Or the findings might be due to chance.”It was possible some characteristic of the populations who lived near the power lines, or of the area where they were situated, could account for the increase in leukaemia. Overall, the researchers estimate that proximity to the overhead cables may account for five of the 400-420 cases of childhood leukaemia occuring in England and Wales each year.Dr Draper said: “These results are very surprising. Although previous studies have suggested some increase [in the risk of leukaemia] you have to be much nearer [within 60m]. No one would expect an effect at this distance.”We don’t think this is a direct effect of the magnetic field at 200 to 600 metres.

There might be some other indirect, remote mechanism that we don’t understand and we can’t measure. Public concern about the safety of high voltage power lines will be heightened today by a study showing children living within 200 metres of the overhead electricity cables have a 70 per cent increased risk of developing leukaemia.
The study, involving almost 10,000 cases over 33 years, found the effect was small but statistically significant. About one child in 2,000 develops leukaemia before the age of 15 and about 4 per cent of the population live within 600 metres of power lines. They ruled out electro-magnetic fields produced by the power lines as a cause as they would be too small to have any effect at a distance of 200 to 600 metres. There was also an effect on children living between 200 and 600 metres from the power lines who had a 23 per cent increased risk of leukaemia.However, the researchers, led by Gerald Draper of the Childhood Cancer Research Group at the University of Oxford, were unable to offer any explanation for their findings, published in today’s British Medical Journal. Not only does Henin possess the best backhand in the women’s game, but yesterday she also unleashed an impressive inside-out forehand.Pierce, born in Montreal but French on her mother’s side, had a 6-1, 6-1 win against another Russian, Elena Likhovtseva.Henin has won their three previous matches – on clay, grass and concrete – without dropping a set..

He said if I continue like I have been the last two months, I’m not going to be any good. If I have the same mentality as I do now, there’s no chance of me doing well. But the reason for me being like that is because I wasn’t happy off the court. So that’s why I had to stop.”Returning to tomorrow’s women’s final, Pierce, the 2000 champion, faces the 2003 winner Henin, who turned 23 on Wednesday.”The number 23 is my age, 23 matches is my unbeaten run, and 23 is the number of tournaments I’ve played,” Henin said after beating Nadia Petrova, of Russia, 6-2, 6-3 “It’s my lucky number.”Luck may not come into it. That could not be said about Martina Navratilova, 48, who reached the mixed-doubles final yesterday with Leander Paes. It was in 1972, when Buster Mottram won.Andrew Murray, the 18-year-old Scot who holds the US Open junior title, spoke confidently yesterday of emulating Mottram.

Having beaten Juan-Martin Del Potro, of Argentina, 6-4, 6-2 he plays Marin Cilic, a towering 16-year-old Croatian, for a place in the final.Murray, a wild card for next week’s Stella Artois Championships at Queen’s Club, disclosed the main reason why he had parted from his Colombian coach, Pato Alvarez: “Off the court we were arguing a lot, and he was saying bad things about my tennis and about me. She said the tension of waiting for a major final gave her positive energy “I like those days,” the Belgian mused. “The day before D-Day.” And we thought Mary Pierce was pushing it at 30

Justine Henin-Hardenne gave her age away yesterday. So that’s why I had to stop.”In tomorrow’s women’s final, Pierce, the 2000 champion, faces the 2003 winner Henin, who turned 23 on Wednesday.”The number 23 is my age, 23 matches is my unbeaten run, and 23 is the number of tournaments I’ve played,” Henin said after beating Nadia Petrova, of Russia, 6-2, 6-3 “It’s my lucky number.”Luck may not come into it.

Justine Henin-Hardenne gave her age away yesterday. The 32-year-old Sale centre will lead a side including one debutant, the Llanelli Scarlets hooker Matthew Rees, who plays in place of the injured Mefin Davies.. Today, the Lions coaches will cast a keen eye over the All Black trial in Napier, even though players from the newly crowned Super 12 champions Canterbury Crusaders have been held back, as have those Test contenders involved in the Maori match with Fiji in Suva.Tana Umaga, the All Black captain, has pulled out of the “probables” side after going down with a flu-type virus, but a number of good bets for the opening Test in Christchurch three weeks tomorrow will be involved, including the Waikato scrum-half Byron Kelleher, who is favoured to oust Justin Marshall from the starting combination.* Mark Taylor will captain Wales against the United States when he earns his 50th cap at Rentschler Field in Hartford tomorrow. This is a personal view, but I expect, and am steeling myself for, some injuries of considerable magnitude.”Bay of Plenty officials have confirmed a 30,000 sell-out for tomorrow’s game, which could easily be a fiery affair given the local team’s reputation for overt physicality. I have no doubt that for pure intensity, this trip will be out of sight by comparison.