Murray's next Grand Slam chance will be the French Open
Andy Murray's impressive run to the final of the Australian Open has seen him rise up to third in the world in the latest ATP rankings.

The 22-year-old, who lost in straight sets to world number one Roger Federer on Sunday, returns to the top three for the first time since October.

He replaces Rafael Nadal, who retired injured in the quarter-finals.

It is the first time Nadal has been outside the top three since before winning his first French Open in 2005.

Novak Djokovic, who lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last eight at Melbourne Park, moves up to number two.

However Murray, on 7,800 points, is only 510 points adrift of the Serbian and after his defeat to Federer, the Scot is keener than ever to lift a Grand Slam title.

"I'm hungry to win one," he said. "I haven't [achieved it] since I was 16, 17 years old when I started playing the junior Grand Slams.

"I worked really, really hard to try to do it and give myself the opportunity. So far it has not been good enough but I'm sure one day it will be.

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Everyone knows that Murray is the second best player in the world at the moment, and will soon be back to No. 2. Djoko hasn't got the consistency or health to mount any serious challenges.

Tiger Tim
"I've got a long career ahead of me, and I'm going to have more opportunities to win them.

"I hope that I will, but if I don't there are a lot more important things to worry about than tennis.

"I'm getting closer to it and my results show that. I've just got to keep working hard."

One person who feels Murray's hard work will pay off is Federer - he remains sure a Grand Slam success will come for his rival.

"It's not an easy thing to do to win your first Grand Slam. That's not trying to screw with his head, you know. It's just a tough thing," said the Swiss.

"The next one is not going to get any easier, but his game is so good that I'm convinced he will win one.

"He has got everything you need to beat the best and to win big tournaments. I think he's extremely strong in his mind, and I just feel like he's got the game to do it. The question is just when."


Henman and Becker on the Aussie Open final
And former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker believes Murray has the mental skills to achieve his dream.

"The more often he gets to a semi or a final and doesn't win, I think the media over here is going to put even more pressure on him. I think we should all relax a little bit," he told the BBC.

"The guy did amazing. There isn't another player in sight from this country who can do what he did."

Mayweather and Pacquiao were set to split around $100m
Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr have been ordered to submit to urine tests within 48 hours by the Nevada State Athletic commission.

The welterweight pair were due to meet in Las Vegas on 13 March but the fight was called off last week because of a row over blood testing.

The two boxers must submit to the tests or face possible fines or suspension by the Nevada regulator.

The pair are feuding over random drug testing in the run-up to the fight.

Pacquiao's camp is against random tests in the 30 days prior to the fight, while Mayweather's team is insistent upon them.

The Nevada Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer is hoping the urine test demand might help end the impasse between the two sides.

"We're always hopeful that when we do drug testing it comes back negative," said Kizer said.

"I don't know if this will help the chances of the fight happening. But with all this talk of drug tests, let's actually do one."

Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum had wanted the Nevada Commission to rule on the matter and asked for a hearing on 19 January.

He also said that if Mayweather's camp did not agree to allow Nevada officials to decide when and how to conduct blood tests, he would sign a deal for Pacquiao to face Paulie Malignaggi instead.

"We'll go along with what the Nevada Commission decides," Arum said. "We want this fight to go forward."

This was boxing's big chance to emerge from the slump. If the dunces can't sort this mess out, many will think the sport is not worth forgiving.

But Mayweather's manager, Leonard Ellerbe, said on Monday there would be no fight on Arum's terms.

"If he's unwilling to do random blood and urine it's a nonstarter," said Ellerbe. "He knows that. If they want to walk away from the richest fight in the history of the sport, that's their decision."

Pacquiao has said he will file a defamation lawsuit against Mayweather for accusing him of taking performance-enhancing drugs.

If the blood feud does cancel the bout in Las Vegas in March, there is a chance it could be staged later this year, but that is not likely to take place until after each fighter has met another opponent in the ring.

Pacquiao, 31, became a five-weight world champion following his WBO welterweight title win over Miguel Cotto in November, while Las Vegas-based Mayweather returned from a 21-month retirement to beat Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in September.

WBA WORLD LIGHT-WELTERWEIGHT TITLE: Amir Khan v Dmitriy Salita
Venue: Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle Date: Saturday, 5 December (Fight expected to begin about 2300 GMT) Coverage: Sky Sports and full commentary on BBC Radio 5 live

Khan has won 21 of his 22 professional fights
Amir Khan says his punishing 60-second defeat by Breidis Prescott last year has made him a better fighter.

