Nadal to face Murray in heavyweight Madrid final
Spain's Rafael Nadal serves to Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych during their semi-final match at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, May 9, 2015.
Holder Rafa Nadal looked something close to his old masterful self on clay again as he crushed Czech Tomas Berdych 7-6(3) 6-1 on Saturday to set up a heavyweight Madrid Masters showdown against Andy Murray.
Third seed Nadal, bidding for a third consecutive title in the Spanish capital but still searching for form and consistency, edged a tight first set before turning the screw in the second to exact revenge for a straight-sets defeat by Berdych in this year's Australian Open quarter-finals.
Nadal had won 17 consecutive matches against the Czech sixth seed before falling to him in Melbourne and restored his dominance with a solid display that included a series of trademark whipped forehand winners.
"I had to play at a very high level today to have any chance and I think it was without doubt one of the best matches I have played this year," a jubilant Nadal told Spanish television.
"This week was crucial for me and the fact that I am in the final cannot be improved on given my situation coming into the tournament," added the 28-year-old.
The Mallorcan is favorite to claim the title after world number one Novak Djokovic decided to miss the event to rest and Roger Federer, who took over from the Serb as top seed, lost to Australian Nick Kyrgios in the second round.
FAVORED SURFACE
Murray, however, will pose a considerable threat in Sunday's final after a superb performance to overcome Japan's Kei Nishikori 6-3 6-4 in a high-quality contest.
The Briton, who claimed a first claycourt title in Munich last week, has followed up with a string of impressive displays to reach his first Masters Series claycourt final.
After struggles with injury and illness, Nadal is attempting to rediscover his spark on his favored surface before he makes a bid for a record-extending 10th French Open singles title in Paris starting at the end of the month.
Berdych saved both break points he faced in the opening set but faded badly in the tiebreak.
Nadal punished a series of errors from the 2012 runner-up to open a 5-1 lead in the second and sealed victory on his first match point when Berdych sent a return sailing out.
Murray moved up a gear from 3-3 in the first set to claim the opener against Nishikori but was a break down early in the second before again producing some stunning tennis.
"Against Rafa it's going to be extremely difficult, especially playing here in Spain," Murray told a news conference.
"Hopefully I can put in a good performance and make it tough for him and see what happens."
To Clippers' delight, Rivers more than just coach's kid
May 8, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers (25) moves the ball against Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during the second half in game three of the second round of the NBA Playoffs. at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A....
Austin Rivers has gone from the ‘coach’s kid’ to proving he belongs with the championship contending Los Angeles Clippers.
A flurry of jump shots and a blur of drives to the basket sparked the coach's son to 15 of his playoff-high 25 points during a defining third quarter as the Clippers beat the Houston Rockets on Friday.
The performance left the Staples Center crowd chanting Austin's name and his father and coach, Doc Rivers, suppressing a smile as the Clippers took a 2-1 lead in their best of seven Western Conference semi-final series.
The teams play again on Sunday in Los Angeles. “It was so much fun out there,” the younger Austin, a guard, said after coming off the bench. “I’ve worked so hard this summer and this season with (Doc) and my team mates. I have to keep going and never get too high or too low.” His outburst was an undeniable high, so much so that Clippers point guard Chris Paul approached Doc Rivers and told him he had permission to be a dad and not just the team’s coach. “I told him ‘you can put the other hat on for a second,’ ” Paul said.
“You see that during the game and (I thought about my own parents). As a team we talk about it all the time – it has to be an odd dynamic to be coach, dad and son.” That dynamic is one they have tried to downplay since the Clippers acquired Austin in a January deal with New Orleans. He became the first player in NBA history to play for his father, and his performance has been a referendum on Doc’s decision to bring him on.
But until Friday the reviews had been mixed, as the 22-year-old guard can be unpredictable and erratic.
In the closing minute of a Game Two loss to the Rockets on Wednesday, Austin slipped and lost the ball on a play that led to taunts across the country.
But he has been pivotal in the playoffs, averaging nine points and shooting 48 percent from the field.
He is gaining the confidence of his team and fan base, even if his coach is not willing to turn into a doting father just yet.
