Read The Mercury online THE MERCURY at www.themercury.co.za SPORT Tuesday September 9 2008 27 SPORTS Now we will see if Boks were brilliant or if Aussies just did not care RESULTS IT’S a match thousands of was inevitably going to get ham- without five key players, Deans I said at the time that I’d con- point hiding. Suddenly, you’ll The Australians have made miles away between two foreign mered by the Boks sooner or was broadcasting a message cede I was wrong if the Aus- find, key men like George Smith real progress under Robbie Bodyboarding countries, and in no sense does later, and it just happened to be loud and clear to his troops – do tralians got turned over by 40 or and Stephen Moore will return. Deans’s shrewd coaching this it affect South Africa or the the Aussies. your best, but don’t kill yourself. 50 points in Brisbane. That They’ll probably also have fit by season, and writing them off in Doninos Bodyboard Pro/IBA World Tour Springboks. My take on that game was a The real match, the one that would prove what I’d said was then Berrick Barnes. Most im- their own back yard is never a Doninos, Spain PETER BILLS Final placings: 1, Mark McCarthy (RSA); 2, Uri Well, that’s the common per- little different and certainly matters, is in a fortnight, in totally wide of the mark but portant of all, the Wallabies’ clever act. Valadao (Bra); 3, Rene Xavier (Esp); 4, Ben Player ception of this Saturday’s last Special writer contentious, judging by the re- Brisbane. Even if Australia had would also undermine De Vil- attitude will be 100% different. If pushed, I’d probably just (Aus) Tri-Nations match of the 2008 action of overseas Springbok won in Johannesburg, they liers’s claim that it was his Despite New Zealand’s run- favour the All Blacks to do it. season. But I’d suggest that When the Springboks fans living in New Zealand. would still have needed to beat side’s great play, as opposed to away 100-point win over Manu But should Australia win, as Cricket events in Brisbane, when Aus- hammered the Wallabies 53-8 in I felt then, and still believe, New Zealand in Brisbane to Australia’s indifference, that Samoa last week, I’d rate the they well could, where then KZNCU competittions tralia take on New Zealand, Johannesburg 10 days ago, that the Wallabies weren’t inter- clinch the trophy. Deans was was the key factor. odds for this Brisbane Test as would that leave the Spring- Inter-Disttrict A have a huge significance for De Villiers made big play of the ested in that game. I don’t mean already looking ahead, showing It’s not my reading of this about 50-50. New Zealand’s new boks’ much-vaunted 53-point DDCU 189-7 (C Flowers 38, F Lazarus 35, L Madsen 38, P Du Bruyn 38no, M Van Vuuren 3- South Africa and especially improvement in his side. coach Robbie Deans sent them the vision for which he is Saturday’s game that Australia side is improving, but it’s far romp? In the bin marked 38). MCA 192-4 (A Van Vuuren 109no). MCA won their coach, Peter de Villiers. He boasted that someone out to lose 53-8, but by starting renowned. are about to cop another 53- from the finished product. “flawed”, I’d suggest. by 6 wkts Uthungulu v Ilembe – Match not played. Inter- District B Verulam 243-6 (V Subramoney 65, A Razak 67no, P Subrayen 73). Umzinto 237 (M Khan 98, R. Baijnath 32, Y Amin 30, T Govender 33, I Pather 3- 53, V Moodley 3-2).Verulam won by 6 runs WILLIAMS TOPS WOMEN’S RANKINGS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2003 Southern Natal 237-4 (J Koekomoer 30, D Slater 48, G. Bishop 80no, M. Bishop 57no) Tongaat 141-9 (C Govender 33). Southern Natal won by 96 runs Cycling Tour of Spain Ninth stage (Vielha to Sabinanigo, 200km): 1. Exuberant Serena celebrates her win Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence-Lotto 4hrs 57mins 22sec; 2. Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner; 3. Juan Antonio Flecha (Esp) New York Serena her third silver trophy at At one point, she caught a Rabobank; 4. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R; 5. Flushing Meadows; it assured she glimpse of herself on the screen Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre; 6. Xabier Zandio (Esp) Caisse d’Epargne; 7. Patrice Halgand (Fra) ISPLAYING the talent returned to No 1 in the rankings and promptly fixed her hair. Credit Agricole; 8. Andrea Tonti (Ita) Quick-Step; and tenacity that helped for the time since August 2003, the “They should turn it off, 9. Christophe Kern (Fra) Credit Agricole; 10. Egoi Martinez (Esp) Euskaltel all same time her dominate tennis ear- longest gap at the top for a woman. because I keep looking,” she Leading overalll standings: 1. Egoi Martinez (Esp) lier in the decade, Serena “It’s been so long,” she said. said. Euskaltel 33: 23:56; 2. Levi Leipheimer (US) D Astana at 11sec; 3. Alberto Contador (Esp) Williams outlasted Jelena Jan- Williams calmed down in time “You see your big face up there Astana at 32; 4. Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Caisse kovic of Serbia 6-4, 7-5 for her for the on-court trophy presenta- and you can’t help but look up.” d’Epargne at 1:00; 5. Carlos Sastre (Esp) Team CSC at 1:38; 6. Ezequiel Mosquera (Esp) third US Open championship and tion, and smiled when she re- Venus Williams got ample air Xacobeo at 2:10; 7. Igor Anton (Esp) Euskaltel at 2:23; 8. Daniel Moreno (Esp) Caisse d’Epargne ninth grand slam title on Sunday. ceived the winner’s check for time, too. Sitting in the guest box, at 2:34; 9. Jurgen Van Goolen (Bel) Team CSC at She threw her racket in the air, $1.5 million (R12 million). she cheered on the sister she had 2:54 whooping and leaping in a cele- Jankovic earned $750 000 teamed up with to win the bration that even she thought (R6 million) for her first showing Olympic doubles title. Golf might have been over the top. in a Grand Slam final. Serena Williams won her first “I’m sorry I got so excited,” she The second-seeded Jankovic grand slam championship since BMW Championship Bellerive CC, St Louiis, Missouri told Jankovic when they met at certainly had her chances – up 5-3 the 2007 Australian Open, and Leading final fina l round (US unless stated, par 70): the net. in the second set, she led 40-0 with took over the No 1 ranking 265 – Camilo Villegas (Col) 65 66 66 68 Williams’s father, Richard, Williams serving. Jankovic held last month for 267 – Dudley Hart 67 69 66 65 268 – Anthony Kim 68 67 66 67, Jim Furyk 70 62 jumped to his feet after the final “I felt I had her. I had her, exactly one week. 66 70 point. He didn’t seem to expect his because she was really tired at the Given the way Roger Federer 269 – KJ Choi (Kor) 70 68 64 67, D.J.Trahan 71 63 68 67, Stephen Ames (Can) 68 69 66 66 daughter to do the same. end of the second set,” Jankovic has played lately, it seems like it 270 – Hunter Mahan 69 67 68 66, Tim Clark (RSA) “I never knew Serena to be said. “Who knows what would has been a while since he has 67 68 66 69 271 – Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 71 64 67 69, Steve very, very excited. I knew Serena have happened if I had got into a been on top, too, even though he Stricker 66 71 68 66, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe) 67 to be very, very mean,” he said third set?” only lost the top ranking last 67 72 65 273 – Trevor Immelman (RSA) 69 67 70 67, Brian after it was over. “I describe her as Jankovic won over fans with month for the first time since Feb- Gay 67 67 67 72, Lucas Glover 68 68 69 68, Ben being a combination of a pit-bull more than her determined play ruary 2004. Curtis 70 70 68 65 274 – Phil Mickelson 68 65 71 70, Justin Leonard dog, a young Mike Tyson and an and her penchant for doing the Federer faced Britain’s Andy 69 67 68 70, Ernie Els (RSA) 68 72 66 68 alligator.” splits to reach shots. She is a Murray, late last night in an at- also 280 – Rory Sabbatini (RSA) 72 66 67 75 The fourth-seeded Williams crowd favourite, often talking to tempt for his first grand slam vic- beat sister Venus in the quarter- people in the stands and fre- tory this year.– Sapa-AP Paralympics PICTURE: REUTERS finals and barrelled through the quently watching herself on the p A report of the the Federer v US OPEN champion and new world No 1 Serena Williams poses with her trophy in New York’s Times Square a day after beating tournament without losing a set. giant video boards high above Murray final will be carried in 2008 Parallympics Games Jelena Jankovic in the women’s final This win did more than earn Arthurs Ashen Stadium. The Mercury tomorrow. Beijing, China Athletics Men’s Discus - F55 & 56: 1 Leonardo Diaz (Cub) Class 56 40.87m; 2 Ali Mohammad Yari (Iri) F56 39.39; 3 Tanto Campbell (Jam) F56 39.31 Triple Jump – F12: 1 Osamah Alshanqiti (Ksa) 15.37m; 2 Ivan Kytsenko (Ukr) 15.24; 3 Vladimir Zayets (Aze) 15.00 It could be Steyn’s Hamilton penalty Women’s Shot Put - F54-56: 1 Eva Kacanu (Cze) Class F54 6.73m; 2 Martina Monika Willing (Ger) F56 8.61; 3 Marianne Buggenhagen (Ger) F55 8.54; 12 Zanele Situ (RSA) F54 5.07 Javelin F42-46: 1 Juan Fao (Chn) Class F44 big moment in Dubai ‘unacceptable’ 40.51m; 2 Andrea Hegen (Ger) F46 39.23; 3 Madeleine Hogan (Aus) F46 38.89 Cycliing (Track) STUART HESS in Tests in 2008, racking up an SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS (Belgium): Formula One Men’s 1km Time Trial (B&Vi): 1 Anthony Kappes & Barney Storey (Gbr) 57.266secs; 2 Ben Demery aggregate of 1179 runs in 11 faced familiar accusations of shooting itself in the & Shaun Hopkins (Aus) 56.498; 3 Kieran Modra & JOHANNESBURG: Dale Steyn’s matches.