Sports News Roundup: Sherman reflects on Kobe's impact; Stars halt Vasilevskiy's win streak and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

49ers notebook: Sherman reflects on Kobe's impact

Like millions of people around the world, San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman couldn't believe the news coming out of Calabasas, Calif., on Sunday morning. Kobe Bryant, the fourth-leading scorer in NBA history who won five championships during a 20-year career all spent with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash along with eight others.

Investigators seek answers to chopper crash as NBA star, eight others mourned

Investigators will continue after sunrise Tuesday to sift through the wreckage of Kobe Bryant's ill-fated helicopter that crashed in California, killing the former NBA star, his daughter and seven others on board, as they try to answer both the why and how of the accident. An 18-member National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) team, assisted by FBI forensic specialists, began mapping the wreckage site Monday with drone aircraft and examining debris scattered across the hillside where Bryant's chopper went down on Sunday.

Barty avenges Kvitova defeat to reach semi-finals

Ash Barty stormed into her maiden Australian Open semi-final on Tuesday with an emphatic 7-6(6) 6-2 win over Petra Kvitova that avenged her defeat to the hard-hitting Czech in last year's quarter-final at Melbourne Park. Thrashed 6-1 6-4 by eventual finalist Kvitova 12 months ago, top seed Barty rode a wave of crowd support as she defused the twice Wimbledon champion's power game before running away with the contest on a glorious afternoon at Rod Laver Arena.

Career took off after French Open win over Serena, says Kenin

Sofia Kenin made a name for herself last year when she dumped her "idol" Serena Williams out of the French Open, a victory the Australian Open semi-finalist says was the pivotal moment of her tennis career. Williams had arrived in Paris seeking another Grand Slam title to equal the 24 won by Australian great Margaret Court but was bundled out in the third round in straight sets by Kenin.

As baseball loosens grip on CBD, former football players urge NFL to follow

In the bone-crunching, muscle-wrenching sport of football, staying on the field when injured is a challenging priority for NFL players. And with another major U.S. sports league opening the door to allow players to use marijuana and associated compounds like CBD, a debate is heating up about the way football players manage pain.

NHL roundup: Stars halt Vasilevskiy's win streak

Dallas' Jamie Benn capped a two-goal night with an overtime tally as the Stars broke Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy's 10-game winning streak in a 3-2 victory over the visiting Lightning on Monday night. Benn stole a clearing pass by Brayden Point in the extra period, and he chipped the puck past Point. He then deked Vasilevskiy for the unassisted winner at 2:07 of the three-on-three session.

Djokovic sets up Federer showdown with Raonic rout

Defending champion Novak Djokovic set up a semi-final showdown with 'Big Three' rival Roger Federer at the Australian Open on Tuesday with a thumping 6-4 6-3 7-6(1) victory over Canada's hapless Milos Raonic. Federer saved seven match points in a five-set thriller with American battler Tennys Sandgren only hours before but there was no luck of a second successive belter for the Rod Laver Arena fans, with Djokovic at his ruthless best.

Bryant looms over Super Bowl Opening Night

Kobe Bryant loomed over Super Bowl Opening Night on Monday, looking down on the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers from a giant screen as the NFL paid tribute to the Los Angeles Lakers great killed in a helicopter crash. Opening night has usually been a light-hearted and often zany start to Super Bowl week as the players from both teams dive into a media mosh pit for a prime time question-and-answer free-for-all where very little is out of bounds.

Reprising Houdini act, Federer scrapes through against Sandgren

Roger Federer performed his second Houdini act of this year's Australian Open on Tuesday, saving seven match points en route to a nerve-wracking 6-3 2-6 2-6 7-6(8) 6-3 comeback victory over American world number 100 Tennys Sandgren. Friday's third-round win against local hope John Millman, when the 20-times Grand Slam champion won six straight points from 8-4 down in the final set tiebreaker, was touted as the great escape.

NBA roundup: Gordon pours in 50 in Rockets' win

Eric Gordon scored a career-high 50 points, Danuel House Jr. chipped in a double-double, and the short-handed Houston Rockets pulled off a stunning 126-117 victory over the red-hot Utah Jazz on Monday in Salt Lake City. With James Harden (thigh), Russell Westbrook (rest) and Clint Capela (heel) all unavailable for the second game of a back-to-back set at altitude, Gordon carried Houston with a scintillating performance.