Novak Djokovic was made to work hard for his 18th consecutive victory, eventually putting away Tomas Machac in the first round of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Djokovic, who is celebrating a record 378th week as world number one, had to rely on a third-set tie-break to finally get over the line, defeating his Czech opponent 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-1) on Tuesday.
Machac is ranked 130th in the world, but caused Djokovic plenty of problems, earning 10 break points across the match, though he was only able to convert three.
Djokovic had a 4-1 lead in the deciding set before Machac fought back to force a tie-break, but the Australian Open champion ultimately had few problems at 6-6 as he won seven of the eight points played to clinch the win.
"Tomas certainly didn't play like the No. 130 in the world today," Djokovic said of his opponent. "He was giving me all kinds of trouble. But I guess when it mattered, I found another gear."
Djokovic, who is still undefeated in 2023, will face Tallon Griekspoor in the second round.
Elsewhere, fresh off two titles in as many weeks, third seed Daniil Medvedev eased past Matteo Arnaldi 6-4 6-2 to tee up a tie with Alexander Bublik next after his opponent Alexandar Lazarov retired hurt with Bublik leading 6-1 1-0.
Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated Maxime Cressy 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-3, but sixth seed Karen Khachanov is out after he was beaten 7-5 6-2 by Botic van de Zandschulp.
The Dutchman will take on Mikael Ymer in the second round after his 6-2 6-3 win against Francesco Passaro, while eighth seed Borna Coric and Dan Evans played just four games before the latter retired hurt.
Christopher O'Connell set up a match against Alexander Zverev in the next round after he overcame Emil Ruusuvuori 7-5 6-4.
Gavin Lux's season is over before it even began.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced on Tuesday the infielder will miss the entire 2023 season due to a torn ACL in his right knee.
Lux sustained the injury on Monday in a spring training game when running between second and third base.
Needing to adjust his stride to avoid being hit by a throw, Lux's leg buckled awkwardly when he stepped down on his right foot. He tumbled to the ground and needed to be carted off the field.
Roberts said Lux also suffered damage to his LCL and will have surgery next week.
It is a devastating scenario for Lux, who was expected to be the Dodgers' everyday shortstop this season after Trea Turner left in free agency over the offseason to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies.
A first-round pick by the Dodgers in 2016, the 25-year-old Lux played in a career-high 129 games last season for Los Angeles, batting .276 with six home runs, 20 doubles and a National League-high seven triples.
In 273 career games over the parts of four MLB seasons, Turner is batting .253 with 18 home runs, 38 doubles and 105 RBIs.
Veteran Miguel Rojas will likely take over at shortstop for the Dodgers while the versatile Chris Taylor can also fill in.
The Green Bay Packers appear to be ready to acknowledge Aaron Rodgers may not be their quarterback for the 2023 season.
The Packers worked hard to keep Rodgers, then the back-to-back MVP, when he appeared to be entertaining the idea of a trade last year.
What followed was a record-breaking contract but an underwhelming season as Green Bay missed the playoffs with an 8-9 record.
Rodgers, 39, has again delivered cryptic messaging on his future this year, leaving for a four-day "darkness retreat" to consider his options.
Regardless, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst would not commit to the team working to bring Rodgers back when he spoke to reporters on Tuesday.
Gutekunst's comments appeared to stand in contrast to the eagerness of previous years, as he said: "He's a great player, but until we have those conversations, I think all options are on the table right now.
"We really need to have those conversations. We want what's best for the Green Bay Packers, what's best for Aaron. So, we'll get to that once those conversations happen."
Despite last year's contract extension, Gutekunst has not been surprised by the way the issue of Rodgers' future has arisen again.
"I don't know if things shifted," he said. "I think with a player who's played as long as Aaron has and as we've gone the last few years, we realised for him it's been a year-to-year type of proposition.
"I think we've kind of known that moving forward, that last year when we did the contract it was going to be year to year. That's kind of where we're at. I don't think it really adjusted or changed too much.
"We've always kind of known it was going to be year to year with him.
"I will say our season last year certainly adjusted some things and our thinking a little bit. Obviously, it was a disappointing season. Not where we wanted to be.
"Whenever that happens, you're going to look at a number of things that you're going to change."
Gutekunst added it "would be helpful for our football team" if a decision was reached by Rodgers ahead of free agency in mid-March.
Shaun Wane has signed a new contract with England to remain as head coach until the end of the 2025 Rugby League World Cup.
There was disappointment for England at last year's World Cup on home soil as they lost to Samoa in golden-point extra time to exit the tournament in the semi-finals.
Australia went on to defeat Samoa in the final, with the competition – officially the 2021 edition – having been held one year later than planned due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
But following a thorough review, which included the Rugby Football League (RFL) consulting with senior players, former Wigan Warriors boss Wane will retain his job, with France set to host the next World Cup in 2025.
"The RFL Board received and considered at length a detailed review of the performance of each of the England teams at RLWC2021," RFL chair Simon Johnson said.
"No stone was left unturned in the review, which included submissions from coaches, players and staff alike.
"The report generated a good, robust and lengthy discussion at our February board meeting. We are confident that we have the right people in place."
Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Indian Wells Open as he continues his recovery from a hip injury.
Nadal sustained the injury during his straight-sets defeat to Mackenzie McDonald at the Australian Open in January, struggling to move around the court during the closing stages of the contest in Melbourne.
A day after that match, the Spaniard wrote on Twitter: "I have carried out medical tests after the defeat yesterday. The MRI shows a grade two lesion in the iliopsoas of the left leg. Now it's sports rest and anti-inflammatory physiotherapy. Normal recovery time six to eight weeks."
It seems that Indian Wells, the first ATP Masters 1000 event of the season, has come too soon for the 36-year-old, and it remains to be seen if he will be able to compete at the Miami Open later in March.
The tournament's director, Tommy Haas, said on Tuesday: "We wish Rafa continued healing, and hope to see him back at the BNP Paribas Open next year."
Nadal reached the final of last year's tournament at Indian Wells, where he lost to American Taylor Fritz.
He has won three titles at Indian Wells, but the last came back in 2013.
Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball will miss the rest of the NBA campaign through injury, with the news coming just a week after it was confirmed his brother will also remain sidelined until next season.
Ball fractured his right ankle during Monday's 117-106 win over the Detroit Pistons.
Chicago Bulls star Lonzo Ball has not played at all in 2022-23 due to a knee injury that has required multiple surgeries, and the Bulls said last week that due to continued "discomfort during high-level basketball-related activities", the player would not be risked before the end of the season.
LaMelo – a 2022 NBA All-Star – has had issues with his left ankle throughout the season, meaning he was only able to play 36 games, and The Athletic's Shams Charania tweeted on Tuesday that he will "miss the remainder of the season", according to sources.
The 21-year-old has averaged 23.3 points per game this season, with 8.4 assists and 6.4 rebounds.
The Hornets are well short of playoff contention, with a record of 20-43, though are on a five-game win streak after Monday's win against the only team with a worse record than them in the Eastern Conference, the Pistons.
The Philadelphia Eagles are making Brian Johnson, the quarterbacks coach behind Jalen Hurts' progress, their new offensive coordinator.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Johnson's imminent promotion on Tuesday.
The Eagles needed a new OC after Shane Steichen landed the Indianapolis Colts head coach job.
Johnson was coached by Averion Hurts at high school and has remained close with Jalen, Averion's son and the Eagles' quarterback.
Hurts, working with Johnson and Steichen, led the Eagles to the Super Bowl in the 2022 season.
He threw for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns in the regular season, adding another 13 scores on the ground. The Eagles were 14-1 with Hurts starting.
