Perpignan get chance to avenge French rugby defeat

The two clash after a summer which has seen little transfer action while the season will also see the fewest number of foreign players involved than in previous campaigns.

There have been some interesting comings and goings, notably regarding ambitious outfit Toulon who are bidding to improve on their somewhat controversial semi-final loss to Clermont.

They lost Kiwi forward Sonny Bill Williams back to New Zealand but signed England winger Paul Sackey.

His proven try-scoring ability will first be put to the test at home to Bayonne, who have rebuilt since they were saved from relegation only by Montauban's failure to provide sufficient financial guarantees.

Fellow cash-rich club Racing-Metro, who reached the play-offs in their first campaign back in the elite, have also made what should be a good investment in Argentina's 'magic man' Juan Martin Hernandez, who returns from South Africa to former club Stade Francais' bitter city rivals.

Clermont's outstanding scrum-half Morgan Parra, who had a stellar season both in France's Six Nations Grand Slam side and for his club where he assumed kicking duties when Butch James form slipped, is clear they have to set aside what they
achieved last season.

"We mustn't forget what we achieved but then we have put it to a corner of our heads and focus on retaining the title. Winning it twice will be even more difficult," said Parra.

Perpignan will be looking to regain the title they won in 2009 and coach Jacques Brunel is keen to put memories of the Clermont defeat behind them.

"This is not about revenge," said Brunel, who has brought back veteran Australian back Manny Edmonds, who enjoyed a successful five-year spell with them from 2002-07.

"The final is lost, it is finished with and over. We begin another season, another story, a marathon that must see us get off to a good start and that it is against Clermont, is even better.

"They are a big team, who beat us not long ago, against whom we want to show our true worth."

Toulouse won the European Cup for the fourth time last season, but coach Guy Noves wants to reclaim the national title they last won in 2008.

However, they go into their home match with promoted Agen devoid of many of their foreign contingent including former All Black scrum-half Byron Kelleher, who is still recovering from a broken jaw suffered playing for the Barbarians.

Toulon take on Bayonne lacking key players such as South African captain Joe van Niekerk and veteran scrum-half Pierre Mignoni while there is a doubt over England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson who has a shoulder injury.

Stade Francais had a terrible season last term but what they hope is the start of a new golden era under highly-regarded Australian coach Michael Cheika begins at home - at the Charlety Stadium as their previous home Jean Bouin Stadium has been demolished - on Friday against Bourgoin.

Stade president Max Guazzini certainly believes that brighter times lie ahead and takes solace from what happened the last time Stade were not involved in the European Cup.

"Michael (Cheika) played for us. He is a personality who doesn't allow for any nonsense," said Guazzini.

"Regarding our not being in the European Cup, the last time we weren't involved was in 2002/2003 and we went on to be champions."
Fixtures (kick-offs in GMT):

Friday: Toulouse v Agen (1645), Brive v Racing-Metro, Biarritz v Montpellier, Toulon v Bayonne, Stade Francais v Bourgoin, Perpignan v Clermont (all 1700)

Zvonareva shrugs off rain to grab Cincy tennis win

The two Russians needed a total of six hours, 54 minutes to complete their match.

Zvonareva won 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (7/3), seizing the victory after a rain delay of two hours and 19 minutes that came with the 28th-ranked Kirilenko leading 5-2 in the third set.

When they returned to the court, Zvonareva won three straight games, and once she'd forced the tiebreaker she took control of that by winning the first three points.

"I always believe in myself," she said. "It doesn't matter if I'm down 5-0, I think I can win it."

Zvonareva, who is scheduled to face 11th-seeded Flavia Pennetta in the third round, did know that the match was her longest in one day.

"Sometimes, they're delayed to the next day, but as far as going back and forth in the same day, that's the longest," she said.

Third-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva became the highest seed to be sent packing as she fell to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 6-3 in another all-Russian clash.

"I had nothing to lose," said Pavlyuchenkova, who'd lost her previous two matches against Dementieva. "I just wanted to enjoy the match, give her a good game and focus on the future.

"I've had a lot of chances in my other matches against her, but on the deciding points, I would go for it and rush. This time, I tried to not make the same mistake and be more consistent. She didn't really start well, and I tried to take advantage."

Dementieva, ranked sixth in the world, blamed the steamy weather for what she described as the "worst match in a long time for me."

"I just felt like I wasn't into the game," she said. "My concentration wasn't there. I just wasn't ready 100 percent."

Pavlyuchenkova next plays 13th-seeded Israeli Shahar Peer, who moved on with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Nuria Llagostera Vives.

While Zvonareva needed almost seven hours to win, second-seeded Caroline Wozniacki needed just 51 minutes to advance with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Sybille Bammer.

Wozniacki had just four unforced errors to Bammer's 28.

