Third seed Ekaterina Alexandrova beat Clara Burel – and the persistent rain - to reach the quarter-finals of the Internationaux de Strasbourg.

Alexandrova is the highest-ranked player remaining in the tournament after top seed Bianca Andreescu withdrew on Tuesday with an abdominal injury.

The world number 33 converted six of her 10 break points to see off Burel 6-3 6-4 in an hour and 10 minutes as she reached her fourth quarter-final of the season, two of those on clay.

Barbora Krejcikova awaits Alexandrova in the last eight after battling back from a set down to beat Caroline Garcia 3-6 6-2 6-1.

Previous Strasbourg champion Garcia held serve throughout the opening set to open up a convincing lead, but Krejcikova did likewise in the second and third sets to advance through.

Number four seed Yulia Putintseva is also into the quarter-finals after Jil Teichmann retired injured when two games down in the opening set.

Arantxa Rus had a walkover win of her own, with French wildcard Harmony Tan a set down when having to withdraw through injury.

Wednesday's other matches also came to an early end because of rain. 

Jule Niemeier leads Shelby Rogers 6-4 2-1 ahead of the resumption of that match on Thursday, which is also when Zhang Shuai and Sorana Cirstea will begin their second-round contest – the winner of which will go through to the semis following Andreescu's withdrawal

Antonio Conte's departure from Inter sent shockwaves through Italian and European football on Wednesday.

Just weeks after leading the Nerazzurri to their first Scudetto in 11 seasons, Conte left San Siro by mutual consent, amid reports of the Inter board needing to slash the wage bill and sell star players.

The pursuit of major honours and a strained relationship with his bosses have been constant themes of a turbulent two seasons at Inter for the former Juventus, Italy and Chelsea boss.

Below are some of the highs and lows of his two-season tenure.

HIGHS

Winning Serie A

Having left another post abruptly, it remains to be seen what this episode does for Conte's standing when it comes to further elite coaching positions.

But there can be no doubt he gets results. Conte was brought in to bring down the Juventus dynasty he set in motion and his past three club jobs have now all yielded top-flight titles.

They romped to glory with 91 points this time around, meaning Conte is the first head coach in Serie A history to have gained in excess of 90 points at two clubs, having got 102 at Juve in 2013-14. He left after that one, as well.

Lukaku reborn

Conte is famously terrible at seeing eye to eye with his bosses and one of the reasons his tenure at Chelsea soured was the failure to bring Romelu Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge.

Lukaku's switch to Manchester United proved the wrong move for both parties and Conte finally got his man in 2019. The outcome has been fairly spectacular.

The Belgium striker's 72 Serie A appearances for Inter have yielded 47 goals, while his 64 in all competitions since the start of last season puts him joint fifth in Europe's top five leagues alongside Ciro Immobile, behind Robert Lewandowski (103), Cristiano Ronaldo (73), Kylian Mbappe (69) and Erling Haaland (65).

Kings of Milan

This is a moniker Lukaku applied to himself, mainly as a jibe in Zlatan Ibrahimovic's direction. But it applied just as much to Inter during Conte's spell in charge as they enjoyed some stirring victories over bitter rivals Milan.

Overall, in five Derby della Madonnina, Inter won four and lost one. Last season's 4-2 comeback win in Serie A from 4-2 down was an instant classic

Ibrahimovic opened the scoring, clashed angrily with Lukaku and was sent off in a feisty Coppa Italia clash this January. Lukaku then equalised from the penalty spot and Christian Eriksen sealed victory with a 97th-minute free-kick. Derby wins really do not come any sweeter.

LOWS

Europa League final heartache

If Conte is a specialist when it comes to domestic league titles, he fell short in the Europa League against the club that has mastered its vagaries better than any other.

Sevilla won the competition for the sixth time this century, prevailing 3-2 in a helter-skelter encounter in Cologne – Lukaku unfortunately deciding the contest with an own goal, having given Inter an early lead via a fifth-minute penalty.

The wider context around the loss probably sowed the seeds for the predicament in which Inter and Conte now find themselves.

