Roger Federer insists he will keep playing into 2015 but will not become obsessed over winning an 18th Grand Slam title, a target which is slipping further and further away.

The 33-year-old Swiss was knocked out of the U.S. Open semi-finals in straight sets by Marin Cilic, the world number 16 on Saturday, a loss which extended his failure to reach a final in New York to five years.

Felipe Massa secured his first podium finish for Williams when he came home third in Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix in front of thousands of Italian fans who always respected him during his days with Ferrari.

Massa's podium finish behind Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg was his first since last year’s Spanish Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton's father Anthony was so heavily soaked in his victorious son's champagne on Sunday that he had to change his shirt.

But he did not mind.

Marcel Kittel emphasized his status as the world's best sprinter by winning the opening stage of the Tour of Britain in Liverpool on Sunday.

The burly German beat Italian Nicola Ruffoni and home favorite Mark Cavendish to take victory after eight circuits of the 13.1km course in Liverpool, totaling 104.8km.

British football's record signing Angel di Maria says he tore up a letter sent on the morning of the World Cup final by his then club Real Madrid telling him not to play for Argentina against Germany.

The 26-year-old -- whose £59.7 million ($98 million, 75 million euros) transfer to English Premier League giants Manchester United last month set a new British transfer record -- did not play in the 1-0 defeat by Germany on July 13 in any case as he failed to recover from a groin injury he suffered in the quarter-final win over Belgium.

Neymar scored on a second half free kick as Brazil beat Colombia 1-0 Friday in their first game since their humiliating exit from their home World Cup in July.

A record 73,429 spectators turned out for the friendly at SunLife Stadium. It was the largest crowd ever to see a soccer match at the south Florida venue.

Brazilian legend Ronaldinho made a surprise move to Mexico's first division Friday, joining the White Roosters of Queretaro on a two-year deal.

The 34-year-old former World Cup winner and two-time world player of the year had been without a club since leaving Brazilian outfit Atletico Mineiro in late July.

Serena Williams will fight for an 18th Grand Slam title against Caroline Wozniacki after sweeping past Ekaterina Makarova 6-1, 6-3 on Friday to reach the U.S. Open final.

World number one Williams, winner of the past two titles at Flushing Meadows and five overall, will try to match Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on 18 career major titles when she faces her good friend Wozniacki on Sunday.

Ahead of the start of the qualifying competition for the 2016 European Championship in France on Sunday, AFP Sports casts a glance over all nine groups:

Group A

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic can set up a dream U.S. Open final on Saturday but standing in their way are the unlikely figures of Marin Cilic and Kei Nishikori.

Federer, the 17-time major champion who is chasing a record sixth U.S. Open title, is back in the semi-finals for the first time since 2011 and looking for a return to the final which he last graced in 2009 when his five-year winning streak was snapped by Juan Martin del Potro.