A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Wozniacki claims number on spot
TENNIS:Caroline Wozniacki became the first Danish tennis player to be crowned world number one when she beat Czech Petra Kvitova 6-3 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals of the China Open yesterday. She dethroned American Serena Williams, who has not played since winning Wimbledon in July. Wozniacki is the third player in the last two years to have reached the pinnacle of tennis without winning one of the four grand slam titles.
Barnes advances
BOXING:Irish light flyweight boxer Paddy Barnes reached the Commonwealth Games quarter-finals yesterday before revealing he found the sport a bit of a bore.
“It is just holding, jabbing and moving,” said the Ulsterman, who won bronze for Ireland at the Beijing Olympics. “It is boring. I really don’t like any sport.”
Barnes, representing Northern Ireland in New Delhi, beat Scotland’s Iain Butcher at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium.
Batting collapse costs Ireland
CRICKET:A dramatic batting collapse saw Ireland go down to a 165-run defeat to the West Indies in their second game at the ICC Women's World Challenge in South Africa yesterday, writes Emmet Riordan.
Set an imposing target of 266, Ireland’s openers Clare Shillington and Cecelia Joyce had put together an opening stand of 66 before Shillington was bowled by Shanel Daley for 22.
Isobel Joyce departed for one, followed by twin sister Cecelia for 36, with Ireland losing seven wickets for the addition of just 10 runs as they were reduced to 83 for eight .
Earlier, the talented Stafanie Taylor hit 72 at the top of the West Indies order, while Deandra Dottin hit 72 off just 59 deliveries as they piled on the runs after winning the toss. The spinners came out best of the Irish attack, with skipper Ciara Metcalfe (one for 42) and Eimear Richardson (one for 48) preventing the Windies from posting over 300 in their 50 overs.
Gillick decides to move to Florida
ATHLETICS: David Gillick is to leave his training base in Loughborough University in England and move permanently to Orlando, Florida, to work with Lance Brauman, coach to American sprinter Tyson Gay, amongst others, writes Ian O'Riordan.
It’s a bold and significant move designed to improve his prospects at the 2012 London Olympics, although Gillick admits it was a difficult decision. “It’s not really a direct result of the way the summer ended,” says Gillick, who ran three sub-45 second 400 metres this summer, but was disappointed by his sixth place finish at the European Championships. “I was very happy with Nick Dakin as my coach at Loughborough and the progress I made under him for the last four years, but at the same time I felt maybe I needed a change, to freshen things up, and make sure again that I leave no stone unturned in the build-up to London.
“I looked at several coaches, at all avenues, did up a checklist, and Lance Brauman really ticks all the boxes. I’ve talked with him a few times now and once he expressed his interest, and saw the potential in me, it became the best move. It’s a great training group, in an excellent training environment, and a massive opportunity, really, for me to better myself.”
Twomey and Tinka's Serenade in eighth
EQUESTRIAN: Ireland's Billy Twomey riding Tinka's Serenade is lying eighth in the individual show jumping championships at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games following Wednesday night's third round under lights in the Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, writes Margie McLoone.
The top 30 combinations are through to tonight’s Grand Prix with the final leg of the competition taking place tomorrow when the leading four riders will swap mounts and all jump a round on each other’s horse. Ireland’s Dermott Lennon won the 2002 world championship with Liscalgot in Jerez de la Frontera.
The team competition was completed on Wednesday night when Germany took gold thanks to clear rounds from Janne Friederike Meyer (Cellagon Lambrasco), Carsten-Otto Nagel (Corradina) and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (Checkmate).
Their team-mate Marcus Ehning lowered the planks at eight with Plot Blue but all four remain in the final top-30 of the individual competition.
This weekend’s round of the Kingsland Equestrian Showjumping Ireland autumn Grand Prix series takes place on Sunday during the Northern indoor championships at the Eglinton Equestrian Centre in Co Derry and 29 horses have been declared for the class.
