Briefs

---

Merciless Venus

VENUS Williams was in a ruthless mode as she ended the challenge of fifth seed Ana Ivanovic in the US Open last 16.

Ivanovic had three chances to break Williams in her opening service game but could not convert them.

Twelfth seed Williams then broke the Serb with her first opportunity and wrapped up the first set.

The match had been eagerly anticipated but proved a damp squib as Williams broke at the start of the second set and again at 3-1 for a 6-4 6-2 win. In the quarter- finals, the 27-year-old will face Jelena Jankovic, who shook off a second-set lapse and an early break in the third to roar past Sybille Bammer 6-4 4-6 6-1.

Venus could face sister Serena in the semi-finals in what would be their first meeting since 2005 at Flushing Meadows.

Serena Williams will face Justine Henin in the quarter- finals of a Grand Slam for the third time this year after both won their fourth-round matches. Serena produced her most convincing display so far at this year's tournament to beat 10th seed Marion Bartoli 6-3 6-4.

Williams struggled in her opening three rounds in New York but looked in much better shape against Bartoli.

World number one Henin crushed Russia's Dinara Safina 6-0 6-2 in the first match of the night session in New York.

The top seed was in superb form, hitting 13 winners, but Safina appeared overawed from the start and committed 23 unforced errors.

Henin and Williams met in the quarter-finals of the French Open and Wimbledon, the Belgian winning both.

Close contest

BRETT Wetterich fired a third-round 66 to take a one- shot lead in a closely contested Deutsche Bank Championship.

Wetterich fired an eagle and four birdies as he reached 13 under, one ahead of Arron Oberholser, who also shot 66 in his third round.

Phil Mickelson is third on 11 under and will form the second last group with Tiger Woods, who is on 10 under.

Overnight co-leader Aaron Baddeley bogeyed two of his last three holes to slip back to 10 under alongside Woods.

Woods shot a 67 but three-putted the last two holes to spoil an otherwise solid day.

Mickelson had to save par six times with six-feet putts and finished with a birdie on the 18th for a 68.

US Open champion Angel Cabrera eagled the last hole for a 65 to go to nine-under with Steve Stricker among those a further shot back after a 60-foot eagle on the 18th.

Rich Beem and Mike Weir, who shared the lead with Baddely after round two, both struggled.

Beem birdied two of the last three holes for a 73 to drop him six shots back at 206.

Canadian Weir bogeyed 16 and 17 for a 74.

Gold missed

GREAT Britain's men's wheelchair basketball team missed out on gold at the European Championships in Germany after losing 76-66 to Sweden.

Sweden took control in the second quarter and led 36- 32 at half-time, dominating matters after that.

The GB women's team booked their place at the Beijing Paralympics thanks to a 56-29 win over Spain in the play-off for third and fourth place.

Sally Wager and Caroline Matthews finished with 10 points apiece.

The men's team went into the final with high hopes of winning their first European title since 1995 in the first major tournament under new coach Murray Treseder.

But they looked disappointing in the second half as Sweden had more offensive options and key GB players Simon Munn, Terry Bywater and Jon Pollock struggled with their shots.

Sweden led 57-47 going into the final quarter and despite a brief comeback in the final quarter, GB could not get close enough to seriously challenge them.

Bywater finished as GB's top scorer with 24 points while Simon Munn had 18 and Jon Pollock 16.

The women put in a strong first-half display with Wager, Matthews, Clare Strange and Caroline Maclean leading the way to a 33-14 interval advantage.

With the Spanish team struggling, GB coach Garry Peel introduced Helen Freeman, Debee Steel and Helen Turner into the game in the second half and they all contributed scores to help their team run out comfortable winners.

Nigeria advances

NIGERIA defeated Argentina 2-0 on Sunday to reach the semi-finals of the under-17 World Cup in South Korea.

The Golden Eaglets will face Germany today in semi- finals after the Europeans thrashed their rivals England 4- 1 in the other quarter-final match on Sunday.

Nigeria were on the back-foot from the first minute and goalkeeper Oladele Ajiboye had to make two saves prevent the South Americans.

But the tables were turned in the 33rd minutes when Lukman Haruna was brought down in the penalty area by Fernando Meza.

The Nigerian captain picked himself up and dispatched the resultant penalty with aplomb to hand the West Africans the lead.

The Golden Eaglets continued to dominate and they doubled their lead just before the break when Macauley Chrisantus scored from the edge of the box.

Argentina had a couple of chances to narrow the deficit, but Nigeria hung on to reach the semi-finals for the fifth time at an under-17 World Cup.

The Golden Eagles will be trying to keep up the nation's record of winning all its previous four semi-finals.

Argentina coach Miguel Angel Tojo predicted Nigeria will meet west African rival Ghana in the final.

The other semi-final pit Ghana against Spain on Wednesday, with both teams winning their quarter-final ties on Saturday.

Equine influenza

EIGHT Australian racehorses have tested positive for equine influenza, forcing the suspension of Sydney's spring carnival racing.

The horses are based at Randwick racecourse in Sydney, the headquarters of racing in New South Wales.

The racecourse will be quarantined for 30 days to try to contain the outbreak.

The flu was first detected in recreational horses in Sydney last week, forcing a ban on horse movements and the cancellation of race meetings.

The primary industries minister for New South Wales, Ian Macdonald, said the flu could spread quickly through the Randwick stables, where some 700 thoroughbreds are based.

Some of Australia's finest thoroughbreds are stabled at Randwick and it is also home to some of the country's leading trainers.

The flu was found in eight of 10 horses from the stable of Randwick trainer Anthony Cummings.

The suspension of racing will cost millions of dollars, not just to the horse industry but to the bookmakers. There are fears of major job losses.

The cancellation of Sydney races would have a significant impact on the Melbourne spring carnival, including the Melbourne Cup, Australia's most prestigious horse race which takes place in November.

Meanwhile, about 100 people, 30 of them children, remained quarantined following an outbreak in Warwick, Queensland state. Equine flu does not affect humans, but can be carried on clothing or footwear.