Teenager Linda Noskova blew the women’s draw wide open at the Australian Open by stunning world number one Iga Swiatek in the third round.

There are no top-10 seeds left in the top half after 19-year-old Czech Noskova came from a set down to claim a 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory on Rod Laver Arena.

Swiatek had dug herself out a major hole in the second round against Danielle Collins but she was unable to repeat the trick here.

“Physically, I didn’t feel anything,” said Swiatek. “Mentally, as well, I felt like actually I came back in my match against Danielle and I could kind of start over and not expect a lot, just try to play my game.

“I would say that I wasn’t returning overall in this tournament the same way as usual, especially the second serves.

“But still, I know that I did everything I could to try to make it work. Technically it didn’t work. But I know I did everything I could. I have no regrets.

“For sure I wish I could have played a little bit better in this tournament.

“I just want to get back to work. I know I’m going to have plenty of chances during the season to show my game.”

The never-ending production line of Czech female talent is one of the wonders of tennis, and 19-year-old Noskova is at the head of a new generation.

Ranked 50 but set to rise rapidly, she showed superb maturity to turn the match around after losing the first set, hitting 10 aces in a tally of 35 winners.

Swiatek speculated that Noskova would feel she had nothing to lose, but the teenager denied that, saying: “I know my game. I know that I have improved a lot in the last year-and-a-half. I just believed my game tonight.

“I just really wanted this win because I didn’t really come to that court with the thought of ‘I have nothing to lose’. I took it very seriously. It was like a match as any other. I just know that, when I’m going to be aggressive, I can play with anyone.”

She is the first teenager to beat a world number one at the Australian Open since Amelie Mauresmo defeated Lindsay Davenport in 1999.

Noskova next plays 19th seed Elina Svitolina, who was a comfortable 6-2 6-3 winner over Viktorija Golubic and will fancy her chances of reaching a first grand slam final.

So, too, will 12th seed Zheng Qinwen, who is the highest-ranked player left in the top half and is making waves, 10 years on from Li Na’s historic triumph.

Zheng needed two hours and 40 minutes to make it past countrywoman Wang Yafan 6-4 2-6 7-6 (8) on Friday as China took centre stage in the day session on Rod Laver.

But her power hitting eventually got her over the line and there was a special treat after the match when she was congratulated by Li, who is here to play in the legends event.

“That was totally a surprise for me,” said Zheng. “She just went to me, say congratulations. I was feeling super happy to meet her and have the chance to talk with her because I never talked with her in person.

“She said to me ‘don’t think too much, just keep (it) simple’. I think that’s – right now – what I need to do as well.”

Zheng revealed in her on-court interview that she had watched Li’s final victory over Dominika Cibulkova here in 2014 10 times.

Li remains the only Chinese winner of a grand slam singles title having become the first Asian champion when she claimed the French Open crown in 2011.

There is a growing number of Chinese players, both men and women, pushing towards the top of the game, but Zheng is at the head of the queue.

In the last 16, she will take on Oceane Dodin, who defeated fellow unseeded French player Clara Burel 6-2 6-4 to reach the fourth round at a slam for the first time.

One of Zheng, Dodin, 26th seed Jasmine Paolini and Russian Anna Kalinskaya is guaranteed to make a first slam semi-final.

Paolini ended the run of Anna Blinkova, who knocked out Elena Rybakina in round two, while Kalinskaya beat former finalist Sloane Stephens 6-7 (8) 6-1 6-4.

It is turning into an excellent tournament for Ukraine, with Dayana Yastremska joining Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk in the last 16, thanks to a 6-2 2-6 6-1 upset of 27th seed Emma Navarro.

She next faces two-time former champion Victoria Azarenka, who is again looking strong in Melbourne and came from 2-5 down in the second set to beat Jelena Ostapenko 6-1 7-5.

Nikola Jokic honoured the memory of his former mentor Dejan Milojevic by starring in the Denver Nuggets' crucial road win over the Boston Celtics on Friday, says coach Michael Malone.

Golden State Warriors assistant coach Milojevic died at the age of 46 on Wednesday after suffering a heart attack, prompting an outpouring of emotion across the NBA.

Before his arrival in San Francisco, Milojevic was credited with kickstarting the career of two-time NBA MVP Jokic when the duo worked together at Belgrade-based team KK Mega Basket.

