鳳凰重生

希堅斯重拾「巫師」魔法、演活不可思議的真人真事！該位「問題球王」於全英桌球賽決賽，幸得「黃金左手」威廉斯大意「放生」而創造奇蹟，落後5:9劣勢下連贏5局以10:9成功翻盤，3登王座兼重登世界「一哥」帝位。「假波醜聞」相隔半年多，「巫師」就靠自已雙手討回當日失去的一切，除了成就、還有尊嚴！難怪他奪冠後感慨落淚，並把冠軍獻給因癌症末期、卧床不起的老父。

桌壇「75雙傑」重演10年前全英決賽翻版，兩人精彩表現令人嘆為觀止。上半場是威廉斯Show time，他發揮「神射手」本色首節領先6:2，進入第2節初段續保勇態，遙遙超前至9:5，眼看奪冠在望之際，誰料希堅斯突然回勇，發力狂追。

直至第17局出現整場賽事轉捩點，當時仍手握9:7優勢的威廉斯，帶前69:40經已打過「安全線」，卻沒選擇繼續進攻黃波，希堅斯伺機製造「士碌架」令對手罰分，隨即連消帶打一Cue清罎反勝71:69。喜獲威廉斯「放生」的「巫師」及後再下兩城，實現驚天逆轉，繼98及00年後第3度捧走這項級數僅次世界賽的大賽桂冠，更重要的是從「墨爾本機器」羅拔臣手中搶回No.1王座。

自4月底因涉打假波變過街老鼠、到停賽半年後復出面對非一般壓力，極具「卡士」的希堅斯終由「地獄升天堂」，締造回歸桌壇19戰18勝1負「恐怖」戰績，也用行動挽回球迷的心。「巫師」奠勝一刻痛快揮出激奮一拳，領過獎盃後深情親吻愛妻，賽後接受訪問時潸然淚下......過去7個多月的黑暗歲月，希堅斯實在承受了太多痛苦！他想起身在蘇格蘭老家彌留之際的老父時更一度哽咽：「我不但要將錦標獻給父親，還有我的家人。」

「我想這就是命運！」對於能反勝也感不可思議的希堅斯又說：「在威廉斯如此出色表現下我依然勝出，我為自己驕傲，這座獎盃意味我可以重新打球兼贏取冠軍，實在意義非凡。」袋走10萬英鎊冠軍獎金的「巫師」，不僅成為繼戴維斯、亨特利及奧蘇里雲後，第4位最少3奪全英的球手；同時追平「火箭」摘下職業生涯第22個排名賽冠軍成就。

至於時隔10年後再於全英決賽飲恨的威廉斯亦承認，因一個草率的黃球防守給了希堅斯一線生機，他為痛失幾已到手的冠軍感失望，但仍保持一貫幽默：「忘記這場比賽毋須太久，大概飲三杯後就差不多。」勝不驕、輸得起，一樣是「球王」本色！(刊於2010/12/14)

Helpless......

FC Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid

Real Madrid were handed their first loss of the season on Monday. But there are plenty of matches still to be played and the championship is as open as it was prior to the visit to the Camp Nou.

Monday's Clasico started at a frantic pace. Barcelona controlled the ball early and made it clear they were playing on their home turf. Only nine minutes in, Xavi scored the opener following a combination with Iniesta. Madrid responded immediately and Di Maria put Valdes to the test. Cristiano Ronaldo had a go shortly thereafter but was stymied by Abidal.

Just when it appeared Madrid were hitting their stride, Barcelona struck again by way of Pedro, who fired home following a cross by Villa. The Whites continued looking to cut into the lead, and on 38’ Cristiano was fouled inside the box by Valdes as the two battled for a ball, but the referee failed to award the spot kick.

Ozil was replaced by Lass at the restart as Mourinho hoped for more possession of the ball, but ten minutes in Villa made it 3-0 in a clear offside position. The goal sank Madrid, who three minutes later conceded another to Villa.

The Whites continued to play hard with the match all but in the books, but everything went Barcelona’s way. The hosts managed a fifth and final goal in injury time, but things didn't end there. Sergio Ramos was sent off after a tackle on Messi and a confrontation between players from both sides ensued.

