Sports News Roundup: Australian Open day one; Jimmy Butler helps Heat knock off Knicks and more

Game, set and mask: fans trickle in on first day of Australian Open Tennis fans wearing masks filtered into Melbourne Park on Monday for the start of the Australian Open, this year's first Grand Slam event, as the host city recorded one new locally transmitted case of the novel coronavirus.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Brady leads Buccaneers to Super Bowl win on home field

Tom Brady threw three touchdowns as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers thumped the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 to win the Super Bowl on Sunday, giving the evergreen 43-year-old quarterback a record-extending seventh championship ring. Brady's age-defying performance, which earned him the Most Valuable Player award, brought the curtain down on what was perhaps the most challenging season the NFL has had to navigate because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paire slams Australian Open for 'shameful' quarantine treatment

Frenchman Benoit Paire criticised Australian Open organisers for their "shameful" treatment of players during quarantine ahead of the Grand Slam event and said lack of training due to strict restrictions contributed to his first-round exit. World number 29 Paire, who lost 2-6 6-2 6-7(5) 5-7 to Egor Gerasimov, was one of 72 players who were unable to leave their rooms to train during quarantine after passengers on their flights to Melbourne tested positive for COVID-19.

NBA roundup: Jimmy Butler helps Heat knock off Knicks

Jimmy Butler scored eight points in the fourth quarter and hit the tie-breaking jumper with 4:18 left Sunday afternoon as the visiting Miami Heat held off the New York Knicks in a 109-103 win. Butler (17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists) just missed a triple-double while Bam Adebayo (24 points and 11 rebounds) also had a double-double for the Heat, which has won two straight for just the second time this season. Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro each scored 16 points while Kelly Olynyk (15 points) and Duncan Robinson (12 points) each got into double digits.

The Weeknd brings bright lights, bandaged dancers to Super Bowl

Canadian pop singer The Weeknd lit up a pandemic-restricted Super Bowl on Sunday with an upbeat performance of hits in front of a brightly lit cityscape evoking the theme of his newest album, "After Hours." During halftime at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, the 30-year-old performer stepped out of a shiny convertible perched high above the stage amid neon signs reminiscent of the Las Vegas Strip at night.

Game, set and mask: fans trickle in on first day of Australian Open

Tennis fans wearing masks filtered into Melbourne Park on Monday for the start of the Australian Open, this year's first Grand Slam event, as the host city recorded one new locally transmitted case of the novel coronavirus. Players and staff arriving from overseas have all served 14 days of quarantine but foreign fans have been kept out as part of Australia's tough and effective measures to get to grips with the coronavirus.

Questions linger as ailing Nadal begins bid for Grand Slam record

Rafa Nadal begins his pursuit of a record 21st Grand Slam title under an injury cloud against Serbian Laslo Djere on Tuesday, with home favourite Ash Barty also in the spotlight on the second day of the Australian Open. World number two Nadal's preparations have been hampered by a back injury that ruled him out of the ATP Cup, with the Spaniard admitting on the eve of the season's opening major that he had been "suffering" for over two weeks.

Alpine skiing: World championships opener postponed due to heavy snow

The opening women's combined race at the Alpine skiing world championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo was postponed on Monday due to heavy overnight snow in the Italian Dolomites. Organisers had already reversed the order of the combined as a precaution due to the weather forecast, with the technical slalom leg brought forward to precede the super-G in the two-part event.

Louisville coach Chris Mack tests positive, game postponed

Louisville coach Chris Mack is among the members of the Cardinals program to test positive for COVID-19, and the school's home game against Pittsburgh on Wednesday has been postponed. The Atlantic Coast Conference said the postponement stems from "additional positive tests, subsequent quarantining, and contact tracing within the Louisville men's basketball program."

Biden says decision on 2020 Games 'has to be based on science'

Any decision about holding the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, postponed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, must be based on science, U.S. President Joe Biden told a radio show. The Games are set to start in under six months, and the Japanese government and International Olympic Committee (IOC) are vowing to hold them as planned, although under strict conditions that could include staging them without spectators.

Tennis: Australian Open day one

Novak Djokovic got his Australian Open title defence off to a rollicking start, breezing past Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3 6-1 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena on Monday. The world number one, who has won eight of his 17 major titles at Melbourne Park, rattled off 41 winners and did not face a single break point en route to victory.

(With inputs from agencies.)