Sports News Roundup: Tennis-Ukraine team hope BJK Cup tie will bring distraction from war; Golf-Norman says the Saudi-backed circuit's prize money will attract top players and more

The two teams will meet on Friday and Saturday in Asheville, North Carolina in a qualifier for the BJK Finals in November, with the tie being held against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special operation". Golf-Norman says Saudi-backed circuit's prize money will attract top players Many of the world's top golfers have distanced themselves from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series but Greg Norman said the lure of the huge prize purses on offer will prove too hard to resist.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tennis-Ukraine team hope BJK Cup tie will bring distraction from war

Ukraine's players hope to provide some much-needed distraction for their compatriots this week when they face the United States in the Billie Jean King Cup but concede it is difficult to keep their thoughts from drifting to the war back home. The two teams will meet on Friday and Saturday in Asheville, North Carolina in a qualifier for the BJK Finals in November, with the tie being held against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special operation".

Golf-Norman says the Saudi-backed circuit's prize money will attract top players

Many of the world's top golfers have distanced themselves from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series but Greg Norman said the lure of the huge prize purses on offer will prove too hard to resist. The series released details of eight new tournaments in March, promising prize money of at least $250 million. The U.S.-based PGA Tour has told its, members, that they would be banned if they joined it.

Cricket-Australia board, players sign deal to issue NFTs

Australia's cricket board and the players union have signed a multi-year licensing deal to issue NFTs (non-fungible tokens) as they seek to tap the market for digital collectibles. NFTs are digital assets, often linked to an image, video, or sound clip, whose ownership is authenticated by blockchain technology.

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.

NBA-Brooklyn Nets coach Nash says subway attack hits close to home

Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash called Tuesday's shooting on a subway train in Brooklyn "tragic and senseless" and said it hits close to home for the team, whose practice facility and offices are located close by. At least 17 people were injured when a gunman wearing a gas mask set off a smoke bomb and opened fire on the train. Police said the man, believed to have acted alone, fled the scene.

NHL roundup: Hurricanes pull away from Rangers in Metropolitan

Seth Jarvis scored 1:02 into the third period to break a tie and the Carolina Hurricanes went on to a 4-2 victory against the host New York Rangers in a battle between the top teams in the Metropolitan Division on Tuesday night. Carolina (48-18-8, 104 points) gained some separation on the Rangers (47-21-6, 100 points) in the standings.

MLB roundup: Guardians blast Reds in ninth

Cleveland Guardians ace Shane Bieber teased fans with a possible no-hitter, but it was an improbable two-run homer by Andres Gimenez in the ninth inning that was the difference in a 10-5 victory over host Cincinnati on Tuesday in the Reds' 146th home opener. Gimenez, who batted .218 last season for Cleveland, blasted a home run off reliever Hunter Strickland (0-1) in the ninth inning to break a 4-4 tie.

Shirley Spork, the 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.

Motor racing Ferrari's hopes run high after previous false starts

Ferrari fans know all about false dawns and dashed hopes but the first three races of the Formula One season have brought the good times back to Maranello and sent expectations soaring. Charles Leclerc, seeking to become the Italian team's first world champion since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007, has taken 71 of 78 points available from the opening races in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.

Tennis-Djokovic says he ran out of gas in the 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.