Sports News Roundup: World No.1 Barty joins elite field for Adelaide exhibition; Cavs ruin debut of Nets' Big Three and more

As many as 72 players are confined to their hotel rooms for two weeks and are unable to train for the Feb. 8-21 Grand Slam after some passengers on three charter flights ferrying them to Australia tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Badosa first player to confirm COVID-positive in Australian Open quarantine

Paula Badosa became the first player entered for next month's Australian Open to confirm a positive test for COVID-19 while in quarantine in Melbourne, with the Spaniard saying on Thursday that she had symptoms. As many as 72 players are confined to their hotel rooms for two weeks and are unable to train for the Feb. 8-21 Grand Slam after some passengers on three charter flights ferrying them to Australia tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

World No.1 Barty joins elite field for Adelaide exhibition

World number one Ash Barty will join Serena Williams, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic in playing a pre-Australian Open exhibition event in Adelaide at the end of the month, organisers confirmed on Thursday. U.S. Open winners Dominic Thiem and Naomi Osaka and women's No. 2 Simona Halep will be part of the eight-player field, which also includes 19-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner.

Athletics-London Marathon plans for 100,000 runners this year

This year's London Marathon is set to break new ground with a record 50,000 runners expected to tackle the course on the city's streets while another 50,000 compete in a remote race "wherever they are on the planet", organisers said on Thursday. The virtual London Marathon was held for the first time last year after the actual race was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 38,000 runners took part to set a Guinness World Record for the most in a remote marathon in 24 hours.

NBA roundup: Cavs ruin debut of Nets' Big Three

Collin Sexton hit the game-tying 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left in the first overtime and scored 15 of his career-high 42 points in the second overtime as the host Cleveland Cavaliers outlasted the Brooklyn Nets for a 147-135 victory on Wednesday night. Sexton surpassed his previous career high of 41 set March 4, 2020, against Boston by scoring 31 points after halftime. He shot 16 of 29 from the field overall after missing the previous five games with an ankle injury.

Anderson urges players to show more respect for Australia's COVID-19 fight

Former U.S. Open and Wimbledon finalist Kevin Anderson appealed to players at the Australian Open to show more respect for the local community's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, following a chorus of complaints about quarantine conditions in Melbourne. As many as 72 players are confined to their hotel rooms for two weeks and unable to train for the Feb. 8-21 Grand Slam after passengers on three charter flights tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Golf: McIlroy takes one-shot lead in Abu Dhabi first round

World number six Rory McIlroy took a one-shot lead in the first round of the HSBC Golf Championship in Abu Dhabi after carding an error-free 64 to finish at eight-under before bad light stopped play on Thursday. After fog delayed the opening of play by nearly three hours, McIlroy was among the early starters and began on the back nine.

Olympics-Bach says "no Plan B" for Tokyo Games: Kyodo

There is "no Plan B" for the Tokyo Games, says International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, who reaffirmed his commitment to holding the showpiece event this year in an interview with Kyodo News on Thursday. After the Games were postponed last year because of the global novel coronavirus pandemic, Saturday marks six months until the rearranged Olympics are due to start on July 23.

League fines Caps $100,000 for safety violations, as COVID-19 rattles schedule

The National Hockey League (NHL) fined the Washington Capitals $100,000 for violating COVID-19 protocols on Wednesday, the first financial penalty related to the novel coronavirus it has handed down. The NHL said the fine was in response to "player violations" of protocols including "social interactions among team members who were in close contact and who were not wearing face coverings".

NHL roundup: Canucks blow 4 leads, top Habs in shootout

Bo Horvat scored twice in a three-point game and netted the shootout winner as the Vancouver Canucks claimed their home opener by a 6-5 count over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night. Braden Holtby made 31 saves for the Canucks, who snapped a three-game losing streak with a win that saw them blow four separate leads, then tie the game late before prevailing. Brock Boeser added two goals and an assist for Vancouver, Tyler Motte contributed a goal and J.T. Miller collected three assists.

Jaguars name Trent Baalke as general manager

The Jacksonville Jaguars officially removed the interim tag from Trent Baalke's job title on Thursday morning. Baalke, 56, was named general manager after serving in that role in an interim capacity since late November following the firing of Dave Caldwell. Baalke joined the team as director of player personnel in February.