Serbian fifth seed Dusan Lajovic fought back from a set down to triumph over Benoit Paire in the Argentina Open first round while Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco also progressed on Monday.

Lajovic, who is currently ranked 37th in the world, beat 50th-ranked Paire 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-3) in just over two hours in Buenos Aires.

In a tight match, the Serbian got the edge in the third-set tiebreak as his first serve seldom let him down.

Former top 10 player Verdasco, now 38-years-old, defeated Bolivian Hugo Dellien 6-4 3-6 6-1 in two hours and two minutes.

Serbian eighth seed Laslo Dere got past compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic 6-4 1-6 6-1, while Argentine pair Federico Coria and Francisco Cerundolo also progressed.

Meanwhile at the Dallas Open, veteran South African Kevin Anderson proved too good for Sam Querrey 6-4 6-4.

The 35-year-old former US Open and Wimbledon finalist sent down 21 aces as he won in little over an hour.

Emerging American Brandon Nakashima defeated Australian John Millman 7-5 7-6 (7-3) in the first round.

New Brentford signing Christian Eriksen feels in a "very good place" as he closes in on a competitive return to football after his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020.

The 29-year-old Denmark international midfielder has not played since the incident during his nation's 1-0 loss to Finland on June 12.

Brentford signed Eriksen in January on a deal until the end of the season following his release from Inter in December, where he was ineligible for professional football in Italy after being fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) device.

Eriksen had been training with his former club Ajax and has now linked up with his new Brentford teammates although it is unclear when he will debut with manager Thomas Frank stating it will take a "few weeks".

"Condition-wise and strength-wise I am in a very good place, it’s just the football touch that needs to come back and get up to speed," Eriksen told the Brentford website. "We’ll see how my body reacts but I feel very good.”

Eriksen added: "It is the longest I have been without playing football - by far. I’ve been lucky that I haven’t had any injuries really. To be without football for six or seven months is a very long time.

"It’s been very difficult. You have to let it heal and not do anything and then I started the rehab programme. Then I touched a ball and I’m on a football pitch, smell the grass, football boots, then everything starts coming back. The excitement to be in the stadium and be with the team."

Eriksen also said he initially thought he would never play football again after the incident at Euro 2020 but was convinced by doctors otherwise two days later.

“On the way to the hospital I told [wife] Sabrina I may as well leave my boots here,” Eriksen said. “It changed two days later. It was in the moment. I recognised what happened to me later on that night and the next few days.

"Then all the tests started and all the knowledge started to come in and all the questions were being asked ‘Can I do this? Can I do that?’ and listen to the doctors.

“Then after that it slowly took off in a way that if I can do tests with a doctor along the way then I can slowly get back to playing football. There were a lot of tests to see how the heart reacted to physical training again and luckily nothing came out of that and everything was good.

“Then, every month I could push it and then I could play. But the thing was hearing from the doctors that even with an ICD there are no limits, it just depends on the diagnosis and how you feel about it."

The Miami Dolphins have confirmed the appointment of San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as their new head coach.

McDaniel has joined the Dolphins on a four-year contract according to ESPN, taking over from Brian Flores who was sacked in January.

The Dolphins had been searching for a new head coach for a month, with McDaniel edging out Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

The Miami job is 38-year-old McDaniel's first head coaching role at any level, having spent 15 seasons in the NFL and two in the UFL.

He was also previously an assistant coach for the Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Washington Football Team, Houston Texans and Denver Broncos.

McDaniel replaces Flores who had a 24-25 record after three seasons, including the Dolphins finishing third in the AFC East with a 9-8 record in the 2021-22 season.

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has said he would like to retire when his contract at the Premier League club expires in 2024.

The former RB Leipzig boss was appointed in December 2018 and he signed a new four-year contract 18 months later.

Hasenhuttl, who has coached since 2007, has previously been linked with a potential move to clubs elsewhere in the Premier League.

However, he has suggested that could be his last deal at the club, with the Austrian revealing he wants to try things away from the game.

"I always wanted to prove to myself that I could very well work for a club for a longer period of time," he told German outlet Kicker.

"Hopefully it will be five-and-a-half-years here. That's a damn long time in modern football, and then that's probably it.

"Five-and-a-half-years in the Premier League, that's a lot of energy, regardless of job satisfaction. I can't imagine that I want to do anything else in coaching after that.

"And saying no to everything else is also a yes to yourself, and I want that. That's the solid plan and I hope I have the strength to pull it off.

"I want to put Southampton on a very healthy footing by 2024, but then that is it.

"I'll be 57 years old. I'd like to experience other things and not sit on the bench like Roy Hodgson [Watford manager] at 74. Definitely not."

The Saints are 12th as it stands, having picked up 25 points from their 22 games.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball and San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray will both make their NBA All-Star Game debuts after being added as injury replacements on Monday.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that the pair would be added with Draymond Green (back) and Kevin Durant (knee) out injured.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum will come into the Eastern Conference's starting line-up for Durant.

Durant will still participate as the east's captain in the All-Star Draft on Thursday alongside Western Conference captain LeBron James.

