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[Smallville22]

WTCC - Honda total 800km in three-day test

Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro racked up more than 800 kilometres in the Honda Civic in JAS Honda's first test of the season at Valencia.
The 300km completed on Friday takes the total distance covered to more than 800km over the three days.
There were no technical issues.
Tarquini was happy to sit again in a car he has not driven since last August’s test at Portimao.
"I was pleased to see that the Civic has made significant progress, which was the result of the experience gained in the three events of the past season," he said.
"On the other hand I was disappointed to find that the track had been resurfaced. I had tested a lot there with SEAT, and I counted on that experience to evaluate the performance of our car. "Unfortunately the new tarmac made impossible to make any comparison."
Tarquini and Monteiro focused on testing new parts that have been designed for the 2013 season.
“This was our priority, because we had to verify and check some parts, like the suspension, that cannot be changed once the car is homologated," he added.
"I am confident we have done a good job, especially because we had the confirmation that, following last summer’s tests, we were heading in the right direction.”
The team will test again in the second week of February at the Circuito Motorland Aragón in Spain.

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - White falls in Berlin qualifying

Veteran star Jimmy White was knocked out of the final round of qualifying for the German Masters by Dominic Dale.
Welsh cueman Dale triumphed 5-3 in the second qualifying round at the Tempodrom in Berlin.
Six-times World Championship finalist White gained the snooker he needed and cleared the colours to move within a frame of Dale, but the latter took the eighth frame to seal a place against Mark Allen, who beat Nigel Bond 5-2.
Ding Junhui, Shaun Murphy and Mark Williams came through their matches and will face Marcus Campbell, Robert Milkins and Michael Holt respectively in the first round proper.
There are further qualifying matches and several round one games taking place throughout the day.

Results

Dominic Dale 5 - 3 Jimmy White

Ding Junhui 5 - 4 Liu Chuang

Mark Allen 5 - 2 Nigel Bond

Shaun Murphy 5 - 1 Ben Woollaston

Mark J Williams 5 - 1 Martin O'Donnell

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - Trump edges through in Berlin

Judd Trump edged James Wattana 5-4 to reach the third round of the German Masters at the Tempodrom in Berlin.
The world number two hit a brilliant century in the deciding frame to secure his place in the next round, where he will meet Anthony Hamilton.
It was far from plain-sailing for Trump though and he faced an ignominious exit from the first world ranking event of 2013 after he let slip a 3-1 lead to fall behind 3-4 against the former world number three.
Wattana had a chance in frame number eight, but Trump fought back to force a decider, during which a break of 106 sealed his progress.
"I should have gone 4-1 up but had a kick," said Trump. "Then he went all out attack and played well to go 4-3 up. In the last two frames I played some good snooker. In the decider I knew I had to go for the long red. I've missed a few of those by a long way but I hit it well.
"Then I just had to keep my composure. It was such a big match because it's a good arena so no one wants to go out first round. If I keep making breaks like that under pressure then I'll have a chance."
In the third round, Ali Carter recovered from 3-1 down to topple Fraser Patrick 5-3, while Matthew Stevens's passage into the fourth round was altogether more straightforward with a 5-1 win over Jamie Burnett.
Kurt Maflin, Barry Hawkins and Andrew Higginson completed the day's list of players through to the last 16.
Earlier, veteran Jimmy White was knocked out by Dominic Dale, who won 5-3 in their second round encounter.
Six-times World Championship finalist White gained the snooker he needed and cleared the colours to move within a frame of Dale, but the latter took the eighth frame to seal a place against Mark Allen, who beat Nigel Bond 5-2.
Ding Junhui, Shaun Murphy and Mark Williams came through their second round matches and will face Marcus Campbell, Robert Milkins and Michael Holt respectively.

ROUND THREE RESULTS:

FRASER PATRICK 3 v 5 ALLISTER CARTER

XIAO GUODONG 4 v 5 KURT MAFLIN

ANDREW HIGGINSON 5 v 1 STUART BINGHAM

MATTHEW STEVENS 5 v 1 JAMIE BURNETT

DECHAWAT POOMJAENG 2 v 5 BARRY HAWKINS

ROUND TWO RESULTS:

