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If all else fails take a trip to the Bahamas. That is part of the strategy English golfer Ian Poulter has employed in his preparations in order to try to win this week's Masters.

"I think I've tried it several ways to try and prepare for this week, none of which have worked," says the 39-year-old.

"I've had two weeks off. I've played in the run-in. I've been here previous years early to prepare. I've tried all sorts of things.

"One thing I haven't tried before was go to the Bahamas for a nice week off before a solid week of practice. So we'll give that one a try this year."

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Manchester City's defeat at Crystal Palace on Monday meant a fourth successive defeat on their travels as they dropped from second to fourth in the Premier League.

They face a trip to rivals Manchester United on Sunday and City skipper Vincent Kompany believes the game could help his side rediscover their form.

"A derby is a derby. It doesn't matter what place you are in the league, it's a derby. If anything, it's a good moment to go into a derby," Kompany told the Daily Mirror., external

"I guess the momentum is a little bit with our neighbours at the moment, but it's the perfect place for us to go and try to rectify what we've had here [at Palace]."

Wigan's attempts to get as many fans to attend the relegation battle at Fulham on Friday has seen the club offer free coach travel to and from the game to supporters buying tickets.

The Latics, who sacked manager Malky Mackay on Monday, are 23rd in the Championship and eight points behind the 21st-placed Cottagers having played a game more.

"We have a huge five games ahead of us and we will keep fighting to stay in this division, starting on Friday," says Wigan chairman David Sharpe. "We need the supporters to come to London and back the team.

"This is when we need to stick together as a football club, on and off the field, starting on Friday."

Top news:

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini says he is "not concerned" about his job after losing against Crystal Palace to fall nine points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea.

Swansea defender Kyle Naughton is ruled out for the season with an ankle injury.

Tiger Woods believes he is ready to win another Major ahead of the Masters at Augusta.

Top feature:

End of the affair: a caddie prepares for his 53rd and final Masters.

Top video:

Manuel Pellegrini says the referee made mistakes in Manchester City's loss to Crystal Palace.

British Olympic boxer Natasha Jonas explains her decision to retire.

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Is Selhurst Park becoming the graveyard of wannabe champions? It certainly feels that way.

Manchester City may have lost to Palace last night, but they are not the first team to see their title aspirations go up in smoke against the Eagles.

Liverpool were level on points with Manchester City with two games to go when they met Palace last season, but they squandered a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 and leave their title dreams in tatters.

This morning we're asking you to weigh in on the status of this season's title race: all over, or still alive? Here are a few of your responses...

Gregory P:, external At no point this season has the premier league title race been a match for the Championship promotion race.

Jay:, external I might be deluded but with Costa out for a few of weeks,teams can get something against Chelsea if they can keep Hazard quiet.

Steve Howes:, external Title race has been over for a while, CFC only lost 2 all season, and only deluded LFC fans think they can get 4th.

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Chelsea forward Gemma Davison has been called up to the England Women's squad for Thursday's match against China.

The game at Manchester City's Academy Stadium will be England's last home match before they travel to Canada for the Fifa Women's World Cup in May.

Davison, who has scored three goals in Chelsea's first two FA Women's Super League (WSL) games this season, last featured for England in the 2014 Cyprus Cup. She won the FA WSL title last season with Liverpool before moving to Chelsea.

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Former South Africa striker Richard Henyekane has died in a car accident at the age of 31.

The news was confirmed by his club, Free State Stars, who play in South Africa's Premier Soccer League.

Henyekane won nine caps for South Africa between 2009 and 2013.

Last year, South African runner and former 800-metre world champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi was also killed in a road accident.

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A key factor in Manchester City's recent slump has been the patchy form of usually talismanic striker Sergio Aguero.

Aguero has scored 17 goals this season, just two short of Diego Costa and Harry Kane in the top-scorer standings. But the Argentinian has not scored for 556 minutes as City have lost seven of their last 14 games.

Contrast that with the deadly form of Crystal Palace striker Glenn Murray, who helped to inflict defeat on City last night.

Murray stabbed home his fifth goal of a season in which he has played just 446 minutes, meaning he has the best minutes-per-goal ratio of any striker in the Premier League, narrowly ahead of Papiss Cisse and Olivier Giroud.

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Speed king Usain Bolt has stepped up his preparations for the World Championships in Beijing during August as he bids for a third 100m gold and a fourth 200m gold.

"I want to run really fast this season so I'm working on it," says the Jamaican. "I'm happy with where I'm at. I'm doing a lot of work leading up to this first run in Brazil [in April] - that's the focus and that's what we're working towards."

But is he scared of American Justin Gatlin, who dominated last year's Diamond League, running 9.77 seconds and 19.68 secs in the 100m and 200m?

"We take all competitors with a level of seriousness," says his coach Glen Mills. "But the truth of the matter is Usain at his best doesn't have much to worry about."

