Lionel Messi's remarkable career with Barcelona began on a napkin.

It happened more than a decade ago, when the 13-year-old Messi, then just a scrawny little kid with plenty of talent, was hoping to earn a contract with Barcelona.

Andy Murray had Ivan Lendl in his corner and another ATP final in his sights when he beat Australian teenager Bernard Tomic 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday in the Brisbane International semifinals.

Thierry Henry will look to enhance his legendary status at Arsenal after completing a loan move to the English club he graced for eight years.

The former France striker had to wait a week to secure his two-month switch as Arsenal finalized insurance agreements with the New York Red Bulls, Henry's club in Major League Soccer.

Australian Open champion Kim Clijsters retired from her semifinal match against Daniela Hantuchova at the Brisbane International on Friday one game after being treated for what appeared to be a left hip injury.

Clijsters won the opening tiebreak but surrendered a break at the start of the second set and needed treatment after the third game.

Carlos Tevez looks set to snub interest from Inter Milan in order to join their bitter city rivals AC Milan, according to the Argentine's agent, Kia Joorabchian.

While Inter's technical director, Marco Branca, travelled to England to meet Manchester City officials on Thursday, Joorabchian held talks with Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani in Rio.

Five-times Australian Open champion Serena Williams has given a hint on Twitter that she may be fit for this year's tournament after an injury scare.

Williams was forced to withdraw from the Brisbane International after spraining her ankle during her second-round win over Serbian Bojana Jovanovski on Wednesday.

There may be no need for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to rush their return from injuries.

Mario Chalmers and Chris Bosh proved Thursday night they can play the starring roles for the Miami Heat.

Roger Federer clinched his 20th successive victory while Rafael Nadal produced his best performance of the Qatar Open as the two great rivals came within one round of a showdown in the opening week of the season.

Federer's was an up-and-down effort in a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 success against Andreas Seppi, the eighth-seeded Italian, but Nadal had to be close to his muscular, tenacious best to see off the challenge of Russian Mikhail Youzhny in Thursday's quarter-finals.

Kimi Raikkonen on Thursday blasted critics who claim he'll struggle to recapture his world championship glory days when he returns to Formula One with Lotus this season.

The Finn won the 2007 world title before leaving for the world rally championship where he spent two years.

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez on Thursday issued an apology after receiving an eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra, but stopped short of saying sorry to the Manchester United defender.

Liverpool said Tuesday they had accepted Suarez's ban for calling Evra a racial name but the player issued a statement the same day maintaining his innocence.