Sporting News in Brief...

Bundesliga: Bayer Leverkusen came from behind to beat MSV Duisburg 3-1 yesterday and make it a winning return to coaching for Rudi Voeller. Voeller, director of football at Leverkusen, took over as temporary coach this week after Klaus Augenthaler paid the price for the club's worst start to a season in 22 years. Duisburg had moved ahead in the 31st minute with a Klemen Lavric header but goals from Juan and Dimitar Berbatov put Leverkusen in front by the interval. Brazilian defender Athirson blasted in a minute from time to seal a much needed away victory and send Leverkusen up to seventh place with seven points from five matches. In yesterday's other match Schalke 04 were held to a goalless draw at home to Hertha Berlin.

Celtic win: Stilian Petrov's early goal secured Celtic a 1-0 win at Hibernian yesterday to close the gap on Scottish leaders Hearts to five points. Bulgaria midfielder Petrov took advantage of sloppy defending to score after six minutes in a scrappy match. Celtic spurned a host of good chances and Japan midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura curled a low free-kick against the post early in the second half. Hearts top the standings with a maximum 21 points from seven games after their 1-0 win at Inverness on Saturday. Celtic are second with 16 points with Rangers, Hibernian and Kilmarnock on 13 points.

Blazevic: Croatian champions Hajduk Split sacked coach Miroslav Blazevic yesterday after less than four matches in charge following a string of disappointing results at home and abroad. "After consulting with the club management we have agreed with Mr Blazevic to cancel our cooperation," club president Branko Grgic told state television. Blazevic was sacked after Hajduk lost 1-0 at home to FC Rijeka on Saturday.

Tennis: Top seed Rafael Nadal beat number two Guillermo Coria 5-7 6-1 6-2 to win the China Open yesterday, securing his 10th title of the year. The world number two has now beaten Coria in three finals this year following Masters Series titles on clay in Monte Carlo and Rome. Nadal tied Roger Federer for tournament wins in 2005 and improved his match record for the year to 72-10 to move past the world number one in victories. Federer's record for the year stands at 71-3. Nadal's first trip to Asia netted him $69,200 in prize money.

Basketball: Slovenia beat France 68-58 and defending champions Lithuania overcame Bulgaria 92-79 yesterday to advance to the European championship quarter-finals. Also going through to the last eight were Russia, who topped their group despite being edged out 51-50 by Germany yesterday, and Spain, who lost their only group match in three outings with a surprise 85-77 defeat by Israel. Hosts Serbia and Montenegro beat Latvia 82-67 to secure a play-off match with France. Israel upset Group D winners Spain earlier in the day to finish third behind the second-placed Serbs and set up a play-off clash with Group C runners-up Greece, who beat Bosnia 67-50. Italy trounced Ukraine 99-62 in a Group A match to secure a berth in the play-offs.