SPORTS DIGEST:RUGBY: Wales international Dafydd Jones has announced his retirement after failing to recover from a serious shoulder injury.
The Scarlets flanker was hurt during Wales’ clash against New Zealand in November 2009, and subsequently underwent two operations. But he has now decided to retire from rugby after consulting specialists. The 31-year-old won 42 caps, making his Test debut in 2002, and had 13 seasons with the Scarlets.
Amir confident of proving innocence
CRICKET: Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Amir expressed confidence yesterday in his ability to prove he was innocent of spot-fixing charges at a six-day International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption tribunal in Doha starting tomorrow.
Amir, Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were suspended last September after a British newspaper report alleged they had arranged for deliberate no-balls to be delivered in the fourth Test against England.
“I have played so many Tests for Pakistan but this one is going to be my toughest and hardest,” Amir told reporters at Lahore airport before flying to Doha.
“Finally the time has arrived for me to prove my innocence because I have done nothing wrong. My lawyer has worked very hard on preparing this case and I am quietly confident that, like I have always performed well in matches for Pakistan, I can also come out of the hearing with my head high.”
Ferrari’s Domenicali considered quitting
MOTOR SPORT: Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali considered quitting after a strategy error in the final grand prix of last year cost Fernando Alonso the Formula One championship.
The Spaniard went into the Abu Dhabi season-ender in the lead in the standings but an early pit-stop backfired, leaving him to finish the race seventh while Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel won to take the crown.
“I asked myself if it was right or not to stay. It seemed a reflection I had to do, a responsible one. I’m not attached to the hotseat,” Domenicali said. “However, I reached the conclusion that to resign would have been an error.” Domenicali, whose team will unveil their 2011 car at the end of January after it passed a series of mandatory crash tests last month, is now raring to go for the season having admitted Red Bull were “objectively” quicker than the Italians last year. “I know the team and I think I am the right person to capitalise best on what we have done in these months,” he said.
Stosur beaten in Brisbane
TENNIS: Top seed Samantha Stosur crashed out of the second round of the Brisbane International yesterday, losing 6-2 6-4 to Jarmila Groth in a battle of Australia's top two women. Spanish third seed Fernando Verdasco was also upset in the men's tournament, losing his first round match 6-1 6-7 6-3 to Germany's Benjamin Becker.
Top seed Robin Soderling of Sweden had no such problems, however, reaching the second round comfortably with a 6-2 6-4 humbling of American qualifier Ryan Harrison.
World number six Stosur is considered her country’s best hope of ending a 32-year wait for a home grand slam champion at the January 17th-30th Australian Open.
Big-hitting Groth never let last year’s French Open finalist settle, however, and raced away with the first set on the back of seven aces.
Stosur fought back in the second to take a 4-2 lead but Slovakia-born Groth won the next four games in a row to claim local bragging rights and a place in the third round.
Serbia close in on Hopman final place
TENNIS: Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic maintained the buoyant mood in Serbian tennis when they overpowered Australia 3-0 to move closer to a place in the final of the Hopman Cup mixed team event in Perth yesterday.
Playing what he described as some of his best tennis “for a year and half” Djokovic brushed aside Lleyton Hewitt 6-2 6-4 and Ivanovic eased to a 6-4 6-0 win over Alicia Molik. They joined forces to win the mixed doubles 6-7 7-5 10-6. “I played great,” Djokovic, who little more than a month ago inspired Serbia to win the Davis Cup for the first time against France in Belgrade, said.
“From the start of the match, especially at the end of the first set, I played some of my best tennis in a year and a half.”
Monet’s Garden ‘battling for his life’
HORSE RACING: Popular chaser Monet's Garden has been retired and "is battling away for his life", trainer Nicky Richards said yesterday.
The bold-jumping grey, who turned 13 on New Year’s Day, is critically ill after suffering an infection in a foot. He was last seen winning the Old Roan Chase for the third time at Aintree in October, but it was reported after the race that he had a problem with a foot.
The injury became infected in the navicular bone area, which required several operations, but the wound has taken far longer than anticipated to heal.
Richards said: “The old horse is battling away for his life. I spoke to our vet this morning. It has been a hell of a job trying to close this infection down. The navicular bone became infected and it’s into the flexor tendon as well and the infection is taking some closing down.”
