'The King of Clay' is here to stay

He's beaten him at the Australian Open. He's beaten him at Wimbledon. He's also beaten him at the US Open. World number one Novak Djokovic has proved in recent times that he has the edge over Rafael Nadal on the hard courts and grass courts, but Sunday's drubbing by the Spaniard in the final of the ATP Monte-Carlo Masters shows that the Serb has a very long way to go before taking the 'King of Clay' crown off his rival.  

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic could meet in a fourth consecutive Grand Slam final

A comprehensive 6-3 6-1 victory for Nadal ended a seven-match losing streak against his counterpart and guided him to his first tournament win since his record-equalling sixth French Open title last year. It has to be taken into consideration that Djokovic's grandfather sadly passed away on Thursday, however, Nadal was simply too good for his opponent on the day as he cruised to an eighth consecutive title in Monaco and a record-breaking 20th ATP Masters 1000 success.  

Having lost his previous seven finals against Djokovic, Nadal would have been forgiven for feeling nervous despite his domination of the clay court season over the past seven years. However, from the moment the 25-year-old went a break up in the third game of the match, he never looked back. 

The outcome of the last eight finals between Nadal and Djokovic:
2011
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 Djokovic
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) Djokovic
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Madrid 7-5, 6-4 Djokovic
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome 6-4, 6-4 Djokovic
Wimbledon 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 Djokovic
US Open 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-1 Djokovic
2012
Australian Open 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5, Djokovic
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte Carlo 6-3, 6-1 Nadal

The win marks an impressive start to Nadal's preparations for Roland Garros (27th May - 10th June) where he aims to claim a seventh title and in doing so, establish himself as the most successful clay-court player of the Open era. Prior to that, there are another two Masters series events in Madrid (6th May -13th May) and Rome (13th May - 20th May). Nadal will be wary of the fact that he was beaten convincingly by Djokovic in the final of both tournaments last season and keen to extinguish any signs of encouragement for the Serb this time round, ahead of the second Grand Slam of the year.

Djokovic is not only aiming to secure the career Grand Slam by winning the French Open; he is also vying to become the first man to hold all four Grand Slam titles simultaneously since Rod Laver achieved a clean sweep in 1969. With just two wins from twelve matches against Nadal on clay, there's no doubt that the final hurdle will be the toughest of all.

Roger Federer may still not have secured the career Grand Slam to this day had it not been for Robin Soderling's heroic victory over Nadal in the fourth round of the 2009 French Open. The Spaniard's only defeat at Roland Garros opened the door for Federer to complete his collection but it's unlikely that Djokovic will be granted the same luxury. If he wants to join the elite group of career Grand Slam winners, he'll almost certainly have to overcome Nadal in the latter stages of the tournament.

The Master Series events in Madrid and Rome will tell us a lot about Djokovic's capability of doing just that, but such was Nadal's dominance on Sunday, it would seem that it may just be a step too far. Watch this space...

Atletico Madrid vs Valencia (Europa League semi-final first leg): Match report

Atletico Madrid remain on course for a second Europa League final in the space of three seasons after securing a 4-2 victory against Valencia in the semi-final first-leg at the Vicente Calderon Stadium.

A brace from Columbian hotshot Radamel Falcao was added to by Miranda and Adrian Lopez to give Diego Simeone's side a commanding advantage ahead of the second-leg next week. Jonas and Ricardo Costa replied for the visitors at the end of each half, but the night belonged to Atletico who were too strong for their Spanish rivals.

The home side dominated proceedings from the off with the majority of their threat coming through Arda Turan down the right-hand side.

The Turkish international manufactured the first chance of the game, getting himself to the byline and pulling the ball back to Diego who forced a decent save out of Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves.

It took 18 minutes for the deadlock to be broken and unsurprisingly it was Atletico who went in front. Turan capitalised on some lacklustre defending from Adil Rami to divert an attempted cross off left-back Jordi Albi's foot and onto the head of leading goalscorer Falcao who claimed his 31st goal of the campaign.