Marcus Mariota was released by the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday as Arthur Smith cut the quarterback from his roster after just one season.
The move seemingly boosts the prospects of Desmond Ridder, a third-round pick who played four times in his rookie season, becoming the regular starting QB for Atlanta.
The Falcons may still elect to bring in a more experienced starting signal caller, but the Mariota dalliance is over.
Recruited to take the place of Matt Ryan, who joined the Indianapolis Colts, Mariota ranked 27th among NFL quarterbacks in completion percentage (61.3 per cent), registering 2,219 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions, also rushing for 438 yards.
The Hawaii-born 29-year-old had joined on a two-year contract last March and his release frees up salary cap space.
Falcons head coach Smith had previously worked with Mariota at the Tennessee Titans, where the quarterback had a four-and-a-half-season stint as a starter, eventually losing his place to Ryan Tannehill.
A subsequent spell with the Las Vegas Raiders saw Mariota serve as back-up to Derek Carr, before the Falcons swooped for him.
Although Ridder lost out to Mariota for the start initially in the 2022 season, the 23-year-old usurped his senior colleague towards the end of the campaign. Mariota finished with a 5-8 record in a 7-10 season for the Falcons, with Ridder 2-2 over the closing four-game stretch.
Smith, quoted on the team's web page, praised Ridder but offered no assurances over who would be his starting QB, saying: "As always, all options are on the table."
The Buffalo Bills will be without defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier in 2023 as he plans to take a year out of coaching before returning in 2024.
Frazier has been the Bills' DC since 2017, in which time he has overseen one of the best defenses in the NFL.
Indeed, across six seasons, Buffalo have given up only 314.9 total yards per game to lead the league over that period.
A statement on Tuesday revealed Frazier was stepping away for a year, however, dealing the Bills a big blow.
Frazier would then return to coaching in 2024, although the statement did not clarify whether that would be with the Bills, who will now have to recruit a replacement for the 2023 season.
Jhaniele Fowler’s West Coast Fever are Suncorp Team Girls Cup champions after defeating the Adelaide Thunderbirds 49-41 in the final at the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre on Sunday.
The two teams couldn’t be separated in the first half and entered the bread tied at 22. The Fever then won the third period 13-12 before pulling away in the final quarter 14-7 for an overall 49-41 win.
Sasha Glasgow was player of the match, shooting 21/24 while Fowler shot 12/13.
Courtney Bruce and Kim Jenner were both stand outs in defence. Bruce had four gains while Jenner had two to her name.
Jamaicans Shamera Sterling and Latanya Wilson had two gains, each, for the Thunderbirds.
Elsewhere, Romelda Aiken-George shot 15/16 to help NSW Swifts defeat Giants Netball 44-38 to finish fifth.
The Team Girls Cup acts as a pre-season tournament ahead of the Suncorp Super Netball League in which the Fever are the defending Champions. In last year's final, Fowler scored 58 goals as the Fever beat the Melbourne Vixens 70-59. She was also named player of the year for the fifth year in a row.
Jayson Tatum revealed he was ejected for describing the Boston Celtics' tussle with the New York Knicks as "the best-officiated game I've been a part of".
The seemingly sarcastic comment towards the game officials cost Tatum his place on the court with 3:46 remaining in the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden.
By then, the Knicks were almost home and hosed, and they saw out a 109-94 victory to extend their streak to six games and improve to 36-27 overall.
It was the 24-year-old Tatum's first ejection of his NBA career, and defeat means the Celtics (44-18) no longer have the best record in the league, dropping below the Milwaukee Bucks (43-17).
Tatum managed just 14 points on six-of-18 shooting from the field, with seven rebounds and nine assists.
Asked what was the cause of his ejection, Tatum said: "I don't know, but all the great players get thrown out a few times in their career, so, it's good for my rep."
Tatum did know the reason, though. He felt the officials missed a foul on a three-point shot and he made his feelings known.
