How They Play At the Augusta National: Holes Five-Seven

With the 73rd Annual Master Championship up and underway it seemed like a good time to see how each hole was playing in the early going, and how some of the early leaders were getting on.

I'm going to be looking at holes five through seven, three that on paper look like good birdie opportunities, but in reality are proving a whole different ball game.


Fifth-Magnolia-Par Four

As the sun streamed over Magnolia, players found that they could shed no light in the early rounds on how to deal with one of most challenging holes on the course.

In one of the most underrated holes in golf, let alone the Augusta National, the angle has been slightly extended adding extra risk and yardage to the hole.

This 455 yard Par four has been adapted a few times over the years at the Masters with the hole extended in 2007.

The front right bunkers now have to be cleared by a 300+ drive, a distance that might see some players dive to the left to avoid the flat sand.

The green has been significantly raised, and with deeper bunkers on either side contributing to one of the more difficult holes on the course.

Problems that were fully confronted by run-away leader Chad Campbell, who birded the fifth after succeeding on the previous four holes, one of eight birdies we saw in the early stages.

The supposedly difficult green didn’t find out too many players in the opening stages, with just fourteen bogeys coming the first half of the day.

Englishman Ian Poulter was another who was successful on one of the toughest greens on the course, one that was expected to slope away from the left-hand side pin.

Poulter’s improving short game was clear to see here as he collected one of the rare birdies at this hold.

Of those that struggled at the hole look no further than Michael Campbell, whose round of 80 included a boggy on the fifth, as the pleasurable conditions were no assistance to the New Zealand player.


Sixth-Juniper-Par Three

The second shortest hole on the course is sure to tempt many into a birdie chance, but after round one it may teach some players to play for an all so important par.

The Par three has already produced some casualties on the first round at Augusta, but a stream of pars have seen the success rate level out as the afternoon continued.

The sloping green can give players a tough two-put on some occasions, something we saw plenty of in the early going.

It seems that the relative ease of the hole has succumbed a few players into dropping shots, with one of those being Irishman Padraig Harrington, who made a four in the middle of fighting his way up the leader-board.

Harrington has been one of a number of players to adapt his game to suit the shorter playing style of the American courses, something Sergio Garcia has also had to develop.

The Spaniard recovered from a four at the 5th to recover to make a three to eventually put his challenge back on track.

The European’s inconsistent putting has always been there downfall at this Major, and on this difficult sixth with speed almost built in to this green, their collective putting will have to improve.

It’s obvious we will see more birdies on this hole as the weekend continues, as the players learn that the green is higher than it appears.



Seventh- Pampas-Par Four

Almost the end of the back nine before Amen corner, and we see another hole extended by the organisers, to develop this course.

Big hitting drivers such as Garcia and Woods used to bring the ball within the green and make an easy three, but now with a longer pin, and a narrower fairway, playing for a four is now more sensible.

Hitting the ball on the right of the fairway from the tee is more preferable, but even with that shot completed hitting the green in regulation from there is still pretty tough.

Just as with the sixth we’ve seen just seven birdies today so far, and again with the tempted par five, playing to keep in the championship as been the name of the game as we’ve seen more par’s scored on this hole than many of the par fours.

Chad Campbell had to take a step back on this hole, as his successive birdies ended on the sixth, and he had to par the seventh after playing up from his second shot.

One of the players with success however was Angel Cabrera, who was tempted to go for the green with his second shot, and his gamble paid off with a superb three.

Sandy Lyle completed his second successive birdie with a three, to bring him to level par, with the high green proving profitable for those willing to test.

This hole will stop plenty in there stride, and shouldn’t be underestimated, I would go as far to say it’s what the players consider to be one of the toughest on the course, and birdies will be in a minority this week.

I’d say if we see more than 40 this week then the players have done well, and an aggregate score over the weekend of par will really have you in the top-20 players.

Seven Players To Light Up The Masters: Tiger Woods

This is the final in the series of seven where I preview the players who could make a massive impact in this years Masters Championship.

As this is the final piece I thought it was only right that I finished with Tiger Woods, a man who has defied belief at Augusta before, and who is of course making his return to Major Competition after an eight-month lay-off.

Woods’ return to Augusta will of course bring back memories of how he burst onto the scene of Golf with his record breaking victory in 1997, Woods’ first major title, and his most comprehensive to date.

In Twelve years since that stunning victory Tiger has picked up 13 further major titles, while breaking numerous records along the way including becoming the youngster player to record a career Grand Slam, all before the age of 34, which he turns at the back end of the year.

In terms of Woods’ record at Augusta, he’ll be looking for his fifth title, the his first since 2005, where he overcame Chris DiMarco in a two-way play-off.

