Europe retains the Ryder Cup, Sam Stosur is off to a flyer and classy performances on bike – here’s the news you missed overnight.
Golf
Europe’s finest golfers have defeated the United States for the sixth time in seven attempts to retain the Ryder Cup, delivering a resounding 16 1/2 to 11 1/2 beating to the once-dominant Americans.
Welshman Jamie Donaldson, a 38-year-old Ryder Cup rookie, dropped his approach at the 15th hole on Sunday just inches from the hole to clinch a 4 and 3 victory over Keegan Bradley that gave Europe an unbeatable total of 14 1/2 points at Gleneagles.
“Hit the wedge of my life to close the game out,” Donaldson said.
“You can’t really put words to it. It’s unbelievable.”
The Europeans matched their longest win streak in the series with a third consecutive triumph, while Tom Watson’s US squad failed in its bid for a first victory in Europe since Watson captained a 1993 triumph at The Belfry.
World No.1 McIlroy, coming off major wins at the British Open and PGA Championship, won 5 and 4 over Rickie Fowler.
Tennis
Australia’s Samantha Stosur has advanced to the second round of the China Open with a straight-sets win over fellow tour veteran, Italy’s Francesca Schiavone.
The news wasn’t as good for resurgent left-hander Casey Dellacqua, who went down in three sets to German seventh seed Angelique Kerber.
Dellacqua, who has risen to be ranked 27th in the world on the back of a career resurrection, went down to the world No.8 6-1 3-6 6-3.
Earlier, the 13th meeting between the Stosur and Schiavone was one-way traffic, with the Australian taking the match 6-4 6-2 in just over 90 minutes.
Maria Sharapova, Ekatarina Makarova and Venus Williams all advanced to the second round.
BMX
A second-place finish in the final World Cup round in California was enough for Australian Caroline Buchanan to easily win the BMX Supercross series.
The 23-year-old London Olympian from Canberra capped an outstanding season on Saturday in the fifth and final round of the championship.
In the Californian city of Chula Vista, Buchanan came home behind race winner Mariana Pajon but that was more than enough to claim the series crown by 165 points ahead of the Colombian world champion.
It was the second time Buchanan had won the overall series having lifted the title in 2012.
Cycling
Australian Simon Gerrans won a select bunch sprint at the end of the world championship road race in Spain but it was for silver, not gold, after Poland’s Michal Kwiatkowski timed a breakaway to perfection to win.
Gerrans took out the six-man sprint for second ahead of long-time Spanish rival Alejandro Valverde, who finished third for a third consecutive year, on Sunday.
But it was Kwiatkowski’s break with about 8km left, first reeling in four escapees and then going alone on the final climb, that proved decisive as he became his country’s first ever world champion.
Australian head coach Brad McGee said there was mixed emotions after Gerrans’ silver.
“We’re crying and smiling at the same time,” he told AAP.
“How could you not be proud of Simon and all the boys’ efforts today.
“They did everything needed to win but were out-jumped by a superb performance from Kwiatkowski.
“You can’t be disappointed – but again the victory was right there in front of us.”
