French Open 2011: Andy Murray set to play on at the French Open after scan reveals no major damage to ankle

Whether the Scot will be able to slide around the clay with anything like his usual freedom and confidence, so giving himself every opportunity of beating the world No15 from Serbia, remains rather more uncertain.

Murray, who damaged his right ankle while running to reach a drop-shot from Germany’s Michael Berrer on Saturday afternoon, was able to have a light practice session yesterday, in addition to being treated by a tournament doctor. Since Murray’s encounter with Troicki has been scheduled as the third match of the day on Court Suzanne Lenglen, he would have had around 48 hours of rest and recuperation before playing the Eastern European for a place in the quarter-finals.

Troicki, the second best Serbian tennis player after Novak Djokovic, has had food poisoning during the tournament, though it is not believed there is any danger he will be too weak to play Murray.

A commentator remarked on French television over the weekend that Murray has what amounts to “a virtual boulevard” through the tournament towards a semi-final against Rafael Nadal, though whether the fourth seed’s draw is kind or not hardly matters when there are concerns about his fitness.

If Murray is to beat Troicki, he will need to move around the court with much greater freedom than he did against Berrer. For the best part of two sets, he was inconvenienced by the injury, though he got away with it because he was striking some brilliant winners, and because Berrer felt sorry for his opponent and so did not play with the ruthlessness that he should have done. Troicki is unlikely to be so accommodating.

Without Troicki’s influence, this season could have turned out very differently. If he had lost the decisive fifth rubber of last December’s Davis Cup final against France, it is doubtful Djokovic would have launched himself at this season with such gusto.

Though no one has benefited as much from Troicki’s victory over Michaël Llodra in Belgrade as Djokovic, the Serbian No?2 is plainly a more assured presence on a tennis court now than he ever was before. He started this tournament at a career-high ranking and this is the first time he has made the last 16 of a slam.

Murray has beaten Troicki in straight sets in their three previous meetings, including in the third round of the 2009 Wimbledon Championships. However, this will be the first time they have played on clay, as well as the first time they have played when Murray has a sore ankle.

This has been the second medical drama of Murray’s clay-court season as at last month’s tournament in Monaco he required a cortisone injection into his elbow before losing his semi-final against Nadal.

If Murray beats Troicki, he will play either Juan Ignacio Chela, an Argentine ranked 34, or Alejandro Falla, a Colombian qualifier ranked 120 who is best known for having scared the heebie-jeebies out of Roger Federer in the first round of last summer’s Wimbledon. There was nothing frightening for Federer about his all-Swiss fourth-round match with Stanislas Wawrinka here, and he beat his friend 6-3, 6-2, 7-5. There were some fine shots from Federer, especially on the backhand wing. “Honestly,” said Federer, who has reached the quarter-finals without dropping a set, “I can’t believe how good my backhand has become.”

The brilliance of Djokovic’s tennis was such that he took all the tension out of the air on Court Philippe Chatrier, with his 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Frenchman Richard Gasquet extending his undefeated run to 43 matches, 41 of them this year.

Should Djokovic beat Italian Fabio Fognini, who won a 11-9 fifth set against Spaniard Albert Montanes, he would put himself level with John McEnroe’s record for the best start to a year, the 42-match run he assembled in 1984.

Vera Zvonareva’s defeat to fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova meant the top three women’s seeds have all failed to make the quarter-finals, as the departure of the world No3 followed that of Kim Clijsters, the Belgian world No2, who was eliminated in the second round, and Caroline Wozniacki, the Danish world No?1, who lost in the third round.

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Monaco Grand Prix 2011: Renault driver Vitaly Petrov given all-clear after crashing in chaos-hit race

Petrov was involved in an incident with Jaime Alguersuari in his Toro Rosso on lap 69 just as the three leaders in winner Sebastian Vettel, runner-up Fernando Alonso and third-placed Jenson Button were poised to lap a gaggle of cars.

Alguersuari ran over a kerb and into the back of Lewis Hamilton's McLaren, his momentum carrying him into a barrier coming out of the swimming pool complex, with Petrov unable to avoid ploughing into the back of the Toro Rosso.

Initial reports suggested Petrov was knocked unconscious, but the Russian has confirmed that was not the case.

However, an ambulance was still required and Petrov explained: ''It was quite a big impact and I could not feel my legs very well after the crash.

''I thought it was best for the medical team to assist with removing me from the car as it was difficult for me to move and my legs were trapped in the cockpit.

''I did not lose consciousness, but I was in quite a lot of pain when I was inside the car.''

Following a series of scans and tests, Petrov has been given the all-clear, and was tonight back in his hotel.

