Reuters Sports News Summary

Swimming: Sun's second CAS hearing to take place in May Chinese swimmer Sun Yang's appeal against an eight-year ban for missing an out-of-competition doping test will take place in May with a new panel of judges, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Hubert Hurkacz rallies past Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach Miami Open semis

Hubert Hurkacz put together a stirring comeback on Thursday to record a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over second-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas to advance to the semifinals of the Miami Open. The 26th-seeded Hurkacz was dominated in the first set and was down 0-2, 15-40 in the second set before turning things around in his quarterfinal victory. Nationals' home opener postponed due to COVID-19 issues

The Washington Nationals' home opener against the New York Mets, scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed due to COVID-19 issues, Major League Baseball said. The decision was made a day after the Nationals said one of their players tested positive for COVID-19, while four others and a staff member were in quarantine following contact tracing. Patriots' Robert Kraft addresses free-agency binge, draft misfires

The New England Patriots were quite active during the NFL's free agency period, spending a league-record $165 million in guaranteed money. While the Patriots added tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith and wideouts Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne, among others, Patriots owner Robert Kraft acknowledged Wednesday that being active in free agency isn't the desired path toward long-term success. Golf: Wie West makes stirring return to major competition

Michelle Wie West, in only her second tournament after a nearly two-year absence, showed she can still compete with the game's best as she made an encouraging start to the first major of the LPGA season on Thursday in Rancho Mirage, California. Wie West, who was out of action while on maternity leave and recovering from a wrist injury, fired a two-under-par 70 at the ANA Inspiration to sit four shots off the early first-round lead at Mission Hills Country Club. Spieth getting short game in order right in time for Masters

Jordan Spieth came into the Valero Texas Open mainly looking to fine-tune his short game ahead of next week's Masters and on Thursday he did just that as he grabbed the early first-round clubhouse lead. Spieth was a little loose off the tee in tough conditions at TPC San Antonio but more than offset that with a sublime short game en route to a five-under-par 67 that left him one shot clear after the morning wave. Olympics: Sky's the limit for British skateboard prodigy Brown

Twelve-year-old skateboarding prodigy Sky Brown said she has fully recovered from her life-threatening fall last May and plans to broaden her horizons by adding surfing to her Olympic schedule. Brown, who will be the only female member of Team GB when skateboarding makes its highly-anticipated debut in July, suffered skull fractures and a broken wrist and hand after she fell from a half-pipe in Southern California. Swimming: Sun's second CAS hearing to take place in May

Chinese swimmer Sun Yang's appeal against an eight-year ban for missing an out-of-competition doping test will take place in May with a new panel of judges, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Thursday. Triple Olympic champion Sun was banned by CAS last February after it accepted an appeal from the World Anti-Doping Agency against a decision by swimming governing body FINA to clear him of wrongdoing for his conduct during a 2018 test. NBA roundup: Devin Booker scores 45 as Suns stay hot

Devin Booker scored a season-high 45 points on 17-of-24 shooting, and the Phoenix Suns held on for a 121-116 win over the visiting Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night. Chris Paul contributed 19 points and 14 assists for Phoenix, which has won four games in a row and seven of its past eight. Dario Saric scored 16 points off the bench. 'It's been a long year for New York' - Yankees fans cheer Opening Day at last

Yankee Stadium's gates swung open for the first time in nearly 18 months on Thursday, as elated and emotional fans welcomed back their Bronx Bombers after a season played to empty stands amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Fans young and old streamed into the park as an organist played the Big Apple anthem "New York, New York", the latest hint that life may slowly be starting to get back to normal. Biden turns to NASCAR, NAACP to convince people to take vaccines

President Joe Biden is enlisting the help of groups as varied as NASCAR and the NAACP as part of a multi-billion dollar effort to convince Americans to take COVID-19 vaccines. Biden is trying to control a raging pandemic that has killed 550,000 Americans by obtaining enough vaccine for the country's 330 million residents by May.