South African Kevin Anderson was given a direct entry into the tournament”The Magician'' will be joining some of the biggest names in tennis at this year's SA Tennis Open to be played at Montecasino in Johannesburg from February 2 to 8. At 36, Frenchman Fabrice Santoro may be one of the oldest players on the ATP Tour but he is. . . .

Wayne Rooney came to the rescue as Manchester United beat South American champions Liga de Quito 1-0 to win the Club World Cup and lift one of the few trophies to have eluded them. The England striker pounced in the 73rd minute after being set up by Cristiano Ronaldo, with. . . .

Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed any suggestion that a private deal has been struck regarding the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. With an outburst that was as heartfelt as it was outspoken, the Manchester United manager as good as drew a halt to the hope of. . . .

Manchester United overpowered Japan's Gamba Osaka 5-3 to book their place in the Club World Cup final today, with six goals in a breathless 17 minutes. First-half headers from Nemanja Vidic and Cristiano Ronaldo, both from Ryan Giggs corners, set them on their way but it. . . .

Ince and Keane have taken a bruising as club bosses They may have ruled the roost when they played for Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United but thus far, his former players have failed to translate that as Premiership managers. Paul Ince’s departure as Blackburn Rovers. . . .

Wayne Rooney has escaped a sanction from European football's ruling body UEFA following an alleged stamp in a Champions League match last week. The Manchester United striker had been accused of stamping on Aalborg's Kasper Risgard during a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford. . . .

Sir Alex Ferguson is desperate for Manchester United to be the first British team to get their hands on the Club World Cup, one of the few trophies he has yet to win. United were due in Tokyo today after a long flight from London, hoping that the gruelling mid-season trip will. . . .

FANS’ FAVOURITE: Fernando Torres, the Liverpool international from Spain. A new survey of football fans has found that he is the favourite, ahead of Steven Gerrard, his Anfield team-mate, and Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United and Portugal Picture: LAURENCE GRIFFITHS/GALLO IMAGESSir Alex’s lads losing ground in popularity stakes It is not just on the pitch that Liverpool are closing the gap on Manchester United: the English Premier League leaders are also winning the battle for new fans around the world. The biggest-ever survey of Premier League. . . .

As Cristiano Ronaldo contemplated a year that has brought him enough silverware to last a lifetime, the Manchester United winger could have been forgiven for resting on his laurels. But the Portuguese playmaker is determined to make his star shine even brighter in 2009 after. . . .

Cristiano Ronaldo has been hailed by Sir Bobby Charlton as the best player in Manchester United's history after the brilliant Portuguese winger captured the Ballon d'Or. Ronaldo is the first United star to win the coveted award since the late George Best in 1968 and. . . .