Murray reaches Australian Open final as Scot eyes first Grand Slam prize

Murray persevered against a dogged opponent in Marin Cilic (Getty Images)


When Andy Murray delivered that forehand down the line beyond Marin Cilic's reach in the early stages of the second set, we all knew that the Scot was destined to achieve something special in Melbourne: winning his first ever Grand Slam.

The 22-year old from Dunblane won 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 against the Croatian in an absorbing contest arguably between the two hottest prospects in the game present. Murray was not in his ruthless best compared to what had been witnessed in the earlier rounds, particularly his 4th round match against big-serving American John Isner, but Murray wore down his Croat oppenent with a variety of backhand shots that left Cilic scampering.

Cilic had played three 5-set matches during the tournament, but there was little evidence to suggest that his legs could not deal with the strenuous workout in a match against the in-form Scot in a Grand Slam semi until the end of the third set.

Cilic won the first set quite convincingly with some precise serving and hitting powerful groundstrokes to nullify Murray's threat. Murray held his first two games of serve in the second set, until in game 6 he played an outrageous forehand shot with his backed turned after Cilic lobbed the Scot while he was at the net. The crowd roared on the Scot in amazement, and gradually the momentum shifted in the Scot's favour. Pumped by the adreneline and the prospect of reaching his second Grand Slam final after the 2008 US Open, he eventually broke the Croat in the second to clinch the set 6-4.

It was the same story in the third. One break was all Murray needed and won the set in the same scoreline. Cilic's huge guard was dropping and his energy sapped from him. He was broken in the early stages in the fourth set through some penetrative tennis by Murray. The Scot's backhand was particularly a devastating weapon, striking the ball with great accuracy and finding all kinds of angles to drag Cilic's wiltering body off-court on a number of occasions.

He got the double break on game 6, and on what proved to be the final game at 5-2, Murray was dragged off-court next to gasping fans - the same kind of shot what Murray had been doing to Cilic for most of the evening - and fired an incredible forehand winner on his way to serving out the match.

Murray will face either Roger Federer or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Sunday's final. I'm sure many Brits will want Tsonga to win, but many neutrals will think otherwise. Either way, Sunday should be a classic.

Arsenal tumble out of FA Cup in bruising fashion

Arsenal will be hoping that this season will not end in the same somber way like the previous four did. The club have not tasted any champagne success since their FA Cup triumph back in 2005, and the purpose of bringing experienced defender Sol Campbell back for his second stint at the Gunners was to relive those very fond memories.

But on Sunday, The Gunners lost 3-1 to an efficient Stoke outfit motivated by the occasion and the prospect of a strong run in the competition, knowing that Premier League safety is a likely prospect for yet another season given their reliable form at home.

Arsenal were at times poor in possession for a team with such telling talent. With the ball at their feet, Arsenal were unable to pose a serious threat to a gargantuan Stoke rearguard. There was no striker looking to get in behind the Stoke defence, and the end product was sparse with Theo Walcott often holding accountable for his poor crossing.

Arsenal were at war against Stoke, and on this evidence Arsenal have a lot to prove if they can consistently beat physically imposing sides in the Premiership away. Away matches against Blackburn and Birmingham for example, are on the horizon in the kind of fixtures that can keep a team in the title race, or fizzle away from contention.

It was surely The Gunners' best chance of bagging the FA Cup this season, with formidable cup outfits Liverpool and Manchester United knocked out the previous round.

So the team will again look at the Premier League and Champions League as their only sources for major honours this season. Arsenal fans can only pray over the next couple of months that their side's hopes do not fizzle out a while before the club football season draws to a close.

Benitez loses the plot as Liverpool sink to new depths

Rafa Benitez is under pressure to keep his job, but some fans remain by his side (The Telegraph)


Containing six defenders and two defensive midfielders, creative midfielders on the bench, and the enigmatic winger Ryan Babel left out of the squad against Stoke, it is no wonder Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is having very little confidence in his side.

