Sports Fix: Snooker champion Neil Robertson moves into Masters semi-final
- From: Herald Sun
- January 18, 2013
A CAREER-best shot in the deciding frame has helped Australia's Neil Robertson move closer to defending his Masters snooker title.
The Melbourne-born world No. 5 on Thursday overcame Northern Ireland's Mark Allen 6-5 in a match where there was never more than one frame separating the pair.
And when the pressure was on in the 11th and deciding frame, Robertson escaped a snooker with an arc shot to pot a red en route to his third century for the match and a semi-final berth.
"In terms of judgement, probably the best shot I've ever played,'' a happy Robertson said of his lucky escape in the closing chapter.
The pair went punch for punch including a personal tournament-best of 138 in the fourth from Allen, which spurred the world No. 9 to a 3-2 break in the fifth.
But Robertson did not slip again, winning the sixth with 114.
IOC strips Armstrong of bronze medal
THE IOC has stripped Lance Armstrong of the bronze medal he won at the 2000 Sydney Olympics because of his involvement in doping.
Two officials say the IOC sent a letter to Armstrong on Wednesday night asking him to return the medal.
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The move came after the IOC was notified by cycling's governing body that Armstrong had not appealed the decision to disqualify him.
The officials spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the decision hasn't been announced.
The IOC executive board discussed revoking the medal last month, but delayed a decision until cycling body UCI formally notified Armstrong he had been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and all results since 1998.
He then had 21 days to appeal.
Now that the deadline has expired, the IOC has decided to take the medal away.
Suarez admits to taking a dive
LIVERPOOL star Luis Suarez has admitted diving in a Premier League match against Stoke in October in an attempt to win a penalty.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said his controversial striker could face punishment from the club after making the admission.
In an interview with Fox Sports Argentina, Suarez admitted "falling" during October's 0-0 draw between the clubs at Anfield, prompting Rodgers, who had defended him from criticism at the time, to hit out.
"I think it is wrong. It is unacceptable. I have spoken to Luis and it will be dealt with internally," said Rodgers. "(Diving) is not something we advocate. Our ethics are correct."
Rodgers spoke to Suarez and said he had been "totally understanding on where I am coming from as manager of the club.
"What was said was wrong. He takes that and we move on," he added.
Suarez hit the headlines for a theatrical fall in the 0-0 draw at Anfield when he was challenged by Stoke defender Marc Wilson in an unsuccessful attempt to win a second-half penalty.
FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce was moved to describe Suarez's tumble as "cheating", adding that the tendency for players to easily fall to the ground was a "cancer" in the game.
Discontent as Arsenal meet Chelsea
MORE should unite Chelsea and Arsenal fans than divide them on Sunday at a London derby being played with discontent raging at both clubs.
Boos echoed around Stamford Bridge on Wednesday as Chelsea threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Southampton.
"I will try to concentrate on the games, that is my job," interim manager Rafa Benitez said in response to the renewed jeers from the fans he's failed to win over since taking charge in November.
The draw was Chelsea's second setback on Wednesday. Pep Guardiola, who has been high on list to take over next season, opted to join Bayern Munich earlier in the day.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had been expecting to face Guardiola in the Premier League next season.
"He asked me a few times and told me a few times he would like to come to England, so I am bit surprised he has chosen to go to Germany," Wenger said.
"It is not a backward step. In Germany, maybe along with Spain they are a country with the best young players."
The former Barcelona coach had even been touted as a possible replacement for Wenger at the Emirates Stadium as a trophy drought stretching back to 2005 continues for the north London club.
McIlroy says clubs are not to blame
BILLED as the battle of the world's best, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods have struggled in the opening round of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.
Fifth-ranked Justin Rose and unheralded Jamie Donaldson had 5-under 67s for a one-shot lead.
McIlroy, playing with new clubs following his multimillion dollar sponsorship deal with Nike, finished with a 75 and risks missing the cut. Woods shot an even-par 72.
Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark and Pablo Larrazabal of Spain finished one stroke behind the leaders.
McIllroy repeatedly missed fairways, including a shot on his 12th that hit a tree and ended up in a parking lot, leading to one of his two double bogeys.
His other came when he muffed a chip in thick rough on his par-3 6th. He also putted poorly, missing a par putt on his 17th and a birdie putt on the 18th.
The top-ranked McIlroy insisted his difficulties had more to do with rusty strokes than the new equipment that he hyped only a few days ago. While he repeatedly slumped after a bad shot or frowned following a missed putt, the 2012 European Tour and US PGA Tour money winner seemed resigned to adjusting to the new Nike clubs.
"When you go out and you've got new stuff, you are going to be a little anxious and hopefully you play well," McIlroy said.
"But I guess I can learn from it and move on and go into tomorrow and try and play a bit better. It's about playing yourself into the weekend."
Alonso backs Ferrari in Melbourne
FERNANDO Alonso is confident Ferrari will fight for the Formula One world title right from the start this season.
And the Spaniard has picked Lewis Hamilton as the man to beat, rather than triple champion Sebastian Vettel, for the season which kicks off in Melbourne on the weekend of March 15-17.
Alonso lost out on the title in the final race of last season, finishing just three points behind Vettel as Ferrari's poor start to 2012 proved costly.
Ferrari struggled in the opening rounds, with its new car proving uncompetitive - apart from Alonso's win in the second race in Malaysia.
"It is maybe impossible to be worse than last year, so I am confident," Alonso said at Ferrari's annual winter retreat in the Italian Dolomites.
"The rules are continuing more or less the same as last year in terms of aerodynamics. In the winter of 2012 we changed completely the exhaust position compared to 2011, and it was a little bit of a guess what we found on the car.
"But this year everything should be much more normal and we are much more confident. We can be faster or slower (than our rivals) but not 1.5 or two seconds off the pace, because that was a record we had last year."
Two-time champion Alonso claims he feels no added pressure to win the title after three seasons with the Italian team.