A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
Frenchman Jeremy Chardy battled back from a set down to beat Romanian Victor Hanescu 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in Stuttgart on Sunday and clinch his maiden tour title in style. Ranked 43rd, the 22-year-old recovered from an error-ridden first set to whip Hanescu, still looking for his second title after winning in Gstaad last year, into submission with his thundering forehand and some clever volleying.
Rafael Nadal returns to his favourite tournament, albeit not his preferred court, to begin pursuit of a record-extending 10th French Open title on Monday against Frenchman Benoit Paire.
Former world number one Maria Sharapova has been invited to play at the Madrid Open in May, which takes place less than two weeks after her 15-month doping ban expires, tournament organisers said on Wednesday.
Lahm, a defensive midfielder, is among Germany's most successful players of all time, having won almost every trophy with club and country, including seven Bundesliga titles, the Champions League and the World Cup.
Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova stunned world number one Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-3 to win the Stuttgart Grand Prix on Sunday. Kuznetsova, the world number nine, was more consistent than fellow Russian Safina, holding her serve throughout to clinch her first tournament of the year after an hour and 19 minutes.
World number one Dinara Safina staged a comeback to beat Italian Flavia Pennetta 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 on Saturday and reach the Stuttgart Grand Prix final where she will face fellow-Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova. Fifth seed Kuznetsova crushed compatriot and number two seed Elena Dementieva 6-4, 6-2 in just 67 minutes.
Former Wimbledon runner-up Marion Bartoli beat seventh seed Caroline Wozniacki 7-6, 6-4 at the Stuttgart Grand Prix on Thursday to set up a quarter-final against world number three Elena Dementieva. World number one Dinara Safina also moved into the last eight with a comfortable 6-4, 6-2 win over Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia and will now meet Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska.
Former champion Maria Sharapova's hopes of playing at this year's Wimbledon championships could hinge on a June 20 meeting of tournament organisers unless the Russian hits form in forthcoming events in Madrid and Rome.
She should win her place thanks to good results, says Radwanska
Champions Bayern Munich crushed Stuttgart 5-1 on Tuesday to ease into the German Cup quarter-finals after a six-week winter break. Hamburg SV striker Ivica Olic scored a hat-trick against 1860 Munich to lead his team into the quarter-finals and show why Bayern Munich rushed to sign him for next season.
Tennis star Maria Sharapova said on Tuesday she is excited about her return to competition next month, feeling vindicated by the reduction of her doping suspension and empowered by her time away.
The world number four was forced to miss Russia's Fed Cup final victory over Italy this month because of the injury, which she has been carrying since March.
The luxury car maker plans to recruit 1,000 people next year; in five years, research staff had jumped from 700 to 3,500.
Check out some of the up-and-comers who could cause an upset at Wimbledon this year.
Jelena Jankovic won a fierce scrap with Venus Williams 6-7, 7-5, 6-2 on Saturday to set up a Stuttgart Grand Prix final against Nadia Petrova. Unseeded Russian Petrova's 6-4, 6-4 victory over Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in the opening semi-final was straightforward by comparison.
Venus Williams overwhelmed third-seeded Russian Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-2 to reach the semi-finals of the Stuttgart Grand Prix.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have shared the grand slam spoils this year and it would take a hard heart not to hope for a fairy tale rematch next month of their epic 2008 Wimbledon final.
The Frenchman, seeded five, had no answer to left-hander Muller's swinging serve as he bowed out 6-4, 6-4.
Extends contract up to 2020
Barcelona snatched a late 2-1 win at Getafe with Paulinho's strike sending them seven points clear of arch-rivals Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.
Penpix of the top women's contenders at the 2017 French Open:
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Thursday
Eugenie Bouchard pulled off her first win over Maria Sharapova with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 triumph in the Madrid Open on Monday in a thrilling contest full of tension after the Canadian had called the Russian a cheater following her doping ban.
Atletico Madrid demonstrated their remarkable team spirit to come roaring back from two goals and a man down to draw 2-2 at Liga debutants Girona on Saturday, after Antoine Griezmann had been sent off for the first time in his career.
Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza and her Swiss doubles partner, Martina Hingis, have booked their place in the semi-finals of the Italian Open after securing a straight sets win in the women's doubles event in Rome on Friday.
'We are all members of a tennis paradise that this year improbably promises to last forever -- and we owe it in no small part to the two champions' parents,' notes Rahul Jacob.
The 24-year-old ended a four-year title drought to claim his second ATP crown. He also beat Acasuso in the Bucharest final in 2002.
The Belgian world number one beat France's Tatiana Golovin 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the final of the Stuttgart Grand Prix to land her eighth title of the year.
Carles Puyol and Lionel Messi gave Group E favourites Barcelona a 2-0 win at VfB Stuttgart in the Champions League.
Barcelona are in intimidating form going into Tuesday's Champions League clash with VfB Stuttgart and the Germans are fearing the worst.
Factbox on Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, who announced his retirement from international football on Friday.
Check out the top men's contenders at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships:
Germany forward Mario Gomez is leaving Turkish champions Besiktas due to the volatile political situation in the country, he said on Wednesday.
Three gymnastics judges have been banned and five more given warnings for biased or unsatisfactory scoring at recent events, the sport's world governing body announced on Wednesday.
World number two Rafael Nadal won his sixth title of the year on Sunday, seeing off a stiff challenge from unseeded Stanislas Wawrinka to win 6-4 7-5 in the final.
Nuremberg won the German Cup for the fourth time when they beat Bundesliga champions VfB Stuttgart 3-2 after extra time in a thrilling final at Berlin's Olympiastadion on Saturday.
All it took was "one stupid move" for Roger Federer's season to fall into an abyss.
Angelique Kerber is looking forward to a potential German sporting double over the next fortnight, aiming to win Wimbledon as one of the favourites while also cheering on her national football team at Euro 2016. Australian Open champion Kerber revealed on Saturday that she had been hooked on watching the Euros, particularly the progress of Die Mannschaft, during her preparations in London.
Swiss tennis maestro Roger Federer stepped up his bid for a record ninth Halle grasscourt title with a straight sets victory over Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff in the opening round on Wednesday.
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