Rami attempted to make amends for his error fifteen minutes later but headed wide from a corner while at the other end, Diego came agonisingly close to poking home Turan's teasing cross, only for the ball to end up in the grateful hands of Alves.

It appeared that Atletico were going in at half-time with a deserved lead in tact but in the third minute of stoppage time, Rami got up highest from a corner once more to glance a header towards Jonas for a tap in at the back post.

Not to be denied, the 2010 winners came out flying in the second half and within ten minutes of the restart they had established a 3-1 lead. Centre-back Miranda headed in Diego's floated free-kick in the 49th minute and five minutes later Lopez latched onto a sloppy pass from Mehmet Topal to drive at the heart of the opposition defence and coolly slot the ball home from the edge of the area.

Sensing goals, Atletico continued to push forward and they got their rewards in the 78th minute as Falcao bagged his second goal of the game in stunning fashion. Cutting in from the left-hand side, the 26-year-old lashed the ball into the top corner to leave Alves completely stranded.

Despite a desperately disappointing display from Valencia, Costa's headed goal in the dying moments of the game will give them some belief that they can turn the tie around in the Mestalla.

Team line-ups
Atletico Madrid: Courtois, Juanfran, Miranda, Dominguez, Filipe Luis, Mario Suarez, Gabi, Turan (Tiago 82), Diego (Perea 88), Adrian (Salvio 90), Falcao. Subs: Sergio Asenjo, Tiago, Salvio, Paulo Assuncao, Koke, Perea, Martin.

Goals: Falcao (18 and 78), Miranda (49) and Adrian Lopez (54).
Bookings: Turan (41) and Dominguez (90 + 5).
Red cards: N/A

Valencia: Diego Alves, Ricardo Costa, Rami, Victor Ruiz, Mathieu, Feghouli (Canales 72), Topal, Tino Costa, Jordi Alba (Piatti 72), Soldado, Jonas (Aduriz 79). Subs: Guaita, Bruno, Maduro, Aduriz, Piatti, Canales, Parejo.

Goals: Jonas (45 + 3) and Ricardo Costa (90 + 4).
Bookings: Feghouli (15) and Diego Alves (68).
Red cards: N/A

Referee: Craig Thomson (Scotland)

El Clásico preview

Football fans around the world will be transfixed by the most eagerly anticipated clash of the season on Saturday night. Barcelona vs Real Madrid at the Camp Nou promises to be explosive as Spain's big two go head-to-head once again in La Liga. With just four points separating the league leaders Madrid and second-placed Barca, the outcome will undoubtedly prove pivotal in the race for the title.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will both be eager to deliver  

Madrid have failed to overcome their bitter rivals in the league since May 2008, losing five and drawing two of the seven matches since. They have evidently lacked the mental edge over the Catalan giants in recent seasons and they will be more desperate than ever to change that this time round.

A win for Los Merengues would not only give them a seemingly unassailable lead of seven points at the top of the table; it would also give them a massive boost in belief ahead of a potential Champions League final showdown with Barca at the Allianz Arena in Munich on 19th May.

Barca go into the game having won eleven consecutive league matches and gradually whittled down Madrid's points advantage from ten points since 12th February. Over the same period, Madrid have won eight times and drawn on three occasions (Malaga (h) 1-1, Villarreal (a) 1-1 and Valencia (h) 0-0).

The match is sandwiched in between the first and second legs of the Champions League semi-finals as Barca face Chelsea (Wednesday 18th April (a) and Tuesday 24th April (h)) and Madrid go up against Bayern Munich (Tuesday 17th April (a) and Wednesday 25th April (h)). The extra day's rest for Madrid is certainly something they can draw plenty of encouragement from.

As for the sub-plots, there are several to feast your eyes on. The best two players on the planet, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, are tied on the record-breaking La Liga tally of 41 goals and both know that their performance in a game of this magnitude could go a long way to deciding who prevails as the winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year and the UEFA Ballon d'Or come the end of the calendar year. Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho rekindle their mind-game ridden feud while the core of Spain's 2008 European Championship and 2010 World Cup-winning side put international allegiances aside once more with emotions set to run extremely high.

