Sunday Herald

; Clash On the Clay

THE battle of two heavyweights can bring memorable lines as well as unforgettable action. Muhammad Ali, reeling from a Joe Frazier hook in the Thrilla in Manila, roared in his opponent's ear in a mixture of acclaim and disbelief: "They told me you was all washed up." There was a grunt, another bludgeoning hook and Frazier's retort: "They lied". The demise of Roger Federer has similarly been exposed as a fallacy. The 29-year-old Swiss player may not be at the zenith of his powers but he still ...

; Li's French Revolution

HELLO China. It is the only appropriate response a temp- orarily exiled Glaswegian could give to the extraordinary events on Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros yesterday afternoon. Li Na became the first Asian woman to win a singles event in a Grand Slam tournament. Her French Open final victory over defending champion Francesca Schiavone was almost routine. Nothing else was.

Andy Murray Will Be Given As Much Time As Possible... Headline]

Andy Murray will be given as much time as possible to be fit to begin his Wimbledon preparations at this week's AEGON Championships at Queen's Club in London. The Scot proved he is back to his best by reaching the semi- finals of the French Open for the first time, despite a niggling injury to his right ankle.

Heights

THE footsteps are large and have made their impression on tennis history. Andy Murray has always sought to follow in them. Andre Agassi is more than a hero to the Scot, he is an inspiration. The American's style of play, using an extraordinary technique to counter- punch, has long been the mainstay of the Murray game. Now he and the legend from Las Vegas share another factor. Darren Cahill, who revitalised Agassi at the turn of the millennium, is now helping out Murray. It is a move that plea...

Fragile and Fragmented

There is no use trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes or trotting out the old line about there being no easy games at this level. England's 2-2 European Championship qualifying draw against Switzerland at Wembley was a shocker. Goalkeeper Joe Hart had a stinker. Darren Bent missed a sitter and the much-vaunted midfield axis of Jack Wilshere, Scott Parker and Frank Lampard failed miserably to deliver cohesion. There was a lack of solidity and an absence of guile. Throw in that old England...

Side... [Derived Headline]

Fabio Capello blamed end-of-season tiredness for costing his England side two points in their European Championship qualifier against Switzerland at Wembley. Capello, who claimed he had not underestimated Switzerland, said: "Some players arrived at the last 10 minutes without energy. In modern football if you can't press it is difficult.

; the Next Great Dane?

WHEN it comes to national icons, Denmark's taste is typically understated. The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen is just four feet tall, so Christian Eriksen is in good company. The teenage Dane stands at a mere 5ft 9ins, but will carry the dreams of his country over the next three weeks. Denmark hosts the European Under-21 Championship finals and the Ajax playmaker could be the name on everyone's lips across the continent if he inspires them to success. The millions of tourists who flock t...

1. Sfa Board Lto Be Reduced From 11 to Seven... [Derived Headline]

1. SFA Board lTo be reduced from 11 to seven directors.

; It's a Perfect 10 for Levein

CRAIG Levein has urged opponents of a 10-team Clydesdale Bank Premier League to reconsider for the good of the Scotland national side. The chairmen of eight top-flight clubs met at Tynecastle last week to state their opposition to chief executive Neil Doncaster's plan to reduce the size of the league from 12 teams. The so-called rebels would prefer an increase to 14, with a promotion/ relegation play-off, but Levein is convinced a smaller SPL, where the best players play against each other mo...

Unlikely Triumph in Europe, Discovers Richard Wilson

Arnold Muhren is having his hip replaced, and a change of dates meant Terry Butcher is away on holiday, but they were the only absentees. Thirty years have passed since Ipswich won the Uefa Cup but the time, and all its implications, fell away when the players gathered again to celebrate their achievement. That is the way of reunions; they are not nostalgic, but instead a resurgence of the moment, its glory and its detail. A formal dinner was held at the town hall last week, another to raise ...

; Prisoner of Sell Block H

ADAM Matthews didn't require the sales pitch. His mind was already made up. As Neil Lennon courted the man he wanted to lure to Celtic from Cardiff City, he was able to put his plans for the future and anecdotal tales of the size of the club and Parkhead atmosphere to one side. His former team-mate had already done the hard sell for him. Five years after his departure, John Hartson's influence is being felt once again in Glasgow's East End. The Welshman may no longer be indulging in aerial ba...