Board room ructions

Having failed to lift European silverware and finished second in Serie A, despite Juventus showing some of the cracks that opened so widely this season, Conte was apparently ready to walk after a year in charge and talked cryptically about his prospects of carrying on.

From Lukaku and Eriksen to the likes of Achraf Hakimi, Alexis Sanchez and Ashley Young, Conte has been backed considerably in terms of transfer fees and wages at San Siro.

He rarely acknowledged this in public, frequently saying his squad needed new additions. Inter will have had a very good idea how all this was going to end if – as seems to be the case – cost-cutting is now so high on the agenda.

Champions League failure

Alongside the above concerns over his temperament, Conte's underwhelming results in the Champions League are another thing that will give prospective future employers pause for thought.

At Juventus and Chelsea, he never got particularly close to winning it and Inter, despite being handed a notably tough group alongside Real Madrid, Borussia Monchengladbach and Shakhtar Donetsk, bowed out at the round-robin stage in 2020-21, finishing bottom.

When he won the Premier League in 2016-17, Chelsea were not burdened by European football. There is unquestionably a disparity between Conte the one-game-a-week coach, who thrives on drilling his players with rigorous detail, and his returns when forced to battle on two fronts.

Inter's not-so-well-kept secret is out in the open and Antonio Conte has left the club by mutual consent despite ending an 11-year wait for Serie A glory this term.

Conte became the first coach in the three-points-for-a-win era to secure the title with 90-plus points with two different teams, having also done so as Juventus head coach.

But Conte's long-term future has often been shrouded in doubt and he was tipped to leave after defeat in last term's Europa League final to Sevilla.

Though he stayed put and brought the title to the Nerazzurri, things really began to escalate when owner Steven Zhang reportedly told Conte Inter's wage bill would need to be slashed and around €100million raised in player sales.

Conte has already headed for the exit door but there are plenty of others who may follow. Here are five players who would certainly draw interest from elsewhere.

ROMELU LUKAKU

With Inter seemingly in need of quick funds, the most obvious saleable asset in their ranks is Romelu Lukaku, a player who has flourished under Conte. This season, the Belgium star scored 24 goals and supplied 11 assists in Serie A – making him the first player to have 20-plus goals and 10-plus assists in a single top-flight campaign in Italy since Opta began collecting this kind of data in 2004-05.

Lukaku has been heavily linked to a return to the Premier League, with both former club Chelsea or Manchester City (the forward having signed from the Citizens' rivals Manchester United). He has 64 goals and 17 assists across all competitions for Inter, and could feasibly raise the money his club are looking for in one hit.

LAUTARO MARTINEZ

It was not so long ago Lukaku's strike partner Lautaro Martinez was tipped to join Barcelona. That move failed to materialise and, with Barcelona's own financial problems well documented, it would seem unlikely such a deal would be revisited in the near future. That being said, the Argentina striker is another who would be sure to attract several suitors for his signature. With 49 goals and 14 assists since joining Inter in 2018, Martinez is among the Nerazzurri's most prized assets.

CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN

It was only six months ago that Christian Eriksen appeared certain to depart Inter after a disappointing stint since joining from Tottenham in January 2020. But the Denmark playmaker enjoyed a renaissance since the turn of the year and was influential in Inter's success. There were no assists last term, but Eriksen did manage four goals, as well as creating 39 chances – five of which are defined as 'big chances' by Opta.

A return to Spurs was previously mooted, while Borussia Dortmund were also said to be interested. There are seemingly others more likely to leave but Eriksen may come on to a few radars and would take a decent chunk out of the wage bill.

NICOLO BARELLA

One of the brightest prospects in Italian football, Nicolo Barella recently made the Serie A Team of the Season for the second straight campaign and Inter would certainly look to sell others before their brilliant midfield maestro. Chelsea have been linked with a big-money move for the Italy international, but he would likely command a huge fee and Inter are said to be reluctant to sacrifice Barella.

