Djokovic given forfeit into semis

Novak Djokovic progressed to the semi-finals in Dubai when his opponent withdrew. Source: MARWAN NAAMANI / AFP

NOVAK Djokovic advanced to the semi-finals of the Dubai Open more quickly than he would have wished when his opponent, Mikhail Youzhny, was taken ill and withdrew on Thursday.

The sixth-seeded Russian had twice reached the final in Dubai and would have provided a good test for the seven-time Grand Slam champion from Serbia, and Djokovic would certainly have preferred to experience that.

Returning to the tour more than five weeks since the loss of his Australian Open title, his greatest need is match practice.

However, he approaches a possible semi-final meeting with Roger Federer after little more than two hours court time from two encounters.

Djokovic was pleased enough with his performance after a very routine 6-1 6-3 win on Wednesday against Roberto Bautista Agut, a Spaniard just outside the top 50, and suggested that accumulated knowledge helped make up for ring rustiness.

"The experience that I have playing, you know, the top players for many years helps me to understand what I need to do and what kind of approach I need to have," he said.

Nevertheless a maximum possible four matches here is less than he wanted going into the back-to-back high prestige American hard court tournaments, in Indian Wells and Miami, which can be physically and mentally very demanding.

Mikhail Youzhny was forced to pull out when he fell ill.

Djokovic's greatest gain so far has possibly been the working relationship between his long-time coach Marian Vajda, and his new coaching consultant, Boris Becker, the six time former Grand Slam winner from Germany.

Djokovic originally admitted that this arrangement was "a potential risk", but here he has been more upbeat about it.

"They are getting along really well," he claimed. "That means a lot to me, because Marian is more than just a coach to me."

Djokovic was joined in the semi-finals by Philipp Kohlschreiber, the sixth-seeded German who capitalised on the withdrawal of the injured second-seeded Juan Martin Del Potro by winning 6-2 6-3 against Malek Jaziri, the wildcard from Tunisia.

Kohlschreiber will play the winner between Tomas Berdych, the in-form third-seeded Czech, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the fifth-seeded Frenchman who contested the Marseilles final on Sunday.

Djokovic will meet the winner of the fourth-seeded Federer, who holds a record five titles here, and Lukas Rosol, an unseeded Czech who was the surprise conqueror of Rafa Nadal at Wimbledon in 2012.

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Marquez to miss Phillip Island test

MotoGP champion Marc Marquez will miss Phillip Island. Source: Lai Seng Sin / AP

HONDA'S Marc Marquez said he would miss next week's Phillip Island test due to his broken leg.

Marquez, who is also absent from Malaysia's Sepang circuit this week, said his surgeon had advised him against taking "unnecessary risk" so that he is fit for the season's opening race on March 23.

The 21-year-old Spaniard, who last year became the youngest rider ever to win the world title and the first rookie in 35 years, suffered the broken leg during dirt bike training last week in Spain.

"I'm obviously disappointed that I'm not in Sepang at the moment and to miss Phillip Island is also unfortunate," Marquez said in a statement.

"So I will take time to rest and get myself as fit as possible to return to Qatar for the first race."

Since 2009 no premier-class rider has won the MotoGP title back-to-back.

It came as teammate Dani Pedrosa set the pace on day two of MotoGP testing in Malaysia.

Marc Marquez (L) and Dani Pedrosa (R).

It was a solid run for Pedrosa, who is seeking to capture an elusive first MotoGP world title, after hitting the top of the time sheet in 2 minutes 00.039 seconds and ahead of Yamaha pair Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.

"My performance today was better than yesterday. The bike was stable on the corner. We will work on the rear tyre tomorrow," Pedrosa said.

But the Spaniard's best lap time was 0.5 seconds slower than the marker set down by Marquez in the previous Sepang test as riders again complained the track was greasy forcing the 22 riders to throttle back.

Yamaha's Aleix Espargaro who dominated early testing came in second at 2:00.320 while Honda's Alvaro Bautista who posted the fastest time on day one of a test session in this notoriously tricky circuit was in third position — 0.461 seconds behind Pedrosa.

Nine-time Italian world champion Rossi came in fourth, 0.566 seconds slower than rival Pedrosa.

Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso who came in fifth with a time of 2:00.787 was again the fastest in the Italian team.

Lorenzo — a two-time MotoGP champion — came ninth with 2:01.049.

The current session ends on Friday. Another three-day session follows at Phillip Island from Monday, followed by another at Qatar's Losail circuit.

The new season kicks off at Losail on March 23. Malaysia will host the championship on October 26.

