Alonso tops opening Monaco GP practice sessions

Alonso tops opening Monaco GP practice sessions

Fernando Alonso was fastest in Monao Grand Prix practice on Thursday, while Michael Schumacher's return to the famed street circuit after four years out saw the Mercedes driver finish fifth.

Alonso marked Formula One's 60th anniversary by topping both sessions, with the Ferrari driver's afternoon lap of 1 minute, 14.904 around the Mediterranean principality the quickest of the 24 cars.

Schumacher's Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg was just over one-enth of a second off the pace for second ahead of weekend favorite Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull.

Felipe Massa finished in front of his former Ferrari teammate Schumacher - a five-time winner at the iconic racing track - who set a fastest time of 1:15.143 from 59 laps.

Robert Kubica of Renault finished ixth ahead of 2008 winner Lewis Hamilton, who was nearly four-tenths faster than teammate and overall F1 leader Jenson Button. Button was ninth behind Adrian Sutil of Force India.

Mark Webber, coming off a victory in Barcelona, rounded out the top-10 for Red Bull with a lap of 1:15.620 as gray clouds shadowed the circuit and cooled off the crowds that had gathered on moored trackside yachts to watch.

Button comes into the season's sixth race with 70 points to lead Alonso by three, while Vettel is third with 60 points and Webber next with 53.

There were few incidents over the two sessions as Schumacher managed to regain control after losing grip on a number of occasions.

Only the new drivers on the circuit came close to hitting one of the tight barrier's on the track. HRT's rookie pair of Karun Chandhok and Bruno Senna both escaped trouble as Chandhok lost grip in Massenet in the morning to lightly tap the barrier after spinning out. Senna, who finished more than 7 seconds back of Alonso in a troublesome car, came to a halt around the corner after Mirabeau in the afternoon.

Kamui Kobayashi of Sauber went off at Mirabeau in the sunny morning session and lost his front wing with a missed exit at the Swimming Pool.

Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari lost control coming out of the Tunnel and had to cut across the chicane to regain control at one point.

Lampard wary of spirited but stricken Portsmouth

Lampard wary of spirited but stricken Portsmouth

After seeing Portsmouth upset Tottenham to reach Saturday's FA Cup final, Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard knows his side cannot afford to be complacent against a financially struggling opponent which now stands in the way of a league and cup double.

Portsmouth has defied the odds by reaching a second final in three seasons, amid an off-field meltdown that saw the 2008 FA Cup winners recently seek bankruptcy protection before being relegated from the Premier League.

In contrast, Chelsea's free-flowing attacking football produced a first championship crown since 2006.

Lampard says that "it would be a shame to not focus on the last game."

Lampard accepts Portsmouth had "a very spirited end to the season even with the difficult circumstances."

Indonesia reaches Thomas Cup final

Indonesia reaches Thomas Cup final

Makeshift doubles team of Nova Widianto and Alvent Yulianto overcame a stiff challenge from Japanese duo of Noriyasu Hirata and Hiroyuki Endo 21-14, 22-20 on Friday to help Indonesia reach the Thomas Cup badminton team championship final.

Nova and Alvent squandered four match points in the thrilling match at Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur before regaining their composure to give Indonesia an unbeatable 3-1 lead.

Indonesia has won the trophy for a record 13 times but will be making its first final appearance since 2002. The national team will play either defending champion China or host Malaysia.

First singles Taufik Hidayat gave Indonesia an early 1-0 lead with an easy 21-9, 21-14 win over Kenichi Tago. World number one Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan made a short work of Kenichi Hayakawa and Kenta Kazuno 21-9, 21-11 to double the margin.

Simon Santoso looked to settle the issue beyond doubt when he took the first set in the second singles match against Sho Sasaki. But the Japanese fought back to sweep the next two sets for a 19-21, 21-13, 21-11 to keep his team’s hopes alive.

Scholes' late header clinches United win at City

Manchester United veteran Paul Scholes headed in a stoppage-time goal Saturday to clinch a 1-0 victory over Manchester City at the end of a drab derby in the Premier League.

The victory keeps United's hopes of winning a fourth straight title alive, with the defending champions only a point behind Chelsea before the league leaders were at Tottenham in the late match.

The loss weakens City's grip on the fourth Champions League place. Tottenham is only a point behind Roberto Mancini's team.

Scholes' late header clinches United win at City

Manchester United veteran Paul Scholes headed in a stoppage-time goal Saturday to clinch a 1-0 victory over Manchester City at the end of a drab derby in the Premier League.

