Stoner ahead in Qatar as Bridgestone accelerates tyre development

During the three day night test at the Losail circuit, ahead of the season’s opening night race on 12 April, Bridgestone not only gathered valuable tyre compound selection data for forthcoming grands prix, but upped its 2010 tyre development programme following the recent FIM regulation changes.

The test offered a chance for the selected soft and medium compound Bridgestone slicks to really prove their capability across a range of different conditions. Despite its desert location, an unusual and heavy downpour on the opening day left areas of the circuit damp and greasy, whilst high winds and a residual layer of sand tested their operating range across an unexpectedly diverse set of circumstances.

Ducati Team’s Casey Stoner dominated proceedings, taking the top spot almost one second ahead of Fiat Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo. Competition throughout the rest of the field was far closer, with second to tenth positions being separated by just eight tenths of a second.

Sixteen riders completed the final day of testing. Marco Melandri made the first appearance for Kawasaki this season with the newly-formed Hayate Racing team, whilst Grupo Francisco Hernando’s Sete Gibernau opted to sit out the test to rest a recent shoulder injury and Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa was sidelined after a crash on day two.

Tohru Ubukata – Bridgestone Motorsport – Manager Motorcycle Race Tyre Development
“The feedback from the riders over the last three days was positive in what were challenging conditions, and our tyres worked well here.

“Track condition was quite dusty and sandy this time, and as a result of the increased abrasion we suffered slight graining with the soft compound tyre at the start of the test, but the medium compound worked well even in these tough conditions. I am happy about this result as it shows that just two specifications can cover such a range of difficult situations which is exactly what we have worked towards.

“The recent FIM regulation changes have affected our development plan so looking now at development for 2010 is very important. We now have to finish 80 per cent of our development for next season during this winter testing period because in-season testing has been significantly reduced.

“As a result, as well as bringing the soft and medium compound tyres from this year’s line-up, we brought some new compounds in development for 2010, where the target is to give the tyres a wider still operating range.

“We have had successful tests both here and in Sepang last month, so we are now in a position to make more precise compound selections for each coming grand prix this season.”

Source:
http://www.bridgestonemotorsport.com
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Hiddink: Tension is back

Guus Hiddink: "They (Manchester United) have that game in hand, but it's clear that after Saturday's unexpected result that the tension has come back into the league.

"It's a boost. But if we want to track them, we have to keep on winning. That'll give tension to the end of the season, which is good for everyone. Every now and then you get a defeat you don't expect.

"Let's see how they react in the up-coming days. When you are in the driver's seat and someone else is coming, you can get a little bit nervous. It is a little bit open now."

Mark Hughes: "You have to give the opposition credit for that because they see Robinho as a threat for us and they're going to try and deny him the space to have a positive impact.

"You can't just expect one player to carry the team. We have other players who have to stand up to the plate and be counted. Today wasn't Robinho's day."

Manchester United 1-4 Liverpool

Sir Alex Ferguson: "We have lost a game. We need to respond and that is what we will do. It is a hard one to take because I felt we were the better team.

"That is not reflected in the scoreline and quite rightly, when you win 4-1 you get all the plaudits. I can't deny that."

Rafael Benitez: "We have beaten Real Madrid and Manchester United in the same week. If we can beat them, we can beat anybody. Realistically, we have to win all of our games. But part of winning the war is winning football matches.

"We have more belief and more confidence now. It will be difficult but we can do it."

Arsenal 4-0 Blackburn

Arsene Wenger: "The boys were waiting for a long time to do that. It is up for grabs now. The team is really up for it. We are in good shape to fight on three fronts. I believe that maybe the pressure came off the team after the Roma game.

"We played with more freedom, our football was more fluent and our game is coming back."

Sam Allardyce: "It's what other people haven't done today which is most important for us, because we could have been back in the bottom three had results gone differently. We can't control that obviously but they've gone in our favour and we still have only lost three in 12, so we're on the up.

"If you only lose to the big boys, that's not so bad. What's important is that you don't lose to the other teams who are down there with you."

Everton 3-1 Stoke City

David Moyes: "It was a strange game and we were in a comfortable situation at the break. But we knew that the first goal after that would dictate the way the game went. Stoke started brighter after the break and came out strongly. For 30 minutes they put us under a lot of pressure.

"Maybe there was some complacency in that second half, but we should know it was going to be difficult. Every team we have played who are down at the bottom have made life difficult for us."

