Naomi Osaka will be hoping to be fit for the Australian Open after the reigning champion withdrew from the Melbourne Summer Set 1.
Osaka, who won the most recent of her four grand slam titles last year at Melbourne Park, has looked in fine form this week in her first appearances since returning from the break she took from tennis last year.
The top seed beat Alize Cornet, Maryna Zanevska and Andrea Petkovic en route to the semi-finals, but could not compete against Veronika Kudermetova on Saturday, citing an abdominal injury.
Osaka explained that her body had taken a hit from playing such intense matches in consecutive days, and she instead is looking to rest and recover ahead of the first grand slam of the season, which starts on January 17.
"Sad to withdraw due to injury from my match today, my body got a shock from playing back to back intense matches after the break I took," Osaka tweeted.
"Thank you for all the love this past week [Red heart] I’ll try to rest up and I’ll see you soon!"
Osaka's injury has prevented what looked to be an enticing showdown with Simona Halep, who guaranteed a place in a WTA Tour singles final for a 13th successive season by beating Chinese teenager Zheng Qinwen 6-3 6-2.
Halep's first final came in 2010 and she has taken just a week to get back into her stride after an injury-ravaged 2021 season.
The Romanian, a two-time grand slam champion, went into the week ranked at world number 20, her lowest position at the start of a season since 2013.
However, she has now reached at least the semi-final stage in three successive tournaments, and she will fancy her chances against third seed Kudermetova, who is into her third singles final.
Cameron Smith produced another stunning round at the Tournament of Champions to claim a three-stroke lead at the halfway point in Hawaii.
The Australian had carded a pair of eagles en route to an eight-under 65 on day one and went one better at the Plantation Course at Kapalua on Friday.
Smith recovered from back-to-back bogeys to start the round to make the turn in a three-under 33 and then surged down the back nine.
He made gains at the 11th and 13th and then produced a surge starting at the 15th to finish at 17 under par with a nine-under 64.
After reeling off three successive birdies, Smith made a short putt for his fourth in a row to give himself an extra cushion moments after Daniel Berger had failed with his birdie putt.
Berger joins Jon Rahm on 14 under par, the Spaniard making birdie at the last after an outstanding second shot.
Rahm, making his debut on the PGA Tour this season, was disappointed by his performance on the greens.
"I left a lot of putts short, that's just nitpicking, can't be perfect at everything even though we try," Rahm said.
"Hopefully I can polish it a little bit, get the speed going a little bit better and give those putts a chance to go in."
Patrick Cantlay is a shot further back, with Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama also among those impressing. He is 12 under through 36 holes along with Sungjae Im.
England were forced to field Ollie Pope as a substitute wicketkeeper in the second innings of the fourth Ashes Test with Australia.
Injuries to Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow left both unable to field at the Sydney Cricket Ground as England attempt to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat.
Buttler injured his left index finger while Bairstow scored England's first century of the series with an injured thumb.
He returned to bat in the morning session on day four but was unable to don the gloves, which were instead handed to Pope.
Pope claimed a pair of catches prior to lunch as Australia were reduced to 66-2, a lead of 188 after England were bowled out for 294.
The substitute keeper claimed a third catch in the afternoon session as Marnus Labuschagne was caught behind for 29.
Sam Billings, playing for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League, has been called up to England's Test squad.
Julian Nagelsmann was pleased with his team's efforts despite Bayern Munich losing 2-1 at home to Borussia Monchengladbach in the first Bundesliga game after the winter break.
A superb opener from Robert Lewandowski - who was nominated for the Best FIFA Men's Player 2021 award earlier on Friday - was cancelled out before half-time by Foals duo Florian Neuhaus and Stefan Lainer, with the league leaders unable to respond in the second half.
Bayern were without a number of key players through COVID-19 and injuries, including Manuel Neuer, Lucas Hernandez, Dayot Upamecano, Leon Goretzka, Alphonso Davies, Kingsley Coman and Leroy Sane, but Nagelsmann still believed his team deserved something from the game.
Speaking after the defeat, the 34-year-old told reporters: "We were actually closer to winning than Gladbach were.
"Considering the situation, we did very well in the first 25 minutes, we should have been up by more. The way we conceded the equaliser was complete madness, I don't know why we wanted to do that in the box like that, and then we conceded from another set-piece.
"In the second half we played decently and had lots of chances. Unlike in the cup game, we didn't deserve to lose today."
