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■ VOLLEYBALL

Australia beat Thailand

Australia powered past Thailand in three sets to get off to a winning start in the final qualifying round for the Beijing Olympics men’s volleyball in Tokyo yesterday. Paul Carroll scored 16 points, including two service winners, to lead the Asian champions to a 25-12, 25-15, 25-14 victory in the eight-team round-robin competition. In the second match, Argentina needed five match points before beating South Korea 16-25, 25-23, 25-23, 29-27.



■ MOTORSPORT

Loeb dominates Acropolis

Frenchman Sebastien Loeb dominated the first day of the Acropolis Rally, taking four of the seven stages. The defending world champion ended 15.7 seconds ahead of fellow Citroen driver Dani Sordo of Spain on Friday, and 59.1 in front of Subaru driver Petter Solberg of Norway. The grueling Greek rally around Athens ends today. Championship leader Mikko Hirvonen was seventh at the end of the first day. The Ford driver had a broken suspension in the 4.6km final stage, which cost him 50 seconds and three places in the day’s rankings.



■ GOLF

US extends Curtis Cup lead

Amanda Blumenherst and Stacy Lewis each won two matches on Friday to help the US take a 4-2 lead against Great Britain & Ireland at the Curtis Cup. The US, which has not lost the amateur matches since 1996, started quickly in miserable weather on the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland. Blumenherst and Tiffany Joh looked to be coasting in the morning foursome match by taking a 5-up lead through 12 holes until Breanne Loucks and Florentyna Parker won four of the next five. But on the 18th hole, Parker’s 6-foot birdie putt to halve the match just missed, giving the Americans a 2-1 lead after the morning session. Lewis teamed with Alison Walshe in the morning for a 3-and-1 victory. Then, Lewis teamed with Blumenherst for a 3-and-1 victory in a fourball match that ultimately gave the Americans early control of the cup. Harigae and Kimberly Kim won their fourballs match against Thomson and 15-year-old Carly Booth of Scotland.



■ ROWING

Waddell returns in style

Former Olympic singles sculls champion Rob Waddell made a triumphant return on Friday after eight years away from the international scene. The 33-year-old New Zealander partnered Nathan Cohen to victory in their double sculls heat at a World Cup regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland. Waddell, who has raced with a heart ailment throughout his career, last competed on the world stage when he won gold in the single sculls at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. He and Cohen have Olympic medal potential in the double sculls, overcoming a slow start to beat reigning world champions Iztok Cop and Luka Spik of Slovenia in their heat on Friday.



■ CRICKET

Afghanistan, Jersey qualify

Afghanistan and Jersey qualified for the ICC World Cricket League Division 5 semi-finals on Friday to stay on course for possible qualification for the 2011 World Cup finals, the International Cricket Council announced. Afghanistan successfully defended a 142-run total to defeat Nepal by 37 runs at the Grainville, while hosts Jersey outsmarted the US by 84 runs at the FB Fields. Afghanistan and Jersey not only progressed through to yesterday’s final, but will also join Hong Kong, Fiji, Tanzania and Italy in the six-team Division four set for the Tanzanian capital of Dar Es Salaam from Oct. 4 to Oct. 11.
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