BRIEF NEWS FIFA signs Qatari sponsor in first World Cup deal since 2018

Report of probe into suspect doping by a Tour de France team

A Marseille prosecutor has opened a preliminary investigation into suspected doping during the Tour de France and two members of the Arkea-Samsic team were being held for questioning, the French press reported on Monday. A day after the end of the three-week Tour in Paris, a probe reportedly begun earlier into suspicions of doping culminated with the opening of an investigation. Sports newspaper L'Equipe said gendarmes from a special public health unit led a search on Wednesday in Meribel, in the Savoie region, concerning riders of the Arkea-Samsic team. The French press on Monday quoted a Marseille prosecutor, Dominique Laurens, evoking "the discovery of numerous health products including medicine in personal belongings ... and above all a method that could be qualified as doping." Prosecutor Dominique Laurens spoke to the French news agency, Agence France-Presse. The prosecutor's office refused to provide information in a telephone query.

Ex-finalist Rublev beats Sandgren at Hamburg European Open

Former finalist Andrey Rublev began his Hamburg European Open campaign by defeating American qualifier Tennys Sandgren 6-3, 6-3 on Monday. The fifth-seeded Russian converted 90% of his first-service points, losing just three from 29. Rublev, who lost to Nikoloz Basilashvili in last year's final, next faces another American qualifier, Tommy Paul, who defeated Kevin Anderson of South Africa 6-4, 0-6, 6-4. Also, 2011 champion Gilles Simon lost to Jiri Vesely 7-5, 6-2, and Pablo Cuevas defeated Taylor Fritz, another American, 6-4, 6-2. Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are the top seeds at the clay-court tournament.

Ivan Rakitic ends international career with Croatia

Ivan Rakitic has decided to end his international career, Croatia's soccer federation said Monday. The 32-yearold Rakitic played 106 times for his country in a storied midfield partnership with Luka Modric that lasted for more than a decade. They were key to Croatia reaching the 2018 World Cup final where it lost 4-2 to France. Rakitic scored the decisive penalty in shootouts to beat Denmark and host Russia in the first two knockout rounds. Born in Switzerland, Rakitic started his career at Basel and represented Swiss national youth teams before opting to switch to his parents' home nation. He leaves the Croatia squad just nine months before it plays at the postponed 2020 European Championship.

FIFA announced its first new World Cup sponsor since the 2018 tournament on Monday. Qatar-based GWC will be a third-tier "regional" sponsor in the new category of logistics provider, FIFA said in a statement. The value of a single-tournament deal for the 2022 edition in Qatar was not disclosed. In the previous four-year commercial cycle, tied to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, FIFA banked more than $150 million in total from third-tier sponsors. A further $80 million was booked as "value-in-kind" for services received from sponsors.