Reuters Sports News Summary

The 20-times Grand Slam champion endured a tough start to the year as he was unable to defend his Australian Open title in January after being deported from the country for being unvaccinated against COVID-19. Soccer-Spain, France book tickets to 2023 Women's World Cup Spain and France became the latest teams to seal places at the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand after winning their qualifying groups on Tuesday, as England took a giant step towards joining them.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Soccer-Tuchel praises Chelsea players for reaching limit against Real Madrid

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel praised his players' efforts in their 3-2 win after extra time at Real Madrid on Tuesday, although the result was not enough to take them to the Champions League semi-finals as they went out 5-4 on aggregate. "We went to the full limit today. I'm very proud of my players and I think we deserved to qualify but luck was not on our side," Tuchel told a news conference.

Soccer-Real Madrid survive superb Chelsea comeback to reach Champions League semis

Real Madrid saw off a stirring Chelsea fightback to book their place in the Champions League semi-finals following a 3-2 defeat after extra time in a scintillating second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday to go through 5-4 on aggregate. Chelsea had looked on course to complete an astonishing comeback after taking a 3-0 lead in their quarter-final second leg with goals from Mason Mount, Antonio Rudiger and an excellent individual effort from Timo Werner.

In Argentina, the mecca of polo, women swing mallets in first World Cup

Some of the world's top women polo players compete this week in Argentina in the sport's first-ever female World Cup, the culmination of years of growing opportunity in a game known for its equestrian allure and high-society sensibilities. The woman's polo World Cup got under way last Saturday at the Cathedral stadium in the leafy Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital, and will conclude on April 16 after the week-long tournament. The competition features teams from the home country, the United States, Brazil, England, Italy and Ireland.

Soccer-Blatter, Platini to face Swiss justice in June fraud trial

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and ex-UEFA President Michel Platini will go on trial in June to face Swiss corruption charges over a $2 million payment that world soccer's governing body made to Platini in 2011, the court announced on Tuesday. Both Blatter and Platini have repeatedly denied wrongdoing in the past over the incident, for which Swiss prosecutors indicted them https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/blatter-platini-indicted-by-swiss-authorities-over-2-million-swiss-francs-2021-11-02/#:~:text=ZURICH%2C%20Nov%202%20(Reuters),of%20Switzerland%20said%20on%20Tuesday in November.

Soccer-Bayern season can't be success after Champions League exit-Nagelsmann

Bayern Munich's season cannot be successful after their Champions League quarter-final exit to Villarreal on Tuesday even if they land their 10th straight Bundesliga title, coach Julian Nagelsmann said. The Bavarians conceded a shock 88th minute equaliser for a 1-1 draw and 2-1 aggregate loss to the underdogs, leaving Nagelsmann, in his first season at Bayern, with only the league title up for grabs, after their second-round German Cup exit.

Athletics-Boston to boost police presence at subways ahead of marathon

Boston officials will increase the number of police around subway stations ahead of Monday's Boston Marathon after a mass shooting in a New York subway but stressed there was no known threat to the race and voiced confidence in it going ahead. A gunman wearing a gas mask set off a smoke bomb and shot 10 people in a New York City subway car during Tuesday's morning commute, authorities said. None of the wounded had life-threatening injuries, they added, and a manhunt for the perpetrator was underway.

Tennis-Djokovic falls to Davidovich Fokina in Monte Carlo, Tsitsipas advances

World number one Novak Djokovic slumped to defeat in only his fourth match of the season, losing 6-3 6-7(5) 6-1 to unseeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the Monte Carlo Masters second round on Tuesday. The 20-times Grand Slam champion endured a tough start to the year as he was unable to defend his Australian Open title in January after being deported from the country for being unvaccinated against COVID-19.

Soccer-Spain, France book tickets to 2023 Women's World Cup

Spain and France became the latest teams to seal places at the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand after winning their qualifying groups on Tuesday, as England took a giant step towards joining them. Sweden were the first European team to qualify for the World Cup following their earlier 1-1 draw at home to Ireland, and Spain sealed a berth at the finals with Jenni Hermoso's double for a 2-0 Group B victory away to Scotland.

Shirley Spork, LPGA founding member, dies at 94

Shirley Spork, one of the 13 women who founded the LPGA, died Tuesday in her home in Palm Springs, Calif., the LPGA Tour said. Spork was 94. Spork became a professional golfer while teaching at a Detroit public school in 1950. That year, she signed the original charter of the LPGA alongside women like Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Patty Berg. Marlene Hagge is now the only surviving founder.

Tennis-Djokovic says he ran out of gas in Monte Carlo defeat

Novak Djokovic said he felt drained of energy towards the end of his loss to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters on Tuesday, admitting that the defeat was almost inevitable going into the final set. Playing in his fourth match of the season after he was denied a chance to defend his Australian Open title in January due to being unvaccinated against COVID-19, Djokovic was broken nine times and made 51 unforced errors in a 6-3 6-7(5) 6-1 defeat by the Spaniard.