Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tennis-Alcaraz pulls out of Basel with injury

World number two Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from this month's Swiss Indoors championships in Basel due to injury, organisers said on Wednesday. Alcaraz's withdrawal is a blow to his hopes of gaining ground on Novak Djokovic in the ATP rankings, with the top-ranked Serbian next in action at the Paris Masters beginning on Oct. 30.

Cricket-McCullum urges England to 'stay true' to methods at World Cup

England can still breathe life back into their Cricket World Cup campaign, red-ball coach Brendon McCullum said as he urged the defending champions to stick with their style of play despite suffering a 69-run defeat by Afghanistan. The loss to Afghanistan was England's second loss of the tournament, after they were beaten by nine wickets in their opening game against New Zealand earlier this month.

NFL-Commissioner Goodell's contract extended through March 2027

National Football League (NFL) Commissioner Roger Goodell has had his contract extended through March 2027, the league said on Wednesday. Goodell, 64, has been in charge of the United States' most popular professional sports league since 2006 and the compensation committee informed the full ownership group of the deal at the New York league meeting.

Soccer-We want what Qatar had, says Saudi vice-minister of World Cup bid

Saudi Arabia's vice-minister of sport praised Qatar for their hosting of the World Cup last year and said his country wanted to experience it for themselves as they bid to host the tournament in 2034. Saudi Arabia is seeking to host the showpiece after global soccer body FIFA invited bids earlier this month from Asia and Oceania, setting a deadline of Oct. 31.

Motor racing-F1's US takeover just getting started, says McLaren chief Brown

Formula One's surging popularity in the U.S. will accelerate further with next month's Las Vegas Grand Prix and an F1 movie starring Brad Pitt on the way, McLaren boss Zak Brown told Reuters. U.S. interest in the sport has been supercharged in recent years by Netflix's hit show "Drive to Survive" and the frenzy will shift into high gear when the sport's top drivers race down the famed Las Vegas Strip the night of Nov. 18.

Soccer-Juventus midfielder Fagioli breaks silence after ban over betting

Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli, banned by the Italian football federation (FIGC) after breaching rules on betting on matches, has apologised to football fans and spoken of lies published about him, in a social media post on Wednesday. Fagioli was given a 12-month ban, of which five months were suspended, and fined 12,500 euros ($13,225) on Tuesday. He has also agreed to a treatment programme for gambling problems.

Cricket-NZ's Phillips pleased by middle order response to Afghan challenge

New Zealand's batting display was far from flawless against Afghanistan but Glenn Phillips believes their middle order gave a good account of themselves in Wednesday's World Cup contest in Chennai. Put into bat, New Zealand were cruising at 109 for one in the 21st over but found themselves under pressure after losing three wickets in nine deliveries.

Tennis-King calls for schedule clarity ahead BJK Cup Finals

Scheduling concerns will keep some of the top women's players from competing at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in November and the tournament's namesake said on Wednesday that the calendar needs a rethink. The showpiece women's team event, featuring 12 nations and a prize money purse of $9 million, will take place from Nov. 7-12 in Seville, Spain and begins two days after the conclusion of the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico.

Soccer-Spurs to host Arsenal in WSL at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur's Women's Super League home game against Arsenal in December will be played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the club said on Wednesday, with another league-record in sight. The first North London derby at the stadium in November 2019 set a then-record WSL attendance of 38,262 and the December clash could welcome another record crowd with the venue's capacity at more than 62,000 seats.

Soccer-Hermoso included in Spain squad for first time since kiss scandal

Jenni Hermoso was on Wednesday included in coach Montse Tome's Spain squad for the first time since the team's Women's World Cup victory in August when former Spanish FA (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales kissed her on the lips during the presentation ceremony. Hermoso, who plays for Mexican club Pachuca, is part of the squad for Nations League matches against Switzerland and Italy this month.

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