Federer withdraws from Tokyo due to injury

Switzerland's Roger Federer became the latest big name in tennis to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics after the 20-time Grand Slam champion said on Tuesday that he had picked up a knee injury during the grass court season.

Federer, who turns 40 next month, had two knee surgeries in 2020, resulting in more than a year of rehabilitation.

He withdrew from the French Open last month to save himself for the grass court season. He sought a record ninth title at Wimbledon but was beaten in the quarter-final by Hubert Hurkacz.

“During the grass court season, I unfortunately experienced a setback with my knee, and have accepted that I must withdraw from the Tokyo Olympic Games,” Federer said on Twitter.

Federer won the gold medal in the doubles at the 2008 Games in Beijing when he partnered with Stan Wawrinka. He had to settle for silver in the singles four years later in London when he was beaten by Briton Andy Murray on Wimbledon's Centre Court.

The Montreal Canadiens named Dominique Ducharme

their permanent head coach on Tuesday after he led the team to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1993.

Ducharme was named interim head coach on Feb. 24, 2021, following the firing of Claude Julien. After the unexpected run through the playoffs, the franchise rewarded Ducharme with a three-year contract extension through the 2023-24 season.

Ducharme. 48, led the team to a 15-16-7 record to conclude the regular season.

At 24-21-11, the Canadiens had the fewest wins of any of the 16 teams to qualify for the playoffs.

The Minnesota Wild are buying out the remaining four years on the contracts of franchise stalwarts Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.

Parise and Suter, both 36, signed with the Wild as free agents on July 4, 2012, and have played the past nine seasons together in Minnesota.

“Zach and Ryan have been an integral part of the Wild's success over the past nine years and we'll always be grateful for their many contributions,” new GM Bill Guerin said.

Both players will become unrestricted free agents.

Parise, a forward and a 16-year NHL veteran, tallied 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 45 games in 2021-22.

Suter, a defenceman from Madison, Wis., posted 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) in 56 games in 2021-22.

Parise ranks third in Wild history in points (400) and seventh in games (558), while Suter ranks fourth in both points (369) and games (656).

The Philadelphia 76ers have opened

up trade conversations for point guard Ben Simmons, The Athletic reported Tuesday.

Teams that already have engaged with the Sixers have been met with a “high price threshold” for the three-time All-Star, per the report.

“(The 76ers) want an All-Star calibre player in return,” a source told The Athletic.

Simmons, who turns 25 on July 20, is on the trade block following a disastrous performance in the playoffs as the top-seeded Sixers lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

He was just 15 of 45 (33.3 per cent) from the free-throw line in the seven-game series, attempting just 14 shots from the field over the final three games.

Simmons' 2020-21 averages of 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists were all the lowest marks of his four NBA seasons. He did make his third straight All-Star team and finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting to Utah Jazz centre Rudy Gobert.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and the 2017-18 NBA Rookie of the Year, Simmons has four years and $147 million remaining on his contract.