Although Woods has failed to pick up a title at Auguta since 2005, he has failed to finish outside the top three on each occasion, with being tied for 22nd his worst performance at this championship since the turn of the Millennium.

So his form in previous years in unquestionable, and his pedigree as the longest holder of the World No. 1 is unmatched, so why is maybe not the clear favourite for this championship?

Well the knee injury he picked up, and played through during the US Open put the player out for the rest of the year, and having only returned this year he has hardly had plenty of time on the course.

But like he so often does, he defied logic by winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational, by one-stroke from Sean O’Hair.

To make the win even more incredible, Woods had a five shot deficit to make up at the beginning of the day, something he completed on the final hold with a mammoth 16-foot putt

In all honestly Tiger is looking as unbeatable as ever, and as his first win of the season showed it doesn’t take long for his form to start to shine, but a victory on Sunday afternoon might end up being his greatest on tour.

Liverpool Fail To Put Benitez’s Words Into Practise

Football is after all a results business.

Teams are judged at the end of every season how they have done bearing on the results they achieved that year.

However while most side’s and managers alike understand this simple logic, the theory is largely lost upon Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez.

The former Valencia Manager, while proving his Liverpool side are a match for Manchester United in the title race has become rather outspoken in the second-half of this season.

This mind-game culture that has largely been introduced by Sir Alex Ferguson, was used to unsettle opponents with little spiteful comments, while the team on the pitch put his words into practise with thrilling performances.

Unfortunately, Benitez has yet to grasp that either, as his Liverpool side fail to live up to their manager’s words as they were humbled by Chelsea 3-1 on Wednesday evening, to all but end their interest in the Champions League.

Benitez said in a pre-match press conference that the Manchester United manager was scared of his Liverpool side, and that he would be supporting them in the tie, as he knew they were a bigger threat.

Well it’s unlikely Ferguson would have been quivering in his boots on Wednesday evening, as the Spaniard’s side were overcome by a solid Chelsea side, keen on killing the tie in the first leg.

The same could be said for Benitez the previous evening however as United drew 2-2 with a very forward thinking FC Porto.

The difference between the two however?

Benitez put unnecessary pressure on his side by what he said on Tuesday, meaning his side had to produce to back up their managers comments, yet they couldn’t quiet pull through.

The manager has an uncanny knack of triggering poor Liverpool performances with his unholy words, as he proved earlier in the year as his side produced a drab performance in a 0-0 draw with Stoke City.

He accused Ferguson, maybe correctly so that he went unpunished for verbally lambasting referees during matches, as well accusing United of being nervous at the top of the league.

These words, despite some of them being true pilled further pressure on his side to perform, and while his team drew with relegation threatened Stoke, United comfortably beat Chelsea 3-0 at Old Trafford.

Now Ferguson as I mentioned before has always delved into mind games with other league managers, most famously with Arsene Wenger, but while the duo would answer each other back with fierce words and equally stunning performances by the respective sides, Benitez can’t bring boast the same resources.

He may never be everyone’s favourite but Ferguson has consistently backed up his controversial words up with titles season after season, and while it’s left to be seen whether Benitez can do the same this season, having already contributed to his side’s exit from Europe he might think twice before his next media eruption.

His side have twice let him down when he’s mouthed off to the media, and maybe this latest outburst and disappointing defeat will make Benitez learn when to keep his mouth closed.

Seven Players To Light Up The Masters: Adam Scott

This is the fifth in a series of seven previewing players who could grab this years Masters by the scruff of the neck and take control this coming weekend.

Today is the turn of Australian Adam Scott, whose rise up the rankings has seen comparisons with the great Aussie players of yesterday year, but the youngster is attempting to make his own name in the game stick out.

Scott rise came in 2002, when he won the Scottish PGA Championship by a record breaking 10 shots, just two years after turned Pro.

In 2007 however he secured his best ranking position of 3rd with victory at the Mercedes-Benz Championship.

The man from down-under has in-fact secured 15 titles in the last eight years, with consistent performances on the PGA Tour.

This week will be a chance to show the golfing world what he can do after a string of disappointing performances at Major Tournaments.

Scott started last year in good form capturing the Commercialbank Qatar Masters going into the Masters, but finished tied for 25th on Sunday.

Another title followed after the Augusta Tournament but he yet again endured a torrid time at the US Open and then the Open Championship.

The end to his Major season was caped off with a failure to make the cut at the PGA Championship, not the climax to the season Scott had hoped for or deserved.

His best finish at Augusta actually arrived as far back as 2002, when he finish tied for ninth.

Comparisons have already been made with Greg Norman, who has provided his own advice to this talented individual, who typically picks Norman as his all-time golfing hero.

