Pete vote for Roger

Los Angeles: Pete Sampras thinks he could have held his own against Roger Federer but conceded on Tuesday that the Swiss master is poised to smash his record of 14 Grand Slam titles. Sampras, who retired after winning the 2002 US Open, considered what the result might have been had the two giants of men’s tennis met in their prime. “I don’t think one guy would have dominated the other,” said the American during a teleconference to announce his return to tournament tennis on a tour for over-30 players. “I think our games are pretty similar. It would have been a great clash to see us in our prime.”

Clijsters pulls out

Brussels: Kim Clijsters has pulled out of next week’s Open Gaz de France in Paris because of a bad hip. She said she wants to make sure she is fit to play the following week at the Diamond Games in Antwerp. “Unfortunately I will have to give the tournament in Paris a bye,” she said on her website on Wednesday. “Otherwise I would endanger my participation in Antwerp, and that is something which I want to avoid at all cost.”

Titles for Ritwik, Joshna

Mumbai: Top seeds Ritwik Bhattacharya and Joshna Chinappa emerged the men’s and women’s champions respectively in the ISP All India squash tournament on Monday. Pitted against second seed Khalid Atlas Khan, the top-ranked Ritwik won 12-10, 11-9, 11-7, while Joshna authored a 11-5, 11-8, 11-9 triumph over second seed Dipika Pallikal.

Bayern fire Magath

Frankfurt: Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich fired coach Felix Magath on Wednesday and brought back his predecessor Ottmar Hitzfeld, who guided the club to the Champions League title in 2001. “We regret this step.” Club chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said in a statement. “But we… had to react to the current developments. Concern about qualifying for next season’s Champions League led us to reach today’s decision.”

Heynckes quits

Berlin: Jupp Heynckes resigned as coach of Borussia Moenchengladbach on Wednesday, the Bundesliga club announced. “We all regret this move very much,” Moenchengladbach president Rolf Koenigs said. “He’ll always be a Borussia man.”

Golf, EPGA: Dubai Desert Classic Day I from 3 pm on TEN Sports
Hockey, PHL: Bangalore Lions vs Orissa Steelers live from 6.30 pm on ESPN