Reuters Sports News Summary

Hence the American player-turned-pundit said that players such as British teenager Emma Raducanu need to build a virtual protective wall around themselves -- by switching off from social media. Motor racing-We underperformed as a team, says Hamilton as Mercedes run ends Mercedes were shut out of the final phase of Formula One qualifying for the first time since 2012 on Friday and seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton said the failure was a collective one.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tennis-Wimbledon ban will 'incite hatred,' says Belarus federation

The decision to bar Russian and Belarusian players from Wimbledon over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine will incite "hatred and intolerance", the Belarus Tennis Federation (BTF) said, adding that they are seeking legal advice on the ban. The grasscourt major announced on Wednesday that Russian and Belarusian competitors would be banned from this year's tournament. Belarus is a key staging area for the invasion, which Russia calls a "special military operation".

Motor racing-Verstappen ends pole wait at wet and chaotic Imola

Formula One world champion Max Verstappen took his first pole position of the season on Friday in a wet and crash-interrupted Emilia Romagna Grand Prix qualifying for Saturday's sprint race at Imola. Ferrari's championship leader Charles Leclerc, thwarted by a late stoppage, will line up alongside the Red Bull driver on the front row for a 100km race that decides who starts first in Sunday's main event.

NBA roundup: Grizzlies rally to take series lead vs. Wolves

Desmond Bane scored 26 points to lift the visiting Memphis Grizzlies to a 104-95 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday in Game 3 of a Western Conference first-round playoff series in Minneapolis. Bane sank seven 3-pointers as the second-seeded Grizzlies overcame a 26-point deficit to seize a 2-1 lead in the series. Game 4 is Saturday in Minneapolis.

Soccer-Women's crowd record broken again as Barcelona beat Wolfsburg in Champions League

A record 91,648 fans turned up for a women's match as Barcelona beat VfL Wolfsburg 5-1 in the first leg of their Women's Champions League semi-final at Camp Nou on Friday. The clash broke the previous women's attendance record set just three weeks ago when 91,553 spectators flocked to Camp Nou for Barcelona's showdown with Real Madrid on March 30.

NHL roundup: Panthers, Flames seal division crowns

Mason Marchment had a goal and an assist as the Florida Panthers clinched the Atlantic Division title and the best record in the Eastern Conference with a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday in Sunrise, Fla. The Panthers extended their winning streak to a franchise-record-tying 12 games, matching a run from Dec. 15, 2015, to Jan. 10, 2016.

Boxing-Fury weighs in heavier than contender Whyte ahead of title clash

WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury weighed in 11lbs heavier than challenger Dillian Whyte ahead of their title bout at London's Wembley Stadium on Saturday. Fury, 33, tipped the scales at 264lbs on Friday, 13lbs lighter than he was for his trilogy fight against Deontay Wilder in October, while Whyte was at 253 lbs.

Tennis-Former teen sensation Austin urges young players to 'ignore the haters'

Tracy Austin knows the pitfalls of being a teenage success story all too well after triumphing at the 1979 U.S. Open at just 16 but feels what she went through bears no comparison to the social media onslaught that young players now have to deal with. Hence the American player-turned-pundit said that players such as British teenager Emma Raducanu need to build a virtual protective wall around themselves -- by switching off from social media.

Motor racing-We underperformed as a team, says Hamilton as Mercedes run ends

Mercedes were shut out of the final phase of Formula One qualifying for the first time since 2012 on Friday and seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton said the failure was a collective one. "I think we underperformed as a team today," said the Briton after qualifying 13th for Saturday's sprint race in a messy session at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix with team mate George Russell faring slightly better in 11th.

NHL-Montreal Canadiens great Guy Lafleur dies at 70

Guy Lafleur, a Hockey Hall of Fame ice hockey player who won five Stanley Cups during a storied 17-year NHL career spent primarily with the Montreal Canadiens, has died at the age of 70, his former team said on Friday. Lafleur, who began his NHL career with the Canadiens in 1971, was one of the most prodigious scorers and most exciting players of his generation, or any other.

Kremlin condemns suspension of Olympic swimmer Rylov over Ukraine stance

The Kremlin on Friday condemned the nine-month suspension of Olympic champion swimmer Evgeny Rylov over his presence at a rally in support of Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine. "We believe this is absolutely contrary to the ideas of sport," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of the decision by swimming's world governing body FINA to suspend Rylov. "When the strongest (competitors) lose the opportunity to participate, this ultimately harms international federations and international competitions."