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Tennis: Former world number one Maria Sharapova (picture) will be awarded a wildcard by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to play at next month’s Aegon Classic in Birmingham, according to a report in the Times. Sharapova’s current ranking of 258, after a return from a 15-month doping suspension last month, was too low to merit a direct entry for the grasscourt event and the organisers are looking to give her one of the four available wild cards, the report said. The 30-year-old Russian last won the Birmingham event in 2005 but her most recent appearance was in 2010.
Cycling: Slovenian Jan Polanc led almost from start-to-finish to claim victory in the fourth stage of the Giro d’Italia on top of Sicily’s Mount Etna yesterday. The 25-year-old UAE Team Emirates rider broke away after only two kilometres and stayed ahead of a chasing peloton to finish first after a gruelling 181 kilometres from Cefalu. Katusha’s Ilnur Zakarin battled back following an early crash to claim second place with Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) grabbing third place. Bob Jungels (QuickStep Floors) took over as overall race leader, six seconds ahead of Thomas.
Basketball, NBA: The National Basketball Association (NBA) opened its first academy in India yesterday, hoping the facility on the outskirts of Delhi will trigger the game’s growth in a country obsessed with cricket. “We recognised there was opportunity for us now to bring NBA-style coaching, development and training to kids around the world who may not have access to that,” NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum said.
Golf: Retired Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo’s bid to reach the US Open golf championship ended in a local qualifier on Monday outside Dallas in Aledo, Texas. Romo shot a three-over-par 75 at Split Rail Links & Golf Club and was not one of the seven qualifiers who finished two-under or better to advance to the sectional from a field of 115 hopefuls. Romo was one-over after an eagle at the 14th hole but dunked his tee shot on the next in the water and took a triple bogey that ended his chances.
Athletics: Hurdles world record holder Keni Harrison will have surgery on a broken finger tomorrow but the American hopes to be back racing in less than a month, her coach told Reuters. Harrison broke the bone when she hit a hurdle in warm-ups before Friday’s Diamond League meeting in Doha. Despite the pain, she went on to win the race. Doctors will determine when she is able to race again but “she’ll be ready to hurdle in about three weeks,” coach Edrick Floreal said.