Mon, Dec 07, 2009 page19

• Sport Briefs

  • AGENCIES
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  ■SQUASH

  Shabana wins first-round

  Reigning World Open champion Amr Shabana of Egypt opened his campaign in the US$152,500 PSA Masters squash with a commanding first-round win on Saturday. Shabana, 30, who won his fourth world title in Kuwait City last month, beat unseeded Frenchman Mathieu Castagnet 11-5, 11-9, 11-5 at the Bombay Gymkhana here. Shabana next meets India’s Saurav Ghosal, who stunned world No. 15 Cameron Pilley of Australia in four games 11-8, 11-2, 10-12, 11-8. The 32-man tournament is India’s biggest squash event and marks the return of the Masters on the Professional Squash Association calendar for the first time since 2006 when Shabana won the title in Bermuda. Sixth-seed James Willstrop of England advanced to the next round with a 11-5, 6-11, 11-3, 11-5 win over compatriot Jonathan Kemp. Former world No. 1 David Palmer of Australia, seeded fifth here, disposed of England’s Tom Richards 11-9, 11-6, 11-7.

  ■GOLF

  Ishikawa youngest earner

  Japanese teenage sensation Ryo Ishikawa became the youngest-ever top money earner in the world at 18 years old after the last tournament of the season at the Nippon Series yesterday. Ishikawa finished the round with a three-over-par at 19th place, while the only remaining contender, Yuta Ikeda, who had a chance to overtake Ishikawa by winning the title, was seven-over-par at 23rd place. Ishikawa collected a total of ¥183.5 million (US$2.03 million). Severiano Ballesteros of Spain, who claimed 35 wins on the European Tour and four wins on the US Tour, was the previous youngest earner in the world when he was 19 years old in 1976. The previous youngest golfer on the Japan tour was Masashi Ozaki at 26 in 1973, while Tiger Woods was 21 on the US Tour in 1997.

  ■FIELD HOCKEY

  Aussies take Trophy

  Australia claimed consecutive Champions Trophy titles and its tenth overall by beating Germany 5-3 in yesterday’s final thanks to four unanswered second-half goals. Australia trailed 3-1 at halftime before scoring three goals in 15 minutes to open the second half, with Luke Doerner finishing with three goals. Also yesterday, South Korea scored four second-half goals to beat the Netherlands 4-2 and claim third place. Spain defeated England 5-2 to take fifth. Australia started strongly and had the lead inside two minutes when striker Des Abbott scored. But Germany came back with three goals in 11 minutes — one from Florian Fuchs, a Martin Haner drag flick and another to Matthias Witthaus from open play. Australia started to convert its penalty corners in the second half.

  ■BOBSLED

  Swiss sweep top two places

  Switzerland swept the top two places in a two-man bobsled World Cup race on Saturday. Racing on the 2006 Turin Olympics track, Beat Hefti and Thomas Lamparter took the victory in Switzerland II with a two-run combined time of 1 minute, 52.37 seconds. Switzerland I with Ivo Rueegg and Cedric Grand was second, 0.22 seconds behind. Steven Holcomb and Curtis Tomasevicz in United States I moved up from seventh after the opening run to place third, 0.50 back. Shauna Rohbock and Michelle Rzepka won the women’s race in United States III, leading both heats for a combined time of 1:56.09 in the night race run under lights. The victory ended a run of three second-place finishes for Rohbock in Cesana, including a silver medal at the Olympics three years ago with Valerie Fleming.

  ■BOXING

  Huck bucks Afolabi

  Germany’s world cruiserweight champion Marco Huck defended his WBO crown against Britain’s Ola Afolabi on Saturday night with a unanimous decision after 12 rounds. The 25-year-old was rarely troubled by the charismatic Afolabi and the three judges awarded him the fight 115-113, 115-113 and 116-112 to seal his first defense after Huck dethroned Victor Emilio Ramirez in August. “That was a hard fight, he was tough to box against, but I am very pleased to have defended my title,” Huck said. Afolabi, 29, who lived up to his reputation as a joker in the ring, was disappointed at the verdict. “I thought he fought dirty, I tried to knock him out, but it just didn’t happen for me,” he said after the fight in Ludwigsburg, near Stuttgart. London-born fighter Afolabi, who is based in California, has a reputation for showmanship in the ring and he repeatedly shrugged his shoulders and clowned around despite absorbing some heavy punches throughout the bout. By the 12th, both orthodox-stance fighters were showing fatigue and ended the round trading blows, but immediately embraced at the final bell.

  ■CURLING

  ‘Hurry Hard’ condoms

  USA Curling is hoping increased interest in Olympic sports before the Vancouver Games can help raise awareness about HIV and AIDS. USA Curling and longtime sponsor Kodiak Technology Group are teaming up to sell Hurry Hard condoms. “Hurry hard” is a curling term, and the logo features a cartoon of a smiling curling stone on a house. The program is a fundraiser, with the proceeds split between the federation and Central Coast HIV/AIDS Services. But USA Curling chief operating officer Rick Patzke says its main purpose is to promote education and awareness. According to UNAIDS, 2.1 million of the 33.4 million people living with HIV are children under 15. Young people account for about 40 percent of all new adult infections.

  ■GOLF

  Goosen stays ahead

  South African Retief Goosen clung to his lead while American Nick Watney stole the show Saturday in round three of the Sun City Challenge in Johannesburg, South Africa. Former winner and twice US Open champion Goosen continued his stroke-a-day improvement to card a 67 on the par-72, 7,162m Gary Player Country Club. Rising star Watney cut 10 shots off his first and second round totals with a 63 that equaled a course record set by South African Ernie Els in 2002 and matched by Swede Henrik Stenson when winning the competition last year. Goosen lies on 204 ahead of the final round, two shots clear of first-round leader Australian Robert Allenby and reigning US Masters champion Argentine Angel Cabrera.

  ■GOLF

  McDowell, Yang share lead

  Graeme McDowell, a late replacement for absent host Tiger Woods, surged into a share of the lead alongside Yang Yong-Eun on Saturday at the Chevron World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, California. Northern Ireland’s McDowell caught fire on the back nine at Sherwood Country Club, with birdies at 10, 11 and 12 and an eagle at the Par-five 13th to reach 11-under. He picked up another shot at 15 before a double-bogey at the par-five 16th, and he saved par at 18 to complete a six-under 66 for a 10-under total of 206. Yang, the PGA Championship winner from South Korea who took a two-shot lead into the round, had four birdies and three bogeys in a 71 for 206. They were one shot in front of England’s Lee Westwood (69) and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington (70).
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