Italy striker Mario Balotelli has been ruled out of his side’s Confederations Cup semi-final against Spain on Thursday with a thigh injury, the Italian Football Federation said on Sunday.

The Indian hockey team finished sixth in the FIH World League Round 3 after losing a tense play-off match on penalties to the higher-ranked Spain here on Sunday.

Elena Vesnina mastered testing, windy conditions on Saturday to win the second title of her career with a 6-2, 6-1 defeat of Jamie Hampton at the Eastbourne International.

The Indian men’s hockey team will square it off with Spain in their 5th place playoff match in the Hockey World League Round 3 — a qualification event for next year’s World Cup — here on Sunday.

The United States and Costa Rica both closed in on place at next year’s World Cup by winning their home matches in Tuesday’s Concacaf qualifiers.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has told his match-winning young team to remain focused as they approached the business end of the Champions Trophy.

Shikhar Dhawan scored a second successive Champions Trophy hundred as India coasted to their second win in as many games, beating the West Indies by eight wickets at The Oval on Tuesday.

South Africa dragged it out till the very last ball but were left 26 runs short as India won their opening Group B game of the ICC Champions Trophy at Sophia Gardens riding on a blistering maiden hundred from opener Shikhar Dhawan.

Aldo de Nigris scored in the 48th minute to give unbeaten Mexico a 1-0 victory over Jamaica on Tuesday in a North American qualifying match for the 2014 World Cup.

Paris, June 4: World number one Serena Williams survived a huge scare to reach her first French Open semi-final since 2003 on Tuesday, defeating unseeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.