Rafael Nadal, fresh from sealing his fifth French Open title and reclaiming the world number one spot from Roger Federer, storms to victory at Wimbledon for the second time after breezing past Tomas Berdych in straight sets in the final in July. The 24-year-old Spaniard, who did not drop a set on his way to the title, hailed his triumph in SW19 as "more than a dream".

Spain beat Holland 1-0 after extra time in the 2010 World Cup final to win their first crown as a tempestuous affair brought a close to what was a largely disappointing tournament in South Africa. While few would deny Vicente del Bosque's side as worthy winners, this will be remembered as a tournament that ultimately failed to inspire as a footballing spectacle.

In Golf, Louis Oosthuizen wins the Open Championship at St Andrews after beating Lee Westwood by seven shots, with Rory McIlroy, Paul Casey and Henrik Stenson tied for third.

Phillips Idowu and Jessica Ennis are amongst the gold medal winners at the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona as Team GB win six gold medals. Britain finished third in the medals table behind France and first-placed Russia.

Alberto Contador wins his third Tour de France in four years as seven-time champion Lance Armstrong finishes the race for the final time. The 27-year-old Spaniard had held off a next-to-last day challenge from Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, who is Contador's runner-up for a second consecutive year.

Snooker mourns as two-time world champion Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins dies aged 61 following a long battle with throat cancer.

In cricket, Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan claims a record 800th and Test wicket against India in Galle and England defeat Australia 3-2 to win the home One-Day series despite losing the final two matches.

Martin O'Neill quits as Aston Villa manager just days before the new Premier League season is set to get underway in August with reserve team manager Kevin MacDonald taking temporary charge of first team affairs.

Martin Kaymer of Germany seals victory at the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits at the age of 25 after Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson both suffer penalty strokes on the final hole.

British number one Andy Murray wins his first title of 2010 after retaining his Toronto Masters crown by beating Roger Federer in straight sets in the final. In doing so, the 23-year-old Scot becomes the first man since Andre Agassi 15 years earlier to win Toronto Masters titles back to back.

Spot-fixing allegations against members of the Pakistan cricket team cast a humiliating shadow over the fourth Test against England.

September saw all-rounder Andrew Flintoff announce his retirement from all forms of cricket after failing to shake off a chronic knee problem which had kept him out of action for a year.

Rafael Nadal joins six of tennis' greatest players in having won all four grand slam titles after sealing his first US Open crown by beating Novak Djokovic in four sets in New York. The triumph caps a remarkable year for the world No1 after he won three of the four majors.

Ricky Hatton is handed a £20,000 drugs fine for taking cocaine and has his boxer’s licence withdrawn by the British Boxing Board of Control.

In October, Captain Colin Montgomerie leads Europe to victory in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor in the competition's first Monday conclusion after severe weather disrupted the schedule in Wales. Lee Westwood then takes over from Tiger Woods as the world's number one golfer, ending the American's 281-week reign at the top of the golf rankings.

The Liverpool takeover saga finally reaches its conclusion as John W Henry wins a High Court battle against joint owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett to complete a £220m buyout of the Merseyside club.

Germany's Sebastian Vettel becomes Formula 1's youngest-ever world champion after winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November aged 23 years and 134 days. The Red Bull driver finished ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button in what was a thrilling finish to the 2010 season. Red Bull also capture the constructors' championship.

In boxing, David Haye outclasses Audley Harrison in Manchester to retain his WBA Heavyweight title.

Meanwhile in rugby union, Chris Ashton scores two tries as England storm to a memorable 35-18 victory over Australia at Twickenham.

England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup is spectacularly shunned by Fifa's executive committee in December after it receives only two of 22 votes at the host announcement in Zurich. Russia is awarded the right to host the 2018 competition as Qatar is controversially named as the host of the 2022 tournament.

Two Premier League clubs part company with their managers in the space of two weeks as Chris Hughton is axed at Newcastle and Sam Allardyce is shown the door at Blackburn.

Sporting fixtures across the country fall foul of the wintry weather as heavy snowfall triggers a host of postponements, including the much-anticipated Premier League clash between Chelsea and Manchester United.

