Chelsea's Michael Essien (R) vies with Liverpool's Lucas

Liverpool's goalkeeper Jose Reina (2nd L) reacts after Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic (2nd R) scores

Liverpool's Fernando Torres (R) wins a header from Chelsea's Michael Essien

Liverpool's Xabi Alonso (L) vies with Chelsea's Michael Ballack

Chelsea's Frank Lampard (R) celebrates at the final whistle with goalkeeper Petr Cech

Chelsea moved within touching distance of the Champions League semi-finals thanks to a stunning 3-1 victory over Liverpool in Wednesday's quarter-final first leg at Anfield.

Guus Hiddink's side produced a breathtaking response after falling behind to an early Fernando Torres strike as Branislav Ivanovic buried two headers before Didier Drogba added a third goal.

Liverpool had beaten Chelsea twice in the league this season, but that was during Luiz Felipe Scolari's underwhelming reign.

The Blues have been back to their imposing best since Hiddink replaced Scolari and they swept Liverpool aside to leave next Tuesday's return at Stamford Bridge looking a formality, with a last four clash against Barcelona, big winners over Bayern Munich on Wednesday, now on the cards.

Rafa Benitez's team had only themselves to blame. Steven Gerrard was completely out of touch and woeful marking gifted Ivanovic his goals. Now the Reds, for so long Chelsea's bogey team in Europe, look odds on to crash out against the Londoners for the second successive season.

Hiddink said: "If you score in an away Champions League tie it is a tremendous blow to the opposition and that is what we aimed for. We wanted to neutralise Gerrard and make them sweat in defence.

"But it is only half-time in the tie. If we go to the second game thinking it will be easy that would be wrong. We have seen in the past what Liverpool are capable of."

Benitez added: "We scored the first goal and were doing well. But they had some chances and we conceded from a corner when we could have done better.

"After that we were not in control. The second game will be very difficult now because we have to score three goals."

Benitez's pre-match barbs towards Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson suggested he was more concerned about the Premier League title race than success in Europe.

But Anfield on a big European occasion stirs the soul like no other venue and, with Liverpool seeking revenge for last season's semi-final exit against Chelsea, it was no surprise to see Benitez's side make a ferocious start.

From Liverpool's first attack, Ivanovic almost deflected Dirk Kuyt's powerful strike into his own goal.

If that was a fortunate escape for Chelsea, they had no such luck in the sixth minute as Liverpool sliced through their defence in clinical fashion.

Kuyt's back-heel picked out Alvaro Arbeloa on the right and his cross caught the Blues flat-footed. Torres took full advantage to steer a perfectly placed shot past Petr Cech.

Anfield went wild but, with the celebrations still in full swing, Drogba had a golden opportunity to silence the Kop. Fabio Aurelio's error allowed Salomon Kalou to pick out Drogba, but with just Jose Reina to beat his shot was too close to the Liverpool keeper.

These English powerhouses were meeting for the fifth successive season in Europe and, while previous ties have often been stifled by both sides' caution, this was an open encounter.

Torres was terrifying the visitors' defence with his pace and movement. He pulled clear of Frank Lampard before curling a long-range strike just over.

Drogba's first miss had been bad enough but the Ivory Coast star was guilty of an even worse effort in the 30th minute. When Michael Ballack whipped in a low cross, Drogba had Reina's goal at his mercy, yet he lashed over from no more than 10 yards.

After such a frenetic opening, Liverpool were beginning to falter and Chelsea, sensing blood, equalised in the 39th minute when Ivanovic met Florent Malouda's corner with an emphatic header that flashed past Reina for his first Chelsea goal.

Drogba threatened again when he overpowered Martin Skrtel to reach Lampard's pass and slid his shot past Reina, only for Jamie Carragher to make a superb goal-line clearance.

Then John Terry, one booking away from a suspension, rashly challenged Reina for a ball the keeper was clearly going to win. Both players fell to the turf but when Terry got up Danish referee Claus Bo Larsen was waiting with a yellow card that rules him out of the return leg.

Just as the momentum appeared to have swung in Liverpool's favour, Chelsea took the lead in the 62nd minute from another set-piece.

When Lampard curled over a corner, Liverpool, marking zonally rather than man-to-man, allowed Ivanovic a clear run at the ball. Once again he made them pay with a bullet header past Reina.

