SPORTS DIGEST:RUGBY: Welsh referee Nigel Owens will take charge of Ireland's first Test match at the Aviva Stadium on November 6th against world champions South Africa, writes Gavin Cummiskey.
The unfamiliar New Zealander Keith Brown takes the Samoa game on November 13th, before the Irish style of play comes under scrutiny on November 20th when South Africa’s Marius Jonker will interpret the new laws against Tri-Nations champions the All Blacks.
Another South African, Mark Lawrence, will have the whistle for the fourth Test against Argentina.
George Clancy has the task of refereeing England against the Springboks at Twickenham, while Alan Lewis oversees Wales v New Zealand. Those games are on November 27th. Alain Rolland, the 2007 World Cup final referee, will be in Hong Kong on October 30th for the All Blacks against Australia.
Schiavone through in Japan
TENNIS:French Open champion Francesca Schiavone ended 40-year-old Kimiko Date Krumm's dream run at the Pan Pacific Open in Japan with a 6-3 6-3 third round victory yesterday.The Italian fifth seed had too much firepower for Japan's Date Krumm, comfortably advancing to the quarter-finals of the €1.7 million Tokyo event.
“Every point was close,” Schiavone told reporters. “Every game was close and there were a lot of deuces. It was only when I broke for 4-3 in the second that I knew I could win.”
In other matches, Danish top seed Caroline Wozniacki edged closer to seizing the number one ranking with a 6-1 6-2 thrashing of Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Korea insists F1 track will be ready
FORMULA ONE:The organisers of next month's Korean grand prix insisted yesterday the circuit will be completed in time for an inspection by Formula One officials in a fortnight. Repeated delays to work on the track have raised fears the race on October 24th will be cancelled, plunging what is left of this season's championship into chaos.
“We will be finished before the inspectors arrive,” Mike Choi, sports and events manager at the Korea Auto Valley Operation, said. “We are aware of the anxiety, but our construction teams are working very hard to get everything finished.”
The prospect that the race will go ahead is good news for Lewis Hamilton, as it leaves him with four races in which to attempt to catch the championship leader Mark Webber. Hamilton, who retired for the second successive race in Singapore on Sunday, lies in third place, 20 points behind Webber.
Guardian Service
Pakistan captain appeals ban
CRICKET:Pakistan captain Salman Butt has appealed against his suspension from the game for alleged spot-fixing, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has said.
The ICC has been formally notified by Pakistan player Salman Butt that he wishes to appeal against the provisional suspension imposed on him under the ICC anti-corruption code,” said the ICC in a statement.
Ireland battle to draw against Wales
GOLF:Ireland gave a greatly improved performance against Wales in the Senior Women's internationals at Sherringham on the Norfolk Coast yesterday – but they are nevertheless out of the title hunt.
After a 7-1 thrashing by England on Tuesday they looked out for the count but battled to a 4-4 draw with Wales yesterday only to see any hopes of the crown disappear when England crushed Scotland.
Now Ireland and Scotland will fight today to avoid the wooden spoon.
Ireland led Wales 2-1 after the foursomes with Helen Jones and Pat Doran, two of the successful players in the British Senior Women’s Championship and Sheena McElroy and Phil O’Gorman winning their matches.
But in the afternoon they could manage only two more points through McElroy and Mairead MacNamara.
Ireland get penultimate draw
EQUESTRIAN:Ireland has been drawn 13th of the 14 teams competing in the eventing championships which get under way today at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky with the opening session of dressage, writes Margie McLoone.
First into action at 10.24am local time will be Leicestershire-based Mark Kyle with Step In Time, who will be followed by Patricia Ryan on Fernhill Clover Mist (14.54). Sam Watson and Horseware Bushman go third, at 11.24am tomorrow, while Capt Geoff Curran will be the anchor man with The Jump Jet (15.54).
Kildare’s Camilla Speirs, the youngest rider in the event, will compete as an individual on Portersize Just a Jiff, the smallest horse at 9.24am tomorrow.