JUDD TRUMP 5 v 4 JAMES WATTANA

JAMIE COPE 0 v 5 ANTHONY HAMILTON

MARTIN GOULD 1 v 5 FRASER PATRICK

ALLISTER CARTER 5 v 0 RORY MCLEOD

MARK DAVIS 2 v 5 XIAO GUODONG

TOM FORD 1 v 5 KURT MAFLIN

MICHAEL HOLT 5 v 1 TIAN PENGFEI

MARK WILLIAMS 5 v 1 MARTIN O'DONNELL

NEIL ROBERTSON 5 v 0 DANIEL WELLS

PETER EBDON 3 v 5 MICHAEL WASLEY

ANDREW HIGGINSON 5 v 4 ZHANG ANDA

STUART BINGHAM 5 v 1 ROD LAWLER

GRAEME DOTT 5 v 3 LIANG WENBO

RYAN DAY 4 v 5 DAVE HAROLD

ROBERT MILKINS 5 v 4 CHEN ZHE

SHAUN MURPHY 5 v 1 BEN WOOLLASTON

JOHN HIGGINS 3 v 5 PETER LINES

KEN DOHERTY 5 v 4 ADAM DUFFY

MARCO FU 5 v 4 MATTHEW SELT

RICKY WALDEN 5 v 3 ALFIE BURDEN

MATTHEW STEVENS 5 v 3 PANKAJ ADVANI

JAMIE BURNETT 5 v 4 MARK JOYCE

MARK KING 5 v 3 BARRY PINCHES

STEPHEN MAGUIRE 5 v 3 ALAN MCMANUS

MARK ALLEN 5 v 2 NIGEL BOND

DOMINIC DALE 5 v 3 JIMMY WHITE

FERGAL O'BRIEN 2 v 5 DECHAWAT POOMJAENG

BARRY HAWKINS 5 v 0 SAM BAIRD

DING JUNHUI 5 v 4 LIU CHUANG

MARCUS CAMPBELL 5 v 3 JAMIE JONES

JOE PERRY 5 v 0 SIMON BEDFORD

MARK SELBY 5 v 2 THEPCHAIYA UN-NOOH

 

[Smallville22]

WRC - Sweden key to WRC timing future

Next week's Rally Sweden will be a key event in the future of the timing and tracking of the World Rally Championship, with FIA rally director Jarmo Mahonen promising a conclusion after the event.
Spanish firm Sistemas Integrales de Telecomunicacion (SIT) replaced the WRC's long-standing timing and tracking provider Stage One Technology for this year, but immediately hit problems.
The series opener in Monte Carlo was thrown into confusion when incorrect times were posted for competitors, split times were unavailable and cars were left untracked in the French Alps.
SIT promised an improvement in the service in Sweden, but Mahonen says he expects nothing less than operational perfection.
"They [SIT] will be doing their homework before Sweden," Mahonen told AUTOSPORT, "and we expect perfect service there. I will make my conclusion after that event.
"Monte Carlo was a difficult rally for the new supplier to come to, the terrain is very hard, so I think maybe it's unfair to say too much about that event.
"I think there was some breakdown in communication from SIT, but the tracking is vital. This is from the safety side and this is number one over all other [things]."
During Monte Carlo team personnel and competitors questioned the reason for the change of supplier from Stage One to SIT.
Second-placed Sebastien Ogier's co-driver Julien Ingrassia said: "There are simple things where we don't need a revolution and this is one of them..."
VW team principal Jost Capito labelled SIT's performance on the Monte Carlo Rally as "completely unacceptable and completely irresponsible."
Asked whether Stage One Technology would return to the WRC, the company's managing director Simon de Banke said: "We're working on a number of new projects right now, but the WRC is close to our hearts so we certainly wouldn't rule out further discussion."

 

[Smallville22]

GP2 - Evans to make NZ comeback

GP3 champion Mitch Evans will make a one-off return appearance to New Zealand's Toyota Racing Series this weekend.
The 18-year-old Kiwi will use the New Zealand Motor Cup meeting at Hampton Downs to re-acclimatise himself to racing ahead of returning to Europe for his GP2 campaign with Arden International.
"It will be a big challenge stepping into a TRS car again," said Evans.
"I haven't raced since winning the GP3 title at Monza in early September and my TRS rivals have already competed in nine races during the three rounds leading into Hampton Downs."
Among the other international drivers taking on Evans and points leader Nick Cassidy at Hampton Downs are Formula 3 European Championship drivers Alex Lynn, Felix Serralles and Lucas Auer.
Evans, who will drive for Giles Motorsport, won the NZ Motor Cup and the TRS title in 2011.
Jack Brabham, John Surtees, Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart all won the NZ Motor Cup when it was held for Formula 1 machinery in the 1960s.

 

[Smallville22]

WRC - Solberg to make rallycross switch

Former World Rally champion Petter Solberg will make a full-time switch to rallycross for 2013, competing in both Europe and America.
Solberg will use a Citroen DS3 in both the revamped FIA-sanctioned European RX championship and the American-based Global Rallycross series, plus the X Games.
"Where else could I remain in a powerful all-wheel-drive turbo which is more or less a WRC car aside from the extra 300hp, and have between five and eight others around me spitting fire as well?" said Solberg. "That to me is just too hard to pass up.
"I really want to become a champion at least one more time in my career. I am a showman and I want to make some noise. Rallycross will fit me perfectly."
The 2003 WRC title-winner began his career in rallycross in the mid-1990s.
"In 1996, I actually considered the European Rallycross series for my long-term future but it turned out that rally would pull me in," Solberg added.
The Norwegian, who lost his WRC Ford seat at the end of last season, will make his first competitive appearance of 2013 on Rally Sweden next weekend, when he contests the parallel historic event.

 

[Smallville22]

Golf - Garcia's putting aim no longer blurry after eye surgery

Former world number two Sergio Garcia, who has long battled a lack of confidence on the greens, says eye surgery last year has helped him to read putts better than ever as the Spaniard targets a first major win in 2013.
Since surgery in October to correct an astigmatism, the 33-year-old Spaniard has recorded a tied-ninth finish at the DP World Tour Championship before coming joint-second in his season-opener at last week's Qatar Masters.
The world number 14, who came within inches of a first major triumph at the 2007 British Open when a seven-foot par putt on the 18th lipped out, now feels more comfortable when reading greens.
"Although I've always felt like I've been a good green reader, the surgery has helped me focus on small spots more easily than before," Garcia told reporters on Wednesday ahead of the Dubai Desert Classic.
"When I was aiming before it would get a little blurry and then I would lose the spot a little bit. Now I can see a little bit sharper, so it makes it easier."
Garcia, who won on the Asian Tour in December in Malaysia, came within a whisker of his 11th European Tour title last week when England's Chris Wood eagled the last to deny the Ryder Cup player and South African George Coetzee a playoff.
Garcia has notched up eight top-five finishes in the four majors since he came second at the 1999 U.S. PGA Championship behind 14-times major champion Tiger Woods.

