Taken from today’s London Evening Standard, here are the hottest open-air gigs and festivals coming up this summer across the City of London. There is plenty to see and do, and this summer looks set to be one of London’s busiest in years, with both the elite forces of Sport and Music all converging on one City. Take a look through the list and find out your ideal line-up:

Field Day

One day of leftfield indie and electronica featuring Franz Ferdinand, Charlatans man Tim Burgess, The Vaccines, Mazzy Star and Metronomy. June 2, Victoria Park, E3

Field Day Tickets

LADY GAGA

Extra date at Twickenham Stadium – 9th September

On sale Friday. Find tickets for all UK Lady GaGa Tour Dates.

Compare and buy Lady Gaga tickets

MADONNA

Extra tickets released:

NIA, Birmingham – 19th July

On sale now. Find tickets for all UK Madonna Tour Dates.

Compare and buy Madonna tickets

PAUL SIMON

The O2, Dublin – 13th July

On general sale on Wednesday. Find tickets for all UK {artist} Tour Dates.

Compare and buy Paul Simon tickets

QUEEN WITH ADAM LAMBERT

HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London – 11th July

On general sale at 9am Wednesday. Find tickets for all UK {artist} Tour Dates.

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BEAR GRYLLS

More tickets available for May shows

On sale now. Find tickets for all UK Bear Grylls Tour Dates.

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ALANIS MORISSETTE

Extra tickets released:

O2 Academy, Birmingham – 25th June

On sale now. Find tickets for all UK Alanis Morisette Tour Dates.

Compare and buy Alanis Morissette tickets

JACK WHITE

HMV Forum, London – 23rd April

On sale Wednesday. Find tickets for all UK Jack White Tour Dates.

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THUNDER

O2 Academy, Manchester – 22nd December

On sale Friday at 9. Find tickets for all UK Thunder Tour Dates.

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RUFUS WAINWRIGHT

New Theatre, Oxford – 16th November
Symphony Hall, Birmingham – 17th
HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London – 18th
Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham – 20th
Barbican Centre, York – 21st
Colston Hall, Bristol – 23rd
The Dome, Brighton – 24th
O2 Apollo, Manchester – 11th December
Usher Hall, Edinburgh – 13th
O2 Academy, Glasgow – 14th

On sale Wednesday. Find tickets for all UK {artist} Tour Dates.

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FRANK TURNER

Nottingham Rock City, Nottingham – 11th November
O2 Academy, Leeds – 12th
O2 Academy, Liverpool – 13th
Brangwyn Hall, Swansea – 14th
Hexagon, Reading – 15th
O2 Academy, Newcastle – 17th
HMV Picture House, Edinburgh – 18th
O2 Academy, Sheffield – 19th
The Open, Norwich – 20th
Margate Winter Gardens, Margate – 22nd
Civic Hall, Wolverhampton – 23rd
Assembly, Leamington Spa – 24th
Lincoln Engine Shed, Lincoln – 25th
O2 Academy, Oxford- 26th
Brighton Corn Exchange, Brighton – 28th
Guildhall, Southampton – 29th
Hall For Cornwall, Truro – 30th
Pavillion, Bath – 1st December 2012

On presale Wednesday. Find tickets for all UK {artist} Tour Dates.

Compare and buy Frank Turner tickets

On Sale Now..

We can confirm tickets are still available for a number of top shows taking place in the UK this month.

NKOTBSB

The supergroup made up of The Backstreet Boys and New Kids on The Block are playing shows across the UK in April.

Compare and buy NKOTBSB Tickets

JLS

The hugely popular X Factor boyband will be perfoming live in the UK this month

Compare and buy JLS tickets

Foster The People

After a hugely successful start to 2012, Foster the People have confirmed April tour dates

Compare and buy Foster the People Tickets

New Order

The Manchester band remaining concerts in the UK this week.

Compare and buy New Order Tickets

Example

The British RnB star plays remaining tour dates across the UK..

Compare and buy Example Tickets

The Daily Mirror has reported that Led Zeppelin, The Beatles (Paul McCartney with Ringo Star) and The Rolling Stones have all been linked to perform at the opening ceremony, but now it appears it may be just left to McCartney.

McCartney had previously hinted about performing at the ceremony and he certainly hasn’t dispelled the rumours that claim he will be the one to open up the games in 2012.
Paul McCartney will also be playing several American shows this Summer.

Paul McCartney tour dates are available online.

We are now just days away before the legendary T in the Park kicks off and to fuel your excitement for the Festival’s opening here is Fanatix’s top tips for who to go and see this weekend.

British Sea Power:  Famed for their quirky and idiosyncratic live show British Sea Power bring  an energy which leaves crowds rarely disappointed. A great indie singalong band who are playing the Red Bull Bedroom Jam Transmissions Stage on Friday evening they should not be missed.

Chase and Status: Expect guest appearances, orchestrated mayhem and a set of tunes which will set alight the Radio 1/NME Stage on the Saturday night. The band have been fine tuning their live show and now as the festival season is in full swing they have put themselves forward as top contenders with an electrifying display of dub-step intertwined with more mainstream influences.

Bright Eyes: Despite the fact they have a herd of dedicated cult fans behind them, Bright Eyes have often managed to escape the attention of mainstream success. It seems odd for a band who have so many great albums under their belt to have not gained a more populist following. Their live performances are a spectacle in themselves and they will provide a great alternative show for anyone who doesn’t fancy Beyonce or Coldplay on the Saturday night.

Foo Fighters: Forget any questions concerning the longevity of the new record, the Foo Fighters will inevitably provide the ultimate blow out as the Festival reaches it’s climax.

T in the Park lineup and tickets here.

British West End sensation collects five of the most prestigious theatrical awards.

War Horse, the story about a bond between a boy, David and his horse during World War One, has won the hearts of the West End, Spielberg (who is making a movie of the production) and now Broadway.

Winning five awards: Best Play, Tom Morris and Marianne Elliott picked up Best Direction of a Play, Best scenic Design of a Play, Best lighting design of a Play, Best Sound Design of a Play and  the Special Tony Award was given to Handspring Puppet Company. The production won every category it was nominated in.

War Horse began life at the National Theater before transferring to London’s West End where it is enjoying an open run. Following its phenomenal reception and success on Broadway there are plans for the production to do a 20 city US tour.  It’s next stop Canada and Australia and perhaps a Japanese production too. War Horse is a global phenomena.

The production is not an “all singing all dancing” theatrical experience but an emotional tale that transcends generations and cultures. The carnage of World War 1 told from the innocence of youth bring a poignancy to an element of war so far untold; The narrative and emotional weight is carried by the grace of the horses – the puppets. Many feel it is the realism of the horses that creates the beauty of the production.

War Horse will make you cry tears of joy and wonderment, you’ll be thrilled you saw it. Everyone should see this production, winning of not only awards but hearts.

War Horse tickets are available online.

Tinchy Stryder will perform ahead of tomorrows Champions League Final at Wembley Stadium in London.

Manchester United take on Barcelona in the biggest match of club football. For the special occasion Tinchy has prepared ‘special self-penned lyrics”.

