A round-up of other sports news in brief
Davydenko masters Nadal
TENNIS: An inspired Nikolay Davydenko beat top seed and world number two Rafa Nadal 7-6 6-3 to become the first Shanghai Masters champion yesterday.
The sixth seed blasted winners from both sides throughout the two-hour contest, winning a tight first set 7-3 in the tiebreak and then getting the only break of the second to secure his fourth title of the year.
Spaniard Nadal, still short of his best form after the knee and abdominal injuries that have disrupted his season, battled gamely in his first final since May, but always looked second best against the gutsy Russian.
Davydenko, the world number eight, sealed his fourth win in four finals this year when the Australian Open champion went long with a backhand, and a subsequent Hawkeye challenge ruled in the Russian’s favour.
The 28-year-old bounced up and down in delight at his victory and then raced over to kiss his wife, who has been supporting him from the stands all week in the southern Chinese city.
Stoner scores home hat-trick
MOTO GP: Casey Stoner showed no sign of the illness that has derailed his season when he upstaged Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo to secure a hat-trick of home Australian Grand Prix wins.
Stoner, who missed three races with fatigue before posting a podium finish at the Portuguese Grand Prix this month, took the tactical battle by 1.935 seconds over champion Rossi in sunny conditions at the 4.45km Phillip Island circuit.
“I was just really happy with the way everything was working, especially my body,” the 2007 world champion said. “Every lap that I kept going past the point where I used to just hit my wall, it made me smile.”
Rossi’s second place was achieved despite hearing of his stepfather’s death before qualifying on Saturday.
Hanley jumps to win in Germany
EQUESTRIAN: Cameron Hanley was Ireland’s biggest winner at the weekend when he claimed an Audi yesterday afternoon at the four-star Baltic Horse Show in Kiel, Germany, reports Margie McLoone.
Riding Sevil Sabanci’s 10-year-old Holstein stallion Siec Livello in the 1.55m Grand Prix, Hanley stopped the clock in the second round on 34.85, just shading the host nation’s Franke Sloothaak who came home clear in 34.97 on Allegro LS LA Silla.
Denis Lynch took sixth place on Tarpan.
On the eventing front, Kildare’s Camilla Speirs fared best of the Irish riders competing at the World breeding championships for young horses at Le Lion d’Angers when finishing fifth in the one-star class for six-year-olds.
Riding her mother, Bridget’s, Master Imp gelding BT Crew Master, Speirs completed on her dressage score of 52 penalties with victory going to France’s Mathieu Lemoine.
Martin gets top-10 in Italian Classic
CYCLING: Daniel Martin took the best Classic result by an Irish rider since Seán Kelly won the 1992 Milan San Remo when he finished eighth in the Tour of Lombardy in Italy on Saturday, reports Shane Stokes.
Belgian rider Philippe Gilbert (Silence-Lotto) attacked on the final climb and was joined by Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez, then outsprinted the Euskaltel-Euskadi competitor in their sprint.
Alexandr Kolobnev (Team Saxo Bank) was third, seven seconds back, while Martin’s group sprinted in one second later.
“I’m pretty pleased as it proves I’m able to ride well in big one-day events,” said Martin. “I’m just 23 and taking a result like this is very encouraging for next year.”
After Irish champion Nicolas Roche’s early breakaway group was hauled back, Martin attacked with several others on the Ghisallo climb, approximately 50km from the end. While they were reeled in before the final climb, he had enough left to snag that top-10 placing.
“I messed up the sprint as I haven’t done the finish here before,” he said. “But it’s good to ride well at the end of the season.”
