Red Bull appoint Ricciardo as Webber's successor- latest sports news in india

London: Australian Daniel Ricciardo was on Monday named as Mark Webber's successor alongside Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull in 2014. 

The 24-year-old Torro Rosso driver won the race for the coveted drive ahead of former world champion Kimi Raikkonen, with talks between the Finn and Red Bull ending last month.

Red Bull team chief Christian Horner announced Ricciardo's arrival next season in a statement. He said: "It's fantastic to confirm Daniel as the team's race driver for 2014.

"He's a very talented youngster, he's committed, he's got a great attitude and in the end it was a very logical choice for us to choose Daniel."

Horner added: "He's got all the attributes that are required to drive for our team: he's got a great natural ability, he's a good personality and a great guy to work with.

"Daniel knows what the team expects from him; he'll learn quickly and it's very much a medium to long term view that we're taking in developing him."

Ricciardo has been sponsored by Red Bull since 2008 and he started driving for Toro Rosso last year, claiming 21 Formula One points from 41 Grand Prix races.

The Australian is following the path Vettel took in 2009 when he switched from Italy's Toro Rosso to their British-based sister team Red Bull Racing.

Webber, 37, is leaving F1 to pursue a new career in sportscar racing.

Fabregas surprised by Ozil’s record Arsenal move

London: Cesc Fabregas believes his former club Arsenal have managed to prise away Real Madrid's second-best player with their dramatic deadline-day capture of Mesut Ozil.

Arsenal completed what is understood to be a club-record £42.5m swoop for Ozil on Monday evening as Arsène Wenger finally landed a marquee signing after what had become a frustrating summer on the transfer front.

Many of Ozil's former team-mates at Madrid have since expressed their surprise and disappointment that the Germany international was allowed to leave the Bernabéu, and Fábregas also admits he was taken aback by the news.

However, the Spain midfielder, who spent eight years at Arsenal before returning to Barcelona in 2011, also feels the Gunners have got themselves a top player.

He told the Spanish radio station Cadena Cope: "I was really surprised by Ozil's departure. He seemed to me the second-best player at Madrid, after Cristiano [Ronaldo]. He'll be great for Arsenal."

Fábregas was the subject of transfer interest from the Premier League this summer, with champions Manchester United hoping to bring him back to England.

United had two bids for Fábregas rebuffed by Barça, who maintained they had no intention of selling the 26-year-old, while the midfielder sought to end the speculation last month when he declared he wanted to remain at the Camp Nou.

Touching on that subject, Fábregas insists he could not have been tempted away from Barça, even if he had been offered the chance to double his wages or the promise of regular first-team football.

Fabregas has struggled to tie down a starting spot at the Catalan giants, but he said: "The tougher the challenge the better I like it and Barcelona was the biggest and most difficult, and I want to finish in a happy manner and if I can retire at Barça, then so much the better. The only thing in my head is triumphing at Barcelona.

"When I arrived at Barcelona I already knew there were other places where I could earn more or where I could have more minutes, but coming to Barça was my dream. It was my dream since I was small. I wouldn't go, not even for double the money." 

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Usain Bolt to retire after Rio Olympics-latest sports news in india

Brussels: Usain Bolt plans to retire after the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Bolt said on Wednesday he wants to win more gold in Rio, set another world record in the 200 meters next year, and perhaps win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.

"So far, (it) is after the Olympics in Rio," Bolt said of his retirement plans. "I think if I am in great shape, I'll go there and do what I have to do. I think it will be a good time to retire, on top."

Winning another three golds in Moscow last month made him the most decorated athlete in world championship history with eight gold and two silvers. He has six gold medals from the Olympics.

"If I want to be among the greats of (Muhammad) Ali and Pele and all these guys I have to continue dominating until I retire," Bolt said ahead of his final race this season in the 100 at Friday's Van Damme Memorial.

Bolt won the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and at last year's London Games. He won the same triple at the 2009 worlds before repeating that feat in Moscow last month. At 27, Bolt has the experience to know that a lax season midway between Olympics can hurt him. In 2010, a soft entry into the year and subsequent injury cost him almost a full season.

"I kind of didn't do much in the offseason and then got injured and had to start from scratch. So this season, I will not make that mistake again," Bolt said.

