TENNIS PLAYER ERIN ROUTLIFFE BECOMES IN TIME FOR FED CUP

New Zealand has a new tennis player to get excited about and she'll fulfill a big role for her country at next month's federation cup,the International Tennis Federation have granted permission for Erin Routliffe to change nationalities from Canada to New Zealand..

She immediately becomes the country's No 2,behind Marina Erakovic,with a world ranking of 633,but don't let that number put you off about how much potential she is Routliffe has just finished her degree at the University of Alabama and will soon hit the professional circuit to find out how good she could be..But before that the 22-year-old will lead New Zealanand's chargeat the fed cup in Tajikistan on July 17, spearheading a team that also contains Paige Hourigan and Joanna caeswell but not Marina Erakovic.

Routliffe was born in Auckland while her parents were in New Zealand and she spent the first four years of her life in the country,she was the eighth highest ranked canadian player,but decided to throw her lot in with New Zealand after making a trip to Auckland at the end of last year.

TENNIS INTO SEMIS

The French open doubles winner has teamed with Brazil's Andre sa to reach the final four of the ATP tournament at S-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands,they defeated the third seeds.Jean Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau 3-6 6-3 10-8 in the quaterfinals and will now face top seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo for a place in the final.

At the ATP event in Stuttgart Marcus Daniel and Marcelo Demoliner were beaten by the team regarded as the best doubles pair in history,the Bryan brothers Bob and Mike from the United states in the quaterfinals

INDIA SMASH PAKISTAN

India kicked off their champion's trophy defence with a crushing 124-run victory over a ragged pakistan were broken br Virat Kohli.Kohli's unbeaten 81 hit all the right notes as India plundered 117 from their last 10 overs 72 of which came from the final 24 deliveries ,on their way to a winning score of 3-319..

But Pakistan were passive opponents,dreadful in the field,flaky under crucial catches and unable to mount a credible chase when asked to pursue 289 in 41 overs on Duckworth/Lewis method after a series of rain delays,to add injury insult,key seamers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz limped out of an already limited attack and latter was unfit to bat,leaving his team 9-164 at the close..

By the time they donated a succession of wickets to seal their defeat they looked evry inch a team ready to take their leave,not just of his contest but the competition as a whole.Rohit Sharma outscored Kohli at the head of the Indian innings,making 91,but chewed up 63 dot balls and advanced at a modest strike-rate of 76..

Yuvraj Singh's ebullient 53 proved better entertainment though he was dropped by Hasan Ali on eight and Kohli reprieved on 47 as Pakistan botched the basics.Pakistan  had won the toss and after a minute's silence for the london terror attack saw Amir send down a brilliant first over.It was all downhill from there ,the fielding gaffes began almost immediately,Ahmed Shehzad fluffing a regulation stop at point as Sharma and Dhawan cantered along to a 136 run stand under almost no pressure

WELLINGTON SAINTS STROLL PAST RANGERS

The Wellington saints are two games away from a perfect regular season after another comfortable win.The defending champions moved to 16-0 in their National Basketball league campaign following the 105-96 win over the supercity Rangers at trusts Arena in Auckland on Sunday afternoon..

It was the epitome of a complete team performance as every player who saw meaningful court time shone at some stage,in the first quarter it was Corey Webster he hit three -pointers in the first five minutes as his side jumped out to a 20-11 lead..

He would eventually end with a game high 26 points with eight rebounds and four assists but his saints team went cold soon after and flurry of points in transition from the rangers saw them go on a 9-0 run ,which led to a one point lead at the end of the first quarter(23-22).

The saints shrugged off their 30 per cent shooting effort in the quarter to come out strongly i the second,Webster hit a long range which was followed by a three-point play to Jordan Ngatai and a two to Tai Wesley as they quickly leapt out to a seven point lead..

LEBRON JAMES AND KYRIE IRVING PUSH CAVALIERS PAST CELTICS TO VICTORY

Kyrie Irving took over in the second half and finished with 42 points,Lebron James added 34 and the Cleveland Cavaliers moved within one win of an almost inevitable third date in the finals with Golden state by rallying to beat the Boston Celtics 112-99 on Tuesday night in game 4 of the Eastern conference finals.

Irving stayed on the floor despite rolling his left ankle in third quarter,when he scored 19 in less than five minutes and James shook off early foul trouble as the cavaliers opened a 3-1 lead in the series.The cavaliers meanwhile wouldn't be on the cusp of the finals without Irving with Cleveland in Jeopardy of dropping its second game in a row after James followed an 11-point game 3 by picking up four first half fouls,Irving put on a breathtaking one man show in the third quarter.

Freezing Bosto  defenders with his dribble and driving to the basket whenever he wanted ,Irving made six layups,two 3-pointers and a free throw in a dizzying span of 4:48..

He capped his blistering 19-point outburst with a 3 in the final second of the quarter and celebrated at mid-courtt by pretending to put two pistols back in his holster.

FIJI DEFEND RUGBY WORLD SEVENS

Fiji won succesive rugby sevens titles when it beat Australia 26-0 in its last pool match to reach the london quaterfinals at Twickenham on Saturday.Fiji neeeded only to make the playoffs,which it hasn't missed this season,but put it in doubt after losing a nervy opening pool match to England 31-10.

The Fijians took out their frustrations on Wales 42-5 then swatted aside Australia,fourth overall in the standings that ensured they finished second to unbeaten England in their pool and could'nt be caught by second place South Africa in the season standings,Fiji clinched its  third crown in the series 17-year history..

With nine points against Australia captain Osea Kolinisau became the 14th man to pass 1000 points in series history,and the second Fijian after Waisale Seresi.

On sunday, Fiji will play France in the quaterfinals France won its pool,and knocked Kenya the Singapore winner,out of quaterfinals contention 29-12 but in consolation,Kenya's Collins Injera scored his 231st try to become the series all-time leading try scorer.

SPANISH FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX

Lewis Hamilton won a strategic spanish Grand prix thriller on sunday to cut Sebastian Vettel's overall lead in the F1 championships to six points with a quarter of the season completed..The mercedes driver's 55th career win was hard fought and tense,with Ferraris vettel seizing the lead from Hamilton at the start and in the hunt all the way as the tyre strategies played out..

Hamilton took the cheque red flag 3.4 seconds clear of the German,who did all he could to beat him with a thrilling to pass.The Briton,who made the move stick seven laps later and then made his tyres last to the finish had sounded strangely breathless dumping the race when fretting about a strategy that turned out to be spot on

                                 POOR START

The win was Hamilton's second in Barcelona and ended a run of 10 different winners in 10 years, Ricciardo was the only driver not lapped by the top two in a race after inheriting third,and his first podium of the year frm Bottas  after the Finn's engine expired.

On a day of Finns failing to finish,Ferraris Kimi Raikkonen went out at the start after a collision with Red Bulls 2016 winner max vastappen.

Bottas,who celebrated his first career victory in Russia two weeks ago,made glancing contact with his compatriot and the impact pitched Raikkonen into verstappen on other sides smashing the suspension on both cars