Tony Pulis: "We know we are now in the bottom three, but survival is in our own hands. If we can win an away game somewhere, it will take a lot of pressure off everyone. I believe we have to win one away from home minimum.

"We have shown we have spirit. But winning games now is vital, we have four away and five at home left. We must win away, we are pretty decent when it comes to home games, but that will not be enough now, we cannot go through a season without an away win and expect to stay up."

Bolton 1-3 Fulham

Gary Megson: "You can't defend at any level - never mind this one - like that at all. It was not a case of defending badly as a unit, ie: the back four; individually we have made three errors that have cost us and we also made a couple of errors which we got away with.

"Defensively we really poor today. I feel only Gary Cahill has performed anything like what I would expect - he was okay without being brilliant."

Roy Hodgson: "I'm happy with the result and the performance, I thought we played very well. I've been a little bit unhappy with the last two results, although not the last two performances.

"When we conceded a goal in injury time I was rather concerned the players would not be able to pick themselves up and give the same performance in the second half which had given us the lead in the first but luckily they did."

Hull City 1-1 Newcastle United

Phil Brown: "It was a scrappy affair, not a great spectacle in terms of football but there was probably a lot of nervous tension about, from both sides. I think we came out of the traps and approached the game in the right manner and got our noses in front with a great goal.

"But then that lapse of concentration in the first half and we allowed a poor goal from our point of view."

Chris Hughton: "I'm disappointed we didn't get the three points we came for. We gave away a poor defensive goal very early in the game, which rocked us and gave them the confidence they needed.

"But having scored our goal at a good time, I was convinced at half-time that we were in the ascendancy and we'd come out and that would enable us to get the three points."

Sunderland 1-2 Wigan

Ricky Sbragia: "It would have been nice to have got something today, but even when we were sitting reasonably pretty four or five weeks ago, I always thought we were still in there, to be quite honest with you, because teams are capable of beating each other.

"We have got difficult games at West Brom and Portsmouth - they are in that situation as well as us. We need a couple of wins, and a couple of wins quickly. But even when we had that seven-point gap, I always felt we were still in it."

Steve Bruce: "We are delighted because you can't go, a club like ours - or any club, for that matter - six or seven weeks without getting a victory in this division. Even though the old spiel comes out that we have played some big teams over the last few weeks and been a bit unfortunate, you need to win.

"In my opinion, a club like ours always needs 10 wins - we have got there and that's our first call. To come here and the way we have played delighted me, and the two new boys. It can only do them the world of good."

Middlesbrough 1-1 Portsmouth

Gareth Southgate : "It's one of those situations where I am going to get slaughtered whatever I say, so I'm going to say what I believe. Some of the chants (Boro fans sung "we've only got one player" were disrespectful to the rest of the team.

"The crowd are right to laud Tuncay's efforts but we will win and lose as a team. The other lads may not have been as eye-catching but they were making important saves, blocks and interceptions. It's hurtful for a lot of the other players. We will survive as a club and as a town by everyone pulling together."

Paul Hart: "It is very, very disappointing because going into the last minute in front you think you've cracked it. But if you had asked me before if I would have settled for a point I would have said yes.

"We are not shipping goals like we were, and goal difference could turn out to be important in the final reckoning."

Source:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com

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Mickelson and Watney share CA Championship lead

MIAMI (AFP) - Phil Mickelson and Nick Watney traded the lead back and forth before ending the third round locked together at the CA Championship on Saturday.

Mickelson carded a solid three-under-par 69, while Watney shot 67 in a moderate breeze at Doral Resort's Blue Monster.

At 16-under 200, they enjoyed a four-stroke lead over Indian Jeev Milkha Singh (68) and Colombian Camilo Villegas (69), with one round to play in the World Golf Championships event.

World number one Tiger Woods is out of contention, nine strokes behind, but was extremely happy with his ball-striking.

"The course was a little tougher today because the wind was a little stronger and the greens a little firmer, but there were still plenty of birdie holes," said Mickelson.

"I would love to have shot a little lower, but starting the day I would have been happy with 69.

"I feel like I'm playing well and I'd like to finish off with a nice Sunday."

Singh, meanwhile, improved his position thanks largely to eagles at the par-five first and 12th holes.

"I've won on most tours in the world and I would like to win here too," he said. "That would be the icing on the cake."

Source:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com

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Woods: McIlroy can be number one

McIlroy, 19, is this week bidding to become the youngest winner on the USTour. He was 11-under midway through the third round, four shots off the lead at the Doral Resort and Spa.

