EURO 2012

подаръциVictoria Azarenka has been forced to pull out of the Rome Masters with a shoulder problem, casting doubt on her participation in the French Open.

The world number one, who is 7/2 with bet365 to win …-old faces a battle to be fit in time to take her place in the draw.
Meanwhile, Serena Williams, Azarenka’s conqueror at the Madrid Masters, continued her progress in Rome after defeating Nadia Petrova in three sets, but struggled with back pain.
“Everyone has aches and pains here and there …

…The three-time Major winner told the PGA Tour website: “It will be my 19th appearance in this event and I have only four top-10s to show for it, but I like the golf course and always look forward to teeing it up here.
“Shooting four good, solid rounds of golf is my primary goal. We’ll see where that leaves me on Sunday afternoon.”
A high-quality field at Sawgrass sees nine of the top ten players in the world rankings in action, with only Masters champion Bubba Watson opting to miss the event.

… defended his playing schedule ahead of his much-anticipated return to action at the Wells Fargo Championship.

McIlroy is 15/2 with bet365 to win the tournament, which will see him make his first appearance since his 40th-placed finish at the Masters last month.
The US Open champion has received criticism from some commentators, who believe he doesn’t play enough tournament golf.
But the world number two says he wants a balance between golf and his life outside the sport, and insists his …

…way by 2010 Crucible winner Neil Robertson in the quarter-finals of the World Championship.

O’Sullivan beat Mark Williams 13-6 to reach the last eight and is now 15/8 with bet365 to clinch his fourth world title.
However, he said of Robertson, who is 7/2 to win the tournament: “I think whoever wins this championship will have to beat Neil Robertson, and I’ve got to play him now.
“Neil’s had a brilliant season, he’s won the Masters. He’s a big-time player and he’s proved it on the big stage.”

World number two Rafael Nadal believes he has hit top form ahead of the French Open next month.

Nadal secured the Barcelona Open title on Sunday after sealing the top prize at the Monte Carlo Masters seven days earlier.
The Spaniard was delighted with his win and feels he is in fine form heading into the French Grand Slam.
He said: “I played at a very high level to win in Monte Carlo and now Barcelona without losing a set, but I’ve been playing at a high level from the beginning of the year …

… for victories.
He told AFP: “Would I like to be known as a great golfer or someone who wears great, great clothes? I’d like to be known for both. I’m not picking one over the other.
“First and foremost I have been able to win more than 13 tournaments around the world, so I am a good golfer. It’s dead simple.”
Poulter showed signs of a return to top form at the first Major of the season, finishing the Masters with a superb final round of 66, which left him seventh on the final leaderboard.

1998 champion Mark O’Meara believes that friend Tiger Woods, 5/1 with bet365, will be a major contender at the Masters this weekend having recently returned to winning ways.

Woods claimed the title at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last month, with his five-shot margin of victory a warning that the 14-time Major champion is back in the groove.
O’Meara told the Augusta Chronicle: “I expect Tiger to play well here. I’d be shocked if he doesn’t, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t.
“He’s driving…

Robert Rock is aiming to book his place in the Masters with an improved performance in this year’s Hassan Trophy.

Rock, the current world 57, is 175/1 with bet365 to win in Augusta. He must finish in the top two in Agadir, Morocco, to move up into the top 50 and take his place at the Masters.
The 34-year-old finished 19th in the Hassan Trophy 12 months ago after a poor performance in the final two rounds, despite being one shot off the lead at one point.
“I…

Tiger Woods has been handed a fresh injury blow less than a month ahead of the first Major of the year, The Masters at Augusta.

The former world number one, 6/1 with bet365 to win a fifth Masters title, was forced to pull out after 11 holes of his final round at the WGC Cadillac Championship, with Woods complaining of a sore Achilles.
A statement from Woods confirmed: “I…

… made him a stronger player, while it also allowed him to play in the US Open for the first time in his career.
Colsaerts told the European Tour’s official website: “After ten years of trying to win, I finally did it and it really helped me to realise how good I could be.
“It set me on a whole new career path and really helped me fulfil a lot of the potential I knew I had.”
Colsaerts is 7/1 to be the top Continental European in China, with Masters star Hanson 11/2 and Jose Manuel Lara 20/1.