Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - New Zealand surfer Paige Hareb has taken a major step towards realising her Olympic dream.

Hareb has secured a place in the fifth round of the World Surfing Games in El Salvador, which doubles as the final qualifying event for the Tokyo Games.

Seven berths in the women's Olympic field are up for grabs in El Salvador and Hareb is on the verge of claiming one of them.

The promising run of fellow countrywoman Saffi Vette has come to an end though.

The national champion has finished last her in sudden-death fifth round repechage heat after bowing out in the third round.

Phoenix finals hopes come to an end

The Wellington Phoenix have missed out on a place in the A-League playoffs.

Adelaide United have grabbed the sixth and final spot after drawing 2-2 with Western Sydney Wanderers.

The Phoenix, who have spent most of the season based in Australia, play Macarthur FC in their final game in Campbelltown tonight.

They are seventh, four points behind Adelaide.

While the Phoenix are unbeaten in their last 10 games, five draws have proved costly for the Wellington side who miss the play-offs for the first time in three years.

The top six are Melbourne City, Sydney FC, Brisbane Roar, Central Coast Mariners, Macarthur FC and Adelaide United.

Barty retires hurt

World number one Ash Barty retired from her second round match at the French Open with an injury, leaving the women's draw at the claycourt Grand Slam without its top two seeds following Naomi Osaka's earlier withdrawal.

Second seed Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner, pulled out after her first round following a row over her decision to boycott post-match media duties citing mental health concerns.

Australia's Barty, who lifted her maiden major at Roland Garros in 2019, was trailing 6-1 2-2 against Poland's Magda Linette when she decided she could no longer continue, having started the match with taping on her left thigh.

She had also struggled with the injury during her opening win and later said she suffered a flare-up through her left hip during the weekend.

Winners today included Elina Svitolina, Sofia Kenin, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer

There were wins for New Zealanders Michael Venus and Marcus Daniels in first round doubles.

Venus and Australian John Peers, the 10th seeds, beat a French wildcard pairing, while Daniell and Philipp Oswald of Austria, the 16th seeds, beat and Italian-Hungarian combination.

- Reuters

Folau takes Queensland Rugby League to Supreme Court

Israel Folau has lodged a Supreme Court injunction against the Queensland Rugby League (QRL) after the sport's governing body refused his registration to play for an amateur club.

Dual code international Folau, who was sacked by Rugby Australia in 2019 for a social media post deemed discriminatory by the rugby union federation, had hoped to join his two brothers playing at Gold Coast club Southport.

The QRL said last month it could not register Folau because he had not provided confirmation of his contractual release from his previous team, the Catalan Dragons.

Folau played a season for the French Super League club before quitting last year and returning to Australia.

Folau's legal team say the QRL's refusal amounts to an "unreasonable restraint of trade".

"Israel Folau is a perfect role model for the game and the QRL needs to recognise that," Folau's lawyer Sam Iskander said in a statement.

- Reuters

Dragons thump Broncos

St George Illawarra have overpowered Brisbane 52-24 in their NRL game in Sydney.

Dragons fullback Matt Dufty scored two tries and set up five more in a man of the match performance.

St George scored nine tries to four after leading 24-18 at the break.

The Dragons are sixth on the table and Brisbane 15th.

The Warriors have a bye this weekend.

England defender out of Euros

Trent Alexander-Arnold will miss the upcoming European Championship after the Liverpool right back withdrew from the England squad with a thigh injury.

He sustained the injury during the closing stages of England's 1-0 friendly win over Austria yesterday and British media reported he faces a recovery period of four to six weeks.

"A scan on Thursday confirmed the 22-year-old will be unable to play in the forthcoming tournament so he's withdrawn from the England squad to return to his club for rehabilitation," England said in a statement.

England manager Gareth Southgate "will not confirm a replacement until after this weekend's return to the Riverside Stadium for the warm-up fixture against Romania".

Southgate is likely to call up an additional player from one of Jesse Lingard, James Ward-Prowse, Ollie Watkins, Aaron Ramsdale, Ben Godfrey and Ben White, who were all cut from England's squad on Tuesday.

- Reuters