 

[Smallville22]

Golf - Leaner and lighter Bubba set for return

Masters champion Bubba Watson will be much leaner and lighter than usual when he returns to US Tour action at this week's Phoenix Open after pulling out before the start of last week's event in San Diego because of flu.
The American left-hander has endured a rough start to his 2013 campaign, having also battled a sore throat during the US PGA Tour's season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Maui where he tied for fourth.
"My energy level is not where I want it to be, about 80 per cent right now," Watson said at the TPC Scottsdale in Arizona after partnering former Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps in the pro-am competition.
"I've had about seven days off taking medicine, so I'm still kind of under the weather trying to get the medicine out of me, kind of groggy.
"It's a struggle. My golf game is not where I want it to be.
I've lost about 10 pounds since Maui, but I want to be out there competing. Hopefully I can get some juices flowing and play good this week."
World number nine Watson heads a relatively strong field at the TPC Scottsdale which includes twice champion Phil Mickelson, Germany's former world number one Martin Kaymer and triple Major champion Padraig Harrington.
Also competing this week are world number seven Brandt Snedeker, the FedExCup champion, and 10th-ranked fellow American Jason Dufner.
Irishman Harrington, who like Kaymer is playing in the $6.2 million Phoenix Open for the first time, was in an upbeat mood after producing good putting form in his first two European Tour starts of the year.
"Certainly if the first two weeks are anything to go by, it was in good stead," he said of his fourth place at the Volvo Golf Champions and a tie for 23rd at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
"If I can play, swing and hit the golf ball like I did last year and putt like I did in those two events, things are looking good for me. I'm quietly confident going forward."
Asked for his initial impressions of the TPC Scottsdale, Harrington replied: "It's a good test of golf. The greens are really nice.
"But it's probably not quite what I expected. I knew I was coming to a desert golf course, and the front nine doesn't quite look like that most of the time. There are quite a lot of trees.
"It kind of plays and looks like a regular tree-lined course but if you do go into that desert, it doesn't seem to stop running into it and finishes in a cactus."
Former world number one Vijay Singh will command more attention than initially expected after admitting on Wednesday to using deer antler spray, which contains an insulin-like growth factor banned under the US PGA Tour's anti-doping programme.
Fijian Singh, a three-times Major winner, has been using the spray for a couple of months but said he was unaware the extract contained a prohibited substance, a natural anabolic hormone that stimulates muscle growth.
Singh is scheduled to tee off in the company of American Ryan Moore and Swede Carl Pettersson from the 10th hole in Thursday's opening round at the TPC Scottsdale.
American Kyle Stanley is back to defend the title he clinched by one shot last year, just one week after he agonisingly squandered a seven-stroke advantage in the final round to lose the Farmers Insurance Open in a play-off.

 

[Smallville22]

Golf - Phelps a fish out of water at TPC Scottsdale

Michael Phelps displayed ice-cool composure as a record-breaking Olympic swimmer but he was a bag of nerves when he played the "noisiest hole in golf" in the pro-am competition for this week's Phoenix Open.
Phelps, who retired from swimming as the most decorated Olympian of all time after winning a record 22 medals including 18 gold, was paired with US Masters champion Bubba Watson when he stepped on to the 16th tee at the TPC Scottsdale.
Hugely popular with the fans, the infamous par-three is a 162-yard hole widely regarded as the loudest in golf and is completely surrounded by massive grandstands where thousands of raucous spectators are crammed in to savour the action.
"I was very nervous and my club was like shaking as I'm over the ball," Phelps said about his tee shot on 16. "I felt my heart was going to jump out of my chest.
"I just pretty much had to try to swing the club as fast as I could."
Phelps's tee shot landed on the green but rolled back off the front, sparking good-natured boos from rowdy spectators.
"But it's wild. I've never heard people boo you, but I'm sure it's happened before, my face is just under water," Phelps said. "So it was a little different experience.
"Hopefully I will have a chance to come back and play again.
It's a great event. I had a blast today and being able to play with Bubba, that's something else. We were throwing jokes back and forth the whole entire time and keeping it very light."
Phelps has set his sights on becoming a top golfer and is the subject of the Golf Channel's 'Haney Project' which will be aired next month.
Swing guru Hank Haney, who helped former world number one Woods win 31 US PGA Tour events and six Major championships, has previously worked with former NBA All-Star Charles Barkley, actor Ray Romano and singer Adam Levine.
"I'm not saying I'm going to be on the tour, that's not it," Phelps told Reuters during last year's Ryder Cup about his golfing ambitions.
"I enjoy doing this, I enjoy being outside. I have a kind of a plaque with the top 50 courses and I'm just trying to mark every one of them off."
American left-hander Watson, who clinched his first Major title in a play-off for last year's Masters after conjuring a miraculous shot from pine straw, was impressed by what he saw of Phelps's short game on Wednesday.
"It's one of those things where he's a great athlete, one of the best Olympians, or the best Olympian, coming to a different sport, so obviously it's a big change," Watson said.
"It's a different mental set, a different mental focus and he's not used to it. But you can see he's an athlete and he's competitive, so he could be good if he practised and put some time into it."
The Phoenix Open, the fifth event on the 2013 US PGA Tour schedule, starts on Thursday.

