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Sharapova keen to continue form

CHARLESTON, South Carolina: Maria Sharapova arrived at the Family Circle Cup on Monday hoping to continue her successful start to the clay-court season.

The Russian world No 4 captured her first clay-court title when she defeated Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia in the final of the Amelia Island Championships on Sunday.

"It's exciting that I could start the clay-court season a little earlier than I have and be in a much better position than I was last year," Sharapova told reporters on Monday.

"It's always good to get a title under your belt and have on your resume. It's a good feeling and hopefully I'll improve here."

Sharapova, seeded No 2 at Charleston, will face either American wildcard Bethanie Mattek or Meng Yuan of China in the second round.

Torres ranks Primera Liga higher

MADRID: Liverpool striker Fernando Torres said on Monday that Spain's Primera Liga was stronger than the English Premier League despite the presence of three English teams in the Champions League semifinals.

"In England the top four are better than the ones in Spain, above all when it comes to consistency," the Spain international told Radio Marca. "Apart from that, the rest of the teams in the Primera Liga are stronger as they have more quality."

The former Atletico Madrid forward, who netted his 30th goal of the season in Liverpool's 3-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers on Sunday, said he was enjoying the patience afforded by English supporters.

"The fans aren't on top of you all the time here, they give you time, they get behind you but don't suffocate you. I'm very happy here," he said.

Ferguson targets Chelsea match

LONDON: Manager Alex Ferguson wants Manchester United to clinch the Premier League crown at title rival Chelsea on April 26.

United all but ended Arsenal's hopes by beating Arsene Wenger's men 2-1 at Old Trafford on Sunday, moving nine points clear of the Gunners with four matches left.

Ferguson's team, looking for a second successive title, is five points clear of Chelsea, which was held to a draw by Wigan Athletic at Stamford Bridge on Monday to extend its unbeaten home league run to 80 matches.

"I said before the Arsenal match that if we win the next three games we've won the title," Ferguson told United's website (www.manutd.com). "I knew if we got over this one we would have a good chance.

"If we win the next two (against Blackburn Rovers and Chelsea) with our great goal difference, we have won the league."

Lel looks certain to run in Beijing

LONDON: London marathon champion Martin Lel looks certain to represent Kenya at the Beijing Olympics after breaking the course record in Sunday's race.

Lel retained his title in a personal best of two hours, five minutes, 15 seconds with compatriot Sammy Wanjiru, the world half-marathon record holder, finishing second nine seconds behind after a thrilling sprint finish.

"We are in the process of selecting and I think he (Lel) has a very good chance," Ibrahim Hussein, assistant secretary of Athletics Kenya and secretary of the selection committee, told Reuters. "I think he must be in the team. If you don't put Martin in, who else will you put?

Lel, who has now won the title for three years in a row, said Beijing was a goal.

"It was in my mind," he said. "I just proved today my body is in the right condition for the Olympics."

Coach accused of drugs link

ATHENS, Greece: Former Olympic weightlifter Christos Konstantinidis has accused suspended national coach Christos Iacovou of giving banned substances to athletes, a court official said on Monday.

Konstantinidis, who represented Greece at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, was giving evidence to a judicial investigation set up to look into a recent doping scandal in which 11 members of the 14-member national weightlifting team tested positive for the anabolic steroid methyltrienolone.

He told prosecutor Andreas Karaflos that Iacovou, who has been suspended by the Greek Weightlifting Federation pending the outcome of the case, had pressed him to take banned substances in 1997.

"The former athlete told the prosecutor that Iacovou had urged him to take banned substances and that when he refused he found himself off the national team," the official said on condition of anonymity.

Konstantinidis made identical claims in 1997 but was then forced to sign an apology for fear of losing his job with the the police.

(China Daily 04/16/2008 page22)