"Roger Federer leads an impressive group of professional tennis players nominated for this year’s Laureus World Sports Awards. Federer, who was last year named World Sportsman of the Year (for his standout 2004 season), again has been nominated for one of the most prestigious awards in world sport.
Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, the Croatian Davis Cup team, Kim Clijsters and Martina Hingis have also been nominated for the 2005 awards."
"Rafael Nadal, who has been nominated for the Laureus Newcomer of the Year Award, put together one of the most prolific seasons in ATP history, capturing a teenage record 11 titles, including four ATP Masters Series shields and the Roland Garros crown. The 19-year-old clay court king won 79 matches — a remarkable 39 more than his 2004 total — and became the first teenager to finish World No. 2 in nearly two decades
Andy Murray also has been nominated for the Laureus Newcomer of the Year Award. The Scottish teenager made the biggest jump of any player in the Top 100 from the previous year, climbing 449 ranking spots. He was the second-youngest player in year-end Top 100 and the first teen from Great Britain to finish in year-end Top 100 since Buster Mottram in 1974. He reached at least the second round at nine of 10 ATP events."
Nominees are:
LAUREUS NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR Paula Creamer Golf United States Lionel Messi Football Argentina Andrew Murray Tennis United Kingdom Rafael Nadal Tennis Spain Danica Patrick Motor Racing United States Ben Roethlisberger American Football United States
"The seventh annual Laureus World Sports Awards will be held in Barcelona, Spain, from May 20-22, 2006."
I'm afraid I can't see Andy winning this one. I have never heard of the non-tennis ones, but surely Nadal's exploits outdo Andy - my only quibble is that I don't consider Nadal a newcomer, he was a newcomer the year before! But given that the two of them are up for it I would think Nadal has to be given the preference.
