Top Shot

Federer and Nadal secure spots in Masters Cup

LONDON: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have secured their places in the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai.

Swiss world No 1 Federer has compiled a 36-5 record this year after reaching six finals from his nine tournament appearances.

Second-ranked Nadal leads the ATP circuit with a 51-8 record this year and has led the Race standings since April 30.

The 21-year-old Spaniard won his first title of the year in Indian Wells before extending his professional era record-winning streak on clay to 81 matches. He beat Federer in the Monte-Carlo and Roland Garros finals.

After also reaching the Wimbledon final, Nadal leads the Race with 886 points from 12 tournaments. Federer has 801 points from nine tournaments, 240 points ahead of his nearest rival, Serbia's Novak Djokovic.

The eight-man Masters Cup will be held for the third year at Qi Zhong Stadium from November 11-18.

Italian guard Belinelli signs for Golden State Warriors

NEW YORK: The Golden State Warriors have signed Italian guard Marco Belinelli, drafted by the Warriors with the 18th overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft, the NBA club announced on Monday.

Terms of the deal were not released.

Belinelli, a 6-foot-5 (1.96 m) guard from Bologna, played on the Warriors NBA Summer League team in Las Vegas and averaged 22.8 points and 2.5 assists in four games, shooting 43.5 percent and earning Summer League All-Star honours.

The 21-year-old Belinelli played professionally in Italy for five seasons. In 33 games last season with Fortitudo Bologna in Serie A, Italy's top professional league, he averaged 16.4 points per game, while shooting 54.4 percent.

He averaged 13.5 points per game during last summer's FIBA world championship, including 25 points in a losing effort against the United States in a preliminary round match.

Sunderland signs United midfielder Richardson

LONDON: England midfielder Kieran Richardson left Manchester United to join newly promoted Premier League side Sunderland for an undisclosed fee on Monday.

Richardson has agreed a four-year contract with Sunderland in a move which reunites him with Roy Keane, his former teammate at Old Trafford and now manager of the Wearside club.

Capped eight times by England, the 22-year-old Richardson told his new club's website: "I know all about Roy Keane and I'm looking forward to playing for his team."

Bayern's Toni out for 10 days with knee injury

BERLIN: Bayern Munich striker Luca Toni will be out of action for at least 10 days to recover from a torn tendon in his right knee, the club said on Monday.

"He won't be out of action for longer than 10 days because the knee itself was not injured," a statement on the club's website said.

However, he will miss this Saturday's Ligacup match against Werder Bremen in Dusseldorf.

(China Daily 07/18/2007 page23)