Sports Digest

Other sports news in brief

Flintoff faces six weeks on crutches

CRICKET: England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff will be on crutches for a minimum of six weeks after undergoing knee surgery.

Double Ashes-winning hero Flintoff, 31, underwent a routine arthroscopy and micro-fracture to two small areas in his right knee in London.

The recovery from the operation, carried out by surgeon Andy Williams, is expected to be a lengthy period.

An England and Wales Cricket Board statement read: “The recovery will require him to be non weight-bearing for the first six to eight weeks post surgery. At the end of this six-to-eight-week period, the knee will be reviewed by his surgeon and the timescale for ongoing rehabilitation further determined.”

Impressive Niland secures comfortable victory

TENNIS:IRELAND'S Conor Niland secured his first win in a Grand Slam qualifying event yesterday with a 6-0 6-4 victory over 34-year-old Australian Joseph Sirianni that leaves him two matches away from the US Open proper.

The first of those will be today against Colombian Alejandro Falla, who beat Indian Prakash Amritraj in three sets, is seeded 31st in the qualifiers and ranked 159th in the world.

Having beaten a player ranked 240th, Niland (402nd) must now go a step further if he is to face either Roko Karanusic (111th) of Croatia or South African Izak Van Der Merwe (297th) for a place in the last 16 and qualification for Monday’s main draw.

Bolt lines up a return to China

ATHLETICS:Jamaican triple Olympic and world champion Usain Bolt will return to China next month for a 100 metres race in Shanghai, his agent said yesterday.

The September 20th race will be Bolt’s first in Asia since his triumphant Beijing Olympics, Ricky Simms said.

The 23-year-old also is considering a sprint race on September 25th in Daegu, South Korea. The city will host the next World Athletics Championships in 2011.

A book deal on Bolt’s dramatic rise to become the world’s top sprinter also is being finalised.

“We have been in negotiations for a long time and I think it is almost coming to a conclusion,” the agent said. Still under discussion is the focus of the book. It could encompass Bolt’s entire life or just his success in recent years.

“There may be a couple of books,” Simms said.

Bolt will complete his European season with races in Zurich and Brussels in the coming days.

Busy McVeigh returns to action

GOLF:Irish star Danielle McVeigh will bid for a quick-fire double when she lines up in the European Ladies Amateur Championship at Falsterbo, Sweden this morning.

The 21-year-old Vagliano Trophy player from Royal County Down came from behind in sensational style over the final nine holes last Friday to become the first Irish woman to claim the British strokeplay championship for 23 years.

Minar faces 'banned substance' rap

TENNIS:Czech player Ivo Minar has tested positive for a banned substance. The president of the Czech Tennis Association, Ivo Kaderka, said that the case is being investigated by the International Tennis Federation.

The player, however, denies the allegation and said in a statement:

“I have never consciously taken a banned substance. This is why I rejected the accusation of doping in my reaction sent to the ITF.”

Minar, who is ranked 66th in the world, pulled out of the US Open on Friday, citing an injury.

The sample was taken after Minar lost in straight sets in a Davis Cup singles match against Argentina’s Juan Martín del Potro on July 10th. The Czechs prevailed 3-2 to gain a place in the semi-finals.

The 25-year-old lives and trains in Prague at the National Centrum and is coached by his countryman, Jan Bedan.

Peat wary of Icelandic threat

BASKETBALL:Ireland's senior women can take another step towards the play-offs today when they face Iceland in their penultimate group game.

If Ireland manage to defeat Iceland it will leave them requiring a 13-point win over the Netherlands on Saturday to guarantee their passage into the Division B play-offs.

Ireland suffered a 77-65 loss to the Netherlands last season but if they can better that result at the weekend and secure victory in Iceland then they will have the opportunity of participating in a two -legged affair to decide who will reach Division A.

Ireland’s results in 2009 include a frustrating 70-67 loss to Montenegro before recording wins away to Slovenia (82-66) and at home to Switzerland (71-63).

But co-captain Lindsay Peat is wary of Iceland’s threat.

“We saw enough from them last year that showed we cannot take them lightly,” said Peat.