Other sports news in brief
Nadal sweeps on
TENNIS: Rafael Nadal swept aside Jurgen Melzer in brutal style at the Madrid Open yesterday to join Novak Djokovic in the third round.
Home favourite Nadal was in stunning form as he took his unbeaten record on clay to 31 matches with a 6-3 6-1 win.
Djokovic, the third seed, eased past Spain’s Oscar Hernandez 6-3 6-3.
EPO use "systematic" in T-Mobile
CYCLING: Former Tour de France runner-up Andreas Kloeden underwent an illegal blood transfusion during the 2006 race while riding for the T-Mobile team, an independent commission from the University of Freiburg has ruled.
The commission’s report also stated that doping with the blood booster erythropoietin (EPO) was systematic in the team from 1995.
The two-year probe was commissioned by the Freiburg University, with a three-man panel concluding that two doctors, Lothar Heinrich and Andreas Schmid, implemented a blood-doping programme within Team Telekom and its successor T-Mobile without the knowledge of the university.
European Tour drops British Masters
GOLF: The British Masters has joined the English Open in being dropped from the European Tour schedule this year.
The event has been staged at The Belfry for the past three seasons, but the Quinn Insurance sponsorship came to an end and no replacement has been found.
It had been planned for September 17th-20th, but the Austrian Open will now be played that week. That was scheduled for June 11th-14th.
BOXING: Ricky Hatton has still not decided whether he will continue boxing or retire.
Hatton (30), was knocked out inside two rounds by Manny Pacquiao as he lost his IBO light-welterweight world title in devastating fashion in Las Vegas, only his second loss in 47 fights.
He told BBC Radio Five Live: “I need to spend time with the family and don’t want to make any hasty decisions when I’m not in the right frame of my mind.”
Menchov strong in final ascent
CYCLING: Denis Menchov (Rabobank) proved strongest on the final ascent to the line on yesterday’s fifth stage of the Giro d’Italia, reports Shane Stokes.
The Russian jumped clear inside the final kilometre of the stage to Alpe di Siusi, finishing two seconds ahead of Tuesday’s winner Danilo di Luca (LPR Brakes-Farnese Vini).
Thomas Lovkvist of the Team Columbia-Highroad squad was a further three seconds back in third place, conceding the pink jersey of race leader to Di Luca.
Irish rider Philip Deignan showed some recovery after his crash of Tuesday, but is clearly still suffering from the effects of that. He finished 59th, five minutes and 42 seconds back, and has dropped to 68th.
In other news, the An Post M Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly team have confirmed that Mark Cassidy will fill the fifth slot for the FBD Rás.
Renault wrench up the pressure on Mosley
MOTOR SPORT: Renault have joined forces with Ferrari by confirming their intention to withdraw from the 2010 Formula One world championship unless recently-adopted regulations are revised.
Motor sport’s world governing body, the FIA, and its president Max Mosley, now face showdown talks with all the teams at a Heathrow airport hotel tomorrow.
Mosley is under serious pressure to revise the rules announced on April 29th following a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.
The proposed €45 million budget cap would introduce a two-tier F1, sparking outrage, with five teams now confirming their intention not to compete from next year.
Ferrari, Toyota, Red Bull Racing, Toro Rosso, and now Renault, are all standing firm.
