Sports News Roundup: Medvedev beats compatriot Rublev to reach semis; Brady surprises herself with semi-final after hard lockdown and more

Medvedev beats compatriot Rublev to reach semis Russian Daniil Medvedev secured a spot in the Australian Open semi-finals with a 7-5 6-3 6-2 victory over friend and compatriot Andrey Rublev on Wednesday, extending his winning streak to 19 matches.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

NBA roundup: Nets pull off epic comeback at Phoenix

James Harden amassed 38 points and 11 assists and Joe Harris added 22 points as the short-handed Brooklyn Nets rallied from a 24-point deficit to earn a 128-124 road victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. The 21-point, second-half comeback was the largest for the Nets since they joined the NBA in the 1976-77 season.

Medvedev beats compatriot Rublev to reach semis

Russian Daniil Medvedev secured a spot in the Australian Open semi-finals with a 7-5 6-3 6-2 victory over friend and compatriot Andrey Rublev on Wednesday, extending his winning streak to 19 matches. It was Rublev's fourth straight defeat to Medvedev, who has not lost a match since October.

Reports: Pirates sign starting pitcher Tyler Anderson

The Pittsburgh Pirates have reached a one-year deal with starting pitcher Tyler Anderson to help bolster their rotation, multiple outlets reported Tuesday. The deal, pending a physical, is worth $2.5 million, per the reports.

Brady surprises herself with semi-final after hard lockdown

Having been locked down in hard quarantine, Jennifer Brady gave herself little chance of making an impression at the Australian Open before the tournament, but on Wednesday the American found herself within reach of a maiden Grand Slam final. Brady booked her second major semi with a 4-6 6-2 6-1 win over United States team mate Jessica Pegula, and finished the match full of running despite a sweltering afternoon at Rod Laver Arena.

Torch relay plan stirs concern from Japanese official

The governor of Japan's Shimane prefecture said on Wednesday the Olympic torch relay should be reconsidered because of the coronavirus, the latest setback to the Tokyo 2020 Games amid the pandemic. The Tokyo Summer Games have already been marred by an unprecedented delay, strong public opposition, and the recent resignation of Yoshiro Mori, the head of the Tokyo organising committee, over sexist remarks.

Kenin undergoes appendix surgery in Australia

American Sofia Kenin, whose title defence at the Australian Open was halted in the second round, said on Wednesday she had her appendix removed earlier this week. Kenin lost 6-3 6-2 to Estonian veteran Kaia Kanepi last Thursday.

Barty heartbroken by loss but happy to be back in the game

Ash Barty confessed to being heartbroken at coming up short in the Australian Open quarter-finals on Wednesday but did not want the shock defeat to distract from her successful return to tennis after a year on the sidelines. The world number one returned to the tour for the Melbourne Park warm-up tournaments after staying at home to try to sit out the COVID-19 pandemic, running up an eight-match winning streak before Wednesday's 1-6 6-3 6-2 loss to Karolina Muchova.

Olympics: Calls grow to relocate 2022 Beijing Winter Games

With the Beijing Winter Games less than a year away, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) are looking closely at human rights abuses in China, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday as calls to move the 2022 Games continue to grow. "In regards to the Olympics, we continue to be very, very vocal in standing up for human rights around the world and calling out human rights abuses, as I have personally in the past directly with Chinese leadership, among many others," Trudeau told reporters during his daily press briefing.

Japan's Olympic minister Hashimoto is the preferred candidate to succeed Mori: NHK

Japan's Olympic Minister Seiko Hashimoto has emerged as the preferred candidate to succeed Yoshiro Mori as president of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee after he stepped down last week, public broadcaster NHK said. The panel will ask Hashimoto if she wishes to take the position, NHK added.

Report: J.J. Watt ‘seriously considering’ joining Browns

Three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt is reported "seriously considering" taking his talents to the Cleveland Browns amid teams and players putting on the full-court press for the defensive end's services in 2021. Watt and the Houston Texans agreed to part ways late last week. Watt asked for his release and got it after 10 seasons with the club.

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