PRAGUE | Sun Nov 18, 2012 9:28pm IST PRAGUE (Reuters) - World number five David Ferrer cruised to a 6-2 6-3 7-5 win over Tomas Berdych to put defending champions Spain level with the Czech Republic at 2-2 in the Davis Cup final on Sunday. The Spanish victory means everything comes down to the final match of the best-of-five tie between Nicolas Almagro of Spain and Radek Stepanek of the host nation later. "The important thing is that we have got back to 2-2 and the pressure is on them now," Ferrer told Spanish television. Spain are bidding for a fourth Davis Cup title in five years, while the Czechs want to become the first country in 22 years to win the men's and women's team titles in the same year. Stepanek has defeated Almagro twice, but the Spaniard got his first win over The two Czech players have played in all the matches during the weekend and are coming off a bruising four-set doubles win over the Spanish duo of Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez on Saturday. With one extra day of rest, Ferrer looked fresher and one step ahead of Berdych, giving the crowd of more than 13,000 at Prague's O2 Arena little to cheer. Air Max 95"He's played a lot of matches. But as for me, I played very focused, very aggressive and started really well and maybe (that) was the key," Ferrer said. Ferrer, Spain's leader in place of injured former world number one Rafa Nadal, looked at ease on the fast hard court. He opened the match with an ace, while another ace stopped Berdych's momentum in the fifth game, helping Ferrer breeze to the first set. The 30-year-old Spaniard, who is coming off a career-best year, looked in control after that as he made the tall Czech chase the ball. Berdych showed some fight in the third set, breaking the Spaniard to level at 4-4, but Ferrer quickly steadied himself to close out the match. (Reporting by Jason Hovet and Iain Rogers in Madrid)

 Sun Nov 18, 2012 9:10pm IST n">(Reuters) - Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling has wished Wigan Athletic's Ben Watson a speedy recovery after a freak collision between the pair on Saturday left Watson with a suspected shin fracture. Sterling, who made his England debut midweek, used his Twitter account to offer an apology to Watson following the Reds' 3-0 win at Anfield. Midfielder Watson was taken from the pitch in the first half when he was struck just above the shin by Sterling's knee as both competed in the air for the ball. "To Ben Watson I didn't realise it was serious as that ill (sic) be praying for a speedy recovery mate ill (sic) have you in my prayers every day. #sorry," posted the 17-year-old. jordans shoes for cheapFollowing the defeat, Wigan manager Roberto Martinez expressed concern for Watson as well as Gary Caldwell who has a problem with his hamstring. "The injury to Ben Watson is a really nasty blow and what we believe to be a broken leg," Martinez told Wigan's official website (www.wiganlatics.com). "We will have to assess the injury and the treatment that Ben will need before we can judge how long he is going to be missing. "Ben was starting to have a very strong season and was putting in some commanding performances and it is a real shame to lose him to an injury like that." Martinez also accused Liverpool scorer Luis Suarez of stamping on David Jones. (Reporting By Mark Pangallo; Editing by Mark Meadows)

Doctors have cleared Cleveland forward/center Tyler Zeller to return after suffering a fractured left orbital bone and a concussion, the Cavaliers announced.

Zeller will wear a protective mask Saturday night when the Cavs (2-6) play Dallas.

The rookie was injured Nov. 5 in Los Angeles when he took an errant elbow that left him with a fractured cheekbone, a black eye and swollen face, and headaches. He told The Plain Dealer that he failed parts of the NBA's concussion test after the injury.

"Just having him back will help," Cavs coach Byron Scott said, according to The Plain Dealer. "He's another big body who knows how to play. He's an integral part of what we do. He helps our rotation better."

Zeller is adjusting to the mask, which he'll wear for an indefinite period.

"It's like anything," he said. "You've got to get used to it. jordans shoesDribbling could be more of a problem, but I don't dribble anyway. So it's cool."

