Sports News Roundup: Tennis-Czechs Krejcikova, Bouzkova withdraws from French Open due to COVID; Soccer-'It is truly special' - emotional Mourinho revels in more European glory and more

Djokovic expertly managed some tricky conditions at Roland Garros on Wednesday to complete a solid 6-2 6-3 7-6(4) victory over Slovakia's Alex Molcan to set up a third-round meeting against Slovenia's Aljaz Bedene. Soccer-Maradona tribute plane unveiled in Argentina An aeroplane dedicated to Argentine great Diego Maradona was unveiled on Wednesday ahead of a journey that will end at the World Cup in Qatar later this year.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tennis-Czechs Krejcikova, Bouzkova withdraws from French Open due to COVID

Barbora Krejcikova's French Open campaign came to a premature end after the reigning singles and doubles champion said she had to withdraw from the Grand Slam following a positive test for COVID-19 on Wednesday. Krejcikova, who returned to action at Roland Garros from an elbow injury that had sidelined her since February, was knocked out in the first round of the singles in which she was the second seed, losing to Frenchwoman Diane Parry in three sets.

Soccer-'It is truly special' - emotional Mourinho revels in more European glory

An emotional Jose Mourinho celebrated what he called a historic achievement having become the second manager to win five major European titles after Giovanni Trapattoni as his AS Roma side clinched the Europa Conference League on Wednesday. Mourinho, who had previously won the Champions League, Europa League, and the UEFA Cup, completed a unique European trophy haul as Roma beat Feyenoord 1-0 in Tirana to ensure he could add the inaugural Conference League to his collection.

Tennis-Alcaraz survives match point to beat Ramos-Vinolas in marathon

Sixth seed Carlos Alcaraz clawed back from the brink of a shock second-round defeat at the French Open on Wednesday to outlast fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas in a five-set marathon that fully tested his title credentials. The 19-year-old, who has taken the tennis world by storm this year, survived a match point in the fourth set and battled back from 3-0 down in the fifth before winning 6-1 6-7(7) 5-7 7-6(2) 6-4 in a match lasting over four hours and a half hours.

Tennis-Nadal sails through with 300th major win

Rafa Nadal produced an imperious show on Wednesday to secure his 300th Grand Slam match victory, dismantling local hope Corentin Moutet 6-3 6-1 6-4 to book his spot in the French Open third round. Nadal counts 13 Roland Garros titles among his overall 21 majors -- the highest among men -- and despite his injury-blighted buildup to the claycourt tournament he has looked at his usual best in the first two rounds.

Celtics roll past Heat, inch closer to NBA Finals

A slightly better final 24 minutes were all the visiting Boston Celtics were looking for on Wednesday, and when they put it together, they moved one victory away from their first trip to the NBA Finals since 2010. The Celtics' 93-90 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals was fueled by a 24-2 second-half run and came after Boston endured a lackluster 37-point first half.

Tennis-So far so good for Djokovic as he keeps the French title defense on track

World number one Novak Djokovic is pleased with his performance level so far at the French Open and believes everything is heading in the right direction in his title defense and quest for a record-equalling 21st Grand Slam. Djokovic expertly managed some tricky conditions at Roland Garros on Wednesday to complete a solid 6-2 6-3 7-6(4) victory over Slovakia's Alex Molcan to set up a third-round meeting against Slovenia's Aljaz Bedene.

Soccer-Maradona tribute plane unveiled in Argentina

An airplane dedicated to Argentine great Diego Maradona was unveiled on Wednesday ahead of a journey that will end at the World Cup in Qatar later this year. The Tango D10S – a 12-seater financed by an Argentine fintech company - is designed as a flying museum in tribute to the former World Cup winner, who died of a heart attack in November 2020.

NFL-Kaepernick expected to work out with Raiders Wednesday-source

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick was expected to attend workouts with the Las Vegas Raiders on Wednesday, a source with the NFL Players Association told Reuters. Kaepernick has not played in the National Football League (NFL) since 2016, when he began protesting against racial injustice by kneeling during the U.S. national anthem before games while he was with the San Francisco 49ers, prompting national debate.

Tennis-Breakaway PTPA should have been part of the Wimbledon decision - Djokovic

World number one Novak Djokovic said on Wednesday that his breakaway players' group should have been at the negotiating table when the decision was made to strip Wimbledon of ranking points. The tennis governing bodies last week took away ranking points from Wimbledon after organizers of the grasscourt Grand Slam decided to exclude players from Russia and Belarus in the wake of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Basketball-Griner's wife breaks silence, urges Biden to get WNBA player home

The wife of detained Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) player Brittney Griner has urged U.S. President Joe Biden to help get the twice Olympic gold medalist out of Russia. Griner was detained at a Moscow airport on Feb. 17 when a search of her luggage allegedly revealed multiple cannabis oil vape cartridges and she faces up to 10 years in prison.

(With inputs from agencies.)