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MotoGP 2012: Who to watch in Moto2 and Moto3
It says a lot about the Spaniard that while still on an extended recovery from the vision problems sustained in a crash in October, he was already being touted as the favourite for the title this year.
At the last official test in Jerez, Marquez posted a top-five time on each of the three days to dispel any suspicion that the former 125cc champion might start the season off the pace.
It is as clear now as it was at the end of last year: Marquez is the man to beat in 2012.
For British rider Redding, a 2011 season without a podium, after a promising display in his debut year, was little short of a disaster but renewed confidence this year should see a revitalised performance from the 19-year-old.
One of the tallest riders in Moto2 at just over 6ft – and still growing – Redding needs to get on a bigger bike and soon, and has the extra incentive of knowing that he is in the shop window for a 2013 MotoGP ride.
Fellow Briton Smith is in the very special circumstance of starting the Moto2 season with his future in MotoGP already guaranteed.
But although the pressure of finding a 2013 ride will be off, that of justifying his MotoGP one will be on.
The good news for Brits is that Smith and Redding provided us with some great fairing-to-fairing battles towards the end of last year and that rivalry will no doubt spill over into 2012.
There are three Brits in total in Moto2 this year as Gino Rea makes his debut in the class, coming over from World SuperSport to join the championship-winning Gresini team.
Gino will find it a tough year in Moto2, where every tenth off the lead can drop you four or five places, but he has already shown himself to be resilient and up for the challenge.
Replacing the 125cc category, Moto3 heralds a new era in grand prix racing as the world championship says goodbye to two-strokes forever.
If Marquez is the one to beat in Moto2 then his compatriot Maverick Vinales could be the one with that mantle in Moto3 after a stunning debut in 125s last year.
The 17-year-old took four wins and a further five podiums on his way to the highest points tally ever for a rookie, and his performances in testing have down nothing to play the hype down.
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Man City threatened with legal action after allegedly ‘encouraging transfer target to break contract’
Real Valladolid have accused Manchester City of encouraging 18-year-old defender Juma Bah to break his contract after the player failed to attend training and deposited money to terminate his deal.
The Spanish club claim City requested transfer negotiations on Tuesday before Bah informed them of his intention to unilaterally break his contract.
Valladolid say they have been left in a “defenceless position” and are threatening legal action over the Premier League champions’ alleged involvement in the situation.
The situation unfolded when Manchester City sent a request to Valladolid on Tuesday afternoon seeking to open negotiations for a permanent transfer.
Juma Bah did not turn up to training on Wednesday after telling the Real Valladolid he wants to leave
Later that same day, Bah and his agent informed Valladolid of their intention to terminate the player’s contract.
The Sierra Leonean defender then failed to report for Wednesday morning training.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation has since confirmed that Bah has deposited the required funds to trigger the unilateral termination of his contract.
Bah had initially joined Valladolid last summer on loan from Sierra Leone club AIK Freetown.
The Spanish club exercised their purchase option on January 1 to make the move permanent with an improved contract.
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Man City chiefs Khaldoon Al Mubarak and Ferran Soriano have been busy in the transfer window
Reuters
In a strongly-worded statement, Valladolid said: “The club considers that Manchester City is behind the player’s decision, and appears to have advised the player to take this route.”
The Spanish club expressed “great disappointment and indignation” over the situation, stating they had “welcomed Juma Bah with open arms and gave him the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Valladolid confirmed they have instructed their legal department to initiate disciplinary action.
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Real Valladolid have accused Manchester City of encouraging one of their players to break his contract to force through a move to the Premier League club.
Defender Juma Bah told the Spanish club on Tuesday that he intends to terminate his contract, allowing City to sign the player for a much lower fee.
City had sent a request to Valladolid earlier in the day asking to begin negotiations over a permanent deal for the 18-year-old, Valladolid said in a statement.
Bah then did not turn up for training on Wednesday, with the Spanish Football Association confirming he had deposited the necessary amount to terminate his contract.
Valladolid say the teenager’s decision was “supposedly supported and guided by Manchester City and his agent” and has “caused great disappointment and indignation”.
“The club considers that Manchester City is behind the player’s decision, and appears to have advised the player to take this route.”
The 18-year-old joined Valladolid on a season-long loan from AIK Freetong in his native Sierra Leone last summer and the club exercised a clause earlier this month to turn it into a permanent deal.
But Bah is still under a youth contract and has so far refused to sign a senior deal that would significantly increase his release clause.