The Cavs also announced Friday that forward Luke Harangody will miss approximately six weeks after having arthroscopic procedure on his right knee Friday morning in Cleveland Clinic.

LOS ANGELES — If you think watching the explosive, high-scoring Clippers is fun, try playing with them.

"It's unbelievable," Jamal Crawford said Friday in an interview. "We almost have two starting units. We're so deep. That's a big strength."

Crawford leads six scorers in double figures at 20.5 points per game and is shooting 51.4 percent overall and 42.2 percent from 3-point land. That the former Bull is putting up such numbers in just 28.3 minutes per game speaks to the Clippers' offensive prowess.

"Playing with this group of guys has been so much fun," Crawford said. "They give me confidence. In September, I'd be in the training room hanging out and I'd be like, 'We signed him too?' And then Chris (Paul) walks in. Blake (Griffin) walks in. DeAndre (Jordan) walks in. We were like, 'We're all on the same team?'

"And we haven't even had Hall of Fame type guys like Grant (Hill) and Chauncey (Billups), who have a wealth of knowledge, play yet. We can be unreal."

Following a disappointing lockout season with the Trail Blazers, air max 2012 Crawford credits a more focused offseason in Seattle for his resurgence.

"How bad things were last year was a big motivator," he said. "I didn't take any days off. I went right to my weight room at home and started doing core, treadmill, bike. I added prone shooting. I live in the gym but I used to just play. I did a lot more drills this offseason.

"And playing for Vinny (Del Negro) has been great. I've had more fun playing for Vinny than I've had my whole career. He just believes in me and my talent and always wants me in attack mode."

Layups: Kirk Hinrich practiced with no aftereffects from his Wednesday return after missing the previous six quarters with soreness in his right side. … Coach Tom Thibodeau said Derrick Rose, who is rehabilitating here for now, could attend Saturday's game. "But all I want his focus to be on is his rehab," Thibodeau said. "I don't want him concerned with where we are with the team or anything."

The UCLA team that escaped UC Irvine couldn't be found. The Bruins basketball squad that couldn't play up-tempo went AWOL.

In their place, a new unit made its season debut Thursday against James Madison.

It poured in points with a pace Lakers Coach Mike D'Antoni would adore, and it lighted up Pauley Pavilion's new LED video boards with highlights their fans have craved.

No. 13 UCLA decked the less-than-heralded Dukes, 100-70, to improve to 3-0.

The blowout calmed concerns after a one-point win against Irvine two days before.

But more important, the breakneck offense that Coach Ben Howland installed this off-season hummed along in high gear for the first time this season.

"They played right into what we want to do," Howland said,Real Jordans For Sale noting that the Dukes (0-1) took quick shots, providing UCLA with extra possessions and a chance to run.

Still, the Bruins, led by a career-high 27 points from sophomore guard Norman Powell, didn't slog along as they did in their first two games.

Instead, before a crowd of 7,554, UCLA sprinted, moving the ball until open looks appeared. The Bruins converted 59% of their shots (36 of 61), but it seemed like much more.

Up and down the lineup, UCLA players contributed, pushing the lead to double digits and then to no-doubt territory. Team marks were set, personal bests were bested.

By halftime, UCLA had scored more points (63) than it had in any half since 1997, when it scored 64 in the first half against Cal State Fullerton.

Midway through the second half, Jordan Adams became the first UCLA freshman to begin his career with three consecutive games of 20 or more points.

Bruins freshman didn't play before 1972.

"I don't look to beat any records. I just play," said Adams, who finished with 25 points on seven-for-10 shooting.

By the end, the Bruins broke 100 points for the first time since 2009, when it put up that many against New Mexico State.

"Seeing the double zeros is a great feeling, so we're going to try to get there again," Powell said.

When UCLA's point total hit the triple-digit mark, the new 16-foot by 12-foot video board perched over center court showed only "OO."

Perhaps engineers designed it to fit the grind-it-out scheme for which Howland was famous, but under his new scheme, a change might be in order.

