Heart's Fred to miss four weeks

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Sidelined ... Fred will miss the Heart's next four A-League clashes. Source:AAP

Melbourne Heart's superb win over Adelaide United has been tempered by confirmation on their captain Fred is facing one month on the sidelines after scans confirmed he has a strained quadriceps muscle.

Brazilian playmaker Fred injured his left quad just 10 minutes into the second half of Friday's clash at AAMI Park.

The Heart remain the A-League's red-and-white shirted riddle - and a great 2-0 win over high-flying Adelaide did little to change it.

The home side controlled the match against a good side from kick-off at AAMI Park on Friday night, and showed no sign of the capitulations which have dogged them this season.

They now sit inside the top six, and at their best look serious finals players.

But it made even more perplexing their worst as seen the previous week - leading and outplaying bottom side Sydney FC before conceding twice in the last five minutes and losing.

If A-League matches were 45 minutes long, the Heart would lead the competition - statistics showing they are the best-performed first half side in the league.

Yet they are also the worst second half team in the competition, as shown by their alarming fadeouts at key moments this season.

Coach John Aloisi paid tribute to his team's ability to learn from the Sydney FC defeat, the importance of coaching each other on-field, and maintaining focus for the full 90 minutes.

And Aloisi believes the quality of the performance against Adelaide - especially how rock-solid they were late on unlike other games this season - showed just how good his side can be.

"When you're controlling a game like we are for 80 minutes, it's important the players don't change the style of play, and coach each other ... make sure players don't start doing their own thing," Aloisi said.

"The players did that (against Adelaide). You could hear them out there coaching each other, organising and helping each other.

"It was a good performance, considering what happened last week. A lot of questions were asked about fitness, about concentration, about are we good enough.

"But the boys showed against a team that's second-top, we can beat anyone in this league.

"We have to now, for the next 10 games, show that we can keep playing like that."

The Heart have now won three of their past four matches and have a platform to build serious momentum towards the finals.

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Federer ends Tomic's Open campaign

All class ... Federer was too good for Tomic on Rod Laver Arena. Source: Paul Crock / AAP

It was billed as Roger's Weekend at Bernie's but Rod Laver Arena remains very much Federer's house.

Australian Open: Mens Singles

Round 3, 19/01/13

No man has won more Open crowns at Melbourne Park than Federer and the Swiss master put paid to the Australian apprentice's immediate title ambitions with a sublime display on Saturday night.

Tomic's 10 straight wins this summer may have instilled the local hope with unshakeable belief, but it counted for nothing as Federer swept imperiously to a 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 victory in less than two hours.

Tomic was anything but poor, at times looking every bit the future grand slam champion he believes he is, but the great Swiss had every answer in a high-quality third-round contest.

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"I think we both played a great match," Federer said.

"He has had a great run and really got the best out of me tonight, so I hope he can keep it up.

"He's a big guy and he's got a lot of power and a big serve and he uses it well ... he'll be tough to beat in the future, that's for sure."

It was Federer's fourth win from as four meetings with the 20-year-old and only Tomic's fourth loss from his past 27 matches in Australia.

But just like in the fourth round last year and in Davis Cup in Sydney in 2011, it was Federer who brought the young upstart down.

"It's important to take the right things out of a loss because usually you learn more when you lose," said Federer, noting Tomic was a vastly more difficult proposition than 12 months ago.

"He's more mature, a bit more power at times. It's hard to explain; it's just the whole package is a bit better."

Only Canadian Milos Raonic, who Federer has never lost to either, stands between the 17-time major champion and a 35th consecutive grand slam quarter-final appearance.

Bidding for an unprecedented fifth men's Open title, Federer snared the only three breaks of the match and offered up just one break point on his own serve in a commanding performance.

Tomic had won 76 consecutive service games and claimed to be in the best serving form of his career - yet Federer broke him in the opening game of the match.

It was the only break Federer needed as he powered through the first set in 34 minutes.

Tomic had to fight tooth and nail to stay in the second set, saving further break points in his first two service games and then staving off a total of four mini set points in the 10th and 12th games.

In the tiebreaker, Tomic produced a brilliant running forehand to jump to a 4-1 advantage and seemed poised to level the match up.

But from 5-3 down, Federer reeled off four consecutive points to take a stranglehold on the third-round contest.
It was vintage Federer who broke Tomic for a 2-0 advantage in the second set.

In the rally of the match, a free-wheeling Tomic had Federer stretching from side to side before luring the second seed to the net with a deft backhand half-volley drop.

Against virtually anyone else, Tomic's shot was a winner, but Federer not only reached it but swatted it crosscourt for a breathtaking winner of his own.

Federer was in full flight now, grabbing the double break with an off-forehand winner and serving it out after one hour and 58 minutes to record his 250th grand slam match win.

"I was pretty satisfied with my tennis," Tomic said.

