Shanghai  - Roger Federer said he remains convinced he was flirting with a tennis miracle in a fighting defeat against Andy Murray at the Masters Cup, which ended his season.

Failing to reach the semi-finals for the first time in seven appearances at the year-end tournament meant the Swiss player had to swallow a bitter defeat as he saved seven match points before losing to Murray for the third time in four 2008 meetings.

Sydney, Nov 15 : Australian all rounder Andrew Symonds scored a brisk 45 of 35 balls in his comeback match, but couldn’t prevent his side’s 64-run loss to the Australian Cricket Association All Stars in a Twenty20 charity fundraiser at the Gabba.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Symonds hit two sixes and a four in his entertaining knock for his team, but that was not enough to reach the All Stars’ 203 for four.

Importantly, the Queenslander, dumped from the Australian squad after missing a team meeting to go fishing, top-scored for them before he skied one to Simon Katich off Dan Marsh.

Hannover, Germany  - Hannover 96 and VfL Bochum will

Madrid - The condition of Spanish golfer Severiano Ballesteros continues to improve three weeks after undergoing brain surgery for the third time within a month and could leave intensive care in the coming week, Madrid's La Paz hospital said Friday.

Ballesteros, 51, underwent a six-hour operation last month to alleviate pressure on his brain and also had a tracheotomy to help him breathe.

Shanghai - Sweden's Jonas Bjorkman marked the end of his career at age 36 as he and partner Kevin Ullyett bowed out in doubles at the Masters Cup to Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski of Poland 6-2, 1-6, 10-6 on Friday.

The round-robin loss put and end to the career of Bjorkman, winner of all four Grand Slams - with four different partners - as well as 15 Masters titles among his 54 career doubles trophies.

The Monte Carlo-based father of two cited his Davis Cup titles with Sweden in 1997 and 1998 as highlight moments of a standout career.