Jelena Jankovic. Photographer: Ian Walton/Getty Images
Informed that she would face “a Thai girl” for a place in the last eight, Jelena Jankovic replied: “Tiger? Tiger who? Tiger Woods?” There were no drivers in evidence, but there was clubbing aplenty as the cull of the women’s seeds continued with Jankovic, the second seed, battered into submission [...]

Top player: Xavi of Spain. Photograph: Empics/PA
The Spain midfielder Xavi has been named the best player at Euro 2008 by Uefa’s technical committee. The 28-year-old Barcelona midfielder, the heartbeat of his team’s midfield during the tournament, was voted the Castrol player of the tournament by a nine-strong panel of Uefa’s technical experts.
There was no place [...]

South Africa’s Dale Steyn will pose a major threat to England’s batsmen. Photograph: Indranil Mukherjee/AFP
For England’s batsmen, the honeymoon is over. They do not play New Zealand any more. Actually they do not appear to have enjoyed their honeymoon a great deal: they have scratched around with little obvious enjoyment, scoring just enough runs to [...]

Dwain Chambers will take the BOA to court to contest his ban. Photograph: Christof Koepsel/Getty
The most expensive legal battle in British Olympic history is set to blast out of the starting blocks this week, after former drugs cheat Dwain Chambers twice achieved the Beijing qualifying time for the 100 metres at a small event in [...]

Roger Federer’s victory over Marc Gicquel sets up a fourth round tie with former champion Lleyton Hewitt. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Action Images
Every hero becomes a bore at last, observed Emerson - not Roy, who won 12 grand slam titles, including two Wimbledons, but Ralph Waldo, who was probably a duffer at tennis but understood a thing [...]

Venus Williams. Photograph: A Couldridge/Action
Venus Williams eased into the last 16 with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Spain’s Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez on Court No1 today.
The seventh seed raced through the first set in just 25 minutes, helped by some powerful serving, which included aces clocked at 116, 119 and 120mph.
Sanchez, the world No101, made [...]

England coach Tony Smith is shaping his side for the World Cup this autumn. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA
Friday morning in Toulouse and after some violent overnight thunderstorms the anticipation is building for what promises to be a full-blooded international tonight. There will be plenty more chances to say that this year, with autumn’s World Cup rushing [...]

Liverpool’s Peter Crouch has attracted the interest of Portsmouth, Manchester City, Tottenham and Newcastle. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
Liverpool’s hopes of receiving £12m for Peter Crouch have been encouraged by the growing interest in their England striker.
Portsmouth, Manchester City, Tottenham and Newcastle have registered their interest in the 27-year-old, although only Pompey have made an offer. [...]

Adebayor could be off to the San Siro. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
Emmanuel Adebayor’s departure from Arsenal moved a step closer today when his agent, Vincenzo Morabito, claimed Milan now have a “70 to 80% chance” of signing the forward. The Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said last week that Adebayor was his club’s sole transfer target this [...]

Collingwood could miss the final ODI against New Zealand. Photograph: Tom Shaw/Getty Images
Paul Collingwood faces a ban from international cricket as a result of England’s slow over rate in yesterday’s contentious one-wicket defeat by New Zealand at The Oval. England’s one-day captain, already under fire over a run-out incident in yesterday’s NatWest series match, will [...]