A round-up of today's other sports news in brief
Sharper Spain give Ireland a lesson
WOMEN'S HOCKEY:Ireland were put to the sword by world number seven side Spain in Valencia yesterday in the first of a series of Test matches this weekend.
The hosts dominated throughout, scoring twice in each half to complete a 4-0 win.
Spain’s early pressure paid off when a ball came loose at the top of the Irish circle, allowing Raquel Huertas the chance for a first time strike which she sweetly struck for the opening goal on nine minutes.
Spain’s second came in the 26th minute when Julia Mendez was gifted space to dribble into the circle and flick the ball over a sliding Emma Gray for a 2-0 lead.
Spain copperfastened their victory in the 48th minute with Ester Termens’ goal.
Fognini upsets Davydenko
TENNIS:Fabio Fognini upset world number 11 Nikolay Davydenko to reach his first tour semi-final this year as the Italian's dream run in Stuttgart continued yesterday.
The 22-year-old, ranked 67th and yet to win a title on the main ATP tour, beat the Russian 6-1 3-6 7-5. Fognini was flawless in the first set, firing forehand winners at will as his 28-year-old opponent littered the court with errors.
Falsterbo win improves Irish position
EQUESTRIAN SPORTS:Ireland improved its position in the FEI Meydan nations' cup series yesterday when winning the sixth round at Falsterbo, Sweden, writes Margie Mcloone.
The team finished with a total of nine faults, aided by the double clear of Sligo-born Darragh Kerins and Night Train.
Having picked up five faults in round one, Cameron Hanley bounced back with a clear on SIEC Livello in the second round, with the Denis Lynch-partnered Lantinus also leaving all the poles intact in round two having faulted once in the opening salvo. Capt David O’Brien (Kiltoom) had the discard score in both rounds.
Sweden, hosting the event for the first time and favourably drawn last to jump, finished second with 14 faults followed by Switzerland on 17.
The series now moves on to Hickstead with the final round taking place at next month’s Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show.
Bolt overcomes bad start to produce season’s best
ATHLETICS:Olympic champion Usain Bolt of Jamaica won the 100 metres at the Golden League meeting in Stade de France in Paris last night in 9.79 seconds, his best time of the season. Daniel Bailey of Antigua came second in 9.91 and Jamaican Yohan Blake was third in 9.93.
Bolt, who holds the 100 record with 9.69 seconds set at the Beijing Olympic Games last year, was slow out of the blocks but pulled clear of the field after the first 50 metres.
“I had a bad start but that is all part of life and I (ended up) with a good time,” he said.
The 22-year-old Bolt, who also set world records in winning the 200 metres and 4x100 relay in Beijing, added that the meeting was an important stage in his preparation for next month’s world championships in Berlin.
Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia proved a classy winner of the 3,000 metres in 7:28.64, with Bernard Lagat of the US running second with a personal best 7:33.15.
Hopes were high that Alistair Cragg would make an impact but he trailed home in 14th in 8:00.77. This performance must put a question mark over whether Cragg will actually run in the World Championships next month.
Earlier, Dave Campbell ran well to finish seventh in the 800 metres in 1:47.54, with victory there going to Ahmed Ismail of Sudan in 1:45.85.
Bailey takes over Junior Tour lead
CYCLING:One day after taking the yellow jersey in the M. Donnelly Junior Tour, national champion Charles Prendergast slipped out of the race lead on yesterday's 113 kilometre stage to Ballycastle, writes Shane Stokes.
He missed out on a key break and saw the jersey pass to the stage winner, Matt Bailey (BCF West Midlands).
Bailey outsprinted Peter Williams (Stena Ireland) and Louis Meintjes (South Africa) to the line, while Prendergast finished one minute and 24 seconds back in eighth. Bailey now has a seven-second lead over Meintjes and a 50-second advantage over Prendergast, who is third. The race continues today with the penultimate stage, a 107 kilometre race from Castlebar to Windy Gap.
Spaniards Inigo Landaluze and Ricardo Serrano have been provisionally suspended after testing positive for the banned blood booster CERA.
Stoner sets fastest practice time
MOTOR CYCLING:Casey Stoner made light of his recent illness to set the pace in the opening free practice session ahead of the FIM MotoGP World Championship meeting at the Sachsenring.
The Australian, who is suffering from anaemia, handled the damp track well to post a fastest time of one minute 22.779 seconds.
The Ducati Marlboro rider’s time was never threatened.
Stoner, who lies third in the overall standings, 16 points behind leader Valentino Rossi, was a comfortable 0.255 seconds quicker than Spaniard Dani Pedrosa on the Repsol Honda, with Fiat Yamaha’s Rossi third fastest.
Randy De Puniet (LCR Honda MotoGP), Alex De Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini) and Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) completed the top six.
