A roundup of today's other sports news
Klitschko to take on Johnson
BOXING:WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko will go up against American Kevin Johnson in Berne, Switzerland on December 12th in what will be his third title defence this year, he said yesterday.
Ukrainian Klitschko, whose brother Vladimir holds the IBF, IBO and WBO crowns, retained his WBC title with a 10th round TKO over previously undefeated challenger Cristobal Arreola last month.
That victory was Klitschko’s third since returning to the ring in 2008 following an injury-induced retirement in 2005.
“I feel fully fit. I cannot wait to get back into the ring,” Klitschko said.
“Kevin Johnson is dangerous. He has already fought 23 times, is undefeated and is technically superior to Arreola.”
Klitschko, 38, has a record of 38-2, while undefeated Johnson, 30, has 22 wins and a draw.
Youzhny through in Kremlin Cup
TENNIS:Third seed Mikhail Youzhny eased into the second round of the Kremlin Cup with a 6-1 7-6 victory over Argentina's Horacio Zeballos yesterday. The Russian world number 30 claimed seven consecutive games to win the first set in 26 minutes and take a 1-0 lead in the second before Zeballos put up more of a fight.
Youzhny, who reached the final of the Japan Open earlier this month, was finally able to subdue his 54th-ranked opponent by clinching the tiebreak 7-5. He next faces Italian Potito Starace or Russian Evgeny Donskoy for a place in the quarter-finals. Fifth seed Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay also went through with a 6-4 6-2 win over Taiwan’s Lu Yen-Hsun to set up a second-round encounter with Russian Teimuraz Gabashvili, who beat Slovak Karol Beck 3-6 6-4 6-4.
In-form Russian Nikolay Davydenko, who won the Shanghai Masters on Sunday to climb to number six in the world, heads the field at the annual indoor tournament in Moscow and will take on compatriot Marat Safin in the first round on Wednesday.
On the women’s side, fifth seed Nadia Petrova crushed fellow Russian Yana Buchina 6-2 6-0 to reach the second round where she will face Ukraine’s Alona Bondarenko, a 6-4 6-3 winner over Russian Anna Chakvetadze. Alona Bondarenko, Lucie Safarova and Olga Govortsova also came through their first-round matches.
Woodlock out
GAELIC GAMES:Tipperary player James Woodlock could be out of action for up to eight months after breaking two bones in his leg in last Sunday's county senior hurling final.
Woodlock was stretchered off deep in stoppage time after sustaining the injury and drifted in and out of consciousness with sheer pain as he was being removed from the pitch.
The Drom and Inch captain was due to undergo surgery at Waterford Regional hospital last night and faces a tough rehabilitation process, including some time in a protective casing.
Sheridan to miss autumn international series
RUGBY:England prop Andrew Sheridan will miss the start of the Six Nations championship after being ruled out for four months with a dislocated shoulder.
Sheridan will undergo a full reconstruction of his left shoulder tomorrow after incurring the damage during a collapsed scrum in Sale’s Heineken Cup victory over Cardiff Blues on Friday night.
The destructive 29-year-old Lions loosehead will play no part in England’s autumn internationals against Australia, Argentina and New Zealand.
Instead, he must concentrate on returning in time for the third fixture of their Six Nations campaign, against Ireland on February 27th.
Sale director of rugby Kingsley Jones said: “Andrew is a great presence around our team and he will be missed. It’s bad news for Andrew, England and Sale.”
Should his rehabilitation take as long as predicted, Sheridan will miss the opener against Wales on February 6th and the trip to Italy eight days later.
Given his lack of match practice, England manager Martin Johnson may then have reservations about selecting him for the clash with Ireland at Twickenham.
Sheridan’s absence ensures England will enter a challenging autumn without two of their first-choice frontrows after fellow Lion Lee Mears sustained a knee ligament injury on duty for Bath.
Johnson is now missing a host of front line players for the November series, including Toby Flood (knee), Simon Shaw (toe), Delon Armitage (shoulder) and Riki Flutey (shoulder).
