Sports Digest

Other sports news in brief

Roddick forced out in Shanghai

TENNIS: Fourth seed Andy Roddick was forced out of the Shanghai Masters with an injury to his left knee yesterday. Wimbledon finalist Roddick was 4-3 up on Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka in the first set when he was unable to continue.

Sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko defeated fellow Russian Igor Kunitsyn 6-4 6-2 and Fernando Gonzalez saw off Brazilian qualifier Thomaz Bellucci 6-3 6-3 in the second round.

Abu Dhabi opener for Federer, Nadal 

TENNIS: Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal will begin the 2010 season in Abu Dhabi by playing in a six-man, $250,000 (€169,000) winner-takes-all exhibition tournament.

Swiss world number one Federer and his Spanish rival have confirmed they will be taking part in the event, which starts on December 31st.

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Russian Nikolay Davydenko, Spains Fernando Verdasco and Swede Robin Soderling will also take part.

British world number three Andy Murray, who defeated Nadal in the inaugural event this year, has decided to skip the event. Murray is has a wrist injury and has withdrawn from this weeks Shanghai Masters.

EU champion Belghecham next up for Lee in Limerick

BOXING: French middleweight Affif Belghecham, the EU and French champion, stands between Andy Lee and his third straight win at the University of Limerick (UL) next month.

The 25-year-old Lee, who recorded inside the distance wins over Argentinian Alejandro Gustavo Falliga and American Willie Gibbs in his two previous fights at UL, just up the road from his parents’ house in Castleconnell, meets Belghecham in a battle of the southpaws on November 14th.

Promoter Brian Peters said yesterday that John Duddy and Brian Vera, the only boxer to have beaten Lee in the pro ranks, avoided the opportunity to meet the ex-Irish Olympian on Shannonside.

Peters said: “We tried to make a fight between Andy and John Duddy for next month and when that didn’t come off we looked for a re-match with Vera but unfortunately neither party was interested.”

Peters also hinted at the possibility of a World or European title fight between Lee and former Tipperary underage hurler Matthew Macklin, the European champion, in Thomond Park next year.

Belghecham, 35, has won 19 from 23 (four KOs) and is ranked one place ahead of ninth-placed Lee, who has won 19 from 20 (14 KOs), in the European rankings.

Lee said: “I’ve watched him in action. He has a decent record and he’s been around for a while so he’ll know his stuff. He’s also ranked higher than me and he’s never been stopped.”

Prosecutors consider Tour probe

CYCLING: A preliminary investigation into several teams who took part in the 2009 Tour de France has been launched after suspicious medical material was seized during the race, Paris prosecutors said yesterday.

Syringes and transfusion equipment believed to belong to teams were found in containers provided to dump medical waste and are being analysed, a spokeswoman for the prosecutors said.

“It (the material) is now being analysed by experts to determine whether we can found illegal substances and DNA that could possibly link it to riders,” she said.

She did not specify which teams were concerned by the investigation and did not confirm reports saying it was aimed at the Astana team of Tour winner Alberto Contador and seven-times champion Lance Armstrong.

“We don’t know anything, we’re making inquiries, an Astana spokesman said.

Under French law, a preliminary investigation is launched to determine whether there is sufficient ground to open a formal investigation.

Mortlock and Giteau deny rift in camp

RUGBY: Outhalf Matt Giteau and former captain Stirling Mortlock have played down talk of a rift within the Wallabies camp over coach Robbie Deans’ leadership appointments for the season-ending Europe tour.

Included in the 35-man squad, both said at a training camp in Sydney this week that while they were disappointed at missing out on the leadership roles, they understood the decisions and their places in the team.

“Iwas really keen to try to lead this tour, I mean I have stated that,” 80-test veteran Mortlock said. “The reality is I totally understand the logic and the reasoning behind selecting a new captain,” the 32-year-old added.

Giteau also insisted there was no tension within the Wallabies.

“I am disappointed but fully supportive of the guys that obviously the coach and (ARU boss) John O’Neill have appointed, Giteau said.

England take a look at Rankin

CRICKET: Boyd Rankin is the latest Irish player to come onto the radar screens of the English selectors after he was named in their winter development programme, writes Emmet Riordan.

The 6ft 8in Warwickshire paceman is one of five players named in a special Fast Bowling Programme that will undergo fitness training and specialist coaching over the coming months.

The 25-year-old from Derry will head to Florida on November 20th to take part in one-month conditioning camp. The five players are also scheduled to attend the MRF fast-bowling camp at Chennai in India at the end of January, where they will benefit from the guidance of former Australian quick Dennis Lillee.

Rankin’s inclusion for the trip to India may yet clash with his Ireland commitments, with a possible tour to Sri Lanka being planned in the build-up to the World Twenty20 qualifiers in the United Arab Emirates at the start of February.