Tennis: British number one Heather Watson resisted the challenge of Jovana Jaksic to reach the second round of the Japan Women’s Open. The 22-year-old, who won the top prize in Osaka two years ago, recovered from losing the opening set to her Serbian opponent to triumph 3-6 6-4 6-2 at the Utsubo Tennis Centre. World number 46 Watson had lost in the first round of her last four tournaments but will next face Kazakh teenager Yulia Putintseva in Japan following her 7-6 6-3 victory over local hopeful Risa Ozaki.
Golf: The European Tour has announced that the European Open will return to its calendar in 2015. Last seen in 2009, the tournament will be held at the Hartl Resort in Bad Griesbach, Germany, next September. Previous winners of the event include Darren Clark, Colin Montgomerie, Greg Norman and Lee Westwood and the 2015 edition will carry a two million euro purse.
Olympics: The demolition of Japan’s National Stadium to clear the way for a new structure to host the 2020 Summer Olympics has been further delayed in order to hold another round of bidding for the project, officials said yesterday. The move was suggested by a government panel following a complaint of irregularities in an earlier bid round this summer, and looks set to delay demolition of the stadium until at least the middle of December, five months later than planned, in a symbol of the woes Tokyo faces as it readies for the games. The daily Tokyo Shimbun quoted workers at that construction firm as saying the bids were opened before setting the final price and the job was then awarded to a company other than the lowest bidder.
Rugby Union: The All Blacks will seek a new scrumhalf for the northern hemisphere tour after Tawera Kerr-Barlow was ruled out for months with a serious knee injury. Kerr-Barlow will have surgery in New Zealand after tearing knee ligaments in a heavy clash with South Africa flanker Schalk Burger after coming off the bench during the All Blacks’ 27-25 loss in Johannesburg.
American Football: Peyton Manning tossed the 500th touchdown pass of his stellar career as Denver Broncos inflicted the first defeat of the season on Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Quarter-back Manning joined Brett Favre in an exclusive two-man club by reaching the 500-milestone when he connected with tight end Julius Thomas for a seven-yard touchdown with just under five minutes left in the first quarter in Denver.