ntnews.com.aulllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllll SPORT Rafa returns to training Tomic in need of makeover Game, set, match for US event FORMER world No. 1 Rafael Nadal has returned to JOHN Newcombe believes Bernard Tomic requires an THE Farmers Classic men’s tennis tournament in Los training at his Mallorca base after nearly five months extreme makeover to have any hope of reviving his Angeles has been discontinued after 85 years, and its on the sidelines with a knee injury. Nadal last played flagging career. Newcombe says the 20-year-old ATP permit has been sold to a group in Bogota, at Wimbledon on June 28, when he lost to the needs to get supremely fit, revamp his predictable Colombia. The Southern California Tennis Association unseeded Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic in the game and lose the attitude to realise his potential. If announced the decision yesterday after extensive second round. Nadal, 26, was diagnosed as suffering he continues his run of outs during the Australian attempts to find new sponsors for the University of with Hoffa syndrome, an inflammation of the fatty summer, after reaching the International California event. The tournament began in 1927 at tissue situated behind the kneecap in his left knee, semi-finals and last 16 at Park this year, the Los Angeles Tennis Club. Former champions which has sidelined him several times over the years. Tomic will risk slipping from the top 100 by January. include Rod Laver, John McEnroe, and Andre Agassi.

GROUP E

Match Day 5: Juventus (Ita) 3 (Quagliarella 38, Vidal 61, Giovin- co 90+1) Chelsea (Eng) 0, Nords- Juventus sink champs jaelland (Den) 2 (Nordstrand 24, Lorentzen 29) Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukr) 5 (Luiz Adriano 26, 53, 81, Willian 44, 50). Pointscore: Shakhtar Donetsk Chelsea 10, Juventus 9, Chelsea 7, Nords- jaelland 1. Match Day 6: Shakhtar Donetsk heads for v Juventus, Chelsea v Mordsjael- land. exit door

CHELSEA’S hopes of suc- GROUP F cessfully defending their Match Day 5: Valencia (Esp) 1 Champions League title were (Feghouli 77) Bayern Munich left hanging by a thread after (Ger) 1 (Muller 82) Send-offs: they went down 3-0 to Juven- (Barragan 34 - Valencia), BATE tus yesterday. Borisov (Blr) 0 Lille (Fra) 2 (Sidibe Chelsea went into the clash 14, Bruno 31) Send-offs: (Sidibe one point ahead of the Bian- 74 - Lille). coneri in Group E but were Pointscore: Bayern Munich 10, Valencia 10, BATE Borisov 6, Lille on the back foot and found no 3. answer to goals in either half Match Day 6: Bayern Munich v from Fabio Quagliarella and BATE Borisov, Lille v Valencia. Arturo Vidal. The champions’ hopes of any kind of fightback were dashed when second-half substitute Sebastian Giovin- GROUP G co beat the onrushing Petr Match Day 5: Benfica (Por) 2 (O Cech in the first minute of in- John 7, Garay 71) Glasgow Celtic jury time to secure a comfort- (Sco) 1 (Samaras 32), Spartak able win. Moscow (Rus) 0 Barcelona (Esp) Juventus started posi- 3 (Dani Alves 16, Messi 27, 39). tively and should have had Pointscore: Barcelona 12, Ben- several goals during a domi- fica 7, Glasgow Celtic 7, Spartak nant first half, although Moscow 3. Match Day 6: Glasgow Celtic v Chelsea also wasted two very Spartak Moscow, Barcelona v solid chances. Benfica. Early on, Cech had to rush to keep out Stephan Lich- steiner’s shot at the back post from Claudio Marchisio’s short cross. GROUP H Juventus then survived a Match Day 5: CFR Cluj (Rom) 3 massive scare after Oscar (Pedro 7, 15, 33) Sporting Braga was allowed to run up the left (Por) 1 (Alan 17) Send-offs: wing, cut inside defender An- (Douglas 46 — Sporting Braga), drea Barzagli and into the Galatasaray (Tur) 1 (Yilmaz 53) middle to set up Eden Hazard Manchester United (Eng) 0. at the far post, only for the Pointscore: Manchester United Belgian to be denied by 12, Galatasaray 7, CFR Cluj 7, Sporting Braga 3. keeper Gianluigi Buffon. Sporting Braga’s Custodio (left) gets into difficulty after clashing with Rafael Bastos (CFR Cluj) in Romania yesterday Match Day 6: Sporting Braga v That foray illustrated the Galatasaray, Manchester United danger posed by Chelsea on der control at the back of other end, Ashley Cole found tinued his prodigious goal- Messi, who was top scorer v CFR Cluj. the counter-attack, but it midfield and regularly find- Oscar on the edge of the area scoring form with a brace as in the competition for a re- Top two teams in each of the failed to halt Juventus’s ing Claudio Marchisio and but after a perfect square ball Barcelona qualified for the cord fourth time last season, eight groups qualify for knock- search for a first-half opener. Vidal with inch-perfect pas- to Ramires the shot from 20m last 16 of the Champions now has five goals from five out stages. Team to finish third While midfielder Andrea ses, all too often Juve’s of- went wide of Buffon’s goal. League with a 3-0 win over games and he has 80 for the in each group qualifies for the Pirlo was keeping things un- fensives flickered out. At the Lionel Messi has con- Spartak Moscow. calendar year. Europa League knockout stages. Covic now the happy wanderer Matildas’ goal blitz THE Matildas have downed ni said after the match. ‘‘I WESTERN glove- upset 1-0 win, Chinese 7-0 in their will give credit to Chinese man Ante Covic says he will which lifted A-LEAGUE DRAW first match at the East Asian Taipei ... they came out and have nothing to prove when them to fifth on Round 8 (NT times) Cup women’s soccer quali- actually tried to match us he faces his former the table. Tomorrow: Sydney FC v fiers in . and tried to play. A-League club Melbourne And while I’ve got nothing to United at Allianza Stadium (6pm). opened and clo- ‘‘Getting two early goals Victory at Parramatta Covic admits Saturday: Melbourne Heart v New- sed the scoring for the really relieved the pressure.’’ prove to Melbourne castle Jets at AAMI Park (4pm), West- Stadium on Saturday. Ante Covic he wants to get ern Sydney Wanderers v Melbourne Matildas, with her first goal Gill — whose match open- Covic who was a standout one up on his former club, Victory Victory at coming in the fifth minute er was her 11th in internat- for the Victory last season, he insists he isn’t out to (6.15pm), Glory v Wellington and her second in the 90th ionals against Chinese Tai- earning their player of the prove anything to them. Phoenix at nib Stadium (7.15pm). minute at Stadium pei — was on hand to head Sunday: Central Coast Mariners v year award, was let go after ‘‘It’s always nice to come to a club that I’m really Brisbane Roar at Bluetongue Stadium on Tuesday. home a precise centre from his contract expired. up against a team you happy with.’’ (3.30pm). and Kyah Samantha Kerr. But Victory’s loss has played for — and I’d love to The Glory produced wave Pointscore: Adelaide 16, Central Simon both also scored twice De Vanna cut in from the Coast 14, Newcastle 12, Perth 10, very much been the Wan- have the upper hand against after wave of attack last Western Sydney 10, Victory 10, Well- and scored in left wing to slot her first PUB: derers’ gain with Covic con- Victory,’’ he said. weekend, but couldn’t get ington 8, Brisbane 7, Heart 7, Syd- the 77th minute. goal on 22 minutes, before Si- LO-R:NTNE-WS-22-N41KTE:GE:MDA-Y-C-CO- ceding five goals in the first ‘‘It’s almost like playing past the Wanderers’ strong ney 6. The score line reflected the mon rounded out a solid first seven rounds, second only to against your siblings, you backline of skipper Michael Matildas’ dominant display, half show with a clinical tap table-toppers Adelaide who can put it that way — you Beauchamp, Nikolai Topor- experience at the Victory with debutant goalkeeper in after Uzunlar’s long range have let four through. just want that upper hand. Stanley and Covic. gives him any advantage. largely effort was parried into her His skills were on display ‘‘But I’ve got nothing to But Covic knows that ‘‘We all know the capabili- untroubled throughout. path. De Vanna added her against Perth as he made prove to Melbourne Victory. coming up against one of the ties of someone like an Ar- ‘‘I’m happy with the win second only minutes into several key saves to keep a ‘‘They made a decision not league’s strongest attacks chie Thompson up front and ... the way the players the second half, before Uzun- clean sheet in league new- to keep me on and that’s presents a big challenge. who can create something went about the game plan,’’ lar’s rare goal 15 minutes comers Western Sydney’s their decision. ‘‘I’ve moved And he doesn’t think his out of nothing,’’ he said. Matildas coach Tom Serman- from full time. www.ntnews.com.au Thursday, November 22, 2012. NT NEWS. 41