Although Nagelsmann was still able to name a relatively strong starting line-up, Bayern's bench was practically unrecognisable, filled with youngsters, including the debuting Paul Wanner.
Aged 16 years and 15 days, Wanner's 75th-minute introduction saw him become the second-youngest player in Bundesliga history, behind only Borussia Dortmund's Youssoufa Moukoko (16 years, 1 day), and Nagelsmann was effusive in his praise of the teenager.
"He's an unbelievable talent, very quick and very brave," the former Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig coach said. "He immediately took on [Breel] Embolo and went on dribbling in his first action. Physically he's not bad either. But he has to remain grounded and clear in his head, then the doors will be open for him."
Bayern were thrashed 5-0 by Gladbach in the DFB-Pokal earlier in the season, and Nagelsmann had expressed a desire for revenge ahead of the game, but instead Adi Hutter only increased his impressive record against the young German coach.
Hutter and Nagelsmann have now met eight times as opposition coaches in the Bundesliga, and nobody has won as often in the top flight against Nagelsmann as the Gladbach boss (W4 D3 L1).
The former Eintracht Frankfurt coach praised the intensity of his team, saying after the win: "Huge compliments to the team for coming back like that and getting the win in Munich. When the intensity is high, you have a good chance of winning, and that's what we showed today.
"Of course Bayern could have equalised, but my team played well. They implemented what we trained."
Manchester City youngster Cole Palmer could have a similar trajectory to that of Phil Foden, according to Pep Guardiola's assistant Rodolfo Borrell.
Palmer played a crucial role in City's 4-1 FA Cup third-round win over Swindon Town on Friday, setting up the opener for Bernardo Silva before netting his maiden goal in the competition late on with a gorgeous strike.
It was an all-round positive display from the right-winger, whose close ball control and technical ability made him a constant nuisance to the fourth-tier opposition, while he also proved a reliable creative outlet.
No player on the pitch could match his four chances created, and his overall positivity on and off the ball led to him registering four more touches (14) in the penalty area than anyone else.
That led to a game-high total of five shots, four of which were from inside the box, including his well-taken goal.
The 19-year-old was making his 10th competitive appearance of the season across all competitions and looked at home alongside seasoned superstars like Kevin De Bruyne and Silva.
Borrell, who was in charge due to Guardiola testing positive for coronavirus, suggested they are looking at Palmer's development in a similar light to that of Foden.
With it put to Borrell that Palmer looked "special", the coach told ITV Sport: "Yes, it's true, we have him training with us [the first team] on a regular basis.
"He has great quality, everyone has been able to see this. He's a great player, still needs developing quite a lot but there is obviously a lot of talent there.
"Hopefully very soon he can play more minutes with us like Phil Foden a couple of years ago."
Borrell attempted to temper any comparisons between the two City youth products, but he did not hide his excitement about Palmer.
He continued: "They're completely different players and obviously Phil has shown… I'm not going say [Foden's shown] more than him, but obviously he's older than [Palmer] and has had more opportunities.
"At the end of the day, they're two great players. Right now, Phil is already established in our first team and in the national team.
"With Cole, he obviously has the talent and the ingredients to become [something similar] but let's see.
"It's in his hands, he has to keep working hard and performing consistently at a good level."
Ultimately there was little for City to worry about at the County Ground, with Guardiola's absence no more than a footnote.
As it turned out, he had little to do with the game once it started, such is his belief in his coaches.
Borrell added: "We were in touch at half-time. There was not a massive change because everything was as planned as before.
"He has great confidence in all of us. Not just me but all the backroom staff, we have been with him a long time.
"We planned all of this together but to be honest with you, after the start of the game he said, 'listen, do as if I wasn't there and obviously if you need anything, keep in touch, and we'll chat at half-time'.
"He has huge confidence in us and I'm grateful, we are grateful. Everything was as planned and it has been a great experience for me and for all of us."
The Green Bay Packers have activated All-Pro corner Jaire Alexander from the reserve/COVID-19 list, but he is not expected to play in their regular-season finale.
Alexander, who was named to the Pro Bowl and earned second-team All-Pro honours last season, has not played since the Packers' Week 4 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers when he suffered a shoulder injury.
He was activated from injured reserve last week but did not play as the Packers claimed the top seed in the NFC playoffs with a blowout win over the Minnesota Vikings and was on Monday placed on the COVID-19 list.
