Sports digest

Today's other stories in brief

Mutu ordered to pay Chelsea €17m

SOCCER:Adrian Mutu yesterday lost his lengthy legal battle against Chelsea as the Swiss Federal Court ordered him to pay his former club over €17million.

The court confirmed they have upheld the decision made by Fifa and the Court of Arbitration for Sport, drawing what should be a final line under a fight which has lasted over five years.

Chelsea paid Parma €22.5 million for Mutu in August 2003 but sacked him in September 2004 when he tested positive for cocaine, before then suing him to recover the money they paid to sign him.

The incident has dogged the Romania international ever since.

Boston Celtics one win away from 18th crown

BASKETBALL:The Boston Celtics used the outside shooting of Paul Pierce and a superior inside game to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 92-86 in the NBA Finals and move within one victory of a record 18th championship.

Pierce had his best game of the series, scoring 27 points on 12 of 21 shooting from the floor. But the Celtics won the battle inside where they outscored the Lakers 46-32.

Boston hold a 3-2 lead but the best-of-seven series now shifts to the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where the Celtics must either win Game Six on Tuesday, or, if necessary, Game Seven on Thursday.

Los Angeles guard Kobe Bryant scored 38 points, including 19 in the third quarter, but the Lakers suffered from a lack of balanced scoring.

Boston led by six points at the interval and although Bryant connected on seven of nine shots in the third period the Lakers’ deficit increased to 73-65 during that span.

Hantuchova puts out Keothavong

TENNIS:Anne Keothavong could not make the most of her AEGON International wild card as she crashed to a straight-sets defeat by Daniela Hantuchova in Eastbourne.

But the 26-year-old did put up a fight, pushing the former top-10 player for nearly two hours before going down 6-4 6-2.

French Open finalist Samantha Stosur was victorious in her first match since losing to Francesca Schiavone at Roland Garros.

The Australian beat US starlet Melanie Oudin, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last year, recovering from 4-1 down in the second set to triumph 6-4 6-4.

Former Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli defeated Vera Dushevina 6-4 7-5 while Lucie Safarova came through a battle with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4 3-6 6-4.

US Open champion Kim Clijsters will return to the court for the first time since April when she takes on Belgian compatriot Yanina Wickmayer today.

Dunbar leads Irish charge

GOLF: Alan Dunbar led the Irish charge in the 115th British Amateur Championship in Scotland yesterday.

The Rathmore player tamed the tricky North Berwick course in a fresh easterly wind with a sizzling 68 – three under par – to be just one stroke off the pace in the first qualifying round.

On the same course, Robert Cannon of Laytown and Bettystown posted a one under par 70, one shot better than Portstewart’s Paul Cutler.

Over at Muirfield, Cian Curley, the recent winner of the East of Ireland, returned a one-under-par 70. Portmarnock’s James Fox and Dara Lernihan of Castle carded one over par 72s at the same venue.

Niland's Wimbledon hopes dashed

TENNIS: Conor Niland's Wimbledon jinx struck for the third year on the trot at the Roehampton Club in London yesterday.

Once again, the Irish number one crashed out in the first round of qualifying – this time to Austria’s Andreas Haider-Mauder, on a 6-7 (5/7) 4-6 scoreline.

Niland headed into the contest as a favourite to clinch a second round spot, with a current world ranking of 167 compared to 232 for his opponent.