The idea is that tourists order one of these vests online and it is delivered to their hotel room once they get to South Africa. They then wear them to the stadiums or even walking on the streets – just in case something happens to them.

According to South African police figures, there were 18,148 murders in the year ending March 2009 and knives or sharp objects were used in about 52 percent of the deaths. No wonder foreigners are so edgy about crime in South Africa.

Criminal controversy

Back home here, the issue of crime again reared its ugly head. Here’s a brief synopsis of the furore that’s causing waves in SA.

A private TV station, ETV, aired a news piece looking at crime in South Africa ahead of the Football World Cup. The TV reporter interviewed two “hardened criminals” (concealing their identities) who confessed to all of South Africa their plans to rob tourists planning to visit the country during the World Cup.

Del Potro struggled most of the way through the 4-hour, 38-minute five set match against No14 ranked Marin Cilic, losing 5-7, 6-4, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.

The 21-year-old Croat lost to del Potro in the fourth round here last year and in the US Open quarter-finals.

The four other leading men continue apace.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray held off two of the tallest men and biggest servers in tennis earlier on Rod Laver Arena to set up a quarter-final meeting.

Nadal, who beat Federer in the 2009 final, had a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over 6-foot-10 Ivo Karlovic of Croatia, the tallest man on the tour.

No5 Murray overcame 6-foot-9 American John Isner 7-6 (4),6-3, 6-2 to reach the final eight in Australia for the first time. The 22-year-old Scot hasn’t dropped a set in four matches.

No2-ranked Russian Dinara Safina was forced to retire hurt while she was down 4-5, serving at 30-40 in the first set against Maria Kirilenko, who’d ousted 2008 champion and fellow Russian Maria Sharapova in the first round.

No3-ranked Svetlana Kuznetsova lost 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to Nadia Petrova, who went into the match on a stunning, 6-0, 6-1 third-round victory over US Open champion Kim Clijsters.

While the seeded players dropped, former No1 Justine Henin continued her
run in her first Grand Slam tournament for two years with a 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-3 win over fellow Belgian Yanina Wickmayer, setting her on course for a quarter-final against Petrova.

Favourite out

Del Potro had an upset win over top-ranked Roger Federer in the US Open final last September, ending the Swiss star’s streak of five straight titles in New York.

The 21-year-old Argentine was the first man since Novak Djokovic won the 2008 Australian Open to interrupt the Federer-Rafael Nadal domination of men’s Grand Slam titles, and started the season’s first major with the No4 seeding and among the favourites.

Del Potro had been bothered by right wrist pain that forced him out of a warm-up tournament and was undoubtedly weary from a five-set, second round win over James Blake – the longest of the tournament in terms of total games at 62.

He said the wrist and the foot were only part of the problem. What hurt? “The whole body.”

The increased expectations on him weren’t a bother, he said.

“No, I really enjoyed that pressure. The crowd is unbelievable with me.

“They support me every match, every point,” said del Potro, who plans to go home and recover.

The Black Stars reached the semi-finals for the second consecutive tournament through an early breakaway goal from Rennes striker Asamoah Gyan.

Angola’s Manucho missed three clear chances for his side as the Palancas Negras failed in their bid to reach the last four for what would have been the first time in their history.

The visitors took the lead in the 16th minute on Sunday when Gyan raced onto a long ball from Kwadwo Asamoah, outstripping Angola captain Kali to slide the ball right-footed across Fernandes Carlos into the net.

It came just after defender Lee Addy had twice almost scored an own goal, sticking a foot out to two high balls and nearly lobbing his furious goalkeeper Richard Kingson.

Ghana captain Kingson was called into action again as he scampered across his goal on the half hour to keep out a header from the unmarked Manucho after a cross from the right by returning striker Flavio.

Manucho then missed a gilt-edged chance to equalise one minute before the end of the half.

Flavio contested a high ball with two defenders and Kingson, who failed to clear it before the Angolan stabbed it to the feet of Manucho.

But the Real Valladolid striker rushed his shot, slipping as he ballooned over from 12 yards out to the anger of the 50,000-strong crowd.

Ghana played an effective containing game in the second half, and when Angola did win the ball they wasted their opportunities with some poor passing in the buildup.

With 20 minutes left the hosts piled on the pressure, with Manucho winning a free kick just outside the area which Gilberto hit off the wall and over.

Then Manucho again failed to hit the target when he rose unchallenged to meet a cross from Job.

The Black Antelopes struck twice early in the second half as Malawi finally succumbed to to a wave of attacks amid an intimidating atmosphere in the capital.

The 50,000 capacity arena had a few empty seats but was jammed full of noise as the match kicked off with the hosts fighting for their survival in the tournament following their demoralising capitulation to Mali.

One spectator blew flames from a burning torch in time with the shouts of the crowd, and it was a fiery contest from the start of a game made more intense by Malawian claims earlier on Thursday that there was an Angolan conspiracy against

Smith was out for 105 shortly before a thunderstorm flooded the ground an hour before the scheduled tea break. South Africa were 208 for two at the stoppage, a lead of 28 runs after England were bowled out for 180 on the first day.

Smith and Hashim Amla (71 not out) put on 165 for the second wicket.

In control

The batsmen had to negotiate some hostile bowling at the start of an extended morning’s play, with the ball swinging and moving off the pitch, but gradually got on top of the bowlers.

Smith followed up his 183 in the second innings of the drawn third Test in Cape Town with his 20th Test century and his sixth against England.

He had to work hard on Thursday evening and again on Friday morning and it took him 105 balls to reach his fifty. But with Amla providing reliable support, he picked up his scoring rate as he moved to a century off 182 balls when he cut Ryan Sidebottom for his 16th boundary.

The Swiss champion is set to face 36th ranked Russian Igor Andreev in the first round.

In their previous meeting at the 2008 US Open, Andreev took Federer to five sets, and should Federer win, he could face home favourite Lleyton Hewitt, Marcos Baghdatis or 11th-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon in the fourth round, as well as a potential quarter-final against in-form Russian world number six Nikolay Davydenko.

Rafael Nadal seems to have a smoother route to the last eight as he sets out to defend the title he won last year.

The world number two was paired with low-ranked Australian Peter Luczak but may face a third-round hurdle against big-serving American John Isner, who knocked Andy Roddick out of the US Open last year.

New year, new start

Last year, Federer finished his last match in Melbourne Park in tears after a five-set final loss to Nadal cost him a chance of equalling Pete Sampras’ record of 14 career Grand Slam singles titles.

In the wake of that defeat, he won his first French Open title to equal Sampras’ mark and complete a career Grand Slam of all four majors.

He went on to add to the Grand Slam record and regain the No1 ranking by outlasting Andy Roddick in the Wimbledon final 16-14 in the fifth set.