Despite coming off the list on Friday, head coach Matt LaFleur does not foresee Alexander playing in a meaningless game against the Detroit Lions.
"I would not anticipate Jaire playing. Just only having the one day [of practice] this week, I don't want to put him out there," LaFleur said.
However, quarterback and MVP favourite Aaron Rodgers will play at least some of the game at Ford Field ahead of the Packers' first-round bye.
Confirming Rodgers will start, LaFleur said: "I don't think he needs to play. I think he wants to play and keep the momentum going."
Jamaica international Leon Bailey could be closing in on a return to action for EPL club Aston Villa having stepped up his rehabilitation from injury in recent weeks.
The 24-year-old has been out of action since pulling up injured against Manchester City in early December. On that occasion, the visibly disappointed player left the pitch holding his thigh after sprinting in the first half-hour of that game.
The player has had a stop-start kind of season since joining Aston Villa in the summer from Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. Bailey also spent several weeks out of action after a sensation cameo against Everton where he damaged the same muscle after scoring a spectacular goal.
Aston Villa coach Steven Gerrard gave the latest update on the player ahead of the team’s FA Cup clash against Manchester United on Monday.
"We’re [with Leon Bailey] four and a bit weeks post-injury and he’s progressing well, stepping up his rehab — he's focused. It was an injury in a similar area to the first one, so we have to be careful and respect that,” Gerrard said.
Aston Villa will, however, have Ollie Watkins and Tyrone Mings available for selection ahead of the match at Old Trafford.
Manchester City ran out comfortable 4-1 winners over hosts Swindon Town in Friday's FA Cup third-round clash.
City, under the guidance of assistant coach Rodolfo Borrell after Pep Guardiola contracted COVID-19, never looked in danger of suffering a first FA Cup defeat to a side from the fourth tier or lower since 1984.
The visitors were cruising by the half-hour mark, with Bernardo Silva and Gabriel Jesus getting the goals.
Ilkay Gundogan buried a fine free-kick with just under an hour played to put the game beyond doubt, before Harry McKirdy got a consolation.
Cole Palmer's gorgeous late strike finished the League Two side off and capped a great performance late on.
Swindon were lucky to hold out for 14 minutes, but Silva – who had previously wasted two great chances – was never going to miss when the excellent Palmer presented him with a tap-in.
City then pounced on Louis Reed's questionable flick just outside his own area as Swindon attempted to play out from the back, with Kevin De Bruyne feeding Jesus into the box for a simple finish.
The contest was over – if it wasn't already – in the 59th minute as Gundogan cleverly curled his free-kick around the wall and into the bottom-right corner.
The Swindon goalkeeper's wall positioning may have played a part, though Lewis Ward went some way to making amends when saving Jesus' penalty after Jordan Lyden fouled the Brazilian.
City could not keep a clean sheet, with Jonny Williams capitalising on Rodri's error and playing McKirdy into the area to finish past the suspect Zack Steffen.
But the away side had the last laugh, Palmer planting an exceptional finish into the top-left corner.
Bayern Munich were beaten for just the third time in the Bundesliga this season as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat against Borussia Monchengladbach as German football returned from its mid-season break.
First-half goals from Florian Neuhaus and Stefan Lainer cancelled out Robert Lewandowski's opener at the Allianz Arena, and Julian Nagelsmann's men were unable to find a way back into the game in the second period.
The defending champions had been hit by numerous positive COVID-19 cases in the build-up and were missing several key players including Manuel Neuer, Dayot Upamecano, Kingsley Coman, Alphonso Davies and Leroy Sane.
However, in a game behind closed doors with the snow falling in Munich, a nonetheless strong Bayern starting line-up was unable to avenge their 5-0 humbling by Gladbach in the DFB-Pokal this season.
Yann Sommer made two big saves early on from Serge Gnabry and Lewandowski, but the Poland star was never likely to be denied for long and he had Bayern in front on 18 minutes when he collected a Thomas Muller pass, before turning his marker and firing in at Sommer's near post with the usual precise venom.
Entirely against the run of play, Gladbach were level just nine minutes later. With the first real attack from the visitors, a cross was poorly cleared by Joshua Kimmich and the alert Neuhaus fired the ball in under Sven Ulreich.
That sparked Adi Hutter's team into life and they were ahead just after the half-hour mark when a Luca Netz corner was headed in well by Lainer.
Gladbach were the ones pressing for another as they started to dominate the hosts, with Neuhaus and Breel Embolo both coming close to getting a third, before Lewandowski hit the post from a tight angle just before half-time.
Sommer saved well from Jamal Musiala early in the second half while Lewandowski hit the woodwork again, but despite a late push for an equaliser, the league leaders were kept at bay.
General Secretary of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Dalton Wint, has welcomed the implementation of Video Assistant Replay (VAR), which will be used for the final six games of the Concacaf World Cup qualifiers.
Prior to this, Concacaf was one of only three nations not making use of the technology, alongside AFCON (Africa) and Oceania, and were hampered in their efforts to do so by not only technological restrictions but also due to a lack of certified officials. With both issues rectified since the start of the year, the way is now clear for the replay system to be implemented.
In its absence, the competition has been plagued by what some believe to be high-profile refereeing errors. Against the United States with the game tied at 1-1, Jamaica defender Damion Lowe’s header, which flew into the net 7 minutes from time, was controversially ruled out for what appeared to be very little contact with US defender Walker Zimmerman. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.
With the country well behind on points in their pursuit of three and a half qualification spots, three points instead of one could have made a huge difference. Wint hopes that in the future such costly errors can be avoided.
“I think it (decisions like that) is one of the major reasons CONCACAF decided to implement it. It is really important to get the major decisions right,” Wint said of the upcoming technology upgrade.
There have of course also been times when the technology may have gone against the country notably when Lowe was himself yellow carded for a last-ditch challenge on USA player Brenden Aaronson, although the call might have been marginal at best.
“I’m all for it. If you have the technology, then why not use it. You can’t have it both ways, at times it may slow the game down, but it is important to try and arrive at the correct decision.”
The Reggae Boyz, who are currently in 6th place in the eight-team standings and 7 points behind the final qualifying spot, will resume their qualification campaign against Mexico on January 27th.
Manchester United midfielder Fred has hit back at what he described as "fake news" amid reports of dressing-room unrest at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils' meek performance in the 1-0 home defeat to Wolves last Monday, their first loss under interim manager Ralf Rangnick, resulted in widespread speculation over the futures of several first-team players.
It has been claimed as many as 17 United players are considering leaving the club, either this month or at the end of the season, with standards falling significantly short of expectation.
Fred's name appeared in some of the reports, with the 28-year-old having only played a minute of his side's previous two league matches despite scoring the winning goal against Crystal Palace at the beginning of Rangnick's tenure.
However, the Brazil international said there was no truth to the rumours he is unhappy at the club.
He wrote on social media: "Over the past few days I have read several fake news involving my name and other MUFC athletes. I'm not in the habit of answering controversial stuff publicly, but this time I will have to.
"I just want to say that I am very happy here and I have never expressed any dissatisfaction and the possibility of leaving the club. Don't get misled by fake news. We will continue to work with great dedication to pursue our goals."
Fred has played 19 times in all competitions in 2021-22, scoring twice.
United are seventh in the Premier League table after 19 games, having already lost six times in the top flight this term, and they face a tricky FA Cup third-round match with Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Monday.
Tottenham boss Antonio Conte fears Son Heung-min could be unavailable until after the next international break after the South Korea international picked up a muscle injury.
Son - who has made 21 appearances for Spurs in all competitions this season, registering eight goals and three assists - came off after 79 minutes of Wednesday's 2-0 EFL Cup semi-final first leg defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, but Conte insists that was not because of an injury at the time.
Speaking at a news conference ahead of Sunday's FA Cup third-round tie against League One outfit Morecambe, the former Chelsea and Inter boss said the player felt a pain in his leg the following day and has had a scan to evaluate the damage.
"It was a strange situation," Conte told reporters. "Against Chelsea, I made two substitutions together, with Lucas Moura and then Son. But not for injury, the substitutions, but only to try to give them a bit of rest, 15 minutes of rest.
"Then the day after, he felt a bit of pain in his muscle, in his leg. He had a scan and now we have to make the right evaluation from the doctors. He has an injury.
"I don't know, but probably he will stay without training sessions until the end of this cycle, before the international break."
The next international break is scheduled for the end of this month, meaning that Son would be unable to play for Tottenham again until February.
It will be a big blow to Conte, with Son having created more chances (33) than any other Spurs player this season, ahead of Lucas Moura (27), Harry Kane (21), Sergio Reguilon (20) and Emerson Royal (18).
