FRIDAY, 12.00NOON:
IT was tough times for the South African Fed Cup team playing their final round-robin tie against a fired-up Romanian side at the Europe/Africa qualifying tornament in La Manga, Spain, on Thursday.
Both Jessica Steck and Mariaan de Swardt were in trouble in their respective matches, facing tough challenges from opponents whose skills belied their fairly low rankings.
Both South Africans, however, won their matches, with Steck defeating Alice Persu by 7-5 6-2 after being 2-5 down and 0-40 on Pirsu’s serve in the first set.
De Swardt had to shrug off the loss of the first set and combat 18-year-old Sandu’s serve for the match. Sandu, who is ranked 201, went down 3-6 6-4 8-6 in the match of the tournament.
The South Africans’ win puts them on the top of group C, and they play Portugal on Friday in the first of the play-off rounds. Their next match will be against the winners of the tie between top seeds Belarus and Ukraine on Saturday, for a place in July’s World Group II promotion-relegation competition.
SPORT BRIEFS
SA WHIP KIWIS IN GOLF TEST
NEW Zealand’s amateur golf players were shot down in flames as they lost to South Africa for the third year in succession on Thursday. The New Zealanders lost the Test, played at the Heretaunga course in Upper Hutt 5-7 on Thursday. This may also be the last year that the Test is played, as there are plans to host a tournament for the Southern Cross Cup, which will be played between South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Argentina. South African Jean Hugo was the star of the Test. On Thursday he contributed six birdies and an eagle in the fourball tie, and three birdies and another eagle in his head-to-head with Richard Best in the singles.
BULLS GORED BY BLUES
THE Auckland Blues stormed to the top of the Super 12 table with a 34-24 victory over Northern Bulls at Pukekohe on Friday. Adrian Cashmore scored two tries for the Blues and added four conversions and two penalties for 24 points. The defending champions scored four tries, with Royce Willis and All Blacks winger Jonah Lomu going over for the bonus point. The Bulls scored two tries, through Marius Goosen and Casper Steyn while Braam van Straaten kicked a conversion and four penalties. The Blues now have 29 points, with the Coastal Sharks, who have a bye this weekend, are on 25.
CRICKET GETS HUGE PUSH
A CELLULAR telephone company, MTN, has given more than 100 schools a cricket development push by promising to plough R9-million into the development of cricket over the next year.
VAN RENSBURG JOINT LEADER
SOUTH African Nico van Rensburg fired a six-under-par 66 on the Sunisland course to share the first-round lead with Anthony Kang of Korea and Leigh Wastle of Australia in the Chinese Open in Shanghai on Thursday.
WESTNER ONE SHOT BEHIND
SOUTH African Wayne Westner is one shot behind the leaders in the Cannes Open. Westner shot a 3-under 68 in his opening round.
QUIT FOR A WIN
SOUTH African Amateur golfer, Jean Hugo (22) says he will quit smoking if he wins the New Zealand Amateur at Paraparaumu Beach near Wellington next week.
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