Women sport news

Sania Mirza advances into the third round after def Varvara Lepchenko in straight sets. Chakvetadze and Morigami also advance

Italy's Flavia Pennetta and Sara Errani gave the local fans plenty to cheer when they reached the quarterfinals of the Internazionali Femminili di Tennis di Palermo on Wednesday.

England captain Fern Whelan grabbed a late, injury-time equaliser to earn a point against Poland in their opening UEFA Women's U19 Championship Group B game Reykjavik. photo FA

Women’s professional golf now under one umbrella. Duramed FUTURES Tour, announced today that the LPGA has acquired the Duramed FUTURES Tour effective immediately. The Duramed FUTURES Tour has been the official developmental tour of the LPGA since 1999

JUNDIAI (FIBA U19 World Championship for Women) - Brazil's U19 women's squad are heading to the FIBA U19 World Championship in Bratislava in confident mood. photo FIBA

Britain's top synchronised swimmers will gain valuable experience as they compete at the 32nd Swiss Open Championships which kick off in Zurich today

Star of the show was thirteen year-old Sophie Dickson (Lightening Taekwondo Club, Liverpool) who won a bronze medal at her weight of +59Kg. Dickson showed concentration and focus beyond her years when defeating some tough competitors en-route to her medal.

Rocky Mountain Rollergirls vs. Pikes Peak Derby Dames @ The Fat City Event Center Saturday August 4th

As the adopted charity for the Salford BG Triathlon World Cup, Leukaemia Research has received a generous donation of over £4,000 thanks to competitors who bid for a sought - after place in the race.

Norwich Union Great Britain and Northern Ireland teams prepare to compete at the European Junior Championships in Hengelo, Netherlands, on 19-22 July.

The top-two ranked netball nations in the world will duel in front of bumper Australian crowds later this week when the Holden Netball Test Series continues on Saturday July 21.

The U.S. Women’s Beach Team of Angie Akers and Brooke Niles Hanson defeated El Salvador’s Ivonne Soler and Laura Molina 21-11, 21-7 in a Pan American Games Pool E match Tuesday evening under the lights at Copacabana Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. photo Brooke Niles US Volleyball

USA's Natalie Grainger celebrated Pan American Games squash gold for the first time after decisive straight games victories in the individual final at the Miécimo da Silva Complex in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. photo WISPA

Players from a record 24 countries will compete in the Hoe Hin White Flower Ointment World Junior Women's Squash Championships 2007, which will be staged in Hong Kong for the first time from 1-11 August.

The Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars have completed preparations ahead of the opening match of the Top End Series against New Zealand in Darwin tomorrow.

Sixty four of the world's top-ranked players have come together for the HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship. Brittany Lincicome returns but if she wants to defend her title, she'll have to do it on a new course at the Wykagyl Country Club

The Pan American Games may be hogging most of the sports section, but before Synchro Canada’s National A Team even steps anywhere near the competition pool in Rio next week, both the National Junior and B Teams will have competed in the US and Swiss Open’s respectively.

Britain’s top Para-equestrian dressage riders are gearing up for their final major test before the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games with the start of the world championships in Gloucestershire today.

The U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team were swept by undefeated Cuba 25-16, 25-23, 25-15 Monday evening during the XV Pan American Games held at Maracanãzinho Gymnasium.

Cynthia Barboza (Outside Hitter, Long Beach, Calif.) and Foluke Akinradewo (Middle Blocker, Plantation, Fla.) entered Stanford University together as a freshmen in 2005, and now are members of the U.S. Women’s National Team together as soon-to-be juniors for the Cardinal in 2007. photo US Volleyball

We started a bit shakey and tentative. There was poor communication in the first few exchanges and some bad passes. At the first time out the score is 7-8. We are playing well enough to stay close. Puerto Rico is serving extremely tough and the air conditioning blows the ball around quite a bit. After the time out, two shanked passes. photo US Volleyball

One of the most famous beaches in the world and Rio’s best known postcards, Copacabana will host the Pan American Games’ beach volleyball. The matches will be played at the Copacabana Arena, which seats nearly 3,800 fans. Beach volleyball has been part of the Pan American Games the past two events. photo US Volleyball

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (July 16, 2007) – The U.S. Women’s Beach tandem of Angie Akers and Brooke Niles Hanson faced a daunting challenge by facing the host country duo of Juliana Silva and Larissa Franca to open the Pan American Games on July 16. photo US Volleyball

Malaysia's Wee Wern Low caused a major upset in the women's event by beating top seed Camille Serme in the semi-finals before going on to lift her first European Squash Federation Junior Circuit title this year at the Frans Otten Stadion.

Natalie Grainger is firm favourite for gold in the women's event after two 17-minute victories in the quarter and semi-finals. Playing in her first event since celebrating her 30th birthday earlier in the month, the top seed from Washington DC brushed aside US team-mate Michelle Quibell 9-2, 9-2, 9-2, then Canada's 3/4 seed Runa Reta 9-3, 9-5, 9-0.

Egypt are expected to win the Hoe Hin White Flower Ointment World Junior Women's Squash Championships next month in Hong Kong according to the interim Team event seedings which are announced today (Monday) by the World Squash Federation (WSF). photo Alexwan