SPORTS DIGEST:ATHLETICS: Derval O'Rourke finally broke 13 seconds for the first time this season when she clocked 12.96 in finishing third in the 100m hurdles at the Euro Permit meeting in Ligano, Italy last night.
The race was won by Tiffany Ofili of the USA in 12.85 with Vonette Dixon of Jamaica third in 12.92.
At the same meeting Thomas Chamney finished fourth in the 800m in 1:46.82 while David McCarthy ran a personal best of 1:46.82 in finishing fifth.
Almagro claims Swedish Open
TENNIS:Spain's Nicolas Almagro upset home favourite and defending champion Robin Soderling in three sets to win the Swedish Open on clay in Bastad.
Fourth seed Almagro came through 7-5 3-6 6-2 to secure the sixth title of his career and his first of 2010. The Spaniard recovered from dropping the second set to break twice in a row on his way to wrapping up the decider after one hour 57 minutes.
Clay-court specialist Almagro, 24, said the victory was a “big moment” for him.
“Robin is a great player. Here in Bastad he’s like a hero,” he said, adding he had prepared for the match by trying to imagine how Soderling would play.
“I tried to be him. I was thinking about the match all night and this morning, and finally I can beat him and Im very happy.”
Almagro also beat Soderling, who reached the French Open final in June, when the pair last met, in Madrid in May.
Uruguay face Romania for final place
RUGBY:Uruguay will face Romania for the final place at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand after both claimed easy home play-off victories on Saturday.
Uruguay crushed Kazakhstan 44-7 in Montevideo, while Romania, who have taken part in all six previous World Cups, beat Tunisia 56-13 in Buzau.
The teams will contest a two-leg play-off in November, with the winner earning a place in Group B of the finals alongside Argentina, England, Scotland and Georgia.
Romania, ranked 19th by the International Rugby Board, have narrowly beaten 22nd-ranked Uruguay in their two previous meetings.
Dockrell to sign two-year county deal with Somerset
CRICKET:Teenage Ireland spinner George Dockrell is expected to sign a two-year contract with English county side Somerset in the coming week, writes Emmet Riordan.
The Dublin student, who turns 18 on Thursday, took part in the Somerset warm-up ahead of yesterday’s Friends Provident T20 game against Kent at Taunton.
“Everyone has been very friendly and it looks like a great place to play cricket,” said Dockrell, who plays his club cricket with Leinster. “I’m looking forward to playing my first game for a Somerset XI at Bath tomorrow and hopefully the contract will be sorted out very soon. My ambitions are to keep making progress with Ireland, but also to get into a county first team.” A left-armer, Dockrell has impressed in his 26 appearances for Ireland to date, taking 37 wickets at an average of 18.2.
The highlight came when he took three for 16 against the West Indies in Guyana during the World Twenty20 finals earlier this year.
Pedrosa edges out his compatriot
MOTO GP:Spaniard Dani Pedrosa denied compatriot Jorge Lorenzo a fourth win in a row at the German MotoGP yesterday while world champion Valentino Rossi narrowly missed a podium finish on his return just six weeks afer he broke a leg.
Honda rider Pedrosa, second in the standings, finished 3.355 seconds ahead of Yamahas championship leader Lorenzo, who had started on pole but had to settle for second place in a restarted race following a crash on lap nine at the Sachsenring.
Rossi finished fourth after being edged out by Australian Casey Stoner at the last corner for the final podium place. With eight races completed and 10 rounds of the championship to go, Lorenzo leads with 185pts.
Sri Lanka quick to establish control
CRICKET:Opener Tharanga Paranavitana hit a maiden Test hundred and Kumar Sangakkara recorded his 22nd as Sri Lanka dominated India's bowlers on the opening day of the First Test at the Galle Stadium on Sunday.
Paranavitana was unbeaten on 110, while Sangakkara hit 103 as Sri Lanka reached 256 for two before rain halted play just eight overs into the final session.
Both batsmen were let off the hook by India’s fielders – Sangakkara was dropped on 65 by wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni when the Indian captain failed to hold on to an edge. Sri Lanka captain Sangakkara took full advantage to reach his century before the tea break.
Paranavitana, his patient partner, survived a chance when Gautam Gambhir failed to hold onto a reflex catch on 35. Sangakkara fell when he failed to middle a bad ball from Virender Sehwag and was caught by Sachin Tendulkar.
Tillakaratne Dilshan was the sole Sri Lankan wicket to fall in the morning session when he attempted to hook a short delivery from test debutant Abhimanyu Mithun and gloved a catch to Dhoni on 25.
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