Sport in brief: Padraig Harrington continues to play leading role

Ronnie O’Sullivan fined Richard Gasquet under fire Michael Schumacher sells Broc Parkes sets the pace Britain relegated.
Golf Padraig Harrington recorded a one-under-par 69 to maintain his lead after the second round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akran, Ohio. The Irishman had his best round of the year, a 64, on Thursday to lead by two shots and played solidly to move to seven under yesterday.
Harrington takes a one-shot lead into the third round today, with Tim Clark, of South Africa, on six under after a round of 68, and Scott Verplank, the American, a further shot behind. Oliver Wilson is the leading British player, tied in thirteenth place on two under with Tiger Woods, the world No 1.
O'Sullivan in the red
Snooker Ronnie O’Sullivan has been fined £300 and ordered to pay £1,000 costs by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association for prematurely conceding a frame last December. While 23-0 up in a frame during a last-16 match against Joe Perry at the UK Championship in Telford, O’Sullivan walked out of the arena, and into the mid-session interval, after missing a red.
Gasquet under fire
Tennis The ITF has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to increase the severity of the ban handed out to Richard Gasquet after the Frenchman, now ranked No 38 in the world, tested positive for cocaine. A tribunal gave Gasquet a ban of 2½ months after ruling that he inadvertently ingested the drug by kissing a woman in a Miami nightclub. The ITF had been seeking a two-year suspension.
Schumacher sells
Formula One The return of Michael Schumacher has led to an extra 10,000 ticket sales for the European Grand Prix in Valencia on August 23. Meanwhile, Valmor Sport, the race organiser, is confident that a one-race suspension of Fernando Alonso, the Renault driver and Spanish hero, for compromising safety rules will be overturned at an appeal hearing before the FIA, the sport’s governing body.
Parkes sets the pace
Motorcycling Broc Parkes and Sheridan Morais, the Kawasaki World Superbike team-mates, set the pace in free practice yesterday before the weekend’s triple-race eighth round of the British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch. Parkes, of Australia, set a scorching pace in the afternoon session, with his best lap of 1min 26.910sec coming at an average speed of 95.30mph.
Britain relegated
Equestrianism The Great Britain showjumping team failed to save themselves from relegation last night, despite finishing equal second at the Meydan FEI Nations Cup event in Dublin. Britain were joint eighth with Belgium in the league and were relegated with Italy, who were bottom. Belgium survived because their record in the seven previous Nations Cup events was better than Britain’s.
Source:The times