Today's other stories in brief
SF Giants take series opener
BASEBALL:The opening game of the World Series was supposed to be a pitching duel, but batters ruled supreme as the San Francisco Giants beat the Texas Rangers 11-7 to take the lead in the best-of-seven series.
The Wednesday match-up of aces Cliff Lee of Texas and San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum left a linescore with 25 hits, including 10 doubles.
Rossi hopes to leave Yamaha on high
MOTOR SPORT: Valentino Rossi heads into the final two races of his Yamaha career hoping to round off seven memorable seasons on a high, starting with this weekend's Portuguese Grand Prix in Estoril.
The nine-time world champion has had a disappointing season by his incredibly high standards, a shoulder injury and a broken leg suffered in a practice crash at the Italian Grand Prix limiting the legendary Italian to just two wins.
The 31-year-old will make the switch to Italian marque Ducati over the winter, but wants to continue his strong recent form – he has finished on the podium in the last three races – at the seaside resort.
Strong squad of riders for University games in Korea
EQUESTRIAN: Ireland is fielding a strong squad for the dual- discipline ninth World University Equestrian Championships, which start tomorrow in Sangju, Korea, with the first round of dressage competition, writes Margie McLoone.
The Irish squad, selected by team trainer Sue Shortt and chef d’equipe Natalie Quinlivan, comprises Ben Crawford (Queen’s), who returns as the reigning show jumping champion; former national show jumping champion Nicola Fitzgibbon (TCD); Sara Glynn (DIT), the reigning national universities dressage champion, and former universities show jumping champion Suzie Cave (Open University).
The Irish student riders have had a successful year on the nations’ cup circuit, and are frontrunners to retain the President’s Cup and overall leading nation title for a second year in a row.
The third World Cup qualifying show of the indoor jumping season takes place this weekend in Lyons where Ireland is represented by Jessica Kurten and Denis Lynch, and by Shane Breen, who has been nominated by Robert Splaine.
Forty-nine horses have been declared for the seventh leg of the autumn Grand Prix league which takes at Kill International on Sunday.
Gargan assured of at least silver
BOXING: Ireland will be taking home at least one silver medal from the second European Youth Junior Women's Championships in France.
Christiana Gargan is guaranteed silver following a comprehensive 8-1 win over Viktoriya Pasteryk of Ukraine in yesterday’s 46kg semi-final in Calais.
Gargan, who boxes out of the St George’s BC in Belfast, will now meet Sevtlana Dmitrieva of Russia in tomorrow’s Junior final, just a few weeks after she won gold for Ulster at the HSK Box Cup in Denmark.
Welterweight Clare Grace, who was fighting in the Youth tournament, bowed out of the championships following a narrow 5-3 reversal to Guluzar Kara of Turkey yesterday.
Ireland’s Nicole Meli, Sarah Close, Katie Rowland and Mikeala Walsh will all be involved in semi-final bouts at the 17-nation tournament today.
All finals will be held tomorrow.
Strauss takes sledging in his stride
CRICKET: England captain Andrew Strauss laughed off Australian pre-Ashes taunts and assured the hosts his men would hit the ground running for the series starting next month.
Cricket Australia had projected an image of skipper Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke on the side of London’s Big Ben on Wednesday night with the giant message “Don’t forget to pack the urn”.
Speaking at Lord’s on the eve of England’s departure, Strauss smiled when asked about the sledging.
“I didn’t see it myself but I think it is the fun and games of the Ashes,” he said. “There will be a lot of probing for weaknesses and the guys are going to have stand up individually and collectively.”
Stosur beaten, but still through
TENNIS: Samantha Stosur suffered a surprise 4-6 6-4 7-6 loss to Elena Dementieva at the WTA Championships in Doha, Qatar, yesterday, but did enough to book her place in the semi-finals of the €3 million tournament.
Russian Dementieva had been blown away by world number one Caroline Wozniacki in her Maroon Group opener on Tuesday, but delivered a far more assured performance against Stosur.
With maroon and white Qatari flags fluttering above the Khalifa Tennis Complex, conditions were much more comfortable for players than the oppressive humidity of the first two days.
In the first match of the season-ending tournament to go to three sets, Stosur struggled to recreate the same power and depth from the baseline that thwarted world number one Wozniacki on Wednesday and a determined Dementieva took full advantage.
