World No. 1 Justine Henin recovered from a disastrous start to fend off an upset attempt by Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova in three sets to advance to the quarterfinals of the Antwerp Diamond Games tournament on Thursday.

Buworld No. 6 and No. 2 seed Anna Chakvetadze of Russia was sent packing on Thursday.

Henin lost the first set 6-7 to the 76th-ranked Pironkova, and was behind 1-3 in the second set before winning five consecutive games to take the set 6-3. In the deciding set, Henin crushed her 20-year-old opponent 6-1.

This was the first time that Henin played in front of her home fans in five years. She last played the tournament in 2003 when she lost to compatriot Kim Clijsters in the semifinals.

In Friday’s quarterfinals, Henin will take on Russian Alisa Kleybanova, who defeated Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine in three tough sets earlier Thursday.

In other actions on Thursday, Chakvetadze, fresh off victory in Paris last week, was upset by Sweden’s Sofia Arvidsson, who will play No. 9 seed Li Na of China in the quarterfinals.

Swiss player Timea Bacsinszky beat American Julie Ditty 7-5, 6-4 to set up a quarterfinal clash with No. 3 seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia.

The other quarterfinal pits Italian Karin Knapp against Swiss veteral Patty Schnyder.

This will be the final year of the 600,000-U.S.-dollar Antwerp tournament after a WTA calender revision which will take effect in 2009.

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China said Thursday it exerts positive efforts to resolve Darfur issue, and that linking the issue to the Olympic Games will not help and is against the Olympic Spirit that separates sports from politics.

"We noticed recent discussions and acts on China’s stance on Darfur issue. According to my knowledge, some are out of the concerns over the situation there, but others tried to link the issue with China’s policy on Sudan and Beijing Olympic Games, "Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a regular press conference.

"It is understandable if they do not understand the Chinese government policy on Darfur," said Liu. "But if they are politically motivated, we will not accept."

Liu said China has made unremitting efforts to resolve the Darfur issue, a fact that is obvious to anyone in the international community that is not biased against China.

China helped push forward Sudanese government, African Union and United Nations reaching consensus on sending hybrid force to Darfur.

"This did not come easily and our efforts have been recognized by the international community," Liu said.

In order to improve the humanitarian situation in Darfur, China have provided material assistance worth 80 million RMB (11 million U.S. dollars) to Darfur, 1.8 million U.S. dollars aid to African Union, and 500,000 U.S. dollars donation to the U.N. fund for solving Darfur issue.

China has promised to send a 315-strong engineering unit to Darfur. A 140-member advance troop is already in Darfur, and more will be gradually deployed.

Besides, China’s special representative on African issue have visited Sudan three times since taking office last May.

Chinese enterprises in Sudan also provided many assistance and constructed many projects there. According to Liu, in recent years, Chinese companies had helped dig 46 wells, build 20 small-scale power plants in Darfur and water supply projects in southern and northern Darfur states, as well as provide teaching equipments.

"On the issue of Darfur, empty rhetoric will not help," Liu said. "What is most important is to do substantial things to promote peace process there and alleviate the humanitarian crisis," he said, calling for objective and just treatment on China’s stance.

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A volunteer dressed as a Beijing 2008 Olympic
Games mascot stands outside the National Aquatics
Centre, nicknamed the "Water Cube", during the
Good Luck Beijing 2008 Swimming China Open in
Beijing January 31, 2008. The Olympic venue for
swimming, diving and synchronised swimming at the
Beijing Games opened with a test event on Thursday
allowing the Chinese capital’s residents to ponder
the ethereal cuboid structure at close range for
the first time.

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Competitors dive during the women’s 4x 200M
freestyle relay finals during the Good Luck
Beijing 2008 Swimming China Open at the
National Aquatics Centre, nicknamed ’Water Cube’,
in Beijing February 1, 2008. The Olympic venue
for swimming, diving and synchronised swimming
at the Beijing Games opened with a test event
on Thursday allowing the Chinese capital’s
residents to ponder the ethereal cuboid structure
at close range for the first time.

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Athletes compete in the men’s 200m freestyle heats during
the "Good Luck Beijing" Swimming China Open at the National
Aquatics Centre, also known as the Water Cube, in Beijing
January 31, 2008. The Olympic venue for swimming, diving
and synchronised swimming at the Beijing Games opened with
a test event on Thursday allowing the Chinese capital’s
residents to ponder the ethereal cuboid structure at close
range for the first time. 

