| O'Sullivan 'happy' to quit over 147 row • Not potting black could have led to disciplinary action• 'I told Barry Hearn this can be my last frame ever'The 12bet.com World Open in Glasgow continued to revolve round Ronnie O'Sullivan even on his day off. His threat to retire does not deserve to be taken seriously in the light of similar threats which have come to nothing but controversy continued over the last black of his record 10th 147 on Monday, which he did not intend to attempt until the referee, Jan Verhaas, persuaded him to do so to avoid disappointing the fans.Mark Williams, a double world champion, gave his views after beating Ali Carter, winner of the Shanghai Masters this month, 3-1 to reach the last 16: "Ronnie's break should stand at 140 because he'd shaken hands [with his opponent, Mark King] before he potted the last black. He should have potted the black without messing around or played safe [if he wanted to make a point]."O'Sullivan said today that it was "about proving a point, not about the money", a reference to the lack of a special prize for a 147. Because the circuit has produced 73 maximums, 39 on television, it is uneconomic for World Snooker to insure against them. The World Open does offer a ÂŁ4,000 highest-break prize which O'Sullivan will pocket unless another maximum by another player compels him to share it."I'll give the ÂŁ4000 to charity because it's not the money," O'Sullivan said. "It would be nice if there was a bigger prize. I think there should be really. But I won't be losing sleep over it. It's just weird what people read into it."Barry Hearn, the chairman of World Snooker, told O'Sullivan he would have faced disciplinary action had he not potted the black ball to complete a 147 break.O'Sullivan said in an interview with Talksport to his long list of threatened retirements, none of which has been carried through because he always acknowledges that he would miss the game very much: "I was talking to Barry Hearn yesterday and I told him: 'If you like, this is my last frame of snooker ever. I'm quite happy to walk away.'"Nobody wants him to retire and his obligations to the game are only those expected of any other player.Ronnie O'SullivanSnookerClive Evertonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Woods ready for Ryder Cup challenge By DOUG FERGUSON 2010-09-28T17:17:52ZNEWPORT, Wales (AP) -- The Ryder Cup is getting personal for Tiger Woods.... hosted.ap.org |
Fox likely partner for future University of Texas TV network Fox Sports has emerged as the front-runner in the competition to partner on the University of Texas’ fledgling television network. feeds.bizjournals.com |
Wasps 38-26 Glasgow Wasps 38-26 GlasgowWasps have not been the same since Lawrence Dallaglio's retirement. That is hardly a surprise given the totemic influence of the club's former England captain, both as a No8 and as a leader, but in Andy Powell they have at least found a ball-carrier who provides a target for those around him.Powell, a 2009 Lion who was thrown out of the Wales squad this year for taking a golf buggy while over the limit and driving down the M4 in search of breakfast, will never be accused of possessing Dallaglio's capacity for thinking on his feet and having a wide strategic outlook, but he does set an example when motivated.Powell, who hopes to be named tomorrow in the Wales squad for the autumn internationals, just a few months after his Test career appeared over, looks to have found his sanctuary at a club that sees itself as a refuge for lost souls. He has had as many clubs as the average golf buggy driver, but he is, in turn, helping one that had also lost its way.Powell played a significant role in two of his side's four tries in a bonus point victory that keeps them on course to finish at the top of their pool. "Everyone thought we were taking a risk by signing him, but as soon as we met Andy we knew he would fit here," said the Wasps director of rugby, Tony Hanks.His capacity for keeping the ball by offloading is essential for a side whose strength does not lie in the set-pieces. With the scrum-half, Joe Simpson, alert and quick on his feet, slow ball is a curse for Wasps.That said their first two tries came from scrums. Having been taken apart up front in Toulouse the previous week, they forced Moray Low to go high. The Glasgow tighthead was twice penalised at scrums and then put the low in yellow when he was sent to the sin-bin for not releasing Serge Betsen after a tackle.Wasps were 11-3 up by then. Simpson scored a try on seven minutes after Glasgow were shoved backwards in a scrum so hard that their back row was too busy to react to the scrum-half picking up and scurrying down the blindside.Low had just gone off when Glasgow, packing with eight men by deploying the centre Graeme Morrison at wing forward, lost their own put-in. Powell's perfectly timed offload allowed Dave Walder to kick to the line for Tom Varndell to claim his fifth try of the season.By the time Low returned, the score was 18-13, although Walder was just about to kick his third penalty. The outside-half Ruaridh Jackson had scored all his side's points, landing two penalties and converting his own try, created by a deft chip from the flanker, John Barclay.Glasgow struggled to sustain pressure, not least because they kept giving away penalties at the breakdown, and Wasps went into the break 28-13 ahead when Powell again surged over the gainline and slipped a pass under pressure to Riki Flutey. Glasgow felt the centre had knocked on but the referee ruled that the hooker Fergus Thomson had tipped the ball backwards and Ben Jacobs forced his way over.It took Wasps until the final quarter to secure the bonus point they needed to close the gap with Toulouse to two points, Flutey and Dan Ward-Smith prompting a counterattack that the replacement centre, Dominic Waldouck, finished off, but most of the half belonged to Glasgow.They forced their way back to 38-26 through the boot of Jackson and a try from the replacement hooker, Dougie Hall. Morrison was held up over the line and despite almost constant pressure in the Wasps' 22 in the final 10 minutes, Glasgow lacked the craft to unpick the defence.Wasps Haughton (Van Gisbergen, h-t); Varndell, Jacobs (Waldouck, 51), Flutey, Lemi; Walder, Simpson; Beech, Webber (Ward, 62), Taulafo (Broster, 65), Shaw (Worsley, 65), Birkett (Veale, 80), Ward-Smith, Betsen (capt), Powell.Tries Simpson, Varndell, Jacobs, Waldouck. Cons Walder 3. Pens Walder 4.Glasgow Stortoni (Pyrgos, 61); Van der Merwe, Evans, Morrison, Aramburu (Dewey, h-t); Jackson, Gregor; Welsh (Grant, 65), Thomson (Hall, h-t), Low (Kalman, 56), Ryder (Forrester, 56), Gray, Harley, Barclay (capt), Vernon (Wilson, 71).Tries Jackson, Hall. Cons Jackson 2. Pens Jackson 4.Sin-bin Low 24.Referee P Gauzere (France). Attendance 6,759.Heineken CupWaspsGlasgow RugbyRugby unionPaul Reesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Lakers get their rings then rally past Rockets to win opener Kobe Bryant scored 27 points, newcomer Steve Blake hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 18.8 seconds left, and the Los Angeles Lakers opened defense ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |