· Fears that the Ataturk Olympic Stadium would prove unfit to stage the final appeared justified last night.
The testy titan of one of college basketball's powerhouses, in his fifth final, appeared close to tears in the post-game media conference.
Pellegrini agrees that as a unit they could find an edge as May's Milan final appears on the horizon and this band of serial winners glimpse glory.
The Blue Square Bet Premier play-off final appeared destined for extra time until Christian Jolley (above) sent the ball past goalkeeper Chris Maxwell in the 86th minute.
But should Williams, 28, continue to unleash serves at her current rate, another run to the final appears possible, even likely.
The first goalscorer market on Betfair for the Coca-Cola Cup final appeared to be no less than 40% overbroke on the lay side, suggesting that anyone with half a brain could lay every eventuality for a guaranteed profit.
The rivalry between Hingis, the Swiss teen-ager, and Martinez, the 25-year-old Spaniard, is even at 2-2, but Hingis, with her superior experience in handling the pressures of a Grand Slam final, appears the clear favorite.
Saracens led 23-6 having taken the initiative from the start and, in their sure, inimitable way, applied pressure, physical and mental, until a side competing in their first major final appeared to crack.
Now Carli Lloyd, who scored a hat trick in the first 16 minutes of that final, appears to be facing a similar fate in this summer's tournament.
He remained on the squad for the finals, appearing in all the matches leading up to Australia's second-round elimination at the hands of Brazil.
