Roger Federer withdrew from this week's Paris Masters after suffering a 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-3) final loss to Juan Martin del Potro at the Swiss Indoors in Basel. The world No 1 revealed his late decision to skip the event he won a year ago as part of a sweep of the last three events of the 2011 season. Federer, 31, said he felt he needed to let a few niggles heal to be fully fit for the start of the World Tour finals in London next week. With old rival Rafael Nadal also missing after ending his campaign early due to the knee injury which has kept him off court since June, the Paris field will now be led by second seed Novak Djokovic and US Open winner Andy Murray. AFP
Matthew Wade was named yesterday as Australia's wicketkeeper for the opening clash against South Africa in Brisbane next week, suggesting Brad Haddin's test cricket career could be at an end. Haddin, 35, has been resurgent in recent months, leading the Sydney Sixers to the Champions League Twenty20 title on Sunday, but Australia's five-man selection panel opted for the younger Wade, 24. Wade made his debut in Barbados in April against the West Indies and posted a century in the third test in Dominica after Haddin left the tour for family reasons. The three-test series starts at the Gabba on November 9. AFP
Australian Geoff Huegill, 33, who staged an unlikely comeback to win a gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, announced yesterday he was quitting elite swimming. The former world record holder quit the sport in 2004 and in retirement ballooned to 138kg and was overweight and out of training when he decided in 2008 that he wanted to return. He worked his way back into the Australia team after six years out by losing 45kg over 18 months. At the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010, he won silver in his pet event the 50m butterfly and gold in the 100m butterfly final - at which he posted an all-time personal best performance time of 51.69 seconds. AFP