Manchester United Fan In Malaysia

Top-ranked Rafael Nadal outlasted fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (2), 6-7 (1), 6-4 today to reach the Australian Open final after the longest match in the tournament’s history.

The fans were riveted as the left-handed Davis Cup teammates went at each other for 5 hours and 14 minutes. There were no arguments, no gamesmanship, just great shots, with the momentum shifting on a handful of key points.

The previous longest match at Melbourne Park came in 1991, when Boris Becker needed 5 hours and 11 minutes to beat Italian Omar Camporese, with the fifth set going 14-12.

Nadal earned the right to try to keep second-ranked Roger Federer from tying Pete Sampras’ record of 14 major titles on Sunday. Federer advanced to his 18th Grand Slam final with a straight sets win over Andy Roddick yesterday

I am not really tennis fan but I follow the sport as well. In tennis I always prefer Federer to Nadal although my wife though that “Rafael” was a cool name instead of “Roger”. But last night match is truly magnificent..5 hours running and hitting is out of this world. Tennis is not like badminton…you must hit hard in every ball. I just wonder….why NO Malaysia football players has a gut and stamina like Nadal & Verdasco or as any world class tennis players. If we only have one player..maybe we can improve a lot….

National head coach B. Sathianathan said both teams might have their own tactical games but at the end, only the team which can last the pace for 90 minutes can win the match.

“And the fitness factor worries me because based on the fitness test conducted at the National Sports Institute (NSI) last week, only three of them passed while the others were just average,” he told reporters, here today.

He admitted that although his charges should be fit enough as all of them are fresh from the Malaysian league which kicked-off early January, most of the players did not reach the international fitness standard.

Mourinho might hate this decision by FIFA. He is too scared too face United in Champions League. That is why he just love the weaken United side. When his team has been drawn to face United, Mourinho said that he just wish to face United because there are the best. And now???….Hahaha..Got scared already??

Nemanja Vidic learned last night that he will be banned from the first leg of Manchester United’s Champions League tie against Internazionale as punishment for being sent off in last month’s World Club Cup final. Vidic was also fined 5,000 Swiss francs (£3,000) but his initial disappointment was offset by the knowledge that it could have been significantly worse.

During a quizzed by comedian, Patrick Kielty – As a knight of the realm yourself, what more does Ryan Giggs have to do to become a Sir?

Sir Alex answered..

Good question. Especially when you consider how the English rugby team, when they won three or four matches to win the World Cup, were given knighthoods and MBEs. Ryan Giggs has performed like a star for 20 years in the Premier League, going up and down that touchline. He’s won ten Premier League medals, I hope it’s 11 this year, and two European Cups and what has he got, an MBE? It doesn’t seem right. Longevity must surely surpass short-term success.

Yeah..I hope what Sir Alex said will become true. Ryan Giggs deserves to be called Sir Ryan Giggs!