Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Motor racing-F1 owners Liberty Media to buy Las Vegas land for $240 million

Formula One's commercial rights holders Liberty Media are buying a plot of land in Las Vegas for $240 million to locate the pit and paddock complex for a grand prix next year, they said on Friday. The floodlit race, to be held on a Saturday, will be the third U.S. round on the calendar after Austin and Miami.

MLB roundup: Mets stun Phils with 7-run ninth

Francisco Lindor and Starling Marte homered and the New York Mets scored seven runs in the ninth inning to rally past the host Philadelphia Phillies 8-7 on Thursday. Brandon Nimmo ripped a two-run single with two outs in the top of the ninth to tie the game at 7 before Marte delivered the winning RBI double one batter later.

Soccer-Ukrainian soldiers have only one demand: 'Go to the World Cup' - Stepanenko

Ukraine will pour their heart and soul into ensuring they win their World Cup playoff matches as soldiers repelling the Russian invasion want the team to do everything they can to qualify, midfielder Taras Stepanenko said on Friday. Ukraine, who last played against Bosnia & Herzegovina in a 2-0 victory in November, face Scotland in a World Cup playoff semi-final on June 1, with the winner set to face Wales for a place in the finals in Qatar later this year.

Motor Racing-Drivers raise concerns over 'bumpy' Miami track

Lando Norris and Sergio Perez have criticised the track at the first Miami Grand Prix after several drivers struggled with the surface in the opening practice sessions. McLaren's Norris took P6 after Friday's second session but was far from happy with race conditions.

Mixed Martial Arts-Oliveira stripped of UFC lightweight title after weight miss

Charles Oliveira has been stripped of the UFC lightweight title after missing weight ahead of his title fight with Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 in Phoenix on Saturday. The 32-year-old Brazilian made repeated attempts to hit the 155-pound mark but came in half a pound over the lightweight limit, with the UFC subsequently announcing that the title would be vacated and that Oliveira would not be eligible to reclaim the title with a win on Saturday.

Tennis-Alcaraz upsets idol Nadal to set up semi-final date with Djokovic in Madrid

Teenager Carlos Alcaraz prevailed 6-2 1-6 6-3 over Rafa Nadal in a Spanish clash of the generations at the Madrid Open on Friday, claiming his first victory over his idol and setting up a semi-final showdown with world number one Novak Djokovic. In a topsy-turvy contest at the Manolo Santana Stadium, Alcaraz weathered an ankle injury to produce a statement performance to become the first Spanish player to beat Nadal since Fernando Verdasco at the 2016 Australian Open.

Horse racing-Baffert doubles down on Medina Spirit defense - ESPN

Horse trainer Bob Baffert has doubled down on his defense of Medina Spirit's Kentucky Derby win a year ago, reiterating his claim to ESPN that he did not knowingly cheat. The Hall of Fame trainer will be absent from the sidelines at Saturday's "Run for the Roses," serving a suspension after Medina Spirit tested positive for a banned substance and was stripped of the win in the first leg of the 2021 Triple Crown.

Motor racing-Russell puts Mercedes back on top in Miami practice

George Russell put his revived Mercedes team back on top of the Formula One timesheets with the fastest lap in second practice for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix on Friday. In a boost for the champions who have wrestled with a 'porpoising' car in the first four races, the Briton was 0.106 of a second faster than Ferrari's overall leader Charles Leclerc.

Soccer-Boehly-led consortium wins bid to take over Chelsea

A consortium led by LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly and backed by Clearlake Capital has won the bid to acquire Premier League club Chelsea in a deal worth up to 4.0 billion pounds, Britain's Telegraph newspaper reported on Friday. The proposal has now been sent to the government and Premier League for approval.

NBA fines Mavericks $25K over 'bench decorum' in Game 2

The Dallas Mavericks were fined $25,000 by the NBA on Friday after being declared in violation of "rules regarding team bench decorum" during Wednesday's playoff loss against the Phoenix Suns. The punishment was announced by the NBA president of league operations Byron Spruell.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)