Yesterday, Rose tipped Gregory to replace Jansher Khan as the top player in the world. Jansher, presently the world's number one, withdrew from the tournament because of injury, which enabled Rose to get a spot in the first round draw as a `lucky loser' after being beaten in the qualifying round by Canadian Joe Besso.

Against Gregory, Rose admitted he was beaten by a better player. "I played well and did a lot of running for the first two games,'' he explained yesterday.

"But in the third game he played some top squash. He's playing very good and is very hungry at the moment. He's looking very good to replace Jansher as the number one.'' While Rose heads home -- he is scheduled to arrive back on the Island today -- Gregory, enters the second round where he will face countryman Darren Webb, a five-set winner over Australia's Craig Rowland.

The round also features number two seed and favourite Brett Martin of Australia as well as Tristan Nancarrow and Philip Whitlock, seeded three and four respectively.

RUGBY RUG Police 10, Renegades 39 After 25 minutes of the first half, with the score at 3-3 after a penalty kick each, Renegades had a blue patch where they scored 12 points in five minutes mainly through the efforts of Dermot Casling who is having a fine season in the Second XV league.

Police assisted Renegades' efforts with poor defence, Casling's first try a result of a charge down of a Police clearance kick with Casling snapping up the loose ball to score on the corner.

The second try came after Casling had chased a long kick and put Police full-back Keith Cassidy under pressure. Renegades increased their lead even further with a try by Liam McKittrick after Bryan Mewett had side-stepped three people. Pat Jones converted two tries for a half-time score of 22-3.

Police forwards towered above Renegades in the line-outs with Grant Tompkins providing a lot of possession for Police. Unfortunately, as was the case last week, Police threw away possession with poor handling and disorganised alignment in the backs.

The second half again saw Renegades score three times, two from Martin Jinks, one a result of the side-stepping ability of Mewett. Andy Cook converted.

Police's only try of the game was awarded as a penalty try after Police had been illegally impeded when running for the line. Andy Wright converted.

Teachers 23, Mariners 16 Teachers were made to fight all the way to maintain their unbeaten record Again it was the ball-winning ability of the Teachers forwards that paved the way for victory with dominance in the scrums and control in the mauls.

Mariners' backs were tenacious in defence and the sheer direct running of Doug Hasselbring and Keith Hodgkins had Teachers in all sorts of trouble.

Teachers' first try came from good inter-passing between the back row and Adderley at scrum-half.

Dan Bucher and Pat McHugh engineered a set move that saw Bucher diving over the Mariners line. From the kick-off, poor support by Teachers' forwards led to Hodgkins running through two defenders for Mariners' first try.

Mariners then took the lead 8-5 with a penalty kick. Teachers hooker Brian Toms scored a try in the corner after good handling by the forwards, Toms selling a dummy to Hasselbring before romping over the line.

Sal Cantarella followed up with a try after a clever kick and made it 15-8 for Teachers at half-time.

Teachers' forwards continued to dominate and when Mariners were caught offside, Peter Booth made it 18-8. Mariners captain Peter Voss was carried off on a stretcher with a leg injury and was given two stitches above his eye.

A good penalty move saw Mariners closing the score to 18-13. Things got more exciting when Mariners were awarded a penalty after a high tackle by Robbie Dickinson in front of the posts.

The penalty by Mike Gorman brought the score to 18-16 and captain Adderley made it certain for Teachers with a try in the dying minutes.

MOTOCROSS SCR The Maxwell brothers, Chris and Leroy, were two of the five winners after the ninth round of the Pepsi Nationals on Sunday at Coney Island.

Chris was outstanding, winning two of three motos on one of the best race days this season by controlling the race from the front. Mike Burgess had a good day with a first, second and third after Chris fell in the second race while in third place was the improving Jamal Hassell who was unlucky not to get two seconds.

The 80cc national champion was only good for a second-place finish in the second moto with falls and a flat putting him to fourth.

The other Maxwell, Leroy, had two seconds behind class leader Devin Moss.

Leroy's second moto win gave the Yamaha ace a seven-point win over Moss. Kyle Constable was third.

Kevin Walton was the lone 250C rider and he took an easy 45 points to take over the class lead over Donnie Moss who did not race on the weekend.

125B national champion Justin Belboda took three more wins to take his tally to nine wins. But the 45 points were not enough to move up to a place and he still resides in fourth.

Malcolm Raynor was second with two wins and a third. Gary Simons was third with a second and two thirds while leader Aaron Pace sat out with a comfortable bulge.

Robert Smith did his thing over Ed Jones for the 250B races with a hat-trick of firsts. Duprey Joell, second in points, was a non-starter due to bike problems.

CROSS-COUNTRY CC The National Cross-Country Championships will take place at the northern point of Ferry Reach on Saturday morning starting at 9.00.

Registration is scheduled between 8.00 and 8.50 with the preview of the course at 8.30. The primary school students will take a one-and-a-quarter-mile loop with the secondary girls racing the full loop, which is over one-and-a-half miles.

The secondary boys' course is two loops of the course with the senior women racing doing three loops of the course and the senior men four loops.

The course is the same as the one used last year in a cross-country event and which appears to present the type of challenge appropriate for the championships.

The event will close out the association's cross-country season, which saw increased interest and participation in cross-country running at a variety of sites throughout the Island in a series sponsored by Federal Express. Winners in this series, as well as the overall champions, will be presented with their awards after the running of the championships.

There is a $1 fee for primary runners and $2 for secondary. Adults will pay $3 to compete. Additional information may be obtained from Philip Guishard at 295-3670 days or 297-0113 evenings, Kim Mason 293-8103 or Gerry Renshaw (schools) at 295-0770.

BRIDGE BDG The Bermuda Regional Bridge tournament continued in a spectacular way yesterday, with the elimination of the two favoured teams in the first round of the Knockout Teams.

Eric Murray, one of the all-time great Canadian players and winner of the event last year, went down narrowly with his side and Jim Linharts' squad lost by just one point.

Meanwhile, three local teams made it through to the second round.

At the halfway mark in the Stratified Pairs the field is being led by a Flight B duo from the United States, Philip Nyman and C.Peeke, with Canada's Phyllis Shapiro and Judy Overland in second ahead of Bill Tucker and Ethel Major.

Nyman and Peeke naturally lead Flight B followed by Horace and Anna Bailey.

Today sees the third round of the Knockout and the H.A & E. Smiths Pairs at 1 p.m. and the Flighted Open Pairs at 8.45 p.m.

CRICKET CRI Southampton Rangers will hold a training session and meeting for all those interested in playing cricket for the club on Sunday at 9 a.m.

Devonshire Rec. will hold a training session today at 6 p.m. On Friday, the club's Barbados tour group will meet at 6.30 p.m.

Warwick will hold a training session at Warwick Sec. on Sunday (9.30 a.m.) for all players and any others interested in representing the club in the upcoming season.

PHC are hoping to enter a team in the Premier Division in the upcoming season.

A meeting has been called for Thursday at 6.30 p.m. for last season's players and others interested in joining the club.

YOUTH SOCCER SOC The Crystal Palace Youth Cup quarter-finals will precede the FA Cup matches on Sunday, with BAA playing Somerset at Somerset Cricket Club, St. David's hosting Devonshire Colts at St. David's, PHC taking on North Village at Southampton Oval and Dandy Town meeting Wolves at Bernard Park. All matches start at 12.30 p.m.

Two Minor Division make-up matches are scheduled for Saturday morning starting at 10.15. Somerset Eagles play Devonshire Colts at Frog Lane field and North Village take on St. George's at Bernard Park.