Snooker: Snooker’s star players will be heading for the Netherlands later this week for the new Rotterdam Open. The European Tour event will run from July 18 to 21 and will be the first professional snooker event in The Netherlands for over 20 years. Among the top players in the tournament are world no.1 Neil Robertson, John Higgins, Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Belgian Luca Brecel and veteran Jimmy White. The tournament will start with an amateur pre-qualifying day on Thursday.
Cricket: England named an unchanged 13-man squad for the second Ashes test against Australia starting at Lord’s on Thursday after their knife-edge 14-run victory in the opening match of the series at Trent Bridge on Sunday. “It was a fantastic start... with both sides showing a huge amount of skill and determination,” said national selector Geoff Miller, congratulating the England players on their composure. Pace bowler Steven Finn looked out of sorts in Nottingham and could be replaced by Tim Bresnan or Graham Onions, but Lord’s is his home ground.
Horse Racing: If I Had Him secured a significant victory for trainer George Baker and owner Alex Ferguson as he claimed the Channel Islands Champion Hurdle in Jersey on Sunday. The nine-year-old is not one of the brightest stars of the former Manchester United manager’s equine string, but has now won three times at Jersey’s Les Landes racecourse under jockey Mattie Batchelor and also has a victory in Belgium to his credit.
Boxing: At least 17 people were killed and 39 injured in a stampede triggered by fighting among spectators after a boxing match on Sunday in the remote Indonesian province of Papua. The fighting was sparked by a dispute over scoring for the match, prompting some 1,500 spectators present to try to flee the stadium in Nabire city.
Tennis: Frenchman Nicolas Mahut won two matches in a day to capture the Hall of Fame Championship at Newport on Sunday, denying Lleyton Hewitt his first title in more than three years. Mahut, who won his first career ATP title in the Netherlands last month, added a second in quick succession after a marathon day in Rhode Island. He beat American Michael Russell 6-2 6-2 in their rain-delayed semi-final in the morning then returned to the grass court to defeat Hewitt 5-7 7-5 6-3 in the afternoon final. The Australian veteran also played in the morning, blunting the booming serve of twice defending champion John Isner to win 5-7 6-2 6-4.
Golf: Jordan Spieth became the youngest player to win on the PGA Tour since 1931 after the 19-year-old took the John Deere Classic title on the fifth hole of sudden-death on Sunday. Spieth tapped in for par on the 18th hole to beat 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson and Canadian David Hearn after the trio finished the regulation 72 holes tied at 19-under-par at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois. Spieth earned a spot in this week’s British Open, an invitation to the 2014 Masters and also membership on the Tour with the win.