Like 2010, next season has no major championships, but Bolt is forcing himself to think of new goals for 2014.

He already owns the 100 and 200 world records and shares the 4x100 with his Jamaican teammates. He acknowledges the 100 record of 9.58 seconds will be extremely tough to better, but he hopes to improve on the 19.19 he ran in the 200 in Berlin four years ago.

"I have learned, I have mastered the art of running the turn," Bolt said of the 200. "So if I can stay injury free and be in good shape, then it is possible for me to definitely go after the world record."

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Li Na reaches semifinals- latest sports news in india

New York: Fifth seed Li Na of China beat Russian Ekaterina Makarova 6-4, 6-7 (7-5), 6-2 to become the first Chinese player to reach US Open semi-finals.

"I always try to be the first one," said Li after the match Tuesday. "Of course, the first time in US Open semis, it's exciting. I am really proud of myself."

By advancing into the semifinals, Li refreshed her personal US Open record, reports Xinhua.

The world number six is enjoying one of the best seasons in her career, making quarter-finals in three of the four Grand Slams, the first time for the 31-year-old. She has also reached at least the semi-final stage for three straight WTA tournaments including in Toronto and Cincinnati.

"There were some ups and downs in my previous seasons, and this year I have more consistency," said Li.

Li, well known for her hot temper among Chinese fans, moved in Tuesday's match without losing a single set. She had previously played Makarova for three times, winning all of them.

Li held her serve to level the first set until 3-3, and managed to break in the seventh game thanks to a couple of unforced errors from Makarova. Neither player was able to break in the remainder of the set, ensuring Li takes the lead in the match.

Both players suffered from ups and downs in the second set. They finished with six breaks (three for each) to enter the tiebreaker. Li was leading 3-0 in the tiebreak, but the double fault disturbed her pace. Makarova took advantage to take the tiebreak 7-5.

The final set stood in favour of Li as the top Chinese singles player won four straight games after 2-2 to end the match.

"I was feeling so nervous, from the beginning of the match until the end of the match," said Li.

Li will next face world number one Serena Williams, who won 12 consecutive games to beat Spaniard Suarez Navarro 6-0, 6-0.

"If you only think about your opponent, of course, you already lose the match before you step onto the court," said Li.

In another women's singles quarterfinal, the second seed Victoria Azarenka needed three sets to beat Ana Ivanovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt lost 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (7-3), 6-4, 7-5 to Russian Mikhail Youzhny in a round of 16 match, which lasted 3 hours 58 minutes.

Hewitt, who outclassed sixth seed Juan Martin Del Potro in an even longer five-set thriller in the second round, was favoured to win again when the fifth set went to 5-5, but Youzhny broke the Australian before eventually winning on his second match point.

Youzhny will play world number one Novak Djokovic, who eliminated Marcel Granollers 6-3, 6-0, 6-0.

Third seed Andy Murray came back from one set down to beat Denis Istomin 6-7, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4, to set up a quarter-final against ninth seed Stanislas Wawrinka, who downed number five seed Thomas Berdych 3-6, 6-1, 7-6, 6-2.

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Nadal, Federer on collision course

New York: Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal remained on course for a tantalising first ever collision at the US Open after demolishing their opposition at Flushing Meadows on Saturday.

The two great rivals have never played each other at the year's final grand slam but are drawn to meet each other in the quarter-finals next week, and they moved a step closer by winning their third-round ties in brilliant fashion. 

Federer, playing the feature night match at an buzzing Arthur Ashe Stadium, doled out a 6-3 6-0 6-2 hammering to Frenchman Adrian Mannarino but knows the focus is already on the possible meeting with Nadal.

"I have gone through that my entire career, people talking about our matches even before the tournament started," he said.

"We're used to it. We know how to handle it. Clearly I think we both hope it's going to happen this time for the first time in New York."

Earlier in the day, when the sun was at its hottest, Nadal turned on his own masterclass to brush aside Croatia's Ivan Dodig 6-4 6-3 6-3 and lead a trio of Spanish men into the fourth round.

French Open runner-up David Ferrer also moved through, beating Mikhail Kukushkin 6-4 6-3 4-6 6-4, while a third Spaniard, Tommy Robredo, ended the Cinderella run of British qualifier Dan Evans.

Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki and the 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova were among the high-profile casualties in a women's draw packed with surprises.

