MILAN, July 23: Manchester United will have to watch out for Inter Milan's number 10 here on Sunday, as the Italian club prepare to unlease Ronaldo on the English champions.Ronaldo is now destined for San Firo after FIFA brokered a compromise deal yesterday between Inter and Barcelona.

Football's ruling body approved the transfer, despite Barcelona's initial claim that Ronaldo's get-out clause was only valid in Spain. However, FIFA accepted the Spaniards' demand for more money.Inter president Massimo Moratti is looking forward to fielding the 20-year-old striker, who is expected here on Friday, and has already got his shirt ready.

The two clubs have a week to reach an agreement on how much on top, Inter will have to find. Barcelona are believed to be seeking a large sum in cash (reportedly 17 to 23 million dollars), while Inter are more interested in arranging lucrative friendlies.If no agreement is found between Inter and Barcelona by July 31, FIFA have said they will impose the extra fee.

Bailey to compete at Athens meet

TORONTO: Donovan Bailey, feeling sluggish and recovering from a hamstring injury, still intends to run the 100 metres next month in the World Championships at Greece.A story in the French sports daily L'Equipe yesterday quoted Bailey as saying that if he's not feeling right when he gets to Athens he'll skip the 100 and give his place to fellow Canadian Glenroy Gilbert.

Flynn said the L'Equipe story was a result of ``all the negative press from the Canadian championships (in Abbotsford, British Columbia).Bailey is the defending world and Olympic champion and holds the world record of 9.84 seconds in the 100 meters. At the Canadian meet, he ran 10.03 into the wind.

Ex-Sampras coach ordered to stand trial

DOWNEY: A doctor and former coach of tennis star Pete Sampras was ordered to stand trial on charges that he molested young male patients.After a preliminary hearing that included testimony from the alleged victims, a Downey municipal court judge ruled prosecutors have enough evidence to proceed with the case against Dr Peter Fischer.

Fischer, 55, has pleaded innocent to those charges, all filed in connection with one alleged victim, aged 14. The acts allegedly occurred throughout 1996 at the doctor's office in Bellflower.In the case discussed yesterday, Fischer is charged with ten felonies in connection with three other alleged victims between the ages of 13 and 15, according to the prosecutor.Sampras, currently the world's top-ranked tennis player, began practicing at age nine with Fischer at the Jack Kramer Tennis Club in Manhattan beach.

`Punter' gears up for his next innings

LEEDS: ``Punter'' to his team mates, Ricky Ponting is on the verge of starting the second phase of his Test career after becoming the favourite to take the No 6 batting spot in the fourth Test at Headingley beginning tomorrow.Ponting, who is poised to fill the void created by a miserably out-of-form Michael Bevan, will be Australia's only change to the winning combination from Old Trafford which beat England by 268 runs to square the series 1-1.

Ponting has been one of the handful of players affected by Australia's request for a shorter pre-Test schedule. The talented right hander from Tasmania has played six Tests for Australia and enjoyed a fine start to his Test career scoring 96 on debut against Sri Lanka, which was followed by innings of 71 and 88, all batting at No 3.His 88 came against the West Indies in the first Test at Brisbane last year, but come the third Test at Melbourne, Ponting was not in the Australian side.The selectors thought he was brandishing his bat too often as a No 3 and needed a little more discipline.

Record entries for 1998 Davis Cup

LONDON: A record-breaking 131 nations will compete in the 1998 Davis Cup, the International Tennis Federation said today.First-time entries Honduras, Netherland Antilles, St. Lucia and the U.S. Virgin Islands were accepted to join the 127 nations which took part in the 1997 Davis Cup.

The semifinal round of this year's competition, to be held from September 19 to 21, pits the United States against Australia in Washington D.C. and Sweden against Italy in Norkoping, Sweden.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.