Nothing had prepared me I confess for the professional rugby I have seen so far this season

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Nothing had prepared me, I confess, for the professional rugby I have seen so far this season. Greg Rusedski, the British No 2, has also risen in the rankings, from 84 to 75, after reaching the semi-finals in Singapore last week. Sam Smith, the Essex player, who reached the semi-finals of the Limoges Challenger two weeks' ago, has become the British No 1 after improving her world ranking from 214 to 134.. He has withdrawn from the Vienna event this week, because of blisters, but he will be back on the circuit at Ostrava, in the Czech Republic, next week. After reaching the semi-finals of the Lyon tournament last week, Henman has risen from 32 to 26 on the ATP computer. "Most of the things spectators were accused of were not substantiated," Tobin said.Davis Cup seedings, Digest, page 31.

Tim Henman yesterday became the first British player since John Lloyd in December 1984 to break into the top 30 in the world rankings. The Austrian No 1 said conditions were the most hostile he had ever met, but the ITF's president, Brian Tobin, said Muster had not proved his allegations. Austrian attempts to have the tie replayed at a neutral venue ended in failure yesterday when the ITF confirmed Brazil's 4-1 victory. They also approved on-site fines totalling $8,000 (pounds 5,200) on Muster, who appeared in person to argue his case. Austria refused to complete the last three rubbers after Thomas Muster walked off court in protest at what he felt was the threatening behaviour of the home crowd.

Austria have been ordered by the International Tennis Federation to forfeit pounds 35,500 prize money for failing to complete their Davis Cup World Group qualifying match against Brazil in Sao Paulo last month. The draw, made yesterday, pitted Basingstoke Bison against the Super League newcomers, Ayr Scottish Eagles. It took Mike Blaisdell's decisive penalty to put Panthers through after overtime in the second leg ended with them level at 4-4 with Devils, who had a goal by Venzio Sacratini disallowed two minutes into overtime.The other three matches went to form and without such drama. Ayr Scottish Eagles, still to be defeated in the Cup, beat Manchester Storm 3-2 for a 7-4 aggregate victory.Bracknell Bees surrendered a 4-0 lead over Basingstoke Bison, and with Blake Knox taking his game tally to four, the 6-5 victory for Bison gave them an 11-8 aggregate triumph.Sheffield Steelers scarcely needed to break sweat to beat Newcastle Cobras 2-0 on the night and 8-3 overall with the goalminder Piero Greco keeping out all Cobras' efforts.BENSON & HEDGES CUP Quarter-finals, second Leg: Cardiff Devils 3 Nottingham Panthers 4 (agg 4-4; Nottingham win 3-2 on penalty shots); Ayr Scottish Eagles 3 Manchester Storm2 (agg 7-4); Bracknell Bees 5 Basingstoke Bison 6 (agg 8-11); Newcastle Cobras 0 Sheffield Steelers 2 (agg 3-8) Semi- final draw: Nottingham v Sheffield; Basingstoke v Ayr First leg: 26 Oct; second leg: 31 Oct.. Nottingham Panthers, who only just kept their record of appearing in every Benson and Hedges Cup semi-final by edging Cardiff Devils in a shoot- out, will take on the holders, Sheffield Steelers in the last four. The 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow saw Jose Ortelli's exhausted horse put down after the cross-country, while Ferdando Zuviria had two falls and was prevented from remounting after a third by spectators distressed at the condition of his horse.. The judicial committee of the international governing body of the sport, the FEI, reported yesterday on the results of a hearing into the alleged mistreatment of horses by the Argentinian riders at Georgia's Pine Top Farm. The panel listened to evidence and inspected photographs of the training methods used, which included taking their horses over obstacles with wire and nails across the top."To use for training a course of this kind amounts in the committee's view to severe cruelty of which the entire Argentinian Olympic show- jumping team were guilty," the FEI statement said.The team's 17th place in the show jumping at the Olympics has been declared void, the riders are suspended from all international competition for six months, and the riders must pay an unspecified amount to cover the cost of the hearing.This is not the first time Argentinian riders have been involved in controversy.