Chinese tennis ace Li Na beat Czech Iveta Benesova in straight sets in the second round of the 8.585-million-euro Madrid Masters tennis tournament on Wednesday.
Palestine will replace Thailand in the second round of Asian qualifying for the 2012 Olympics after the Thais were booted out for fielding an ineligible player.
New Zealand's soccer governing body recorded a record budget surplus of NZ$7.7 million ($6.2 million) in 2010, boosted by prize money from the All Whites' appearance at the World Cup finals in South Africa.
Fallen Brazil must regain their prominent role in world soccer, their 2014 World Cup coach Mano Menezes said on Tuesday.
The torch relay for the 26th World University Games kicked off at Peking University here on Wednesday, marking the 100-day countdown to the opening of the event also known as Universiade.
Torchbearer Jackie Chan relays the torch during the torch relay for 26th Summer Universiade at the Peking University in Beijing, May 4, 2011.
The Miami Heat piled the pressure on bruised and battered Boston by taking a 2-0 lead in their NBA playoff series with a 102-91 victory on Tuesday.
Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose ended LeBron James's two-year reign as the NBA's most valuable player on Tuesday when he became the youngest winner of the sport's highest individual honour.
Barcelona's slick football at a rain-swept Nou Camp had Real Madrid chasing shadows for long periods again as the Catalans reached the Champions League final after a 1-1 draw sent the 2009 winners through 3-1 on aggregate.
US sitcom star Charlie Sheen says he will donate $20,000 in profits and donations from a San Francisco show to the Giants baseball fan who was severely beaten outside Dodgers Stadium.
Danny Kassap, a former world-class runner who fled to Canada from Congo during a 2001 competition, died Monday a day after withdrawing from a race because he was not feeling well. He was 28.
South Korean figure skater Kim Yu-na said she will not participate in the 2011-2012 Grand Prix series in order to focus on helping her country win the bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics.