AFP - PARIS (AFP) - Spanish side Getafe better be prepared for Thursday's UEFA Cup quarter-final second leg match as German giants Bayern Munich are 'angry' according to their coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.

CBC - If the matchups for this year's NHL playoffs couldn't be much sweeter, the bridge-and-tunnel series between the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers is among the sweetest.

CBC - Team Canada burst ahead 5-1 and never looked back in beating Germany 9-4 in nine ends at the world men's curling championship in Grand Forks, N.D., on Tuesday night.

AFP - LONDON (AFP) - Martin Johnson's lack of coaching experience won't count against him when it comes to England appointing a new team manager, according to the chief executive of the Rugby Football Union.

AFP - MANCHESTER, England (AFP) - Sir Alex Ferguson has long trumpeted his belief in the potential of Manchester United's young Catalan defender Gerard Pique.

AFP - MANCHESTER, England (AFP) - Sir Alex Ferguson has long trumpeted his belief in the potential of Manchester United's young Catalan defender Gerard Pique.

AFP - BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) - Spanish giants Barcelona will be out to ease the pressure on their under-fire coach Frank Rijkaard and president Joan Laporta by progressing to the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday.

AFP - AUGUSTA, Georgia (AFP) - Tiger Woods opens his quest for an unprecedented Grand Slam of golf at Augusta National on Thursday, carrying the lowest odds ever for a player at the outset of a major.

AFP - BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) - Yaya Toure picked the perfect time to get his first Champions League goal, his 43rd minute strike giving 2006 winners Barcelona a 1-0 win over Schalke 04 here on Wednesday.

AFP - AUGUSTA, Georgia (AFP) - Augusta National, haven of gentility and decorum, let its hair down a little Wednesday at the annual pre-Masters frolic known as the Par Three Contest.

AFP - MANCHESTER (AFP) - Carlos Tevez's second-half header sent Manchester United into a Champions League semi-final clash with Barcelona with a record-breaking 1-0 win over Roma but it was a victory that proved far more painful to secure than it ought to have been.

The Canadian Press - SAN FRANCISCO - The Olympic torch was rerouted away from thousands of demonstrators and spectators who crowded the city's waterfront Wednesday to witness the flame's symbolic journey to the Beijing Games.

The Canadian Press - HARBIN, China - Canada secured a berth in the gold-medal game at the women's world hockey championship Wednesday and Finland hopes the Canadians can do the same for them.

AFP - LIVERPOOL (AFP) - South Africa star Steven Pienaar has warned Everton they have until the end of this month to make his loan move from Borussia Dortmund permanent or risk losing him to a Premier League rival.

AFP - SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - The US leg of the Olympics torch relay became bogged down in confusion here Wednesday as thousands of pro- and anti-Chinese supporters faced off and briefly forced the symbol of the Beijing Games off the streets.

AFP - MANCHESTER (AFP) - Carlos Tevez's second-half header sent Manchester United into a Champions League semi-final clash with Barcelona with a record-breaking 1-0 win over Roma but it was a victory that proved far more painful to secure than it ought to have been.

AFP - BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) - Yaya Toure picked the perfect time to get his first Champions League goal for Barcelona, his 43rd minute strike giving the 2006 winners a 1-0 win over Schalke 04 here Wednesday.

AFP - LONDON (AFP) - Birmingham City co-owner David Sullivan and Managing Director Karren Brady were arrested on Wednesday by British police as part of an investigation into alleged corruption in English football.

AFP - LONDON (AFP) - Barnsley forward Kayode Odejayi made amends for his FA Cup semi-final misery with a double strike in his side's crucial 3-0 win against promotion-chasing Watford on Wednesday.

AFP - BLACKBURN, England (AFP) - England midfielder David Bentley has admitted he had a gambling problem that threatened to wreck his career.

AFP - MANCHESTER (AFP) - Carlos Tevez's second-half header was enough to send Manchester United into a Champions League semi-final clash with Barcelona with a record-breaking 1-0 win over Roma that proved far more painful to secure than it ought to have.

AFP - MANCHESTER, England (AFP) - Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry smashed the world record as she struck gold on a thrilling opening day at the World Short-Course Championships here on Wednesday.

AFP - AUGUSTA, Georgia (AFP) - For 50 years, the trio of holes that has come to define Augusta National's blend of beauty and peril has had a name that reflects its exalted and exacting nature: Amen Corner.

