The fourth game of the Lebanese Basketball Championship-Final on Tuesday between Riyadi and Sagesse witnessed an unfortunate fight, with a comprehensive 69-61 victory for the latter.

Reports said that on-the-court argument erupted between two opposite team players and tension escalated leading to a fight and fans dashed into the playground.

Veteran goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer on Wednesday said he expects to sign a new deal with Chelsea after manager Jose Mourinho indicated he wanted him to stay for another season.

Schwarzer, 41, joined the Premier League powerhouse on a one-year contract last year and largely played second fiddle to Petr Cech.

With 10 days until the World Cup begins, Brazil was rushing Monday to finish installing seats in stadiums and to deal with threats ranging from violent protests to dengue fever.

The count-down to kick off has been marred by protests -- from striking drivers who abandoned their buses mid-route to indigenous leaders in bright-feathered headdresses shooting arrows at police.

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli might not admit it, but in Brazil the pressure is on to finally end the pain of a disastrous 2010 World Cup that plunged Italy into despair and sent the Azzurri into redemption mode.

Yet negotiating safe passage through a "tough" Group D in Brazil, admits Prandelli, remains the priority ahead of bigger tests that could finally heal Italy's World Cup wounds for good.

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke on Monday refused to comment on fresh allegations of corruption surrounding the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.

FIFA earlier announced its probe into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup host bids would be completed by June 9 as the corruption row over Qatar's controversial winning bid intensified.

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari on Monday urged his troops to sharpen up a day before their World Cup warm-up with Panama.

Scolari blasted his side after a Sunday training session which he said he "didn't like at all" owing to poor marking and perceived sloppiness.

Italian Sara Errani reached the French Open quarterfinals on Monday as the 10th seed defeated Serbia's Jelena Jankovic 7-6 (7/5), 6-2.

Errani, the 2012 runner-up to Maria Sharapova, won a bitterly contested first set that lasted 1hr 21min and saw eight breaks of serve, four from each player.

Eight-time champion Rafael Nadal stormed into a French Open quarterfinal clash against David Ferrer on Monday with rock star Prince in the stands and King Juan Carlos on his mind.

World number one Nadal, who turns 28 on Tuesday, brushed aside outclassed Dusan Lajovic, the world 83 from Serbia, 6-1, 6-2, 6-1.

Cameroon coach Volker Finke says Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o gave his side a timely World Cup boost with an impressive display in their 2-2 friendly against Germany.

The 33-year-old Cameroon captain had labored with groin and hamstring injuries during the Indomitable Lions pre-World Cup camp in Austria.

Italy midfielder Riccardo Montolivo saw his dreams of World Cup glory ended cruelly in a nondescript friendly against Ireland and he may not be the last big star to suffer a similar fate.

Colombia are praying that their talismanic striker Radamel Falcao will win his battle to be fit, Spain have concerns over their Brazil-born marksman Diego Costa, Uruguay too are waiting on last season's leading scorer in the English Premier League Luis Suarez and France on winger Franck Ribery.