25/01/2014 Saturday Sportsday

Hello. I'm Ollie Foster. Welcome to the BBC Sports Centre. Another

packed programme for you today with news and features on another packed

weekend. Here's what's coming up on the

programme today. It is finals weekend in Melbourne. There was a

new name on the women's trophy. We have a report coming up of Li

against Cibulkova. England's women can retain the Ashes tomorrow. We

are in Tasmania to find out how they have put the men in the shade.

And one of Great Britain's sliders is heading to the Winter Olympics on

top of the world. First, let's check on some of the day 's headlines.

Liverpool are playing Bournemouth in the early kick-off of the FA Cup

fourth round. Arsenal are already through after beating Coventry 4-0

last night. Manchester United have confirmed

that Chelsea's Juan Mata will be their new record signing. ?37

million. More good news for the club, it is understood Wayne Rooney

is in talks to extend his stay at Old Trafford.

And Carl Froch has been ordered to have a rematch against his last

opponent, George Groves. To the tennis now, and after a

fairly one-sided contest against Melbourne, China's Na Li is the new

America -- Australian open champion. She breezed through the second set

to win her second Grand Slam title. The fans who bought tickets for the

Australian Open women's final were probably expecting to see Serena

Williams, Maria Sharapova, or Victoria Azarenka in action.

Instead, it is a matchup that three would have predicted a fortnight

ago. China's Na Li almost retired from the sport after a poor

Wimbledon, and little-known Cibulkova is aiming to be the first

Slovakian to win a Grand Slam. Expectations of this match were

high. Both players seemed consumed by nerves, as each others' errors

made it close. The first set lasted an hour and ten minutes, and in the

inevitable tie-break, Li's attacking intent -- in tent was enough to take

it. Now relaxed, she finally started playing like a champion. Cibulkova

had no answer, much to the relief of Li, who made 1.3 billion people back

in China very happy indeed. A two-time grand slam winner, and her

previous two defeats here all but forgotten. My husband, he is famous

in China! Thanks for him giving up everything, just travelling with me

to be my hitting partner, fix the drinks and fix the rackets! He does

a lot of jobs. Thanks a lot. You are a nice guy. And, also you are so

lucky to find me! I don't know really where to start. This was just

a fantastic two weeks of my life. I think I'm going to cry.

This means a lot for our country, and I'm happy I can be the one who

is, you know, here for Slovakia. I would like to congratulate to Li Na.

She had a great tournament, and she deserved to be here as a winner. So

Li Na is the champion in Melbourne, adding that title to the French

open. Tucked away in the corner of the BBC Sports Centre is John Lloyd.

What did you make of that women's final? Great that Li came back after

all her troubles in last year's final. It was a nervy first set for

both players. Once Li got the first set, the second set showed the

player she really is. There's no reason why she can't win the French

open again. She could challenge Serena Williams for the number-1

spot. She's that good. You will back tomorrow morning for the men's

final. Stanislas Wawrinka against Rafael Nadal. It is his 19th grand

slam final, and the first four Wawrinka. I think it is going to be

closer than a lot of people think. If Stan relaxes and plays the sort

of Tennessee is capable of, I think he can give Nadal a run for his

money. -- the sort of tennis he is. We are going to stay in Australia

now. England's women could have wrapped up the Ashes series a few

days ago, but the series is still alive. The two teams are in

Australia for tomorrow's one-day, and England only need one win to

retain those ashes. A change of scene, and with it,

perhaps, a change in fortune for England. Charlotte Edwards and her

team missed another Trinity to clinch the series in Melbourne, but

here in Hobart, they have another chance, and they are confident they

can take it. They were a team that we knew would be difficult in their

backyard. To be in the position we are in is fantastic. We've really

got to fight back on Sunday, and I'm certain we will do that. It's still

a huge challenge facing Australia. They need to win all four of their

remaining games. England just need to win one. But whilst the series is

still alive, the Australians still have hope. But England have one hand

on the trophy, unlike the men's team, whose Ashes campaign failed to

ignite. That's something the Australian public have been keen to

remind them of. The first couple of weeks of this campaign, with the men

not doing well, they certainly tell you. It gave me more fight to come

out here and perform well, because you don't want to be walking down

the street and being told you're no good at cricket. Since her debut

nearly 20 years ago, Edwards has seen England's fortunes transform.

