Sports News Roundup: Serena into third round in Melbourne; Red-hot Nadal faces Delbonis and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Companies buy first-ever Super Bowl ads, hope to gain attention in streaming era

Little Caesars pizza chain, Facebook and the running brand Saucony will buy their first Super Bowl ads ever this year, taking advantage of one of the last events that enjoys a large live audience in an era where streaming services like Netflix have splintered TV viewing habits. "There's one stage left where you get 70% of the population watching," said Jeff Klein, senior vice president of global marketing for Little Caesars, in an interview, adding "a lot of people are watching for the ads.

Serena into third round in Melbourne after testy win over Slovenian

Serena Williams overcame an erratic performance at the Australian Open on Wednesday to beat Slovenian Tamara Zidansek 6-2 6-3 and advance to the third round. The 38-year-old American, who is bidding for a record 24th Grand Slam singles title, was hardly troubled in the first set as she broke Zidansek twice to wrap up the opener in just over half an hour.

Red-hot Nadal faces Delbonis, says majors tally not a focus

Rafa Nadal's immediate focus may not be on matching great rival Roger Federer's tally of 20 Grand Slam titles, but the Spanish world number one would go one step closer at the Australian Open on Thursday with a win over Federico Delbonis. The French and U.S. Open champion opened his campaign Down Under with a 6-2 6-3 6-0 demolition of Bolivia's Hugo Dellien and will again be the overwhelming favorite in his second-round match. Argentine Delbonis has not taken a set off 33-year-old Nadal in three previous meetings.

Farah to face Bekele in Big Half race in London

Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah will begin his Tokyo Games preparations by going head-to-head with Kenenisa Bekele at the Big Half race in March, organizers said on Wednesday. Farah, who has won the previous two editions of the half marathon event in London, faces a tough battle to keep his streak intact against Ethiopian Bekele -- the second-fastest marathon runner of all-time.

Mavericks center Powell suffers 'severe' Achilles injury

Dallas Mavericks starting center Dwight Powell suffered a "severe" right Achilles injury during Tuesday night's 110-107 home loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, coach Rick Carlisle confirmed. The 28-year-old collapsed to the floor when his right leg appeared to give out while he was attempting to drive to the basket with about three minutes remaining in the first quarter.

FIFPro will back players who defy Olympic ban on political protests

Global football union FIFPro says it will support any soccer player who defies a International Olympic Committee (IOC) ban on political protests and statements during events at the Olympic Games in Tokyo this year. Describing the ban as hypocritical, FIFPro secretary general Jonas Baer-Hoffmann said that soccer players had played a key role in raising issues such as racism and gender equality and it would be "unacceptable" to sanction them for similar action during the Olympic soccer tournament.

Imperious Federer thumps Krajinovic to set up Millman show

Roger Federer displayed imperious form to canter into the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday with a 6-1 6-4 6-1 thumping of Serb Filip Krajinovic, leaving the 20-time Grand Slam champion feeling a "little bit sorry" for his opponent. Starting his match at around 2100 local time under the closed roof of Rod Laver Arena, the Swiss appeared to be in a hurry to finish the contest, breaking his opponent's serve twice in the first two sets and thrice in the third.

Djokovic avoids wildcard slip-up at Australian Open

Defending champion Novak Djokovic banished the ghosts of wildcards past by despatching Japan's Tatsuma Ito 6-1 6-4 6-2 to sail into the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday. The world number two was famously knocked out of the second round at Melbourne Park by Uzbek wildcard Denis Istomin three years ago in the upset of the tournament.

Nike Vaporfly runners eye peak form at Dubai Marathon

Athletes wearing the controversial Nike Vaporfly shoes have backed themselves to set fast times at the Dubai Marathon this Friday as they make their case for Olympic selection. Several elite men and women runners will wear the high-tech footwear used by athletes in stunning performances since 2016.

Luxury giant Louis Vuitton in tie-up with NBA basketball league

LVMH's Louis Vuitton said on Wednesday it had struck a multi-year partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA), a major men's professional league, as the luxury brand amps up its efforts to make a splash in the United States. Vuitton, best known for its pricey leather handbags and for dressing stars on the red carpet, will design a case to house the NBA trophy, as it has done in other sports such as tennis, where it made a trunk for the Davis Cup.