His chances at Augusta rely on his superb natural swing, which seems to mimic the previous technique used by Tiger Woods, as seen here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZecViQxUwss

He certainly wouldn’t be a shock winner, due to the respect he has on the tour, but does he have the technical game to survive all four days, I think he does.

For me he’s the dark horse of the championship, and even thought plenty of focus will be on the American players, Scott has the talent and most importantly the wherewithal to keep up with the home favourites.

Burton Feeling the Pressure as Torquay Close In

With the Premiership, Champions League and International scene sure to dominate the football arena for the next few months, there are sure to be some stories that go under the radar.

None more so than in the Blue Square Premier, which after looking like a forgone conclusion is set to climax with a fascinating race for the single automatic promotion spot, with the prize of the Football League awaiting the winner.

With just five games remaining for the majority of teams, things have started to get interesting after the seeming collapse of runaway leaders Burton Albion.

Ever since the Brewers 1-0 victory over Northwich Victoria at the beginning of November, the club have sat proudly at the top of the Blue Square Premier, and have since extended their lead to as much as 18 points at one stage.

As if things couldn’t get better for the club, the fortunes of their fixtures within the difficult weather conditions were favourable, as they rarely had games postponed, leaving no backlog of matches to play.

Burton’s form did continue until a surprising draw with struggling Woking was the catalyst for just three wins in the clubs next 10 games.

That dreadful run included Monday nights dismal defeat to Torquay United, as Roy McFarland’s men showed that both late season nerves and loss of form can equal a string of dreadful performances.

While Burton have been enduring a loss of form it’s been the emergence of Paul Buckle’s men that have given the runaway leaders the biggest fright.

Unbeaten in their last ten, Buckle has pulled together a squad every bit as strong as last years side that missed out on promotion.

But while they lost the all-so important promotion showdown with Aldershot Town at almost the same stage last season, they have given themselves a chance of catching the table-toppers this time around.

Monday evening’s win leaves an eight point gap between the two, but with a game in hand for Torquay and the two still meet on the final day, Burton have at best a two point cushion.

And that cushion is hardly the most stable, with some tough games still in the offing before the showdown on the final day.

A trip to improving Kidderminster Harriers is sandwiched between hosting both Histon, who are deep in the play-off fight, and improving Oxford United, who are set to miss out on a top five place but will still pose a worthy opponent.

The fixture list couldn’t be more difficult for Burton, who will find the going tough without top scorer Greg Pearson who saw a straight red on Monday night for a lunge at Tim Sills.

To rub salt in the wound Shaun Harrad has been on the sidelines for a few games now, and his return hasn’t been pinpointed yet, so goal getting could be an issue for McFarland, whose own job hasn’t been made easy by the quick start made by his predecessor this season.

Although it might be an easy accusation to make, the departure of Nigel Clough to Derby County in early January could well be a factor in Burton’s inability to cross the finishing line.

Clough had built his Burton side over a number of years, and for many football fans around it was disappointing not to see him complete the job he started 11 years ago.

Torquay of course have it all to do to pile the pressure on Burton, with all four of their up coming games before the match with Burton must wins for the South Devon club.

Their own games to play are far easier than their rivals, with the trip to Stevenage Borough the most difficult game for the Yellows to endure.

Can the comeback be completed though? Well I believe it can.

While Torquay just keep getting better and better, Burton are really feeling the nerves, and I expect the title to still be up for grabs when the two tussle in the final game of the season.

After writing off Torquay for almost the entire year, I feel this is their big chance to grasp promotion back to the Football League, while Burton will be left thinking what if, after the departure of Clough earlier in the season.

So as Manchester United attempt to throw Liverpool off the title scent in the Premiership, there a title battle that’s proving just as exciting at the other end of the football pyramid.

Manchester United's Youth Policy Coming To Fruition Once Again

A hallmark of many successful sides under the management of Sir Alex Ferguson is the injection of talented youngsters with a mix of some of the Scot’s classic signings from overseas.

It’s been a constant theme of his title winning sides, and while the memory of the likes of David Beckham and Nicky Butt is starting wear thin, a new breed of youngsters are starting to make the grade in this current trophy chasing side.

Even if the level of ability from that famous 1992 Youth Cup winning side will probably never be matched, this new crop of players are starting to make there own mark on the first team this season, with their emergence in the side quicker than anyone at Old Trafford could have dreamed of.

In terms of players coming through the youth system, the transition of players had largely dried up for the current European Champions.

In recent years it’s been the likes of John O’Shea and Wes Brown who have broken through from the youth ranks as plenty of United fringe youth players venture off to pastures new.

This season however has seen more players given a chance from the youth ranks, and Ferguson begins yet another process of bringing through his gifted youngsters.

