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☆ ATP finds 'insufficient evidence' on abuse allegations against Zverev
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 31 (Reuters) - The ATP will not take any action against former world number two Alexander Zverev following allegations of domestic abuse against the German, the men's tennis governing body said on Tuesday. "A major independent investigation into Alexander Zverev has found insufficient evidence to substantiate published allegations of abuse. "LFG conducted extensive interviews with both Sharypova and Zverev, and 24 other individuals including family and friends, tennis players, and other parties involved with the ATP Tour." After the 15-month investigation, which involved going through material on Zverev's electronic devices, the ATP said they were unable to substantiate allegations of abuse or determine that any player offences took place. "Zverev has consistently denied all allegations and supported ATP's investigation."

☆ Police chiefs apologise for Hillsborough failures after 34 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The 1989 FA Cup semi-final was the scene of Britain's worst sporting disaster when 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death in an over-crowded and fenced-in enclosure in the lower tier. "Policing has profoundly failed those bereaved by the Hillsborough disaster over many years and we are sorry that the service got it so wrong," Chief Constable Andy Marsh, CEO of the College of Policing, said in a statement. "Police failures were the main cause of the tragedy and have continued to blight the lives of family members ever since. "Collectively, the changes made since the Hillsborough disaster and in response to Rt Reverend James Jones's report aim to ensure the terrible police failures made on the day and in the aftermath can never happen again," he added. Earlier this month, Newcastle United fans complained of "overcrowding and crushing" and a lack of stewarding at the Hillsborough Stadium during their FA Cup match against Sheffield Wednesday at the same Leppings Lane End.

☆ Marathon-Farah returns for London Marathon, McColgan to make her debut
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 31 (Reuters) - Britain's four-times Olympic champion Mo Farah will take part in his home London Marathon in April after missing the race last year, the long-distance runner said on Tuesday. Farah, who won the Chicago Marathon in 2018 and is also the national record holder in the marathon, missed the London Marathon last year when he was forced to withdraw due to injury. "The London Marathon has always been special to me and I am looking forward to being back out there on the roads of my home town." "It was disappointing not to have taken part in last year's London Marathon. I had such a fantastic summer on the track and the plan was always to follow that with my marathon debut in London," the 2021 Birmingham Games gold medallist said.

☆ McIlroy pips Reed by one shot to win third Dubai Desert Classic crown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 30 (Reuters) - World number one Rory McIlroy won his third Dubai Desert Classic title on Monday after he shot a final round of 68 to finish at 19-under overall, beating Patrick Reed by one stroke. Reed finished with a commendable final-round score of 65 which included an eagle on the par-five 10th hole but bogeyed the 16th to post 18-under overall. I really feel like I haven't had my best all week but I managed my game and played really smart," McIlroy said. This is probably sweeter than it should be or needs to be... A really good foundation for the year." Australia's Lucas Herbert, who had set the clubhouse target at 16-under overall earlier in the day, finished third.

☆ 'We got cheated': Lakers fume over referee decision in overtime loss to Celtics
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Jan 28, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) reacts during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY SportsJan 28 (Reuters) - The Los Angeles Lakers were furious after match officials admitted they missed a foul on a potential game-winning lay-up from LeBron James against the Boston Celtics, which allowed their rivals to snatch a 125-121 overtime win on Saturday. The Celtics eventually sealed victory in overtime at the TD Garden despite James' 41-point effort which moved him to within 116 points of all-time leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. "At the time, during the game, we did not see a foul. Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Welsh Rugby Union chief Phillips resigns, Walker steps in as acting CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 29 (Reuters) - Steve Phillips has resigned from his position as CEO of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), the governing body said on Sunday after he came under pressure for its handling of allegations of misogyny, sexism and racism within the WRU. In a BBC Wales documentary, several former female WRU employees made allegations about comments and behaviour that they said were sexist and discriminatory. WRU chairman Ieuan Evans had also said he would set up an external task force to examine accusations. The WRU said no allegations were made against Phillips in the documentary and that he was "not accused of any wrong doing". Nigel Walker, who was appointed its Performance Director in July 2021, will take over as the WRU's acting CEO with immediate effect.

☆ Australian Open 2023: order of play on Sunday
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Order of play on the main showcourt on the 14th day of the Australian Open on Sunday (prefix number denotes seeding):ROD LAVER ARENAWomen's doubles final (3:00 p.m. local time - 0400 GMT)1-Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (both Czech Republic) v 10-Shuko Aoyama/Ena Shibahara (both Japan)Men's singles final (7:30 p.m. local time - 0830 GMT)3-Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece) v 4-Novak Djokovic (Serbia)Compiled by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Salah struggling as Liverpool's front three no longer 'well-drilled' -Klopp
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 28 (Reuters) - Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah's struggles in front of goal are down to the club no longer having the "well-drilled" front three that terrorised defences in the past, manager Juergen Klopp said. It was a well-drilled machine the front three, everything was clear (in) what we were doing. Everybody suffers from that, that's clear," Klopp told reporters. "It is specific, offensive play that requires a lot of work and lot of information, and not always obvious information. When Darwin is playing, he is obviously more high up, going in behind," Klopp added.

United and Liverpool are the two most successful teams in English football but have won only one league title each in the past decade. "You get a lot of money from the Premier League, from broadcasting and sponsorship, but you also have to put a lot of money in to keep your team." "The failure of the proposal and the failure of Premier League clubs to gain greater power in the running of the league are likely influencing factors," said Spencer Harris, Associate Professor of Sport Management at the University of Colorado. "The current owners (of Liverpool and United) don't have the finances to compete and invest on the level of these other clubs." "(There is a) general realisation that English Premier League teams, the two biggest ones per se, are relatively uncapitalized versus NFL franchises, which have been a barometer for a longer period of time."

☆ Thiem confirms rib injury, racing to be fit for Davis Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 23 (Reuters) - Dominic Thiem has confirmed he suffered a rib injury during the Australian Open, but will look to recover for Davis Cup qualifiers which begin next month. Thiem, a former U.S. Open champion, has struggled with injuries in recent years and fallen to number 98 in the world as a result. Especially in Melbourne, I wanted to perform at my best, but I tore a small muscle fibre in my rib," Thiem said on Instagram. "The results show that it's not too bad, and playing at the Davis Cup should be possible. Austria play their Davis Cup qualifier against Croatia on Feb. 4-5.

☆ Biomechanics trainer helped improve my 'disaster' serve, says Sabalenka
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Aryna Sabalenka credited her biomechanics trainer in helping her improve her powerful but erratic serve after she moved into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open for the first time on Monday. Even when my serve was a disaster, I worked a lot on my serve. I kept trying, kept believing, kept changing. Before I wouldn't be really open for that. "Actually, even when my serve was working, it wasn't really right...

The club is one of the world's biggest sporting brands and generated 689 million euros ($750.94 million) in revenue in 2021-22. "Chelsea getting sold in 2022 means a rate has been established on the value of a Premier League club," Joyce said. The Glazers bought United for 790 million pounds in 2005 in a highly-leveraged deal which has been criticised for loading debt onto the club. OLD TRAFFORD INVESTMENTThe Chelsea deal involved the new owners paying 2.5 billion pounds ($3.10 billion) to purchase shares while committing a further 1.75 billion pounds to invest in the club, particularly the stadium. Media reports suggest it would cost one to two billion pounds to renovate.

