SPORTS DIGEST

Other sports news in brief

Tampa Bay within sight of first title

BASEBALL:The Tampa Bay Rays moved to within sight of their first American League East title by winning both games of a double header against the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 and 7-5 on Tuesday.

With the regular season in the final week, Tampa Bay (95-62) moved three games ahead of the Boston Red Sox, who beat the Cleveland Indians 5-4 to clinch at least the AL wild card.

The wins reduced Tampa Bay's "magic number" to two, meaning any combination of Rays victories and Red Sox losses equalling two would clinch the AL East title.

Both teams have five games before the regular season ends on Sunday. Tampa Bay play Baltimore again before beginning a four-game series at Detroit. The Red Sox finish their series against the Indians before hosting the New York Yankees for their final three games.

The Rays had never previously qualified for the playoffs since their formation 11 years ago.

 Neben sees off time-trial favourites

CYCLING:Amber Neben of the US took an emphatic time-trial win at the world championships in Varese yesterday as the favourites fell away.

Neben surged round the course in the northern Italian town in 33 minutes 51 seconds, with silver medallist Christiane Soeder of Austria seven seconds behind and Germany's Judith Arndt third.

The Beijing Olympic time-trial champion Kristin Armstrong of the US went out last and could finish only fifth.

France's 49-year-old Jeannie Longo, fourth in Beijing last month, was never in the running.

Ireland's Olivia Dillon, the national champion, finished 39th, 4:25.06 behind Neben.

Heather Wilson, national record holder at 10 and 25 miles, was 42nd, 5:22.56 back.

Fitzgerald given confidence vote

GAELIC GAMES:John Mullane has issued a fresh appeal to Davy Fitzgerald to return as Waterford hurling manager next year. Fitzgerald is weighing up his options after his short-term stint in charge of the Déise ended with a heavy All-Ireland final defeat to Kilkenny on September 7th.

It is understood Fitzgerald has had other offers but Waterford players, officials and supporters are keen to see the former Clare goalkeeper return in 2009.

Mullane said: "Hopefully he'll be back and I hope that he's given a two- or three-year term and the time to rebuild things again.

"Davy has been down this road before. Clare were hammered in a Munster final against Tipperary in 1993 and he's had good and bad days with Clare. He knows what it takes to get a team back up."

Mullane insists Waterford can bounce back, adding: "We need to approach the league differently next year, rebuild . . . and look for three or four new players by throwing the young lads into the league."

Top seed Jankovic blows hot and cold in Beijing

TENNIS:Top seed Jelena Jankovic reached the quarter-finals of the China Open yesterday with a 6-3 7-5 victory over Canada's Aleksandra Wozniak. The Serbian world number two will meet seventh seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, who was pushed all the way in her 6-1 0-6 7-5 win over the Thai Tamarine Tanasugarn.

On a cool evening in Beijing - both players wore long sleeves - Jankovic was quickest to warm up, taking an early break to wrap up the first set and then racing to a 5-2 lead in the second.

World number 39 Wozniak denied the US Open finalist a quick victory, however, breaking back twice to level at 5-5, before surrendering the match with several unforced errors.

Hantuchova shivered for two hours and 12 minutes in an entertaining battle with Tanasugarn, rating it one of the toughest matches of her career: "I even felt fog on my mouth and my legs couldn't move in the second set. It was a wise decision to wear (sweatpants) in the third set."

France to bid for 2018 Olympiad

WINTER OLYMPICS:France will bid to stage the 2018 Winter Olympics, the French Olympic Committee (CNOSF) said yesterday.

"Our Olympic ambition led us to bid for the 2018 Games," CNOSF president Henri Serandour said.

Three towns - Annecy, Nice and Grenoble, which hosted the Games in 1968 - had already said they were interested in a candidacy, he added.

France's official candidate should be named in March 2009.

One rival will be Munich, which declared itself a candidate last December.

France has staged three Winter Olympics, the other two in 1924 in Chamonix and 1992 in Albertville.

Paris was the host of the Summer Olympics in 1900 and 1924 but was beaten in its bid for the 1992, 2008 and 2012 Games by Barcelona, Beijing and London. The next Winter Games will be held in Vancouver (2010) and Sochi (2014).

England outhalf set for return

RUGBY:Danny Cipriani is set to begin his comeback from an horrific ankle injury during the next 10 days. The Wasps and England outhalf has been pencilled in for a return either against Bath next Wednesday or Gloucester three days later.

Whether Cipriani who missed England's two-Test summer tour of New Zealand is considered for the autumn Tests, starting against the Pacific Islanders on November 8th, remains to be seen.