Off the wire

FOOTBALL Irving faces suspension

Dallas Cowboys defensive end David Irving is facing a four-game suspension to start the season for violating the NFL’s policy against performance-enhancing drugs, a source said Tuesday. Irving is appealing the failed drug test. The suspension stems from Irving using a banned supplement, the source said. Neither the NFL nor the Cowboys have made any official announcement about Irving’s suspension. The suspension was first reported by KRLD-FM in Dallas. Irving was the Cowboys’ most productive pass-rusher late last season. He led the Cowboys with 26 quarterback pressures and added four sacks. Irving was expected to be a key part of the Cowboys’ pass rush again this year after he signed his exclusive free-agent tender this offseason for $615,000. He’s set to become a restricted free agent after 2017. Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory, a 2015 second-round pick, is suspended for the entire 2017 regular season after multiple violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy because of failed tests for marijuana.

TENNIS

Nishikori advances

Second-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan eased into the Geneva Open quarterfinals, beating Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 6-4, 6-3 on Tuesday. Ranked No. 9, Nishikori took a wild card entry after a wrist injury affected his clay-court season and did not drop serve against the 88th-ranked Kukushkin. Nishikori clinched the second-round match with a well-placed forehand winner from the baseline. He next plays South African Kevin Anderson, who outlasted 20-year-old American Jared Donaldson 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-2. Also Tuesday, fifth-seeded Steve Johnson of the United States advanced to the second round, winning 6-3, 6-3 against 37-year-old Frenchman Stephane Robert. Johnson next plays Horacio Zeballos of Argentina, who rallied from a second-set dip to beat Dusan Lajovic of Serbia 6-4, 0-6, 7-5. Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia, another wild card, beat ninth-seeded American Ryan Harrison 6-4, 7-6 (5) in a first-round match. With a second-round match today against top-seeded Stan Wawrinka as the prize, Rogerio Dutra Silva of Brazil beat Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-4, 7-6 (5).

Bouchard withdraws

Eugenie Bouchard has withdrawn from the Nuremberg Cup tennis tournament with a right ankle injury. The 2014 champion informed tournament director Sandra Reichel of her decision late Monday, when an MRI scan showed she had torn a ligament in training the previous week. The injury put the Canadian’s participation in the French Open in doubt. Bouchard was replaced by Julia Glushko of Israel, who lost 6-4, 5-7, 6-0 to the second-seeded Yulia Putintseva. Defending champion Kiki

Bertens won her opening match, beating German wild-card entry Katharina Gerlach 6-2, 6-1. The top-seeded Bertens will next play Annika Beck, who defeated Lena Rueffer 6-3, 6-3. Fourth-seeded Laura Siegemund saw off fellow German Katharina Hobgarski 6-0, 6-1 to get her campaign underway. Seventh-seeded Yaroslava Shvedova beat Anna Zaja 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 and Carina Witthoeft defeated Johanna Larsson 6-1, 6-0. Already in the second round of the French Open warmup, fifth-seeded Alison Riske of the United States defeated Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium 6-2, 6-2. Riske will next play Bertens or Beck in the quarterfinals. Sorana Cirstea of Romania also reached the quarterfinals with a 6-0, 6-7 (4), 6-3 victory over American Varvara Lepchenko.

Sharapova gets wild card

Maria Sharapova has been awarded a wild card for the Rogers Cup in August in her comeback from a 15-month doping ban. Since her return, the former No. 1 player has used wild cards to play three events on the WTA Tour. She was denied a wild card for the French Open. Rogers Cup tournament director Karl Hale called her a “fan favorite,” noting she has completed her punishment. A number of players have been outspoken about Sharapova receiving free passes into tournaments. Sharapova reached the Rogers Cup final in 2009.

BOXING

Briggs, Oquendo fight off

The WBA heavyweight title fight between Shannon Briggs and Fres

Oquendo is off after former champion Briggs tested positive for high levels of testosterone. The fight was set for June 3 in Hollywood. A WBA statement said that Briggs “tested positive for testosterone following a … test as part of the WBA Fair Boxing program.” Briggs, 45, can request the testing of his “B” sample, but the bout has been canceled. Briggs previously held the WBO heavyweight belt and had won his past nine bouts since losing a unanimous decision to Vitali Klitschko in 2010 for the WBC title. He has a 60-6-1 record.

OLYMPICS

Some medals defective

More than 100 athletes from around the world say the medals they won at the Rio Olympics are damaged. The IOC and Rio organizers plan to replace them with new medals. Among those with defective medals are beach volleyball star Kerri Walsh Jennings and U.S. wrestlers Kyle Snyder and Helen Maroulis. Walsh Jennings said her bronze medal from last summer is flaking and rusting. Rio Games spokesman Mario Andrada said officials have noted problems with the covering on 6 to 7 percent of the medals. Andrada said the damaged medals were most often dropped or mishandled. He added that the varnish has come off and they have rusted or gone black in the spot where they were damaged.