;page;

A South Korean athlete competes in the men’s 200m freestyle
heats during the "Good Luck Beijing" Swimming China Open at
the National Aquatics Centre, also known as the Water Cube,
in Beijing January 31,2008. The Olympic venue for swimming,
diving and synchronised swimming at the Beijing Games opened
with a test event on Thursday allowing the Chinese capital’s
residents to ponder the ethereal cuboid structure at close range for the first time.

;page;

People walk outside the National Aquatics Centre, nicknamed
the "Water Cube", during the Good Luck Beijing 2008 Swimming
China Open in Beijing January 31, 2008. The Olympic venue
for swimming, diving and synchronised swimming at the Beijing
Games opened with a test event on Thursday allowing the Chinese
capital’s residents to ponder the ethereal cuboid structure at
close range for the first time. 

;page;

Children play with an Olympic mascot outside the National
Aquatics Centre during the Good Luck Beijing 2008 Swimming
China Open, in Beijing February 1, 2008. The Olympic venue
for swimming, diving and synchronised swimming at the
Beijing Games opened with a test event on Thursday allowing
the Chinese capital’s residents to ponder the ethereal
cuboid structure at close range for the first time.

;page;

A volunteer talks to his co-worker, dressed as a Beijing
2008 Olympic Games mascot, during the Good Luck Beijing
2008 Swimming China Open at the National Aquatics Centre,
nicknamed the "Water Cube", in Beijing January 31, 2008.
The Olympic venue for swimming, diving and synchronised
swimming at the Beijing Games opened with a test event
on Thursday allowing the Chinese capital’s residents to
ponder the ethereal cuboid structure at close range for
the first time. 

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     On Sunday, Chinese NBA stars Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian also sent Spring festival greetings to people back home stranded by heavy snows in southern China.

     Yao Ming said "Happy new year to everyone. I hope all those who are still on their way home can get home as soon as possible. I send my greetings to all of you. I hope our country can overcome this snow storm disaster as soon as possible. This is the most important thing for us now."

    Yi Jianlian said "I send my greetings to all of our fans and my best wishes to them in the new year. I also hope our country can overcome the snow storm disasters as soon as possible."

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Egypt have won their sixth African Cup of Nations title - and their second in a row - by beating Cameroon 1-0 in Sunday’s final in the Ghanaian capital, Accra.

Egyptian team are celebrating their triumph.

Sepp Blatter gave the fixture the FIFA presidential seal of approval. The match’s pivotal moment arrived in the 77th minute.Egypt substitute Mohamed Zidan robbed the ball from a shattering Rigobert Song and lay it off for Mohamed Abouterika to score what would prove the game’s only goal.

Song had a chance to redeem himself deep in injury time. He couldn’t - and Egypt held out for a well-deserved win.

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ROME, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- World player of the year Kaka said Thursday he hopes to play for Brazil in Beijing Olympic Games in August.

AC Milan’s striker Kaka has won almost every club and individual honor there is in football except one title, that of Olympic champion. 

Kaka of Brazil raises the FIFA World Player 2007 award during
 the FIFA World Player of the Year awards ceremony in Zurich
Dec. 17, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Indeed, it is the only title Brazil have yet to win despite being crowned world champions a record five times.

Speaking at a World Food Program ’Fill the Cup’ campaign, Kaka admitted he would like to be selected as one of the three players over 23 years of age permitted in each squad in China.

"I would like to (play) but I will leave it up to the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) and Milan to decide," he said.

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We continue the "To Be The Best" series with a look at Yang Wei, an all-round gymnast and a veteran of 11 years of China’s national team. He’s one of China’s top gold medal hopes for the up-coming Beijing Olympic Games. With only a few months to go before the big event, Yang Wei and his team are undergoing intense training and feeling the pressure that comes along with it. To get an idea of how things are going with the former Olympic and world champion, let’s go back to the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Yang Wei(File photo)

In tomorrow’s "To Be The Best", we’ll be taking a close look at Zhang Guozheng, a veteran weightlifter looking to score a big success at the 2008 home Olympics. Don’t miss it.

For Yang Wei and his national gymnastics teammates, the 2004 Athens Olympic Games was one to remember. But it wasn’t a happy memory. That’s because China, the team champions in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, were dealt a crushing blow. The whole team, including captain Yang Wei himself, wound up losing their form, and with it the title. It almost shattered Yang Wei’s spirit.

