■CRICKET
Ryder makes T20 squad
Opening batsman Jesse Ryder will return to the international game for the first time in seven months after being selected yesterday in the New Zealand squad for this month’s Twenty20 World Cup. Ryder was injured while playing for New Zealand at the Champions Trophy limited-overs tournament in September and missed most of New Zealand’s domestic season after having surgery to strengthen his abdominal wall. He scored 103 from 109 balls for Wellington last week in his first first-class match since his injury. Batsman Rob Nicol is the only new cap in the 15-man squad. Daryl Tuffey and Neil Broom were not considered for selection because of injury while medium pacer Ian Butler, allrounder Jacob Oram and batsman Aaron Redmond return after injury layoffs.
■SOCCER
Mourinho speaks out
Inter manager Jose Mourinho sparked speculation about his future on Tuesday by declaring he was unhappy with Italian soccer. The charismatic but unpredictable Portuguese coach, who previously managed English Premier League giants Chelsea and guided Porto to the 2004 Champions League trophy, told Sky Sports that he did not like Italian soccer. “It is a simple situation, I am very happy,” said the 47-year-old, who is in his second season with Inter. “I am happy at Inter, but unhappy with Italian football. I always speak with my heart but if I spoke with my heart now about Serie A I would be suspended.” Mourinho, who has not enamoured himself with the Italian soccer authorities earning himself four touchline bans, made it clear why he was unhappy. “Because I do not like it [Italian soccer] and because they don’t like me.”
■SOCCER
Spain retain FIFA top spot
Spain retained top spot in the latest world rankings released yesterday, while Portugal and England both improved their positions in the top 10. European champions Spain lead second-place Brazil and third-place Netherlands, while Portugal are fourth after climbing two places in FIFA’s monthly rankings table. World champions Italy dropped to fifth, Germany are sixth and England rise one spot to No. 7, trading places with France who lost 2-0 against Spain in a March 3 friendly. Egypt are the highest-ranked African nation at No. 14, while the US climb two places to No. 16, one ahead of Mexico. Australia are the top-ranked Asian side, up four spots to No. 19 after beating Indonesia in an Asian Cup qualifier. Taiwan dropped one place to joint-163rd, level with Eritrea.
■TENNIS
New Aussie to make debut
Russian-born Anastasia Rodionova will make her Fed Cup debut for Australia in this month’s crunch against Ukraine, just months after gaining citizenship, officials said yesterday. Rodionova, 27, was named alongside Samantha Stosur, Alicia Molik and Rennae Stubbs for the play-off, which could put Australia into the competition’s World Group for the first time since 2004. The Melbourne-based right-hander, ranked 93, will travel to Kharkiv, Ukraine, after becoming an Australian national in December. “This is perhaps one of the most significant Fed Cup ties in recent memory,” said Australian captain David Taylor. “It is an opportunity for the Australian team to re-establish itself among the elite countries in women’s tennis. [Anastasia] is a real fighter on court and will make the most of every opportunity.”
■FOOTBALL
Star denies hurting woman
Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes denies injuring a female bar patron who says he threw a glass at her in a Florida club, a police report released on Tuesday said. Holmes told a Florida police officer that the alleged victim, Anshonae Mills, grabbed him and used a racial slur after he asked for his seat back at Club Rain in Orlando earlier this month. Both Mills and Holmes are black. In a lawsuit, the 21-year-old Mills claims the Pittsburgh Steelers receiver hit her with the glass in the face cutting her near the eye after she refused to get up. “When she refused, Mr Holmes began to get more belligerent and more aggressive in an attempt to get our client to move from the area, which he claimed was his,” Mills’ lawyer Jacques Cooper said. Steelers president Art Rooney said the club was “disappointed” by the allegations made in the lawsuit. In the past three years, Holmes has been charged with marijuana possession in Pittsburgh, domestic violence in Ohio and disorderly conduct in Florida. The marijuana and domestic violence charges were dropped. The disorderly conduct charge was dropped after Holmes donated US$250 to a police officers fund.
■RUGBY UNION
Mortlock joins Rebels
Former Australia captain Stirling Mortlock signed for Melbourne Rebels yesterday in a major boost for the new Super 15 team and the Wallabies, as he remains available for national selection. Mortlock, 32, Super rugby’s record point-scorer, will join England’s Danny Cipriani and Welsh forward Gareth Delve at the Rebels, where he has committed to a three-year term. “Stirling is yet another addition to our growing team of players with strong leadership skills,” head coach Rod Macqueen said. “The opportunity to play out his career in Melbourne, and not overseas, is great for both Australian rugby and Stirling as he helps us build the foundations of the new club.” Mortlock, who is now playing for the ACT Brumbies and had been considering a move abroad, will be expected to add to his 80 Test matches and tally of 489 points. Australia have a policy of only selecting domestic-based players.
■RUGBY UNION
Injury ends Mauger’s career
Former All Blacks center Aaron Mauger’s hopes of playing at next year’s World Cup in New Zealand have ended after he was forced to retire with a back injury. The 29-year-old, who was playing in Britain for Leicester and has represented his country 45 times, sustained the injury 12 months ago. He had said he would return to New Zealand at the conclusion of his contract with the club in an effort to push for a place in Graham Henry’s 2011 World Cup squad. “After many different specialist treatments in the UK and Germany, along with an intense rehab plan, I have been unable to regain full fitness and participate in full team training and games without re-injuring myself,” Mauger told the club Web site. “So unfortunately retiring now seems the last but only realistic option available.”
■FOOTBALL
Vikings sign Montgomery
The Minnesota Vikings have signed free-agent defensive end Mike Montgomery from the Green Bay Packers, the Vikings said on Tuesday. The 26-year-old Montgomery had spent the past five seasons with the Packers, who drafted him in the sixth round from Texas A&M in 2005. He has appeared in 56 games in his five seasons in the NFL.
Carlos Alcaraz on Monday powered into the French Open second round with a resounding win to start his title defense, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and three-time defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek also progressed at Roland Garros. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz struck 31 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and is to face Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in round two. Alcaraz is now on an eight-match winning streak at the French Open and also took Olympic silver at Roland Garros last year, losing the final to Novak Djokovic. “The first round is never
FRUSTRATION: Alcaraz made several unforced errors over four sets against Bosnian Damir Dzumhur, who had never made it past the third round in a major competition Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the fourth round of the French Open after laboring past Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the Friday night session. The second-seeded Spaniard had never before played Dzumhur, a 33-year-old Bosnian who had never been past the third round at any major tournament. “I suffered quite a lot today,” Alcaraz said. “The first two sets was under control, then he started to play more deeply and more aggressively. It was really difficult for me.” Dzumhur hurt his left knee in a fall in the second round, and had treatment on Friday on his right leg during the
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said
The horn sounded on Wednesday night to signal a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, as the Florida Panthers celebrated merely by hopping over the boards and several heading over to congratulate goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. It was a subdued celebration seemingly more befitting a regular-season win for the reigning Cup champs. “I remember a few years ago, it felt like such an accomplishment from where we were at one point,” forward Matthew Tkachuk said, adding: “It’s all business and we’ve got a bigger goal in mind.” The Panthers closed out the Carolina Hurricanes in five games, with a 5-3 victory in
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