Women sport news

Japan’s Haru Nomura was forced to save par on the 18th hole in today’s final round to win the LPGA Futures Tour’s $100,000 Daytona Beach Invitational. photo futurestour.com

With a 275=66-69-71-69 (-13) Stacy Lewis surpassed Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng in the final round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship to win for the first time on the LPGA Tour and the first major championship of the season and of her career.

Next week will see the UK's young sailing stars go head to head for gold, glory and selection for RYA Volvo Team GBR at the 2011 RYA Volvo Youth National Championships (11-15 April).

Lucy Macgregor, Annie Lush and Kate Macgregor have booked their berth in the quarter-finals of the Elliot 6m women's match racing event.

The 16-year-old from Pleasington set the pace in the first round and moved away from the field in the afternoon, returning a six-under par score for the day with a pair of 68s.

Tuesday April 5 2011 GREEN-baize queens from around the globe descend on Bury St Edmunds this week for the Greene King World Ladies Snooker Championship. photo Monique Limbos

DEFENDING Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Telstra Drug Aware Pro women’s champion Chelsea Hedges (AUS/Gold Coast) survived a very tight round three heat to advance through to the final 12 surfers.

Loughborough Lightning captain Jo Harten led by example in the Round 12 FIAT Netball Superleague clash with university rivals Leeds Carnegie, the match coming off the back of a spectacular win over the league’s defending champions.

Defending champions Tianjin beat Guangdong Hengda 2-1 in the best-of-three series finals to win the 2010-2011 Chinese Volleyball Association (CVA) women's league in Guangzhou on Sunday, clinching their eighth title in nine seasons. photo FIVB

With the 2011 Women’s African Club Championship already in full swing, all eight teams set to compete in the quarterfinals have now been decided as the fight for a place at the 2011 FIVB Volleyball Club World Championships, set to take place later this year, continues in Nairobi, Kenya. photo FIVB

Patty Schnyder, a two-time finalist at the Premier-level tournament and this year's No.13 seed, saved nine match points before finally falling to South Africa's Chanelle Scheepers, 64 64. Vera Dushevina is also out ousted by America's Vania King in straight sets

In the 470 women's event, Penny Clark and Katrina Hughes had a steady start with 3,5 to put them in third overall, with Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark enjoying mixed fortunes in the windiest conditions they have sailed in since joining forces in February. photo Rolex

British Freestyle Skiing will be holding a Women's talent ID camp in Saas Fee , Switzerland between 23rd and 30th April for Halfpipe skiing.

Twenty-four teams from eighteen countries are in Palma de Mallorca, Spain to compete for the Women's Match Racing title at the 42nd Trofeo S.A.R. Princesa Sofia MAPFRE. In addition to the individual event title, the teams are competing for the overall 2010-2011 ISAF Sailing World Cup (SWC) title.

Australian Diamonds captain Sharelle McMahon will miss the World Netball Championships in July following an operation to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon.

American Karly Shorr (Milford, MI) earned a spot on the FIS Snowboard Junior World Championship podium Sunday, landing bronze in the women's slopestyle snowboarding contest. It marked the third Junior Worlds medal for the U.S. in Valmalenco.

Aussie Stinger Gemma Beadsworth, one of the superstars of women's water polo globally, is featured in the latest edition of FINA Aquatics World Magazine.

Less than a year after the birth of her first child, Dutch squash star Natalie Grinham gave the clearest signal that she is back to her best when she won the Women's Atwater Cup in Canada, upsetting third seed Joelle King in the final of the WISPA World Tour Silver 20 event in its third year at Club Atwater in Montreal. photo WISPA

A last minute Abby Holmes header handed Sunderland the Premier League title as they came from behind to defeat Millwall Lionesses 3-2. Report by David Brenchley

Madeline Perry leaps three places to a career-high No3 in the latest Women's World Squash Rankings to become the highest-ranked Irish woman of all-time in the April list published by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA). photo WISPA

After scoring their first defeat of the 2011 FIAT Netball Superleague season in the week's thrilling TV clash with Mavericks, Northern Thunder responded with a carefully crafted win over the Celtic Dragons that left the visitors unhappy with some of the whistle-blowing in the game.

Adelaide Thunderbirds kept their faint play-off hopes alive after holding out a fast-finishing Canterbury Tactix 59-56 in an abrasive clash in Christchurch today.

The LG Mystics edged back into the top four with a commanding 61-48 win over Haier Pulse in Auckland on Saturday

A victorious Victoria Azarenka dropped her racquet and celebrated with tears after winning her second Sony Ericsson Open title, defeating Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-4.

New Zealander Joelle King and Dutch champion Natalie Grinham will contest a surprise Women's Atwater Cup final in Canada after the two top seeds failed to survive the semi-finals of the WISPA World Tour Silver 20 squash event in its third year at Club Atwater in Montreal.

A member of her national team at last year's FIBA World Championship for Women, the sharpshooting O'Hea just finished her WNBL season with the Bulleen Boomers, who are coached by former Australia boss Tom Maher. Photo: Herve Bellenger/Castoria/FIBA