International sports, Formula 1,
Monte Carlo Grand Prix (GenvaLunch) - Mark Webber led from start to finish to set up a one-two finish for Red Bull at the Monte Carlo Grand Prix 16 May. The Australian drove a controlled race and was never threatened. He now heads the standings with 78 points, equal to team-mate Sebastian Vettel who was second in the race. Lewis Hamilton came in fifth while Jenson Button was eliminated as his engine overheated. Michael Schumacher provided the one piece of controversy by passing Fernando Alonso on the final lap just after the fourth safety car had left the track on the final lap. The German veteran was given a 20 second penalty which moved him back from 6th to 12th place and allowed Swiss driver Sebastian Buemi to score his first point of the season for coming 10th.
Monte Carlo Country Club, Monaco (GenevaLunch) – Rafa Nadal was back to his best form as he crushed his countryman Fernando Verdasco 6-0 6-1 in just 96 minutes in the final of the Monte Carlo Masters, 18 April. It was his sixth successive win at the tournament, a record for any pro tournament since 1968. It also allowed Nadal to equal Roger Federer’s tally of 16 Masters wins, only one fewer than the record set by Andre Agassi. Federer did not play the tournament after early losses in two US tournaments in recent weeks.
Link to other sites: BBC,Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Swiss Olympic Champion Fabian Cancellara won the Tour de Suisse, coming in first in the final day time trial in Bern. Cancellara won gold in the time trial and bronze in the road race in the Beijing Olympics. He is not considered likely to win the Tour de France, which starts 4 July but could well take the yellow jersey in the first stage time trial in Monte Carlo. Details, swissinfo
Monte Carlo (GenevaLunch) - Rafael Nadal confirmed his position as number one and uncontested king of clay with his fifth successive victory in Monte Carlo.
Monte Carlo (TSR, Fre) – Roger Federer has been knocked out of Monte Carlo early in the tournament, but equally surprising is that he lost to Stanislas Wawrinka, 6-4 7-5 in one hour 50 minutes. Wawrinka, from canton Vaud, is the first Swiss to win against Federer since Marc Rosset in 2000. The Vaud player dominated the game, with more power and precision than Federer.
Basel, Switzerland (TSR, Fre) – Swiss tennis star Roger Federer will play in the Monte Carlo Rolex tennis tournament that opens Sunday 12 April, after having earlier said he would not appear there.
