Miguel Angel Jimenez’s Ryder Cup record is only just better than that of Padraig Harrington.

But at least the 46-year-old has given his confidence a timely lift by becoming the first European player to win three times this season.

Jimenez beat Celtic Manor team-mate Edoardo Molinari by three as he added the Omega European Masters title in Switzerland to his Dubai Desert Classic and French Open victories.

The week also saw the Spaniard shoot a career-low 61 in the second round – and considering that his European Tour career spans 27 years and contains 535 events it was some performance.

What meant most to the Spaniard, though, was that he had finally triumphed at Crans-sur-Sierre at his 22nd attempt.

“It’s very special – this is the tournament I’ve played more than any one,” said Jimenez, now the eighth oldest winner in the circuit’s history.

He and Molinari were the only two members of Colin Montgomerie’s side at the event and for them to finish first and second was another boost.

Wild card pick Molinari, of course, won the Johnnie Walker Championship a week earlier and since the start of last month Ross Fisher, Martin Kaymer and Peter Hanson have all got their hands on trophies as well.

There are still some concerns, though – chief amongst them Lee Westwood’s calf injury, which has kept him out of action since August 6 and is not expected to be tested in a tournament until the match against Americans on October 1-3.

Harrington is the other main worry after missing the cut at the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston a week after Montgomerie preferred him to world number eight Paul Casey and double US Tour winner Justin Rose.

Back in Europe the other big story of last week was the sensational display by 17-year-old Matteo Manassero.

Last year’s British amateur champion was playing just the sixth Tour event of his professional career and a cheque for over 102,000 secures his card for next season.

With brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari both making the Ryder Cup team, Italian golf has never had it so good.

Manassero is also in the field now for this week’s KLM Open in the Netherlands, an event which sees Kaymer play for the first time since he won the US PGA Championship.

England 129 for 5 (Morgan 38*, Yardy 35*) beat Pakistan 126 for 4 (Umar 35*, Swann 2-14) by five wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Eoin Morgan and Michael Yardy steadied England’s nerves with a game-breaking stand of 67 in 7.1 overs, as Pakistan succumbed to a five-wicket defeat in the first Twenty20 at Cardiff. Chasing a meagre total of 127 after Graeme Swann had bossed the contest with a sharp-turning and incisive spell of 2 for 14 in four overs, England were at one stage in some strife at 62 for 5 at the halfway mark of their innings. However, Shoaib Akhtar undermined a feisty bowling spell with a dreadful fielding performance, as Pakistan’s bid for on-field redemption after a week of grim allegations floundered at the first attempt.

The critical moment of England’s innings came in the 12th over, with the game still in the balance at 77 for 5. Morgan, on 13, unfurled his trademark reverse sweep against the legspin of Shahid Afridi, and chipped a facile chance to Shoaib at short third man. The chance, however, slipped straight through his fingers and down to the turf, and with it – there and then – went the match. Morgan shifted effortlessly into one-day finishing mode, clipping and dabbing six fours in an unbeaten 38 from 24 balls, while Yardy, also dropped on 11 by Kamran Akmal, followed up an invaluable bowling performance with a Man-of-the-Match-winning 35 from 26.

After winning the toss after a half-hour rain delay, in overcast conditions that matched the prevailing mood after a week of damaging and distracting off-field issues, Paul Collingwood chose to bowl first to keep his team on the right side of any potential Duckworth-Lewis calculations. He was rewarded with a diligent display that kept Pakistan’s big-hitters very much in check throughout, and though England themselves dropped three catches of varying degrees of difficulty, they conceded just eight fours in the innings, no sixes (for the first time in Pakistan’s T20 history), and a solitary extra in the 19th over.

Ryan Sidebottom, one of the key components of England’s World Twenty20 triumph back in May, opened the innings with a loose over that was biffed for 12, but that was arguably the only moment that Pakistan were in command of their innings. Two balls later, Kamran heaved across the line for Tim Bresnan to make England’s first breakthrough, and Pakistan struggled to regain the upper hand thereafter.

