D Thursday, September 10, 2009 METROSPORT 21 Keeping his poise: Button feels good about Italian race Button senses Monza chance JENSON BUTTON has shrugged off claims he will blow his championship lead, by insisting he is still feeling positive heading into this weekends Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Buttons early-season charge has faltered alarmingly over the last five grands prix, in which he has taken just 11 points. But despite his slump, none of his championship rivals have been able to make significant inroads into his lead, which is still 16 points over his Brawn GP team-mate Rubens Barrichello. Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner, whose drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber are 19 and 20.5 points adrift respectively, insisted after the last race in Belgium Button would suffer for his poor run. And injured Ferarri driver Felipe Massa this week waded into the debate by stating Button will throw away the title unless he starts to handle the pressure better. But Button believes Sundays race will play to Brawns strengths and said: Monzas a circuit that should be good for our car if we get the handling right so were feeling positive and excited about the challenge to come. Its a fantastic track and very different to most of the circuits as the car will be set up with the lowest levels of drag and downforce possible to take advantage of the long straights. It takes a few laps to get used to and, as we havent tested there this season, practice will be important. Confident Alonso out to lift Renault Fernando alonso is hoping to see his luck change this weekend and improve the mood at a renault team currently racing under a cloud. The team face an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor sport Council in 12 days time over race-fixing allegations relating to last years singapore Grand Prix and could be kicked out of this years championship. alonso, who has just 16 points from 12 races so far and was forced to retire in the last race in Belgium because of a tyre issue, said: I now hope my luck will change in Monza, because we have a competitive car but we havent been able to show the true potential so far. We know we have a car that is fast enough to get close to the podium, which will be my aim this weekend. GOLF: Colin Montgomerie is not ruling out handing Bernhard Langer a Ryder Cup wild card for next years event at Celtic Manor. Europes current and former captains are paired together for the opening round of the Mercedes- Benz Championship in Cologne, where Montgomerie will be keeping a close eye on his playing partner. Ive not played with Bernhard for a couple of years but I know hes here to win because I know how competitive he is, said the Scot. As a foursomes partner you could do a lot worse. Im looking at every eligible player and that includes him. A double Masters champion, Langer, 52, would become the oldest player in Ryder Cup history if selected. SNOOKER: World No.2 Stephen Maguire has been forced to withdraw from the Shanghai Masters due to injury. The Scot has been struggling with a shoulder problem sustained after slipping in the shower at his Glasgow home last week. Despite the injury concerns, he travelled to China believing he would be fit enough to face Barry Hawkins in his first match. He said: I am really gutted at having travelled all this way just to go back home. At the table, world No.1 Ronnie OSullivan cruised past former world champion Graeme Dott 5-0 to reach the second round, where he will be joined by Shaun Murphy and Matthew Stevens. BOXING: John Joe Nevins victory over Chinas Yu Gu in Milan yesterday guaranteed Ireland a historic sixth medal at World Championships level. The Cavan bantamweight came back from behind to out-think and out-fight his opponent with a 7-5 win. Gu was ahead at the end of the first round but a warning for not boxing in the second cost him two points. Nevin took advantage with two great rights leaving him 4-2 ahead. He added another three in the third and now goes on to meet Eduard Abzalimov on Friday. Welterweight Willie McLaughlin lost 16-7, while Olympic silver medal- list Kenny Egan bowed out after a shock 17-9 defeat at light heavy- weight by Abdelkader Bouhenia. Nevin: Guaranteed medal ATHLETICS: Caster Semenya will keep her World Championships 800metres gold medal whatever the outcome her gender tests. With the results expected in the next fortnight, the IAAF says it is unlikely the South African will be stripped of her gong as her case is not drug-related. IAAF communications director Nick Davies said: These tests do not suggest any suspicion of deliberate misconduct but seek to assess the possibility of a potential medical condition which would give her an unfair advantage over her competitors. There is no automatic disqualification of results in a case like this. SPORTDigest formula one italian gp Dubs must discover new path Magee By pAuL KEANEDARREN MAGEE says Dublin must reinvent itself as a football force after two disastrous cham- pionship conclusions. The Blues are five-in-a-row Leinster winners but back-to- back All-Ireland quarter-final de- feats have soured their achieve- ments somewhat. They lost heavily to Tyrone in the2008quarter-finalandshipped a 17-point defeat at the same stage to Kerry this season. We have to analyse our mis- takes and go forward, said mid- fielder Magee. We have to reinvent ourselves because if you dont you are al- ways going to get the same re- sults. Two years in a row we have got the same results so maybe we have to tweak something now. Maybe its only something small, you dont know. Next year is going to be a big year for Dublin, it has to be. Fellow midfielder Ciaran Whe- lan will not be around though to contribute to the planned revival. He retired recently and while it strengthens Magees hold on his position as a regular it ultimately weakens Dublins challenge. It will be a strange place in the dressing-room without him, said Magee. Hes a massive player and a great man to have there with you. Its one body gone but theres always someone there to replace him. Thats the way the inter-county scene goes. Its sad that hes gone but we have to look at who we have for next year. I suppose there was a bit of added pressure this year with Ci- aran there pushing hard from the bench. But its definitely sad that hes gone. Magee: Midfielder acknowledges 2010 is a big year for Dublin JOE KERNAN was last night handed the task of reviving Galway footballs flagging fortunes. The Armagh legend was given a three-year term as the countys new manager at a football board meeting. He replaces Liam Sammon and will be expected to push for Sam Maguire success straight away in 2010. Kernan led his Armagh to their only All-Ireland title in 2002 and won three club titles with Crossmaglen. He was given a late challenge by former Westmeath boss Toms Flatharta but Galway officials sided with the ulster man. gaa tennis us open ANDy MURRAy insists he will bounce back an even stronger player in the wake of his shock US Open exit. The 22-year-old had been tipped by many experts including legends John McEnroe and Andre Agassi to better last years final appearance in New york but he was beaten in straight sets by 20-year-old Croat Marin Cilic as the form that had taken him to five titles in 2009 deserted him. Im very disappointed, said Murray. I dont know how long or how quickly it will take me to get over it but I played well in the summer. Im going to go and work on some things. I think next year Ive got a very, very good chance of [winning a slam]. Ill be a better player next year. YanIna Wickmayer put Belgium on the forefront of grand slam tennis once again when she surged past Kateryna Bondarenko 7-5, 6-4 to reach the Us open semi-finals last night. a day after Kim Clijsters booked a last- four date with serena Williams, world no.50 Wickmayer made it through to her first major semi. Playing semis in a grand slam is amazing. Before this, my best was a second round so this is amazing, the 19-year- old said. Wickmayer was a point away from going 5-1 down in the second but fought back to win five successive games to seal victory. Wickmayer makes it a Belgian double act Murray vows to get over major setback Dismay: Murray Picture:Sportsfile index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html