Rafa Nadal confirms comeback at Barcelona Open

Barcelona: Rafa Nadal has confirmed he will play this week’s Barcelona Open in what will be the Spaniard’s first tournament since January. “I arrived here a bit like in a last minute decision as I didn’t know if I was going to be able to play,” the 22-time Grand Slam champion said. “Tomorrow I’m going to be on the court.” The 37-year-old Nadal, whose last ATP Tour match was in Brisbane in January, withdrew from last week’s Monte Carlo Masters, saying his body was not ready.

Los angeles
Discus thrower Alekna shatters men’s world record

Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania shattered the world discus record on Sunday, eclipsing the longest-standing global men’s mark in athletics set 38 years ago. The 21-year-old threw an astonishing 74.35 metres with his fifth attempt at a throws meet in Ramona, Oklahoma, to break German Juergen Schult’s record of 74.08 set in 1986. Alekna is a two-time medallist at the World Championships. Mykolas’s father Virgilijus now ranks third on the world’s all-time list with 73.88 metres in 2000.

London
Former England spinner Underwood passes away

Former England bowler Derek Underwood has died at the age of 78, his former team Kent County Cricket Club said. Underwood played 86 Test matches for England and took 297 wickets, the country’s highest wicket-taking spinner of all time in the format and the sixth highest wicket-taker overall. His 16-year international career includes 17 five-wicket hauls.

Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan)
Greco-Roman wrestlers have forgettable day

India’s Greco-Roman wrestlers had a forgettable outing on the penultimate day of the Asian Championships with none of the five contestants on show making it to the medal rounds. Arjun Halakurki (55kg), Umesh (63kg), Sajan (77kg), Ajay (87kg) and Mehar Singh (130kg) bowed out early. —Agencies