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell overhauls a four-shot deficit on Tiger Woods to beat the American on the first play-off hole to win the Chevron World Challenge. The 31-year-old hails 2010 as "the stuff of dreams" and ends the year as the number-six ranked golfer in the world.

England retain the Ashes Down Under for the first time in 24 years with a Test match to spare after winning the fourth Test by an innings and 157 runs in Melbourne.

Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea finally end their winless run of six Premier League games by edging Bolton 1-0 at Stamford Bridge. Manchester finish the year at the summit of England's top flight, level on points with rivals City, but having played two matches less.

World Cup and Champions League final referee Howard Webb and golfer Graeme McDowell are made MBEs in the New Year Honours List.

Read Part One of our Sport Review of the Year 2010.

Roy Hodgson's future as the manager of Liverpool is in serious doubt following an angry reaction from fans after the Reds’ defeat at the hands of relegation-threatened Wolves on Wednesday.

Fenway Sports Group principle owner John W Henry, and club chairman Tom Werner are believed to be seriously concerned following Liverpool's loss to lowly Wolves and the backlash from the Anfield faithful who ironically chanted "Hodgson for England" and called for the appointment of club legend Kenny Dalglish.

Hodgson's post-match attack on the Anfield supporters did nothing to help improve his position with either the fans or the clubs owners, with his comments about hoping "fans would become supporters" being out of line with the calculated approach FSG have taken to handling the media since arriving on Merseyside.

The Liverpool boss on Friday admitted he regretted making the comments and insisted that “the last thing in my mind is walking away from a club like this”.

Anything but a win in Liverpool's next game against Bolton on New Year's Day would likely see Hodgson's position at Anfield become untenable, with the patience so far shown by the club's board running out.

Liverpool's owners had been reluctant to end Hodgson's tenure at Anfield half way through the season, with their plan originally being to wait until the summer to review the position of the former Fulham boss. But a continuation of the Reds’ poor run of form could force the owners to relieve Hodgson of his duties just six months after his appointment.

Liverpool's tough run of games may be the only factor which works in the favour of the 63-year-old, with a clash with Manchester United in the FA Cup and a Merseyside derby falling within the Reds’ next five games – a run of fixtures Liverpool would not want to face without a manager.

Though FSG are believed to be reluctant to make a short-term appointment, should Hodgson leave the Liverpool owners may be tempted to appoint Dalglish in a caretaker role until a new long-term manager can be found, with rumoured targets including former Barcelona manager Frank Rjikaard and current Marseille boss Didier Deschamps.

Serie A leaders AC Milan are prepared to sell Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho for £6.8m, the club’s vice president has revealed.

The 30-year-old former European Footballer of the Year has six months remaining on his current contract with the Italian table-toppers and has attracted interest from his old club Paris St Germain and Brazilian side Gremio .

Gremio had been confident of being able to sign Ronaldinho in January, but vice-president Adriano Galliani insisted the midfielder will not be sold for less than €8m (£6.8m) after discussions with the players’ agent.

“Whoever wants Ronaldinho has to pay eight million euros,” said Galliani this week.

AC Milan currently sit three points clear of second-placed Napoli at the top of the Serie A table and are 13 points ahead of city rivals and reigning champions Inter Milan.

Pirelli is confident of delivering with its 2011 Formula 1 tyre after completing another five days of testing in Bahrain.

Pedro de la Rosa and Romain Grosjean again took the wheel of the 2009 Toyota to put the new Pirelli compounds through their paces in the searing heat of Sakhir ahead of the manufacturer’s return to the sport next season.

"We ran two drivers in order to compare two different sets of feedback, and the fact that they were both saying the same positive things at the end of the test only underlines the progress that we have made," said Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery. "There’s still some work to do, but we can head into 2011 with confidence."

The Bahrain test was delayed by a sandstorm in the Middle East, highlighting that extreme weather can strike anywhere around the world, as most of the Europe, Korea, and the East Coast of the United States experience weather of a much colder disposition.

