Sports News Roundup: Fish named U.S. Davis Cup captain; WGC events not in Scott's 2019 season plans

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

This is 40: Pacquiao taking it one fight at a time

Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino multiple world champion who turned 40 last month, said on Wednesday that while he is focused on his title defense against Adrien Broner, he has considered life beyond the ring. The WBA welterweight champion knows he will have his hands full when he battles the hard-hitting Broner in Las Vegas on Jan. 19 and is not lining up fighters down the road.

Report: OKC's Noel has concussion after fall

Oklahoma City Thunder center Nerlens Noel sustained a concussion but appears to have escaped additional injuries after his head violently hit the court Tuesday night after he fell defending a third-quarter play by Minnesota's Andrew Wiggins. The Athletic reported Wednesday morning that tests showed he didn't break any bones. He was knocked unconscious but was alert when he was taken off the court on a stretcher. He will continue to undergo further evaluations, according to the report.

Fish named U.S. Davis Cup captain

Mardy Fish was named U.S. Davis Cup captain on Wednesday as the men's team competition enters a new era. Fish, winner of six ATP singles titles and a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, takes over from Jim Courier who held the post for eight years before stepping down in September.

Chiefs, Mahomes primed for shootout with Colts, Luck

The Kansas City Chiefs were not students of history this week. Reminders, however, were frequent and could not be silenced, no matter how hard the Chiefs tried while preparing for a divisional home game Saturday against the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC playoffs.

Ex-Cardinals OF Duncan battling brain cancer

Former St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Chris Duncan is battling a recurrence of brain cancer and has left his radio show in the city to fight the disease. "If you pray, please keep him in your prayers," said a tweet from Duncan's radio show, The Turn, in St. Louis. "If you don't, keep him in your thoughts."

World Golf Championships events not in Scott's 2019 season plans

The grandiosely-named World Golf Championships (WGC) have, in some eyes, never really been more than glorified PGA Tour events and now one former major champion at least is thinking of totally eliminating them from his schedule. Former world number one Adam Scott said on Wednesday that he would play only WGC events that fitted his schedule, and that this year none of them were in his plans.

Reports: Jets hiring former Dolphins coach Gase

The New York Jets are hiring former Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase for their own vacancy, multiple outlets reported Wednesday evening. Gase, 40, was fired Dec. 31 after three seasons in Miami, where he went 23-25 while battling a wealth of injuries, including to quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The Dolphins went 5-1 against the Jets during Gase's tenure, including 2-0 this season.

Serena's legacy secure despite infamous U.S. Open umpire row: Evert

The legacy of Serena Williams, who next week will compete in her first Grand Slam since her fiery clash with a U.S. Open umpire, will not be harmed by the infamous feud that tarnished the New York final, American great Chris Evert said on Wednesday. When it comes to Williams, who is seeking a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title at the Jan. 14-27 Australian Open, Evert believes it is her remarkable journey from the hardscrabble courts in Compton where she learned the game to the top of the tennis world that will be remembered most.

ATP roundup: Tsitsipas cruises in Sydney opener

Top-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas dismissed Argentina's Guido Andreozzi 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday to earn his first tour victory of the season at the Sydney International in Australia. The 20-year-old rising star from Greece broke Andreozzi three times and held off a late comeback bid to reach the quarterfinals, where he will face Andreas Seppi of Italy. The eighth-seeded Seppi defeated Slovakian Martin Klizan 7-6 (2), 6-2.

Reid not targeted for additional testing: statement

Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid was not targeted nor was there any impropriety in his selection for drug testing, said the National Football League and NFL Players Association in a joint statement on Wednesday. The NFL and NFLPA requested that the independent administrator of the league's drug-testing program investigate Reid's claims that he was "randomly" chosen for testing seven times in an 11 week span during the regular season.

(With inputs from agencies.)