Wozniacki suffers injury setback
TENNIS
FORMER world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki’s preparation for next week’s French Open suffered a huge blow after she retired injured from her opening-round match against American Shelby Rogers at Strasbourg International yesterday.
Top-seed Wozniacki, who started the match with a 4-3 win-loss record on clay this year, failed to see off the first set as Rogers saved three set points to win 7-6.
The Dane was trailing 0-1 in the second set when she called for a medical timeout, and later served a pair of double faults before deciding to withdraw.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC has announced that Andre Agassi will coach him at the French Open.
Djokovic has been without a coach since dismissing his entire backroom staff earlier this month.
He said of eight-time grand slam winner Agassi: “We will be together in Paris. We are both excited about working together, but we have no long-term agreement. He was a revolutionary tennis player and I have a deep respect for him as a person and a player.”
MOTORSPORT
FORMER MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden has died five days after the American was hit by a car while cycling in eastern Italy, his Honda World Superbike team said in a statement yesterday.
News of the 35-year-old’s death was first communicated by the hospital where he was being treated while a statement was also issued on behalf of his family.
Hayden suffered “severe polytrauma” – multiple traumatic injuries – after a collision with a car, the Bufalini Hospital in Cesena confirmed. His fiancee Jackie, mother Rose and brother Tommy were at his side in the intensive care unit when he died.
BOXING
AS Michael Conlan prepares for his second pro fight against Mexico’s Alfredo Chanez in Chicago on Friday, Kurt Walker is preparing to retain the European title that Irish boxing holds courtesy of the Belfast fighter.
Walker is in line to be named at bantam in the Irish squad for the European Elite Championships which begin in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on June 14.
Darren O’Neill is likely to line out at heavyweight and Joe Ward at light-heavy in Kharkiv, which will act as the only qualifier for the World Championships in Germany in August/September.
Patrick Mongan’s superb win over Russia’s Vladimir Nikitin, who controversially beat Conlan at the Rio Olympics, at a recent round-robin in Dublin will almost certainly earn him the Irish lightweight vest.
Brendan Irvine, Steven Donnelly, Sean McComb and Emmett Brennan are also in line to be selected.