Jamaica top group, Guatemala advance

Jamaica finished the first round of the Gold Cup on top of Group B after a 1-0 victory over Honduras on Monday, with both teams advancing to the quarter-finals along with Guatemala.
Guatemala booked their berth with a 4-0 victory over Grenada, which was enough to put them through as one of the best two third-placed teams in group play.
Ryan Johnson got the goal for Jamaica with some help from Honduran keeper Noel Valladares.
Johnson's powerful shot hit the crossbar and then Valladares' back before landing in the net.
"It's one of the strangest goals, but it's a goal," said Johnson, who plays for the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer. "The best thing was getting the clean sheet. We haven't been scored on so far and I'm really happy about that."
"I dove for the ball and I could not get it," Valladares said. "It hit me in the back and went in." Johnson had a chance to double the score from the penalty spot in the 71st, but Valladares saved his attempt.
The victory gave Jamaica the maximum nine points from their three group matches.
In the quarter-finals of the regional championship for North and Central America and the Caribbean they'll face the second-place team from Group C, which will be decided when the group stage concludes on Tuesday.
Honduras finished second in Group B-ahead of Guatemala on goal difference-and will face Costa Rica, runners-up to Mexico in Group A.
Guatemala needed to win by three goals to be assured of advancing.
In the end they had one to spare after goals from Jose Del Aguila, Marco Pappa, Carlos Ruiz and Carlos Gallardo."More than anything, this was a psychological and mental game," Guatemala manager Ever Hugo Almeida said. "We had to score a specific number of goals. We needed three goals, but we had to take it goal by goal. We were able to manage the game and get the result we wanted."
Del Aguila opened the scoring in the 15th with a shot that bounced off the inside of the right post and past keeper Shemel Louison.
Pappa doubled the lead in the 21st minute with a hard-struck shot that Louison couldn't deflect.
In the 53rd minute, Ruiz volleyed in a rebound of Jairo Arreola's attempt off the crossbar and Gallardo completed the scoring five minutes later.

Queen's champ Murray in mood for Wimbledon glory

Andy Murray has set his sights on Wimbledon glory after winning his second Queen's title with a 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 victory over Jo Wilfried Tsonga. Murray became the first Briton for 97 years to win the Wimbledon warm up event twice thanks to a gutsy comeback against Tsonga and the world number four will be among the favourites when the All England Club tournament gets underway next week.

The 24 year old has endured three painful defeats in Grand Slam finals, including the Australian Open this year, but he believes he is in the perfect form to finally end his long wait to win a major. "I'm going to Wimbledon with the feeling I'm going to win the tournament. I don't think you can go in with any other attitude," Murray said. "I feel like I am playing good tennis but I will need to improve in the next week because I have to play my best throughout the tournament to win it."I will be switched on from my first match. I'll really look forward to the challenge because Wimbledon is one of the most important tournaments of the year, if not the most important." Murray underlined his sky high confidence in the third set of the final against Tsonga when he hit a remarkable between the legs forehand winner from an acute angle near the net. The British number one admitted it was the kind of spectacular shot he loves to play and he refused to apologise for a piece of show-boating some saw as a sign of arrogance. "I enjoyed hitting them, it was good fun," Murray said. "You don't get a chance to do that very often and it just came off.

Usmanov slams Arsenal board

Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov has slammed the Arsenal board for the Premier League club's failure to win a major trophy in any of the past six seasons. Usmanov, 57, who is not a Gunners director despite owning 30 percent of the club's parent company, said too many board members were blinded by their own self interest and said he did not wish to serve on such a board. "If the role of a board member is to oversee a trophyless period, while making significant personal profits and asking fans to pay inflation busting ticket price increases then, no, I would not want to be on the board," Usmanov told the News of the World. "If instead it is to try to deliver sustained success, to increase your personal investment in the club, to help develop the commercial position and to ensure the fans have a say in the running of the club then, yes, I think I certainly have something to contribute. "In terms of doing things differently, let me give you a very clear example. Arsenal has all of its major commercial contracts coming up for renewal in the next couple of years. "It's no secret that to maximise the value of those you want to have success on the field and be winning trophies. To do that you need to invest now in building a winning team. This is simple commercial logic. Whether it comes to pass, we shall see." Arsenal suffered a dramatic slump following their English League Cup semi final defeat by Birmingham in February, with their bids for the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League all declining after that defeat. Usmanov urged Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger be given the funds to bring in experienced players in key positions to bolser the Gunners' crop of promising young talents. "There is a widely held view among most commentators  and one that I agree with that the club needs to stiffen the defensive spine of the team, with a dominant keeper, strong centre halves and a powerful defensive midfielder in the mould of Claude Makelele," he said.

