Rugby Union: Canada prop Djustice Sears-Duru was held up over the line in a thrilling finish as Japan hung on to claim a 26-22 test victory in Vancouver despite playing the last 26 minutes with 14 men. Number eight Aaron Carpenter had scored Canada’s fourth try off the back of a rolling maul to bring the hosts within a try of victory with a minute remaining in the contest at BC Place. The Canucks marched straight back down the pitch and Sears-Duru burrowed over the line but was just unable to touch the ball down for what would have been the winning score.
Sailing: SoftBank Team Japan earned a surprise bonus when the ‘Windy City’ did not live up to its famed moniker on the opening day of the Chicago stop for the America’s Cup World Series. With winds too light for racing to start on time in the six-team event, officials decided to take the substitute race from Day One to count. That race was won by SoftBank and gave the team a measure of justice as they had also won the substitute race at the previous stop in New York, although that result did not score officially.
Horse Racing: Creator made a brilliant charge down the stretch to edge past Destin by a nose at the wire and win the 148th Belmont Stakes on Saturday, the final leg of US racing’s Triple Crown series for three-year-olds. Creator, winner of the Arkansas Derby, came from 12th place in the 13-horse field, hugging the rail as jockey Irad Ortiz saved ground around the final turn before exploding through a tight gap and moving out in the straight to win the $1.5 million race.
Tennis: Andy Murray is reuniting with his former coach Ivan Lendl. The world no.2 enjoyed the best moments of his career under the guidance of Lendl, winning Olympic gold and the US Open in 2012 and then Wimbledon the following year. Lendl will be with Murray for the Aegon Championships which start today. Murray split from Lendl in March 2014 after the eight-time grand slam champion decided he no longer wanted to spend 20 plus weeks travelling. Lendl said: “I enjoyed working with Andy in the past. Andy and I have always stayed in contact so it should be fun to be part of his team again.”