He had already seen a technical foul given against him, for raising a grievance over no foul being called on a dunk late in the third quarter.
"That one was the tough one. The first one, no call. If you look, it was clearly a foul," Tatum said. "Those are the ones that are tough. You get a tech for something that you probably was right about.
"The second one, I just told him this was probably the best-officiated game I've been a part of. I tried to give him a compliment. It didn't go over so well."
Although obviously a jibe rather than praise, Tatum repeated his message: "I said it was the best-officiated game I've been a part of. I meant it."
Taylor Fritz was forced to come from behind to claim a three-set victory over John Isner in the opening round of the Mexican Open in Acapulco on Monday.
Fritz was among the seeds to progress, alongside Casper Ruud, Holger Rune, Francis Tiafoe and Tommy Paul.
The third seed lost the opening set in 29 minutes but rallied back to win 3-6 6-3 6-4 in one hour and 49 minutes over the big-serving world number 38 Isner.
Fritz claimed his first break of the match in the 17th game before levelling things up at one set each, before breaking Isner at 4-4 in the third and serving out for victory.
The win means Fritz will take on Canada's Denis Shapovalov in the second round after he beat Miomir Kecmanovic in three sets, with the American looking to go one better after being runner-up in Acapulco in 2020.
Second seed Ruud found himself in an almighty battle with Argentina's Guido Andreozzi and eventually prevailed 6-4 4-6 7-6 (7-2).
World number four Ruud, ranked 338 places above his opponent, was broken in the first game of each set but dug deep to get the job done in a little under three hours.
Fourth seed Rune got past 2023 Australian Open quarter-finalist Ben Shelton 6-7 (7-9) 6-4 6-2.
Sixth seed Tiafoe overcame Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 while 2023 Australian Open semi-finalist Paul beat Emilio Gomez 6-1 7-6 (7-4).
Defending champion Pedro Martinez was bundled out of the Chile Open in the first round after losing 6-2 6-0 to German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann.
Jaume Munar progressed to set up a second-round clash with top seed Lorenzo Musetti after winning 6-0 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-5) against Alejandro Tabilo.
Second seed Marie Bouzkova suffered a shock first-round exit at the Monterrey Open losing in straight sets to world number 100 Anna Karolina Schmiedlova on Monday.
The Slovakian triumphed 6-4 6-2 in one hour and 46 minutes over the Czech who was a runner-up at this event in 2020.
Schmiedlova will take on American qualifier Caroline Dolehide in the second round after she knocked off Jule Niemeier 6-1 6-0.
Dolehide's dominance was impressive given she is ranked 206th in the world compared to 2022 Wimbledon quarter-finalist Niemeier at 69th.
Fifth seed Zhu Lin got past Hungary's Anna Bondar 6-4 7-6 (7-4), setting up a second-round clash with Canada's Rebecca Marino after she beat local wildcard Fernanda Contreras Gomez 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-4).
Belgium's Ysaline Bonaventure triumphed in two hours and 20 minutes over Greek qualifier Despina Papamichail 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 6-1.
British qualifier Heather Watson toppled Danka Kovinic 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 in the first round of the ATX Open in Austin.
Seventh seed Alycia Parks was eliminated 6-4 4-6 6-4 by Swedish wild card Mirjam Bjorklund.
The Charlotte Hornets have confirmed point guard LaMelo Ball fractured his right ankle during Monday's 117-106 win over the Detroit Pistons.
Ball went down awkwardly with the ball in the third quarter, before being subbed out of the game.
The Hornets revealed the severity of the injury for the 2020 NBA Draft third overall selection after the game.
"Ball suffered a fracture in his right ankle in tonight’s home game vs. Detroit," the Hornets update said.
"Ball left the game in the third quarter and an x-ray taken at the arena revealed the fracture. Ball will be listed as out for the Hornets’ next game vs. Phoenix on March 1 and updates regarding his status will be provided as appropriate."
