PAYING THE PRICE: In a game played at pace with few stoppages, the Waikato Chiefs missed more than 30 tackles and were guilty of too many handling errors
The Auckland Blues adapted best to experimental new rules to end a run of home defeats against the Waikato Chiefs with a 32-14 win in the Super 14 local derby yesterday.

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Japan's Mao Asada took the ladies' gold medal at the Four Continents championships yesterday by recording a season's best total score of 193.25, defeating world champion compatriot Miko Ando.

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Leading seeds Andy Murray and Marcos Baghdatis won in straight sets while defending champion Gilles Simon lost in the Open 13 quarter-finals on Friday.

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Home favorite Justine Henin eased past Russian qualifier Alisa Kleybanova 6-4, 6-3 to reach the semi-finals of the WTA Diamond Games on Friday.

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LEARINING: The East Asian Cup kicks off today with China's coach keen for his players to use the tournament as a way to gain vital experience
South Korea have played down their 26-match winning streak against China over 30 years as their squads prepared to clash in the East Asian Cup here today.

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TALKING THE TALK: Sheffield United face Middlesbrough in the FA Cup today with a manager relishing his new post and insisting the club can gain promotion
Kevin Blackwell is dreaming of leading Sheffield United back into the Premier League, after spending a night sleeping on the camp bed of chairman Terry Robinson.

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Tanja Poutiainen of Finland on Friday won the women's World Cup slalom event at Zagreb, edging out Marlies Schild of Austria and Slovakia's Veronika Zuzolova to win in one minute 53.72 seconds.

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Some court hearings are about the law; some are about the facts. But Friday's hearing, at which boxer Oscar De La Hoya was due in court, was simply about the show.

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Former Newcastle manager Sir Bobby Robson has said Kevin Keegan faces a "mammoth job" to turn round the fortunes of the north-east side in his second spell as boss at St James' Park.

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By Paul Huang
James Mao's clutch drive to the hoop with the clock winding down proved to be the game-winner for Pure Youth Construction as they stunned the Yulon Dinos 116-113 in overtime on Friday at the Taipei County Sports Complex.

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ADRIFT: South Korea's K.J. Choi, the first-round leader after a 65, shot a second-round 73, and six players remained on the golf course when play was stopped
Phil Mickelson fired a seven-under 64 to seize a four-shot second-round lead on Friday at the US$6.2 million Northern Trust Open.

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Swedish superstar Annika Sorenstam fired a second-round 67 on Friday to seize a share of the lead in the US$1.1 million SBS Open on Friday alongside Erica Blasberg.

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Goalie Marty Turco recorded his 200th NHL career victory on Friday as the Dallas Stars beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-2.

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When it comes to adding sparkle to the National Basketball Association All-Star Game, players worry that adopting a US-International format could cause injuries and overheated tensions.

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Olympians who speak freely about politics and human rights while in China for the Beijing Games may be doing their Chinese counterparts a favor, says a former national basketball team member.

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The lawyer for former New England Patriots employee Matt Walsh said his client is willing to turn over videotapes he made for the team if the NFL guarantees Walsh protection from lawsuits or other legal action.

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■ SOCCER