Were it not enough to be dispatched in straight sets by an outsider in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, Tim Henman was waking up on Thursday to a near-unanimous press verdict that he will now never win his home tournament. Henman is now approaching 30, an age at which tennis players generally begin to decline.
Russian teenager Maria Sharapova became the second-youngest woman in the Open era to reach the Wimbledon final on Thursday when she launched a stunning fightback to defeat former champion Lindsay Davenport of the United States 2-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-1.
Big-spending Premiership side Mamelodi Sundowns continue to lead the pack during the 2004 edition of the Telkom Charity Cup voting standings. The Chloorkop-based side, who failed to qualify to participate in the past two editions of the tournament, had by late on Wednesday collected 23 748 votes.
Top South African soccer defender Lifa Gqosha of Premiership side Dynamos in Limpopo has decided to hang up his boots. Gqosha is planning to pursue a career as a coach after his contract with the club expired at the end of the 2003/04 soccer season.
The South African Rugby Players Association (Sarpa), which represents all professional rugby players in South Africa, maintains that Brian van Rooyen has little appreciation or concern for the legitimate needs and requirements of professional rugby players in the country.
Bafana Bafana are determined to wipe away the memory of their recent 3-0 defeat against Ghana in Kumasi and get their 2006 World Cup campaign back on track. After a number of setbacks this week it was down to serious business in preparing for Saturday’s key World Cup qualifier against Burkina Faso at the FNB stadium.
Defending champion Roger Federer overcame 2002 winner Lleyton Hewitt in four sets on Wednesday to reach the Wimbledon semifinals, edging closer to a possible final against Andy Roddick. Federer prevailed in a high-quality centre-court match that ended close to dusk. It was his 22nd consecutive win on grass.
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Soweto’s entire road network will be tarred before the end of 2005, Johannesburg mayor Amos Masondo promised on Wednesday. ”More than 300km of road surface will be upgraded in the R500-million project that the mayor identified as a city priority in his budget last week,” the Johannesburg Road Agency said.
The Chinese embassy in South Africa on Wednesday dismissed allegations that its government was involved in the shooting of a Falun Gong practitioner outside Johannesburg on Monday. But a group of Falun Gong spokespeople said the shooting is another example of the way the Chinese government persecutes them.