SCOTTISH SHOWDOWN: Rangers will try to put the heartache behind them when they take on Queen of the South in the Scottish Cup final today
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan paid tribute to his players after they clinched the Scottish Premier League (SPL) title on Thursday, an achievement he hailed as one of the best experiences of his life.

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Former Chinese tennis player Hu Na (胡娜) is scheduled to lead three Aboriginal youths to Beijing in July to participate in an international juniors tennis competition.

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England's Ryan Sidebottom took two wickets in seven balls to spoil what threatened to be an ideal start to the second Test by New Zealand at Old Trafford here yesterday.

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Australia captain Ricky Ponting strode majestically to his 35th Test hundred to help his side recover from a shaky start in the opening Test against West Indies on Thursday.

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Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland upset second-seeded Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine 7-6 (6), 6-2 on Thursday to reach the semi-finals of the Strasbourg International.

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EASTERN CONFERENCE: Richard Hamilton scored 25 points, including a running shot in the final minute that helped seal the victory for the Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons dealt the Boston Celtics their first home defeat of the National Basketball Association playoffs on Thursday with a 103-97 triumph.

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By Paul Huang
The Chinatrust Whales bounced back nicely from an embarrassing shutout loss (0-13) to the dmedia T-Rex on Wednesday with a sound 6-2 win at the Taipei County Baseball Stadium in Sinjhuang on Thursday night to salvage a one-game series split with the T-Rex.

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Bulgarian Kotooshu suffered his first defeat in the 15-day sumo tournament yesterday, but still remained on the brink of history with a good chance of becoming the first European to win an Emperor's Cup.

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Andrew Miller limited the Arizona Diamondbacks to five hits in seven innings as the Florida Marlins won 4-0 to complete a three-game sweep in a showdown of first-place National League teams on Thursday.

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Lewis Hamilton showed his determination to end a four-race winless streak by setting the pace at Thursday's opening practice sessions for the Monaco Grand Prix.

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Nicklas Lidstrom is on the cusp of NHL history.

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WEST COURSE WONDER: Ireland's Paul McGinley shot a seven-under 65 to lead at Wentworth after the first round, a shot ahead of 38-year-old Robert Karlsson of Sweden
Paul McGinley of Ireland set the early pace after a seven-under 65, a new record for Wentworth's remodeled West Course, on the first day of the BMW PGA Championships on Thursday.

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Canterbury Crusaders coach Robbie Deans has urged his weary players to stay on track for a seventh Super 14 rugby title when they play their semi-final today against Wellington.

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Stephen Dobbie may be a life-long Rangers fan, but today he hopes to put them to the sword when he lines up for Queen of the South in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park.

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Serbia's women's volleyball team won their first ever ticket to the Olympics after beating Puerto Rico yesterday for a fifth straight-sets win in the final qualifying round.

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The winning coach of today's French Cup final at the Stade de France between League champions Lyon and League Cup winners Paris Saint Germain cannot count on job security despite achieving the double.

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Toulouse aim to confirm their place as the greatest club on the continent by lifting the European Cup for a record fourth time against Munster today.

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■ CYCLING