Sports News Roundup: Barty itching to get started at Australian Open; Everybody determined' to get Tokyo Games going and more
Rodgers is the favorite to take league MVP honors this season but to reach the Super Bowl the 37-year-old will have to overcome a stout Bucs' defense and the iron will of Brady, who won six NFL titles in two decades with New England before heading south to Tampa.
Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
Barty itching to get started at Australian Open
World number one Ash Barty is itching to get back to competitive tennis at the Australian Open but has poured cold water on the idea that she might be set to end the 43-year wait for a homegrown women's champion. Barty reached the semi-finals at Melbourne Park for the first time last year before sitting out most of the rest of the season at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Everybody determined' to get Tokyo Games going - Bach
The entire Olympic movement is united in its determination to ensure the Tokyo Games happen in July and August, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said in a video message to mark the six-month countdown to the opening ceremony. Britain's Times reported on Friday that Tokyo was looking to get out of hosting the Games, drawing sharp criticism and flat denials. The Japanese government dismissed the report, while Japan Olympic Committee head Yasuhiro Yamashita told Reuters it was a "fabrication" and "wrong".
Baseball's 'Hammerin' Hank' Aaron, who held career home run record, dies at 86
Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, the quiet, unassuming slugger who broke Babe Ruth's supposedly unbreakable record for most home runs in a career and battled racism in the process, died on Friday, the Atlanta Braves announced. He was 86. Aaron joined the Braves management to become one of the few African-Americans in a baseball executive position after retiring as a player in 1976 with 755 career home runs, a record unmatched for more than three decades. Aaron died "peacefully in his sleep," the Braves said in a statement.
Murray 'gutted' to miss Australian Open
Former world number one Andy Murray said he was 'gutted' after deciding to withdraw from next month's Australian Open following a positive test for COVID-19 earlier this month. The 33-year-old Murray, a wildcard, confirmed last Thursday that he had tested positive for the virus and was in self-isolation at his home near London.
Feuz wins crash-hit Kitzbuehel downhill
Swiss veteran Beat Feuz won an injury-hit Kitzbuehel World Cup downhill on Friday after two rivals crashed and were airlifted off the fearsome Hahnenkamm mountain. The results were made official after the minimum 30 had finished, following lengthy holds and with the weather deteriorating.
NBA roundup: Clint Capela's triple-double leads Hawks past Wolves
Clint Capela recorded his first career triple-double and Trae Young scored a season-high 43 points to pace the Atlanta Hawks to a 116-98 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis on Friday and extend their winning streak to three games. Capela had 13 points, 19 rebounds and a career-high 10 blocked shots, becoming the first NBA player to have a triple-double with blocks since 2018. Capela joined Dikembe Mutombo (2000) and Tree Rollins (1979, two in 1982 and 1983) as Atlanta Hawks to record a triple-double including blocked shots. Capela also became the third Hawks player ever to post 10 or more blocks in a single game.
Swimming Australia eyes Plan B in case of Tokyo cancellation
Swimming Australia has started discussions about a replacement domestic or virtual international competition for its athletes in case the Tokyo Olympics are cancelled, president Kieren Perkins said. Organisers were forced to reiterate their commitment to holding the Games in July and August after a report on Friday said Japan's government had privately concluded the Games would have to be cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bills bring swagger into clash with defending champion Chiefs
The long-suffering Buffalo Bills can move to within one win of a maiden Super Bowl title on Sunday when they face the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who said on Friday he has cleared the NFL's concussion protocol. The reigning Super Bowl MVP's availability for the AFC Championship had been a major talking point ever since he got knocked out of last Sunday's game after a hit that left him struggling to stand on his feet.
Super Bowl: 22,000 tickets, free entry to 7,500 healthcare workers
Super Bowl LV will include 22,000 fans at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., and 7,500 vaccinated health care workers are among the total approved by state health officials. The NFL expressed an interest in bringing health care workers to the game last month and combined that mission with the existing stadium plan in Tampa.
Rodgers vs. Brady: NFC Championship a quarterback clash for the ages
Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers stand between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Tom Brady and his shot at a record-extending seventh Super Bowl ring in a NFC Championship showdown between two of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game on Sunday. Rodgers is the favorite to take league MVP honors this season but to reach the Super Bowl the 37-year-old will have to overcome a stout Bucs' defense and the iron will of Brady, who won six NFL titles in two decades with New England before heading south to Tampa.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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