“Yeah, you want (Austin to do well) but they’re all my sons,” Doc Rivers said.
Pierce buzzer-beater lifts Wizards past Hawks
May 9, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards forward Paul Pierce (34) drives to the basket past Atlanta Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll (5) in the third quarter in game three of the second round of the NBA Playoffs. at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 103-101. Mandatory...
(The Sports Xchange) - Forward Paul Pierce banked in the winning jumper at the buzzer as the short-handed Washington Wizards beat the Atlanta Hawks 103-101 in Game Three of their Eastern Conference semi-final playoff series on Saturday.
Guard Bradley Beal and forwards Nene and Otto Porter each scored 17 points as the Wizards survived a furious comeback by the Hawks and took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series against the top seed in the East.
Game Four is in Washington on Monday.
Washington played its second straight game without injured All-Star guard John Wall and won at home despite blowing a 21-point fourth-quarter lead.
Sparked by its second unit, Atlanta stormed back with a 21-3 run, including 17 straight points, to get within three points with 3:12 remaining.
Forward Mike Muscala's three-pointer tied the score with 14.1 seconds.
Pierce, defended by Hawks guard Dennis Schroder, hit a step-back jumper just inside the three-point arc as the buzzer sounded. He finished with 13 points.
Even without Wall, who suffered five non-displaced fractures in his left wrist and hand in Game One, Washington led comfortably throughout and was up 91-70 with 9:54 remaining.
Schroder and guard Jeff Teague each scored 18 points for the Hawks, who trailed by double digits for most of the game.
Forward DeMarre Carroll scored 14 points, snapping a streak of six games with at least 20. Atlanta forward Paul Millsap (flu-like symptoms) came off the bench and had eight points.
Forward Kyle Korver, the only starter to play during the final minutes, had six points.
Powell speeds to year's fastest 100 meters
Asafa Powell of Jamaica runs on his way to winning his 100m heat round 1 during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 4, 2012.
Asafa Powell ran the fastest 100 meters in the world this year when he clocked a blazing 9.84 seconds at the Jamaica International Invitational in Kingston on Saturday.
The time was the former world record holder's fastest in five years as the 32-year-old beat American Ryan Bailey (9.93) and Jamaican Nesta Carter (9.98) in the first sub-10 seconds 100 of the year.
The meeting also produced four other 2015 leading marks.
U.S. Olympic champion Sanya Richards-Ross delivered the first sub-50 seconds women's 400m, clocking 49.95, and Bahamian Shaunae Miller beat a high quality women's 200m field in 22.14.
Rapidly improving Jasmin Stowers lowered her women's 100m hurdles leading time to 12.39 and fellow American Aleec Harris remained unbeaten in the men's 110m hurdles, running 13.16 to equal the year's top time.
Fast times also came from Jamaicans in the men's 200 and women's 100.
Diamond League champion Nickel Ashmeade ran 20.25 to win the 200, and Elaine Thompson, already the year's fastest, clocked 10.97 in the women's 100.
American Tyson Gay, who had been scheduled to run the 200, did not compete.
Memphis wins at home to take series lead
May 9, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Vince Carter (15) drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston (34) during game three of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
(The Sports Xchange) - The Memphis Grizzlies held off a late charge by the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night at FedExForum for a 99-89 victory and a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series.
Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph scored 22 points and center Marc Gasol posted a double-double with 21 points and 15 rebounds.
Gasol did most of his work in the first half, but he hit a jumper that beat the shot clock with 2:06 left to hike the Grizzlies' lead to 93-85. Gasol fouled out with 1:45 left.
Golden State, which trailed by 19 points early in the fourth quarter, got to within four at 88-84 with 3:15 to play on a Harrison Barnes layup (16 points, six rebounds). But Memphis closed on an 11-5 run to seal the victory.
Warriors guard and NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry finished with 23 points and six assists. But Curry was just 8 of 21 from the floor and 2 of 10 from 3-point range.
Warriors guard Klay Thompson scored 20 points, going 8 of 13 from the field and 3 of 6 from behind the arc.