Last season's NBA Rookie of the Year Ball is averaging 19.6 points, 7.5 assists and 7.1 rebounds per game this season.

Murray is averaging 19.6 points, 9.2 assists, 8.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals so far in 2021-22.

The All-Star Game is due to take place on February 20 in Cleveland.

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr has lavished praise on teammate Cooper Kupp ahead of Sunday's Super Bowl clash with the Cincinnati Bengals, and believes his fellow receiver "deserves" to win at SoFi Stadium.

Beckham Jr joined the Rams in November on a one-year contract after being released by the Cleveland Browns, and is now just one game away from winning his first Super Bowl after the Rams beat the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game.

Kupp led the NFL this season in the key receiver statistics with 145 receptions, 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns, and has 386 receiving yards so far in the postseason, which is the third all-time most in playoffs history before the Super Bowl.

During media duties for the NFL ahead of the Super Bowl, Beckham Jr laid out how impressed he has been with the 28-year-old, stating his belief that Kupp deserves to win on Sunday.

"Coming here and being with Coop has just been really amazing for me," he said, "You come in somewhere where they have their guy and you watch and you witness greatness between him and [Matthew] Stafford as far as the attention to detail, the relationship that they have.

"That's everything you want from a QB and a receiver, details, the way he actually runs routes, the football knowledge.

"I've learned so much from him, he's a great guy, obviously an incredible talent and I'm just happy that I made the right choice [to join the Rams]. Now I just feel like he deserves this trophy and he deserves a ring and I just want to help them finish the job."

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford also gave his thoughts on the game, insisting that despite having stars such as himself, Von Miller, Kupp and Beckham Jr, they have reached the Super Bowl because of the efforts of the entire team.

"As far as a superstar heavy team, I think that's what the outside world probably thinks of us, but for us we just come in to work every single day and we've got nothing but guys who want to work hard."

Stafford also reserved praise for Kupp and Beckham Jr, adding: "Getting to work with Cooper and Odell has been a blast. Obviously I've gotten a full year with Cooper and his greatness and his ability to affect the game both with the football [and] without the football... such a great teammate, such a great friend and football player.

"Then with Odell he's come in since day one, his ability to grasp what we're asking him to do mid-season with no OTAs, no training camp, it was really impressive from my standpoint what he's been able to grasp, go out there and execute and play. He's been huge for us in the playoffs.

"It's been a blast working with those guys, really everybody on this team. I pinch myself sometimes thinking about the opportunity I'm getting to do, getting to play this game, the Super Bowl, with a bunch of great teammates and a bunch of great coaches, just happy for the opportunity." 

Hubert Hurkacz bounced back from a disappointing Australian Open campaign with a straight-sets win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam.

Fourth seed Hurkacz, who was beaten in the second round in Melbourne by Adrian Mannarino, saw off wildcard Tsonga 6-4 7-6 (9-7) in one hour and 32 minutes.

"Jo is an amazing player and competitor," Hurkacz said of the former world number five.

"He brought a really high level and it was a really tough match for me and he is definitely on the way back.

"Jo has achieved so much in his career and playing against him you can see why with his shots and his serve. I appreciated playing him and I am happy with the win today."

World number 11 Hurkacz will face either Lorenzo Musetti or Mikael Ymer in the second round.

Sixth seed Cameron Norrie overcame Ugo Humbert 6-2 6-4, while eighth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili was dumped out by American Mackenzie McDonald 6-3 6-2.

McDonald will face Alex de Minaur in the next round after the Australian swatted aside David Goffin 6-0 6-3.

"I think I played really well," De Minaur said. "I played exactly how I wanted to. My coach and I set up a plan about how we wanted to play this match and I managed to execute it.

"It is a very good feeling. Mentally I thought I was very solid and positive and that is one of the main aspects I am trying to focus on this year."

Peng Shuai's recent interview with French news outlet L'Equipe "does not alleviate any of our concerns", WTA chairman and CEO Steve Simon has said.

In November, Peng posted claims on Chinese social media site Weibo that she had been sexually assaulted by the former Chinese vice-premier, before disappearing from public view and later denying making the allegations in a video interview posted by a Singaporean Chinese-language newspaper.

The situation led to widespread concern for Peng's wellbeing, initiating the #WhereIsPengShuai campaign, while the WTA went as far as suspending Chinese tennis tournaments.

Peng spoke to L'Equipe from Beijing, where the Winter Olympics are being hosted, and insisted there was no reason for concern.

"Sexual assault? I never said anyone had sexually assaulted me in any way," Peng said.

"There was a huge misunderstanding in the outside world following this post. I don't want the meaning of this post to be twisted anymore. And I don't want any further media hype around it."

In a statement posted on the WTA's official website, Simon said he was not convinced by Peng's interview and reiterated his call for a formal investigation to be undertaken into her initial claims.

"It's always good to see Peng Shuai, whether in an interview or attending the Olympic Games," Simon said in a statement published on the WTA's official website.

"However, her recent in-person interview does not alleviate any of our concerns about her initial post from November 2. To reiterate our view, Peng took a bold step in publicly coming forth with the accusation that she was sexually assaulted by a senior Chinese government leader.

