MORE BAD NEWS FOR FEDERER: IT’S GOING TO GET HARDER

MOST PUNDITS believe it’s only a matter of time before Roger Federer equals, then passes, Pete Sampras’s record of 14 Grand Slam tennis titles.

They’re probably right. But whereas it looked a certainty not so long ago, now there’s an element of doubt.

Federer had everything going for him in Melbourne. Rafael Nadal not only had to come through the longest match in Australian Open history in the semi-finals (5 hrs and 14 mins) but he also had one day less to prepare for the final.

That he still had the energy to beat Federer in five sets speaks volumes for his physical condition and mental strength. And the bad news for Federer is that it’s only going to get harder.

The Swiss is still only 27 but compare that to his main rivals in the world tennis rankings. Nadal is 22. Then there are two, hungry 21-year-olds: Brit Andy Murray and Serbian Novak Djokovic.

Federer is not just going to have work harder to reach Grand Slam finals but now there’s now more than one player who actually believes they can beat him.

There is no greater rivalry in sports than Federer v Nadal. Between them, they have won 15 of the last 16 Grand Slams. Federer has claimed nine, Nadal six.

But in head-to-head meetings, Nadal leads 13-6 and, perhaps more significantly, he’s won their last five matches.

Frustration mounts for Swiss in pursuit of record

We already know he has Federer’s measure on clay. Now, it seems, he can beat him on any surface – even grass.

Nadal will be heavily favored to win the next Grand Slam – the French Open at Roland Garros – so Federer will probably have to wait until Wimbledon for his next crack at Sampras’s record.

Nadal is convinced he will do it one day. But first, Federer will have to go away and analyze what went wrong in the fifth set, when his game fell apart. Could the iceman have cracked under the pressure?

“I definitely played a terrible fifth set,” he admitted. “I kind of handed it over to him.

“This is one of the matches in my career where I feel like I could have or should have won. But you can’t go through your whole life as a tennis player taking every victory that’s out there.

“You’ve got to live with those you don’t. But they hurt, even more so if you’re that close, like at Wimbledon or here at the Australian Open.”

But for Nadal, Federer would have long since broken the record and proved beyond any doubt that he is the greatest player to ever pick up a tennis racket.

However, the fact remains that Nadal has now beaten him in five Grand Slam finals. Federer has lost his aura of invincibility and, possibly, his best chance of joining Sampras in the record news.

PICK CARDS TO PULL FINAL UPSET OVER STEELERS

AMERICA’S economy is shrinking and unemployment rising. But some things can survive, even in the toughest climate, and it appears the Super Bowl is one of them.

Last year’s Super Bowl between the New York Giants and New England Patriots attracted an average audience of 97.5 million and was the second-most watched TV program in U.S. history (the final episode of MASH in 1983 had an average of 106 million viewers).

It’s unlikely Super Bowl XLIII will quite reach those heights, but it appears that despite the recession, host broadcaster NBC will sell all of its advertising slots.

NBC has allocated 33.5 minutes of commercial airtime. At around $3 million per 30 seconds, that will generate revenue close to $200 million. Not bad for one night’s work!

Expect a hard-sell approach to this year’s ads. “Any advertisers that are going to spend $2 million to $3 million for a spot, their shareholders and chief executives will want to see a return on that,” says Mark Chmiel, chief marketing officer for Denny’s.

Sometimes the commercials are more exciting than the game itself. But not last year, when Eli Manning led the Giants to a thrilling upset win over the previously unbeaten Pats.

Underdogs can turn up the heat in Tampa

This year, the Arizona Cardinals are cast in the role of underdog against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In stark contrast to the Steelers, who have won the Vince Lombardi Trophy five times, the Cardinals are making their Super Bowl debut in Tampa.

They have been the surprise team throughout the playoffs, beating the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles.