Expressing his gratitude for the attention he received, Petrov added: ''I would like to thank all my fans for all their well wishes, the medical teams at the circuit, the hospital for their efficient and friendly assistance, and the team for their concern.''

Team principal Eric Boullier was naturally relieved Petrov had escaped without injury.

''I'm glad to report Vitaly is okay, he has no fractures, just a sore ankle, but he is already joking,'' said Boullier.

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Bryan Redpath confident for play-offs after Gloucester run riot against Sale

There was a long period on Saturday afternoon, with Leicester trailing to London Irish, when it looked as if they might have been going back to Welford Road, and the scene of a recent 41-41 thriller.

Around the Kingsholm fringes the rather bizarre consensus, given that Leicester might be stumbling a little but they are not yet exactly allowing all-comers up unmanned ladders into their fortress, was that that might be better than going to Vicarage Road, where they lost 35-12 only a fortnight ago.

“I’m happy going there,” head coach Bryan Redpath said of the trip to Vicarage Road after beating Sale 68-17. “We under-performed last time, but this will be the fourth time we’ve played them this season and we’ve won two [home wins in the League and the LV Cup] and they’ve won one.”

It will certainly be a clash of styles. As Gloucester demonstrated here with 10 sumptuous tries, they seek a game with width.

And you would do with Charlie Sharples and James Simpson-Daniel on the wings, and the pace of Henry Trinder at outside centre. That trio bagged six tries between them on Saturday, with a hat-trick for Sharples. And the all looked fantastically sharp, all the while shepherded by the muscularity of Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu inside.

But Saracens will be all pragmatism and efficiency. And they will defend manically, something Sale conspicuously did not do here, as they conceded seven second-half tries.

“That’s an indication of how far this club has dropped,” said executive director Steve Diamond, “Thirteen or 14 of those players won’t be at Sale next season and we didn’t come down here with the right mindset.

"I don’t expect to come down here and get a hiding like that again. I’ll bite my lip, get out of here and have a month off. Then we’ll regroup and stop this spiral downwards. It is possible to turn things round quickly. The team and coaching staff are already in place for next season.”

Charlie Hodgson will not be with Sale, though, joining Saracens next season, and it was rather sad to see him bow out in such a supine team performance. “He has been a stalwart of the club and didn’t deserve that,” said Diamond.

Hodgson tried and tried, as he always does. Indeed he and half-back partner Dwayne Peel were excellent in an opening quarter when Sale did at least ask some questions.

Gloucester were a little sloppy, but then their scrummage and driving line-out found their fire, and Sale simply did not fancy it. It was one-way traffic after Rory Lawson’s opening try.

There was even time for sentiment. Also bowing out for Gloucester was Hodgson’s opposite number, Nicky Robinson. His excellent passing game was again a huge factor in the ever-present threat of Gloucester’s back-line, and he even crossed himself before departing to a moving ovation.

He is off to Wasps, and Gloucester might miss him more than they realise.

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Miami Dolphins receiver Marshall in intensive care after stabbing

By Simon Milham Last updated at 3:42 PM on 23rd April 2011

Miami Dolphins Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall is in intensive care after being stabbed by his wife in the early hours of Saturday morning.

According to early reports, Marshall's injuries are not life-threatening.

Marshall's wife, Michi Nogami-Marshall, has been arrested on a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

Marshall was taken to Broward General Hospital in Miami by car, not ambulance, after 911 was called, and underwent surgery for a stab wound to the stomach.

No vital organs were pierced. Doctors have told representatives of the player that he should make full recovery in two to three weeks.

Marshall said he wanted to leave hospital on Saturday morning, but doctors advised against it in case of infection to the wound.

In a statement, Marshall's agents Harvey Steinberg and Kennard McGuire said: 'This is a very difficult time for Brandon and family, thankfully he will make a full recovery. We simply ask that his privacy is respected.'

The couple were married last year, but their relationship has been turbulent. The receiver was arrested after a fight between the two back in 2009.

Marshall, acquired by the Dolphins last April from the Denver Broncos to become their biggest offensive threat in 2010, led Miami in receiving yards with 1,014, despite missing two games with a hamstring injury.

The Dolphins have the 15th pick in Thursday's NFL Draft, are already looking at acquiring some offensive talent, but this latest incident might force the Dolphins' hand.

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James DeGale eyes world title shot after clash with former friend George Groves

James DeGale is grateful opponent George Groves beat him when they were amateurs as he can take revenge and move one step closer to becoming world champion.

Olympic champion DeGale is putting his British super-middleweight title on the line to fight Commonwealth champion Groves at London’s O2 Arena on May 21, as the two former friends go toe-to-toe.

