Ali is hoping for a happy 73rd birthday

boxing: Muhammad Ali has been released from hospital after recovering from a severe urinary tract infection, his representatives have announced.

Ali, considered by many to be the greatest boxer of all time, was released on Tuesday night and is now recuperating at home.

Reports in December suggested the former three-time heavyweight champion had been admitted to hospital with a mild case of pneumonia, but the reason for his hospital stay was clarified in a statement released yesterday.

"Muhammad Ali was released from the hospital last night," the statement read.

"After further observation and testing, doctors determined that Ali was suffering from a severe urinary tract infection not pneumonia as originally diagnosed. The boxing legend has fully recovered and is now at his home."

Ali family spokesman Bob Gunnell went on to reveal that the 72-year-old is looking forward to celebrating his birthday next Saturday with friends and family, and expressed gratitude to well-wishers and the medical staff who treated him. Ali retired from boxing in 1981 and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease three years later.

Wawrinka wins

TENNIS: Champion Stanislas Wawrinka made a strong start to the year by brushing aside teenager Borna Coric of Croatia 6-1 6-4 to march into the Chennai Open quarter-finals yesterday.

The Swiss top seed, who had a bye in the first round, won the title in the Southern Indian city last January and went on to win his maiden grand slam title at the Australian Open.

Novak Djokovic required just 61 minutes to reach the Qatar ExxonMobil Open quarter-finals.

The world number one dropped a mere three games in comprehensively overcoming Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-2 6-1 in Doha.

Cheeky Rosberg

f1: Nico Rosberg is hoping age catches up with Lewis Hamilton this year after cheekily declaring his Mercedes team-mate as "old".

Double Formula One world champion Hamilton was celebrating his 30th birthday on Wednesday, offering Rosberg the opportunity to have a funny dig at the man who denied him the world title last season.

Via his Twitter account, Rosberg said: "#HappyBirthdayLewis - 30!! Have a great party! This day is good for me. You are old now, so hopefully it will be easier for me this year :-)."