National Sports

TORONTO — Willie Jefferson has answered the biggest question heading into CFL free agency. The CFL's top defensive player last season opted to stay put Monday rather than test the open market.

MONTREAL — The Montreal Impact and midfielder Ignacio Piatti have agreed to terminate his Major League Soccer contract, allowing the Argentine to sign with his former club. The Impact announced the move in a press release Monday.

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — Canada's Denis Shapovalov is out of the ABN AMRO tennis tournament after losing his opening match Monday. Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria downed Shapovalov, the eighth seed from Richmond Hill, Ont.

TORONTO — The Athletics Canada Athlete Council condemned Canada's track and field governing body Monday in the wake of allegations surrounding former national coach Dave Scott-Thomas.

LOS ANGELES — Unbeaten Rafael Lovato Jr. is relinquishing his Bellator middleweight title due to health concerns.

Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry is expected to play Monday against the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves, but big man Serge Ibaka is sidelined with flu-like symptoms.

IRVINE, Calif. — First-round draft pick Ifunanyachi Achara scored as a young Toronto FC side defeated UC Irvine 2-0 on Monday.

TORONTO — With all the players missing from Monday's practice, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe joked at one point it felt like there were as many goalies as defencemen. The good news is one of those netminders was Frederik Andersen.

Canada will open against El Salvador at the CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship before facing Haiti and Honduras. The tournament draw was held Jan.

It was back to the books for Canadian teenager Leylah Annie Fernandez on Monday after a busy week capped by one of the most impressive performances of her young tennis career. The 17-year-old from Laval, Que.