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| | Bolt poised for first individual race of season | | SPRINT king Usain Bolt will run his first individual race of the Olympic season on Saturday when he lines up for the 100m at the Jamaica International Invitational at the national stadium.
After running the anchor leg on the Racers' 4x100m club relay team that clocked a season-leading 37.82 seconds in rainy and cold conditions three weeks ago at the UTech Track and Field Classic in Kingston, Bolt had reported he was injury free and ready to go.
"I felt all right, comfortable, smooth, not as smooth as I would normally feel, but I have a few months to get ready and a lot more running to go, so I look forward to getting better," Bolt said of his early form in a season pointed at the London Olympics starting in July.
Training partner Yohan Blake, who will headline the 200m here this weekend, had run a seasonleading 9.90 seconds in the 100m at the UTech meet, but with dry conditions expected on Saturday this will likely be eclipsed by Bolt.
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| | Nadal opposes blue clay courts at Madrid Masters | | PLAYERS will step onto the untried blue clay courts of the ATP-WTA Madrid Masters from Sunday, with serious doubts and some hostility as preparations for the French Open are fine-tuned.
King of clay Rafael Nadal, who set records in his last two tournaments with an eighth straight trophy at Monte Carlo and a seventh from eight appearances in Barcelona, has been among the most outraged in the Spanish capital.
After training on the courts which are the marketing brainchild of the tournament's billionaire impresario Ion Tiriac, Nadal was even more upset than he had been before trying them out at the Caja Magica complex in the south of Madrid.
The world number two blamed the ATP for accepting the never-before-seen clay colour as the event prepared to get under way.
"I trained on it yesterday (Thursday) afternoon and I think it's a mistake — not by the organisation but by the ATP," said the irate Spaniard on Friday at a sponsor event.
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| | Simpson shakes off nerves to seize share of lead at Wells Fargo | | WEBB Simpson admitted his pairing with Tiger Woods made him nervous on Thursday, but it didn't show as he seized a share of the first-round lead at the $6.5 million Wells Fargo Championship.
Simpson, playing with Woods and former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy of Australia, chipped in for eagle at the par-four eighth hole at Quail Hollow and drained a 60-foot birdie putt at 12 en route to his seven-under par 65.
He was tied with former British Open champion Stewart Cink and Ryan Moore for the lead, with five more players — England's Brian Davis, Rickie Fowler, D.A. Points, Patrick Reed and Australian John Senden — a stroke back on 66.
"I was nervous playing with Tiger. I prayed a lot out there," said Simpson, who lives nearby. "Once I made a couple birdies, I kind of enjoyed it." Scores were low in hot, humid weather, making for a crowded leaderboard.
About half the field broke par.
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