Sport Shorts

* MADRID – Ronaldo grabbed two goals but left the field on a stretcher in Real Madrid’s 3-0 derby victory over local rivals Atletico on Saturday.

The game was almost over as a contest after just eight minutes. Atletico defender Antonio Lopez brought down Real captain Raul Gonzalez and the foul proved to be a double blow for the hosts.Lopez got his marching orders and Ronaldo stepped up to score from the spot.The three-times World Player of the Year got his second goal, and his seventh of the season, just after the hour after a wonderful pass from inside his own half by Jose Maria ‘Guti’ Gutierrez.However, the night was to end in pain for Ronaldo when the Brazilian World Cup star collided with Atletico defender Luis Perea two minutes into injury time.Barcelona squandered a two-goal lead with 20 minutes to go and had to settle for a 3-3 draw at Deportivo La Coruna on the same day.* PHILLIP ISLAND – World champion Valentino Rossi won the Australian MotoGP here Sunday, the Italian’s fifth consecutive victory at the Phillip Island track.American Nicky Hayden pushed Rossi hard but was unable to overhaul the Italian speedster.Spain’s Carlos Checa was third, just ahead of Italy’s Marco Melandri.It was the 11th MotoGP victory in 15 rounds this year for Rossi, who wrapped up the world championship in Malaysia last month.* COMO – Italy’s Olympic road race champion Paolo Bettini of the Quick Step team won the 246-km Tour of Lombardy, the last cycling classic of the season, from Mendrisio, Switzerland to here on Saturday.Bettini beat three breakaway companions in a sprint to register his first win in the race.Italy’s Gilberto Simoni took second ahead of Luxembourg’s Frank Schleck and Italy’s Giampaolo Caruso, with the main bunch led by Italy’s Davide Rebellin.The typically attack-minded Bettini initiated the decisive break with about 52 kilometres to go on a hilly section at Ghisallo, and Simoni, then Schleck, plus Caruso and Spain’s Carlos Sastre followed.-Reports by Nampa-AFP and ReutersAtletico defender Antonio Lopez brought down Real captain Raul Gonzalez and the foul proved to be a double blow for the hosts.Lopez got his marching orders and Ronaldo stepped up to score from the spot.The three-times World Player of the Year got his second goal, and his seventh of the season, just after the hour after a wonderful pass from inside his own half by Jose Maria ‘Guti’ Gutierrez.However, the night was to end in pain for Ronaldo when the Brazilian World Cup star collided with Atletico defender Luis Perea two minutes into injury time.Barcelona squandered a two-goal lead with 20 minutes to go and had to settle for a 3-3 draw at Deportivo La Coruna on the same day.* PHILLIP ISLAND – World champion Valentino Rossi won the Australian MotoGP here Sunday, the Italian’s fifth consecutive victory at the Phillip Island track.American Nicky Hayden pushed Rossi hard but was unable to overhaul the Italian speedster.Spain’s Carlos Checa was third, just ahead of Italy’s Marco Melandri.It was the 11th MotoGP victory in 15 rounds this year for Rossi, who wrapped up the world championship in Malaysia last month.* COMO – Italy’s Olympic road race champion Paolo Bettini of the Quick Step team won the 246-km Tour of Lombardy, the last cycling classic of the season, from Mendrisio, Switzerland to here on Saturday.Bettini beat three breakaway companions in a sprint to register his first win in the race.Italy’s Gilberto Simoni took second ahead of Luxembourg’s Frank Schleck and Italy’s Giampaolo Caruso, with the main bunch led by Italy’s Davide Rebellin.The typically attack-minded Bettini initiated the decisive break with about 52 kilometres to go on a hilly section at Ghisallo, and Simoni, then Schleck, plus Caruso and Spain’s Carlos Sastre followed.-Reports by Nampa-AFP and Reuters