The victory keeps United's hopes of winning a fourth straight title alive, with the defending champions only a point behind Chelsea before the league leaders were at Tottenham in the late match.

The loss weakens City's grip on the fourth Champions League place. Tottenham is only a point behind Roberto Mancini's team.

Woods returns to golf by finishing 4th at Masters

By most standards, Tiger Woods' comeback would be deemed a success. He contended for a fifth Masters title when some wondered if he'd even make the cut. He took a step toward winning back fans who were appalled by the serial cheating on his wife.

Woods didn't see it that way.

He came back to the Masters to win, not just contend. To him, there was no joy and no relief in tying for fourth in his first tournament in five months, only disappointment and frustration.

"That's not what I wanted," Woods said Sunday after finishing five strokes behind Phil Mickelson. "I wanted to win this tournament. As the week wore on, I kept hitting the ball worse."

He had vowed to tone down his emotions, try to smile a little more, acknowledge the fans every now and then. But that even temperament quickly faded as the poor shots piled up. He yelled at himself several times, loud enough for the gallery to hear and the television microphones to pick up. He flipped clubs away in anger.

Afterward, Woods got a bit testy when asked if the new Tiger was still a work in progress.

"I think people are making way too much of a big deal about this thing," he said. "I'm not going to be walking there with a lot of pep in my step because I hadn't hit a good shot yet."

Woods did hit some good shots, of course. The best Sunday was an 8-iron that he holed out from the fairway at No. 7 for an eagle. He followed with back-to-back birdies and made the turn just three strokes out of the lead, looking as though he was ready to make a charge.

But Woods has never come from behind on the final day to win a major, and this one wasn't any different.

Another errant tee shot at the 11th led to a bogey. Then, an inexplicable three-putt from 6 feet ended his hopes at the 14th.

He did bounce back to make an eagle on the par-5 15th, but Mickelson was pulling away at that point. A short birdie putt at the final hole only assured that Woods tied K.J. Choi for fourth place.

"I had another terrible warmup," Woods said. "I didn't have it. And it was pretty evident."

He yanked his opening drive into the adjacent ninth fairway and wound up with a bogey. Two more bogeys followed in the next five holes, and he was on the verge of falling off the leaderboard.

Even though he turned things around before heading to the back side, Woods never felt he was a serious contender.

"I still was pretty far out of it," he said. "The guys were making birdies on the easier holes and for most of the day I was four, five, six back. It's a long way to climb and I was still making mistakes out there. I made too many mistakes."

He seemed a little hard on himself.

But when Woods decided to return to golf at one of the biggest tournaments on the schedule, a place where he had captured four of his 14 career major titles, it was all in for the world's top-ranked player.

He was here for a fifth green jacket. Nothing else was acceptable.

"I entered this event and I only enter events to win," said Woods, whose wife Elin did not attend the tournament. "I didn't get it done. I didn't hit the ball good and I made too many mistakes around the greens. Consequently, I'm not there."

This was Woods' first tournament since November. A Thanksgiving night car crash had ripped his personal life apart, revealing a golfer with an impeccable reputation who was actually leading a sordid double life.

For a while mistresses were coming forward on an almost daily basis. Woods went into hiding and tried to figure out how to save his marriage. He even checked into rehab for 45 days, hoping to learn how it all went wrong, a process of self-examination that he admits revealed plenty of flaws.

Despite his disappointment Sunday, Woods clearly made the right personal decision to make his return at Augusta; it exhibits more control over ticketing and media credentials than any other tournament. Everyone expected the fans would be polite, and they seemed to warm to Woods as the week went on. The muted applause got louder and louder when it became apparent he would be a contender.

It might be different at future tournaments, where the crowds are rowdier and the tabloid media may have more success gaining access.

Woods is more concerned about getting his game in shape.

"Other than my backswing going bad and my downswing going bad, it wasn't too bad," he griped.

Woods said he's not sure when he'll play again, but the next stop in his comeback figures to be the Quail Hollow Championship, which begins April 29 in Charlotte, North Carolina. That would give him a tuneup for the Players Championship the following week, considered the biggest event on the PGA Tour outside of the four majors.

"I'm going to take a little time off," is all Woods would say, "and kind of re-evaluate things."

Dr. says Beckham's Achilles' tendon totally torn

David Beckham is expected to play again after undergoing surery to repair his torn left Achilles tendon. When and where he comes back remain uncertain.

