Exciting young Penrith full-back Lachlan Coote has signed a new four-year NRL contract with the Panthers.

Australia's Rachel Hetherington has announced her retirement from professional golf.

The Australian Commonwealth Games Association is still awaiting a security report on the Delhi Games.

Hometown star Robert Allenby has agreed to head the challenge to defending champion Tiger Woods at the Australian Masters.

Collingwood midfield star Dane Swan has shrugged off the weight of expectation as the AFL minor premier prepares to kick off its finals campaign.

Australia's Lauren Jackson has been selected as the WNBA's most valuable player for the third time in her career.

Tiger Woods, safely into the second event of the US PGA Tour play-offs, hopes to build momentum at the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston as he seeks a positive finish to a year best termed "different.".

New Socceroos coach Holger Osieck has thrown his support behind recalled striker Scott McDonald before Saturday morning's friendly against Switzerland in St Gallen.

Overnight rain has flooded the pitch at the women's field hockey World Cup in Argentina and forced the cancellation of all three scheduled matches.

Line-out chief Nathan Sharpe has completed his first full training session with the Wallabies after injuring his ankle in last weekend's loss to South Africa in Pretoria.

Parramatta has confirmed the signings of North Queensland prop Carl Webb and former Canterbury and Cronulla back rower Reni Maitua for the 2011 NRL season.

Fremantle have received a massive morale boost ahead of Saturday's elimination final against Hawthorn, with eight players, including gun midfielder Stephen Hill, agreeing to new AFL deals.

Roger Federer says he is off to the perfect start at the US Open after cruising into the third round with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Germany's 104th-ranked Andreas Beck.

Graham Onions says he is shattered after his slim hopes of featuring in England's defence of the Ashes in Australia later this year were crushed due to injury.

Top seed Caroline Wozniacki has powered her way into the third round of the US Open, handing out a 6-0, 6-0 whitewash to Taiwan's Chang Kai-Chen.

Australia will play Slovenia for a place in the basketball world championship quarter-finals after knocking off Angola 76-55 in their final group game in Kayseri, Turkey.

Samantha Stosur is the only Australian left in the US Open singles after Carsten Ball lost his men's second-round match against Spanish 21st seed Albert Montanes.

Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt and opening bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif face possible life bans after they were charged under the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption code.

World 800m champion Caster Semenya insists she is not interested in what people say about her as she steps up her preparation for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi next month.

The 19-year-old only recently returned from an 11-month absence from the sport as the furore surrounding her gender dragged on.

Andre Agassi headlines a list of nominees for the International Tennis Hall of Fame following a sparkling career highlighted by eight grand slam titles and an Olympic gold medal.

Adelaide will appeal over what it believes is "grossly inadequate" AFL draft compensation for losing key defender Nathan Bock to Gold Coast.

Australia's netball team has been thrashed by 19 goals as New Zealand hit back in the second Test in Wellington.

Racing Victoria (RVL) will allow racing over hurdles to continue for another three years as long as there are not more than three horse deaths a season.

The Western Bulldogs have re-signed midfield star Ryan Griffen for the next two seasons, ending the hopes of rival AFL clubs seeking to lure him.

NRL chief executive David Gallop has described his meeting with Melbourne Storm players for the first time since their hefty salary cap penalties as a "worthwhile exercise".

Pakistan's ambassador to Britain says he believes the three star cricketers at the centre of illegal betting allegations are innocent, after the trio requested to be withdrawn from the team's remaining tour fixtures.

Pakistan High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan told a scrum of media that Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif had declared their innocence and vowed to fight the allegations.

Carlton's Bryce Gibbs would relish the job of quelling Sydney star Adam Goodes, whose form he credits with driving the Swans' late-season resurgence.

Libby Trickett's comeback is in danger of stalling on the blocks with world body FINA's anti-doping rules set to prevent her from qualifying for next year's world swimming championships in Shanghai.

The owners of smart sprinter Ortensia have confirmed they will appeal the decision to strip the mare of its win in the Group 1 Galaxy because of a positive swab.

The Western Bulldogs have named skipper Brad Johnson and midfielder Ryan Griffen despite injury doubts for Saturday night's AFL final against Collingwood at the MCG.

St George Illawarra skipper Ben Hornby is set to be a Dragon for life with the veteran number 7 re-signing with the NRL minor premiers for another three years.

