England will be without Manu Tuilagi for their Six Nations clash with Wales after the centre suffered a hamstring injury.
Tuilagi had been set to return from an injury lay off to feature at Twickenham on Saturday, having been named in the team that Eddie Jones confirmed on Thursday.
However, England have been dealt a blow as scans after training revealed a hamstring problem for the 30-year-old.
England have recalled Joe Marchant, who will train with the squad on Friday. However, an updated team will not be confirmed until the day of the game.
Tuilagi had been set to play alongside Henry Slade in midfield for Jones' team, who bounced back from their defeat to Scotland in the opening match by beating Italy last time out.
He has represented England in 46 Tests so far since making his debut in 2011.
Novak Djokovic has not lost any motivation for tennis, but believes he needs time to find some rhythm after a long break, as he conceded the world number one spot.
Djokovic's 86-week reign at the top of the ATP rankings will end on Monday, after the Serbian lost to qualifier Jiri Vesely 6-4 7-6 (7-4) in the Dubai Tennis Championships.
That means that Daniil Medvedev will leapfrog Djokovic regardless of whether or not he wins in Acapulco.
Using his official Twitter account, Djokovic congratulated both Vesely – who won his only previous meeting with the 20-time grand slam champion back in 2016 – and Medvedev.
"Well played @jiri_vesely, that was a great game. Wish you the best of luck for the rest of the tournament," Djokovic wrote, accompanying his post with a thumbs up emoji.
"Congratulations also to a very deserving @DaniilMedwed, who will now become world number one."
His appearance in Dubai was Djokovic's first competitive action of 2022, after he was unable to feature at the Australian Open due to his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
While suggesting he is still working his way back to full sharpness after not playing since December, Djokovic insisted he is fully motivated to carry on playing.
"My goal is to keep on playing tennis," Djokovic said in his post-match news conference.
"That's the ultimate goal. For as long as I really feel like it and as long as I can play. As long as my body allows me, as long as the circumstances in my life as well, the people that surround me [and] support me.
"I'm still motivated and I'm still p***** off when I lose a match. I care about it. I care about winning every match, as anybody else on the Tour, regardless of the age. I'm actually glad that I'm feeling a lot of emotions every single day because it means that I really want to be part of this sport, part of the Tour.
"Unfortunately, [it] wasn't my day. I congratulate Jiri. He played better.
"The more matches I play, the more comfortable I get on the court. I need the match play. I didn't have many matches at all last few months.
"I don't look at the age really as a restricting factor for my career. I still feel great in terms of my body and the way it's holding on, the way it's recovering. It's been serving me well, so to say. That's something that obviously encourages me to keep going."
Seth Curry does not want an apology from Ben Simmons as the pair start a new chapter with the Brooklyn Nets.
Curry and Simmons were team-mates on the Philadelphia 76ers, although the former first overall pick had not played this season.
Simmons has now cited a difficult period with his mental health as his reason for staying away from the 76ers until a trade was agreed with the Nets.
The Australian was the subject of intense criticism following the team's playoff defeat to the Atlanta Hawks last season, in which he was deemed to have shirked responsibility and passed up shooting opportunities.
With James Harden leaving the Nets for the 76ers, Curry and Andre Drummond joined Simmons in the deal going the other way.
It means Simmons must now play with team-mates he abandoned earlier in the season, but Curry does not see that as a problem.
"Business is business," Curry told ESPN on Thursday ahead of the NBA's resumption after the All-Star break.
"I said from day [one], even when he was out early in the season, people were asking me if I feel like, if Ben comes back, should he apologise to us or whatever?
"I understand the business; he doesn't need to apologise to anybody. When he's on the court, I know he's going to do his job and he's going to do what he does. So I understand the business.
"He was doing what he felt was best for himself business-wise and personal-wise. And the team's going to do the same thing as far as making trades or whatever, so I understand it, I've been around it; I don't take anything personal.
"When we're on the court, we're team-mates. Everything's fine, and we depend on each other to do good things. There's been nothing negative he's done to me personally, so I'm fine."
Anett Kontaveit remained on course for a sixth title in seven months, progressing to the Qatar Open semi-finals after defeating Ons Jabeur in straight sets.
Champion in St Petersburg two weeks ago, Kontaveit extended her winning run to eight matches following a 6-4 6-1 success.
The opening set was neck and neck until Kontaveit won 15 out of 16 points from 30-30 at 4-4 to draw first blood and establish a 2-0 lead in the second.
The Estonian, who registered just 12 unforced errors throughout the contest, then took 12 of the last 15 points to advance to the last four.
"At times, it was just kind of fun because I felt like the level was really good, and I was playing really well," said Kontaveit, who has won nine of her last 13 matches against top-10 opposition.