Jonny Evans has been one of the players of the season not only for United but in the Premiership, and is sure to be included in the shortlist for Young Football of the Year.

Evans only made his United debut in 2007, and less than two years later he is an ever present in a record breaking United defence.

The Northern Irishman’s impact in the side was capped off with a superb performance at the San Siro as the Champions drew with Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan.

He hasn’t been the only one however.

We’ve seen striker Danny Welbeck’s hard work in the Academy and Reserve sides rewarded this season with his first team debut against Middlesbrough, and a starting place in United’s successful Carling Cup side.

It’s been quiet a season for the England Under-21 International, who attracted the attention of Stuart Pearce in February as he made his debut against Ecuador.

Welbeck has been part of every England side right from the Under 16’s youth team, and is sure to be involved in the full squad in the coming years.

Darron Gibson has finally made his break into the United side having made his debut for the first team in 2005, but his patience in the reserves saw the midfielder start in United midfield for the Carling Cup final.
Danny Simpson had made a credible impact for the team last season, but was dispatched on loan to Blackburn Rovers, something probably down to the return to fitness of club captain Gary Neville.

As for the players that have been brought into the youth set up and then gone on to the first team, you needn’t look further that the Brazilian twins of Rafael and Fabio Da Silva.

The duo have really made there mark in the first team this season, especially Rafael who when fit is first choice right-back for the Old Trafford club.

His goal against Arsenal in a 2-1 United defeat showed the full-backs flair and attacking process, not unlike similar Brazilian full backs, while Fabio usually billed as a left back, is even more adventurous on the club and international stage.

Fabio captained and top scored for Brazil at the Under-17 World Cup in 2007 and followed up his numerous first team appearances with a hat trick for the reserve side against Rochdale this season.

The Brazilian pair are joined by fellow countryman Rodrigo Possebon, whose impact has been decreased in the second half of the season, but his calming influence on the ball is sure to result in further starts for the central midfielder.

And yesterday we saw the emergence of yet another United youngster, Federico Macheda as he made his first appearance for the club and capped it with a stoppage time winner for United in a 3-2 win over Aston Villa.

This goal is sure to increase the focus on Macheda, who going into the game was a relative unknown after scoring a hat trick for the reserves in mid-week.

But while the focus may well be shifted to the Italian alone, the entire youth set-up at United should be praised, and as critics rave over United’s strength in depth it’s down to that same set up for providing players who could be the difference for the club this season.

When any club is trying to chase the amount of trophies United are, the need of the back up of the reserves and youth squad is vital, and maybe this could be the difference between them and their envious rivals.

Seven Players To Light Up The Masters: Sergio Garcia

This is the forth in a series of seven players that could dominate the Masters this week at Augusta, and my next player is one of the most feared on the tour, even if he has never picked up a Major victory.

I am of course talking about Sergio Garcia, a player some say to be the best player on the tour without a Major title to his name.

Garcia came closest to breaking that duck in 2007 when he led the Open Championship for so long, and even had a put to win the title, before being beaten in a two-way play-off with Padraig Harrington.

That frustrating finish for Garcia did nothing for halt his confidence as a joint second finish again behind Harrington showed that he could still perform despite his inability to secure major titles.

However his record in those events are truly brilliant, especially for a man with limited success.

In forty starts in majors in his career, he’s achieved 14 top 10 finishes.

Now maybe that isn’t as good as some of the world’s best, but for a player who endures constant disappointment in these competitions it’s an excellent return.

Garcia has been part of the World’s top ten for almost nine straight years, and is constantly one of the star attractions on the European Tour.

He is an ever present in Europe’s Ryder Cup side having been selected for the last five tournaments, being included in all three of their recent victories

Garcia’s immense drive makes him feared opponent all over the world, so at Augusta this week it will be no different.,

He’s proved at major’s before he can mix it with the world’s top players, and even if his nerves do sometimes get the better of him you know sooner or later he will fulfil his potential, like Harrington did in 2007 and ever since.

Is he a serious contender this week?

Well his record would suggest it’s the major the Spaniard prefers the least, with a best finish of joint forth achieved in 2004.

But maybe the European being slightly off the radar might be a good thing, with most of the attention elsewhere Garcia might be able to make his strongest challenge yet, and win his first Major title.



Others pieces in this series are:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/149636-seven-players-to-light-up-the-masters-phil-mickelson

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/150374-seven-players-to-light-up-the-masters-ian-poulter

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/150811-seven-players-to-light-up-the-masters-vijay-singh

Brawn Again: Jenson Button Secures Second Win as Malaysia Goes Under

Jenson Button has won his second Grand Prix in Malaysia after the race was halted after 31 laps due to a massive downpour.

The Brit led when the race was suspended with the Germans Nick Heidfeld of BMW and Timo Glock of Toyota in second and third.

