Sports News Roundup: Pliskova outlasts Keys for third Brisbane title

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.

Williams breaks three-year title drought to win in Auckland

Serena Williams won her first title since the 2017 Australian Open with a 6-3 6-4 victory over fellow American Jessica Pegula at the Auckland Classic on Sunday. The 38-year-old Williams now has the opportunity to sweep both titles at the Auckland Tennis Center, having also advanced to the doubles final with good friend Caroline Wozniacki.

A little history for king Henry in Tennessee playoff win

Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry had two words for those wondering how his team have pulled off two underdog victories in the National Football League playoffs. "Just watch," Henry said, moments after the Titans thrashed the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens 28-12 in an AFC Divisional game in Maryland on Saturday.

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.

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.

Pliskova outlasts Keys for third Brisbane title

Defending champion Karolina Pliskova prevailed in a three-set tug-of-war with Madison Keys to become the first three-time winner at the Brisbane International on Sunday. A day after clinching a near three-hour semi-finals duel with Naomi Osaka, the world number two overcame a mid-match blip to triumph 6-4 4-6 7-5 in the final at the Pat Rafter Arena.

NBA roundup: Harden crosses 20,000-point mark

James Harden became the 45th player in NBA history to score 20,000 career points, as the Houston Rockets rolled to a 139-109 victory over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. Harden drilled a stepback 3-pointer with 6:30 remaining in the first half to reach the milestone and finished with 32 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. He also recorded 11 turnovers, all in the first half, but his wayward ball-handling did little to stem the offensive onslaught.

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

Rafael Nadal secured a come-back 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.

Titans strike quickly, stun Ravens; 49ers win in NFC

Tennessee quarterback Ryan Tannehill shocked the top-ranked Baltimore Ravens with two early touchdown passes as the sixth-seeded Titans upset the Ravens 28-12 in an NFL playoff game on Saturday. Running back Derrick Henry then broke the Ravens' backs with a jump-pass touchdown in the third quarter while dominating on the ground with 195 rushing yards.