WIMBLEDON - MARIA Sharapova won seven straight games during one stretch but let a late lead slip away on Wednesday and lost to Gisela Dulko, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 in the second round at Wimbledon.

CAPE TOWN - BRITISH and Irish Lions lock Nathan Hines has been banned from the playing in the second test against South Africa for a dangerous tackle on Wilhelm Steenkamp in Tuesday's 13-13 draw with the Emerging Springboks.

The first Lions player to be cited on the tour, into its eighth game of 10, the Scotland second row was suspended for a week which means he will not play in the second test at Pretoria on Saturday but will be available for the third at Johannesburg July 4. He has 24 hours to appeal.

WIMBLEDON - LAST year's semifinalist Zheng Jie of China has been eliminated in the second round at Wimbledon, losing 6-3, 7-5 to Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia.

The 16th-seeded Zheng broke in the first game of the match, but Hantuchova broke back twice and took the first set with a big crosscourt forehand.