The day in sports: 9th February

1. Manchester City‘s title hopes dealt a huge blow:

Jason Puncheon of Southampton celebrates scoring their first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Southampton and Manchester City at St Mary’s Stadium on February 9th in Southampton, England as City’s hopes of retaining their Premier League title were in tatters after a shock 3-1 defeat. Steven Davis put Saints 2-0 ahead by the 22nd minute and, although Edin Dzeko got one back before the break, a Gareth Barry own goal early in the second half sealed City’s fate.

2. Mandeep Singh celebrates his first goal as Rachi beat UP to reach the HIL Finals:

Mandeep Singh celebrates the first of his two goals during 1st semifinals as the Ranchi Rhinos made sure that they play in the first ever Hero Hockey India League (HIL) final in front of a home crowd. They beat Uttar Pradesh Wizards 4-2 in the semi-final at Birsa Munda Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi on 9th February.

3. Delhi Wave Riders cruised to an easy win against the Punjab Warriors:

The Delhi Wave Riders celebrate their third goal during the 2nd semifinals as they booked a final clash with the Ranchi Rhinos in the Hero Hockey India League by beating Jaypee Punjab Warriors 3-1 in the second semi-final at Birsa Munda Astroturf Hockey Stadium at Ranchi on 9th February. The Warriors will play Uttar Pradesh Wizards for the third place play-off.

4. Pune FC win the “Maha Derby” against Mumbai FC:

While the Kolkata Derby finished scoreless in a drab affair, Pune FC put on a brilliant show winning the ‘Maha-Derby’ demolishing Mumbai FC 3-0 in an I-League Round 20 ‘Away’ encounter at the Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi, on Saturday. Striker James Moga (pictured) opened the scoring in the 56th minute before completing his brace in the 71st min. Midfielder Arata Izumi (84th) then rounded off the scoring with a crisp strike.

5. Ronaldo hat-trick earns Real Madrid’s victory over Sevilla:

Real Madrid’s forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring during their Spanish league football match against Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on February 9, 2013. Ronaldo scored his 20th hat-trick as a Real Madrid player as the Spanish champions cruised to a 4-1 victory over Sevilla.

6. Bale continues to impress as Spurs secure a 2-1 win over Newcastle:

Gareth Bale of Tottenham applauds the fans at the final whistle during the Barclay’s Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United at White Hart Lane on February 9, 2013 in London, England. Bale maintained his sublime form with a brilliant brace against a stubborn Newcastle.

7. Rafael Nadal defeats Jeremy Chardy to make it to the final of Vina del Mar:

Rafael Nadal continued his inexorable rehabilitation on the tour with an easy victory over the in-form Jeremy Chardy to reach the finals on his first visit to the VTR Open in Viña del Mar. Playing to a packed stadium, Nadal took just a shade more than an hour to dismiss the Frenchman 6-2, 6-2 to pave his way into the finals of his first competitive outing since June last year.

8. England beat New Zealand by 40 runs:

England’s Luke Wright celebrates the wicket of New Zealand’s Martin Guptill as New Zealand’s Colin Munro looks on (left) during the International Twenty20 cricket match between New Zealand and England at Eden Park in Auckland on Febuary 9, 2013. England beat New Zealand by 40 runs.

9. Mali secured third place in 2013 Africa cup of Nations with a 3-1 win over Ghana:

Mali’s midfielder and skipper Seydou Keita celebrates after scoring a goal during the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations match against Ghana on February 9, 2013 in Port Elizabeth. Mali finished third at a second consecutive Africa Cup of Nations when they defeated Ghana 3-1 in the play-off match.

10. Snedeker and Hahn share top-spot at Pebble Beach:

Brandt Snedeker watches his tee shot on the 17th hole during the third round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on February 9, 2013 in Pebble Beach, California. Snedeker fired a four-under par 68 Saturday to share the lead after 54 holes. Snedeker, a 32-year-old American who won last year’s PGA playoff crown, stood alongside Korean-American PGA rookie James Hahn on 12-under 202 through three rounds in quest of a $1.15 million top prize at the $6.5 million event.

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