On Friday, Denver had the daunting task of attempting to halt Boston's 20-0 run at TD Garden this season, and Jokic's 34 points helped them on their way to a huge win over a fellow championship contender.  

Jokic also added 12 rebounds and nine assists while Jamal Murray finished with 35 points as the defending champions improved to 29-14.

Speaking after the game, Nuggets coach Malone expressed pride in Jokic and said the events of recent days made his dominant performance all the more impressive.

"As I mentioned to our team after the game, I couldn't be more proud of Nikola for playing the way he played with the tragic passing of Deki," Malone said. 

"That's what you do, though. That's why I'm proud of Nikola. You just lost somebody that you love and you care about that meant a lot to you, that was a mentor and a coach to you.

"So go honour him. You know what I mean? Nikola went out there, he honoured Deki's memory and his legacy by playing at the level he played at.

"It's not easy to do with a heavy heart, but Nikola is a special person, obviously. It was incredible to watch him play with that heavy heart, when you consider who we were playing and you add everything else to the mix.

"That's why Nikola is the best player in the world."

The Celtics found themselves 98-95 up with just under five minutes to go in the fourth quarter, but they missed eight of their final nine shots – four of them from Jayson Tatum – to allow the Nuggets back in.

Malone feels the victory amounted to a statement from his team, saying: "You're playing against the best team in the NBA. It was like a playoff game. 

"I know this is only Game 43, 44, whatever it is, but it was kind of like a playoff game, a playoff atmosphere and two really good teams. 

"They were in the Finals two years ago. They were in the Eastern Conference Finals last year. They have high hopes, as do we.

"It was a game that we were all in. We put all of our chips in and we were lucky enough to get the outcome that we desired."

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes his team have returned refreshed from their mini-break and are ready to push on in the Premier League title race.

They returned to training on Wednesday – a week after their last game – and head to Bournemouth looking to extend their advantage at the top to five points.

While they will still be missing talisman Mohamed Salah, who is at the Africa Cup of Nations, and are waiting for the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Dominik Szoboszlai to return from injury, Klopp believes everyone benefited from a break from the intensity of the Premier League.

“Friday was the third session since we are back and you could see it was really important to everybody, for everybody,” he said.

“As much as they like going on holiday, the thing they like most is actually playing football and that’s really cool to see.

“Nobody wanted to have three or four weeks, we are in the middle of a season (and) we love what happened so far.

“We are looking forward to what’s coming up, but these four days were just top class. We had a break and now we can go for the rest of the season.”

Victory at the Vitality Stadium would bring up 22 points away from home, just one short of their previous campaign, and Liverpool are already 16 points ahead of where they were at this point last season.

However, Bournemouth are one of the top flight’s form teams with six wins and a draw from their last eight league matches and have not lost at home in the league since October 21 after new manager Adoni Iraola turned things around after just one win in their first 11 matches.

“When you don’t play them at the weekend I really have time to admire what he (Iraola) is doing there,” said Klopp.

“They turned it around – that’s real coaching – and he found a way to set this team up.

“It will be a difficult game, but I don’t think they are now preparing the game against us and thinking, ‘Thank God Liverpool is coming’ because we feel good as well.”

Part of Bournemouth’s recent success is the contribution from former Liverpool forward Dominic Solanke, who has eight goals in as many league appearances, and 12 in 19 top-flight league games so far after just one in 21 league games for the Reds.

“He made the absolute right decision to go,” said Klopp.

“He went the hard way, trying here, realising, ‘Maybe a bit too early’ and then going to Bournemouth.”

Liverpool winger Luis Diaz is one goal away from recording his best scoring campaign (six) since joining in January 2022.

After going through the trauma of having his parents kidnapped in his native Colombia, he was reunited with his family for Christmas on Merseyside and Klopp has seen a change in the winger’s demeanour.

“After after the most challenging time of his life, which nobody is prepared for, he’s back. You can see it in each training session it’s different,” said Klopp.

“He cannot not smile when he is on the ball. There were a few weeks where I missed that a little bit, but the smile is back.”

Jordan Henderson believes he is wiser for his experiences on and off the field after returning to Europe following his ill-fated move to Saudi Arabia.