Seventh-seeded Agnieska Radwanska advanced almost as easily, dismissing Alisa Kleybanova 6-4, 6-1.

Christina McHale, the last American in the tournament, stayed alive with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Ayumi Morita, setting up a third-round clash with defending US Open-champion Kim Clijsters.

Clijsters, the fourth seed, waited out a 54-minute rain delay after the first three games of the opening set and advanced with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Dinara Safina.

Their match came right after 10th-seeded Maria Sharapova beat Andrea Petkovic 6-3, 6-1.

Earlier, French Open champion Francesca Schiavone was toppled by Elena Vesnina 6-4, 6-4.

Schiavone, ranked eighth in the world and seeded fifth, won the first three games of the match but dropped six of the next seven. Vesnina then broke her to open the second set en route to the victory.

Pakistan rally frustrates England in Edgbaston Test

Zulqarnain Haider and Saeed Ajmal scored remarkable fifties as Pakistan fought back brilliantly against England on day three of the second Test.

Debutant Haider, who was reprieved by the review system after being given out first ball, made 88 to steer the tourists to 291-9, a lead of 112 runs.

Graeme Swann, who took a Test best 6-60, had reduced Pakistan to 101-6.

But Haider's partnerships with Mohammad Amir (16) and Saeed Ajmal (50) have given Pakistan hope of a shock victory.

It was an extraordinary comeback from Pakistan, who looked to be heading for another heavy defeat after slumping to 94-5 at lunch.

Haider's partnerships with Amir and Ajmal mixed discipline and courage with moments of class and aggression as England's bowlers were flayed to all areas of the ground.

And if conditions are favourable on Monday, Pakistan's bowlers could yet cause England some headaches as the home side chase a victory that would put them 2-0 up in the four-match series.

Andrew Strauss's men were surprisingly sloppy in the field, with several catches going down, while Matt Prior had an inconsistent day behind the stumps and Stuart Broad and Eoin Morgan fluffed run-out chances.

And perhaps more worryingly with the Ashes in mind, England's pace bowlers were far less effective when the ball did not swing, with Steven Finn and Broad letting their line and length stray later in the day.

Fortunately for England, Swann bowled superbly, taking four quick wickets either side of lunch and also broke the 105 stand between Haider and Ajmal.

His first wicket came with only his third delivery of the match - and 13th of the series - ending a partnership of 52 between Imran Farhat and Azhar Ali with a sensational ball to the left-handed Farhat, which drifted, gripped and turned from leg stump to clip the top of off stump.

It was the 20th time Swann has taken a wicket in the first over of a Test spell and an important breakthrough for England after Ali and Farhat, who was surprisingly dropped by Collingwood in the third over of the day, had begun to look settled.

Swann struck again in his next over, extracting alarming turn from the pitch to bowl Ali through the gate for 19.

Shoaib Malik, whose promotion from six to four in the batting line-up has done little to stiffen up Pakistan's top order, was the next to fall during a testing spell from Finn.

Malik withdrew his bat from a delivery which pitched outside off stump and straightened, but the ball brushed off his glove, gifting an easy catch to Prior.

Swann claimed his third wicket in the next over, with a delivery which did not turn as much but rapped Umar Akmal on the pads right in front of the stumps for a clear leg before wicket.

And it was almost two wickets in two balls as Haider was trapped by a ball which kept low. Umpire Steve Davis raised the finger again but a successful Pakistan referral showed the ball was missing leg stump.

Pakistan reached lunch on 94-5 but another wicket fell soon after the interval, with Swann drawing Umar Amin out of his crease and Prior pulling off a tidy stumping.

With six wickets down, it seemed as if an England victory was imminent but a disciplined partnership from Haider and Amir held England at bay for the remainder of the afternoon session.

Broad cut a particularly frustrated figure. Seemingly angered by the umpire's decision to turn down a caught-behind appeal, he rashly threw the ball at Haider, and in the following over he misdirected a throw to the bowlers' end when Amir was well out of his crease.

England took the new ball after tea and finally the breakthrough came in the fourth over when Amir threw his bat at a ball angled across him by Broad and Strauss snaffled the catch at first slip.

The seventh wicket seemed to be the signal for Haider to go on the offensive, clipping Finn through midwicket for four to bring up his fifty and take Pakistan into the lead.

Haider found a worthy ally in Ajmal, who received several blows from England's pacemen but counter-attacked superbly to reach fifty in a thoroughly entertaining partnership.

But just when the duo seemed destined to see Pakistan through to the close, Swann rediscovered some of the turn that had been so effective earlier in the day and Ajmal's edge was well caught by Collingwood at slip.

Haider followed soon afterwards when he mistimed a drive off Swann and was caught by Strauss, but Umar Gul (nine) and Mohammad Asif (13) batted well to keep the Pakistan innings afloat going into what promises to be an intriguing fourth day.

