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Last year, Andy Murray reigned supreme at the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne. This year, he went out in the second round against some guy named Mardy Fish, who's not even ranked in the top 100 worldwide. Murray had a bye in the first round, meaning he didn't win a single match. Ouch.

"I haven't been tough enough on the court and that's what's most disappointing. Mentally, the last few weeks I've been really poor and unacceptable," Murray tells the Press Association. "I've been very happy off the court but not on it, and that's where I need to be happy just now because this is my career.

"I need to start to enjoy my tennis again like at the start of the year. I need to be that person again."Roberto Forzoni, a psychologist who apparently has no problems talking about former clients with the press, says, "I'm there for him. We've got a good relationship and he can pick up the phone at any time. I'm going to be trying to contact him in the next day or so to see if there's anything I can do."

LAHORE: Former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik is engaged to Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and the two will soon be tying the knot, leading television channels in India and Pakistan reported on Monday.

While reports about the engagement started doing rounds since early evening, Sania’s father Imran Mirza, a former sports journalist, confirmed the news to a leading Indian channel, Aaj Tak, while speaking from Hyderabad Deccan later in the evening.

A few channels also quoted Sania’s agents as confirming the development, which took many by surprise. According to the channel, Shoaib’s mother met Sania’s parents in India and sought their consent for making Sania her daughter-in-law.

In Sialkot, Malik’s family sources confirmed the news and disclosed that date for the wedding would be decided in the first week of April. The valima reception is likely to be held in Lahore in mid-April.

Malik, serving a one-year ban imposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board, is currently in Sharjah for the Bangladesh League.

The all-rounder was also in the news for similar reasons during Pakistan cricket team’s tour to India in 2005. He was then accused of ditching another Indian girl, Ayesha Siddiqui, who coincidentally belonged to Hyderabad. The two had met through Internet and got married. Ayesha’s father had also threatened to sue Malik for jilting the girl. Malik later denied having any relations whatsoever with her.

Sania Mirza, on the other hand, had also hit the headlines last year after she called off her engagement with an Indian businessman and friend, Mohammad Sohrab Mirza.

Reliable sources told Dawn that Malik’s involvement with Sania had a hand in the break up of her first engagement. In a recent interview, Malik had said: “I desire to get married soon. You will soon get some good news but it depends on my family. I expect to get married this year.”

Asked if it would be an arranged marriage, he said: “No one can say what will happen, but it will take place with the consent of my family.”

You will soon get some good news but it depends on my family. I expect to get married this year, Shoaib Malik said in a recent interview.

Source : Dawn

Even with Roger Federer’s late-2007 hiccup (which saw him lose back-to-back matches for the first time since 2003), the Swiss and World No. 1 came out on top this year.

He beat sixth seed David Ferrer 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 to win his fourth Tennis Masters Cup title in five years.

Another record: Roger collected $1.2 million and a Mercedes-Benz C-Class for the win, putting his 2007 prize money pot at $10 million plus — an ATP record.

Earlier in the week, Federer also picked up another trophy by clinching the year-end No. 1 spot for the fourth year in a row.

See a photo of Ferrer (plus doubles winners) after the cut…

Ferrer and Federer

Meanwhile, runners-up Simon Aspelin and Julian Knowle of Austria stand next to doubles winners Daniel Nestor and Mark Knowles.

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