"I think this goes to show that, wherever you are in the world, uncertain weather can arrive in a variety of forms,” said Hembery. “But Formula 1 is all about expecting the unexpected, and we were able to quickly react to these changing circumstances by extending our test.

"With the extra time we had, we were probably able to put in a little bit more work than we had originally planned, so everything worked out very well in the end.

He added: “We ran through our entire dry tyre range, and to have reached the point where we are at now, just five months after the F1 tyres ran for the very first time at Mugello in August, is an incredible testimony to the commitment and capability shown by every member of our team."

Pirelli's next test will also take place in Bahrain on 9 and 10 January followed by three days at the Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi.

The Italian supplier will then take the tyres to the first 2011 test with the teams in Valencia at the beginning of February.

The year started with great promise for British tennis fans as a resurgent Andy Murray showcased his grand slam credentials at the Australian Open in January.

The British number one dropped just one set on his march to the final, recording victories over John Isner, Rafael Nadal and Marin Čilić. For the second time in his blossoming career, Murray faced Roger Federer in a major final, and despite boasting a superior 6-4 record over the Swiss maestro, the Scot crumbled in the final losing 3-6, 4-6, 6-7 (11).

Elsewhere, Martin Adams won the second BDO World Darts Championship of his 29-year career after defeating the unseeded Dave Chisnall 7-5 in the final.

The African Cup of Nations was marred by an attack the Togo team bus by gunmen in Cambodia as it travelled to the tournament, resulting in the death of three people. Togo withdrew from the competition and Egypt triumphed to claim their seventh African crown and their third in a row after beating Ghana 1–0 in the final.

The 21st Winter Olympics took place in Vancouver in the second half of February. Canada clinched first in overall gold medal wins with 14, becoming the first host nation to do so since Norway in 1976. Great Britain’s single success came in the women’s skeleton as Amy William’s secured a memorable gold, twice breaking the track record. Williams won by over half a second and became the first Briton to win an individual event at the Winter Games since Robin Cousin at Lake Placid in 1980.

In Basketball, the NBA All-star game attracted a record attendance of 108,713 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The East were crowned winners over the West in a 141-139 victory as Miami Heat’s Dwayne Wade recorded 28 points.

Meanwhile, Manchester United claimed a fourth League Cup title by overcoming Aston Villa at Wembley. Sir Alex Ferguson’s men fought back after James Milner’s fifth-minute penalty had put Villa ahead. Strikes from Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney sealed a 2-1 victory.

March saw France storm to a Six Nations Championship success after easing clear of second-placed Ireland. Les Bleus were consistent throughout the four weeks and completed their first grand slam since 2004 with a final day 12-10 victory over Martin Johnson’s England at the Stade de France in Paris.

Manny Pacquiao successfully defended his WBO Welterweight title by defeating Joshua Clottey in front of a record 51,000-strong crowd at the Cowboys Stadium.

Tiger Woods made his return to competitive golf in April at the the first major of the season, the Masters. However, there was no respite for Woods following a scandal-packed six months as he failed to make an impact in Augusta. Phil Mickelson won his third Masters title by three shots over runner-up Lee Westwood.

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi scored all four of his side’s goals as the Champions League holders secured a memorable 4-1 quarter-final victory over Arsenal at Camp Nou.

Britain’s David Haye defeated John Ruiz in his first WBA Heavyweight title defence in Manchester by technical knock-out in the ninth round.

May saw Chelsea complete an historic double in Carlo Ancelotti’s debut season by pipping Manchester United to the Premier League title by a single point and securing a narrow 1-0 victory over Portsmouth in the FA Cup final at Wembley.

In Europe, José Mourinho led Inter Milan to the treble. A brace from Diego Milito helped the Italian league and cup champions to a 2-0 win over Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League final. Atletico Madrid overcame Fulham in the Europa League final after an extra-time winner from Diego Forlan decided a close match. First-half goals from the Uruguay international and Simon Davies saw the clash go to extra time.

Meanwhile, Toulouse won their fourth Heineken Cup with a 21-19 win over Biarritz in an all-French affair at the Stade de France. And there was joy for Cardiff Blues whose 28-21 victory over Toulon secured an inaugural Amlin Challenge Cup final success, becoming the first Welsh club to win a European trophy in the sport.

