Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was last night charged over claims he racially abused Manchester United defender Patrice Evra during last month's league meeting. Evra is likely to be supported by his team-mates' testimonies during the FA hearing. Fifa president Sepp Blatter has denied any existence of a racism problem, claiming a handshake would cure all ills. "I would deny it," he said. "There is no racism. Maybe one player has a word or a gesture... [but] at the end of the game we shake hands." Australia play South Africa in Johannesburg this morning, in what could be the final Test match for Ricky Ponting. A new national selector starts after this game and Ponting has gone 12 innings without a 50, and almost two years without a century. Fran Halsall admits there will be a special kind of pressure on her as she attempts to win five medals at next summer’s London Olympics. “It’s absolutely different to every other competition,” the 21-year-old swimmer said. Tiger Woods will begin next season's campaign with the European Tour's Abu Dhabi Championship, ending his long affiliation with the Dubai Classic. The former world No 1 is expected to pocket at least £1.7m just for turning up to the January event.
