■MOTORSPORTS
Viso released after crash
Venezuela’s E.J. Viso was released from an Indianapolis hospital late on Tuesday night after crashing during Indianapolis 500 practice. The 25-year-old driver spun as he went through the first turn, then slid up the track and slammed into the outside wall. Viso was taken off the track on a stretcher, examined at the infield medical center and then transported to Methodist Hospital after complaining of back pain. KV Racing Technology, Viso’s team, issued a statement saying X-rays, MRI scans and a series of test showed no extensive damage. Viso was released about 5 hours after the crash and the team said he hoped to be driving his backup car when practice resumed yesterday. Practice is scheduled to continue through tomorrow with qualifying for the May 30 race scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
■BASKETBALL
Wizards draw first pick
The Washington Wizards drew the first pick in next month’s NBA draft, winning Tuesday’s lottery despite having the fifth-best chance at securing the top choice, while NBA-worst New Jersey Nets had to settle for third. Washington, 26-56 in the regular season, cashed in on their 10.3 percent chance among the 14 clubs eligible for the weighted lottery for clubs that failed to make the playoffs. The second choice went to the Philadelphia 76ers (27-55). The No. 1 overall pick is widely expected to be Kentucky point guard John Hall. Ohio State forward Evan Turner is also considered a possible top selection by draft experts.
■TENNIS
Ginepri subs for Isner
Robby Ginepri answered a late call to play for the US in the World Team Cup and came within one point of beating Spaniard Nicolas Almagro on Tuesday. Ginepri had been due to take part in qualifying for the French Open, but discovered after practicing at Roland Garros on Monday that he had secured a place in the main draw. He received a call asking him to deputize for John Isner, who wanted to rest a sore arm, and caught a late flight over to the tournament in Duesseldorf. Ginepri held a match point at 6-5 in the final set before losing the match 6-3, 5-7, 7-6.
■FOOTBALL
Doctor charged in drug case
A Canadian doctor whose high-profile clients have included Tiger Woods and Alex Rodriguez was charged on Tuesday with bringing unapproved drugs into the US and unlawfully treating pro athletes. Anthony Galea of Toronto, who is known for using a blood-spinning technique designed to speed recovery from injuries, is accused of injecting at least one current NFL player with Actovegin, a calf’s blood derivative that is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and providing a retired player with human growth hormone after his playing days had ended.
■TENNIS
Dolgopolov stuns Montanes
Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine beat sixth-seeded Albert Montanes of Spain 6-3, 7-5 on Tuesday to move into the second round of the Open de Nice. Frenchmen Richard Gasquet and Florent Serra and fifth-seeded Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus also advanced to the second round while Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine reached the quarter-finals. Dolgopolov hit 11 aces and broke three times against Montanes, who beat Roger Federer in the Estoril Open semi-finals en route to winning the title this month in Portugal. The Ukrainian will next face Gasquet, a former top 10 player.
■TENNIS
Wimbledon appoints poet
Wimbledon yesterday appointed its first official poet, a tennis enthusiast who will be holding court every day during the tournament next month. Matt Harvey will aim to capture the flavor of the event in southwest London with verses published online and in podcasts on everything from volleys and backhands to the inevitable rain. “It’s an honour, and I’m acutely conscious it’s the only time I’ll come first in anything at Wimbledon, unless you count the queue for strawberries,” he said. “Quite simply I’m delighted, with a little bit of healthy anxiety thrown in.” He has already penned his first poem as Championships Poet 2010, called Grandest of Slams.