The England cricket team triumphed at the third Twenty20 World Tournament in the West Indies. Paul Collingwood’s side beat Australia by seven wickets in the final at Kensington Oval in Barbados to record their first ever ICC tournament win.

In June, Rafael Nadal began a personal renaissance at the French Open. Fittingly, Nadal was afforded the opportunity to exact revenge on Robin Soderling in the final after the Swede had stunned Nadal the in the fourth round in 2009. The Spaniard efficiently disposed of Soderling in straight sets to win his fifth Roland Garros title and complete the ‘clay slam’ having won the three Masters tournaments in the build-up to the French Open.

Weeks later, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut played out the longest tennis match in history in the first round at Wimbledon, taking 11 hours and 5 minutes over three days. Isner eventually won 70-68 in a marathon final set.

In Golf, Greame McDowell won the US Open at Pebble Beach to become the first Irishman to accomplish the feat as well as the first European winner since 1970. It was the Northern Irishman’s first PGA tour success and would mark be the beginning of a memorable year for the golfer.

Atlético Madrid goalkeeper David de Gea has ruled out a move away from the Spanish capital amid reported interest from Manchester United.

De Gea, 20, is one of Spain’s bright prospects and has already cemented a first team place at the Vicente Calderón Stadium. The Madrid-born shot-stopper played a vital role in Atlético’s successful Europa League run last season and has made 59 appearances for the La Liga club.

Sir Alex Ferguson is on the lookout for a long-term replacement for Edwin van der Sar after it emerged that the Holland international will retire at the end of the season. The Manchester United manager is believed to be an admirer of De Gea, but despite interest from the 18-time English champions the Madrid-born De Gea is keen to stay with Atlético.

“I am very comfortable here, this has always been my club, and I want to defend this shirt for a long time and win titles,” said De Gea.

“The club is in charge but I am very happy here, and when things go well there is no need to change. The Champions League is the main thing, and we also have the cup competition, which is very nice, and so we will like to get as far as possible.”

Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger has called on his side to improve their defending from set-pieces after the gunners conceded from a corner late on to deny them victory against 10-man Wigan.

Arsenal missed the opportunity to go level on points with Manchester United at the top of the Premier League after Sebastien Squillaci headed into his own net as he attempted to stop Gary Caldwell scoring ten minutes from time. The Londoners had been leading 2-1 at the DW Stadium thanks to first-half goals from Andrey Arshavin and Nicklas Bendtner after Ben Watson’s penalty had put the home side in front.

Wenger’s men—who also conceded from a Chelsea free-kick during their victory over their London rivals on Monday—have long been criticised for their defensive fragility and their tendency to concede from set-pieces, and the Arsenal boss believes the weakness is down to a lack of communication between the gunners’ rearguard.

Wenger said: “It looks like nobody takes charge of the organisation really and that’s something we need to communicate better. We need to be more alert on these kinds of corners.

“You can of course work on it in training but once you are on the pitch the communication is very important and sometimes when the focus drops a little bit somebody has to be aware of it.”

Wenger defended his decision to make eight changes to his Arsenal side’s starting line-up on Wednesday, insisting it is the only way to deal with the hectic festive fixture schedule. He said: “With all these matches we cannot play with the same team always – but I don’t think that was a problem. I don’t think it’s a shame – overall the draw was all right.”

Meanwhile, club captain Cesc Fàbregas has criticised referees over their inconsistency after Arsenal appeared to be denied a late penalty against Wigan.

Fàbregas, who was suspended for Wednesday’s clash, believes referee Lee Probert was wrong for not penalising James McArthur after Samir Nasri’s free kick clearly hit his hands in the last minute of the match.

The Spanish midfielder wrote on Twitter: “What’s the difference between this handball and my one versus Spurs? Referees don’t want us to complain about them but they make life difficult for themselves.

“I’m not complaining at all, I’m just saying why on the same thing some refs say it’s a penalty and some not. Is it a rule or just what they feel?”