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Brazilian job to help Frosty

Winterbottom will do a one-off V8 race in Brazil in March. Source: Tim Hunter / News Corp Australia

AN already hectic start to the V8 season will be even busier for reigning Bathurst winner Mark Winterbottom.

Already committed to four events in the next six weeks, starting with this weekend's Clipsal 500, Ford's leading title hope is squeezing in a fifth — halfway around the world.

Between the Australian Grand Prix and the Tyrepower Tasmania 400, the man they call 'Frosty' will fly to Brazil to co-drive in the local version of V8 Supercars, Stock Car Brasil, at the Interlagos F1 circuit.

So far he is the only full-time V8 Supercars driver to sign on for the race, but he doesn't expect the South American trip will hurt his bid for a maiden championship.

"No, I don't think so," Winterbottom told SPEED. "It's not a money making thing or anything like that, I'm actually using it to get a bit of experience."

Entering his ninth campaign with Ford Performance Racing, he believes that the one-off gig could be the spark he and his team need.

"I think it's actually quite good to go and work with another team. If you can get another run in a different category and learn something it's probably going to benefit you.

"I'm using it as a positive, not a deterrent from winning the championship."

Winterbottom will head to Brazil with the blessing of his team, who could easily have shot down his plans given their title goal.

"I was pretty lucky that they have (let me). Obviously when you sign to a team you're fully focused on trying to win a championship here.

"But I've never raced anything overseas away from our category, and they knew how much I wanted to do it.

"They've been great to let me go."

He admits, though, that the logistics of flying to Brazil and back during a busy time of the season are "not that flash."

"I leave on Tuesday after the Grand Prix and get back on Tuesday before Tasmania.

"We rock up to Tassie on Thursday, so that'll give me two days before practice starts to get back on the timezone.

"As long as you stay awake and sleep when you have to you should come back pretty fresh, but that will be the hardest part."

Winterbottom will swap his Falcon for a Peugeot, getting his first taste of his new ride on simulator software sent to him by the team, but his focus remains on the task at hand.

"I'll concentrate on trying to win Clipsal and the Grand Prix, then on the Monday after I'll sit on the simulator and have a play and try and learn the track.

"The cars are a little bit more technical than what our cars are, but they're still a sedan and a V8. It's a paddle shift but still a sequential gear change, and there are driver changes, so there are a lot of similarities."

The trip will see Winterbottom banging doors with a who's who of Brazil's best racers, headlined by ex-F1 star Rubens Barrichello, in a series that is as close and competitive as our own.

"It's pretty cool that they picked an Australian as their most competitive chance.

"They went looking for international co-drivers with sedan experience and tried to get the best they could.

"The engineer from the team sent an email and put the feeler out and it went from there.

"It's pretty cool to get the call up, especially when you look that guys like Bruno Junquiera, maybe Felipe Massa and Bruno Senna will also be on the grid."

Although the series might be unfamiliar to Australians, Winterbottom said its one of many he keeps an eye on.

"I watch F1 and stuff but it's not as appealing as what these sort of categories are.

"It's really competitive — I think 40 cars were covered by a second in their last race — so it's kind of like NASCAR and V8s."

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Dumbrell goes back for future

Dumbrell won with Whincup at Sandown last year. Source: Michael Klein / News Limited

TWELVE years ago, Paul Dumbrell was king of the kids, so to speak.

A then 19-year-old Dumbrell romped to the 2002 V8 development series crown, stepping up to the big leagues with Perkins Motorsport the following year.

But flash forward to 2014 and you will find the 32-year-old Bathurst-winner's name on the entry list for this year's Dunlop Series.

Why? The astute businessman, who by day runs the vast Autobarn automotive group, knows it's his best chance of returning to the top step of the Mount Panorama podium.

He returns to partner V8 champ Jamie Whincup at this year's Enduro Cup. After a couple of crucial errors last year, the Dunlop gig is to make sure he's match fit for Bathurst.

Dumbrell won the 2002 Konica V8 Series. Source: News Limited

"After Gold Coast last year Roland (Dane, Red Bull team boss) and I were talking about what to do this year," Dumbrell said.

"Certainly my preference was to do a couple of other races throughout the year, and obviously the Dunlop Series was an option."

Crucial to the plan was for Dumbrell to compete in the supporting Dunlop race at Bathurst, but to be eligible a driver must do all the preceding rounds.

"So we through 'hey, if we're going to do that we might as well do the whole year!'"

Dumbrell made a couple of crucial errors in last year's Enduro Cup. Source: News Limited

He lines up this weekend for Egglestone Motorsport in a car with fine pedigree: it's one of Craig Lowndes' Bathurst winning Holdens.

