Motor Sport: Michael Schumacher will make his Formula One comeback in Malaysia tomorrow week after completing a stunning U-turn yesterday. Schumacher's decision to return for the final two races of the season comes just days after he announced he would not compete again until next season.
The German, who has missed seven races after breaking his leg at the British Grand Prix in July, changed his mind after a test session for Ferrari this week.
Schumacher's return is a massive boost to the title hopes of outgoing team-mate Eddie Irvine.
Schumacher said earlier this week that he lacked the fitness needed for a gruelling race weekend and insisted the decision not to compete until the 2000 season opener next March was final.
Schumacher had a slight `off' at Ferrari's test track at Mugello on Monday but completed 58 laps there on Thursday after which the decision to return was made.
Schumacher is understood to have come under pressure from the bosses at Ferrari, who pay his £30 million salary, to return and aid Irvine's challenge to become the team's first drivers' champion in two decades.
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo reputedly read the riot act to team chiefs after the pit-stop fiasco which cost Irvine dearly at the European Grand Prix in Germany last month.
Schumacher's return - meaning replacement Mika Salo will stand down - should sharpen Ferrari's act, and he will be expected to take points off reigning champion Hakkinen.
But relations between the drivers could be frosty following comments made by Schumacher during the last grand prix at the Nurburgring. The Swiss-based driver said then he expected Hakkinen to win the title, with Irvine hitting back to say he had more faith in Ferrari.
Tennis: Greg Rusedski failed to join Tim Henman in the semi-finals when he collapsed to an extraordinary defeat in the Swiss Indoor Championships at the hands of Nicolas Kiefer in Basle last night.
For more than an hour Rusedski seemed certain to progress in Basle. He was a set and 3-0 up against Kiefer and had points for 4-0 and was also 4-1 ahead before falling to a 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 defeat. Kiefer goes through to play Karol Kucera, who upset the world number one Andre Agassi 6-4, 7-5. Earlier, a rejuvenated Henman powered past home hope Roger Federer 6-3, 7-5 to book his semi-final spot.
Cycling: The Irish representatives were outclassed in the world under-23 road race championship yesterday at Verona in northern Italy with David O'Loughlin the only finisher. He was placed 49th, 14 minutes and five seconds behind Leonardo Giordani of Italy at the end of the 178 kilometres.
Irish under-23 champion David McQuaid's hopes ended when he was involved in a crash on the first time around the circuit.
Boxing: Professional boxing has never seen a match quite like the battle of the sexes on the card at Seattle's Mercer Arena today - a chance for a man and a woman to box legally.
The fight pitting Margaret `Tiger' MacGregor (36) against Loi Chow (33) is the first officially sanctioned male-female bout, has attracted international media attention along with howls of outrage from professional boxing circles.
The Association of Boxing Commissions, citing "very real health and safety concerns," is recognising the fight only as an exhibition. Chow has fought just two professional matches and lost them both in 1996. He agreed to the match after the original opponent, his sparring partner Hector Morales, failed to come up with a valid passport for the fight.
The state Department of Licensing could find no reason to stop the fight.
Snooker: Ireland's Rodney Goggins leads R De Jong of the Netherlands nine frames to two overnight in the World under-21 championship in Cairo. Goggins defeated M Chandra of India by 8 frames to 6 in Thursday's semi-final while De Jong accounted for Ireland's T J Dowling, 8-3.
Basketball: Denny Notre Dame survived a late comeback from Dublin rivals St Vincent's to snatch victory and their first ESB Superleague points at the National Basketball Arena last night. The sides were tied (6464) with two minutes remaining but, inspired by new signing Eric Blair, Notre Dame recovered to win 72-65. In Killarney, the Esat Telecom Demons defeated the hosts Kerry Spring Water 90-76. Kerry led 4034 at the halfway stage but soon after they lost key scorer Robbie Turner who was disqualified for a second intentional foul. Demons then took over to make it two wins from two games.