Four of the eight women already through to the fourth round are unseeded and three of the eight are Italian.

Camila Giorgi, who had to come through the qualifiers to reach the main draw, sent Wozniacki packing with a 4-6 6-4 6-3 win on Arthur Ashe Stadium while Flavia Pennetta knocked out the former U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-5 6-1. Roberta Vinci also won for Italy.

Nadal has been in great form in the past month, winning warm-up tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati. He has not dropped a single set in getting to the last 16 at Flushing Meadows and believes he is still improving.

"I played better today than in the previous matches. (That's) always a positive thing," he said.

Nadal's next opponent is Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber, who beat towering American John Isner 6-4 3-6 7-5 7-6 (5), while Federer's next assignment is Robredo, a 7-6 (6) 6-1 4-6 7-5 winner over Evans.

While Federer and Nadal cruised into the next round, a feisty Victoria Azarenka dropped her first set of the tournament before recovering to book her place in the last 16 of the women's draw.

A finalist last year and one of the favourites to win the title this season, the world number two and reigning Australian Open champion overcame a shaky start to beat Alize Cornet of France 6-7(2) 6-3 6-2.

The Belarussian was given a tough workout from Cornet and allowed her frustrations to boil over when the umpire ordered a point she had won be replayed.

"That was the most ridiculous thing there is," Azarenka growled.

Former world number one Ana Ivanovic had to dig deep to avoid joining the exit queue. The Serbian was on the brink of defeat in her match against American Christina McHale before recovering to win 4-6 7-5 6-4. She plays Azarenka next.

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Sehwag in his new avatar ready for a comeback

New Delhi: There was a new promise in explosive Delhi batsman Vireder Sehwag’s eyes when he faced the camera after 100 days of absence from the cricket field at the MRF pace Foundation in Chennai. After his exclusion from the Indian test team, this was Sehwag’s first face-off with the camera. He played his last match in the IPL 6 tournament on 19 May this year.

Having lost weight and gained muscle, the cricketer looks leaner and fitter as compared to what he was a few months ago. Back in shape, the new fitter avatar of the ace cricketer has the telling signs of his determination to make a fiery comeback in the Indian team and thrill his fans again.

Sehwag had mysteriously disappeared after being dropped from the Indian test team. For long he was neither seen practicing on the cricket pitch and nor in front of cameras.

Sources told this newspaper that all this while, the Delhi dasher has been busy sweating it out in the gym and focusing on hand-eye coordination. And helping him in this crucial time is none other than former Australian pace spearhead Glenn McGrath. Sehwag’s absence from the field was seen as an end to his glorious career. Several cricket experts had begun to suspect whether India’s most promising and dynamic batsman will ever be able to recreate his magic again. Especially with the entry of players like Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan, Sehwag’s entry in the opening slot in Team India was doubted.

But as they say, form is temporary but class is permanent. the Delhi opener, who has given nightmares to the best of bowlers in world cricket appears set to prove all his critics wrong.

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Master’s 200th Test at home- latest sports news in india

Kolkata: India’s Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar will be playing his 200th Test match on home soil with the Indian cricket board trying to squeeze in a series against the West Indies ahead of the year-end tour of South Africa. 

The decision to invite West Indies for two Tests and five one-dayers was taken at BCCI’s working committee meeting on Sunday.

“We have sent a proposal to the West Indies Cricket Board in this regard. We are hopeful of working out the modalities for the series,” a top BCCI official said.

The series against West Indies will provide Tendulkar a chance to complete the historic milestone of playing 200 Tests in front of home fans.

Mumbai and Kolkata are the likely venues for the much-anticipated matches and the final decision will be taken by the BCCI’s tours and fixtures committee.

While the 200th Test will be just another milestone for the God of Cricket, many fear, that he may call it quits from the game after this series.

The champion batsman has so far played 198 Tests, scoring 15,837 runs at an average of 53.86. The top run-getter by quite a mile, Tendulkar has scored 51 hundreds in the five-day format.

Tendulkar, who has retired from ODIs and Twenty20s, played 463 50-over games scoring 18.426 runs at an average of 44.83. He struck 49 hundreds in the process.

The BCCI official said the working committee did not have any discussion on the South Africa series, which India need to finalise after rejecting the itinerary proposed by Cricket South Africa.

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