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Results Based News

Gunners hit back to win

Author: Sir David Smith
Date: 18/03/2009

Arsenal scored twice in the last 16 minutes to upset the betting odds and beat Hull City 2-1 and set up an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley next month.

It was tough luck on the Tigers who had led from the 13th minute when Nicky Barmby's deflected shot beat Lukasz Fabianski in the Arsenal goal.

However, the Gunners finally equalised in the 74th minute when Robin van Persie fired home from close range before William Gallas headed the winner from three yards out despite appearing to be offside.

In the Championship, an 82nd-minute goal from on-loan striker Dave Kitson put Reading back on the winning trail and revived their hopes of automatic promotion as the Royals won 1-0 at mid-table Doncaster Rovers.

Play-off contenders Ipswich Town and Burnley shared two goals at Portman Road.

Wade Elliott fired the Clarets in front on 19 minutes before Tottenham loanee Giovani Dos Santos lashed home a terrific equaliser with 17 minutes left.

Swansea City's hopes of making the play-offs were dented as they went down 1-0 to QPR at Loftus Road while Barnsley came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 3-1 at Oakwell to ease their relegation concerns.

In cricket, India dominated the first day of the first Test against New Zealand in Hamilton.

Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori (118) and Jesse Ryder (102) put on 186 runs for the seventh wicket after New Zealand had been reduced to 60-6.

They were eventually bowled out for 279 as India pacemen Ishant Sharma and Munaf Patel took 4-73 and 3-60 respectively.

Openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir then saw India safely to 29-0 at the close of play.

In tennis, world number one Rafael Nadal and defending champion Novak Djokovic both secured third-round wins in Indian Wells.

Djokovic moved into the last 16 of the Masters 1000 tournament with a 6-2 7-6 win over Germany's Tommy Haas while Nadal easily beat Russian Dmitry Tursunov 6-3 6-3.

In the women's event, top seed Dinara Safina beat Jill Craybas 7-5 6-4 and title holder Ana Ivanovic defeated Flavia Pennetta 6-4 4-6 6-4.

Ivanovic will play Sybille Bammer in the quarter-finals after the Austrian surprisingly crushed Daniela Hantuchova 6-3 6-2 while Safina faces Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, who beat Israel's Shahar Peer 7-5 6-4.

Russia's Vera Zvonareva beat Li Na in straight sets and will play Caroline Wozniacki in the last eight after the Danish player beat Poland's Urszula Radwanska 7-5 6-3.

Teenager Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is also through to the quarter-finals after her last 16 opponent, Nuria Llagostera Vives, was forced to retire with a hip strain.

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