Lucas Neill

Lucas Edward Neill, born 9 March 1978 is an Australian professional footballer who currently plays for UAE Pro-League club Al Jazira and is the captain of the Australian national team. Neill plays as a defender, who commonly plays as a centre back as well as a full back. Neill had spent almost 15 years of his career playing in England. He represented Australia at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and also the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. On 6 October 2006 he was named the 50th captain of the Australian national team.

Background

Neill grew up in the Northern Beaches of Sydney and was a student at Wakehurst Public School in Belrose and St Augustine's College in Brookvale, before attending the Australian Institute of Sport on a football scholarship in 1994–95.

Club career
Millwall

Neill joined Millwall on a free transfer in November 1995, making his debut on 17 February against Luton Town in 1996. In almost six years at The Den, he made 174 appearances in all competitions, scoring 13 goals. In September 2001, Neill, by then the longest serving player at the club, submitted a transfer request and shortly after, signed for Blackburn Rovers for an initial fee of £600,000 plus up to £400,000 more depending on appearances.

West Ham United

In January 2007 Neill turned his back on a un-confirmed bid from Liverpool in favour of West Ham United, following the successful transfer of Stephen Warnock from Liverpool to Blackburn. Neill was accused of his primary motivating factor being money, but he later refuted these claims, stating the move was for purely footballing reasons. Neill later alleged to the media that Liverpool had not made him feel truly wanted, and that he had not even spoken to manager Rafael Benítez. Neill made his league debut for the Hammers in February 2007 against Watford, where he picked up a knee injury. He captained the team for the first time during a 3–4 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur the following month and went on to play every remaining game of the season. He became the permanent team captain following Nigel Reo-Coker's transfer to Aston Villa. Neill made his first appearance as team captain in the 1–1 draw against Wigan Athletic on 25 August 2007. Neill scored his only goal for West Ham in a 3–2 away defeat to West Brom in September 2008. At the end of the 2008–09 season Neill rejected a one year contract extension with West Ham, becoming a free agent.

Everton
Neill and national team-mate Tim Cahill playing for Everton in 2009

On 17 September 2009, Neill joined close friend, Tim Cahill at Everton on a free transfer, signing a one-year deal. He was unveiled to the fans at half time during Everton's 4–0 Europa League win at Goodison Park against AEK Athens.

Neill played his first game for Everton on 23 September 2009 in the League Cup, coming on as a second half substitution for Leighton Baines, in their 4–0 victory over Hull City. Neill's first start for Everton in the Premier League was on 25 October 2009 where he played a full match against Bolton Wanderers setting up two goals.
Galatasaray

On 13 January 2010, Neill agreed to join Turkish side Galatasaray. It is believed Neill wanted to leave Everton to secure a longer contract. Neill signed a one-and-a-half-year contract with Galatasaray, linking up with Socceroo teammate Harry Kewell. Neill made his Turkish Super Lig debut for Galatasaray on 24 January 2010 in a 1–0 home win at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium against Gaziantepspor. Neill along with Kewell and several others were released at the end of the 2010–11 season.
Al Jazira

On 19 August 2011 it was announced he had signed a one year contract with UAE Pro League Club Al Jazira. On 2 June 2012 it was announced he had been released by the club.
International career

In October 1996, Neill became the third-youngest player, after Duncan Cummings and Harry Kewell, to debut for the Australian national team[28] when he played in a friendly game against Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, aged 18 years and 7 months. He also competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney with the Australian men's team, the Olyroos.

On 16 November 2005 at Sydney's ANZ Stadium, Neill helped Australia qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup playing the entire game and scoring the Socceroos' second penalty in a shoot-out against Uruguay, after aggregate scores were tied at 1–1 following extra-time. He was named Man of the Match for this game.

Neill started all four of Australia's games at the 2006 World Cup. In the closing minutes of Australia's Round of 16 game against Italy, referee Luis Medina Cantalejo adjudged Neill to have fouled Italian fullback Fabio Grosso in the penalty area. Francesco Totti converted the ensuing penalty kick to score and give the Italians a 1–0 victory, knocking Australia out of the cup.

Following the World Cup, Neill expressed his desire to captain his national side and on 6 October 2006 was named as the 50th player to captain Australia. On 7 October 2006 he made his debut as the Socceroo's captain in a 1–1 friendly against Paraguay, in Brisbane. Four days later, in Sydney, he captained Australia again in an Asian Cup qualifying game against Bahrain, which Australia won 2–0. On 2 June 2007, Neill captained the Socceroos again in a friendly match against Uruguay at Sydney's Telstra Stadium in which Australia lost 2–1.

