FOOTBALL

PREMIER LEAGUE

Aston Villa 0 Chelsea 0 Arsenal 4 (Thierry Henry 30p, Justin Hoyte 45+1, Robin van Persie 76p, 90) Charlton Athletic 0.

TENNIS

CHENNAI OPEN

Men’s Singles, Round I — Bjoern Phau (Ger) bt Olivier Patience (Fra) 6-4, 6-4 Fabrice Santoro (Fra) bt David Skoch (Czech) 3-0 (Skoch retired)

HOPMAN CUP

Singles — Tatiana Golovin (Fra) bt Alicia Molik (Aus) 7-5, 6-2 Mardy Fish (US) bt Dmitry Tursunov (Rus) 6-1, 6-4 Nadia Petrova (Rus) bt Ashley Harkleroad (US) 6-3, 6-0 Mixed Doubles — Nadia Petrova/ Dmitry Tursunov (Rus) bt Ashley Harkleroad/ Mardy Fish (US) 6-3, 7-5

AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S MEET

Women’s Singles, Round I — Dinara Safina (2, Rus) bt Elena Likhovtseva (Rus) 6-3, 6-2 Round II — Martina Hingis (1, Swi) bt Nicole Pratt (Aus) 6-0, 6-1 Tathiana Garbin (Ita) bt Severine Bremond (Fra) 6-3, 6-1 Catalina Castano (Com) bt Na Li (6, Chn) 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 Elena Vesnina (Rus) bt Katarina Srebotnik (7, Slovenia) 6-3, 6-2.

AUCKLAND CLASSIC

Women’s Singles, Round I — Jelena Jankovic (Scg) bt Julia Schruff (Germany) 6-3, 6-4 Emma Laine (Fin) bt Mathilde Johansson (Fra) 7-6(4), 6-1 Marina Erakovic (NZ) bt Meilen Tu (US) 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 Yvonne Meusburger (Aut) bt Ekaterina Bychkova (Rus) 7-5, 6-0 Vera Zvonareva (5, Rus) bt Lilia Osterloh (US) 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 Laura Granville (US) bt Romina Oprandi (Ita) 6-3, 6-4 Virginie Razzano (Fra) beat Kaia Kanepi (Est) 7-6 (1), 6-1 Daniela Hantuchova (3, Svk) bt Dominika Cibulkova (Svk) 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 Paola Suarez (Arg) bt Martina Mueller (Ger) 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 Round II — Jill Craybas (US) bt Gisela Dulko (Arg) 6-3, 7-5.

ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL

Men’s Singles, Round Robin — Paul Goldstein (US) bt Dominik Hrbaty (5, Svk) 6-2, 7-6 (4) Vince Spadea (US) bt Radek Stepanek (3, Cze) 6-4, 6-4 Richard Gasquet (2, Fra) bt Florian Mayer (Ger) 6-2, 6-1 Paul-Henri Mathieu (8, Fra) bt Jan Hernych (Cze) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 Novak Djokovic (1, Scg) bt Jan Hajek (Czec) 6-0, 6-1.

QATAR OPEN

Men’s Singles, Round I — Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Esp) bt Potito Starace (Ita) 2-6, 7-5, 7-5 Gael Monfils (Fra) bt Andreas Seppi (Ita) 6-3, 6-4 Andy Murray (4, Gbr) bt Filippo Volandri (Ita) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (Esp) bt Sultan Khalfan (Qat) 7-6 (5), 6-2 Mikhail Youzhny (5, Rus) bt Daniele Bracciali (Ita) 7-5, 6-3 Christophe Rochus (Bel) bt Alberto Martin (Esp) 6-4, 7-5 Robin Soederling (6, Swe) bt Kristof Vliegen (Bel) 6-3, 6-3 Marcos Baghdatis (Cyp) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (Ger) 6-4, 7-5.

For the book

China will take the Olympic torch relay over the summit of Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, in a trial run this year, media reported in Beijing on Wednesday. "The torch will be designed specifically in order to burn at such a high altitude," Liu Jingmin, Beijing's deputy mayor, was quoted by a news agency.