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Al-Ahram Weekly 13 - 19 May 1999 Issue No. 429 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 13 - 19 May 1999 Issue No. 429
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Features Books Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Venus on the rise
AMERICAN teenager Venus Williams beat Mary Pierce of France in the women's Italian Open final on Sunday. Williams won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2 in just 79 minutes to claim her second clay court title in a week. In the final of the ATP Tennis Championship, Leyton Hewitt of Australia beat Xavier Malisse of Belgium 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 6-1. The final was suspended overnight -- due to rain -- at 6-4, 5-5. In Germany, Chile's Marcelo Rios outlasted Mariano Zabaleta in a marathon five-set final to win the German Open in a contest that kept the crowd on the edge of their seats right to the final ball. The Chilean left-hander's efforts in winning the four-hour, eight-minute battle 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 after saving a match point earned him $361,000, while Zabaleta collected $190,000.Urged to pack up
SENIOR International Olympic Committee (IOC) official Kevan Gosper denied IOC boss Juan Antonio Samaranch sent him to sack Phil Coles when the two Australians met on Monday. Australian media speculated that Gosper carried a message from Samaranch into the meeting with Coles, the target of sustained calls to resign from the board of the 2000 Sydney Olympics organising board (SOCOG). Gosper, an IOC vice-president, said he briefed Coles on the investigations into his controversial dealings as an IOC member. "I certainly didn't arrive in Sydney with a message from Juan Antonio Samaranch advising Phil Coles to resign from either SOCOG or the IOC," Gosper said. Australian Sports Minister Jackie Kelly has added her voice to a chorus of Coles' critics, saying Coles had been urged by every "sportsman, sports coach, sportswoman and sports administrator to go". "His time has come," Kelly said. Coles has stepped aside from SOCOG pending the IOC investigations but says he expects to be cleared and to return to the board.United back on top
MANCHESTER United reclaimed the leadership of the English Premiership with just two games to go when Dwight Yorke gave them a 1-0 victory at Middlesbrough. Both United and Arsenal have 75 points, both have a goal difference of plus 42 but United are top by virtue of having scored 78 goals to Arsenal's 58. Middlesbrough were the last team to beat United, 29 games ago in December, but seldom looked like repeating their shock 3-2 win at Old Trafford. Chelsea is in third place with 71 points.Price of success
BAYERN Munich sealed their 15th Bundesliga crown with a 1-1 draw against Hertha Berlin but the result was costly, with injuries to key players just 17 days before their European Cup final with Manchester United. With three games to play, Bayern now have 72 points, an unbridgeable 10-point lead over Bayern Leverkusen, followed by Hertha Berlin in third position on 53 points. In the Italian league, Lazio stayed on course for the league title after beating Bologna 2-0. Argentina's Matias Almeyda struck five minutes after the break for Lazio, catching the goalkeeper off his line with a dipping shot from 22 metres. The win keeps Lazio one point clear of rivals AC Milan with just two matches left in the Serie A season. George Weah had powered Milan to a 2-0 victory over Juventus.Korea's first
OLYMPIC silver medallists South Korea clinched its first win in the four-nation Telstra Challenge women's hockey series when it beat India 2-1. A crucial goal by Kim Eun-Jin in the 52nd minute was the decider in a closely-fought contest in cool, blustery conditions. The Koreans took an early lead when Lee Eun-Young found the net in only the fourth minute, but three minutes later India was on level terms thanks to a strike by Surj Lata Devi Waikhom. There were chances at both ends in a tense second-half before Eun Jin Kim smacked home the winner. Earlier, Olympic champions Australia defeated a gallant South Africa 3-1. Shelley Andrews gave Australia the lead in the 16th minute. She made it 2-0 after 51 minutes and Katrina Powell added a third in the 59th. South Africa managed a consolation goal in the 62nd minute when Alison Dare found the net. Australia beat South Korea 4-0 earlier, while the South Africans defeated India 5-2 on the opening day.
(Compiled from wire services)