Khan is preparing to make the first defence of his WBA light-welterweight title against Ukrainian Dmitriy Salita in Newcastle on Saturday 5 December.

The Bolton fighter, who won his title in July after beating Andreas Kotelnik, says he is confident of victory over Salita at the Metro Radio Arena.

"It has made me a better fighter," Khan told BBC Radio 5 live.

"The way I came back from that defeat, not many could come back from it and it has changed me from a boy to a man."

The Athens Olympic silver medallist was knocked out by Prescott in sensational fashion, suffering the first defeat of his 22-fight career in Manchester in 2008.

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Can Salita beat Khan?
Since then the Bolton fighter has moved to Los Angeles to team up with revered trainer Freddie Roach in the same gym as the world's best pound-for-pound fighter Manny Pacquiao.

It saw him later win the WBA title in July after beating Kotelnik in Manchester and Khan is quick to point out the significance of that defeat to Prescott.

"It has probably changed my life inside and outside the boxing ring," added Khan.

"I take the sport more seriously and I am totally dedicated to boxing now.

"I can't wait to fight, and show the public, and show my fans how much I have learned in the last 12 months.

"I want to keep hold of this world title as long as I can, defend it a lot of times and win more world titles on top of it."

Salita - who is unbeaten in 31 fights, with 16 knockouts - is aware of Khan's ability but does not feel Saturday's fight is a step up in class and has promised to take advantage of the vulnerability exposed by Prescott.

The New York-based fighter has been waiting a long time for his shot having twice been overlooked for a title fight despite being the WBA's number one mandatory challenger.

"I think Amir Khan is a very good boxer and he's had a lot of success in a short space of time," Salita told BBC Sport.

"I only really have positive things to say about him regarding his efforts in and outside of the ring.


Salita is set to face Khan in Newcastle on Saturday
"But I always knew I would get to this level and I knew that I would have to beat great boxers on the way.

"Amir is a great boxer but he has my belt. I am bitter, I feel I should have had that opportunity (against Kotelnik) and it didn't come. So I'm hungry to take my chance now that it is finally here."

But the Bolton fighter says he is unconcerned by the challenge of the 27-year-old.

"He has got sticky feet, slow feet and has very little lateral movement, so that will work to my advantage," Khan added.

Saturday's bill also sees Dagenham's Kevin Mitchell take on Prescott in a WBA lightweight title eliminator, while former cruiserweight world champion Enzo Maccarinelli returns to action.

Olympic gold medallist James DeGale is also in action as are Frankie Gavin and Billy Joe Saunders while Ronnie Heffron makes his professional debut.

Haye has won 22 of his 23 pro fights, 21 by knockout
David Haye says he is fully focused on his clash with WBA heavyweight champion Nikolay Valuev on 7 November, despite fears over the Briton's preparation.

Haye normally trains in Northern Cyprus but promotional commitments meant he had to relocate to his home city of London ahead of the bout in Nuremberg.

"The preparation is the same, nothing has changed," Haye told BBC Sport.

"This time there has been a lot more on the promotional side but I don't mind, I'm just trying to spread the word."

Haye faces Valuev on Sky pay-per-view and has hyped the fight by being involved in a number of publicity stunts, leading 7ft Valuev to label him "an idiot".

At a recent news conference, Haye 'fought' a man dressed as a goblin, meant to be Valuev, before decapitating a cardboard model of his Russian opponent, who has kept a far lower profile since the fight was announced in July.


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Haye's best chance will be quick in and out and to get far more punches off than Valuev - it has to be that way in order to get a decision in Germany

BucksWelsh
Haye, 29, had previously called Valuev, who is nine inches taller and approximately 90lb heavier, a "circus show freak" and questioned his personal hygiene.

But the former undisputed cruiserweight king denied he has taken his eye off the ball and stated that he wants "as many people to watch this extravaganza as possible".

"It's a little bit strange not being in Cyprus, normally I'm over there with my head down and not much to do apart from train," added Haye, who is aiming to become Britain's first heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis retired in 2003.

"But instead of lying by the pool in Cyprus during my time off I'm doing a load of press and PR stuff but that's why I'm in this game, to entertain and the more people who watch this fight the better.

"The gym in the Park Plaza hotel in London replicates exactly what we've got in Cyprus, we've got all the same equipment. The only difference is the sun but it's not hot in Cyprus now anyway.

"I like it, I actually like winding my opponents up, the drama of it all. I've always been one to get under my opponents' skin and this time is no different.

"That's what boxing's all about, it's entertainment, you take out the whole hype factor and it can become boring."