Reuters Sports Schedule at 1400 GMT on Wednesday, Jan 22
Reuters sports schedule at 1400 GMT on Wednesday: - - - - OLYMPICS Reuters is currently running a feature package on 50 Athletes to watch at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Here are the featured athletes for Jan. 22: Figure skating Chan peaking towards the 300-mark barrier When a five-year-old Patrick Chan took his first wobbly steps on a skating rink, he piled on the warm layers on his skinny frame to escape the chill. Little did he know that over the next 18 years he would have to develop a thick skin - literally. (OLY-BIO-CHAN (PIX), expect by 1700 GMT/1200 ET, by Pritha Sarkar, 900 words) Skiing Clock ticking down on Miller time There have been times when Bode Miller seemed more focused on partying than reaching the top of the podium but the American heads to Sochi determined to put the finishing touches to a complicated legacy. (OLY-BIO-MILLER (PIX), expect by 1700 GMT/1200 ET, by Steve Keating, 1,000 words) Figure skating Virtue and Moir eye second gold Reigning Olympic ice dance champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir have worked with circus acrobats and ballroom dancers to hone their skills ahead of February's Games in a sport they say has evolved significantly in the past four years. (OLY-BIO-VIRTUE (PIX), expect by 1700 GMT/1200 ET, by Alessandra Prentice, 450 words) Skiing Ligety aims to shred ski opposition for Olympic gold American alpine skier Ted Ligety's form curve looks to be peaking at just the right time for Sochi. (OLY-BIO-LIGETY (PIX), expect by 1700 GMT/1200 ET, by Philip O'Connor, 800 words) - - - - TENNIS Australian Open (to 26) Federer sets up Nadal semi, Azarenka out MELBOURNE - Roger Federer's revival gathered pace as he edged Andy Murray in a late-night dog fight to set up a blockbuster Australian Open semi-final with world No.1 Rafa Nadal who earlier on Wednesday had rode his luck to beat Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov. (TENNIS-OPEN/ (PIX), moving shortly, by Nick Mulvenney, 900 words) - - - - SOCCER League Cup semi-final, second leg Manchester United v Sunderland (1945 GMT) United desperate to beat Sunderland and book final berth LONDON - Manchester United would not usually put the League Cup high on their list of priorities but they are desperate to beat Sunderland and reach this year's final to ease the pressure on their struggling new manager David Moyes. (SOCCER-ENGLAND/CUP, expect by 2200 GMT/5 PM ET, by Steve Wood, 400 words) - - King's Cup quarter-final, first leg Levante v Barcelona (2100) Barcelona face Levante in quarter-final clash BARCELONA - Lionel Messi is set for his 400th Barcelona game when they take on Levante in the King's Cup quarter-finals after holding the champions to a draw in the league at the weekend. (SOCCER-SPAIN/CUP (PIX), expect by 2300 GMT/6 PM ET, by Tim Hanlon, 500 words) - - Italian Cup quarter-final AC Milan v Udinese (2000) Milan bid to continue winning start under Seedorf MILAN - Milan aim to extend their winning start under new manager Clarence Seedorf when they host Udinese in an Italian Cup quarter-final with the winners facing Siena or Fiorentina who meet in a Tuscan derby on Thursday. (SOCCER-ITALY/CUP (PIX), expect by 2200 GMT/5 PM ET, by Brian Homewood, 300 words) - - - - French Cup, last 32 Mont d'Or Azergues(IV) v Monaco (1600) Balagne Ile Rousse(V) v Girondins Bordeaux (1700) Yzeure(IV) v Olympique Lyon (1800) Moulins(IV) v Toulouse (1830) Paris St Germain v Montpellier HSC (1955) PSG welcome Montpellier, Monaco face former favourite Giuly PARIS - Paris St Germain host Montpellier in the highlight of the French Cup last 32 while Monaco visit Mont d'Or Azergues in Chasselay, a fourth division side with the club's former France forward Ludovic Giuly in their ranks. (SOCCER-FRANCE/CUP, expect by 2200 GMT/5 PM ET, by Julien Pretot, 300 words) - - - - GOLF Tiger returns to happy hunting ground at Torrey Pines World number one Tiger Woods, who triumphed a season-high five times on the 2013 PGA Tour, makes his first start of the year at one of his favourite venues, Torrey Pines outside San Diego, for this week's Farmers Insurance Open which he has won on seven occasions. (GOLF-PGA/ (PREVIEW, PIX), expect by 2300 GMT/6 PM ET, 400 words) - - - - NBA Streaking Pacers try to pull away atop East The Eastern Conference-leading Indiana Pacers shoot for their sixth consecutive victory when they visit the Phoenix Suns in one of 10 games on the NBA schedule. (NBA-HIGHLIGHTS/ (PIX), expect by 0430 GMT/11:30 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 850 words) - - - - NHL Canadiens look to catch high-flying Penguins The visiting Montreal Canadiens will try to close in on the Eastern Conference-leading Pittsburgh Penguins when the two teams, separated by 11 points, clash in one of three games on the schedule. (NHL-HIGHLIGHTS/ (PIX), expect by 0430 GMT/11:30 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 350 words) - - - - NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS Roundups of off-field developments in the major North American professional sports leagues. (expect by 0101 GMT/8:01 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - - - (Duty editor: Pritha Sarkar)