Yang Wei said, "Me and my coach went back to the village with no words or appetites,and there’s something that I must say to my coach."

Huang Yubin, China Gymnastics Team Coach, said, "We walked towards our dorms in silence, and as we got near the door, the distraught young man suddenly knelt down in front of me and said ’I’m so sorry teacher, I have let you down.’ I held him up and said ’It’s OK’."

Yang Wei said, "The only feeling inside me was guilt. I felt guilty because I failed to keep alive our team spirit the way many of my former teammates had. I didn’t live up to my coach’s expectation, nor the amount of sweat and blood all of us had shed in the past four years."

Soon after Athens, Yang Wei attended the International Gymnastics Invitational in his hometown, and entertained his foreign gymnast friends at home. Having already been with the national team for seven years, he was thinking about retirement. But his coach had other ideas.

Yang Wei said, "I wanted very much to persuade him not to give up. I went with him on a 10-day hiking and sightseeing trip in the mountains, and I would tell him whenever I could how the rule changes would benefit him. Then on our way back he finally told me not to worry, and said he’d never give up as he’d made up his mind to go for the Beijing Olympics."

Yang Wei stayed with the team. And his efforts and persistence saw him shine once again at the 2006 World Gymnastics Championships in Denmark. Yang Wei became a double champion by winning both the rings and the parallel bars, along with the valuable team gold he and his teammates had lost in Athens.

Last year’s World Championships in Germany saw Yang Wei’s performance rise to a new level. He out-paced his nearest rival by a staggering 3.35 points after the first five events. Even a horrifying slip on the horizontal bars later didn’t cost him the top spot.

However, Yang took the error very seriously, posting his "hand-slipping" picture on his blog for all his fans to see.

Yang Wei said, "It was the result of me losing guard, more or less, so I’d like it to serve as a wake-up call."

;page;

Yang Wei(File photo)

With the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games fast approaching, Yang Wei is feeling the pressure. He described the Olympic Games as a lush feast for the fans, but mental purgatory for the athletes.

Yang Wei said, "With the previous Olympics I took part, I wouldn’t feel the pressure until after we arrived at the Olympic village, or we had to adapt to the weather in a particular country. But this one is different, as I’ll compete right here in Beijing. So it’s like I was in the Games all this time. You just can’t sit back even if you’re having a break."

Under such pressure, it’s not difficult to imagine how hard Yang Wei and his teammates are working. The door to their training center in Beijing is closed to the outside as of now, with no media access. But as Yang Wei shows, he has enormous confidence and self-belief ahead of the Games.

Yang Wei said, "We have been working on increasing difficulty levels, and our goal is that all our rivals would lose hearts at the sight of us showing up at the venue!"

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Cameroon are through to the final after beating host nation Ghana 1-0 in Accra on Thursday. In the 71st minute, Cameroon scored on the breakaway, in what was their first clear chance of the second half.

Cameroon’’s Alain Ngong (L) kicks the ball past Ghana’s goal-
keeper.(File photo)

Substitute Alain Nkong was played through by Samuel Eto’o and beat goalkeeper with a calm finish in what would be the only goal of the game.

Cameroon upset Ghana to enter final of Africa Cup of Nations(File photo)

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Zheng Jie (L), Yan Zi (C ) and Sun Tiantian show a set of
spring couplets.

Zheng Jie (L) and Yan Zi show two rat-shaped pictures.

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Zheng Jie (L) and Yan Zi

Zheng Jie (L), Yan Zi (C ) and Sun Tiantian give the thumbs up.

Zeng Shaoxuan (L), Zheng Jie(L 2), Yan Zi (C ) , Sun Tiantian
and Yu Xingyuan

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Egypt beat Angola to reach semi-final

Hosni Abd Rabou and Amr Zaki scored a goal each on Monday night to help Egypt reach the semi-finals of the African Cup of Nations after a 2-1 win over Angola.