In Larry Fitzgerald, they have one of the best wide receivers in the National Football League. The question is whether 37-year-old quarterback Kurt Warner, MVP of Super Bowl XXXIV when he played for the St Louis Rams, can get the ball to him against one of the best defenses in the league.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Willie Parker and wide receivers Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes are the key men in the Steelers offense. But perhaps their biggest weapon will be safety Troy Polamalu.

If the Cardinals fail to give Fitzgerald sufficient protection, he could see more of Polamalu than is good for either him or the Cards.

In the Cardinals favor is the fact that the temperature in Tampa will be considerably higher than it is Pittsburgh, who have been ideally suited by the recent frigid conditions.

If they can turn it into a high-scoring game, there’s every chance that Cardinals can copy the Giants and spring the upset.

Either way, it should be a great occasion – and one that proves that even if bleak times, America still knows how to party!

WHY EUROPE SHOULD HAVE PICKED WOOSIE RATHER THAN MONTY

EUROPE’S reluctance to give the Ryder Cup captaincy to the same person twice may well cost them the chance of regaining the trophy in 2010.

There is no debate about Colin Montgomerie’s playing record in golf’s premier team competition. He never lost in any of his eight singles matches and won 23.5 points, putting him just 1.5 points behind the record held by Nick Faldo, the losing European captain at Valhalla, Kentucky, last year.

But if the European Tour tournament committee’s sole aim was to win back the cup at Celtic Manor in Wales next year, then surely they would have given the job to Ian Woosnam.

Woosnam not only led the Europeans to a crushing 18.5-9.5 victory over the USA in 2006 but he also happens to be a Welshman.

So who better to whip up the crowd and unite the players than “Woosie,” who played in eight Ryder Cups himself between 1983 and 1997?

In the end, it appears it came down to a straight choice between Montgomerie and Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal – two stalwarts of the European Tour for the past 20 years or so.

And Monty, who has won the European Tour Order or Merit eight times and the Ryder Cup five times, got the nod.

Monty is a popular figure with golf fans throughout Britain and designed one of the courses at Celtic Manor in Newport, Wales, for billionaire owner Sir Terry Matthews.

Mrs. Doubtfire to lead Europe in 2010 

Thomas Bjorn, chairman of Europe’s 15-man Ryder Cup tournament committee, said: “There was no vote involved. We went around the table and everyone seemed to back Monty. A very hard and difficult meeting turned out to be a fairly easy one.

“I spoke to Jose, to Woosie and to Sandy (Lyle), all three in person. All Jose said was that he thinks Monty will be a great captain.”

The committee clearly believes it is only fair to rotate the job, meaning Olazabal and Lyle will be leading contenders in 2012 (Illinois) and 2014 (Scotland). 

You might have thought that Scot Monty, still only 45, would have been better held in reserve for Gleneagles in five years’ time.

Monty’s assets are his passion, determination and in-depth knowledge of the game. But his detractors will also point to the fact that he never won a Major, can be extremely selfish at times and has a fiery temper. He has a love-hate relationship with the media, who once dubbed him Mrs. Doubtfire.

Like Faldo, he was very single-minded as a player, and that doesn’t always translate well to leading a team over three days of intense competition.

The good news is that the 2010 Ryder Cup is being played on British soil…American golf fans have been known to get under Monty’s skin. 

It’s not as though Montgomerie is a bad appointment. It’s just that Woosnam would have been a better one if Europe is to wrest the cup back from Corey Pavin and his star-spangled U.S. team.

DOUBTS CAST OVER BECKHAM’S RETURN TO THE LA GALAXY AND MLS

WHEN THE MOON hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore.

AC Milan has fallen in love with David Beckham and anyway you slice it, the England midfielder should still be playing his football in Europe rather than the United States.

Beckham has proved a much bigger hit in Italy than the USA since joining Milan on loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy.

The 33-year-old has played in all three of Milan’s Serie A games this year and scored his first goal for the club in their 4-1 rout of Bologna on Sunday.

Not only has he proved a hit with the fans but his contribution has also been recognized by his teammates.

Kaka, Milan’s star striker from Brazil, said: “The first matches showed quite clearly what his qualities are along with his passing ability and his capacity to play well.