The Reds drew 1-1 against Stoke at the Britannia in a game devoid of any quality and imagination from either team. Both sides almost ping-ponged long balls aimlessly in periods during the first and second halves in what would be a quckly forgettable game.

Sotirios Kyrgiakos bundled in to put Liverpool in front before Robert Huth tapped in at the far post from an aimless punt into the box found its way towards the German.

Chris Waddle said on the BBC Sport website that without Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, Liverpool are an ordinary team. And yes, on many occasions that has proven to be the case. Waddle also mentioned that the wingers in Benitez's favoured 4-2-3-1 formation provide very little impact. Many fans and pundits do question the Spaniard's decision-making, particularly on transfers. This goes back to 2004 when he joined the club.

Liverpool have seen ordinary players, at best, come and play for the Anfield club. Antonio Nunez, Mauricio Pellegrino, Lucas, Fernando Morientes, Mark Gonzalez, Jan Kromkamp, Andriy Voronin, Jermaine Pennant are many examples that have plied their trade for Liverpool and have flattered to deceive at the best of times.

Some can say it is managerial flaws adopting a stagnant defensive approach and a great lack of attacking width and penetration. Whilst the spine of the current side is still relatively strong, a lack of player faith has often been a recurring theme with Rafa Benitez.

He sold Robbie Keane just before the transfer window closed last January for a fee believed to be around £10m, only half of the money received from his £20m transfer from Tottenham only six months prior. £20m summer signing Alberto Aquilani has hardly featured, and when he has, Benitez has put him in a defensive midfield role that does not seem to suit his style of play as a forward-thinking player. And Ryan Babel has had a torrid time. The only player that has a great deal of potential, and more importantly pace, is currently out of Rafa's first-team plans and has been since he signed from Ajax in 2007.

Will he be sacked? Only time will tell, as it is believed the owners will have to compensate the Spanaird to the tune of some £20m to remove him from his post. They better swap him for Robbie Keane then.

The festive period

While the nation indulged on their Christmas dinner, footballers were braving the chill freeze during a busy festive programme. By the beginning of January, Arsenal have now emerged as serious title contenders.

Despite the Gunners' hot form in December, many people are left wondering how this Arsenal will fare over the course of the season. Packed with youthful exuberance and talent, pundits are questioning boss Arsene Wenger's judgement of persisting with his young squad, and not dabbing into the club's transfer budget for experience players, especially up front.

They progressed into the 4th round of the FA Cup with a comeback 2-1 victory against a West Ham side full of endeavour, but a lack of ruthlessness.

The recent snowy weather has played havoc in the Premiership programme. Arsenal's fixture against Bolton was postponed on Wednesday after local authorities said that fans travelling to and from the stadium would be too dangerous. Bolton fans were extremely dissappointed that the fixture was only cancelled only five hours prior to kick-off, to an extent that Arsenal felt it was necessary to refund the visiting fans for the tickets paid and costs in travel arrangements for the long journey south.

Chelesea's uncertain form has been deemed a cause of concern amongst pundits, but not manager Carlo Ancelotti, who remains confident that reserve striker Daniel Sturridge will bag the goals to strengthen The Blues' title chances. Joe Cole's form from his year-long absence from injury has worried Ancelotti, but also seems buoyant that the 28-year old can pick up his form as the season progresses, especially with the incentive of a place in England's World Cup squad in mind.

Man Utd have been flattering to deceive. Some performances have been either astonishingly great or shockingly bad. Being consistently inconsistent have been United's problem this season, who have missed the attacking prescence of Cristiano Ronaldo greatly. Michael Owen was lacklustre coming on as a substitute in the 1-0 FA Cup defeat at home against League One's Leeds United.

While the snow continues to fall during this month, the title race still hangs in the balance. The hit and miss form of the three top sides in England have given the incentive to Tottenham, Aston Villa and Man City - all top four contenders - to apply pressure on the league leaders Chelsea. while January is not the make or break period of the season, it can definitely add some more heat into the title race during the cold snap.