The Sports Matrix: Tuesday 21 June 2011

Murray storms back to progress

Andy Murray won his first-round match against Daniel Gimeno-Traver last night in four sets after an astonishing turnaround. The Scot lost the first set 6-4 and the second was poised at 3-3 before he reeled off 15 consecutive games to triumph 4-6, 6-3, 6-0, 6-0. MORE

Date-Krumm too good for O’Brien

Britain’s Katie O’Brien lost on the newly-opened Court No 3 to the 40-year-old Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm. The first set, which Date-Krumm won 6-0, took just 17 minutes. O’Brien, 25, battled back to 5-5 in the second set before losing it 7-5. MORE

Nadal starts with straight-sets win

Rafael Nadal began the defence of his title yesterday with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 victory over American Michael Russell. The world No 1 opened play on Centre Court and fell 4-2 behind in the opening set before his class showed against the world No 90. MORE

Venus begins with quickfire victory

Venus Williams took exactly an hour to win her first-round match yesterday, beating Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan, 6-3, 6-1. “I think I’m smarter, if anything, than five years ago,” she said. “That’s the beauty of being able to have a long career.” MORE

Johnson firm on foreign-born stars

Martin Johnson named his World Cup training squad yesterday, and defended the inclusion of foreign-born players such as Manu Tuilagi, Mouritz Botha and Thomas Waldrom. “These people are English players,” he said. “They’re qualified and available.” MORE

Sangakkara bats Sri Lanka to a draw

A Kumar Sangakkara century dashed England’s hopes of winning the third Test yesterday. He made 119, and Thilan Samaraweera 87 not out, as Sri Lanka reached 334 for 5 before the rain ensured a draw and a 1-0 series win for England. MORE

Opinion: James Lawton

Rory McIlroy’s triumph at the US Open recalled the feats of his countryman George Best in 1966: the same level of exuberant discovery that for a little while at least he was quite unmatchable by anyone in his way. MORE

Chelsea close in on Porto’s Villas-Boas and Falcao

Chelsea are on the verge of appointing Porto’s 33-year-old Andre Villas-Boas as their new manager. The young Portuguese has completed just one full season of club management to date, but was remarkably successful in that: winning the Portuguese league (in which Porto were unbeaten), the Portuguese cup and the Europa League. That success has proved attractive to Chelsea’s owner, Roman Abramovich, who is ready to meet his £13.2m buyout clause. Last night Villas-Boas told Porto of his intention to leave and he expects to do so soon, and hopes to bring Porto’s 25-year-old Colombian striker Radamel Falcao with him for £26m. MORE

Castleford stick with Aspinwall

Castleford say they will stand by Martin Aspinwall despite the forward’s four-month jail sentence for dangerous driving. Aspinwall, already serving a suspended sentence for assault, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court last week. MORE

Apprentice may get Overturn chance

Henry Brooke may get the chance to ride Overturn on Saturday as the gelding goes for back-to-back Northumberland Plates at Newcastle. Apprentice Brooke has yet to ride the seven-year-old, who is second favourite for the Plate. MORE