John Mitchell will take the reins of South Africa-based Super 15 franchise Golden Lions after being granted an early release from the Western Force.

A-League club Gold Coast United has signed Australian international striker Bruce Djite as a replacement for Shane Smeltz, officials said on Thursday.

Phil Hughes has returned from a dislocated shoulder while Peter George and Josh Hazlewood will add a green tinge to the pace attack for the Australian Test tour of India.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says the revelations about Travis Tuck's health problems have helped to remind his players that football is not a matter of life and death.

Central Coast Mariners have decided against taking legal action over the controversial A-League suspension imposed on Argentine import Patricio Perez for simulation.

US ninth seed Andy Roddick has made a shocking second-round exit from the US Open with Serbia's 44th-ranked Janko Tipsarevic firing 66 winners in a gutsy 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) victory.

Brisbane Roar skipper Matt McKay hopes his red-hot A-League form will reap plenty of goals and a Socceroos berth at January's Asian Cup.

Mick Fanning is keeping cool about his chances of retaining the world surfing title after advancing to the Billabong Pro Tahiti fourth round.

Former Masters champion Fred Couples has been confirmed to play the Australian Open golf tournament.

Legendary former spinner Shane Warne has urged the International Cricket Council to impose lifetime bans on any Pakistani cricketer or official found to have been involved in match-fixing.

Fremantle's All-Australian ruckman Aaron Sandilands says his foot has fully recovered ahead of Saturday's elimination final against Hawthorn.

Hard-hitting Australian boxer Michael Katsidis has secured a world title fight against Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez.

The Western Force is tipped to cut ties with long-time coach John Mitchell this afternoon.

Brisbane has received a late boost for Friday night's do or die showdown with Canberra with half-back Peter Wallace to take his place in the Broncos line-up.

AFL Rising Star winner Dan Hannebery and his Sydney Swans team-mates will fear no-one in this finals series.

The Gold Coast Titans have suffered a blow ahead of Friday night's clash against West Tigers, with prop Luke Bailey ruled out with a thumb injury.

Australia's women's rugby team missed out on a chance to play in the World Cup final after a 15-0 loss to England in the semi-final at Twickenham Stoop in London.

Australia's number one female player Samantha Stosur has cruised through to the third round of the US Open with a crushing straight sets win over compatriot Anastasia Rodionova.

Sweltering conditions and gusting winds proved a handful at the US Open, but it was a simple training stumble by Belarus starlet Victoria Azarenka that shocked fans.

Swimming Australia head coach Leigh Nugent is delighted that Libby Trickett is coming out of retirement, but said he is unsure whether she will be able to get back to her best.

Tottenham Hotspur has been allowed to sign Rafael van der Vaart from Real Madrid after their last-ditch move for the Dutch playmaker on deadline day.

Racing Victoria will meet today to decide on the future of jumps racing.

Kevin Pietersen has apologised for his furious reaction to England's decision to leave him out of the one-day squads to face Pakistan.

Glenorchy Football Club has approached former AFL star Jason Akermanis to play in Tasmania.

Socceroos midfielder David Carney is set to bolster Australia's dwindling stocks in the English Premier League after switching to newly promoted Blackpool.

A fighting 6-3 victory over India has left the Hockeyroos undefeated after two matches at the World Cup in Argentina.

Belarus 10th seed Victoria Azarenka was taken to hospital for a check-up after collapsing on court in the first set of her second round tie against Gisela Dulka at the US Open.

North Sydney lower grader Mitchell Stevens has been suspended for ten matches after being found guilty of biting following a lengthy hearing at the NSW Rugby League judiciary on Wednesday night.

Andy Murray blazed into the second round of the US Open in scorching conditions, but Wimbledon runner-up and Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych was ousted in straight sets.

Wallabies medical staff are confident star centre Matt Giteau is in no doubt for this weekend's Tri-Nations Test against South Africa after he rolled his ankle at training.

Richmond's Jack Riewoldt has won the Jack Dyer Medal becoming the first player in the club's history to win the AFL's best and fairest and leading goalkicker award in the same season.

Peter Luczak remains hopeful of winning the second singles spot for Australia's Davis Cup World Group play-off with Belgium after a gallant first-round US Open defeat.

Australia has suffered a frustrating setback at the basketball world championships, going down to Serbia 94-79 in Kayseri.