Playing in his second Twenty20 and his first for four years, Mohammad Yousuf played some extravagant lofted drives in a carefree 26 from 18 balls, but Swann made his now-habitual early impact, striking with his fifth delivery as Morgan pouched a lofted pull at midwicket. Two overs later, Shahzaib Hasan was dragged down the track and smartly stumped by Steve Davies, who took over from Michael Lumb at the top of the order, and claimed the gloves off Craig Kieswetter to boot.

With extravagant turn on offer right from the start of the spinners’ spell, Yardy once again put in an admirable spell, and was rewarded with a sharp caught-and-bowled to end a frenetic but uneffective innings from Fawad Alam, who groped and prodded to 20 from 29 balls, but never looked likely to dominate the bowling. Afridi was much more effective in his 16 from 14 balls, even though he benefitted from two lives in a single over from Stuart Broad – the second of which was a dolly to Luke Wright, running in from the long-on boundary. Abdul Razzaq, with 49 sixes in his Twenty20 international career, didn’t make it to the middle.

In reply, England made an awkward start with Kieswetter’s struggle for form continuing. He made 6 from seven balls before wafting at Shoaib and scuffing a thin edge to Kamran , while Ravi Bopara, slotting in at No. 3 in place of the out-of-form Kevin Pietersen, made 11 from 13 balls before Mohammad Yousuf – not renowned as the finest fielder in the world game – backpedalled admirably on the long-on boundary to cling onto a steepling thwack, again off Shoaib.

Davies looked lively for his 33 from 27, before whipping Umar Gul off his hip and straight to Wahab Riaz at square leg, while Afridi – with typical flamboyance, struck twice in two overs to remove Collingwood for 4, as he inside-edged onto his stumps, and Luke Wright for a second-ball duck, as he lined up a sweep and was bowled round his legs. But then came Shoaib’s clanger, and England didn’t look back.

Xavi believes Barcelona are still the favourites to win La Liga despite Real Madrid further strengthening their squad.

Barca retained their league title last season despite signing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Xabi Alonso at Madrid, and they have continued to invest this summer as boss Jose Mourinho arrived from Inter along with players including Angel Di Maria, Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira.

Nonetheless, Barca remain confident of further success in the coming months both domestically and abroad.

In an interview with El Mundo Deportivo, Xavi said:
“Barca are the favourites for the title because we are the current champions. Madrid have spent a lot of money in recent years and are desperate to regain the title, but I feel comfortable being billed as the favourites. It’s a challenge for us.”

One potential problem for Barca is the perceived lack of depth in the squad, with a number of players allowed to depart before the close of the transfer window, but Xavi is confident that their youngsters will provide more than adequate cover if required.

“Our squad is small, but it’s very competitive and everyone in it is ready to play,” he said. “Some teams have 25 or 26 players but four or five aren’t considered by the coach. We also have a youth academy that is going through an extraordinary period, with players of real quality who can step up to the first team at any time.

“We have a good squad. It’s competitive and I think there are more advantages than disadvantages to having a small squad.”

Barca did bring in a midfield reinforcement in Javier Mascherano, at least, and Xavi believes he will be a valuable addition to the squad.
“It seems like a great signing,” he said. “He is a hard worker and we will be better with Mascherano.”

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP)

Jaka Lokovic scored 19 points and Slovenia hit 16 of 33 3-pointers to eliminate Australia 87-58 Sunday in the round of 16 at the basketball world championship.

Lokovic’s corner 3-pointer in the game’s opening seconds sparked a 12-0 run. Primoz Brezec of the Milwaukee Bucks had 12 points and Goran Dragic added 10 points and eight assists for Slovenia.

Australia didn’t score until Joseph Ingles’ layup 4 1/2 minutes into the game. Ingles and Patrick Mills of the Portland Trailblazers had 13 apiece for the Boomers, who were 18 of 58 from the field.

Midfielder Esteban Cambiasso has rejected suggestions Inter are an ultra-defensive side.

