Sports digest

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

Australia end long losing sequence

CRICKET: Australia ended their seven-game losing streak as seamers Clint McKay and Mitchell Starc bowled them to an eight-wicket one-day victory over Sri Lanka.

McKay took 5-33 and left-armer Starc 4-27 in Sydney as the tourists, who already had a winning 2-0 lead in the series, were bowled out for only 115.

Australia lost Shane Watson for 15 in the sixth over of their reply.

But Brad Haddin made 31 and skipper Michael Clarke hit 50 not out as they cruised home on 119-2 in the 22nd over.

SKIPPER Andrew Strauss hit 120 not out as England beat Western Australia by six wickets in their opening three-day warm-up game ahead of the Ashes series.

The Middlesex batsman’s 141-ball knock featured a six and 15 fours as he led his side home on 243-4 in Perth.

Gebrselassie retires after New York City marathon

ATHLETICS: Ethiopian world marathon record holder Haile Gebrselassie tearfully announced his retirement yesterday after dropping out of his first New York City marathon.

“I am retiring,” the twice Olympic 10,000 metres champion told shocked reporters at a news conference. It’s time to step away and give chances to the youngsters.”

Gebrselassie, 37, who set 27 world records in his illustrious career, pulled out after the halfway stage as he and the lead men’s pack were running downhill from the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan.

The Ethiopian grabbed at his right knee, bent over and grimaced in pain as the others continued to First Avenue.

A medical examination on Saturday had revealed fluid and tendinitis in his right knee.

“Many people consider Haile the greatest distance runner of all time,” USA Track Field spokeswoman Jill Geer said.

“What he did was to elevate the standard for everyone.”

Casey claims European title

BOXING:LIMERICK southpaw Willie Casey claimed the vacant European super-bantamweight title with a fourth round stoppage of Dubliner Paul Hyland at the University of Limerick on Saturday night, reports Bernard O'Neill.

Referee John Keane took Hyland, the current EU and Irish champion, into protective custody two minutes and nine seconds into the fourth round after he was pinned on the ropes and failed to reply to a barrage of punches.

Hyland just about shaded the opening round but Casey, nicknamed “Big Bang”, posted a warning of what was to come when he stepped inside to rock Hyland with a left uppercut and a right cross close to the bell.

Casey, from Southill in Limerick, poured forward to take control of the second and third frames as the first ever all-Irish European duel began to slip away from the stylish Tallaght fighter.

The new European champ is now slated for a mandatory defence against Kiko Martinez.

Federer feeling very much at home

TENNIS: Roger Federer won the Swiss Indoors title in his hometown for the fourth time in five years on Sunday when he beat Novak Djokovic 6-4 3-6 6-1 in the final.

The Swiss also recorded his 65th ATP tournament win to move ahead of Pete Sampras, though he still trails Jimmy Conners, Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe in overall career titles. It was Federer’s second win over world number three Djokovic in a month and his fourth title of the year.

TENNIS:Ana Ivanovic secured a return to the top 20 as a 6-2 7-6 win over Alisa Kleybanova in the final of the Tournament of Champions yesterday earned the former world number one a second tournament victory in three events.

The 2008 French Open champion, who slumped to 65th in the rankings in July, will rise back up to 17th after closing out her season with a remarkable reversal in fortunes.

Her latest success will fill her with optimism heading into 2011.