Australian racing industry grappling with drug and alcohol abuse among apprentice jockeys

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has been practiced over the centuries. One of the principal forms of horse racing, which is popular in many parts of the world, is Thoroughbred racing. Harness racing for Standardbred horses is also popular in Australia, New Zealand, the eastern United States and more popular than Thoroughbred racing in Canada and parts of Europe.

The Australian horse racing industry is in panic mode as it grapples with a drug and alcohol abuse epidemic among apprentice jockeys. Australian racing industry grappling with drug and alcohol abuse among apprentice jockeys. Josh Adams top apprentice is serving a seven month ban due to drugs. Source: News Limited. The Australian horse racing industry is in panic mode as it grapples with a drug and alcohol abuse epidemic among apprentice jockeys. Melbourne Cup Marvels: Best winners of the past 15 years.  A growing number of young riders have spiralled out of control, with one leading Sydney trainer claiming four out of 10 apprentices use recreational drugs. The issue is said to be at "panic stations" following the latest suspension of Sydney star apprentice Josh Adams for seven months because of drugs And he isn't alone. Recently, drugs shattered the career of Jamie Quinnell, while the promising Mitch Beadman  and Daniel Ganderton walked away from riding to sort out drinking issues. Beadman and Ganderton never tested positive, but regularly drew stewards' ire for well chronicled wayward behaviour. Ganderton, who quit riding, said he never took drugs but "wasted thousands on alcohol." Racing New South Wales boss Peter V'landys said drug use among some apprentices was a major concern. Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar. He said the governing body was educating young jockeys about the dangers of using drugs. Top apprentices can earn up to $500,000 a year and some are prone to reckless spending on alcohol, luxury cars, holidays and pokies.

Shock semi finalist Ward living dream at Queen's

British wildcard James Ward admits he is living the dream at Queen's after the world number 216 continued his remarkable run by reaching the semi finals with two dramatic wins on Friday.
Ward started the day with a prolonged wait to finish his third round match at the Wimbledon warm-up event and ended it looking forward to a semi-final against fifth seed Jo Wilfried Tsonga after beating defending champion Sam Querrey and then France's Adrian Mannarino.
The 24 year old son of a London taxi driver has spent most of his career playing at unglamourous venues in low-key Futures and Challenger tournaments.
But Ward has been finally been able to savour a moment in the spotlight this week and he hopes the fairytale isn't over yet.
"It's the best week of my career so far. Hopefully it doesn't stop here," he said. "I'm delighted at how it's gone so far. I'm looking forward to playing the next match against Tsonga.
"I've been playing futures tournaments and some challengers as well where there are not big crowds.
"This is why you're working, you're trying hard to get to these tournaments and get to these opportunities. This week I made the most of it.
"It does come into your mind what an opportunity this is. I'm not going to lie. It's always in your mind.
"But you have to try to put it to one side and concentrate on the tennis and do what I've been doing, and that gave me the chance to get to the semis."
After a 90 minute rain delay, he resumed his match with Querrey at one-set all following a suspension for bad light the previous evening.
Ward had been on top when play was called off, but he refused to surrender the momentum and broke late in the first set to clinch a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory.
There was no time to celebrate that success as Ward, who beat fourth seed Stanislas Wawrinka in the second round, returned to court just hours later to face Mannarino. He looked set for an easy win as he took the first set and served for the match in the second. But his nerve briefly cracked as Mannarino broke back to force a tie break.
Ward had an incredible seven match points in the breaker but wasted them all as Mannarino set up a final set decider.

