DIGESTTENNIS: World number one Lleyton Hewitt was handed a claycourt lesson by former French Open champion Carlos Moya at the Monte Carlo Masters yesterday when he was beaten 6-4 6-3 in the first round of the $2.95 million event.
"Carlos is always a tough competitor... especially on clay," Hewitt said afterwards. "It is tough to come and play on clay for the first time - especially on a surface like this, I mean, it was like mud.
"I have never played here before and if I had been playing second round Davis Cup I probably wouldn't have come at all... it doesn't fit in with my schedule. Who knows if I will come back?"
After early exchanges of serve Moya, French Open champion in 1998, snatched the opening set 6-4 before a 3½-hour rain ... delay interrupted play on the French Riviera.
But the artful Spaniard returned as he had left off, running the dogged Hewitt around the centre court when the match returned in the early evening.
CYCLING: FBD Milk Rás organiser Dermot Dignam has announced that the 2001 champion Paul Manning is returning to defend his title in this year's race, which begins on May 19th, writes Shane Stokes.
Manning was the first English winner in the history of the event; with the backing of an powerful Great Britain team, he is vying to take the 50th edition of the Irish tour. His bid will be backed by team-mates Chris Newton, Steve Cummings, Tim Buckle, Bryan Steel and Simon Jones, a squad which is both strong and experienced enough to pose a serious challenge for the overall honours.
The task for the Irish riders aiming to take the Golden Jubilee edition of the race has been made more difficult with the news that other strong foreign squads are travelling in the hunt for precious world-ranking points. It has been confirmed that riders from 12 different countries will take part, attracted by the race's reputation and its 2.5 ranking on the UCI International calendar.
Dignam is due to announce further details about those foreign teams in the next fortnight.
DRUGS IN SPORT: The IAAF and USA Track & Field have agreed to independent arbitration in an attempt to resolve an impasse over five positive US dope tests.
The American governing body has refused to reveal the names of the quintet, who include a competitor at the 2000 Sydney Olympics who took part despite testing positive for an anabolic steroid.
Speaking from the IAAF's Monaco headquarters yesterday, spokesman Nick Davies said the world governing body and USA Track & Field had decided to go to the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
