■CRICKET
Bravo burst in vain
Inspired bowling by Windies allrounder Dwayne Bravo wasn’t enough to force a result as the second Test between Australia and West Indies in Adelaide ended in a draw yesterday. The home side reached 212 for five chasing 330 to win after West Indies were dismissed for 317 in the morning session. Windies captain Chris Gayle scored an unbeaten 165 with Aussie fast bowler Mitchell Johnson grabbing five for 103 and fellow opening bowler Doug Bollinger finishing with three for 50. Simon Katich and Shane Watson then put on 33 for the Australian first wicket before Katich was caught by Adrian Barath off the bowling of Bravo for 21. Ricky Ponting was the next man out after the lunch break, bowled by pace man Ravi Rampaul for 20 before Watson fell to a catch by Bravo off Darren Sammy two short of his half-century. Australia were 132 for three at tea but the visitors slim hopes of victory improved considerably when Bravo dismissed Michael Hussey and Marcus North in quick succession. Brad Haddin and Michael Clarke ensured there were no more scares for the home side, with Clarke finishing on 61 not out.
■SOCCER
Spaniards dominate list
Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid have swept the list of five nominees for the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year award. Barcelona are represented by Spanish midfielders Andres Iniesta and Xavi along with Argentine playmaker Lionel Messi, the strong favorite for the award to be handed out on Dec. 21. Real Madrid are present thanks to the inclusion of Brazilian Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo. The quintet have emerged from an initial 23-strong shortlist with voting restricted to the coaches and captains of national selections.
■SQUASH
Shabana struggles
Reigning World Open champion Amr Shabana was taken to four games by unfancied Indian Saurav Ghosal before making the quarter-finals of the PSA Masters squash in Mumbai, India, on Monday. World No. 3 Shabana, who won his fourth Open title in Kuwait City last month, overcame the 32nd-ranked Ghosal 11-6, 6-11, 11-5, 12-10 in 48 minutes at the Bombay Gymkhana. “Sourav is a really strong player and gave me a good fight,” said Shabana, who is favored to win the US$152,500 event after top-seed Gregory Gaultier crashed out in the first round. Shabana’s quarter-final opponent will be compatriot Mohamed El Shorbagy, who won a dramatic five-game cliffhanger against world No. 6 James Willstrop of England. The 20th-ranked Shorbagy won 7-11, 11-5, 11-4, 5-11, 13-11 in a match that took two hours and 20 minutes to finish after Willstrop left the court with a bleeding forehead during the second game. Shorbagy, who lost the first game, was leading 8-5 in the second when his racquet accidently hit Willstrop in the forehead, interrupting the match for more than an hour.
■CRICKET
Pakistanis to miss edition
Pakistan’s cricketers will miss the next edition of the IPL because of a delay in securing visas for the lucrative Twenty20 event in India, IPL chief Lalit Modi said yesterday. “We have been informed by the Pakistan Cricket Board that they have not been able to obtain the visas as of now,” Modi told local media. “Pakistan’s players are out and will not be allowed to take part in the next IPL. We are informing the teams that they can now go for replacement of Pakistan players.” The deadline for obtaining visas for the March 12 to April 25 event was on Monday.
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
Alex Michelsen on Thursday rallied for a 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 upset victory over third-seeded Lorenzo Musetti in the men’s singles, converting his seventh match point to reach the fourth round of the Canadian Open. Michelsen reached the last 16 of a Masters 1000 for the first time with his second win over a top-10 player in eight attempts. The 20-year-old American survived nearly 50 unforced errors and converted just two of nine break chances, but it was enough to vanquish Italy’s Musetti, a two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist ranked 10th in the world. “It feels really good,” the 26th-ranked Michelsen said. “I’ve put
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