Sports News Roundup: Russell will relish his golden opportunity at Mercedes; Women's tour aligns tournament categories with ATP and more

They are huge shoes to fill for the 21-year-old Williams driver, who has a long-term Mercedes contract, but Russell is ready to seize the opportunity after COVID-19 ruled out his compatriot.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Australian Open to start on February 8, players can train during quarantine - reports

Next year's Australian Open could be pushed back to a Feb. 8-21 window and players would be allowed to train outside their hotel rooms during quarantine, Australian media reported on Wednesday. Tennis Australia has been in talks with the Victoria state government over the coronavirus protocols to be established for those arriving ahead of the Grand Slam at Melbourne Park, which is currently scheduled for Jan. 18-31.

Schumacher's dream comes true as he takes first step on Formula One journey

Mick Schumacher, son of seven-times world champion Michael, will ascend the first step on the ladder that could one day like his father lead him to Ferrari when he makes his Formula One debut with Haas next season. The 21-year-old, who will line up alongside Russian Nikita Mazepin in an all-rookie line-up on a multi-year deal at the U.S.-owned team, is a part of Ferrari's young driver academy (FDA) that has produced the likes of Charles Leclerc and the late Jules Bianchi.

Sullivan birdies his way to first round lead at Golf in Dubai Championship

England's Andy Sullivan shot a bogey-free 11-under-par 61 to set a course record and lead by two shots after the first round at the Golf in Dubai Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates on Wednesday. Sullivan recorded 11 birdies and briefly looked set to match compatriot Oliver Fisher's European Tour record of 59 at the Portugal Masters in 2018 before he finished the last two holes on par at the Fire Course which made its European Tour debut.

Grosjean leaves Bahrain hospital after fireball crash

French Formula One driver Romain Grosjean left hospital in Bahrain on Wednesday after being treated for burns to his hands suffered when his Haas car was engulfed in a fireball. The 34-year-old had an astonishing escape after the vehicle penetrated the metal crash barriers in Sunday's race at the Sakhir circuit, splitting in two and erupting in flames.

Motor racing: Bird hoping to fly high on fresh start with Jaguar

Sam Bird is the only driver to have won a race in every Formula E season so far but, after six years in the electric series, the Briton wants much more as he prepares for a fresh start with Jaguar next month. Formula E now has full FIA world championship status and Bird, 33, believes he can fly high after moving from Envision Virgin Racing.

1,000 fans allowed to attend Joshua v Pulev fight in London

A crowd of 1,000 will be allowed to attend Anthony Joshua's world heavyweight title defence against Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev at London's Wembley Arena on Dec. 12, organisers said on Wednesday. Joshua's IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO belts will be on the line in a bout rescheduled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Top 25 roundup: No. 8 Michigan State wins at No. 6 Duke

Rocket Watts scored 20 points and No. 8 Michigan State produced a huge surge early in the second half to knock off No. 6 Duke 75-69 in the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday night in Durham, N.C. The outcome gave the Spartans (3-0) their first victory in four all-time visits to Cameron Indoor Stadium, where fans weren't permitted to attend because of coronavirus protocols on Duke's campus.

Women's tour aligns tournament categories with ATP

The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) will rename its tournament categories from next season to align with the men's ATP, a sign of further collaboration between the tours following a season that was severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The global health crisis decimated the 2020 tennis calendar and prompted calls for a merger of the governing bodies, a suggestion that was well received by both the WTA and ATP.

Athletes to be tested 'every 96-120 hours' during Games - organisers' report

Athletes will need to provide a negative COVID-19 test taken less than 72 hours before arriving in Japan for the Olympics and will be tested "every 96-120 hours" during the Games, according to a report published by organisers on Wednesday. During talks between the Tokyo 2020 organising committee, the Japanese government and Tokyo Metropolitan Government, further guidelines for how the Japanese capital plans to host the rearranged Games next year were discussed.

Russell will relish his golden opportunity at Mercedes

George Russell has yet to score a point in nearly two seasons in Formula One but the Briton will step into a winning car in Bahrain this weekend as Lewis Hamilton's replacement at Mercedes. They are huge shoes to fill for the 21-year-old Williams driver, who has a long-term Mercedes contract, but Russell is ready to seize the opportunity after COVID-19 ruled out his compatriot.