Nadal Federer Australian Open

Nadal Federer Australian Open

Nadal beats Federer to win Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia Rafael Nadal held off Roger Federer in another momentum-swinging, five-set final to win the Australian Open on Sunday, keeping the Grand Slam singles record safe for now.

After coming through the longest match in the tournament's history to reach the championship match, Nadal needed 4 hours, 23 minutes Sunday to win 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2.

Roger Federer, who was trying to equal Pete Sampras' 14 major titles, has lost to Nadal the last three times they've met in Grand Slam finals.

The 27-year-old Swiss star couldn't hold back tears at the presentation.

"Maybe I'll try later. God, it's killing me," Federer said, sobbing. He returned to congratulate Nadal within minutes, saying: "You deserved it. You played a fantastic final."

Nadal collected the trophy and put his arm around Roger Federer.

"Roger, sorry for today. I really know how you feel right now," Nadal said. "Remember, you're a great champion, you're one of the best in history."

He accepted the cup from Rod Laver, who was in Australia to mark the start of the 40th anniversary of the last Grand Slam season.

"To receive this trophy from Rod Laver is a dream for me," Nadal said.

Roger Federer, so dominant when he won three of the four majors in 2006 and 2007, has now lost finals on three different surfaces to Nadal.

Now it's the 22-year-old Nadal who seems more likely to be the first since Laver to complete a Grand Slam with wins in one year in all four majors.

Nadal, who has four consecutive titles on clay at Roland Garros and beat Federer on grass in a five-set epic at Wimbledon last year, became the first Spaniard to win the Australian title.

He has now won five of the seven Grand Slam finals he's played against Federer and is 13-6 overall against him.

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Carla Bruni - new album on the web ???

Carla Bruni has unveiled her third album online

Carla Bruni has surprised fans by putting her new album on the internet today ahead of its feverishly anticipated release.

All 14 tracks from the French first lady’s album, Comme si de rien n'était (Simply), went up on her website at 8.30 GMT this morning, allowing fans to listen for free for up to two hours, until July 21, to her breathy love songs.

The former supermodel, 40, has been at the centre of a media storm since it was revealed that lyrics on the album told of her 30 past lovers and compared President Sarkozy to A class drugs.

Carla Bruni

The Colombian government protested over her singing of love “more deadly than Afghan heroin, more deadly than Colombian white," and eyebrows were raised over the references to her past lovers, who include Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton and Donald Trump.

Responding to the press circus, Naïve records, who have been working closely with Elysée Palace on the marketing campaign, pushed the launch date forward from July 21 to July 11.

But this morning, as Bruni gave her first promotional interview, she followed the trend started by Radiohead in unveiling her new album online.

Carla Bruni goes down a storm at a concert in Paris in 2004
– but how will her new album fare?

Speaking to state radio station France Inter, the Italian-born singer dismissed the media storm, saying she didn’t see why presidential wives should give up their livelihoods just because they had wed. She went on to add that they "have the right to work”.

But she conceded that her position ruled out concerts and added that she would donate royalties from the album to charity.

Asked if she would record a fourth album while her husband was in office, she admitted it was unlikely: "I don't know if I will be able to write an album between now and 2012. If I manage to, I would be lucky."

Carla Bruni also admitted the response to her album would not be purely musical.

"If people don't listen because I married the president of the republic, I understand. If they do listen because I married the president of the republic, I will be delighted.

"And if people, especially, like it, that is what counts for me."

Carla Bruni recorded two albums before becoming half of the world’s most glamorous political couple following a three-month romance. Her first album won over critics and sold two million copies, but her second English-speaking release, No Promises, sold less than half-a-million