Sports Digest: Jelle Klaasen surprised defending champion and fellow Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld 7-5 last night to claim the £60,000 first prize at the World Darts Championship in Frimley Green, Surrey.
The 21-year-old, an outsider at the start of the tournament, overcame van Barneveld, after making a whirlwind start, winning the first two sets before the four-time champion found his rhythm.
The younger man began to exert his authority and led 5-4 with some exciting darts. He won the crucial 11th set to lead 6-5 and kept his cool for a famous win.
Klaasen, a 100 to 1 shot at the start of the tournament, had already beaten top-seed Mervyn King on his way to the decider and becomes the youngest ever WDC world champion.
Davis fails to find form
Three-time British snooker Masters champion Steve Davis yesterday crashed out at the hands of a flu-stricken Stuart Bingham. The Essex players were drawn together in the first match of this year's £400,000, eight-day tournament at the Wembley Conference Centre.
But despite reaching the final of the British Championship in York last month, 48-year-old Davis could not reproduce any of the wonderful form he found at the Barbican Centre.
He was beaten 6-4 by Bingham in their best-of-11 frame clash, with his conqueror admitting he was considering withdrawing from the tournament because of his illness.
"I've been in bed for the last three or four days. I've been ill with the flu."
Haile impressive
Ethiopian distance star Haile Gebrselassie yesterday shattered the world half- marathon record by 21 seconds.
The 32-year-old Ethiopian, twice Olympic 10,000 metres champion also smashed Kenyan Paul Tergat's 20-kilometre record en route as he finished in 58 minutes and 55 seconds as he ran the second half of the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona marathon in the US.
The previous best time for the half-marathon was set by 18-year-old Kenyan Samuel Wanjiru, who ran 59:16 in Rotterdam last September.
It is the 20th time in his career Gebrselassie has set a world mark. He has now turned his attentions to the roads where he hopes to add to his medal collection at the 2008 Games in Beijing.
Clijsters in fitness race
Kim Clijsters will need painkillers to play in the Australian tennis Open after problems with her injured hip surfaced on the eve of the first grand slam of 2006.
The Belgian is still hoping to play in the tournament, but faces a race against time to get ready for her opening match against Korean Cho Yoon-jeong tomorrow.
"If it flares up again, that will be disappointing, of course. But hopefully it won't," she said yesterday.
Maria Sharapova is also struggling with a shoulder problem before her opening round match against Sandra Kloesel later today, while there are lingering doubts about the health of the Williams sisters, Venus and defending champion Serena.
