SPORTS DIGEST:MOTOR SPORT: Championship challenger Dani Pedrosa fractured his left collarbone in three places yesterday during free practice for the Japanese round of the MotoGP series at Motegi.
Pedrosa, who trails fellow Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo by 56 points in the riders’ standings, suffered the injury five minutes into the practice session having completed just two laps of the circuit.
Seven-time champion Valentino Rossi led the way with a time of one minute 48.174 seconds.
Nadal marches on in Thailand
TENNIS: World number one Rafa Nadal advanced to the semi-finals of the Thailand Open with a 6-2 6-3 win over Kazakhstans Mikhail Kukushkin last night.
The Spaniard, broke the Kazakh at 3-2 in the first set and went on to win six straight games on the way to a comfortable victory.
Tyrone football semi-final called off
GAELIC GAMES: Tomorrow's Tyrone football semi-final between Carrickmore and Omagh was last night called off after the county board took legal advice over efforts by the Omagh club to have suspensions imposed on three of its players overturned. The club has taken the matter to the Disputes Resolution Authority.
Morrison warning for McCloskey
BOXING: Scotland's Barry "The Bizness" Morrison is still irked at the idea that tonight's European light-welterweight clash with defending champion Paul McCloskey is seen as a stepping stone for the Irish fighter toward a World title tilt.
If Derry southpaw McCloskey successfully defends his crown in Letterkenny this evening, he could soon be trading leather with Amir Khan, Devon Alexander or Timothy Bradley.
McCloskey, ranked number four by the WBO, will be aiming for his 22nd straight win against the Scot but Morrison wants to spoil the party.
“He sees me as a stepping stone to a world title fight. It’s not a good thing for him to overlook me but I hope he will.”
Meanwhile, Limerick southpaw Andy Lee is back in the ring for the second time inside a month when he meets Minnesota middleweight Troy Lowry on tonight’s Hitz Boxing promotion in Hammond, Indiana.
Watson’s century boosts Australia
CRICKET: Shane Watson hit a patient century to underpin a solid first day for Australia in the first Test against India in Mohali.
Captain Ricky Ponting chipped in with a fluent 71 as the tourists closed on 224 for five, with India hitting back in the final session.
Zaheer Khan was the pick of the hosts’ bowlers, claiming two late wickets. Watson (101no) and Ponting added 141 runs for the second wicket and laid the foundation for a good first-innings total.
Khan returned impressive figures of three for 45 with spinner Harbhajan Singh taking the other wicket.
Tough cross-country course awaits Irish in Kentucky
EQUESTRIAN: Action at the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky today centres on the cross-country phase of the three-day event championships and, while none of the individual medallists from the 2006 Games in Aachen are defending their titles, the three teams which made the podium in Germany are all present, writes Margie McLoone.
The course, designed by Britain’s Mike Etherington-Smith, has been described by riders as a true championship track, strong but with lots of alternatives. It is also agreed that the time will be difficult to achieve as the terrain is undulating. The Irish team riders are Mark Kyle, Patricia Ryan, Sam Watson and Capt Geoff Curran with Camilla Speirs competing as an individual.
Away from the World Equestrian Games, show jumpers Jessica Kuerten, Shane Breen and David Simpson are competing in the three-star show at Moorsele, Belgium while Wexford’s European Pony Gold Medal winner Bertram Allen is joined by Co Down junior rider Emily Turkington at Barbizon in France.
There is also a large contingent of Irish riders taking part in the three-day event at Osberton in Nottinghamshire.
