IN BRIEF (Page 11)

NFL

Vintage Favre

MINNEAPOLIS: Brett Favre delivered a vintage passing performance to give the Minnesota Vikings a 30-23 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Monday.

Favre, playing for the first time against the team he anchored for 16 seasons, threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Vikings to a 4-0 start to the season.

With the win, Favre also became the only quarterback to defeat all 32 NFL teams.

"That was a lot of fun. It was everything it was billed to be," Favre said.

"I'm emotional, but I'm always emotional. I knew there was a lot riding on this game and it carried more weight.

"One game good or bad does not define my career."

Soccer

Donadoni sacked

MILAN: Roberto Donadoni was sacked as Napoli coach yesterday after just seven months in charge with former Sampdoria boss Walter Mazzarri named as his replacement.

"It is a necessary decision to give a new impulse to our season," the Serie A club's president, Aurelio De Laurentiis, said.

Donadoni, dismissed as Italy coach after their poor displays at Euro 2008, returned to management with Napoli in March but has paid the price for four away games without a point this season.

Fans were frustrated by his tactics and there were reports of discontent among the players.

Colorful president De Laurentiis, a film producer, had also criticized Donadoni in the media in recent weeks and his departure was inevitable.

Tennis

Del Potro floored

TOKYO: US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro suffered a shock 6-4, 6-4 defeat by world No 189 Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the Japan Open first round yesterday.

The top seed refused to blame a stomach upset and jet-lag after losing his first match since winning his maiden Grand Slam title in New York last month.

"I didn't feel 100 percent," the towering Argentine said. "Everyone could see that. I had a little bit of jet-lag and a stomach ache but that's not the reason I lost.

"Everyone can lose. It happens," said the world No 5.

(China Daily 10/07/2009 page11)