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CRICKET: SYDNEY: Even as the debate over Sir Donald Bradman's selection of dream team `Bradman's Best' continues, another such effort — `Bradman's Best Ashes Team,' which controversially excludes Steve Waugh and Shane Warne — has hit the stands. The compilation done by the same author and Sir Donald's biographer Roland Perry comes exactly a year after his first book Bradman's Best. The exclusion of Steve Waugh, the third highest run-scorer in the history of Test cricket who also led Australia to a world record 16 consecutive Test victories, and champion spinner Shane Warne is bound to raise a few eyebrows.

TENNIS: NEW YORK: John McEnroe and Boris Becker will play an exhibition match before the U.S. Open women's final. The winner of the Sept. 7 match will earn $50,000 for a charity of his choice. The 43-year-old McEnroe--who won four U.S. Open titles--and the 34-year-old Becker--who won one--were scheduled to play last year in Flushing Meadows, but the German withdrew because of an ankle injury. The two will play a best-of-three-sets match, with a 10-point tiebreaker in the third set, if necessary. ``I was so disappointed last year,'' Becker said. ``It is time to get back on the court and show the real Boris.'' ``I can't wait to take on Boris, especially after he pulled out of our match last year,'' McEnroe said. ``It is something I have wanted for a year. It will be a very challenging match for me.''

NEW YORK: Martina Hingis who has asked for a wild-card entry into the U.S. Open, beginning on August 26, has entered tune-up tournaments in the next two weeks even as she recovers from ankle surgery. A five-time Grand Slam tournament champion and former No. 1-ranked player, Hingis is entered in next week's Rogers AT&T Cup in Montreal and the Aug. 19-25 Pilot Pen tournament at New Haven, Conn. In Zurich, Hingis' manager, Mario Widmer, said her recovery from the surgery had been faster than anticipated. ``Martina's condition has improved enormously,'' he said. ``It's fairly certain that she will be back in Montreal next week and also ready for New Haven.''

FOOTBALL: MILAN, ITALY: Brazilian super striker Ronaldo wants to leave Inter Milan to ``regain the smile he has lost,'' his agent, Alexandre Martins, was quoted as saying. Newspapers in Italy and Spain were filled with reports saying that Ronaldo wants to leave his Milan club to join Real Madrid. ``It's not a problem of money, Ronaldo only wants to regain the happiness and the best conditions in which to play soccer,'' the Italian news agency ANSA quoted him as saying. Martins said that the star wanted to leave Inter after so many bad experiences there, including injuries and losing the league championship on the last day of last season.

SYDNEY: The Asian Football Confederation was prepared to support Oceania's automatic entry to the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said. Saudi Arabian football federation (FSF) president Sultan Ben Fahd claimed last January that Blatter told him Asia would have five places, up from a current four, at the next World Cup. But Blatter indicated here that Oceania could expect all four of Asia's votes on the 24-man FIFA executive when it decides on the issue at its meeting in December. ``I will advocate it again and it is now supported by the Asian Football Confederation that Oceania shall have direct access to the next World Cup,'' Blatter said at a press conference. ``There is one slot available because the winner of the 2002 World Cup (Brazil) does not automatically qualify for the next edition," he added.

ATHLETICS: LOS ANGELES: World 100-metre record holder Maurice Greene has taken on a new challenge that will test his patience rather than his speed. The reigning World and Olympic 100m champion has become a Sprinters Coach. Greene said he would work with sprinters as a volunteer assistant at Taft High School in Woodland Hills, California, helping out when his schedule allows. Taft's athletics coach is Quincy Watts, the 1992 Olympic 400m champion and a member of the 1992 Olympic gold medal 4x400m relay. Greene is training here at his home and will return to the track on August 16 at the next Golden League meet in Zurich.

GOLF: TROPHY CLUB, TEXAS: Seventeen years after winning her 88th golf tournament, more than any other pro, Kathy Whitworth will tee it up in an LPGA seniors event this week. She doesn't expect to win No. 89, but she certainly will try. The 64-year-old Whitworth recently cleared her schedule of coaching lessons and promotional appearances so she can knock some rust off her swing. She plans to prove her participation isn't ceremonial in the Copps Great Lakes Classic starting on Friday in Green Bay, Wisconsin. ``Pride and ego come into play,'' Whitworth said. ``I don't want to make a complete idiot out of myself. What she did from 1959-89 makes hers among the greatest careers in golf history, and her nine-season stretch starting in '65 was so dominant that even Tiger Woods would have trouble matching it.

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