With the Formula 1 title well and truly decided, the eyes of the motor sport world turn to Valencia this weekend for the race that will determine the MotoGP championship. Spaniard Marc Marquez is poised to become the first rookie in 35 years to be crowned world champion in the premier class should he finish fourth or higher, but with the much more experienced Jorge Lorenzo breathing down his neck the pressure will be on to avoid any disasters.
Marquez looked to have the title all wrapped up a few short weeks ago but a brave victory in Japan under extreme pressure from both Marquez and Dani Pedrosa closed the gap to just 13 points and ensured the title would be decided at the final race of the year for the first time in seven years.
There is another huge game looming in the English Premier League with Manchester United hosting ladder leaders Arsenal at Old Trafford. United have begun their resurgence in recent weeks after a slow start under new manager David Moyes but this will be a huge test of their progress. A loss would also see them slip a full 11 points behind the Gunners and leave them with a lot of work to do. The other contenders will all be expecting to grab three points with Chelsea hosting West Brom, Liverpool taking on Fulham at Anfield, Tottenham welcoming Newcastle to White Hart Lane and Manchester City traveling to Sunderland.
The Rugby League World Cup continues in England with the hosts taking on Fiji and Australia facing Ireland in what should be two big wins for the competition big guns. Perhaps the most interesting game of the weekend is Tonga v Italy which will have huge ramifications in regards to who progresses from Group C.
And the final event on the ATP calendar reaches its conclusion as the world’s top eight players battle it out for the hefty US$1.92 million top prize. The round robin format ensures a number of fascinating clashes but we’d be surprised to see anything other than a Novak Djokovic v Rafael Nadal final. The pair won their opening round matches this morning with Djokovic downing Roger Federer in three sets and Nadal beating David Ferrer in two and they again appear unstoppable.
Good luck and good punting.
