Justine to play in Athens

Brussels: Women’s world No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne will compete in the tennis event at this month’s Olympic Games, she said on Tuesday. Henin-Hardenne has not played since the French Open in May, having been sidelined by a viral infection.

The 22-year-old said on her website that she had made “considerable progress” in the past two weeks and had resumed full training.

Henin-Hardenne lost in the second round of the French Open and did not play at Wimbledon.

Season’s best by Phillips

Linz: American long jumper Dwight Phillips underlined his status as favourite for this month’s Olympic Games with the world’s best leap in four years at an IAAF Grand Prix meeting on Monday.

World champion Phillips, a good bet for gold at the Athens Games starting on August 13, jumped 8.60m, bettering his previous best for the season set in May in Mexico by a huge 16cm. The American, undefeated in 2004, landed 6cm short of the meet record of 8.66m set by Cuba’s Ivan Pedroso in 1995.

BAR hearing on Monday

Paris: BAR’s appeal over a cornering device they were banned from using at the German Grand Prix last month will be heard by the FIA next week, Formula One’s governing body said on Monday.

A statement released by the FIA on Monday said the appeal would be heard on August 9 with a decision expected the next day.

The software-controlled device would have allowed quicker and smoother cornering but was banned by stewards at Hockenheim when it was found installed on BAR’s spare car after Friday practice.

It was a further blow to the Honda-powered team after their top driver Jenson Button had lost 10 places on the starting grid when he was forced to change the engine on his car.

Milan rally to beat Chelsea

New York: Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko curled in an 88th-minute freekick as AC Milan rallied to beat Chelsea 3-2 in a Champions World Series match in Philadelphia on Monday.

First half goals from Eidur Gudjohnsen and strike partner Didier Drogba, making his first start for Chelsea, had given Jose Mourinho’s English Premier League side a 2-1 halftime lead.

However, Alessandro Costacurta equalised for the Italian champions after 76 minutes before Shevchenko’s winner consigned Chelsea to their first defeat in three matches on their North American tour.

Supercup venue

Milan: The Italian Supercup match between AC Milan and Lazio, due to be played in the Libyan capital Tripoli, has been switched to Milan because of ‘organisational obstacles’.

The Italian football league said on Monday the annual fixture between the league champions and Italian Cup winners would now be played at Milan’s San Siro on August 21.

Villa borrow Drobny

London: Aston Villa have signed Czech Republic defender Vaclav Drobny in a season-long loan deal from Racing Strasbourg, the Premier League club said on Monday. The 23-year-old impressed Villa manager David O’Leary on the club’s four-game pre-season tour of Sweden and will now bid to earn a permanent switch to the English team.

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