AFP - SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Scuffles broke out here Wednesday before the US leg of the Olympics global torch relay as thousands of angry opponents and supporters of China faced off, kept apart by a wall of police.

AFP - AUGUSTA, Georgia (AFP) - Augusta National Golf Club might consider lending its name, and its considerable financial muscle, to promote golf in Asia, but don't expect a Masters franchise, chairman Billy Payne said Wednesday.

AFP - BERLIN (AFP) - Advertisers in Germany may feel they are getting a bum deal, but company logos and other adverts may be appearing on players' shorts in the Bundesliga soon.

The Canadian Press - PITTSBURGH - The conspiracy theorists in Ottawa believe the Pittsburgh Penguins purposely lost last Sunday's regular-season finale to Philadelphia in order to avoid the Flyers in the first round and instead draw the Senators.

AFP - SYDNEY (AFP) - Cricket Australia opened the door for a new generation of cricketers Wednesday when it named the 25 players awarded contracts for the 2008/09 season.

AFP - LONDON (AFP) - Birmingham City co-owner David Sullivan and Managing Director Karren Brady were arrested on Wednesday by British police as part of an investigation into alleged corruption in English football.

CBC - The Toronto Blue Jays managed eight runs during Tuesday's game versus the Oakland Athletics, but it wasn't enough to overcome the onslaught, as the A's drove in nine runs to squeak out a win.

AFP - ROME (AFP) - Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli is confident his Italian team can score in the Netherlands against PSV on Thursday night and progress to the UEFA Cup semi-finals.

AFP - BUCHAREST (AFP) - Steaua Bucharest have had their 3-0 victory over city rivals Rapid confirmed on Wednesday following the failure of an appeal after their league derby match this month ended early when the referee was struck on the head.

AFP - SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Thousands of protestors were expected here Wednesday on the US leg of the Olympics global torch relay amid heavy security after violent anti-China rallies disrupted the flame's earlier stops.

AFP - MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid's Dutch international striker Ruud van Nistelrooy returned to training on Wednesday for the first time since undergoing surgery on his injured right ankle last month.

AFP - SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Archbishop Desmond Tutu called for world leaders to skip the Olympic Games in Beijing as Tibet supporters vowed to send their message to China, ahead of the Olympic torch relay in San Francisco Wednesday.

AFP - NEWCASTLE, England (AFP) - Newcastle chairman Chris Mort believes Michael Owen will be convinced to stay at St James' Park by the team's renaissance under Kevin Keegan.

CBC - The numbers look pretty: 49, 22-13-6 and 18-2-2, which represent the number of regular-season wins by the San Jose Sharks, their home record and how they fared in the final quarter of the NHL season.

The Canadian Press - Here are the sports results from Tuesday:

AFP - AUGUSTA, Georgia (AFP) - Adam Scott believes it is just a matter of time before an Australian wins the Masters, ending seven decades of heartbreak at Augusta National.

The Canadian Press - Deron Williams smiled in the locker room when he was reminded that Carmelo Anthony had told him during the summer that Denver was going to win their division.

The Canadian Press - HARBIN, China - It may one of the most storied rivalries in sport, but the Canadian and U.S. women's hockey teams seldom play each other.

AFP - SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Thousands of protestors were expected here Wednesday on the US leg of the Olympics global torch relay amid heavy security after violent anti-China rallies disrupted the flame's earlier stops.

AFP - ROME (AFP) - Former International Boxing Federation welterweight champion Michele Piccirillo will make his ring return in May, Ansa said on Wednesday.

AFP - WEVELGEM, Belgium (AFP) - Spain's Oscar Freire, riding for Rabobank, won the 70th edition of the Gent-Wevelgem ProTour one-day classic here on Wednesday.

AFP - MADRID (AFP) - Spain's David Herrero of the Karpin team won the 195km third stage of the Tour of the Basque Country on Wednesday between Erandio and Viana while Spain's Alberto Contador retained the overall lead.

CBC - Canada's national women's hockey team continued its dominance at the world championships in Harbin, China, on Wednesday, defeating Finland 4-2 to clinch a berth in the finals.

AFP - WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (AFP) - France's Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was on Wednesday ruled out of this weekend's Davis Cup quarter-final because of a right knee injury.

AFP - SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Thousands of protestors were expected here Wednesday on the US leg of the Olympics global torch relay amid heavy security after violent anti-China rallies disrupted the flame's earlier stops.