After making 20 turnovers in the Game 2 loss, Golden State committed 17 more turnovers in Game 3 that led to 22 Memphis points.
The Grizzlies had their largest lead with 10:38 left in the fourth quarter when Randolph knocked down a step-back jumper for an 83-64 lead.
Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley, who again played with a mask because of a facial injury, had 11 points and five assists. Guard Courtney Lee finished with 11 points and four assists.
When an NBA team takes a 2-1 lead in a best-of-seven series, that team goes on to win the series 81.7 percent of the time.
Pacquiao sued in U.S. for allegedly concealing injury
Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines leaves the ring after losing to Floyd Mayweather, Jr. of the U.S. in their welterweight WBO, WBC and WBA (Super) title fight in Las Vegas, Nevada, May 2, 2015.
(Reuters) - Boxer Manny Pacquiao was sued in a U.S. court on Tuesday by two people who said they paid to watch him fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the "Fight of Century" but felt defrauded by Pacquiao's alleged failure to disclose a pre-bout shoulder injury.
The lawsuit was filed by Stephane Vanel and Kami Rahbaran in federal court in Nevada. It seeks compensation under laws meant to protect consumers and asks for status as a class action on behalf of ticket buyers, pay-per-view television viewers and people who gambled on the fight.
Top Rank Inc, a promotions company that represents Pacquiao and that was also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Attorneys representing both Top Rank and Pacquiao did not return calls.
Pacquiao, a native of the Philippines, lost on a unanimous decision to Mayweather, an American, in a heavily hyped welterweight showdown in Las Vegas on Saturday that was expected to be the top grossing prize fight of all time.
Barely one hour after the contest ended, Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, said the 36-year-old southpaw had been hampered by an 'old' injury to his right shoulder.
Neither Pacquiao nor his team appeared to have informed the Nevada Athletic Commission about the shoulder issue until a couple hours before the start of the fight when they asked for an anti-inflammatory injection.
When Pacquiao's team filled out its pre-fight medical questionnaire on Friday, a query about any shoulder injury was marked "No" before the form was then signed by Pacquiao and his adviser.
Hawks break Wizards' unbeaten spell to level series
May 5, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) is defended by Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. (22) during the second half in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Wizards 106-90. Mandatory...
(The Sports Xchange) - Forward DeMarre Carroll led five double-figure scorers with 22 points as the Atlanta Hawks used an 11-2 run midway through the final quarter to pull away for 106-90 Game Two victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.
After wilting late in Game One, the Eastern Conference top seeds remained solid all the way to the final buzzer to ensure their best-of-seven second-round playoff series will head to Washington tied up at 1-1.
The Wizards, who rallied for a 104-98 victory in Sunday's opener, had guard John Wall sidelined by an injured left wrist and his replacement Ramon Sessions scored 21 points but Washington only led once, 7-6 early in the contest.
The Wizards shot just 12 free throws, making seven of them, and lost for the first time in the post-season after sweeping Toronto in the first round.
Forward Paul Millsap and center Al Horford each scored 18 points for the Hawks, with the former also grabbing 11 rebounds.
Guard Bradley Beal had 20 points for the Wizards, while forwards Paul Pierce and Otto Porter scored 15 points apiece. Center Marcin Gortat fouled out in the fourth quarter with 10 points and nine rebounds.
Game Three is in Washington on Saturday, giving Wall extra time to heal. The Hawks could also benefit from the break after only finishing off their first-round series against Brooklyn on Friday.
Gold-hungry Vonn likes the look of Pyeongchang run
U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn reacts as she is asked about her relationship with golfer Tiger Woods during a news conference in Seoul, May 6, 2015.
(Reuters) - Alpine skiier Lindsey Vonn thinks the downhill run for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics might suit her style as she targets the return of the blue riband title she won in Vancouver five years ago.
The 30-year-old American brushed aside questions about this week's split with golfer Tiger Woods when she was presented as an ambassador of South Korea's first Winter Olympics and instead focused on her on-piste ambitions.
"My goals for the next Olympics are to try to win gold medals," she told a news conference in the South Korean capital on Thursday.
