ATHENS, Greece, Sept. 25--In the final Preliminary Round of the men's sitting volleyball paralympic tournament matches in pools A and B, there were no surprising results and consequently the teams ended up in the table as expected, since Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina have not lost a single set yet, Athens2004.com reported.
Germany beat Japan 3-0 and Iran had an easy victory over Finland with the same score. Egypt proved too strong for hosts Greece and won 3-0. In the Bosnia-Herzegovina vs USA match the final score was the same: 3-0.
In another thrilling match for the women's preliminary round, the American team won for the third time in the tie-break procedure. This morning, they managed to regain their strength coming up with another victory against Ukraine (3-2). These two successful results placed the USA second in the pool tied with the Netherlands. The Dutch team had an easy victory against Slovenia (3-0).
Finally, China, the leading team of the preliminaries, led by Sheng Yu Hong, top scorer of the Tournament, didn't find any special difficulty in overcoming Finland 3-0 within an hour of play.
So far the women's preliminary tournament has offered 9,345 spectators the chance of watching spectacular matches and exciting efforts by the participating teams.

ATHENS, Greece, Sept. 25--With China's lead close to unassailable in the final stretch of the Athens Paralympics, Britain and Australia were dueling for second place in the overall medal standings as the Games resumed on Saturday, AFP reported.
Also on Saturday, organizers announced that ticket sales were approaching the 800,000 mark, twice as many as predicted before the Paralympics began.
Britain had the edge in gold, with 24 to Australia's 19, but was one shy in total medals, 62 to 63. China had a total of 93 medals at the end of competition Friday, 36 of them gold.
Both Australia and Britain are strong in swimming, which will yield 18 gold medals on Saturday, but Australia can expect a better showing in the final day of road cycling competition.
Meanwhile, Korea - 27th overall with three gold and 14 total medals--is hoping its top-ranked archers can nail enough bulls' eyes Saturday and Sunday to improve its position in the general standings. Korean bowmen are present in four of six semifinal
events, with Japan, Thailand and China also in contention for precious metal.
In athletics, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder distributed the medals Saturday after what was probably the most anticipated event of these Games: the 100 meter dash for below the knee amputees. "You will have to run under 11 minutes to win," world record holder Marlon Shirley told AFP. Shirley's current record is 11:08.
On Friday, undefeated middle-distance runner Henry Wanyoike from Kenya, accompanied by his seeing guide Joseph Kibunja Gachui, broke his own world record Friday in the "T11" 5000 meter race with a time of 15 minutes and 11.07 seconds.
A prodigy runner in his youth, Wanyoike began running in non-seeing competition four years after a stroke left him totally blind in 1995.
Also in T11 competition, China scored gold when Wu Chunmiao won the woman's 100 meter dash in a personal best time of 25.39 seconds, 1.5 seconds off the Paralympics record of 24.99.
In the T11 men's 200 meter dash, Angola's Jose Armando broke the 23 second barrier, setting a world record for non-sighted athletes of 22.73 seconds.

SpainÀs Constantino Zaballa rides to win the 19th stage of the Tour of Spain cycling race from Avila to Collado Villalba on Friday. (Reuters Photo)

COLLADO VILLALBA, Spain, Sept. 25--Spain's Constantino Zaballa, riding for the Saunier Duval team, broke away early in the day for a courageous win in Friday's 19th stage of the Tour of Spain, Reuters said.
Zaballa raced clear after 40 km of the 142-km stage from Avila to Collado Villalba and was never headed but compatriot Roberto Heras moved a day closer to a record-equaling third overall victory when he kept the race lead with two stages left.
"I doubted that I would be able to make it because I was out alone for so long, but this is a victory I've been looking for since my first year as a pro," Zaballa said.
Heras finished 19th in the main bunch, six minutes 25 seconds behind Zaballa who was 1:23 ahead of his closest pursuers, a group of 15 riders.
Second was Moldavian Ruslan Ivanov and third the 2004 Tour of Italy winner, Italian Damiano Cunego.
Zaballa took off after 40 km, maintaining an advantage of up to three minutes on the five classified climbs that followed.
An insect bite in the second hour of racing did not discourage him and he finally clocked a time of three hours 33 minutes and 32 seconds for the stage.
It was the second stage win of the race for the Saunier Duval team who are new to cycling in 2004 and Zaballa's first in a major Tour.
"It's a victory I've taken thanks to determination and grit," Zaballa said. "I helped form a break two days ago," the 26-year-old added, "but then an upset stomach meant it was impossible for me to stay with the rest."
Second on the Tour of Spain's stage 18 to Las Rozas last year, Zaballa had raised his arms when he crossed the line thinking he had taken the win.
"This time round, though, I knew the victory was mine for sure," he said.
Zaballa dedicated the victory to his mother who died of cancer recently.
Overall, Heras retained his advantage of 1:13 over his closest pursuer, Spaniard Santiago Perez. Another Spaniard, Alejandro Valverde, lies third, 2:15 back.
Saturday's 178-km stage finishes on the Puerto de Navacerrada, the last summit finish of the race and a traditionally decisive ascent.

