S'pore pool pair fall to Finland, out of World Cup

LONDON • Singapore pool players Aloysius Yapp and Chan Keng Kwang were eliminated from the World Cup of Pool in London on Friday, after they lost 4-7 to Finland in the second round of the competition.

They had beaten Greece 7-5 on Thursday in their opening-round tie to advance.

Local cagers lose all three Asian C'ship group games

CHANGSHA (Hunan) • Singapore

finished bottom of Group C in the 22nd men's Asian Basketball Championship after losing 45-87 to South Korea on Friday night in China.

The cagers had earlier went down 42-91 to the hosts and 15-time winners and 68-98 to Jordan, failing to finish in the top 12 to make the second round.

They play Chinese Taipei tonight in the 13th to 16th placing classification.

Messi out for up to two months with knee injury

MELBOURNE• • Lionel Messi will be out for up to eight weeks after suffering knee ligament damage in Barcelona's 2-1 win over Las Palmas yesterday, the Catalan football giants confirmed.

The 28-year-old Argentinian looks set to be sidelined for at least eight Barca games, as well as Argentina's first four 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Button denies pay an issue in McLaren deal

SUZUKA (Japan) • Jenson Button has hit back at Niki Lauda after the Austrian Formula One great suggested the driver had told him he wanted to stay at McLaren next year and any uncertainty was about money.

"We spoke as I was going for a pee, and I never understand him anyway," said the 35-year-old, denying that money was at the heart of the issue. "I think I just said 'yes', being friendly.

"I didn't really have a conversation as such. It's nice that he's gone to the media and said that, though."

REUTERS