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CARDIFF -- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was the ultimate super-sub in his 11 years at Manchester United, his lethal finishing snatching priceless league points and famously winning his team the Champions League in 1999. Now, he is back in the Premier League and on a very different kind of rescue mission -- saving Cardiff from relegation. The 40-year-old Solskjaer was hired as Cardiffs new manager on Thursday, swapping job security at Molde and a settled family life in his native Norway for the high-pressure world of footballs richest league. "I felt I needed to be back here," Solskjaer said of his return to the Premier League. "I wish I was 25 again and playing in the Premier League," he added. "Time ticks for everyone so I cant -- now Im a lucky man to be a manager in the Premier League." Nicknamed the "Baby-faced Assassin" during his time at United from 1996-2007, it was a grey-haired Solskjaer who was presented at Cardiff City Stadium as the replacement for Malky Mackay, who was fired last week after losing a power struggle with the Welsh clubs Malaysian owner, Vincent Tan. Solskjaer has signed a rolling, season-by-season contract, with his first task to ensure Cardiff retains its Premier League status following its return to Englands top flight for the first time in 51 years. Cardiff is 17th in the 20-team Premier League -- a point and a place above the relegation zone after 20 games. If he achieves that, his next aim will be to establish the team from the Welsh capital as a force in the division. And he is pledging to do so by playing an attacking brand of football modeled on the sides of Alex Ferguson, who was his manager at United in that trophy-laden decade when Solskjaer won six league titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League. Naturally, Solskjaer spoke to Ferguson before accepting the job at Cardiff, which is increasingly perceived in Britain as a tough role because of Tans reported meddling in team affairs. "When theres a big decision to make, you rely on certain people you trust," Solskjaer said. "I trusted him with my football career, to manage my career, and I trust him now as well." Solskjaers career, which reached its peak when he diverted home Uniteds injury-time winner in a 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich in that most dramatic of Champions League finals, ended in 2007 after he failed to recover from a serious knee injury. He remained at United in a coaching and ambassadorial role, however, and went on to become the clubs reserve-team manager. He coached Molde -- his former club -- from 2011, winning back-to-back titles in his first two seasons and then the Norwegian Cup in his third. Solskjaer was always tipped to make a return to the Premier League sooner rather than later, and was linked with vacant roles at Aston Villa and Blackburn only to stay in Norway for family reasons. He was immediately installed as favourite to succeed Mackay after the Scot was fired on Friday and held talks with Tan and chairman Mehmet Dalman at Arsenals Emirates Stadium on Wednesday before the teams match against the Premier League leaders. Dalman said Solskjaers name was the "only one name in my head from the very beginning." "He is coming here to prove something to himself and to Cardiff," Dalman said. "I had no doubts from day one, so I do feel like the cat that got the cream." Working under Tan may prove to be challenging, with Mackay barely communicating with his owner by the end of his time in charge. Since buying Cardiff in 2010, Tan has alienated some supporters by changing the clubs colours from blue to red, adopting a new crest and then removing Mackay, who had guided the team to a League Cup final in 2012 and the Premier League a year later. "When I went to Manchester United, it was a new experience for me; when I went back to Molde with the English influence I had, that was a cultural difference for people back in Norway," Solskjaer said. "Now when I come here, I want to create a culture here too. The communication between me and Mehmet and me and the owner will be crucial. Communication and dialogue is the key in any organization." Solskjaers first game in charge is against Newcastle in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday. He will return to Old Trafford on Jan. 28 for a league match against United. Stitched Mariners Jerseys . 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The shortstop still grieves, but it will be nights like the one Segura had in a 5-2 victory Monday over the Cincinnati Reds that will provide some distraction.LONDON -- Canadas Eugenie Bouchard stumbled in her first two Grand Slam semifinal appearances this year. The third time proved to be the charm Thursday at the All England Club. Bouchard defeated Romanias Simona Halep 7-6 (5), 6-2 to become the first Canadian to advance to the womens singles final at Wimbledon. It was the latest achievement in what has already been a historic run for Bouchard at the sports most prestigious event. "After doing well in the past few (Grand) Slams, Ive been believing since the beginning of the tournament that I can do really well," she said. "Im just trying to take it one match at a time. Its really important not to get ahead of ourselves. "I totally feel like I belong, and Im just so excited for the next match." The 20-year-old from Westmount, Que., has yet to lose a set in her six matches so far at Wimbledon. No Canadian had ever reached the womens singles quarter-finals here in the Open era -- never mind the final -- before Bouchard. There could be a Canadian in the mens singles final as well. Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., will take on Switzerlands Roger Federer on Friday with a berth in Sundays championship on the line. This is uncharted territory for Canadian tennis. Before this tournament, no Canadian had ever reached a mens or womens Grand Slam singles final, according to Tennis Canada. The last Canadian to reach a singles semifinal at a major was Robert Powell at Wimbledon in 1908, the organization said. Montreal native Greg Rusedski reached the U.S. Open final in 1997 but he was representing Great Britain at that time. The 13th-seeded Bouchard, who converted her sixth match point to complete the 94-minute victory, will next face sixth-seeded Petra Kvitova on Saturday. "To get to my first Grand Slam final, its very exciting. Its what Ive worked so long for, you know," Bouchard said. "So Im just proud of myself for todays effort." Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, beat fellow Czech left-hander Lucie Safarova 7-6 (6), 6-1 in the early semifinal. Bouchard lost in the semifinals at the years two previous majors, the Australian Open and French Open. Shes projected to rise to No. 7 -- the highest ranking for a Canadian woman -- by reaching the final and would go to No. 6 by winning the championship. Bouchard would also be the youngest Grand Slam champion since Maria Sharapova won the 2006 U.S. Open at age 19. "Ive put in a lot of hard work and its been kind of years in the making to me," Bouchard said. "So I believe in myself and I expect good results. Ive had a good start to the season, but I expect myself to do even better than that." In a semifinal that was delayed twice in the first set -- first by a left ankle injury to Halep, and then when a woman spectator fell ill during the tiebreaker -- Halep double-faulted on break point in the second set and then was broken again by Bouchard to give the Canadian a 4-1 lead. The third-seeded Halep, who saved three match points in the seventh game and two more in the final game, appeared to be increasingly affected by her ankle injury and looked down at her feet several times after hitting shots. "It was difficult to continue ... I felt a big pain in the moment, but then was better with the tape," Halep said. "But still, I couldnt push anymore with my leg. My first serve was really bad after that." On Bouchards first match point, Halep hit an ace, but Bouchard did not appear ready to receive, and she went to speak with chair umpire Kader Nouni.ddddddddddddBut the point stood and Bouchard failed to clinch the match. "When Simona tossed I heard someone scream in the crowd," Bouchard said. "It had happened a few times already. This time I didnt feel prepared to return, so I put my hand up. I felt like we should have replayed the point, but he said, no, it was her point. Just happy I kept my focus and didnt get distracted." The tiebreaker was delayed briefly when the female spectator became ill. With Halep leading 3-2, Nouni jumped from his chair to alert security officials to the womans illness and told both players to go to their sideline chairs. Temperatures on Centre Court were 25 degrees Celsius under sunny skies. Following a delay of about five minutes and after the woman was escorted from the seating area by medical staff, the tiebreaker resumed. The woman returned to her seat later in the match after treatment. Halep had never been past the third round at a Grand Slam until last year, when she made it to the fourth round at the U.S. Open. Then she reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open in January, and got to the final at the French Open last month, losing to Sharapova. In the first semifinal, Kvitova -- the only womens player born in the 1990s to have won a major title -- improved her record to 25-5 on the Wimbledon grass. The 24-year-old has made at least the quarter-finals for five years in a row. "I know how (it feels) when you hold the trophy so I really want to win my second title here and I will do everything I can," Kvitova said. She saved her best for last: Up to 6-all in the tiebreaker, Safarova had won more total points, 40-39. From there, though, Kvitova won 31 of the last 48 points in the match. Kvitova beat Bouchard 6-3, 6-2 in their only previous meeting, a second-round match at the Rogers Cup in Toronto last August. "I find her as a very solid and talented player," Kvitova said. "She is confident in her game right now. Shes moving very well ... shes playing aggressively." After sealing the victory, Bouchard appeared pleased with her performance but kept the jubilation to a minimum. "Its not like a surprise to me -- I expect good results like this," she said. "So for me, I was like, OK good. Its a step in the right direction. I get to play in the final and I still have another match so its not a full celebration yet." Bouchard is the only woman to have advanced to all three Grand Slam semifinals this year. The 2012 Wimbledon junior champion said shes proud to be the first Canadian to make it this far in the tournament. "Its always exciting and special when I can make history," she said. "My job is not done, I want to go another step further. So Im going to stay focused and enjoy it after." Also Thursday, Vasek Pospisil of Vancouver and American Jack Sock upset the second-seeded duo of Alexander Peya of Austria and Bruno Soares of Brazil in mens doubles quarter-final play. The third-seeded team of Torontos Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia dropped a 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 6-4 decision to fifth seeds Leander Paes of India and Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic. Top-seeded Novak Djokovic will play Grigor Dimitrov in the other mens semifinal Friday. The final is scheduled for Sunday. ' ' '