Imogen Bankier and England's Chris Adcock are on course for another rematch with GB rivals Nathan Robertson and Jenny Wallwork at the European Championships in Karlskrona from April 16-21, writes Henry McCall. Both GB contenders for London 2012 were given first-round byes and fourth seeds Bankier and Adcock's first match will be a second-round tie with Belgian pair Nathan Vervaeke and Angela Castillo. If both GB pairs come through to their seeded positions they will meet in the quarter.
BOXING
Craig McEwan may be on the cusp of staking a claim for a possible world title bout after it emerged that his promoter, Golden Boy, is involved in negotiations for the 29-year-old Edinburgh-born middleweight to box Sergio Mora, writes Jim Black.
Should Golden Boy succeed in securing the match, a win over Mora – an ex-WBC champion and winner of the first Contender Series in the States – would elevate McEwan to the status of challenger for one of the sport's coveted prizes. McEwan will feature on former world champion Alex Arthur's second promotional venture, at Meadowbank Sports Centre on April 14. McEwan, who until recently was based in Hollywood, where he boxed out of Freddie Roach's Wildcard Gym, will make his Scottish debut in an eight-round contest against Englishman Paul Morby.
CURLING
Scotland had an impressive 7-4 victory over Sweden yesterday at the World Men's Championship in Basel, Switzerland, but later suffered a set-back when they lost 5-7 to unbeaten table-tippers Canada, a reversal that puts them into a three-way tie with China and Norway for second place with two round-robin games to go, writes Mike Haggerty. The Scots – who earlier defeated Sweden 7-4 – will now play the Czech Republic and USA today as they conclude their round-robin programme, and two wins will ensure their involvement in the weekend medal games.
CYCLING
Sir Chris Hoy missed out on the medals after Britain was disqualified in yesterday's team sprint at the World Track Championships in Melbourne, writes Lorin McDougall. Hoy, Jason Kenny and teenager Phil Hindes went fourth-quickest in qualifying in 43.533sec to set up a bronze medal ride-off with Australia, but they were then disqualified for "swinging out of line too early" at the end of the first lap. Holders Germany were also relegated in the same heat, leaving Australia to score a shock win over France in the final. Hoy is back on the track today in the individual sprint.
GOLF
Walker Cup hero Michael Stewart, anxiously searching for a pro golf circuit on which to play, has made it through to next week's PGA EuroPro Tour Final Qualifying School at Frilford Heath GC, Oxfordshire next week (April 10 to 13), writes Colin Farquharson.
He followed up a five-birdie, six-bogey 73 in the Stage 1 eliminator at De Vere Mottram Hall, Cheshire with a birdie-less, eight over par 80 for 153 - four shots inside the limit mark to advance to next week's action.
Qualifying Scots M Isaacs (Project Solutions), G Nicolson (Mortonhall), S Young (Turnhouse)
n The Players Club, Bristol Qualifying Scots M Rae (Aberdeen Door Systems), J Hendry (Clydebank and District), S Reekie (Blairgowrie)
HANDBALL
Great Britain – including Scots Dan McMillan, Chris Mohr and Scott Frew – face the might of Argentina tonight in their opening match in the Pinsent Masons' London Cup at Crystal Palace. The South Americans have already booked their place at London 2012 and the British team will get a measure of how their own preparations for the Olympics are going.
"This tournament is one of the biggest sport events this year in the handball world and certainly the best tournament ever on British soil," said GB head coach, Dragan Djukic.
HOCKEY
Scotland's under-18s push off their build-up for the Celtic Cup in Edinburgh in July with three internationals against Wales in Wrexham from Friday (6-8 April), writes Nigel Duncan. Manager Elanor Cormack said: "We play Ireland, Switzerland and Wales at the Celtic Cup in three months' time so it's valuable the boys get some game time in advance of this competition."
Squad G Adams (Ayr), F Barrows, E Greaves (Kelburne), T Barton, A Docherty, A McCrossan (Inverleith), A Breckenridge, D Clark, M O'Donovan (Clydesdale), E Christie (Aberdeen Grammar), R Davies (Glenalmond), M Elwis (Cranleigh), H Godfrey (Glasgow School of Sport), L Hill (Glasgow Academy), A Robb (CALA Edinburgh), J Ross (Hillhead), F Sandison, A Wood (Dundee Wanderers)
ICE HOCKEY
Glasgow-born Bobby McEwan yesterday described Hull Stingrays' shock Elite League play-off finals weekend appearance as "Disneyland stuff", writes Nigel Duncan.
Stingrays finished seventh in the league and were huge underdogs going into their two-game series with league runners-up Sheffield Steelers.
After a 2-2 tie at Hull Arena in the first-leg, Stingrays stunned Steelers 5-2 at The House of Steel.
They now meet defending champions Nottingham Panthers in the semi-final on Saturday. McEwan, an assistant coach with Stingrays, said: "Every dog has his day. We were awesome. To do what we have done is just Disneyland stuff."
MOTOR RACING
Stefan di Resta, the 22-year-old younger brother of Formula One driver Paul di Resta, will make his racing debut in Sunday's Celtic Speed Scottish Mini Cooper Cup at the Knockhill circuit in Fife.
ROWING
Scots Katherine Grainger, Heather Stanning and Lindsey Maguire have all been named in the GB team for the opening World Cup of the season, in Belgrade fro May 4-6. Grainger, with three Olympic silver medals and six World titles to her name, will continue her partnership in the women's double scull with Anna Watkins. Stanning, originally from Loussiemouth, will also resume a successful partnership in the women's pair with Helen Glover.
TAEKWONDO
Larbert's Asia Bailey, the Dutch Open champion, has been included in the seven-strong Great Britain squad for this week's World Junior Championships in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Bailey competes in the Under-42kg event on Saturday.
TENNIS
Jamie Baker, the unseeded British No.3 from Glasgow, came back strongly to beat local wildcard Tennys Sandgren 0-6, 6-0, 6-4 in the first round 32 of the ATP Tallahassee Challenger in Florida, writes Robin Morris. Baker, 26, now meets top seed alternate ninth seed Frank Dancevic of Canada who beat a qualifier for a place in the last eight.
Gordon Reid, wheelchair British No.1 and World No.9 from Helensburgh, goes into the second ITF Super Series event this year at the Florida Wheelchair Championships in Boca Raton today on the back of his first Grade One doubles title at Pensacola and taking World No.1 Maikel Scheffers of the Netherlands to three close sets in the singles quarter-finals last week.