Larry Drew II had a career-high 12 assists and Kyle Anderson added 12 rebounds.

The Bruins now ship off to Brooklyn, where the Legends Classic for continues with a showdown of two legendary programs: Georgetown (2-0) vs. UCLA.

If UCLA knocks off the Hoyas at the Barclays Center, it will play the winner of the other semifinal between No. 1 Indiana and Georgia on Tuesday.

If the Bruins lose, they'll play in the consolation game Tuesday.

A bigger test looms before those games, though, as UCLA's hearing before the NCAA appeals committee is expected to be held Friday.

And if the committee sides with UCLA, highly rated freshman Shabazz Muhammad, whom the NCAA declared ineligible last week Nov. 9 for a violation of amateurism rules, probably would become eligible immediately, making it possible that the 6-foot-6 swingman could make his collegiate debut in the Big Apple.

If the committee denies the appeal, Muhammad would have to go through a reinstatement process to regain his eligibility.

"I'm hopeful," Howland said. "Praying and hopeful."

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A balky hamstring has left Landon Donovan's status for the MLS Western Conference final in Seattle uncertain and the Galaxy could be missing as many as two other regulars to injury as well.

Donovan, a playmaking and scoring midfielder, missed four games to leg problems during the regular season and came out of the first leg of the conference final last Sunday with what has been described as hamstring tightness. He trained Friday for the first time in five days and was hopeful about his progress.

"If you had asked me on Sunday, I would have said there’s very little chance. But now I’m a lot more optimistic," he said. "We’re going to take it day by day, see how it goes. The hope is Sunday I’ll be able to go.

"The season’s over Sunday if we don’t get through. So you kind of forget about all that and try to get ready."

The two-game conference finals will be decided on total goals scored so the Galaxy take a big edge into the rematch on Sunday after beating the Sounders, 3-0, cheap air max shoesat Home Depot Center. But the Galaxy played that game without forward Edson Buddle, who remains questionable with inflammation in his left foot, while midfielder Juninho came out at halftime with a lingering Achilles' tendon problem.

"He's moving along fine. We think he'll be available," Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena said of Juninho. Of the others, he added: "They're all making great progress. [But] we're not going to make any final decisions with our team until Sunday."

The Galaxy is deep in midfield so if neither Donovan nor Juninho can go, expect Arena to start Marcelo Sarvas, Christian Wilhelmsson, David Beckham and Mike Magee at that position. But if Buddle has to sit as well, Arena will have a tough decision to make over who to start at forward alongside Robbie Keane.

Beckham and Keane were fighting flu-like symptoms after Friday's practice but neither expected the illness to keep them out of the game.

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Melky Cabrera reportedly agrees to deal with Blue Jays

Mike Trout robbed? No, Miguel Cabrera deserved MVP award

Overheard conversation suggests NCAA prejudged Shabazz Muhammad

Bay Area home sales continued a steady string of yearly gains in October, with middle to high-end homes accounting for the increased inactivity, according to a report Wednesday.

 

The nearly 8,000 sales of all types of homes in the nine-county Bay Area last month shows the market is continuing to recover from the worst downturn in decades, the real estate information service DataQuick reported.

 

Homes sales were up 21 percent from a year ago, and have increased over the previous year for 16 months in a row, the company said. But sales still are about 9 percent below the average October for the past 25 years.

 

There were 50 homes sold for $2 million or more in Santa Clara County in October, the most for an October in DataQuick's records going back to 1988.

 

"The middle and high end of the market are driving the increase," said Andrew LePage of DataQuick.

 

"We're seeing more and more people getting off the sidelines, drawn by low rates that have gotten even lower and improvements in consumer confidence," LePage said. "More people feel more confident in their jobs and believe we've probably hit bottom with home prices, so they're not worried about being underwater."

 

The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage was 3.4 percent in the past week.