■RUGBY UNION
All Black injuries mount
Ma’a Nonu is the latest injury concern for All Black coach Graham Henry after the Wellington Hurricanes center was ruled out for at least six weeks with a knee injury. Nonu sustained the injury during the Hurricanes’ final Super 14 match against the New South Wales Waratahs last week. The Hurricanes said yesterday that Nonu had ruptured the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and while he was not expected to need surgery, he would not return to full training for six weeks. The All Blacks play Ireland on June 12 before two matches against Wales on June 19 and June 26. Hooker Andrew Hore, who dislocated his left shoulder against the Waratahs in Sydney, is also doubtful for the All Blacks this season. The Wellington duo join Auckland utility player Isaia Toeava on the injured list. Toeava is suffering from a persistent hip problem. Winger Sitiveni Sivivatu and flyhalf Mike Delany have already been ruled out for the season due to shoulder surgeries, while fullback Mils Muliaina broke his thumb during the Super 14 and may not return in time for the June internationals. Lock Ali Williams has had to have a third operation on a ruptured Achilles and may not play again before next season.
■RUGBY UNION
Huxley seals return
Former Australian fullback Julian Huxley, who returned to the rugby field this year after having surgery to remove a brain tumor, will join the Melbourne Rebels for next year’s Super 15, the team said. The 30-year-old, who was forced out of the sport two years ago after he was diagnosed with the tumor that required surgery and chemotherapy, returned for the ACT Brumbies in March. “I’ve had amazing support from the Brumbies and the rugby community in Canberra, particularly over the last two years, and now need to start a new chapter in my life,” Huxley said in a Rebels statement yesterday. Huxley is the 19th player to sign for the new side, which will join the revamped Super rugby competition next year.
■SOCCER
Birmingham to play Nest
Birmingham City will be the first English soccer club to play at the Bird’s Nest stadium when they take on Chinese champions Beijing Guoan on July 21. Hong Kong tycoon Carson Yeung, the first Chinese to own an English Premier League club, has fulfilled his promise to bring the team to China as quickly as possible after buying Birmingham last year. The match at the 80,000 capacity stadium takes place three days before Birmingham take on Liaoning at Shenyang’s 60,000-seat Olympic Stadium — another purpose built venue for the 2008 Games. A third match will be announced later, the team’s Web site said.
SS Lazio on Monday fired the far-right sympathizer who handles their eagle mascot after he posted online a series of videos and pictures of his erect penis. Falconer Juan Bernabe, who has been present at Lazio home matches with Olimpia the eagle since the 2010-2011 season, posted the footage on social media after having surgery on Saturday to implant a penile prosthesis to improve his sexual performance. Lazio said that they had “terminated, with immediate effect” their relationship with Bernabe “due to the seriousness of his conduct,” adding that they were “shocked” by the images. The Serie A club added that Bernabe’s dismissal
‘TOUGH TO BREATHE’: Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Iga Swiatek romped into a third-round women’s singles showdown with Emma Raducanu and Taylor Fritz was just as emphatic in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the third seeds, defeated Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls of Britain 7-5, 6-2 in 90 minutes in Melbourne. Ostapenko and Hsieh — who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Australian Open last year — hit 25 winners and converted five of nine break points to set
Doping fears prevented former US Open champion Emma Raducanu from treating insect bites on the eve of the Australian Open, she said, with players increasingly wary about ingesting contaminated substances. The British player was speaking in the wake of high-profile doping cases involving Iga Swiatak and Jannik Sinner. “I would say all of us are probably quite sensitive to what we take on board, what we use,” the 22-year-old said, recalling an incident on Friday. “I got really badly bitten by, I don’t know what, like ants, mosquitoes, something. I’m allergic, I guess,” she added. The bites “flared up and swelled up really a
Dubbed a “motorway for cyclists” where avid amateurs can chase Tadej Pogacar up mountains teeming with the highest concentration of professional cyclists per square kilometer in the world, Spain’s Costa Blanca has forged a new reputation for itself in the past few years. Long known as the ideal summer destination for those in search of sun, sea and sand, the stretch of coast between Valencia and Alicante now has a winter vocation too. During the season break in December and January, the region experiences an invasion of cyclists. Star names such as three-time Tour de France winner Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe
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