Serena Given workout in a Stanford

Serena Williams was given a scare by 15-year-old Michelle Larcher de Brito before winning their second-round match at the Bank of the West Classic.
The American top seed dropped the first set against the Portuguese qualifier before winning 4-6 6-3 6-2. Williams made eight unforced errors in the initial 12 points. "It's definitely encouraging to know I can bounce back - I haven't been down a set for a while," she said. "It's the kind of practice I need." Playing her first match since losing the Wimbledon final to sister Venus, she sprayed her typically reliable groundstrokes long and wide. She hit ball after ball into the bottom of the net and regularly missed first serves. Her father, Richard, briefly left his seat in a corner box after watching his daughter struggle. The gutsy Larcher de Brito, ranked 226 in the world, pumped her fist on both her own winners and Williams' unforced errors and was the aggressor until her experienced opponent woke up in the second set.

Football, Hleb Completes Move To Barcelona
Alexander Hleb has completed his £11.8m move to Barcelona from Arsenal. The 27-year-old Belarus midfielder had a medical in the Spanish city on Wednesday and he described his move to the La Liga giant as "a dream". "I love this team," said Hleb. "I will give my best and I want to win everything with Barca. Hleb arrived at the Nou Camp on the day that Brazil star Ronaldinho was in Milan having a medical as he prepared to leave the Spanish side. Hleb had been linked with Inter Milan, but Barcelona have won the race to sign him. Arsenal have also lost Mathieu Flamini to AC Milan and Gilberto Silva is poised to sign for Panathinaikos. Hleb's departure from the Emirates Stadium seemed likely all summer after the player admitted he was "mentally tired" of the combination of living in London and playing top-level football. He joined Arsenal in 2005 after the club paid Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart £11.2m for his services. Hleb becomes Barcelona's fifth summer signing following the arrivals of Seydou Keita, Gerard Pique, Martin Caceres and Daniel Alves.

Sports: New-look English Twenty20 agreed

English cricket is to be given a major overhaul with a new Twenty20 English Premier League to start in 2010. The EPL will have two divisions of 10 teams featuring the 18 existing counties plus two overseas teams.
A radical proposal by David Stewart and Keith Bradshaw, which would have left out half of the counties, was rejected by the England and Wales Cricket Board. The Pro40 will be scrapped after 2009, allowing for a total revamp of club cricket in England. The board also agreed the 2010 season would include a 50-over competition and 16 County Championship matches in a two-division structure. The EPL is expected to feature promotion and relegation and a finals weekend which, according to BBC sports editor Mihir Bose, could generate £60m a year for the game. "It means English cricketers, for so long the poor relations of Premier League footballers, will be earning much more money," said Bose.
The introduction of the EPL follows the successful debut of the Indian Premier League, which has stimulated huge interest and offers the ECB the potential of attracting more television revenue.

Sports: Flintoff 'ready' for South Africa

Andrew Flintoff is confident his injury problems are behind him as he prepares for to make his England comeback. The Lancashire all-rounder, 30, has had four ankle operations, the most recent in October 2007, while a recent side strain hampered his England return. "If I didn't think I could get back to this, then I wouldn't have had any of the operations," he told BBC Sport. "Hopefully the ankle is a thing of the past now. The operation was so long ago that I've almost forgotten about it." Flintoff is hoping to play his first Test for England in 18 months and replaces Chris Tremlett in an otherwise unchanged squad for the second Test against South Africa at Headingly, which begins on Friday. He is likely to go straight into the team at the expense of the struggling Paul Collingwood or Ryan Sidebottom, who has a back strain, but Flintoff is taking nothing for granted. "I'm desperate to make that final 11, desperate to get back out on that pitch," he said. "But the lads have been unchanged for a while now. "I've come in to the squad and I'm sure there are some tough decisions to be made by the management and selectors.

Dhoni to miss Tests in Sri Lanka
Wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni has opted out of India's three-Test series in Sri Lanka because of fatigue. The one-day captain said he needed a break as he had been playing non-stop since leading the Chennai Super Kings to the Indian Premier League final. But he is expected to play in the five one-day matches that follow the Tests. Batsman Sachin Tendulkar returns after a groin injury and spinner Harbhajan Singh comes back in after serving a ban for slapping his team-mate Sree Santh. Santh,however, was overlooked because of a side strain but experienced left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan, who has been sidelined since suffering an ankle injury during the first Test in Australia last December, is named in a 16-man squad.

Sports: Cricket star gets female guard

Indian cricketing hero Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been provided an all-female police force to protect him from his female fans, police say. Dhoni recently opted out of playing a series in Sri Lanka because of fatigue. But ever since he landed in his home town of Ranchi, in the eastern Jharkhand state, to get some rest, his fans have refused to leave him alone.
Dhoni is the captain of India's one-day cricket team and has cult following in a nation crazy about the sport. His good looks and powerful performance on the field have earned him many fans, including a lot of young women who regularly mob him for autographs. Last year, at Calcutta's Eden Gardens, an 18-year-old girl broke through the security cordon, ran out into the field and hugged him.