Madrid would no doubt settle for a share of the spoils but would equally enjoy ending their jinx against the Spanish champions, and laying down a huge marker with the latter stages of the Champions League in mind. Barca, on the other hand, will view the game as a must win if they're to emulate the club's record of four consecutive La Liga titles between 1990-91 and 1993-94.

Regardless of the result, the millions of viewers across the globe are set to be treated to a football match of the very highest calibre. A mixture of confrontation and play-acting often overshadows the action on the pitch when the two sides meet, but if that can all be refrained from, they both have the potential to ensure that Saturday's encounter lives up to it's illustrious name. El Clásico is upon us.

Predicted team line-ups
Barcelona: Valdes, Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Adriano, Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Fabregas, Sanchez, Messi.

Real Madrid: Casillas, Arbeloa, Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo, Khedira, Alonso, Di Maria, Kaka, Ronaldo, Benzema.

Predicted scoreline
Barcelona 2-1 Real Madrid

Bubbalicious

Bubba Watson gratefully accepts the green jacket from 2011 champion Charl Schwartzel

Golf seldom fails to unearth surprise winners. Bubba Watson's triumph at the 2012 US Masters on Easter Sunday certainly fitted the criteria. The 33-year-old arrived at Augusta National ranked 16th in the world and tipped as a 40/1 outsider with bookmaker William Hill. He departed as the fourth best player on the planet and the latest addition to the prestigious list of major championship winners.

The unpredictability of modern-day golf is easily justfied. Watson is the eighth straight first-time major champion, and the 14th different winner in the last 14 majors. The pre-Masters favourites, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, both finished fifteen shots off the pace on five-over-par while world number one Luke Donald was only two shots better off.

So were there any reasons to genuinely believe that the man from Bagdad, Florida would go onto to claim the much-coveted green jacket? With only three US PGA Tour wins to his name prior to the event (Travelers Championship (June 2010), The Farmers Insurance Open (January 2011) and Zurich Classic of New Orleans (May 2011)) you would have to say no. Nevertheless, his form had been solid going into the first major of the season with the highlights being a second-placed finish at the WGC Cadillac Championship and a tied fourth-placed finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The ball striking prowess of the big-hitting left hander is unparallelled by anyone in the game right now but there have always been question marks about whether he has the temperament to establish himself amongst the elite.

Watson openly admitted his own weaknesses in a post-victory interview with PGATOUR.COM http://www.pgatour.com/2012/r/04/09/monday-backspin-masters/index.html.

"A few years ago, I was living the wrong way," he said. "Every golf shot was controlling how mad I got, how I was on the golf course. I was so wrapped up in what everybody else was doing; why is he beating me; why is this; why is that; why can't I make putts; why can't I make the cut; why can't I do this."

It's clear that his mind was focused solely on winning this time round. His second shot on the second play-off hole was nothing short of sensational as he somehow recovered from a wayward drive off the tenth tee. It was the shot which effectively sealed victory over a valiant Louis Oosthuizen and proudly placed him alongside Mike Weir (2003) and Phil Mickelson (2004, 2006 and 2010) as the third left-hander to win the Masters.

Whether or not Watson can push himself beyond the glut of one-time major championship winners remains to be seen. By definition a great golfer is one that wins a major championship and then goes on to do it again. The American has now proven that he has the physical and mental capacity to cope with the relentless pressure of a major championship. The experience he has gained will undoubtedbly prove invaluable but he must have the inherent hunger and desire to take his game to the next level and show the world that his Masters triumph was more than just a flash in the pan. 

Can King Kenny keep his place on the Liverpool throne?

Kenny Dalglish is a man under pressure. Success in the Carling Cup and an FA Cup semi-final merely paper over the cracks. In the competition that really matters, the Premier League, his beloved Liverpool are set to fall short of their previous season's points tally for a third consecutive year and could even go onto register their lowest total since the league's inception in 1992.