"In the last Olympics I competed in Vancouver and won the downhill. I hope to improve upon those results or, if not, to match them.
"The site looks very challenging, looks like the downhill will be very stiff with a lot of jumps, which I really like.
"So I am looking forward to see it with snow on and actually be able to run the course, but so far it looks very good."
Vonn, also a former Super-G world champion, was robbed of her chance to defend her Olympic downhill title at the 2014 Sochi Games when she was forced to have two operations on her right knee.
She stormed back last season, however, to confirm her status as one of the greatest alpine skiiers of all time.
The downhill and Super-G season titles she secured gave her 19 in total, matching the record held by Swede Ingemar Stenmark, who is the only skier to have won more World Cup races (86) than Vonn's 67.
"Injuries are definitely very tough, but I found over the course of my career in my life that whenever you have a setback, you just have to stay positive, and keep working hard and eventually things will turnaround," she recalled
"Especially after my second knee surgery, there were a lot of bad days and a lot of pain and the rehabilitation was difficult but I kept my sight focused on skiing again.
"That's what kept me through. So, if you are injured, you have to find the goal and find what motivates you to be healthy again and keep focusing on that."
Vonn said she was delighted to have been asked to become an ambassador for the Pyeongchang Games.
"My goal, almost my entire career, I feel like has been to promote ski racing not just in America, but across the world, I think it's an amazing sport," she added.
"I will do my best to honor the Olympics spirit. Hopefully, it will encourage kids to participate in sports, especially in Asia and Korea."
Vonn announced the end of her three-year relationship with Woods on Sunday and felt she had nothing to add to the statement she made then.
"Yeah, I don't really want to talk about my personal life and I think everything is in my Facebook post," she said.
NBA-Grizzlies maul Warriors to even series
Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley (11) prepares to shoot a free throw during the fourth quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. The Grizzlies defeated the Warriors 97-90. Mandatory Credit: Kyle...
(The Sports Xchange) - Mike Conley outplayed NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry and defensive ace Tony Allen harassed All-Star Klay Thompson into an off-shooting night as the Memphis Grizzlies stunned the top-seeded Golden State Warriors 97-90 on Tuesday.
The Memphis defense put on a brilliant display in Game Two of the Western Conference semi-finals series, limiting the high-flying Golden State to 41.9 percent shooting to tie up the best-of-seven set at 1-1.
The scene now shifts to Memphis for Games Three and Four with the Grizzlies suddenly in possession of home-court advantage.
On a night when Curry received the trophy for his regular-season exploits, Conley returned from a 10-day absence due to a facial fracture and the point guard made 8-of-12 shots en route to a team-high 22 points.
Wearing a protective mask, Conley also limited Curry to 2-for-11 shooting from beyond the three-point arc and 7-for-19 overall on a 19-point night. Curry added six assists and five rebounds.
The Warriors, who shot 46.4 percent on three-pointers in a series-opening 101-86 win on Sunday, drained just 6-of-26 (23.1 percent) long-distance efforts on Tuesday.
Allen had a big hand in that, the swingman hounding Thompson into 1-for-6 shooting from downtown. The Golden State guard finished with 13 points on 6-for-15 shooting from the floor.
The Grizzlies led by 11 at the half and 73-63 entering the fourth quarter, taking advantage of Curry and Thompson's struggles to carry the advantage all the way to the final buzzer.
Flames edge Ducks in overtime
Calgary Flames center Mikael Backlund (11) and Anaheim Ducks center Rickard Rakell (67) battle for the puck during the first period in game three of the second round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
(The Sports Xchange) - Center Mikael Backlund scored the overtime winner on a delayed penalty call as the Calgary Flames beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 in Game Three of their Western Conference playoff series on Tuesday.
The Ducks still lead the series 2-1, with Game Four set for Friday at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Working from the point, Backlund sent a long shot through traffic that missed everybody and hit twine for the winner.
Left winger Brandon Bollig scored his second of the post-season, while center Joe Colborne scored his first in regulation for the Flames before rookie left winger Johnny Gaudreau's late equalizer to force overtime.
