Greek athletes win appeals

SPORTS DIGEST: ATHLETICS:Former Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou have won their appeals against suspended jail sentences for perjury yesterday.

A unanimous verdict of not guilty was announced by the Greek Court of Appeal for the Sydney 2000 Olympic medallists, who had in May been sentenced to 31 months in jail for staging a motorcycle crash to avoid a doping test before the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Munster look for record wins

RUGBY:For some early season motivation Munster will meet Glasgow this Friday in Firhill in the knowledge that one more win in the league would give them their 12th successive victory and a league record, writes Johnny Watterson.

What should make it even sweeter for Munster is should they beat the Warriors for their sixth win in seven meetings the team whose record they will take is Leinster.

Leinster won the first 11 matches they played in the inaugural 2000-01 season when they faced such teams as Ebbw Vale, Pontypridd and Neath. It represents quite a blistering start compared to this season, where probably for the first time they find themselves at the bottom of the table after just one match.

Munster, who are injury free after last weekend, equalled the 11-match Leinster winning streak with their 20-12 win over Dragons at Musgrave Park. They have won their last six matches against Scottish opposition.

Simpson wins after play-off

GOLF:American Webb Simpson was the unlikely winner of the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston after things slipped away from Luke Donald for the second year in a row.

After charging to the turn in 30 to lead the second of the FedEx Cup play-off events by one shot with seven holes to play, England’s world number one double-bogeyed the 12th and dropped another stroke on the short 16th.

Even with a closing birdie he was left in joint third place, while Simpson beat compatriot Chez Reavie at the second hole of a play-off.

Simpson trailed by two on the tee at the par five last, but made a 25-footer and then saw Reavie, only 169th in the world, run up a bogey six to join him on the 15 under mark of 269.

Both started the sudden death with birdie fours and Simpson followed his 15-foot putt there with an eight-footer for another birdie on the next to take the title and move up to 14th in the world rankings.

Withdrawals a blow for McGinley in Seve Trophy

GOLF:Holders Britain and Ireland have been hit much harder by withdrawals than Continental Europe for next week's Vivendi Seve Trophy in Paris.

Although boosted by world number two Lee Westwood playing in the match for the first time since 2003 and Ian Poulter returning from the United States for it, Paul McGinley’s side are still without four of the world’s top 20.

Number one Luke Donald’s absence was almost inevitable given he is still in the FedEx Cup play-offs in America, but Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Paul Casey have also turned down the match.

So too have Martin Laird and Justin Rose because of the play-offs, and all that has allowed Ross Fisher to keep his place in the team and Scotland’s Scott Jamieson, Welshman Jamie Donaldson and England’s David Horsey to make debuts. There will also be a first cap for Westwood’s Worksop colleague Mark Foster.

Missing for Continental Europe, captained by Jean Van de Velde, are world number three Martin Kaymer and FedEx Cup survivors Robert Karlsson and Sergio Garcia.

Continental Europe: Francesco Molinari, Anders Hansen, Thomas Bjorn, Matteo Manassero, Alvaro Quiros, Alex Noren, Pablo Larrazabal, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Nicolas Colsaerts, Peter Hanson.

Britain and Ireland: Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Darren Clarke, Simon Dyson, Ross Fisher, Mark Foster, Robert Rock, Jamie Donaldson, David Horsey, Scott Jamieson.

Martin wants another stage win

CYCLING:Irish rider Dan Martin has said he is determined to try to take what would be his second stage win in this year's Tour of Spain on today's final summit finish of the race, Shane Stokes reports.

The Garmin-Cervélo rider was triumphant on the ninth stage and told The Irish Timesyesterday he is feeling upbeat heading into the final few days.

“I felt great today after the rest day yesterday,” he said after the end of the 180 kilometre mainly flat stage to Haro. “My legs were good and so I want to give it another good go on tomorrow’s stage. It’s the last uphill finish so I’ll try to win it.”

Argentinean sprinter Juan Jose Haedo was best of the bunch yesterday, outsprinting Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-ISD) plus the other riders in the peloton. Overall leader Juan Jose Cobo (Geox-TMC) was 10th and kept his red leader’s jersey.

Irish rider Nicolas Roche (Ag2r la Mondiale) was one place further back, netting a fine 11th, while his first cousin Martin (Garmin-Cervélo) was 34th.

Both riders moved up in the overall standings, with Martin going up one place to 15th after Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) crashed and was delayed. Roche improved two places to 18th.

Irish set for World Championships

CANOEING:Aisling Conlon and Hannah Craig are the first Irish competitors set for action at the Canoe Slalom World Championships, which begin today in Bratislava in Slovakia. Conlon and Craig compete in the women's K1 (racing kayak) event this afternoon. The men's K1, which begins tomorrow morning, features Patrick Hynes, Ciarán Heurteau and Eoin Rheinisch, who has built his season around doing well at this event. The World Championships are of particular importance because the great bulk of qualification places for London 2012 are available. There will be 15 places available in both men's and women's K1, but this must include the host nation (Britain).