Sports News Roundup: Serena Williams hints at Wimbledon return after a year on the sidelines; Mouratoglou to coach Halep full-time and more

The two teams, who have dominated the league over the past five seasons, are seperated by just a point with leaders City hoping they can restore some breathing space with a victory. Tennis-Mouratoglou to coach Halep full-time Patrick Mouratoglou, a long-time coach of Serena Williams, will work with two-times Grand Slam champion and former world number one Simona Halep full-time, the Frenchman said on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Golf-England's Casey withdraws from Masters with injury

England's Paul Casey withdrew from the Masters with injury prior to the start of his first round on Thursday. The Ryder Cup veteran was scheduled to tee off at 10:53 a.m. ET (1453 GMT) alongside Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith ahead of the group including five-times champion Tiger Woods.

Soccer-UEFA agrees new financial sustainability rules for clubs

Top European clubs will be limited to spending no more than 70% of their revenue on their squads under new "sustainability regulations" passed by UEFA's executive committee on Thursday. The new approach will replace the previous Financial Fair Play system and introduces a "squad cost rule" that will limit spending on wages, transfers and agent fees.

Tennis-Serena Williams hints at Wimbledon return after a year on the sidelines

Former world number one Serena Williams hinted on Thursday that she could make her long-awaited return at Wimbledon in June, exactly a year since she last played on the tour at the same Grand Slam. Williams, 40, limped out of last year's first-round match at Wimbledon in tears due to a leg injury.

Tennis-Thiem, Berrettini pull out of Monte Carlo Masters

Former U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem has pulled out of next week's ATP Masters tournament in Monte Carlo due to COVID-19, his team said on Thursday. The 28-year-old, who twice finished runner-up at the French Open and once at the Australian Open before winning the 2020 U.S. Open title, contracted the virus at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Marbella, Spain last week.

Motor racing-Changes afoot as Formula One returns Down Under

Two years after the Australian Grand Prix was scrapped due to COVID-19 hours before the first practice, Formula One returns Down Under to an upgraded Albert Park and a warm welcome from local fans starved of elite motor sport through the pandemic. Plenty has changed since Valtteri Bottas won the 2019 race for Mercedes in Melbourne, kicking off another season dominated by former team mate Lewis Hamilton and the Silver Arrows.

Tennis-Rivals on court, friends off it: US ready to face Ukraine in BJK clash

While there will be no let up in intensity on the court when the United States host Ukraine next week seeking a place in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in November, there will be a great deal of camaraderie off it between the players. The April 15-16 tie in Asheville, North Carolina will be held against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special operation".

Golf-Tiger gets comeback underway with opening par at Masters

Tiger Woods began his highly-anticipated return to competition with a par on his first hole at the Masters on Thursday in front of a throng of patrons thrilled to see the five-time champion back. Woods, wearing a pink shirt and black pants on his return to the Masters following a February 2021 car crash, was greeted at the par-four 445-yard first hole to a raucous reception from spectators who arrived at Augusta National in the early-morning hours to get a front-row seat.

Soccer-Liverpool's Klopp says it's a 'joy' to study Man City ahead of title clash

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp says it is simply a joy to carry out their analysis work on Manchester City ahead of Sunday's Premier League title clash at the Etihad Stadium. The two teams, who have dominated the league over the past five seasons, are seperated by just a point with leaders City hoping they can restore some breathing space with a victory.

Tennis-Mouratoglou to coach Halep full-time

Patrick Mouratoglou, a long-time coach of Serena Williams, will work with two-times Grand Slam champion and former world number one Simona Halep full-time, the Frenchman said on Thursday. Mouratoglou has not been coaching for nearly a year as Williams has not played on the tour since she injured her leg at Wimbledon last year and there is no clarity on the 40-year-old's return to action.

Volkswagen, Porsche and Audi open to entering Formula One - spokesperson

Volkswagen and its brands Porsche and Audi are open to entering Formula 1, a Volkswagen spokesperson said on Thursday, after months of speculation that the two brands were in negotiation over partnerships to enter the highest class of international racing. The German carmaker, which has not previously been involved with Formula One but has worked with Red Bull in the world rally championship, did not announce how it planned on entering the sport.