Wingers Patrick Maroon, Matt Belesky and Corey Perry scored in regulation for the Ducks, while center Ryan Getzlaf and defenseman Simon Despres each had a pair of assists.
Gaudreau scored the tying goal on a five-on-three power play with the goalie pulled with 19.5 seconds left.
With Flames center Matt Stajan and Despres off on coincidental minors, Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen took a penalty for firing the puck over the glass.
The Flames then capitalized in the dying seconds as Gaudreau walked in on the right wing and ripped a top-corner blast past Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen, who made 17 saves in the game, to tie the game at 3-3.
Latest draftees could benefit from new-age concussion test
File photo of NFL Senior Vice President of Health and Safety Policy Jeff Miller at a news conference discussing Health and Safety in football in Manhattan, New York January 30, 2014.
The 2015 NFL Draft class has now been welcomed into the league, one that could grow safer as their careers unfold through new-age research into identifying concussions.
Following a final settlement of a lawsuit brought by former players over concussions that could cost the league $1 billion, and a stunning retirement by a young player concerned about brain injury risks, there is high-tech hope for the future.
The GE/NFL Head Health Challenge has helped fund through grants 16 initiatives into diagnosing concussions from some 400 candidates, and is in the process of evaluating their progress before naming six "grand champions" for a next round of grants.
"We're excited by it," Jeff Miller, NFL senior vice president of health and safety policy, told Reuters.
The sweet 16 were selected by an outside group of experts on the potential impact of their concussion proposals.
"We asked, which ones are the 'wows'? Which ones really stand out, the ones that make you think this could really make a difference - a breakthrough protocol, a breakthrough idea, a breakthrough technology."
Head Health Challenge officials were visiting one such candidate on Tuesday, whose goal is to diagnose concussions and their severity from a blood sample.
"It's really quite magical technology," Kevin Hrusovsky, chief executive of Quanterix, a finalist in the GE/NFL Head Health Challenge, told Reuters in an interview.
Imagine a jarring tackle that dazes a player, who makes his way to the sideline, gives a blood sample through a prick of his finger and minutes later learns whether he has a sustained a concussion and to what degree.
Such is the ultimate aim through a technology dubbed Simoa (single molecule array) that can find minute proteins in blood to provide a window into the health of the brain.
"Nobody thought that many of the proteins or bio markers that affect the brain would even be in blood. It was thought, basically, that those proteins and those markers would only be in the brain in the spinal fluid," Hrusovsky said.
"But what we’ve learned is that a small amount of the spinal fluid, the cerebral spinal fluid, actually leaks into the blood through the blood brain barrier and because our technology can detect things that are so minute in blood, we can test what’s going on in the brain."
'INCREDIBLY COMPELLING'
The release of certain proteins comes in response to injuries to the brain and the amount of the proteins found can show the severity of the trauma.
Researchers around the world are testing the technology and its potential applications, which could go beyond measuring brain trauma to other diseases as more proteins are found.
"We estimate the human body could have anywhere from 50,000 to a million different types of proteins, but today there’s only about 170 of them that are tested routinely," said Hrusovsky.
Hrusovsky said watching his son get banged up playing football and hockey raised his concern, especially after the tragic effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) on some alumni of the NFL after years of repetitive blows to the head.
"Chris Borland, a 23 year old, decides to stop his NFL career based on what he has learned about CTE," said Hrusovsky, noting how former NFL players Junior Seau and Dave Duerson killed themselves with shots to the chest.
"I find that to be so incredibly compelling, how difficult their lives were with these conditions that they were willing to preserve their brains for science to try and figure this out."
Besides diagnosis of brain trauma, measuring the proteins can show when levels are returning to normal.
In the near future, blood samples would be sent to a lab, which would test for the amount of these proteins in blood.
"Initially, I think it will be used to determine when people are getting better," Hrusovsky said.
"Eventually, tests will become more of a point of care. I think that will take more like two or three years, maybe even four years before it's offered on the side of a field."
For now, the device used for analysis is the size of a refrigerator, but he is confident of being able to miniaturize it to use hand-held, or on a desk top.
"We know that we can do it," said Hrusovsky. "Our technology is made for miniaturization."
