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Jimenez beats Wilson in playoff

VIRGINIA WATER, England: Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez became the third oldest winner of the PGA Championship when he beat Briton Oliver Wilson at the second hole of a playoff at Wentworth on Sunday.

The 44-year-old Jimenez, helped by a hole-in-one, fired a 4-under-par 68 to join Wilson (68) on 11-under-par 277 at the end of the regulation 72 holes.

Wilson, 27, came close to winning the European Tour's flagship event when his eight-foot putt lipped out at the first extra hole.

The duo walked back to the tee to play the par-5 18th for the second time in the playoff. On this occasion the Englishman drove his ball into the right rough while Jimenez reached the green in two and safely two-putted from 25 feet for a winning birdie.

Ribery Bundesliga's best player

BERLIN: France midfielder Franck Ribery was voted Bundesliga player of the year in a poll of 268 league players published in Kicker newspaper yesterday.

Ribery won 57.8 per cent of the vote, well ahead of his Bayern Munich teammate Luca Toni of Italy, the league's leading scorer, who came in second place with 24.8 per cent.

Werder Bremen's Brazilian midfielder Diego was third with 8.5 per cent.

Ribery, 25, moved to Bayern from Olympique Marseille last year and instantly made an impact, helping the club dominate the Bundesliga en route to its 21st German championship. Bayern also won the German Cup this season.

Bayer Leverkusen's Rene Adler was voted the top goalkeeper, winning 40.7 per cent of the vote.

Bayern's Ottmar Hitzfeld was voted coach of the year, with 32.9 per cent in his final season in Munich.

Grant thanks Israeli supporters

BEN GURION AIRPORT, Israel: Sacked Chelsea coach Avram Grant thanked Israeli well-wishers for their support during his time at the club and in England when he returned home from London on Sunday night.

The former Israel coach was dismissed on Saturday after an eight-month stint at the helm of the London side where he came close to winning the Champions League, the English Premier League and the League Cup but ended up with nothing.

Speaking in Hebrew to a large pack of reporters waiting for him at the airport arrival hall, Grant said: "I had a great experience during the past year and two years as a whole (in England) and I very much want to thank all the people in Israel.

"I embarked on this journey as a private person but I felt that I traveled together with all the Israelis who were with me, the thousands who were at the stadiums...to all those who sent me letters and e-mails...it thrilled me more than anything else on this journey and I want to apologize to all those to whom I did not reply." Grant uttered only one sentence in English before disappearing to a waiting car which whisked him away.

Collins joins All Blacks exodus

WELLINGTON: Former All Blacks captain Jerry Collins became the latest high-profile player to quit rugby in his native New Zealand on Monday, the loose forward saying he he would take an indefinite break from the game.

Renowned for his hard-hitting style, the 27-year-old Collins added that he was not rushing into making any decisions on his future or considering an overseas contract.

"I've been thinking about things for a while and I know in my heart that it's time to step back," Collins said in a statement.

Collins made his debut for the All Blacks in 2001 and played a majority of his 48 tests as blindside flanker, captaining the team three times. He scored five test tries.

"Jerry has been a key member of the All Blacks team for a number of years and played a major role in some of our best performances," All Blacks coach Graeme Henry said.

Harkleroad poses for Playboy

PARIS: America's Ashley Harkleroad was knocked out of the French Open by Serena Williams on Sunday but stole the headlines from her publicity-conscious compatriot by announcing she has posed for Playboy.

The blonde 22-year-old, who has endured a mediocre career on the women's tour and sits at 61 in the world, revealed she had agreed to the photoshoot while she lay in a hospital bed recovering from surgery to remove a cyst on her ovaries.

Harkleroad, who lost her first round match 6-2, 6-1, believes she is the first tennis player to pose for the magazine and follows American swimmer Amanda Beard in baring all for the cameras.

"I was just lying there in hospital for three weeks, and an offer came to me. I thought about it and it was something that I did. I'm proud of my body," said the Florida native whose pictures will appear in the August edition."

(China Daily 05/27/2008 page22)