The 24-year-old had 10 assists, created 11 big chances, 62 chances in total and had a passing accuracy of 84.58 per cent across all competitions in 2020-21.

ACHRAF HAKIMI

Achraf Hakimi joining from Real Madrid in July 2020, after spending two seasons on loan with Borussia Dortmund, represented a real coup for Conte. Arsenal have been tentatively linked with the attacking full-back, while his talents will be sure to draw interest from Europe's big hitters, even if Inter look to cash in on players elsewhere first. In 45 games across all competitions, Hakimi had seven goals, nine assists and 46 chances created. Twelve of those were big chances.

Netherlands head coach Frank de Boer agrees with Virgil van Dijk's decision to sit out Euro 2020 and expects Georginio Wijnaldum and Matthijs de Ligt to fill the leadership void.

Dutch skipper Van Dijk confirmed two weeks ago that he will miss the tournament to focus on getting fully fit for the start of pre-season with Liverpool.

The 29-year-old missed the majority of the 2020-21 campaign due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained against Everton in October, though he is now back in individual training.

De Boer accepts Van Dijk will be a big loss for Oranje in their quest to win a second European Championship title, but understands the decision taken by the centre-back.

"Virgil made the decision himself," De Boer said at a news conference on Wednesday. "I think that's the way it should be. 

"We all hoped that he would have been able to join us, that he would have had the same scenario as Daley Blind, that he would have been able to play one or two games. 

"If we would reach the final, he would have been fit to play, that's what he said himself. In the end, it's been a very well thought out choice of his, even though it sucks for us. 

"We hope we'll reach the World Cup, too, which will be played pretty soon. He doesn't want to miss two big tournaments and he also wants to be important for his club next season. 

"We have all seen how big of an impact his absence has had on us and on Liverpool."

Wijnaldum took over captaincy duties from club-mate Van Dijk last November and will wear the armband at the delayed Euro 2020 finals.

De Boer can also call upon the likes of Inter's Stefan de Vrij and Juventus defender De Ligt, who became the youngest captain in Ajax's history in 2017.

Asked who in his squad will spur the players on, De Boer said: "At this point, it's our captain [Wijnaldum]. 

"But there's different types of leaders: some are charismatic, some are very vocal. That's why you're asking this.

"I think Virgil van Dijk has everything: he has charisma, he's vocal and he looks like a true leader. Now we need to find others. 

"Matthijs de Ligt was captaining Ajax at 19. He is also a similar leader. Stefan de Vrij has proven to be able to do so as well in his recent years at the highest level at Inter. 

"It's something that has to grow within the squad. Daley Blind might not be a very physical leader, but he's very vocal and clear about what he wants others to do – a big plus for us.

"I don't think we have one single leader that has all of those qualities, but it's now time for multiple leaders to stand up and work as one, both on and off the pitch."

De Boer was speaking after naming his finalised 26-man squad for the Euros on Wednesday.

Tottenham forward Steven Bergwijn was the biggest casualty of the eight players cut from the initial 34-man group.

Anwar El Ghazi, Hans Hateboer, Rick Karsdorp, Marco Bizot, Jeremiah St. Juste, Kenny Tete and Tonny Vilhena were the other players omitted by De Boer.

The Netherlands begin their Group C campaign against Ukraine in Amsterdam on June 13, before facing Austria and North Macedonia.

Netherlands squad in full:

Jasper Cillessen (Valencia), Tim Krul (Norwich City), Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax); Nathan Ake (Manchester City), Daley Blind (Ajax), Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus), Stefan de Vrij (Inter), Denzel Dumfries (PSV), Jurrien Timber (Ajax), Patrick van Aanholt (Crystal Palace), Joel Veltman (Brighton and Hove Albion), Owen Wijndal (AZ); Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Marten de Roon (Atalanta), Ryan Gravenberch (Ajax), Davy Klaassen (Ajax), Teun Koopmeiners (AZ), Donny van de Beek (Manchester United), Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool); Steven Berghuis (Feyenoord), Luuk de Jong (Sevilla), Memphis Depay (Olympique Lyonnais), Cody Gakpo (PSV), Donyell Malen (PSV), Quincy Promes (Spartak Moscow), Wout Weghorst (Wolfsburg).