Jamaica advance in Gold Cup

Demar Phillips scored twice in the second half to lift Jamaica to a 2-0 victory over 10-man Guatemala on Friday, a victory that secured Jamaica's spot in the Gold Cup quarter-finals. In the night's second Group B match, Carlos Costly scored three times and Jerry Bengston twice as Honduras rallied from an early deficit to thump Grenada 7-1 and boost their chances of advancing.
Honduras now have four points and are second to Jamaica in the group. A point would be enough for them to reach the knockout stage, but Honduras could win the group with a victory over leaders Jamaica on Monday.
In a game featuring little in the way of offensive fireworks, Phillips broke through for Jamaica in the 65th minute, collecting a ball from Keammar Daley and dribbling toward the left side of the penalty area.
He beat defender Jonathan Lopez then slotted a shot past Guatemalan keeper Ricard Jerez.
Phillips added the insurance goal in the 78th minute. By then, Guatemala had been reduced to 10 men when Cristian Noriega received a second yellow card for a foul on Dane Richards in the 70th minute.
The victory gave Jamaica a maximum six points from their first two matches in the North and Central America and Caribbean regional championship.
The winners of the tournament earn a spot in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.
The second match of the night was, in contrast, a goal festival. Clive Murray gave Grenada their first ever Gold Cup goal as he put the Spice Boys ahead in the 19th minute. Honduras soon took control, however, as Costly and Bengston combined for three goals in 10 minutes to put them 3-1 up.
Bengston equalised in the 26th minute and Costly put Honduras ahead a minute later. Bengston's second goal made it 3-1 in the 36th.
Costly struck again in the 66th and 71st, Walter Martinez scored with three minutes remaining and Alfredo Mejia scored Honduras' final goal in the 90th minute.
For Honduras, it was a welcome show of attacking power after a 0-0 draw with Guatemala.
The tournament continues on Saturday with Group C action in Tampa, Florida.
The United States will take on Panama, both going into the contest with three points, and Canada will face Guadeloupe.
While Mexico have booked their quarter-final berth in Group A with two convincing wins, the team remained in turmoil on Friday, a day after Mexican football authorities provisionally suspended five players who tested positive for banned drug clenbuterol in a May 21 test during a pre-tournament training camp.
CONCACAF have said Mexico's opening 5-0 victory over El Salvador would stand even though news of the positive tests had not yet come through, but the governing body for the region had yet to decide whether Mexico could call up players to replace those it had pulled out of the tournament.
Mexican officials sent the five players involved to Los Angeles for further tests. Federation officials say they believe the players inadvertently ingested the banned drug in contaminated meat.

Tennis: Murray faces Tsonga in final

Britain’s Andy Murray will face Jo Wilfried Tsonga in the final at Queen’s after an imperious 6-3, 6-1 victory over four-time champion Andy Roddick in the semi finals on Saturday. He'll play Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Sunday's final. The Frenchman ended unseeded Briton James Ward's run with a 6-3, 7-6 (7) victory in the other semifinal.Murray, seeded second, was in sublime form as he demolished one of the top grass-court players of the last decade and French fifth seed Tsonga joined him in the final with a 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) win against British wildcard James Ward. This was arguably the most complete performance of Murray’s career and the victory was especially sweet for the world number four as it went some way to avenging his 2009 Wimbledon semi-final defeat against Roddick. Murray had won six of his nine meetings with Roddick but the loss at Wimbledon still rankles with the Scot. The 24-year-old will have taken extra delight from the way he totally overwhelmed third seed Roddick here and he will now be heavy favourite to win this Wimbledon warm-up event for the second time.
As ever, Murray was looking to use the drop shot at every opportunity and he caught Roddick with two exquisite efforts to move 4-1 ahead. Murray’s serve was in good working order and, with his sliced backhand causing the American no end of problems, Roddick began to wear an increasingly exasperated expression as the first set ended with another Murray ace.Roddick’s formidable record on grass, he had won 32 of his previous 37 matches at Queen’s, as well as reaching three Wimbledon finals underlined Murray’s achievement in dominating so completely. The American was going for a record fifth Queen’s title, but there was no let up from Murray at the start of the second set and he broke again in the first game. A Roddick double fault gifted the break point and Murray was quick to seize the opportunity with a superb return that his opponent could only volley into the net. Murray was toying with Roddick now, drawing him in with low slices and then passing at will, and his place in the final was secured when he broke for a 4-1 lead and then converted his third match point.

