TQ's A-Z / Tareq Quiroz / 26 May 2008 /

TQ goes through the alphabet to tell us what the big stories were in the wrld of sport last week which included a win for Jimenez, Munster winning the Heineken Cup and heroics for Van Der Sar

A is for Andy Murray. Top ranked Brit Andy Murray made his way safely through to the second round of the French Open with a five set win over wildcard Jonathan Eysseric. It was a far from convincing performance from Murray and he will need to improve if he is to get past Jose Acasuso in the second round. It will be a tight match and Murray is just shading favouritism at the moment at odds of [1.78].

B is for Bath. It has been ten years since Bath last claimed any silverware but all that changed on Sunday afternoon. A spirited Bath side beat Worcester 24-16 to win the European Challenge Cup. It was a fitting end to Barkley and Borthwick's Bath careers and good reward for Bath after an excellent season.

C is for Catalans. The Catalans Dragons are the surprise team of Super League this season. They continued their impressive form with a thumping 48-0 win over the Huddersfield Giants on Saturday. That win keeps the Dragons in third place and dreaming of a spot in the play-offs for the first time in their short history. The Grand Final is a long way off and it is currently Leeds Rhinos who head the market for the Grand Final Winner.

D is for Doncaster. They may have been the underdogs but Doncaster Rovers overcame the more glamorous Leeds Utd side 1-0 to secure a place in the Championship next season. It is a great result for Rovers and their manager Sean O'Driscoll for what has been a well contested League One campaign. Watch out for a league Winner market for the Championship very soon.

E is for Easy. The Premier League of Darts has been something of a benefit for Phil Taylor. Very rarely even troubled by his opponents he will be confident of taking the title yet again on Monday night in Cardiff. There are plenty of markets available on both the semi-finals and final, with Taylor trading at [1.42] in the Winner market.

F is for Fidel Edwards. West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards was the man giving the Aussies plenty of trouble in the 1st Test. He took five wickets in the first innings before removing the top batsman early in the second innings. With the final day approaching on Monday there is a great opportunity for the West Indies to record a victory. Check out all the latest prices.

G is for Gustavo Kuerten. It may have ended in a straight sets defeat but Gustavo Kuerten was still the one making the headlines in the first round of the French Open. Kuerten retired after the match and a glittering career that saw him capture the French Open title three times in five years. He will be missed but there is no doubt that he is leaving the clay court game safely in the hands of another legend in Rafael Nadal.

H is for Henrythenavigator. Aidan O'Brien trained Henrythenavigator completed the English and Irish 2000 Guineas double with success at the Curragh on Saturday. It was an impressive display that saw him home by a length and three-quarters from New Approach. Next stop for Henrythenavigator could be the Derby, and he is currently trading at [6.6] in the Antepost market for that race.

I is for Ivanovic. Last year's beaten finalist Ana Ivanovic moved quietly through to the second round of the French Open with a straight sets win over Sofia Arvidsson. Ana will be a danger to all for the title at Roland Garros and is currently available at [8.2] in the Winner market.

J is for Jimenez. Miguel Angel Jimenez won the BMW PGA Championship in dramatic style at Wentworth. A hole in one early in the round seemingly set him on the way but he had to be content with a play-off against Oliver Wilson. It was at the second play-off hole that Jimenez finally secured the win that has propelled him up the Ryder Cup rankings. This week's European Tour event is the Wales Open and Padraig Harrington is the current favourite at [11.5].

K is for Kris Boyd. Rangers ended a difficult week and hard season in general with a satisfying Scottish Cup triumph. Kris Boyd was the hero of the day with two goals in a far from comfortable 3-2 win over Queen of the South. At 2-2 a shock seemed on the cards and Rangers will be grateful to Boyd for his late winner.

L is for Lewis Hamilton. Lewis Hamilton came out on top in a dramatic Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon. An early collision with a barrier could easily have ended Hamilton's race but he came roaring back to claim a vital win in his quest to be World Champion. If you think he can do it then check out the F1 Drivers Championship market where Hamilton is currently available at [3.15].