“Perhaps these first two months will lead to six months or to one year, to more contracts. I certainly would like to play more with him.”

Those sentiments were echoed by Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti, who said: “Beckham knows what our wish is. We all hope that he can stay with us.”

Beckham’s three-month loan period expires on March 9, the date he is due to return to the Galaxy and prepare for his second season in Major League Soccer.

After investing a reported $250 million to secure Beckham’s services for five years, the Galaxy are hardly likely to let him go after only one year – unless, of course, some financial settlement could be reached.

AC Milan officials plan to meet with Beckham’s agents shortly to see if anything can be done.

Milan keen to keep England midfielder

Adriano Galliani, the Milan vice president, is quoted as saying: “If Beckham reaches an agreement with the Galaxy, we are prepared to pay a fee.

“If he decides to free himself and wants to stay, we will welcome him with open arms, but he belongs to another club and we’ve got to thank them because they were very kind to us.”

Quite clearly, Beckham has failed to make the impact on US soccer that both the Galaxy and MLS were hoping for.

LA failed to make the playoffs last season, thus enabling Beckham to join Milan on loan.

The simple truth is that Beckham is not a player who can win games single-handed. He’s not a Pele or a Franz Beckenbauer 

He can’t head, he can’t tackle, but what he can do is pass with amazing accuracy and deliver the perfect ball into the box from set pieces.

His abilities are far better suited to a team containing other superstars than one wanting to make him the focal figure.

In other words, he is of far more use to Milan than he is to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Beckham is just one game short of becoming the second most-capped player in English football history. He currently has 107 behind Bobby Moore (108) and Peter Shilton (125).

He has a far better chance of adding to that list while he’s playing for Milan rather than the Galaxy.

That’s why it would make sense for both Beckham and the LA Galaxy to cut their losses now and let him make a permanent return to European football.

TOO LATE NOW TO SAY IT AIN’T SO JOE

BESTSELLER or one of the worst decisions of his baseball career? Joe Torre’s memoirs of 12 years as manager in the Bronx are sure to boost his bank balance, but will they tarnish his image as a New York Yankees legend?

That’s the debate raging among baseball fans following the leak of excerpts from “The Yankee Years”, due to be released on February 3.

In the book, written in conjunction with Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated, Torre claims he was betrayed by general manager Brian Cashman and says that Alex Rodriguez was often referred to by his teammates as “A-Fraud”.

With the Super Bowl still a week away, and only basketball to report on, books like this are a godsend to tabloid newspapers.

Cashman says he has already spoken to Torre about the book and claims he is “very comfortable” about his relationship with the former Yankees skipper. Others, A-Rod included, are unlikely to be so understanding.

We all know Torre was bitter about his departure from the Yankees and feels that the offer of a one-year, $5 million contract plus incentives (a cut of $2 million) was an insult.

At the time, many Yankees fans sympathized with him, agreeing that he deserved better treatment from the Steinbrenner family after 12 years of loyal service.

But that was 15 months ago so it’s a little surprising that Torre has chosen now to open up old wounds.

Torre takes a shot at Cashman and "A-Fraud"

It’s even more surprising that he has taken a shot at Alex Rodriguez. For all his failings in the post-season, A-Rod was named American League MVP in two of the four seasons he played under Torre.

And he certainly isn’t the main reason why the Yanks have failed to win a World Championship since 2000.

By publicly criticizing A-Rod, Torre has gone against the unwritten code of conduct among sportsmen.

It’s one thing to tell all when you’ve retired but to do so while you’re still managing is out of order.

Torre may well have an axe to grind with the Yankees. But let’s not forget that they paid him around $45 million over 12 years and it’s not as though he’s fallen on hard times since leaving them.

He is entering the second year of a $13 million, three-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Torre will no doubt attempt to distance himself from some of the comments, claiming they were taken out of context and that he did not directly write the book.

But at a time when many hard-working Americans are losing their jobs through no fault of their own, some greedy people clearly don’t realize just how lucky they are.