☆ Shelton gets better of Popyrin and 'rowdy' crowd to roar into last 16
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"I know I came from college tennis and I really thought it was rowdy there, but this stadium is something special," a grinning Shelton said. "Us Aussies, we stick together," De Minaur had said in a post-match interview after the home fans watched him beat Benjamin Bonzi at Rod Laver Arena. The fans found their voice again in the second set when Popyrin took it to a tiebreak but Shelton was undeterred, silencing them again with both his firepower and finesse, closing out the set with another roar. "For the first 12 or 13 years of my life, I swore that I would never play tennis. Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Swiatek stays grounded ahead of Rybakina test in clash of champions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Rohith Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"To be honest, it doesn't matter which round I play because I think Iga is a great player. I think that if I'm going to play my game, aggressive, I'm going to be solid from the beginning till the end." "I'm really looking forward to it. I'm sure he's much better prepared this time," said Greek Tsitsipas, who has not dropped a set in Melbourne this year. Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, another French Open champion, will play last year's Roland Garros runner-up American Coco Gauff.

☆ Hamstrung Djokovic, exhausted Murray look to soldier on at Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Rohith Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The injury has clearly taken its toll on the 35-year-old Serbian, who dropped a set in the second round. "My situation with my injury is not ideal," said Djokovic, who took a medical timeout during his four-set win over French qualifier Enzo Couacaud. So I'm going to keep going. I'm going to try to play and compete with, of course, a great player Dimitrov." But one player who has defied belief in advancing to the third round is three-times Grand Slam champion Andy Murray.

☆ 'Locked in' Tiafoe leading American charge at Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

When asked about the mantra, Tiafoe told reporters: "It's the whole thing with the United Cup guys, just staying locked in. I made a joke about it with the guys (at) the United Cup asking them before the match, 'Are you locked?' "The locked thing, honestly, I've been kind of living by that for a little bit. I think you've seen the shift in myself in being just locked in everything you're doing, staying super present, staying in the moment, staying locked in. So then it became a thing where if Frances can lock, everyone has got to lock."

☆ Raducanu faces Gauff in 'next generation' battle at Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Rohith Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Raducanu was playing at her peak and riding a wave of unprecedented success after breaking through in 2021 and clinching the U.S. Open while Gauff was making strides and reaching the second week of Grand Slams. Coco has obviously done a lot of great things and she's playing well," said Raducanu, who overcame an ankle issue to advance. I think we're both good, young players, we're both coming through, part of the next generation of tennis really. It's going to be a great match." The night session wraps up with third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas taking on local hope and 21-year-old wildcard Rinky Hijikata.

☆ Djokovic resumes quest for perfect 10 at Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Rohith Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 17 (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic was denied the opportunity to win a record-extending 10th Australian Open title last year after his deportation but he returns to Rod Laver Arena holding no grudges when he begins his campaign in Melbourne on Tuesday. Winning the title in Melbourne will also make Djokovic the second player to win one Grand Slam at least 10 times after Nadal's 14 titles at Roland Garros. As Djokovic aims to equal defending champion Rafa Nadal's tally of 22 Grand Slam titles, Ons Jabeur renews her quest for a first when the Tunisian takes on Slovenia's Tamara Zidansek. The pair played two engrossing matches last year at the Stuttgart final and at the U.S. Open where Berrettini triumphed on both occasions. Men's second seed Casper Ruud, runner-up at last year's French Open and U.S. Open, wraps up the night session on Margaret Court Arena against the Czech Republic's Tomas Machac.

☆ Raducanu under more pressure than me, says Gauff
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Seventh seed Gauff will meet former U.S. Open champion Raducanu for the first time in the second round of the Australian Open after both won their opening matches in straight sets at Melbourne Park. "Obviously she's gone through a lot of pressure, bursting onto the scene. I feel like probably more than I have experienced coming to win a Slam," Gauff told reporters after her 6-1 6-4 win over Katerina Siniakova. "Especially being from the U.K., the first British person to do something in a long time, probably is a lot more pressure than what I'm used to being an American. Now, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys and Shelby Rogers were there to share the spotlight with her, said Gauff.

