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Snooker: Alex Borg (picture, right) came from three frames down to beat Sydney Wilson 5-3 and advance to the second round of the German Masters qualifiers at the Barnsley Metrodome yesterday. Wilson was cruising comfortably to victory but before the break Borg pulled one back to make it 3-1 before potting a break of 86 to complete his stunning comeback. This evening Borg plays Dominic Dale for a place in the next round of the qualifying phase. Dale stayed in the reckoning thanks to a close 5-4 win over Alan McManus. The German Masters will be played between February 1 and 5 next year.
Greyhound Racing: Kidnappers who took star Irish greyhound Clares Rocket from his kennel demanded a ransom, trainer Graham Holland has revealed. The two-year-old greyhound was reported to be safe and well following the ordeal and enjoyed a treat of sirloin steak after he was returned to Holland’s yard in Co Tipperary. Holland was reunited with his charge at a police station on Tuesday evening. The police launched an investigation after Clares Rocket went missing from the premises in Athassel Abbey between Sunday evening and Monday morning.
Test Cricket: India middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane has been ruled out of the last two tests against England with a fractured finger while fast bowler Mohammed Shami is also doubtful for the fourth match at the Wankhede Stadium, beginning today. The 28-year-old Rahane, who has had a modest series so far, was hit by a ball during practice yesterday and sustained an avulsion fracture on his right index finger. Batsman Manish Pandey has replaced Rahane in the squad, the India cricket board said. The hosts lead the series 2-0.
Golf: The first round of the Dubai Ladies Masters golf tournament was suspended yesterday after the death of a caddie on the course, the Ladies European Tour said in a statement. The caddie collapsed on the 13th fairway and was attended to by the on-site medical team before being taken to hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Local media reported that the caddie, whose name was not released to the media, was carrying the bag of France’s Anne-Lise Caudal. Round one will resume today and the tournament has been scaled back to 54 holes.
Rugby Union: Perth’s new multi-purpose stadium will host the first Bledisloe Cup test between the All Blacks and the Wallabies in 2019, the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) said. The 60,000-seat capacity stadium is due to open in early 2018 and has been designed to cater for cricket, soccer, rugby and Australian Rules. “We are very proud to be bringing Western Australia its first ever Bledisloe Cup test,” ARU Chief Executive Bill Pulver said. “The 2019 Bledisloe Cup match will be one of the first major events played at the new Perth Stadium after its completion in 2018.”
Motorcycling: Spanish energy company Repsol has extended its 22-year sponsorship of world champion Marc Marquez’s factory Honda MotoGP team until the end of 2018. The partnership, which started in 1995, is the most successful in MotoGP history with 12 rider World Championships and 151 race wins in the top category. Spain’s triple world champion Marquez, winner of this year’s title, and team-mate Dani Pedrosa have two more years on their contracts.