Sports: McKenzie doubtful for second Test

South Africa's Neil McKenzie faces a fitness test to decide whether he will play in the second Test against England which starts at Headingley on Friday. McKenzie strained his groin during his nine-hour stint at the crease during the drawn first Test at Lord's. "We will subject him to a fitness test on Friday before a final decision," said team physiotherapist Shane Jabaar. "I am happy with the progress he is making and we are definitely targeting him to be ready for Friday." McKenzie contributed a vital 138 to South Africa's second-innings total on monday in an epic innings.But the 32-year-old had to complete his innings with a runner after straining his groin while prodding forward to spinner Monty Panesar.

Banking Rally Boosts US Markets

US stock markets have rebounded strongly after better-than-expected results from a leading bank and further sharp falls in the price of oil. The Dow Jones index closed up 2.5% after its strongest daily performance in three months, driven by demand for leading bank stocks. Citigroup, Bank of America and JP Morgan all rose sharply after Wells Fargo boosted its shareholder dividend. Oil, meanwhile, fell more than $4 to close below $135 a barrel. Significant change' The price of oil has now fallen more than $10 in the last two days - closing at $134.60 on Wednesday - on expectations that a slowing US economy will curb global demand for crude and ease pressure on companies highly dependent on oil.

US Investment In Indian Airline

US-based private equity investor WL Ross has agreed to invest $80m in Indian low-cost airline SpiceJet, the carrier has said. SpiceJet is India's second-largest domestic low-cost carrier with 10% of the market share. India's fast-growing airline industry is under pressure because of the rising cost of aviation fuel. Analysts say some airlines may be forced to suspend some short-haul routes to reduce losses. SpiceJet director Ajay Singh said WL Ross had "extensive experience of investing in the aviation sector". "With this investment, we have no doubt that SpiceJet will fulfil its promise of emerging as India's leading airline," he said. Wilbur L Ross Junior, the chairman of WL Ross, is expected to join the SpiceJet board of directors. This is WL Ross's second investment in India - last year, it acquired textile firm OCM India for about $37m.

Slowing Exports Curb China Growth

Chinese economic growth slowed in the second quarter of 2008, constrained by slowing demand for exports, rising prices and the high cost of credit. The National Bureau of Statistics said the economy grew at an annual rate of 10.1% in the three months to June, down from 10.6% over the previous quarter.
If it keeps growing at a double-digit pace, then China may overtake Germany as the world's third-largest economy.
Beijing has been trying to curb rising food costs amid fears of social unrest.

Beirut Welcomes Freed Prisoners

The leader of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, has personally welcomed home five militants freed by Israel. The Israelis handed over the prisoners, along with the remains of 200 Lebanese and Palestinian fighters, in exchange for the remains of two of soldiers. The soldiers' capture in 2006 sparked a brief war between Israel and Hezbollah. Greeting the returnees at a huge rally in Beirut, Sheikh Nasrallah said the "age of defeats" was over.

Tens of thousands of Hezbollah supporters, some travelling by car or scooter, converged on the south of city to celebrate the prisoners' release and listen to Sheikh Nasrallah speak.
"It is an identity of the will and culture of resistance and of the rejection of humiliation and occupation, regardless of who the occupiers, the tyrants and the powerful are."
Qantar also addressed the crowds, hailing Lebanon's "great Islamic resistance".

Huge Gap In World Cancer Survival

There is a huge variation in cancer survival rates across the world, a global study shows. The US, Australia, Canada, France and Japan had the highest five-year survival rates, while Algeria had the worst, Lancet Oncology reported. The UK fared pretty poorly, trailing most of its western European neighbours - although the data is from the 1990s since when survival rates have risen. Spending on health care was a major factor, the study of 31 countries said. Researchers said higher spending often meant quicker access to tests and treatment.

The research was carried out by more than 100 scientists across the world led by Professor Michel Coleman, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Pope lauds apology to Aborigines

Pope Benedict XVI has praised the Australian government for apologising to the country's indigenous people for past injustices.
Speaking at his first public appearance in Sydney, he said it was a courageous move that had offered hope to other disadvantaged people around the world. PM Kevin Rudd formally apologised to Australian Aborigines early this year. The Pope is in Sydney for the Catholic Church's World Youth Day, expected to attract some 200,000 young Catholics. He made his remarks at a short welcome ceremony led by Mr Rudd.

Malaysia's Anwar Released On Bail

Malaysian police have released opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on bail after he was arrested over allegations of sodomy. His lawyers said he had left custody, but could still face charges. He spent a night in detention having been arrested by police for questioning over the allegations, on which he had been due to make a statement. Mr Anwar urged his supporters to remain calm. He denies the allegations, saying they are politically-motivated. The former deputy prime minister is expected to hold a news conference at 1400 local time (0600 GMT). His arrest is likely to exacerbate the political tensions that have emerged since the opposition's unprecedented gains in the general election of March 2008.

Intense pressure
Mr Anwar's arrest will have been seen as provocative by Malaysian opposition groups, says the BBC's Robin Brant in Kuala Lumpur. When he was arrested on similar charges 10 years ago, his supporters staged large demonstrations.