IN BRIEF (Page 24)
Soccer
Rosenberg fires Bremen closer to leaders
BERLIN: Sweden's Markus Rosenberg scored the winner in second-placed Werder Bremen's 1-0 home victory over Nuremberg on Sunday to close the gap on German league leaders Schalke 04 to just two points.
Rosenberg scored with a quarter-hour to go for the northern club which is proving to be Schalke's main rival for the title with six matches left.
Werder laboured to their victory without panache as they kept on failing to get past Nuremberg's solid defence till Rosenberg managed to find a way.
Schalke lead with 56 points from their 28 matches after their 2-0 home win against tailenders Borussia Monchengladback on Saturday.
Watford keep their survival hopes alive
WATFORD, England: Watford boosted their slender chances of avoiding relegation with a 4-2 win over Portsmouth yesterday.
Adrian Boothroyd's side won for just the fourth time in the Premiership this season thanks to a double strike from Hameur Bouazza and goals from Gavin Mahon and Tamas Priskin.
Matt Taylor had given Portsmouth an early lead but Harry Redknapp's team showed no stomach for a fight against battling Watford and Arnold Mvuemba's late goal was no consolation for the visitors.
Watford, eight points from safety, are still likely to suffer a quick a return to the Championship after just one season in English soccer's top division.
But this victory at Vicarage Road, the first time they had come from behind to win this season, at least gave them a glimmer of hope that they can mount a great escape in their remaining five matches.
Tennis
Golovin stuns Petrova for first career title
AMELIA ISLAND, Florida: Tatiana Golovin captured her first WTA Tour title when she stunned top-seeded and defending champion Nadia Petrova 6-1, 6-2 in the final of the Amelia Island championships on Sunday.
Golovin had risen to No 20 in the WTA Tour rankings, but the 19-year-old was winless in three previous Tour singles finals.
When Petrova sent a forehand wide down the line at double match point, Golovin raised her arms in exhilaration and then covered the tears of joy that streamed down her face.
"No, it still hasn't sunk in. I'm still really excited about it," she said afterwards, her first-place crystal trophy and $95,500 winner's check close by.
"I feel like I've gone on to the next level in winning my first tournament.
Cricket
Dravid wants talks on endorsement ceiling
MUMBAI, India: India captain Rahul Dravid wants talks with the cricket board following a clampdown on personal endorsement deals after the team's World Cup exit last month.
On Saturday, a working committee for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) placed a ceiling on player endorsements, imposing a limit of three sponsorship deals per person as well as restricting single sponsors to a maximum of two players.
"The players shall take prior approval of the board before signing any endorsement contract and will submit a copy of the agreement to the board," treasurer N. Srinivasan told reporters.
The clampdown on endorsements has led to further speculation in local media that corporate interest influenced selection procedures for the World Cup, and that the players and the board were on course for a collision.
(China Daily 04/10/2007 page24)
