Ince: QPR sporting director Gianni Paladini has denied reports Paul Ince is in line to take over as manager at Loftus Road. Rangers have not won in seven games but Paladini insists Ince will not replace boss Paulo Sousa. "There is absolutely not a shred of truth in it," said Paladini. "I have not spoken to Paul Ince. There is absolutely no way he will take over at QPR and no way it was even discussed."
Ferdinand: Manchester United are waiting to discover whether defender Rio Ferdinand will be fit for Wednesday's Champions League return leg against Inter. The England centre-back, 30, was placed in a plastic boot to protect his ankle after he was taken off at half-time in Saturday's FA Cup tie against Fulham. "There's a small swelling to his ankle," United assistant Mike Phelan said. "I'm not a medical person, so I don't know if he'll be fit for Wednesday."
French Cup: Quarter-finals draw - Stade Rennes vs Rodez Aveyron; Toulouse vs Lille; Sedan Ardennes vs Guingamp; Grenoble vs Monaco. Ties will be played on March 17 and 18. The final will be played on May 9 at Stade de France.
Benzema: Lyon striker Karim Benzema is doubtful for Wednesday's Champions League last-16 second leg at Barcelona because of a sore hip. Benzema went off at half-time during Lyon's 2-0 defeat at Lille in Ligue 1 on Saturday. The first leg ended 1-1.
Ronaldo: Ronaldo scored an injury-time equaliser to give his new club Corinthians a 1-1 draw at arch-rivals Palmeiras last night. Ronaldo, who came on as a second-half substitute, headed home in the second minute of stoppage time but was then booked for climbing the fencing around the pitch to celebrate with the supporters.
Badminton: World and Olympic champion Lin Dan, of China, clinched his fourth All England title yesterday with a 21-19 21-12 victory over world no.1 Lee Chong Wei, of Malaysia. The match was a re-run of the last year's Olympic final in Beijing where Lin swept to a 21-12 21-8 success.
Tennis: The ATP is returning around $3 million in fees to tournaments to help ease the effects of the global economic crisis. "In these difficult times the ATP has decided to give the tournaments a reduction in tournament fees to help them financially," the ATP said. The decision was made at an ATP board meeting in January and applied only to this year. The ATP World Tour, which this year features 63 tournaments in 31 countries, lost an 11-year sponsorship with Mercedes in 2008.
Athletics: An appeal by Netherlands Antilles to have sprinter Churandy Martina reinstated as silver medallist in last year's Olympics 200 metres final has been rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Martina, who finished the race second, was disqualified for running out of his lane following a protest by the US Olympic Committee after the final won by Jamaica's Usain Bolt.
Cricket: Former England captain Kevin Pietersen is considering pulling out of the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament after last week's militant attack on the Sri Lanka team in Pakistan. Pietersen signed for the Bangalore Royal Challengers for a record $1.55 million. He said: "I will be consulting many people but if I do not think it is right then I will not be going."
Basket, NBA: The Cleveland Cavaliers scored the game's first nine points and cruised to a 99-89 home victory over the Miami Heat on Saturday. The Eastern Conference leaders outscored the Heat 28-14 in the first quarter, forcing Miami to play catch-up the remainder of the game. The victory was Cleveland's 28th in 29 home games this season.
Swimming: Italy's Federica Pellegrini set a new world record in the 200 metres freestyle at a meet in Riccione yesterday. Pellegrini won the final in a time of 1 minute 54.47, beating her own mark of 1:54.82 which she clocked to win the gold medal at the Olympics last year. The 20-year-old, who also holds the world record in the 400 freestyle, had a panic attack at the meet on Friday and pulled out of a race.