Amir Khan wins world lightweight boxing title

Amir Khan clinched the vacant WBA international lightweight title on Saturday with a second-round stoppage of Ireland's Oisin Fagan.

Referee Mickey Vann stepped in to end proceedings after one minute and 37 seconds of the round.

The victory was Khan's 19th in 20 fights and restored the 2004 Olympic silver medallist's reputation which had been so badly damaged by his 54-second loss to Colombia's Breidis Prescott in September.

That was the sixth time the 21-year-old had been knocked down and raised doubts over his ability to challenge for a major belt.

Earlier, Welshman Enzo Maccarinelli made an explosive heavyweight debut when a series of vicious body shots blasted Mathew Ellis into submission in the second round.

Maccarinelli's planned WBO world cruiserweight title clash with Francisco Alvarez fell through when the Puerto Rican failed a medical but Ellis stepped in on Friday.

Audley Harrison's world title aspirations were left in tatters after Belfast taxi driver Martin Rogan edged their heavyweight clash with a points decision over the 2000 Olympic gold medallist.

Two Pakistanis in last eight at international women tennis

Two Pakistani players among eight have entered into the quarter-finals in the second leg of the ITF Pakistan Women Futures Tennis Tournament here at the PTF Tennis Complex on Monday.

They are Sarah Mahboob and Meheq Khokhar, who have joined six others - Dipti Srivastava, Prerana Partahap, Treta Bhattacharyya, Jung Yoon Shin, Arthi Venkataraman and Prathad Prathana.

Pakistan’s top player Sarah Mahboob defeated Saba Aziz of Lahore in straight set 6-4, 6-0 while Meheq Khokhar beat Mehreen Izhar of Lahore in straight sets 6-1, 3-1.

The best ccontest of the day was seen between Prerana Prathap of India and Ushna Suhail of Pakistan.

The three-hour long encounter was finally won by Prerana 7 6 (2), 4-6, 6-4.

The other three set good match of the day was won by Venkataraman against Anushree. The match lasted two hrs and 30 minutes.

In the Doubles, Kim Hae Sung and Shung Yoon Shin of South Korea, Prerana Prathap and Prathana Prathap (India) and Arthi Venkataraman and Archana Venkararaman (India) moved into the second round of Women’s Doubles event by winning their respective matches.

Federer wins fifth US Open in a row for 13th Slam crown

Roger Federer won his 13th Grand Slam crown and fifth consecutive US Open title on Monday, defeating British sixth seed Andy Murray 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 to move one Slam title shy of the all-time record.

Federer's 56th career crown moved him into sole possession of second place on the all-time Slam title list, one more than Roy Emerson and one below the career record 14 won by Pete Sampras.

After losing this year's Wimbledon and French Open finals and his number one ranking to Spain's Rafael Nadal, Federer's aura of invincibility had dimmed but his US Open title served notice he still remains a force in tennis.

Federer became the first man to win five Slams in a row at two different events, having also completed the feat last year at Wimbledon. No one had won five US titles in a row since Bill Tilden in 1924.

Swiss second seed Federer stretched his US Open match win streak to 34, his last loss at Flushing Meadows coming to David Nalbandian in the fourth round of 2003, and took home the top prize of 1.5 million dollars.

It was Federer's 17th Slam final, two shy of Ivan Lendl's all-time mark. It took Federer 38 Slam appearances to win his 13th Slam, five fewer than Sampras
needed to reach the same total.

Federer had not won a prior hardcourt title all year. The last player to make the US Open his first hardcourt crown of a season was Sampras in 2002 for his last Slam crown.

Murray, playing in his first Slam final, had won two of three prior matches with Federer but was outclassed to bring a disappointing end to a run that will see him rise to fourth in the rankings, matching the best-ever British mark.

Federer, 27, thrilled a sellout crowd of 23,763 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the first US Open final since 1987 pushed to Monday by bad weather. It was the first Monday men's Slam final since Goran Ivanisevic won at Wimbledon in 2001.

Murray, who took one million dollars, would have been the first British man to win a Slam since Fred Perry at the 1936 US Open and the first British Slam champion of either sex since Virginia Wade won in 1977 at Wimbledon.

Murray's loss was the fifth for a British man in a Slam final since Perry's triumph, including Greg Rusedski at the 1997 US Open, John Lloyd at the 1977 Australian Open and Bunny Austin at the 1937 French Open and 1938 Wimbledon.

Federer broke Murray in the sixth and eighth games of the match to win the first set in 27 minutes. He broke Murray again in the second game of the second set but Murray broke back at love in the next game and the fight was joined.

Murray went to 0-40 on Federer's serve in the fifth game of the second set but Federer denied the Scotsman and the two traded holds of serve until the last game, which Federer finished with three winners to break for the set.

Federer broke Murray's first two service games at love in the third set and, after surrendering a break when he was serving two points from the title, broke him again in the last game on his third overhead smash of the point.

Murray sent the ball into the net after one hour and 51 minutes and Federer fell to his knees and then rolled onto his back, overcome with the moment as he screamed his joy before rising and raising his hands in a salute to the crowd.