Paolo Maldini has confirmed goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma will leave Milan as a free agent.

The Italy international's future has long since been the subject of speculation as he nears the end of his contract.

Milan director Maldini on Wednesday revealed the 22-year-old is on his way out of the Serie A club.

He said in a live streaming event on the Rossoneri's Twitch channel: "I think we should thank all the players who contributed to this incredible season.

"Gigio was a leader and often the captain. People sometimes don't realise what it means to be a professional, it means you must be ready to change club.

"It's difficult to accept, I realise, but it's also increasingly difficult to spend a career with one team. We must respect those who gave so much to Milan and remember Donnarumma did not disrespect us.

"It can happen that at times you have to take different paths. I can only wish him the best."

Donnarumma has been linked with the likes of Juventus, Barcelona and Manchester United.  

Lille's Mike Maignan is reportedly set to replace Donnarumma at San Siro.

Antonio Conte has departed Inter by mutual consent less than a month on from clinching the Serie A title, the club have confirmed.

The 51-year-old guided the Nerazzurri to their first Scudetto since 2010 in just his second season in charge.

Conte, who also led Inter to the Europa League final in his first season at the San Siro helm, had another year to run on his contract.

However, amid a supposed dispute between the coach and the club's owners over salary cuts and player sales, it was confirmed on Wednesday that Conte will leave his role.

Didier Deschamps said Karim Benzema is free to open up about the talks that led to his surprise France recall in the future, but the head coach said details of such discussions will not come from him.

Benzema was last week named in France's squad for the delayed European Championship following an absence of nearly six years.

He had been frozen out by Deschamps since 2015 having been embroiled in a blackmail scandal involving international team-mate Mathieu Valbuena over a sex tape.

The 33-year-old has denied the claims and is due to stand trial on the charge of complicity in attempted blackmail in October.

His recall followed another hugely impressive season for Madrid in which he scored 30 goals in all competitions, with 23 of those in LaLiga, trailing only Barcelona's Lionel Messi (30).

Reporters quizzing Deschamps on Wednesday were keen to know what he and Benzema discussed prior to the decision to end the former Lyon star's international exile.

But Deschamps would not oblige such requests.

"Karim said how he felt, I said how I felt too," he told a media conference. "I understand you want details, but they won't come from me, not from Karim either, for the moment. 

"If he wants to, he can. My decision comes from the fact that everything went well. 

"I have a group to manage, he was in this group, he is there again, here is the situation."

Deschamps addressed the issue of vaccination, with every adult in France now able to book a slot to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and the bubble the squad will remain in to reduce the risk of catching the virus.

He said: "I am not a doctor. Today, there is no obligation or recommendation from UEFA. Vaccination remains a personal decision. Some players may have been vaccinated on their own.  

"We made sure to vaccinate all the staff, who are a little older than the players. We are not 100 per cent protected, but we are in a very strict health bubble.

"We will make sure to be as vigilant as possible. From the moment a player is positive, it's over, he's leaving the competition. We all did a test today, everyone is used to it." 

Dan Martin went solo to claim a maiden Giro d'Italia stage victory and leader Egan Bernal finally showed signs of weakness on a brutal final climb.

Martin moved away on his own just over 10 kilometres from the end of the gruelling 193km stage 17 from Canazei to Sega di Ala and there was no catching the Irishman.

The Israel Start-Up Nation rider was the only member of a breakaway group, which had included eight men at one point, who was not reeled in.

Martin's victory completed a Grand Tour clean sweep, with two Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana successes already to his name.

He finished 13 seconds ahead of Joao Almeida and crossed the finishing line 30 seconds before Simon Yates, who showed he is still very much up for the fight in the battle for the maglia rosa.

Bernal had won stage 16 in impressive fashion on Monday, but looked in trouble on steep sections on a long final ascent in the maglia rosa.

