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Ronaldo could eventually sign for Real, Schuster says

MADRID: Real Madrid has little chance of signing Cristiano Ronaldo in the immediate future, but if the Portugal striker leads Manchester United to continued success he could end up at the Bernabeu, according to coach Bernd Schuster.

"Right now Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world but Manchester don't want to sell him. So in the short term I don't think it will be possible to sign him," Schuster told Spanish sports daily AS on Wednesday.

"But in a couple of years, yes, I believe he could be wearing the white shirt at the Bernabeu.

"He's the star at Old Trafford and until they win the Champions League and another league title or two then they aren't going to let him go.

"For me, Cristiano Ronaldo has already overtaken Kaka after the loss of form of the Brazilian at (AC) Milan this season. One day he will be with us."

Schuster said Ajax's Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Sevilla's Luis Fabiano and Didier Drogba of Chelsea were among the strikers on Real's agenda for next season.

Youzhny's head-whacking antics a YouTube smash

MIAMI, Florida: Russia's Mikhail Youzhny has become an unlikely star on YouTube (www.youtube.com) after he battered his head with a tennis racket at the Sony Ericsson Open.

A video shot by the host broadcaster Fox Sports Network (FSN) showed Youzhny violently whacking his head three times in a row, sending blood streaming down his forehead and nose.

The world No 11 was 5-4 down against Nicolas Almagro of Spain in the final set of his third round match on Monday when his frustrations spilled over after he lost a lengthy rally.

The clip had received over 700,000 hits on the website by Wednesday.

Youzhny did not let a little blood get in the way of the match, which he won 7-6, 3-6, 7-6.

The Russian lost his fourth-round match to Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 on Tuesday.

Lundgren resigns as Britain's Davis Cup coach

LONDON: Roger Federer's former coach Peter Lundgren resigned from his role with Britain's Davis Cup team on Wednesday, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) said.

Paul Annacone, the men's head coach, will replace the Swede as Davis Cup coach.

"I would like to thank Peter for all his work over the past 18 months," Britain's Davis Cup captain John Lloyd said in a statement.

"He has been a great asset to the Davis Cup team. Peter is keen to spend more time with his father who is unwell and our thoughts are with Peter and his family at this difficult time."

American Annacone, who worked with Pete Sampras and Tim Henman, will now focus on Britain's World Group playoff in September after it lost to by Argentina in the first round.

"Paul has been working closely with many of our top players in his role as head coach and his knowledge and experience will be vital as we prepare for the playoff," Lloyd said.

Man United confirms Vidic out for two to three weeks

LONDON: Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic will be out for two to three weeks after injuring his left knee against AS Roma in Tuesday's Champions League quarterfinal in Rome, the club confirmed yesterday.

At first United feared the 26-year-old Serbian might miss the rest of the season, but in a statement on its website (www.manutd.com) on Thursday, United said a scan showed the injury was not as serious as first thought.

"There is no major damage to the left knee, and he will be out for two-three weeks," a spokesman said.

Vidic fell awkwardly in the first half of the 2-0 win over Roma at the Olympic Stadium and was replaced by John O'Shea after 31 minutes.

Although he will miss next week's second leg at Old Trafford and the Premier League match against Arsenal on April 13, he could be fit to return by the end of this month.

Vidic has missed only a handful of matches this season and his partnership with Rio Ferdinand in central defense has played a big part in United's assault on Premier League and Champions League honors.

(China Daily 04/04/2008 page22)