IN BRIEF (Page 24)
Motor racing
McLaren reassure Ferrari about leaked documents
LONDON: Formula One championship leaders McLaren reassured Ferrari on Wednesday that they had not used any of the Italian team's data leaked to one of their senior technical employees.
"McLaren has completed a thorough investigation and can confirm that no Ferrari intellectual property has been passed to any other members of the team or incorporated into its cars," the British-based team said in a statement.
McLaren also invited the sport's governing body, the International Automobile Federation, to conduct a full review of the cars "to satisfy itself that the team has not benefited from any intellectual property of another competitor."
Golf
Harrington: Australian Open should be fifth major
STRAFFAN, Ireland: The Australian Open should the fifth of golf's major championships but will never get the chance to achieve that status, world number 10 Padraig Harrington said on Wednesday.
"You only have to look at the Australian Open, running 100 years, it has all the heritage and is played on great courses," the Irishman told a news conference on the eve of the European Open.
"That tournament should be the fifth major and that struggles. Players find it hard to get down there and play.
"There are a lot of events out there like that but that's probably the best example of an event that should be high priority."
Soccer
Roma sign half of Cagliari striker Esposito
MILAN: AS Roma have signed half the rights to Cagliari forward Mauro Esposito, the Serie A runners-up said on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old, who has signed a three-year contract in a complicated player-sharing deal which is common in Italy, may move to Rome immediately or stay at Cagliari for now.
Roma, who made the announcement to the Stock Exchange, look set to lose central defender Cristian Chivu to Real Madrid but have already brought in Brazil's Juan from Bayer Leverkusen.
Cagliari sold striker David Suazo to Inter Milan last month.
Inter pull out of Chivu negotiations
MILAN: Inter Milan have dropped their interest in AS Roma defender Cristian Chivu, the Serie A champions said on Wednesday.
Real Madrid and Barcelona have also been in negotiations over the Romanian with a price tag of 18 million euros ($25 million) being quoted in Italian media.
"FC Internazionale announce that this morning a fax was sent to AS Roma saying that the club no longer intends to continue talks over Cristian Chivu," a statement said on the club website.
Chivu was one of Roma's top performers last season when they finished second in Serie A but his relationship with manager Luciano Spalletti deteriorated after he failed to contact him to discuss his future.
Tennis
France leave out Bartoli for Fed Cup semifinal
PARIS: France Fed Cup captain Georges Goven has left out Marion Bartoli from his team to face holders Italy in the semifinals later this month.
Goven picked Amelie Mauresmo, who lost her Wimbledon crown when she was beaten by Nicole Vaidisova on Tuesday, as well as Tatiana Golovin, Nathalie Dechy and Severine Bremond.
France No 2 Bartoli has reached the semifinals at Wimbledon this week but Goven turned down her request to be accompanied by her father and coach, Walter.
(China Daily 07/06/2007 page24)