The pair attended the Dale Youth ABC in west London, where Groves beat DeGale in an amateur competition and the pair have since fallen out.

DeGale has stepped up the trash talking, saying he will beat Groves inside four rounds and hopes a title shot will follow soon after.

He said: ‘Do you know what, I’m glad ugly kid (Groves) won that fight all those years ago. If he hadn’t won, we wouldn’t be here now talking about this exciting fight, a match-up which takes me one step closer to becoming world champion.

‘The bottom line for Groves is that he’s chinny. And I promise I will expose that. He got knocked out as an amateur, he got dropped in training by Carl Froch in training and he was all over the place in his second to last fight with Kenny Anderson.

‘He’s the one who’s looking nervous at the moment. He looks scared in interviews, he’s been beaten by the size of the occasion already.

He continued: ‘I’m sticking by my prediction of winning inside four rounds. But that’s only if he comes to fight me. If he tries to get all technical, he’ll drag it out longer. But this fight is definitely not going the full 12 rounds.

‘Groves is fixated with emotion. He even claims this won’t, in a technical sense, be his hardest fight. Trust me, this fight will test everything.

DeGale and Groves will slug it out on the undercard of Nathan Cleverly’s world light-heavyweight title clash with Jurgen Brahmer, a night of boxing which will be broadcast on Sky Box Office.

And DeGale expressed his surprise that Amir Khan decided against having his fight with Paul McCloskey shown on Sky after the plug was pulled on the pay-per-view event and moved to the fringe channel Primetime.

‘I think moving away from Sky was the wrong idea, said DeGale. ‘The channel stuck by him after he was floored by Breidis Prescott so maybe he should have shown some loyalty to them.

‘But boxing isn’t just a sport, it’s a business and he did what he had to do.’

And with the London Olympics just over 15 months away, DeGale is excited at the prospect of revisiting the Games, but this time as a spectator, four years after he won gold in Beijing.

‘I can’t wait for the track and field events. They produce the most memorable moments at every Games so I’m hoping to be there for the sprint finals and hopefully catch some of the field events, too,’ said the Olympic middleweight champion. 

‘But its not just about being at the marquee events, I’m looking forward to just being part of it all and sharing the moment. Hopefully my gold medal will count for something when applying for tickets!’

To apply for London 2012 tickets visit tickets.london2012.com any time between now and 26 April 

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Rory McIlroy stays positive after another final-round collapse costs him victory in Kuala Lumpur

McIlroy came out on the final day four shots ahead, and extended his overnight lead with a birdie on 10, only to blow his chances by shooting four over par in the final round.

The 21-year-old Northern Irishman, who let a four-shot lead slip in the final round of the Masters last weekend, had been three shots ahead of the rest with four holes of his third round to play in Malaysia, but by the 12th hole of his final round he trailed leaders Gregory Bourdy of France and Italian teenager Matteo Manassero by three.

A double-bogey at the par-four 12th set him back to one under for the round up to that point, with a similar third-round setback at the 15th allowing Manassero and Sweden's Alexander Noren to finish in the lead heading into the final round.

"At this moment I'm pretty disappointed but it was a good week," he said."I'm proud of the way I have picked up myself from last week," a philosophical McIlroy told reporters.

"To shoot the scores I did considering the travel and stuff, it was a pretty good effort. Obviously the result was disappointing but everything else was positive."

McIlroy, who came into the tournament after a thirty-hour journey from Augusta, praised the performance of Manassero.

"Matteo is fantastic. He is a great talent - to get two wins on the European Tour before your 18th birthday is pretty special," said McIlroy, who won his first tour event aged 19.

"He is great and we've known he is a great player. He deserves it."

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Paul Scholes set to miss Manchester United v Arsenal after Wembley red card

Paul Scholes is set to miss Manchester United's top-of-the-table tussle with Arsenal on May 1 following his sending-off in the FA Cup semi-final.

Scholes was dismissed for a studs-first, thigh-high challenge on Pablo Zabaleta during the second half of Saturday evening's derby clash with Manchester City at Wembley as his side lost 1-0.

If violent conduct is confirmed as the reason for his sending-off when referee Mike Dean's report is received by the Football Association, it will condemn Scholes to a three-match suspension.

That would rule the 36-year-old out of Tuesday's trip to Newcastle, the Easter Saturday encounter with Everton at Old Trafford and that crucial trip to the Emirates Stadium to face United's closest title challengers.

Scholes' latest disciplinary transgression is a blow to United given the veteran midfielder had only just returned from a two-match ban for amassing 10 yellow cards.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson could offer no explanation after the game for a woeful tackle that left his team trying to overhaul City with only 10 men.