Due to the early finish of the race points gained with be halved, but that won’t take anything away from Button who is really laying down a marker at during this years championship.

Even after the race was suspended, there was some confusion over whether it would be re-started, until the time permitted for the race to be concluded was surpassed meant there was no-way the race could continue.

Button’s team-mate Rubens Barrichello came in fifth behind Jarno Trulli, as the Brawn GP cars showed that their outstanding pace was yet again the difference, as with the previous race in Australia.

Ferrari yet again endured a difficult weekend, as tyre changes before it started to rain gave neither driver a chance to head up the leader-board, with Felipe Massa finishing at high as 9th.

Two successive races without a single point on the board is sure to worry the Ferrari team, during a race that they were expected to dominate.

Lewis Hamilton will be content with his weekends work, with a 7th place finish in what is still a struggling McLaren car, something which found out Hekki Kovalainen who crashed out within the first lap.

The World Champion has made no secret about his feelings about a makeshift car, but two points finishes in a row will bring some optimism, after a week full of controversy.

The Toyota team will be delighted with their weekend with a second podium finish in two races.

But it’s sure to be Button’s victory that will grab the headlines, after Niko Rosberg overtook the Brit before the first corner.

It wasn’t until just soon before the race was stopped that Button re-took the lead surpassing Timo Glock.

Rosberg will be disappointed that he couldn’t lead till the end of the race, but numerous tyre changes re-vamped the entire field producing confusion even when the race had ended as to what were the eventual finishing positions.

Seven Players To Light Up The Masters: Vijay Singh

In the third in the series of seven, concerning players who could end up winning the elusive Masters Championship next week at Augusta I look at a player who despite his high profile in the world of golf is a huge outsider for the tournament.

This player has been out of the spotlight for sometime when it comes to Majors, but the world knows that when he brings his A-game to the course, he can be a threat to the rest of the field.

That player is former World No.1 Vijay Singh, who after a baron spell at Major Championships could be ready to mount a charge at the first major of this season.

The Fijian has three majors to his name, most recently in 2004 when he won the USPGA title from Tiger Woods, one of nine tour titles collected that year by the new World No. 1.

Ever since hitting the dizzy heights of World No. 1 Singh hasn’t quiet been able to challenge regularly at Major Championships, and although it was nip and tuck between him and Woods for the best part of a year, it was Woods’ victory at the 2005 Masters that eventually set the two apart.

In 2007 Singh missed out finishing in the top ten of each major that year, and ever since his form in the big competitions has subsided.

Why have I considered him a contender? Well since a variation to his swing was introduced into his play, Singh has found the winning habit, winning three titles last year, including a crushing five-shot victory at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Even though the New Year has started with a few injuries, he is well on the road to recover and is set to take part at Augusta.

A crucial stat to consider is that Singh is a former winner of the Green Jacket this decade, as his win in 2000 came at the expense of Ernie Els an experience that is sure to be valuable for the Fijian.

Although he must be valued as a rank outsider due to his recent form at Major’s it would be naïve to completely write off the three-time major winner.

In a tournament where the world’s best are sometimes left wondering what if sometimes it takes a rank outsider to take that title, and with the pressure off Singh, this could be his perfect time to strike.

Seven Players To Light Up The Masters: Ian Poulter

This is the second in a series of seven players who should be keenly watched during next weeks Master Championship, and who could even be wearing the Green jacket by late Sunday afternoon.

Today I take a look at one of the main European contenders in Britain’s Ian Poulter who if his ability on the course can match his self-confidence off it, he can definitely mix it with the best in the world.

Poulter’s infamous words at the beginning of 2008 have followed him all around the tour, quotes that included comparing himself to the World No.1 Tiger Woods when the duo are at there best.

The American of course went on to win at the US Open last year, and while missing out at both the Open Championship and the USPGA Poulter wasn’t on hand to put his words into practise.

Now maybe I’m being slightly harsh on Poulter here, at the end of the day he one of Europe’s top players, something he proved at last years Ryder Cup, when as a wild card entry he top scored for Europe with four points.

He also acted as a huge motivator for the visiting team, and someone who really could get up the noses of the American’s, and similar acts of emotion could see him as one of the main forerunners for this year’s title.

Poulter’s pedigree at a competition like this isn’t brilliant with his highest Masters finish being tied for 25th at last years event.

However it’s his performance at last years Open Championship that for me adds him to the list of contenders.

He lay down a very credible score and was the clubhouse leader until Padraig Harrington overhauled the Englishman, and completed successive victories at the event.

Poulter’s display last year was one of a player who could perform in a pressure situation, and at the best of times with some of the finest in the world.

Although his comments at the start of the year might have been slightly premature, Poulter has shown he isn’t far off some of the world’s elite.

