Sports News Roundup: Tennis-Djokovic slams 'crazy' Wimbledon ban on Russian, Belarusian players; Exclusive-Tennis-ATP and WTA join hands to launch joint mobile app and more

Arsenal got off the mark when Eddie Nketiah pounced on a weak back pass by Christensen before slotting past goalkeeper Edouard Mendy in the 13th minute of their Premier League match at Stamford Bridge. Tennis-ATP and WTA criticise Wimbledon for banning Russian and Belarusian players Wimbledon has barred all Russian and Belarusian players from this year's championships due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, a decision which was swiftly condemned by the men's and women's tours as well as American great Martina Navratilova.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tennis-Djokovic slams 'crazy' Wimbledon ban on Russian, Belarusian players

World number one Novak Djokovic said Wimbledon's decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine is "crazy". Wimbledon announced on Wednesday that it had barred all Russian and Belarusian players from this year's championships due to the invasion, which Russia calls a "special operation".

Exclusive-Tennis-ATP and WTA join hands to launch joint mobile app

Tennis fans will be able to follow both the men's and the women's games on a single mobile app from Wednesday, the latest move in a series of collaborations between the ATP and the WTA tours aimed at uniting the fragmented sport. The new 'ATP WTA Live' app will replace the ATP and WTA's existing apps and allow fans to keep up with official scores and results from both men's and women's matches.

Soccer-Tuchel says Christensen subbed due to injury, not a costly error

Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel said he had taken off Andreas Christensen at halftime of their 4-2 defeat by Arsenal on Wednesday because he was unable to continue, not due to his error that led to the visitors' opener. Arsenal got off the mark when Eddie Nketiah pounced on a weak back pass by Christensen before slotting past goalkeeper Edouard Mendy in the 13th minute of their Premier League match at Stamford Bridge.

Tennis-ATP and WTA criticize Wimbledon for banning Russian and Belarusian players

Wimbledon has barred all Russian and Belarusian players from this year's championships due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, a decision which was swiftly condemned by the men's and women's tours as well as American great Martina Navratilova. The move is the first time players have been banned on the grounds of nationality since the immediate post-World War Two era when German and Japanese players were excluded.

Jay Wright retires, Villanova names Kyle Neptune as replacement

Villanova coach Jay Wright retired two weeks after his 21st season ended in his fourth Final Four. Wright plans to move into a fundraising and advisory role at Villanova, where he won two national championships.

NHL roundup: Alex Ovechkin makes history in Caps' OT loss

Shea Theodore scored at 2:09 of overtime as the Vegas Golden Knights overcame a history-making night by Alex Ovechkin to keep their playoff hopes alive with a 4-3 victory over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night in Las Vegas. Vegas closed within two points of the Dallas Stars for the final Western Conference wild-card spot. The Golden Knights are also just three points behind the third-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division.

Boxing-Beterbiev set to fight as Canadian after Russian ban, says WBC boss

Light-heavyweight world champion Artur Beterbiev is set to fight as a Canadian after boxing bodies barred Russians following the invasion of Ukraine, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said on Wednesday. The WBC, IBF, and IBO have said they will not certify fights involving boxers from Russia or Belarus.

MLB roundup: Shohei Ohtani fans 12 as Angels blank Astros

Shohei Ohtani carried a perfect game into the sixth inning and also played a central role with his bat in the first-inning uprising that keyed the visiting Los Angeles Angels' 6-0 victory over the Houston Astros on Wednesday. In the rubber match of a three-game series, Ohtani (1-2) retired the first 16 batters he faced in earning his first career win over the Astros, against whom he was 0-3 with a 5.92 ERA and 0-2 with a 6.50 ERA at Minute Maid Park. He threw 81 pitches, 55 for strikes, and rode a dominant slider to 12 strikeouts, tying his career-high.

Golf-Scheffler says Green Jacket not enough to escape chore duty

World number one Scottie Scheffler said on Wednesday he has yet to leave his house with the Green Jacket he earned as Masters champion and that the coveted garment has not even allowed him to get out of household chores. Scheffler, speaking to reporters ahead of this week's Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event, said he is treating the Green Jacket with respect but also having some fun with it at home.

NBA roundup: OT win gives Sixers 3-0 edge on Raptors

Joel Embiid sank a turnaround 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds to play in overtime and the visiting Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Toronto Raptors 104-101 in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. Philadelphia leads the best-of-seven series 3-0 and will look to complete a sweep on Saturday in Toronto.