All Real Madrid can do is turn their sights towards next Saturday’s match against Valencia. There is no sense in lamenting the painful defeat. Of 20 official matches played, it is the first loss suffered by Mourinho and company. If there is any team capable of picking itself up it is this Real Madrid.

放下金牌再出發

4屆亞運、累積3金3銀，32歲「桌球天王」傅家俊甚至比「亞洲車神」黃金寶（3金1銀2銅）更威水，香港「獎牌王中王」當之無愧！然而向來謙遜的Marco坦言：「『阿寶』貴為世界冠軍，自己成就還差得遠……」但他深信「最高榮譽在明天」，正奮力向「下一站冠軍」進發；今日，傅家俊就會在英超聯賽4強火併「宿敵」梅菲，大家請繼續為Marco打氣！

為港摘下歷史性第7金後回港僅小休2天、再匆匆返回氣溫低至攝氏0度的英國備戰超聯，Marco勞累得連時差都未能調適過來，不過他從長途電話裡傳來的聲音依然充滿喜悅、自信。「香港今屆贏了 8金15銀17銅，破盡紀錄，作為其中一份子，與有榮焉！」身在異地的傅家俊仍心繫亞運：「廣州算是半個主場，能在江東父老面前揚威，對每個香港運動員來說都別具意義。事實上，港隊有此驕人成績是我意料之外，尤其是單車隊帶來連場驚喜堪稱經典。」

提到單車隊，Marco對黃金寶推祟備至，更形容好友為「真正的英雄」：「雖然單計亞運成績我是略為優勝，但『阿寶』早已登上世界之巔，我根本無法觸及，或許有天我贏到世界冠軍，才可跟他相提並論吧！不過自98年首次參加亞運以來，可以『攝到埋去』與李麗珊、黃金寶、趙詠賢等共創香港體壇黃金年代、締造十多年輝煌歲月，我覺得好光榮。」

用金牌完美告別亞運（下屆取消桌球），傅家俊即迎來更大挑戰，他於超聯 4強面對衛冕的梅菲，必受嚴峻考驗。雙方歷來曾9次交鋒，Marco3勝6負往績處下風，猶幸今年9月最近一次碰頭（超聯初賽），他以4:2獲勝，加上亞運摘金「沖喜」，信心增強不少：「梅菲出名全面，攻守兼備，今仗『超難打』，但有近績支持，我豈碼不會怯了他；心理、技術上我都有充份準備，唯一擔心是時差問題，希望賽前有足夠的睡眠和休息。」

英超聯賽是傅家俊福地，自00年至今，這位「香港一哥」參加了7屆賽事，僅2次無緣4強，03年更擊敗威廉斯成為史上首位非英倫三島冠軍，Marco今日如能獲勝將第2度殺入決賽（28日）。同日另一場4強戰，則由「火箭」奧蘇里雲激鬥「墨爾本機器」羅拔臣；賽事採9局5勝制。(刊於2010/11/27)

這就是愛

成功男士背後總有一個女人，黃金寶亦不例外，多年來獲得「100分女友」謝小姐在背後默默支持，有愛相伴始能不斷創造傳奇！難怪「阿寶」奪標後赫然發現秘密北上替他打氣的女友時，難掩內心喜悅，步下頒獎台後第一時間送上深情擁抱與鮮花，無言感激、一切盡在不言中！任職文員的謝小姐接受東方報業集團獨家訪問時坦言「好彩有上嚟睇」，談及等待上訴結果時更笑說：「好似喺醫院等BB出世咁！」

香港寵兒黃金寶作亞運告別戰，不少好友都專程到廣州打氣，當中亦包括他的「生命中至愛」。作風低調的謝小姐表示：「其實我一早請定假，但驚上去睇車會影響到佢（阿寶），都係臨到尋晚（前晚）最後一刻先至扑錘。」她不諱言這場賽事令她「從來沒有如此緊張過」：「我企個位既冇直播又冇現場旁述，最後離遠見到衝線嗰陣有車手犯規，當時諗，攞第二都好啦！」