Andy Wood appointed Great Britain badminton head coach

Andy Wood has been appointed head coach of the Great Britain badminton team.

The experienced coach guided Olympic silver medallists Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms to glory on the mixed doubles world stage.

Wood, 47, was also Great Britain head coach at the Sydney and Athens Olympics and team leader in Beijing in 2008.

Badminton England chief executive Adrian Christy said: "Andy will play a pivotal role in establishing a truly world-class environment on court."

Badminton England also looks after the Great Britain badminton program and Christy has no doubt Wood's appointment will bring results.

"Our performance aspirations are all about achieving success and Andy's track record at European, Commonwealth, World and Olympic level is just the experience we were looking to secure," said Christy.

"I know he will prove a continued inspiration to our senior players as well as the next generation of talent we are very focused on developing."

In addition to his success with Robertson and Emms, Wood also coached Simon Archer and Joanne Goode to Britain's first Olympic badminton medal when they secured bronze at the Sydney Olympics.

"I am excited and challenged by this new role which allows me to be fully integrated across our performance group," said Wood.

"We have an exciting blend of talented youth and experienced achievers both within the playing squad and the coaching team.

"With everybody pulling together in an honest, driven, accountable environment then I believe we are very capable of achieving more consistent podium success on the international stage."

His first task in charge will be to take England's nine-strong squad to Copenhagen next week for intensive practice against Denmark's top players in preparation for the World Championships, which begin in Paris on 23 August.

He will then lead England's players at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October.

New GB amateur boxing tournament announced

Britain's top amateur boxers are to compete in a new annual competition to identify the best male and female fighters ahead of the 2012 Olympics.

The best boxers from England, Wales and Scotland will compete in Liverpool against members of GB's podium squads.

"This will be a high-quality competition that will provide a real test for the existing GB boxers," said GB performance director Rob McCracken.
Liverpool's Echo Area will host the event from 12-13 November.

The tournament - which will be called the GB Amateur Boxing Championships - will see a semi-final and final in each of the men's and women's weight categories (10 male and three female classes), with a maximum of 52 fighters on show.

Northern Irish amateur boxers will not be part of the tournament though. In amateur boxing, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland compete as a unified team.

If a boxer who is not currently part of the GB boxing set up wins their weight division, they will automatically be invited to join the squad as a funded athlete for an assessment period and stake a claim for selection at the world championships in 2011 and the London 2012 Olympics.

"The tournament will have an influence on the make-up of the Olympic squad as we move into 2011," added McCracken.

"It is an opportunity for all of the competitors to showcase their skills and stake a claim to be part of the team for 2012."

It is hoped that the tournament will increase competition within the amateur scene, keep podium boxers sharp and give an opportunity to anyone who is in form domestically a chance to stake their claim for inclusion in the GB squad.

"It is important for all our boxers to have regular competition and to be continually challenged in order to get the best out of them," McCracken told BBC Sport.

While victory will see someone added to the GB squad, defeat for a podium member will not necessarily mean they drop out.

"I know the boxers from England, Scotland and Wales will want to make their mark and without doubt the door is still wide open when it comes to gaining selection for the podium squad and hopefully gain Olympic selection. There is still time," added McCracken.

"There is a lot of potential in the home nations and this is a really good opportunity for them to showcase their talent."

With 6,000 tickets available, the tournament will also give Britain's boxers an early insight into the type of atmosphere they are likely to get fighting in front of their own supporters at the London games. Boxing at the Olympics will be held at the ExCel in London's Docklands.

"You can train as much as you want but nothing replicates competition and it is important that all our boxers get used to fighting in front of home fans and hopefully a big crowd with all the emotion that experience brings," said McCracken.
British amateur boxing is currently on a high following June's European Championships in which the team returned from Moscow with five medals (three silver and two bronze).

Bubba Watson shines in Ohio as Tiger Woods wobbles

Bubba Watson fired a first-round 64 to lead the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational by two shots as Tiger Woods looked set to lose his world number one ranking.
Watson carded seven birdies with Phil Mickelson, Graeme McDowell, Kenny Perry and Adam Scott two behind, while Woods struggled with a four-over-par 74.
Mickelson will top the rankings with a win or a top-four finish in Ohio if Woods finishes outside the top 37.

Lee Westwood can also become number one but ended the day with a one-over 71.
England's Westwood, runner-up in two majors in 2010, would secure top status with victory this week with Woods outside the top two, and could also take top spot if he was second if Woods is worse than ninth and Mickelson fails to land the title.

Woods, a 14-time major winner and seeking a record eighth win at the Firestone Country Club, managed just two birdies in a round blighted by six bogeys, including four on the front nine.

In pursuit of his first PGA Tour title this season, Woods missed nine of 14 fairways and totalled 32 putts while recording his worst score at Firestone in 45 rounds.

