Will Rafa Win His Fourth Straight Major?

ATPWorldTour.com previews five storylines to watch during the 2011 season. In the fourth installment, we look at Rafael Nadal's quest to win a fourth straight Grand Slam title.
It hasn’t been done in 41 years, but Rafael Nadal has a chance to match Rod Laver’s feat of holding all four Grand Slam titles at one time when he goes for the Australian Open crown in January.
The Spaniard set the stage for the historic accomplishment with a showcase of dominance at the final three majors this season. He rolled to his fifth Roland Garros title without the loss of a set, won Wimbledon for a second time, and completed his Grand Slam set at the US Open - making him the first to win those three majors back-to-back since Laver completed his calendar year Grand Slam in 1969.
The 24-year-old Nadal said afterward: “For me, it's a dream to have the career Grand Slam, but this is more a dream to have the US Open. [It’s an] unbelievable feeling because I worked a lot all my life, in all difficult moments to be here, but I never imagined to have the four Grand Slams.”
Now Nadal has a realistic chance to hold all four titles at the same time when he enters Melbourne as the World No. 1. The only other time the Mallorcan topped the Australian Open draw, two years ago, he finished the fortnight as champion; he prevailed in a five-hour, 14-minute battle against fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in the semi-finals before defeating Roger Federer in a five-set final.
Though he failed to defend his title this year when he retired in his quarter-final match against Andy Murray with a knee injury, part of a challenging 11-month stretch ahead of his turnaround in April, Nadal will return to the Australian Open with a much different mindset this time around.
“I’m gonna try to repeat the same like last year, that I practised all well in December and I arrived to the beginning of the season with very high level, but without calm [since I didn’t] win in a long time,” said Nadal. “My opinion now, if I arrive with the same level like last year in the beginning of the season, the situation can change, because the calm [is] going to be there after this probably more emotional and good season of my career.”
Federer had two opportunities to win a fourth consecutive major, clinching Wimbledon, the US Open and Australian Open back-to-back only to be denied by Nadal in the 2006 and ‘07 Roland Garros finals. Will he turn the tables and end his rival’s quest for history in the Australian Open final?
Nadal was the undisputed World No. 1 in 2010, but Federer proved to be the tour’s best player following the US Open, capping his season with victory over the Spaniard at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, and will head to Oz prepared to defend his title.
But should Nadal come away from Melbourne with his 10th major title, there’s no doubt that the next question will be whether he can complete a calendar year Grand Slam.

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Polamalu could sit out season

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu is doubtful for Sunday's game against the New York Jets because of a strained right Achilles' tendon and could sit out the rest of the regular season.

 

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The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Polamalu could miss the Steelers' final three regular-season games before the playoffs.
After facing the Jets (9-4) on Sunday, Pittsburgh finishes its regular season against Carolina (1-12) and Cleveland (5-8).
The Steelers (10-3) play the Panthers in Week 16 on Thursday night, and the short week might not allow for a full recovery for Polamalu. In Week 17, the Steelers travel to Cleveland. Depending on the outcomes of the previous games, this game could prove to be meaningless.

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Tennis

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Matches off

All of Sunday's Barclays Premier League matches have been postponed due to this weekend's bad weather
All three fixtures have been postponed on safety grounds. Chelsea v Manchester United was the first of the day's matches to be called off and later the Black Country derby between West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers and also the meeting between Blackpool and Tottenham Hotspur were postponed.

The poor weather also had a dramatic impact on Saturday's Barclays Premier League fixtures, with four of the day's matches postponed. Wigan Athletic v Aston Villa was the first to be called off, quickly followed by Liverpool v Fulham, Birmingham City v Newcastle United and Arsenal v Stoke City - all on safety grounds. A statement on Chelsea's website read: "Sunday's game at Stamford Bridge has been postponed following consultation with the Police and the local authority.
"There has been heavy snow in London on Saturday. Should customers require a refund they can send the tickets back to the box office with credit card details and they will be cancelled.
"Customers are advised to send tickets back by Royal Mail special delivery in order for the tickets to arrive safely. Any tickets that do not arrive cannot be refunded. All tickets WILL remain valid for the new date once it is confirmed."
A statement on West Brom's website read: "Albion have been forced to postpone tomorrow's (Sunday's) Black Country derby with Wolves due to the adverse weather conditions.
"The club have done everything in their power to get the game on but have had to admit defeat on safety grounds.
"More than 20cm of snow fell between the early hours of this morning and this afternoon, with no apparent let up, and temperatures are predicted to drop as low as minus 10 during the night.
"All tickets purchased for this match will be valid for the re-arranged fixture."
A statement on Blackpool's website read: "Blackpool Football Club can confirm that Sunday's game with Tottenham Hotspur has been postponed. The decision has been ratified by the Premier League."
Secretary Matt Williams said, "We have been in regular communication with the local authority, the police, Tottenham and the Premier League throughout the last 48 hours and following the heavy snowfall on Friday night and forecast of further sub zero temperatures we met on Saturday lunchtime to discuss the fixture and possible problems."

