The New Nation - Internet Edition

AC Milan, Spurs into UEFA Cup group stage

AP, Manchester

AC Milan eased past FC Zurich into the UEFA Cup group stage Thursday along with two-time champion Tottenham.

Borussia Dortmund, the 1997 Champions League winner, was eliminated by Udinese 4-3 on penalty kicks, but Hamburg, Stuttgart, Schalke and Wolfsburg will form a strong German representation.

Four Spanish teams-2006 and '07 champion Sevilla, league leader Valencia, Real Santander and Deportivo La Coruna-also marched into the next phase, as did Manchester City, Portsmouth, Everton and Spurs from the Premier League.

Andriy Shevchenko scored his first goal since returning to Milan-the only one of the night-to secure the seven-time European Cup champion's passage 4-1 on aggregate. Sampdoria is the third Serie A team of the 40 in Tuesday's draw.

Tottenham eased the pressure on under-fire manager Juande Ramos by completing a 3-1 aggregate win with a 1-1 draw at Wisla Krakow and will join Manchester City in the next phase after the newly enriched Premier League club repeated its 2-1 first-leg victory over Omonia Nicosia.

Aston Villa was held 1-1 by Litex Lovech, but was carried through 4-2 on aggregate. Standard Liege defeated Everton 2-1 to take the two-leg series 4-3. Portsmouth had surrendered its 2-0 first-leg cushion within 32 minutes against Guimaraes, but Peter Crouch scored twice in extra time for the FA Cup winner to leave Portugal 4-2 aggregate victors.

Stuttgart drew 2-2 with Cherno More Varna, but progressed 4-3 past the Bulgaria; Schalke had a comfortable 4-1 first-leg advantage over Apoel Nicosia and played out a 1-1 draw; Wolfsburg tied Rapid Bucharest 1-1 to oust the Romanians 2-1 on aggregate; and after a scoreless first leg Hamburg overcame Unirea Valahorum Urziceni 2-0 in Romania.

Benfica turned around a 3-2 first-leg loss to beat Napoli 2-0, with goals from Jose Antonio Reyes and Nuno Gomes.

Milan, the favorite to lift the UEFA Cup next May, didn't need to exert itself to defend its 3-1 lead from the first leg at the San Siro two weeks ago.

Ukraine striker Shevchenko timed his run to beat the offside trap and collect Ronaldinho's flicked pass before slipping his shot under Zurich goalkeeper Johnny Leoni.

"I'm extremely happy that I've finally done it," Shevchenko said after scoring for the first time since returning to Milan from Chelsea in August. "Every time it seemed something was preventing me from scoring. Today again, the goalkeeper blocked my shot at the start. Even though I could have done better, the goal finally came and it's a big step for me.

"I'm still seeking my best form."

Tottenham's progression was secured by Arkadiusz Glowacki's own-goal in the 58th minute.

As Gareth Bale swung in a low cross from the left, Fraizer Campbell was almost clinging to defender Glowacki, forcing the Wisla captain to clip the ball inside the far post.

The Poles equalized when Pawel Brozek lobbed the onrushing Brazil goalkeeper, who made amends in the 87th by repelling the striker's header while on his knees.

Spurs, who are last in the Premier League after its worst domestic start in 53 years, held on in the anxious closing moments.

"There was no euphoria, it was just a sense of getting the job done," Ramos said. "To play another four matches in the competition for the club is very important. Most important now is Hull (on Sunday) and we need to get off the bottom quickly."

Udinese defender Aleksandar Lukovic converted the decisive spot kick after the Italians' goalkeeper Samir Handanovic blocked shots from Tamas Hajnal and Jakub Blaszczykowski in the shootout.

Hungary midfielder Hajnal scored at the end of each half as Dortmund evened the aggregate following Udinese's 2-0 win in the first leg.

Spain down Libya for needed win

AP, Brazil

Defending champion Spain beat Libya 3-0 Friday in the Futsal World Cup for its first win of the tournament.

The Spaniards badly needed a victory after opening with a 3-3 draw against Iran earlier this week.

But Spain looked sluggish against the much weaker Libyan team, even though Javi Rodrigues made it 1-0 after just 3 minutes and Alvaro doubled the lead in the 15th. Daniel put the result beyond doubt 10 minutes into the second half, and the win put Spain at the top of its group with four points.

In other matches, Argentina beat Egypt 4-2, Ukraine routed Guatemala 6-2, and the Czech Republic downed Uruguay 4-1.

The top two teams in each of the four groups will advance to the next stage. Each group has five nations.

Futsal is played in two 20-minute periods on a surface about the size of a basketball court.

Del Potro reaches final at Japan Open

AP, Tokyo

Juan Martin Del Potro advanced to the finals of the Japan Open with a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 victory over Richard Gasquet on Saturday. The fifth-seeded Del Potro, who won for the 29th time in his last 30 matches, will face the winner of the other semifinal between Andy Roddick and Tomas Berdych. The 20-year-old Del Potro's only loss during the current stretch was against Andy Murray in the U.S. Open quarterfinals.

In the the women's draw, top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki coasted to a 6-4, 6-3 win over Jarmila Gajdosova to reach the finals. Wozniacki will take on fifth seeded Kaia Kanepi, who defeated Aleksandra Wozniak 6-4, 6-4.

