Sport in brief

Motor racing

Felipe Massa will retire from Formula One for good at the end of this season. The Williams driver, who announced his retirement last year only to return for one more campaign, said: “I have now enjoyed four great years with the team, but my career in Formula One will finally come to an end this season.” Massa, who as a Ferrari driver finished second by a single point to Lewis Hamilton in the 2008 World Championship, sits in 11th place in the current drivers’ standings.

Golf

Ireland’s Shane Lowry surged into contention for his first victory in two years as Justin Rose closed in on his second in two weeks in the £5.3million Turkish Airlines Open. Lowry carded a third-round 65 at the Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort to join Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat in the lead on 14 under par, with Rose, Padraig Harrington and halfway leader Nicolas Colsaerts two shots behind. Meanwhile, in Abu Dhabi, England’s Georgia Hall lost by a single shot to Indian teenager Aditi Ashok, who won her third Ladies European Tour title in 12 months after a tense finish to the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open.

Snooker

Mark Allen stopped the Yan Bingtao juggernaut to reach the final of the International Championship in China. The 17-year-old has crushed Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins this week, but Allen cracked in two centuries and cleared breaks of 50 on eight occasions against his overwhelmed opponent. Ulsterman Allen meets the world champion, Mark Selby, in today’s best-of-19-frames final.

Tennis

Rafael Nadal could be fit to feature at the ATP World Tour Finals in London after scans showed the world No1 has sustained no new damage to a long-standing knee injury, his doctor has revealed. Meanwhile, qualifier Filip Krajinovic reached the Paris Masters final after an upset 6-4, 6-7, 7-6 victory against ninth-seeded John Isner, a defeat that ended the American’s hopes of reaching the ATP finals which start on Nov 12.

Boxing

Jamie McDonnell retained his WBA world bantamweight title on a technical draw after a clash of heads with Liborio Solis. The Briton suffered a nasty cut to his eye and the rematch with Solis was stopped in the third round in Monte Carlo. And as four rounds had not been completed, the bout was declared a no-contest. Venezuelan Solis lost on points to McDonnell in Monte Carlo a year ago.

Rugby Union

The Wallabies were devastating in attack as they ran in nine tries to brush Japan aside, 63-30, in Yokohama yesterday and add momentum as they head to Europe to face stiffer opposition in Wales, England and Scotland this month. Australia scored five unanswered tries in the first half and then notched four after the break. Reece Hodge converted them all.