Henman into last eight
Tennis: Tim Henman reached the quarter-finals of the ABN AMRO World Tournament in Rotterdam with a straight-sets victory over Michael Llodra last night. The British No 1, playing in his first tournament since the Australian Open last month, overcame his second-round opponent 6-4, 6-1.
After taking the first set, Henman stepped up a gear in the second and established a 5-0 lead over the Frenchman. Llodra took the next game but the Briton wrapped up victory on his next service game. In the quarter-finals Henman will play Mario Ancic, of Croatia, who reached the last eight with a 6-4, 6-3 defeat of Olivier Rochus.
Butcher to miss opener
Advertisement
Cricket: Mark Butcher will miss the start of the season after undergoing an operation on the injured wrist that caused his early departure from England’s tour of South Africa. The operation, on his left wrist, involved reattaching a ligament that had torn away from the bone.
Butcher, who will captain Surrey this season, was ruled out of the third Test in Cape Town after suffering the injury in the gym and returned home shortly afterwards. He is likely to miss Surrey’s first Frizzell County Championship match at home to Sussex, which begins on April 13, but hopes to be fit to face Glamorgan in Cardiff a fortnight later.
Millar ban upheld
Cycling: David Millar, who was stripped of the 2003 world time-trial title and banned for two years after admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs, has had his ban upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. However, the date from which the ban went into effect was moved back, allowing Millar to resume competition six weeks earlier than expected and compete in the 2006 Tour de France.
Security worries
Advertisement
Cricket: Pakistan’s first tour of India since 1999, scheduled to begin next Friday, may be delayed because of security concerns by Pakistan. India want to play a one-day match in Ahmedabad, where 2,000 people died in rioting between Hindus and Muslims in 2002. Shoaib Akhtar has been fined US$500 (about £260) by the Pakistan Cricket Board after being accused of breaking the players’ code of conduct on the recent tour of Australia.
England romp
Football: England warmed up for this summer’s Uefa European Women’s Championship with a stylish 4-1 win over Italy at Milton Keynes. Fara Williams, Jody Handley, Amanda Barr and Karen Carney put England four ahead before Deiana Damiana pulled a goal back.
Rocks triumph
Basketball: Scottish Rocks strengthened their hold on sixth place in the BBL Championship last night with an 89-76 victory over Leicester Riders. The Rocks pulled clear in the third quarter to record their second victory over the Riders in a week and their third successive league win.
Advertisement
Egham through
Bowls: John Sussex, Steve Fortescue and Bob Bass, representing Egham, surged through to the semi-finals of the English men’s over-50 indoor triples championship at Northampton yesterday, when they defeated an Avon Valley trio skipped by George Moon, 22-9.
Danson out
Hockey: Alex Danson, the Trojans forward, has been forced to withdraw from the England squad to play two matches against Spain in Valencia next week. Her place goes to Leisa King, from Ipswich, who is recalled after making herself available for the first time in nearly a year.
Shooting high
Advertisement
Netball: Two shooters who have been capped at senior level, Louisa Brownfield, from Bedfordshire, and Pamela Cookey, from Gloucestershire, are included in the England Under-21 side to play against Wales in the FENA European Open championship, which starts in Sheffield today.
Menzieshill award
Hockey: Menzieshill players have scooped both awards for the indoor players of the year after David Braithwaite, the goalkeeper, and Amy Hyslop, the striker, were rewarded for their outstanding league performances. Braithwaite’s displays helped the club to win the men’s title while Hyslop’s prolific form helped to save the women’s team from relegation. Scottish Hockey has also announced the appointment of John Gunn, 55, as the new chief operating officer.
Scotland in hunt
Netball: Scotland’s hopes of qualifying for next year’s Commonwealth Games in Melbourne rest on their performance in this weekend’s Fena European Open championship in Sheffield. The Scots have included nine players from Scotstoun in the squad and take on the Isle of Man in their opening match, with Sunday’s game against Wales likely to prove decisive.