The British rapper is a United fan: “I’ve always been a Manchester United fan so this match is even more special to me. I am honoured that UEFA asked me to perform at the opening ceremony, and I can’t wait to see the game.”

Tinchy Stryder’s performance will be watched by an estimated 160 million people.

Tinchy Stryder releases new single ‘Spaceship’ with N Dubz’ Dappy on June 1.

UEFA Champions League Final tickets are available online.

The 21-year-old swapped places with Woods, even though neither have played this week.

McIlroy will be back in action on Thursday as he begins his defence of the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina. Woods, however, will miss the tournament through injury.

Golf tickets, including the British Open and US Open, are available now.

Woods reported on his website that he hurt himself attempting a shot in the third round of the Masters. He also commented that he should return within a few weeks, although a date was not given.

The injury marks the fourth time Woods will miss a tournament because of his left knee.

Golf tickets, including the British Open and US Open, are available now.

The former world number one, who has not won an event since 2009, would usually have been upset with such a performance. But after such a barren run, Tiger now feels confident that the golfing world realises he is building up to his top form.

“I hit the ball really well on the weekend and made some shots – those are shots I know I can hit. That was fun and exciting,” Woods said at the Mission Hills Dongguan clubhouse near Shenzhen in China, where he has began a promotional tour of China. “It’s really starting to feel pretty good. This week was a pretty good week.”

British Open tickets are available online.

It was a collapse reminiscent of Nick Faldo’s final Masters triumph, 15 years ago, when the English golfer won after Greg Norman slid to a closing round of 78, going from six strokes ahead to five behind.

“He’s young and I am sure he will regroup and come back stronger,” said Faldo. “He was thrown in at the deep end and this is a serious deep end. You are there on your own, things get out of sync and you lose your tempo.”

McIlroy remained philosophical and vowed to learn from the defeat.

“There are a lot worse things that can happen in your life,” added the Northern Irishman. “Shooting a bad score in the last round of a golf tournament is nothing in comparison to what other people go through. Hopefully, if I can get myself back into this position pretty soon I’ll handle it a little bit better.”

McIlroy’s triple-bogey seven on the tenth, when still one in front, was the  catalyst for his spectacular collapse.

World No.2 Lee Westwood, who finished 11th, admitted: “I’ve played with Rory a lot. When he gets under a bit of pressure he does have a pull hook in his bag.”

McIlroy will hope to put his Masters meltdown behind him in time for the British Open in July, but winner Schwartzel backs him to succeed.

“Golf is a really funny game. One moment you’re on top of it and the next it bites you. He’s such a phenomenal player. He’ll win one. He’s going to be disappointed and he’s going to feel hurt, but he’s a good enough player to come back out and win.”

British Open tickets are available online

It is rumoured that the band’s frontman Chris, 34, is a top contender for Olympic bosses, and they are desperate to get the band on board.

“Chris is at the top of the list to front the official record. He’s a huge star and a British musical icon, with an international profile,” an insider told British newspaper The Daily Mirror. “We’re pulling out all the stops to get hold of him, ideally with the rest of Coldplay involved, too.”

The performance at the opening ceremony next year could reach a TV ¬audience of two billion and is set to go down in history as one of the biggest gigs on record. Coldplay – who are multiple Grammy award winners – would be far accomplished to headline the ceremony.

“Coldplay are the biggest stadium rockers in Britain today and their style of anthemic music would be perfect for the Olympics. It needs to be something inspirational,” the source continued. “The hope is that they would perform at the opening ceremony, as well as produce a recording of the track, which could help fund good causes in British sport.”

The opening ceremony on is on July 27 2012, and is currently being masterminded by director Danny Boyle, who is famous for helming films including Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire.

Other artists being approached to appear at the opening ceremony are Joss Stone, Muse and Damon Albarn.

Olympic spokesman Richard Crowe confirmed the Cultural Olympiad was looking for a contemporary artist, such as Coldplay or Muse. The final decision however is up to The Dartington Hall Trust – who bosses have appointed to commission the Olympic track.

A spokesman said they are in the early stages, but are holding out for the right artist.

Coldplay tickets are available online

Laurie recently said of his love for Blues music, ‘I’ve never eaten grits, cropped a share, or ridden a boxcar. No gypsy woman said anything to my mother when I was born and there’s no hellhound on my trail, as far as I can judge.

‘Let this record show that I am a white, middle-class Englishman, openly trespassing on the music and myth of the American south.’

Hugh Laurie tickets for all upcoming performances will go on sale this Friday, 25th March.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button have struggled with their new car, with pace and reliability being a problem.

However, Alonso expects them to come our fighting at the season opener in Melbourne and possible challenger for a win.

“They’re better than they look,” the Spaniard told El Pais, “Winter testing doesn’t explain anything.

F1 Tickets are available now.

Watch live motorsport here.

The pair, whose latest album ‘No More Idols’ went on sale last month, are known for working with relatively unkown talent. They have no problems in turning down big name artists either, having told potential callobrator Rihanna they would prefer their album only featured British talent.

However, Chase and Status have said they are impressed with Adele’s chart success.  The dubstep duo may relax their stance in order to work with Adele as they believe her soulful voice would blend perfectly with some of their new ideas.

Chase and Status tickets are still available for their March dates, as well as the recently annouced autumn tour.
Tickets for Adele’s April and September dates are available now too.

Chase and Status

Guildhall, Southampton – 9th March
Corn Exchange, Cambridge – 10th
Roundhouse, London – 11th
Westland Leisure Complex, Yeovil – 12th
Rock City Nottingham – 13th
O2 Academy, Bristol – 15th
O2 Academy, Leeds – 18th
Academy, Manchester – 19th

AUTUMN UK TOUR DATES

O2 Academy, Birmingham – 6th October
De Montfort Hall, Leicester – 7th
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend – 8th
O2 Academy, Bournemouth – 10th
Guildhall, Portsmouth – 11th
Liverpool University – 13th
O2 Academy Brixton, London – 14th
Oasis Leisure Centre, Swindon – 15th
O2 Academy, Leeds – 17th
O2 Academy, Newcastle – 18th
O2 Academy, Sheffield – 20th
O2 Academy, Glasgow – 21st
O2 Apollo, Manchester – 22nd

Adele

Olympia, Dublin – 12th April
O2 Academy, Leeds – 14th
ABC, Glasgow – 15th
The Ritz, Manchester – 17th
HMV Institute, Birmingham – 18th
Guildhall, Southampton – 20th
O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, London – 21st

Plymouth Pavilions – 4th September
Bournemouth Int’nl Centre – 5th
Cardiff International Arena – 7th
Empress Ballroom Blackpool – 8th
The Civic Hall Wolverhampton – 10th
The Civic Hall Wolverhampton – 11th
De Montfort Hall Leicester – 13th
O2 Academy Newcastle – 14th
O2 Apollo Manchester – 16th
O2 Apollo Manchester – 17th
London, Hammersmith Apollo – 19th
London, Hammersmith Apollo – 20th (new date)
London, Royal Albert Hall – 22nd
Edinburgh, Usher Hall – 24th
Glasgow, 02 Academy – 25th

Australian Open tickets are on sale now, for any day of the first major tennis competition this year. Tickets for sessions at either the Rod Laver Arena, or Hisense Arena are both available.