The former Liverpool captain signed for Dutch side Ajax this week after terminating his controversial stay with Al-Ettifaq less than six months into a three-year deal.

The 33-year-old feels he can still play for several more seasons at the top level.

“I still physically feel very good,” said Henderson as he was formally presented as an Ajax player at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

“I train very hard, I look after myself, I dedicate my life to football. I have done since I was a kid and I hope to play for many, many years to come.

“Obviously with age comes more experience, you learn a lot, you go through different experiences both in football and in life.

“I feel as though I’m a wiser person now at my age and hopefully I can take that onto the pitch, take that into the team and help a lot of the younger players make the next step in their careers, and at the same time be at the level where I need to perform at the highest level every single game.”

With question marks remaining over the standard of competition in the Saudi Pro League – despite obvious huge recent investment in players by its clubs – Henderson’s move could help him maintain his England place ahead of Euro 2024.

Henderson did not deny that was a motivation but insisted his immediate goal was to make his mark in the Eredivisie with Ajax.

He said: “I’ve always got the Euros in mind. I’ve always got England in mind. It’s a big thing for me, playing for my country, as everybody knows, and that’s always been the case wherever I’ve played.

“But ultimately, I’ve got to be doing my job on the pitch for Ajax and doing well for Ajax. That’s my main priority. If I’m doing that, then hopefully I’ll be called up to the England squad.”

Henderson will not be able to make his debut against RKC Waalwijk this weekend as he awaits a work permit. It is unclear how long that will take to come through and, in the meantime, he cannot even train with his new team-mates.

He said: “I’m ready to play as soon as possible but obviously I’ve got to wait. As soon as everything’s good and ready, I’ll be ready to go.”

Ten years on from Li Na’s historic win at the Australian Open, China’s Zheng Qinwen is making waves at Melbourne Park.

The 21-year-old 12th seed is considered one of the rising stars of the game and she is now the favourite to reach the semi-finals in a wide open section of the draw.

Zheng needed two hours and 40 minutes to make it past countrywoman Wang Yafan 6-4 2-6 7-6 (10/8) on Friday as China took centre stage on Rod Laver Arena.

But her power hitting eventually got her over the line, and there was a special treat after the match when she was congratulated by Li, who is here to play in the legends event.

“That was totally a surprise for me,” said Zheng. “She just went to me, say congratulations. I was feeling super happy to meet her and have the chance to talk with her because I never talked with her in person.

“She said to me don’t think too much, just keep simple. I think that’s right now what I need to do as well.”

Zheng revealed in her on-court interview that she had watched Li’s final victory over Dominika Cibulkova here in 2014 10 times.

Li remains the only Chinese winner of a grand slam singles title having become the first Asian champion when she claimed the French Open crown in 2011.

There is a growing number of Chinese players, both men and women, pushing towards the top of the game, but Zheng is at the head of the queue.

In the last 16, she will take on Oceane Dodin, who defeated fellow unseeded French player Clara Burel 6-2 6-4 to reach the fourth round at a slam for the first time.

One of Zheng, Dodin, 26th seed Jasmine Paolini and Russian Anna Kalinskaya is guaranteed to make a first slam semi-final.

Paolini ended the run of Anna Blinkova, who knocked out Elena Rybakina in round two, while Kalinskaya beat former finalist Sloane Stephens 6-7 (8) 6-1 6-4.

Kirill Kaprizov scored two of the Wild’s franchise record-tying five power-play goals and Ryan Hartman also tallied twice to lead Minnesota to a 6-4 win on Friday over the Florida Panthers.

Joel Eriksson Ek and Mats Zuccarello also scored on the power play and Brock Faber had three assists for the Wild, who have won two of three following a four-game skid.

The Wild had five power-play goals for the fourth time and first since Nov. 29, 2008, against Nashville.

Minnesota’s Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 10 of 11 shots before leaving with an injury midway through the second period. Filip Gustavsson finished with 21 saves for the win.

Sergei Bobrovsky was pulled at the same time Fleury left, allowing four goals on 15 shots.

Florida lost its fourth straight after a nine-game winning streak.

Svechnikov lifts Hurricanes over Red Wings

Andrei Svechnikov scored on the Hurricanes’ only power play of the game in the third period and Carolina allowed just 12 shots in a 4-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings.

