SPORTS DIGEST

Othere sports news from around the world in brief

Victory unrealistic, says Armstrong

CYCLING:Lance Armstrong has dismissed his chances of a fairytale victory in his comeback to professional cycling at the Tour Down Under in Australia.

The seven-time Tour de France winner said he had no real hope of winning the January 20th-25th race in South Australia, and his only real ambition was to be competitive. “I think it would be unrealistic to expect a victory. I hope to be in the mix, I could be completely wrong, I might be the first guy dropped.”

Armstrong quit professional cycling after the 2005 Tour de France, but announced late last year he was making a comeback at age 37 to help promote cancer awareness.

A survivor of testicular cancer, Armstrong chose the Tour Down Under to launch his comeback and his participation has generated unprecedented interest in a race he said used to be “obscure”.

Armstrong said there had been times when he questioned his comeback decision but was motivated by his campaign to help cancer patients.

World number three Murphy makes early exit

SNOOKER:Shaun Murphy made an early exit from the Masters at Wembley as he crashed to defeat against Ding Junhui.

Englishman Murphy produced an impressive return to form in Telford last month and beat Marco Fu 10-9 in an absorbing final.

He had not won a tournament match this season until embarking on the run which ended with him being crowned champion of the sport’s second most prestigious event.

However, the world number three was back to losing ways yesterday as Ding secured a 6-4 victory to seal his place in the quarter-finals.

Murphy made a 93 break in the ninth frame to pile the pressure on Ding, reducing his lead to one frame.

But Ding held his nerve in the next frame, and Murphy was soon left resigned to an early exit. Ding’s next opponent will be either John Higgins or Fu.

Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen also advanced to the next round with a 6-4 win over England’s Judd Trump.

March date for Sutherland

BOXING:Following a break over Christmas, Irish Olympic bronze medallist Darren Sutherland returned to the gym yesterday. After his debut win in December in Dublin City University, the Dublin fighter, whose ambition is a world super-middleweight title, will hold his second professional bout at Robin Park Arena, Wigan, on Friday, March 6th.

He will face a selected opponent over six rounds. The 26-year-old has forgone the normal, four-round bouts to fast-track his career.

Sutherland, who stopped Georgi Iliev on his debut, returned to London on Sunday night after a three-week holiday with his family. Sutherland has based himself in London under the management of Frank Maloney.

The card in Wigan will be topped by Salford southpaw Jamie Moore, who challenges Italy’s former world champion Michele Piccirillo for the vacant European light middleweight title.

Sutherland hopes to have four to five fights by the end of this year.

Another Dakar stage for Sainz

DAKAR RALLY:Spaniard Carlos Sainz continued his dominance of the Dakar Rally in Chile by taking the ninth special stage, his third in succession, in his Volkswagen yesterday.

The two-time world rally champion completed the La Serena-Copiaco stage in five hours, 56 minutes and eight seconds, one minute and 47 seconds ahead of American Mike Miller.

In the bike category, Spaniard Fran Coma retained top spot.

Silverstone to host MotoGP in 2010

MOTOGP:Silverstone is to stage the British round of MotoGP from 2010. The Northamptonshire circuit lost the British Formula One Grand Prix contract to Donington Park last year.

But in a reversal of fortune, Silverstone has acquired MotoGP from Donington with the signing of a five-year deal.

Richard Phillips, managing director of Silverstone Circuits Ltd, said: “Silverstone is the UK’s premier motor-racing venue, and we are thoroughly looking forward to hosting the world’s premier motorcycle racing event from 2010.

“The grand prix circuit offers a combination of high-speed straights and technical corners, presenting a real challenge to the riders and is also easily accessible.”

Alterations will be made to the circuit layout in order to comply with the regulations of world governing body, FIM, while improvements to several spectator viewing areas are also planned.

Mendis completes 50-wicket haul

CRICKET:Spinner Ajantha Mendis became the fastest bowler to take 50 wickets in one-day internationals as Sri Lanka defeated Zimbabwe by 130 runs in their first match of the tri-series tournament in Dhaka yesterday.

Set to score a modest 211 for victory, Zimbabwe were all out for 80 in 28.2 overs with just Stuart Matsikenyeri reaching double figures. Mendis took three for 15, completing his 50-wicket haul in his 19th one-day international and bettering the record of India’s Ajit Agarkar, who took 23 matches to reach the milestone.

Medium pacer Nuwan Kulasekera ripped through the Zimbabwean top-order to take three for 13 while Muttiah Muralitharan claimed two wickets.

Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews was named man-of-the-match after an unbeaten 52 off 96 balls to lift Sri Lanka to 210 for six.