British hopeful Andy Murray has been dealt a blow for the Australian Open 2011 by being seeded 5th, due to Robin Soderling’s win at the Brisbane Open this week.

Having headlined Glastonbury, T In The Park and Oxegen Festivals already this summer, Muse tickets are still very much in demand – and the support acts for their gigs at Lancashire County Cricket Club and Wembley Arena are quite wonderful indeed.

Manchester Lancashire County Cricket Club – September 4th 2010
Muse
Editors
Band Of Skulls
Pulled Apart By Horses

London Wembley Stadium – September 10th 2010
Muse
Lily Allen
The Big Pink
White Rabbits

London Wembley Stadium – September 11th 2010
Muse
Biffy Clyro
White Lies
I Am Arrows

Tickets are on sale from £22 from the likes of SeeTickets – a similar price to what their opening acts would normally expect for their own headline concerts.

He might have a difficult task though. As well as a strong field that includes Luke Donald, Paul Casey, Nick Faldo, Padraig Harrington, Ernie Els, Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy, the notorious 17th hole has been extended by some 40 yards – as if it wasn’t already difficult enough!

British number one Murray has not dropped a set in his first three matches, but faces a tougher challenge on Centre Court today. He will take on American fast server Sam Querrey, who won the prestigious grass court tournament at Queens Club just prior to Wimbledon.

Still, Murray’s return is one of the best parts of his game – and arguably the best in the world – and Querrey will have to serve as well as he did in the AEGON Championships to progress, as well as overcome the mental barrier of a partisan crowd in favour of the British player.

With the championship entering its second week, Wimbledon tickets are on sale for all remaining days of the competition. The weather has been quite consistently beautiful, unlike the strangely rainy clay tournament of Roland Garros, and the quality of tennis has repeatedly matched its beauty.

Still, some of the top players were not quite so fortunate.

Swiss tennis ace Stanislas Wawrinka was seeded to play his compatriot Roger Federer in the fourth round, but like the aforementioned top players, his match went the distance. Wawrinka did not come out on top however, and succumbed 6-7 6-1 2-6 7-6 6-3 to Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan. Other top seed to fall included Croat Marin Cilic and Spaniard Fernando Verdasco.

Federer, Djokovic and Davydenko will all play today, along with former champion Lleyton Hewitt, and will hope for smoother progress in their second round matches.

Yesterday, Britain’s Andy Murray earned himself the chance to play in front of the Queen with a straightforward victory over Czech player Jan Hajek, and has reportedly been practising his bow! On Thursday the Queen makes her first appearance at Wimbledon in 33 years, and given that there was a British winner in 1977 in Virginia Wade, it could be a good omen for the Scot.

Wimbledon tickets are on sale for all remaining dates of the tournament, with top-of-the-range debenture tickets available.

If the defending champion crashed out in the first round for only the third time in the tournament’s history, it would be the most remarkable of feats for Falla, who also defeated Juan Martin Del Potro in the US Open first round in 2006 – but that was before the Argentine’s breakthrough to the tennis elite.

As arguably the greatest player of all time, Federer is one of the main reasons Wimbledon tickets are such valued commodities – with the cheapest going for £340. Still, if the world number two loses early on in the tournament, perhaps there could be a British winner on the grass courts of SW19 for the first time in over 70 years.

Andy Murray has a great chance. Could this be his year?

McEnroe is now a regular on the seniors circuit and a media commentator, and having won seven majors in his stellar career is well placed to give advice to Murray. He believes the Scot should cut speed from his first serve in order to increase accuracy, for although when it fires it is a potent weapon, the percentage is lower than many of the other top players.

He told the Independent that national pressure from the British public is affecting Murray’s game; as is disappointment for not showing his best form in the Australian Open final in January. While Murray’s intense training  got him to a high of number 2 in the world, McEnroe indicated that better time management of his regime will prevent burnout. In the 2009 US Open, Murray appeared to be running on empty when he faced Croatian star Marin Cilic in the 4th round.

Finally, McEnroe hinted that he knew of a change in Murray’s court mentality. For a long time, Murray has played a counter-punching style; his movement and court artistry have long frustrated opponents into errors. McEnroe said he had heard of a move to a more aggressive game just inside the baseline – akin to Nikolay Davydenko, and this could prove a big step towards Andy Murray’s first Grand Slam title.

Wimbledon tickets are currently on sale for all courts on each day of the tournament, and having gone a round further each year he has played at SW19, Murray ought to be a certainty for the final. He will be seeded four for the biggest grass competition in tennis, meaning that he can only face Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal in the semi-final – should each of them get there.

Who would have expected Robin Söderling to beat Roger Federer in four sets – ending a 12-match losing streak against the Swiss maestro in the process?

Who would have expected Jurgen Melzer to make it to the semi-finals at Roland Garros, having never progressed beyond the third round of a Grand Slam before in his career?

It all bodes well for the next tournament on the grass courts of Queens Club.

The AEGON Championships will feature some of the very best players in men’s tennis in British number one Andy Murray, 2008 Wimbledon Champion – and new world number one – Rafael Nadal, American fast-server Andy Roddick and Serbian star Novak Djokovic. The 2010 AEGON Championships also includes Fernando Verdasco, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Marin Cilic – and the quality of tennis is certain to match what is probably its strongest ever line-up.

In 2009, Andy Murray became the first British winner of the competition since Bunny Austin in 1938, beating James Blake in the final. Although he had mixed success during the clay court season, he is a better prospect on grass, and could well retain his title.

With such a stellar field of players, tennis fans who can’t wait for Wimbledon will be delighted. Queens tickets are available from £75 from official Queens Club partner SeeTickets – with Queens Final tickets selling from £75.

Britain’s number one has progressed a round further than his previous attempt each year he has played at SW19, and so far this year has looked strongest in Grand Slam competitions.

Murray has just been knocked out of the French Open after a loss to Czech tennis ace Tomáš Berdych in the fourth round, but the Scot will always have a better chance on grass than on clay.

Wimbledon is the oldest and most celebrated tennis competition in the world. The hallowed grass courts of SW19 have been the host to many a classic encounter, and the quality of the game is at an all-time high. The chance to see some of these modern greats in the flesh is one that can hardly be missed.

Wimbledon tickets are notoriously valuable commodities, and one of the best ways to make your Wimbledon experience the fortnight of a lifetime is with some debenture tickets.

Debenture tickets are the very best on offer. They include a full day of tennis from the optimum views, with included access to the Debenture Lounge, bars restaurants and cloakroom – all within close proximity of the court.

In addition, the resale of debenture tickets are allowed, and there is actually good value to be found in this secondary market.

Debenture tickets for the Wimbledon Men’s Final on Centre Court are on sale through trusted seller Seatwave for £2445. Considering the last two Wimbledon finals between Roger Federer and his successive opponents Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick have been arguably the greatest matches in tennis history, this seems a brilliant price.