 

[Smallville22]

Golf - Singh admits using banned deer antler spray

Former world number one Vijay Singh has admitted using deer antler spray, but says he was unaware the extract contained an insulin-like growth factor that is banned by the US PGA Tour.
Fijian Singh, a three-times Major winner, has been using the spray, which is believed to speed up recovery from injury, for "a couple of months", according to a Sports Illustrated article published online earlier this week.
The spray is produced by Sports with Alternatives to Steroids (SWATS) and contains IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor), a natural anabolic hormone that stimulates muscle growth.
"While I have used deer antler spray, at no time was I aware that it may contain a substance that is banned under the (US) PGA Tour anti-doping policy," said Singh, who has battled assorted health problems in recent years, especially with his back.
"In fact, when I first received the product, I reviewed the list of ingredients and did not see any prohibited substances.
"I am absolutely shocked that deer antler spray may contain a banned substance and am angry that I have put myself in this position. I have been in contact with the (US) PGA Tour and am cooperating fully with their review of this matter."
Ty Votaw, the US PGA Tour's executive vice president of communications and international affairs, said the Tour was "looking into the matter."
Votaw told Reuters: "We are in the midst of conducting a review process of the (US) PGA Tour's anti-doping policy ... and because of that we have no further comment at this time."
Asked about the deer antler spray, he replied: "The spray is not banned but there is an ingredient in that spray, IGF-1, and that is banned under our anti-doping policy."
The US PGA Tour launched its anti-doping programme in 2008 and said, in the event of a positive doping test, it would disclose details only after the entire appeals and challenges process was completed.
The variety of sanctions could include disqualification, a one-year suspension for a first violation, up to five years for a second violation and a lifetime ban for multiple violations, plus fines up to $500,000.
In August 2011, the Tour warned players about using deer antler spray with its prohibited ingredient after veteran players Mark Calcavecchia and Ken Green had both endorsed SWATS' so-called "Ultimate Spray."
Deer antler extract became a hot topic earlier this week when National Football League linebacker Ray Lewis was among a handful of athletes accused by Sports Illustrated of using the spray.
Lewis swiftly dismissed the report which quoted Mitch Ross, co-owner of SWATS, as saying the linebacker asked for products to speed his recovery from a torn triceps in October, including deer-antler extract.
In that same article, Singh was described as one of the few athletes who had compensated SWATS for their products, allegedly paying Ross $9,000 in November for the spray, chips, beam ray and powder additive.
"I'm looking forward to some change in my body," Singh was quoted as saying by Sports Illustrated. "It's really hard to feel the difference if you're only doing it for a couple of months."
Singh said he used the spray "every couple of hours ... every day," slept under the beam ray and had put chips on his ankles, waist and shoulders.
Since the US PGA Tour's anti-doping programme was launched, American journeyman Doug Barron is the only player who has been suspended for a violation. Barron, then 40, was banned for one year in November 2009 for taking a performance-enhancing drug.
Singh, a 49-year-old who is renowned for his workaholic approach to the game, is scheduled to play in the US PGA Tour's Phoenix Open this week in Scottsdale, Arizona.

 

[Smallville22]

Golf - O'Meara calls for Singh ban over spray use

Mark O'Meara believes former world number one Vijay Singh should be suspended by the US Tour after the Fijian admitted to using a spray to treat an injury which contains a banned substance.
The three-times Major winner said he was unaware the deer-antler spray, which he has been using for a couple of months, contained an insulin-like growth factor that is banned by the US circuit.
O'Meara, competing at the Dubai Desert Classic where the 56-year-old opened with a five-under-par 67 on Thursday, said he had a lot of respect for his friend Singh but that his situation should be no different to those who have been banned before.
"Probably he should be suspended for a couple of months, and I don't know what the US Tour Commissioner is thinking, but people have had to pay the price before and he should be no different," O'Meara said.
"I was a bit surprised to hear what Vijay said. I don't think he's a guy that would take advantage of anything, and besides I like Vijay. I wish the best for him and his family and I wish the best for him."
Singh, 49, allegedly paid one of the owners of Sports with Alternatives to Steroids (SWATS) $9,000 in November for the spray and other products, Sports Illustrated said this week.
Singh released a statement on Wednesday at the Phoenix Open confirming he had taken it, that he was "shocked" and "angry" at himself and that he was in cooperation with the tour over the issue.
Since the US Tour's anti-doping programme was launched in 2008, American journeyman Doug Barron is the only player who has been suspended for a violation, in November 2009.
Barron, then 40, was banned for a year for taking a performance-enhancing drug.
In keeping with honesty in golf, O'Meara said he had no doubts over Singh, who is known for his workaholic approach to the game.
"Has Vijay tried to bend the rules? No I don't think that."