"Everyone was in full agreement that the safety of all fans attending the game was of paramount importance and although the Bloomfield Road pitch is playable at the current time, the conditions around the stadium and further afield for people travelling to the match were such that in the best interest of both sets of supporters it was agreed to postpone the fixture."
Following the postponement of their match on Saturday, Wigan issued a statement describing the surrounding conditions as "extremely hazardous" although the pitch is fine due to the undersoil heating.

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soccer

this is socccer

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Pakistan focussed on cricket - Younis

Pakistan will be focused on the cricket and not distracted by the spot-fixing controversy, team manager Intikhab Alam has insisted. The Pakistan squad arrived in New Zealand today for a tour that includes three Twenty20s, two Tests and six ODIs. Alam said the team was geared up for the challenge even as three of its former members - Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir - are under investigation for their alleged involvement in the spot-fixing controversy, and await their fate upon the conclusion of their hearing before the ICC's anti-corruption tribunal, to be held in Doha between January 6-11. All three have been provisionally suspended pending the result of the investigation.

"Everybody's been briefed, everybody's very clear in their minds what is expected from management, what is expected from the players as well. I have no doubt in my mind we cannot afford any more such unfortunate incidents," Alam said. "They understand what we expect from them, what the country expects from them, what the board expects from them."

Pakistan served up an impressive performance against South Africa in their previous assignment in the UAE, drawing the two Tests and leveling the ODI series 2-2 before losing the decider. However, the tour was marred by the abrupt departure of wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider, who fled to the United Kingdom - where he has sought asylum - citing threats to his life and to his family.

"South Africa's probably one of the best teams at the moment, so it was a morale booster after all that we went through," Waqar Younis, the Pakistan coach, said. "We've played some decent cricket in the one-dayers as well as in the Test matches. We never got into a position of winning any Test matches but we showed some guts and made sure we managed some draws."

The hosts, meanwhile, have had a torrid run in ODIs, losing 11 consecutive games, including successive series defeats away to Bangladesh and India, to leave their preparation for the 2011 World Cup in shambles. "It's always been a tough time for them on the subcontinent and this time they didn't really play the best of their cricket," Waqar said. "This is an opportunity for us also but we don't really want to forget that New Zealand in their own country, they are a very fine side. We've got to make sure we do the basics right and try to win the maximum we can."

Pakistan begin their tour with a warm-up game in Auckland on Thursday before the three-match Twenty20 series gets underway at Eden Park on Boxing Day.

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Harris takes six to level Ashes series

Australia wasted no time in levelling the Ashes series with a crushing 267-run victory at the WACA as Ryan Harris tore out the remaining resistance with a Test-best 6 for 47 to humble England. He finished off the visitors in a hurry as they were blown away in 10 overs on the fourth morning to set up a potentially thrilling conclusion to this series over the Christmas and New Year period.

Harris collected the rewards that eluded him in Adelaide as he finished with nine in the match, while Mitchell Johnson claimed the other wicket to fall as he, too, picked up nine. Johnson's revival in this match reflects Australia's upward curve, leaving England with much to ponder before the MCG Test starts on Boxing Day. 

This was Australia's first Test victory in six matches since beating Pakistan at Lord's. It gave Ricky Ponting, who didn't take the field due to a broken little finger, the perfect 36th birthday present and will ease the pressure on him for the time being although he faces a race to be fit for Melbourne. 

James Anderson was the first to depart when he played back to Harris, lost his off stump and will have left with Australian chirping ringing in his ears. Ian Bell and Matt Prior were England's last chance of extending the context, but after a few more elegant cover drives Bell tried to work a straight ball through the leg side and was trapped straight in front. He asked for a review, but it was a hollow gesture.

Two deliveries later Harris had his five when Prior could only fend the ball towards gully where Michael Hussey, another who has enjoyed an outstanding Test, dived to his right to hold a sharp chance. The roars of the Australians, both the players and supporters, were deafening as the momentum of this series continued to swing towards the hosts in dramatic fashion.

Graeme Swann predictably had a swing but it didn't last long when he inside-edged a drive at Johnson and the final wicket went to Harris when Steven Finn fended to third slip. It was a clinical conclusion, a reminder of how Australia used to finish off Test matches and they were unrecognisable from the Test thrashed in Adelaide.

From being 5 for 69 on the first day this has been one of finest Test turnarounds in recent times and they'll take a huge surge of confidence into the next clash. However, both teams will remember that a similar momentum-shift occurred in 2009 when Australia won at Headingley before England secured the Ashes at The Oval. Despite the margin of victory in this, and the previous match, these two teams are closely matched and the series could turn into a classic.

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