Sports round-up

Golf: Luke Donald’s win in the PGA Championship at Wentworth on Sunday has vaulted him back ahead of Rory McIlroy atop golf’s world rankings. The two golfers have been duelling for the top spot in the world for the past three months with the position changing hands several times. McIlroy failed to make the cut at Wentworth, opening the door once again for Englishman Donald. He needed a top-eight finish and achieved that comfortably defending his title with a three-stroke victory over Paul Lawrie and Justin Rose.

Squash: Egyptian former world champion Ramy Ashour will defend his Australian Open crown in Canberra in August. Ashour last year became the first Egyptian to win the Australian Open when he beat England’s Nick Matthew in a five-game thriller. World champion Matthew went on to become the first Englishman to win the British Open three times when he defeated Ashour in three games in London this month.

Boxing: Five-time world champion Johnny Tapia has died at his house in New Mexico. Albuquerque police were called to Tapia’s house on Sunday evening by a family member who found a body there. Police spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters yesterday that the death did not appear suspicious and an autopsy would be conducted to determine the cause of Tapia’s death.

Basket, NBA: Manu Ginobili scored 26 points and San Antonio Spurs turned it on in the fourth quarter to beat Oklahoma City 101-98 in the first game of the NBA Western Conference Finals. The Spurs stretched their winning streak to 19 games and moved one game closer to booking their berth in the NBA Finals. The winner of this best-of-seven series will face either Miami Heat or Boston Celtics for the NBA title.

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Swimming: Australian great Grant Hackett (picture) has been dumped by a children’s anti-violence charity after pictures were published of his trashed apartment following an alleged drunken rampage last year after a quarrel with his ex-wife. Hackett was ambassador for the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, which cares for children who have experienced violence. The organisation advised Hackett last week of its decision to relieve him of his duties.

Wrestling: Japanese wrestling queen Saori Yoshida’s bid for a third straight Olympic gold medal has taken a big knock with the end of her 58-match winning streak just weeks ahead of the 2012 London Games. With her trademark tackles failing to hit home, Yoshida lost 2-1 to Valeria Zholobova in the 55kg bout of the Japan-Russia final at the women’s World Cup in Tokyo on Sunday. The 29-year-old fought back tears after her surprise loss, which did not prevent Japan from beating Russia 5-2 to win the team title for the first time in six years.

Badminton: Badminton’s world body has abandoned plans to force women players to wear skirts, officials said, in the face of fierce opposition which threatened to cause controversy during the Olympics. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) sparked uproar last year when it tried to make skirts or dresses mandatory for female players, in an attempt to attract more fans, before postponing the move indefinitely.