Today's other stories in brief

Motorcyclist Terry found dead on Dakar stage route

RALLYING: French motorcyclist Pascal Terry has been found dead after being reported missing during the second stage of the Dakar Rally on Sunday.

The 49-year-old had informed race control on Sunday his Yamaha had run out of petrol at the 197-kilometre mark between Santa Rosa and Puerto Madrid but later could not be contacted by organisers. A search was launched the next day, and his body was found by local police yesterday morning.

"The motorcyclist was found in an area that is very inaccessible with very dense vegetation, 15 metres from his bike," said race officials.

"He had taken off his helmet and had taken shelter with food and water next to him."

Meanwhile, British driver Paul Green's condition has improved following the serious accident in the first stage on Saturday. Green suffered severe chest injuries in the crash, and his co-driver Matthew Harrison was also badly hurt.

Ivanovic scrambles through

TENNIS:French Open champion Ana Ivanovic survived two match points before sealing her place in the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International yesterday.

On a day when all the leading players were made to work overtime at the Australian Open warm-up tournament, Amelie Mauresmo and her French compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga were also lucky to stay alive.

Top seed Ivanovic lost her opening set tiebreaker and was twice down match point in the second set but regained her composure to scramble past Italian qualifier Roberta Vinci 6-7 7-5 6-1.

Ivanovic said her mental strength allowed her to keep her title hopes on track.

"I went through a lot last year, both good and bad," the Serbian, runner up in Melbourne Park last January, told reporters.

Tsonga also had a torrid time in his clash with Finland's Jarkko Nieminen, clawing back from a terrible start to win 0-6 7-6 7-6.

Batsman Pollard reprimanded

CRICKET:West Indies batsman Kieron Pollard was reprimanded after damaging a glass door following his dismissal in yesterday's one-day loss to New Zealand.

Pollard pleaded guilty to breaching the International Cricket Council's strict Code of Conduct when he faced match referee Javagal Srinath after his team's seven wicket defeat in Wellington.

"Pollard damaged the door glass in the dressingroom with his bat after he returned to the pavilion after being given out lbw by umpire Mark Benson in the 22nd over of the innings, Srinath said in a statement.

West Indies were bowled out for just 128 runs after being sent in to bat. New Zealand cruised to victory with almost 30 overs to spare.

Maguires among fund recipients

GOLF:The Irish Ladies Golf Union has allocated a fund of €74,800 to support Ireland's leading top amateur golfers throughout the 2009 season.

The recipients were nominated based on final placings in the Women's and Girls' Order of Merit tables in the 2008 season.

The Maguire twins Lisa and Leona (Slieve Russell), internationals Tara Delaney (Carlow), Niamh Kitching (Claremorris) and Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down Ladies) are among the top recipients, with a potential maximum €7,000 each, while underage internationals Sarah Crowe (Tipperary), Emma O'Driscoll (Ballybunion) and Sarah Louise Winter (Carnalea) could get €4,300.

Kluft opts to skip European indoors

ATHLETICS: Heptathlon world champion Carolina Kluft will skip the European indoor championships in March and will compete only in the 60 metres during the winter season to recover from a shinbone stress fracture, her father said yesterday.

The 25-year-old 2004 Olympic champion announced her retirement from heptathlon in March to focus on the long jump and triple jump.

Le Cam reveals capsize trauma

SAILING: Jean Le Cam, the Frenchman who was rescued after his boat, VM Materiaux, capsized 200 miles west of Cape Horn during the Vendee Globe solo round-the-world race, yesterday revealed the trauma of being trapped in an upturned boat in big seas for 16 hours, writes Bob Fisher.

He described his disbelief when on Tuesday he heard Vincent Riou, who had been more than 100 miles astern in PRB, hailing him. "I heard Vincent's voice in the morning and thought, 'Am I dreaming or not?' Then I heard it again so I was sure he was there."

He escaped through the hatch in the stern, despite it being submerged, and at the third try caught a line thrown by Riou and was winched to safety. PRB's mast was damaged in the process.

At Ushuaia, Le Cam will transfer to an Isabelle Autissier-owned boat and Riou will be awarded a time allowance.

Guardian Service