IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Tennis

Local hero through

TOKYO: Japan's Kei Nishikori beat American Robert Kendrick in three sets yesterday to advance to the second round of the Japan Open.

Nishikori downed Kendrick 7-6 (3), 6-7 (5), 6-2 at Ariake Colosseum and will meet Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the second round.

The 18-year-old, who in Feb became the first Japanese player to win an ATP Tour title in 16 years, pumped his fists in joy after sealing victory.

Defending champion David Ferrer of Spain - the top-seeded player at the US$869,000 tournament - has a first-round bye along with second-seeded Andy Roddick of the United States.

Baseball

Lohse agrees contract

ST. LOUIS: Pitcher Kyle Lohse and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed on Monday to a $41 million, four-year contract.

Lohse was 15-6 with a 3.78 ERA this season and led the staff with 200 innings. He agreed to a $4.25 million, one-year contract on March 14.

His new deal contract calls for a $1.25 million signing bonus and salaries of $7.125 million next year, $8.875 million in 2009 and $11.875 million in each of the final two seasons. He also gets a full no-trade clause.

Field hockey

Aussies' new coach

SYDNEY: Olympic champion Ric Charlesworth was appointed coach of the Australian men's hockey team yesterday, two months after quitting as India's technical director.

Charlesworth, a former Australia captain who guided his country's women's team to gold medals at the Atlanta and Sydney Olympics, will take over from Barry Dancer, who resigned after the Beijing Games.

A spate of retirements since Beijing will leave Charlesworth with the task of rebuilding the Australian men's team, which has gradually slipped from world field hockey supremacy.

AUTO SPORTS

Singapore GP attacked

MILAN: Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo has poured scorn on Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix, saying the "circus" track and the use of the safety car had been humiliating for Formula One.

F1's first night race drew rave reviews from participants and onlookers, including the sport's delighted supremo Bernie Ecclestone, but was one to forget for the Italian team.

Brazilian title contender Felipe Massa had his race ruined by a bungled pit stop while faltering world champion Kimi Raikkonen crashed near the end.

"When we race on tracks which should be used for the circus, anything can happen including the spectacle of the Safety Car," Montezemolo was quoted as saying in yesterday's Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.

"All this is humiliating for F1 and it is an aspect I want to talk about with the other teams in the next few weeks."

(China Daily 10/01/2008 page12)