CASHMAN STILL HAS SOME SHOPPING TO DO

THERE’S AN OLD ENGLISH expression: “Don’t spoil the ship for a ha’p’orth of tar.” What it means is don’t risk failure of a large project by trying to economize on trivial things.

Having already invested $423 million in new players this winter, it’s hard to believe the New York Yankees are willing to go into the 2009 MLB season without a proven fifth starting pitcher.

The Yanks are already gambling in a number of positions. They’re banking on Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera returning fully fit from shoulder surgery; a combination of Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner being good enough to patrol center field; and Brian Bruney and Dámaso Marte building a strong enough bridge to the closer.

CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain (providing he stays healthy) give them an awesome-looking front four.

But they don’t have the strength in depth of the Boston Red Sox, who added John Smoltz and Brad Penny to a staff already boasting Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, Justin Masterson and Clay Buchholz.

That’s why it’s a little puzzling to hear Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talk about a competition for the fifth starting role between Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Alfredo Aceves.

Hughes and Kennedy failed to win a game between them last season and although Hughes somewhat redeemed himself in the Arizona League this winter, the jury is still out on whether he is going to make it at the highest level.

Why Yankees must sign fifth starter

As the saying goes, you can never have enough starting pitching, and the Yankees still look a little light in this department.

It’s all gone quiet on the Andy Pettitte front. Pettitte, it appears, won’t sign for $10 million, and the Yankees seem unwilling to increase their offer.

If Cashman and Pettitte can’t reach agreement, then surely the Yanks need to make a move now for the talented Ben Sheets, who went 13-9 for the Milwaukee Brewers last season with an ERA of 3.09.

Sheets is the best free agent pitcher on the market and although he has spent long periods of his career on the disabled list, he would probably come cheaper than Pettitte.

Cashman and the Yankees have been criticized by all and sundry for their level of spending at a time when the country is in recession.

But as they start a new era in a new stadium, it’s worth remembering that’s it’s now nine years since they were world champions and they have to overtake both the Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East next season.

So having spent big money on ordering the meatiest entrée, there's no point in Cashman trying to save on his starter.

BERN BABY BERN – BERNIE’S BACK!

THIS SURE can be a depressing time of year. Football is over for all but the fans of Arizona and Pittsburgh. And if you’re not into basketball, which I’m not, the baseball season still seems a long way off.

I’ve already had enough of shoveling the snow from my drive and I’m still mad at myself for locking in the price of my heating oil at more than $3 a gallon.

I can’t say I’m too excited either about the World Baseball Classic, a competition featuring such fearsome ball-playing nations as Australia, Italy and the Netherlands.

But one piece of news did cheer me up yesterday, namely that Bernie Williams is returning to the diamond to represent his country of birth, Puerto Rico.

We can’t really say he’s coming out of retirement because Bernie, now 40, never actually retired. His contract with the New York Yankees expired at the end of the 2006 season and he declined an invitation to attend spring training in 2007 as a non-roster invitee.

Yankees great makes Classic return

Since then, Bernie – a classically trained guitarist – has been developing a musical career. He played on stage with Bruce Springsteen last November and is due to release his second CD, entitled Moving Forward, in April.

Still bitter about the way his split with the Yanks was handled, Bernie didn’t return to the Stadium until the official closing ceremony on September 21 last year. But when he finally did, what a reception he received from the fans.

Now, the good news is that he’s back in training for the World Baseball Classic, which takes place in March with the semi-finals and final being staged at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, from the 21st to the 23rd.

Bernie has missed baseball and baseball has missed Bernie. Few players have enjoyed such a rapport with the paying public. He was/is one of the gentle giants of the game.

“I’ve been playing baseball since I was an eight-year-old. I miss that competitive edge that all athletes have,” he says.

If Puerto Rico should qualify and Bernie shows he can still hit a line drive or two, what chance Dodgers manager Joe Torre signing him up for the season? In truth, probably little, but in these cold winter months, we can but dream.