MOTOR SPORT:McLaren's Lewis Hamilton set the pace in practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix yesterday while double world champion Sebastian Vettel crunched into the barriers.
Vettel, returning to the Yas Marina circuit a year on from becoming Formula One’s youngest champion, skidded off at turn one with more than half an hour remaining of the second floodlit session.
The Red Bull driver, who has already wrapped up his second title, was powerless to prevent Hamilton ending the day on top of the timesheets and team-mate Jenson Button second in a Friday sweep for McLaren.
Hamilton’s time of one minute 39.586 seconds was 0.199 faster than Button. The older Briton was quickest in the opening afternoon daylight session in 1:40.263.
If Vettel wins the penultimate race of the year on Sunday, he will remain on track to equal Michael Schumacher’s unprecedented tally of 13 triumphs in a season.
Murray abandons first leg quest
SAILING: Following the dismasting of Ian Walker's Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team just six hours into the start of the Volvo Ocean Race last Saturday, the British double Olympic medallist announced his decision to retire from the first leg of the race to Cape Town even after restarting with a new mast, writes David Branigan.
The team including Ireland’s Justin Slattery returned to the point south of Cartagena on Wednesday where they had suspended racing to return to Alicante but made slow progress towards the Strait of Gibraltar ever since.
Walker’s team lagged the other four boats in the fleet by 1,000 miles and had not had a chance to properly tune this, their sole replacement mast. Instead, the crew of “Azzam” are heading to Lisbon where the 70-footer will be shipped to Cape Town to properly prepare for Leg 2 to its home port of Abu Dhabi. Franck Cammas’ French team Groupama 4 are the current overall race leaders by 240-miles.
London to host World Championships
ATHLETICS:London will host the track and field World Championships in 2017 after beating a bid from Doha, the capital of Qatar.
The International Association of Athletics Federations made the decision in Monte Carlo yesterday following final presentations from the two cities. The victory comes after two failed attempts to host the biennial event by London, which will use a stadium built for next year’s Olympics.
“Despite an excellent challenge from Doha, the London team put together a cracking bid which has paid off with this fantastic news today,” London mayor Boris Johnson said after IAAF president Lamine Diack announced the decision of the 26-member council.
The award helps London justify the 584 million it spent on a new track and field stadium in the east side of the city for next year’s Olympics. The city doesn’t have a tenant to take over after the Games, and the facility’s funding program remains unclear.
Fury rejects any fight with Harrison
BOXING:British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has dismissed Audley Harrison's desire for a domestic showdown and insists his sights are trained on the division's leading lights.
Earlier this week, former Olympic gold medallist Harrison was quoted as saying he wanted to face Fury in a final bout so he could leave boxing in a better fashion than his chastening third-round knockout defeat to then WBA ruler David Haye.
But Fury, who defends his Commonwealth belt against Canadian champion Neven Pajkic at Manchester’s Event City tonight, has his sights trained on Haye’s subsequent conqueror Wladimir Klitschko, or the Ukrainian’s elder brother and WBC king Vitali.
“Leave him to the dogs,” said Fury about Harrison. “I’m hoping to get a world title shot. I don’t want to go backwards, I’m on my way to the top and I’m past all these people now.”
Breen making great progress
MOTOR SPORT:Waterford's Craig Breen moved closer to a World Rally Championship Academy title after a perfect day yesterday on day two of the Wales Rally Great Britain.
The 21-year-old won all eight of yesterday’s stages in Wales with his clean sweep meaning he picks up eight points to add to his tally of two he won yesterday. Breen has now won 10 of the 11 stages over the first two days of action.
The young driver held an overnight lead of 26.8 seconds over Alistair Fisher with Breen’s title rival, Estonian, Egon Kaur further back in third place.
Breen started where he left off yesterday as he finished joint fastest on the first stage with Fisher but over the following three stages he pulled away from his rivals, winning each stage and establishing a 46-second lead over Fisher with Kaur 1 minute and 42 seconds behind. The former Motorsport Ireland Young Driver of the Year is four minutes and five seconds ahead of Kaur overall.
Berdych ends Murray’s unbeaten run
TENNIS:Andy Murray's 18-match winning run came to an end in the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters yesterday afternoon, as Tomas Berdych came from behind to secure a thrilling win over the world number three.
With Murray’s form so imperious going into the match – he had won his last three tournaments and overtaken Roger Federer in the rankings – it was expected he would routinely secure a last-four berth when he won the first set.
But Berdych, who now has a 3-1 record over the Scot, dug deep and raised his game to a new level in the next two thrilling sets, often forcing Murray to lose his temper as he won 4-6 7-6 (7/5) 6-4.
A frustrated Murray engaged in a heated debate with the umpire midway through the final set of the three-hour 10-minute tussle.
Tindall to appeal against RFU’s fine
RUGBY:Mike Tindall will appeal the £25,000 (€29,000) fine imposed on him yesterday by the English Rugby Football Union.
Tindall’s England career appears to be over following his behaviour during the recent World Cup campaign in New Zealand, which has resulted in him being kicked out of England’s elite squad and fined.
The Rugby Players’ Association, though, has confirmed Tindall will appeal what it describes as “an extraordinary fine”.
“The Rugby Players’ Association has today noted the extraordinary fine handed down to Mike Tindall following the disciplinary process after the Rugby World Cup. Mike will be appealing this unprecedented fine as per the terms of the EPS agreement. There will be no further comment from Mike Tindall or the RPA at this time,” said the RPA.
