Sport: the best pictures from the last 24 hours

Lewis Hamilton led Felipe Massa by seven points going into the Japanese grand prix, but the drivers crashed into one another and both finished well down the field. Photograph: Toru Hanai/Reuters

The title rivals' misfortunes allowed the Renault driver Fernando Alonso to win in Fuji Photograph: Toru Yamanaka/AFP

But Red Bull's David Couthard had his wings clipped by an early collision Photograph: Sutton Motorsports/Press Association

The NBA came to London with an exhibition match between the New Jersey Nets and the Miami Heat. The Heat's Shawn Marion earned two-points of Miami's total for this effort, but they lost 94-92. Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty

Players from both the Heat and the Nets challenge for a rebound Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty

The NFL season continued in the United States, with the Baltimore Ravens visiting the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts' receiver Reggie Wayne tussles with the Ravens' Frank Walker Photograph: Andy Lyons/Getty

Thomas Jones of the New York Jets scores a touchdown in the first quarter of their match against the Cincinnati Bengals Photograph: Justin Lane/EPA

The Ukrainian fighter Vitali Klitschko eventually wore down the resistance of the Nigerian Samuel Peter in the ninth round of their WBC heavyweight bout in Berlin Photograph: Herbert Knosowski/AP

The Wasps captain Raphael Ibanez, left, led his team past Castres in the opening round of Heineken Cup matches Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP

Michael Claassens scored the first try of the match for Bath in their Heineken Cup match against Toulouse in France, but the hosts came back to win 18-16 Photograph: David Rogers/Getty

The Indian bowler Ishant Sharma during the fourth day of the first Test between India and Australia in Bangalore Photograph: AFP

The Argentine tennis player David Nalbandian en route to a three-set triumph over Robin Soderling in the final of the Stockholm Open Photograph: Olivier Morin/AFP

The Belarussian Vladimir Samsonov serves to Timo Bell of Germany during the final of the European Table Tennis Championships in St Petersburg Photograph: Anatoly Maltsev/EPA

The Austrian Jia Liu was beaten 2-4 by Ruta Paskauskiene of Lithuania in the final of the women's competition in Russia Photograph: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP

The South African golfer Charl Schwartzel on the 18th hole of the Madrid Masters at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, where he shot a final-round 66 to take the title Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action images

The Belgian driver Francois Duval drew the crowds to the Bellevalle during the Rally of France Photograph: Stephan Agostini/AFP