Liverpool were stunned and there was worse to come. Five minutes later Ballack played in Malouda, whose low cross was turned in by Drogba from close-range.

In this photo released by the U.S. Coast Guard, shows former University of South Florida football player Nick Schuyler clinging to the engine of an overturned boat in the Gulf of Mexico, as the U.S. Coast Guard approaches, Monday March 2, 2009. (Agencies)

CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Coast Guard on Monday narrowed the search area for two NFL players and a third man missing since a weekend fishing trip off the Florida Gulf Coast after crews rescued a fourth man clinging to their capsized boat. Survivor Nick Schuyler, a former University of South Florida player, told rescuers that the boat the four good friends were aboard was anchored when it flipped Saturday evening in rough seas, said Coast Guard Capt. Timothy M. Close.

Schuyler, who was wearing a life vest, had been hanging onto the hull that a Coast Guard cutter discovered 35 miles off Clearwater.

The 21-foot boat belongs to Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper, who, along with free-agent defensive lineman Corey Smith and former South Florida player William Bleakley, were missing.

The Coast Guard wouldn't speculate on the men's chances of survival, but Petty Officer Robert Simpson said their size and good health were advantaged. Cooper, 26, is 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, and the 29-year-old Smith is 6-foot-2, 250 pounds. The 25-year-old Bleakley had played tight end.

"With all of these men being past, present football players, they do have a much larger physique than a lot of people," he said. "So their odds are going to be definitely in their favor."

Their families have said they had life vests and flares aboard.

Schuyler was conscious but appeared weak as he was being taken off a helicopter at Tampa General Hospital and placed on a stretcher. His father said his son was in serious but stable condition and that he "looks OK."

"He's got some cuts and bruises. He's dehydrated," said Stuart Schuyler.

Schuyler's mother, Marsha Schuyler, said her son told her that he survived by thinking about how he didn't want her to go to his funeral.

The family's joy at him being found alive was tempered by the search for his friends.

"We still have three men missing, and we're not going to talk too much until we find these guys," said his father, Stuart Schuyler. "We're all praying for them. These guys are all very close friends."

Searchers had previously covered 16,000 square miles of ocean but the area being searched was much smaller since they found Schuyler, Close said.

Smith's family planned to drive to Florida from Richmond, Va., Tuesday, after the snowy weather in the East made getting a flight impossible, said Yolanda Newbill, one of Smith's sisters. She said they have been in contact with the Coast Guard every few hours since the search began.

"We have never lost hope," Newbill said. "We have total faith that (he) will be coming home."

Ray Sanchez of Tampa, a cousin of Cooper, said the family was confident the Coast Guard would find them.

"My cousin's a powerful swimmer," he said.

James Allen, a marine safety consultant who once worked search and rescue operations with the Coast Guard, said the chances of finding survivors diminish after people have been in the water three days.

Survivors have been found who were floating for days, but he added "you just can't swim forever."

After 18 hours in 64-degree water, hypothermia will set in, Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class James Harless said.

The four men left Clearwater Pass early Saturday in calm weather, but heavy winds picked up through the day and the seas got heavy, with waves of 7 feet and higher, peaking at 15 feet on Sunday. A relative alerted the Coast Guard early Sunday after the men did not return as expected. The Coast Guard said it did not receive a distress signal.

The men were aboard an Everglades-manufactured boat, which is built with compressed foam encased in Fiberglas, making it difficult to sink. The weather had improved, with waves subsiding to 6 to 8 feet, National Weather Service meteorologist Todd Barron said.

However, Bob Zales, president of National Association of Charter Boat Operators, said waves that high can capsize a boat the size of Cooper's.

"A boat that size, personally, I wouldn't get out any farther than 20 or 30 miles offshore," Zales said. "But I see people all the time 40, 50 miles offshore."

Smith of Richmond, had 30 tackles, including three sacks, and an interception in 12 games last season for the Detroit Lions. He also played for the San Francisco 49ers and was a standout at North Carolina State.

Cooper, 26, played college ball at Washington, and has spent five seasons with five different teams, appearing in 26 games with the Buccaneers in 2004 and 2005. He's played sparingly since. He grew up in Gilbert, Ariz., and his father Bruce is a prominent sportscaster for KPNX-TV in Phoenix.