Valladolid say they will take disciplinary action against Bah and will do whatever they can to “defend” the clubs’s interests.
BBC Sport has approached Manchester City for comment.
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim says he is “not taking the responsibility from the players” during their poor form.
Darts sensation Luke Littler marked his milestone 18th birthday on Tuesday with a special delivery from Au Vodka, featuring a personalised golden dart and an exclusive three-litre bottle.
The newly-crowned world champion received the bespoke birthday gift from Au Vodka sales director Tom Smith, who personally delivered the celebratory package.
The unique present arrives as Littler can now legally purchase alcohol, adding another memorable moment to his remarkable rise in professional darts.
The custom-made golden dart prominently displays Littler’s nickname ‘The Nuke’ on its flight, marking a distinctive tribute to the teenage champion.
Luke Littler has turned 18 and has been gifted a huge bottle of vodka
PA
The commemorative vodka bottle features an image of Littler hoisting the Sid Waddell Trophy, capturing his historic world championship victory.
The exclusive gift adds to what was undoubtedly a day of numerous presents for the young darts star, who has rapidly become one of the sport’s most recognisable figures.
Au Vodka, the company behind Littler’s birthday gift, is a Swansea-based business valued at £150m, founded by Charlie Morgan and Jackson Quinn in 2015.
Morgan gained earlier controversy as the ballboy involved in a 2013 incident with Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, who was sent off for appearing to kick him during a match against Swansea City.
Morgan’s dad, Martin, is a director of Swansea City and owns the city’s four-star Morgan’s Hotel.
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Luke Littler was gifted a huge golden dart and a personalised three-litre vodka bottle
Tom Smith – Linkedin
The boyhood United fan presented the Sid Waddell Trophy at half-time, with his appearance rescheduled from pre-match due to tributes to club legend Denis Law.
Speaking to MUTV before the game, Littler said: “It means the world to bring the trophy pitchside at the club I’ve supported all my life.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
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Luke Littler received the gift from Au Vodka, founded by Tom Smith and Charlie Morgan
Tom Smith – LinkedIn
Littler is set to return to competitive action at the 2025 Dutch Darts Masters, which begins on January 24.
The tournament follows his recent quarter-final exit at the Bahrain Darts Masters, where he was unable to defend his title against eventual winner Stephen Bunting.
The teenage sensation enters the Dutch competition having already accumulated impressive career earnings of over £1.5million, largely thanks to his 7-3 victory over Michael van Gerwen in the world championship final.
Australian Open semi-finalist Ben Shelton says some broadcasters conducting post-match interviews during the tournament have been disrespectful to players.
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has stepped back from his description of his team as “maybe” the worst side in the club’s history but said it would be “delusional” to think they do not have major problems.
Amorim said he made a mistake by ripping into his players immediately after the 3-1 home defeat against Brighton on Sunday, which he felt then led to his press conference outburst afterwards.
Asked about the storm his comments created before United’s Europa League game against Rangers, Amorim said he was talking more about himself than his players.
But he also accepted results since he took over in November – 11 points and six defeats from 11 Premier League games – were not good enough.
“I was talking more for myself than for my players,” he said. “But sometimes it is really hard to hide my frustration in that moment.
“The good thing is I said the same things in a different way in the dressing room five minutes before. The response was quite normal because I’m really blunt with my players.
“Normally I don’t talk (to the players) after a game. After this game, I needed to talk. Maybe it was a mistake because then I got more nervous, went to the press conference really nervous and said things I shouldn’t say.”
However, Amorim did not say he regretted the general observation that his team is in major trouble.
While three successive victories have put United in a good position to secure a top-eight berth and direct entry to the Europa League’s last 16, they are out of the League Cup and are 13th in the Premier League.
Amorim believes it would be unhelpful to try to disguise the fact there are significant issues that must be resolved.
“I am not taking the responsibility from the players,” he said. “I am saying, and I am really direct in these things, at this moment we are performing really badly and our results are really bad.
“I’m saying the obvious. If you want, I can be delusional and say different things. But I say it as I saw it.
“I think it is a good thing to be really honest. You saw one thing, I saw one thing. If you are in the stadium you can understand it. So let’s face it and work on it.”
However, Amorim and defender Harry Maguire have different explanations as to why United have been so poor – particularly at Old Trafford, where they have lost four of their last five league games.
United’s six defeats in their opening 12 home league games is their worst performance since 1893-94.