 

Sales of expensive homes in Palo Alto "have been really strong," said Peter Giovannotto with Dreyfus Properties. "Generally, in the winter it slows down a fair amount, but it's still

 

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hyperaggressive" for any home priced under $2 million.

Sales of existing single-family homes were up 14 percent from a year ago in Alameda County, 9.5 percent in Contra Costa County, 24 percent in Santa Clara County and 20 percent in San Mateo County,

 

The median sales price of a single family in the nine-county Bay Area was $440,000, up about 16 percent from a year ago.

 

Alameda County's median price of $420,750 was 12 percent above last year; Contra Costa's median of $300,000 was up 15 percent from last October; Santa Clara County's median of $619,750 was nearly 20 percent above a year ago, and San Mateo County's median $680,750 was up nearly 16 percent from last year.

 

Still, the question remains how much the increases in sales price are due to a different mix in the market rather than actual appreciation in home values.

 

In the lower price range, sales continued to fall below levels seen a year ago, thanks to a declining inventory because of a drop in foreclosures. Distressed sales -- foreclosures and sales for less than the amount of the mortgage -- made up 33 percent of sales, down from 63 percent in October 2011.

 

Sales for all types of homes under $300,000 fell 15 percent from a year earlier, while sales in the $400,000 to $800,000 range rose nearly 26 percent, DataQuick said. Sales above that nearly doubled from the previous year.

 

In Santa Clara County, sales of homes priced over $800,000 increased more than 42 percent from the previous October, but dropped 17 percent for those priced under $400,000.

 

The same pattern prevailed in diverse Contra Costa County, which includes the hard-hit eastern cities of Brentwood, Antioch and Pittsburg and affluent areas such as Danville, Walnut Creek and Lafayette. Sales there for homes under $300,000 were down about 11 percent, while sales above $500,000 were up nearly 43 percent.

 

At every price level, the complaint from real estate professionals was a lack of inventory -- too few homes for too many would-be buyers.

 

"There's just an extreme lack of inventory," said Colleen Badagliacco, a broker at Altera Real Estate in San Jose and a former president of the California Association of Realtors.

 

Condos sales were strong throughout the Bay Area, DataQuick said, reaching the highest number of sales for an October since the boom times of 2005.

 

Contact Pete Carey at 408-920-5419. Follow him on Twitter.com/petecarey.

 

 

 

Copyright 2012 San Jose Mercury News. All rights reserved.

SAN JOSE -- A registered sex offender convicted of molesting a young relative was caught volunteering at a San Jose Catholic elementary school festival in October but was not arrested after the sheriff's department learned he had written permission from a church official to be there, this newspaper has learned.

Mark Christopher Gurries, 51, was volunteering at the St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Elementary School and parish festival on Oct. 6 when someone recognized him as a sex offender and informed a deputy sheriff who was working as security, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office confirmed.

How Gurries got the letter and its authenticity are uncertain. The pastor who oversees the school said he knew nothing about Gurries' conviction or the letter until the night of the festival. A spokeswoman for the Diocese of San Jose said as of late Wednesday afternoon, the diocese had not been able to track the source of the letter.

The Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate the incident, jordans shoes for saleincluding trying to nail down whether the letter is valid. There were no complaints about Gurries' behavior that night.

One parent who attended the festival told this newspaper that Gurries was working the sound system on the night of the parish festival and had little or no supervision. The festival was geared for the school's kindergarten through eighth-grade students and church parishioners. The parent, who spoke anonymously for fear of possible

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retribution from school and church officials, said there were several hundred kids in attendance.

"We want to know why they put our kids in danger that night," the parent said. "It's a slap in the face to parents who think their children are protected. That makes me want to leave the church and the school and go elsewhere."

Gurries, who was convicted in February 2010 of one count of lewd and lascivious acts on a child under the age of 14, was not arrested because of the existence of a letter signed by a church official allowing him to be on school grounds, according to sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Jose Cardoza. But the deputy escorted him off campus "out of an abundance of caution."

