MONDAY, 1.00PM:
JOHN McEnroe won the MTN Champions tennis tournament at Sandton Square Gardens after beating top seed Johan Kriek 7-6 (8/6) 6-2 for the second time in eight days on Sunday.
“My service started off a little ineffective, but it got better as the set progressed and I was starting to feel much better after 10 games,” said McEnroe.
The match was evenly poised until the the 10th game — with both man serving superbly.
McEnroe pocketed the $40 000 winner’s cheque in addition to $250 000 appearance fee.
“I knew that Johan [Kriek] often has these lapses when he falls behind. But I still worked very hard to consolidate the break in the next game, which I did despite a strong game from him,” said an excited McEnroe.
SPORT BRIEFS
NATAL BACKS SARFU PROBE THE Natal Rugby Union on Saturday issued a short statement backing the government’s commission of inquiry into the South African Rugby Football Union (Sarfu). “The council of the NRU met today and unanimously welcomed the appointment of the commission into South African rugby and unconditionally accepts its wide-ranging terms of reference,” Natal Rugby Union chief executive Brian van Zyl said in a statement.
100km CIRCUIT WILLIE TSHABALALA of Mpumalanga won the IMS 100km circuit race in Florida on Saturday. He clocked 7 hours 43 minutes 03 seconds to win — only three minutes slower than his winning time of last year. Graham Smith took the veterans title in 8 hours 21 minutes 39 seconds, while the women’s prize went to Lynn Redfearn of Vaal Triangle in 10 hours 28 minutes 49 seconds.
FISH RIVER MARATHON DANIEL CONRADIE of Eastern Province won the Kahlua Fish River Canoe Marathon in Cradock on Saturday to clinch the South African K1 championship. Conradie clocked his overall time of 5 hours 10 minutes 25 seconds, with Oliaro second in 5 hours 10 minutes 40 seconds and Natal’s Wayne Volek third in 5 hours 12 minutes 42 seconds. Gauteng won the interprovincial trophy ahead of Natal. Anje Malherbe of Western Province smashed her own record by 29 minutes 34 seconds in 5 hours 56 minutes 20 seconds to win the women’s section. Gauteng’s Fiona Coward came second and Jeanett Walder was third.
THYS WARMS UP OLYMPIC marathoner Gert Thys won the Clover Central Gauteng 15km championships in Germiston on Sunday. He clocked 45 minutes 45 seconds, two seconds ahead of Abner Chipu. Thys was disppointed with his time as he builds up for an assault on the Kenyans in the World Half Marathon championships in Kosice, Slovakia next Saturday.
KARTING CHAMPS FIVE new South African karting champions were crowned at the Kart Club in Vereeniging at the weekend. Clive van Niekerk won the 100 Stocks Class, Graham Stephen the 125 Promo Class, Mike van Niekerk the Formula 100 and Robert Wolk the Junior GP Class.
MILLION DOLLAR LINE-UP AMERICAN Phil Mickelson and Swede Jesper Parnevik are the final two players in the 12-man Nedbank Million Dollar Golf Challenge, to be held at Sun City from December 4-7.
BURKETT THIRD SOUTH AFRICA’S Neil Burkett finished third in the Victoria Masters Singles bowls championships in Harare, Zimbabwe on Saturday after beating Zimbabwe’s Chinky Marillier 9-5 9-6. Zimbabwe’s Richie Hayden beat compatriot Roy Garden 9-4 9-6 to win the tournament.