■ Tennis
Federer equals record
Roger Federer yesterday pulled level on the longest continuous run of success in tennis when he tied Jimmy Connors' record of 160 consecutive weeks at No. 1. The Swiss winner of 10 Grand Slam title is likely to give the achievement only a passing glance as he prepares to return to the game after winning the Australian Open, playing from next Monday in the Dubai event. Federer's achievement was not a surprise, calculated three months ago as he lifted the Tennis Masters Cup trophy to end a stellar 2006 season in Shanghai. Connors, currently coaching Andy Roddick, set his mark between 1974 and 1977. "I think it's one of the most important records that I'll beat, perhaps even the most significant," Federer said at the Australian Open.
■ Swimming
Phelps dominates again
Michael Phelps dominated the Missouri Grand Prix again on Sunday, winning a pair of races in his final major competition before next month's world championships in Australia. Phelps won both races he entered, the 200m freestyle and the 400m individual medley. Unlike on Saturday -- when Phelps broke his own world record in the 200m butterfly and topped the nearest competitor by more than 6 seconds -- the winner of six gold medals in the Athens Olympics faced a much tougher challenge on the meet's second day. Phelps had to come from behind in the medley race, overtaking second-place finisher Ous Mellouli in the final 25m. He finished in 4:11.3. "I knew it was going to be a race," said Phelps, who was visibly tired afterward. "This is what I expected tonight." Phelps also won the 200m freestyle in 1:46.47.
■ Basketball
Hardaway apologizes
Former NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway apologized again on Sunday for his anti-gay remarks, telling a Miami television station that he "didn't mean" to say what he said in a South Florida radio interview last week. Hardaway, in an interview at his home with WFOR station, acknowledged he made a major mistake by saying "I hate gay people" when asked how he would react to having a gay teammate. "I don't hate gay people," Hardaway said. "I'm a goodhearted person. I interact with people all the time ... I respect people. For me to say `hate' was a bad word and I didn't mean to use it." Hardaway made the anti-gay comments on Wednesday, a week after Englishman John Amaechi became the first former NBA player to reveal his homosexuality. Hardaway said he didn't believe gay players should share a locker room with heterosexual players.
■ Rugby Union
Scots consider London team
Scottish rugby chiefs are contemplating the prospect of setting up a professional team in England. Reports in Scotland suggested the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) was considering forming a team in London to play in the Celtic League. A statement issued by the SRU on Sunday said the idea was being debated as part of a "wide-ranging strategic review" of their professional teams. It added: "We recognize that professional rugby in Scotland is still struggling to fully take off at pro-team level and the board believes it has a duty to its stakeholders to radically examine all aspects of the professional game ... Considering the merits of having a pro team based in England is not new and is something worthy of Scottish Rugby exploring."
Inter on Sunday were given a letoff when they snatched a late 1-1 derby draw with AC Milan, while league leaders SSC Napoli were held by a late goal at AS Roma. Reigning champions Inter remain three points behind Napoli, who looked to be heading five clear as they led in Rome until Angelino volleyed in a stunning leveler in the first minute of stoppage-time. Angelino’s strike gave even more significance to Stefan de Vrij’s last-gasp equalizer at the San Siro. The defender forced home Nicola Zalewski’s knockdown just as it looked like Tijjani Reijnders’ opener would be enough for Milan. “I can
The Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets on Saturday did not disappoint in a thrilling midseason matchup in front of a fired-up sellout crowd of more than 18,500 fans. The top two teams in the NHL delivered with a combined nine goals, including the 877th of Alex Ovechkin’s career to put him 18 back of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record. That tied the score, the Jets pulled it out in overtime and just about everyone involved got their money’s worth out of the 5-4 game. “We knew how we were both sitting in the standings and both having real good years,” Winnipeg coach Scott
BACK-TO-BACK: The League One club, which is owned by stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, is sparing no expense to clinch promotion to the Championship Hollywood endings are pricey, even in England’s third division. In pursuit of their third straight promotion, Wrexham AFC splashed some cash at League One rival Reading to secure the services of striker Sam Smith. The Welsh club owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney confirmed the signing of the 26-year-old Smith on Friday. He is one of the top scorers in the third division. The transfer fee was not disclosed, but British media widely reported it to be about £2 million (US$2.48 million) — not extravagant, but a hefty price at this level and it would be about the same figure that
Santiago Castro on Tuesday had an immediate impact off the bench as he scored the goal to send Bologna into the Coppa Italia semi-finals for the first time in 26 years. Bologna won 1-0 against last year’s runners-up, Atalanta BC, and are to play either holders Juventus or Empoli in the final four. Juventus are to host Empoli in their quarter-final on Feb. 26. The last time Bologna reached the semi-finals was in 1999, when they lost 4-2 to ACF Fiorentina. There were chances for both sides in a high-tempo match in Bergamo, but it was Bologna who broke the deadlock 10 minutes from