's side, 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer advanced.
Sam Stosur is out of the French Open a lot earlier than she was last year.

Runner-up a year ago, the Australian was knocked out in the third round Friday, losing to Gisela Dulko of Argentina 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. The defeat came an hour after defending champion Francesca Schiavone advanced to the fourth round.

Stosur struggled early in dropping the first set, but came back and easily won the second. The 51st-ranked Dulko, though, regained control after breaking to take a 4-2 lead in the third, and held serve twice to close out the match.

Roger Federer had no such worries. The 2009 French Open champion had 10 aces and only 20 unforced errors in a 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 win over No. 29 Janko Tipsarevic.

Later Friday, Novak Djokovic was scheduled to put his perfect season on the line against 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro. Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki will also be back on court to play for a spot in the fourth round.

The eighth-seeded Stosur, who also reached the semifinals at Roland Garros in 2009, had 35 unforced errors in the match on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Dulko equaled her best Grand Slam result by reaching the fourth round. She also won three matches at the 2006 French Open and the 2009 U.S. Open.

Schiavone was broken at the beginning of her match, but then won five straight games to take the first set and eventually the match when opponent Peng Shuai of China retired while trailing 6-3, 1-2.

Peng called for a doctor after the first game of the second set and had her blood pressure checked. She looked exhausted in her chair and then started to cry but broke for a 2-0 lead.

Schiavone won the next game before her opponent quit.

"I've been just sick for three or four days," Peng said, adding that she has had a fever. "So it's tough for me to play. I was really tired. I was really sick so my body could not really handle that."

Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2009 French Open champion, advanced by beating Rebecca Marino of Canada 6-0, 6-4. And 10th-seeded Jelena Jankovic reached the fourth round with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the United States.

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Sharapova moves into 2nd round at French Open.

Coming off the biggest clay-court title of her career, Maria Sharapova rolled into the second round of the French Open by beating Mirjana Lucic of Croatia 6-3, 6-0 Tuesday.The seventh-seeded Russian won the Italian Open before coming to Roland Garros to seek the only Grand Slam title she has never won.

"If you feel pressure, it's part of the business. It's part of the sport," Sharapova said of the expectations placed on her. "That means there's something on the line. That means you want it bad. It's how you handle it.

"Without pressure, what's the sport about? It's how you really handle the situation."

Also advancing to the second round were Australian Open finalists Andy Murray and Li Na. Later Tuesday, five-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal was to face John Isner, while Kim Clijsters was also scheduled to be in action.

Against Lucic on center court, Sharapova was not troubled. She won nine straight games to finish the match and never faced a break point.

Sharapova, who will face French wild card Caroline Garcia, won the title at Wimbledon in 2004, the U.S. Open in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2008.

The sixth-seeded Li, who became the first Chinese player to reach a Grand Slam final, dominated at times and struggled at times in her 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 win over Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic.

Li trailed 3-1 in the first set, but then won 10 of the next 12 games to lead 5-2 in the second before her opponent forced the tiebreaker. She held two match points in the tiebreaker, but then lost four straight points.

"First match is easy or tough. Nothing between," Li said.

In the third, Li jumped out to a 4-0 lead and held on to win.

But first on Court Philippe Chatrier, an emotional Virginie Razzano played despite the death of her fiance eight days ago. The Frenchwoman, playing with a black ribbon on her shirt, lost to 24th-seeded Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia 6-3, 6-1.

"I felt a lot of emotion, a lot of pain on court today," Razzano said. "The pain is permanent within me. It's very hard. But it felt good to be surrounded by so many people and to be here.

"I tried to pay tribute to Stephane today. It was almost a 'mission impossible,' but I did my best."

Razzano's fiance and coach Stephane Vidal died on May 16 after being diagnosed with a brain tumor nine years ago. He was 32.

The 28-year-old Razzano said last week that she asked Vidal before he died if she should play at Roland Garros and he said, "Yes, you need to play."

Gajdosova, who recently split from her husband Sam Groth, said she offered condolences and some words of encouragement when they met at the net.

"I just told her that I'm sorry for her loss, and what she did was pretty much incredible," Gajdosova said. "She stood on the court and held her head up high and tried her best. I told her I was sorry and I wished her all the best for the future."

Razzano will also play in the doubles tournament with partner Alize Cornet.

Former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic also lost. The 20th-seeded Serb, who won the title at Roland Garros in 2008, fell to Johanna Larsson of Sweden 7-6 (3), 0-6, 6-2.