The added factor of there being a very real chance to see a first British men’s champion since 1936 makes for a stupendous atmosphere whenever Murray plays, for he is the best British hope in years with a shot of emulating the feats of the great Fred Perry.

The Wimbledon Ladies’ final on Centre Court also has fantastic deals available. Debenture tickets can be bought from Seatwave from £669 – a most reasonable price to see Justine Henin attempt to complete the career Grand Slam at SW19 against the Williams sisters and her compatriot Kim Clijsters.

In fact, across all rounds there are excellent bargains to be found – inevitably the cheap tickets are located in the earlier rounds:

Venue:                                         Centre Court         Court One
Wimbledon 1st Round:
Mon 21st June:                                 £580                    £313
Tues 22nd June:                               £456                    £330

Wimbledon 2nd Round:
Wed 23rd June:                                £569                    £322
Thurs 24th June:                              £569                    £313

Wimbledon 3rd Round:
Fri 25th June:                                    £724                    £449
Sat 26th June:                                   £944                    £540

Wimbledon 4th Round:
Mon 28th June:                                £853                    £483

Wimbledon Quarter Finals:
Tues 29th June:                               £600                    £313
Wed 30th June:                               £1440                  £360

Wimbledon Ladies’ Semi-Finals Day:
Thurs 1st July:                                 £530                    £334

Wimbledon Men’s Semi-Finals Day:
Fri 2nd July:                                    £1865

Wimbledon Ladies’ Final:
Sat 3rd July:                                     £669

Wimbledon Men’s Final:
Sun 4th July:                                   £2445

In SW19, crowd pressure and mental fatigue appeared to get to Gasquet, but at Roland Garros, his loss was more down to physical condition.

Having played and won an exhausting final in Nice against Fernando Verdasco on Saturday, Gasquet looked in excellent form ahead of the French Open. However, with just a day between that match and his clash with Murray, he barely had any time to recover.

Despite playing excellently for the first two sets, with multiple winners from his beautiful backhand, he could not maintain his level, and the British number one lives to fight another day. He will next face Argentinian ace Juan Ignacio Chela, who he beat in last year’s tournament – as well as in the ATP Madrid Masters earlier this year.

Clay is not Murray’s favourite surface, but he did reach the quarter final in Paris last year. After the climax of the French Open, the grass court season begins, and the Scot will attempt to defend his title at the AEGON Championships at Queens in a top class field. Queens Club will host some of the very best in the game, including Murray, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Fernando Verdasco, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Marin Cilic.

The British rapper will open for the singer in Nottingham (May 14th) and Glasgow (19th and 20th), in addition to his previously announced slot in London on May 11th.

Full details of the tour are listed below, and all Rihanna tickets are available to compare and buy here at Tixdaq.com:

Birmingham, LG Arena – May 7th
Liverpool, Echo Arena – May 8th
London, O2 Arena – May 10th
London, O2 Arena – May 11th
Sheffield, Arena – May 13th
Nottingham, Arena – May 14th
Manchester, MEN Arena – May 16th
Newcastle, Arena – May 17th
Glasgow, SECC – May 19th
Glasgow, SECC – May 20th

Woods has also been invited to participate in a special four-hole event on the day before the championship, open to all living Open champions to mark the tournament’s 150th anniversary.

In other British Open news, the famous and notoriously difficult 17th hole at St Andrews golf course has been extended by an extra 40 yards.

British Open tickets for all four days of the competition are available to compare and buy here at Tixdaq.com, with general admission tickets starting at £88 for each day.

Compare and buy British Open tickets online now.

The Englishman had three previous third-place finishes in majors prior to last weekend, including last year’s British Open, and will be looking to overcome his jinx at this year’s event at St Andrews Golf Club in July.

British Open tickets are available to compare and buy here at Tixdaq.com, and as well as Westwood, there will be a strong British contingent looking for the win at one of Britain’s most famous courses.

Compare and buy British Open tickets online now.

World number one player Federer has set no date for his return, but hopes to recover in time for the Masters 1000 events across America in March. Nadal and Del Potro also miss the event through injury, and so with just two members of the top five playing, the remaining players must view this as a real chance to take the title in Dubai, and early season form could hint to the next Grand Slam champion in Paris this May.

Wimbledon tickets available here

Ireland’s Jerry Flannery will play no further part in the 2010 RBS Six Nations Championship after he received a six-week ban for a challenge on France winger, Alexis Palisson.

The hooker made a wild hack at Palisson during Ireland’s 33-10 defeat at the Stade de France while the ball was in the Frenchman’s hand, presenting the disciplinary panel with no option other than to ban the player for an act more associated with the round ball than the oval ball.

Flannery was penalised at the time for his indiscretion though it was obvious that none of the officials got a clear view of the incident as – thanks to the microphone link to the man in the middle – the watching world could hear referee Wayne Barnes admonishing the Munster forward for a late shoulder charge rather than a kick.

The incident symbolised the Irish performance as a whole – positive work undone by ill-discipline and basic errors. Ireland had been awarded a penalty in the seconds before Flannery’s rush of blood only to see it reversed afterwards.

Ireland will need to pick themselves up after losing for the first time in 13 matches with the suspension of Flannery compounded by the almost certain short-term absence of Rob Kearney.

The British and Irish Lions full-back was having a typically inspired afternoon in Paris until he suffered medial ligament damage and was forced off the field, leaving a huge hole in both their defensive line and their counter-attacking capabilities

Declan Kidney’s team travel next to Twickenham to take on England. While the Red Rose is not exactly in full bloom at the moment, Martin Johnson has seen his men record two wins out of two and the 2003 world champions always provide stern opposition on their own patch.

Perhaps it is fortunate that there is a fortnight’s break to allow the dust to settle for both teams with England receiving much criticism for a lacklustre display in their 17-12 win over Italy.

Jonny Wilkinson had an uncharacteristically bad day at the office and while there were glimpses of the promised expansive running game from England, the propensity to kick the ball aimlessly undermined the dynamic threat of Matthew Tait, Rikki Flutey, Delon Armitage, Mark Cueto and Ugo Monye.

So there is much to ponder for both Kidney and Johnson before England and Ireland clash on 27^th February.

Compare and buy Six Nations Championship tickets at tixdaq.com.

This year’s Australian Open has been a great start to 2010 for the Scot. He has turned around the negative play that hit his 2009 grand slam hopes and employed a much more attacking – and yet risk-free – all-round game. Though Murray started slowly against Cilic, his good form eventually came through and, in the end, he won convincingly  3-6 6-4 6-4 6-2.

Just one month into 2010, Murray is undoubtedly having a record-breaking year. He is just one win away from being the first British male to win a Grand Slam singles title in 74 years and if he continues this form, fans back home will be intrigued to see how he gets on later in the year – namely, Wimbledon 2010.

