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Tennis: Women’s world number five Victoria Azarenka (picture, right) has withdrawn from the Madrid Open due to a lower back injury, the WTA has announced. The two-time Australian Open champion was set to meet American Louisa Chirico in the third round but the latter has now been given a walkover. Azarenka had seen off Britain’s Laura Robson and then France’s Alize Cornet in previous rounds. The fourth seed’s withdrawal is the latest big name exit at the Madrid Open, with top seed Agnieszka Radwanska, Angelique Kerber and Garbine Muguruza all leaving in previous rounds. Petra Kvitova also exited yesterday, losing 6-3 6-4 to Australia’s Daria Gavrilova.
Rugby: France winger Virimi Vakatawa is expected to turn down the chance to play Top 14 rugby and instead sign a new two-year deal contracting him exclusively to Les Bleus. The Fijian-born flyer will feature in both the Sevens and 15-a-side international sides by committing to the French Rugby Federation (FFR), reports said yesterday. Vakatawa received offers from Toulon, Stade Francais, Bordeaux-Begles and his former club Racing 92, and might have earned around £120,000 more over the next two years by signing up with a top side.
Police probe: The French Tennis Federation (FFT) headquarters in Paris has been searched by police investigating Roland Garros ticket sales and modifications to the site that stages the French Open. A lawyer for FFT president Jean Gachassin, a former France rugby international, has denied allegations the 74-year-old may have acted inappropriately in reselling tickets for the grand slam tournament to a travel agent. French sports daily L’Equipe reported on its website that Gachassin’s office had been targeted after a preliminary investigation.
Basket, NBA: Golden State Warriors held Portland Trail Blazers to three field baskets over the final 8:58 of the game, rallying from an 11-point deficit to record a 110-99 victory in Game 2 of the Western Conference semi-finals. With the Warriors up 2-0, despite playing both games without injured star Stephen Curry, the best-of-seven series moves to Portland for Game 3 on Saturday. Back-up centre Festus Ezeli, who never left the bench in Golden State’s Game 1 victory, was the backbone of a strong defensive effort in the fourth quarter. He added three hoops as the Warriors outscored the Trail Blazers 34-12 after entering the final period down 87-76.
Olympics: Former South Korea trade minister Lee Hee-beom has been nominated as the new president of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics organising committee, POCOG announced yesterday. Lee will be officially elected at the body’s general congress on May 12 and will then need the final approval of the country’s ministry of culture, sports and tourism, POCOG said in a statement after its executive board meeting. Once elected, Lee will replace Hanjin Group chairman Cho Yang-ho, who stepped down on Tuesday in order to focus on the management of the troubled Hanjin Shipping.