Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
Tennis-USTA, US Open hoping unvaccinated Djokovic gets special nod to enter country
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the U.S. Open are hoping Novak Djokovic is successful in his bid to enter the country after the Serbian, who is not vaccinated against COVID-19, applied for special permission last month. Djokovic, one of the most high-profile athletes unvaccinated against COVID, said last week he was hoping for a positive outcome shortly after applying to enter the U.S. to compete in ATP Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami this month.
Tennis-Medvedev ends Djokovic run to book Dubai final with Rublev
Daniil Medvedev handed Novak Djokovic his first defeat of the year, beating the world number one 6-4 6-4 on Friday to reach the Dubai Tennis Championships final where he plays holder Andrey Rublev for a third title in as many weeks. In a contest where the players put their early season win streaks on the line, it was Rotterdam and Doha champion Medvedev who drew first blood by breaking an error-prone Djokovic twice and closed out the first set with a searing forehand.
NBA roundup: Nets stun Celts with NBA’s biggest comeback of season
Mikal Bridges led all scorers with 38 points and the visiting Brooklyn Nets overcame a 28-point deficit, the biggest comeback in the NBA this season, to defeat the Boston Celtics 115-105 on Friday night. Bridges made 13 of 22 field goals, including four 3-pointers. He also had 10 rebounds and four assists.
Cricket-Australia’s Smith has no full-time captaincy ambition
Steve Smith has no ambition to be Australia’s full-time captain again, the 33-year-old said after leading the team to a nine-wicket victory in the third test against India on Friday. Smith led Australia between 2014 and 2018 before he was stripped off the honour following a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.
Tennis-Djokovic happy with injury recovery despite semi-final exit in Dubai
Novak Djokovic suffered his first loss of the season in Friday’s semi-final defeat to Daniil Medvedev at the Dubai Tennis Championships but he was pleased with his fitness levels during the tournament, having returned from a hamstring injury.
World number one Djokovic suffered a three-centimetre hamstring tear en route to winning the Adelaide Open before claiming his 22nd Grand Slam title at the Australian Open to go level with Rafa Nadal.
Lawyers for ex-Fox execs attack star witness as FIFA corruption trial closes
Lawyers for two former 21st Century Fox executives accused of bribing South American soccer officials assailed the credibility of the government’s star witness on Friday, as their seven-week trial draws to a close. Carlos Martinez and Hernan Lopez are charged with wire and securities fraud conspiracy for allegedly scheming to pay tens of millions of dollars in bribes to secure lucrative broadcasting rights for international soccer tournaments. Cooperating witness Alejandro Burzaco testified that his former business partners knew about and approved the bribes.
Swimming-McIntosh ends Ledecky’s home pool winning streak
Summer McIntosh ended Katie Ledecky’s nine-year home pool winning streak on Friday when the Canadian teenager touched first in the 200 metres freestyle at a Pro Series swim meet in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. McIntosh clocked a winning time of one minute, 54.13 seconds, lowering her world junior record set at last year’s world championships, coming home .83 seconds clear of Ledecky.
Boxing-Russia and Belarus boxers should compete, IBA president says
Russia and Belarus athletes should be able to compete under their flag, said International Boxing Association (IBA) President Umar Kremlev on Friday. The IBA lifted a ban on Russian and Belarusian boxers last October, against the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) guidance following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year.
Soccer-Neymar ruled out of Champions League clash with Bayern due to injury
Paris St Germain forward Neymar will miss the next two games due to an ankle injury, coach Christophe Galtier said on Friday, ruling him out of their Ligue 1 clash with Nantes and the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich. The Brazil international was carried off the pitch on a stretcher during PSG’s 4-3 win over Lille on Feb. 19 with what was later confirmed to be an ankle ligament injury.
Soccer-Efficient Dortmund edge past Leipzig 2-1 to move into top spot
Borussia Dortmund took a two-goal lead in the first half and hung on for a nervous 2-1 victory over RB Leipzig on Friday to go top of the Bundesliga and stretch their perfect run in 2023 to eighth straight league wins. A Marco Reus penalty and a deflected shot from Emre Can in the first half put them in the driving seat before Leipzig pulled a goal back through Emil Forsberg late in the second half.
(With inputs from agencies.)
No.7 seed Donna Vekic of Croatia fended off a valiant effort by Canadian teenager Marina Stakusic before posting a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win on Thursda
No.3 seed Danielle Collins battled past fellow American Katie Volynets 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-0 on a chilly Thursday to return to the ATX Open quarterf
The penultimate matches at the ATP 500 in Dubai are upon us with two mouth-watering semifinal matches. The 2022 champion is up against a familiar foe, Alexand
Four more Top 10 players have joined the star-studded field at the 2024 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany. Over the past week, th