Nadal overpowers Daniel at U.S. Open

NEW YORK (Reuters) – World number one Rafa Nadal came from behind to dispatch underdog Taro Daniel of Japan 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 in front of a sold-out crowd at the U.S. Open on Thursday.

Despite playing a marathon five-setter the day before, 121st ranked Daniel looked the fresher of the pair at the outset of the match, breaking Nadal to take a 5-4 advantage when the Spaniard dumped a forehand into the net.

He eventually won the set and appeared poised to deliver a massive upset.

But Nadal soon found the accuracy that had eluded him in the first set and his booming serve proved too much for the exhausted 24-year-old, who is now 0-6 against top 20 opponents in his career.

Source: Nadal overpowers Daniel at U.S. Open

Record-breaking winter chill hits parts of Australia’s southern states, low minus 9C

Australia’s southern states have woken up to record low freezing temperatures today as a bitingly cold spell moves across south-east Australia.

A band of cloud followed by a pocket of cold dry air has been crossing the Tasman Sea and is forecast to drop showers, hail and snow across parts of Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia over the weekend.

Melbourne has recorded its chilliest morning in almost two years, with the mercury dipping to 1.1 degrees.

Bureau of Meterology senior forecaster Dean Stewart said minimum temperatures this morning between 6:30 and 8am were the coldest since July 19, 2015, which recorded a freezing 0.6 degrees.

The day is expected to clear to a milder 13 degrees, with “plenty of sunshine” and a “gentle northerly breeze”.

Up to 3m of snow is expected in the Victorian alps this weekend, and may fall as low as 700m.

Sydneysiders are also bracing for the coldest weekend in two years, with minimum temperatures plunging to 5.8 degrees in central Sydney and 4.4 degrees in the west around 6am this morning. Goulburn the mercury was a chilly -9.7c.

Source: Record-breaking winter chill hits parts of south-east

Truth behind Prince Harry’s ‘100-mile dash’ to pick Meghan up

Her appearance as his ‘plus one’ was almost as hotly anticipated as the bride itself.

So from the moment it emerged that Prince Harry was taking Meghan Markle, his increasingly serious girlfriend of almost a year to Pippa’s wedding, the royal was determined that no-one would catch a glimpse of her by his side.

His reasons were not as petulant that might at first seem.

Harry, fifth in line to the throne, knew that their appearance as a couple at a semi-official event in front of the world’s press would send the rumour mill in overdrive.

As one seasoned royal watcher said: ‘That would be tantamount to putting a ring on her finger and Harry wants to do this at his own pace.’

So following the US actress’s arrival in UK on Tuesday from Canada, where she is currently based, a plan was put into place (only marred by the fact that she was snapped by a photographer visiting a Soho fitness studio on Friday).

Harry, 33, and his 35-year-old girlfriend drove down to Berkshire early on Saturday morning and immediately headed for Engelfield House, the grand privately owned Elizabethan home where the wedding breakfast would be taking place.

According to well-placed sources, he and Meghan were given a private suite in the sprawling country house in which to refresh and change (contrary to reports which suggested that the prince made a 100-mile dash to London later in the afternoon to collect her from Kensington Palace).

Harry then made his way to the wedding ceremony at St Mark’s Church, also situated on the Engelfield estate, with his brother, Prince William, who had joined him along with his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, and their two children.

The couple were reunited afterward the wedding breakfast – which the prince attended on his own – but arrived together for the evening reception at the Middleton family home shortly after it started at 7pm, with Harry driving them himself.

According to one onlooker Harry and Meghan stayed until the early hours of the morning by which time many members of the wedding party were drunk.

The prince, however, was on his best behaviour.

I’ve seen Harry pretty smashed at more parties than I care to remember,’ said one source, ‘but this time he appeared to be on his best behaviour.

‘Surprisingly Harry didn’t drink that much as he was very gentlemanly around his girlfriend. It looked like he wanted to make a good impression on her.’

Harry and Meghan returned to Kensington Palace in the early hours of the morning together.

Meghan was photographed leaving the royal residence on Sunday morning, dressed down in a baseball cap in the back of a taxi.

It is believed she was due to catch a flight back to Toronto from Heathrow airport where is due back on set of the hit legal drama Suits this week.

Source: Truth behind Harry’s ‘100-mile dash’ | Daily Mail Online

Underwater porn star shoot goes wrong: SHARK takes a bite out of her foot

Former West Coast rookie Ben Sharp jailed for nine years for armed robbery

FORMER West Coast rookie Ben Sharp has been sentenced to nine years’ jail for a drug-fuelled armed robbery north-west of Melbourne.

The 30-year-old stole $287,750 during an armed robbery on a cash transport van with his younger sibling Christopher, 26, and friend Nathan Lack, 35, outside the Sunbury McDonald’s in late 2014.

Sharp, who was also convicted for trafficking 310 grams of high-level purity methylamphetamine to Western Australia, will spend a minimum six years in jail before becoming eligible for parole.

Judge Geoffrey Chettle told the Victorian County Court that Sharp blamed his senior Eagles teammates at the time for kickstarting his drug habit.

“You claimed (using cocaine) was part of the culture that existed at the football club at the time,” Judge Chettle told the court.

“You claim that senior members of the club required you to be in or out.

“Either you used or you left, you chose the former.

“Your involvement with drugs … does not in any way excuse your offending, but it does however give the court some understanding of how an intelligent and talented sportsman from a hardworking family can find himself where you now sit.”

Judge Chettle also mentioned the 2008 report by retired Victorian Supreme Court judge William Gillard, which was released by the Herald Sun last month.

“The report referred to this morning, provided by your counsel… exposes the extent of drug use at that club,” he said.

A former friend of troubled Brownlow medallist and West Coast premiership hero Ben Cousins, the Victoria-raised Sharp was picked up by the Eagles in the 2004 rookie draft.

He was delisted at the end of 2007 without playing a senior game, but made 57 WAFL appearances for West Perth.

He returned to Melbourne in 2008 where he tried a six-month rehabilitation course, but couldn’t control his spiralling drug use

Source: Former West Coast rookie Ben Sharp jailed for nine years for armed robbery | Perth Now