D Wednesday, October 7, 2009 METROSPORT 21 Williams seizes world No.1 spot TENNIS: Serena Williams will regain her world No.1 ranking from Russias Dinara Safina after beating Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-2 in the second round of the China Open. The result, added to Safinas shock defeat by wild- card Zhang Shuai, means Williams will go top again when the new rankings are released next Monday. Williams has been ranked No.1 for 72 weeks in her career but surrendered top spot to Safina in April. Ive worked so hard this year to get there. I think Ive earned it, she said. NFL: Legendary quarterback Brett Favre became the first player to record a win against all 32 teams in the league after leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 30-23 victory over former team, the Green Bay Packers, on Monday night. Favre (pictured), who spent 16 seasons with the Packers before a controversial departure in 2008. for three touchdown passes in his first game against his old team. Favre, 40 next week, said: That was a lot of fun. It was everything it was billed to be. QB Favre revels in clean sweep TENNIS: Top seed and US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro was dumped out of the Japan Open in Tokyo yesterday as he lost his first-round match 6-4, 6-4 against French qualifier Edouard Roger-Vasselin. Playing for the first time since claiming his maiden grand slam title, Del Potro was never at his best against world No.189 Roger- Vasselin. Del Potro said: I didnt feel 100 per cent. Everyone could see that. I had a little bit of jet-lag and a stomach ache but thats not the reason I lost. Qualifier shocks US Open champ Ireland launch their Mac attack GOLF: Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell have been confirmed as Irelands pairing for the World Cup in China in November. With Padraig Harrington choosing not to compete, McIlroy, who now leads the Race to Dubai after his joint second place at the Dunhill Links Championship, and McDowell will reprise their successful partnership from last months Vivendi Trophy. Swedish duo Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson will defend their title, while England are represented by Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher and Sergio Garcia tees it up for Spain. SPORTDigest Olympic backing: Harrington Harrington joins Wie for golfs Olympic bid Padraig Harrington and Michelle Wie are to team up in a bid to see golf become part of the olympic games. the pair will join ty Votaw, executive director of the international golf Federations olympic golf Committee, and Peter dawson, chief executive of the royal and ancient Club, as they put their final case for inclusion to international olympic Committee members in Copenhagen on Friday. golf and rugby sevens, the two sports recommended for the 2016 olympic programme in rio de Janeiro by the ioC Executive Board, will make presentations to the full membership before it votes that same day on whether to accept one, both or neither sport. We have demonstrated throughout the evaluation process that golfs bid to become an olympic sport has received unprecedented support from both amateur and professional golf organisations around the world and leading international players, said Votaw. now we must reaffirm this support before the full ioC membership. New ZealaNd legend Jonah lomu is lending his considerable weight to the International Rugby Boards final push for sevens inclusion in the Olympic Games. lomu and Cheryl Soon, who captained australias women to the Rugby world Cup Sevens title earlier this year, will take part in the IRBs presentation to the International Olympic Committee on Friday. It would be fantastic for rugby and fantastic for the Games, said lomu, who won Sevens gold at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala lumpur in 1998. Playing in the Commonwealth Games was a major highlight of my career. Lomu leads rugbys lobby group olympics OKelly: Europes now a far cry from strange early days By GaRETH MakIM tHE Heineken Cup is celebrating its 15th birthday this season and few can have experienced more of what it has to offer than Malcolm oKelly. at 35, lock forward oKelly played in the competitions first year and has seen it all when it comes to European rugby, finally climbing the mountain top with Leinster as the province lifted the trophy at Murrayfield last May. Leinster begin their defence this Friday against oKellys former club London irish, and the former Exile recalls being placed in the odd posi- tion of serving two masters when the tournament was in its infancy. i was based in London at the time but it was quite a strange situation, he said. our first year we were con- tracted with Leinster to play Europe- an Cup it must have been the second year of the Heineken Cup, he said. So i played maybe the first six or seven matches with London irish, then Heineken Cup kicked in and London irish werent involved. So we would travel back and live in dublin for four or five weeks, play the Heineken and then go back and play for London irish, which was quite a strange set-up. Youre actually playing for two different teams. But obviously its much more set up now. its absolutely amazing to see the buzz and atmosphere. its certainly grown legs, thats for sure. its very ex- citing now and its great to see all the irish provinces having an influence. the arrival of Scotland international nathan Hines would appear to limit oKellys playing time but the dubliner has no problem fighting for his place. nathans a top professional. it is a squad thing. if youre selected, youre selected, and if youre not then hope- fully ill find input somewhere. nathans a positive influence, hes given all he has and thats all we want. if im playing second fiddle to a guy whose playing to the best of his ability and giving to Leinster, then so be it. rugby HEINEkEN cUP Caseys high hopes for homecoming Brilliant draw: Exiles casey BOB CaSey cannot wait to go home and try to put the skids under the reigning Heineken Cup champions when he captains london Irish against leinster at the RdS on the opening night of this seasons competition on Friday. The exiles, the 2008 semi-finalists, are back in the top flight and have been presented with the chance to immediately go under the spotlight at the home of the champions. Its great for me to go back and play against my old club in my home town, said Casey. But its also brilliant for the club to get an Irish province. Itll increase the profile of the club, the fans will love it. Naturally there has been plenty of banter already and Im sure there will be a lot more in the lead-up to the game in dublin. The exiles beat leinster in a pre- season friendly at donnybrook but Casey knows that close friend leo Cullen and his team will be a totally different proposition this time out. leo has been fantastic for leinster, said Casey. I think there has been a big difference with him and Shane Jennings going back there and I think they have really improved the leinster set-up. They certainly deserved to win the Heineken Cup and they did it the hard way. They had to go away in the quarter-final, they had to play the Heineken Cup holders in the semi- final at Croke Park and then they were away in Scotland against the english champions. They thoroughly deserved it and theyll be a big challenge for us. Leinster deserved to win last year and they did it the hard way leinster squad Leo Cullen (captain), John Fogarty, Cian Healy, Jamie Heaslip, Nathan Hines, Bernard Jackman, Shane Jennings, Stephen Keogh, Ronan McCormack, Kevin McLaughlin, Malcolm OKelly, Sean OBrien, Mike Ross, Devin Toner, CJ van der Linde, Shaun Berne, Gordon DArcy, Girvan Dempsey, Luke Fitzgerald, Shane Horgan, Chris Keane, Rob Kearney, Simon Keogh, Fergus McFadden, Isa Nacewa, Brian ODriscoll, Eoin Reddan, Jonathan Sexton Back at last: Prop cJ van der Linde has not played for Leinster yet this season 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