On 13 July 2007, in the dying seconds of the Socceroo's 3–1 loss to Iraq, Neill verbally abused the referee. He received his second yellow card and was sent off, capping a disappointing performance by the Australian side. In the quarter finals of the Asian Cup, Neill missed a crucial penalty in a shootout against Japan which resulted in Australia's elimination from the cup.[33] Neill played his 50th game for Australia in a World Cup Qualifier against Japan, a game that Australia won 2–1 with Tim Cahill scoring both goals.
Controversy

In 2011 Les Murray, an Australian soccer journalist, published a book entitled "The World Game: The Story of How Football Went Global" in which Murray cited an undisclosed source in alleging that Neill had instigated a mutiny just before the Germany vs. Australia game at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Murray alleged that Neill had asked his coach, Pim Verbeek, to leave the room, before describing Verbeek's game-plan as "bullshit" and erasing what the Dutchman had written on a whiteboard, telling the team to play like they normally do. The publication of this story was followed by responses from team members who had been eyewitnesses of the actual events, including Craig Moore, Eugene Galeković and Mile Jedinak, clarifying that such an event, as portrayed in Murray's book, had never occurred. Neill himself protested that before the Germany game it was Mark Schwarzer, and not Neill himself, who had given the team pep talk. A few days after the allegations hit the news, Les Murray retracted his allegations with a full apology, with an undertaking that future editions of his book would have the relevant portion deleted.

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Queen Elizabeth II sparkles on her day for the Diamond Jubilee

LONDON — On a luxury barge festooned with flowers, Queen Elizabeth II sailed down the River Thames on Sunday amid a motley but majestic flotilla of 1,000 vessels, mustered to mark her 60 years on the British throne.

Hundreds of thousands of Union Jack-waving spectators formed a red, white and blue wave along London's riverbanks and bridges, cheering the 86-year-old monarch and her armada of motorboats, rowboats and sailboats of all shapes and sizes. The pageant was a nod to Britain's maritime heritage and one of the biggest events on the river for centuries.

The queen wore a silver and white dress and matching coat — embroidered with gold, silver and ivory spots and embellished with Swarovski crystals to evoke the river — for her trip aboard the barge Spirit of Chartwell, decorated for the occasion in rich red, gold and purple velvet.

The queen's grandson, Prince William, and his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge — he in his Royal Air Force uniform, she in a red Alexander McQueen dress — and William's brother, Prince Harry, were among senior royals who joined the queen and her husband, Prince Philip.

After a celebratory peal of bells, the boat set off downstream at a stately 4 knots (4.6 mph, 7.4 kph), accompanied by skiffs, barges, narrow boats, kayaks, gondolas, dragon boats and even a replica Viking longboat.

The flotilla was sailing past some of the city's great landmarks — including the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye and St. Paul's Cathedral — before ending its journey near Tower Bridge. Downriver, ships too tall to fit under London's bridges were moored along both banks of the river.

Large crowds turned out despite cold, drizzly weather to fete a queen who has assumed the status of nation's grandmother.

Hundreds of people ignored the persistent rain and camped out overnight to secure prime riverside spots. Crowds swelled into the thousands Sunday, with revelers in hats, flags, leggings and rain ponchos adorned with the Union flag mixing with burger and cotton candy vendors along the 7-mile (11-kilometer) route.

"It would have been wonderful if it had been sunny like last Sunday but we have come prepared," said 57-year-old Christine Steele. "We have got blankets, brollies (umbrellas), flags and bunting. We even got our glittery Union Jack hats and wigs, and the Champagne is on ice."

The spectacle was a tribute to Britain's past — monarchs used the river as their main highway for centuries, and naval power built the island nation's once-great empire — as well as to its abiding love of boats and the sea.

Joining in the festivities with the crowds in Battersea Park, colourful London Mayor Boris Johnson brushed off concerns about the poor weather.

"I think the weather is the ideal climatic conditions for a proper British summer festivity," he said.

"People will want to show their admiration for the Queen's 60 years on the throne, whatever the weather throws at them."

In a city suffering chronic depression as a result of the double-dip recession, the celebrations were a welcome distraction.

Painter Liz Martyn and her childhood friend Vivien Watt, from Devon, took one look at the weather and decided the dress code of the day should be ski gear.

The pair, both 61, have lived through the six decades of the Queen's reign.

"There were six other kids in my school named Elizabeth because we were all born when the Queen came to the throne and we've grown up with them," Ms Martyn, who moved to Australia from the UK in 1981, said.

Ms Watt, who spent time living in the Hunter Valley, witnessed the weddings of both Prince Charles and Lady Diana, and Prince William and Kate Middleton - but her parents' royal link was even more intimate.

"My parents, when they got married, their friends were florists in London and they had made the Queen's bouquet for her wedding, so when my parents got married they made them an identical one," she said.

Joining the Queen from Battersea Bridge to Tower Bridge in the east were the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

Australian Governor-General Quentin Bryce was on board the Sarpedon, sharing deck-space with Foreign Secretary William Hague and heads of state.

In a mark of extreme trust, Australian navy guards were assigned to secure the royal family safe passage, while Aussie surf lifesavers were on hand to give CPR if Her Majesty went overboard.

Summing up her feelings before hitting the water as the youngest female among 29 lifesavers, Caitlin McConnel said the best words were total euphoria. "It's amazing," the 22-year-old Brisbane resident said. "The whole world is watching. And if we can tackle six-foot waves we can certainly tackle a bit of rain."

But fellow Queenslander Rachel Kilmartin, also 22, said the cold weather was a shock.

