David Ferrer predicted Tuesday that fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal would come back better than ever after injury and could even surpass current world number one Roger Federer in the record books.

Federer, 31, has won 17 Grand Slam titles plus a host of other tennis crowns. His great rival Nadal, five years younger, has 11 Slams to his name but has suffered badly with injury for the past year.

Real Madrid recorded its much-needed second victory of the season without putting on a performance worthy of the Spanish champions on Monday, winning 2-0 at Rayo Vallecano after goals from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Benzema scored the 13th-minute opener and Ronaldo added a penalty in the 70th after Jordi Amat had handled the ball in the box to keep Madrid eight points behind Spanish league leader Barcelona after five rounds.

The Western Sydney Wanderers say they are still hopeful of signing German World Cup veteran Michael Ballack to an Australian A-League football contract for the coming season.

Wanderers coach Tony Popovic on Tuesday dismissed local media reports that Western Sydney's negotiations with the 36-year-old Ballack had broken down.

Brazil's sports minister said Monday the theft of computer files from London Olympic organizers was "lamentable" and "unacceptable."

Minister Aldo Rebelo said the Rio 2016 committee acted "correctly to investigate the incident" and fire its 10 employees who downloaded the internal documents without authorization during the London Games.

The Spanish league match between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano on Sunday was postponed because the floodlights at Vallecas stadium failed to work adequately in a presumed case of sabotage.

Rayo president Raul Martin Presa said unidentified "vandals" had "cut the cables" on some of the light towers at his club's stadium and "unfortunately, because of an act of sabotage, we won't be able to stage the game."

Former England captain John Terry unexpectedly ended his nine-year international career on Sunday, quitting before he was due to face a racism hearing because his place in the team had become "untenable."

Despite being cleared in court of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand during a Premier League match last year, the Chelsea defender was facing a lengthy ban if found guilty by a Football Association panel this week.

Wallabies flyhalf Quade Cooper has described the environment within the Australian team as "toxic" in the latest of a series of public comments which appear to challenge the authority of coach Robbie Deans and the Australian Rugby Union.

Cooper, who is sidelined for several weeks after knee surgery, began to post a series of Twitter comments from Thursday which appeared to criticize the conservative style the Wallabies have adopted under Deans. Cooper drew a contrast with the more open style he is able to play at the Queensland Reds Super 15 team, under former Wallabies assistant coach Ewen McKenzie.

AC Milan's woeful start to the season got even worse after having two players sent off in a 2-1 loss at struggling Udinese in Serie A on Sunday.

The loss heaped more pressure on Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri, although he remained defiant despite starting the season with just one win and three defeats in Serie A.

Robin van Persie's penalty kick gave Manchester United a 2-1 victory over 10-man Liverpool on Sunday, settling a heated Premier League meeting between the fierce rivals after emotional tributes were paid to the Hillsborough disaster victims.

Van Persie beat Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina in the 81st minute after Antonio Valencia was fouled by Glen Johnson to secure United's first win at Anfield since December 2007.

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho believes that his former club Chelsea could struggle this season without striker Didier Drogba.

Mourinho signed Drogba when he was Chelsea manager but the Ivorian left Stamford Bridge in the summer after an eight-year stay which saw him win three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups and the Champions League.