Australia steer out of trouble against Indian XI

AP, Hyderabad

Mike Hussey's unbeaten 54 helped

Australia recover from a top-order slump to reach 191-4 at stumps on day two Friday of the warmup game against an Indian Cricket Board President's XI.

Hussey and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin (34 not out) steered the tourists out of trouble in an unbroken 63-run fifth-wicket stand that moved the tourists to within 264 runs of the home team's total of 455.

The Board President's XI added 84 runs to the overnight total of 371-6, with Parthiv Patel (62) and Irfan Pathan (56) posting half-centuries to frustrate Australia's bowlers, for whom pace bowler Stuart Clarke (3-68) took two wickets Friday. The other Friday wickets were shared by fast bowlers Mitchell Johnson (4-74) and Peter Siddle (2-64).

Australia got off to a bad start as seam bowler Pathan (1-50) had Matthew Hayden (20) caught behind and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha (1-44) dismissed the other opener Simon Katich (15). Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla (2-46) then snared skipper Ricky Ponting (41) and his deputy Michael Clarke (18), reducing Australia to 128-4 before Hussey and Haddin got together to repair some damage.

Hussey struck one six and seven fours in countering the threat posed by spinners Chawla and Ojha, while Haddin's knock contained one six and five fours.

Rai banned for life for 2nd positive drug test

AP, New Delhi

The Indian weightlifting federation has imposed a lifetime ban on Satheesha Rai for his second doping offense. The WFI announced the ban Friday after re-examining Rai's case, which it had earlier closed without taking any action because Rai had retired. "Satheesha has been given a life ban," WFI president Harbhajan Singh told the Press Trust of India.

Singh didn't say why the case was reopened. Media reports said it was demanded by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Rai first tested positive for a stimulant at the 2002

Commonwealth Games, which resulted in his two gold medals and one bronze being revoked. He returned to competition after serving a six-month suspension, but tested positive for the steroid stanozolol at India's National Games last year.

The WFI also imposed a lifetime ban on woman weightlifter Prameelavalli following her second doping offense during last month's national junior championship. She had failed an out-of-competition test by WADA before the 2006 Commonwealth Games and was banned for two years. The IWF also suspended the Uttar Pradesh state association for one year and imposed a fine after two of its lifters failed doping tests in one year.

Venus Williams advances in Stuttgart

AP, Stuttgart

Venus Williams beat third-seeded Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-2 at the Porsche Grand Prix on Friday to set up a semifinal with Jelena Jankovic, who will be No. 1 in next week's rankings.

Jankovic rallied from a break down in each set to edge seventh-seeded Vera Zvonareva 7-6 (8), 7-6 (5). This was the second time in two weeks Jankovic beat her.

In another quarterfinal, Olympic champion Elena Dementieva, seeded fourth, lost to 19-year-old Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-1. Azarenka, grunting loudly on almost every point, will next play another Russian in Nadia Petrova. Petrova, the 2006 Stuttgart champion, beat Li Na of China 6-2, 6-3.

This was the first time Williams played Safina, who has won four titles this year and risen to a career-high No. 3 ranking.

"I had to work very hard because she played at 200 percent," said Williams, who is seeded sixth. "It's very exciting to win against a player who has had such a great year."

Williams' only title this year was Wimbledon. She is playing in Stuttgart for the first time in 10 years and eyeing the red Porsche 911 sports car given to the champion.

"I love fast cars," Williams said. "I really hope to try it as the winner."

Williams broke for a 5-4 lead and hit a service winner to take the first set. She jumped ahead 4-0 in the second. She also used her big reach to win points at the net.

"I feel more comfortable at the net now," Williams said. "I have a volley."

Jankovic also beat Zvonareva on the way to winning the China Open last week and now holds a 5-3 career edge over the Russian. She will take over the top ranking Monday because of Serena Williams' second-round loss to Li.

Jankovic, who lost the U.S. Open final to Serena, is seeking her third title of the year. The Serb leads the tour with 18 quarterfinal appearances this year and is in her 10th semifinal.

At 5-5 in the second set, Jankovic required treatment for a broken toe nail on her left foot.

"I had no idea how to get through," she said. "But I came back with some aces and I fought until the end. I really wanted to finish it in the second set."

Zulfiqar Ahmed dies aged 81

Cricinfo

Former Pakistan offspinner Zulfiqar Ahmed, 81, has died of cardiac arrest in Lahore. Ahmed was ill for the last few months and his health deteriorated suddenly on Friday. He was Pakistan second-oldest cricketer after Mohammad Aslam who is 88.

Ahmed was the brother-in-law of Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Pakistan's first captain, and played nine Tests for his country between 1952 and 1956, taking 20 wickets and scoring 200 runs. He made his debut in Lucknow during Pakistan's first Test series, the tour of India in 1952-53.

He also went on the tour to England in 1954 and played in the home series against New Zealand in 1955-56 and Australia in 1956-57. He scored a crucial 34 at No. 10 to help set a competitive target in Pakistan's first victory at The Oval. The highlight of his career, however, was the Karachi Test against New Zealand in 1955 in which he took 11 for 79. In the next

Boat race held in Tangail

UNB, Tangail

A traditional boat race was held in the Singna Kurumbhi Beel in Kalihati upazila Friday on the occasion of holy Eid-ul-Fitr.

Haider and his team placed first while Juran and his team second and Shah Alam and his team third in the race arranged by Singna Samajkalyan Sangha.