Ronaldo plays last game for Brazil

Sao Paulo: Former world footballer of the year Ronaldo ended his international career here on Tuesday with a 15-minute appearance as a substitute in Brazil's 1-0 win over Romania in a friendly match.Watched by a 30,000 crowd, the 34-year-old striker came on for the last 15 minutes of the match with the home side already ahead through a goal from Fred after 21 minutes and he had several goal chances in that time."I had three goal opportunities but did not manage to score which would have been a nice present to give back to those who gave me so much," he said afterwards to fans in a chilly Pacaembu stadium.Fred's match winning goal was set up by the latest Brazilian golden boy Neymar, who has been linked to a move into the English Premier League. Ronaldo announced his retirement in February citing recurring injury and health problems.During a glittering 14-year spell in Europe, Ronaldo scored goals at a prolific rate for PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan, before returning to Brazil in 2009.He won the World Cup with Brazil as a youngster in 1994 and then in 2002 and became the leading scorer in World Cup finals tournaments when he scored his 15th goal at the 2006 tournament in Germany.He was twice named European Footballer of the Year, in 1997 and 2002, FIFA world footballer of the year in 1996, 1997 and 2002 and finished his international career with 62 goals in 97 appearances.

Ebden earns shot at Nadal, Roddick seals tough win

Australian qualifier Matthew Ebden earned a shot at world number one Rafael Nadal thanks to his 7-5, 6-3 win over India's Somdev Devvarman at Queen's, while four time champion Andy Roddick defeated Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (7/2), 6-7 (5/7), 6-4 on Tuesday.Ebden, who was born in South Africa, has spent most of his short career playing on the unglamourous Futures Tour and is currently ranked 168th in the world.But the 23 year old will be mixing with tennis royalty in west London on Wednesday when he takes on Nadal in the Spaniard's first singles match since winning his sixth French Open crown in Paris on Sunday. Nadal arrived in London late on Monday just 24 hours after his final victory over Roger Federer to begin preparations for the defence of his Wimbledon title.And his first opponent will be the unheralded Ebden, who secured an impressive victory over Devvarman even though the Indian is 101 places above his opponent in the ATP rankings.Perth based Ebden has been in good form of late, reaching the latter stages at Nottingham and Cremona, and he edged a tight first set before pressing home his advantage with a break late in the second set to clinch the win.Elsewhere at the Wimbledon warm up event, Roddick started his bid for a record fifth title with a hard fought win against Spain's Lopez in the second round.

Kohli embraces new-found discipline

Virat Kohli became the latest member of India’s young brigade to acquit themselves well on the tour of the Caribbean on Wednesday.The 22 year old stroked an impressive 81 in the second One day International against West Indies to lead India to a seven-wicket victory, and earn the man of the match award.He too, kept up the constant theme that has rung through this series once it was clear that the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, and Yuvraj Singh would have been sidelined, it’s a chance for him and other less than established player like him to cut out a place for themselves in the national team.‘The young Indians players want to handle pressure, utilise every opportunity,’ he said. ‘We want to take up as much responsibility as we can and improve in each game.‘Some of us here in this series have been around for a while time. We want to perform, so that those with less experience than us on this tour can bat with more freedom.’Kohli’s past had been dogged by the ravages of a young man striving to come to terms with early fame and fortune.He was thrilled to speak of his missteps as a thing of the past, and felt he had done everything required of him on the disciplinary side over the last two years to change course.‘I was determined to transform myself,’ he said. ‘I was getting carried away off the field - which was not good.

US starts Gold Cup with 2-0 win over Canada

Jozy Altidore scored in the first half and set up Clint Dempsey's goal in the second as the United States opened its Gold Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over Canada on Tuesday.The 21-year-old Altidore put the hosts ahead in the 15th minute and Dempsey scored in the 62nd from a good Altidore cross. The U.S., which was coming off a 4-0 loss to World Cup champion Spain on Saturday, has never lost a group stage game at the Gold Cup. "Coming off the game against Spain, obviously, you got down a little bit," Altidore said. "Now, we've just got to build on it, because it's only going to get harder from here."The U.S. pressured Canada from the start. Altidore scored after running onto a long pass from Landon Donovan. Although Kevin McKenna was back to defend, Altidore was able to turn and take a low shot which slipped under goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld and into the net. There was little Hirschfeld could do about the second goal. Altidore sent a low cross from to the right of the net, and Dempsey stretched to knock the ball in at the far post. "For confidence, it was a good thing," coach Bob Bradley said. "The movement that led to the first goal and the cross to Dempsey for the second both were great plays."U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard was impressive, reacting marvelously to deflect Ali Gerba's powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area with his right hand in the 70th minute. About 15 minutes later, Howard smothered a shot near the edge of the 6-yard box, then made another terrific stop on a volley by Gerba. "Howard was absolute magic," Canadian coach Stephen Hart said. "I almost clapped."Oguchi Onyewu was left out of the starting lineup for the Americans. Coach Bob Bradley went with Tim Ream and Clarence Goodson in central defense.

