Melbourne, - Long-range forecasters are predicting a sunny fortnight for the Australian Open when the first Grand Slam of the season starts on January 19.

The official weatherman of the event advises sunscreen and a hat for punters, who can expect to find fair weather for much of the time at Melbourne Park.

In a technological upgrade, the tournament will have its own weather office and forecasters on site, a practice already in place at Roland Garros, which rain is always a factor influencing play.

Melbourne, - Roger Federer has been noted as one of the 300 richest people in Switzerland by business magazine Bilanz, with a net worth estimated at between 100 and 160 million dollars.

While the world number two heads the all-time ATP prize money list on 43 million dollars in prize money and counting, most of Federer's earnings occur off-court under the tutelage of IMG, which is said to have trebled his annual income to around 35 million dollars.

London - Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has called on his side to make sure they are still head of the domestic pack when European competition resumes in February.

They lead the Premier League by a point, but the big question mark over them is the depth of their squad, and Benitez knows that the next few weeks, in the gap between the Champions League group stage and the start of the knockouts, is critical.

"We now have almost three months to concentrate on the Premier League, and the FA Cup," he told reporters.

Madrid - Real Madrid are determined to win away to historic rivals Barcelona on Saturday - against all the odds.

Three days ago the "madridistas" didn't seem to have a prayer in the Nou Camp, against a Barca side carrying all before them at home and in Europe.

Indeed, straight after Sunday's 4-3 defeat at home to Sevilla - which left Real fifth in La Liga, nine points behind leaders Barca - coach Bernd Schuster said that "right now, it's impossible for us to beat Barcelona."

This pessimistic statement was one of the reasons why Schuster was sacked on Sunday, and replaced by Juande Ramos.

Los Angeles - For one quarter, Carmelo Anthony went into attack mode, and then into the NBA history books.

Anthony erupted for 45 points, including a league record-tying 33 in the third quarter, carrying the Nuggets to a 116-105 home victory over the slumping Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

"That was one of the greatest quarters I've ever been apart of," said Anthony, who added 11 rebounds to his ninth career game of 40 or more points. "The most important thing is we won the game tonight."

London, Dec 11 : Fallen footie legend Paul Gascoigne a. k. a Gazza has found a unique way to beat his booze and drug addiction - talking to horses.