Author: Reuters

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Shelton reaches Australian Open semi-final and blasts ‘disrespectful’ broadcasters

  • Atlanta native defeats Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (4)
  • No 21 seed praises Lorenzo Sonego’s ‘ridiculous’ tennis

Ben Shelton, a 22-year-old from Atlanta, is through to his first Australian Open semi-final after defeating Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (4) on Wednesday in Melbourne. Shelton has competed in only one previous grand slam semi-final, when he lost to the eventual champion, Novak Djokovic, at the 2023 US Open.

On Wednesday, Shelton prevailed by playing a steadier ground game than his opponent. Sonego finished with a slight edge in winners, 63-54, but he committed far more unforced errors, 55-33.

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Champions League roundup: Atlético Madrid fight back to stun Leverkusen

  • Julián Álvarez double seals 2-1 win for 10-man Atléti
  • Bologna 2-1 Dortmund, Red Star 2-3 PSV Eindhoven

Atlético Madrid fought back from a goal and a man down to rescue a dramatic 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The hosts played more than an hour with a man down after midfielder Pablo Barrios was shown a straight red card for a reckless studs-up tackle from behind on Jeremie Frimpong in the 24th minute. Jan Oblak made a string of saves but the Germans broke the deadlock just before the break with a headed goal by Piero Hincapié.

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Raphinha caps late Barcelona comeback to settle nine-goal thriller with Benfica

Raphinha scored deep into stoppage time to hand Barcelona a dramatic 5-4 comeback win at Benfica and a place in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday.

Vangelis Pavlidis’s hat-trick had given the hosts a two-goal half-time lead and they were 4-2 up with 12 minutes to play before Hansi Flick’s side pulled out a sensational victory, sealed by the Brazilian with a finish on the break, seconds after Benfica had appealed in vain for a late penalty.

More to follow

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Osaka forced to retire at Australian Open, Sabalenka overcomes wobbles

  • Reigning champion battles heat and wind to deny Tauson
  • Andreeva, Vekic, Gauff and Badosa all into round four

Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic advanced to the last 16 after the two-time champion Naomi Osaka retired during Friday’sthird-round match with an injury.

Bencic took the first set in a tie-break 7-6 (3) before Osaka, who pulled out of the Auckland final this month due to an abdominal injury, withdrew. Osaka led 5-2 in the opening set but showed signs of struggles with her abdomen and called for a physio during a changeover. The 27-year-old initially soldiered on after treatment before retiring.

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European football: Jürgen Klopp watches Leipzig win as Atlético go top

  • Xavi Simons scores twice against Werder Bremen
  • Álvarez provides winner for La Liga leaders Atlético

RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons scored twice on his comeback from injury to help his team to a 4-2 Bundesliga victory over visiting Werder Bremen on Sunday as the new Red Bull head of global soccer Jürgen Klopp watched from the stands.

Klopp, who ended a successful nine-year stint at Liverpool last summer and has coached Mainz and Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, started his new role this month and will act as an adviser for the Red Bull-owned clubs in Germany, the United States, Brazil and Austria.

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European football: Harry Kane back with penalty winner for Bayern Munich

  • His 15th league goal of season keeps Bayern clear at top
  • In Serie A, Atalanta miss chance to go level with Napoli

Harry Kane netted a penalty to give Bayern Munich a 1-0 victory at Borussia Mönchengladbach in their first Bundesliga match after the winter break, keeping them four points clear of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen.

The England captain sent Gladbach keeper Moritz Nicolas the wrong way in the 68th minute to break the deadlock and bag his 15th league goal this season to maintain his status as the Bundesliga’s top scorer.

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MLS apologises for announcing wrong Japanese player had joined Atlanta

  • Website said Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi had joined
  • Signing was Cayman Togashi on free transfer

Major League Soccer has apologised after saying Celtic’s Japanese forward Kyogo Furuhashi had signed for Atlanta United when in fact it was his compatriot Cayman Togashi who had joined the club.

Atlanta had previously been linked with Furuhashi and on Wednesday MLS posted an article on its website saying the 29-year-old Japan international had completed a transfer.

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South Africa’s sports minister joins growing calls for boycott of Afghanistan

  • Afghanistan to feature at upcoming Champions Trophy
  • England and South Africa are in group with Afghanistan

South Africa’s sports minister has joined calls for a boycott of Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, adding his voice to those of British politicians who have called on England not to play them next month.

