England midfielder Tom Cleverley has signed a new four-year contract with Manchester United, the Premier League club confirmed on Monday.

The 22-year-old, who is currently recovering from an ankle injury, penned a deal which will see him remain at Old Trafford until 2015.

A one-legged Italian swimmer on Monday became the first amputee to swim across the treacherous Cook Strait, and the first person to complete the feat in the cold New Zealand spring.

Distance swimmer Salvatore Cimmino, 47, who lost his right leg to cancer at 15, crossed the choppy 26 kilometer (16 mile) channel which lies between the North and South Islands in just under eight hours and 20 minutes.

NBA owners, players and their union negotiators met for five hours Sunday in a last ditch bid to resolve their contract dispute and save the scheduled start of the regular season.

Negotiators for the owners and union brass Sunday failed to agree how league revenues will be shared as the deadline for starting the season on time draws near. The two sides pledged to resume talks on Monday.

Red-hot Andy Murray battled back from a set down against defending champion Rafael Nadal in thrilling fashion at the Japan Open on Sunday to claim his second consecutive title.

The British world number four, fresh from winning last week's Thailand Open, put an end to a five-match losing streak against Nadal with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 victory over the top seed in Tokyo, dropping just four points in the final set.

Czech Tomas Berdych fought back from a set down to overcome Croatia's Marin Cilic 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, in the final of the China Open on Sunday, winning his first title in more than two years.

In the women's final, Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska won a titanic battle with Germany's Andrea Petkovic 7-5, 0-6, 6-4, taking two hours and 32 minutes.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal picked apart American number one Mardy Fish's serve-and-volley game on Saturday to set up a hotly anticipated final against Andy Murray at the Japan Open.

The world number two from Spain, playing his first ATP tournament since defeat in the U.S. Open final last month, relied on his powerful baseline game to score a 7-5, 6-1 victory.

Marin Cilic deployed his powerful serve to ease past fellow Croatian Ivan Ljubicic 6-4 6-3 on Saturday and reach the final of the China Open.

Cilic, who also reached the final in 2009 before losing to Novak Djokovic, will next face Czech Tomas Berdych or Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who were playing later on Saturday.

Germany coach Joachim Loew is looking for his side to step up their performance against Belgium on Tuesday as they try to make it ten wins out of ten in Euro 2012 qualifying.

Loew enjoyed the 50th win of his career as Germany coach on Friday as his team earned their ninth consecutive win in Group A, defeating Turkey 3-1 in Istanbul.

Fabio Capello is preparing for life without Wayne Rooney after the striker's dismissal marred England's successful qualification for Euro 2012.

Rooney was shown a straight red card for violent conduct after aiming a needless and petulant kick at Montenegrin defender Miodrag Dzudovic during England's 2-2 draw at the Gradski Stadium on Friday.

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi enjoyed a commanding debut as Argentina skipper as his country opened their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign with a 4-1 win over Chile on Friday.

Messi scored once while Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain hit a hat-trick to give new coach Alejandro Sabella a triumphant start in his first competitive match in charge.