Sports News Summary: Pliskova fights off tenacious Halep to set up Barty showdown

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Pliskova fights off tenacious Halep to set up Barty showdown

Karolina Pliskova edged a seesaw battle with Simona Halep in their final group match at the WTA Finals on Friday, downing the Romanian 6-0 2-6 6-4 to set up a semi-final with world number one Ashleigh Barty. Pliskova demolished Wimbledon champion Halep in a remarkable 20-minute opening set. NBA roundup: Leonard, Clippers hand Spurs 1st loss of the season

Kawhi Leonard had 38 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 103-97 win against the visiting San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night. The game marked the third matchup between Leonard and DeRozan since the Spurs traded Leonard to the Toronto Raptors in July 2018 in a deal that brought DeRozan to San Antonio. Dimitrov eases past Garin to reach Paris semi-finals

Grigor Dimitrov's solid run at the Paris Masters continued when the Bulgarian saw off Chile's Cristian Garin 6-2 7-5 to reach the semi-finals on Friday. Dimitrov, who had been struggling since being beaten in the U.S. Open semi-final in September, overcame a second-set wobble to set up a meeting with either world number one Novak Djokovic or Greek seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. Roundup: MLB transactions

Arizona Diamondbacks: Declined 2020 club options on infielder Wilmer Flores ($6 million) and left-hander T.J. McFarland ($1.85 million), making both players free agents. The team also announced that infielder Kevin Cron had knee surgery earlier this month. The Diamondbacks also optioned outfielder Abraham Almonte and left-hander Robby Scott to Triple-A Reno. Atlanta Braves: Declined mutual 2019 option for $7.5 million on outfielder Billy Hamilton, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman. Horse racing: Safety the priority at Breeders' Cup in Santa Anita

Tensions were running high at troubled Santa Anita Park this week ahead of the Breeders' Cup championships on Friday and Saturday as all involved hope the horses compete safely. Thirty six horses have died at the famed Southern California venue since the season began in late December and although the track's safety record has improved since it implemented drug reforms in March, some trainers are still feeling uneasy. Mixed martial arts star McGregor convicted of assault, fined 1,000 euros

Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor was convicted on Friday of assault for punching a man who refused a shot of whiskey from him in a Dublin pub in April and was fined 1,000 euros ($1,117). The 31-year-old twice Ultimate Fighting Championship title-holder, offered a guilty plea and apologised to his victim in Dublin's District Court. World Series champion Nationals to visit Trump at White House

The Washington Nationals have accepted an invitation to visit U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday to celebrate the franchise's first World Series triumph. The Nationals, who began playing in the U.S. capital in 2005 when the Montreal Expos moved there and changed their name, beat the Houston Astros on Wednesday in the decisive seventh game of Major League Baseball's championship series. Baffert eyes fourth Breeders' Cup win with McKinzie

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will look to claim a record-extending fourth Breeders' Cup Classic with McKinzie at Santa Anita Park on Saturday although victory for the favorite is far from guaranteed. Baffert won the Classic in 2014 with Bayern, in 2015 with American Pharoah and in 2016 with Arrogate but said the colt McKinzie holds a special place in his heart. Tokyo governor gives reluctant consent to marathon venue move

Sapporo was formally approved on Friday as host of the marathon events at next year's Summer Olympics with the reluctant consent of Tokyo's governor, ending a showdown between the Japanese capital and the IOC over where to stage the flagship event. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) stunned many Games organizers last month by announcing that the marathon, one of the most prestigious events at any Olympics and one especially beloved in Japan, would be moved to the northern Japanese city of Sapporo to avoid the worst of Tokyo's summer heat. NFL notebook: Williams says Redskins misdiagnosed cancer

Washington Redskins left tackle Trent Williams ended his silence on Thursday and said he had soft-tissue cancer attached to his skull that went misdiagnosed for close to six years, leading to his dispute with the team. Williams said he thought he was getting a cyst cut out during the offseason appointment only to learn he had dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, a skin cancer that develops inside connective tissue cells.