Times wires
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Tennis
Nadal healthy, ready for Davis Cup action
Top-ranked Rafael Nadal says he has recovered from a thigh injury and is ready to play for Spain in the Davis Cup match at Belgium.
"If I am here, it is because, physically, I am 100 percent," said Nadal, who likely will play the opening singles Friday in the first-round series in which Spain is an overwhelming favorite.
Malaysian Open: Former No. 1 Dinara Safina, now 113th, ended a six-match skid dating to September with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Han Xinyun in Kuala Lumpur.
Et cetera
Arena Football: The Storm acquired offensive linemen Tom Kaleita and Ryan McDonald, coach Dave Ewart said. Kaleita, 6 feet 6 and 325 pounds, returns for his third season after earning All-AFL honors last season. McDonald, 6-4 and 295 pounds, is a rookie. The Storm opens the season March 11 at New Orleans.
Autos: Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone said the Bahrain Grand Prix could be staged during the series' summer break in August after being called off due to unrest on the island.
Cycling: Tour de France champion Alberto Contador urged the International Cycling Union and World Anti-Doping Agency to read his entire case file before deciding whether to appeal last month's decision by the Spanish cycling federation to clear him of doping. "I believe in the system, but they have to show that they believe us, too," Contador told Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport. The Spaniard tested positive for clenbuterol but blamed contaminated beef.
Winter sports: French Alpine skier Anemone Marmottan broke her right leg while warming up for a Europa Cup slalom race in southern Poland. She was to have surgery today.
Times wires
Soccer
EPL: Chelsea rallies to take down first-place Man united
LONDON — Frank Lampard converted a penalty kick in the 80th minute, giving Chelsea a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over first-place Manchester United on Tuesday.
Wayne Rooney scored in his third straight English Premier League game, putting United ahead in the 29th minute with a 25-yard shot that beat goalkeeper Petr Cech.
David Luiz tied it in the 54th minute by volleying in his first goal for Chelsea, and Lampard scored the go-ahead goal, putting his kick just past goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar after Yuri Zhirkov was tripped in the penalty area by defender Chris Smalling.
Manchester United has 60 points, four more than second-place Arsenal, which has played one fewer game. Chelsea moved into fourth with 48 points, two back of Manchester City.
"We're still a lot of points behind, but all we could do was win the game," Lampard said. "United are deservedly top of the league, but we've still got some fight in us."
More soccer: Arsenal forward Robin van Persie (knee) will be out for three weeks and miss next week's Champions League match at Barcelona. … Zimbabwe withdrew its bid to host the 2015 Women's World Cup, leaving Canada as the only candidate. Canada's bid must be evaluated and approved by the FIFA executive meeting when it meets today and Thursday.