LONDON-- England beat France 2-0 in an emotional friendly at Wembley on Tuesday when more than 70,000 fans paid tribute to the victims of the Paris attacks with English fans roaring out a spine-tingling rendition of the visitors' national anthem.
  The supporters of both teams also impeccably observed a minute's silence to honour the victims ahead of a match that will be remembered more for the symbolic nature of the occasion than for most of the action on the pitch.
  Played just four days after the Islamic State's assault in Paris left 129 people dead, the English fans, along with the away supporters, showed remarkable dignity and respect.
  The players were led on to the field by Prince William and the team managers -- England's Roy Hodgson and France's Didier Deschamps -- who carried wreaths while fans waved the tricolour.
  "It was a very poignant occasion and we achieved all the things we wanted to achieve in the rememberance. An act of defiance was better than the other alternative," said Hodgson.
  France defender Laurent Koscielny, who plays for Arsenal, added: "It was important for everybody that we played, for those who were watching us and for the victims. I know the English, they have a lot of respect for the French, we saw that tonight."
  After kickoff, although France appeared to settle first, almost relieved the pre-match observations were over, England held the upper hand and took a grip with goals from man of the match Dele Alli and Wayne Rooney either side of halftime.
  Understandably, after a traumatic few days, France found the going tough on the Wembley turf. "The performance was not easy for us. We had a lack of aggression and concentration but I think maybe it's a bit normal," Lloris said.
  England midfielder Alli, 19, blasted the ball past his Tottenham Hotspur club goalkeeper Lloris into the top corner for his first international goal after 39 minutes.
  "He was almost faultless, he was outstanding," Hodgson said of Alli, who was winning his fourth cap on his first start."
  Rooney, playing in what is becoming a more usual deep-lying role, doubled England's lead in the 48th minute after Alli, who started the move, found Raheem Sterling who crossed for Rooney to volley home his 51st international goal.
  England striker Harry Kane twice went close to scoring, including a searing long-range drive in the second half which flew just wide.
  England, who played poorly in a 2-0 friendly defeat away to Spain on Friday, had not beaten France in six meetings since 1997, but the visitors never made it easy for the home side on what was obviously a difficult evening for their players.
  The visitors' best chance fell to midfielder Yohan Cabaye of Crystal Palace, one of 13 players in the 23-man France squad who are playing, or have played, their club football in England. His seventh minute shot flew just over Joe Hart's crossbar.
  The unusual nature of the occasion was clear during the game with the crowd applauding France substitutes Lassana Diarra and Antoine Griezmann when they came on in the second half.
  A cousin of Diarra's was killed in Friday's attacks, while Griezmann's sister escaped unhurt from the Bataclan concert venue where 89 people lost their lives.
  There was hardly a foul during the game and afterwards the fans and the England team roundly applauded the France players.
  "It was a difficult night for everyone, especially for the French players and staff," Rooney said.
  "I thought both teams handled it really well. I'm sure this will get shown round the world and show the togetherness and unity in ourselves and France and in football.
  "As Didier Deschamps said, it's not about religion, it's not about race, it's about togetherness.
  "Anyone can play the game of football and hopefully tonight shows whoever you are around the world, you can come together. We need to stand tall and stand together at this tough time."

Houston Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer (7) is pursued by Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Michael Johnson (90) in a NFL football game at Paul Brown Stadiumin Cincinnati. Texans won 10-6. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.)

