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Federer named Laureus sportsman of the year, again
BARCELONA: Roger Federer was named sportsman of the year at the Laureus World Sports awards for the third successive time on Monday.
The Swiss tennis star was preferred in the vote by journalists to retired Formula One ace Michael Schumacher and golf icon Tiger Woods.
The sportswoman of the year title went to Russia's world record pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva.
France's Wimbledon champion Amelie Mauresmo picked up the breakthrough of the year honour ahead of Briton's F1 rookie Lewis Hamilton.
Serena Williams' exploit in returning from injury to capture the Australian women's Open title earned her the comeback of the Year trophy.
There was no surprise at the destination of the team of the year prize which went to Italy's World Cup winning footballers.
Jackson heads US basketball's class of 2007
ATLANTA, Georgia: Phil Jackson, who won nine titles as coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, headlined the list of American basketball's Hall of Fame inductees on Monday.
Jackson made it on his first year of consideration and his nine National Basketball Association titles matches the late Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach's mark.
Joining Jackson in the class of 2007 to enter the Hall in September are a handful of coaches, including Roy Williams of North Carolina, former WNBA coach Van Chancellor and internationals Pedro Ferrandiz and Mirko Novosel. The 1966 Texas Western college team was also honoured.
Also named posthumously was former NBA referee Marvin "Mendy" Rudolph. A referee for 22 seasons and the author of the league's officials manual, Rudolph died in 1979 at 53.
Sharapova pulls out of Fed Cup with injuries
LONDON: World No 2 Maria Sharapova has pulled out of Russia's Fed Cup tie against Spain with shoulder and hamstring injuries, preventing her from making her long-awaited debut in the competition.
"My doctors have a positive outlook, despite telling me I cannot play for a while," she said on her website www.mariasharapova.com on Monday.
"They are confident that, with five or six weeks of rest, I will be ready for the next events."
Sharapova had been planning to make her first Fed Cup appearance in the World Group first round tie on April 21-22 in Moscow, dispelling years of doubt in the Russian media over whether she would ever play for her country.
The Florida-based 19-year-old made herself available shortly after winning last year's US Open title. Playing Fed Cup for Russia would make Sharapova eligible to play in next year's Beijing Olympics.
(China Daily 04/04/2007 page23)
