Chinese tennis star Zheng Qinwen was eliminated from the Madrid Open on Friday, suffering a 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Russia's Anastasia Potapova in a match that lasted one hour and 40 minutes.

Zheng's exit in the round of 64 leaves no Chinese players remaining in either the men's or women's singles tournaments in Madrid. The gold medallist from the Paris Olympics was seeded eighth but struggled to find her rhythm against Potapova, ranked 87th in the world, on a warm and sunny afternoon.

Zheng's main problem was with her serve, as she managed to win just 40 percent of points in the first set, while Potapova was much more consistent, winning 64 percent of points on first serve to keep Zheng under pressure, reports.

Chennai Super Kings batters faltered again as Harshal Patel claimed four wickets to his name, alongside two wickets each by skipper Pat Cummins and Jaydev Unadkat, to restrict the hosts to 154 all out in 19.5 overs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here on Friday. For the batting side, Dewald Brevis’ 25-ball 42 was the highlight of the innings.

After having opted to bowl first, Mohammed Shami gave SRH the perfect start by finding Shaik Rasheed’s (0) outside edge on the very first ball, which saw Abhishek Sharma take a difficult catch at first slip. Youngster Ayush Mhatre (30), who made his debut against Mumbai Indians on Sunday, continued his impressive breakthrough by smashing Pat Cummins, Shami, and Jaydev Unadkat for six boundaries in the next three overs before Harshal Patel claimed the wicket of Sam Curran (9).

Sunrisers Hyderabad have opted to bowl first against Chennai Super Kings in Match 43 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here on Friday. With both sides sitting at the bottom of the points table with just four points each from eight matches, this clash is crucial for their playoff hopes.

Chennai Super Kings, known for their dominance at home, have faced a tough time adjusting to the conditions at Chepauk this season. Despite their experience and strong core, CSK have struggled to read the pitch conditions, leading to unexpected defeats.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, playing his 400th T20 game on the night, revealed he too wanted to bowl first and explained the two changes made by the side, which saw Dewald Brevis and Deepak Hooda come in the side in place of Rachin Ravindra and Vijay Shankar.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a player who has successfully stood the test of time has reached his 400th T20 game landmark during Chennai Super Kings’ clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday.

His stellar T20 career, which has seen him captain India to the 2007 T20 World Cup victory and had a massive role in leading CSK to five Indian Premier League titles, has seen him score 7566 runs at a strike rate of 135.90.

Although at 44 years of age, Dhoni’s batting may not be at the peak of his prowess with the bat but he is still lightning quick behind the stumps and holds the record of most stumpings in the format with 34 to his name.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is leading CSK once again in the IPL 2025 season after regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out for the remainder of the season with an elbow fracture.

Come Saturday, and Shreyas Iyer will be stepping on the Eden Gardens turf as the skipper of Punjab Kings, aiming to get his team two crucial points against a misfiring Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the side he led them to IPL 2024 title.

While many expressed surprise over Iyer not being retained by KKR, the right-handed batter has gone about his business as the PBKS’ skipper with his usual sharp and thoughtful demeanour, resulting in the side winning five out of eight IPL 2025 games so far.

It also helps Iyer’s cause of leading PBKS with aplomb that he has scored 238 runs as the number three batter in four away matches this season, with the strike-rate standing at a massive 201.69.

RP Singh, the former India left-arm fast-bowler, feels Iyer’s shift from being KKR’s winning captain last year to playing against them as the PBKS skipper at the Eden Gardens will hold huge importance when the two sides clash in a crunch Saturday evening game.

Atletico Madrid remains third in La Liga after a 3-0 win at home to Rayo Vallecano on Thursday night.

Atletico's greater effectiveness in front of goal allowed Diego Simeone's side to claim the Madrid derby, with Alexander Sorloth, Conor Gallagher and Julian Alvarez netting against a team that had as many chances as Atletico, but lacked a clinical edge.

The result also means Atletico has at least assured a place in next season's Europa League, reports.

Real Betis moved above Villarreal into fifth with a comfortable 5-1 win at home to bottom side Real Valladolid, whose return to the second tier was confirmed by the defeat.

Jesus Rodriguez put Betis ahead after 17 minutes, and although Chuki equalised before halftime, Betis ran away with the game after the break, with Cucho Hernandez, Isco, Romain Perraud and Ezza Abde ensuring a comfortable win.

Scotland, Nepal, and the Netherlands are all set to compete in a men’s T20I tri-series at the Clydesdale Cricket Club in Glasgow from June 15-20, said Cricket Scotland on Thursday.

It also said the six-match men’s T20I tri-series will immediately follow the ICC CWCL2 fixtures, which feature all three sides, from June 2-12 at Forfarshire CC in Dundee. As per the schedule, Scotland will play the first game of the tri-series against the Netherlands on June 15.

The Netherlands will face Nepal on June 16, before the latter take on hosts Scotland on June 17. On June 18, the Netherlands and Nepal will take on each other, before the former take on Scotland on June 19. Scotland and Nepal will then play the final game of the tri-series on June 20, following which the team with the most number of points will be adjudged as the winner.

Two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Madrid Open, an ATP 1000 masters event, due to the adductor injury sustained in Barcelona and a separate injury in his left foot.

The 21-year-old announced the decision during his pre-tournament press conference on Thursday. "We have decided to not take risks, to not worsen the situation for the future and to listen to my body. We have to take difficult decisions, but we have made the right one. I will try to rest, recover and be back on the court as soon as possible," Alcaraz said.

The Spaniard received treatment on his upper right leg during his defeat to Holger Rune in the Barcelona final last week. Alcaraz was hoping to be fit to play at the ATP Masters 1000 event but feels that the tournament has come too soon.

Mumbai Indians pacer Trent Boult has heaped praises on veteran opener Rohit Sharma after the former MI captain produced back-to-back half-centuries to power the five-time champions back into playoff contention in IPL 2025.

Speaking after MI’s dominant seven-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad, Boult hailed Rohit as a "world-class" player whose form could prove crucial in the team’s quest for a record-extending sixth title.

"I think the whole side, the whole Mumbai Indians squad possesses some world-class players and obviously Rohit needs no introduction in that regard," Boult said at the post-match media interaction.

"I'm sure everyone wants to be contributing at some points, but Rohit's doing a fantastic job of late and playing nicely just at the right time. So he's going to play a huge role for us in the remaining part of the season. I think you just need to be prepared for any role," he added.

Hockey India has announced a 54-member core probable squad for the upcoming senior men’s national coaching camp, which will begin on 25th April 2025 at the SAI Centre in Bengaluru.

Following their performances at the 15th Senior Men National Championship 2025, held in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. Hockey India has selected a core group of 54 players for the upcoming national camp.

The camp will be held from April 25 to 30, during which the group will be assessed and subsequently pruned down to 40 players. The selected 40 players will then continue training in the next phase of the camp, scheduled from May 1 to 25.