Form suggests they will do just that and, while Newcastle can retake the lead at home to West Ham two days later, the pair are likely to trade places until April Fool's Day. That is when Newcastle, who will be second if both sides have won their games, visit Anfield. Enter the third force. At 62nd are the seeded Mark and Victoria Farrow, while Stephen Park and Ruth Verrier- Jones, at 65th, may have found the blustery winds too much for their relatively light-weight combination.. The South African Blaine Dodds, who has won his national championship nine times and been second five times at World Championships, is lying fifth out of the 112. One place behind is Brazil's Claudio Cardoso, silver medallist in Mexico last year, and in eighth place is the defending world champion, Aaron Worrall, also from Australia.The best placed British are Matthew Eeles and Philip Hildyard who are 40th and need to perform well today in what may only be one more race before the cut to the final 56 is made for tomorrow and Friday. Liz is in third place with the Papua New Guinea-based Australian Mark Laruffa, sandwiching the South African pair William and Lucinda Edwards.Coming up fast, however, are the favourites.

Nicola Wardley is crewing for the Australian Bob Engwirda, who is in first place after six races. Sailing STUART ALEXANDER reports from DubaiTwo British sisters were flying high in the semi-finals of the Hobie Cat 16 World Championships here yesterday. It would boil down to us having to play an extra week and that's it. It would be just another tournament."There had been talk of golf returning to the Games this summer - it might even have been played at Augusta, home of the Masters - but the IOC ruled against it in January 1993.n The Northumberland Challenge - the first new European tour event in England for eight years - is to be held at Slaley Hall from 13 to 16 June.. It last appeared in 1904."I told him that including golf in the Olympics was not only of interest to golf, but also to the IOC," he said.

"It could be good business, and the Eastern bloc countries would start to be interested in golf. "I just wish there was a better schedule to enable us to be more committed to playing the Davis Cup.''. Golf Seve Ballesteros, who resumes his career in Morocco tomorrow after a break of nearly six months, is pushing for golf to become an Olympic sport again. Ballesteros has spoken to the International Olympic Committee president, Juan Antonio Samaranch, a fellow Spaniard, arguing for the sport to be included in the Sydney Games in 2000. He has told the American captain, Tom Gullikson, that he would be available if the team advances to the semi-finals."Last year I paid the price in some ways with the travelling and playing a lot of tennis, and this year I just felt it was too much," Sampras said.He considers that his quest for the French Open last June was handicapped by his participation in the Davis Cup quarter-final in Italy immediately after the Lipton Championships in Florida in March "I felt it burnt me out a little bit," he said. "It should maybe be played once every two years.''Sampras, who helped his country triumph against Russia in Moscow last December, missed the opening round match against Mexico in California a month ago and will not play in the quarter-final in the Czech Republic on 5 April. The very best resources for the best powerboat racer - even if he is almost completely unknown..

Tennis Pete Sampras has opted out of the United States' defence of the Davis Cup until the final stages, stating that the competition ought to be suspended during an Olympic Games year, writes John Roberts. "I honestly don't think the Davis Cup should be played in an Olympic year," the Wimbledon champion and world No 1 said yesterday. And their boat-building facility is populated by the pick of American and European builders, engineers and test mechanics. "I wish he was back," he said.Usually the Dubai drivers are partnered by Italians or Americans, though there is a strong basis of Class 2 racing in the country through which the top drivers can emerge. At the moment that Grand Prix is still on, but there are worries both that the team might be walking into a situation where their equipment could be seized for political bargaining purposes.