 

[Smallville22]

Golf - Sterne leaves Westwood and O'Meara trailing

South Africa's Richard Sterne fired a scintillating 10-under-par 62 in the Dubai Desert Classic first round on Thursday to overshadow a fine start to the season by world number eight Lee Westwood.
World number 165 Sterne's 10-birdie round in scoring-friendly conditions was nearly matched by Scot Stephen Gallacher (63) while Race to Dubai money list leader Scott Jamieson, Tommy Fleetwood and Chris Doak were two shots further back.
Former world number one Westwood (67) matched 56-year-old twice Major winner and 2004 champion Mark O'Meara's round thanks to a brilliant eagle at the par-five 18th, his ninth hole.
Despite a solitary birdie on the closing nine the Englishman was left beaming after a good day's work.
"I felt very sharp - no rust there at all and I played better today than I finished off last year," Westwood said.
"You never know what to expect after a few weeks off," added the 39-year-old, who moved his family to Florida last year in order to keep his game fresh in the off-season.
Sterne, who has resumed playing a full schedule after a back problem limited him to four events in 2010 and six in 2011, was a shot away from equalling the course record set by compatriot and four-times major winner Ernie Els in 1994.
"I knew Ernie had shot 61 quite a while ago and always thought it would be impossible to get close, but I got as close as you could," Sterne said.
The five-times European Tour winner is hoping to notch up his first victory since 2008, when he recorded back-to-back wins in South Africa in December.
"Hopefully I can just keep going and give myself a chance on Sunday when it counts. I do want to win again and that's one of the goals for the year. It's been a while since I've won - it's just not that easy to do anymore," he said.
Also high on the leaderboard were former world number three Paul Casey, now ranked 124th, who three-putted his last hole but still came away with a 66 to equal his playing partner, Italian teenager Matteo Manassero.
Casey put his excellent start down to the state of the greens, which the players were warned about pre-tournament in a letter from the event director, though the Englishman said fears about the course's condition had not materialised.
"It's the best-conditioned golf course I've played this year by far. The guys are going to go bananas when you have a course as good as this," the former Ryder Cup player said.

Scores from the European Tour Dubai Desert Classic:

62 Richard Sterne (South Africa) 62

63 Stephen Gallacher (Britain) 63

65 Tommy Fleetwood (Britain) 65
Scott Jamieson (Britain) 65
Chris Doak (Britain) 65

66 Maximilian Kieffer (Germany) 66
Matteo Manassero (Italy) 66
Paul Casey (Britain) 66
Ricardo Santos (Portugal) 66
Noh Seung-Yul (South Korea) 66
Peter Lawrie (Ireland) 66

67 Mark O'Meara (U.S.) 67
Lee Westwood (Britain) 67
Emiliano Grillo (Argentina) 67
Marcus Fraser (Australia) 67
Fredrik Andersson Hed (Sweden) 67
Andreas Harto (Denmark) 67
Marc Warren (Britain) 67
Jamie Donaldson (Britain) 67
Gregory Bourdy (France) 67
Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark) 67

68 Lorenzo Gagli (Italy) 68
Richard Bland (Britain) 68
Thomas Levet (France) 68
Felipe Aguilar (Chile) 68
Justin Walters (South Africa) 68
Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand) 68
Chris Wood (Britain) 68
Victor Dubuisson (France) 68
Eddie Pepperell (Britain) 68
Anthony Wall (Britain) 68
Romain Wattel (France) 68
Robert-Jan Derksen (Netherlands) 68
Alexander Noren (Sweden) 68
Jeev Milkha Singh (India) 68
Sergio Garcia (Spain) 68
Keith Horne (South Africa) 68
Marcel Siem (Germany) 68
Gary Lockerbie (Britain) 68
Simon Khan (Britain) 68
Damien McGrane (Ireland) 68
Seve Benson (Britain) 68

69 Ignacio Garrido (Spain) 69
Jorge Campillo (Spain) 69
Craig Lee (Britain) 69
John Parry (Britain) 69
Oliver Fisher (Britain) 69
Colin Montgomerie (Britain) 69
James Morrison (Britain) 69
Lee Slattery (Britain) 69
Tom Lewis (Britain) 69
S.S.P. Chowrasia (India) 69
Jaco Van Zyl (South Africa) 69
Gareth Maybin (Britain) 69
Matthew Nixon (Britain) 69
Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 69
David Drysdale (Britain) 69
Niclas Fasth (Sweden) 69
Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spain) 69
Andy Sullivan (Britain) 69
Steve Webster (Britain) 69
Maarten Lafeber (Netherlands) 69
Stephen Dodd (Britain) 69

70 Richie Ramsay (Britain) 70
Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 70
David Howell (Britain) 70
Robert Rock (Britain) 70
Jose Manuel Lara (Spain) 70
Todd Hamilton (U.S.) 70
Martin Wiegele (Austria) 70
Simon Dyson (Britain) 70
Kristoffer Broberg (Sweden) 70
Gregory Havret (France) 70
Paul Waring (Britain) 70
Fabrizio Zanotti (Paraguay) 70
Jbe Kruger (South Africa) 70
Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) 70
Raphael Jacquelin (France) 70
Estanislao Goya (Argentina) 70
Mikael Lundberg (Sweden) 70
Alessandro Tadini (Italy) 70