The 2022 NBA All-Star has struggled with his left ankle throughout the season, forcing him to miss multiple stretches of games.
The Hornets are 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 20-43 record and are not in playoff contention with 19 games remaining, although Hornets head coach Steve Clifford did not say how long Ball is expected to be out.
"It's just a basketball ankle and there is nothing that you can do about that," Clifford said.
Jayson Tatum was ejected for the first time in his NBA career as the New York Knicks extended their win streak to six games with a 109-94 victory over the Boston Celtics on Monday.
Tatum was tossed after remonstrating with the referees with 3:46 remaining in the fourth quarter with the Celtics destined for a defeat, which sees them drop below the Milwaukee Bucks atop the NBA standings.
The Bucks (43-17) are ahead of the Celtics (44-18) on percentage, marking the first time Boston have not been top of the league since December 22.
The Celtics were not helped by two-of-19 three-point shooting in the first half, the worst of any half this season.
Tatum played his part in that, finishing the game with 14 points on six-of-18 shooting from the field, with seven rebounds and nine assists. Marcus Smart added 19 points while Jaylen Brown was out for personal reasons.
The Knicks were led by Julius Randle and Immanuel Quickley who both scored 23 points, while Jalen Brunson added 17.
New York are 8-1 since February 5, marking the second-best record in the NBA during that period, while they have a point differential per game of 10.2 during that stretch, also second best in the league.
Butler acrobatics in Heat triumph
Jimmy Butler led the way as five Miami Heat players hit double figures in their 101-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Butler produced a go-ahead acrobatic reverse layup scoop with 1:28 remaining, finishing the game with 23 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.
James Harden's game-winning three-point attempt bounced off the rim, meaning he scored 20 points with 12 assists. Joel Embiid top scored with 27 points and 12 rebounds, while Tyrese Maxey had 23 points off the bench.
The Heat have now won 13 games this season in one-score games, which is comfortably the most in the NBA.
Clutch Banchero leads Magic past Pels
Last year's NBA Draft top overall selection Paolo Banchero came up clutch in the dying minutes to lead the Orlando Magic past the New Orleans Pelicans 101-93.
Banchero finished with 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field with eight rebounds and four assists. The talent landed three clutch mid-range jumpers in the final few minutes.
Brandon Ingram top scored for the Pels, who continue to struggle without their former top NBA Draft pick Zion Williamson, with 25 points, six rebounds and five assists.
LeBron James is missing the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Memphis Grizzlies after appearing to sustain an injury in his last outing.
James was clearly limping by the end of Sunday's win over the Dallas Mavericks.
The 38-year-old went down in some pain late in the third quarter of that game, although replays showed there was no contact with a Mavericks player.
Now, the Lakers have confirmed James will not play any part against the Grizzlies on Tuesday, listing his right foot soreness on their injury report.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski has reported James is feared to be out for several weeks, although he is still undergoing further testing.
James said after Sunday's game his foot had "been better".
The team have increasingly limited options, with D'Angelo Russell already doubtful due to the right ankle sprain that kept him out of the Mavericks game.
Anthony Davis was probable to play despite what the Lakers described as a right foot stress injury.
The 29-32 Lakers are a game back from the play-in places in the Western Conference.
New Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder is hopeful of going on a run this season while also building a culture within the franchise.
The Hawks confirmed the appointment of Snyder on Sunday, replacing Nate McMillan, who was fired last week.
Snyder has been out of a job since leaving the Jazz at the end of last season, having led them to six straight playoff appearances.
Atlanta are eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 31-30 record but the appointment of ex-Utah Jazz head coach Snyder offers instant hope, although he said the decision to take over now rather than at the end of the season was not simple given the expectation of immediate results.
"As I thought about it, I think the opportunity to come in now, although maybe challenging, is also an opportunity to hopefully go on a run," Snyder told reporters.
