Novak Djokovic took the first step toward his current goal of a 30th Masters 1000 title on Wednesday as the top seed advanced in his opening match in Toronto.

Gonzalo Higuain hit back at critics of his controversial move to Juventus as he prepares to justify his 90million-euro price tag by helping the Italian champions to as many titles as possible.

Fifty years after THAT goal at Wembley, West Germany captain Uwe Seeler still insists England’s Geoff Hurst’s controversial shot never crossed the line in the 1966 World Cup final.

Top-ranked defending champion Jason Day, battling illness and fatigue, birdied the par-4 11th hole yesterday at Baltusrol for a solid start to his repeat bid at the 98th PGA Championship.

Jimmy Walker birdied five of his first 10 holes to seize a two-stroke lead early in yesterday’s first round of the PGA Championship while Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson struggled.

Controversy ignited on Wednesday over working conditions for labourers racing to repair shambolic conditions at the Athletes’ Village in Rio, just nine days before the Olympics.

Spanish weightlifter Lidia Valentin hopes to be awarded an Olympic gold medal from London 2012 after the athletes that finished above her all failed drug tests when their samples were reanalysed.

For isolated North Korea, the Olympic Games offer a rare opportunity to take to the global stage and compete for applause and prestige rather than censure and condemnation.

Pakistan off-spin great Saqlain Mushtaq is set for another spell as an England coaching consultant, highlighting how fluid national allegiances can become when a cricketer’s playing days are over.

Batting hero Kusal Mendis backed Sri Lanka’s spinners to pile on the pressure against Australia after his brilliant maiden century gave the hosts an unlikely shot at victory in the first Test in Pallekele yesterday.

French winger Franck Ribery has again criticised his ex-Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola during the club’s tour of the United States, claiming the Spaniard talks too much and lacks experience.

Pep Guardiola got his first taste as Manchester City’s manager yesterday night after beating Borussia Dortmund on penalties in a friendly, but expressed concern about the looming English Premier League season.