Zidane's statue of headbutting shows 'moment of madness' or 'ode to defeat'

French soccer player Zinedine Zidane's infamous headbutt on Italian soccer player Marco Materazzi in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final has been immortalised in a statue now on display in Paris.

 

Zidane's statue of headbutting shows 'moment of madness' or 'ode to defeat'

 

A 5-meter (16.4 feet) high version of Algerian artist Adel Abdessemed's bronze statue Zidane headbutting Marco Materazzi has been erected outside Paris' Centre Pompidou, one of the world's foremost modern art museums.

"This statue goes against the tradition of making statues in honour of certain victories. It is an ode to defeat," exhibition organizer Alain Michaud told Agence France Presse.

 

Continue reading and watch video below:

 

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French Open 2012 (Women's Final Preview): Maria Sharapova vs Sara Errani -- Live Streaming and Updates

PARIS, France (Sat, Jun 09) – Newly crowned world number one Maria Sharapova will face Italy's Sara Errani, who entered the tournament ranked No. 21 in the world, but cruised into finals beating two former champions at Roland Garros, along with two top 10 players.

French Open 2012 (Women's Final): Maria Sharapova vs Sara Errani -- Live Streaming and Updates

Number 21 seed Sara Errani has wins over Casey Dellacqua, Melanie Oudin, #13 Ana Ivanovic, #26 Svetlana Kuznetsova, and #10 Angelique Kerber in the quarterfinals. Errani also beat #6 Samantha Stosur in the semifinals.

Sharapova beat Petra Kvitova, ranked fourth, in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals to claim the top spot and confirmed her berth the finals. This is Sharapova's first appearance in the finals at Roland Garros. Though she has won grand slam titles on other courts, she has struggled on the clay surface.

Sharapova hasn’t won a grand slam since the 2008 Australian Open; but she has the titles of Australian, Wimbledon, and U.S. Opens on her credit.

Both the finalists are 25 years old and both were raised to play tennis in the state of Florida at a young age, leaving their native homes to hunt commendation in the sport they had been gifted in from birth. 

Sharapova and Errani have never played before; therefore, it will take some time to figure each other out but expect a war of erosion. Expect three sets with multiple game points, possibly even match points. Most of all, expect the winner to explode in joy when the match is over. 

This tournament has been exciting for both Errani and Sharapova. And the winner deserves all the admiration she will get.

For up-to-the-second updates of the final of French Open 2012 between Maria Sharapova and Sara Errani click below:

French Open scoreboard

And the Live Streaming of the match is available at the link below:

Watch Maria Sharapova vs. SaraErrani in French Open final online at 9 a.m. ET Saturday

Report Tags: Maria Sharapova, Sara Errani, French Open, French Open 2012, French Open Final, French Open 2012 Final, French Open 2012 Women Final, Roland Gaross,

Mark Cavendish Won Stage 5 of Tour de France - - Video of Crash During the Stage 5 Wounded Many Big Cyclists

Ukraine's Yaroslav Popovych receives medical assistance after crashing during the 164.5 km and fifth stage.

Tour de France Stage 5 was marked as 'Day of Chaos' due to 10 crashes during the fifth stage sprint involved many big names in Cycling world, including Alberto Contador. One of the riders had to pull out of the tour due to injury!

British cyclist Mark CavendishMark Cavendish, the ultimate winner of the Stage 5, although survived the crash narrowly and went on to win important stage of Tour de France.

Three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador was one of numerous riders to hit the asphalt on Wednesday as high winds led to a flurry of crashes during the fifth stage.

PHOTOS: China's Li Na Becomes First Chinese Player to Win Tennis Grand Slam Title - - Exclusive Picture Story of French Open Women's Single Final

China's Li Na Becomes First Chinese Player to Win Tennis Grand Slam Title

PARIS – China’s tennis star Li Na crushed defending champion Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 7-6 in the French Open women’s single final to become the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam singles title.