The Raiders and Lions said in separate statements that the teams hope the men will be rescued and that their thoughts and prayers go out to their families.

(Agencies)

Huston Rockets' Yao Ming (L) from China shakes hands with countryman Yi Jianlian of New Jersey Nets before their NBA game in Huston February 18, 2009. It was the fourth confront of China's two biggest basketball stars on NBA court. Yao's Rockets beat Yi's Nets 114-88. Yao scored 20 points with 12 rebounds and Yi got five points after a month-long break due to finger injury. [CFP]

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming (L) battles for a rebound with New Jersey Nets center Josh Boone (2) and forward Yi Jianlian (R) during their NBA basketball game in Houston February 17, 2009.[Agencies]

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming (L) is defended by New Jersey Nets forward Yi Jianlian (R) as he goes up for a shot during their NBA basketball game in Houston February 17, 2009. [sina.com]

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming (L) is defended by New Jersey Nets forward Yi Jianlian (R) as he goes up for a shot during their NBA basketball game in Houston February 17, 2009. [sina.com]

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming (L) is defended by New Jersey Nets forward Yi Jianlian (R) as he goes up for a shot during their NBA basketball game in Houston February 17, 2009. [Agencies]

Yao Ming had 20 points and 12 rebounds and Shane Battier scored a season-high 19 points as the Houston Rockets beat the Nets, 114-88, on Tuesday night.

Artest started in place of Tracy McGrady, who sat out for the 19th time this season with an injury. McGrady said before the All-Star break he would take a leave to seek input on the best course of treatment for his left knee.

Vince Carter scored 30 points and Brook Lopez added 21 for the Nets, who have lost three straight after a four-game winning streak.

“It was a tough night,” Carter said. “We have to do better if we want to win. We have to focus for 48 minutes and they took the life out of us.”

Yi Jianlian scored 5 points for the Nets in his first game since Jan. 9, when he broke a finger. Last season, when Yi was with Milwaukee, his arrival in Houston to face Yao’s Rockets was a major event in China — the first time the nation’s two biggest basketball stars faced off in the N.B.A. The Rockets beat Yi and the Bucks, 104-88.

In this one, Yao outmuscled Yi for an offensive rebound and dunked to give the Rockets their first lead, 17-16.

Winners of the Pairs stand on the podium at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Vancouver, British Columbia February 5, 2009. China's Pang Qing and Tong Jian (C) were first with a score of 194.94, while compatriots Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao (R) finished third with 174.98 and Canada's Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison (L) second, 185.62.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

China's Pang Qing and Tong Jian compete in the Pairs Free Skate during the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Vancouver, British Columbia February 5, 2009. The couple placed first in the competition with 194.94.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

China's Pang Qing and Tong Jian compete in the Pairs Free Skate during the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Vancouver, British Columbia February 5, 2009. The couple placed first in the competition with 194.94.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

VANCOUVER, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's Pang Qing and Tong Jian Thursday won the pairs figure skating at the ISU Four Continents Championship held in Vancouver, Canada's host city of 2010 Winter Olympics.

The Chinese duo skated a near-flawless performance in the free program that included a couple of huge lifts and throws en route to a score of 194.94.

The only noticeable mistake they made was being slightly out of synch on a side-by-side spin.

Canada's Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison, finished second with 185.62 points, and Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao of China were third with 174.98.

"They (Pang and Tong) did a perfect job today. I am quite glad with it," Bin Yao, head coach of China's figure skating national team, told Xinhua shortly after the event.

"But you can see that the Canadian pair also skated a very strong performance. It's hard to predict who will be the winner in the coming Winter Games," Yao said when asked of his expectations for the 2010 event.

In ice dancing, Canada's Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are poised to win their second consecutive Four Continents title as they scored 60.90 points for Thursday's original dance, taking a total 97.30 points into Friday's free dance final.

American pairs Davis Meryl/White Charlie and Samuelson Emily/Bates Evan got the second and third place with 95.65 and 90.89 points respectively.

China's Yu Xiaoyang and Wang Chen, Wang Jiayue and Gao Chongbo, are the 7th and 8th.

The Four Continents figure skating tournament is dotted as a test event for the 2010 Winter Olympics.