Murray made it through to the second round by beating French qualifier Eric Prodon 6-4, 6-1, 6-3.

The fourth-seeded Briton went on a four-match winless run after losing the Australian Open final, but he reached the semifinals at clay-court warmups in Monte Carlo and Rome.

No. 20 Florian Mayer of Germany and No. 21 Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine also advanced.

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Blatter seeks African voters.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter arrived JOHANNESBURG Friday to meet African football chiefs as his campaign for another four-year term moves into overdrive.The 75-year-old Blatter is slugging it out with Qatari billionaire Mohamed bin Hammam, 13 years his junior, for the right to rule the international football kingdom over the coming four years.

A secret June 1 ballot at FIFA headquarters in Zurich in which each of 208 member states has one vote will determine whether Blatter wins a fourth term or Hammam becomes the first president from Asia.

There are 53 African votes up for grabs and many international observers believe the continent could hold the key to a race Blatter believes he "cannot lose" and Hammam rates a "50-50" duel.

Blatter secured the majority of African votes when he shocked Swede Lennart Johansson in Paris 13 years ago despite Cairo-based continental governing body CAF supporting the veteran European.

And when CAF president Issa Hayatou of Cameroon took on Blatter in South Korea four years later, he suffered a resounding defeat with many African delegates voting against their boss.

Blatter was elected for a third term unopposed and must now defeat the man who has ruled Asia since 2002 and backed the Swiss when he entered the ring against Johansson.

Hayatou and his CAF executive supported Blatter last Monday for another term, but it was merely a symbolic gesture as the African governing body does not have a vote and cannot dictate to its members.

While the Swiss is revered by many Africans for keeping a long-time promise and bringing the World Cup to the continent last year, money talks on a land mass where most football associations struggle financially.

Hammam has promised to double the yearly FIFA grant for countries to 500,000 dollars if elected and raise the costs-ceiling for special projects from 400,000 dollars to one million.

Officials from about 40 countries are expected in upscale Johannesburg suburb Sandton this weekend, offering Blatter a chance to get up close and personal in his quest for votes.

Among those he is expected to meet are regional football heavyweights Suketu Patel (south), Leodegar Tenga (east), Iya Mohammed (centre) and Aka Malan (west) while no officials from the north are attending.

Blatter could give the west special attention as there have been rumblings of discontent from the large football region with Liberia saying it will ignore the pro-Blatter CAF line and back Hammam instead.

"My decision to support the candidacy of Bin Hammam remains unwavering in spite of the CAF decision," Liberian Football Association president Musa Bility told reporters.

"Blatter has had his reasonable share of power at FIFA, having served as president for 13 years. Besides, Bin Hammam offers a better platform when it comes to football development in Liberia."

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Bulls take Game One from Heat with 103-82 rout

The Chicago Bulls saw the stars aligning for the Heat last summer, the "Big Three" free agents uniting in Miami on a quest for a championship.Joakim Noah wasn't conceding anything. Nor was Derrick Rose.Chicago swept Miami in the regular season, and if the Bulls keep this up, they'll knock the Heat out of the playoffs, too.

Rose scored 28 points, Luol Deng ably contained LeBron James and the Bulls struck first in the Eastern Conference finals, pulling away to beat the Heat 103-82 in Game 1 on Sunday night.

"We felt like we could compete against anybody," said Noah. "This is just a really exciting situation right now. The position that we're in is unbelievable. ... Nobody believed that we could be in this position right now."

That belief, along with a major overhaul, led the Bulls to the league's best record and rekindled an attitude not seen in the Windy City since the Michael Jordan era — when championships were an annual event.

Missing out on the Big Three? Seeing James and Bosh join Wade in Miami?

"We're not worried about all the offseason stuff," Rose said. "We're not worried about it. We're just trying to go out there and play hard, play with an edge, play with a lot of intensity."

They certainly did on Sunday, particularly during the second half. The Bulls went on a 10-0 run midway through the third quarter, then pulled away in the fourth.

As the final minutes ticked away, fans chanted "Over-rated!" and "Beat the Heat!"

Game 2 is Wednesday night in Chicago.

Rose settled down after committing three of his four turnovers in the opening minutes and showed why he is the MVP. He hit three 3-pointers and the Bulls converted 10 of 21 in all.

Deng had 21 points. He hit four 3s, had four steals and seven rebounds, and simply put the clamps on The King, holding James to 15 points on 5-of-15 shooting.

"Definitely to guard a guy like that the whole defense has to stay focused," Deng said. "There were times we switched and times we forced him into the double. Our bigs were great at forcing him into the front."