Floyd Mayweather beats Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas
Floyd Mayweather emerged victorious from the most lucrative fight in history, beating Manny Pacquiao via a wide unanimous decision in Las Vegas.
American Mayweather, 38, delivered a defensive masterclass against his Philippine rival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, making the necessary adjustments after only a few rounds before disappearing out of sight.
Mayweather, who added the WBO welterweight title to the WBC and WBA titles he already owned, was awarded the fight 118-110, 116-112 and 116-112 by the three judges.
With his victory, Mayweather also cemented his status as the greatest pound-for-pound boxer of his generation.
The five-weight world champion is now undefeated in 48 professional fights, stretching back 19 years.
Six-weight world champion Pacquiao, who falls to 57 wins, six losses and two draws, later blamed a shoulder injury for his defeat.
The big fight in numbers
Revenue: Estimated $400m (£265m) in total.
Boxers: Mayweather and Pacquiao set to split about $230m (£150m).
Tickets for the bout - billed as 'The Fight of the Century' - changed hands for as much as $350,000 (£232,000) and American fans were charged almost $100 (£66) to watch on television, with millions more watching across the world.
Rival broadcasters Showtime and HBO joined forces for the first time sinceLennox Lewis fought Mike Tyson in 2002 to show the fight, with Jimmy Lennon Jr and Michael Buffer sharing ring announcer duties.
A-listers in the 16,507 crowd included actors Clint Eastwood and Robert De Niro, singers Sting and Prince, and US tycoon Donald Trump.
Multi Grammy Award winner Jamie Foxx sang the American national anthem prior to the fighters entering the ring. So prized was a seat that many celebrities were even sitting behind the press row.
Pacquiao, 36, began his ring walk at 20:45 Vegas time - to the strains of a song he recorded especially for the occasion - and was awarded a rapturous reception. Mayweather, on the other hand, was roundly booed, despite being effectively the house fighter.
I am 10 steps ahead - Floyd Mayweather
The opening round was extremely cagey, with both men trying to establish their distance, but Mayweather did land with a couple of eye-catching right hands on the counter.
Not only did Mayweather look noticeably bigger than Pacquiao, he also looked quicker in the early rounds.
And when Pacquiao did get close, Mayweather was content to tie him up, to both Pacquiao and the fans' frustration.
Mayweather rocked Pacquiao with two more rights in the second, although Pacquiao was able to get inside his rival's superior reach and unleash a couple of flurries.
The third round was a more even affair, with Pacquiao able to draw Mayweather into some exchanges and Mayweather doing plenty of rough stuff on the inside.
Pacquiao really came into the fight in the fourth, staggering Mayweather with a left hand, which many thought would be a key weapon in this fight.
Mayweather was forced to cover up on the ropes and many of Pacquiao's follow-up punches were caught on the arms and gloves, but a smile from the American signalled he may have been hurt.
Mayweather's head had cleared by the start of the fifth and he proceeded to win the round courtesy of his trusty right cross, with Pacquiao not applying enough pressure or displaying the aggression many felt he needed.
Pacquiao rocked Mayweather again in the sixth, before Mayweather got on his bike in the seventh, slipping and sliding out of reach and frustrating Pacquiao as he looked to engage.
In the eighth it was Mayweather's left that did most of the damage and although he did ship another sneaky left, by now it was apparent that Pacquiao, naturally the smaller man, did not have the necessary power.
It was more of the same in the ninth, during which there were definite signs that Pacquiao was tiring and the fight was beginning to get away from him.
By the 10th, Mayweather had made all the adjustments he needed to make and continually made Pacquiao miss, like a matador with an ailing bull, while doing enough on the counter to win the round.
In the 11th, Pacquiao had gone from bull to mouse, getting snapped on the nose time and time again by Mayweather's jab as he tried to get inside.
Pacquiao's expected late rally did not transpire and the air of resignation in the arena at the final bell told you everything you needed to know - that Mayweather had won an intriguing rather than thrilling fight with plenty to spare.