Angola's Rui Marques, right, controls the ball
as teammate Marco Airosa, center, and Egypt's
Emad Moteab, left, look on during their African
Cup of Nations quarterfinal match in Kumasi,
Ghana, Monday, Feb. 4, 2008. Egypt beat Angola
2-1 to advance to the semifinals.
(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) 

Abd Rabou scored a penalty to give Egypt the lead in the 23rd minute after Andre Macanga was penalised for hand-ball in the area. Manucho levelled for Angola in the 27th, skilfully dribbling past Shady Mohamed before beating goalkeeper from 25 metres.A spectacular goal. Seven minutes from half-time, Amr Zaki took advantage of a defensive error to put Egypt back in front.And 2-1,it remained untill the end of the match. Egypt, searching for a sixth African nations crown, will now meet the Ivory Coast in a semi-final match-up on Thursday.

Shwky Ghareb, Assistant Head Coach of Egypt said "Because we are defended champions the title will be ours until the 10th February that's when we will know who would be the winner. But in the meantime we are still the champion."

Figueiredo, Angola Player said "We suffered with the first goal and then we scored for 1-1. But then they scored again for 2-1. It is more difficult to get in front of a team like Egypt when you are losing. But I think in the second half if you score for 2-2, I think the game is different."

Cameroon to meet Ghana in last 4

Cameroon also advanced into the semifinal after beating Tunisia 3-2. Stephane MBia headed in the opening goal for Cameroon in the 19th minute. Geremi made it 2-0 with a superb free-kick eight minutes later. But Tunisia's players kept their composure and pulled two goal back to force extra time.

Tunisia's Sabeur Frej, left, challenges Cameroon's Mohamadou
Idrissou during their African Cup of Nations quarter-final
soccer match in Tamale, Ghana, Monday Feb. 4, 2008. Cameroon
won the game 3-2 after extra time.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant) 

However, MBia won the match for Cameroon just two minutes into the extra time when he converted a cross from substitute Joel Epalle.

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Maurice Greene announced his retirement from athletics on Monday. The former track and field record holder arrived in Beijing among a group of the world's top athletes.

Maurice Greene, former US world and Olympic champion in the
100m and 200m sprints, poses in Beijing, where he said he
would not be competing in the 2008 Games and that his future
would probably be in coaching. The veteran Greene, who won
the 100m and 200m gold in Sydney in 2000, said that he was
sad he would not race here in August but felt the United States
had a worthy successor in Tyson Gay. AFP/Frederic J.Brown)

Greene, a double Olympic gold medal winner and former world record holder for the 100 meter sprint, announced his retirement from the sport. The thirty-three year old won Olympic 100 meter gold at the 2000 Sydney Games, and was the first man to win the 100 and 200 meter titles at a single world championships in Seville in 1999. Greene said a calf injury which he suffered during training convinced him to end his career.

Maurice Greene, 100M & 200M World Champion said "I thinks its just better off for me to call it quits now and not keep having that mental battle with myself and just, you know, let other people in the sport flourish and, you know, pass it on to someone else."

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In the NBA Kobe Bryant scored 19 points in the first quarter to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 103-91 win over the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center Sunday.

Kobe Bryant scored 19 points in the first quarter
to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 103-91 win over
the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center Sunday.
(Photo: sina.com)

Early in the game, Kobe drove the baseline through a pack of defenders and went in for a slam to put the Lakers in front 10-4. Late in the first quarter, Bryant spotted up for a long three-pointer and nailed it to put the Lakers on top 28-13.

The Wizards' Antawn Jamison cruised along the baseline for a reverse jam. He cut the Lakers lead to 47-34 early in the second quarter during a nice run for the Wizards. But late in the period, the irrepressible Bryant wove through traffic, and elevated for a layup to put the Lakers out in front 53-37. In the fourth, Bryant dropped in a fall-away three-pointer to keep the Lakers in front at 97-76. Man-of-the-match Bryant finished with a game-high 30 points, as the Lakers coasted to a 103-91

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Kobe Bryant scored 19 points in the first quarter
to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 103-91 win over
the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center Sunday.
(Photo: sina.com)

Kobe Bryant scored 19 points in the first quarter
to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 103-91 win over
the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center Sunday.
(Photo: sina.com) 

Kobe Bryant scored 19 points in the first quarter
to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 103-91 win over
the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center Sunday.
(Photo: sina.com)

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BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- Giants wideout Plaxico Burress made his prediction come true and New York fans’ wishes come true Sunday night in the Super Bowl, executing a 13-yard fade pass pattern perfectly to haul down the game winning touchdown with only 35 seconds left on the clock as the New York Giants upset the once-perfect New England Patriots 17-14.

New York Giants David Tyree celebrates his touchdown during
the fourth quarter of the NFL’s Super Bowl XLII football
game against the New England Patriots in Glendale, Arizona
Feb. 3, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Just a few days ago, Burress had predicted a 23-17 New York victory. His boastful words had Patriot quarterback Tom Brady in stitches and some teammates snickering.

"We just hung in there on offense, kept executing," said Burress. "It came down to one play and we made it."

In one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, New York (14-6) shattered New England’s unbeaten season. It was the Giants’11th straight victory on the road and the first time the Patriots felt the agony of defeat in more than a year.

It was the most bitter of losses, too, because 12-point favorite New England (18-1) was one play from winning and getting the ultimate revenge for being penalized for illegally taping opponents’ defensive signals in the season-opener against the New York Jets.

But its defense couldn’t stop a final, frantic 12-play, 83-yard drive that featured a spectacular leaping catch by David Tyree, who had scored New York’s first touchdown on the opening drive of the fourth quarter.

"That’s a position you want to be in," said Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who followed older brother Peyton’s MVP performance last year with one of his own. "You can’t write a better script. There were so many big plays on that drive."

The Patriots were done in not so much by the pressure of the first unbeaten season in 35 years as by the pressure of a smothering Giants pass rush. Tom Brady, the league’s Most Valuable Player and winner of his first three Super Bowl, was sacked five times, hurried a dozen more and at one point wound up on his knees, his hands on his hips following one of many poor throws in New England’s lowest scoring game of the season.

"They played well," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "They made some plays. We made some plays. They just made a few more. We played as hard as we could. We just couldn’t make enough plays."

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The Chinese quartet withstood a severe final challenge from German world record holder Britta Steffen to bag home the gold of the women's 4x100 meters medley relay at China Open here on Monday.

"We performed quite well, especially Zhu Qianwei who stood the pressure in the last lap," said Chinese breaststroke Sun Ye after the team edged Germany in four minutes 7.61 seconds.

The Chinese team led in big margin in the first three laps but was chased tightly in the final lap as Steffen, the 100 meters freestyle world record holder, surged fiercely in her specialty.

Zhu was totally out of match in the last 100 meters, while Steffen chased back 2.14 seconds for the German squad. However, Zhu managed to touch the wall 0.18 second ahead of the speedy Steffen, who had grabbed the titles of the 50 meters and 100 meters freestyle in the past two days.

South Korea got the bronze in 4:17.35.

"We are pleased with the result," said Birte Steven representing the German team. "Britta swam really fast, but we hope for better performance at the Olympic Games."

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Diego Maradona on Sunday denied newspaper reports that he had asked for forgiveness for his "hand of God" goal in the 1986 World Cup during a recent visit to England, and swore at teammates who had commented on the remarks.

"I did not ask forgiveness from England," Maradona told reporters at an Ezeiza International Airport, in Argentine capital Buenos Aires. Maradona scored the goal with a punch, illegal but not seen by the game's referee. Thanks to that goal, Argentina defeated England 2-1, knocking them out of 1986's World Cup.

On Thursday last week, British tabloid The Sun reported that Maradona had told reporters, "if I could apologize and change history I would. But the goal remains a goal. Argentina became world champion and I was the best player in the World Cup."

On Sunday in Argentina, Maradona said, "At no time did I apologize to anyone. I said you can't change history." He added that he had beaten a host of players on his way to the disputed goal.

After the match he described the unseen handball offense which beat then England goalkeeper as "the hand of God". Shilton last week rejected Maradona's alleged apology.

Maradona responded with an attack on Shilton saying, "now that's one hell of a goalkeeper. When they beat him, not even his son will greet him in the street."

"If I have to apologize to anyone it is to my daughters, my parents and all the fans of Boca Juniors, because I missed five penalties," he added.

He also went on to call "putos" (gays or male whores) Argentine soccer players who had publicly commented on the interview before he had spoken about it.

"To those who spoke before I got a chance, who were on the team in 1986 but did not know me either on or off the field, I say you are very 'putos'," Maradona told reporters.

Argentine internationals Ricardo Giusti, Julio Olarticoechea and Jorge Burrachaga had criticized Maradona's published comments.

Maradona also described the British as "very naive. They took information that did not say that. I would like you to show me the recording in English and that is what I will tell them," he added.

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