His Ryder Cup performance showed that he could perform even when the crowd was on his back, skills he will need if he is to succeed next week.

The Augusta galleries are sure never to forget Poulter’s own personal comparison with the great Tiger, but with the World No. 1 returning it could be his chance to prove all the doubters wrong.

Andy Murray In Danger Of Being Undercooked As Sony Semi Final Approaches

Andy Murray's straight sets victory over Fernando Verdasco on Thursday showed us all how the British Number 1 has come on as a player in such a short space of time, since he last took on the Spaniard at the Australian Open in January.

On that occasion Murray saw a rampaging Verdasco never give up, and come-back from two-sets to one down to win the match and progress to the quarter-finals.

Murray had high hopes for that tournament, after his US Open runner up finish he endured the previous year he was keen to build on his relative success.

Verdasco had hoped to do the same to Murray at this weeks Sony Ericsson Open, where the Brit had plans of leapfrogging Novak Djokovic into third in the ATP World Rankings, by winning this weeks competition in Miami.

Murray however showed his progression as a player, and disposed of an 'injured' Verdasco, dropping just three games en-route to sealing his semi-final birth with Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro.

I say ‘injured’ with inverted commas, because in the last twelve months eight players have withdrawn from a match with Murray due to injury.

This stat does make interesting reading, and for me is tribute to the fear-factor Murray has instil in players all over the tour.

Now Verdasco did continue with the match until the end, but for me he was well beaten before the injury occurred late in the first set.

Now in a tournament taking place over a week, momentum is important and being able to turn up day after day and put in a performance is vital, being underdone can being your undoing, while being too tired can see your performance drop considerably.

My concern is Murray’s time on court has been far shorter than most of his rivals, to the extend he hasn’t had enough match practise to get him through the tournament now we enter the business end.

The longest the Brit has spent on court was in his opening match against another Argentine Juan Monaco.

However 58 minutes were taken up beating Viktor Troicki, dropping just a single game in the 4th round.

Yesterday’s match against his first world class opponent, was expected to go the distance, something we didn’t even see a sniff of as Verdasco pulled off numerous unforced errors to gift Murray the win.

His previous two matches have hardly strained the world number four, and when he goes into his semi-final encounter with Del Potro he could find himself low on match time this week.

Should this pose a real problem against De Potro this evening though? Well Maybe not.

Game time is almost at the other end of the spectrum when you think about Del Potro, who was on court nearly two hours longer than Murray was on Thursday.

Del Potro of course took on Rafael Nadal, and as the final set went into a deciding tie-breaker the new world number five is sure to be feeling it after one of the biggest victories in his career.

Nadal made Del Potro fight for every point and the physical nature of the match is sure to have taken plenty out of Murray’s opponent.

Will he be able to rise again in the semi-final? Or will Murray he halted by the express train that is Del Potro, who is sure to be riding one crest of a wave after his win over the world number one, momentum could be the Brit’s undoing.

With Murray having little court time, maybe this is Del Potro’s chance to seize the moment and reach his first Masters Series final.

Plenty at Stake For England As One Day Series Comes To a Close

England will go into the one-day international series decider knowing that even after a strenuous tour of the Caribbean they can take away with them a glimmer of hope for the future by winning this five match one-day series.

With the series evenly poised at two games each, tomorrows fifth and final match is vital if England are to take any positives from this most arduous of tours.

Loosing the test-series 1-0 has drawn plenty of criticism at home, but the side know that victory tomorrow will shield them from some of those words when they return, just like they were in 2007 after beating Australia in the Commonwealth Bank series, after that humiliating 5-0 white wash in the test series.

In what was a disappointing and controversial series, Andrew Strauss will want his side to do the talking on the pitch, and Friday’s match gives the side a chance to gather some positives for the new coach in waiting, Andy Flower.

Flower has seen his tenure as temporary England coach start pretty poorly, but the one day matches have shown England’s progress in the shorter form of the game has improved over the last 12 months.

There was a time where England couldn’t win a 50-over match , and a radical overhaul of how the side was chosen was called for after a 5-0 demolition by Sri Lanka in 2006.

The side now has a more familiar look to it, with more of the players involved in the test matches incorporate into the shorter version of the game.

The likes of Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Matt Prior, Paul Collingwood, James Anderson and Strauss have consolidated themselves in both test and one-day teams, and this core of players can only help the chemistry of the team.

Areas of improvement for the side include the sometimes naïve batting make-up which at times is forced into uncertain shot selection, as was shown in the third one-day international.

The levelling up of the series seemed to be more down to the embarrassment that came from that defeat more than the poor Cricket from the hosts, Strauss’ personal knock was one of the player who was keen to set the record straight.