「後來知道香港隊要上訴，我等緊嗰陣超緊張啊，似足喺醫院等BB出世咁……『阿寶』贏呢面金牌好驚險，能夠見證呢刻我覺得好有意義，一生難忘！」談到黃金寶那個「愛的擁抱」，謝小姐哈哈大笑：「畀佢嚇咗一跳！我以為佢行過嚟係叫我幫手攞住紮花呢！」
「多體諒、少埋怨」

眾所周知，黃金寶長年漂泊如空中飛人般南征北討，一年留港時間不足2個月，要做「阿寶」身邊另一半談何容易，難得謝小姐善解人意：「我知道『阿寶』有目標，只要佢開心就好！我可以做到嘅，就係多體諒、少埋怨；多欣賞、少挑剔！」簡單幾句話，卻盡流露那份感動愛意，黃金寶有這位紅顏知己、夫復何求！

就連沈金康教練也為謝小姐動容：「幾年前『阿寶』跟她拍拖時我就話，你們要早點結婚，因為『阿寶』年紀不小了。不過她跟我說『一切都聽阿寶的！』但之後都沒聽過『阿寶』向我申請結婚假期……今天我向她（謝小姐）說了一句對不起，你們可以去拍拖了！」至於黃金寶則表示：「我想同女友講聲多謝！但係返去又要備戰環南中賽事，估計只得2、3日假期。」 (刊於2010/11/23)

天助阿倫素

豪雨玩殘「紅牛雙煞」、天助阿倫素奪冠做「一哥」！首屆F1南韓站昨演雨中大混戰，頭排起步的韋伯及維度爾，先後失控炒車及戰車「爆偈」，雙雙面黑「上岸」，一個痛失榜首位，一個跌出三甲；反觀法拉利「車神」阿倫素則處變不驚捧走個人今季第5冠強勢重登No.1，今站奪亞的「黑帝」咸美頓亦彈上第3，重返爭標行列。

上周六在排位賽後聲言望有「及時雨」打救的阿倫素，果然「夢想成真」！作為尾三站關鍵大戰的南韓站賽前灑下大雨，賽道積水且能見度極低，賽事延遲了15分鐘開始並需由安全車帶領起步，惟 3圈後因天氣太惡劣，車手紛紛透過無線電投訴「太大雨、根本不能作賽」，結果大會出示紅旗暫停比賽。

經過約1小時休戰後重燃烽火，但依然要由安全車引路，合共帶足17圈（比賽總圈數為55圈）才讓車手「打真軍」。儘管雨勢逐漸減弱，但濕滑路面仍造成不少意外，最終9部戰車無法完成賽事，當中包括「紅牛爭霸雙煞」韋伯和維度爾。

一直擔心雨中作賽、排次席起步的韋伯，在安全車離場後立即「出事」，其戰車於第19圈出彎時失控，右胎剷上人造草後打轉撞向護牆，再反彈出跑道時被後上閃避不及的平治車手洛辛保炒到正，兩人齊齊棄甲，讓出車手榜領頭羊位置。

原以為另一紅牛戰將維度爾半程過後仍保排頭位優勢，大有機會奪魁兼搶走榜首位置，誰料賽至第46圈，被阿倫素過彎時爬頭後，其RB6戰車更「爆偈着埋火」，維度爾慘步隊友後塵「上岸」，一分都冇。

紅牛全軍盡墨造就阿倫素成大家贏，該位西班牙「天王」再顯兩屆世界冠軍本色，混戰中保持冷靜機警，先是避過「韋伯意外」，及後在維修站雖出現失誤被咸美頓超前，但他不慌不忙乘「黑帝」跣軚「反爬頭」，最終以2小時48分20秒810力壓咸美頓及隊友馬沙掄元，歷史性成為南韓站王者；向來內斂的阿倫素衝線後亦鮮有地尖叫、傻笑，興奮之情盡表無遺！

F1今季尚餘兩站，車手榜形勢愈見緊湊，阿倫素揚威靈岩郡賽道後登上榜首，反超跌落第2的韋伯11分，咸美頓則搶走維度爾「老三」席位。尾二站賽事將於11月7日轉戰巴西聖保羅。

大四喜

Cristiano Ronaldo stole the show with a four-goal haul as Real Madrid walloped Racing Santander 6-1 at home to restore their one-point La Liga lead.

