* A stoppage-time header from defender Simon Kjaer earned AC Milan a 1-1 draw at Manchester United in their Europa League last-16 first-leg match at Old Trafford on Thursday (Mar 11). Teenager Amad Diallo's 50th-minute goal had put United ahead before Kjaer angled in a fine header from Rade Krunic's corner in the final moments.
* Rafael Nadal has declined a wild card invitation to play next week's Dubai Championships, telling tournament organisers on Thursday (Mar 11) he needs more time to recover from a back injury. The 20-time Grand Slam champion was hampered by the problem at the Australian Open, where he was knocked out in the quarter-finals by Stefanos Tsitsipas.
* Inter Milan's Arturo Vidal is set to be sidelined, with the midfielder due to have knee surgery on Friday, the Serie A pacesetters have said. The Chilean will have arthroscopic surgery at the Humanitas Institute in Rozzano, just south of Milan, to cure meniscal pain in his left knee, Inter added in a brief statement on Thursday.
* World No 18 Elise Mertens pulled off a miraculous comeback, saving three match points en route to a 5-7, 7-5, 6-0 success over Jessica Pegula in the Dubai Open quarter-finals on Thursday (Mar 11). The Belgian 10th seed is into the 15th tour-level semi-final of her career where she will face either her doubles partner Aryna Sabalenka or Garbine Muguruza.
* Brisbane's bid to host the 2032 summer Olympics got the backing of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday, who told the International Olympic Committee all levels of government were firmly behind the candidacy.
* World champion Julian Alaphilippe won the second stage of the week-long Tirreno-Adriatico race on Thursday with an impressive kick in the uphill finish to Chiusdino. After the 202 km stage from Camaiore, the Frenchman held off Mathieu van der Poel, five days after the Dutchman beat him in the Strade Bianche classic.
* Roger Federer's comeback to the tour after nearly 14 months out ended with a 3-6 6-1 7-5 loss to Nikoloz Basilashvili in the Qatar Open quarter-finals on Thursday (Mar 11). Georgian Basilashvili saved a match point in the final set and took advantage of a tiring Federer to reach the semi-finals.
* Roger Federer has pulled out of the upcoming ATP 500 event in Dubai after the former world number one lost in the Qatar Open quarter-finals on Thursday, his first tournament in more than a year.
* Manchester United forward Anthony Martial will undergo a scan after sustaining a hip injury during Thursday's 1-1 draw with AC Milan in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie at Old Trafford, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said.
