SPORTS DIGEST:Killester's hopes of securing the treble is intact after they eased past Dublin rivals DCU Saints in the semi-final of the Nivea For Men's SuperLeague, while UL Eagles will provide the opposition in Saturday's final after disposing of the reigning champions UCC Demons.
Killester had 18 points to spare over DCU Saints and their Head Coach Mark Keenan is desperate to make up for the heartbreak of losing the last two league finals.
"We are just delighted to be back in a final and to have a chance to do the treble," said Keenan.
"There is plenty of motivation and determination having lost the last two league finals.
"UL Eagles are going to be tough opponents," he added.
"We have the upper hand on them with three wins this season but it will be hard to beat any team four times but if we play our game, remain determined and focused then we have a great chance."
UL Eagles Head Coach, Tony Hehir, is hoping its fourth time lucky when his side travel to Dublin next weekend for their league final showdown.
The Eagles have capped off a great year by reaching the final after edging out the reigning champions UCC Demons 90-82 in front of a packed UL gym.
In the women's SuperLeague DCU Mercy's hopes of a double remain alive after they beat UL 68-56 in a tight contest and have now set-up a mouth watering final with Team Montenotte Hotel Cork.
Klitschko eyes Haye's WBA crown
BOXING:Minutes after successfully defending his WBO, IBO and IBF heavyweight titles, Vladimir Klitschko had already set his sights on Briton David Haye's WBA crown.
The 33-year-old Ukrainian retained his three titles when he knocked out American Eddie Chambers with a left hook in the 12th and final round on Saturday evening.
“I do not feel my age at all,” he said.
“I just feel that I keep getting better and better. There is more where this came from.”
The Ukrainian, whose brother Vitaly holds the WBC title, was never really threatened by Chambers, let alone seriously hurt, and the question on everyone’s mind now is when will a Haye-Klitschko fight go ahead?
Ellison moves to Japan league
RUGBY:All Blacks utility back Tamati Ellison has completed a move to Japans Ricoh Black Rams, ruling him out of next year's World Cup in New Zealand. The 26-year-old had signed for the Japanese league side from the Wellington Hurricanes.
The New Zealand Rugby Union only selects players based in New Zealand for the All Blacks. The Black Rams also have Australia’s Stephen Larkham and Roy Kinikinilau among their ranks. Ellison has been one of the form players in New Zealand over the past two seasons and made his Test debut against Italy at the end of last year.
The teams qualified for the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand after Georgia beat Russia 36-8 in the European Nations Cup in Trabzon, Turkey on Saturday are:
Pool A:New Zealand, France, Tonga, Canada.
Pool B:England, Argentina, Scotland, Georgia.
Pool C:Australia, Ireland, Italy, US, Russia.
Pool D:South Africa, Wales, Fiji, Samoa, Namibia.
The Asian winner will play in Pool A. The play-off winner will play in Pool B.
Nadal defeat ‘an accident’
TENNIS:Rafa Nadal described his stunning semi-final loss to Ivan Ljubicic on Saturday as an "accident", and felt he had been playing close to his best at the Indian Wells ATP tournament in California.
The Spanish world number three was upset 3-6 6-4 7-6 by the big-serving Croat at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden after he had squandered three break points in the sixth game of the second set to lead 4-2. “That was an accident today,” Nadal said after failing in his bid to win a third title at Indian Wells in four years. “That’s my feeling, because I was playing (well) enough to win the tournament.
“It was an important accident, and I have to learn to try to play more aggressive next time, try to convert the opportunities.
“But for the rest, nothing to say, no? I was feeling I was playing better than probably ever on this court.” Left-hander Nadal was playing his first tournament on the ATP circuit since shaking off the knee injury that forced him to abandon his Australian Open title defence in January.
Saturday’s loss to Ljubicic, only his second defeat by the Croat in seven career meetings, left him with a win-loss record this season of 12-3.
Cragg may take marathon route
ATHLETICS:Alistair Cragg has hinted at a future in the marathon when finishing seventh in the New York Half Marathon yesterday in 61 minutes 58 seconds – the third fastest ever by an Irish athlete. Cragg beat some quality runners in the process, including Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, who in fact dropped out after mile eight, as victory went to the experienced Kenyan Peter Kamais in 59:52.
Cragg has targeted the 10,000 metres at the European Championships in Barcelona in July, but it’s only a matter of time now before he attempts the full marathon distance.
Gena wins Rome marathon
ATHLETICS:Ethiopia's Siraj Gena shed his running shoes 500 metres from the finish of the men's Rome marathon on Sunday to replicate compatriot Abebe Bikila's famous barefoot victory at the 1960 Olympic Games.
Gena crossed the line on the cobbled street just outside the Colosseum in two hours eight minutes 39 seconds. Fellow-Ethiopian Firehiwot Dado won the women’s race for the second straight year in 2:25:27.
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