The West Indies, while England will be searching for a much needed positive from the tour, have very little to loose as they attempt to complete a test and one-day double to continue what is a thrilling resurgence in international Cricket.

It’s been said Cricket in this part of the world has been turned on it’s head due to the test series win and the two wins in this current one day series, with success pleaded for by the home support, who were close to loosing complete faith with the side before this current tour kicked off.

Tomorrow’s match has far more on the line than just the win in the series; it’s what the series win will do for each side as a whole.

For England instilling some belief in a dressing room that has seen little plus points on what Pietersen has called an laborious tour, and one that the entire squad want to end sooner rather than later.

Let’s not forget, while Pietersen has come across very outspoken in the press, he comes with a credible point, being away for up to eleven weeks is one hell of shift for an international sportsman, something that might be worth looking into by the ECB.

With so much at stake, both sides will obviously be keen to win and with Pietersen’s recent comments about the tour and certain members of his opponents, England could be in for an uphill struggle as there painful tour comes to a close.

Seven Players To Light Up The Masters: Phil Mickelson

With the 73rd annual Master Tournament set to get underway in a weeks time it seems like the ideal period to look at the contenders for this years title, with the finish guaranteed to be one of the tightest in recent memory.

Over the next seven days leading up to the competition I will be evaluating the main competitors, and who could even be wearing the famous Green Jacket come Easter Sunday.

The first player that I’ll be looking at is Phil Mickelson, who is looking for his third Master title of the decade, and his forth career major.

Mickelson is currently the World Number two, but now the return of Tiger Woods is threatening to undo all the good work of the left-handed player, whose two titles this year already sees him as one of the form players going into the Championship.

Mickelson’s victories came fully ten months after his previous win in May of last year, and this return to form is part of the reason to take him very seriously in this years Masters.

Now why is the American worthy of being on of the favourites for the title?

Well his pedigree is one of the best in the field comes from his two previous wins at Augusta and his experience of nearly 16 years on the PGA tour.

The left-handed style is almost unique to the tour, but it could well be his rivalry with Tiger Woods that lights up this year’s tournament.

Maybe the biggest prize for Mickelson could be him claiming the world number one spot, something that could happen if he assures victory at Augusta.

Woods has held the number one ranking for a record 264 weeks, after last being usurped by Vijay Singh in 2005, preceding the Fijian’s USPGA victory the previous year.

So going into one of the most famous weeks in golf Mickelson has plenty to fight for, we all know his temperament can take the pressure, but can his status as one of the men to beat be his stepping stone to greatness in 2009.

World Cup Qualifying Progress Report: European Qualifying

With qualification for next summers 2010 World Cup at the half way stage it seems to be the appropriate time to access how qualifying is going, and who is set to grace the tournament in South Africa next year.

Starting with Group One and one of the more tighter looking groups on paper has seen two runaway leaders in Denmark and Hungary extend their lead after Wednesday night matches.

Both sides lead the group with 13 points each, while both Portugal and Sweden lie off the pace with six points along with surprise package Albania who are keeping pace with the European heavyweights.

Portugal and Sweden endured a goalless draw at the weekend to allow the two leaders to extend their lead both converting 3-0 home wins over Albania and strugglers Malta respectively.

Sweden having played just four games are far from out of it, but former Real Madrid boss Carlos Quiroz will have a task on his hands to turn around the fortunes of Portugal in there final five group games.

Group Two sees the top four separated by just four points at the top of the group, something that should produce a thrilling finale to qualifying.

Both Greece and Switzerland find themselves at the top of the group with 13 points while Latvia follow with 10 and Israel with nine.

The top three were all-victorious on Wednesday evening, with Israel going down 2-1 to Greece, Georgios Samaras was the savour for the home team with a late penalty, after the two sides had drawn 1-1 all the previous weekend in Tel Aviv.

Northern Ireland find themselves top of Group Three after picking up six points in there two group games over the last four days, but will wary of both there victors Slovakia and Poland with games in hand for the duo.

The Irish have played seven out of ten groups games already and only lead by a single point from Slovakia, whom they beat on Wednesday evening, and three from Poland who they beat on Saturday.

Slovenia showed they are no push overs either by beating fourth placed Czech Republic in Prague to move to within two points of third placed Poland.

With matches in hand for the chasing teams it will be vital for them to take advantage, with the big match sure to be when the Irish travel to Poland when qualifying gets back underway in September.

Germany are the overwhelming favourites in Group Four after a comfortable victory over Wales in Cardiff.

Michael Ballack gave the away side the early lead before defender Ashley Williams scored an own goal to assure victory in the first half.

Russia will have cause for optimism that they could catch the run away leaders, after grinding out another win, this time over Lichtenstein.