Australian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton took pole position for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix, but Kimi Raikkonen must start from near the back of the grid in Melbourne.

McLaren's Hamilton was fastest in the second and third runs, while Raikkonen was forced out before the second session after his Ferrari pulled up.

BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica almost stole pole but a slight oversteer in his last lap saw him finish second fastest.

Hamilton's McLaren team-mate Heikki Kovalainen was third quickest.

After claiming his seventh pole from just 18 starts, Hamilton was naturally in upbeat mood.

"Being in pole is a great feeling, but there's always improvements you can make,"

said the 23-year-old Briton.

"It's going to be a very tough race and we just have to do the best we can in managing our tyres and hope for the best."

With traction control now outlawed, Hamilton said the start would be a crucial moment during the opening race of the season, particularly as Kubica is no slouch off the line.

"Obviously the start will be a major factor,"

said Hamilton.

"The new regulations makes the starts a little bit trickier and I think you will see a wide range of good and bad starts."

As well as the removal of assisted engine braking, cars are also no longer allowed to refuel between qualifying and the race.

Hamilton said he had yet to give any thought as to how the rule changes might affect his planning for the race.

"There are definitely places where I can improve and the team can improve but it is very difficult going from a light fuel load to a heavy fuel load,"

he said.

"Going out, trying to brake at the same spot, you can't do that. You have to re-adjust.

"I've not really thought about strategy to be honest. It will be a little different, I think, at the first race because everyone's going to be experimenting and there's a lot of pressure on everyone."

Asked if he thought Raikkonen's lowly grid position would make his own race easier, Hamilton said:

"I don't think so because we're not really sure what sort of pace Ferrari were going to have during Q3.

"I think I've got a tough enough job anyway, so I don't think not having Kimi in the top three is going to make it any less difficult."

Raikkonen, winner in Melbourne from pole position on his Ferrari debut last year, was eliminated when his car coasted to a halt with a fuel pressure problem and he had to be pushed back to the garage.

The Finn sat in his car at the start of the second session but climbed out of the cockpit after being told the assistance from his crew meant he was not allowed to continue.

Raikkonen, who will start the race from 16th place on the grid, said:

"It's definitely not the best way to start the season.

"Clearly I'm disappointed. Now we must try to do our best to pick up some points tomorrow."

Better news for Ferrari was the performance of Felipe Massa, with the Brazilian clinching a place on the second row.

But there was disappointment for two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, back at Renault after a season at McLaren, who failed to reach the third stage of qualifying and will start in 12th place.

Australia's Mark Webber spun his Red Bull into the gravel during the second run, bringing out the red flag. He will start from 15th.

Britain's David Coulthard grabbed an impressive eighth for Red Bull but compatriot Jenson Button missed out on a place in the third qualifying session and will line up his Honda in 13th place.

"The car was working pretty well but I just had a rubbish couple of corners,"

said Button.

"We lost about four tenths, which is so annoying. But I'm surprised by our performance and considering the mistakes I made, I'm pretty happy."

Toyota's Timo Glock will start from 19th place after being penalised 10 grid placings after two qualifying offences.

He qualified ninth but was moved back five spots because Toyota changed his gearbox in between morning practice and qualifying.

He suffered another five-place penalty for impeding Webber.

---

Final qualifying times for the Australian Grand Prix

1. Lewis Hamilton, Britain, McLaren-Mercedes, 1 minute, 26.714 seconds.
2. Robert Kubica, Poland, BMW-Sauber, 1:26.869.
3. Heikki Kovalainen, Finland, McLaren-Mercedes, 1:27.079.
4. Felipe Massa, Brazil, Ferrari, 1:27.178.
5. Nick Heidfeld, Germany, BMW-Sauber, 1:27. 236.
6. Jarno Trulli, Italy, Toyota, 1:28. 527.
7. Nico Rosberg, Germany, Williams, 1:28.687.
8. David Coulthard, Britain, Red Bull, 1:29.041.
9. Timo Glock, Germany, Toyota, 1:29.593.
10. Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Toro Rosso, did not start.

Eliminated after second session

11. Rubens Barrichello, Brazil, Honda, 1:26.173.
12. Fernando Alonso, Spain, Renault, 1:26.188.
13. Jenson Button, Britain, Honda, 1:26.259.
14. Kazuki Nakajima, Japan, Williams, 1:26.413.
15. Mark Webber, Australia, Red Bull, did not finish.
16. Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, Ferrari, did not start.

Eliminated after first session

17. Giancarlo Fisichella, Italy, Force India, 1:27.207.
18. Sebastien Bourdais, France, Toro Rosso, 1:27.446.
19. Adrian Sutil, Germany, Force India, 1;27.859.
20. Takuma Sato, Japan, Super Aguri, 1:28.208.
21. Nelson Piquet Jr., Brazil, Renault, 1:28.330.
22. Anthony Davidson, Britian, Super Aguri, 1:29.059.