71 Scott Henry (Britain) 71
Garth Mulroy (South Africa) 71
Bernd Wiesberger (Austria) 71
Michael Hoey (Britain) 71
Soren Kjeldsen (Denmark) 71
Darren Fichardt (South Africa) 71
William Harrold (Britain) 71
Alexandre Kaleka (France) 71
Danny Willett (Britain) 71
Pablo Larrazabal (Spain) 71
Max Williams (Britain) 71
Ricardo Gonzalez (Argentina) 71
Mikko Ilonen (Finland) 71

72 Joel Sjoeholm (Sweden) 72
Joost Luiten (Netherlands) 72
Simon Wakefield (Britain) 72
Edoardo Molinari (Italy) 72
Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (France) 72
Barry Lane (Britain) 72

73 Robert Coles (Britain) 73
Ben Curtis (U.S.) 73
Chris Paisley (Britain) 73
Michael Campbell (New Zealand) 73
Richard Finch (Britain) 73
Brett Rumford (Australia) 73
Mark Foster (Britain) 73
Hennie Otto (South Africa) 73
Richard Green (Australia) 73
Alejandro Canizares (Spain) 73
Espen Kofstad (Norway) 73
Michael Harradine (Switzerland) 73

74 Christian Cevaer (France) 74
Shane Lowry (Ireland) 74
Prom Meesawat (Thailand) 74
Ross Bain (Britain) 74
Masanori Kobayashi (Japan) 74
Joachim Hansen (Denmark) 74
Anders Hansen (Denmark) 74
Paul McGinley (Ireland) 74
Johan Edfors (Sweden) 74
Peter Whiteford (Britain) 74

75 James Busby (Britain) 75
David Horsey (Britain) 75
Andrew Dodt (Australia) 75
Daniel Gaunt (Australia) 75
Zane Scotland (Britain) 75
Moritz Lampert (Germany) 75
Muhammad Munir (Pakistan) 75

76 Peter Erofejeff (Finland) 76
Matthew Baldwin (Britain) 76
Faycal Serghini (Morocco) 76

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - Trump becomes latest German Masters casualty

Judd Trump joined Mark Williams, Stephen Maguire and John Higgins as a high-profile exit from the German Masters.
The Bristolian went down 5-4 to Anthony Hamilton with the Nottingham potter sealing a place in the last 16 with a 57 break in the deciding frame.
World number 37 Hamilton led 3-1 and 4-2 before being pegged back but kept his composure to book a contest against Allister Carter.
Earlier Michael Holt defeated Williams for the second time in four days to reach the last 16.
Holt got the better of the former world champion in the one-frame Shoot Out tournament on Sunday, but proved the win was hardly a fluke with a dominant 5-1 success in Berlin.
The world number 28 started in supreme fashion by storming to the top of the high break charts with a 144 total clearance, and though Williams responded with a 94 break, it would be the Welshman’s only frame of the contest.
Holt continued to look assured in his break building and capitalised on numerous unforced errors from the out-of-sorts Williams to set up a meeting with Kurt Maflin.
Mark King made a 105 break against last year’s runner-up Maguire as the world number six suffered an embarrassing 5-0 whitewash.
Higgins went down 5-3 to Peter Lines on Wednesday in one of 10 last 64 matches held over to the Tempodrom venue in Berlin.
But world number one Mark Selby joined Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson and Ding Junhui in the latter stages of 2013's first ranking event.
Peter Lines recovered from trailing 2-0 and 3-1 to complete a 5-3 win over Ken Doherty in the final match of the last 32 stage.
He will face Marco Fu in the last eight on Friday afternoon.

Last 32 Results:

Anthony Hamilton 5-4 Judd Trump

Graeme Dott 5-3 Dave Harold

Shaun Murphy 5-3 Robert Milkins

Mark Selby 5-2 Joe Perry

Ding Junhui 5-0 Marcus Campbell

Marco Fu 5-3 Ricky Walden

Mark Allen 5-2 Dominic Dale

Michael Holt 5-1 Mark Williams

Neil Robertson 5-1 Michael Wasley

Mark King 5-0 Stephen Maguire

Kurt Maflin 5-4 Xiao Guodong

Barry Hawkins 5-2 Dechawat Poomjaeng

Allister Carter 5-3 Fraser Patrick

Matthew Stevens 5-1 Jamie Burnett

Andrew Higginson 5-1 Stuart Bingham

Peter Lines 5-3 Ken Doherty

 

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Snooker - Hawkins hits back-to-back tons to sink Allen

Mark Allen joined the exodus of leading names at the German Masters as he suffered a 5-1 defeat to a red-hot Barry Hawkins in the last 16.
With Judd Trump, Mark Williams, Stephen Maguire and John Higgins all suffering defeats at the last 32 stage in Berlin's Tempodrom, Allen started as favourite to reach the quarter-finals, but was simply swept aside by a barrage of heavy breaks.
The Northern Irishman won the first frame with a 52, but was forced to sit in his chair and watch as Hawkins seized upon the opportunities that came his way in compiling knocks of 72, 90, 102 and 122 to progress.
World Open holder Allen threw a black towel onto the table at the conclusion of the match, aware that he been well outplayed for large swathes of the evening.
Hawkins's reward is a meeting with Mark Selby or Ding Junhui in the last eight on Friday night. Selby and Ding play their last 16 contest on Friday afternoon.
2010 world champion Neil Robertson joined Hawkins in the quarters with a 5-1 win over Andrew Higginson.
Former Welsh Open finalist Higginson won his solitary frame of the evening with a 93 in frame four, but was outplayed by a solid tactical approach from the Melbourne man, who won the other five frames despite running in a high break of 57 in the fifth frame.
Robertson will face the winner of Graeme Dott or Shaun Murphy in the last eight.
Michael Holt continued his decent run of form with a 5-3 win over Kurt Maflin to secure a quarter-final against Anthony Hamilton or Ali Carter.
Holt lost the first two frames, but breaks of 96, 56, 46 and 59 helped him ease through.
Matthew Stevens joined Robertson, Hawkins and Holt in the last eight following a late-finishing 5-4 win over Mark King.
Stevens now plays the winner of the match between Peter Lines and Marco Fu, one of four remaining last-16 ties to be played on Friday, starting at 12pm.

