Sports News Roundup: Sullivan maintains slender lead heading into final day in Dubai; Donaldson storms into share of lead with Bezuidenhout and more

WTA plan return to China and a full 2021 calendar China is central to the WTA's plans for 2021 as women's tennis seeks to put a COVID-ravaged season behind it and hit the new year with a full bouquet of tournaments, tour chief Steve Simon told Reuters.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Diamond League to have full programme of 32 disciplines in 2021

The Diamond League said on Friday that it plans to return to a full competition format next year with a complete programme of 32 disciplines if the global health situation allows it. A new format was introduced for the 2020 season with the number of disciplines brought down to 24 in an effort to create a faster-paced meeting that is more palatable to television viewers but the move was widely criticised.

Exclusive: WTA looks to start 2021 season on January 4 outside Australia

The WTA is planning to start the 2021 season in the first week of January outside Australia before the players travel to Melbourne for quarantine ahead of the Grand Slam, women's tour chief Steve Simon told Reuters. "We're looking right now at hopefully close to finalising in the next week or so the ability to stage some events in the week of Jan. 4 to start the year," he said by telephone from the United States.

WTA plan return to China and a full 2021 calendar

China is central to the WTA's plans for 2021 as women's tennis seeks to put a COVID-ravaged season behind it and hit the new year with a full bouquet of tournaments, tour chief Steve Simon told Reuters. The WTA lost more than half its events in 2020 after a five-month shutdown of the tour in March. All its tournaments in the Asian swing were cancelled, resulting in a significant loss of revenue.

Top 25 roundup: No. 3 Iowa rolls behind Garza's big half

All-American Luka Garza scored 30 of his 35 points in the first half to lead No. 3 Iowa to a 99-58 nonconference victory over Western Illinois on Thursday night at Iowa City. Garza made 13 of 21 field-goal attempts and collected 10 rebounds for the Hawkeyes (3-0). The point total was the fourth best of his career.

Missing Abu Dhabi comeback not end of the world for Grosjean

Frenchman Romain Grosjean said it would not be the end of the world if he could not make his Formula One comeback at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, after escaping relatively unscathed from an horrific fiery crash last week. The 34-year-old escaped with burns to the back of his hands and not even a broken bone after his Haas car penetrated a metal barrier, split in two and burst into flames in a high-speed opening-lap crash at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Fittipaldi's advice to his F1 grandson: pedal to the metal

Brazilian Pietro Fittipaldi geared up for his Formula One debut on Friday with some words of advice from double world champion grandfather Emerson, who made his first grand prix appearance half a century ago. "I had advice from him, from my whole family," said the Miami-based 24-year-old, who is standing in at the Haas team for injured Romain Grosjean after the Frenchman's fiery crash.

Japanese organisers say 2020 Games delay to cost them $2.8 billion

The postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games until next year because of the novel coronavirus pandemic will cost Japanese organisers an additional 294 billion yen ($2.8 billion), the organising committee said on Friday. Organisers have been assessing the financial impact of the delay since the Japanese government and International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided in March to postpone the Games until 2021.

Donaldson storms into share of lead with Bezuidenhout

Veteran Welshman Jamie Donaldson stormed through the course at Sun City on Friday, sinking 10 birdies in a round of 63 to share the lead with Christiaan Bezuidenhout at the halfway mark of the South African Open. They were on a 10-under-par total of 134 after two rounds with a two-shot lead over the field.

Sullivan maintains slender lead heading into final day in Dubai

England's Andy Sullivan stayed ahead of the chasing pack at the Golf in Dubai Championship on Friday with a steady third round of 68 at the Jumeirah Golf Estates for a two-shot lead over compatriot Matt Wallace heading into the final day. Sullivan began the round ahead by three strokes and landed three birdies on the front nine after the start of the day's play was delayed by 45 minutes due to fog.

Former 800m world champion Arzamasova gets four-year doping ban

Former 800 metres world champion Marina Arzamasova of Belarus has been banned for four years for an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV), the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Friday. Arzamasova, who won gold at the 2015 worlds, was tested out of competition in 2019 and a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) laboratory reported an adverse finding after discovering the presence of an anabolic agent on the Prohibited List.

(With inputs from agencies.)