The INEOS Grenadiers had to grit his teeth as Yates shot up the mountain in front of him, yet is still in a strong position with an advantage of two minutes and 21 seconds over Damiano Caruso.

Yates moved into third place overall, with three minutes and 23 seconds to make up on the 2019 Tour de France champion from Colombia.

Bernal has been troubled by a lingering back injury and had to really dig in, with great support from team-mate Daniel Martinez, as Yates made a statement in the final week of the race.

Hugh Carthy dropped off the podium to fifth as he suffered late on another hugely challenging day.

STAGE RESULT

1. Dan Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation) 4:54:38
2. Joao Almeida (Deceuninck–Quick-Step) +00:13
3. Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange) +00:30
4. Diego Ulissi (UAE Emirates) +01:20
5. Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) +01:20

CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS

General Classification

1. Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers) 71:32:05
2. Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) +02:21
3. Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange) +03:23

Points Classification

1. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) 135
2. Davide Cimolai (Israel Start-Up Nation) 113
3. Fernando Gaviria (UAE Emirates) 110

King of the Mountains

1. Geoffrey Bouchard (AG2R Citroen Team) 180
2. Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers) 109
3. Dan Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation) 79

Toni Kroos has denied claims Zinedine Zidane has already announced to the Real Madrid squad that he is stepping down as head coach.

Reports earlier this month suggested the Frenchman informed his players of his decision to quit ahead of the 2-2 league draw with Sevilla on May 9.

However, Kroos – who assisted two goals in that game but missed Madrid's final three matches after being rested and then contracting coronavirus – has labelled those rumours a "blatant lie".

"It's been said everywhere, even in Germany, that he has already announced his departure to the team," Kroos said on his Einfach mal Luppen podcast. 

"It's a blatant lie. Zizou and I have a good relationship. Without a doubt he would have told me. 

"I can't confirm it and I don't know how this will end, but I can say it's always fun working with him."

Kroos was echoing the views of team-mate Karim Benzema, who said in an interview with L'Equipe earlier this week that Zidane will not be leaving the Santiago Bernabeu.

Zidane revealed after his side's final LaLiga game of the season, a 2-1 win against Villarreal on Sunday, that he will hold talks with the club this week.

The growing speculation over the 48-year-old's future comes on the back of Madrid's first trophyless campaign since 2009-10.

Los Blancos finished second in LaLiga, despite an 18-game unbeaten run to see out the campaign – their best-such run since Carlo Ancelotti's time in charge in 2013-14.

They also suffered a shock early Copa del Rey exit to Alcoyano, were eliminated from the Champions League by Chelsea at the semi-final stage and lost to Athletic Bilbao in the Supercopa de Espana semi-finals.

But long-serving midfielder Kroos, who has just completed his seventh season with Madrid, is confident his side will bounce back in the 2021-22 campaign.

"A season without a title is never good for Real Madrid," he said. "But not many people towards the start of the season would have expected us to reach a European semi-final.

"We also fought for the title until the last day. It wasn't a good season, but at least we were there competing.

"There are of course many questions about how Madrid will perform next season. But I am certain about one thing - Madrid will fight again, I can guarantee it.

"We will return next year and fight for everything. I have no doubt about that. The experience of being here for seven years tells me that."

On an individual level, Kroos enjoyed a positive 2020-21 campaign with three goals and 10 assists in 28 league games.

Only Marcos Llorente (11) and Iago Aspas (13), in nine and five games more respectively, managed a higher number of assists in the Spanish top flight this season.

The 2.84 chances created per game by Kroos, meanwhile, is the most of anyone to have played more than three times this season, with Alaves' Lucas Perez next on the list with 2.7.

Reflecting on Madrid's campaign, Kroos said: "We were not consistent enough this season. Everyone has problems, including us. Yet in my opinion we still showed character this season.

"We had a lot of injuries and the coronavirus problems were extreme for us, yet we didn't give up and gave everything to the end, though it couldn't be."

Juventus have announced that managing director Fabio Paratici is to leave next month after 11 years at the club.

