Sunday night’s U.S. Open women’s championship between Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki and Kim Clijsters  proved to be a dazzler of an event.

Clijsters had a fantastic run to win the Open title with a 7-5, 6-3 . She becomes the first unseeded women to win the U.S. Open and a hero to working mothers across the globe.

She was quoted as saying: It still seems so surreal. In my third tournament back, I won my second Grand Slam. It wasn’t the plan. I just wanted to come here and get a feel for it all over again, to play a Grand Slam so I could start next year without having all new experiences. It means the world, and I’m just so glad that I’m able to share it with my husband who wasn’t here a few years ago, and with my whole group who is here. And also sharing it with our daughter, of course, is the greatest thing ever.”

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The Springboks beat New Zealand by  3 points to win the Tri Nations Championship for 2009. It seemed that the boks were cruising for a comfortable win when a late try by Richie McCaw almost put the all Blacks back in with a shot.

But it was not to be and the almighty South africans took the honours with a fantastic Tri Nations campaign.

South Africa 32 (Fourie du Preez, Jean de Villiers tries; Francois Steyn 3 pen, Morne Steyn 2 pen, dropped goal, 2 con)

New Zealand 29 (Sitiveni Sivivatu, Richie McCaw tries; Daniel Carter 5 pen, 2 con).

Halftime: 22-12.

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The Wallabies ended their worst losing streak in four years with a brilliant 21-6 win over South Africa in the Tri-Nations rugby Test in Brisbane last night.

Australia had three tries disallowed but scored two through James O’Connor and Adam Ashley-Cooper while the Springboks failed to cross the Wallabies’ line.

South Africa went into the match unbeaten and needing only a draw to clinch the Tri-Nations title.

The Wallabies had suffered six consecutive Tri-Nations losses before toppling the world champions.

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers. Photo / Getty Images

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PERTH, Australia – Winger Bryan Habana crossed twice as South Africa outclassed Australia in a 32-25 bonus-point victory Saturday which tightened its grip on the Tri-Nations title.

The unbeaten South Africans dominated the first hour and scored three unanswered tries in the first half, helped by a rash of handling errors from the Wallabies.

Scrum half Fourie de Preez took a quick penalty tap in the sixth minute, catching the Australian defence off guard as he scooted 15 metres to the try-line to start the scoring.
South Africa beats Australia 32-25 to inch closer to Tri-Nations title
Australia’s Peter Hynes rides over South Africa’s Jaque Fourie, right, and JP Pietersen and teammate Tatafu Polota-Nalu during their Tri-Nation rugby test match at Subiaco Oval in Perth, western Australia, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009.(THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

PERTH, Australia – Winger Bryan Habana crossed twice as South Africa outclassed Australia in a 32-25 bonus-point victory Saturday which tightened its grip on the Tri-Nations title.

The unbeaten South Africans dominated the first hour and scored three unanswered tries in the first half, helped by a rash of handling errors from the Wallabies.

Scrum half Fourie de Preez took a quick penalty tap in the sixth minute, catching the Australian defence off guard as he scooted 15 metres to the try-line to start the scoring.

The Springboks led 22-3 before Australia fly half Matt Giteau reduced the margin to nine points with a penalty goal just before halftime and a converted try three minutes after.

But Habana secured the bonus point and sealed the result in the 54th minute when he crossed untouched following a well worked decoy play from a scrum for the Springboks’ fourth try.

The Australians scored two tries in the last five minutes, including Lachie Turner’s right on full time, to get within seven points and earn a bonus point.

Giteau ended with 20 points from two tries, two conversions and two penalties, but missed two penalty goal attempts and a quickly taken conversion.

The South Africans lead the Tri-Nations competition with 17 points from four wins, including two at home against the All Blacks and home-and-away wins over the Wallabies.

The All Blacks have eight points from two wins and Australia is out of contention with just three points from four losses.

That means the World Cup champion South Africans will win the Tri-Nations unless they lose their last two matches without picking up a bonus point and New Zealand has two bonus-point victories.

South Africa plays Australia at Brisbane next Saturday and New Zealand at Hamilton the following week.

Springboks coach Peter De Villiers was impressed with his lineup, which worked with a minority of possession, struggled in the scrum and conceded 15 penalties to just four from Australia.

