Sport Digest: BAR relent and accept FIA punishment

FORMULA ONE: BAR have attempted to draw a line under their two-race ban by accepting they did break Formula One rules.

The Honda-powered team issued a robust defence after being found guilty of failing to meet minimum weight requirements in the San Marino Grand Prix, an offence that saw them disqualified and banned for a further two races.

A planned appeal to a civil court failed owing to a lack of time but chief executive Nick Fry continued to argue the team's case that they were unfairly treated.

However, in the wake of the FIA's threat to further punish the team if they were found to have brought the sport into disrepute by arguing against their ban, BAR issued a conciliatory statement.

In it they accepted the FIA's interpretation that a car must weigh at least 600 kilogrammes without any fuel on board.

BOXING: Katie Taylor yesterday became the first Irish woman to win a boxing medal at European Championship level.

The Bray fighter defeated her Turkish opponent, the reigning European Champion, on a count back after the semi-final bout in Thorpe, Norway, had finished level at 12-12, narrowly claiming the decision 29-28.

Also a promising soccer player, who won footballer of the year last season in Ireland, Taylor now meets Finland's Norway Iva Walstrom in tomorrow's final at 4pm.

A member of the Irish Amateur Boxing Association's High Performance team, Taylor has now secured the silver medal with a healthy possibility of also adding gold.

TENNIS: Britain's Tim Henman and Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero suffered demoralising defeats at the Hamburg Masters yesterday.

Fifth seed Henman lost 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 to Argentinian Juan Ignacio Chela while 2003 French Open champion Ferrero went down 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 to Russian Nikolay Davydenko.

Henman's game fell apart on centre court after a controversial line call at 4-4 in the second set.

At break point down, Chela served a second service ace. Henman thought the ball was out but the Irish umpire Declan Murphy ruled in the Argentinian's favour.

The world number 40 dominated after that and Henman's misery was summed up when he hit a smash out to lose the match.

Henman claimed the umpire had identified the wrong ball mark and television replays suggested the serve was out.