Sports News Roundup: Pirelli expects more predictable F1 after 2020 tire decision

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Steele grabs march on field with birdies at final three holes

American Brendan Steele overcame a poor start, remained patient and then birdied the final three holes to break out of a logjam and into a three-shot lead after the third round at the Sony Open in Hawaii on Saturday. On an afternoon when the winds abated somewhat after nearly three days of extremely testing conditions, Steele posted a six-under-par 64, matching the day's best score at Waialae Country Club.

NHL roundup: Mrazek, Hurricanes blank Coyotes

Goalie Petr Mrazek made 32 saves as the Carolina Hurricanes won their second game in a row by defeating the Arizona Coyotes 3-0 on Friday night in Raleigh, N.C. It was Mrazek's third shutout of the season and the outcome marked the fifth blanking overall for Carolina this season.

Pirelli expects more predictable F1 after 2020 tire decision

Formula One is likely to be more predictable this season after teams opted to stick with last year's tire specification, according to Pirelli's racing head Mario Isola. The 10 teams voted unanimously last month to reject new tires that the sport's sole supplier had been developing for 2020.

NBA roundup: James fills void as streaking Lakers handle Mavs

LeBron James had 35 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists to lead the visiting Los Angeles Lakers to their seventh straight win, a 129-114 decision against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night. Kyle Kuzma started in place of Anthony Davis and scored a season-high 26 points for the Lakers. Davis, the leading scorer (27.1 points per game) and rebounder (9.4 boards per game) for the Lakers, sat out after taking a hard fall against the visiting New York Knicks on Tuesday night and sustaining a contusion to his gluteus maximus.

Oosthuizen on course for back-to-back SA Open wins

Defending champion Louis Oosthuizen profited from a birdie rush in his first few holes to card a 64 and take a single shot lead after the third round of the European Tour's South African Open on Saturday. Oosthuizen has dropped just one shot after 54 holes at the Randpark Golf Club and carded another seven birdies in his third round to move to 15 under-par for the tournament as he seeks to record back-to-back wins in his home Open championship.

Djokovic outlasts Medvedev to lead Serbia into ATP Cup final

World number two Novak Djokovic played tactical tennis on Saturday to pick apart the enigmatic Daniil Medvedev at the inaugural ATP Cup in Sydney and earn a place for Serbia in the tournament's final. The Serbian won the match 6-1 5-7 6-4 after he relentlessly pushed the 198cm (6.5 ft) tall Russian around the court, forcing Medvedev to constantly scrape shots off his shoe laces.

Spain's Nadal secures comeback win to set up ATP Cup final against Djokovic-led Serbia

Rafael Nadal secured a comeback victory against Australia's Alex De Minaur at the ATP Cup in Sydney on Saturday, propelling Spain into the final of the inaugural event to play the Novak Djokovic-led Serbian team. The world's top-ranked player was ambushed early by the young Australian, who threatened to run away with the match before the Spaniard recovered to win 4-6 7-5 6-1.

Kawhi, Clippers taking long approach to NBA title pursuit

Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers are tackling the NBA's regular season at their own pace, occasionally sacrificing short-term form for the long-term goal of a championship. The Clippers have accepted the shifting lineups and uneven efforts that come with regularly resting their vulnerable standouts, Leonard and Paul George, and prioritizing health over regular-season dominance.

Haggerty honored to be voted onto IOC

International Tennis Federation (ITF) president David Haggerty has been elected to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Haggerty, who was re-elected by tennis's governing body last year, was sworn in at the 135th IOC Session in Lausanne on Friday.

49ers dominate Vikings for first playoff win in six seasons

The San Francisco 49ers won their first NFL playoff game in six seasons, using Tevin Coleman's two short touchdowns and a strong defense to stop the Minnesota Vikings 27-10 in divisional play on Saturday. The 49ers will meet the winner of Sunday's Green Bay Packers-Seattle Seahawks game in San Francisco for the National Football Conference title on Jan. 19. The Super Bowl is Feb. 2 in Miami.