The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Northern Irish rugby star killed in farming accident
- Flipkens books final against Hradecka
- US stay alive in Spain, Czechs stun Argentina
| Northern Irish rugby star killed in farming accident Posted: 15 Sep 2012 07:08 PM PDT LONDON - Promising rugby union player Nevin Spence died alongside his father and brother late Saturday after they fell into a slurry tank at their farm in Northern Ireland. Spence, 22, rose to prominence playing for Ulster Rugby and was a rising star on the cusp of Ireland's international team. The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said his sister was taken to hospital after she inhaled fumes during the accident at the family farm in Hillsborough, County Down, to the east of the British province. "Three were unconscious and NIAS paramedics commenced resuscitation efforts immediately assisted by other ambulance personnel," the service said in a statement. "One of the four showed initial signs of responding to the efforts of the crews and was transported immediately to the nearby Lagan Valley Hospital, where unfortunately he died a short time later. "Despite the best efforts of all involved the other two men died at the scene. "A female was treated at the scene and taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital where she is recovering from the effects of fume inhalation." Rugby players and fans paid tribute to Spence, who was part of the Ulster Rugby squad that reached the European Heineken cup final last season, and was predicted to have a bright international career ahead of him. "Deeply saddened to hear of the tragedy in Hillsborough this evening," Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson said in a message posted on his Twitter page. "My thoughts and prayers are with family at this time of devastation." Slurry, a combination of manure and water, is stored in tanks at many farms until it is ready to be applied to the land as fertiliser. - AFP |
| Flipkens books final against Hradecka Posted: 15 Sep 2012 05:58 PM PDT QUEBEC CITY - Unseeded Belgian Kirsten Flipkens surprised third-seeded German Mona Barthel 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/3) Saturday to set up a clash with Lucie Hradecka in the WTA Bell Challenge final. Both finalists will be chasing a first career WTA title. Flipkens, who toppled top-seeded Dominika Cibulkova in the first round for her third career win over a top-20 player, is in her first WTA final at the age of 26. "I can't believe I'm in the finals," she said. "I'm excited. I'm going to give 100 percent and we'll see what happens. This week is already perfect - I'm going to enjoy every moment of the final tomorrow." Germany's Barthel, who won the title in Hobart in January as a qualifier, had ousted defending champion Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in the quarter-finals, but had no luck against Flipkens in the two tiebreaks. Eighth-seeded Czech Hradecka beat French teenager Kristina Mladenovic 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) on the indoor carpet at PEPS Laval University. She'll be trying to break through for a WTA crown after coming up empty in four previous finals appearances. "I was quite young in my first one in Bad Gastein, and I lost a close match, but I told myself not to worry, that I could win my second one," Hradecka said. "But then I lost that one and two more since, so I hope I can win one finally!" The winner of this $220,000 (US) tournament will collect $37,000. - AFP |
| US stay alive in Spain, Czechs stun Argentina Posted: 15 Sep 2012 04:39 PM PDT PARIS - The United States stayed alive in their Davis Cup semi-final against champions Spain Saturday while four-time runners-up Argentina lost their doubles clash as well as Juan Martin Del Potro against the Czech Republic. Bob and Mike Bryan beat Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 on the clay courts of Gijon as the US cut the deficit to 2-1 against Spain. The Olympic and US Open champions secured the crucial point which will mean the tie will be decided on Sunday with a place in November's final at stake. Saturday's win took the Bryans' Davis Cup record to 20-2. "They're pretty good in the clutch and they get us to Sunday when we're in this position all the time. We've got a chance," said US captain Jim Courier. Five-time champions Spain are defending a run of 23 consecutive home victories in the tournament, a streak stretching back to 1999. They had edged closer to a sixth final in 10 years on Friday when world number five David Ferrer beat Sam Querrey 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 before Nicolas Almagro won a four-hour slog against John Isner, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. On Sunday, Ferrer will face Isner in the first reverse singles with Almagro scheduled to meet Querrey. "Ferrer is such a warrior and John's going to have to play better than he did yesterday to stand a chance. He's a little bit more physically taxed than David is for sure," added Courier. Argentina's hopes of making the final suffered a double blow when they slipped 2-1 down to the Czechs and then lost Del Potro through injury. Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek eased past Carlos Berlocq and Eduardo Schwank 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 at a shell-shocked Parque Roca to take their Davis Cup record to 11-1. World number eight Del Potro withdrew from Sunday's reverse singles with a wrist injury. He will be replaced by world number 45 Berlocq in the clash against US Open semi-finalist Berdych, the sixth-ranked player, before Juan Monaco is scheduled to tackle Stepanek. "Del Potro won't play so now we have to prepare with Berlocq. This is not what we expected, but we have two matches left. Del Potro is a significant loss but we will fight," said Argentina captain Martin Jaite. Del Potro had defeated Stepanek 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in the first singles rubber on Friday before Berdych levelled the semi-final, beating Monaco 6-1, 4-6, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4. In the play-offs, where victory assures a place in the World Group for 2013, the Netherlands stayed in contention against Switzerland in Amsterdam when Robin Haase and Jean-Julien Rojer stunned Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4, 6-2, 5-7, 6-3. Federer and Wawrinka, who were doubles gold medallists at the 2008 Olympic Games, had both won their singles on Friday to give the Swiss a 2-0 lead. The tie will be decided on Sunday when world number one Federer tackles Haase, the world 41, in the opening reverse singles, before Wawrinka takes on Thiemo de Bakker. "It won't be an easy job but I will give it everything against Roger," said Haase. "It's cold, the clay is heavy. I know he won't like that." Belgium were promoted to the World Group after Olivier Rochus and Ruben Bemelmans beat Sweden's Michael Ryderstedt and Johan Brunstrom 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 for an unassailable 3-0 lead in Brussels. The result means Sweden will not feature in the World Group for the first time since 2000. In Hamburg, Lleyton Hewitt and Chris Guccione enjoyed a 6-3, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4) victory over Benjamin Becker and Philipp Petzschner to give Australia a 2-1 lead over Germany. Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram claimed a 5-7, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 win over Tatsuma Ito and Yuichi Sugita to give Israel a 2-1 lead over Japan in Tokyo. Elsewhere, Italy lead Chile 2-1 in Naples and Kazakhstan are 2-1 up on Uzbekistan in Almaty. Canada lead South Africa 2-1 in Montreal while Brazil wrapped up a 3-0 win over two-time champions Russia in Sao Jose do Rio Preto. - AFP |
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