Sports Digest

A roundup of today's other sports news in brief

Four title bouts on Peters card

BOXING: Promoter Brian Peters had an unfamiliar cast by his side when unveiling his latest fight-night yesterday, writes Carl O’Malley.

The Meath publican is to bring four Irish title bouts to fight fans in one night at the National Stadium on February 13th – billing it as The Next Generation of Fighting Irish.

Top of the bill will be “the long talked about” lightweight decider between unbeaten Cavan man Andy Murray and Dublin’s Oisín “Gael Force” Fagan, who has fought and won twice since losing to Eddie Hyland in a bout for the vacant IBF super featherweight title in July.

The first Irish heavyweight title fight in nearly 13 years is on the undercard and will feature Dublin’s Colin Kenna against Galway’s Coleman Barrett.

Dubliner Anthony Fitzgerald and Leeds-based Belfast man Lee Murtagh will vie for the super middleweight title.

And unbeaten IBF featherweight title holder Patrick Hyland will make the first defence of his Irish belt against Mickey Coveney.

Federer, Serena top seedings

TENNIS: Roger Federer and Serena Williams have been awarded the top seedings for the Australian Open, which starts on Monday.

The seedings were determined by the world rankings.

The only player in the world’s top 32 to miss out on a seeding was Belgium’s 2009 US Open semi-finalist Yanina Wickmayer.

Although she is 16th, Wickmayer was not considered for the seedings because she did not enter the tournament when the deadline for registrations closed in November.

Wickmayer was suspended at the time under the sport’s strict “whereabouts” rules for failing to notify her country’s doping agency where she could be reached.

Australian Open organisers resisted the temptation to promote Justine Henin after she made her comeback last week.

However, the former world number one was offered a wildcard ensuring she does not have to play the qualifying event.

Dementieva in Sydney final

TENNIS: Serena Williams survived a scare from France’s Aravane Rezai yesterday before booking her spot in the Sydney International final against Russian Elena Dementieva.

The Australian Open champion lost the first set and trailed 5-2 in the second but she raised her game to win 3-6 7-5 6-4.

“I was lucky to get through today,” Williams said. “I’m just super mentally tough, I feel like that’s definitely one of my strengths.”

While Williams had to dig deep, Dementieva had no real problems winning her semi-final against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.

Dementieva cruised to a 6-3 6-1 victory at the Olympic centre to remain on course to defend her title.

“I was trying to be very aggressive from the beginning of the match,” Dementieva said. “I didn’t want it to go three sets, because I need to save some energy for the final.”

Semenya not allowed to compete

ATHLETICS: South African runner Caster Semenya will not be allowed to compete until a resolution has been reached in her gender case, the country’s athletics association have said.

Semenya underwent gender verification tests after she won the women’s 800 metres at the Berlin world championships last August, following a rapid improvement in her performances. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has yet to reveal the results of the tests.

Athletics South Africa (ASA) administrator Ray Mali said the 19-year-old athlete would be allowed to race only once the IAAF had cleared her.

“We can only allow her to participate in events once we get clarity from the IAAF, not at this stage,” Mali said.

Local media quoted Semenya’s coach, Michael Seme, saying she was preparing to run in a local series event beginning on February 19th.

Rankin ruled out of tour

CRICKET: Ireland opening bowler Boyd Rankin has been forced to withdraw from the tour to Sri Lanka after being diagnosed with a stress injury in his right foot, writes Emmet Riordan.

The 6ft 8in Warwickshire player has been told to rest and will stay with his county in a bid to be fit in time for Ireland’s World Twenty20 qualifying campaign in the United Arab Emirates next month.

His place on the Sri Lankan leg of the tour goes to 27-year-old Civil Service North all-rounder Nigel Jones, who was capped twice in the run-up to last summer’s World Twenty20 in England.

Rankin (25), has recently come onto the radar of the England selectors and spent a month in Florida before Christmas on a conditioning course as part of the ECB’s Fast Bowling Programme.

The injury was diagnosed at an ECB training camp earlier this week.

No worldwide ban for cyclist

CYCLING: The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) could not consider a worldwide ban for Tour of Spain champion Alejandro Valverde, it said.

Cas said the request from the International Cycling Union and World Anti-Doping Agency fell outside the jurisdiction of a three-day hearing.

Valverde, who took part in the hearing by telephone, has been barred from racing in Italy since May for alleged links to an anti-doping investigation.

Schumacher sets sights on winning eighth title

FORMULA ONE: Michael Schumacher has set his sights on winning an eighth world title after beginning work on his Formula One comeback in Jerez this week.

Schumacher agreed to come out of his retirement from the sport after being convinced to join the Mercedes team by boss Ross Brawn, and the 41-year-old admits he would not have agreed to return if he did not feel he could be competitive.

The German, who has signed a three-year deal with Mercedes, clocked up over 100 laps at the Spanish circuit on Tuesday and Wednesday in a GP2 car.

“We have a clear aim in our long-term plan and that is for me to become world champion with Mercedes GP,” he told Bild newspaper. “Maybe it won’t happen immediately in the first year, but it is a realistic aim over the three years.”

Schumacher had been set to drive for Ferrari last summer as a replacement for the injured Felipe Massa, but a neck injury prevented him from taking his place.