Reuters Sports News Summary

Fury appeared to push fellow Briton Whyte after landing a devastating uppercut with one second to go in the round, eventually forcing referee Mark Lyson to stop the fight. Golf-Mickelson asks PGA Tour for release to play LIV Golf event Phil Mickelson has asked the PGA Tour for a release that would allow him to play the first LIV Golf Invitational Series event near London in June and he has also registered to play in the PGA Championship and U.S. Open, his agent said.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Motor racing-Imola weekend shows Red Bull back at their best

Max Verstappen's dominant Imola weekend provided a near-perfect bounce back from misery in Melbourne, with Red Bull confident they are fully firing again in the Formula One battle with leaders Ferrari. World champion Verstappen, who had to retire in Australia two weeks ago, could not have taken a bigger haul from the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix with pole and victories in the Saturday sprint and Sunday's race plus fastest lap.

Exclusive: Boxing - Usyk mounts Ukraine relief effort ahead of Joshua fight

Olympic gold medallist Oleksandr Usyk will harness the star power of his rematch with Briton Anthony Joshua to raise relief funds for his native Ukraine, the unified heavyweight champion told Reuters. Usyk and Joshua are expected to fight later this year, though a date and location have not been determined.

Boxing: Whyte says Fury push during knockout sequence was illegal

Dillian Whyte believes WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury got away with an illegal push during their title fight on Saturday and has demanded a rematch after suffering a sixth-round technical knockout at Wembley Stadium. Fury appeared to push fellow Briton Whyte after landing a devastating uppercut with one second to go in the round, eventually forcing referee Mark Lyson to stop the fight.

Golf-Mickelson asks PGA Tour for release to play LIV Golf event

Phil Mickelson has asked the PGA Tour for a release that would allow him to play the first LIV Golf Invitational Series event near London in June and he has also registered to play in the PGA Championship and U.S. Open, his agent said. Players had until Monday to submit a request to the PGA Tour to compete at a conflicting tour event. The first LIV Golf Invitational will be held from June 9-11 at the Centurion Golf Club outside of London.

Tennis: Alcaraz surprised by rapid rise in rankings and top 10 spot

Rising tennis star Carlos Alcaraz has no plans of slowing down after his victory at Barcelona at the weekend and making the top 10 for the first time on Monday but said he was surprised by his quick rise through the rankings. The 18-year-old captured the fourth title of his young career by beating eighth seed Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3 6-2 in the Barcelona Open final on Sunday, hours after winning a gruelling semi-final that was postponed due to rain.

Nets slight favorites to force Game 5 vs. Celtics

Before encountering this version of the Boston Celtics' defense, a healthy Kevin Durant never averaged less than 24.5 points in any postseason series. The ability to effectively defend Durant and limit the superstar's impact are among the reasons the Celtics hold a 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series. Boston can complete the sweep of the best-of-seven set on Monday night when they visit the Brooklyn Nets.

Figure skating: ISU bans Russia and Belraus from hosting international events

The International Skating Union (ISU) said on Monday that Russia and Belarus would not be allowed to host international skating events and stripped Russia of figure skating's Rostelecom Cup. The ISU had earlier banned skaters from Russia and Belarus from international competition over Russia's military campaign in Ukraine. Belarus is a key staging area for the invasion, which Russia calls a "special military operation".

Motor racing-Wolff says he must protect Hamilton after Imola low

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has promised to protect Lewis Hamilton after the seven times Formula One world champion struggled through Sunday's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The Briton finished 13th in the fourth round of the season and was lapped by Red Bull's world champion race winner Max Verstappen.

Swimming-FINA investigating after Rylov competes while serving ban

Swimming's world governing body FINA said on Monday it has launched an internal review after Russian swimmer Evgeny Rylov competed at the national championships while serving a ban for attending a rally in support of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Rylov, who won gold in the 100m and 200m metres backstroke events at last year's Tokyo Olympics, was among several athletes who attended a massive rally at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow last month hosted by president Vladimir Putin.

Biden welcomes Stanley Cup winners Tampa Bay Lightning to White House

U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed the Tampa Bay Lightning to the White House on Monday to celebrate the National Hockey League team's back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, as he and his fellow Democrats battle with the Republican governor running the team's home state of Florida. Monday's visit was the Tampa Bay team's first-ever visit to the White House to celebrate a Stanley Cup championship win.