Carlos Boozer added 14 points and nine rebounds. Noah had 14 rebounds to help the Bulls win the battle of the boards 45-33, including 19 on the offensive end for 31 second-chance points.

"You play defense. You play defense hard and the shot goes up and they get an offensive rebound, kick it out for a three or get a layup or a dunk," James said. "Those are demoralizing for a defensive team. We've got to figure out a way to clean that up."

Bosh led Miami with 30 points and nine rebounds. Wade scored 18 points, but the Heat simply were overmatched down the stretch.

"Dwyane and LeBron are going to create a lot of attention," Bosh said. "This is a good defensive team. ... They're going to make them distributors. We have to look at where we fell short as a team for Game 1 and come back with a better approach."

The Heat were leading 58-57 midway through the third when the Bulls made their move, reeling off 10 straight and seizing the momentum.

Rose and Bogans started it by nailing 3-pointers. A steal by Bogans against Wade led to two free throws by Rose after he got knocked to the floor going for a fast-break layup.

Then, after a timeout, Noah blocked a layup by Wade and scored seconds later on a layup off an inbound pass along the Bulls' baseline, making it 67-58.

The Heat's James Jones ended the run with a 3, but the Bulls simply weren't about to be stopped. When Deng hit a 3 with 1:15 left to make it 72-63, the crowd jumped to its feet and roared. It opened a 14-3 run that stretched into the fourth and put the game away.

Whether it was Taj Gibson feeding Omer Asik for a dunk early in the fourth or Deng racing in to put back his own missed jumper after a 3 by James, there was plenty for the Chicago fans to cheer during that stretch.

For at least some Chicago fans, beating Miami to get to the NBA finals would be sweet redemption after what happened during the summer.

With enough salary-cap room for a pair of stars, the Bulls went after James, Wade and Bosh, hoping to land some combination of the two. Everyone knows the end of that story. Even so, the Bulls wound up in great shape. The Heat did all right, too, particularly down the stretch.

They won 15 of 18 after dropping five in a row, including a loss to Chicago that left players in tears, and then took out Philadelphia and Boston in the first two rounds. Now, the Heat will have to collect themselves again.

"We took it on the chin tonight," coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Notes: Gibson had a highlight-reel dunk early in the second quarter when he threw down a vicious two-hander over Wade, leading to a three-point play. How impressive was it? Even Wade clapped about six times when he saw the replay. "That was a good one," Wade said. "I really got punked. It was good. It was a very athletic play. I knew I didn't have a chance. I was backpedaling when I saw him take off. He's very athletic." ... This is the sixth time these teams have met in the playoffs, with the Bulls sweeping the Heat in the first round in 1992, 1996 and 2007 and beating them in five games in the 1997 conference finals. Miami beat Chicago in six games in the first round in 2006.

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UEFA gives Mourinho Three-match.

UEFA on Friday handed a three-match ban to Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho after he made allegations of favouritism towards bitter rivals and Champions League conquerors Barcelona.

Mourinho, already banned from the touchline for Tuesday's semi-final second leg at Camp Nou, which cemented Real's exit 3-1 on aggregate, will have a further one-match ban suspended for three years.

UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body found that a string of comments from Mourinho alleging that Barcelona benefited from decisions in their favour at their rivals' expense had constituted "inappropriate statements".

The Portuguese coach, who had been hoping to become the first man ever to coach three teams to the European Cup after previous successes with FC Porto and Inter Milan, was also fined 50,000 euros ($72,500).

Real defender Pepe, who was red-carded in the first leg, received a one-match ban but UEFA said it would consider this already served as he did not feature in the return leg.

Real furthermore received a 20,000 euro fine for poor conduct by their supporters.

Barcelona reserve goalkeeper Jose Pinto, red-carded in a half-time melee in the first leg, received a three-match ban.

It means he cannot take part in the Champions League final on 28 May against Manchester United, nor the first UEFA club competition match that Barca play next season.

Both clubs may appeal their punishments within three days and Real said they would do so, describing their punishment as heavy-handed and "defective" in that it did not afford Mourinho a chance to defend his behaviour.

The club added that "the exact statements for which the disciplinary case was opened and for which he has been punished are still unknown".

Mourinho unleashed a tirade against Barca, where he started out as a translator to former coach Bobby Robson 14 years ago.

"I don't know if it's the Unicef (Barca's sponsor) publicity or the friendship of (Spanish football federation chief Angel) Villar at UEFA, where he is vice-president," Mourinho said.

