Melbourne - Third seed Dinara Safina stayed on course for a shot next week at the number one WTA ranking, gaining a Friday win for the Safin family hours before her brother Marat was to face Roger Federer.

Safina, the losing finalist at the French Open, reached the fourth round in Melbourne for the first time in her career, posting a 6-2 6-2 win over Kaia Kanepi.

Safina is one of three women chasing Jelena Jankovic in the rankings with a title next Sunday enough to assure the 22-year-old of the breakthrough top spot.

Los Angeles  - Dwight Howard put on a red Superman cape last year and soared to a resounding victory in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. This year, the Orlando Magic centre didn't need any superpowers to become the first player in NBA All-Star Game balloting history to top 3 million votes.

Los Angeles  - In the end, Alonzo Mourning chose his health rather than another comeback, and the seven-time All-Star centre officially retired Thursday.

"That's what it's all about, it's my health," Mourning said during a press conference at Miami's American Airlines Arena. "My health is more important than anything.

"So many of us take it for granted, underestimate it until something seriously happens to us. I've gone down with something seriously physically happening to me, and I can surely appreciate my health at this particular state that I'm in right now."

Anterselva, Italy  - Tora Berger of Norway edged Darya Domracheva of Belarus Thursday to win the 7.5-kilometre sprint in the women's biathlon World Cup.

Berger clocked 21 minutes 25.5 seconds to beat Domracheva by 8.1 seconds after both had a penalty round at Anterselva, Italy.

Kati Wilhelm of Germany was 20.7 seconds back in third place after one penalty round.

Wilhelm, winner of last year's race, moves to third overall in the standings on 437 points, behind leader Svetlana Slepzova of Russia (481) and compatriot Ekaterina Iourieva (473).

Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy - World Cup organizers were forced Thursday to call off a third attempt to hold a women's downhill training run as poor weather continued to hamper the meeting in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

The downhill scheduled for Friday on the Olimpia delle Tofana course will now be cancelled as the race cannot be held without a training run.

The race was itself a replacement for a cancelled downhill at Lake Louise, Canada in early December.

Heavy snow had forced organizers to cancel the downhill training runs on Tuesday and Wednesday, while a super giant slalom initially scheduled for Thursday had also been called off.

Rome - AC Milan defender Alessandro Nesta has returned to Italy after a long period spent in the United States to treat a back problem, the Devils web site reported Thursday.

"I'm going to (Milan's camp in) Milanello to start training and when I'm fine I'll play," Nesta said.

The full-back, who turns 33 in March, went to Florida in November to undergo treatment for a lower-back pain that had sidelined him since the summer.

"I suffered for a long time but now I took the problem seriously because there was a way to come out of it," he said.