"I think I have this confidence that I can go deep every week that I'm playing, and I'm not setting these mental barriers to myself that I used to do.
"I'm very happy with being in the semi-finals, but I also feel like I can still go deeper, I can still do more. So, I'm not too satisfied yet with this result. I feel like if I play well or if I'm consistent, I have a chance with anyone.
"I'm really happy that I'm bringing a good level of tennis consistently every tournament. I think that's something that I'm just most pleased with."
In the semi-finals, Kontaveit will face another in-form player in Jelena Ostapenko, who saw off Garbine Muguruza in straight sets.
Having triumphed in Dubai last week, the 15th seed has now recorded nine successive victories for the first time in her career after prevailing 6-2 6-2.
Ostapenko struck 39 winners and claimed 15 of 18 points on her opponent's second serve as she moved a step closer to a maiden title in Doha, having reached the final six years ago.
Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek is through to her first WTA 1000 semi-final on a hard court after a 6-2 6-3 win over Aryna Sabalenka.
The former French Open champion won seven out of eight breakpoints, while reeling off six successive games in the second set to secure a comfortable victory.
Next up for her is Maria Sakkari, who recorded her third win against Coco Gauff in four meetings after prevailing 6-3 6-3.
The sixth seed is through to her sixth semi-final at WTA 1000 level or above – and targeting her first such title.
Daniil Medvedev will become the new world number one after Novak Djokovic was beaten by Jiri Vesely at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Medvedev entered this week knowing victory at the Mexican Open would see him move to the top of the ATP rankings for the first time.
But the Russian was still waiting to play his quarter-final on Thursday when his ascension was confirmed courtesy of Djokovic's last-eight defeat in Dubai.
Djokovic, a seven-time year-end number one, had led the rankings for 86 consecutive weeks, boosting his record total to 361 weeks.
In his first tournament since missing the Australian Open, however, the five-time Dubai champion struggled to match 123rd-ranked Vesely and went down 6-4 7-6 (7-4).
Djokovic might have known what to expect, having lost his only prior meeting with Vesely in Monte Carlo in 2016.
The Serbian looked like getting to grips with his opponent at the start of the second set, applying pressure, but was then broken again and had to respond strongly to reach a tie-break.
Again, Vesely led, and Djokovic's match was summed up by a double-fault immediately after winning back the mini-break, allowing the Czech to prevail.
The victor hailed the end of Djokovic's reign, saying in his on-court interview: "It's great for tennis to have somebody new as world number one again.
"We all know Novak missed the Australian Open, but he's been such a champion, as world number one for 361 weeks.
"Tennis needs new number ones, new generations coming up, so I think it's just great."
As Vesely advances, second seed Andrey Rublev will fancy his chances of a second straight ATP Tour title after his win at the Open 13 Provence.
Rublev stretched his winning streak to seven matches in coming from behind to beat Mackenzie McDonald and make the semi-finals, where he will play Hubert Hurkacz, who defeated Jannik Sinner.
Rafael Nadal hopes Alexander Zverev's withdrawal from the Mexico Open will "serve as a lesson" for him and other players when it comes to controlling their emotions on the court.
The world number three was pulled out of this month's tournament in Acapulco following an outburst where he hit the umpire's chair with his racquet in a tirade following a doubles defeat.
The ATP subsequently barred him from competition for a second-round singles clash, with several leading players, including Novak Djokovic, condemning the German's actions.
Speaking ahead of his own quarter-final this week, Nadal - who won a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam in at the Australian Open last month - stated he hoped the 24-year-old and other young players would learn that such behaviour is not acceptable.
"It's unfortunate, without a doubt," the Spaniard said. "I feel sorry for him as I have a good relationship with Alexander.
"In the end, he deserves the sanction because you can't act in this way.
"I think Sascha is aware of that and I hope this will serve as a lesson for him and for other young players who sometimes lose control on the court.
"I am not going to enter into what is or is not fair in terms of sanction," Nadal said. "But in the end you have to stop that type of attitude from becoming fashionable."
Zverev had been due to face Peter Gojowczyk in a singles encounter before he exploded at the end of his match with partner Marcelo Melo against Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara.
Following an over-ruled decision from the umpire that handed the latter pair match point in a super tie-break, the duo decided the game with an ace the very next serve.
That led to Zverev smashing his racquet against the umpire's chair on multiple occasions in quick succession, punctured by a foul-mouthed tirade.
The Tokyo 2020 champion subsequently apologised for his behaviour. The Mexico Open continues until February 26.
Sebastian Vettel claims he has already decided not to participate in September's Russian Grand Prix after Russia launched an attack on neighbouring Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to attack Ukraine comes just days after Moscow elected to recognise the independence of two breakaway regions in the east of the country, and has led to Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy severing diplomatic ties with Russia and declaring martial law in the country.
