Sports News Roundup: Tennis-Kyrgios wants to avoid Djokovic if Serb gains Australian Open reprieve; Czech player Voracova says detention felt like action film -paper and more

Voracova this week joined men's number one Novak Djokovic https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/djokovic-faces-third-day-australian-migrant-detention-covid-vaccine-furore-2022-01-08 in Australian immigration detention https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/australia-border-force-cancel-czech-player-voracovas-visa-report-2022-01-07 in a furore over the handling of the nation's COVID-19 vaccine exemptions. NBA roundup: Bulls take down Wizards for 9th straight win Zach LaVine's game-high 27 points led six Chicago Bulls in double figures Friday night as they stretched their winning streak to nine games with a 130-122 defeat of the visiting Washington Wizards.


Reuters | Updated: 08-01-2022 14:11 IST | Created: 08-01-2022 13:29 IST
Sports News Roundup: Tennis-Kyrgios wants to avoid Djokovic if Serb gains Australian Open reprieve; Czech player Voracova says detention felt like action film -paper and more
Representative Image Image Credit: ANI

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tennis-Kyrgios wants to avoid Djokovic if Serb gains Australian Open reprieve

Nick Kyrgios said he is keen to avoid being drawn to face a fired-up Novak Djokovic if the reigning Australian Open champion manages to convince authorities to allow him to play at this year's tournament in Melbourne. Djokovic, winner of nine Australian Open titles, was spending his third day in an immigration detention hotel after authorities on Thursday revoked his visa, which had been supported by an medical exemption from the country's vaccination requirements.

Czech player Voracova says detention felt like action film -paper

Detention felt like being in an action movie for Czech tennis player Renata Voracova, but the worst feeling came when she learned her visa would be cancelled ahead of the Australian Open, she told Czech media. Voracova this week joined men's number one Novak Djokovic https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/djokovic-faces-third-day-australian-migrant-detention-covid-vaccine-furore-2022-01-08 in Australian immigration detention https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/australia-border-force-cancel-czech-player-voracovas-visa-report-2022-01-07 in a furore over the handling of the nation's COVID-19 vaccine exemptions.

NBA roundup: Bulls take down Wizards for 9th straight win

Zach LaVine's game-high 27 points led six Chicago Bulls in double figures Friday night as they stretched their winning streak to nine games with a 130-122 defeat of the visiting Washington Wizards. Coby White came off the bench to score 21, while Lonzo Ball and Ayo Dosunmu each added 18 points. Nikola Vucevic stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, and DeMar DeRozan contributed 15 points and eight assists.

Tennis-Unseeded Cressy proud after handing Dimitrov straight sets loss

Grigor Dimitrov was knocked out of the Melbourne Summer Set 1 on Saturday as the former world number three was handed a 7-5 7-6 (9) defeat by American Maxime Cressy in the Australian Open warm-up event at Rod Laver Arena. Big-serving Cressy, currently ranked 112th in the world, hit 17 aces past the Bulgarian and won when he converted his fourth match point to advance to Sunday's final against either Rafa Nadal or Emil Ruusuvuori.

Tennis-Flawless Medvedev keeps Russia's ATP Cup title defence alive

World number two Daniil Medvedev strolled past Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4 6-0 to keep alive Russia's hopes of defending their ATP Cup title, sending the semi-final tie against Canada on Saturday into a deciding doubles rubber. Denis Shapovalov put Canada within one win of reaching the ATP Cup final for the first time with a battling 6-4 5-7 6-4 victory over Roman Safiullin in the first singles, putting Medvedev in a must-win situation in the second rubber.

Boxing-Smith to face Geffrard in WBO title defence

American boxer Joe Smith Jr. will face compatriot Steve Geffrard in his World Boxing Organization (WBO) light heavyweight title defence bout on Jan. 15, with challenger Callum Johnson withdrawing after testing positive for COVID-19. Smith, 27-3 with 21 knockouts, won the vacant WBO belt last April when he beat Russian Maxim Vlasov by majority decision.

Speed skating-Jackson fails to qualify for Olympics after slip at U.S. trials

Erin Jackson's participation at the 2022 Winter Olympics is in doubt after the American speed skater finished third in the U.S. trials, missing out on an automatic qualification place. Jackson, who has won four out of eight World Cup 500 metres races this season and is ranked number one in the discipline, stumbled on the back stretch of the heat to end with a time of 38.24, behind Brittany Bowe (37.81) and Kimi Goetz (37.86).

Figure skating-Bell wins first U.S. Figure Skating Championships

Mariah Bell put in a strong free skate performance to win gold at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Friday, her first national title in nine appearances. Bell was awarded 140.70 points in her free skate and managed a total of 216.25 points to beat Karen Chen (213.85) and Isabeau Levito (210.75) to first place.

Cricket-Australia declare on 265-6, set England 388 to win

Australia declared their second innings closed on 265 for six in the final session of the fourth day of the fourth Ashes test on Saturday, handing England an unlikely victory target of 388. Usman Khawaja scored his second century of the match and finished 101 not out.

Djokovic had COVID-19 a month ago, had clearance to enter Australia - court filing

Tennis world number one Novak Djokovic contracted COVID-19 last month but was not experiencing symptoms and had written clearance from Australia's immigration department before travelling to the country with a medical exemption from its vaccination rules, his lawyers said in a court filing on Saturday. Djokovic, who is in immigration detention in Australia after having his visa cancelled on arrival on Thursday, returned his first positive coronavirus test on Dec. 16, 2021, but 14 days later "had not had a fever or respiratory symptoms of COVID-19 in the last 72 hours", the filing said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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