SPORT llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll ntnews.com.au IOC to study fireworks party Portsmouth confirm sale Byrd beats Percy in Las Vegas THE IOC will study proposals to eliminate fireworks TROUBLED Championship club Portsmouth can finally AMERICAN golfer Jonathan Byrd has fired a hole-in- from the opening and closing ceremonies of the look forward to a brighter future after being sold to one on the fourth play-off hole to claim a dramatic Olympics for environmental reasons. International Hong Kong-based businessman Balram Chainrai victory at the $US4.3 million ($A4.37 million) Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said ‘‘I’m yesterday. Just two days after Portsmouth were Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Australian not saying it’s going to happen but we are going to forced to release a statement warning that the club Cameron Percy was tied for second with Scotland’s study it in a very serious way.’’ Sri Lanka’s national was on the brink of going into liquidation, Chainrai Martin Laird as the tournament ended in near Olympic committee on Sunday proposed eliminating and his partners Levi Kushnir and Deepak Chainrai darkness. Byrd, Percy and Laird all finished the 72 fireworks to reduce harmful emissions. The were able to rubber-stamp their protracted takeover. holes of regulation at 21-under 263, with 36-year- committee said laser shows could replace fireworks. old Percy shooting 67 in the final round. Federer New boss wants surface to kick-start tennis revolution Mitchell AUSTRALIAN officials will talent able to compete at the states. Healy, who officially field Shield of Australian ten- use the surface to kick-start a highest level on the surface. succeeded retiring Geoff Pol- nis,’’ said Healy, a Sydney overtakes revolution in the game. TA will spend $1 million to lard, said investment in high- lawyer who replaces 21-year returns Incoming Tennis Australia build and maintain eight cost clay courts was critical veteran Pollard at the top of (TA) president Steve Healy clay courts at the redevelo- to developing young players the sport. Sampras has announced bold plans to ped Melbourne Park com- capable of competing with ‘‘It’s a critical part of devel- home a build high-quality clay plex, and encourage further the world’s best. opment and we want to de- for wins courts, and develop young clay venues to be built in all ‘‘Clay courts are the Shef- velop a national academy.’’ winner ROGER Federer defeated GYMNASTICS Florian Mayer 6-4 6-3 yester- By JIM WILSON day to win the Stockholm Open, his 64th career title AUSTRALIA’S first fe- which pulled him level with male gymnastics world Pete Sampras to fourth on champion Lauren the all-time title list. Mitchell will return home PUB: The Swiss world No. 2 com- today after putting her pleted a dream week in the sport on the map capital as he played the small and sounding a warning NT NEWS event for only the second to all comers for the time in a decade. London Olympics. ‘‘Ten years ago, I came The 19-year-old is a here with no expectations phenomenal story of cour- and now I’m back as the age and determination favourite,’ said Federer, 52-12 coming back from a triple on the season,’’ he said. injury to win four gold DATE: ‘‘Anything but a win would medals at the Common- be disappointing. I played a wealth Games in Delhi great event, it was a tough and now the world title final. Florian played well a in Rotterdam. 26-OCT-2010 terrific final. I’m very happy Last night, the teenager to win.’’ broke with a strict train- Federer’s tro- ing regimen and had a phy was his glass of champagne to third of 2010 af- celebrate the win. ter the Austral- ‘‘I had one glass which ian Open and was nice and then Jimmy Connors Cincinnati prior watched a scary movie to the US Open. He lost the with some teammates in PAGE: final a week ago to Andy our room that was pretty Murray in Shanghai. scary,’’ Mitchell said. He has has now won 36 ‘‘I wanted to stay up all consecutive matches against night and just let it sink in 38 Germans since losing to but I fell in a heap watch- Nicolas Kiefer in 2002. ing the movie and actu- COLOR: He and Sampras trail John ally got some sleep.’’ McEnroe (77 titles), Ivan The world’s best womens players strut their stuff. Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki (left), Russia’s Vera Zvonareva, Belgium’s Mitchell’s gold medal Lendl (94) and leader Jimmy Kim Clijsters, WTA boss Stacey Allastar, Italy’s Francesca Schiavone, Australia’s Samantha Stosur, Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic and winning performance in Connors (109). Russia’s Elena Dementieva attend the draw for the WTA Championships in the Qatar capital Doha Rotterdam was far from a The Swiss wrapped up the horror flick and she’ll opener then went to work to now head to next year’s C secure the victory. world championships in A break in the sixth game Tokyo as a defending M for 4-2 was enough, with the champion. Y top seed putting a forehand She upstaged champion long on the first of three gymnast Aliya Mustafina K Love, set, match match points but completing on the floor to claim our the win. first women’s title at a ‘‘Roger really deserved to AUSTRALIA’S Samantha in many ways and there will Caroline Wozniacki, her Ro- head, but are both in the oth- world titles. win,’’ he said. Stosur has a grand-slam focus be no easy matches, that’s for land Garros final conqueror er pool alongside Jelena Jan- ‘‘I had to look at the heading into the WTA Tour sure,’’ Stosur said. Francesca Schiavone plus kovic and Vera Zvonareva. score again and I think I championships in Doha, ‘‘I’m very pumped and ex- Elena Dementieva, Stosur nearly started crying,’’ ACING THE FIELD Qatar, which starts today. cited to be here. It’s a privi- could have fared much worse. Mitchell said. DOHA DARLINGS Most titles on the ATP Tour. Stosur is treating the lege to be amongst the top- The only two players in the ‘‘It didn’t feel like my 109 Jimmy Connors (USA) season-ending tour event like eight players.’’ tournament who Stosur has ■ MAROON GROUP routine was that good but 94 Ivan Lendl (Cze/USA) a fifth major and says victory A three-times grand slam never beaten are both in the 1-Caroline Wozniacki (Den) obviously it was and 77 John McEnroe (USA) in the prestigious eight- doubles champion, Stosur white group. 4-Francesca Schiavone (Ita) it’s kind of surreal at 64 Roger Federer (Sui) woman round-robin event has been handed a good draw US Open champion Kim 5-Samantha Stosur (Aus) the moment. I’ve been 64 Pete Sampras (USA) would be ‘‘the icing on the for her maiden appearance at Clijsters and in-form Victoria 7-Elena Dementieva (Rus) pushing and pushing and 63 Bjorn Borg (Swe) ■ WHITE GROUP 62 Guillermo Vilas (Arg) cake’’ after a watershed the championships. Azarenka — fresh from col- 2-Vera Zvonareva (Rus) finally I’ve got it. It’s only 60 Andre Agassi (USA) season for the 26-year-old While the Queenslander lecting her second title of the 3-Kim Clijsters (Bel) the second time in history 57 Ilie Nastase (Rom) French Open runner-up. has landed in the maroon year on Sunday in Moscow — 6-Jelena Jankovic (Srb) we’ve won something at 49 Boris Becker (Ger) ‘‘It’s like a mini grand slam group alongside world No. 1 each lead Stosur 4-0 head-to- 8-Victoria Azarenka (Blr) a worlds.’’ FOOTROT FLATS 1080127v1 Sally sticks to pet event SALLY Pearson will de- downs of a memorable lay a confident tilt at the Delhi Games campaign. Australian 100m record The Gold Coast hurd- to solely focus on the ler believes she is poised 100m hurdles for world to break Melinda championship and Gainsford-Taylor’s 100m Olympic glory in the flat record but doesn’t next two years. want to jeopardise her Australia’s athletics best chances of winning golden girl, Pearson yes- a world title or Olympic terday announced she gold medal in her pet would take a hard-nosed event. ‘‘I’m going to approach to the next probably leave the 100 phase of her career fol- and 200 out of my pro- lowing the ups and gram,’’ Pearson said. 38 NT NEWS. Tuesday, October 26, 2010. www.ntnews.com.au.