Sports News Roundup: Tennis-ITF ends Davis Cup partnership with Pique's Kosmos investment group; Tennis-Cocciaretto proves too good for Kenin to reach Hobart final and more

Dallas won its fourth consecutive game over the Lakers going back to last season and ended a two-game skid. Tennis-Swiatek the favourite as Melbourne Park set for new champion Iga Swiatek is the strong favourite to land her fourth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, but the picture is considerably less clear if the world number one fails to live up to her top seeding.


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 13-01-2023 13:35 IST | Created: 13-01-2023 13:26 IST
Sports News Roundup: Tennis-ITF ends Davis Cup partnership with Pique's Kosmos investment group; Tennis-Cocciaretto proves too good for Kenin to reach Hobart final and more
Representative Image Image Credit: ANI

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tennis-ITF ends Davis Cup partnership with Pique's Kosmos investment group

The International Tennis Federation announced on Thursday that it was ending its Davis Cup partnership with Gerard Pique's investment group Kosmos just five years into a 25-year, $3 billion agreement. In 2018, the ITF had unveiled the deal with former Barcelona soccer player Pique's investment group, which had promised to invest $120 million per year, amid much fanfare.

Tennis-Cocciaretto proves too good for Kenin to reach Hobart final

Elisabetta Cocciaretto handed Sofia Kenin a 7-5 4-6 6-1 defeat in the Hobart International semi-final on Friday, crushing the former Australian Open champion's hopes of reaching a first title clash since Roland Garros three years ago. Having slipped from a career-high world ranking of four to 143 due to illness and injury after her Melbourne Park triumph in 2020, Kenin came into the tournament hoping for a big boost before the season's first Grand Slam starting on Monday.

NHL roundup: Kraken hand Bruins first home regulation loss

Martin Jones made 27 saves and the red-hot Seattle Kraken scored one goal in each period in a 3-0 win Thursday over the host Boston Bruins, who previously had not lost in regulation at home this season. Brandon Tanev, Eeli Tolvanen and Jaden Schwartz all marked the scoresheet for the Kraken, who have won seven straight overall and six straight road games for the second time this season. Jones logged 10 of his stops in the second period in his third shutout this season and 28th overall.

Soccer-Angel City selects high school student Alyssa Thompson with No. 1 pick of NWSL draft

Angel City FC on Thursday selected 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson with the first pick of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) draft, making the Los Angeles native the first player in league history drafted directly out of high school. "Alyssa Thompson, for us, is a phenom and generational player," said Angel City general manager Angela Hucles Mangano.

Cricket-Human rights are not politics, Cricket Australia chief says on withdrawal

Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley defended the decision to withdraw its men's team from a one-day international series against Afghanistan over women's rights after criticism from the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and their players. Australia opted out of the three-match series, scheduled for March in the United Arab Emirates, citing further restrictions by the Taliban on women's and girls' education and employment opportunities.

Tennis-Djokovic seeks normal service at Australian Open to match Nadal

Novak Djokovic resumes his Grand Slam title race with Rafa Nadal next week at the Australian Open, returning to what was his happiest hunting ground before the ugly controversy which led to his absence last year. Having arrived in Australia unvaccinated 12 months ago, the nine-times Melbourne champion was deported amid a backlash from angry Australians who had endured some of the world's toughest lockdowns as COVID-19 infections surged.

Soccer-Felix sees red on debut as Chelsea slump at Fulham

Chelsea's Joao Felix endured a nightmare debut when he was sent off in a 2-1 Premier League defeat at local rivals Fulham on Thursday to increase the pressure on manager Graham Potter. The Portugal forward looked sharp one day after completing a loan move from Atletico Madrid but he was shown a straight red card in the 58th minute for a reckless tackle on Fulham defender Kenny Tete when the score was 1-1.

Top 25 roundup: No. 8 Gonzaga escapes BYU on late 3-pointer

Julian Strawther made a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 9.5 seconds remaining as No. 8 Gonzaga escaped with a 75-74 victory against BYU in a West Coast Conference game Thursday night in Provo, Utah. The Bulldogs (15-3, 4-0 WCC) rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final 5:03 for their third consecutive narrow road victory by a combined total of eight points. Drew Timme had 21 points and 13 rebounds.. Anton Watson scored a season-high 18, grabbed eight rebounds and got a hand on a last-second 3-point attempt by BYU's Spencer Johnson.

NBA roundup: Luka Doncic, Mavs survive 2OT battle with Lakers

Luka Doncic delivered his 10th triple-double of the season with 35 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists in a career-high 53 minutes and the visiting Dallas Mavericks escaped with a 119-115 double-overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. Christian Wood scored 24 points with 14 rebounds and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 22 for the Mavericks, who needed extra time despite leading by 19 points in the first quarter. Dallas won its fourth consecutive game over the Lakers going back to last season and ended a two-game skid.

Tennis-Swiatek the favourite as Melbourne Park set for new champion

Iga Swiatek is the strong favourite to land her fourth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, but the picture is considerably less clear if the world number one fails to live up to her top seeding. With Ash Barty and Serena Williams having hung up their rackets and Naomi Osaka pregnant with her first child, Melbourne Park will almost certainly usher in a new era by crowning a first-time champion on Jan. 29.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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