Season... [Derived Headline]

JAMES McArthur has declared himself satisfied with his maiden season in the Barclays Premier League. The Scotland international midfielder was involved in 26 games, albeit mostly from the bench, as Wigan Athletic saved themselves from relegation on the last day of the campaign but the 23-year-old is happy to bide his time as he aims to move from super sub to first-team regular. His friend and former Hamilton team-mate James McCarthy similarly had to spend an initial spell on the sidelines bef...

Capital Pay Day

ETERNAL Heart, a one-time Investec Derby entry, enjoyed a bumper pay day of his own yesterday with an all-the-way win in the pound(s)80,000 Edinburgh Cup at Musselburgh. Given a typically astute front-running ride by Joe Fanning, the 11-2 shot repelled a strong challenge from Mika Mica inside the final furlong to land the spoils for his Middleham-based Scottish trainer Mark Johnson by a length.

Kieren Fallon has Always Been Prepared to Play the Odds.... Headline]

Kieren Fallon has always been prepared to play the odds. It has helped him to win three Derbys and six jockeys' championships. But they were looking heavily stacked against him after he lost a court action which raises serious repercussions for the jockey. Fallon had been booked to ride Recital in the Investec Derby for Aidan O'Brien, but was barred after the owner of another horse in the field won an injunction to prevent him riding.

; Joyous Undertone to Teenage Kicks

The Derby was conceived as a celebration of youth. It is the moment when the cream of a three-year-old Thoroughbred generation is gathered at Epsom to decipher the myriad lines of form that had been written in previous months. But it was also the moment when a young jockey came of age and reacted to the victory with an explosion of joy not seen in more than two centuries of the great race.

Affair... [Derived Headline]

Gavin Henson's return to international rugby proved a low-key affair as Wales, stunned by the Barbarians' late show, lost 31-28 in Cardiff. Centre Henson's first game in Wales colours since the 2009 RBS 6 Nations Championship, ended with him being substituted 20 minutes from time, and he could only look on as full-back Isa Nacewa's second try at the ground where he helped Leinster win the Heineken Cup just two weeks ago, denied Wales victory.

Danny Macrae Scored Five - All in the Second Half... Headline]

Danny MacRae scored five - all in the second half - as Newtonmore annihilated holders Fort William 8-1 in the Camanachd Cup second round at the Eilan. Steven MacDonald, Glen MacKintosh and Paul McArthur struck the other Newtonmore goals. Area league side Kinlochshiel beat Premier Division Glenurquhart 3-0 thanks to strikes from Fraser MacVicar (2) and Gordie MacDonald. Bute are the only other non-Premier side in the last eight, after their 5-1 defeat of Glasgow Mid Argyll.

The Death of Kenya's Marathon King Is Being Probed As a Homicide. ; Wanjiru: The Murder Files

The death last month of Sammy Wanjiru, the Kenyan who won the Olympic marathon in Beijing in extraordinary style, is being investigated as a murder. Wanjiru died, aged 24, his running ability barely tested. "He was the greatest marathon runner we have ever seen," according to Dave Bedford, the former British Olympic athlete who has seen thousands of the best in his work over the past four decades, ultimately as race director of the London Marathon. When Wanjiru won his gold medal in Beijing, ...

Mo Farah Smashed the European 10,000 Metres Record in Winning... [Derived Headline]

Mo Farah smashed the European 10,000 metres record in winning the Prefontaine Classic at the Eugene Diamond League meeting in Oregon. The Londoner, pictured, with a time of 26 minutes 46.57 seconds broke Belgian Mohammed Mourhit's European benchmark of 26:52.30 set in 1999, while also eclipsing Jon Brown's 13-year-old British record of 27:18.14.

Front of 10,000 Fans, Reports Kenneth Stephen

Roger Rinderknecht overcame injury to win a dramatic Four Cross final last night at the 10th anniversary of the UCI Fort William Mountain Bike World Cup. In a finale which was a fitting conclusion to a brilliant day of racing, the Swiss rider blocked out the madness ensuing around him to the take the top prize.