1998 Masters Champion - sports
Hundreds of Athletes Land in Beijing by NTDTV
WONG:Hundreds of athletes landed in Beijing at the weekend. Among them was the Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal. Also arriving at the same time was the U.S. Swimming team. However their biggest star, Michael Phelps slipped quietly in through a side door. Rafael Nadal who lost the semifinal of the Cincinnati Masters had his 32-match unbeaten streak ended. Nadal is currently the French Open and Wimbledon champion. [Nadal, Tennis Champion]: "My expectation right now is to arrive to the villa because and have a bit of calm because I have had a very long travel and late try to enjoy my first day." FC Barcelona have arrived in New York for a pre-season friendly against the New York Red Bulls.Barcelona has struggled to prevent its Argentine star forward from joining his national team to compete in the Beijing Olympics. [Puyol, Barcelona Captain]: "Messi is a very important player for us. We hope that he returns to us in the preseason. " Messi arrived in Beijing last Friday. With the Barca star in their line-up, Argentina are strong candidates to retain the gold medal. Staying with soccer, Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has retired from international soccer. The 32-year-old would no longer be available for the Dutch team. Van Nistelrooy won 64 caps and scored 33 goals for the Dutch team after making his debut in 1998.