Andy Roddick returns a shot to Vladimir Voltchkov of Belarus during the semifinals of the Davis Cup on Friday. (Reuters Photo)

LONDON, Sept. 25--Andy Roddick cracked a 155mph (249kph) delivery, two mph quicker than his own fastest serve record, to help push the US into a 2-0 lead over Belarus in their Davis Cup semifinal on Friday, Reuters said.
An inspired display by Paul-Henri Mathieu also put France 1-0 up against Spain in a semifinal disrupted by bad light in Alicante.
World number two Roddick overwhelmed Vladimir Voltchkov 6-1 6-4 6-4 in the opening match between the U.S. and Belarus before Olympic silver medallist Mardy Fish followed up by defeating Max Mirnyi 7-5 6-2 3-6 6-3.
Roddick broke his own serve record in the final game against Voltchkov and then closed the match with his 17th ace.
Voltchkov, who has a sprained left wrist, had not played since the August Olympics and admitted he was rusty.
The US are bidding to make their first Davis Cup final in seven years. Belarus have never advanced this far. In Alicante, France were clinging on to hopes of a 2-0 lead when bad light forced Juan Carlos Ferrero and Fabrice Santoro off the court in the fourth set of the second rubber.
Guy Forget's side were leading 1-0 after Mathieu's shock 6-3 3-6 2-6 6-3 6-3 victory over Carlos Moya.
Spain were left to rue failing to make home advantage count.

Vijay Singh from Fiji, follows through on his tee-shot on the 17th hole during the second round at the 84 Lumber Classic in Farmington, Pa., Friday. (AP Photo)

FARMINGTON, USA, Sept. 25--World number one Vijay Singh remained on course for his fifth win in six starts when he shot a four-under-par 68 in the second round of the $4.2 million Pennsylvania Classic on Friday, Reuters reported.
The 41-year-old Fijian, who led by three strokes after an incomplete opening round, finished two in front of 2003 British Open champion Ben Curtis (67) after carding a 12-under total of 132 at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort.
US Ryder Cup player and former Pennsylvania champion Chris DiMarco (65) was in third place on nine-under 135. Kent Jones, Joey Sindelar and JP Hayes were next best on 137.
Singh is seeking his eighth PGA Tour victory of the season, and his third this month after capturing the Deutsche Bank Championship and Canadian Open crowns.
The US PGA champion began his round on the back nine and opened with successive birdies at the par-four 10th and par-five 11th.
After a bogey at the par-three 12th, Singh added consecutive birdies at the 15th and 16th. But he could only manage one further birdie over his closing 11 holes, at the par-five fifth.
"It was a different game today," Singh told reporters. "I wasn't as sharp as yesterday.
"I missed one or two fairways, missed one or two putts. I played decent. I'll take a 68."
Curtis has had a torrid time since his British Open triumph last year and is way down in 136th place on the PGA Tour money list. But his second consecutive round of 67 helped the American make his first cut since the US Open in June.
The 27-year-old Curtis produced a spectacular start, reeling off five birdies in the first eight holes. He slipped back with a bogey at the 14th but hit his approach inside nine feet at the 18th to take second place.
DiMarco, like Singh, also started on the 10th and collected three birdies on his front nine before adding four more on the way home.
"It's about time I made some birdies," said DiMarco. "It was nice.
"I hit it close and I made a couple of good putts. I actually missed a couple too, I missed two four-footers out there for birdie."
The cut was made at even-par 144. Defending champion JL Lewis was among the casualties on eight-over 152.

KOBE, Japan, Sept. 25--China's world number one and former champion Wang Liqin was knocked out of the Japan Open table tennis tournament on Saturday, losing to Frenchman Damien Eloi, AFP said.
The 2001 world champion and Asian Games gold medallist, who won the Japan Open in 2000, suffered a surprising 11-9, 6-11, 11-4, 8-11, 10-12, 11-9, 9-11 defeat to his 47th-ranked opponent.
Wang, who also won bronze at the Athens Olympics, became the biggest casualty this week after his teammate Wang Hao, the Olympics silver medallist, lost to Adrian Crisan of Romania on Friday.
Eloi, the team silver medallist in the 1997 world championships and the winner at the 1998 Swedish Open, now takes on another Chinese, Sydney Olympic champion Kong Linghui in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, Leung Chu-yan of Hong Kong shocked current world champion Werner Schlager of Austria 11-7, 7-11, 12-10, 11-6, 13-11 to book a place against Chuan Chih-yuan of Taiwan.
Chuan, the Asian Games silver medallist, defeated Jean-Michel Saive of Belgium 12- 10, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5, 4-11, 9-11, 11-8, with China's Ma Lin and Chen Qi, Timo Boll of Germany and Crisan also reaching the quarter-finals.

