Sports News Roundup: Brazil's Souza gets life ban; Liu defends title in figure skating and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tennis: Brazil's Souza gets life ban for match-fixing

Brazilian Joao Souza has been banned from tennis for life after being convicted of multiple match-fixing and other corruption offences, the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) said on Saturday. A TIU investigation found that the 31-year-old had committed several anti-corruption breaches between 2015 and 2019 including fixing matches at ATP Challenger and ITF Futures tournaments in Brazil, Mexico, the United States and Czech Republic.

NBA roundup: Giannis, Bucks light up Paris

Giannis Antetokounmpo put on a show with 30 points, 16 rebounds and six assists, lifting the Milwaukee Bucks to a 116-103 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday in the NBA's first regular-season game in Paris. After the teams battled to a tie at 78 through three quarters, the Bucks pulled away with an 11-2 burst that featured an Antetokounmpo three-point play, three free throws from Kyle Korver after he was fouled on a 3-point shot attempt, and a 3-point jumper from Khris Middleton.

Figure skating: Liu defends U.S. title with flawless free skate

Alysa Liu successfully defended her women's title at the U.S. Figure Staking Championships in North Carolina on Friday after the 14-year-old delivered a brilliant free skate routine. Liu won by a runaway 10 points over Mariah Bell with a performance that stamped her as one of America's biggest hopes heading toward the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Golf: First hole at Torrey Pines bites Woods again

The first hole on the Torrey Pines South Course tripped up Tiger Woods once again on Friday in the second round at the Farmers Insurance Open. After hitting his approach shot to 25 feet at the par-four hole, Woods shockingly four-putted for a double-bogey -- the 13th four-putt of his PGA Tour career.

Bencic bandwagon shudders to a halt in Kontaveit rout

Sixth seed Belinda Bencic's hopes of exploiting a string of upsets at the Australian Open lasted exactly 49 minutes on Saturday, just long enough for a ruthless Anett Kontaveit to administer a 6-0 6-1 third-round thrashing at Melbourne Park. Bencic had been on a good run of form after years of battling injury, toppling defending champion Naomi Osaka to reach the semi-finals of the U.S. Open last year and earning her highest seeding at a Grand Slam for Melbourne Park.

NHL All-Star Skills: Barzal nips McDavid to win Fastest Skater

New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal ended Connor McDavid's three-year run as the NHL's fastest skater, edging the Edmonton Oilers star in the first event of the NHL All-Star Skills on Friday in St. Louis. Barzal skated a lap in 13.175 seconds, topping McDavid's 13.215.

Dominant Nadal eases past Carreno Busta into fourth round

Spain's Rafa Nadal was at his dominant best against Pablo Carreno Busta on Saturday, brushing aside his compatriot 6-1 6-2 6-4 to move into the fourth round at the Australian Open. Top seed Nadal has not been beaten by a fellow countryman since losing to Fernando Verdasco at Melbourne Park in 2016, and extended his winning streak against Spanish players to 18 matches with his win over 30th-ranked Carreno Busta.

NBA notebook: Mavs reportedly getting Warriors C Cauley-Stein

A trade is in the works that will send Golden State Warriors 7-foot center Willie Cauley-Stein to the Dallas Mavericks, ESPN reported Friday. Citing league sources, ESPN reported the Warriors will receive a 2020 second-round draft pick.

Olympics: New Zealand's double shot-put champ Adams qualifies for fifth Games

Double shot-put champion Valerie Adams qualified for her fifth Olympic Games on Saturday after the New Zealander spent almost two years out of competition. The 35-year-old gave birth to a son last March and had not competed since July 2018. She only returned to competition in early 2018 after having her first child, a daughter named Kimoana, in 2017.

(With inputs from agencies.)