A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Li Na takes title after comeback
TENNIS: China's Li Na staged a remarkable comeback from 5-0 down in the first set to upset Australian Open favourite Kim Clijsters 7-6 6-3 in the final of the Sydney International yesterday.
It was a first loss in 14 semi-finals and finals for Clijsters since her return from retirement in August 2009 and the manner of defeat will be a setback to her preparations just three days from the start of the year’s first grand slam.
“Obviously I’m disappointed,” said the Belgian, the 2003 and 2007 champion at the Sydney Olympic Park.
The 28-year-old Li, a semi-finalist at last year’s Australian Open, sealed her fourth career title when she volleyed away a winner with the US Open champion stranded off the court after 90 minutes. It had taken Clijsters just 18 minutes to rack up a 5-0 lead in the first set with the Belgian’s game looking as impressive as it had all week and Li’s first serve deserting her.
“I didn’t believe I could get back from there but it all just changed in one or two points.”
Just 18 minutes further into the contest the score was level at 5-5 and Clijsters was racking up double faults and spraying forehands all over the place.
“I think I just softened the quality of my strokes,” said Clijsters. “You know, I wasn’t hitting quite as deep as before and not as aggressively, and she definitely took over very quickly.”
Clijsters held serve to force a tiebreak, which she then led 3-1 before Li reeled off six points to clinch the set.
Taylor on sex offenders list
AMERICAN FOOTBALL: Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor pleaded guilty to misdemeanour charges he paid an underage girl for sex and must register as a sex offender.
The former linebacker for the NFL’s New York Giants was expected to avoid jail time as part of a plea bargain in which he co-operated with state and prosecutors in their ongoing probe into sex trafficking in the New York area.
Taylor, 51, was arrested following the May 6th incident at the Holiday Inn in Montebello, northwest of New York City.
Taylor, who has a history of drug abuse, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanour count of sexual misconduct and one misdemeanour count of patronising a prostitute. He paid her $300 (€225) for sex, prosecutors said.
Taylor was expected to be sentenced on March 22nd to six years probation with sex offender conditions, the Rockland County District Attorney said in a statement.
Nevin records another victory
BOXING:John Joe Nevin remains unbeaten in the World Series of Boxing (WSB) after racking up his third win in a row for Paris United against Milan, nicknamed Milano Thunder, in Paris last night.
The Cavan BC bantamweight, a bronze medal winner at the 2009 World Senior Championships, convincingly beat experienced Ukrainian Vitaliy Volkov on points over five rounds at the Halle Carpentier stadium.
The French team won the first two bouts last night and led 2-0 at the time of writing.
Meanwhile, John Joe Joyce was very unlucky to lose out on his debut for Miami in the WSB Americas on Thursday night after he dropped a unanimous decision to Russell Lamour of Los Angeles.
LA won the five-bout match 4-1 to move seven points clear at the top of the WSB Americas group and look odds on favourites to win it out.
Ken Egan, who received a walkover over LA light-heavyweight Dorian Anthony was the only Miami boxer to record a win.
Allen in last four after 6-4 win over Robertson
SNOOKER:Mark Allen overcame tournament favourite Neil Robertson 6-4 yesterday to seal a semi-final place at the British Masters. The match was a curious mixture of classy break-building and scrappy spells, Allen making five half-centuries to his opponent's four but the pair still requiring over three hours to complete the 10 frames.
The Northern Ireland potter made a break of 63 and then prevailed in a high-quality safety battle to win the opening frame, and also stole the second from 42-0 down with a run of 69. A composed 75 took Allen within one frame of the last four and, as the match time ticked beyond three hours, he took a 69-point lead in frame 10 but missed the red that would have clinched frame and match. Allen finally got over the line with red and pink, Robertson played on but, already needing three snookers, inadvertently potted the final red and conceded after missing the subsequent black.
Marco Fu booked his place in the semi-finals with a 6-0 whitewash of a woefully out-of-sorts Peter Ebdon.
England's winning streak ends
CRICKET:England's record Twenty20 winning streak was ended at eight games after Australia secured a series-levelling four-run win in Melbourne yesterday. Paul Collingwood's side were unable to chase down Australia's 147 for seven to suffer their first defeat in the shortest format of the game since their World Twenty20 success last May.
Spin duo Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy had restricted Australia after a quick start, claiming two for 19 apiece, but Aaron Finch arrived to hit 53 from 33 balls – including four fours and two sixes – that would eventually prove decisive.
On the same ground where the Ashes was retained three weeks ago, Tim Bresnan was unable to hit the final ball from Brett Lee for a six that would have won the game.
