Paes in final
India's Leander Paes advanced to the first ATP singles final of his career on Saturday, defeating Italy's Laurence Tieleman 6-3, 6-4, at the Hall of Fame Championships. Paes will go for a $39,000 first prize at the $275,000 grass event on Sunday when he faces South Africa's Neville Godwin who upset top-seeded Australian Jason Stoltenberg 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/5) in the second semi-final.

Passions rise
Football fever swept France today, hours ahead of the France-Brazil World Cup final. Thousands of French and Brazilian fans gathered along the champs Elysee waving a sea of flags, while hundreds more supporters joined forces at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Cars blared their horns throughout the centre of the capital, French and Brazilian banners fluttering from the windows.

Rained off
The first match of Sri Lanka's tour of England was abandoned without a ball being bowled today, because of rain. The Sri Lankans were due to play English county side Hampshire in a one-day match at Southampton but the game was called off shortly after an early lunch. The touring side's next fixture is a three-day game against Somerset at Taunton, starting on Tuesday.

Kwatra makes cut
India's Shivin Kwatra struck back to back 72's for an aggregate of 218 (74, 72, 72) and comfortably made the cut in the 31st Junior World Golf Championships at the Torrey Pines, San Diego.