British tennis fans have watched the SW19 event down the years with hopes – however faint – of a Brit emerging victorious. Tim Henman could and should have won it but failed a whopping four times at the semi-final stage. Since Murray’s arrival on the scene, hopes have become stronger with each passing season, and 2010 is shaping up to be his finest year to date. With his fierce determination, a powerful serve and an almost unbeatable defence, Murray now has the tools to go on to claim what most consider as the biggest prize in tennis – the Wimbledon title.

The 2010 Wimbledon tennis championships are just months away and fans will be pleased to hear that Wimbledon tickets are already available to buy from tixdaq.com. The tournament starts on the 21st of June and tickets start from £357.

Compare and buy Wimbledon 2010 tickets now!

Just one month into 2010, Murray is undoubtedly having a record-breaking year. He is the first Briton to reach the last eight of the Australian Open since John Lloyd in 1977 and if he can continue this form, fans back home will be intrigued to see how he gets on later in the year – namely, Wimbledon 2010.

British tennis fans have watched the SW19 event down the years with hopes – however faint – of a Brit emerging victorious. Tim Henman could and should have won it but always failed at the final hurdle. Since Murray’s arrival on the scene, a fresh hope has arisen, one that has become more realistic with every passing year. With his fierce determination, a powerful serve and an almost unbeatable defence, Murray now has the tools to go on to claim what most consider as the biggest prize in tennis.  Wimbledon 2010 could be his time.

The 2010 Wimbledon tennis championships are just months away and fans will be pleased to hear that Wimbledon tickets are already available to buy from tixdaq.com. The tournament starts on the 21st of June and tickets start from £357.

Compare and buy Wimbledon 2010 tickets now!

50 Cent told The Sun newspaper that he loves British pubs and has been enjoying them whilst he has been in the UK promoting his latest film.

50 Cent also said that he would like Vinnie Jones  to join him on the business venture: “He is about as British as it gets, the way he looks, the way he speaks, just everything. I am sure between us we could do it justice.”

Whether or not 50 Cent and Vinnie Jones will ever start a chain of British pubs in the US remains to be seen, but one thing that is for sure is that the rapper will be in on tour in the UK later this year.

50 Cent kicks off his UK tour in Birmingham on March 19. The UK jaunt also includes performances at Wembley Arena on March 20, Belfast Odyssey Arena on March 22 and MEN Arena on March 25. We can confirm that hundreds of 50 Cent tickets are still available to compare at Tixdaq.com.

Compare and buy 50 Cent tickets now!

Andy Murray will go head-to-head with Roger Federer this evening at the London O2 Arena in the second of today’s singles matches at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. The first of today’s tennis matches sees Juan Martin del Potro – the player who Murray defeat in the opening game of the tournament – take on Fernando Verdasco.

This will be the tenth time the two players have met on the ATP circuit and Andy Murray will no doubt be in a confident mood following his victory against Del Potro on Sunday. Andy Murray has won two of the last three matches against Roger Federer. However, Roger Federer won the most recent encounter at the Cincinnati Masters back in August.

The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals are proving to be hugely popular with British tennis fans and Tixdaq can confirm that tickets are still available for most of the remaining matches.

Compare and buy Barclays ATP World Tour Finals tickets now!

Rafael Nadal, who has had one of his worst season’s since joining the ATP tour was clearly no match for an in-form Robin Soderling who disposed of the former world number one in straight sets. Robin Soderling was not originally due to take part in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, however, an injury to Andy Roddick meant that the number nine seed was called up to fill the empty spot.

The second of today’s singles matches sees Novak Djokovic take on Nikolay Davydenko. Novak Djokovic has been in fine form of late and he is the bookies’ favourite.

Tomorrow sees Juan Martin Del Potro v Fernando Verdasco  followed by Andy Murray taking on the world number one, Roger Federer.

Tixdaq can confirm that tickets are still available to all of the remaining days of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, including the final which is set to take place next Sunday (November 29).

Compare and buy Barclays ATP World Tour Finals tickets now!

It has recently been revealed that Andy Murray will be the first of the top seeds to take to the court at the London O2 Arena this Sunday (November 22). The fourth seed, Andy Murray, takes on the fifth seed, Juan Martin Del Potro, in the afternoon session of the opening day of the 2009 ATP World Tour Finals. The evening session sees the world number one, Roger Federer, take on Fernando Verdasco.

The order of play for the second day of the Barclays ATP tour finals has also been confirmed. Rafael Nadal faces Robin Soderling in the afternoon, while Novak Djokovic takes on Nikolay Davydenko in the evening.

With the world’s top eight seeds all in action, tennis fans will no doubt be doing all they can to snap up last-minute tickets to see the likes of Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in action. This is one of the very rare occasions that British tennis fans have the opportunity to see these top class players on court without having to worry about the rain getting in the way.

The 2009 ATP Would Tour Finals kick off at the London O2 Arena on Sunday (November 22) and Tixdaq can confirm that ATP Finals tickets are still available to compare and buy online.

ATP World Tour tickets are available for all of the sessions, including the final which takes place on November 29.

Compare and buy ATP World Tour Finals tickets now!

The 2009 ATP World Tour Finals are set to take place at the London O2 Arena later this month. The ATP Finals begin on November 22 and the final match takes place a week later on November 29.

The 2009 ATP World Tour Finals features only the top eight seeds of the current ATP roster and UK fans will have the chance to see the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray in action.

Following Andy Murray’s failure to capture his first Grand Slam title this year, he will be looking to make his mark at the ATP Finals in front of his British fans. Andy Murray will no doubt be in a confident mood following last week’s triumph in Spain where he beat Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 6-2 in the final of the 2009 ATP Valencia Open 500.

Novak Djokovic will also be in a confident mood after beating Roger Federer in the final of the Davidoff Swiss Indoors tennis championship which also took place last week.

Tixdaq can confirm that there are still hundreds of ATP World Tour Finals tickets available to compare online. ATP Finals tickets are available for every day of the event with prices starting below £20.

Later today, Andy Murray will take on Julien Benneteau in the quarter final of the 2009 ATP Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati. Murray will go up against Benneteau as he looks to secure his second Cincinnati Masters title in a row.

Andy Murray will be in a confident mood after defeating Radek Stepanek 6-4 6-1 in the previous round.  Murray is likely to face the world number one, Roger Federer, if he victorious in this evening’s match. Federer will face Lleyton Hewitt in his quarter final which also takes place later today. On the other side of the draw, Gilles Simon takes on Novak Djokovic and world number three, Rafael Nadal, will face Tomas Berdych.

Andy Murray will be boosted by his recent good form as he gears up for this year’s ATP US Open. The 2009 US Open kicks off at Flushing Meadows on August 31.

British tennis fans will be glad to hear that they have a chance to see Andy Murray and other top seeds live in action in the UK later this year at the 2009 ATP Finals. The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals takes place from November 22 at the London O2 Arena.

Hundreds of ATP World Tour Finals tickets for each day of the tournament are still available to compare at tixdaq.com

Tennis fans can watch Andy Murray live at the ATP Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati online with TennisTV.

Andy Murray will start his Rogers Cup campaign in Montreal later today against Jeremy Chardy

Andy Murray returns to action since Wimbledon for the second round of the Montreal Rogers Cup, an ATP 1000 Masters event with 1000 ATP points up for grabs.

