■SOCCER
Squad saves suicidal woman
A woman was talked out of suicide by the Hull City team, it emerged yesterday. The woman had been threatening to jump from the Humber Bridge, which has seen more than 200 attempts or falls since it opened in 1981, when the players of the Premier League side, led by manager Phil Brown, walked past. Second from bottom of the table and having lost 6-1 to Liverpool on Saturday, Brown took his players on a walk to try to clear their heads. In the end, they achieved rather more. “We walked across there [on Wednesday],” Brown said. “We saved a girl actually — considering her future, shall we say. You don’t know, do you, until someone jumps, whether they were actually going to do it? But she tootled off back to wherever she came from. We were looking for clarity,” Brown went on. “Did we find it? Absolutely. When you’re jogging you can’t really speak. When you’re walking, you can. So that’s what we did. There are analogies if you want them. The bridge was built with engineering based on the fact that when an ill wind blows, it becomes stronger, a sturdier sculpture.”
■SOCCER
Rooney puts family first
Wayne Rooney is prepared to miss Manchester United’s Champions League trip to CSKA Moscow if it clashes with wife Coleen giving birth to the couple’s first child. The England striker’s child is due on Oct. 24 — also Rooney’s 24th birthday — which is just three days after the Manchester United are due to play in Moscow. “Of course I want to be there for the birth of my child and if anything happens around the days of traveling then I’m sure I’ll stay back and won’t go. But unless that happens I will be there playing,” Rooney said. “It’s due a few days after. Of course it’s a long way but I’ve got a job to go and play for United so unless anything happens then I’ll be there.”
■TENNIS
Teen sensation loses
US teen sensation Melanie Oudin, looking to extend her dream breakthrough season at the China Open, saw her hopes dashed yesterday when she failed to qualify for the main draw in Beijing. The 18-year-old Oudin, ranked 42nd in the world, was ousted by unheralded compatriot Alexa Glatch, the world No. 115, in three sets, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3. Oudin burst onto the scene in June with a fourth-round showing at Wimbledon, shocking former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic en route. The Georgia native followed that up with an even better run at Flushing Meadows, defeating fourth seed Elena Dementieva and another former No. 1, Maria Sharapova. Taiwan’s Chang Kai-chen also lost yesterday but not before giving Shahar Peer a fright by taking the first set. The Israeli, who has just won successive WTA tournaments, bounced back to take the match 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Another Taiwanese casualty yesterday was Hsieh Su-wei. The 23-year-old proved no match for Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan who cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 victory.
■SOCCER
Welliton may go Russian
Spartak Moscow’s Brazilian forward Welliton said he would consider taking up Russian citizenship and playing for the country at international level. “It’s very difficult to make the Brazil national team so if I get an invitation, I would play for Russia,” the speedy striker was quoted as saying by the daily Sovietsky Sport. Welliton, who turns 23 this month, has established himself as one of the top players in the Russian Premier League since joining Spartak from Brazilian side Goias in 2007. He is the league’s leading scorer with 15 goals this season.
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