HALEP OPTS OUT OF US OPEN

NEW YORK: Wimbledon champion Simona Halep will skip the US Open, saying on Monday that she is putting her health first and prefers to stay in Europe amid the coronavirus pandemic. Halep, who is currently No. 2, won the title in Prague on Sunday. Reigning US Open champion Bianca Andreescu will not play, joining Rafael Nadal. Also absent will be top-ranked Ashleigh Barty, fifth-ranked Elina Svitolina, number seven Kiki Bertens, eighth-ranked Belinda Bencic and past winner Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Hockey players recover, discharged from hospital

NEW DELHI: The six Indian hockey players—manpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, Jaskaran Singh, Varun Kumar, Krishan Pathak and Mandeep Singh—who had tested Covid-19 positive earlier this month were discharged from hospital on Monday and are now under quarantine at Sports Authority of India’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. “All six players have recovered. They will be in quarantine and will be given the antibody test after 10 days to check if they have built immunity against the virus,” Dr. Arun Kumar of SS Sparsh hospital said.

Jaspal recommended for Dronacharya award

NEW DELHI: Ignored last year, shooting legend Jaspal Rana on Monday found his name among the 13 coaches recommended for this year’s Dronacharya award by the sports ministry’s selection committee. The 43-year-old Rana, a multiple Asian Games goldmedallist marksman, is credited with grooming Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary and Anish Bhanwala into world-class shooters.

England, Pakistan draw rain-hit second Test

SOUTHAMPTON: The second Test between England and Pakistan ended in a predictable draw on Monday. England had made 110-4 declared in reply to Pakistan’s first innings 236 when a draw was agreed in a match repeatedly interrupted by bad weather.