'We've seen over his career, Paul has had unbelievable moments,' said Ferguson. 'He is one of the greatest players this club has ever had. But he has his red mist moments - he caught the boy on his thigh.'

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Lewis Hamilton fumes as Fernando Alonso escapes without point deduction after Sepang shunt

Lewis Hamilton's 'absolutely shocking' Malaysian Grand Prix weekend took a turn for the worse after the race when stewards handed him a retrospective drive-through penalty.

Hamilton was accused of making 'more than one change of direction to defend a position', and in accordance with the FIA rules had 20 seconds added to his elapsed time.

It meant the McLaren star, who had finished seventh at the end of a difficult race at the Sepang circuit, dropped to eighth, with Kamui Kobayashi in his Sauber the beneficiary as he moved up a position.

Hamilton's problems during the race saw him hit from behind by old rival Fernando Alonso in his Ferrari as the Spaniard moved out to overtake.

Alonso, however, ran into the right-rear tyre of Hamilton's car, partly damaging the rear floor in the process, whilst at the same time breaking the left end of his own front wing.

For causing a collision, the stewards also handed Alonso the same punishment as Hamilton, a 20-second retrospective drive-through penalty.

Unlike Hamilton, however, the penalty had no effect on his sixth- placed position in the final classification.

'I knew I was going to get a penalty. I'm not surprised,' Hamilton said. 'I was in with the stewards, so I anticipated it. I always try to assume the worst-case scenario.

'It's only one spot, and it's not really made me feel any worse than how the weekend has gone anyway.'

As for the fact Alonso did not lose a position, Hamilton added: 'Then he's not had a penalty.'

Asked whether it felt fair, Hamilton said: 'It's racing. I'm not going to argue or disagree with the penalty.

'From my side I'm not allowed to move more than once. Do I class it as dangerous? No, but that's the rule. Twenty seconds is not such a bad penalty for it.

'As for Fernando, he hit me, he got a 20-second penalty, but it didn't really do anything for him. It doesn't exactly work out as a penalty, but again, that's racing.'

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh described the stewards' decision as 'disappointing and surprising.'

He added: 'I'm not a steward. They make those sort of decisions and that's how it is, but a penalty to both drivers is fairly harsh.

'For Lewis a number of things have happened this weekend, but he is strong and will take heart from other positive factors.

'The underlying fact is he was very close to being on pole, and in the race was able to match the performance of Sebastian (Vettel).

'He is the marker you either have to match or beat, so those are the positives.

'The result and the mess around it is the disappointment. That's motor racing, and it won't be the last (disappointment) in his career.

'He was obviously very disappointed at the end of the race, but if you see him now he is smiling and has recovered.

'He'll be further recovered tomorrow. He knows we're going to try hard to win in China and he'll have his energy focused on that.

'I don't think he is going to be troubled by what happened today.'

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Tiger Woods in Masters mood after 'very good' week finishing 24th

Tiger Woods has put himself into 'Masters mode', ending weeks of introspective analysis to state confidently that he can win the Augusta major for a fifth time next month.

Woods shot an even-par 72 in the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill on Sunday to end the week one-under, seven shots behind the winner Martin Laird, of Scotland, in joint 24th.

The numbers were not great but Woods was happy with his hitting throughout a round which was damaged by a bogey on the 17th and then a double bogey on the final hole where he found water.

Afterwards Woods was asked about his driving, his putting and his comfort level.

The 14-times major winner has been willing to share his problems of late but this time the message was that he was getting better in all those areas and that crucially, for those who wonder whether he still has that formidable confidence, he had no doubt about whether he can triumph at Augusta.

Woods had a one-word answer to the question of whether he could win: "Absolutely."

It was old-school Tiger, a sign that with just over a week to prepare for the Masters he is now in the zone and no longer focusing on the doubts and what he has called "the process".

"It was a very good week and a week I need to see. I really hit the ball well and the things that we have been working on for the last couple of weeks really, really felt comfortable today, I felt I was able to control just about every shot today," he told reporters.

His driving? "Much better. Every day has gotten a little bit tighter which is good. I have to keep working, keep staying the course, each day is progressing. Today was really nice," he said.

"I need to keep progressing and hopefully it will peak two more Thursdays from now. Early in the year was disappointing because the conditions showed some signs of weakness that I had to work on – now it's feeling very, very good".

That positive talk was, however, made against the backdrop of a messy end to his round.

"I played well all day and the best shot I hit was on 17th but it didn't come out. On 18 I was caught between clubs, went with the lower one and didn't luck out.

