Tennis: Roger Federer (picture, right) has pulled out of the Rio Olympics and will miss the rest of the season, including the US Open, because he needs “more extensive rehabilitation” after knee surgery earlier this year as he bids to prolong his career. “I’m extremely disappointed to announce that I will not be able to represent Switzerland at the Olympic Games in Rio and that I will also miss the remainder of the season,” the 17-times grand slam champion said on his Facebook page yesterday.
Tennis: The ITF has cancelled all pro tournaments in Turkey until mid-September, following the attempted coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A total of 15 tournaments on the men’s and women’s Futures circuits in Antalya, Buca Izmir, Erzurum and Malatya are affected by the decision. The ITF has said it will review the initial eight-week suspension in mid-August.
Cricket: India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin dethroned Pakistan’s Yasir Shah to top the ICC test rankings after his match-winning display against West Indies in the first test. The 29-year-old picked up figures of 7-83 in the second innings as the visitors cruised to an innings-and-92 runs victory inside four days in Antigua. Leg spinner Yasir, who became the first Pakistani bowler in 20 years to top the test rankings, dropped to fifth after managing just one wicket in the second test defeat against England at Old Trafford this month.
Basket, NBA: Cleveland Cavaliers and head coach Tyronn Lue have agreed on a new five-year deal worth $35 million, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported yesterday. Lue, 39, took over after David Blatt was fired in January and led the Cavs to the NBA title in his first head coaching role. The rookie coach was praised for having a good relationship with LeBron James, who had clashed with Blatt prior to his termination.
Cycling: Dutch rider Tom Dumoulin is still hopeful of competing for road time trial gold at the Rio Olympics despite breaking his left arm near the end of the Tour de France. Du-moulin, regarded as the biggest threat to Chris Froome for the time trial on the hilly Grumari circuit on August 10, posted a video on Twitter of him back on his bike. “Look what I’m doing?” Dumoulin who won stage nine and 13 on the Tour but suffered a heavy fall on stage 19, said as he filmed himself out pedalling on the road.
Olympics: Canada will send 313 athletes to the Olympics determined to improve on the one gold medal won at the London Summer Games. Trampolinist Rosie MacLennan, who won Canada’s only gold four years ago, is back to defend her Olympic title and will lead the team of 187 women and 126 men into the Rio Games opening ceremony on August 5 after earlier being named the country’s flag bearer. The Canadian team includes 100 athletes who have competed in at least one other Summer Games.