The letter indicated that the church was aware of Gurries' status as a registered sex offender, according to the Sheriff's Office. The letter also indicated Gurries is allowed to be on school campus and participate in parent functions at the school and parish, and needs to be supervised when children are present.

The California Penal Code states that a registered sex offender may be allowed on school grounds if they have written permission from the chief administrative official of that school, Cardoza said. Without such permission, a registered sex offender can be convicted of a misdemeanor for being on school grounds.

The existence of the letter meant the Sheriff's Office could not make a criminal arrest, Cardoza said.

The deputy was hired by the school as an off-duty assignment to provide extra security for the large event, Cardoza said. The school and church are located on Woodward Road in an unincorporated part of San Jose and fall under the jurisdiction of the Sheriff's Office.

A report on the incident was forwarded to the Santa Clara County Probation Department, which did not return phone calls seeking comment about the letter. The Sheriff's Office did not release the letter or provide information about who signed it.

The Rev. Lieu Vu, pastor at St. Frances Cabrini, said Wednesday he did not hear about the letter until the night of the festival.

"I have no idea about that letter," Vu said. "I did not write any letter."

Vu said a parishioner told him about Gurries' criminal background on the night of the festival and showed him a mug shot with information on the state Department of Justice Megan's Law website. Vu said he decided to let the deputy handle the situation.

A spokeswoman for the Diocese of San Jose, the Catholic Church's governing body in Santa Clara County, said she made inquiries about the letter but as of 5 p.m. Wednesday did not have any information about the source of the letter.

Reached by telephone, Gurries said he would "let the church decide whether they release the information" and said the letter stands on its own.

Gurries declined to comment about the letter and his sex abuse conviction.

Vu said the school did not notify parents that a registered sex offender had been on campus.

Court records indicate that Gurries was sentenced on May 17, 2010, after reaching a plea deal with the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office regarding charges of molesting a young relative. Gurries was originally charged with six counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a child under the age of 14, stemming from allegations of repeated molestation of a young relative.

The molestation happened more than 10 years ago, but the victim did not come forward to authorities until December 2008.

San Jose police recorded a phone conversation between Gurries and the victim in which he detailed the sex crimes, according to a police report. In the recorded conversation, Gurries told the victim specifically what he had done to her as a young child, including acts of oral copulation.

During the conversation, Gurries was asked why he did it. He replied: "Because I was a weak person. I don't know how else to say it. I felt lonely. I took advantage of you."

Gurries told detectives the abuse occurred when the child was 4 or 5 and he remembered 10 separate incidents with the victim.

The District Attorney's Office reached a deal with Gurries when the victim refused to testify, according to prosecutor Bill Butler. Gurries was sentenced to one year in county jail and was placed on three years' formal probation. As a condition of his probation, he is not to "work, be self-employed nor do volunteer work in an organization that involves supervision of children under 18 years, according to a court sentencing document.

"We were frustrated," Butler said. "We wanted to prosecute him fully. Still to this day it bugs me that we were not able to do more at that time ... because we realized the punishment was not commensurate with the crime."

Contact Mark Gomez at 408-920-5869. Follow him at Twitter.com/markmgomez.

Copyright 2012 San Jose Mercury News. All rights reserved.

