World Sports in brief

Wang Xin starts Japan Open with easy win

World silver medallist Wang Xin of China opened her title challenge at the Japan Open with an easy win over Taiwan's Pai Hsiao-ma on Wednesday. Fresh from her victory at the China Masters last weekend, the Chinese second seed coasted to a straightforward 21-16, 21-14 win in 29 minutes in the first round of the women's singles.

Idowu set to skip Games as Ohuruogu exits

World triple jump champion Phillips Idowu looked set to skip the defence of his Commonwealth Games title as he became the latest high-profile absentee from the crisis-stricken event on Tuesday.

Idowu made clear he was pulling out on safety grounds on the same day as the athletes' village was labelled "uninhabitable".

Limbless Frenchman bids to swim Channel

A Frenchman who lost all his limbs in an electrical accident was swimming across the Channel on Saturday, a challenge he has been preparing for two years, his support team said.

Philippe Croizon, 42, set off from Folkestone in southern England and expected to take around 24 hours to swim back to France.

Matthaeus named new Bulgaria coach

German football great Lothar Matthaeus has been appointed as Bulgaria's new national team coach, the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) announced on Tuesday.

"Lothar Matthaeus is the new national team coach," BFU president Borislav Mihaylov told a press conference after a meeting of the union's executive board.