"As we would do with any of our players globally, we have called for a formal investigation into the allegations by the appropriate authorities and an opportunity for the WTA to meet with Peng – privately – to discuss her situation.

"We continue to hold firm on our position and our thoughts remain with Peng Shuai."

Seeds Anett Kontaveit, Belinda Bencic and Elise Mertens all came through their first round matches at the St Petersburg Ladies Trophy on Monday.

Eighth seed Mertens came back from a break down in the deciding set to beat Alize Cornet 3-6 6-2 6-4.

Mertens, who had not beaten Cornet since 2018, will face either Petra Martic or Kamilla Rakhimova in the next round as she bids to reach her first quarter-final of 2022.

"It was a very tight match," Mertens said. "It could go either way, it was a battle. It's always difficult against her but I just kept fighting.

"I think I raised my level a little bit in the second and third sets. I stepped more into the court, the service was a bit better and I ran better."

Second seed Kontaveit needed three sets to get past Jil Teichmann, ultimately prevailing 6-3 1-6 6-3, while number five seed Belinda Bencic squeezed past Veronika Kudermetova 6-2 4-6 7-6 (7-5).

In Monday's other game, Ekaterina Alexandrova defeated Camila Giorgi 6-2 1-6 6-2.

The Houston Texans will appoint Lovie Smith as their new head coach, reports claim.

Smith has just completed his first season with the Texans, where he is associate head coach and defensive coordinator.

However, the 63-year-old – who was the head coach of the Chicago Bears from 2004 to 2012 and led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2014 to 2015 – is now expected to be promoted to the head coach role.

The Texans fired first-year head coach David Culley last month after a disappointing 2021 in which Houston went 4-13.

Smith was named the NFL Coach of the Year in 2005 and has reached two Super Bowls, with the Bears in 2006 and as defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams in 2001.

He has won 89 games as a head coach in the NFL, losing 87 and is replacing the only coach to have been sacked after just one season in the history of the Texans franchise.

Eight of the nine head-coaching roles that were vacant heading into the NFL's offseason have now been filled.

Zac Taylor believes Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is "built for this stage" ahead of Super Bowl LVI on Sunday.

The Bengals face the Los Angeles Rams in their first Super Bowl in 33 years following a dramatic AFC Championship Game win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Burrow completed 23 of 38 attempts for 250 yards and two touchdowns in that game as the Bengals rallied from 21-3 down to win 27-24 in overtime, equalling the biggest comeback win in a Championship Game.

Sunday's game at SoFi Stadium will be Burrow's first taste of the Super Bowl, yet Taylor thinks the 25-year-old will take it in his stride.

"He is built for this stage. He's played for state championships, he's played for national championships, now he's playing for the Super Bowl," the Bengals' head coach told a media conference.

"I think that's been his expectation all along. He's not surprised by it. He rises to these occasions, and we're certainly happy to have him.

"When you believe that your quarterback can take it the distance, it allows everybody just to play that one per cent better because they know on the other side that the trigger man's capable of doing some really special things.

"So I think he's helped us take us to these heights. We have a lot of confidence in him. He's got a lot of confidence in himself. It's fun to be a part of."

Burrow agreed with Taylor's assessment of his confident nature and does not think he will be overawed by the magnitude of Sunday's game.

"I have always been a confident player," Burrow said.

"More so now than I have ever been before, because I feel like I've proven to myself that I can play at a high level at this level of football.

"I think as a quarterback, it's really important to exude that confidence, not only in yourself but all of your team-mates.

"The quarterback sets the tone for the culture in the locker room, and so I try to be that kind of player and person for everybody here."

Bruno Guimaraes has sensationally claimed that he wants to win the Champions League with Newcastle United.

Newcastle, the wealthiest club in world football following last year's takeover by a Saudi Arabia-backed ownership group, spent big in January as they attempt to stave off relegation from the Premier League.

Eddie Howe's team sit 19th with 15 points, and face a huge contest against fellow strugglers Everton on Tuesday.

Guimaraes was one of the new recruits drafted in last month, and represented a real coup for Newcastle, with the midfielder having been linked to some of Europe's biggest clubs.

There are four players with 30+ tackles, 30+ dribbles completed and 30+ chances created in open play in Europe's big five leagues this season, and Guimaraes is one of them.

And despite his new team struggling at the wrong end of the league table, Guimaraes is targeting European glory down the line.

He told Newcastle's official website: "Of course, it's my dream. I can't stand losing, I get really annoyed with any type of defeat, on and off the pitch.

"I'm obsessed with winning. Given Newcastle's project, all the information they provided me with, we’ll have a great team here – as it was for a long time in the past.

"We want more, we want to win the Champions League."

Discussing what Newcastle fans can expect, the former Lyon midfielder added: "Absolutely, I also want to increase my goals and assists.

"Obviously as those who have signed me know well, I'm a midfielder not an attacker. I aim to get the ball into the attacking players.

"The fans can expect a lot of desire and determination. Goals aren't the strongest part of my game.

"I'll get the team moving and contribute to playing the ball out with quality. It’s good that it’s clear that Newcastle have signed a midfielder, not an attacker."