"I hit three water balls this week and had a few missed putts here and there and I'm not that far behind. Add all that together, you can't afford to make those mistakes."

Woods is missing next week's tour event in Houston and instead he heads early to Augusta to start practice. Last year Woods went into Augusta without playing any tour events and finished tied fourth.

"It is nice to have some tournaments under my belt and be more in tournament shape going in. They have made a couple of changes at Augusta. I'll take a look at those and develop a game plan," he said.

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Lewis Hamilton: Jenson Button leads Formula One title race after taking 'easy route'

Lewis Hamilton insists his McLaren team-mate Jenson Button leads the driver's standings because he has made life easier for himself. However, the 25 year-old is confident that the tables will soon turn and says he is proud of the way he has stayed in touch with his team-mate despite various qualifying setbacks and team errors.

Button led home a McLaren one-two at the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, making what turned out to be an inspired decision not to pit early when others, including Hamilton, switched their dry tyres for intermediates.

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It was the second time in a month, following the Australian Grand Prix three weeks ago, that Button, 30, had stolen a march on his younger compatriot.

Nevertheless, Hamilton, 25, feels he has raced superbly in the four races so far this year – making 32 overtaking manoeuvres, 12 of them in China alone, to Button's seven – and has only been let down by his qualifying pace and team mistakes.

"I feel I have had great races but Jenson has taken the right decisions and taken the easier route," Hamilton said. "I have had the harder route and got good results but hopefully soon I will take the easier route and it will be a lot easier."

Of course, Hamilton was not suggesting that his McLaren team-mate has had it easy – clearly if it was so straightforward everyone would have made the same race-winning tyre calls – merely that he has not yet enjoyed the rub of the green.

Nevertheless, he finds himself just 11 points behind Button going into the European season and says everything between them is going swimmingly.

"The good thing with me and Jenson is that we clearly want to beat each other but Jenson is very smart and does not have that too aggressive flair in him and neither have I," Hamilton said.

"I'm not surprised he has settled so quickly. There was a lot of stuff about him joining my team and I would be favoured ... the team just embrace the drivers, they want us both to win.

"They did absolutely everything to get him up to speed and feel comfortable. They did the same for me in 2007.

"I am really happy for him. He did a better job and I am sure that when the tables turn, as they will, it will the same for me."

Neither Hamilton nor Button is being beset by the travel problems afflicting the 1,000-plus members of the F1 travelling circus in Shanghai.

As desperate mechanics, chefs, engineers and journalists tried to plot a route home on Monday after travel plans were compromised by the Icelandic dust clouds, Hamilton jetted to South Africa for a sponsorship trip accompanied by his mother, with whom he is then going on safari, while Button flew to Thailand for a holiday with his girlfriend.

"It's the best time of my life, so far. You can write that as big as you want," said Button, who paid tribute to his team-mate.

"I think we're both dong a fantastic job. It's good to have a team-mate who's so competitive. The guy will never give up. He's like a pitbull."

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Edwin Valero hangs himself in police cell after arrest on suspicion of killing his wife

Edwin Valero has hanged himself in a police cell less than 48 hours after his arrest on suspicion of stabbing his wife to death. The 28 year-old was detained on Sunday on suspicion of murdering his wife Jennifer, 24, after police found her body in a hotel room in Valencia, Venezuela. The boxer left the hotel room around dawn on Sunday and allegedly told security he had killed his wife as he left the hotel. They had two children together.

The fighter, who won all 27 of his professional contests by knockout, was a household name in Venezuela and had a huge image of President Chavez tattooed on his chest, alongside the country's yellow, blue and red flag. Valero had been lionised by Chavez supporters as a national hero.

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There had been warning signs for some time. The former World Boxing Association super-featherweight and WBC lightweight champion had been in trouble with the law before. He was banned from driving in the United States and, last month, was charged with harassing his wife and threatening medical personnel who treated her at a hospital in the western city of Merida.

Police had arrested Valero following an argument with a doctor and nurse at the hospital, where his wife was being treated for a series of injuries, including a punctured lung and broken ribs. His wife had told police the injuries were from a fall.

Valero was involved in a motorcycle accident in 2001 which caused a cerebral haemorrhage, and because most jurisdictions refuse to license a fighter who has sustained a brain injury, he was unable to fight in the United States. He wound up fighting mainly in Japan and Latin America, where he won his first title in 2006.

Carl Froch is determined to make it to Denmark this week in preparation for his Super Six fight with Mikkel Kessler on Saturday, despite the volcanic ash disruption. The undefeated WBC super-middleweight champion's route is likely to be a combination of sea, land and even possibly air to get to Herning in Denmark where the fight is taking place.

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