Sports Digest

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

Higgins at home at the 'Ally Pally'

SNOOKER: World champion John Higgins hailed the decision to move the Masters to Alexandra Palace as a "master stroke" as he finally warmed to a tournament in which he has often struggled.

Despite having won the event twice before, the Scot has never consistently excelled in the first televised competition of the year, and his 6-4 first-round defeat by Graeme Dott a year ago was not out of keeping with his overall record at the invitational event.

But Higgins got his campaign off to a winning start against Matthew Stevens yesterday at a venue more associated with darts but now hosting the Masters which has left its traditional home of Wembley after 32 years.

Higgins admitted to feeling much more at home at ‘Ally Pally’.

Whitsun leads Irish challenge

GOLF: Mourne's Reeve Whitsun leads the Irish challenge after the first round of the Australian Open Amateur Championship in Melbourne.

Chasing places among the 64 qualifiers for the match-play phase Whitsun returned an opening four over par 76 over the Huntingdale course to share 30th spot.

He is some seven strokes adrift of Matthew Wittenburg and Ben Hollis both of whom posted their scores at Woodlands.

Niall Gorey of Muskerry also played yesterday at Huntingdale and fired a 77 to share 46th place while West Waterford’s Gary Hurley carded a 78 and is in joint 63rd place.

Ballymena’s Dermot McElroy had a disappointing day taking 82 – 10 over par – and will need to step up several gears today if he is to make it into the knock-out phase.

All four Irishmen switch today to the Woodlands course in their quest for qualification.

Games organisers apologise

OLYMPIC GAMES: London 2012 organisers have apologised after continuing problems with their Olympic ticket sales computer system led to a major change in plans for re-selling unwanted tickets.

Organisers relaunched their ticket re-sale site yesterday but the public will not be able to buy the available tickets until April following problems which saw the site suspended 11 days ago.

Now the London organising committee have taken the unprecedented step of offering to buy back all unwanted Olympics and Paralympics over the next two weeks and then to put them on sale again from April.

It means London 2012 will assume the financial responsibility if any of those tickets remains unsold.

Organisers will not confirm how the tickets will be re-sold until closer to the time.

Senna's nephew joins Williams

MOTOR SPORT: Bruno Senna has been given the full backing of his family to drive for Williams despite his legendary uncle losing his life whilst with the team 18 years ago.

Three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna joined Williams Renault at the start of 1994, only to be killed in the third race of the campaign in San Marino.

Coincidentally, for this season, Williams will again be powered by Renault engines for the first time since 1997 and in the cockpit will be Ayrton’s nephew Bruno, who yesterday joined the Grove-based marque, believed to be on a one-year deal.

Despite the issues that surrounded Ayrton’s death, and as a finger of suspicion was pointed at Williams at the time, there are no ill feelings towards the team from the Senna family.

“I believe things happen in life for a reason,” said Bruno. “There is no resentment from my family. Everybody is absolutely thrilled.”

South Africa seal series victory

CRICKET: South Africa sealed a series-clinching victory over Sri Lanka by winning a rain-affected third one-day international at Bloemfontein by four runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method yesterday.

Chasing 267 for victory, the hosts were 179 for five from 34 overs when the heavens opened.

Faf du Plessis was the architect with an unbeaten 72 off 74 balls as the Proteas moved 3-0 ahead in the five-match series.

Upul Tharanga had earlier made 58 for the tourists, but too many of their other batsmen failed to build on useful starts.

South Africa’s reply got off to a rocky beginning as Lasith Malinga had them reeling at 29 for two. The rain then came with the Proteas 178 for five and that total proved just enough.

NBA All-Stars seek place at Olympics

BASKETBALL: NBA All-Stars LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard are among the 20 players who will compete for selection for the US men's basketball Olympic team, USA Basketball said yesterday.

The list includes eight members of the 2008 gold medal team from Beijing and 10 members of the squad that captured the 2010 world title in Turkey. Two-time NBA most valuable player James, five-time NBA champion Bryant and three-time NBA defensive player of the year Howard are among the players seeking a chance at winning a second consecutive Olympic gold medal for the United States.

Player pool: LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland), Carmelo Anthony (NY Knicks), Chauncey Billups (LA Clippers), Chris Bosh (Miami), Kobe Bryant (LA Lakers), Tyson Chandler (NY Knicks), Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City), Rudy Gay (Memphis), Eric Gordon (New Orleans), Blake Griffin (LA Clippers), Dwight Howard (Orlando), Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia), LeBron James (Miami), Kevin Love (Minnesota), Lamar Odom (Dallas), Chris Paul (LA Clippers), Derrick Rose (Chicago), Dwyane Wade (Miami), Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City), Deron Williams (New Jersey).

Greipel wins Down Under stage

CYCLING: German Andre Greipel won the opening stage of the Tour Down Under as three riders and a spectator were taken to hospital following a crash yesterday.

Matteo Montaguti (collarbone), Frederic Guesdon (hip) and Juergen Roelandts (neck) went to hospital for checks after they were involved in a huge pile-up in the final part of the 149-km stage between Prospect and Clare in South Australia.

The 40-year-old Guesdon, who won the Paris-Roubaix race in 1997, fractured his hip and would have to undergo surgery, according to his FDJ-BigMat team. The injury probably means that the Frenchman will have to bring down the curtain on a 17-year professional career.

A 70-year-old woman suffered minor injuries after being hit by a rider who skidded off the road.

Greipel outsprinted Italian Alessandro Petacchi to snatch his second win of the season.

Fisher lands game-winning points

BASKETBALL: Derek Fishers game-winning three-pointer put a pretty ribbon on a workmanlike 73-70 victory for the Los Angeles Lakers over the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks on Monday. Fisher nailed an arching three to snap a 70-70 tie with three seconds left on the clock on a night Lamar Odom returned to the place of his past glory. Ive seen that before, Odom said of the winning shot from his former team-mate. We doubled off Kobe and he hit the shot. Hes done that over and over.”

Odom, who spent the previous seven seasons in Los Angeles, where he helped the team to two NBA titles before he was traded in the off-season, received a rousing ovation and a video tribute when he took the court at the Staples Center in the first quarter.

Kobe Bryants run of four consecutive 40-point games came to a jarring end as he managed just 14 but Andrew Bynum helped out with 17 points and 15 rebounds.