SPORTS DIGEST

SAM SIMMONDS’ rugby World Cup ambitions have been plunged into doubt by a knee injury which could rule Exeter’s England No 8 out for the rest of the season. The 23-year-old, who has seven England caps, ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament against Worcester last Saturday. Simmonds will have surgery and could be out for up to nine months. BRITISH tennis No 1 Kyle Edmund is through to the quarterfinals of the China Open after a three-set victory against Matteo Berrettini. Edmund overcame the Italian 7-5, 6-7, 7-5 in Beijing. The deciding set was close but Edmund made the key intervention at 5-5 with a break. He will face Dusan Lajovic in the last eight after the Serb knocked out third seed Grigor Dimitrov.