Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Suspended Cubs SS Russell apologizes for actions

Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell apologized for his actions that led a 40-game domestic violence suspension, as he fielded questions on Friday for the first time since being suspended in September. Russell was disciplined after now ex-wife Melisa Reidy detailed domestic abuse allegations against him in a blog post, claiming he had abused her during their 2 1/2-year marriage. Tennis: Resurgent Wawrinka sets up Nishikori semi-final in Rotterdam

Stan Wawrinka, seeking his first title since undergoing two knee surgeries in 2017, subdued Canadian 10th seed Denis Shapovalov 6-4 7-6(4) on Friday to set up an intriguing semi-final with top seed Kei Nishikori at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament. The Swiss wildcard broke for a 5-4 lead in the opening set and sealed the win in a well-mastered tiebreak. Golf: Kuchar apologizes to caddie over pay dispute

Matt Kuchar apologized to caddie David Ortiz on Friday and said he will pay him the amount he asked for after Ortiz criticized the golfer for giving him only $5,000 of the nearly $1.3 million he earned by winning the Mayakoba Classic in November. Earlier this week Kuchar shrugged off the outcry over the payment and said Ortiz, who had stepped in as an emergency replacement, should be "happy" with the pay, despite regular caddies earning payouts of up to 10 percent of a player's take from a tournament. Tennis: Halep outlasts Svitolina in Doha thriller, faces Mertens in final

Top seed Simona Halep came back from 4-1 down in the deciding set to beat Elina Svitolina 6-3 3-6 6-4 in the Qatar Open semi-final on Friday, marking her first victory over the Ukrainian in nearly two years. Halep made an aggressive start and claimed an early break with a scorching backhand winner to set the tone for the evening. Lions release former Pro Bowl S Quin

The Detroit Lions announced the release of former Pro Bowl safety and ironman Glover Quin on Friday, ending his six-year tenure with the team. Quin, who turned 33 in January, had one year left on a two-year, $13 million extension and was set to count $7.9 million against the cap in 2019. The Lions will save about $6.2 million against the cap with his release, which leaves a dead-money charge of $1.7 million. Demps out as Pelicans' GM

The New Orleans Pelicans mutually parted ways with general manager Dell Demps, the team announced on Friday. Demps had served in that role with the franchise since June 2010. The Pelicans selected Danny Ferry as interim general manager. NBA, U.S. Tennis, Sky, urge U.S. action on alleged Saudi TV piracy

A group of sports bodies and broadcasters including the U.S. National Basketball Association, U.S. Tennis Association and Sky has called for the United States to add Saudi Arabia to its "priority watch list" over alleged TV piracy, filings show. The filings, made this week with the office of the United States Trade Representative, come as a growing number of global sports and television bodies look to shut down beoutQ, a TV station they claim is based in Saudi Arabia and broadcasting sports and entertainment they hold exclusive rights for. U.S. quarterback Kaepernick settles grievance case with NFL

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who sparked a national debate when he protested against racial injustice by kneeling during the U.S. national anthem, has resolved a pending grievance with the league, the two sides said on Friday. The attorney for Kaepernick, who filed the grievance in October 2017, and the league said in a joint statement that the resolution was subject to a confidentiality agreement and so there would be no further comment by either party. Webber, Sikma, Moncrief among HOF finalists

CHARLOTTE - The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame kicked off All-Star Weekend Friday, naming 13 finalists for the Class of 2019 at Spectrum Center. The nominees included Chris Webber, a five-time NBA All-Star and first-team All-American at Michigan; Jack Sikma, who played for the Seattle SuperSonics and Milwaukee Bucks; Bucks guard Sidney Moncrief; former Pistons and Bulls "eraser" Ben Wallace; women's coaches Leta Andrews and Barbara Stevens; women's basketball player Teresa Weatherspoon; referee Hugh Evans; former NBA coach Bill Fitch; former college coach Eddie Sutton; five-time NBA All-Star point forward Marques Johnson; former Celtics and Suns guard and head coach Paul Westphal; and former 76ers forward Bobby Jones. Report: Steelers WR Brown to sit down with team owner

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, who has requested a trade, will meet with team owner Art Rooney II, according to a report Friday from Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Rooney is in Florida, where he owns a home, and has been hoping to at least open a line of communication with the disgruntled wideout, Rapoport reported. Brown initially declined before deciding to take the meeting.