The Achilles' tendon was totally torn, and the doctor who performed the surgery on Monday said the 34-year-old Beckham is expected to be out of action for about six months.

"He is doing well and the operation lasted just under an hour. It went very well," Dr. Sakari Orava told The Associated Press. "He will have to take it very easy during the next two to three weeks or a month, and then he will continue with a recuperation program slowly. The foot won't take much strain for two to three months."

Orava also sid it would be "four months to running" and another two months before playing.

Beckham's spokesman, Simon Oliveira, said the tendon was completely repaired, and he expected the former England captain to play again.

"David is expected to make a full recovery," Oliveira said.

Beckham was injuredin the closing minutes of AC Milan's 1-0 win over Chievo Verona on Sunday. He was on his second loan to the Italian club from Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy.

Orava said Beckham planned to spend Monday night at the clinic and likely will leave Finland on Tuesday. A statement from AC Milan said Becham will remain under observation for a few days.

Using crutches, Beckham hobbled out of a private jet at Turku airport in southwestern Finland on Monday, arriving minutes later at the clinic surrounded by security guards amid cheers from hundreds of fans who had gathered outside the entrance.

"I am set but (want) to thank everyone for their messages of support," Beckham said in a statement posted on his personal Web site before his arrival. "I hope to make a swift and full recovery."

The injury shattered Beckham's hopes of becoming the first English player to appear in four World Cups and put hisfuture on the national team in doubt. He will miss most of the MLS season.

"Injuries are an unfortunate part of our game and they are even more disappointing when they happen to a player who was so close to realizing his dream of representing his nation at this summer's World Cup," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said Monday. "David remains an important player for the Galaxy and we look forward to welcoming him back to the club and assisting him in his recovery."

With only a few minutes remaining in the Chievo game and the score 0-0, Beckham was by himself in the center circle when he took a pass with his left foot, stepped back awkwardly, then stepped forward and started hopping on his right foot with an expression of pain on his face.

Visibly in pain and in tears, Beckham went to the touchline for medical attention.

Orava told the AP the tendon "was totally torn," not just a small rupture.

Milan's medical staff consulted with the Galaxy's medical team, and Milan organizing director Umberto Gandini spoke with Tim Leiweke, president of Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owns the Galaxy.

"It was the player's decision," Gandini told the AP on Monday. "It's the player who decides for his own health, and the player's decision was to go to Finland where there is a surgeon who specializes in these injuries."

While Beckham has not been a starter for England in recent matches, he was likely to make the World Cup squad. Beckham was still prized for his free kicks and crosses, especially when England needed second-half goals.

And for many, he is the best-known soccer player in the world, a fashion icon with a celebrity wife, former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star has scored 17 goals for England and made 115 appearances, second in England history behind only goalkeeper Peter Shilton's 125 from 1970-90.

It was also a blow for MLS, already facing the threat of a players' strike ahead of the season opener on March 25. Beckham is the league's highest-paid player with a $32.5 million, five-year contract - and its biggest draw.

Malaysia expects bumper crowd for F1

Malaysian Grand Prix organizers hope to attract more than 100,000 spectators to next month's Formula One race with renewed interest following the return of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher.

Ticket sales dropped sharply last year amid the global economic crisis, attracting only 80,000 spectators compared to about 120,000 in 2008.

But the local economy is rebounding and Schumacher's return after three years of retirement has set the stage for one of the most anticipated title duels in Formula One, Mokhzani Mahathir, chairman of organizer Sepang International Circuit, said Monday.

The return of the Lotus brand after 16 years, backed by the Malaysian government and businessmen, adds to the excitement of the new season, Mokhzani said. In addition, national oil company Petronas has also become the title sponsor of Schumacher's Mercedes GP team.

"We hope to achieve more than 100,000 (spectators) this year. With Lotus, Mercedes and the return of Schumacher, we are seeing renewed interest in F1," Mokhzani said.

Lotus won 79 F1 races and seven constructors' titles between 1958 and 1994 before the team collapsed due to money problems. Mercedes-Benz has returned to F1 racing under its own name for the first time in 55 years by buying Brawn GP, which won the drivers' and constructors' championship last season.

This year's Malaysian GP on April 4, the third leg of the F1 circuit after Bahrain and Australia, will start an hour earlier at 4 p.m. local time (0800 GMT), officials said.

The 2009 race - which started at 5 p.m. local time to better suit European fans - was suspended after 33 laps as a tropical storm lashed the Sepang International Circuit, making conditions impossible for drivers. It was ultimately brought to an early end just before 7.00 p.m, making it the shortest Formula One race in 18 years.

Indonesia winless at Asia Cup qualification

Non-qualifier Indonesia finished its Asia Cup group stage without a win after losing its last match against Australia at Brisbane’s Suncorp stadium on Wednesday.

Needing only a draw to qualify for the finals in Qatar next year, Australia piled pressure on the Indonesian opposition from the start, but scored the only goal just three minutes before the half time. Mark Mulligan slammed home a rebound underneath Indonesian goalkeeper Markus Horison after his attempt to latch on to a free-kick hit the woodwork.

The victory gave Australia 11 points from six matches and handed Indonesia its third defeat. The other slot to the Cup finals will be decided in the other match now underway in Oman between the home side and Kuwait.

Indonesia had already crashed out of the continental soccer competition for the first time since 1996 following a 2-1 defeat to Oman at home on Jan. 6.

Indonesia’s Trianingsih wins Hong Kong marathon

National long-distance runner Trianingsih dominated the women’s division at the Hong Kong marathon to win the race Sunday.

Trianingsih of Central Java clocked two hours and 47 minutes, to finish two minutes faster then her closest rival. Her time, however, failed to beat her personal best of 2:43 she set in the Kenya marathon last year, let alone the meet record of 2:36.

Trianingsih’s coach Alwi Mugiyanto said the victory would give her protégé a morale boost as she prepares for the Asian Games in Guangzhou in October. In the continental sporting meet the double 5,000 meter and 10,000 meter gold medalist will compete in the 10,000 meter race and marathon.

“The race is a good lesson for Trianingsih,” Alwi told Antara, adding that her trainee would need more exposure at international events ahead of the Asian Games.

Investigation: Chinese gymnast underage in 2000

China should be stripped of its bronze medal from the 2000 Olympics because one member of the squad has been found to be underage, international gymnastics officials said Friday.

Dong Fangxiao was 14 during the Sydney Games, according to FIG, the international gymnastics federation. Gymnasts must be 16 during the Olympic year to compete.

Another gymnast on the 2000 squad, Yang Yun, also was suspected of being underage after she mentioned on a television interview that she was 14 in Sydney. But all of her official documentation indicated she was 16 in Sydney.

The FIG has "canceled" all of Dong's results from Sydney, and forwarded the results of its investigation to the International Olympic Committee. Because the case involves the Olympics, it is up to the IOC to decide if China should lose any medals.

The IOC has said previously it would take "necessary measures" if any gymnasts were found to be underage. The U.S. team was fourth in that event at the Sydney Games.

Questions about the eligibility of Dong and Yang for Sydney arose during the FIG's investigation into the eligibility of members of China's team that won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The 2008 gymnasts were eventually cleared, but the FIG said it wasn't satisfied with "the explanations and evidence provided to date" for Dong and Yang.

"We can confirm that we have received the ruling from the FIG in the case concerning Dong Fangxiao and Yang Yun, and we take due note of their decision," IOC spokesman Mark Adams said. "Clearly, we need to take time to consider the findings before the Executive Board can consider the matter. We would like to thank the FIG for their work and we would refer further inquiries to them."

The FIG also wiped out Dong's results from the 1999 world championships, and it is making China pay the costs of the 16-month investigation "for not having adequately controlled the birth dates of the gymnasts." The FIG also issued a warning to Yang, who will be allowed to keep her bronze medal on the uneven bars.

Dong's accreditation information for the Beijing Olympics, where she worked as a national technical official, listed her birthday as Jan. 23, 1986. That would have made her 14 in Sydney - too young to compete. Her birth date in the FIG database had been listed as Jan. 20, 1983.

Dong's blog also says she was born in the Year of the Ox in the Chinese zodiac, which dated from Feb. 20, 1985, to Feb. 8, 1986. Dong has not denied that, but she refused to answer any questions about her age, telling The Associated Press, "I've left the gymnastics team."

Yang said in a June 2007 interview that aired on state broadcaster China Central Television that she was 14 in Sydney. She later told the AP that she had misspoken, declining further comment.

The FIG's three-person disciplinary commission spent 16 months investigating the cases of Dong and Yang. Besides providing documentation, Dong and Yang, along with their parents and two Chinese gymnastics officials, met with the commission for two days in December in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Higuain, Kaka lead Madrid past Villarreal 6-2

Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring and Gonzalo Higuain and Kaka added two goals apiece as Real Madrid thrashed Villarreal 6-2 on Sunday to stay within two points of leader Barcelona.

Ronaldo gave Madrid the lead with a dipping freekick in the 18th minute and Kaka doubled the home side's advantage from the penalty spot just three minutes later after Ivan Marcano tripped Higuain.

Marcos Senna's superb 31st-minute free kick pulled one back for Villarreal, but Higuain restored Madrid's two goal advantage with a blistering diagonal strike in the 54th.

Villarreal fought back to 3-2 with a goal from Nilmar in the 66th. But three goals in the final 20 minutes put Madrid out of sight.

First, Higuain scored with a tap-in after being set up by Marcelo's pass after a move started by Ronaldo.

The Portugal winger was then also instrumental in creating the final two goals, setting up Kaka for a left-footed shot into the corner in the 79th and winning the penalty dispatched by Xabi Alonso three minutes from time.

"It was important to win today to stay with Barcelona," Ronaldo said. "We have to keep playing this way to the end."

Barcelona has 58 points and Madrid 56 points after 23 games. Valencia, which plays Getafe on Monday, is third with 43 points, Sevilla has 42, Deportivo La Coruna 38 and Mallorca 37.

The emphatic victory came after Madrid's disappointing 1-0 loss to Lyon on Tuesday in the Champions League.

"It's true it's a good result after Lyon," Higuain said. "We were missing a result like this. But what's important is to keep on this way."

Earlier, Athletic Bilbao cruised to a 4-1 victory over 10-man Tenerife earlier to stay seventh with 36 points.

Tenerife's Jose Antonio Culebras was red-carded in the 17th minute to set up Fernando Llorente's goal from the penalty spot before Gaizka Toquero half-volleyed past goalkeeper Sergio Aragoneses five minutes later for 2-0.

Andoni Iraola coolly slotted home at the near post in the 54th before Tenerife pulled a goal back five minutes later through Alejandro Alfaro's rifle of a shot, but Igor Gabilondo completed the easy victory at the San Mames in the 63rd with a volley into the top corner.

Tenerife remained in the drop zone alongside Valladolid and Xerez after all three failed to win this weekend.

Valladolid joined Tenerife with 20 points - nine better than Xerez - after Albert Camunas' 86th-minute goal rallied Osasuna for a 1-1 draw. Haris Medunjanin had put Valladolid ahead six minutes earlier with an impressive strike.

Also on Sunday, Almeria beat Atletico Madrid 1-0, Malaga beat Espanyol 2-1 and Sporting Gijon won 3-1 at Zaragoza.

Atletico's defense let goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo down in the 87th minute as it failed to clear an outstanding save and Pablo Piatti slotted through a crowd for the winner. Atletico, which has 27 points, hit the post and goalkeeper Diego Alves made several outstanding saves for a clean sheet.

Malaga secured its win in the 75th when Victor Obinna scored from a goalmouth scramble at La Rosaleda Stadium.

At Zaragoza, Mate Bilic and Luis Moran put Sporting 2-0 up by the 63rd before Javier Arizmendi headed home in injury-time to cut the lead in half. But David Barral sealed the points moments later.

Xerez stayed last after a 2-1 loss to Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday, when Sevilla ended Mallorca's perfect home record with a 3-1 win.

IOC to act on luge death tragedy

IOC president Jacques Rogge promised Saturday to do "everything in my power" to prevent a repeat of the crash that killed an Olympic luger and raised questions about the safety of speed events.

Rogge said in an interview with The Associated Press that the International Olympic Committee would work with the luge federation to "take all the steps that might be needed" to avoid another tragedy at future games.

Nodar Kumaritashvili, a 21-year-old Georgian, was killed on Feb. 12 - just hours before the opening ceremony - when he slammed into a trackside pole after losing control of his sled during a training run at nearly 145 kilometers per hour (90 mph).

"There is one thing that is certain," Rogge said. "I will do everything in my power that this should not happen again in the future."

Within hours of Kumaritashvili's death, the international luge federation ruled the crash was caused by athlete error and not the lighting-fast track at Whistler. The luger's family and others have blamed his death on the course design, which has also caused concern among some bobsledders competing on the same track.

Rogge said the IOC is awaiting the results of investigations by the coroner, Canadian police and the luge federation, which is due by early April.

"We will look into that in collaboration with the international federation and we'll take all the steps that might be needed," Rogge said. "The tragedy is something we will not forget, that goes without saying."

Although the IOC runs the games, Rogge said the responsibility for "field of play" issues rests with the international sports federations. There have also been some bad crashes on the Alpine ski courses in Whistler.

"The federations are running the competitions and taking all the measures that are necessary," Rogge said.

He said the IOC and luge federation will examine the luge case on three levels - the competition venue itself, the competition rules, and the qualification standard and quality of athletes. Questions have been raised about whether some athletes were experienced or prepared enough to race on the Whistler track.

"We have to find a balance between these three issues so that this does not happen in the future," Rogge said.

He dismissed suggestions that the IOC was pushing the limits of speed and risk too far, citing the committee's moves in recent years to make Olympic boxing and equestrian events safer.

"We are risk conscious, definitely," he said. "We work with international federations to reduce these risks."

At the halfway point of these Olympics, Rogge said the games were shaping up as a success despite a spate of organizational glitches in the first few days.

"There were errors in the beginning, but I must commend VANOC," he said, referring to the local organizing committee. "They have changed everything. They have corrected that very fast."

After weather problems in Whistler and Cypress Mountain, the situation eased with the arrival of sunny and clear conditions.

"I would say from Tuesday this week, the mood totally changed," Rogge said. "The victory of (U.S. athletes) Lindsey Vonn, Shaun White, Shani Davis, of the Canadians, the fine weather, good competition, good crowds, fantastic atmosphere in the city - that has changed a lot."

The early problems included a hydraulicmalfunction during the cauldron lighting at the opening ceremony; weather postponements and delays at Alpine events in Whistler; cancellation of 28,000 standing-room tickets at Cypress Mountain due to warm weather and lack of snow; transportation delays, and timing device miscues at the biathlon.

The biggest public outcry was over the placing of the Olympic flame behind a chain-link fence, keeping it largely inaccessible to thousands of spectators hoping to take pictures and get close to the iconic symbol of the games.

Organizers rectified the problem Wednesday by opening a rooftop viewing platform and moving the fence closer to the flame. On Saturday, organizers removed a section of the fence and replaced it with Plexiglas to allow a clearer view from ground level.

Milan's Beckham set for first reunion with Man-U

Seven years after leaving Manchester United, David Beckham faces the team that turned him into a global star for the first time when AC Milan hosts the three-time winners in the Champions League.

The England midfielder, who never faced United during four seasons at Real Madrid, gets the opportunity during a second loan spell at Milan from the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Milan hosts United on Tuesday as the Champions League resumes after a two-month break, with the eight first-leg matches in the first knockout round split over two weeks.

"It's one of the biggest games for me," said Beckham, who won the competition in 1999 with United. "But the most important thing is the team going through and beating United which I hope we do. I don't think it'll be a big problem (playing United).

"There are a couple of players not there, but the team is just the same, they've got this great team spirit within the squad and that's definitely not changed."

Beckham left Old Trafford under in cloud in 2003 after 394 appearances in 11 years, with manager Alex Ferguson frustrated by the then-England captain's celebrity lifestyle.

Ferguson was at the San Siro on Friday to see Beckham's team end a four-match winless streak by beating Udinese 3-2 and the 68-year-old Scot believes Milan is missing Brazil playmaker Kaka.

"It's a good time for us to be going to Milan," said Ferguson, whose side lost 3-0 there in 2007. "They played this weekend, they've lost Kaka and have a few injuries, whereas we weren't playing this weekend and we have had a good rest."

Plus United - in Beckham's words - are "on fire" with Wayne Rooney already netting 23 goals this season, although the Premier League champions are behind Chelsea in the title race.

"I've always said that Wayne is one of the best goal scorers in football," the 34-year-old Beckham said of his England teammate. "He's proving that and he is at a great club like Manchester United."

United will be without defender Nemanja Vidic and midfielder Anderson, with the pair remaining in England as the United squad traveled to Italy on Monday.

Vidic has not played since Dec. 30 because of a nerve problem in his leg, so England captain Rio Ferdinand will probably play alongside Jonny Evans or Wes Brown.

Another of Beckham's former teams will be in action at the same time Tuesday, with Madrid at French side Lyon. Cristiano Ronaldo, who followed the same path as Beckham by joining Madrid from United last year, says he is obsessed with winning the Champions League.

The Portugal winger's last match for 2008 winner United was a loss to Barcelona in May's final. Madrid, however, has failed to reach the quarterfinals since 2004.

"It's a long time. It's time to bring that to an end," Ronaldo said. "If Real Madrid can't beat Lyon then we can't think about winning the Champions League."

Madrid and Lyon - like all eight teams playing in the last-16 this week - are not top of their domestic divisions.

Wednesday night's matches see Bayern Munich - second in Germany - host Fiorentina - 11th in Italy - and a meeting of the third-place teams in England and Portugal when Arsenal plays FC Porto.

The Champions League is Arsenal's most realistic hope of ending a five-year trophy drought, with Arsene Wenger's teateam struggling for consistency in the Premier League and out of the domestic cups.

The Gunners were beaten finalists in the 2006 Champions League and last season reached the last-four only to be ripped apart by United. They go to the Estadio do Dragao in the first leg having never won there.

"The minimum requirement is not to lose the game and be out of the tie," Wenger said. "A clean sheet will do, but we are a team who will not hide - we want to play. It will be two ties, so let's be clever and use our experience of the Champions League to take advantage of the fact we play the second leg at home."

Fiorentina goes to a Bayern Munich side on a roll after nine consecutive victories in the Bundesliga that have left it only being kept off top spot by Bayer Leverkusen on goal difference.

Coach Louis van Gaal, however, is concerned that Bayern went behind at home to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday before rallying to win 3-1.

"We made a lot of individual mistakes in defense that we will have to stop against Fiorentina," Van Gaal said. "The order of the whole team also must improve."

Next week the other eight teams remaining in the Champions League play their first legs. On Feb. 23 Olympiakos hosts Bordeaux and Barcelona goes to Stuttgart. The following night, Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho faces former club Chelsea and CSKA Moscow hosts Sevilla.

Walls of water overwhelm US surfing contest

Despite big wave warnings, two walls of water caught dozens of spectators off-guard and knocked them to a rocky beach as they watched a Northern California surfing contest Saturday, leaving some with broken bones but sparing them from being pulled into the ocean.

Thirteen people swept from a seawall had significant injuries, including broken legs and hands, said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Battalion Chief Scott Jalbert.

He reduced the official count from the 15 reported earlier in the day but said others treated at the beach for injuries such as scrapes and bruises were not included in the total. At least three of the injured were taken to hospitals.

Jalbert estimated "a couple hundred" people were on the seawall at the southern tip of Mavericks Beach when the waves struck, upstaging the surfing competition that draws some of the world's top surfers.

The waves were 5 feet (1.5 meters) to 6 feet (1.8 meters) high by the time they hit - "small but strong," he said. But no one was actually swept away into the ocean, he said.

"It's hard to explain how much water was moving around out there," said the champion Chris Bertish, who spent 36 hours traveling from South Africa to Half Moon Bay for the contest. "I took the worse beating of my life out there."

The Mavericks Surf Contest offers a $150,000 purse, making it the most lucrative big-wave contest in the world, even though it is held only when conditions are prime.

Bertish bested 23 other elite surfers and said he'll spend part of his $50,000 in prize money paying back his brother and two friends who loaned him money to buy his airplane ticket.

Competitors voted to schedule the contest because forecasts called for record-breaking tall waves off the beach about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of San Francisco, despite warnings that strong winds could make those breakers dangerously unpredictable.

Additional firefighters ha been on the way Saturday to clear the beach because of dangerous conditions but arrived too late, Jalbert said.

But only after the unexpected large waves hit during high tide did the National Weather Service post a high surf warning until Saturday night. The agency previously posted a less severe high sur advisory.

"It's a force of nature that can't be predicted," Jalbert said. "We were very lucky that nobody was swept out to sea."

Second place in the contest went to Shane Desmond of Santa Cruz. The other winners were: Anthony Tashnick, Santa Cruz, third place; Dave Wessel, Kailua, Hawaii, fourth;Carlos Burke, Burle, Brazil, fifth; and Kenny Collins, Santa Cruz, sixth.

The two surprise waves knocked out barricades, a spectator platform and a large scaffold holding speakers broadcasting the contest, held in this tiny harbor town along Highway 1.

Marsha Poulin, of nearby El Granada, was at the waer's edge minutes before the first rogue wave struck. She said she was concerned that organizers were letting spectators get so close to the ocean, given the conditions.

"Just because they were letting us be here doesn't mean it was safe," said Poulin, who left for higher ground just in time.

Brando Snider, who got his injured knee taped up by a contest volunteer, said everyone was concentrating on the contest.

"It just came out of nowhere and wiped us all out," said Pamela Massette of Corte Madera. Her left hand and left knee were scraped and bleeding and she was wet from head to toe.

At least two more rogue waves came through the same area during the high tide, reaching the seawall, knocking down more spectators and sending others fleeing in panic. The subsequent waves were not as large or strong as the first two and did not cause any apparent additional injuries.

Spectators lost cameras, cell phones and backpacks as the waves swept the seawall.

Authorities yelled for people to get back from the shore after the waves struck but could not use the public address system because it had been swept away.

Officials were not allowing any new spectators to reach the beach, though they were allowing those already there to stay.

Bystanders from the seawall were moved about 100 yards (meters) back from the water after the chaos.

Two volunteers posted a makeshift leader board.

Ferguson: no regrets over sale of David Beckham

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson says he does not regret selling David Beckham seven years ago despite the former England captain's continued success.

Ferguson, who sold the midfielder to Real Madrid, says his only concern is how his current squad reacts to the media scrutiny that is likely to accompany Beckham when he faces United for the first time this month.

Beckham is on loan at AC Milan from The Los Angeles Galaxy. Milan plays United in a two-legged Champions League match on Feb. 16 and then March 10.

Ferguson said that other players had returned to United in the past but told the club's official magazine that Beckham's celebrity meant "we haven't really seen anybody else return to the club in that situation."

Premier League ravaged by freezing Britain

Premier League ravaged by freezing Britain

Just two Premier League games are set to go ahead on Saturday because of the freezing conditions ravaging Britain, with Wigan's home fixture against Aston Villa called off hours before kickoff.

Five of the seven scheduled topflight matches were postponed, with only Arsenal against Everton and Manchester United's trip to Birmingham set to go ahead.

Both of Sunday's matches - Liverpool vs. Tottenham and West Ham vs. Wolverhampton - have also fallen victim to the coldest temperatures for more than 30 years in Britain.

Wigan's undersoil heating system broke down late Friday, and heavy overnight frost left the surface unplayable.

In the other cases, the pitches were playable but there were safety concerns about transport to the stadiums.

Manchester City is due to host Blackburn on Monday.

Tiger Woods Stripped Bare

Tiger Woods Stripped Bare

Bare-chested and pumping iron, here is another side of Tiger Woods exposed to the world. The shamed golfer may still be in hiding since being engulfed by the cheating scandal, but readers will get an eyeful of the embattled golfer in next month’s issue of Vanity Fair.

In a much-criticised move, a British High Court judge granted 33-year-old Woods an injunction last month preventing the British media from publishing any naked photographs of the sportsman.

But the revealing cover shot and a set of photos inside the magazine of the stripped-down golfer working out - including one of him hanging from a bar - show off his body as never before.

They were taken by acclaimed celebrity photographer Annie Liebovitz in January, 2006, long before he reputation was wrecked by the stream of allegations that the father-of-two cheated on his wife Elin Nordegren with as many as a dozen women.

But they still show the golfer in a very different light to the genial gentleman of the greens he was known as before the scandal. The portfolio is part of a session snapped by Ms Liebowitz to show off the golf champion’s buffed up body and his keep-fit regimen.

Under the headline ‘Tiger in the Rough’, Woods is seen in one photograph inside wearing the same wool cap as on the cover but with his bare back turned to the camera.

In another shot, he is seen naked from thje chest up and staring menacingly. A third photo shows him doing sit-ups. The magazine says the pictures capture Woods ‘in prophetic isolation.’

There was some mystery over how the photos surfaced last night. Vanity Fair said the ‘raw, unguarded’ pictures were part of the photographer’s archive and that she approached the magazine with them after the cheating scandal broke.

A spokeswoman said she didn’t know why the three-year-old photos hadn’t been published earlier and Ms Liebvovitz wasn’t available for comment last night. The accompanying article includes interviews with some of the sports reporters who covered Woods for years to find out how he kept his philandering secret for so long.

Writer Buzz Bissinger also revisits the embarrassing interview the then 21-year-old Woods gave to GQ magazine in 1997 when he joked about lesbian sex and the endowments of black athletes.

Last month’s High Court ruling by Mr Justice Eady came after US reports that Playgirl magazine had been offered intimate pictures of Woods taken by an alleged mistress. The judge was criticised after the judgment for defending so-called libel tourism.

While Woods’ wife is said to have spent the holidays celebrating her 30th birthday far from her husband in the French Alps, there was a report in the U.S. yesterday that the golfer was in Africa.

The website TMZ quoted a source as saying Woods was planning to go to a friend’s estate in Africa and completely disappear from public view until the scandal blows over. There have also been reported sightings of the golf star in New York and Flordida, although none of them have been confirmed.