M is for Munster. Munster secured a nerve wracking win over Toulouse to claim their second Heineken Cup win. It was a hard fought contest that Munster eventually edged 16-13. It was a deserved win for Declan Kidney's side and they will be hoping to add another title next season. Irish fans will now turn their attention to the International game between Ireland and the Barbarians on Tuesday.

N is for NBA. The NBA play-offs are one of the greatest sporting spectacles and we are now getting to the business end of this year's series. Boston Celtics were the surprise winners at Detroit at the weekend and take a 2-1 lead in Game 4 of their play-off series. Check out the NBA Winner market where it's the Lakers that are market leaders at [2.2].

O is for Old Trafford. It has been a happy hunting ground for England in the past and in the 2nd Test against New Zealand it was Monty Panesar who put the Kiwis to the sword. The England spinner took six wickets in the second innings to put England in full control of the test match.

P is for Posh Keeper. It has been a good while since a player outside of the top two divisions has represented England at full international level. Peterborough keeper Joe Lewis was the surprise call-up by Fabio Capello last week and he will be hoping to get a chance in one of England's upcoming games. A whole host of markets for the first game against the USA are currently available.

Q is for Quality. When the chips are down and you need one moment of quality to win you a golf event, there are few better people than Phil Mickelson. In the rough at the last needing a birdie to take the Crowne Plaza Invitational, Lefty hit one of the shots of the year to set-up yet another tour win. The PGA Tour event this week is the Memorial and it is Mickelson himself who will start that tournament as favourite.

R is for Red Wings. We are down to the final play-off series in the NHL to decide who will walk away with the coveted Stanley Cup. Detroit Red Wings got off to the perfect start on Saturday as they thrashed Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0 in the opening game of the final. If you think they can carry that on then check out the Stanley Cup Winner market where the Red Wings are favourites at [1.41].

S is for Strachan. It seemed unlikely a couple of months ago but Gordon Strachan has somehow led his Celtic side to their forty second SPL title. A 1-0 win at Dundee Utd on the final day of the season was enough to secure the title and deny fierce rivals Rangers. No doubt those two will do battle again next season and markets for that will be available in the coming week.

T is for Trapattoni. Giovanni Trapattoni's first game in charge of the Republic of Ireland side ended with a 1-1 with Serbia. However it took a 90th minute equaliser from Andy Keogh to prevent a first game defeat and Trapattoni will undoubtedly be looking for a win against Colombia next week. Markets are currently available for that match with Ireland trading at [2.5].

U is for Unanimous. The ever popular Ricky Hatton was back in the ring on Saturday night and came away with a fairly comfortable points victory. It wasn't exactly breathtaking from the hitman but it got a job done and he will now be looking to step up for a shot at Paul Malignaggi. The next big fight for the UK audiences will be Amir Khan's next contest against Michael Gomez next month.

V is for Van der Sar. What an unbelievable end to the Champions League final! It was an exhilarating match that went all the way to a penalty shoot-out. Edwin Van der Sar who was the hero as he saved Anelka's spot kick to give Man Utd Champions League success. A market for next year's event will be on site very soon.

W is for Windass. Dean Windass is the Hull hero after his stunning winning goal in the Championship play-off final on Saturday. It was a fitting script for the local guy who took his team to the biggest prize in sport, a place in the Premier League. A league Winners market is now available with Man Utd favourites at [2.34].

X is for X-Factor. The IPL has set the cricket work alight but there is no doubt that to succeed you need a couple of players who have that little bit extra special quality. There is someone else each day who is a contender for such a tag but one of the best is Sourav Ganguly. Just when it seemed that his team Kolkata Knight Riders were beaten he stepped up to smash 86 from 53 balls. The IPL continues this week so check out all the latest markets.

Y is for Yankees. A mediocre start to the season for the New York Yankees has been turned around in recent weeks. A tight win over Seattle Mariners on Sunday extended their winning streak to five, which is currently the best in the MLB. They will be hoping to carry this sort of form on and challenge for the World Series, for which they are trading at [11].

Z is for Zero. If Van Der Sar was the hero of the Champions League then there is no doubt who got the zero. John Terry had a penalty to win the Champions League but slipped as he took it and could only hit the post. That was a moment he or any Chelsea fan will never forget. They will now have the summer to regroup and maybe challenge for honours again next season.

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