Despite the quality equipment, and a resume that includes three V8 Supercars wins to his name, Dumbrell isn't expecting to mop the floor.

"There's some really good talent there," he conceded.

"I understand it's the feeder series and I'm at the other end if my career, but we'll have a real crack to win as many races as we can.

"We're in a good car with a good team, but I reckon it'll be a really hard slog out there this year."

Although his growing business commitments forced him out of the cockpit full-time at the end of 2011, Dumbrell explained that it wasn't hard to fit a full Dunlop Series schedule into his calendar.

"I was already going to be at three of the rounds for the Enduro driver practices, plus Bathurst. I was planning to come to Clipsal as a spectator and I always go to Homebush, so it's only really a couple of rounds I've had to squeeze in.

"And anyway, racing a car is not a bad weekend hobby to have."

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Glasgow signs ‘rugby’s fastest man’

Signed ... USA player Carlin Isles is the fastest man in Rugby. Source: Richard Gosling / News Limited

GLASGOW have signed United States sevens star Carlin Isles, dubbed Rugby union's "fastest man", subject to visa and a medical, the Scottish club said.

A former track athlete before taking up rugby, the 24-year-old Isles' best 100 metres time of 10.13 seconds would have seen him qualify for the semi-finals of the 2012 London Olympics.

Isles had a brief practice contract with the Detroit Lions American football team but earlier this month committed himself to Rugby union and learning the differing skills of the full 15-man game as opposed to the abbreviated format in which he made his reputation.

"I can't wait to fly over to Glasgow and join up with my new teammates," Carlin said in a club statement.

"Everything has happened so quickly for me over the last couple of years and I'm just happy to be playing rugby and getting the opportunity to play at the highest level.

"I hope to score tries for the Warriors, but I also want to continue to try and help grow the game and encourage young players to take up rugby.

"It's very exciting to be moving to the 15-a-side game. It's a lot different to sevens but I want to work hard and do everything I can to succeed.

"I'm up for the challenge, I've been doing a lot of challenges in my life so this is just another obstacle and I'm ready to take it on."

Glasgow coach Gregor Townsend, the former Scotland back, was in no doubt Isles would adjust to the demands vof full format rugby.

"Carlin is an exceptionally gifted athlete, who has picked up the game of rugby in a very short period of time and has had a huge impact on the sevens circuit over the last couple of years," Townsend said.

"He is really eager to learn and develop as a winger in the fifteen-a-side game. With his lightning pace and evasion skills, he already has an excellent base to challenge for a starting place until the end of the season."

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Teen Shaw named in England side

Named in team ... Southampton's English defender Luke Shaw has been called into England's side to play Denmark. Source: LINDSEY PARNABY / AFP

ENGLAND manager Roy Hodgson has awarded 18-year-old Southampton left-back Luke Shaw his first senior call-up for next week's friendly match against Denmark at Wembley Stadium.

Shaw, an England Under-21 international, is one of three left-backs named in the 30-man squad alongside Chelsea's Ashley Cole and Leighton Baines of Everton.

"Everyone who's watched him play recently will not deny that he deserves a place in a large squad list. He's been playing extremely well,'' Hodgson said of Shaw.

"It's a position where we're very well off, but he's a player who wants to compete with the other two for a place on the plane to Brazil and I thought it was the right time to bring him in and give him a chance to show us what he can do.''

Striker Jermain Defoe retained his place in the squad despite his imminent move from Tottenham Hotspur to Toronto FC, while Cardiff City centre-back Steven Caulker came in for injured Everton man Phil Jagielka.

There was a recall for winger Raheem Sterling, following some excellent recent displays for Liverpool, but Sunderland winger Adam Johnson and Everton midfielder Gareth Barry were overlooked despite each advancing strong cases for call-ups in recent weeks.

However, Hodgson said that it was not too late for players not selected, including West Ham United striker Andy Carroll, to force their way into his plans for the World Cup.

"This is the 30 I've chosen today and I'll stand by it, but but it's not a definitive squad,'' he told a press conference.

"Andy Carroll has hardly played, but we'll keep an eye on him. Johnson of course we know, but with the competition at the moment (in wide areas) I decided not to include him in the squad.

"Gareth Barry has not been with us for these past two years, but I know him and I'd not be averse to calling him up if there was a place in the team.''

England's friendly against Denmark next Wednesday will be Hodgson's last opportunity to assess the players at his disposal before he names his squad for the World Cup in Brazil, which begins on June 12.

