Sports Digest

Other sports news in brief

Ferrari's Massa enjoys return to the track

MOTOR SPORT: Felipe Massa insists he is as good as he ever was after getting back into the driving seat for Ferrari for the first time since his horrific accident.

The Brazilian has been sidelined since fracturing his skull in an incident in qualifying for July’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

He got back into a Formula One Ferrari yesterday, in a privately-owned F2007 at the Fiorano track near Maranello, Italy, and was delighted as everything went smoothly.

“It went very well,” Massa said. “What happened last July has not changed anything. I didn’t manage to do many laps because it was raining but what I understood is that everything has returned to how it was before the accident. I didn’t have any problems, it was as if I’d never stopped and that makes it happy, for me and for the team.”

Chicago Cubs file for bankruptcy

BASEBALL: The Chicago Cubs baseball team filed for bankruptcy yesterday as part of the team’s planned sale to the Ricketts family by the Tribune Co, according to court documents. The Cubs bankruptcy is aimed at shedding claims on the team related to the bankruptcy of Tribune Co, a media conglomerate. As part of the agreement Tribune will contribute the Cubs, Wrigley Field and its stake in a sports television network to a new company.

Ashes coverage should be protected

CRICKET: England’s home Test cricket sponsors npower hope the Ashes will return to terrestrial television — and appear more inclined to continue their own financial support if they do.

The prospect of Ashes cricket at least rejoining the likes of the Grand National and Olympic Games as a ‘protected’ event, accessible to the majority tv audience, is attractive to npower. Other potential sponsors would surely agree too, said npower marketing director Kevin Peake.

Stepanek eases past Ferrer in Shanghai

TENNIS: Radek Stepanek was one of a number of seeded players to make certain of their place in the second round of the Shanghai Masters yesterday.

The 13th-seeded Czech raced past former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3 6-0, breaking his Spanish opponent four times during the match.

David Ferrer, the number 16 seed, also progressed beating Richard Gasquet 6-4 6-3 in his opening clash.

The 14th seed, Tommy Robredo, was a 6-1 6-4 winner over French qualifier Michel Llodra, while 10th seed Fernando Gonzalez was handed his place in the next round when Germany’s Mischa Zverev retired hurt with a wrist injury in the third set.

Marat Safin, who is set to retire at the end of the season, was a convincing 6-4 6-4 victor over Chinese wild card Gong Mao-Xin.

Haye taunts 'circus freak' Valuev

BOXING: England’s David Haye expects world heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev to be an ugly opponent when they fight for the WBA title next month, but the smell also worries him.

Haye, who fights the “Beast from the East” in Germany on November 7th, was not so much stirring up a hornets nest at a trash-talking news conference yesterday as wading in with a smile and the biggest stick at his disposal.

The 28-year-old said he hoped to get under the giant Russians skin to the point where the champion steps into the Nuremberg ring with real hatred clouding his vision.

“I consider him more of a circus show freak that happens to be boxing, said Haye. “He’s an ugly type of fighter, he tries to lean on you, tries to brawl and comes out with a really hairy chest that gets matted and is disgusting.

“I’ve never been a big fan of the matted hair in my face. The size I am, I sort of come up to his chest and apparently the word around the campfire is that he doesn’t smell too sweet. I’ve talked to a few guys that have been in the ring with him and they say that’s the first thing they notice, just the stench.”

Robertson's move pays dividends

SNOOKER: New Grand Prix champion Neil Robertson arrived in England six years ago 10,000 Australian dollars in debt and with just €550 in his pocket.

Last night, the left-hander from Melbourne walked out of Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall clutching a cheque for €80,000 - the biggest payday of his career - and the title of the most successful player ever from outside Britain and Ireland.

Robertson, 27, comfortably beat Ding Junhui 9-4 to claim his second Grand Prix crown and fourth ranking tournament win.

That took him beyond Ding and James Wattana in the all-time list of overseas players

“I came to Cambridge with €550 in my pocket and the only thing was just to survive so I had enough money to come back the next year.

“It’s just amazing to come through all that because I haven’t really had that much financial backing.”