SPORTS ROUND-UP

TENNIS

Novak Djokovic battled back from a set down to beat French teenager Luca Van Assche 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-2 in his opening match in Banja Luka yesterday. The world number one squandered three set points in the opener before Van Assche took the tie-break, but Djokovic broke twice in the second set to force a deciding set and eventually put away his 18-year-old opponent.

CYCLING

Tadej Pogacar’s sensational form continued unabated yesterday when a late surge on a fabled steep finale landed the Team UAE leader the Fleche Wallonne one-day classic in Belgium. Two-time Tour de France champion Pogacar skipped over the summit finish a couple of bike lengths clear, the Slovenian rider raising his arms aloft for the 12th time so far this season.

RUGBY LEAGUE

Rugby league clubs yesterday overwhelmingly backed radical proposals to scrap automatic promotion and relegation to and from the Super League. Top-flight clubs as well as those in the second-tier Championship and third-tier League One backed the plans, put forward by “strategic partner” IMG, at a meeting of the Rugby League Council.

BASKETBALL, NBA

Devin Booker led a second-half rally as the Phoenix Suns came from behind to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers 123-109 and level their Western Conference playoff series 1-1 on Tuesday. Booker scored 18 points in the third quarter before finishing with a 38-point haul to complete a battling comeback by Phoenix, who had trailed by 13 in the second quarter against the Kawhi Leonard-inspired Clippers.

SWIMMING

Ariarne Titmus powered to the Australian 400m freestyle title with ease yesterday – but in a time well outside Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh, who smashed the Olympic champion’s world record last month. Titmus hit the wall at the Australian championships on the Gold Coast in 4:00.49, in contrast to the new 3:56.08 world mark set by the 16-year-old in Toronto.