Meister der Farbe » sometimes, but weve had a good res

Rory McIlroy is targeting a Dubai Desert Classic hat-trick and a third consecutive win in Dubai as he returns to a familiar hunting ground this week.The world No 2 heads to Emirates GC as defending champion after his three-shot win last year, following on from a maiden professional victory at the same venue in 2009.McIlroy is also a two-time winner in Dubai at the DP World Tour Championship, most recently in November to end the year as Race to Dubai champion for the third time in four years, with the Northern Irishman previously referring to the city as being like a second home. The four-time major winner suffered another near-miss at the Desert Swing opener in Abu Dhabi last month, where a tie for third was his fourth top-three finish at the event in the past five years, but feels his game is in better shape heading in to this week. Rory McIlroy returns to Dubai this week as the defending champion Theres a couple little things that I took from Abu Dhabi and worked on last week, McIlroy told a pre-tournament press conference. Hopefully youll see my game just a little bit sharper.Ive just been trying to work a little bit on my putting, trying to get a little more consistent with that.But the ball-strikings right there. With those slight adjustments, another weeks practise, hopefully I can play a bit better than what I did in Abu Dhabi.The game feels good and Im looking forward to getting started. It (Dubai) seems to bring out my best golf. McIlroy king of Dubai? A look back at McIlroys wins in Dubai I guess the last couple of times Ive played here Ive done pretty well, so Im sort of going for three in a row in Dubai with winning here last year.McIlroy begins his title defence alongside Louis Oosthuizen and former Dubai champion Henrik Stenson, who returns to action having pulled out of the Qatar Masters.Stenson underwent knee surgery in December and missed last weeks event to continue his recovery, but features in the event he last won in 2007. Stenson finished in a tie for third at the Desert Swing opener in Abu Dhabi I dont expect to be 100 per cent this week, either, but it should be good enough once again, Stenson said. Its going to be that way for the next couple of months I guess.Its just finding that balance, how much you can do, and just keep on icing it and keep on doing the exercises and eventually youll be out of trouble.It was hard to miss Doha last week. I was ashamed to miss it, but felt like I had to give it a rest last week. I couldnt go straight back into playing 11 days of golf more or less coming out of surgery, so it was the wise decision. Hopefully Im good to go this week and its great to be back.Watch the Dubai Desert Classic throughout the week live on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf. Live coverage gets underway on Thursday from 4am. Or watch without a contract, from £6.99 with NOW TVAlso See:McIlroys record in DubaiDesert Classic Power RankingsRecap: Rorys R2D victoryGolf live on Sky Sports 4Charlotte Hornets Shirts .ca! Hi Kerry, Its another day and here we are looking at another dubious hit to the head. In this case Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky elbowed Saku Koivu in the head about a second after he dished off the puck to a teammate, knocking him unconscious. Hornets Jerseys China . James, who turned 29 on Monday, injured his groin Friday during the Heats overtime loss at Sacramento. 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But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human.MARSEILLE, France -- Portugal likes to leave it late at this European Championship, whether Cristiano Ronaldo is having a good game or not.The Portuguese have been level after 90 minutes in every game this tournament, a run that continued Thursday as Ronaldo and his teammates drew 1-1 with Poland after extra time, before advancing to the semifinals with a 5-3 victory on penalties.With Ronaldo once again far from his best, two of the Real Madrid stars supporting cast stepped up.Eighteen-year-old Renato Sanches, Portugals youngest ever starter at a European Championship, scored the equalizer and took man-of-the-match honors with his smart movement and neat footwork.Then substitute Ricardo Quaresma struck the winning penalty in the shootout, five days after he scored an extra-time winner against Croatia in another late show by the Portuguese in the round of 16.Quaresma fired his spot-kick past Lukasz Fabianski to line up a match against either Wales or Belgium in Lyon on Wednesday, securing Portugals fourth semifinal at the last five European Championships.It was enormous pressure. I had an entire country in my hands, Quaresma said. I knew it was going to be a goal.Poland winger Jakub Blaszczykowski had come into the match at the Stade Velodrome as his teams top scorer. But he had a poor game and saw his penalty saved one-handed by Rui Patricio, allowing Quaresma to finish the job with the very next kick in front of a stand packed with Polish fans.Last week, Ronaldo had lived up to his star billing by scoring twice in a 3-3 draw with Hungary, with Portugal needing second half goals in its final group game to secure a place in the last 16. For Ronaldo, it was a rare moment of excellence at Euro 2016.On Thursday, he was back to squandering chances and misplacing his passes, leaving midfielder Sanches to step up and score Portugals equalizer in the first half. The teenager was his teams main attacking threat for much of the game.Its wonderful for the team, for me as well for scoring the goal, Sanches said. People criticize us, but we dont care because in the end were in the semis.Earlier, Poland striker Robert Lewandowski had put his team in front with the quickest goal of the tournament, scoring inside two minutes.Portugal right-back Cedric Soares misjudged a cross-field ball, allowing Kamil Grosicki to break into space on the left flank and send in a low cross for Lewandowski to convert with a first-time shot.Polands lead lasted until the 33rd minute, when Sanches lit up the game.The youngster, who has just been signed by Bayern Munich, cut in from the righht and passed to Nani, who sent it back immediately with a neat backheel.dddddddddddd. Sanches then unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the area that took a deflection off Grzegorz Krychowiak on its way past the outstretched Fabianski.Despite becoming the third-youngest scorer in European Championship history, Sanches played down his goal, calling it simply a move that just turned out that way and I scored. He also volunteered to take a penalty in the shootout and scored with a confident strike into the top-left corner.The match might have been settled in regulation time if Ronaldo hadnt missed a golden opportunity in the 85th minute. He beat the Polish offside trap with a perfectly timed run, but completely missed the ball as he tried to convert a bouncing pass from Joao Moutinho.The Real Madrid star missed another good chance early in extra time when he failed to control the ball in front of goal. The errors meant he has yet to match Michel Platinis all-time record at European Championships of nine goals. However, Ronaldo did score with Portugals opening penalty of the shootout.After the game, Ronaldo threw away his captains armband in frustration.Defeat ends Polands best run at a European Championship.Its painful, Lewandowski said. Football is a very brutal competition.Poland had never won a game in its two previous appearances at European Championships and finished last in its group as a co-host of Euro 2012.Before the tournament, in Poland they didnt expect that wed get to the quarterfinals, Lewandowski added. We have played so defensively sometimes, but weve had a good result.Poland -- which conceded just two goals all tournament -- had chances to win the game in the second half, notably when Patricio stopped a diving header from Lewandowski.However, the Poles also came within centimeters of scoring an own-goal in the 81st when Pepes pass for Ronaldo was cut out by left-back Artur Jedrzejczyk, whose sliding challenge sent the ball narrowly wide of his own post.Midfielder William Carvalho has started the last three games for Portugal but will miss the semifinal thanks to a second booking of the tournament.Both teams face sanctions from UEFA for pyrotechnic use by their fans, while play was briefly stopped in extra time by a fan who ran onto the pitch before being overcome by police. He wore a green shirt and it was not immediately clear whether he was a fan of either team.---Mike Corder contributed to this report. ' ' '