England and South Africa share the same group with Afghanistan in the competition and are under pressure to boycott the fixtures in response to the Taliban government’s crackdown on women’s rights since returning to power in August 2021. South Africa are scheduled to open their Champions Trophy against Afghanistan in Karachi on 21 February but McKenzie urged his country’s cricket governing body not to honour the fixture.

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Neymar hints at ‘incredible’ reunion with Messi and Suárez at Inter Miami

  • Brazilian’s contract with Al-Hilal ends in June
  • 32-year-old targets final World Cup in 2026

Neymar says reuniting with his former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez at Inter Miami would be “incredible” as he approaches the end of his contract with Al-Hilal.

The Brazilian struck up a lethal partnership with Messi and Suárez to lead Barcelona to the treble in 2015 before his record-breaking $230m move to Paris St Germain in 2017.

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West Indies great Clive Lloyd ‘disturbed’ by two-tier plan for Test cricket

  • Talks ongoing on dividing sport into two divisions
  • Lloyd: ‘I think it will be terrible for some countries’

The West Indies great Clive Lloyd is “disturbed” by the idea of a two-tier structure for Test cricket and believes efforts should instead be focused on ensuring struggling teams play more often against the top sides.

According to a report in the Melbourne Age, India, Australia and England are in talks to divide Test cricket into two divisions to allow cricket’s “Big Three” to play each other more often. The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Indian chairman, Jay Shah, will meet representatives of the Australian and English boards this month, the report added.

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Serie A roundup: Napoli go level with Atalanta at top after Raspadori winner

  • Raspadori scores after Romelu Lukuku has penalty saved
  • Fiorentina’s Sottil pegs back Juventus in 2-2 draw

Giacomo Raspadori came off the bench to score the only goal in Napoli’s 1-0 home win over relegation-battling Venezia, a result which moves them to second in the Serie A standings and level on points with leaders Atalanta.

Antonio Conte’s hosts were on the attack from the off, with Filip Stankovic twice denying the home side with close-range saves from Amir Rrahmani and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Venezia began to find a footing in the game, almost taking the lead but Alex Meret pulled off a reflex save with his leg to keep out John Yeboah’s effort.

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South Africa creep past Pakistan after dramatic collapse to reach WTC final

  • Pakistan 211 and 237; South Africa 301 and 150-8
  • Mohammad Abbas takes 6-54 but denied famous win

Fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen turned batting heroes as South Africa edged out Pakistan by two wickets to win a thrilling first Test at Centurion and book themselves a place in next year’s World Test Championship final.

Rabada scored 31 and Jansen 16 in an unbeaten partnership of 51 off 50 balls to see South Africa over the line and deny Pakistan a dramatic comeback victory after Mohammed Abbas took six wickets as he shredded through the home batting order.

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Iga Swiatek feared a more negative public reaction to her doping ban

  • World No 2 tested positive for trimetazidine in August
  • Swiatek insists all anti-doping cases are treated the same

Iga Swiatek says she feared a more negative reaction to her doping ban, and insists that all such cases in tennis are treated in the same way. The Pole was handed a one-month suspension in November after a positive test for trimetazidine, which the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted was caused by contamination of a medicine Swiatek was taking for jet lag.

It was the second high-profile doping case to hit the sport this year after the men’s world No 1 Jannik Sinner’s two failed tests, for which he did not receive a ban. The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) appealed that decision and Sinner may still be suspended, but Swiatek is not expecting a similar outcome.

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European football: Bayern beat Leipzig 5-1 as Reijnders delivers Christmas win

  • Kane returns from injury in Bundesliga thrashing
  • Milan beat Verona 1-0; Girona sink Real Valladolid

Bayern Munich stamped their authority on the Bundesliga by hammering fourth-placed RB Leipzig 5-1 in a game that featured two goals in the opening two minutes for the first time in the league’s history.

Having lost their first league match of the season to Mainz last week, Bayern delivered a commanding performance against a Leipzig side who struggled to build any attacking momentum.

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European football: Leganés stun Barça as Atlético Madrid make move

  • Leganés defender Sergio González scores early winner
  • Sørloth moves Atlético above Real Madrid into second

Barcelona lost 1-0 to Leganés, allowing Atlético Madrid to pull level with them at the top of La Liga. Sergio González’s fourth-minute header for Leganés proved enough to stun the wasteful hosts, who lost their second consecutive league game in front of their own fans. The defender rose unmarked at the near post to fire an unstoppable header past Iñaki Peña.

Despite dominating with over 80% possession, Barça were clueless as they sought to overcome a disciplined and well organised five-man defence, spurning a handful of opportunities.

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