Milan striker Cassano allowed

to resume playing

Milan and Italy striker Antonio Cassano has been given the definitive go-ahead to start playing again following minor heart surgery. A 10-man commission gathered by the Italian Sports Medicine Federation approved Cassano’s return on Monday and Milan’s own medical institute added its assent. Cassano was hospitalised after falling ill with stroke-like symptoms on the team plane following Milan’s 3-2 victory at Roma on 29 October, then had surgery six days later to repair a small cardiac malformation. He resumed training on his own in January and with his teammates on Thursday, although time is running out for him to make Italy’s European Championship squad.

Sevilla beats Mallorca 3-1

in Spanish league

Sevilla scored three second-half goals to beat Mallorca 3-1 on Monday night, recording a third straight victory to move within reach of the European places in the Spanish league. Goals from Alvaro Negredo, Manu del Moral and Jesus Navas left Sevilla tied with Atletico Madrid one point behind sixth-place Osasuna, which is in the last Europa League place. Negredo scored in the 51st minute from Navas’ corner, and Del Moral doubled the lead at Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in the 62nd with a well-placed shot inside the far post. Sevilla winger Jose Antonio Reyes sliced a pass through the defense to meet Navas’ run into the area, and the Spain forward tapped the ball into the net in the 68th. Israel striker Tomer Hemed met Pablo Caceres’ cross at the near post to score a consolation goal for Mallorca in the 78th.

Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona

wins first Israeli league title

Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona won the Israeli championship for the first time in its history on Monday night, completing a league and cup double for the low-budget team from a tiny northern city in only its second season back in the top flight. Having already won the Toto Cup in January, Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona drew 0-0 at home with Hapoel Tel Aviv for an unassailable 16-point lead over second-place Hapoel Tel Aviv in the league with only five rounds left. It is just the second time in more than two decades that a team outside the “big four” of Maccabi Haifa, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem have claimed the championship. Those sides have won the past 12 titles and 20 out of the past 21. Fireworks filled the sky above Ironi Stadium as the players celebrated the title win in front of about 4,000 fans.

Tennis - Highest-ranked American,

Mardy Fish, out of Davis Cup

Hours after losing his most recent match, Mardy Fish woke up in the middle of the night feeling ill and immediately went to be checked by a doctor. He saw another doctor the next day, too, and the diagnosis was fatigue. Told he needed to rest, and citing what the U.S. Tennis Association called a “minor health scare,” the No. 9-ranked Fish pulled out of this week’s Davis Cup quarterfinal between the United States and France in Monte Carlo. Fish’s agent, John Tobias, said in a telephone interview on Monday. “His body got out of whack, caused by a number of different variables ... (but) they ruled out any potential long-term issues.” Late on Monday, Fish wrote on his Twitter page: “Thanks all for the nice messages. Resting comfortably with family. Hope to be back out there soon.”