A round-up of other sports stories in brief...
Jankovic eases to quarters in Spain
TENNIS: World number four Jelena Jankovic eased into the quarter-finals of the Andalucia Championships with a 6-3 6-0 defeat of Tunisia’s Selima Sfar.
The Serbian second seed, by far the highest-ranked player left in the tournament after Wednesday’s shock defeat of world number one Serena Williams, converted five of 11 break points on the clay in Marbella and was broken just once.
She will play Italy’s Roberta Vinci for a place in the last four.
An injury-hampered Williams fell 6-4 3-6 6-1 to Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic in their first-round match.
The top seed had clearly not recovered from a thigh problem that affected her in Miami last week and was broken seven times by Zakopalova.
Kallis and De Villiers put South Africa out of reach
CRICKET: Half-centuries from Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers helped South Africa see off Australia to win the third one-day international in Cape Town yesterday.
The pair shared a 114-run partnership for the third wicket as the Proteas completed their 50 overs on an imposing 289 for six.
Australia could manage only 264 for seven to lose by 25 runs.
Mitchell Johnson (four for 34) proved a handful for the South African batsmen, but the rest of the Australian bowlers struggled.
Australia got off to a slow start in the chase with their openers Matthew Haddin and Michael Clarke suffocated by some tight bowling from Steyn and Parnell. Then the spinners took over on the dry track and Australia lost their way further.
Scoreboard in SPORTS ROUND-UP
Busy weekend for Irish riders
EQUESTRIAN: Irish riders are on international duty in show jumping, dressage and eventing this weekend, writes Margie McLoone.
A large contingent of eventers is competing at Burnham Market in Norfolk in CIC classes at two- and three-star level, while Kate Harrington heads for Compiegne in France.
At home, the eventing action is concentrated on Tyrella on the exposed coast of Co Down where, for the third Saturday running, there is a very large entry. Listed last to go across the country in the featured advanced class is the course designer, Ian Stark.
It’s a busy weekend on the show jumping scene with legs of the Horse Sport Ireland/Guidam spring tour being held at Boswell Equestrian in Co Wicklow on Sunday and at Clare Equestrian on Monday.
Abroad, Ireland will be represented at senior level at Lummen, Belgium, Manerbio, Italy, and Saint Cecile, France.
Promoter ups offer to Dunne
BOXING: Promoter Frank Maloney has upped his offer to Bernard Dunne and is now willing to put €250,000 on the table – or a share of the promotion – to get the Dubliner to defend his WBA super bantamweight title against European champion Rendall Munroe.
Dunne (29), claimed the crown after flooring Ricardo Cordoba three times in the 11th round of a bout already being touted as the fight of the year at the O2 last month.
Munroe (28), was at that clash, and according Maloney, who manages the Leicester born southpaw, Dunne is number one on his contender’s wish list.
Maloney says his enticement – upped from €170,000 – would earn Dunne the biggest purse of his career and is too good to turn down.
