Tennis: Top seed Kei Nishikori crashed out of the Rio de Janeiro Open yesterday after suffering a 6-4 6-3 first-round loss to Brazil’s Thomaz Bellucci. The Japanese world number five, who was stunned by unseeded Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov in the Argentina Open final two days ago, was broken in the first game en route to losing the match in 79 minutes. Bellucci meets compatriot Thiago Monteiro, who beat Portugal’s Gastao Eliasa 2-6 7-6(4) 6-4, in the next round.
Cycling: Adam and Simon Yates will sit out this year’s Tour de France to concentrate on the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana, their Orica-Scott team have announced. Adam Yates was a revelation at last year’s Tour, winning the best young rider’s classification and narrowly missing out on a podium place. This year, the Australian team plan to send their emerging Colombian star Esteban Chaves to France to carry their general classification hopes, while the 24-year-old Yates twins gear up to ride two Grand Tours in the same season for the first time in their careers.
Rugby Union: George North will return to Wales’ starting line-up for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash against Scotland at Murrayfield. The Northampton wing has recovered from a leg injury that sidelined him for Wales’ 21-16 loss to reigning champions England earlier this month, and he replaces Alex Cuthbert. It is the only change following the England defeat, with Wales boss Rob Howley retaining a back row of Sam Warburton, Justin Tipuric and Ross Moriarty, and 63 times-capped number eight Taulupe Faletau again on the bench.
Cricket: Australia beat Sri Lanka by 41 runs in their final Twenty20 game yesterday, avoiding a whitewash in the three-match series and salvaging some pride. Australia got off to a flier courtesy of captain and opening batsman Aaron Finch’s 53 runs off 32 balls. His partner Michael Klinger scored a controlled 62 runs off 43 balls to help take the hosts to a total of 187. Sri Lanka began impressively but wickets tumbled as they struggled to cope with leg-spinner Adam Zampa, losing five wickets, including that of in-form all-rounder Asela Gunaratne, between the eighth and 12th over.