World number two Roger Federer and defending champion Stan Wawrinka both suffered third-round defeats at the Monte Carlo Masters. World number nine Wawrinka, the 2014 Australian Open champion, beat fellow Swiss Federer last year to win his first and only Masters 1000 title. But he lost 6-1 6-2 to Bulgaria’s world number 11 Dimitrov in 54 minutes. Second seed Federer was beaten 6-4 7-6 (7-5) by Frenchman Gael Monfils, the world number 18 and 14th seed. It was a second consecutive win on clay for Monfils over the 17-time Grand Slam champion after his straight sets victory during last year’s Davis Cup final. Federer, 33, four times a beaten finalist in this event, was competing for the first time since losing to Novak Djokovic in the Indian Wells final nearly four weeks ago. He was broken in the ninth game of the first set and then squandered a 5-3 lead in the second set tie-break, losing four successive points. Wawrinka had won two of the previous three meetings with Dimitrov, including a clay court encounter at the 2013 World Tour Masters in Madrid. But the 30-year-old Swiss made 41 unforced errors and had just four winners against the ninth seed. He was guilty of 13 of those unforced errors as Dimitrov raced 4-0 ahead, and failed to convert four break points in the sixth game of the second set.

Here are the shortlists for the PFA’s women’s awards:

Women’s Players’ Player of the Year:

Eniola Aluko, Chelsea; Lucy Bronze, Manchester City; Jess Clarke, Notts County; Karen Carney, Birmingham City; Kelly Smith, Arsenal; Ji So-Yun, Chelsea.

Women’s Young Player of the Year:

Freda Ayisi, Birmingham City; Hannah Blundell, Chelsea; Aoife Mannion; Birmingham City; Nikita Parris, Manchester City; Leah Williamson, Arsenal.

Eniola Aluka (pictured above) is sister to Sone Aluko who plays for Super Eagles of Nigeria and Hull City FC. We wish her luck.

Chelsea captain John Terry should still be playing for England, according to former national boss Fabio Capello. Capello resigned in February 2012 after Terry was stripped of the captaincy by the Football Association over allegations of racial abuse following an incident with QPR’s Anton Ferdinand. Terry, 34, was acquitted after a trial in July 2012 but was banned for four games and fined £220,000 by the FA. “It’s better to have a player like John Terry than not,” said Capello. “England haven’t got a lot of defenders but they sometimes have problems. He is one of the best.”

The American city of Eugene will host the 2021 World Athletics Championships, the IAAF has announced. It will be the first time the event has been staged in the United States. The IAAF say they awarded their premier competition to Eugene without a bidding process “in response to what was seen as a unique strategic opportunity to host the IAAF World Championships for the first time in the USA”. Eugene, in Oregon, staged the World Junior Championships last year.

Manny Pacquiao says the timing is right for his long-awaited fight with American Floyd Mayweather. Welterweights Mayweather, 38, and Pacquiao, 36, are considered two of the best boxers of their generation and the Las Vegas unification bout on 2 May is set to generate £162m ($250m). “It’s a good thing it is happening now because more people are informed about it than before,” Filipino Pacquiao said. “What I feel right now is motivation, inspiration and determination. The killer instinct is there, I love it.” Pacquiao’s WBO belt and Mayweather’s WBC and WBA welterweight titles will be on the line.

Swansea City striker Bafetimbi Gomis has been ruled out for between three to four weeks with a hamstring injury. Gomis, 29, limped off during Saturday’s 1-1 Premier League draw against Everton. The club says the French forward underwent scans which revealed a grade two hamstring strain. Gomis has scored just five goals in 29 Premier League appearances for the Swans, but three of those goals have come in his last three matches.

Fenerbahce will play on Thursday after almost a two-week absence following the gun attack on their team bus, which led to the suspension of Turkey’s SuperLig. The club, who have agreed to face Mersin in the cup after receiving security assurances from the government, had initially stated they would not play until the crime was solved. Turkish football chiefs claimed the 4 April attack was “terrorist” related. The SuperLig resumes on Friday. Fenerbahce will play its next league match on Monday against Bursaspor. Nigeria’s Emmanuel Emenike was in the team bus when it was attacked.

Former QPR boss Harry Redknapp says he would consider another managerial job if the right offer came his way. The 68-year-old handed in his resignation at Loftus Road in February, citing knee problems, although he later claimed “people with their own agendas” had a hand in his departure. “It is difficult to know whether you want to go back in again, but if the right offer came along for the right job then I would consider it, because I do love the game and certainly do miss it,” Redknapp told Press Association Sport. “It has got to be something which I really wanted to do. It would not be a case of the money. I had an offer earlier this week to go and work abroad where the money was incredible, a mind-blowing offer, but at the moment it did not interest me.”

Brown Ideye is doubtful for this weekend’s game due to a knee injury he picked up in training this week. The Nigerian striker will undergo a late fitness test ahead of the trip to Selhurst Park. “Browny has got a little bit of a knock so we’re not sure if he will be fit to start or not,” manager Tony Pulis said. “We’re hoping that he will be.”

Former Borussia Dortmund striker Karlheinz Riedle has compared Jurgen Klopp’s planned departure from the German club to Sir Alex Ferguson leaving Manchester United. Riedle, who also played for Liverpool, told BBC Sportsworld he was “surprised” by the announcement on Wednesday that Klopp would leave at the end of the season. He said: “There is an intense relationship between him and the club. Maybe you could compare it to Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson when he left.”

Southampton boss Ronald Koeman says Nathaniel Clyne’s future needs to be sorted before the end of the season. The 24-year-old, who joined from Crystal Palace in July 2012, is under contract until the summer of 2016. The England defender has been linked to a number of clubs and recently said he believed the Champions League was the “next step” in his progression. “We are talking to Clyne and his agent. We can’t wait until the end of the season,” Koeman told BBC Radio Solent. “It’s not like we need to know today or tomorrow but we are talking to them and we will try to do everything to keep the player but you need both parties for that.” Earlier in the week, Clyne said: “I’m flattered by the interest from the big clubs. It shows that I’m doing well and I’ve had a good season. “I’m definitely ambitious. Every player would love to be playing in the Champions League and winning trophies and titles. That’s what you play football for – that’s the dream. “I think I need experience playing European football. We’re doing well with Southampton and hopefully we can get there. “That would be great. So I’m just concentrating on Southampton. There are a few more games to play, so I’m just concentrating on getting to the fourth spot.” Clyne was rested at the weekend but Koeman said it was not contract related and that he would return for Saturday’s game at Stoke.

As the Premier League season reaches its climax, Chelsea have the chance to strengthen their position at the top of the table when they take on Manchester United this Saturday. The key to their success this season could be put down to consistency. John Terry, Eden Hazard and Branislav Ivanovic have played every minute of every game and Jose Mourinho has used just 22 players in the Premier League – the fewest in the top flight. It’s a different story for United manager Louis van Gaal, who has used 32 players this term – more than any other side.

Somalia’s FA president Adbi Qani hopes his country can compete in the 2019 Nations Cup and end an absence that stretches back to 1974. They have only entered the Nations Cup once, with political unrest, a lack of funding and poor infrastructure largely to blame. And along with Eritrea they will not take part in qualifiers for the 2017 edition- the only two nations out of 54 affiliated to the Confederation of African Football to miss out. But Qani believes that with a new national stadium scheduled for completion later this year, the country might be ready to enter again before the end of this decade.

The Professional Footballers’ Association have announced the shortlists for their end-of-season awards, which take place on 26 April in London. For the men, there is little difference between the main and young player awards – David de Gea, Philippe Coutinho, Eden Hazard and Harry Kane are nominated in both categories.

Men’s PFA Players’ Player of the Year:

Diego Costa, Chelsea; David de Gea, Manchester United; Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool; Eden Hazard, Chelsea; Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur; Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal.

Men’s PFA Young Player of the Year:

Thibaut Courtois, Chelsea; Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool; David de Gea, Manchester United; Eden Hazard, Chelsea; Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur; Raheem Sterling, Liverpool.

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon says he has no immediate plans to retire and that it would be a waste to quit now when he feels he is still in top form. The 37-year-old, speaking after Juventus beat Monaco 1-0 in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday evening, said: “At the first sign of slipping, I would be the first to bow out. “But why bid farewell to football if you are playing well? I think one should stop playing when you go onto the field and see that you are no longer the same person.”

Today is the 26th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, when 96 Liverpool fans lost their lives at the start of an FA Cup semi-final, following a crush on the steel-fenced terraces of Sheffield Wednesday’s stadium in 1989. To mark the occasion, the Liverpool website has put together a photo compilation which “powerfully expresses how and why the 96 fans who lost their lives will never be forgotten”.

Boxer Floyd Mayweather says he will fight just once more after next month’s clash with Manny Pacquiao, because he no longer enjoys the sport. The unbeaten American’s 2 May fight with Pacquiao is the fifth of a six-fight contract with broadcaster Showtime. And Mayweather, 38, says the “fun” has gone out of boxing, which he now regards as “a job”. He added: “I don’t enjoy it like I once did. My last fight is in September.”

Crystal Palace defender Joel Ward has signed a new three-and-a-half year contract which will keep him at the club until 2018. The 25-year-old has been an ever-present for the Eagles this season, playing every minute in the Premier League. “It’s been something that has been talked about a little bit and I’m glad to now put that to the back and just concentrate with my football and I’m delighted to have signed the deal,” he told the club website. Crystal Palace has rejuvenated since the arrival of coach Alan Pardew and are currently 11th of the Premier League standings having quickly moved away from relegation battle.

Kosovo has been recognised as a provisional member of the International Association of Athletics Federations. The decision follows a similar verdict from the International Olympic Committee in October and it means Kosovo becomes the 214th member of the IAAF. A statement from the governing body read: “The IAAF has received and reviewed an application for IAAF membership from the Kosovo Athletic Federation. The application was judged to meet the requirements, as set out in article 4.3 of the constitution, and provisional IAAF membership was granted.”

Newcastle fans are planning to boycott Sunday’s home match against Tottenham after it was revealed the club had more than £34m in their bank account at the end of the last financial year. Newcastle recently announced a record annual profit of £18.7m for 2013-14, but many fans have criticised the ambition of owner Mike Ashley. “A lot of fans would ask why was a significant portion of that money not spent on team strengthening,” said Newcastle fanzine editor Mark Jensen. “The idea of a boycott has been building for a long time and you can’t blame the fans. The frustrating thing for them is the money is there but the club won’t spend it.”