The weather was expected to clear before Australian performers Kylie Minogue and Rolf Harris take to the state open-air Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace tonight.In Sydney, hundreds marked the milestone with a service at St Andrew's Cathedral.

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Victoria Azarenka

Victoria Azarenka, born 31 July 1989 is a Belarusian professional tennis player. She is the current World No. 1 as of 28 May 2012.

She won the 2012 Australian Open singles title, becoming the first Belarusian player to win a Grand Slam in singles. Her other achievements include winning two mixed doubles Grand Slam titles, the 2007 US Open with Max Mirnyi and the 2008 French Open with Bob Bryan.

At the 2011 Andalucia Tennis Experience, Azarenka was the top seed and dropped only fourteen games on her way to the final. She defeated Irina-Camelia Begu 6–3, 6–2, in the final. Azarenka's victory, and Samantha Stosur's inability to defend her points at Charleston, ensured that Azarenka would reach a career high of world no. 5. She then participated in Belarus' 5–0 win over Estonia in the Fed Cup, registering a 6–2, 6–0 win in her singles rubber. In her next tournament the 2011 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Azarenka retired after the first set of her first match, having won the first set 6–4 against Julia Goerges, ending her 12-match winning streak. Ironically, Julia went on to win the tournament.

At the 2011 Madrid Masters, Azarenka was seeded fourth. She lost in the final in straight sets to Petra Kvitová, but still rose to a career-high world no. 4. Azarenka then reached the quarterfinals of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, where she was up a set before retiring to eventual champion Maria Sharapova.

Azarenka was the fourth seed at the 2011 French Open. She beat Andrea Hlaváčková in the first round, Pauline Parmentier in the second round, 30th seed Roberta Vinci in the third round, and Ekaterina Makarova in the fourth round to reach her fourth career Grand Slam quarterfinal. She lost to Li Na in the quarterfinals.
Azarenka at the 2011 WTA Tour Championships

Azarenka was the fourth seed at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships. She beat 25th seed Daniela Hantuchová in a three-set third-round match, before beating Nadia Petrova. She followed that up with an easy victory over Tamira Paszek, advancing to the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time. Azarenka was beaten by Czech player and eventual champion Petra Kvitová, going down in three sets 1–6, 6–3, 2–6.

Her next tournament was the 2011 Bank of the West Classic, where she was the defending champion and top seed. Azarenka was ousted by 124th-ranked Marina Erakovic from New Zealand in the second round. Despite her 'horrible match' in singles, Azarenka claimed the doubles title with partner Kirilenko.

The next tournament Azarenka played was the 2011 Rogers Cup, where she was seeded fourth. After a bye, Azarenka crushed Stephanie Dubois, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, and Galina Voskoboeva, before being stopped by Serena Williams in the semifinals, 3–6, 3–6. Azarenka reached the doubles final with Kirilenko, but the team was forced to withdraw because of a hand injury to Azarenka. Azarenka pulled out of the 2011 Western & Southern Open with the same injury.

Azarenka's next tournament was the 2011 US Open, where she was seeded fourth. She made it to the third round, where she was defeated by Serena Williams 1–6, 6–7. Despite the early loss, she reached a new career high of no. 3 in the world.

Azarenka reached the semifinals of the 2011 Toray Pan Pacific Open, losing to eventual champion Agnieszka Radwańska. In doing so she qualified for the year-end championships in Istanbul.

The Belarusian participated in the China Open, the last of the four mandatory events for 2011, as the second seed. She defeated Polona Hercog in the second round, after receiving a first-round bye. She then withdrew from the tournament citing a right foot strain.

Azarenka would win her third title of the year at the 2011 BGL Luxembourg Open, defeating Monica Niculescu in the final.
 

Championships. She beat Samantha Stosur 6–2, 6–2 and Li Na 6–2, 6–2 in her first two Round Robin matches. She secured the move to the semifinals despite her loss in three sets, 7–5, 4–6, 4–6, to Marion Bartoli, a substitute for Maria Sharapova. She then beat Vera Zvonareva 6–2, 6–3 to move to the final where she lost to Petra Kvitova 5–7, 6–4, 3–6.
2012

Azarenka claimed her first title of the season at the 2012 Apia International Sydney as the third seed. She defeated her first three opponents, Stefanie Voegele, Jelena Jankovic and Marion Bartoli all in straight sets to advance to the semifinals where she defeated the seventh seed, Agnieszka Radwańska in three sets 1–6, 6–3, 6–2 to reach the final, where she defeated the defending champion Li Na in three sets 6–2, 1–6, 6–3.

Azarenka competed at the 2012 Australian Open as the third seed, defeating Heather Watson, Casey Dellacqua, Mona Barthel and Iveta Benesova in the first four rounds without dropping a set, losing just 10 games and winning 48. In the quarterfinals, Azarenka faced a sterner test against world no. 8 Agnieszka Radwańska, and lost the opening set on a tie-break before coming back strongly, losing just two further games en route to a 6–7, 6–0, 6–2 win.[25] In the semi-finals, she defeated the eleventh seed and defending champion Kim Clijsters 6–4, 1–6, 6–3 to reach her first Grand Slam singles final where she faced the world no. 4 Maria Sharapova, conqueror of 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitová in the other semifinal. In a nervous start to the final, Azarenka lost the opening two games of the match, and was within two points of trailing 0–3 after Sharapova took the first two points of the third game. Azarenka came back to hold serve, however, and took the next two games to establish a 3–2 lead, before her opponent held serve to level the score at 3–3. This would prove to be Sharapova's last service hold in the match, as Azarenka then proceeded to win all of the next nine games, to record an emphatic 6–3, 6–0 victory. Unusually, due to the earlier quarter-final defeat of Caroline Wozniacki by Clijsters in the same tournament, whichever of the finalists triumphed in Melbourne would gain sufficient points to replace Wozniacki at the top of the Women's rankings. Azarenka thus recorded her first Grand Slam singles title and became the world no. 1 (with effect from 30 January 2012) in the same match.

Personal life

At age 16, Azarenka moved to Scottsdale, Arizona from Minsk, Belarus, to train. In this she was aided by National Hockey League goalie Nikolai Khabibulin and his wife, who is a friend of Azarenka's mother. In 2010 she briefly considered a break from the sport of tennis to focus on education, however, after a conversation with her grandmother she decided to continue playing. It is the inspiration from her grandmother that is regarded as the key for her continued developments in the sport. Azarenka is romantically involved with tennis player Sergei Bubka Jr, son of former Olympic gold medalist and World Champion, Sergey Bubka.

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Dominika Cibulkova

Dominika Cibulkova, born 6 May 1989 in Piešťany, Czechoslovakia, now Slovakia is a professional Slovak tennis player. She is also a former world junior no. 3, achieving that ranking in May 2005. Her career-high ranking of world no. 12 was achieved on 6 July 2009. Her best result was reaching the semi-finals of the 2009 French Open, while she has also reached the quarter-finals at the 2010 US Open and the 2011 Wimbledon Championships. Cibulková has also won one title on the WTA tour, winning the tournament in Moscow in 2011.
Contents
Personal

Cibulková began playing tennis between the ages of seven and nine[3] and grew up in Bratislava, Slovakia. She can speak both Slovak and English.

She lists clay and hard as her favourite surfaces, and has thus far proved to be most proficient on a hard surface.

Career
Early career

Cibulková competed predominantly on the ITF circuit at this time, and managed to win two tournaments: the Amarante, Portugal event in 2005, and the Bratislava event in 2006.

At the 2010 Monterrey Open, Cibulková was the 4th seed. She came from a set down to beat No. 5 seed Ágnes Szávay in the quarterfinals. She fell to fellow Slovak and No. 2 seed Daniela Hantuchová in three sets. At the 2010 BNP Paribas Open she was upset by Sara Errani in the second round after receiving a bye. At the 2010 Sony Ericsson Open, Cibulková lost in the third round to Justine Henin, 6–4, 6–4. At the 2010 MPS Group Championships as the third seed she cruised through the semifinals before losing to Olga Govortsova 6–4, 7–5. At the 2010 Internazionali BNL d'Italia she lost in the third round to Maria Kirilenko 4–6, 6–1, 6–1. At the 2010 Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open she lost in the second round to 13th seed Li NaAt the 2010 French Open, where she reach the semifinals the year before, she lost in the third round 6–3, 6–4 to the world no. 2 Venus Williams.

She then played at the 2010 UNICEF Open losing to Kirsten Flipkens 6–2, 6–3 at the quarterfinals. At the Wimbledon 2010, where she upset Lucie Šafářová and defeating Ayumi Morita. She lost in the third round 6–0, 7–5 to world no. 1 Serena Williams. She then lost in the first round of 2010 Banka Koper Slovenia Open to Ksenia Pervak 6–1 6–3 and then suffered 4 straight loses in the second round of 2010 Bank of the West Classic to Yanina Wickmayer 6–1 6–4, first rounds of the 2010 Mercury Insurance Open to Vera Zvonareva 6–0 3–6 6–4, 2010 Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open to Alona Bondarenko 3–6 6–2 6–3 and the 2010 Rogers Cup to Maria Kirilenko 6–0, 6–3. she broke this streak at the 2010 Pilot Pen Tennis by being a lucky loser and reaching the second round before losing to Caroline Wozniacki 6–4, 6–1.
Cibulková at the 2010 US Open.

At the 2010 US Open, Cibulková advanced to her second career Grand Slam quarterfinal after defeating Stefanie Vögele 6–2, 4–6, 7–5, Kateryna Bondarenko 6–2, 5–7, 7–6(7), Lourdes Domínguez Lino 6–0, 6–1, and 11th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova 7–5, 7–6(4). She lost to the top seed Caroline Wozniacki 2–6, 5–7 in the quarterfinals.
2011

Cibulková began the year by reaching the quarterfinals of the 2011 Brisbane International, where she lost to Petra Kvitová, 6–0, 6–4. She then entered the 2011 Medibank International Sydney, where she pulled off the biggest upset of her young career, beating world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki 6–3, 6–3. She was defeated by Alisa Kleybanova in the third round, 6–3, 5–7, 6–2. In late June in London, Cibulková repeated the upset from Sydney by winning 1–6, 7–6, 7–5 against Wozniacki, and continued to the 2011 Wimbledon quarterfinals before losing to Maria Sharapova, 6–1, 6–1. She won her first WTA title, the Kremlin Cup, edging Kaia Kanepi 3–6, 7–6 (1), 7–5. Her win represents the first time a player has captured their maiden title at the Kremlin Cup.
2012

At her first tournament of the year, Cibulková was 4–0 in the third set against Caroline Wozniacki and she eventually lost the match. At the grand slam down under, she was seeded 17 and defeated Magdalena Rybarikova 6–3 6–1 in the first round. Cibulková then lost to Great Arn in an intesne match in the third round. The final score was 2–6 6–3 8–10. At the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Cibulková came close to beating world #1 Victoria Azarenka, leading her by a set and 5–2 before Azarenka prevailed 1–6 7–6 (7) 7–5. Cibulková then reached the finals of the Barcelona Open, losing to Sara Errani 6–2 6–2. At the French Open, Cibulková defeated No. 1 seed Azarenka 6-2 7-6 in the fourth round.
Fed Cup

She has played in the Fed Cup for the Slovak Republic four years in a row from 2005 to present, holding a 11–5 win-loss record in singles and a 1–7 record in doubles matches.

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Dirk Kuyt leaves Liverpool for Fenerbahce

The 31-year-old Netherlands international is thought to have cost the Turkish giants just €1million (£800,000), due to a clause in his contract concerning European clubs.

Kuyt arrived at Liverpool in 2006 for a fee of around £9m and helped his side to League Cup victory in February 2012, scoring in the final against Cardiff City.

"This is a fantastic club to continue my career," Kuyt stated to the official Sport-Promotion website.

"I really hope to reach a good deal, so I can fully focus again on the Dutch team [and have] no more distraction [with] my near future secured.  Subsequently I am all motivated for success with the Dutch team."

"I am ready for a new challenge."

The forward played a less-prominent role last season following the arrivals of Luis Suarez, Andy Carroll and midfielders Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson, who were all recruited during the 18-month reign of recently-sacked Kenny Dalglish.

And Kuyt was keen to stress that his recent regular demotions to the substitutes' bench had no impact on his decision to move.

He was strongly linked with Hamburg and a return to Feyenoord, although he ruled out the latter, saying they would not be able to afford his wages.

He has opted for a move to Istanbul, though, possibly attracted by the prospect of Champions League football next season.

Fenerbahce will enter the preliminary rounds of the competition after finishing runners-up to Galatasaray in the Super Lig.

Kuyt leaves Liverpool having won just one trophy in six seasons on Merseyside, the Carling Cup last season, when he scored in the penalty shoot-out win over Cardiff.

Liverpool confirmed on their official website that Kuyt had told them he had agreed a move to Fenerbahce and the transfer would be complete in "the next few days".

A club statement said: "Everyone at Liverpool Football Club would like to wish Dirk all the very best for the future and thank him for his contribution to the club."

The Dutchman, who is currently preparing for Euro 2012 with Holland, scored 71 goals in 285 games for Liverpool.

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French Open 2012: Victoria Azarenka knocked out by Dominika Cibulkova

Azarenka, who almost lost to Alberta Brianti in round one, went down 6-2 7-6 (7-4) against 15th seed Cibulkova.

"It's been a lot of tennis for me in the last five months - I need to rest a little," said Azarenka, who added that she does not plan to play any tournaments before Wimbledon.

Svetlana Kuznetsova , winner in 2009, was beaten 6-0 7-5 by Sara Errani.

Her exit means Li Na is the only former champion left in the draw.

Top seed Azarenka , 22, was far from convincing in her first-round meeting with Brianti and was again distinctly off key against Cibulkova.

She had beaten the Slovakian seven times in eight previous meetings - overturning a set and a break deficit in the last two.

But there would be no repeat on this occasion as the Australian Open champion joined Serena and Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki and Agnieszka Radwanska among the big-name casualties.

When asked what she planned to do after the defeat, Azarenka sarcastically responded: "I'm going to kill myself.

"This tournament is over for me. What's to recover from? It's [time] to really look forward and improve. That's it."

An enthralling 15-minute first game, which included six break points, went the Belarusian's way but after that Cibulkova took control.

The 5ft 3ins right-hander broke back immediately before going on to comfortably win the first set in 44 minutes.

Azarenka rallied to take a 2-0 lead in the second, but the diminutive Cibulkova showed her mental strength to run off four games in a row.

The top-seeded Belarussian was beaten 6-2, 7-6 by the Slovakian 15th seed Dominika Cibulkova and must wait to see if the Russian Maria Sharapova will claim the top spot. Sharapova, who meets the unseeded Czech Klara Zakopalova in the last 16 on Monday and has yet to drop a set in the tournament, must get to the Roland Garros final for the first time to become No1.

Cibulkova, who reached the French Open semi-finals three years ago and had lost seven times to Azarenka in eight previous meetings, collapsed on to her back, a big grin on her face, after winning the tiebreak 7-4 with a backhand crosscourt on her second match point.

The Slovakian will play either the US Open champion Sam Stosur of Australia or the American teenager Sloane Stephens in the quarter-finals.

