Sports digest

Today's other stories in brief

Phelps not to repeat feat

SWIMMING:Michael Phelps has vowed he will not swim eight events at the London Olympics in 2012. Phelps made history last summer when he won eight gold medals at the Beijing Games.

The United States Olympic Committee named Phelps its Sports Man of the Year for 2008, but the swimmer insisted he would not try and repeat his epic achievement in London or anywhere else. “I’ll never swim eight events at a major competition again,” he said.

Davis tightens grip Down Under Kürten third in Swiss Masters Serbian and Bosnian fans clash in Melbourne

Serbian and Bosnian fans clash in Melbourne

TENNIS: Ethnic tensions boiled over at the Australian Open in Melbourne yesterday when dozens of Serbian and Bosnian fans began fighting after the match between Novak Djokovic and Amer Delic which Djokovic won.

Police arrested two men and ejected another 30 people from the grounds after the rival supporters began throwing chairs and trading punches and kicks. One woman was knocked out after being hit on the head by a chair although police later said she had not been seriously injured. The fighting began in a garden outside the main centre court arena then flared up again when they were escorted outside Melbourne Park.

Inspector Chris Duthie said two men were charged with riotous behaviour and discharging a missile while another man was fined.

“The matter was dealt with very quickly and effectively by the police and we expect no more problems,” Duthie said. “We have a very effective police presence here. You can’t stop everything happening but we will make sure this sort of thing doesn’t happen (again).”

It was the third year in a row that the Australian Open has been marred by ethnic violence. Tennis Australia chief executive Steve Wood said organisers were treating the incidents seriously. “This behaviour should never have happened in the first place,” Wood said.

“We are taking additional security measures to protect the integrity of the nation’s much loved event.”

Davis tightens grip Down Under

CYCLING:Australian Allan Davis (Quick Step) yesterday increased his grip on the leader's jersey in the Tour Down Under when he won the fourth stage of the race, a 143-kilometre leg between Bunside Village and Angaston, writes Shane Stokes. He was quickest in the mass bunch sprint to the line, edging out compatriot Graeme Brown and pulling four seconds clear of the Rabobank rider in the general classification. The two had started the day tied on time.

Irish rider Nicolas Roche (Ag2r La Mondiale) was 26th. He remains a solid 15th overall, showing good early season form. The 24-year-old is now 34 seconds behind Davis. His Ag2r squad are fourth in the team general classification.

Today’s 148-kilometre stage to Willunga features two ascents of Willunga Hill and it’s almost certain that the peloton will be fragmented there. The Tour Down Under concludes tomorrow with a 90-kilometre criterium in Adelaide.

Kurten third in Swiss Masters

EQUESTRIAN:Jessica Kürten finished third in last night's Mercedes Swiss Masters with Castle Forbes Libertina and the combination look bang on form for tomorrow afternoon's World Cup qualifier at the five-star show in Zurich, Margie McLoone writes.

Just four riders made it through to the jump-off round from the original field of 15 with Kürten and Lady Georgina Forbes’s 13-year-old mare stopping the clock on 36.11, just off the pace set by the winner, Sweden’s Rolf-Goran Bengtsson on Quintero la Silla (35.15). The pair were split by Switzerland’s Christina Liebherr riding L.B. No Mercy.

Earlier Kürten and Quibell were fifth in the two-phase class won by Britain’s Ben Maher and Wonderboy III. In Amsterdam Billy Twomey was also in the money twice yesterday, taking second place in a speed class on Fantasia and fourth with Goldex in the later two-phase competition.