FRIDAY, 12.30PM:
ALL THREE South African tennis players who went into the second round at Wimbledon on Thursday, emerged unscathed to take their places in the third round of the illustrious competition.
Wayne Ferreira trumped his former nemesis, Spaniard Albert Costa, beating him 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-3. The Spaniard resorted to breaking Ferreira’s concentration by going on a toilet break and calling for bad light, but the South African had the upper hand virually throughout the match.
Mariaan de Swardt had to keep her concentration through two lengthy rain breaks in her match against the wily Ukranian left-hander, Elena Tatarkova. De Swardt beat Tatarkova 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).
Young Surina de Beer yet again surprised when she beat Taiwanese girl Shi-Ting Wang, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.
De Beer, who had to qualify for the tournament, will now test her mettle against Irina Spirlea, when she takes on the 10th-seeded Romanian on Friday.
SPORT BRIEFS
TROUSSIER BACK WITH BAFANA
CONTROVERSIAL South African soccer coach Philippe Troussier will return with his squad to South Africa on Friday in order to explain the failure of Bafana Bafana at the World Cup finals. The French-born coach has reacted bravely to the discontent surrounding the South African’s failure, and he has been heavily criticised by soccer fans.
MATABOGE WINS CRICKET AWARD
THE GAUTENG Cricket Youth Programme players’ achiever of the year award was won by Soweto youngster Nicholas Mataboge on Thursday night. The 18-year-old from Soweto came from nowhere last season to win selection to the Gauteng Under-18B team.
CHANGE OF VENUE
THE SOUTH African Football Association announced on Thursday that Saturday’s match between the SA Women’s soccer team and Mozambique will take place at the Johannesburg College of Education, and not at Orlando Stadium in Soweto.
PE FOR LIPTON CUP
PORT ELIZABETH will play host to the Lipton Cup, South Africa’s premier yachting event from 22-29 August. It is the first time since 1961 that the event will be held in the waters of Algoa Bay.
GOOSEN TRAILS BY SIX
FRENCH OPEN golfing title holder Retief Goosen is six shots behind leader Sam Torrance after carding a 2-under 70 at the National Course, Paris on Thursday.
SONN RE-ELECTED
PERCY SONN has been re-elected as President of the Western Province Cricket Association. Sonn was re-elected at the WPCA’s annual meeting at Newlands on Wednesday night.Arnold Bloch was elected vice-president, and Eric van Vlaanderen chairman of finance.
NIGERIA THUMPED
NIGERIA were thumped 3-0 by South American minnows Paraguay in a Group D match in Toulouse on Wednesday. The South Americans scored the fastest goal of the tournament thus far when they went ahead after onlt 50 seconds, courtesy of Celso Ayala. Paraguay now face France in the second round knock-out.
SMALL TO LIONS
JOHAN PRINSLOO CEO of the Golden Lions Rugby Union said on Wednesday that James Small, South Africa’s most capped player, is to return to Gautend. “He will sign a contract today or tomorrow.” Prinsloo said.
POLLY BEST IN THE WORLD
SHAUN POLLOCK was named International Young Cricketer of the Year by Coopers and Lybrand in London on Wednesday night. Indian batting supremo was voted as the best cricketer in the world, deposing Australian Steve Waugh as the International Cricketer of the Year.