Kenny Dalglish has been left scratching his head in recent weeks

Since racking up their highest Premier League total of 86 points in the 2008/09 campaign, the Reds have slumped to 63 points in 2009/10 and 58 points in 2010/11. With eight games remaining in the current campaign, Dalglish's side need 17 points to demonstrate the slightest bit of progression from last season and 13 points to edge past their worst Premier League total of 54 points. English football's biggest prize is a distant dream for the eighteen-time winners.

It can't be said that Dalglish hasn't been backed by the board. Around £120 million has been splashed out on Charlie Adam, Andy Carroll, Sebastian Coates, Stewart Downing, Jose Enrique, Jordan Henderson and Luis Suarez but there is very little to show for it as far as the league is concerned. Adam (£8.5 million), Enrique (£6 million) and Suarez (£22.7 million) have all arguably lived up to their price tags but the same sentiments can't be aimed at the English trio of Carroll, Downing and Henderson which cost Liverpool a massive £75 million. Just nine goals have been scored between them in all competitions this season. Value for money? Far from it.

Sunderland, Everton, Swansea and Norwich are all within striking distance of the Reds who know that they simply have to win away at Newcastle on Sunday to stand a realistic chance of catching their opponents in fifth place. A miserable run of form in February and March has yield just four points from seven league matches and if they don't stop the rot soon they could be destined for a bottom-half finish.

Dalglish has openly admitted that his team needs to change its philosophy to a certain extent, but surely it's too late for that at this stage of the season? The big money signings who have failed to fulfil their potential up until now ought to step up to the plate and restore some respectability to Liverpool's dwindling league campaign. If that doesn't provide adequate motivation for the likes of Carroll, Downing and Henderson, perhaps the chance of playing at this summer's Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine will.

The final stretch of the 2011/12 season may not involve a battle for Champions League football as anticipated, however, it's an absolutely crucial period for Dalglish and Liverpool as they aim to prove they have what it takes to re-establish themselves amongst the elite of English football.

The Fed Express is set for its final journey

Roger Federer doesn't settle for second best. The Swiss will no doubt be delighted to have equalled Rafael Nadal's record of 19 ATP Masters 1000 titles after beating John Isner in the Indian Wells final on Sunday, but his ultimate ambition is to add to his haul of 16 Grand Slam titles. Has the great man got it in him?

With three ATP titles to his name already in 2012 (Rotterdam, Dubai and Indian Wells), the 30-year-old appears to be in great shape to claim his first slam since the 2010 Australian Open. Having only won once at Roland Garros - in 2009 after the king-of-clay Nadal had suffered a shock elimination at the hands of Robin Soderling in the fourth round - Federer will have one eye on Wimbledon and the US Open where he has been crowned champion on six and five occasions respectively.

Roger Federer is desperate to rekindle his former Grand Slam glory

Despite departing SW19 in the quarter-finals and Flushing Meadows in the semi-finals in 2010 and 2011, he will be determined to rediscover his magic this time round.

Standing in his way are the top two ranked players in the world, Nadal and Novak Djokovic, and potentially world number four Andy Murray who is still vying for his first Grand Slam title.

Encouragingly for Federer, Nadal has failed to secure a title so far this season and even though Djokovic powered to the Australian Open in January, semi-final defeats against Murray in Dubai and Isner in Indian Wells have somewhat dented the air of invincibility he possessed throughout 2011. Murray's early exit from Indian Wells may detract from his promising early season form but there are still major question marks surrounding his mental capabilities in the latter stages of Grand Slams.

Evidently, there are strong reasons to believe that Federer could re-establish himself at the very top of the game, however, history suggests that age is more than just a number in tennis. Since the beginning of 1990, only five of the 89 Grand Slam tournaments have been won by players over the age of 30 (Andres Gomez 1990 French Open (aged 30), Petr Korda 1998 Australian Open (aged 30), Andre Agassi 2001 and 2003 Australian Open (aged 30 and 32) and Pete Sampras 2002 US Open (aged 31)).