"The guy's a talent," Woods said of the youngster from Northern Ireland. "We can all see it, the way he hits the golf ball, the way he putts, the way he can chip, get up and down.

"He has the composure. He has all of the components to be the best in the world, there's no doubt.

"It's just a matter of time and experience in big events. That takes time and I mean, he's only 19," Woods said after finishing on 209, seven under.

The 33-year-old American, playing his best golf since returning from an eight-month layoff, birdied the par-five first hole before failing to convert a series of tricky birdie chances.

In all, Woods had seven lip-outs in his round.

After seven straight pars he finished the outward half with a birdie on the par-three ninth.

"I have not controlled the ball that well in a long time and that was fun," said Woods.

"I was hitting shots I had not been able to hit before which was such a great feeling. Unfortunately I am just not making any putts."

The world number one added three more birdies on the inward half, the highlight coming at the par-four 16th when he holed out from a greenside bunker.

That good work was undone on the next hole when Woods found a fairway bunker and his recovery hit the lip of the trap before ending up close to a tree.

An excellent third stroke found the green but two putts cost him a bogey.

Woods had been well off the pace at the start of the day after beginning his first strokeplay event since knee surgery with scores of 71 and 70.

"I am getting better each day, the feel of playing the game at this level is coming back," said the 14-times major winner.

"I had six lipouts the first two days and seven lipouts today for birdie, that's a lot and it is pretty frustrating."

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Murray makes winning return

INDIAN WELLS, California (AFP) - Andy Murray showed no lingering ill effects of the virus that sidelined him last month as he reached the third round of the Indian Wells Masters on Saturday.

The Briton, ranked fourth in the world and seeded fourth in the 4.5 million-dollar tournament, shook off an early service break to beat Spain's Albert Montanes 7-5, 6-3.

"I thought I moved great, best I had moved in quite a while," said Murray, who was forced to withdraw from the quarter-finals in Dubai with a mystery virus that also caused him to miss Britain's Davis Cup tie against Ukraine last week.

"I wasn't hitting the ball particularly well. After I went down a break in the first set I did well to come back."

The 21-year-old Scot had said prior to the tournament that he didn't expect to be at his best from the beginning, but he said coming in with lower expectations perhaps made it easier to work his way into the match.

"When I go a break down early, if I was feeling my best and expecting to win comfortably, maybe I would have been more disappointed and panicked a little bit," he said.

"But when you're not expecting to play your best and you go behind, you just deal with it a little bit better.

"But I don't change the way I play. I got more solid as it went on," added the Scot, who broke Montanes in the eighth game of the second set to take a 5-3 lead before serving out the match.

Murray had beaten Montanes comfortably in their only previous meeting, in Doha earlier this year.

But the 35th-ranked Spaniard, who started the season a disappointing 0-6, was coming off a dominant 6-3, 6-0 first-round victory over Florent Serra, and Murray said he proved a tough challenge in the early going.

"At the start he didn't miss a lot of balls," said Murray, who like all 32 seeded players had a first-round bye. "He was very solid. He's playing much closer to the baseline than he had when I played him beforehand."

But as the court warmed up under the California sunshine Murray said, it worked to his advantage.

"The ball started bouncing much higher," Murray said. "I think he's only 5-foot-7, 5-foot-8, so the ball was getting up quite high. It was quite tough for him to control it when it was up above his head, and he started to make a few mistakes from there."

Murray was also pleased with his fitness.

"I feel fine," he said. "I didn't feel like I was too out of breath after long rallies.

"I think the match was just over an hour and a half. I felt like I could have gone for at least another 45 minutes or so, which is pleasing.

"I just need to sort of rest, recover, and get ready for the next match and be in the best shape possible for that one."

Source:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com

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Federer eases back into action at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS, California (AFP) - Roger Federer has returned to action for the first time since the Australian Open, easing into the third round of the Indian Wells Masters Series with a straight-set win over Marc Gicquel.

The Swiss star, sidelined by a lingering back injury for more than six weeks, beat Gicquel 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, firing the last of his 12 aces on match point to wrap up the one-hour, 23-minute encounter.

Federer didn't face a break point against the 52nd-ranked Frenchman, breaking him in the seventh game of the second set to seize the advantage.

"It was OK," Federer said of his back. "I was happy. A bit rusty maybe, coming back from not having played. I'm happy I've won. That's always most important."

Federer was returning to the court for the first time since an emotional five-set loss to Spain's Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final.

Nadal, seeded first here ahead of Federer and defending champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia, denied Federer a record-equalling 14th Grand Slam crown, and handed him his first defeat in a hardcourt Grand Slam final.