Reaction from BBC Radio 5 live team
"They said this was the biggest test of his career. How he rose to the challenge. Floyd Mayweather endorses his status as an all-time great" - commentator Mike Costello
"He has broken Manny Pacquiao's heart" - pundit Steve Bunce
And while many observers who paid to watch would have been disappointed with the action, the fact that Mayweather won so handily was more proof of his unparalleled genius.
Pacquiao's pride will no doubt be salved when he next checks his bank account - it is estimated the fight will generate $400m (£265m) in total, with Mayweather and Pacquiao set to split in the region of $230m (£150m).
Afterwards Mayweather confirmed he would fight one more time in September before retiring, although the opportunity to surpass Rocky Marciano's mark of 49 fights undefeated might prove too tempting to pass up.
Amir Khan is on the list of possible opponents, as is fellow Briton and IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook.
Mayweather and Pacquiao have won world titles in five and six different weight divisions respectively
A confident Mayweather showboated towards the end of the fight
Mayweather's father and trainer claims that Pacquiao has never recovered from being knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012
Mayweather taunted Pacquiao about money before the fight, with the American reportedly earning a bigger share of the purse
Six memorable fights in boxing history By Reuters
Ex-QDMS"The Fight" Muhammad Ali crashes to the canvas after he was on the receiving end of a vicious Joe Frazier left hook at Madison Square Garden in 1971.As the world gets ready to watch Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao clash in Las Vegas, here are six of the more memorable bouts to have ever taken place in the history of boxing:
Max Schmeling v Joe Louis (New York City, 1936)
Unmistakable political overtones hovered over the heavyweight bout as German Schmeling took on Louis at Yankee Stadium.
It took only four rounds for Schmeling to send Louis to the canvas, a career-first for the African-American boxer.
Louis regained his feet but Schmeling continued to dominate, and in the 12th round landed a vicious blow to the jaw that sent Louis down for the count.
It was the first time the Brown Bomber had been knocked out, and 15 years passed before it happened again. Louis gained revenge with a victory in a rematch two years later.
FILE - In this Sept. 16, 1981 file photo, World Welterweight Champion Sugar Ray Leonard raises his hands in victory as Thomas Hearns looks on after Leonard won the title fight in the 14th round TKO in Las Vegas.APQuote - “For the wonderful victory of your husband, our greatest German boxer, I must congratulate you with all my heart,” German Chancellor Adolf Hitler, in a congratulatory message to Schmeling's wife.
Joe Frazier v Muhammad Ali (New York City, 1971)
What came to be known as “the Fight of the Century” was a brutal battle of attrition, but both men were still standing, Ali only barely, after 15 rounds.
Ali started strongly but Frazier got on top as the fight progressed and by the end was clearly ahead on points.
Ali, battered and bruised, was knocked down in the final round but regained his feet in time to avoid a knockout. Nevertheless, he lost in a unanimous decision, his first defeat as a professional.
Three years later, Ali won a rematch in a non-title fight, before another more famous victory over Frazier in the “Thrilla in Manila” in 1975.
James 'Buster' Douglas' knockout of Mike Tyson 25 years ago, still ranks among the biggest upsets in sports. Photo by: AP/File.APQuote - “No one can hit as hard as Frazier,” Ali said after their first fight.
Muhammad Ali v George Foreman (Kinshasa, Zaire, 1974)
Ali was the underdog for what turned out to be a classic fight in the central African country now known as Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Foreman, at the time the undefeated world heavyweight champion, delivered numerous blows to Ali's abdomen, but Ali absorbed the punishment.
Foreman, at 24 eight years younger than Ali, could not deliver a significant head blow to his opponent, and Ali bided his time in the steamy tropical heat, adopting a “rope-a-dope” strategy of staying on the ropes and conserving energy as he waited, hopefully, for Foreman to tire.
Late in the eighth round, Ali launched himself off the ropes and unleashed a furious attack to Foreman's head, sending him to the canvas to win in a knockout.
Quote - “You could hear the referee counting ... By the count of 10, my whole life was devastated,” Foreman recalled years later.
Sugar Ray Leonard v Thomas Hearns (Las Vegas, 1981)
In this unifying welterweight title bout between two all-time greats, Hearns was ahead on points late in the fight, and Leonard knew he needed a knockout to win.