The attack has drawn widespread international condemnation, and has already impacted the sporting world, with UEFA likely to strip St Petersburg of May's Champions League final and the Ukrainian Premier League being suspended.
Now Vettel claims he has already made up his mind on whether he would participate in the Russian Grand Prix, currently scheduled for late September in Sochi.
"I woke up after this morning's news, [and was] shocked," the four-time Drivers' champion said.
"For myself, my opinion is I should not go, I will not go.
"I think it's wrong to race in the country.
"I'm sorry for the innocent people that are losing their lives, that are getting killed for stupid reasons and [because of] a very, very strange and mad [Russian] leadership.
"I'm sure it's something we will talk about, but as the GPDA [Grand Prix Driver's Association, the trade union representing Formula One drivers], we haven't come together yet."
Aston Martin driver Vettel, who won four consecutive world championships between 2010 and 2013, has been a director of the GPDA since 2010, and has previously spoken out on several other issues, being reprimanded for donning a pride flag at last year's Hungarian Grand Prix, before hosting an all-women's karting race prior to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix later that year.
Two-time champion Fernando Alonso also called on Formula One to "do the best thing", while reigning world champion Max Verstappen echoed Vettel's sentiments.
"When a country is at war it is not right to race there," Verstappen said on day two of pre-season testing in Barcelona.
Formula One had earlier refused to comment on the potential for the race to be relocated, issuing a statement which claimed it "was closely watching the very fluid developments, and at this time has no further comment on the race," and added that it will "continue to monitor the situation very closely."
Rory Darge will make his first start for Scotland in their Six Nations clash with France on Saturday after Gregor Townsend was forced to reshuffle his pack.
The Glasgow Warriors flanker is named alongside Hamish Watson and Magnus Bradbury in an all-new back row, with the latter making his first Scotland start since 2020.
A slew of injuries have forced a clutch of players – including Cam Redpath, Rory Sutherland, Javan Sebastian, Jonny Gray and Scott Cummings – to drop out of contention.
Six more faces have been called up to the wider squad, though only prop Oli Kebble makes the matchday party from those added following Scotland's 20-17 defeat to Wales last time out.
Sam Skinner moves up to partner Grant Gilchrist at lock while WP Nel drops to the replacement bench in what is ultimately two direct changes to the starting line-up.
France meanwhile make just the one change to their starting XV, after Gabin Villiere was ruled out with a sinus fracture sustained against Ireland.
Jonathan Danty comes back into the side after dropping out for the 30-24 win over Andy Farrell's side, while Yoram Moefana moves over to the wing to cover the Toulon star Villiere's absence.
Les Bleus remain the only side unbeaten in this year's Championship, but now face consecutive matches on the road after enjoying home advantage in their first two games.
Both teams will be out to make metres, with Scotland duo Stuart Hogg (843) and Finn Russell (747) having accrued more kicking metres than any other players in the 2022 Six Nations so far.
However, it is France (2,261) who have made the most as a team, with three different players having made 500+ metres with the boot for them in Antoine Dupont (682), Melvyn Jaminet (564) and Romain Ntamack (501).
This will be the 99th clash between the two nations in all competitions, with France claiming victory on 56 occasions and Scotland winning 39 times.
However, the honours are evenly split across their last 10 meetings with both sides picking up five wins apiece during that period.
Scotland team: Stuart Hogg, Darcy Graham, Chris Harris, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe, Finn Russell, Ali Price; Pierre Schoeman, Stuart McInally, Zander Fagerson, Sam Skinner, Grant Gilchrist, Rory Darge, Hamish Watson, Magnus Bradbury.
Replacements: George Turner, Oli Kebble, WP Nel, Jamie Hodgson, Nick Haining, Ben White, Blair Kinghorn, Mark Bennett.
France team: Melvyn Jaminet, Damian Penaud, Gael Fickou, Jonathan Danty, Yoram Moefana, Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont; Cyril Baille, Julien Marchand, Uini Atonio, Cameron Woki, Paul Willemse, Francois Cros, Anthony Jelonch, Gregory Alldritt.
Replacements: Peato Mauvaka, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Demba Bamba, Romain Taofifenua, Thibaud Flament, Dylan Cretin, Maxime Lucu, Thomas Ramos.
Manu Tuilagi and captain Courtney Lawes will make their returns from injury in England's Six Nations showdown with Wales at Twickenham, while forward Taulupe Faletau will make his first appearance since last year's competition for the visitors on Saturday.
Both sides have posted a win and a loss in their two games so far to trail early leaders France in the table.