England 30-man squad to play Denmark in friendly game at Wembley Stadium on March 5, announced by manager Roy Hodgson on Thursday:

Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Celtic/SCO), Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Hart (Manchester City), John Ruddy (Norwich City)

Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Steven Caulker (Cardiff City/WAL), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Luke Shaw (Southampton), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur).

Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Everton), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Southampton), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Andros Townsend (Tottenham Hotspur), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)

Forwards: Jermain Defoe (Toronto FC/CAN), Rickie Lambert (Southampton), Jay Rodriguez (Southampton), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United)

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Redskins hire Gruden as coach

Cincinnati Bengals offensive co-ordinator Jay Gruden walks on the field prior to an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, in Cincinnati. Jay Gruden has agreed to become the head coach of the Washington Redskins. Source: Al Behrman / AP

JAY Gruden has been hired as the Washington Redskins' coach, succeeding Mike Shanahan and joining a 3-13 team after working the last three seasons as the Cincinnati Bengals' offensive co-ordinator.

In ending their 10-day coaching search, the Redskins said Gruden would be introduced at an afternoon news conference.

With the Bengals, the 46-year-old Gruden helped develop Andy Dalton. Now he'll have the task of grooming another young franchise quarterback, Robert Griffin III.

Gruden, the brother of former NFL coach and Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden, had drawn interest from at least three other teams seeking head coaches. He interviewed with the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday.

Shanahan was fired last week after a season that ended with eight consecutive losses. The Redskins finished last in the NFC East during three of Shanahan's four seasons in Washington, a time marked by discord among ownership, quarterback and coach.

Gruden will become owner Dan Snyder's eighth coach in 16 seasons as an NFL owner. The span includes just four winning seasons and seven last-place finishes.

Gruden interviewed with the Redskins on Wednesday, becoming the last of six candidates to meet with general manager Bruce Allen. Gruden had an inside track on the job because of his ties with Allen and others in the Washington organisation.

Gruden worked with Allen, Redskins defensive backs coach Raheem Morris and tight ends coach Sean McVay while with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Gruden was an assistant with Tampa Bay from 2002-08, then coached under Redskins defensive co-ordinator Jim Haslett with the United Football League's Florida Tuskers in 2009.

Morris, McVay and Haslett were retained when Shanahan was fired, leaving it up to Gruden as to whether he will keep them on his new staff.

Gruden is a member of the Arena Football League Hall of Fame, elected in 1999 after a career as a successful player and coach in the indoor league. His previous head coaching stints have come in Arena Football with the Orlando Predators and in the UFL with the Tuskers, whom he led to the UFL championship game the year after Haslett left to join the Redskins.

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Sri Lanka grabs upper hand

Stitches...Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene bats during the second cricket test match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Picture: AP Source: Ineke Zondag / AP

Mahela Jayawardene defied a left-hand webbing injury to notch his 32nd century and Kaushal Silva missed his by five runs as Sri Lanka gained an upper hand over Pakistan in the second Test in Dubai on Thursday.

Jayawardene, who received three stitches after he dropped a catch on Wednesday, scored 106 not out and shared an invaluable 139-run partnership with Silva (95) to guide Sri Lanka to 4-318 at stumps on the second day.

Sri Lanka gained an important 153-run lead over Pakistan's first innings score of 165 and a chance to take a lead in the three-Test series after the first match ended in a draw in Abu Dhabi last week.

Jayawardene, grimacing while playing strokes, hit paceman Bilawal Bhatti for his 12th boundary to reach three figure mark off 215 balls.

Skipper Angelo Mathews was 42 not out.

Jayawardene, the 36-year-old former captain, had batted for 330 minutes for only his second century against Pakistan and his first in 21 months since his hundred against England in Colombo in April 2012.

"Obviously there were limitations in my batting but I concentrated hard and the target was to time the shots and its pleasing to score a hundred," said Jayawardene, who received injections and pain-killer before the innings.

He and Silva made up for a disappointing start to the day after the visitors, resuming on 1-57, lost Kumar Sangakkara (26) and Dinesh Chandimal (12) in the space of 13 runs.

Silva, who survived a confident caught behind appeal off paceman Rahat Ali when on 26, helped Jayawardene to score 83 runs in the second session, taking the score to 3-132 at tea.

Silva was finally dismissed leg-before by Mohammad Hafeez soon after tea. He hit ten boundaries during his defiant 330-minute stay at the crease.

Jayawardene, who failed in both the innings of the first Test with five and nought, successfully overturned a leg-before decision against him by Australian umpire Bruce Oxenford when on 26.

Pakistan took the second new ball in the 81st over and could have been rewarded in the next over had wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed not spilled a simple chance from Mathews off Ali when the batsman had just six.