Read our full guide to all the athlete classifications used to ensure fair competition in the London 2012 Paralympics." /> We no longer check to see whether Telegraph.co.uk displays properly in Internet Explorer version 6 or earlier. To see our content at its best we recommend upgrading if you wish to continue using IE or using another browser such as Firefox, Safari or Google Chrome. Accessibility links Skip to articleSkip to navigationAdvertisement Telegraph.co.uk Thursday 15 November 2012 London 2012 Olympics HomeParalympicsScheduleMedalsSport GuidesPicture GalleriesVenuesCountriesSport HOT TOPICS: Paralympic magic moments Paralympic medal map Classifications explained 50 best images Olympic medals London City Guide Paralympics 2012: classifications explainedRead our full guide to all the athlete classifications used to ensure fair competition in the London 2012 Paralympics. Paralympic athletics: the Right StuffPhoto: AFP By Telegraph Sport 1:57PM BST 24 Aug 2012 What is classification? Classification helps to define which athletes are eligible to compete in each of the sports. It also helps to ensure a level playing field by grouping athletes into classes based on their ability to perform a certain activity. How are athletes' classifications defined? Every athlete competing at the Games has gone through an evaluation, jordans shoesconducted by authorised technical officials called "classifiers", who are appointed by the international governing body of that particular sport. It is a long-term and in some cases ongoing process which takes place at all major events, before and during competition. How does it work? Classifiers assess the athlete's impairment and how it impacts on their ability to perform certain functions in the sport. After each evaluation the athletes are assigned a sport class. Is there a medal for each classification? No. In some cases athletes from different classifications will compete for the same medal as the sport's governing body has decided their particular impairments place them at around the same level of ability. The results are determined by a points system, known as Raza. What is Raza? A mathematical formula is applied to each athlete's throw or jump distance to calculate a points score. The athlete with the highest score wins, meaning the athlete with the least impairment does not receive an unfair advantage. The algorithm was established by tracking a number of athletes' performances over a range of years.

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods have been reminded about their “responsibilities to the sponsors” after both missed the HSBC World Championship which starts here at Mission Hills on Thursday." /> We no longer check to see whether Telegraph.co.uk displays properly in Internet Explorer version 6 or earlier. To see our content at its best we recommend upgrading if you wish to continue using IE or using another browser such as Firefox, Safari or Google Chrome. Accessibility links Skip to articleSkip to navigationAdvertisementTelegraph.co.uk Thursday 15 November 2012 Home News World Sport Finance Comment Blogs Culture Travel Life Fashion Tech DatingOffersJobs Football Rugby Union Cricket F1 Tennis Golf Cycling London 2012 Boxing UFC Rugby League Racing Fantasy Live Blog Live Leaderboard The Open European Tour Ryder Cup US Open USPGA Golf Shop Tee Times Holidays Home»Sport» Golf Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods criticised by HSBC sponsors for missing HSBC World ChampionshipRory McIlroy and Tiger Woods have been reminded about their “responsibilities to the sponsors” after both missed the HSBC World Championship which starts here at Mission Hills on Thursday.Nike Air Max 95Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy played an exhibition match but missed the HSBC World Championship Photo: GETTY IMAGES By James Corrigan, Shenzhen, China 11:00PM GMT 30 Oct 2012 Comments Giles Morgan, the group head of sponsorship at HSBC, expressed his “disappointment” on Wednesday at the no-show from the world Nos 1 and 2. The pair played against each other in an 18-hole exhibition match, but after picking up $3 million (£1.85 million) in appearance fees, declined to fly a few hours south to play in one of only four World Golf Championship events, which offers $7 million (£4.35 million) prize money. “On one hand we are delighted to have 13 of the world’s top 20 here, but of course we’re disappointed not to have the two top players in the world,” said Morgan. “Both have sent me apologies but this is an event which should be regarded by all players as it is by the tours and the media as one of the top events in the world. “Therefore I feel strongly that the top players should be here. I believe that golfers have a responsibility to their sponsors. Without the sponsors there isn’t professional golf. I speak on behalf of the industry.” Morgan has been contacted by other sponsors who share his concerns that they will not be able to justify the huge outlays without the top names. “I feel very strongly, as I know a number of sponsors do particularly, in a downturn, particularly when there are financial difficulties around the world, that golf cannot be immune either,” he said. Woods is in Singapore this week fulfilling corporate commitments, while McIlroy has travelled to Bulgaria to watch his girlfriend, Caroline Wozniacki, compete in the WTA’s season-ending Tournament of Champions. The Northern Irishman will return to the Far East next week to play in the Singapore Open.