With a game in hand and the two still to meet in the group, Guus Hiddink’s side will live in hope of catching their German counterparts before the end of the qualifying campaign.

Back-to-back wins over Turkey have further strengthened Spain’s position at the top of Group Five, as they continue their 100% record in qualifying after a last gasp Albert Reina goal on Wednesday evening.

The 2-1 win has all but assured Spain a place in South Africa as the European Champions continue on from there success of last summer with six wins in a row in the group.

Bosnia find themselves as the surprise chasing side, and with a four point gap from Turkey they will feel confident they can join Spain in next year’s World Cup, especially after their win over group rivals Belgium on Wednesday.

Another side with a 100% record in qualifying is England, who beat Ukraine at Wembley to retain their five-point gap over Croatia, who were 2-0 winners over Andorra.

Croatia’s meeting with Ukraine later in the year is sure to decide who finishes second in the group, as England look to run away with Group Six.

France have bounced right into contention in Group Seven with the help of two goals from Frank Ribery to win both games against Lithuania in the space of four days.

The French has trailed Lithuania by five points going into the double header, but successive wins leave them just two point behind Serbia whose victory at Romania on Saturday looks all the more important.

Giovanni Trapattoni came away from his home country Italy with a credible 1-1 draw for his Republic of Ireland side in the fixture of the week in Group Eight.

Giampaolo Pazzini’s sending off in the opening minutes had left the hosts with an uphill task, before Juventus forward Vincenzo Iaquinta gave the Azure the lead.

Robbie Keane equalized with just a minute remaining, to leave the team separated by just two points, with the sides still to meet at Croke Park before the end of qualifying.

The Republic are sure to be kicking themselves however, after letting a goal slip late on against Bulgaria on Saturday, a result that could have seen the two sides level on points at this stage.

Finally in Group Nine Holland are running away with qualifying with five wins out of five after a crushing 4-0 win over Macedonia.

Scotland are now clear in second after beating Iceland 2-1 at Hampden Park, but as things stand are the weakest of the second placed sides in qualifying, and need to pick up maximum points from there remaining three games if they are to stand any chance of making the play-offs.

So there we have it, a brief run down of how each group is shaping up, and as nothing has been decided yet the coming months are sure to be intriguing as the road to South Africa continues.

Alan Shearer Becomes New Newcastle United Manager

The fairytale story that had at one point looked like a distant dream became reality for Newcastle United fans on Tuesday night, as Alan Shearer was confirmed as the new manager of the North East club.

After constantly furthering himself from the job, the former England Captain has finally wilted to the wishes of both Mike Ashley and the ardent Geordie supporters, as the 'the prodigal son' returns to St James' Park.

Shearer will take charge of the side up until the end of the season at least, as he attempts to guide his team away from a relegation zone they have occupied since their last league defeat at home to Arsenal.

Under the reigns of Chris Hughton, the Magpies had struggled to pick up any sort of points as they edged further towards the bottom three with the former Spurs coach picking up just one win since taking over from the ill Joe Kinnear.

Kinnear had hoped to return as soon as next week, but with Shearer now taking over the team on the pitch, the former Wimbledon manager is expected to become a director at the club in the near future, due to his unpredictable health.

With the club in such a desperate situation Shearer's introduction will come as a welcome relief for the fans, and a boost to a squad that was starting to contemplate next season in the Championship.

Shearer's success at the club is by no-means a given, and with his first task being one of the toughest he'll experience as manager of the club, we're sure to find out the managerial credentials of the club's record goal-scorer.

In terms of qualifications Shearer doesn't quiet match up with many of his Premiership counterparts, but don't expect that to be an issue in the short term as Gareth Southgate found out when he became manager of Middlesbrough in the summer of 2006.

Boro' argued that the defender hadn't had time to complete the sufficient qualifications due to his playing commitments having gone straight into management following his retirement, a situation that Shearer can’t relate to, having retired in the same summer as Southgate nearly three years ago.

With the end of the season in sight, the Premier League Board are expected to allow Shearer the time to get the necessary qualifications, while the board will need assurance that by the new season he abides by the rules fully

Shearer staying on till next season is no given either, with his future sure to be subject to the clubs survival.

With Shearer’s none-existence experience, apart from a short stint as assistant to Glen Roeder at the back end of his time at St James’ Park, is this appointment a crazy one?

My belief is that it will turn the clubs fortunes around, in the short term at least.

Shearer’s profile at the club and in football generally is so big that he’s bound to get plenty of support, but considering where the club are, and the pressure on his shoulders it’s a daunting task.

Newcastle certainly weren’t going to stay up with Hughton at the helm, but with Shearer on board maybe there is a slight glimmer of hope that dreams of surviving relegation can become true.