Jordan Martinook and Martin Necas also scored and Sebastian Aho tallied into an empty net as the Hurricanes won for the eighth time in 10 games (8-1-1).

Antti Raanta needed to make only 10 saves as Carolina held a 14-4 shots advantage in the third period and 30-12 overall.

Devils score 4 in 2nd period in win

Alexander Holtz, Nico Hischier and Nathan Bastian scored 6:03 apart during a four-goal second period and the New Jersey Devils defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, 4-1.

New Jersey’s other goal came from John Marino and Vitek Vaneck stopped 28 shots as it moved two points behind Tampa Bay and Detroit for the two wild card spots in the Eastern Conference.

Cole Sillinger scored for the Blue Jackets, who have lost four of five and haven’t won consecutive games since Nov. 22 and 24.

Sam Burns shot a second round 61 as he took a one-shot halfway lead at The American Express tournament in California.

Burns’ career-low round leaves him on 17 under par, one shot ahead of fellow American Michael Kim with South Korean’s KH Lee and American amateur Nick Dunlap a further shot back.

A pair of eagles and seven birdies had put Burns in with a chance of breaking 60, but he could only par the last two holes.

Dunlap, who plays at the University of Alabama, fired a 65 at the Stadium Course – one of three being used for the tournament – to follow his opening 64.

A group of six, including American Ryder Cup star Patrick Cantlay and joint overnight leader Alex Noren of Sweden, sit on 14 under par.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry shot a second round of 67 to lie seven shots off the lead.

Jurgen Klopp has opened the door for Sven-Goran Eriksson to spend the day as Liverpool manager.

Eriksson revealed earlier this month that he had in a “best case” scenario around a year to live after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

During a round of TV interviews upon revealing his health issues, former England boss Eriksson disclosed his lifelong love for Liverpool and how he always wished to be manager of the club.

Robbie Fowler, who played under Eriksson for England, hinted on X, formerly know as Twitter, that a call had been made for the 75-year-old Swede to manage a Liverpool Legends team at Anfield in 2024, but the current Reds boss has gone a step further.

“I don’t know him, unfortunately not,” Klopp was quoted as saying in various newspapers.

“I know him without knowing him, we never met.

“Yes, it was obviously very touching news when you heard about it. I heard for the first time about his admiration or love for Liverpool and that he was a fan for his whole life.

“So, I heard now about the legends match and stuff like that. I’m not in charge of that so I can’t say anything about that.

“The only thing I can say is absolutely he’s very welcome to come here and he can sit in my seat in my office and do my job for a day if he wants. That’s no problem.

“Being on the sideline might be a little bit more difficult. To have him here and show him everything and how this wonderful club developed over the years, I think that’s definitely something we will tell him.

“He can come over and have a few wonderful hours here, I’m sure.”

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will breath a sigh of relief at the news the hamstring injury Mohamed Salah suffered at the Africa Cup of Nations is only a strain and nothing more significant.

Salah sparked fears of a potentially lengthy lay-off after limping off in the first half of Thursday’s 2-2 draw with Ghana.

However, the results of a scan have revealed a muscle strain which Egypt say will rule the Liverpool striker out of their next two games.

That means the 31-year-old will definitely miss Egypt’s final Group B fixture against already-qualified Cape Verde on Monday and, if they progress from Group B, their last-16 tie as well.

“The X-rays that Mohamed Salah, the captain of the Egyptian national team, underwent, showed that he suffered a hamstring strain,” an Egyptian Football Association statement read.

“And he will miss the team’s next two matches in the Africa Cup of Nations against Cape Verde, and then the round of 16 match in the event of qualification.”

Egypt are currently second in Group B after two draws with Mozambique and Ghana and will face leaders Cape Verde knowing only a victory will guarantee their passage into the knockout stages.

Salah will be restricted to a watching role and it could also be the case for a potential last-16 tie at the end of January, but Liverpool manager Klopp will be pleased the injury to his forward is not set to be a long-term issue.

Earlier on Friday, Klopp had earlier admitted his shock at Salah’s injury taking into account the forward’s impeccable fitness record.

In six and a half seasons since arriving at Anfield, Salah has missed just 10 Premier League matches – one of which was due to Covid-19 and another because of concussion.