Last 16 results:

Barry Hawkins (Eng) 5-1 Mark Allen (NI)

Neil Robertson (Aus) 5-1 Andrew Higginson (Eng)

Michael Holt (Eng) 5-3 Kurt Maflin (Nor)

Matthew Stevens (Wal) 5-4 Mark King (Eng)

Remaining last 16 matches:

Graeme Dott (Sco) v Shaun Murphy (Eng)

Peter Lines (Eng) v Marco Fu (HK)

Ding Junhui (Chn) v Mark Selby (Eng)

Anthony Hamilton (Eng) v Ali Carter (Eng)

 

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Superbike - Sandi positive after Kawasaki test

New Pedercini Kawasaki World Superbike rider Federico Sandi said he was encouraged by what he saw during a two-day test at Almeria.
Sandi, who joined the team after making sporadic WSBK appearances, most recently for Grillini BMW at Misano last season, enjoyed dry conditions at the Spanish track.
He was joined by Superstock riders Federico Dittadi and Lorenzo Savadori at the shakedown, where he completed 100 laps.
"The whole test has gone really well for me. It was very important to work with my new team and I'm very happy because I immediately found a good feeling with all of them,” Sandi said.
“We worked really hard on the bike here in Almeria and I think it's just going to get better and better.
“There is still a lot to do but the outcome is already very good. I'm really looking forward to next test in Phillip Island to be able to start the 2013 Superbike championship in the best possible way.”
The 2013 season begins at Phillip Island on February 24.

 

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WRC - Wilson pleased with M-Sport’s Ford Fiesta R5

WRC driver Matthew Wilson said he was impressed by M-Sport’s new Ford Fiesta R5 after having put the car through its paces in Greystoke Forest.
The new machinery, which is a completely revised model that is 90 per cent designed and developed from new, was tested for durability, reliability and performance in Cumbria.
“We have made some great progress [with the Ford Fiesta R5] today – for a car to come straight out of the box and run like this is fantastic," said Wilson.
“We have mainly been testing the durability and reliability of the car today to see how it fares under the conditions it is likely to face at World Championship level, but we also worked on improving the set-up this afternoon.
“There is still a lot of development to do, but today has been very promising. All the basics are there and this new Fiesta is set to be a really competitive car.”

 

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Golf - Deer antler user Singh withdraws from Phoenix Open

Vijay Singh pulled out of the Phoenix Open on Thursday before the start of the first round, a day after admitting he had used deer antler spray which contains an ingredient banned by the US PGA Tour.
The former world number one, who was scheduled to tee off in the company of American Ryan Moore and Swede Carl Pettersson at the TPC Scottsdale, cited a back injury for his withdrawal.
Singh, 49, was replaced in the field by American Richard H. Lee.
A three-times Major winner, Fijian Singh revealed earlier this week he had been using deer antler spray for a couple of months in an interview with Sports Illustrated magazine.
On Wednesday, he issued a statement in which he expressed shock that the spray contained IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor), a natural anabolic hormone that stimulates muscle growth.
"While I have used deer antler spray, at no time was I aware that it may contain a substance that is banned under the PGA Tour anti-doping policy," said Singh, who has battled assorted health problems in recent years, especially with his back.
"I am absolutely shocked that deer antler spray may contain a banned substance and am angry that I have put myself in this position. I have been in contact with the PGA Tour and am cooperating fully with their review of this matter."
The US Tour is now "looking into the matter" and has a variety of sanctions at its disposal, including disqualification, a one-year suspension for a first violation and up to five years for a second violation.
Since the Tour's anti-doping programme was launched in 2008, American journeyman Doug Barron is the only player who has been suspended for a violation. Barron, then 40, was banned for one year in November 2009 for taking a performance-enhancing drug.

 

[Smallville22]