Chris Gayle wins big at WIPA awards

Chris Gayle has been named international cricketer and Test player of the year at the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) awards. Allrounder Stafanie Taylor picked up the international women's player of the year award.Gayle's recognition was chiefly inspired by his triple-hundred against Sri Lanka in November 2010, in Galle. The innings of 333 was Gayle's top Test score and the second time he went past 300 in Tests, making him only the fourth batsman ever to do so. He is at present out of the West Indies side, following a stand off with the board over his exclusion for the Pakistan series, and his participation in the IPL.Taylor was in rich form in 2010, scoring heavily in the ICC Women's Challenge in South Africa where she averaged 97.00. She is currently ranked No. 2 in the ICC women's ODI batting and allrounder ratings.Kieron Pollard and Darren Sammy were named the best ODI and Twenty20 players, while Keiron Joseph was named Under-19 player of the year. Jamaica, who won the Regional Four Day Competition for the 2010-'11 season, were adjudged the first class team of the year.

Legendary Ronaldo says goodbye to soccer

Ronaldo Luis Rosario da Lima, simply known as Ronaldo, bade his official and final farewell to the soccer field on Tuesday when Brazil hosted Romania, winning 1-0 in a friendly inside the Pacaembu stadium in the city of Sao Paulo.Ronaldo came off the bench to a standing ovation in the 30th minute. As soon as he approached the line judge to announce his entrance in the 27th minute, the crowd went crazy.He entered in place of Fred, the author of the game's only goal in 21st minute. During his 15 minutes on the field, the striker had two excellent opportunities to score. However, he failed to convert each of them.In the 35th minute, Ronaldo tapped the ball to Neymar and cut through the defense. Advancing, Neymar dropped it to Ronaldo. In an attempt to redirect the ball into the goal, Romania's goalie Tatarusanu swatted the ball out of bounds.In the 39th minute, the striker received another great ball from Neymar, leaving him face to face with Tatarusanu. However, an excited Ronaldo drove the ball wide left of the goal.As soon as the first half concluded, Roanldo received a warm farewell from the fans. Waving a Brazilian flag, Ronaldo made a hero's lap around the stadium and then addressed the audience at midfield.Circled by 15 banners representing his 15 goals during the World Cup, Ronaldo thanked the fans for all of their support and love over the last 17 years. He asked for the fans forgiveness for being unable to score and not give them a goodbye present.However, accompanied by his sons, he walked off the field with a smile on his face and a sense of satisfaction.During his stellar and record holding performance in the World Cup, Ronaldo scored four goals in the 1998 World Cup in France, eight goals for Brazil's title in the 2002 Japan/South Korea World Cup and three goals in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.After Ronaldo's departure from the field for the last time, Brazil returned to the second half with little offensive threat. Although the team remained to attack, the physical size of Romania's defense kept the team from posing any serious threat. The game ended in a 1-0 victory.Head coach Mano Menezes is now expected to divulge his list of players to play in the 2011 Copa America, beginning on July 1 in host country Argentina.Ronaldo recently admitted that his first soccer game was spent as goalie. However, he quickly noted that he wanted a bigger part of the action and that he had a given talent to score.Ronaldo's first professional team was Brazil's Cruzeiro in 1993 when he was only 16 year old. In the 1993 Brazilian Championship, he scored 12 goals in 14 games, including a record five goals in a single match that year against Bahia.The following year, Ronaldo scored a record 22 goals in the Minas Gerais state championship, catching the eyes of the world.The Dutch PSV Eindhoven paid 6 million US dollars for Ronaldo in 1994 where he stayed until 1996 before being traded to Spain's Barcelona.In 1997, Ronaldo left Barcelona for Italy's Internazionale. In 2002, he moved back to Spain to play for Real Madrid.In mid 2007 to early 2008, Ronaldo switched back to Italy to play for AC Milan. Finally, in 2009, he decided to return to Brazil to play for Corinthians.In his career as a professional, Ronaldo has scored a total of 414 goals in 615 games. During his time with the Brazilian national team, he scored 62 goals in 98 games. His 15 World Cup goals remain the record in the competition.Despite leaving the sport, Ronaldo will not be far from the field. The 34 year old recently launched Ni9e, his own agency where he will represent the interests and image of high name sports athletes, such as Neymar. Ronaldo previously declared that he foresees Neymar as his successor and future of Brazilian soccer.

