Tennis: Briton Greg Rusedski struck comeback gold with an upset of top seed Marat Safin while Tim Henman went down in three sets to a tennis nemesis yesterday at the Stuttgart Masters Series.
The British split decision at the $2.95 million event leaves Rusedski to face Leyton Hewitt in today's quarter-finals after the Australian teenager beat ninth seed Henman 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
It was Hewitt's second win over the Briton this season after earning the Scottsdale trophy in March at Henman's expense.
Rusedski sprang an upset on top seed Marat Safin, knocking the Russian out of the third round 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.
Rusedski, in the midst of a comeback after December foot surgery which dogged him for most of this season, produced his best result of 2000 with the win. Henman fought through two level sets before losing serve in the ninth game of the third. The dangerous Hewitt scrambled to victory a game later.
Cycling: Cycling remains beset by drug problems, Daniel Baal, president of the French Cycling Federation (FFC), admitted yesterday to a court judging the Festina doping case.
Giving evidence to the hearing as a civil witness, Baal said the sport must "get rid of its vices, which are doping and agreements between riders during races".
"Cycling today is still not a clean sport," Baal said.
"Our sport has been made dirty by the use of drugs, by those who use drugs, but I am not in favour of applying a systematic equation that says cycling means drugs."
Judge Daniel Delegove said he was not completely convinced of this argument, although he respected Baal's sincerity.
"You have censured those who speak out against drugs, but not doping itself," he said. "You have given the appearance of having a healthy body when the body is rotten."
Cricket: North Down, the holders of the Northern Cricket Union Senior Cup - sponsored by Deloitte & Touche - have been drawn away in the second round of the competition next June 2nd, and will face the winners of the first round match between Mill Park and Muckamore. Meanwhile, Waringstown, the reigning Senior League champions, also face a second round away match, against either Saintfield or Bangor.
At last week's a.g.m. of the Northern Cricket Union it was decided to give all Section One clubs a bye into the second round for the first time. The first round matches, to be played on May 19th, include the 10 Section Two clubs as well as the top two clubs in Section Three.
The six first round winners will then take on the Section One sides in the second round, both rounds being open draws. The venue for the final has yet to be decided but may be staged again at Ormeau, like last summer, when it was moved from Downpatrick's ground at Strangford Road.
FIRST ROUND:(May 19th 2001, home clubs first): A: Derriaghy v Cooke-Collegians; B: Armagh v Laurelvale; C: Academy v Holywood; D: Saintfield v Bangor; E: Queen's University v Carrickfergus; F: Mill Park v Muckamore.
SECOND ROUND (June 2nd 2001, home clubs first): Winners E v Woodvale; Winners F v North Down; Lisburn v Instonians; Downpatrick v NICC; Winners D v Waringstown; Ballymena v Cliftonville; Winners A v Winners B; Winners C v Lurgan.
Motor Racing: David Coulthard rebuffed his Formula One critics yesterday and said he just needed more luck and consistency to win a first world title.
"I don't see winning the championship as the hurdle that others might see it," said the McLaren driver in an interview in the magazine Autosport.
"It's not a wall. Consistency of performance and some luck is what stands between myself and winning the title."
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