Now she is keen for the next generation to experience success. I

played against Australia for the first ten years and didn't win a

game. Now, to have the success we've had, I don't want to walk away from

it. I've really enjoyed it. A few things we need to change, and we

will come back stronger on Sunday. Coverage of that night -- that match

overnight on Radio 5 Live. From Hobart to somewhere a little closer

to home, Rugby Union's Six Nations Championship starts a week today.

Wales are favourites - they have won the last two. But, as Patrick Gearey

explains, this could be a good year for the French.

2013 was a year of ramp it red-shirted rugby. Wales won their

second straight Six Nations. This year, the Welsh are going for three

championships in a row. We would be part of the greatest Six Nations

team ever. That is a massive thing to achieve. Everyone is desperate to

get that three in a row. History is against them. If you are looking for

a sign ahead of this year's petition, it is probably looking

across the Channel. Looking at recent results, Lions tours seem to

be good for one nation. Lions tours in 2001 and 2005 were followed by

French Six Nations title wins, and the pattern continues after the

bruising 2009 Lions tour to South Africa. The 2010 competition was won

by France. So maybe the French benefit from playing against battle

weary Lyle 's, but now they have a tough time domestically, and that is

taking its toll. It is a big problem. It's a tough competition.

It's 11 months competition, so our players last year played 14 games

here. I am not worried, because at times like this, it is French rugby.

Philippe Saint-Andre's squad don't seem to conform to patterns,

finishing fifth last year. They will be tested next weekend in Paris by

an improving England. If they -- is our will and can recapture the form

seeing them second from beating New Zealand, they will have a chance. --

if Arlen. It's difficult to see whose hands this trophy will end up

in! Well, Inside 6 Nations returns on

the BBC News Channel next Friday. That's in Sportsday at 6:30pm, and

I'll be in Cardiff to look ahead to this year's tournament.

Great Britain's Winter Olympians will soon be heading to Russia for

next month's Games. Four years ago, one gold in the skeleton was their

sole return. There are other medal hopes this time, but once again the

sliders are expected to excel in Sochi. Lizzy Yarnold leads the way

after winning the World Cup Series yesterday. Nick Hope has been to

meet her. It takes a special kind of person to

tolerate travelling at speeds of over 80 mph with your face just an

inch from the ice. Britain's Lizzy Yarnold is the best in the world,

but even she is not fear free. You always feel nervous when you compete

in the skeleton. It can be quite dangerous. They say you need to get

your butterflies flying in the same direction, but it's that thrill and

adrenaline that I love. Yarnold found her way to skeleton through a

UK sport backed identification programme in 2008, and hasn't looked

back since. She's proven to be a worthy successor to Vancouver

Olympic champion Amy Williams, who retired in 2012. I came to the

programme, Amy Williams had just won the gold medal, and it was the same

team around her that I now have around me. I slot in the ass lit

position in the amazing machine that is -- in the athlete position in the

amazing machine that is the skeleton team. Do you like that expectation?

The edge that it has given new? I think I am such a focused athlete, I

have always been so determined. I don't do it to be famous. I do it

because I am passionate about being a sportsman and inspiring other

people. I have a lot of graft to do to be on the podium. She has always

-- off shared it with world champion team-mate Shelley Rudman. But

Yarnold is the favourite, and targeting nothing less than Olympic

gold. I can't wait to see what I can achieve in Sochi. I'm going to give

it everything. So, Yarnold looks good for a medal

in Sochi. But who else should we look out for? Inspire is coming up

on BBC One shortly. This month, we are building up to

the Winter Olympics by tracking the progress of some of the British

Olympians hoping to shine in Sochi. We will be catching up with Eve

Muirhead and the curling team, and John Jackson as well.

Lots of sport on the BBC this afternoon. Straight after Inspire

there is International Athletics from Glasgow. Just before we go,

let's check on that early kick-off in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Liverpool are down on the South coast playing Bournemouth at the

Goldsands Stadium. About 12 minutes gone. No goals there. You can follow

that match on Radio 5Live right now. A couple of other interesting ties

this afternoon. Manchester City against Watford and Stevenage host

Everton. The BBC Sport Website is a good place to keep across all the

latest scores. I'll be back on the BBC News Channel at 6:30 and 7:30

with Sportsday. From all of us at the BBC Sports Centre, whatever

sport you're watching, have a great weekend.