In the 14th round, Leonard unleashed a furious barrage of punches that left Hearns reeling and prompted the referee to stop the fight and award Leonard victory. Hearns was still ahead on points with all three judges.
Eight years later a rematch ended in a controversial tie, though Leonard acknowledged later that Hearns should have got the decision.
Quote - “Every punch that he hit me with, from the body to the head, felt like bricks, stone, rocks. He knocked my teeth back ... because he was just so possessed. He was a demon.” Leonard, on the punishment he endured from Hearns.
Marvin Hagler v Thomas Hearns (Las Vegas, 1985)
It was a short but memorable bout between the middleweights, who held nothing back in a frenetic first round.
The fight lasted less than three rounds, barely eight minutes of the most intense and brutal fighting, before Marvelous Marvin sent the Hit Man to the canvas. Hearns eventually struggled to his feet on the count of nine, but the referee stopped the fight.
Quote - “Even today when I look at the film, I'm so glad when that fight is over,” Hagler said years later.
Buster Douglas v Mike Tyson (Tokyo, 1990)
Considered one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, Douglas was almost 50/1 against the then-undefeated heavyweight champion Tyson.
But what the bookies did not know was that Tyson had prepared poorly. Douglas took the fight to his more fancied opponent from the start.
However, it looked like order was being restored when Tyson sent Douglas to the canvas at the end of the eighth round. Douglas barely regained his feet in time to beat the count. He was saved by the bell.
Two rounds later he launched a series of devastating blows to Tyson's head, knocking down the champion for the first time in his career.
It's Bale of the century
London - Manchester United’s ever-increasing financial muscle means manager Louis van Gaal can pursue his major summer transfer targets and still have enough for Gareth Bale if he becomes available before next season.
Van Gaal’s first serious assault on the Barclays Premier League title next season will be built on the back of a £100million surge in transfer funds driven by a return to the Champions League and United’s mammoth new kit deal with adidas.
United will net about £50m for returning to Europe and another £75m from the first instalment of the record adidas contract that starts on August 1. With the huge new Premier League TV deal due to kick in a year later and United one of the few clubs in Europe largely untroubled by Financial Fair Play rules, United’s board are happy to spend big this summer.
This means that Van Gaal can pursue his prime summer targets such as Dortmund defender Mats Hummels, PSV midfielder Memphis Depay and Southampton full back Nathaniel Clyne knowing that there will still be money for Bale.
United are also in the market for a world-class centre forward and possibly a goalkeeper if David de Gea decides to leave for Madrid.
United are desperate to keep De Gea and will not consider using him as leverage to get Bale. Any deal for the Welshman will be based on a straight cash offer.United spent heavily last summer with Angel di Maria, Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw taking their outlay above the £100m mark. This year, they could well top that as they look to make up lost ground on Manchester City and Chelsea.
Madrid have not yet signalled their intention regarding Bale but United will head the queue if he does become available. The Spaniards tend to sell one marquee player every summer and United have tracked Bale since he was a teenager at Southampton.
Van Gaal and United chief executive Ed Woodward want to do most of their business before United go on tour in mid-July but Bale could be the exception as Madrid often do their selling in late summer.As for De Gea, United are waiting for the goalkeeper to decide.
With a £200 000-a-week offer on the table, it is understood he is torn between returning to Spain to be with his girlfriend staying two more years in England.
United also want to keep Adnan Januzaj but plan on converting him into a centre forward. The 20-year-old Belgian has played a bit-part since Van Gaal’s arrival but those who have worked with Januzaj at youth level believe he has the game to play as a central striker.
Radamel Falcao looks set to leave this summer, leaving only Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and rookie James Wilson as Van Gaal’s recognised strikers. A move for Burnley’s Danny Ings is being considered but Januzaj will get the chance to convince in pre-season.
Meanwhile, United expect midfielder Tom Cleverley to join Everton permanently when his loan spell at Aston Villa runs out next month and will reluctantly take back Portuguese winger Nani from his loan at Sporting Lisbon, who cannot afford to buy him.
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