Brazilian driver Rubens Barrichello steers his Ferrari during the qualifying session in the first ever Chinese F1 Grand Prix at Shanghai International Circuit Saturday. (AP Photo)

SHANGHAI, China, Sept. 25--World champion Michael Schumacher reasserted Ferrari's domination in final practice for Sunday's inaugural Chinese Formula One Grand Prix.
After a troubled start on Friday, with Schumacher admitting that the Italian team had yet to adapt their car to the demands of the new track, Ferrari roared back to the top of the timesheets on Saturday, Reuters reported.
The German, winner of 12 of the season's 15 races so far, lapped the $325 million circuit in one minute 33.448 seconds with Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello, winner of the last race in Italy, second quickest.
Finland's Kimi Raikkonen was third fastest for McLaren with Briton Jenson Button, in a BAR, fourth after a strong showing on Friday.
The times were still slower than Friday's fastest lap of 1:33.289 set by BAR's British test driver Anthony Davidson.
Germany's Ralf Schumacher, picking up speed after a three-month layoff, was fastest in the opening session ahead of Colombian team mate Juan Pablo Montoya.
The Williams driver, refreshed and fully recovered from his big crash at Indianapolis in June, lapped in one minute 34.380 seconds.
Canadian former champion Jacques Villeneuve, making his comeback at Renault after a year out, was 10th and faster than team mate Fernando Alonso in the first session but went off in the second.
Renault are fighting BAR for second place in the championship with two races remaining after Shanghai. Ferrari and Schumacher have already won both titles.

LEEDS, UK, Sept. 25--Sunderland clinched a fourth successive league victory in The Championship when Carl Robinson struck a second half winner to beat Leeds United 1-0 at Elland Road on Friday, AFP said.
But the match proved to a nightmare for Leeds' new striker Brett Ormerod who missed a penalty and also needed stitches in a head injury.
Welsh international Robinson found the net in the 64th minute when Stephen Elliott set up the midfielder with a sweet pass and Robinson curled in a low, curling shot past Leeds goalkeeper Neil Sullivan to move his team to fourth place in the table.
Ormerod, signed by Leeds manager Kevin Blackwell on a month-long loan this week from Southampton, needed medical treatment after a clash of heads with former Leeds centre-back Stephen Caldwell.
In the 68th minute, Leeds had a chance to level when they were awarded a penalty for Caldwell's rash challenge on Clarke Carlisle but Ormerod hit a weak spotkick straight at Matt Poom in the Sunderland goal.
Leeds boss Kevin Blackwell defended Ormerod.
"He took charge of the situation," said the coach.
"Brett is a penalty taker at his own club anyway, although he was not the nominated penalty-taker here, that's for sure. But I will not knock him. He took the ball with a lot of confidence and it's not as if he was some lad who just grabbed it and had never taken a penalty in his life before."
Sunderland boss Mick McCarthy, whose side survived a Brian Deane goal which was ruled out for a foul on Poom by Ormerod, was delighted with Robinson particularly after the scorer had been stretchered off with a neck brace following last week's win over Preston.
"I'm surprised he was playing although we knew when he came off that he was not concussed, just stiff and sore," said McCarthy.
"So he's had a gentle week this week and he's ended it with a very good finish."

PARIS, Sept. 25--American rider Kenny Roberts Junior has been ruled out of the next three rounds of the world motorcycling championship after failing to recover from an elbow injury he suffered at last week's Japanese Grand Prix, Reuters reported.
His Suzuki team said in a statement that Roberts will miss the races in Qatar, Malaysia and Australia before returning for the final event of the season in Spain on October 31.
Roberts place will be taken in Qatar and Malaysia by Suzuki regular Yukio Kagayama, while at Phillip Island full-time test rider Gregorio Lavilla will sit in.

MARSEILLE, France, Sept. 25--French yachtsman Bruno Peyron and his team on Saturday broke the record for crossing the Mediterranean from Marseille to Carthage in Tunisia, AFP said.
In a maxi catamaran Orange II the team set a time of 17hr 56min 13sec, to better the previous mark of 18hr 46min 48sec which American Steve Fossett achieved in May 2002 for the 480 nautical miles (865km) distance.
The 48-year-old French skipper and his team left Marseille on Friday at 08:13.29am (06:13.29GMT) crosing the finishing line in Carthage at 02:09.42am (00:09.42GMT) on Saturday, organisers said.
"The Mediterranean record is one of the twenty fastest in the world," said Peyron, adding that it was excellent training for his bid for a third Jules-Verne title after previously winning the race in 1993 and 2002.