Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated his recent Ballon d'Or award by scoring twice for the first time in a La Liga game this season as champions Real Madrid swept to a stunning 5-0 win over Sevilla on Saturday to go five points behind leaders Barcelona.
La Liga champions Barcelona's domestic struggles continued as they dropped points for the third game in a row, drawing 1-1 at home to Athletic Bilbao on Saturday after Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets had begun the match on the substitutes' bench.
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has set a new record after he became the fastest player to reach 100 goals in the Spanish league.
Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza eased to their second major title as a pair when they thrashed Klaudia Jan-Ignacik and Santiago Gonzalez in the final of the mixed doubles event at the French Open on Thursday.
The seventh seeded Indian pair beat Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan and Italy's Daniele Bracciali 6-4, 6-2 in the semi-finals on Wednesday. They will meet Poland's Klaudia Jans-Ignacik and Santiago Gonzalez of Mexico, who got the better of the fifth seeds, India's Leander Paes-Elena Vesnina of Russia 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 in the second semi-final.
India's Leander Paes and Elena Vesnina of Russia fought their way to the mixed doubles semi-finals of the French Open with a thrilling 4-6, 7-5, 10-5 victory over Max Mirnyi of Belarus and American Liezel Huber.
Real Madrid barged their way back into the Spanish La Liga title race with a 3-1 victory over Atletico Madrid in a feisty derby at the Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday.
Ace drag-flicker Sandeep Singh slammed five goals, including a hat-trick, as India qualified for London Olympics men's hockey after missing out the 2008 edition by spanking France 8-1 in the final of thequalification tournament in New Delhi on Sunday.
We bring for you a collection of some of the best photos in the last 24 hours.
The European champions, who were humbled 3-0 by tiny Eibar last week, took a fortuitous lead when Valencia midfielder Daniel Wass nodded a Dani Carvajal cross into his own net in the eighth minute after former Arsenal defender Gabriel Paulista had failed to clear the danger.
Indian Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Kaido Kulaots of Estonia and went out of contention for a podium finish after seventh round of the 31st Cappelle La Grande international chess tournament in Cappelle La Grande, France.
The Frenchman nodded home an Isco cross after 55 minutes against a well-organised Granada side that attacked with pace.
Here are five talking points from the weekend's La Liga action:
Former captain Ajit Pal Singh fears that the ongoing power tussle between Hockey India and Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) may result in the national team not qualifying for the London Olympics.
Thirteen of the country's boxers -- seven men and six women -- are assured of at least bronze medals after advancing to the last-four stage of the marquee continental championship.
The Kerala police have registered two cases against south India's lottery tycoon Santiago Martin on charges of distributing fake tickets of Bhutan lotteries.
Rediff.com brings you a wrap of big stories in pictures with the Best Sports Photos of the Week.
Real Madrid star striker Cristiano Ronaldo scored thrice to help his side thrash Espanyol 6-0 in a ruthless attacking display in La Liga clash at Santiago Bernabeu.
Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna overcame a late resistance from Santiago Gonzalez and Christopher Kas to move to the quarter-finals of the ATP Madrid Masters.
That was also Messi's 500th goal for Barcelona.
India's Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes crashed out of the Paris Masters tennis tournament after losing to Mexico's Santiago Gonzalez and Christopher Kas of Germany 6-3, 1-6, 8-10 in the second round of the event in Paris on Wednesday.
Why keep it boring when you can ring in the New Year in style?
The 24-year-old Wales international, who has agreed a six-year contract, eclipsed the previous record of 80m which was also paid by Real Madrid to Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009.
The Portuguese forward put his team on the verge of their third final in four years and took his tally to 103 goals in the competition as he helped Madrid vanquish their neighbours at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Rafa Nadal had to dig deep after coming under heavy fire from Colombia's Santiago Giraldo in a brutal 7-6, 6-3 quarter-final victory at the Japan Open on Friday.
Top seed Rafa Nadal ran hard-serving Canadian Milos Raonic ragged in a 7-5, 6-3 victory to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the Japan Open on Thursday.
At least 83 inmates have died after a fire swept through a severely overcrowded San Miguel public prison in the Chilean capital Santiago on Wednesday.
Until this season Manchester City's progression in the Champions League could be measured in baby steps but on Tuesday they can make a huge leap forward when they host Real Madrid in their first European semi-final for 45 years.
Images from Day one of the 2019 Davis Cup at La Caja Magica in Madrid on Monday
Roger Federer showed that time was still on his side as the Swiss master rang the closing bell on Monday's opening day at the US Open tennis championship with a quick victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Swansea City defender Alan Tate has broken his leg after a 'bizarre golfing accident', the Premier League newcomers said on Sunday.
Brazil's Neymar and Colombia striker Carlos Bacca have been provisionally suspended for one match.
Fit-again Andy Roddick kept his US Open preparations on a smooth track by crushing Colombian Santiago Giraldo 6-1, 6-3 in the third round of the Winston-Salem Open on Wednesday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Zinedine Zidane has said his side are in a delicate situation as they prepare to host arch-rivals Barcelona in a La Liga title showdown on Sunday
Arsenal are set to bolster their attack with reports suggesting that Real Madrid's Alvaro Morata is on his way to the Emirates.
Zinedine Zidane has been reappointed as Real Madrid coach nine months after resigning, replacing Argentine Santiago Solari.
Karim Benzema gave the European champions the lead in the 20th minute with an irresistible piece of control and finish after a pinpoint pass from Luka Modric.
Only four teams are left in the Copa America and whichever lifts the trophy next weekend, one thing is guaranteed -- the winning coach will be an Argentine.
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