Sports Digest

A round-up of today's other Sports stories in brief...

O'Sullivan on course for hat-trick

SNOOKER:Ronnie O'Sullivan's bid to become the first player in 15 years to win three successive ranking titles remains on course after he reached the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters in China.

O'Sullivan, who captured the World Championship last May and the Northern Ireland Trophy in August, defeated Joe Perry 5-3 on a day when Jamie Cope made a maximum 147 break and still lost his match.

Cope became the 10th player to compile more than one maximum in professional competition but was still beaten 5-2 by Mark Williams.

Dunne turned down world title bouts after defeat

BOXING:Bernard Dunne turned down two opportunities for world-title fights because they came too soon after his shock knock-out against Kiko Martinez in August 2007, writes Johnny Watterson.

Promoter Brian Peters said yesterday that world champions at featherweight as well as bantamweight had been inquiring into Dunne's availability, but the team felt the Dubliner needed more fights under his belt before aiming for a world crown.

"We actually turned down a world-title opportunity for Bernard this year because we felt it had come too soon," said Peters. "But if he can win impressively next month (in Castlebar, against an opponent not yet agreed) he'll be ready for anybody."

Safina to face Venus in Stuttgart

TENNIS:World number three Dinara Safina of Russia beat Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova 6-1 7-6 in the second round of the Stuttgart Grand Prix to set up a quarter-final against Venus Williams.

Serb Jelena Jankovic, who will regain the top world ranking on Monday, also made it through to the quarters by beating Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine 6-2 6-0. She will play Russia's Vera Zvonareva for a place in the semis.

Jankovic will replace top Stuttgart seed Serena Williams as world number one in the updated rankings after the US Open champion was upset on Wednesday by China's Li Na.

Venus Williams brushed aside Alona Bondarenko's sister Kateryna, the Wimbledon champion serving 12 aces in a 6-4 6-2 win.

"I feel comfortable at this tournament," Williams said. "It's already a great result and I would love to improve on it."

Gebrselassie on a $1m bonus

ATHLETICS:World marathon record holder Haile Gebrselassie will earn a $1-million bonus if he betters his mark in Dubai next January, organisers said yesterday.

The 35-year-old Ethiopian, who became the first man to run under two hours four minutes when he clocked 2:03:59 in Berlin last Sunday, has signed to run in Dubai for the second time.