Sports News Roundup: Soccer-Klopp praises Benfica keeper for denying Liverpool bigger lead; Golf-Thomas says putting Masters on too high a pedestal undermined efforts and more

After COVID limited the number of spectators allowed onto the grounds over the last two years, the galleries are back in full force and so is the unmistakable Augusta National buzz amplified by the presence of Woods on the manicured fairways. Soccer-Guardiola says Man City players must keep their cool in Atletico return leg Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola called on his players to control their emotions in their Champions League quarter-final return leg at Atletico Madrid next week.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Soccer-Klopp praises Benfica keeper for denying Liverpool bigger lead

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp heaped praise on Benfica keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos for denying the English side a bigger victory after their 3-1 win in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday. Liverpool took the upper hand in the tie as goals from Ibrahima Konate, Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz earned them a comfortable victory in Lisbon and it could have been much worse for the Portuguese club.

Golf-Thomas says putting Masters on too high a pedestal undermined efforts

American Justin Thomas said years of putting the Masters on too high a pedestal thwarted his best efforts at the tournament, as he tries yet again this week to tame Augusta National. The 2017 PGA Championship winner has recorded four top-10 finishes so far in 2022, a little over a year after he won the Players Championship by a one-stroke margin, a promising sign as he fights to don the Green Jacket for the first time.

Soccer-Football Union of Russia withdraws appeal over FIFA ban

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Tuesday said the Football Union of Russia (FUR) had withdrawn its appeal against soccer's world governing body FIFA as well as the Polish, Swedish, and Czech Republic Football Associations. FIFA and European governing body UEFA decided together that all Russian teams, whether national or club sides, would be suspended from participation in their competitions until further notice after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Golf-Tiger return at Augusta National has Masters buzzing

The Masters is always something special but add in a Tiger Woods comeback and the end of COVID-19 restrictions and the year's first major is poised to be turned into a golfing celebration. After COVID limited the number of spectators allowed onto the grounds over the last two years, the galleries are back in full force and so is the unmistakable Augusta National buzz amplified by the presence of Woods on the manicured fairways.

Soccer-Guardiola says Man City players must keep their cool in Atletico return leg

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola called on his players to control their emotions in their Champions League quarter-final return leg at Atletico Madrid next week. Kevin De Bruyne's 70th-minute goal earned City a 1-0 win on Tuesday in a game that had several flashpoints, including an incident in which a prone Jack Grealish was struck in the head from close range by a clearance from Angel Correa.

Golf-Life at the top not so different for world number one Scheffler

Scottie Scheffler said his life has not changed very much since he capped his meteoric rise from obscurity to world number one last month, and that suits him just fine. The affable American said his peers have stopped to congratulate him since he won three tournaments to take top spot from Jon Rahm, but otherwise, it was business as usual.

Cuba opens door to professional boxing after decades-long hiatus

Cuba announced this week that its top fighters would join the professional boxing circuit following decades of shying away from the sport after former leader Fidel Castro banned sports for pay following his leftist 1959 revolution. The "Domadores de Cuba" team will participate this year in several professional leagues after signing a contract with the Mexican company Golden Ring Promotions, state television reported on Monday.

Baseball-MLB to allow use of pitch-calling technology this season

Pitchers and catchers this season will be able to use a new wearable technology that allows them to communicate what pitch to throw next in an effort to minimize sign stealing and speed the pace of play, Major League Baseball said on Tuesday. "PitchCom" equips the catcher with an electronic transmitter on his wrist that has a button for each potential pitch and its location.

Soccer-Atletico must have more possession in the return leg against Man City: Simeone

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone was happy with his side's defending in Tuesday's 1-0 Champions League quarter-final first-leg defeat at Manchester City but said they must get a bigger share of possession in the return leg if they are to advance. Kevin De Bruyne's 70th-minute strike was the only goal in a game that featured few clear-cut chances, with Atletico failing to produce a single shot on target after spending much of the contest camped in their own half.

ATP roundup: Nick Kyrgios picks up the three-set win in Houston opener

Nick Kyrgios of Australia used three sets to defeat American Mackenzie McDonald 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 Tuesday in the first round of the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship in Houston. Playing as a wild card, Kyrgios earned his first win on clay since 2019. He most recently made a stellar run at the Miami Open but was fined $35,000 for unsportsmanlike behavior during his Round of 16 defeat.