IN BRIEF (Page 22)

TENNIS

Hewitt, Luczak in Davis Cup tie against Thailand

SYDNEY: Lleyton Hewitt will lead the Australian Davis Cup squad against Thailand in next month's tie in the northern city of Townsville, Tennis Australia said on Wednesday.

Peter Luczak, at a career high of world No 69, has been recalled to the team which will play the Asia/Oceania Zone Group One second round tie on April 11 to 13.

The inclusion of 28-year-old Luczak edges out Alun Jones who was named to the team, which last month beat Taiwan.

Australian captain John Fitzgerald said the decision was based on conditions in Townsville.

"This is a different type of hard court to Chinese Taipei," he said.

"The Townsville tie will be played indoors on a slower, higher-bouncing court."

Along with world No 24 Hewitt, the team will include Chris Guccione (70) and doubles specialist Paul Hanley.

The winner of the Townsville round will earn a berth in the World Group playoffs in September.

NBA

Timberwolves owner fires verbal jab at Garnett

ST. PAUL, Minnesota: Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor accused his former superstar Kevin Garnett of failing to compete when the club needed him down the stretch last season.

Taylor fired the verbal jab at Garnett in response to accusations Minnesota lost games to get a better entry draft pick.

"It was more like, I'd say, K.G. tanked it," Taylor told the Pioneer Press newspaper. "I think the other guys still wanted to play, but (the loss of Garnett) sure changed the team and didn't make us as (good)."

Taylor pointed out that Garnett, who was traded to the Boston Celtics this offseason, took himself out of the lineup late last season and missed the last five games with a sore right quadriceps.

Garnett was sent to Boston in July in exchange for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff, two first-round draft picks and cash.

SOCCER

Terrific Tinga puts Dortmund in German Cup final

BERLIN: Brazilian midfielder Tinga helped book Borussia Dortmund's place in next month's German Cup final as both goal-scorer and provider in the 3-0 semifinal win over 10-man Carl Zeiss Jena on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old put the home side ahead in the 13th minute when striker Mladen Petric produced a bullet header, which was saved by Jena's goalkeeper Vasili Khomutovski, but Tinga was the first to react and slide the ball home.

And the Brazil international produced a cool pass on 70 minutes, which Dortmund midfielder Florian Kringe fired home, but when Khomuovski parried his save, striker Diego Klimowicz followed up to make it 2-0 on 71 minutes.

Petric made it 3-0 just three minutes from time with a well-taken strike.

The defeat in Dortmund was the end of the road for giant-killer Jena after it put VfB Stuttgart out of the quarterfinals with a dramatic penalty win.

GOlf

China-Korea golf challenge tees off in Shanghai

SHANGHAI: The top 60 professional golfers from Korea and China will take part in the KEB China-Korea Tour 2008 today at the Shanghai Silport Golf Club.

The $400,000 tournament is the first such cooperation between the two Asian neighbors and will rotate between the two countries in following years.

Five Chinese national players and 10 wild cards, invited by sponsors, will also join in the four-day event in order to make it more competitive.

"South Korea has produced some of the world's top level golfers in the past years, and we are very pleased to have a chance to cooperate with KPGA," said Zhang Xiaoning, vice-president of the China Golf Association (CGA). "Top players from KPGA will definitely help develop the sport in China."

With local stars Zhang Lianwei and 2007 Asian Tour Order of Merit-winner Liang Wenchong absent, another hopeful, Li Chao, multiple winner of the CGA tour, will lead China's charge to challenge players from South Korea.

(China Daily 03/20/2008 page22)