A round-up of today's other sport's news in brief ...
Welshman Nigel Owens to referee Edinburgh final
RUGBY:Leading Welsh referee Nigel Owens will become only the second official to take charge of back-to-back Heineken Cup finals when he controls the Edinburgh 2009 final between Leicester Tigers and Leinster at Murrayfield Stadium on Saturday, May 23rd (5.00 pm).
The ERC yesterday confirmed the match officials for both the Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup finals with Owens joining Chris White in taking charge of successive Heineken Cup finals.
Irish referee George Clancy will get the big European weekend underway when he referees the European Challenge Cup final between Northampton Saints and Bourgoin at the Twickenham Stoop on Friday, May 22nd (7.45 pm).
For the Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup knock-out games, should the match referee withdraw during the game due to injury he will be replaced by the fourth official. The fourth official in Edinburgh will be Christophe Berdos (France) with Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland) on duty at the Stoop.
Injury ends Williams' bid
TENNIS:World number two Serena Williams yesterday withdrew from the Madrid Open due to a knee injury.
Williams, seeded second in Madrid behind Dinara Safina, made the decision to retire after losing the first set of her opening match against Francesca Schiavone 6-4 this afternoon. The 27-year-old Williams won her 10th grand slam singles title at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Brawn welcomes Barrichello barb
MOTOR SPORT:Ross Brawn believes Rubens Barrichello's bitterness following his latest defeat by team-mate Jenson Button is "a healthy sign." Although Sunday's one-two at the Spanish Grand Prix was Brawn's second of a so-far sensational season, it was one that failed to impress the Brazilian who had to settle for second best again.
Barrichello was left surprised at the team’s decision to switch Button’s strategy from a three-stop to two stops whilst he remained unchanged. Barrichello made it clear that if Button was being favoured he would immediately quit.
Brawn, though, is delighted Barrichello is displaying the kind of fighting spirit he was unable to show during his years at Ferrari when he basically served as Michael Schumacher’s stooge.
“Rubens’ unhappiness is natural,” commented Brawn. “But then any driver who gets beaten and is happy is not a driver I want in the team. The fact Rubens is unhappy is a healthy sign because I would see it as very strange if he was quite content to finish second behind Jenson.”
Slattery in fitness race
TENNIS:Richard Gasquet has been suspended by the International Tennis Federation after the Frenchman confirmed he has tested positive for cocaine.
The world number 23, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2007, admitted yesterday to returning a positive sample at the Miami Masters in March.
A spokesman for the ITF said: “Richard Gasquet is under investigation for a doping-related offence and in line with WADA rules has been provisionally suspended.”
Gasquet will now attend a hearing in front of the ITF’s anti-doping commission on a date yet to be determined.
The Frenchman, who has vowed to prove his innocence, could face a lengthy ban if found guilty.
Gasquet suspended after drug test
SAILING:Ireland's Green Dragon crew-member Justin Slattery will know before the weekend whether an injury he sustained in last Saturday's Volvo Ocean Race In-Port at Boston will prevent him from taking part in next weekend's seventh stage to Galway, writes David Branigan.
The Cork sailor, who was on the winning team of the last race in 2006, was on the bow when a slack rope tightened around his ankle and dragged him around the forestay as the large headsail was being trimmed in by the powerful “coffee-grinder” winches.
Slattery, however, is confident that his swollen foot will have healed sufficiently by the weekend when the 2,500-mile stage to Galway will begin off Fan Pier, Boston.
He was able to continue his duties on board last weekend, despite the incident.
The bowman’s role is one of the most hazardous on board with frequent injuries resulting from the exposed position away from the relative safety of the cockpit. Although many injuries are associated with being swept backwards by large waves, even in the light conditions such as last weekend, the huge loadings on the sails and rig pose significant threats.
Next week’s Trans-Atlantic stage will mark the end of the main oceanic element of the 39,000-mile race as just three coastal legs totalling less than 2,500-miles will remain after Galway.
The Fastnet Rock off the West Cork coastline has been confirmed as a mark on the course with the fleet obliged to pass between it and the land en route to Marstrand, Sweden after leaving Galway on June 6th.
