Sports Digest

A roundup of the day's other sports news in brief

Abu Dhabi circuit gets F1 finale

MOTOR SPORT: Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina circuit will host the final grand prix of the 2010 Formula One season after the International Automobile Federation (FIA) announced a change to their race schedule yesterday.

A provisional calendar had listed Abu Dhabi as the penultimate race before Brazil, but the sport’s governing body decided to give the United Arab Emirates capital the November 14th season finale, after the Brazilian Grand Prix on November 7th. The season begins with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 14th.

The FIA also confirmed that a new points scoring system, where the first 10 finishers all secure points, would come into effect next season due to an expanded grid of 13 teams. Under the new system, announced in a statement after a meeting in Monaco of the World Motor Sport Council, the race winner will get 25 points with 20 for second place and 15 for third.

Ding through to UK final

SNOOKER: Ding Junhui claimed a place in the UK Championship final at Telford after beating Stephen Maguire 9-5 in the opening semi-final yesterday. The world number 14 from China strung together a three-frame winning streak to lead 5-3 after the afternoon session and, although Maguire levelled at 5-5, Ding took the next four frames in succession to set up a final showdown with either Ronnie O'Sullivan or John Higgins.

Grassi will race in F1 next season

MOTOR SPORT: Brazilian Lucas Di Grassi will race in Formula One next season after announcing yesterday he would join one of the sport's new teams.

“I’ll be in Formula One next year. It will be in one of the four new teams entering the sport,” the 25-year-old told Brazil’s TV Globo.

Brazilian media said it would be the Virgin Racing team, who originally entered as Manor Grand Prix, with the official announcement expected next Tuesday.

Virgin, who have already signed Germany’s Timo Glock from departed Toyota, have a presentation in London scheduled for that day.

“It’s a dream come true, of course it’s fantastic. I am well prepared, I was reserve and test driver at Renault for two years,” said Di Grassi. “My aim is to enter in F1 to stay, in a solid way, to get results and a future.”

Lifetime award for Ballesteros

GOLF: Seve Ballesteros, the most charismatic figure in European golf history, is to be honoured at the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year ceremony on Sunday.

The 51-year-old Spanish great, who has been battling a brain tumour since collapsing at Madrid Airport in October last year, will receive the Lifetime Achievement award.

Ballesteros was the youngest ever winner of the European Order of Merit title in 1976, and it took him just three years to lift the Claret Jug at Royal Lytham.

That was the first of three Opens as well as two US Masters titles. Previous winners include Bobby Charlton (2008), Bobby Robson (2007), Bjorn Borg (2006), Pele (2005), Ian Botham (2004) and George Best (2002).

John Joe Nevin settles for silver in Azerbaijan

BOXING: Ireland's John Joe Nevin lost out in his quest for gold and a €2,000 first prize after he was beaten 7-3 by Shayimov Orzubek of Uzbekistan and Asia (2) in Azerbaijan in yesterday's President's Cup final in Azerbaijan.

The Irish bantamweight was 1-0 up at the end of the first round in Baku and 3-1 ahead going into the third and final round.

But Orzuybek came storming back to register six unanswered points to his tally in the final frame.

However, Nevin (20) pocketed a silver medal and a cheque for €1.300. He’ll also share in the top prize of €35,000 as his 11 man Europe (2) team fininished on top of the table, three points ahead of Europe (1).

Meanwhile, Ireland beat England in a senior international at the Ramada Hotel on Thursday night to complete a 12-7 aggregate win over the English over two legs.

Having beaten the visitors 5-4 at the Castlecourt Hotel in Westport on Wednesday evening, Ireland followed up with a 7-3 victory.

Contador to join Armstrong team

CYCLING: Tour de France champion Alberto Contador has not ruled out the possibility of being a team-mate of Lance Armstrong again despite their difficult relationship when both were with Astana.

Seven-times Tour winner Armstrong has formed a new team, RadioShack, for next season while Spaniard Contador will remain with Kazakh-funded Astana in 2010, despite threatening to leave and opening negotiations with several other leading teams.

Contador and Armstrong clashed over the role of team leader at Astana during this year’s Tour de France. However, Contador said yesterday he had put their differences behind him.

“Things were difficult during the Tour de France and it was very stressful but it was also good experience for the future. I matured a lot and learnt to stay cool.

“It’s possible that I could be friends or an ally with Lance in the future. In sport you can never say never.”