The winger struck twice in each half, with his fourth goal coming from a 55th-minute penalty, with Gonzalo Higuain and Mesut Ozil also netting.

"I am really happy because I have never scored four goals," said Ronaldo.

Earlier, a Lionel Messi brace helped Barcelona beat Real Zaragoza 2-0 as they temporarily assumed top spot.

Messi's double, however, was eclipsed at the Bernabeu at the end of a week when Manchester United's Wayne Rooney had been linked with a January transfer window reunion with Portuguese winger Ronaldo.

Rooney, of course, ultimately signed a new five-year contract but there is little doubt that Ronaldo is finally returning to the form that earned him the Fifa World Player of the Year award when playing alongside the England striker at Old Trafford in 2008.

Saturday's goals take Ronaldo's season tally to nine in the league, and 10 in all competitions after he scored in the 2-0 Champions League defeat of AC Milan on Tuesday.

Real's resounding victory, which follows 6-1 and 4-1 wins over Deportivo La Coruna and Malaga, means Jose Mourinho's side remain unbeaten in the league and have garnered a maximum 12 points from four home matches.

"Some of my team-mates were better than me but like the coach [Mourinho] says there is no reason to be euphoric," added Ronaldo, who has scored eight goals in his last three games.

"There is a long way to go in the league although being top is important."

After putting the home side in front in the 10th minute, Argentine striker Higuain turned provider five minutes later, crossing low as Ronaldo made no mistake with a simple tap-in.

Despite appearing to be offside, Ronaldo struck from close-range in the 26th minute, and he hit his hat-trick two minutes after the restart after latching on to an Angel Di Maria pass.

And when Argentine midfielder Di Maria was adjudged to have been fouled in the area in the 55th minute, Ronaldo obliged by despatching the spot-kick for his fourth.

German international Ozil completed the Real's scoring before Papakouli Diop netted a deflected consolation for the hapless visitors, who are down to 16th in the table.

Cristiano Ronaldo new BES commercial

Cris did admit that he always wanted to be a professional table tennis player, before he decided to chose football for his career....Good choice though..

127 Hours

James Franco admits portraying climber Aron Ralston in '127 Hours' was a ''very intense'' but also ''very rewarding''.

The actor - who plays Aron Ralston, a climber who freed himself from under a rock by cutting off his own arm - confesses he found shooting the movie difficult, but ultimately "very rewarding".

He said: "It was a very unique, very intense and very rewarding experience. We shot on a stage in Salt Lake City, where they had re-created a portion of the canyon that Aron was trapped. We also shot on the real location in Utah.

"On the set it wasn't like a normal set, on a normal set you can take the walls out so you can get different shots and angles that you wouldn't on a normal location. But this set didn't work that way, it was confined and it didn't really come apart."

The 32-year-old also admits it was a "great experience" working with British director with Danny Boyle on the project because of his experimental approach to movie making.

He told movie website Flicks and Bits: "Aside from it being a very unusual kind of movie and an unusual acting experience, it was a great experience just working with Danny, he really does love the search and the experimentation and finding new approaches to movie-making and he really did it throughout pre-production."

Three cinema-goers fainted at a screening of the movie at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this week due to the intensity of the self-amputation scenes.

Not only a great champion, he's a great person

 Toni Nadal:
“I am happy when Rafael plays good tennis, but I take more pleasure when people say Rafael is a very good person,” Toni Nadal, his coach an uncle said to the New York Times. “For me, it is so much more important to be a good person.”

“When Rafael was young, I thought he could be a good player but never did I want to see him be bad on the court,” his uncle said. “I wanted to make sure that didn’t happen.”

Toni Nadal is constantly reminding his nephew that his worst day on the tennis court is better than most people’s best day.

“I tell him you must be always grateful of the life, I think one of the most important things I say always to Rafael is to have a good face. Because in this life, the ball going out is not a very big problem.”

“Normally, when you are at the top, people say everything is fantastic. Probably in that moment it is what you want to hear, but it’s best to be reminded how to act properly."

“When you think you are the king of the world,” he continued, “you are really stupid in my opinion because in this life every person is important.”