The world number three can take comfort from the exploits of fellow legends Agassi and Sampras in the twilight of their careers, but such has been the development of the game over the past decade, it's difficult to see many names being added to that list in the future.

Nowadays, there is so much more emphasis on moving around the court at speed and producing a large variety of shots whereas in the past a combination of shot power and a quality service game could be enough to fire a player to stardom. The game has moved on massively to the benefit of young talent coming through the ranks which is something Federer has to deal with.

If he was competing in any other era many would argue that he could defy the dreaded age barrier and sustain his huge level of success. It just so happens that he is competing in an era which is recognised as being 'the closest to perfection the sport has ever seen' by Sporting Intelliegence http://www.sportingintelligence.com/2012/02/13/exclusive-djokovic-nadal-federer-as-close-to-perfection-as-tennis-has-ever-been-130201/.

Whether this will prove the stumbling block in his quest for another Grand Slam title remains to be seen but whatever happens between now and the end of his career, it will take a very special player to better his record total.

And you certainly wouldn't bet against him making it that little bit more difficult to do so.  

The race is on

"We won't get nervous, we have the experience." The words of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will reverberate around the Etihad Stadium as his side aim to press home their new-found advantage over Manchester City in the Premier League title race.

All to play for: Manchester's top two are set for the title showdown  

City boss Roberto Mancini is convinced that the outcome of the Manchester derby will prove decisive, but given the difficulty of his team's fixtures compared to that of United's, and the clear shift in momentum, the pressure is all on City to make sure they're at least within striking distance of their bitter rivals come 30 April.

Trips to face Stoke (24 March) and Arsenal (8 April) will seriously test City's resolve, as will the visits of Chelsea (21 March) and Sunderland (31 March) to Eastlands.

Those four games come before tricky away fixtures at Norwich (14 April) and Wolves (22 April) and a favourable home match against West Brom (11 April).

United, on the other hand, have generous looking home games against Fulham (26 March), QPR (8 April), Aston Villa (15 April) and Everton (22 April) and visit three of the five relegation candidates; Wolves (18 March), Blackburn (2 April) and Wigan (11 April).

The old cliche goes that anything can happen between now and the end of the season but even the most pessimistic of United supporters would expect the champions to pick up at least 16 points from the next 21 available.

Five wins, one draw and one defeat will take United to 83 points, in which case City would need 14 points from their seven matches to be within three points of the Reds on derby day. If Mancini's men can hold their nerve that's by no means beyond their capabilities. The worry for them is that United could quite easily improve on that tally if they hit anywhere near top form.

Interestingly, both sides have the advantage of playing their fixture before the other on three occasions, with the only simultaneous kick-off, prior to the derby, being on 11 April. Neither manager can have any complaints regarding the scheduling, with the weight of pressure set to switch evenly between the two sides as the season unfolds.

So how will it all pan out? Below is my fixture-by-fixture prediction for both clubs:

Manchester United
18 March Wolves (A) W
26 March Fulham (H) W
2 April Blackburn (A) D
8 April QPR (H) W
11 April Wigan (A) W
15 April Aston Villa (H) W
22 April Everton (H) W
30 April Manchester City (A) D
6 May Swansea (H) W
13 May Sunderland (A) D
Points tally ahead of the derby: 86
Final points tally: 91

Manchester City
21 March Chelsea (H) W
24 March Stoke (A) D
31 March Sunderland (H) W
8 April Arsenal (A) L
11 April West Brom (H) W
14 April Norwich (A) D
22 April Wolves (A) W
30 April Manchester United (H) D
6 May Newcastle (A) W
13 May QPR (H) W
Points tally ahead of the derby: 80
Final points tally: 87

City have the ability to push United all the way but by my reckoning the Red Devils will be crowned champions on the penultimate day of the season. As Sir Alex said, experience will be the most important factor.

Mancini and his squad will gain a huge amount of the crucial ingredient during the title run-in and providing they manage to keep the nucleus of their squad together in the summer, they will undoubtedly come back as an even stronger outfit in 2012/13.

For now though, a 20th league title beckons for United.