“Look at the character they showed,” said De Villiers, who has 10 wins from his last 11 tests as coach. “A few calls didn’t go their way. We were at sixes and sevens in the scrums. They had the character to stand up as a team, and to play with the scraps that we got.”

The South Africans got plenty of chances to counterattack from a mistaken-ridden Wallabies lineup which allowed 21 turnovers and made 13 handling errors.

The Australians had the bulk of possession but had no penetration in attack in the first half and were punished by the offensive tackling from the more aggressive Springboks.

The Wallabies also lacked cohesion. Giteau was getting slow service from Luke Burgess from phase ball and set pieces and struggling for combination with inside centre Adam Ashley-Cooper, who was playing his third different position in three tests to cover for injured midfield regulars Stirling Mortlock and Berrick Barnes.

Their lack of combination led directly to South Africa’s second try, when centre Jaque Fourie strolled through a yawning midfield gap in the 10th minute and onto a short ball from Morne Steyn to touch down beside the posts and make it 10-0.

South Africa’s third try came directly from an Australian handling error in the 33rd minute, when winger Turner fumbled in an aerial contest for a high ball with Jean DeVilliers and Habana seized on the rebound with little defence to beat.

The Australians looked most dangerous when Quade Cooper went on at fly half and allowed Giteau to move one place wider to inside centre.

Giteau, who beat four defenders after a quick tap in the 43rd minute for his first try, earned a second in the 75th when he straightened the angle of attack after Cooper dragged three defenders across field and gave him an inside ball.

The Australians have now lost six straight Tri-Nations matches dating back to last August, putting extra pressure on coach Robbie Deans to make changes.

Deans said the Australians showed courage to come back.

“The boys showed at the death, we’re not far away. We’ll keep going,” he said. “The good thing is, I guess, they’re one score away.

“When you get into this context, it would be easy to take the soft option and go belly up. (But) there’s a lot of pride in this group. You’ll see that next week.”

Scores:

South Africa 32 (Bryan Habana 2, Fourie du Preez, Jaque Fourie tries; Morne Steyn three conversions, two penalties) def. Australia 25 (Matt Giteau 2, Lachie Turner tries; Giteau two penalties, two conversions). Half time: 22-6.

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Chelsea and Tottenham both maintained their 100 per cent starts to the new season on an afternoon when Liverpool came from behind to beat Bolton.

Champions Manchester United also hit back in the evening game to defeat Arsenal 2-1 at Old Trafford.

The Gunners controlled much of the first half and took the lead through an excellent long-range strike from Andrey Arshavin five minutes before the interval.

United improved in the second period and Wayne Rooney equalised from the penalty spot in the 59th minute after being brought down by Manuel Almunia.

Abou Diaby then headed a Ryan Giggs free-kick into his own net five minutes later to put United ahead, while the game ended with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger being sent off.

Chelsea were highly impressive as they chalked up a fourth successive league win via a 3-0 defeat of Burnley.

The Clarets will rue Martin Paterson’s profligacy in front of goal with the scoreline blank, as once Nicolas Anelka broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time there was no way back.

Michael Ballack stooped to double Chelsea’s lead after the break before Ashley Cole’s stunning angled drive capped another imperious display from Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

Tottenham left it late at White Hart Lane as Aaron Lennon’s last minute strike against Birmingham City secured a 2-1 victory.

Worryingly for Harry Redknapp, Ledley King and Luka Modric hobbled off injured before the latter’s replacement, Peter Crouch, scored his first Spurs goal with a looping second-half header.

Lee Bowyer restored parity via the scruffiest of efforts as Christian Benitez appeared to push Alan Hutton in the build-up to the goal, much to the ire of Redknapp, and the delight of a travelling Blues faithful.

It was, though, Spurs who had the last laugh as Lennon’s impressive drive won it at the death.

Rafa Benitez has experienced better weeks in his football career and he’ll be thankful for Steven Gerrard after his captain scored a thumping winner as Liverpool won 3-2 at ten-man Bolton.

Following Monday night’s defeat to Aston Villa, things got a whole lot worse for Liverpool just past the half-hour mark when Bolton striker Kevin Davies stabbed home after a scramble in the box.