The Canadian Press - HARBIN, China - Canada secured a berth in the gold-medal game at the women's world hockey championship Wednesday and Finland hopes the Canadians can do the same for them.

The Canadian Press - BEIJING - Nearly eight years after the Sydney Olympics, the International Olympic Committee is prepared to disqualify Marion Jones' U.S. relay teammates because of her doping history.

The Canadian Press - Here are the sports results from Tuesday:

The Canadian Press - TORONTO - A.J. Burnett was long gone by the time things were decided in the Toronto Blue Jays' 9-8 loss to the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night, but he says the blame belongs strictly on his shoulders.

CBC - If the matchups for this year's NHL playoffs couldn't be much sweeter, the tunnel series between the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers is among the sweetest.

AFP - MADRID (AFP) - US syndicate Oracle said Wednesday that construction of a multihull yacht for its America's Cup challenge is "well underway" on the US Pacific coast.

AFP - AUGUSTA, Georgia (AFP) - It's long been regarded as the near-impossible dream, but the consensus among Masters players here this week is that Tiger Woods has it in him to carry off golf's fabled Grand Slam.

AFP - LONDON (AFP) - Frank Lampard insists Chelsea will not be motivated by revenge when they face Liverpool in the Champions League semi-finals for the third time in four years.

AFP - NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AFP) - Turkish center Mehmet Okur scored 22 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to lead the Utah Jazz over New Orleans 77-66 in a Tuesday matchup of National Basketball Association contenders.

The Canadian Press - Here are the sports results from Tuesday:

AFP - AUGUSTA, Georgia (AFP) - Don't count Phil Mickelson's voice among the chorus that has declared Tiger Woods champion-elect of the 2008 Masters before a ball has even been struck.

AFP - LIVERPOOL (AFP) - Rafael Benitez has identified his players' self-belief and the passion of the Anfield faithful as the keys that opened the door for Liverpool to progress to their third Champions League semi-final with Chelsea in four seasons.

AFP - LONDON (AFP) - Kolo Toure admits Arsenal's shattered stars are struggling to come to terms with their Champions League exit at Liverpool.

AFP - INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (AFP) - Mike Dunleavy scored 28 points to lead seven double-figure scorers for Indiana as the Pacers beat Atlanta 112-98 on Tuesday in a showdown of teams fighting for NBA playoff berths.

AFP - LONDON (AFP) - Avram Grant believes Chelsea are destined to finally end their Champions League misery against Liverpool and go on to win Europe's top club prize.

AFP - LONDON (AFP) - A 90-second extract of a video showing Formula One chief Max Mosley taking part in sex games with five prostitutes will be put on a British newspaper's website after Mosley lost an injunction bid Wednesday.

AFP - AMELIA ISLAND, Florida (AFP) - Top seed Maria Sharapova, returning from a two-week fatigue break, beat Czech qualifier Barbora Zahlavova Strycova here Tuesday at the 600,000-dollar WTA Bausch and Lomb Championship.

AFP - SINGAPORE (AFP) - Chelsea might be best known for ploughing millions of dollars into its quest for European football domination, but it is also boosting its involvement in grassroots development of the game in Asia.

CBC - The Pittsburgh Penguins will look for a better start at Mellon Arena on Wednesday than they had a year ago in Game 1 of their first-round series against the Ottawa Senators (7:00 p.m. ET, CBC, CBCSports.ca).

AFP - BERLIN (AFP) - Three months before he takes over as Bayern Munich head coach, Jurgen Klinsmann is already causing waves in the south Germany city as he prepares for his first season in charge.

AFP - BERLIN (AFP) - Three months before he takes over as Bayern Munich head coach, Jurgen Klinsmann is already causing waves in the south Germany city as he prepares for his first season in charge.

AFP - BERLIN (AFP) - Three months before he takes over as Bayern Munich head coach, Jurgen Klinsmann is already causing waves in the south Germany city as he prepares for his first season in charge.

AFP - SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - The Olympic flame arrived here Tuesday under heavy security as games officials dismissed suggestions that the global relay could be abandoned amid protests over China's human rights record.

AFP - GLASGOW (AFP) - Scottish Premiership leaders Rangers are still confident they can knock Sporting Lisbon out of the UEFA Cup quarter finals on Thursday despite failing to score in the first leg at Ibrox last week - according to midfielder Lee McCulloch.