☆ LeBron becomes second player to score 38,000 points
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 15 (Reuters) - LeBron James became only the second player in NBA history to score 38,000 career points on Sunday as he inches closer to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time record. loadingJames eventually finished with 35 points but it was a bittersweet night as the Lakers lost 113-112. The 38-year-old forward, who started his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers and also played for the Miami Heat, has averaged 29 points per game this season. A four-times champion and four-times MVP, James is on course to break former Lakers center Abdul-Jabbar's 34-year-old record of 38,387 points in the coming weeks. James is now 363 points behind Abdul-Jabbar and based on his scoring average, NBA statisticians expect him to break the record before the All-Star break next month.

☆ Rashford role in equaliser was clear interference, says City's Akanji
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji said Marcus Rashford was clearly interfering with play in the lead-up to Manchester United's equaliser in their Premier League match on Saturday. "Fernandes tells him he's not in an offside position and he can shoot. That's when he stopped and for me it's a clear interference," Akanji told Viaplay. United's Luke Shaw told Sky Sports that the City defender covering Rashford was not able to reach the ball. "They will argue that he (Rashford) has to touch the ball to be active.

☆ 'Frenemies' Djokovic and Kyrgios to play practice match before Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Serbia's Novak Djokovic poses with the trophy after winning the Wimbledon men's singles final alongside runner up Australia's Nick Kyrgios, July 2022. REUTERS/Toby MelvilleJan 9 (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios will rekindle their bromance by playing a practice match before the Australian Open, giving the latter a chance to stretch his legs before the year's first Grand Slam. Australian Open organisers said "tennis' most famous frenemies" will play each other at Rod Laver Arena on Friday. Djokovic had said last week that he had discussed playing a practice match with Kyrgios, adding that the Australian wanted shorter sets. The pair were once at loggerheads and had a frosty relationship when Kyrgios labelled Djokovic "boneheaded" and a "tool".

☆ French football president apologises for 'awkward remarks' on Zidane after backlash
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Le Graet added he would not even pick up the phone if Zidane called, prompting a backlash and his subsequent apology. 'LACK OF RESPECT'France forward Kylian Mbappe was one of the first to voice his disapproval after Le Graet's comments were aired. "The statements by the president of the French Football Federation are inappropriate for someone holding such representation and are in themselves unsuitable." France's Minister for Sports Amelie Oudea-Castera was one of many politicians who reacted to Le Graet's comments, saying the president of the country's "biggest sporting federation" had crossed a line. French politician Pieyre-Alexandre Anglade had also demanded an apology from Le Graet, saying on Twitter: "Zidane is a monument of French football and sport.

☆ Rahm wants joint decision on LIV players at Ryder Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 4 (Reuters) - The PGA Tour and Europe's DP World Tour must be on the same page in deciding whether players from the breakaway LIV Series can take part in the Ryder Cup, former U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm said. The U.S.-based PGA Tour has suspended those who joined the rebel circuit but the DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour, has yet to decide whether LIV players can play in the Ryder Cup. Spaniard Rahm said it would not be a smart move to have one team with LIV players and one without. "We saw a younger U.S. team last Ryder Cup and they did what they did. So I'm hoping these younger guys who've grown up watching the Ryder Cup and seeing their idols ... it energises the team a little in any manner and we show up there to win."

☆ Al Nassr coach Garcia hails 'extraordinary' Ronaldo signing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 3 (Reuters) - Al Nassr coach Rudi Garcia said the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo was a big step forward for Saudi Arabian football after the Portuguese forward arrived in Riyadh ahead of his official unveiling on Tuesday. Ronaldo, who was a free agent following his acrimonious split with Manchester United in November, joined Al Nassr last week on a 2-1/2 year deal estimated by media to be worth more than 200 million euros ($213.30 million). "The signing of a player the size of Cristiano Ronaldo is extraordinary and contributes to the development of Saudi football," said Garcia, who previously managed Lille, AS Roma, Olympique Marseille and Olympique Lyonnais. The first goal is to work so he can adapt to our team, to enjoy playing for Al Nassr, and to entertain the fans." Ronaldo will be unveiled at Al Nassr's home ground Mrsool Park, where 25,000 fans are expected to turn up.

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