So the sight of Salah being forced off just before half-time unsurprisingly set alarm bells ringing.

“In the moment it was a shock. He felt it and we all know how rarely Mo needs to go off so there was definitely something,” said Klopp.

“I don’t have any more information right now. I spoke with him last night. They are doing further assessments and then we will know more.”

While Liverpool did not expect Salah to return until early next month, any absence from their talisman would be a blow as they seek to maintain top spot in the Premier League.

They head to Bournemouth on Sunday looking to extend their advantage to five points but will do so without a number of players.

Wataru Endo is at the Asian Cup with Japan while full-backs Andy Robertson (shoulder), Trent Alexander-Arnold (knee) and Kostas Tsimikas (collarbone), midfielders Dominik Szoboszlai (hamstring), Thiago Alcantara (hip), Stefan Bajcetic (adductor) and Ben Doak (knee) and defender Joel Matip (ACL) are all at various stages in their recovery.

Robertson, Alexander-Arnold and Szoboszlai are closest to a return but the earliest will be Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Fulham.

“They’re all positive but not ready. They’re all getting closer and closer and closer and some of them might be in team training next week but for the Bournemouth game I don’t expect anyone back,” said Klopp.

“After Bournemouth maybe for Fulham we will see how the boys do, but they are all close. Trent close, Dom close, Robbo close.”

Egypt have allayed serious injury fears over Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah, but their captain’s Africa Cup of Nations could still be over.

Salah was forced off in the first half of Egypt’s 2-2 draw with Ghana on Thursday after he sustained a muscle injury and it sparked concerns from both an international and club football point of view.

Salah was sent for scans and the results have shown a strain in his posterior muscle, which is set to rule the forward out of Egypt’s final Group B fixture and a potential last-16 tie for a nation that finished runners-up in the 2021 edition.

“The x-rays that Mohamed Salah, the captain of the Egyptian national team, underwent, showed that he suffered a strain in the posterior muscle,” an Egyptian Football Association statement read.

“And he will miss the team’s next two matches in the African Nations against Cape Verde, and then the round of 16 match in the event of qualification.”

Egypt are currently second in Group B after two draws with Mozambique and Ghana and will face leaders Cape Verde on January 22 knowing only a victory will guarantee their passage into the knockout stages.

Salah will be restricted to a watching role and it could also be the case for a potential last-16 tie at the end of January, but Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will breath a sigh of relief at the news the injury to his forward is only a strain and nothing more significant.

The Las Vegas Raiders are close to a deal that would remove the interim tag from Antonio Pierce’s title and make him the franchise’s next head coach, multiple media outlets reported Friday.

The move to stick with Pierce comes amid a pivotal coaching carousel cycle with former Patriots legend Bill Belichick and the University of Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh representing the top prizes.

Pierce, however, went 5-4 after he replaced Josh McDaniels mid-season, and many of the Raiders’ best players – including Davante Adams, Maxx Crosby and Josh Jacobs – have publicly lobbied to keep Pierce.

Last weekend, a report surfaced that Crosby would seek a trade if Pierce wasn’t hired as the team’s full-time head coach.

“Why wouldn’t we keep going the direction we’re going?” Crosby said after the Raiders’ final game. “The fact we’ve come together and done something special in such a short time is hard to do.

“We’ve got a guy who’s played at the highest level, won a Super Bowl, he’s been a captain, and now he’s a great coach and he’s a leader.”

Pierce, 45, played nine seasons in the NFL for Washington and the New York Giants. He was a starter on the Giants team that won Super Bowl XLII, beating the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

Among Pierce’s first decisions will be whether to retain interim offensive coordinator Bo Hardegree.

The Raiders face a crossroads at quarterback after Jimmy Garoppolo’s forgettable season. Rookie Aidan O’Connell finished the season as the team’s starter and had eight touchdowns with no interceptions in his last four games.

Las Vegas will also need to decide on the future of running back Josh Jacobs, who ended last summer’s contract dispute after training camp by signing a one-year deal.

“With AP, I am definitely 100 percent in,” Jacobs told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “However it looks, whatever it looks like.”

The Raiders hold the 13th overall pick in April’s draft as they look to return to their title-winning past.