Briefs

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Scotland's best

HEARTS goalkeeper Craig Gordon has been voted Player of the Year by the Scottish Football Writers Association.

Gordon is the first non-Old Firm player to win the award since Dundee United's Maurice Malpas in 1991 and the first Hearts man since Sandy Jardine in 1986.

Gordon said: "The last goalkeeper to win it was Andy Goram (1993) and that was a good while ago. So it's very special as not too many goalkeepers win it and not too many Hearts players as well."

The 23-year-old Scotland international has been a key player for Hearts in their quest for trophies this season.

And he recently signed an extension to his contract with the Tynecastle club, which ties him to the club until 2009.

Gordon beat off competition from team-mate Paul Hartley and Celtic's Shaun Maloney to win the award.

Also picking up their prizes will be Celtic boss Gordon Strachan for Manager of the Year and Kilmarnock's Steven Naismith who was voted Young Player.

First European

INDIA'S Jeev Milkha Singh shot a final round of 70 to reach 10 under and win the China Open in Beijing by one shot from Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez- Castano.

Singh was one shot behind leader David Lynn going into the final day at the Honghua Golf Club but the Englishman could only manage a 73 to finish third.

Defending champion Paul Casey also had a disappointing final round, his 72 leaving him tied for fourth.

It was a first European Tour win for the 34-year-old Singh. His two-under-par last round contained two dropped shots, including one at the final hole, but he birdied the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 14th.

In 1997, Singh became the first Indian to qualify for the European Tour but plagued by wrist injuries, he played without success until 2002 before returning to the Asian Tour. "I just can't explain this feeling, it's been a long seven years," said Singh, whose last Asian Tour victory came in Thailand in 1999.

"I've let so many tournaments go in the last few years and went in to today with reverse psychology, thinking that if I didn't win it didn't matter."

Lynn, who had led after the second and third rounds, was left to rue some poor putting in his final round which denied him a second Tour win.

"I feel I have let this one slip, to be honest," said Lynn, who three-putted the 13th, 14th and 15th. "I was trying to be patient but on the back nine -- crunch time. I got a dose of the three putts at the wrong time."

Dream week

SPANIARD Nicolas Almagro rounded off an impressive week by beating Gilles Simon to win the Valencia Open final.

The qualifier, whose scalps this week included Juan Carlos Ferrero and Marat Safin, eased past Frenchman Simon 6-2 6-3 to win the clay court event.

The 20-year-old raced through the first set and broke again in the first game of the second set for a comprehensive win over 21-year-old Simon.

It is the first ATP Tour title for the 20-year-old, who is world-ranked 77.

Martinez retires

FORMER Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez announced her retirement, a day before her 34th birthday.

The former world number two caused an upset when she prevented Martina Navratilova from winning her 10th Wimbledon singles crown in 1994.

Martinez, the only Spanish woman to win a Wimbledon singles title, also reached the final at the Australian Open in 1998 and the French Open in 2000.

She won 33 singles titles in her career, the last in Thailand in 2005.

Martinez, who turned professional in 1988, also won five Fed Cup titles with Spain.

She took part in four Olympic Games, winning silver in the doubles event in both 1992 and 2004 as well as a bronze in 1996.

A clay court specialist whose only Grand Slam title ironically came on grass, Martinez was ever-present in the world's top 10 between 1989 and 1998, reaching number two in 1995.

Her ability to grind down opponents in long, attritional rallies helped her reach the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams that year.

Four years after winning Wimbledon, she reached the final of the Australian Open where she was beaten by Martina Hingis.

And in 2000, she lost to Mary Pierce in the final at Roland Garros.

"It wasn't an easy decision, but everything has to come to an end," said Martinez, after announcing her retirement at the Valencia Open.

"There were some hard times but in the end the successes will always remain."

Martinez, who has been struggling with tendonitis in her left foot recently, said she may still play doubles.