Paratici arrived at the Italian giants from Sampdoria in May 2010 and has taken up a number of boardroom positions, during which time he has helped oversee transfer activity.

However, his contract expires at the end of June and, following talks with president Andrea Agnelli on Wednesday, it has been confirmed the 48-year-old's deal will not be renewed.

Agnelli said in a statement on Juve's official website: "Fabio has written the history of Juventus over the past few years. 

"A growth path characterised by professionalism, perseverance and many successes. 

"Today is the time to thank him for being able to create a strong professional bond, accompanied by a daily passion."

Juve have won 19 domestic trophies during Paratici's time in Turin and pulled off a major transfer coup by signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid in 2018.

"They were wonderful years of professional growth and strong emotions," Paratici said of his spell with Juve. 

"Juventus gave me the opportunity to carry out my work with full freedom and without interference in full respect of my role. 

"For this I would like to thank the whole club, my staff, the employees, co-workers, the players, the coaches, the shareholders, and in particular the president, Andrea Agnelli. 

"An important chapter of my career closes, as I await new challenges."

The decision to part ways with Paratici comes on the back of a disappointing 2020-21 campaign for Juventus, head coach Andrea Pirlo's first in charge.

Juve relinquished their grip on the Scudetto for the first time in 10 seasons, with Inter finishing top, though they did salvage their campaign somewhat in the run-in.

They won their final three Serie A games to finish above Napoli in fourth place, as well as beating Atalanta 2-1 in the Coppa Italia final to add to their Supercoppa Italiana triumph back in January.

While Paratici is certainly moving on, the future for Pirlo still remains unclear. Former head coach Massimiliano Allegri has been linked with a return to the Allianz Arena.

England wicketkeeper Ben Foakes has been ruled out of the upcoming Test series with New Zealand after suffering a freak injury.

Foakes slipped in the dressing room after Surrey's County Championship match against Middlesex on Sunday and tore his left hamstring.

He was seemingly set to make his first Test appearance on home soil at Lord's next month after fellow wicketkeepers Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow were both rested following their involvement in the Indian Premier League.

However, Foakes is expected to miss at least three months while he recuperates, meaning Gloucestershire's James Bracey is now in line to make his Test debut.

Sam Billings and Haseeb Hameed have been added to England's squad for the two-match series with New Zealand, which begins on June 2.

Kent captain Billings is drafted in as wicketkeeping cover, while opening batsman Hameed – who has 474 runs at an average of 52.66 for Nottinghamshire in the 2021 season so far – is recalled, having not featured for England since November 2016.

Unlike Buttler and Bairstow, Billings – a regular in white-ball squads – has played for his county since returning from IPL duty. 

Chris Woakes, Sam Curran and Moeen Ali are the others to have been rested for the series, while Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer are ruled out through injury.

Wellington Phoenix boosted their A-League Finals hopes by extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with an entertaining 2-1 win at Western Sydney Wanderers.

The Phoenix are now up to seventh in the table, two points outside the top six, after preying on the Wanderers' weaknesses at Bankwest Stadium.

Wellington targeted their hosts at set-piece situations throughout, with Dylan McGowan failing to effectively deal with Steven Taylor, ever a nuisance on the goalkeeper's toes.

Daniel Margush was impeded after 24 minutes as Graham Dorrans headed against his own crossbar from a corner and David Ball touched in the rebound.

The Wanderers were level just four minutes later, though, when Keanu Baccus' shot from the edge of the area escaped the clutches of Oliver Sail.

That goal was awarded despite the offside McGowan hopping out of the way of the attempt, but the home captain was soon obstructing team-mate Margush as Tomer Hemed powered in a close-range header.

That was the 10th headed goal Western Sydney have conceded this season, and coach Carl Robinson complained to FOX Sports at half-time: "I can't head the ball for them."

He would have been dismayed to see the Phoenix win three corners within three minutes of the restart, but the Wanderers dug in.

They responded, too, with a 19-shot second-half onslaught, only for Sail and his back line to just about hold out and protect a precious away win.