By winning the Roland Garros title, Li Na is expected to rise to World No.4 on the WTA rankings (as of Monday, June 6, 2011), setting a national record for China and equalling the highest-ever ranking by a woman from Asia (previously held by Japan’s Kimiko Date-Krumm).

 

"I was nervous but I didn't want to show to my opponent," said Li, who appeared to be letting the match slip away in the second set. "I was a little bit shaking."

The crowd at Roland Garros was dotted with red Chinese flags and a small vocal group supporting Schiavone. They watched as Li dropped her serve for the only time late in the second set, but then won the final nine points of the match to earn her first major title.

French Open 2011 (Men's Singles Second Semi-final) - Live Streaming and Updates: Novak Djokovic v Roger Federer)

PARIS – Big day of French Open 2011 is today (Friday/June 3). Semi-finals of nen’s singles will be played today.

Roland Garros: French Open 2011 (Men's Singles Semi-finals)

Even Rafael Nadal accepts that his French Open semi-final against Andy Murray is not nearly as exciting as the one between unbeaten Novak Djokovic and 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer.

French Open 2011 (Women's Singles) - China's Li Na Scolded Maria Sharapova to Reach Final

Li Na Reaches Final of French Open 2011 Beating Sharapova

PARIS, France (June 02) - China’s top seed Li Na beat Maria Sharapova 6-4, 7-5 in the first semi-final of French Open 2011 (women’s singles) at Roland Garros on today (Thursday/June 02).

The world’s sixth-seeded Li Na, who became the first Chinese player to reach a major final at the Australian Open this year, overcame Maria Sharapova to reach the French Open 2011 final and take a step closer to becoming the first Asian to win a grand slam singles title.

In the first set, Li raced into a 3-0 lead and broke three times as Sharapova, who took two games off the Chinese player's serve, struggled for rhythm in the wind and on the clay.

An awful double fault from Li early in the second set let the Russian back in but the three-times grand slam champion wasted the advantage when she committed the same error for 4-4.

Li, who lost to Kim Clijsters in January's Australian Open final, sealed victory and a meeting with the holder Francesca Schiavone or Marion Bartoli when her opponent double-faulted again, to the delight of millions of Chinese watching at home and a smattering on court.

VIDEO: Luckiest ever shot played by Kim Clijsters in French Open match against Arantxa Rus

PARIS - World number two Kim Clijsters played unbelievable and the luckiest shot of tennis history in her match against Dutch minnow Arantxa Rus.

French Open 2011 - Arantxa Rus handed shocking defeat to Kim Clijsters

 The match result was also shocking as Belgian tennis star faced her first Grand Slam defeat in 15 outings. But at least she will able to take from the game the memory of the luckiest shot of her career and probably ever seen in the game.

40-0 down and trailing 2-1 in the third set, Clijsters needed a lucky break and boy did she get it when her return from a fierce Rus serve struck the net cord, bounced onto the top of the netpost and rebounded back into play for one of the most bizarre points ever seen in the sport.

French Open 2011 (Women's Singles Second Round) - - Live Updates: Agnieszka Radwanska Beat Saia Mirza by 6-2, 6-4

PARIS, France (May 26) - - French Open 2011 (Women’s Single – Second Round)

Indian tennis star Sania Mirza lost the second round match against Agnieszka Radwanska from Poland by 6-2, 6-4 in straight sets.

Sania Mirza never seen confident against her 13 seeded Polish opponent Radwanska and ended her run for French Open women’s singles.

Sania Mirza is still alive in the tournament’s women’s double with her Russian partner Elena Vasina.

The seventh seed Sania-Vasina pair beat the Russian duo of Vera Dushevina and Ekaterina MakarovaEkaterina Makarova 7-6(2), 6-2 in one hour and 33 minutes at the Roland Garros.  On May 24.

French Open 2011 (Women's Singles Second Round) - - Live Updates: Saia Mirza v Agnieszka Radwanska

PARIS, France (May 26) - - Agnieszka RadwanskaAgnieszka Radwanska had a confident match against Austrian opponent Patricia Mayrachleitner as she beat her in straight sets. She is facing Indian tennis star Sania MirzaSania Mirza in the second round of this event.