Andy Murray has recently been preparing for the Rogers Cup in the heat of Miami and after receiving a bye in the first round, will face Jeremy Chardy in the second round scheduled to play later today.

The Rogers Cup also sees the return of Rafael Nadal, who missed the entire Wimbledon Grand Slam earlier this year due to tendinitis in his knees. His return got off to a good start with a doubles win with partner Francisco Roig against Novak Djokovic and partner Dusan Vemic.

All the top names in men’s tennis are competing in the Montreal Rogers Cup in preparation for the final Grand Slam of the season: the US Open.

British number one Andy Murray is in the same half of the draw as the world number one Roger Federer, and so if the two were to meet it would be at the semi-final stage.

World number two Rafael Nadal is in the same half of the draw as the number four seed Novak Djokovic, number six seed Andy Roddick, and the recent Washington Legg Mason Classic champion Juan Martin Del Potro.

Rafael Nadal has admitted that retaining the Montreal Rogers Cup title was not on the cards because of his lack of practice, and that his main focus was to work hard and try not to suffer any more injury setbacks. He says that he was aware he was going to Montreal to lose, and that winning was almost impossible.

Also suffering from lack of match practice was Roger Federer, who is returning to action since the birth of his twin daughters three weeks ago.

As well as Andy Murray, other top seeds scheduled to play later today include Roger Federer against Frederic Niemeyer, Novak Djokovic takes on Peter Polansky, and the world number eight Nikolay Davydenko against Paul-Henri Mathieu.

So far at the Montreal Rogers Cup, the first shock result was the 14th seed Marin Cilic losing to Mikhail Youzhny 4-6, 7-6, 6-1 despite winning the first set.

Players on the cusp of qualifying for the end-of-year Barclays ATP World Tour Finals include 9th seed Gilles Simon, 10th seed Fernando Gonzalez and 11th seed Fernando Verdasco.

Only the top eight players can compete at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals and so they hope to play as well as possible at the Montreal Rogers Cup to gain as many ATP points as possible for a place in the top eight.

The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals takes place at the London O2 Arena from November 22. ATP World Tour Finals tickets are available to compare at tixdaq.com

Thousands of Andy Murray fans are expected to watch his second round match at the Wimbledon ‘Henman Hill’ on the large screen, just as they did for his first round match earlier this week.

Andy Murray did not make it easy for himself as it took four sets to beat Robert Kendrick 7-5, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-4 in his opening match at the All England Club Grand Slam.

Andy Murray is scheduled to play against Ernests Gulbis later today in the Wimbledon second round, hoping for a more straight forward victory.

The last time Andy Murray faced Ernests Gulbis was at last year’s Queen’s Club tournament and Ernests Gulbis had suggested Andy Murray took a medical time-out for no real reason when the scores were 5-5 in the last set.

Ernests Gulbis knows he would not have necessarily won the game, but claims that the medical time-out disrupted his rhythm as Andy Murray went on to win the match.

Andy Murray denies playing such tactics, and had to withdraw from the Queen’s Club tournament last year with an injury the following day.

Elsewhere at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, world number two Roger Federer comfortably booked his place into the third round after easing past Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2, 6-2, 6-4. Roger Federer will be up against Philipp Kohlschreiber next.

Novak Djokovic, who is just behind Andy Murray in the world rankings, also booked his place into the Wimbledon third round by beating Simon Greul 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 and faces Mardy Fish next.

World number seven Fernando Verdasco had to battle through three tie breaks before eventually beating Kristof Vliegen 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-4), 6-4. Next up is an all-Spanish affair as Fernando Verdasco takes on Albert Montanes in the Wimbledon third round.

It seems all the top seeds were easing into the Wimbledon third round, but the case could not be said for the number five seed Juan Martin del Potro, who earlier today lost to former Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 7-5, 7-5.

Also playing their second round matches today was number six seed Andy Roddick who beat Igor Kunitsyn 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, and the number eight seed Gilles Simon who beat Thiago Alves 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

The 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships is in full swing now and fans will be pleased to hear that Wimbledon tickets are still currently available to compare at tixdaq.com, with pairs of tickets currently priced from £330.

British tennis fans will also be pleased to hear that the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals will be taking place at the London O2 Arena in November 2009.

At the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, the top eight players will compete to become champion in this end-of-season tournament.

Tickets for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals are all still available to compare at tixdaq.com currently priced from £20.

Kanye West has revealed plans to go on a joint tour with Lady GaGa in the US

Rapper Kanye West has revealed that he is to tour with Lady GaGa during an interview on US TV.

Kanye West was speaking on chat show The View on the ABC channel and also declared that both he and Lady GaGa (real name Stefani Germanotta) will headline the tour together with no support acts.

Kanye West described Lady GaGa to be too good to be viewed as an opening act, calling her talented and incredible.

The joint tour is to take place later in the year across North America and fans can expect to see songs from Kanye West and Lady GaGa’s current albums.

Kanye West released his fourth sudio album 808′s and Heartbreak in November 2008 whilst Lady GaGa has enjoyed much success with her debut album titled The Fame released in January 2009.

British fans will be pleased to hear that you can catch Kanye West and Lady GaGa in action at UK venues this summer.

Kanye West will be at Wireless Festival in London Hyde Park, which takes place over the weekend of July 4-5.

Meanwhile, a new version of the Lady GaGa song titled Love Game has been recorded featuring the vocals of Marilyn Manson.

Lady GaGa will be performing at the Manchester Academy (June 29) and the Brixton O2 Academy, London (July 14) as well as some festival appearances.

Lady GaGa will appear at T In The Park at the Kinross Balado Airfield (July 10-12) and V Festival at the Shifnal Weston Park and the Chelmsford Hylands Park (August 22-23).

Wireless Festival tickets, Lady GaGa tickets, T In The Park tickets, and V Festival tickets are all available to compare at tixdaq.com

Andy Murray in AEGON Championships action today

World number three Andy Murray is due to play his opening match of the AEGON Championships at Queen’s Club London later today.

Andy Murray faces Andreas Seppi after receiving a bye into the second round, but will be hoping to overcome the disappointment of losing his second round doubles match with partner Lleyton Hewitt.

Yesterday, Andy Murray and Lleyton Hewitt were beaten 6-4, 6-3 by Lukasz Kubot and Oliver Marach.

In the singles draw, Lleyton Hewitt faces Frederico Gil in the second round of the AEGON Championships, also due to play later today where the winner will face world number six Andy Roddick in the third round.

Yesterday, Andy Roddick won his opening match of the AEGON Championships by beating Kristof Vliegen 6-1, 6-4 in less than an hour.

Also due to play later today is world number seven Gilles Simon with his opening match against Grigor Dimitrov after receiving a bye into the second round.

Meanwhile, world number two Roger Federer has pulled out of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany which was going to be his warm-up tournament in preparation for this month’s Wimbledon Grand Slam Championships.

Roger Federer said exhaustion was the cause of pulling out of the tournament he won last year after winning the French Open Grand Slam earlier last week, his record equalling 14th Grand Slam title.