"I was competing out there, trying to hang in there with him. He just came up with good stuff when he really needed it the most."

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Mariners, Jets share F3 derby spoils

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F3 fire ... The Mariners and Jets couldn't be separated at Bluetongue. Source:AAP

One of the saves of the A-League season from goalkeeper Mark Birighitti ensured Newcastle Jets deservedly shared the points in a 0-0 draw with Central Coast at Bluetongue Stadium on Saturday.

A full stretch Birighitti pushed wide a brilliant Michael McGlinchey shot from close range after he had beaten four players in the 40th minute.

There was a frantic end to the 29th edition of the F3 derby; Mariners striker Daniel McBreen hit the side netting in the 78th minute and the Jets came close in the 85th minute when Pedj Bojic was forced to clear off the hosts' line.

Coach Graham Arnold, watching from the stands as punishment for his dismissal from the sideline the previous week, would have been relieved to escape with a point after a trying week in which he lost Bernie Ibini to a trial at Club Brugge and young gun Tomas Rogic to Celtic.

Central Coast extended their lead at the top of the ladder to three points, sitting on 35 points to Adelaide United's 32 after the Reds lost to Melbourne Heart on Friday.

In persistent rain before a crowd of 11,249 the Mariners, eager to make up from their poor first half showing against Melbourne Victory last week, were upbeat early and enjoyed the better of proceedings without creating any genuine chances.

The Jets began to wrest control as the half progressed but were also unable to capitalise.

Former England strilker Emile Heskey lacked touch when he could only lightly head the ball on in front of goal twice midway through the half and was replaced by James Virgili in the 60th minute.

Mariners assistant coach Phil Moss, in charge for the night, said he was happy with his team's effort.

"It was a scrap, not the prettiest game of football but our determination to keep a clean sheet was fantastic," he said.

Newcastle boss Gary van Egmond was also pleased by the Jets' performance against the ladder leaders.

"To come to Gosford and play the team coming first and to come away with a point is great," he said.

"I feel we could have got a goal or two early in the second half. We are buoyed by this and will take confidence from that performance."

Review all the stats and watch video of the big plays at Match Centre!

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Designer hat gets Russian in trouble

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Hot water ... the offending hat, worn by Kirilenko during her first two matches. Source: Rob Griffith / AAP

Russian hotty Maria Kirilenko flirted with disqualification before booking a fourth-round showdown with all-conquering Serena Williams at the Australian Open.

Kirilenko, who once posed for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, is the poster girl for Stella McCartney, showcasing the famous designer's latest tennis number at Melbourne Park.

But the 25-year-old found herself in hot water on Saturday when the grand slam supervisor threatened to boot her out of the Open for breaching branding regulations.

The world No.14 and former Open quarter-finalist was ordered to remove the Stella McCartney logo from her visor before taking on Yanina Wickmayer at Hisense Arena.

"They said I couldn't wear that anymore, just on the practice court," Kirilenko said after overcoming the distraction to beat Wickmayer, the 20th seed, 7-6 (7-4) 6-3.

"Actually there were two signs - adidas and Stella McCartney - and they said I'm not allowed to wear two brands on the same visor.

"I don't know (why), but I played two matches with that (already) and nobody tell me until today.

"It's good that I had a bandanna in my bag, so I was fine to play."

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Heat down Perth to claim BBL title

Underdogs ... Brisbane Heat are this season's Big Bash League champions. Source: Daniel Wilkins / News Limited

Brisbane Heat are the new kings of Australian Twenty20 cricket after beating Perth Scorchers by 34 runs in Saturday's KFC T20 Big Bash League final at the WACA Ground.

T20 - WACA Ground

19 January 2013 - Day 1, Session 2

Scorchers 1st Innings

J. Behrendorf...	2	4	0	0	50
M. Beer	2	2	0	0	100
A. McDermott	4	0	21	2	5.25

Chasing 168 for victory, the Scorchers were restricted to 9-133, with dangerman Shaun Marsh dismissed for just 16 off 24 balls courtesy of a sharp overhead catch from Nathan Hauritz in the deep.

The Heat only booked their place in the BBL finals with an upset win over Hobart Hurricanes in the last round of the season and went into their semi-final against Melbourne Renegades as massive underdogs.

Former WA bad boy Luke Pomersbach cracked an unbeaten 112 to power the Heat past the Renegades in Tuesday's semi-final, but it was a team effort to get over the line against the Scorchers in the decider.

Joe Burns (43 off 27 balls) top-scored for the Heat in their total of 5-167, while Dan Christian (37 off 21) provided some crucial big hits at the tail-end of their innings.

And although Brisbane opener Pomersbach couldn't get close to repeating his recent heroics, he still managed 37 off 38 balls to get the Heat off to a solid start.

The Heat's bowlers then backed up the efforts, with West Indies paceman Kemar Roach (3-18 off four overs) and spinner Nathan Hauritz (0-11 off three overs) grinding down the Scorchers early, before Ben Cutting snared the crucial scalp of Marsh.

Brisbane achieved the win without skipper James Hopes, who failed in his bid to overcome a hamstring injury.

The Scorchers lost last summer's BBL final to Sydney Sixers, and were desperate to end the nine-year title drought for Western Australia cricket.

But they never looked likely in their run chase, especially after crawling to 1-17 after five overs.

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With Marsh at the crease, there was always hope.

But when he fell in the eighth over with the score at 2-38, the Scorchers were in big trouble.

Adam Voges (49 off 32 balls) and Marcus North (24) looked promising in patches.

But with Herschelle Gibbs missing through injury and Marsh dismissed cheaply, the Scorchers lacked the firepower to chase down the Heat's competitive total.

Although the Scorchers missed out on the BBL trophy, they can take consolation in the fact they've already booked their spot in this year's lucrative T20 Champions League. 

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Relive the Big Bash League final with our Match Centre, featuring video of every boundary and wicket!

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Journalist Walsh accepts Armstrong apology

DAVID Walsh, the journalist who almost single-handedly queried disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong's remarkable comeback from cancer, has accepted the American's apology.

But he said he felt it hard to sympathise with him despite his confession.

Armstrong, who is being sued by Walsh's newspaper paper the Sunday Times for more than STG1 million ($A1.53 million) over a libel payment made to him in 2006, issued the apology during the second part of his interview with Oprah Winfrey on Friday (Saturday AEDT).

However, while Walsh accepted the apology, he tweeted that he didn't know how sincere it was.

"Watching part two of Armstrong interview, he admits to feeling shamed and humbled. But why is it so difficult to empathise with his situation?

"Oprah pressured him, the apology was, I thought, hesitantly promised. I didn't ask for it, or expect it, but, yes, if it's offered, I accept."

The Sunday Times had earlier in the week taken out an advertisment in the Chicago Tribune with 10 questions they wanted Winfrey to ask Armstrong.

The English newspaper picked the Chicago Tribune as it is in the city where Winfrey hosts her show on her OWN cable TV network.

Aside from the Sunday Times lawsuit, there is also a potential threat to Armstrong's liberty, stemming from the fallen icon's role in the US Postal Service team, where he spent his most successful years in the saddle.

Having been paid by the government, the former team leader could face criminal charges for making fraudulent statements to his bosses.

He could also be accused of perjury over disclosures made under oath to a US federal jury in 2005.

If convicted, each false statement could lead to five years in jail.

Armstrong always maintained that he did not use banned substances during his stellar career, but the Sunday Times was one of the few publications to openly query his innocence.

The paper had to pay Armstrong $US300,000 ($A286,000) to settle a libel case after previously suggesting that he may have cheated.

The Sunday Times is reportedly demanding the return of the original settlement payment, along with interest and legal costs.

The newspaper had long questioned Armstrong's achievements and in 2004 it published an article stating that it was appropriate for questions about his success to be "posed and answered".

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Victory hold off 10-man Glory

The difference ... Thompson's pressure forced the own goal from Jamieson. Source: AAP

Melbourne Victory have held on for a scratchy 1-0 victory over a 10-man Perth Glory at nib Stadium.

It was far from the ideal performance from Ange Postecoglou's side, but an own goal in the 25th minute turned out to be enough as they picked up their third win in five games.

Both teams looked to move the ball in the opening stages and it would be the Victory to have the first real chance of the night through Archie Thompson.

The Socceroos striker looked threatening in the early stages and he went within a whisker of scoring with a header that drew a fine save from Danny Vukovic.

That seemed to fire the Glory into action and they too would come close to the opener as Dean Heffernan found the crossbar with a quality header.

The game settled down after that and the Glory looked to be gaining the ascendancy until Jamieson was found wanting at the back.

After winning a turnover from Bas van den Brink, Marcos Flores played a wonderful ball through for Marco Rojas and the New Zealander's cross forced Jamieson into a costly error under the pressure of Thompson.

The hosts looked the more likely for the rest of the half but were unable to make a series of corners count.

Perth were again on top early in the second half as they enjoyed extended periods of possession.

But they were unable to find the breakthrough and things got tougher for the home side in the 68th minute when Joshua Risdon was shown a second yellow card for a tackle on Leigh Broxham.

The game should have been out of reach for the hosts just minutes later when Rojas was played through by Spase Dilevski but the Kiwi powered his shot straight at Vukovic, who stayed big and made a strong save.

The Glory continued to press forward and they very nearly nabbed a draw when Ryo Nagai found the crossbar with a deflected shot in injury time.

It wasn't to be the home side's night however, as it finished 1-0 to the Victory.

Check out the goal and all the stats at Match Centre!

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