Other sports news in brief
Kallis takes three as India struggle
CRICKET:Jacques Kallis claimed a three-wicket haul as South Africa restricted India to a modest total of 298 for nine in the first one-day international in Jaipur.
Virender Sehwag (46) and Dinesh Karthik (44) gave India a decent start, while Suresh Raina (58) helped consolidate with his 15th ODI half-century, but South Africa held India in check with wickets at regular intervals.
Kallis was the pick of the bowlers with figures of three for 29 from seven overs.
India lost Sachin Tendulkar (four) early and thereafter were pegged back by the loss of a wicket every time they showed signs of dominating South Africa’s attack.
Sehwag and Karthik revived the home side with a 79-run stand, but that partnership was severed when Sehwag was run out.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was batting up the order but his brief stay after a 26-hit was ended by Kallis. However, a 66-run stand between Virat Kohli (31) and Raina again briefly lifted the hosts.
Egan moving in on 10th title in a row
BOXING:KEN EGAN eased to within two bouts of winning his 10th Irish title in a row with a third-round stoppage of Albania-born Gisha Gezim at the Elite National Senior Championships at the National Stadium on Saturday night.
Gezim, who moved to Dublin eight years ago, was 18-4 down when the last eight battle of the southpaws was stopped after he took a third standing count 30 seconds from the final bell.
Egan will now meet Denis Hogan in next Friday’s light heavyweight semi-final in a repeat of 2009 semi-final which the Neilstown clubman won 16-3.
Meanwhile, Oliver Plunkett Belfast ace Tommy McCarthy, beaten by Egan in the 2009 final, cruised into the last four after stopping Richard Beale in two.
EU and Irish middleweight and heavyweight champions Darren O’Neill and Con Sheehan also won.
Contador shows strong form
CYCLING:Tour de France champion Alberto Contador proved he is in strong early-season form yesterday, writes Shane Stokes, when he finished second in the final time trial and repeated his 2009 overall victory in the Volta ao Algarve. Contador finished 13 seconds behind compatriot Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne) in the flat, 17.2km race against the clock, beating him by 30 seconds in the general classification.
Kim Borry was the best-placed rider from the An Post team, netting 55th. Ronan McLaughlin was the sole Irish finisher in the race, placing 112th. David O’Loughlin did not start. Pieter Ghyllebert was best of the An Post squad in the overall standings, netting a solid 46th place.
Meanwhile in France, Christophe Le Mevel won the second stage and the GM of the Tour du Haut Var.
Irish rider Daniel Martin (Garmin Transitions) was 48th overall.
It's silver for Holmes and Blaney
BOXING:IRELANDS Glen Holmes and Chris Blaney had to settle for silver yesterday after they both lost their finals at the 18-nation Brandenburg Cup in Frankfurt/Oder in Germany.
Holmes, from the Corinthians club in Dublin, lost 10-5 to Kazak bantamweight Rusian Madiyev.
Meanwhile, Navan welterweight Blaney was beaten 6-1 by Denis Radovan of Germany in the 69kg final. World junior champ Joe Ward and Stephen Tracey will both be bringing home bronze following semi-final loses.
EQUESTRIAN:Conor Drain, the only young rider in a 10-horse jump-off, landed the first round of the Horse Sport Ireland Chippison spring tour yesterday at Ravensdale Lodge, writes Margie McLoone.
Riding his mother Geraldine’s 11-year-old Anglo European mare Fine Filly, the 17-year-old from Co Antrim had over a second in hand over Clem McMahon and Valentinon.
Alonso hails car as 'best ever'
MOTOR SPORT:Double world champion Fernando Alonso believes the new Ferrari F10 is the best car he has driven and says the team were hiding their true potential in last week's Jerez test.
“As of today, this is the best car I’ve ever had,” the Spaniard, who won the world title in 2005 and 2006 with Renault, told reporters after the penultimate pre-season test ended on Saturday.
The final test takes place at Barcelona next week.
Federer's Dubai withdrawal clears the way for Murray
TENNIS:ROGER FEDERER has been forced to withdraw from the Dubai championships which start today because of a lung infection, the 16-time grand slam winner said yesterday.
“I can’t play, it’s too risky,” said Federer. “(It is) a lung infection. It’s the first time I’ve had it. The breathing was difficult. I’m still very tired and a bit slow with everything.”
Federer, who has lifted the Dubai title four times, will rest for the next two weeks and is expected to return to the ATP Tour in Indian Wells from March 11th.
The 28-year-old’s absence offers Britain’s Andy Murray an easier path to the Dubai final, with the duo originally due to meet at the semi-final stage. Murray will play his first match since the Australian Open final today when he takes on Igor Kunitsyn in the first round. The world number four looks to bounce back after being runner-up at January’s Australian Open, his second grand slam final defeat to Federer.
“The Australian Open was great, the whole trip went really well – I lost to the greatest player of all time in the final and had a few chances,” said Murray.
“There are definitely things I can improve on, but I think it was a positive tournament.”
Meanwhile, top seed Maria Sharapova lost only three games on her way to the WTA Cellular South Cup title in Memphis. The 22-year-old Russian defeated Swedish qualifier Sofia Arvidsson 6-2 6-1 to secure a 21st Tour crown.