After finishing the opening round 10 strokes behind fellow American Watson, Woods said: "I didn't play well. The only thing I did well is I kept my patience out there, grinded all day.

"That was the best I could have done. It's frustrating because I warmed up well, my practice sessions at home were good and it was not indicative of how I've been playing."

Woods, who recently returned to the game following a self-imposed five-month exile in a bid to repair his marriage, added: "I've just got to hopefully get it to even par or under par for the tournament and then hopefully put together a good weekend and see where that puts me."

Woods' 270-week reign as world number one is seriously under threat following Mickelson's efforts on Thursday, with the Masters champion bouncing back from two early bogeys with five birdies after the turn - including holing a lob wedge from 50ft on the sixth, his 15th hole - for an inward 30.

US Open champion McDowell was also an impressive performer with five birdies to finish just two shots off Watson.

The left-handed Watson, who earned his maiden PGA Tour win at the Travelers Championship in June, made a steady start but then secured four successive birdies before dropping his only shot of the round at the 15th.

"I knew it was going to be tough but I putted really well, hit good iron shots and made it look a little bit easy," said the 31-year-old. "But we're not done yet. We've still got three tough days of golf to go."

The big-hitting Watson is 17th in the Ryder Cup standings, with the top eight players at the end of next week's US PGA earning automatic spots on the team for October's match in Wales.

"I'd give up my win to play the Ryder Cup. That's how much it means to me," said Watson, who took just 22 putts at Firestone.

Rory McIlroy, Paul Casey and Frenchman Gregory Bourdy are four shots off the pace, with three-time major winner Padraig Harrington carding a 69, Luke Donald and Ross Fisher 70s and Justin Rose a 71.

Portugal's best big at Islas Canarias Santa Pro Jr

Portugal’s Ribeiro and Morais Control Day 2 of Islas Canarias Santa Pro Junior
La Cicer, Gran Canaria -- Day two of competition saw the start of event top seeds, ratings’ favourites and rising athletes delivering an exceptional show of surf in consistent three foot (one meter) waves at the main event venue of La Cicer.

Second-to-last event on this year’s ASP European Junior tour, the Islas Canarias Santa Surf Pro Junior witnessed a rise in pressure, all top seeds having in mind the importance of getting their campaign underway well starting with a win or a second place finish in their respective heats of Round 2.

Losing no time to show his peers he was definitely a contender for the title here in Gran Canaria was Portugal’s “next big thing” Vasco Ribeiro (Cascais, PRT), 16, the current regional ratings’ No. 15 netting the event’s second best heat score including an impressive 8.00 point ride.

“I felt pretty good today for my first heat in the event and was able to let go the pressure,” Ribeiro said. “The waves are a bit tricky but there are definitely some better sets and I am glad I managed to find that one with good potential.”

Ribeiro, who rushed to the front stage of European surfing last year along with fellow countryman and today’s other front runner Morais, confirmed once again he was soon to become one of the major threats of France’s recent domination.

“I am definitely thinking more about the ratings now because this event and the final one next week are crucial,” Ribeiro said. “My main goal is to finish inside the regional Top 4 and get to surf on the ASP World Junior Tour events of Bali and Narabeen. I am taking it heat after heat though and feeling well.”

Pushing Portugal’s domination further atop was last year Islas Canarias Santa Pro Junior runner-up Frederico Morais (Ericeira, PRT), 18, the natural-foot athlete throwing the fins out of each of his top-turns to easily win his battle and advance through to the final thirty-two pack.

“It is pretty similar to last year’s beach where I got that great result so I am really excited to compete in these fast-breaking peaky waves,” Morais said. “I am enjoyinh my time here and of course looking to do well but it’s still a long way to go. As any other event I go to, winning is a goal.”

Morais, who is considered one of Portugal’s best hopes towards a spot in the ASP Elite Top 32 in the upcoming years, will meet with other inform man of the event William Aliotti (Saint Martin, Caribbean, FRA) in Round 3.

“Things have changed this year on tour since guys like Marc (Lacomare) and Joan (Duru) have gone onto the ASP Star and Prime Series,” Morais said. “But things remain pretty tough and the level is high. If you look at the ratings’ current Top 15, anyone can climb into the Top 4 from now on.”

While Portugal’s representatives were clearly taking control of proceedings, France and Euskadi’s (Basque Country) soldiers were not far behind to score big and unleash their most progressive maneuvers to convince the ASP judging panel. Current ratings’ No.2 Tom Cloarec (Hossegor, FRA), Borja Agote (San Sebastian, EUK) and Germany’s lone rider Nico Von Rupp (Praia Grande, DEU) were among those securing their Round 3 ticket.

Tomorrow’s action features eight 4-man heats before the ASP Grade-2 Islas Canarias Santa Pro Junior enters it business end with its final sixteen athletes and the format to change to one-to-one match-ups from the Quarterfinals.