Digest

Tennis

Kvitova returns from knife wound

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova was back on the court on Tuesday, more than four months after her left hand was badly wounded in a knife attack.

The 27-year-old Czech posted a picture of herself on Facebook, hitting a ball on a practice court in Monaco.

"Hello guys, I hope this picture makes you as happy as it makes me!" wrote the Wimbledon champion from 2011 and 2014 and bronze medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

"I am in Monaco, and guess what? I'm back on the tennis court, hitting with some proper balls."

Basketball

Garnett spurns offer to join Cavs

Kevin Garnett rebuffed Tyronn Lue when the coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers attempted to lure him out of retirement for the NBA playoffs.

Lue spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics (2011-13) during Garnett's tenure with that franchise and thought he could entice his close friend to return.

Garnett, an analyst for TNT and NBA TV who was working as a consultant with the Milwaukee Bucks, turned down Lue's offer to join the Cavaliers and come off the bench. Lue's pitch came on the heels of Garnett's season-ending injury to Andrew Bogut.

Soccer

Ibrahimovic 'fixed' by knee surgery

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been "fixed" and "feels stronger" after undergoing knee surgery in the US, he said on Tuesday.

"Fixed, done and stronger," Ibrahimovic posted on his official Instagram account, accompanied by a photograph of him wearing medical wristbands.

"Once again, thank you for the support. We will enjoy my game together soon."

United wrote on Twitter: "Good news from Zlatan's team that he has undergone successful knee surgery."

Athletics

Husband defends Flo-Jo's records

The husband of late sprint queen Florence Griffith Joyner has vowed to fight moves by international athletics chiefs that could erase her long-standing world records, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

Al Joyner, the 1984 Olympic triple jump champion who was married to the sprinter from 1987 until her sudden death in 1998, said attempts to invalidate world records set before an as-yet-undetermined date are unfair.

Joyner, 57, told the Journal he was frustrated "to see how someone, with a stroke of a pen, can go change history".

Liupanshui set to host marathoners

The Liupanshui International Marathon will be held on July 23 in the Zhongshan district of Liupanshui city, Guizhou province.

The event is rated gold by the China Athletics Association and bronze by the IAAF.

Registration for a record entry of 30,000 runners opens to the public on Thursday, including 5,000 for a full marathon, 3,000 for a half marathon, 2,000 for a 2,000m run and 20,000 for a fitness fun run.

China will host more than 500 marathons this year, and the Liupanshui event is the second stop of the six-leg national marathon championships.

A summit on marathon and sports tourism will also be held, along with other activities to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the event.

Agencies - China Daily