Today's other stories in brief
Pumas set for Four Nations event
RUGBY:Argentina passed another milestone in their quest for regular top-flight international rugby yesterday when their players were granted freedom from their clubs to take part in an expanded Tri-Nations from 2012.
One of the prerequisites of the invitation to the Pumas to play in the annual southern hemisphere competition with Australia, New Zealand and South Africa was that they did so at full strength.
The International Board (IRB) executive committee at a meeting in London voted almost unanimously for Argentinas players to be freed for the period of the Tri-Nations.
At present Argentinas players with European clubs are only released for the June and November international test windows and the Pumas are the only team in the worlds top 10 who do not compete in an annual tournament.
The IRB also announced that Russia will stage the 2013 Rugby World Cup sevens.
Nibali leads in Giro d'Italia
CYCLING:Vincenzo Nibali, not even meant to be competing in this year's Giro d'Italia, snatched the leader's pink jersey yesterday after his Liquigas outfit won the team time trial on the fourth stage.
Nibali was a late Liquigas replacement for Franco Pellizotti, who was withdrawn before the start of the race because of a doping probe after problems emerged with his blood data.
Team-mate Ivan Basso is second in the overall standings, 13 seconds behind.
Previous race leader Alexandre Vinokourov of Astana slipped back to sixth following Liquigas’s lightening speed on the 33-km route from Savigliano to Cuneo in north western Italy.
Ireland’s Dan Martin moved up 22 places in the general classification – from 106th to 84th – starting his recovery from Monday’s stage where he was delayed due to crashes in the bunch.
His Garmin Transitions squad finished eighth in the time trial
Four ruled out of Wales squad
RUGBY: Wales will be without four key players for next month's clash against world champions South Africa and the two-Test tour of New Zealand.
Flanker Martyn Williams, centre James Hook, scrum-half Dwayne Peel and lock Luke Charteris are all confirmed absentees.
Williams, who will be 35 in September, and Peel are both to be rested, while Hook – arguably Wales’ most consistent performer during this season’s Six Nations campaign – will undergo shoulder surgery once the Ospreys’ Magners League title assault is over.
And Newport Gwent Dragons forward Charteris is currently recovering from a neck problem, which means he will not be considered for summer duties by Wales boss Warren Gatland.
Gatland is due to name his squad on Sunday for the June 5th Springboks clash in Cardiff.
Murray gets back to winning ways in Madrid
TENNIS:Andy Murray progressed through to the third round of the Madrid Open last night with a morale-boosting straight sets victory over Juan Ignacio Chela.
An out-of-sorts Murray had only won one match in his previous three tournaments in Miami, Monte Carlo and Rome, but he doubled that tally with a convincing 6-3 6-3 win on the red clay of La Caja Magica.
The world number four received a bye in the first found and rarely looked in trouble against the veteran Argentinian and he will now play Romanian Victor Hanescu in the third round.
Murray could hardly have had a better start as a mixture of booming forehands, well-placed backhands and delicate drop shots saw him lose just one point in winning the opening three games. The 22-year-old, who won the Madrid title in 2008 when it was played on hard court, missed three match points on the Chela serve, but he completed the victory in the following game.
Moore doubtful for Galway
LEINSTER SHC: Galway defender Fergal Moore is rated doubtful for their Leinster championship opener against Wexford on Saturday fortnight.
The Turloughmore player missed the league final win over Cork because of ankle ligament damage and is unlikely to feature for John McIntyre’s side at Nowlan Park on May 29th.
Moore suffered the injury in the league win over Dublin early last month but aggravated it playing for his club.