"I don?t know if it's because they are so nice, but they have got great power. The rest of us have no chance.

"They are a great team, so congratulations to them, but they have this power. Pepe sent off and me too. I don't know why."

He also directed barbs at Barca counterpart Pep Guardiola, saying: "I would be embarrassed to win the Champions League like this."

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Guardiola hits out at 'damn boss' Mourinho.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola lost his cool Tuesday as Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho took a pot shot at him ahead of their Champions League semi-final in a row over referees.

"In this press room he's the damn boss, the damn master, he is the most knowledgeable in the world, I don't even want to compete for a moment," said Guardiola sarcastically ahead of the arch-rivals' first leg clash Wednesday at the Bernabeu stadium, where experienced German official Wolfgang Stark will referee.

Before Stark was named, Guardiola said Mourinho, who is Portuguese, would be "super happy" if Portugal's Pedro Proenca was chosen.

That got up Mourinho's nose and he responded in kind.

"Besides the naming of the referee and the pressure that they exerted that it was not Proenca, the most important thing is that we are in a new cycle," Mourinho told a news conference.

"Up to now we have had two types of coaches. A very small group of coaches who never speak to the referees.

"After that, there is a bigger group, of whom I am one, who criticise the referees when they make huge errors. But it is also a group who are happy to highlight the good work of the referee.

"And now, with the declaration of Pep the other day, we are entering a new era with a third group, which for the moment includes only him, who criticise the correct decision of the referee.

"This is something I have never seen in the world of football."

Mourinho was referring to a goal by Barcelona's Pedro Rodriguez that was disallowed for offside in the Spanish Cup final against Real on April 20, and which video replays showed was a correct decision by the referee.

Wednesday will be the third of four of "Clasico" meetings between the two Spanish powerhouses in less than three weeks.

Real drew 1-1 with the Spanish champions-elect in the league on April 16 before defeating their rivals 1-0 to take the Spanish Cup.

But Mourinho rejected suggestions that Real will be the favourites on Wednesday after their Cup success.

"I believe we are not favourites, it is a semi-final of champions, two rival teams who know each other well, with tradition, with players who know what it is to succeed, who know what it is to play big games," he said.

"Maybe tomorrow (Wednesday) after the match you can say one is a little bit ahead or one is is a little behind, but for now there are no favourites."

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Paul's triple-double lifts Hornets past Lakers.

With his left hand wrapped in a black bandage and cut patched up over his right eye, Chris Paul triumphantly cupped his hand to his ear and soaked in the roars of a packed and delirious New Orleans Arena.

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Lakers grind past Hornets, even playoff series

Kobe Bryant barely made a ripple on offense for the Los Angeles Lakers. He was too busy ensuring Chris Paul didn't make another huge splash that could have put the Lakers in a cavernous playoff hole.

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Sergio Ramos dropped Copa del Rey trophy under moving bus.

Real Madrid waited 18 years to win back the Copa del Rey trophy — only to drop the cup and watch it get crushed under the wheels of a bus.

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Barcelona appeal proposed Iniesta ban

Barcelona have appealed a UEFA proposal to suspend Andres Iniesta from the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash with Real Madrid.

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Federer loses to Melzer at Monte Carlo Masters.

Roger Federer fell 6-4, 6-4 to Jurgen Melzer in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters on Friday, the former top-ranked player's earliest loss in a tournament since Wimbledon last year.

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Serena Williams gets back on tennis court.

Serena Williams grabbed her racket and got out on a tennis court Tuesday, which she said was her "first day back" after a series of health problems, including blood clots in her lung.

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Chelsea Ready to Shock Man United.

Chelsea will be hoping to shock Man united at old traford after thr quater final defite at tasmford bridge.Sir Alex meanwhile is only too aware that a 1-0 advantage over Chelsea

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US sports tycoon takes control of Arsenal.

Arsenal became the latest English football giant to fall into foreign hands on Monday when US sports tycoon Stan Kroenke took a controlling stake in the club after a protracted ownership tussle.

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Schwartzel wins the Masters after a wild day.

Charl Schwartzel should've known it was going to be a very good day at the very first hole.After spraying his second shot far right of the green, he pulled out a 6-iron, chipped the ball off a patch of trampled-down grass,

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Bale, Nasri nominated for young player award.

Tottenham winger Gareth Bale and Arsenal's French playmaker Samir Nasri have both been nominated for the Professional Footballers' Association Player and Young Player of the Year awards.

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