Federer will hope to have a chance to reassert himself against Nadal in the final here, where he won three titles in a row from 2004-06.

He said the time off after Melbourne had done him a world of good.

"I had to put in an incredible effort to get back to my level after being sick at the beginning of last year," said the Swiss, who was hampered in early 2008 by glandular fever and was toppled from the world number one spot by Nadal in August.

"Then it was the Olympic Games in 2008, that didn't help either. I needed more of a break and more practice.

"My back was killing me at the end of last year. I just had to take a rest, and this was the time to do it."

Fourth-seeded Briton Andy Murray also made a winning return to action after battling a virus that sidelined him in February.

Murray, ranked fourth in the world, booked a third-round berth with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Spain's Albert Montanes.

Murray shook off an early break in the opening set, and earned the lone break in the second set in the eighth game to serve for the match.

"I thought I moved great, best I had moved in quite a while," said Murray, who was forced to withdraw from the quarter-finals in Dubai with a mystery virus that also caused him to miss Britain's Davis Cup tie against Ukraine.

"I feel fine," he said. "I didn't feel like I was too out of breath after long rallies. "I felt like I could have gone for at least another 45 minutes or so.

Nadal, who lifted the trophy here in 2007, and Djokovic open their campaigns on Sunday, when Nadal plays German qualifier Michael Berrer and Djokovic takes on Argentina's Martin Vassallo Arguello in second-round matches.

In women's action, defending champion Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, the fifth seed, made it safely into the third round with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Anastasiya Yakimova of Belarus.

Third-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva was less fortunate, crashing to a second-round defeat against Czech qualifier Petra Cetkovska.

Cetkovska, ranked 71 in the world, downed the world number four and Olympic champion 7-6 (7/2), 2-6, 6-1 in what she called the biggest win of her career.

Second-seeded Serbian Jelena jankovic was also in action, taking on Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for a place in the third round.

Seventh-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland advanced, beating Australian Samantha Stosur 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Source:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com

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Arsenal romp past Blackburn

The Russian netted the Gunners' second after an own-goal by Andre Ooijer gifted Arsenal the lead in just the second minute.

Substitute Emmanuel Eboue swooped twice in the final two minutes, once from the penalty spot, to seal all three points and extend Arsenal's unbeaten run to 15 games.

The result saw Arsene Wenger's side into fourth place while Rovers remain perilously close to the drop zone on 30 points, just one ahead of Stoke who occupy the final relegation spot.

The hosts got off to the best possible start, Arshavin apparently bundling the ball over the line after the effervescent Theo Walcott had delivered a cross into the danger area.

Initially the goal was given to the Russian but was later credited to Blackburn defender Ooijer, the Dutchman having got the final touch in the near post scramble.

Walcott posed a constant danger throughout and the England international appeared to enjoy getting the upper hand on three different left-backs employed by Blackburn over the 90 minutes - Gael Givet, Stephen Warnock and then Martin Olsson.

Givet and Warnock were both forced off through injury, although their departures from the pitch may well have come as a relief to both of them, given the run-around Walcott had given them.

But for all his pace and skill, for the most part the flying winger still lacks an end product - the shot he dragged wide of the mark just after the break was testament to that.

That chance came at the start of a dominant period of play for Arsenal, during which Walcott teed up Nicklas Bendtner to slice wide of the mark before himself launching a flying volley which Paul Robinson had to paw round the post.

While Walcott was busy wooing the crowd, Bendtner could do nothing right and he infuriated the assembled masses with a string of misses that smacked of a player lacking confidence.

The Dane's best chance of the day came in the 64th minute when he was played through on goal but he was foiled by Robinson, who was quick to come off his line.

A minute later, Arshavin showed him how to do it with a brilliant piece of finishing having beaten his man Danny Simpson at the by-line. The playmaker advanced on goal, waiting for Paul Robinson to go to ground before lifting the ball into the roof of the net.

Bendtner was withdrawn 15 minutes later and with he could only watch from the bench as Eboue - on as an 83rd minute replacement for Samir Nasri - found the net twice in four minutes.

The two chances were the type an out-of-sorts striker dreams about, the first being laid on a plate after Robinson could only parry Arshavin's shot into Eboue's path. All that was left to do was stab over the line.

And then the Ivorian stepped up to convert a penalty in the second minute of time added on after Carlos Vela had been tripped by a clumsy Olsson challenge.

Mike Hytner / Eurosport
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