"Also, and I think these things are not mutually exclusive, to begin to build a foundation, a culture. It's always a challenge, but those challenges are often most rewarding and the best opportunity."
The Hawks boast a strong roster featuring All-Stars Trae Young and Dejounte Murray and Snyder was bullish about getting the best out of them.
"I think players want to get better, and they want to be coached," Snyder said. "I think the relationships are what allows you to coach them effectively.
"In those things again, it's part of the reason I wanted to start now, and I think that our group here needs to just decide to trust each other. it's incumbent upon all of us – myself, first and foremost – to not violate that trust."
Hawks general manager Landry Fields said Snyder was their first choice and that he ticked all the boxes.
"Everything we were looking for, it was check, check, check," he said.
Dak Prescott’s seventh season with the Dallas Cowboys was an up-and-down affair.
Prescott helped lead Dallas to a 12-5 regular-season record and a Wild Card Round win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - just the Cowboys’ fifth playoff victory since 1996.
But Prescott also threw 15 interceptions last season - tied for the most in the NFL - in just 12 games, and backup Cooper Rush was 4-1 while Prescott was out with a broken thumb.
Despite Prescott’s inconsistent year, executive vice president Stephen Jones believes the Cowboys have the right quarterback to win the franchise’s first Super Bowl since the 1995 season.
“I've got all the faith in the world we can win this thing with Dak,” Jones told reporters Monday at the scouting combine in Indianapolis.
"Because we know him. We know what he's about. His leadership skills are undeniable. Impeccable work ethic. Other than he hadn't won some key playoff games, he's everything you want in a quarterback.
"From the day he walked in the door, he's won a lot of games. We just got to get over the hump."
Prescott is signed through 2024, and his contract carries a cap hit of over $49 million in the 2023 season.
Assuming Dallas is as confident in him as Jones’ comments indicate, the Cowboys could sign Prescott to a contract extension to create extra salary cap space over the next few seasons.
“We've got to have a plan to ultimately extend Dak,” Jones said.
The Cowboys’ offense is poised to undergo a transformation after the departure of Kellen Moore, who served as the team’s offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2022.
Brian Schottenheimer takes over as OC in 2023, but veteran head coach Mike McCarthy will assume offensive play-calling duties.
“Obviously he's the head coach of this football team, and he made a compelling argument that making him the playcaller was going to help us,” Jones said. “I mean that's part of the coaching, be one click better. He feels good about it. He's had a lot of success as a playcaller.
“And he's observed for three years. I think he's been a super leader in that aspect in terms of having the respect for Kellen and the offensive group working with Dak, that that was the better way of doing it.”
Despite the continuity of McCarthy and Prescott remaining in place, Jones thinks that the Cowboys’ offense could evolve in 2023.
“I think [McCarthy] believes now, although they believe in a lot of things the same, there's that 15-20% that they don't. And I think that Mike just thinks that they'll do more with the way he wants to do it [and] that we'll be a better offensive football team.
“I just think it's some of it's the fundamentals, how you block it, how you coordinate and marry the run game to the pass game, what your pass game is philosophically, what your run game is philosophically.”
LeBron James is missing the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Memphis Grizzlies after appearing to sustain an injury in his last outing.
James was clearly limping by the end of Sunday's win over the Dallas Mavericks.
The 38-year-old went down in some pain late in the third quarter of that game, although replays showed there was no contact with a Mavericks player.
Now, the Lakers have confirmed James will not play any part against the Grizzlies on Tuesday, listing his right foot soreness on their injury report.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski has reported James is feared to be out for several weeks although he is still undergoing further testing.
James said after Sunday's game his foot had "been better".
The team have increasingly limited options, with D'Angelo Russell already doubtful due to the right ankle sprain that kept him out of the Mavericks game.
Anthony Davis was probable to play despite what the Lakers described as a right foot stress injury.
The 29-32 Lakers are a game back from the play-in places in the Western Conference.
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