Asked how she would recover from the defeat, a stone-faced Azarenka said sarcastically: "I'm going to kill myself!"

Analysing what went wrong, she said: "Pretty much everything, really. I don't know how to describe my performance today… I wasn't satisfied being out there playing that way but I guess it happens."

Azarenka started by winning a 15-minute opening game featuring six break points on the Cibulkova's serve but she could not sustain the pace, dropping her serve three times. She tried hard to find angles but the ball would too often land long or wide on the important points. Cibulkova put her opponent on the back foot with lengthy rallies from the baseline, taking a well deserved one-set lead after 44 minutes.

The second set was a topsy-turvy affair on a chilly afternoon on Court Suzanne Lenglen. Azarenka opened a 2-0 lead, only for Cibulkova to reel off four games in a row to close in on victory.

Cibulkova struggled to keep a check on her nerves. She double-faulted on break point in the following game and Azarenka went on to break in the 11th game when the Slovakian netted a crosscourt backhand.

Dirk Kuyt

Dirk Kuyt, born 22 July 1980 is a Dutch footballer who plays for Fenerbahçe as a forward.

Kuyt began his professional career with FC Utrecht in 1998 and quickly became part of their first team. He spent five years at the club and in his final season he won his first senior honour, the Dutch Cup, and was chosen as the season's Dutch Golden Shoe Winner. Following this, he left Utrecht in a €1 million transfer to Feyenoord. He became the club captain in 2005 and was a prolific goalscorer at the Rotterdam club; he was the club's top scorer for three consecutive seasons, the top goalscorer in the 2004–05 Eredivisie season, and the 2005–06 Dutch Footballer of the Year. Kuyt missed o bynly five games over seven seasons from 1999 until 2006 and appeared in 179 consecutive matches between 2001–06, striking up a fruitful partnership with fellow Feyenoord teammate Salomon Kalou.

He left Feyenoord after three years, having scored 71 league goals in 101 appearances, and joined Premier League side Liverpool for £10 million. He made his Premier League debut late in 2006 and became part of the first team squad. He scored in his first ever UEFA Champions League final with Liverpool against AC Milan.

Kuyt scored several important goals for Liverpool elsewhere, including seven goals in the 2007–08 Champions League, including a goal in the quarter-final against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium and in the semi-final against Chelsea, and two penalty kicks against Everton in the derby the same season. He scored his first hat-trick for Liverpool against Manchester United in March 2011. After coming on as a substitute, his extra time goal at Wembley for Liverpool against Cardiff City in the 2012 League Cup Final helped win the trophy for Liverpool, and was also his first trophy as a Liverpool player.

He made his international debut in 2004 and has represented the Netherlands at three major international tournaments, the 2006 and 2010 World Cup and Euro 2008.

Feyenoord

At Feyenoord, Kuyt immediately became a fans' favourite with his continued goal scoring success. His first season saw him net another 20 league goals. The opening game of the 2004–05 season marked Kuyt's first ever hat-trick against De Graafschap. He later went on to score three in the 6–3 victory against Den Haag and ended the season as the Eredivisie's top scorer with 29 goals—a career high.

In 2005 Kuyt was handed the Feyenoord club captaincy and went on to have a third successful season with the club, scoring 25 goals in all competitions. He formed a golden duo with Salomon Kalou, nicknamed K2.
Kuyt during his time at Feyenoord

Over the summer of 2006 Kuyt was again linked with moves to many top English clubs, most notably Liverpool and Newcastle United. Rumours started in May with Dirk Kuyt stating "I am happy at Feyenoord but I would like to play in the Premier League. Kuyt completed a move to Liverpool on 18 August for an undisclosed fee.

Kuyt missed only five games over seven seasons from 1999 until 2006, making 233 appearances. Between March 2001 and April 2006 he played 179 consecutive matches.
Liverpool
2006–07 season

Upon joining Liverpool, Kuyt stated "I only wanted to leave Feyenoord for a really big club, and that is what Liverpool are. They are a fantastic big club and it will be a real pleasure to play here.

After sitting out the first game Kuyt made his Liverpool debut as a substitute against West Ham on 26 August 2006. His first start came against PSV in the Champions League and he has been first choice in most games since. He immediately got praises for the new defensive approach by a striker. In his third start for the club on 20 September 2006 Kuyt scored his first goal against Newcastle United in a Premier League game at Anfield, and followed up with another against Tottenham Hotspur in the next game. He scored his third goal for Liverpool with his father watching the game at Anfield, contributing to Liverpool's 3–1 win over Aston Villa. Two weeks later he bagged a brace, as the only scorer in the Reds' 2–0 victory against Premiership newcomers Reading.

Kuyt won much praise for his early performances, with the Daily Mirror stating: "The Dutch striker has the look of a cult hero in the making" and The People reporting that he is "propelling himself towards iconic status. One of the reasons for his early popularity is his post match courtesy to the fans. After each match he walks to every corner of the ground, and applauds the Liverpool supporters.
Kuyt (left) with former teammate Xabi Alonso at Liverpool

On 20 January 2007, Dirk Kuyt opened the scoring against Chelsea after only 4 minutes after a Peter Crouch flick-on. Liverpool went on to defeat the champions 2–0. It was the first time Rafael Benítez had defeated José Mourinho in the Premiership. It was also the first goal scored by Liverpool against a top four club in the league in the 2006–07 season. Kuyt moved his league-goal tally into double figures by scoring the first goal in the game against West Ham on 30, January 2007.