Sania Mirza has also had a good start after recovering from wrist injury. She defeated Kristina Baorris in straight sets in the first round of the match. 

She is going to try hard to advance further in French Open beating Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round.

For live score updates of the match at Roland Garros, Women Singles R64 ….. CLICK HERE.

Indian Tennis Star Sania Mirza and Her Double's Partner Russian Elena Vasina Moved to Second Round in French Open (Women's Double)

PARIS, France (May 25) - Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, who has already moved to second round in women’s singles, and her Russian partner Elena Vasina sailed through to the 2^nd round of the women's doubles event at the French Open on Tuesday (May 24).

Sania Mirza and Her Double's Partner Russian Elena Vasina Moved to Second Round in French Open (Women's Double)

The seventh seed Sania-Vasina pair beat the Russian duo of Vera Dushevina and Ekaterina Makarova 7-6(2), 6-2 in one hour and 33 minutes at the Roland Garros.

Sania Mirza and Elena Vasina, irrespective of the apparently easy looking scores,  had to go through some hard patches in the first set as it went into a tie-break with the Indo-Russian combination later overcoming it in 55 minutes.

Sania Mirza and her companion, however, totally controlled the second set and broke the all-Russian pair twice out of five chances to clinch the victory in the match.

French Open 2011 (Round 1): Sania Mirza Enters Second Round Beating Germany's Kristina Barrois

PARIS, France - Sania Mirza enjoyed an easy comeback victory in French Open against Germany's Kristina Barrois. She missed last year French Open due to severe wrist injury; but made an impressive start this year winning in first round.

French Open 2011: Sania Mirza Enters Second Round Beating Germany's Kristina Barrois

 The 72 seeded Sania Mirza beat World No. 57 Kristina Barrois in straight sets by 6-3, 6-3 to advance in the second round where she will meet either Polish 12th seed Agnieszka Radwanska or Patricia Mayr-Achleitner of Austria.

“Last year I was out for five and a half months,” said Mirza, the wife of Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik. “Forget people writing me off, the doctors said I'd probably never be able to play again because the extent of the injury was so bad.

“For me to be competing again, when I thought I'd never be playing tennis again... Winning is a bonus. Just competing at this level again and to know that I still belong here, I feel really happy. “I love playing tennis and I enjoy competing. I missed coming here.

It was really hard when I was at home. I hardly watched any matches last year when I was injured. It's even more depressing, because you want to be there but you can’t.”

Petra Kvitova Cruised in to The Final of Paris Open Beating American Bethanie Mattek-Sands

PARIS - Petra Kvitova, World No. 18 from Czech Republic, cruised in to the final of Paris Open thrashing American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-2, 6-0; wrapping the match within just an hour.    

The 20-year-old, Kvitova, broke 48-ranked American Mattek-Sands' serve three times in each set to be in the Sunday’s tournament final against Australian Open Champion Belgian Kim Clijsters or third-seeded Kaia Kanepi of Estonia. The second semifinal will be played on today (Saturday, Feb. 12).

Kvitova's last tournament triumph was at Brisbane in January 2011. She then had a attacking run at the Australian Open where she upset Samantha Stosur on her way to a second Grand Slam quarter-final appearance.

France Leads Fed Cup 1-0 Over Russia as Alize Cornet Fought Back to Beat Svetlana Kuznetsova

MOSCOW - In the opening singles of Fed Cup World Group on Saturday; France took the lead 1-0 over Russia as French star Alize Cornet beat Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova by 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Maria Sharapova, three-time Grand Slam winner, will take on France's Virginie Razzano in the second singles match.

Alize Cornet, World No. 67, was down by a set and 2-0 when she fought back to level at 2-2 in the second set and then cruised past Kuznetsova to break the service in the eighth game to stay in the match. After having breaks three times in the third set, French broke finally in the ninth game for a 5-4 lead and served the match out with a forehand cross-court winner.

The reverse singles and doubles are scheduled for Sunday. The winner of the match will play either Australia or Italy in the semifinals on April 16-17.