Golf - Snedeker and Co have fun watching Mickelson

While Phil Mickelson grabbed the spotlight in stunning style at the Phoenix Open, FedExCup champion Brandt Snedeker and his two playing partners relished a low-scoring day in the Arizona sunshine during the opening round.
Snedeker took advantage of the ideal conditions to fire a sparkling seven-under-par 64 at the TPC Scottsdale, finishing four shots behind the pacesetting Mickelson who lipped out with a birdie attempt for a 59 at the last.
"Obviously I needed to go a little lower," a smiling Snedeker said after his partners, Padraig Harrington (64) and 2010 champion Hunter Mahan (67), had also gone low.
"It was fun out there. We had a great group of guys, me and Padraig and Hunter had a great time out there today. We kind of fed off each other, got off to a hot start and played pretty well."
World number seven Snedeker and company had a perfect view of Mickelson's scintillating 60 on the Stadium Course after teeing off from the par-four 10th just one group behind.
"It gave us a target to go after," Snedeker said of watching Mickelson's flawless, 11-birdie display. "We're all fans of golf and we're all fans of Phil, so we wanted to see him make that putt on the last hole.
"We were listening for the roar on (number) eight green and didn't hear it go in, which was a shame. I heard he put a good roll on it."
Mickelson lipped out from 25 feet at the par-four ninth, his final hole of the day, and had to settle for an early four-shot lead before play was suspended in darkness with 33 players still out on the course.
Triple Major champion Harrington of Ireland, making his first appearance in the Phoenix Open, was happy with his opening seven-birdie 64.
"It's a little bit behind Phil but still a nice score in itself," the Dubliner said. "I pretty much got the most out of the round for the first 15 holes, then had three chances the last three holes and didn't hole the putts.
"But overall I've got a good feeling about it. I know there's going to be a couple of errors here and there. Hopefully, I can keep making enough birdies to counteract that.

 

[Smallville22]

Golf - Mickelson comes up tantalisingly short in bid for 59

Phil Mickelson came up agonisingly short in a spectacular bid to become the sixth player to dip under 60 on the US PGA Tour when his birdie putt for a magical 59 horseshoed out at the Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Having lined up a 25-footer at the par-four ninth, his final hole in the opening round at the TPC Scottsdale, Mickelson watched in anguish as his ball caught the right edge of the cup before rolling around the back of hole and spinning out.
"The last six feet it was right on glide slope, it should have been right in the middle," Mickelson told Golf Channel after shooting an 11-under-60. "To have that putt on line, I am kind of mortified that it didn't go in."
The four-times Major champion, who had pointed his putter in the direction of the ball as it headed towards the cup, clutched his drooping head with his left hand when his hopes of a 59 were so cruelly dashed.
Mickelson had to settle for a share of the course record at the TPC Scottsdale - which he already held jointly with Grant Waite and Mark Calcavecchia - but grabbed a commanding four-shot lead in the fifth US PGA Tour event of the season.
Thirty-three players were still out on the course when play was suspended for the day in fading light after the start of the opening round had been delayed for an hour due to morning frost.
Americans Brandt Snedeker, Ryan Palmer, Jeff Maggert and Ted Potter Jr, along with triple Major winner Padraig Harrington of Ireland in his first start of the year on the US circuit, opened with 64s.
Belgian rookie Nicolas Colsaerts and American Brian Gay, winner of the Humana Challenge at La Quinta 11 days ago, were among a group of nine players knotted on 65.
Masters champion Bubba Watson, who has not played since the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii because of flu, opened with a five-birdie 67 on a near-perfect day for scoring in the Arizona desert.
"I'm ecstatic to shoot 60," Mickelson said after piling up 11 birdies with a flawless display of golf in dazzling sunshine.
"I am excited and so forth but you don't get chances to shoot 59 very often.
"I could not envision what side of the hole it would have missed on when it was a foot out. But I made a ton of putts today, I hit a lot of great shots and I drove it very well."
Winner here in 1996 and 2005, Mickelson birdied seven of his first nine holes to reach the turn in a blistering 29 amid intensifying thoughts of a possible 59.
"I was thinking 59 back on my 10th hole," said the 42-year-old fan favourite, who studied at the nearby Arizona State University. "When I had that front nine, I was thinking of it the whole time."
Mickelson, a 40-times champion on the US PGA Tour, picked up further shots at the first, third, fourth and seventh before his birdie attempt on the ninth green stunningly failed to fall into the cup.
"I am walking after it and somehow it moves at the end low and caught the lip," Mickelson said. "And even at that pace, I think it's going to lip in. That one - that was heartbreaking."
Harrington, playing in the Phoenix Open for the first time, was delighted with his seven-birdie 64.
"It's a nice score, obviously," the 41-year-old Dubliner said after hitting 14 of 18 greens in regulation. "It's a little bit behind Phil but still a nice score in itself.
"I pretty much got the most out of the round for the first 15 holes and then had three chances the last three holes and didn't hole the putts. But overall I've got a good feeling about it."
The five players who have shot 59s on the US PGA Tour are Americans Al Geiberger (1977 Memphis Classic), Chip Beck (1991 Las Vegas Invitational), David Duval (1999 Bob Hope Classic) and Paul Goydos (2010 John Deere Classic) as well as Australian Stuart Appleby (2010 Greenbrier Classic).

 

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rally Dakar 2013 standings

Car
Pos. N° Name
1 302 Stéphane PETERHANSEL (FRA)
2 301 Giniel DE VILLIERS (ZAF)
3 307 Leonid NOVITSKIY (RUS)
Truck
Pos. N° Name
1 501 Eduard NIKOLAEV (RUS)
2 505 Ayrat MARDEEV (RUS)
3 510 Andrey KARGINOV (RUS)
Bike
Pos. N° Name
1 1 Cyril DESPRES (FRA)
2 11 Ruben FARIA (PRT)
3 7 Francisco LOPEZ (CHL)
Quad
Pos. N° Name
1 250 Marcos PATRONELLI (ARG)
2 254 Ignacio Nicolás CASALE (CHL)
3 253 Rafal SONIK (POL)

dissapointed by al-attiyah, he is skilled and could have been top 3