Conte was also asked about whether there have been discussions about potential incomings in the January transfer window, to which he responded: "The first person who wants to improve the situation is for sure our owner.
"I will have time to speak, also with the people who work within the club to try to understand well the situation, to understand if there is the opportunity to improve this squad in this transfer market. But I think we will do the same thing that all of the teams are doing in these days.
"We have two ways to improve the situation, one is to improve the level of the players that we have in our squad. Another is to implement new players and improve the quality of the squad. But, as you know very well, January is not easy for anyone. So we'll see what happens."
Preparations are advancing for the Video Assistant Replay (VAR) replay system to be installed at Jamaica’s National Stadium, with a site visit expected to take place early next week.
Production and audiovisual company MediaPro, which is already in charge of broadcasting all Concacaf events, will be responsible for implementing the technology in Jamaica, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Panama. The other four venues, which do not have the technology installed.
The move follows up on the decision by CONCACAF to implement VAR for the region in September, but the move was held up not only by logistical considerations but also by adequately certified officials.
In recent weeks, however, football’s world governing body FIFA has accredited referees, as well as VAR assistants and managers. Prior to that, only the United States, Mexico, and Canada had VAR officials as they were the only ones to make use of the technology in their various leagues.
Implementing the technology in Jamaica will incur an added expense as the equipment will have to be flown to the island before being installed at the country’s national stadium. The other CONCACAF venues taking part in the Octagonal round, which do not have yet the technology, can be accessed via roadways. The majority of the bill will be picked up by Concacaf. Jamaica will resume World Cup qualification action against Mexico, at the National Stadium, on January 27th.
Novak Djokovic thanked the supporters campaigning for him to be allowed to play at the Australian Open as he spoke out for the first time since being detained in Melbourne.
The ATP world number one will spend the weekend in a hotel that also houses refugees and asylum seekers, some of whom have been waiting years for the chance of freedom.
A court hearing on Monday should determine Djokovic's fate after Border Force officials cancelled his visa application, stating the 34-year-old had "failed to provide appropriate evidence to meet the entry requirements to Australia".
Djokovic seemed all set to play after he was granted a medical exemption by organisers of the first grand slam of the year, but his fate now hangs in the balance. An injunction secured by his legal team has allowed him to remain in the country for now, albeit in detention.
The Serbian superstar wrote on Instagram: "Thank you to people around the world for your continuous support. I can feel it and it is greatly appreciated."
That came after a message from Djokovic to mark Orthodox Christmas on Friday, as he wrote: "Peace of God. Christ was born. Merry Christmas. May God's love strengthen and fulfil you."
The Australian Open begins on January 17 and this is just about the worst possible preparation for the 20-time major winner, even if he is given permission to remain in Australia at Monday's hearing.
There was an outcry from many Melburnians when Djokovic announced on Tuesday that he was on his way to the tournament with an exemption pass.
A small number have since protested that Djokovic should be liberated, while he has found some support on social media and extensive backing from his homeland, with Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic accusing Australian authorities of "harassment of the best tennis player in the world", pledging to "fight for Novak Djokovic, for justice and truth".
Djokovic is a record nine-time champion at Melbourne Park, but there is said to be a strong feeling locally that he should have to show proof of being vaccinated against COVID-19, given the efforts residents have gone to and the stringent restrictions imposed on them during the pandemic to date.
Australian Open officials have claimed "rigorous" checks were put in place to assess the veracity of any claim for an exemption.
One theory that has been widely suggested is Djokovic, who has spoken out about vaccine matters in the past, may have been awarded the exemption on the basis he had a positive test for COVID-19 in the past six months. He has not publicly confirmed he has recently had the virus.
However, reports from Australia have stated federal government officials instructed Tennis Australia in recent months that experiencing a recent case of coronavirus was not an adequate explanation for a player not being fully vaccinated.
Djokovic's wife, Jelena, issued a statement in support of her husband, posting on Instagram: "We wish we are all together today, but my consolation is that at least we are healthy. And we will grow from this experience.
"Thank you dear people, all around the world for using your voice to send love to my husband. I am taking a deep breath to calm down and find gratitude (and understanding) in this moment for all that is happening.
"The only law that we should all respect across every single border is love and respect for another human being. Love and forgiveness is never a mistake but a powerful force."
Australian authorities, all the way up to prime minister Scott Morrison, have contended their border laws are there for a good reason, with Monday promising to be a seismic day in the capital of Victoria.
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