Digest

Tennis

Record win vaults Rafa to world No 5

Rafael Nadal moved up two notches to fifth in the ATP world rankings released on Monday - a day after claiming his record 10th Monte Carlo championship.

Spain's 30-year-old king of clay won his 50th trophy on his favorite surface, his 70th overall and his first title in almost a year by beating compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 6-3 in just 76 minutes.

Ramos-Vinolas, 29, who had upset world No 1 Andy Murray and Marin Cilic in the best run of his career, moved up five places to a career-high 19th.

Britain's Murray remains in top spot ahead of Serb Novak Djokovic and Swiss Stan Wawrinka, who were all early casualties in Monte Carlo.

Baseball

Barnes will sit for brushback pitch

Major League Baseball acted swiftly in disciplining Boston Red Sox pitcher Matt Barnes for a dangerous pitch near the head of Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado on Sunday.

Barnes was handed a four-game suspension on Monday.

In an announcement by executive Joe Torre, MLB said Barnes also received an "undisclosed fine for intentionally throwing a pitch in the area of" Machado's head.

Barnes, who was ejected from the game after the eighth-inning pitch, and Red Sox manager John Farrell both insisted the pitch was not intentional.

Doping bans for three pitchers

Former All-Star pitcher Steve Delabar is one of three pitchers suspended on the weekend for using performance-enhancing drugs.

Delabar, who pitched for the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays and Cincinnati Reds during a six-season span, was banned 80 games after a positive test for Ostarine under baseball's minor league drug program. Ostarine is used to retain lean mass.

Seattle pitcher Jonathan Aro was suspended 50 games for an unspecified violation.

Free agent right-hander Jeffry Hernandez was banned for 80 games after a positive test for the performance-enhancing substance Stanozolol.

NFL

Hernandez family to see suicide notes

The family of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez will gain access to three handwritten notes the former NFL player wrote before killing himself last week, a family attorney said on Monday.

George Leontire said Bristol Superior Court in New Bedford, Massachusetts, ordered release of the notes to the family, news that came minutes before funeral services began for Hernandez in Bristol, Connecticut.

As part of his motion, Leontire said Hernandez's family deserved to "know their loved one's final thoughts" and termed it necessary to the "grieving process".

Leisure Sports

Kite festival draws international teams

More than 500 kite enthusiasts from around the world took part in the Beijing International Kite Festival last week at the Garden Expo Park in the capital's Fengtai district.

Organized by the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau, Beijing Municipal All-Sports Federation and Beijing Fengtai District People's Government, the event drew 16 Chinese teams and 24 international entrants from the US, Russia, Britain, Germany, South Africa and Malaysia.

Kiting is one of China's most popular traditional recreational activities.

Agencies - China Daily