LONDON-- Novak Djokovic has left the chasing pack breathing in his fumes this season but he spluttered at the ATP World Tour Finals on Tuesday as Roger Federer ended his 23-match winning streak with a 7-5 6-2 group stage victory.
  The world number one would probably have beaten most players, even with the errors piling up and his serve out of sync, but not Swiss great Federer who sealed a semi-final spot with a match to spare.
  Federer has now been responsible for three of Djokovic's six defeats this season, edging ahead 22-21 in their career rivalry.
  Djokovic's first indoor loss since 2012, in which time he has won three consecutive London year-enders, means he needs to beat Czech Tomas Berdych on Thursday to be sure of joining Federer in the semi-finals.
  Japan's Kei Nishikori beat Berdych 7-5 3-6 6-3 in the day's early offering, the first three-set match so far.
  While it earned world number eight Nishikori another $167,000, the reward for a group win, it is likely to prove in vain unless he beats Federer in his final match and Berdych defeats Djokovic.
  Djokovic could even scramble through with a three-set defeat, providing Nishikori does not win.
  "These kind of things happen. I have to accept it and hopefully work on it tomorrow and get better in the next one," Djokovic, winner of three of the year's grand slams and a record six Masters Series titles, told reporters.
  "Credit to Roger for mixing up the pace ... I made a lot of unforced errors and just handed him the win in the second set," added the 28-year-old who managed to win only a quarter of points on his first serve in the second set.
  Djokovic had been untroubled until the 12th game when Federer earned a couple of set points, converting the second with a sublime half-volley dink off a dipping Djokovic backhand.
  A tired-looking Djokovic backhand slice into the net gave Federer a 2-0 lead in the second set, and although the Swiss six-times champion gifted back the break, he raced away to a 5-2 lead and claimed victory on his second match point.
  "I had focused more on beating Berdych and Nishikori and let's see what happens against Novak," 34-year-old Federer told reporters. "That shows me that I didn't expect this victory."
  Reacting to Djokovic's claim that he handed him the win, Federer said: "It's not like he played terrible. I know he can play better. Why did he play that way? I'd like to give myself credit for that, quite honestly, yeah."
  Nishikori and Berdych provided the match of the tournament so far -- an absorbing duel full of eye-catching rallies.
  World number eight Nishikori was in trouble when he faced a break point at 3-3 in the deciding set but he weathered a barrage of Berdych power to fend it off before going on to claim his first win in Stan Smith Group.
  "That was a really big point. He had three, four shots that he went really aggressive. I was defending all the time. I mean, last shot, I kind of went for it, closed my eyes."
  "Was a little bit lucky I made that shot."
  World number six Berdych, beaten by Federer in his opening match, squandered a great chance in the first set when Nishikori was serving at 4-5 15-30, missing a wide-open court with a backhand at the end of a brilliant rally.
  It proved costly as Berdych dropped serve in the next game and Nishikori clinched the set with a pinpoint forehand.
  The 30-year-old Berdych reeled off five successive games on his way to win the second set and the decider was toe-to-toe, before the Czech flinched first.

LONDON-- Mixing the top eight players in London for the ATP's grand finale should be a recipe for thrilling fare but a large crowd were again left short-changed on Monday with Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka the biggest disappointment.
  Wawrinka, who produced arguably the year's standout performance when he beat Novak Djokovic in the French Open final, appeared at times to be going through the motions against Rafa Nadal in the night session at the ATP World Tour Finals.
  Rushing through points and spraying 35 unforced errors, world number four Wawrinka, who lost an epic semi-final here last year to Roger Federer, collapsed to a 6-3 6-2 defeat.
  In the day's earlier Ilie Nastase Group match, home favourite and world number two Andy Murray was at least made to scrap for his 6-4 6-4 win over dogged Spaniard David Ferrer.
  With Djokovic hammering Japan's Kei Nishikori on Sunday and Federer cruising past Tomas Berdych it means 14 of the last 16 group matches at the prestigious and much-hyped season finale, have been won in straight sets.
  "I don't know. Was just a really bad day at the office. Many little things that weren't good today," 30-year-old Wawrinka, who is guaranteed $167,000 just for showing up, told reporters when asked about his performance.
  "It's a really bad match. Bad behaviour in the second set. Things weren't too great about myself."
  "Just disappointed in general. Everything went wrong. Just everything went the wrong way. Simple."
  While Wawrinka was poor, it was another positive step for Nadal as he tries to rediscover the kind of form that delivered 14 grand slam titles and the world number one ranking.
  Things did not start well when he lost his opening service game to love, but he replied immediately in similar fashion and moved 5-3 ahead when his opponent blazed a forehand wide.
  He failed to convert any of the seven break points a rattled Wawrinka offered up at the start of the second set and then saved two himself in the next game, one with a stunning lob.
  Wawrinka then crumbled.
  "Every day for me now is an opportunity to enjoy on court, enjoy the competition, something that I missed for moments this year," Nadal, who fell to 10th in the rankings during a miserable summer, said.
  With Murray up next on Wednesday, however, Nadal played down expectations that he could yet end a below-par year with his first ATP Tour Finals title, having twice been runner-up.
  "I won the first match, that's all. I cannot think about that, seriously."
  Murray, despite having one eye on next week's Davis Cup final in Belgium, definitely looks capable of claiming the title and complete the hat-trick of Wimbledon, Olympic gold and Tour Finals in his home city.
  The 28-year-old's preparations have been geared towards a claycourt in Ghent rather than the indoor surface at the O2 Arena, but he still toyed with Ferrer at times.
  Murray, who already boasted a career-best 68 wins this season coming into the tournament, saved a break point in the opening game and then settled into his groove.
  He could not capitalise on three break points in the eighth game but was gifted the opening set with a Ferrer double fault -- one of eight the Spaniard produced.
  One lapse, when he was broken to love in the first game of the second set, was quickly corrected as he broke back twice to beat Ferrer for the 12th time in 18 meetings.
  Should he beat Nadal on Wednesday Murray will be guaranteed to finish the year as world number two.
  "It would be obviously nice to finish number two because I haven't done it before, but it's not a goal that I'd set for myself at the beginning of this year," Murray said.
  More important will be helping Britain win the Davis Cup for the first time since 1936