Cambiasso was a key figure for Inter as they won Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League, but there have been those who have criticised the side for playing ‘anti-football’.

Cambiasso admits Inter may not play with as much style as Barcelona, but he insists the attacking element of the Nerazzurri’s game should not be underestimated.

“Everyone who plays football would like to play like Barcelona or Spain, who focus on possession and spectacle, but it’s not true that in Italy, and specifically Inter, we defend and do nothing else,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport.

“You cannot win every trophy available by just sitting there waiting for your opponents. We know when it’s the right moment to attack and the moment to defend.”

Meanwhile, Samuel Eto’o has defended Rafael Benitez after after Inter lost the UEFA Super Cup to Atletico Madrid and then drew their opening Serie A match 0-0 at Bologna.

“Our squad is growing exponentially and I can guarantee that Benitez is a great coach,” he said. “We will do very well together.

“I think you all saw Bologna-Inter and realise it was a game that should’ve ended 5-0 for us, but their goalkeeper, Emiliano Viviano, was truly incredible.”

Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed Frank Lampard will be fit for Chelsea’s trip to West Ham on Saturday.

Lampard has missed England’s Euro 2012 qualifiers after he decided to undergo a hernia operation, but Ancelotti says he will not miss any games for his club. “For sure, Frank will be fit for the West Ham game,” he said in the Daily Star Sunday.

It has been suggested that it was decided that Lampard would have the operation during the international break to avoid missing games for Chelsea, but Ancelotti insists the need for surgery only became clear recently.

“No, we didn’t decide at the start of the season to do this now,” he said. “After the Stoke game, Frank was in a lot of pain, so he decided, after talking to the club doctor, to resolve and remove the problem immediately.”

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan believes a number of the club’s foreign players “couldn’t be bothered” because they expected to leave Upton Park before the close of the transfer window.

West Ham currently sit bottom of the Premier League having lost all three of their opening games and, with a difficult run of fixtures coming up, they could find themselves even further adrift by the end of the month.

Sullivan, though, believes the Hammers will improve as he expects the unnamed players to up their game having failed to secure a move away.

“We’ve got a few foreign players who wanted to leave but we didn’t receive any offers,” he told the News of the World. “I think they couldn’t be bothered but now the deadline has passed they realise the only way out is to play for the club and to play well and I think they will make a contribution.

“They are here until at least January so they will get their heads down and work for the benefit of the club. They had their heads in the air before that.

“The team that started against Manchester United was the same team from last season because virtually all the new signings were injured. Out of our new signings, Victor Obinna didn’t have international clearance, Thomas Hitzlsperger was injured, Winston Reid has a torn muscle in his buttocks, Tal Ben Haim was not fully fit and Pablo Barrera was knackered after playing two full games in the week after the World Cup.

“Now, with our new players getting back and the others back playing, you will see us get better game by game. The next three games are very, very tough – Chelsea at home; Stoke, who are particularly good on their own ground; and Tottenham at home.

“Three tough games and then the season really starts with the Fulham game on October 2. The Bolton game was a major disappointment but it’s early days.”

The News of the World reports that Avram Grant could be dismissed shortly if the Hammers fail to move up the table, but Sullivan told the paper: “I haven’t relayed any messages to Avram at all. I just expect a gradual improvement in form.

“He’d love to have 30 million to 40 million to spend, but what manager wouldn’t? He inherited a very imbalanced squad and it’s significant.”

Robinho has said his managers at Manchester City failed to understand him and admits he found the city “an awful place to live”.

Despite his fee breaking the British transfer record when he left Real Madrid, Robinho ended a two-year spell at Eastlands on transfer deadline day when he moved to AC Milan, having earlier spent a spell at former club Santos on loan.

However, despite brief glimpses of his quality, Robinho struggled to adapt to England – particularly as he had intended to join Chelsea, with his ex-national team coach Luiz Felipe Scolari – and he feels Mark Hughes and Roberto Mancini did not get to grips with his mentality.

“Neither Hughes nor Mancini understood me,” he told the People newspaper. “Perhaps they only believed in the sporting side of things, but that wasn’t enough for me.

