Sports Digest

More sports news in brief

Henin loses out to Safina

WOMEN'S TENNIS:World number one Justine Henin was knocked out of the German Open yesterday, losing 5-7 6-3 6-1 to 13th seed Dinara Safina of Russia in the third round. The Belgian top seed had easily won five previous meetings against the powerful Safina, sister of former men's world number one Marat Safin, but was broken eight times.

Serena Williams had an easy victory over Poland's 11th-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3 6-1.

Earlier, third seed and 2007 runner-up Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia was upset by 15th-seeded Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko, losing 1-6 6-2 6-2, while seventh seed Elena Dementieva beat fellow Russian Vera Dushevina 7-5 6-3.

Unseeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus thrashed Argentina's Gisela Dulko 6-3 6-1 and Serbia's Ana Ivanovic beat Sybille Bammer of Austria 7-5 4-6 6-4.

Ireland to jump second last

EQUESTRIAN SPORT:Ireland have been drawn second last to jump in today's first round of the 2008 Samsung Super League in La Baule, reports Margie McLoone.

The quartet of Edward Doyle (Sequoyah Farms Utopia), Captain Shane Carey (River Foyle), Cian O'Connor (Irish Independent Echo Beach) and Denis Lynch (Lantinus) was announced yesterday evening by Horse Sport Ireland team manager Robert Splaine. Although the Super League is confined to the world's top eight show jumping countries, nine teams will start today as the host nation France, relegated last year as Ireland was promoted, will be included in the competition but not in the points.

The teams in jumping order are the Netherlands, USA, Switzerland, Sweden, France, Germany, Belgium, Ireland and Britain.

Ireland to jump second last Gay and Bolt in 100m showdown

ATHLETICS:US world champion Tyson Gay and Jamaican Usain Bolt will meet in a 100 metres showdown at the New York Grand Prix on May 31st, organisers said yesterday.

The clash will be their first over 100 metres.

Bolt, the world 200 silver medallist, stunned the world by clocking 9.76 seconds - the second-fastest time ever - in the 100 metres at the Jamaica International Invitational last Saturday.

Federer to  face Stepanek

MEN'S TENNIS:World number one Roger Federer beat Croatia's Ivo Karlovic 7-6 6-3 in the Rome Masters yesterday to book a quarter-final against Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic.

Earlier, Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic edged past Russia's Igor Andreev 6-3 3-6 6-3 in his third-round match and will face Spain's Nicolas Almagro in the last eight.

Stepanek ended Peruvian qualifier Luis Horna's impressive run with a 6-4 1-6 6-3 win.

Almagro, who knocked out Argentine seventh seed David Nalbandian in the second round, went straight into the last eight after Chilean Fernando Gonzalez, last year's finalist, pulled out of their match with a leg injury.

Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero, who beat the reigning champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets on Wednesday to throw the competition wide open, lost his third-round game against Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4 6-3.

Kovalainen passed fit for Turkish Grand Prix

FORMULA ONE:McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen thanked his lucky stars and paid tribute to Formula One's safety standards yesterday after being passed fit to race at the Turkish Grand Prix following his big crash in Spain. The Finn was knocked out and taken to hospital suffering from concussion after ploughing into the tyre wall in the Spanish Grand Prix on April 27th.

The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said they had given the 26-year-old the all-clear for Sunday's fifth round of the season after a mandatory medical at the Istanbul Park circuit.

Kovalainen still has no recollection of the accident.

Meanwhile, the FIA said yesterday that qualifying procedures would change after the Super Aguri team's withdrawal from the championship. With only 20 cars now participating, five rather than six would be excluded after each of the first two parts of qualifying tomorrow. That will still leave 10 cars fighting for pole position in the final 10-minute phase.

Doctor delivers at Chester 

RACING:Khalid Abdullah unearthed a possible understudy to Derby favourite Twice Over as Doctor Fremantle landed the Bank Of America Chester Vase yesterday.

The Saudi Arabian prince will see Twice Over tested at York next week and should he fail the Michael Stoute-trained son of Sadler's Wells could be added to the Classic field for £75,000. However, connections are more inclined to target the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby with the 11 to 8 favourite after he scored by half a length under stable jockey Ryan Moore. The colt raced keenly in a race dominated by a stop-start pace, before finding a dream opening as the runners fanned off the final bend to hold the persistent challenge of St Leger-bound All The Aces.

Abdullah's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said: "He is not in the Derby, but he is in the King Edward VII and the Irish Derby and I think we'll look at that route. We will bring him on and if he is good enough I imagine he will go for the Irish Derby."