Amorim focused on the anxiety that ripples through his team when they play on home soil.
“It’s clear,” he said. “We are more nervous playing at home than away and it’s getting harder.”
However England defender Maguire pointed to United going behind in all of their last five league games – including in three of them conceding within five minutes.
“If I could explain it, we’d change it straightaway,” said Maguire. “We have players who have won lots of trophies in club football but we are not playing well enough as a team.
“We gave Brighton a goal. We had spoken about it pre-match. The first goal against Nottingham Forest was a set play – and against Bournemouth.
“These aren’t things that are tactically a problem. You have to be mentally ready to win a match. At the moment we are not getting the small margins because we are not mentally focused.”
Central defender Victor Lindelof has returned to training after missing the previous seven matches while striker Marcus Rashford also took part in the main session despite not featuring since being axed for last month’s Manchester derby.
Antony and Alejandro Garnacho are also expected to be involved despite being linked with transfer window moves away from the club.
Sports
Jannik Sinner provides health update after Alex De Minaur victory amid concerns over wellbeing
World number one Jannik Sinner brushed aside concerns about his health with a commanding straight-sets victory over home favourite Alex De Minaur in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
The defending champion showed no lingering effects from his previous round’s medical issues, dispatching the Australian 6-3 6-2 6-1 in just one hour and 48 minutes.
The 23-year-old Italian’s performance marked a remarkable turnaround from his troubled match against Holger Rune two days earlier.
In his previous match, Sinner had required a lengthy medical timeout against Rune, appearing visibly shaken and admitting to feeling unwell.
Jannik Sinner suffered a health scare in his last match against Holger Rune
Reuters
The Italian explained his quick recovery: “(Tuesday) was a very easy day, I played just half an hour, 40 minutes.
“I feel like the illness has gone away now. I was feeling much, much better this morning,
“I feel like, especially when you’re young, you recover very fast.”
“I have a very experienced team with me, which I’m very grateful and happy (for),” he added, noting he knew immediately he was ready for the quarter-final.
For De Minaur, it was a familiar outcome against his Italian rival, having lost all nine previous encounters and winning just one set in their head-to-head meetings.
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Jannik Sinner was in flying form against Alex De Minaur
Reuters
Sinner’s dominance was evident across all aspects of the match, with his weight of shot proving too much for De Minaur to handle.
“I feel like today I was feeling everything,” Sinner said after the match. “When you have days like this and you break early in each set, it makes it a bit easier.”
The Italian remained focused throughout, acknowledging that such matches “can change very fast if I go down with the level a little bit.”
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Jannik Sinner is the favourite to win the Australian Open
Reuters
Sinner will now face American Ben Shelton in Friday’s semi-final showdown.
Shelton, 22, secured his spot in the last four with a hard-fought 6-4 7-5 4-6 7-6 (4) victory over unseeded Italian Lorenzo Sonego in just under four hours.
The 21st-seeded American, who reached the US Open semi-finals in 2023, benefited from a quarter of the draw that opened up following early exits of several top-10 seeds.
“I feel relieved right now,” Shelton said after his win. “Shout out to Lorenzo Sonego because that was some ridiculous tennis.”
Earlier this week, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic refused to do his usual on-court interview after his fourth-round win against Jiri Lehecka following what he described as “insulting and offensive” comments by Channel Nine’s Tony Jones.
Jones shouted “Novak, he’s over-rated, Novak’s a has-been, Novak kick him out” towards Djokovic fans while live on air at the Australian Open on Friday.
The Australian broadcaster has since apologised for his remarks but Shelton says that incident was not a one-off.
“I’ve been a little bit shocked this week with how players have been treated by the broadcasters,” he said.
“I don’t think that [Djokovic being mocked] was just a single event. I’ve noticed it with different people, not just myself.”
Shelton also referred to an “embarrassing and disrespectful” on-court interview with 19-year-old American Learner Tien after his shock second-round victory against fifth seed Daniil Medvedev.
The on-court interviewer told Tien “19-year-olds aren’t meant to be that good” before asking him if he had heard of his third-round opponent Corentin Moutet.
“I feel like broadcasters should be helping us grow our sport and help these athletes who just won matches on the biggest stage enjoy one of their biggest moments,” added Shelton.
“I feel like there’s just been a lot of negativity. I think that’s something that needs to change.”
BBC Sport has contacted Tennis Australia, which organises the Australian Open, for comment.
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