“There was a lack of contact between the players and the club. It was much like an office – to training and goodbye, to a match and goodbye. I am Brazilian and I can’t offer my best performance if I’m not happy in every aspect of life.

“That was my problem. I am a special footballer and I need to be happy when I’m playing.
That was the case at Real Madrid but never at City. Perhaps I should never have left Real Madrid.

“My destination was Chelsea with Luiz Felipe Scolari but, at the last moment, City appeared and I accepted. I did not decide the transfer. Correspondence is always between clubs and I am not responsible for what anyone will pay, but Mark Hughes called me and insisted I joined the club. He was decisive in my move.”

His early performances had suggested he may ultimately prove successful in England but, with compatriots Elano and Jo failing to impress Hughes and making permanent and temporary moves away respectively, Robinho says he could not settle into life at the club.

“At the beginning it was positive, but England is a hard country and I had problems adapting,” he said. “Having Elano and Jo in the squad was a real bonus. They helped me to adapt but then Elano left I still don’t understand the motives behind his exit.

“I do not understand why people said things about us. We all demonstrated our quality in the team, and Elano and I were both then in the Brazil side. Perhaps Hughes did not understand how best to use us both in his squad.

“After that, Mark left and I don’t think that Mancini had confidence in me. Going on loan to Santos was the best solution because, if I’d stayed at City, I would not have played in the World Cup. The loan was very successful. I recaptured my love of football, won a title and confirmed my place in the Brazil team. It was an excellent experience and they tried to extend my loan, but City had made up their minds to sell.”

Robinho admits he was disappointed that City failed to become title challengers during his time at the club and found the climate in Manchester unbearable.

“When I arrived, the directors at City told me that, in a couple of years, we would overtake United, but the time has passed and nothing has changed,” he said. “Manchester is a sensational venue for football but an awful place to live … the winter, the cold and the dark nights. It’s very hard for a young Brazilian.

“The Premier League is one of the best in the world, without a doubt. The stadiums are always full and the atmosphere is incredible, but not every footballer is able to play in England. The character can be difficult for a foreigner.

“The best stadiums are Anfield and Old Trafford because of their histories, and my best memories will be my first goal for City and how happy everyone was with me, and the support City fans gave me during my stay.”

Sep 05 2010 – 15:30:32

England and Pakistan were hoping to set the ’spot-fixing’ crisis aside as rain cleared to raise the prospect of only a slightly delayed start to the NatWest International Twenty20 at Cardiff.

A match which had been placed in doubt for much of the past week following newspaper allegations against three Pakistan players – now charged and suspended under the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption code – was set to start just half an hour late, at 3pm.

It had been feared that fresh claims in the News of the World this morning might again endanger the limited-overs series, but those concerns proved unfounded.

ICC World Twenty20 champions England were therefore cleared to play their first match in the format since their victory over Australia in Barbados four months ago – against the previous title-holders.

England chose to field first, after the heavy morning rain.

The hosts were as published, with Steven Davies set to open the batting and Ravi Bopara to come in at number three.

Those two players were the only changes, in place of Kevin Pietersen and the injured Michael Lumb, from the team which won the world title.

Pakistan picked Fawad Alam rather than his fellow batsman Mohammad Hafeez, and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal was expected to open.

The Columbus Crew extended their lead at the top of Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference with a 1-0 win away to DC United on Saturday.

Crew moved seven points clear as Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s goal in the 23rd minute earned them victory in the capital.

Their nearest challengers the New York Red Bulls lost 1-0 at Real Salt Lake, for whom Fabian Espindola scored the solitary goal in the fourth minute.

The win took the Utah side within a point of Western Conference leaders the Los Angeles Galaxy, while FC Dallas are third as Jeff Cunningham’s 47th-minute goal was enough to beat Toronto FC.

The Colorado Rapids beat Chivas USA 3-0 thanks to an Omar Cummings brace while the New England Revolution overcame the Seattle Sounders 3-1.