RAFAEL NADAL cruised into the quarter-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships yesterday with a convincing victory over Russian qualifier Mikhail Ledovskikh.

Three-time Australian Open champion Roger Federer headed the list of seeded players to safely make it through to the third round on day four at Melbourne Park.

Lleyton Hewitt secured his place in the quarter-finals of the Kingfisher Airlines Open with a 7-6 (7/2) 6-2 victory over unseeded Boris Pashanski on Thursday.

At the epic Battle of Thermopylae 300 Spartans stood against the might of the Persian Empire … and that ancient gallantry has made for a film of epic, thrilling, gory proportions.

POPE Benedict XVI washed the feet of 12 men yesterday, re-enacting Jesus’s washing of his apostles’ feet during the Last Supper and saying the act cleansed the “filth” of mankind.

Pope Benedict XVI humbly washed the feet of 12 men today, re-enacting Jesus’ washing of his apostles’ feet during the last supper and saying the act cleansed the “filth” of mankind.

The reputed acting boss of the Bonanno organised crime family – a former beauty salon owner known as Vinny Gorgeous – was a mob traditionalist who believed in settling scores with violence, a prosecutor said today in opening statements at his US murder trial.

Thousands of people filed past the coffin of an Italian priest shot dead in Turkey ahead of his funeral in a Rome basilica today.

Turkish police today arrested a 16-year-old student as the suspected killer of an Italian Catholic priest.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE upset top seed Lindsay Davenport 2-6 6-2 6-3 yesterday to advance to the Australian Open semi-finals.

Andy Roddick admitted he was second best after his shock Australian Open exit at the hands of Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis.

Andy Roddick and David Ferrer cruised into the fourth round as eighth seed Gaston Gaudio crashed out at the Australian Open.

World number one Roger Federer put in an uncharacteristic error-filled display in his 100th Grand Slam match but still managed a 7-5 7-5 7-6 (7/2) victory over Fabrice Santoro in the second round of the US Open.

The body of an Italian, who claimed to be with a British charity, has been displayed by Iraqi rebels who executed him after he crashed through a roadblock.

TOP men’s seed Roger Federer strode imperiously into the second round of the French Open in a performance which underlined his title credentials.

French veteran Fabrice Santoro triumphed over compatriot Arnaud Clement in the longest match in tennis history at Roland Garros today.

Frenchman Fabrice Santoro has been handed a €1,200 fine for spitting towards a line judge during his second-round defeat at the Australian Open.

SECOND SEED Roger Federer and home favourite Lleyton Hewitt

Second seed Roger Federer and home favourite Lleyton Hewitt remain on collision course at the Australian Open, but for them to meet in the last 16 both will have to overcome teenagers with bright futures.

Fabrice Santoro and Nicolas Escude have pushed France to within one victory of a successful Davis Cup title defence by beating Russian duo Marat Safin and Yevgeny Kafelnikov in a five-set thriller.

Men’s doubles semi-finals:

British number one Tim Henman has been named number six seed for next week's Wimbledon tournament.

Top seed Martina Hingis continued her quest to win the only grand slam to have been denied her with a 7-5 6-1 defeat of Australian Rachel McQuillan at the French Open.

French Open officials this afternoon fined ousted second seed Marat Safin £7,050 for failing to attend the mandatory press conference after his defeat by Fabrice Santoro.

Greg Rusedski kept his nerve in a second-set tie-break to redress the balance in his second round clash at Roland Garros.

Greg Rusedski made the worst possible start in his bid to join Tim Henman in the third round of the French Open when he lost the first set of his match against Fabrice Santoro.

Greg Rusedski was today hoping to keep the British momentum rolling amid the Gallic bedlam which is sure to accompany his clash with Fabrice Santoro.

Number nine seed Tim Henman crashed out of the Masters Series Ericsson Open in three sets 4-6 7-6 (7/4) 6-3 to Fabrice Santoro of France and admitted that he got his just deserts for a poor performance.

Yevgeny Kafelnikov had to dig deep to overcome American qualifier Jeff Tarango and book his place in the last 16 of the Milan Indoors Tournament at the Palalido.