Tyler Walker can follow in his father's footsteps and become a Nottingham Forest regular for years, says Reds manager Dougie Freedman.

The 18-year-old, son of Forest legend Des, scored his first senior goal as his side earned a point at Championship promotion hopefuls Brentford on Monday.

Freedman told BBC Radio Nottingham: "He is an exciting prospect.

"I believe he can play for the club for a very long time and make the striker's role his in the very near future."

This morning we're asking you to weigh in on the status of this season's title race: all over, or still alive? Here are a few of your responses...

Wee Brenny Rodgers:, external Chelsea need to drop at least 10 points in 8 games. They've only dropped 20 from 30. Not going to happen, it's all over.

Kirruban Krishnarajah:, external Personally I feel like Man Utd are still in the race, whether there still in it come May depends on the next two games: City and Chelsea.

Rizpey:, external Chelsea have a bad record against QPR so if they lose this weekend, title race blown open. Chelsea still have United and Arsenal.

Keep your thoughts coming in on Twitter at #bbcsportsday, via the BBC Sport Facebook page and via text to 81111.

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Greg Rusedski has backed Aljaz Bedene's bid to overturn an International Tennis Federation ruling and become eligible to represent Great Britain in the Davis Cup.

Slovenia-born Bedene secured a British passport last month but cannot represent his new nation in the competition having played twice for Slovenia in 2010 and 2011.

Rusedski, who moved from Canada to represent Great Britain in 1995, said: "Every time you get another player in the top 100 it helps push and drive other players. If the ITF do change their ruling and allow him to become available then it will be a good thing for the game in this country."

Bedene, 26, could make his home debut as a British player at the new AEGON Manchester Trophy, a grass-court Challenger event which starts on 31 May.

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Last night's Premier League match may have brought doom and gloom for Manchester City, but it's only fair that we devote some attention to Crystal Palace after a terrific performance.

The Eagles are only three points behind tenth-placed Stoke, and manager Alan Pardew believes his side can finish in the top half.

"You've got to set goals and adjust them to how you perform and we're performing really well," he said.

Some are even tipping Pardew himself for Manager of the Season after a campaign in which he took Newcastle into the top 10 and has revitalised Palace's fortunes.

BBC Radio 5 live's David Pleat called Pardew "a great credit to the coaching fraternity in this country".

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More on that news that Liu Xiang has retired.

The Chinese athlete announced the decision on his microblog, calling it sad and painful, but saying he had no other choice after years of nagging injuries.

Xiang shot to stardom when he won gold in the 110m hurdles at the Athens Olympics in 2004 in a world-record time.

But he suffered an Achilles injury at his home games in Beijing, and pulled out in London with a similar problem.

Former Olympic 110m hurdles champion Liu Xiang has announced his retirement from athletics.

He had not raced for two years.

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Natasha Jonas, the first British women in history to box at the Olympic Games, has announced her retirement from the sport.

Born in Liverpool, Jonas started boxing to lose weight after her football career was ended by injury and became a five-time national England Boxing champion.

The high-point of her career came at London 2012 when she made history by becoming the first British women to box at an Olympic Games, though she later lost at the quarter-final stage.

Announcing her retirement, Jonas said: "When I started boxing I was an overweight, unemployed scally from Toxteth. If you'd have told me then that I would win a world championship medal and compete in front of 10,000 people at the Olympic Games I would never have believed it."

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If Harry Kane and co at Tottenham were hoping for some rest time after a gruelling Premier League season, they had better think again.

The club has announced it will tackle a Malaysia XI in a post-season friendly in Kuala Lumpur on May 27 - Tottenham's first visit to Malaysia since 1979.

Spurs then fly to Australia where they play another friendly against Sydney FC.

After that there's just time for a few days off before it's back for pre-season training...

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Four successive away defeats, down to fourth and nine points behind Chelsea, but could it get worse still for Manchester City?

Manuel Pellegrini's men face Manchester United this weekend, must still play Euro-hopefuls Tottenham & Southampton and are in competition with a Liverpool side desperate to make it into the Champions League.

So, could City drop out of the top four altogether? Have your say by voting on the right-hand side of this page, or by using the 'vote' tab at the top on your mobile or tablet.

Full terms & conditions are right here.

This morning we're asking you one simple question: is the title race over? Here are some of your thoughts:

Nicholas Belfitt:, external If people think Arsenal are in the title race, so are United. Truth is none are, Chelsea have won it.

Tambuwal:, external Title race over. Can't see any twists and turns again. The top 4 will finish as it stands: Chelsea 1st, Arsenal 2nd, Manchester United 3rd & Man City 4th.

Belete Eshetea:, external If QPR do some damage to Chelsea this weekend, the title race will go down to the wire!

Keep your thoughts coming in on Twitter at #bbcsportsday, via the BBC Sport Facebook page and via text to 81111.