1 Sep 2009

8am sports heads

6:44 pm on 1 September 2009

The New Zealand road cyclist Greg Henderson has achieved the rare distinction of a stage win on one of the world's biggest tours.

Henderson has won the 189 kilometre third stage on the Tour of Spain, and he's second in the overall standings, six seconds behind the Swiss star Fabian Cancellara.

The only previous NZ stage winner in the Tour of Spain's 73-year history was Paul Jesson in 1980.

The New Zealand womens basketballers have virtually no chance of qualifying for next year's world championships after being outclassed 98-48 by the world number three Australia in the opening game of their two-leg Oceania championship series in Porirua.

The mens number one Roger Federer has began his quest for a sixth consecutive US Open title by defeating the US college champion Devin Britton in straight sets.