Left-arm paceman Junaid Khan was the pick of the bowlers with 2-75.

Bowling coach Mohammad Akram said they tried everything but couldn't get Jayawardene out.

"The pitch was different from the first day and our bowlers tried every thing but we couldn't get Mahela who played a very good knock," said Akram.

The third and final Test will be played in Sharjah from January 16.

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Top form months away: Federer

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ROGER Federer feels a return to top form could be months away, although he's not ruling out something special at the Australian Open.

By the 17-time grand slam title winner's freakishly high standards, last year was poor.

For the first time in 11 years he did not reach the final of any of the four majors and he fell out of the top five in the world rankings for the first time in more than a decade.

But rather than contemplate retirement, the 32-year-old's response has been to train harder in the off-season, hire boyhood idol Stefan Edberg as his new coach and experiment with a new, larger racquet.

He's confident he can revive his career fortunes, even if it doesn't happen immediately.

"I trained probably harder than all the guys ranked ahead of me in the off-season, because they went off to play exhibitions, like I did last year," Federer said on Wednesday, after a charity event at Melbourne Park for his foundation which supports education for educating underprivileged children in southern Africa.

"So that goes with me. I did full-on months, which I haven't done in a long time and my body held up for that.

"Then I played singles and doubles in Brisbane (last week) ... I really feel I'm on my way back.

"Who knows? Maybe I'm playing my very best in March or April is my feeling. But I still feel there's a lot possible right now."

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Stars shine to shoot down Strikers

James Faulkner celebrates a wicket with his Melbourne Stars teammates. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Wayne Ludbey / News Limited

IF the Adelaide Strikers were a UFC fighter, they'd have tapped out.

So fierce was the stranglehold the Melbourne Stars applied that Adelaide coach Darren Berry joked while interviewed on TV that he wanted commentators Ricky Ponting and Darren Lehmann to "put the pads on".

The Strikers, mooted by some as the team most likely to challenge the rampant Stars, were restricted to just 9-90 - the lowest completed first-innings Big Bash League score on the MCG.

The Stars duly ran down the fifth lowest BBL score ever in just 7.3 overs with eight wickets to spare to extend their winning streak to five, booking a finals berth.

"It's been a nightmare - they've bowled beautifully," lamented Berry who'd earlier opted to take an extra bowler into the match when ultimately he could have used another three batsmen.

In reply, Luke Wright survived a ferocious blow to the head by a Shaun Tait thunderbolt to post 49 off just 20 deliveries before holing out to mid-off on the first ball of the sixth over.

The only hiccup came next ball when captain Cameron White put Michael Neser on a hat-trick when he somehow reached a wide ball only to scoop it to third man the next delivery.

Luke Wright hits out for the Stars against the Strikers at the MCG. Picture Wayne Ludbey Source: News Limited

But Glenn Maxwell (25 not out) and Matt Wade (3 not out) made light work of the remaining chase.

Wright, who showed no ill-effects of the ball that smashed into his visor on a misjudged hook shot against the 150km/h bouncer, said the Stars' intention had been not to let the small target become problematic.

"I wanted to come out and put the bowlers under pressure," the Englishman said with great understatement.

But it was the bowlers who deservedly got the plaudits.

The Strikers had been cruising behind Michael Klinger (42 off 49) with only Alex Hales's loss of any note after 5.1 overs had yielded 37.

But extraordinarily, the Strikers could only manage three more fours and just one six after that as they limped along at a rate akin to Australia's in the fifth Test in Sydney.

In that time, there were 55 dot balls to highlight the Stars' bowlers total domination.

Kane Richardson (21 off 24) was the only other batsman to reach double-figures - and he also wore a James Faulkner bouncer to his helmet for his trouble.

James Faulkner celebrates a wicket at the MCG. Picture Wayne Ludbey Source: News Limited

The Tasmanian all-rounder has come of age and was exemplary in returning 3-9 from four intense overs with four routine play-and-misses among his 17 dot balls.

John Hastings was frugal, James Muirhead turned the ball a long way at times in his two overs - including for the stumping of Michael Neser - and Jackson Bird fought back well after the early onslaught.

And to cap it all off, Lasith Malinga returned to his near unplayable best in recording 2-8 off four mesmerising overs.

The win leaves the Stars two games and a huge run rate clear on top of the ladder, with a home semi-final seemingly a formality.

The Strikers stayed fourth, but their run rate took a hammering.

Capping their bad night, the visitors didn't have Klinger on the field for much of the run chase after he suffered back spasms after batting.

Relive all the action from the MCG in our match blog below.

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