Golf: Rising Italian golfer Matteo Manassero will join world no.1 Luke Donald and Ian Poulter in the field for the Australian Masters in December. Manassero, the youngest winner in European Tour history when he captured the Castello Masters in October, will be making his first trip to play in Australia. Manassero was just 17 years and 188 days when he won the Castello Masters.

Athletics: American sprinter Mike Rodgers has tested positive for a banned stimulant. The positive test, if confirmed, will put the former US 100 metres champion’s participation in this month’s World Championships in doubt. The event gets under way in South Korea on August 27. The 26-year-old is reported to have blamed the positive test on an energy drink.

Tennis: Juan Martin Del Potro was given an easy passage through to a second-round clash with Roger Federer at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. Italian opponent Andreas Seppi retired injured when trailing 4-1 in the first set. In the only other first-round match to be played late Sunday, US wild-card entry James Blake caused an upset by beating Cypriot Marcos Bagh-datis 3-6 6-3 6-2.

Rugby Union: Wales skipper Matthew Rees has been ruled out of the World Cup after failing to fully recover from a neck injury. It is another blow for Wales after the news that Gavin Henson will be sidelined for the start of the campaign and is likely to miss the entire tournament after undergoing sur-gery on a dislocated bone in his right wrist.