Sports digest

A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Murray suffers surprise defeat

TENNIS:Andy Murray's grass court season got off to the worst possible start as he was knocked out of the Championships at Queen's with a three-set defeat to world number 65 Nicolas Mahut.

The Scot, handed a bye into the second round, never looked at his best and Mahut simply performed out of his skin to record a 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/1) win that puts him through to a last-16 tie with Grigor Dimitrov.

Murray appeared untroubled by the back injury that he suffered at the French Open and the British number one could offer no excuses for his defeat. He was out-manoeuvred and over-powered in a defeat that will raise further doubts about his chances of winning Wimbledon this year. “It’s amazing,” the Frenchman said. “Maybe it’s the best victory of my career . . . It was a difficult match and I’m very happy. I’m pretty sure Andy will do well at Wimbledon, maybe win this time. I’m really sorry guys, but you will see him winning matches very shortly.”

European coaching award for Jones

ATHLETICS: Chris Jones has been rewarded for his coaching success in Irish athletics, with Fionnuala Britton in particular, with the first European Athletics Coaching Award for 2011.

Jones helped mastermind Britton’s victory at the 2011 European Cross Country Championships in Velenje, and he also works with a number of Irish triathletes, including Olympic qualifier Aileen Morrison.

The European Athletics Federation has also announced Ireland will host the 2013 European Team Track and Field Championships First League, the team competition that will feature Ireland against Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland – where the top two will go into the premier group.

The last time Ireland hosted a European team event was in 1997, when the competition was known as the European Cup.

– IAN O'RIORDAN

Pelvic fracture forces Schleck to pull out of Tour de France

CYCLING:Tour de France contender Andy Schleck has pulled out of the race because he has a fracture in his pelvis, the Luxembourg rider said yesterday. Schleck, who was handed the 2010 title after race winner Alberto Contador failed a dope test during the Tour, finished second overall last year and had been expected to challenge champion Cadel Evans of Australia and Briton Bradley Wiggins.

“I’m not going to be in it (the Tour),” Schleck told a news conference. His doctor, Torsten Gerich, said the type of injury suffered by Schleck usually needed four to six weeks to heal and cycling was not possible.

The RadioShack-Nissan rider suffered the injury in a crash during a time trial in the Criterium du Dauphine. Schleck, 27 added he was still looking forward to the Olympics and his main goal was the Vuelta (Tour of Spain) in August, where Contador will also compete following his ban.