NBA Finals 2011, Dallas Mavericks Game 4 Win

 

The 2011 NBA Finals have certainly been exciting with the Game 4 win by the Dallas Mavericks being right up there.The Mavericks can withstand a great game from Dwyane Wade.Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle made a few extremely important rotation changes prior to Game 4 of the 2011 NBA Finals, most notably putting J. J. Barea into the starting lineup in place of DeShawn Stevenson.The Mavs made another gritty comeback win in Maverick fashion. Their consistent comebacks have made me wonder whether destroying an opponent's morale by snatching victory in the final quarter is not a part of their official game plan.However, the biggest change in the Mavs' rotation may have came when Carlisle decided to close out the game with freshly benched Stevenson rather than starter Shawn Marion.Marion had his minutes matched with LeBron James' thus far, and he was obviously a bit fatigued. Stevenson, a defensive specialist, nonetheless turned up big on offense, leading the team in three pointers made with three. While he bricked a few in the clutch he made a few very timely plays in the third and fourth quarters, sparking the Mavs' comeback.He also played excellent defense on Dwyane Wade and James in that last quarter, holding them to extremely low numbers. By that measure only, Carlisle proved to be one of the best coaches in the game once again.While the previous games were plagued by numerous periods when the Heat made runs while the Mavs struggled to score, Barea contributed a few nice stretches running the offense. Had he hit a few open layups he somehow missed, this game wouldn't have been so close coming into the fourth quarter.With Dirk Nowitzki struggling, someone had to step up, and the Mavericks, now with more beneficial matchups, went to work, giving Dirk some room for error. While not all of this can be attributed to the adjustments Carlisle made, I would say that the new rotation had a big impact on the result of this game.Whether changing things around was a desperate move by Carlisle, or a brilliant thought out adjustment, could probably be a topic for a long debate.Regardless of that, the changes worked, and every single player who was involved should be praised. Marion excelled in reduced minutes as he got more rest, and Stevenson hit some big shots and finished with 11 points off the bench.  Finally, Terry, running the point at times, made a few beautiful pick and rolls with Tyson Chandler, opening the floor for the Mavs and allowing the team to win.Sometimes, the smallest of changes can win you a pivotal game. While the rotation was not the only factor in Game 4, it was one of many factors that allowed the Mavs to keep their hopes alive, and regain some much needed momentum, in what has been an extraordinary series.

Serena Williams is returning to the tour after nearly a year

Serena Williams is returning to the tour after nearly a year off because of various health issues.Williams will accepted a wild card to compete on England's south coast in one of the traditional grass court warmup events for Wimbledon, which begins on June 20.Williams has not played an official match since winning her 13th Grand Slam title at the All England Club last July.A few days after that victory, Williams cut her foot on glass at a restaurant. She wound up having two operations because of that and later was treated for a blood clot in her lung.Williams told that she was so exited to be healthy to compete again.She past 12 months have been extremely tough and character building.And also say, she have so much to be grateful for. she is thankful to her family, friends, and fans for all of their support.Shortly after winning her fourth Wimbledon singles championship last summer, Williams hurt her foot while in Germany. She played in an exhibition match in Belgium against Kim Clijsters days later. But when she returned to the United States she had the first of two operations for her injury. The second surgery was in October, and she said she spent 10 weeks in a cast and 10 weeks in a walking boot.The 29 year old American was diagnosed in February with blood clots in her lung. After that, she said she needed treatment for a hematoma  a gathering of blood under the skin on her stomach.She returned to practice in April, an event she announced via Twitter, posting a picture of herself on court in a pink bodysuit.Williams' older sister Venus, a seven time Grand Slam singles champion, also is returning to action after an extended injury absence. Venus Williams has been sidelined since injuring her hip during the Australian Open in January, but her agent said last month she was on track to play at Eastbourne and Wimbledon.When healthy, the Williams sisters have dominated women's tennis for much of the past decade. In addition to their 20 total major singles titles, both have spent time at No. 1 in the WTA rankings.At Wimbledon, the sisters have combined to win nine of the past 11 championships. In that span, the sisters played each other in four of the finals at the All England Club.