Sporting briefs

Maicon: Chelsea have joined the race to sign Inter left-back Maicon, according to the Brazilian defender's agent. Maicon's representative, Antonio Caliendo, said that Real Madrid and a number of other clubs are monitoring the 27-year-old's situation at the Serie A champions. "Not only Real Madrid have asked me about Maicon," Caliendo said. "The other team that has asked about Maicon is Chelsea and there are also three other English teams that are interested."

Cazorla: Villarreal's Santi Cazorla has fractured a bone in his right leg after falling awkwardly in the 3-0 Primera Liga defeat by Almeria, the club said yesterday. The Spain winger, who will miss the rest of the season, had to be substituted after 65 minutes and was taken to hospital where the injury was confirmed. Further tests will be required today to see if surgery is necessary and that will determine the length of time the midfielder will be out of action.

Pizarro treble: Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro scored a hat-trick to steer Werder Bremen to a 4-1 win over Hanover 96 yesterday. Diego added the other and missed a penalty after the visitors had levelled with a Jacek Krzynowek solo goal midway through the second half. Werder are 10th with 35 points.

In Russia: Zenit St Petersburg had a 3-0 away victory at Tomsk yesterday which shot them to the top of the Russian Premier League table. With this win, Zenit gained seven points from three matches to share the lead with Grozny, who defeated Dynamo Moscow 1-0 on Saturday.

Porto: Porto midfielder Freddy Guarin has returned to full fitness and has been included in the squad to face Manchester United in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash. The Colombia international has recovered from an ankle sprain and will be available for tomorrow's game.

Snooker: China Open final - Ebdon bt Higgins 10-8.

Athletics: Kenya's Vincent Kipruto won the Paris marathon with a late burst of speed to beat the event's record time yesterday. Kipruto covered the 42.195 kms in the French capital in two hours 5.44 minutes, beating the previous record set by compatriot Mike Rotich in 2003 by 49 seconds. Ethiopia's Bazu Worku was second, 30 seconds behind, with another Kenyan, David Kiyeng, taking third place 11 seconds further back. Kenya's Atsede Bayisa won the women's race in two hours 24.39.

Swimming: Spaniard Rafael Munoz set a world record for the 50 metres butterfly in the semi-finals of the Spanish championships in Malaga yesterday. The 21-year-old recorded a time of 22.43 seconds, passing the previous best of 22.96 set by South African Roland Schoeman at the Montreal world championships of 2005, the Spanish swimming federation said.

Rugby Union: Former England utility back Josh Lewsey has decided to retire from rugby at the end of the season but still wants to be part of this year's British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa. "I am 32 and I suppose I could have gone on for a few more years," the Wasps player told the Sunday Times in an interview. "But Vanessa (his wife) is finishing her doctorate, you have to think about real life and responsibilities, the possibility of a family."

Tennis: Former great John McEnroe has offered to help Roger Federer rediscover his form after the Swiss suffered a series of uncharacteristic defeats this year. "I would really like to help Roger. Especially as he needs to change his strategy if he wants to beat Nadal. And I have an idea about that," the American was quoted as saying in the French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche. "I can't see myself accompanying a player all year long but it could be really interesting to help out from time to time."