Melbourne

Jenson Button earned his third career formula-one pole position on Saturday after recording the fastest time in qualifying for Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix. It was the first pole since last year’s Canadian Grand Prix for the Honda driver, who is yet to win a race in more than 100 grands prix.

Michael Schumacher said on Wednesday he is confident he can improve on his disappointing formula-one campaign of last year, thanks to his new, improved Ferrari. The seven-times world champion is hoping to bounce back at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.

Researchers conducted a test flight in the Australian Outback on Saturday of a supersonic jet intended to travel at speeds of up to 8 000kph. The ,42-million project was launched by researchers at the University of Queensland in the remote community of Woomera, about 500km north of the South Australian state capital, Adelaide.

South Africa’s golden duo of high-jump queen Anika Smit and 400m hurdles sensation LJ van Zyl spearheaded Team South Africa’s seven-medal haul at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne on Thursday. South Africa’s medal success on the eighth day of the 10-day event saw the country regain fifth spot on the medals table.

Shooter Diane Swanton won South Africa’s seventh gold of the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday but was pushed all the way to the women’s trap title by a heavily pregnant rival. The 25-year-old from Pretoria marked her Games debut with a score of 92, six better than Rebecca Madyson who took silver for Malta with 86.

Disabled South African swimmer Natalie du Toit smashed the amputee world record in the 50m freestyle twice in a day at the Commonwealth Games on Friday. Du Toit broke her own record with a new best of 29,32 seconds in the morning semifinal and then smashed it again with 29,27 in winning the night final.

Disabled swimmer Natalie du Toit will carry the flag for the South African team at Wednesday’s Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, team officials said on Tuesday. Du Toit took the place of 800m runner Mbulaeni Mulaudzi after he spiked his right foot during the final of the World Indoors event in Moscow.

The Wellington Hurricanes put a week of internal strife behind them to score two late tries to down the Western Stormers and stay in the hunt after Super 14 leaders and tournament favourites Canterbury Crusaders this weekend. Australia’s ACT Brumbies remain unbeaten with a tense 35-30 win over South Africa’s Coastal Sharks.

The anti-drugs programme at Melbourne’s Commonwealth Games will be the toughest ever, with almost one in four athletes facing dope tests over the next fortnight, organisers said on Thursday. ”This is the most comprehensive programme we have ever had in place,” Games chief executive Mike Hooper said.

A record 4 500 athletes from 71 nations will compete in 16 sports in the biggest Commonwealth Games yet staged, getting underway in Melbourne next week. Fifty years after hosting the Olympic Games, Australia’s second-biggest city of 3,5-million people will host the fourth Commonwealth Games in Australia.

Shane Warne urged Australian selectors on Friday to pick his Victorian teammate, Shane Harwood, for this month’s Test series in South Africa. Warne said that although Michael Kasprowicz, Jason Gillespie or Shaun Tait would adequately replace Glenn McGrath, he believed Harwood could also do the job.

Shane Warne says he has no plans to ease off his bowling workload as he faces another exhaustive year of cricket. Test cricket’s all-time leading wicket-taker faces back-to-back Test tours over the next two months and another season with English county side Hampshire before the much-anticipated Ashes series with England in Melbourne later this year.

Brett Lee added to his growing reputation as a lethal limited-overs bowler as he snared 4-30, including three wickets in one over, as Australia crashed and bashed their way to an 80-run win over South Africa in Melbourne on Friday. Batsmen Michael Hussey and Andrew Symonds softened up Australia’s opponents.

Australian Olympic and world champion Ian Thorpe said he would have to swim faster to beat a South African challenge at next month’s Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, after winning the 100m freestyle final at the trials on Thursday. Thorpe overhauled tearaway leader Ben Hawke to win in 49,28 seconds.

Australian Libby Lenton broke the world record in the women’s 100m freestyle with a time of 53,42 seconds at Australia’s Commonwealth Games swimming trials in Melbourne on Tuesday. The former world record holder lowered compatriot Jodie Henry’s mark by 0,10 of a second.

Roger Federer is chasing four straight Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros and a personal milestone, but the world number one is not consumed by breaking through at this year’s French Open. The Swiss master won his seventh slam title and second Australian Open crown with a 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 victory over Cypriot bolter Marcos Baghdatis..

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander has some advice for today’s players as they struggle to keep up with Roger Federer — get into his head and under his skin. Wilander said it was sad to see so many players almost expecting to lose to the world number one and they needed to adopt more ruthless tactics.

Belgium’s eighth seed Justine Henin-Hardenne came through a tough three-set fight against fourth seed Maria Sharapova to reach the final of the Australian Open on Thursday. The Belgian came from behind to win 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 with a backhand down the line to end the Russian’s drive to reach her first-ever Australian Open final.

Kim Clijsters hoped to celebrate her new world number one ranking with a place in the Australian Open final. Instead she hobbled from Melbourne Park on crutches bemoaning the low point of her career. After coaxing her battered body to take her as far as the final four of the tournament, second seed Clijsters finally succumbed to injury in Thursday’s semifinal with Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo.

Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash has waded into the debate over the playing conditions at Melbourne Park, calling them ”a joke, ridiculous and unfair”. He joins others including Lleyton Hewitt, Roger Federer, Lindsay Davenport and James Blake who have expressed reservations about the rubberised courts used at the Australian Open.

Eighth-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne upset number one Lindsay Davenport 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 on Tuesday to advance to the Australian Open semifinals. The loss may cost Davenport, who lost the final here last year to Serena Williams, the top ranking that she has held since October 24.