Also resting in preparation for Wimbledon is world number one Rafael Nadal.

Rafael Nadal was scheduled to play at the AEGON Championships at Queen’s Club London, but has since said that he was doing everything he can to be fit to defend his Wimbledon title after having medical tests on his knee problems.

There is a lot of tennis action taking place in London over the next few months. In fact, British fans can buy AEGON Championships tickets which are currently available at tixdaq.com.

The AEGON Championships is followed by the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships, which takes place from June 22.

The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals will be held in November at the London O2 Arena where the top eight players will compete to become champion in this end-of-season tournament.

Wimbledon tickets and tickets for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals are all available to compare at tixdaq.com.

Andy Murray is the top seeded player in action for the AEGON Championships this year as he prepares for the 2009 Wimbledon Tennis Championships.

The AEGON Championships, held at The Queens Club London, will also feature top seeds including Gilles Simon and Andy Roddick, who like Andy Murray, received a bye into the second round of the AEGON Championships.

Andy Murray’s second round opponent will be Andreas Seppi, however Andy Murray is due to play his second round doubles match later today with partner Lleyton Hewitt after beating Andy Roddick and Rajeev Ram in the first round 3-6, 6-3, 12-10.

Both Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt will be hoping to win this tournament held at The Queens Club London for the fifth time.

Andy Roddick is due to play his opening singles match at the AEGON Championships against second round opponent Kristof Vliegen later today.

Lleyton Hewitt made an impressive start at the AEGON Championships with his first round 6-1, 6-0 win against Eduardo Schwank.

Last year’s champion Rafael Nadal pulled out of the AEGON Championships due to his persistent knee problems and is having medical tests at the moment in Barcelona to decide whether he can defend his Wimbledon crown.

A decision on whether Rafael Nadal can compete at Wimbledon is expected later today.

There is a lot of tennis action taking place in London over the next few months. In fact, British fans can buy AEGON Championships tickets which are currently available at tixdaq.com.

The AEGON Championships is followed by the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships, which takes place from June 22.

The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals will be held in November at the London O2 Arena where the top eight players will compete to become champion in this end-of-season tournament.

Wimbledon tickets and tickets for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals are all available to compare at tixdaq.com.

Last night, Rafael Nadal’s reign as the King of Clay came to an abrupt end at the hands of Robin Soderling, the world’s twenty third seed, at the 2009 French Open at Roland Garros.  The world number one had not lost a match at Roland Garros since making his debut  in 2005, and had looked on course for a record fifth successive French Open title. However,  in one of the biggest upsets in French Open history, Rafael Nadal’s dream of clinching a fifth title was crushed by Robin Soderling.

Robin Soderling will now meet the world number ten, Nikolay Davydenko, in the quarter-finals of the 2009 French Open.

Elsewhere, world number three, Andy Murray, beat Marian Cilic in straight sets to claim his spot in the quarter-finals of this year’s competition.

Today’s remaining fourth round matches sees Andy Roddick, Roger Federer and Juan Martin Del Potro all fighting for places in the quarter final

The next Grand Slam tournament after the French Open is the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships. British tennis fans can catch their favourite players in action at Wimbledon, which takes place from June 22.

Then the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals will be held in November at the London O2 Arena where only the top eight players will compete to become champion in this end-of-season tournament.

Wimbledon tickets and tickets for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals are available to compare at tixdaq.com.

Andy Murray won his second round match against Potito Starace at the Rolland Garros French Open, but it was far from a straight forward victory.

Andy Murray survived a four set battle, winning 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 in two hours and 40 minutes. It took one break of serve in the fifth game for Andy Murray to win the first set, but in the second set Potito Starace took advantage of Andy Murray’s unforced errors and finally found his serving rhythm to win the second set convincingly.

In the third set, Potito Starace kept up the pace and was 5-1 up, but failed to be clinical with his dominance and could not win his set points at 5-2 and at 5-4. Andy Murray recovered to win six games in a row to win the third set.

Andy Murray’s momentum continued, winning break point at 4-4 before eventually winning the fourth set 6-4.

The third round opponent for Andy Murray is Janko Tipsarevic, who is going to need to recover from his 6-7 (9-11) 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 second round win against 28th seed Feliciano Lopez from earlier today, which lasted for almost four hours.

Other second round winners from today at the French Open include number seven seed Gilles Simon and number eight seed Fernando Verdasco.

The next Grand Slam tournament after the French Open is the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships. British tennis fans can catch their favourite players in action at Wimbledon, which takes place from June 22.

Then the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals will be held in November at the London O2 Arena where only the top eight players will compete to become champion in this end-of-season tournament.

Wimbledon tickets and tickets for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals are available to compare at tixdaq.com.

Andy Murray is scheduled to play his second round match of the French Open at Rolland Garros today against Italian Potito Starace.

So far, the top seeded players have breezed past their first round opponents. World number four Novak Djokovic was leading 6-3, 3-1 before opponent Nicolas Lapentti was forced to retire with an ankle injury.

Novak Djokovic will now face Sergiy Stakhovsky in the second round of the French Open.

Novak Djokovic’s clay court performance seems to be getting better and better having narrowly missed out on a place in the Madrid Masters final earlier this month.

Novak Djokovic also missed out on the French Open final over the past two years. All of these semi-final losses for Novak Djokovic have been against world number one Rafael Nadal.

Novak Djokovic aims to add to his Australian Open Grand Slam title from 2008 after beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Home favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is also through to the second round of the French Open after beating fellow Frenchman Julien Benneteau and will now face Juan Monaco.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is currently ranked world number nine and is hoping to improve this in order to qualify for this year’s Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at the end of the tennis season where only the top eight players will qualify.

Currently ranked at number five is Juan Martin del Potro after easing past Frenchman Michael Llodra 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.

Juan Martin del Porto, who recently lost to Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the Madrid Masters, will now face Viktor Troicki in the second round of the French Open.

Top seeded players scheduled to play their French Open second round matches later today are Rafael Nadal against Teimuraz Gabashvili, Frenchman number seven seed Gilles Simon against Robert Kendrick, and number eight seed Fernando Verdasco against Philipp Petzschner.

The next Grand Slam tournament after the French Open is the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships. British tennis fans can catch their favourite players in action at Wimbledon, which takes place from June 22.

Then the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals will be held in November at the London O2 Arena.

Wimbledon tickets and tickets for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals are available to compare at tixdaq.com.

Andy Murray is one of many top seeded players to have won their opening game of the French Open at Rolland Garros.

The number three seed, Andy Murray, beat 2004 French Open quarter finalist Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina with an emphatic straight sets victory (6-2, 6-2, 6-1).

Andy Murray hopes to pass the third round stage of the French Open tournament for the first time in his career.

Also through to the second round at Rolland Garros is world number one Rafael Nadal who had to work hard to beat Marcos Daniel 7-5, 6-4, 6-3.

Andy Murray is in the same half of the French Open draw as Rafael Nadal and the two could meet in the semi-final stage.

In the other half of the draw are world number two Roger Federer and world number four Novak Djokovic.