Davies’ opener had come against the run of play so it came as little surprise when the in-form Glen Johnson restored parity before half-time when he cut inside on the edge of Bolton’s box, before firing a daisy cutter beyond Jussi Jaaskelainen.

It was, though, a frailty at the heart of Liverpool’s defence that was exposed again after half-time as Davies’ flick header from a set-piece fell invitingly for Tamir Cohen to ram home.

Sean Davis saw red for two bookable offences before Gerrard struck the bar and Fernando Torres levelled matters with a neat finish. The scene was set for Gerrard to emerge as a hero and he did just that with seven minutes remaining, via a searing drive from range.

Hull City and Wolves both went for three points in a bright game at Molineux but had to settle for one apiece after a 1-1 draw.

Stephen Hunt continued an encouraging start to his Hull career as his powerful run and cross from the left was headed in by Geovanni past Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.

Wolves struck back early in the second half when a free-kick from deep fell to Richard Stearman, who finished with aplomb for a centre-half.

Dave Kitson followed up his first ever Stoke goal in midweek, in the Carling Cup, with a debut league strike as his first-half effort was enough to give the Potters a 1-0 win at home to Sunderland following a scramble in the box.

Blackburn’s game with West Ham at Ewood Park ended in a disappointing stalemate as neither club did enough to take the spoils.

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South Africa’s Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, the oldest man in the men’s field won the 800m in 1:45.29. Off at a slow pace, partly due to ten men contesting the final, Mulaudzi made the break on the final bend, and hung on to beat fast finishing defending champion Alfred Yego of Kenya, who took silver, and 1500 metres winner, Yusuf Saad Kamel of Bahrain, who took bronze, though both ran 1:45.45. Mulaudzi emphasised his advantage with a dip finish worthy of a sprinter, then crashed to the ground whence he issued an enormous victory roar.

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After the first false start, the men’s 200m field shot off into the distance. Usain Bolt looked dominant from the word go. Bolt looked liked a bullet and led the field through the line and a set a new World Record with a surreal time of 19.19sec.

Usain Bolt now has two World Records for the 100m and 200m sprints along with the World Titles to go with it.

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Berlin, Germany – With a performance that defies the imagination, Usain Bolt set a new 100m World record of 9.58 on the second evening of the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.

The 22-year-old Jamaican knocked a mind-numbing 0.11 second from the 9.69 record he set at the Olympic Games in Beijing exactly one year ago today. One can only imagine where he’ll be and how fast he’ll run on 16 August of next year.

“I was definitely ready for the World record and I did it,” Bolt said. “I didn’t think I could run a tenth (of a second) faster than my World record, but for me, anything is possible.”

His was the largest chunk ever – by far – to be sliced from the 100m World record. Previously, both he and Maurice Greene shaved 0.05 from the standard to earn the moniker of World’s Fastest Man. A few days ago, Greene suggested that Bolt and other top sprinters weren’t currently on the same planet. Bolt’s performance this evening gave Greene’s assessment an otherworldly ring of truth.

So profound was Bolt’s achievement that defending champion Tyson Gay clocked a sensational 9.71 in second, a national record, that was just 0.02 shy of the previous World mark. And the American, who is now the second fastest man in history, was nowhere near the Jamaican when the finish line was crossed.

“I’m disappointed to have lost the race, but i ran my fastest time,” Gay said.

Not the quickest from the blocks, Bolt nonetheless took control some 30 metres into the race and continued onward to forge through territory not even the most passionate observers would have imagined before this evening. It was a run similar to his emphatic victory in Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium a year ago, with two distinct differences: this time Bolt ran hard to the line, and this time he’ll collect a $100,000 World record bonus.

But the show’s not over. Both Bolt and Gay will meet again in the 200m, which starts on Tuesday (18 Aug).

Bolt’s compatriot, the former World record holder Asafa Powell took bronze for the second consecutive championships, in 9.84.

“I’m so excited about Usain’s run tonight, it is great to be part of this,” said Powell, who’s personal best is 9.72. “Usain showed us that it is possible.”

Further back was the second wave, led by Antiguan Dan Bailey who was fourth in 9.93, just ahead of Olympic silver medallist Richard Thompson of Trinidad who was credited with the same time.

Dwain Chambers of Great Britain was sixth in 10.00, edging the second Trinidadian in the race, Marc Burns, who also stopped the clock in 10.00.

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