Kuyt played a key part in Liverpool's penalty shoot-out win over Chelsea in the semi-finals of the 2006–07 Champions League. Firstly in extra-time he had a goal disallowed for offside from Xabi Alonso's strike. Kuyt also scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out, and scored a consolation goal in their 2–1 defeat to Milan in the final.

2011–12 season

On 21 September 2011, Dirk Kuyt scored his first goal of the season in a 2–1 win against Brighton & Hove Albion in the 83rd minute in the third round of the League Cup. He did not score for the rest of 2011, missing a chance to get his 50th league goal on 1 October 2011 with a saved penalty against Everton, a game Liverpool went on to win 2–0. On 8 October, Kuyt was announced as having taken up an advisory role with his first club in football, Quick Boys. Kuyt's next goal was a crucial 88th minute winner in a 2–1 victory against Manchester United in the fourth round of the FA Cup on 28 January 2012. He went on to score his 50th league goal for Liverpool the following week in a 3–0 victory over Wolves, becoming only the fifth player to score 50 or more goals for Liverpool in the Premier League. After coming on as a substitute, Kuyt scored Liverpool's second goal in the League Cup final against Cardiff City on 26 February; the game finished 2–2 after extra-time, with Liverpool winning on penalties - Kuyt scoring one of them.

International career

When Marco van Basten took over as coach of the Dutch national team he dropped many established players, including strikers Roy Makaay and Patrick Kluivert. Kuyt benefitted as in September 2004 he made his international debut in van Basten's first game against Liechtenstein. He has been a permanent fixture in the Dutch squad ever since, making the starting line-up for eleven of the Netherlands' twelve 2006 World Cup qualification matches.
Euro 2008

Kuyt was selected for the Dutch squad for Euro 2008. On 9 June, he played in their opening Group C match, a 3–0 victory over 2006 World Champions Italy, assisting in two goals, his most notable act being the header that provided the link between Giovanni van Bronckhorst's crossfield pass and Wesley Sneijder's goal to make it 2–0 on 31 minutes. On 13 June, Kuyt contributed his team's second in the next game of Group C, a 4–1 victory over 2006 World Cup finalists France by opening the scoring with a ninth minute header from a corner, taking his tally of international goals to eight. During Euro 2008, Kuyt was employed as a winger, partnering with Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart in the midfield due to the team's change of formation from 4-3-3/4–4–2 to 4–2–3–1.

Post Euro 2008

Kuyt scored 3 goals in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. During a friendly against England, he opened the scoring less than ten minutes after kick-off, pouncing on Rio Ferdinand's poor back pass.

2010 World Cup

Kuyt was included in the preliminary squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. On 27 May 2010, Netherlands manager Bert van Marwijk announced that the player would be part of the final squad of 23 participating in the competition.

At the finals, Kuyt scored Holland's second goal in the 85th minute of their 2–0 win over Denmark in their opening group match on a tap-in after Eljero Elia's shot hit the post. In the quarter-final match on 2 July against Brazil, Kuyt flicked a corner on to Wesley Sneijder who headed the ball into the net giving the Dutch in a 2–1 win. He also assisted the goal scored by Arjen Robben against Uruguay in the semi-finals. Kuyt started all seven matches for the Dutch who finished as runners up to Spain and finished the tournament with one goal and three assists.

Post 2010 World Cup

On 2 September 2010, Kuyt scored a penalty as Holland began their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign with a 5–0 away win against San Marino.On 12 October 2010, Kuyt injured his ankle in Holland's fourth Euro 2012 qualifier against Sweden and was out of action for four weeks with the injury. On 25 March 2011 Kuyt scored Hollands third goal in a 4–0 win against Hungary for the Euro 2012 qualifiers. Four days later he scored twice in a 5–3 win against the same opponents. On 8 June 2011, Kuyt scored a 90th minute equaliser for Holland against Uruguay, leveling the match to 1–1, with Liverpool teammate Luis Suarez netting the opening goal of the match. Holland went on to lose to Uruguay on penalties. Kuyt scored the fourth goal in Holland's record 11–0 win over San Marino. Kuyt headed in his seventh international goal of 2011 in a 3-2 loss against Sweden.

Personal life

Kuyt's wife Gertrude has found favour in the Dutch media for her down-to-earth attitude. She continued to work as a nurse in an old people's home after marrying Kuyt until their daughter, Noelle, was born. Kuyt and his wife now carry out extensive charity work off the pitch. Most notably, he and his wife set up the Dirk Kuyt Foundation to help disadvantaged children in his homeland and the Third World. One of the ways the foundation raises money is by selling DK-branded clothes.
Kuyt's father, also called Dirk, died of cancer on 29 June 2007.

Bradley Wiggins

Bradley Marc Wiggins, CBE, born 28 April 1980 is a British professional track and road bicycle racer, currently riding for Team Sky. Wiggins' career began on the track, where he specialised in the pursuit and madison disciplines.

He won a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics, three further medals at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics, and two golds at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. In road cycling he turned professional in 2002, but his involvement was limited by his track cycling until 2007.

After the 2008 Olympics Wiggins took a break from the track to focus on the road. Initially viewed as a time-trial specialist and a rouleur, Wiggins showed his ability in stage races when he came in fourth at the 2009 Tour de France, the joint highest placed finish by a British rider in Tour history. In 2010 he was hired as the leader for the new Team Sky, and later that year was inducted in to the London Youth Games Hall of Fame. To date his biggest wins have been the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné – the first British rider to win the race since 1990 – and the 2012 Paris–Nice, the first British winner of the race in 45 years. Wiggins finished 3rd in the 2011 Vuelta a España, becoming one of three British riders to make the podium in a Grand Tour. Ten days later, Wiggins won the silver medal in the Time Trial at the World Road Cycling Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark. Wiggins was part of the Great Britain team that helped Mark Cavendish win the 2011 UCI World Road Race Championship.

Career

At 20, Wiggins won a bronze medal for Britain in the team pursuit at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

In 2001 he signed for the British professional road Linda McCartney Racing Team before it disbanded in early 2001. He joined Française des Jeux in 2002, before moving to Crédit Agricole in 2004.

At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Wiggins became the first British athlete in 40 years to win three medals at one Games, the last being Mary Rand at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo. He won the gold in the pursuit, silver in the team pursuit, and bronze in the madison with his race partner Rob Hayles. Wiggins was appointed OBE in the 2005 New Year Honours for services to sport.

In 2005, Wiggins rode Giro d'Italia for Crédit Agricole. He moved to Cofidis in 2006, and rode that year's Tour de France. He returned to the track for the Manchester round of the UCI World Cup and the world championships in 2007, winning the individual and team pursuit. He followed on the road by winning the prologue of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré.

He raced for Cofidis in the 2007 Tour de France and finished fourth in the prologue in London. He won the combativity award on stage six for a long solo breakaway. Cofidis withdrew after Cristian Moreni failed a doping test.

Wiggins had a difficult start to the Vuelta as Sky finished 42 seconds back on the opening Team Time Trial in Benidorm. However, a strong first week brought Wiggins back into contention, leaving him 19th overall after Stage 8. On Stage 9, Wiggins and teammate Chris Froome attacked on the final climb to finish 4th and 5th respectively, and taking time out of Joaquim Rodríguez, Michele Scarponi and other contenders. The stage moved both riders up in the standings, and Wiggins was expected to take the overall lead on the time trial the following day. However, Froome sprung a major surprise, finishing second on the stage, taking the red jersey for himself, whilst Wiggins rose to third overall. Wiggins took the leaders jersey, after the rest day. After losing a few seconds to Vincenzo Nibali on the following days, Stage 14 saw Wiggins and Froome taking time out of most of their rivals, with Nibali losing over a minute. Wiggins lost the lead of the Vuelta to Juan José Cobo on Stage 15, where he finished 5th on the climb up the Angliru. The Stage saw Wiggins drop to 3rd in the standings, with Froome ahead in second. Wiggins finished the Vuelta in 3rd overall, his first grand tour podium.

In September, Wiggins finished second behind Tony Martin in the UCI Road World Championship Time Trial to take the silver medal. Four days later, Wiggins was part of the Great Britain team that set up Mark Cavendish's victory in the Road Race.
2012

Although 2012 is an Olympic year, Wiggins' focus remains on road racing. The individual pursuit is no longer an Olympic event, and in December 2011 coach Rod Ellingworth told The Guardian, "The chances of him doing the team pursuit are really slim now".  Wiggins is more likely to compete in the Olympic Road Race and Time Trial. Wiggins began his 2012 season with third place in the Volta ao Algarve, including victory in the race-concluding individual time trial, edging out world champion Tony Martin by less than a second. Wiggins also helped with team-mate Richie Porte's successful bid to win the race overall. In March, Wiggins finished second to Vacansoleil-DCM's Gustav Larsson in the opening time trial of Paris–Nice, despite setting his time in wet conditions. The following day he took the lead of the race after being part of a 30-man breakaway as the peloton split into echelons. He held the lead for the rest of the race, winning the final stage, a time-trial on the Col d'Èze, despite a strong challenge from Dutch rider Lieuwe Westra, of the Vacansoleil-DCM team. Starting the final 9.6 km (6.0 mi) stage with a 6-second lead, Wiggins beat Westra's time by two seconds, to win the race by eight seconds overall, becoming the first British rider to win the race since Tom Simpson in 1967. His final stage victory was also good enough to give him the points classification ahead of Alejandro Valverde.

On Stage 1 of the Tour de Romandie in April, Wiggins took a rare sprint victory from a group of 59 riders to take the race lead. He lost the jersey to Luis León Sánchez after the Spaniard won two consecutive stages. However, Wiggins won the final time trial, despite suffering a dropped chain, to take overall victory. He is the first British rider to win the event.

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