做好人緊要過贏冠軍

球場上的拿度是一頭殺氣騰騰的「狂牛」，甚至予人「寸寸貢」感覺，但場外卻是個低調謙遜、有禮又友善的陽光大男孩，堪稱球壇典範。世界「一哥」擁有如此討好性格，全因有位視他如親子的教練東尼叔叔多年來悉心培養，該位「拿度成功背後的男人」一直灌輸愛徒兼姪兒：「做好人緊要過贏冠軍！」

「當Rafa（拿度）還小的時候，我就認為他能成為出色的球員，但我堅決不會讓他在場上做出壞行為。」把拿度「一手湊大」的東尼續說：「現在看見他打出了出色的網球，我很高興，只是當人們都說Rafa是一個好人時，這才令我最開心。」

執教以來分文不收的東尼叔叔，不僅協助拿度贏取無數榮譽，更多的是教懂他正確的人生態度：「我常告訴Rafa要對生活充滿感激，最重要是保持樂觀，輸波實在不是一個大問題。」東尼的良好「家教」對姪兒相當奏效，拿度表示：「有人在你狀態低沉時鼓勵你，這是十分重要……當身處高峰時總會聽到很多讚美聲音，但我更需要有人說『實話』，不斷提醒我保持得體正當的言行。」
(刊於2010年9月15日)

拿度譜寫「金滿貫」傳奇！

拿度譜寫「金滿貫」傳奇！在父母家人及女友見證下，西班牙「野獸」昨以盤數3:1擊潰祖高域，首次捧走美網錦標，憑24歲101日幼齡榮膺歷來第7位、亦為公開賽時代最年輕「4大滿貫」（全滿貫）得主，更成為繼阿加斯及嘉芙兩夫婦後，網壇（包括男、女單）史上第3位「金滿貫」（囊括4大滿貫及奧運金牌）球星，此壯舉連兩代「波神」森柏斯及費達拿也未能企及；拿度無愧「新球王」之名，但難得仍謙稱「不及費達拿偉大」。

因天雨順延一天的男單王者對決，兩位「80後」球手合演一場極具質感的高水平競賽。面對「打到上晒身」的祖高域，拿度卒遇今屆最大考驗，首次丟失一盤賽事，幸憑更出色的技、戰術多次化解危機，最終苦戰4盤後（比賽曾因雨中斷）以6:4、5:7、6:4、6:2奏凱。

今年連掃澳網、溫布頓及美網的拿度創出一大堆歷史，寫下「金滿貫」王朝盛世，難怪他致勝一刻，激動到「連滾帶爬」抱頭抽搐喘泣，然後再仰天長嘯、振臂慶祝。「這是我最出色的一個賽事，也是我人生最重要的時刻！」袋走170萬美元（約1,326萬港元）獎金的拿度，高舉個人第9座大滿貫獎座時，笑得分外燦爛和幸福，他不諱言美網封王特別開心：「在我職業生涯能取得四大滿貫，就好像發夢一樣；今次贏美網給我的感覺最特別，因為這是我唯一所欠的錦標，現在我沒有遺憾了。」

追平費達拿「全滿貫」成就的拿度，雖比對方多了一面奧運金牌（男單），但他否認自己已比「費天王」更優勝：「我覺得現在拿我倆比較是愚蠢的。我們還差很多個冠軍，數字說明了他比我更出色，他一直是我學習的榜樣。」被問及是否有信心超越費達拿16個大滿貫的豐功偉績時，「野獸」表示：「這太遙遠了，但我會繼續努力，達成不斷改進自己的目標。」

拿度奪美網令西班牙體壇盛世再添輝煌，繼國家足球隊高舉南非世界盃、單車「天王」干達杜三登環法寶座後，「野獸」成就「金滿貫」令鬥牛國舉國歡騰。西班牙首相薩帕特羅亦發訊息恭賀拿度，讚揚他是體壇傳奇。《El Pais》報則大事褒揚：「他令全國人興奮得徹夜難眠，他是冠軍、他是神話、他是傳奇！」據當地電台的一項調查顯示，受訪的1,700人中有80%相信拿度能再接再厲，成為史上最出色的網球手。
(刊於2010年9月15日)