TENNIS: Martina Hingis has been ruled out of Wimbledon after it was revealed she will be sidelined for at least six weeks following ankle surgery.
The former world number one and 1997 Wimbledon champion underwent the operation on a torn ligament in Switzerland on Monday. She has already been ruled out of next week's French Open and, with Wimbledon less than five weeks away, she looks set to miss a second grand slam.
Dr Heinz Buehlmann, who carried out the surgery, will wait for the swelling on the joint to go down before making a more definitive assessment.
However, he said: "She will need at least six to eight weeks of rest to help the healing process."
CYCLING: The Italian rider Stefano Garzelli was disqualified from the Giro d'Italia yesterday after his control sample confirmed the presence of the banned diuretic probenecid.
An official statement from the race organisers said Garzelli, who was second in the overall standings, had been expelled with effect from today's 10th stage.
His team Mapei announced on Saturday that the rider had tested positive but the 2000 Giro winner was allowed to continue in the race until the result of the B sample was known. A second analysis of the urine sample taken after Garzelli, 27, won the second stage of the Giro in Liege last week also showed traces of the banned drug, his team confirmed.
Before starting yesterday's stage Garzelli, who denies taking the drug, said that if the second test was positive he would consider quitting the sport. "I would take a long time off, I would think about myself and not just cycling," he said.
ATHLETICS: The reigning Olympic long jump champion Heike Drechsler has dismissed rumours of retirement and said she was setting her sights on a fifth European title in Munich this year.
"I feel in excellent form and I'm optimistic of winning gold at the Europeans," Drechsler said after a training camp in Romania.
The German 37-year-old said the European championships in Munich's Olympic Stadium from August 6th to 11th would be her "last competition at this level". Drechsler jumped a respectable 6.55m in a local competition in Romania last weekend.
MOTOR RACING: Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher has reminded fellow drivers of the dangers they face in Monaco this weekend.
"Clearly, Monaco is not one of the safest circuits and there can be no doubt about that," said the Ferrari driver, a leader of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association and an enthusiastic supporter of Monaco.
"Every year we ask ourselves why we continue to race here and every year we decide to come back," he said.
"You really have to avoid making any risky moves because the consequences can be serious," he added.
Schumacher has won five times in Monaco and is chasing a record-equalling sixth win in what could be Ferrari's 150th grand prix victory. The champion has won five out of six races this year and leads the title chase by 27 points.