Roger Federer beat Alberto Martin 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 and may face Rafael Nadal for the fourth consecutive time in the French Open final.

Roger Federer has lost the previous three finals against Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros but can take comfort with his win at their most recent meeting at the Madrid Masters, which was Roger Federer’s first title win of the season.

Top seeds due to play their opening games of the 2009 French Open later today are Novak Djokovic who will face Nicolas Lapentti, while recent Madrid Masters semi-finalist Juan Martin del Potro is up against Michael Llodra of France.

Other top seeded players through to the second round of the French Open are Andy Roddick, Fernando Verdasco and Gilles Simon.

The top eight seeded players by the end of the tennis season will qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in November, being held in the London O2 Arena.

However, the next Grand Slam tournament after the French Open is the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships. British tennis fans can catch their favourite players in action at Wimbledon, which takes place from June 22.

Wimbledon tickets and tickets for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals are available to compare at tixdaq.com.

Juan Ignacio Chela is currently the 205th seed, but has been ranked as high as 15th when he reached the quarter-final of the 2004 French Open.

Andy Murray last faced Juan Ignacio Chela at the 2007 Madrid Masters where Andy Murray emerged victorious after winning in straight sets.

Elsewhere, Rafael Nadal is set to face a qualifier in the opening round of the French Open while Roger Federer faces Martin Alberto and Novak Djokovic will play Nicolas Lapentti.

The next Grand Slam tournament after the French Open is the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships. British tennis fans can catch their favourite players in action at Wimbledon, which takes place from June 22.

The world’s top seeded players will also be in action in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in November, being held in the London O2 Arena.

Wimbledon tickets and tickets for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals are available to compare at tixdaq.com.

Top seeded players Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are safely through to the quarter finals of the ATP Madrid Masters.

World number three Andy Murray beat Spaniard Tommy Robredo 7-5, 6-1 and will now face Juan Martin del Potro after he battled against Stanislas Wawrinka from one set down to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in almost three hours.

Andy Murray found it tough going in the first set failing to convert a total of eight break points before taking the set 7-5. The breezy conditions did not help either player and in between sets, water had to be laid down on the clay surface after it had dried out.

Tommy Robredo produced too many unforced errors in the second set whilst Andy Murray’s groundstrokes proved to be vital in his win, breaking serve three times to take the second and final set 6-1.

Roger Federer was hardly troubled by James Blake winning 6-2, 6-4 and now faces Andy Roddick in the ATP Madrid Masters quarter finals. Andy Roddick was gifted a place in the quarter finals after third round opponent Nikolay Davydenko had to withdraw with a leg injury.

World number one Rafael Nadal is also through to the ATP Madrid Masters quarter finals after third round opponent Philipp Kohlschreiber had to also withdraw with a foot injury. Rafael Nadal takes on either fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco or Juan Monaco in the quarter finals.

Novak Djokovic will face either Gilles Simon or Ivan Ljubicic in the quarter finals of the ATP Madrid Masters after beating Andreas Seppi 6-4, 6-4.

The next Grand Slam tournament after this month’s French Open is the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships. British tennis fans can catch their favourite players in action at Wimbledon, which takes place from June 22.

The world’s top seeded players will also be in action in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in November, being held in the London O2 Arena.

Wimbledon tickets and tickets for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals are available to compare at tixdaq.com.

Top seeded players Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick won their opening games of the ATP Madrid Masters. The top seeds are now through to the third round of the Madrid Masters in preparation for this month’s French Open Grand Slam at Roland Garros.

World number one, Rafael Nadal, eased past Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-1 taking the win on his first match point. This was the 31st consecutive clay court win for Rafael Nadal, who has only lost four times on clay in the last 152 matches since the start of 2005.

World number four, Novak Djokovic, also won in straight sets to beat Oscar Hernandez 6-3, 6-3. Novak Djokovic did, however, fall awkwardly after slipping on the clay court at the start of the second set, but recovered to win break points in the fifth and ninth games.

Number six seed, Andy Roddick, had a tougher time having to come from a set down to take the 1-6, 7-6, 6-4 victory against Tommy Haas, finishing off with his ninth ace and his only break point win of the match.

Many top seeded players involved in third round matches of the ATP Madrid Masters are due to play later today.

British number three seed Andy Murray has an early start taking on Spaniard Tommy Robredo. Scheduled to play in the early afternoon is world number two Roger Federer against James Blake, and Novak Djokovic against Andreas Seppi.

On Thursday evening, scheduled matches include Rafael Nadal taking on unseeded Philipp Kohlschreiber and Andy Roddick facing a tough opponent in tenth seed Nikolay Davydenko.

The next Grand Slam tournament after this month’s French Open is the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships. British tennis fans can catch their favourite players in action at Wimbledon, which takes place from June 22.

The world’s top seeded players will also be in action in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in November, being held in the London O2 Arena.

Wimbledon tickets and tickets for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals are available to compare at tixdaq.com.

Andy Murray had a tough opening game in the ATP Madrid Masters against Simone Bolelli, but Andy Murray is through to the third round winning 7-6, 6-4.

It was a fairly even in the first set, with Simone Bolelli and Andy Murray winning all their service games. Both had a break point each but failed to convert.

A first set tie break followed where both Andy Murray and Simone Bolelli started to struggle on their serve.

Andy Murray and Simone Bolelli made a series of mistakes during the tie-break, however,  Andy Murray eventually won the tie break 11-9.

Again in the second set, games were won with serve. Andy Murray faced two break points but saved them both.

Later, Simone Bolelli saved one match point by serving an ace, but could not save the second match point and the match slipped away from him.

A break point win from Andy Murray proved to be the difference so Andy Murray progresses into the ATP Madrid Masters third round.

Andy Murray is still in with the chance of defending his Madrid Masters title despite playing on a clay surface this year after the tournament was played on a hard surface last year.

Andy Murray’s third round opponent is Tommy Robredo. Tommy Robredo beat Mardy Fish in his second round match. Another second round match winner was number two seed Roger Federer who defeated Robin Soderling in straight  sets. Roger Federer will now face either James Blake or Ivo Karlovic.

Also in the second round of the ATP Madrid Masters, Fernando Verdasco won the all-Spanish affair by beating Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3, 6-2. However, number nine seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga lost 6-4, 7-5 to wild card entry Ivan Ljubicic.

Due to play their opening games of the ATP Madrid Masters later today, world number one Rafael Nadal takes on Jurgen Melzer, number five seed Juan Martin del Potro faces Tomas Berdych, and number six seed Andy Roddick is up against Tommy Haas.

Also, recent Serbia Open champion Novak Djokovic will try to claim the third seed position back from Andy Murray with his opening game of the ATP Madrid Masters against Oscar Hernandez.

The next Grand Slam tournament after this month’s French Open is the 2009 Wimbledon tennis championships. British tennis fans can catch their favourite players in action at Wimbledon, which takes place from June 22.

The world’s top seeded players will also be in action in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in November, being held in the London O2 Arena.

Wimbledon tickets and tickets for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals are available to compare at tixdaq.com.