England bounced back from a 20-17 loss to Scotland by thrashing Italy 33-0 last time out, while Wales beat Scotland 20-17 after opening their title defence with a 29-7 defeat in Ireland.
Lawes returns from a concussion-enforced layoff which has kept him out of action since January, and regains the captaincy he held against South Africa last Autumn, replacing stand-in Tom Curry in the role.
Tuilagi also makes a welcome return from injury, but Ben Youngs will have to wait to win a record 115th cap after being named on the bench, as Eddie Jones makes four changes to the team which impressed in Rome, with Luke Cowan-Dickie and Kyle Sinckler also coming in.
Looking ahead to the match, Jones told England Rugby that he was content with his side's preparation, and was excited ahead of the showdown.
"We've prepared very well for this game, the squad have really come together on and off the pitch," said Jones.
"Wales are a good, tough side and Six Nations champions, and it will make for an exciting Test match in front of a full Twickenham crowd.
"We've got a talented, young, hungry squad who have trained with real intensity this week. We're ready to go at them and can't wait to play in front of our supporters again."
Marie Bouzkova is through to the quarter-finals at the Abierto Zapopan in Guadalajara after beating Lucia Bronzetti in straight sets.
The Czech, ranked 96th in the world, will play either number three seed Sara Sorribes Tormo or Magdalena Frech in the last eight after sealing a 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 win against Bronzetti.
Anna Kalinskaya is also through after following up her impressive first-round win against eighth seed Qinwen Zheng by beating another Chinese opponent, Xinyu Wang 6-4 0-6 6-4.
The Russian had a mixed outing and looked to be on the ropes after losing the second set, but recovered and will go up against either fourth seed Camila Osorio or Hailey Baptiste in the quarter-finals.
One last eight match that has been finalised will be between Qiang Wang and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova after they beat Harmony Tan and Anastasia Potapova respectively.
Wang overcame her French opponent – who had eliminated second seed Madison Keys – 6-4 6-2, while Schmiedlova also won in straight sets against Potapova, 6-3 7-6 (7-5).
Rafael Nadal sealed his 12th consecutive win of the new season after a straight sets victory over Stefan Kozlov at the Mexican Open.
Nadal's 12-0 record to begin the year is the best of his illustrious career, and he never looked in any trouble as he eased to a 6-0 6-3 win against the American to advance to the quarter-finals in Acapulco.
The Australian Open champion's next opponent will be Tommy Paul after he beat Dusan Lajovic 7-6 (8-6) 2-6 7-5.
"A little bit of a strange match," Nadal said following his win. "Kozlov has a different style than most other players, so you need to be very careful. Sometimes you are able to win points in a row, but then if you start to play at his rhythm, it's very difficult because he has great control from the baseline and he's very smart."
Number one seed Daniil Medvedev is also safely through after comfortably defeating Pablo Andujar 6-1 6-2, and he will now go up against Yoshihito Nishioka after his victory against Feliciano Lopez.
Stefanos Tsitsipas managed to finish his match against J.J. Wolf in less than 48 minutes as he romped to a 6-0 6-1 win, while his quarter-final opponent Marcos Giron had a much tougher time of it getting past eighth seed Pablo Carreno Busta 6-7 (7-9) 6-4 7-6 (7-4).
Cameron Norrie also came from a set down to beat John Isner 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 6-4, and the sixth seed will now face Peter Gojowczyk after the German received a walkover following his compatriot Alexander Zverev being "withdrawn" from the singles competition after attacking the umpire's chair at the end of his defeat in the doubles.
Meanwhile, in the Chile Open, second seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas beat fellow Spaniard Carlos Taberner 6-2 7-6 (7-4) and will face eighth seed Facundo Bagnis in the quarter-finals after the Argentinian secured a win against Hugo Dellien 6-2 6-2.
Thiago Monteiro fought hard to get past third seed Federico Delbonis with a 3-6 6-4 6-1 victory, and will go up against seventh seed Sebastian Baez in the last eight, who defeated Juan Ignacio Londero 6-3 6-3.
Los Angeles Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth has revealed he received a call from Wayne Gretzky after his Super Bowl LVI win as he considers retirement.
Whitworth has been in the NFL since 2006, when he was drafted in the second round by the Cincinnati Bengals.
But he had to wait until this year to finally get his hands on a Super Bowl ring, beating his former team the Bengals with the Rams.
It was widely expected Whitworth would call time on his career if the Rams won the title, yet one of sport's great names has given him food for thought.
Whitworth told NFL Total Access: "You definitely think about [winning a second Super Bowl], especially with Matthew Stafford coming back and Cooper Kupp and some of the special players – Aaron Donald being the biggest one, which we'll hopefully hear soon is going to be back.
"I've already seen him in the weight room working out, so I think that's a positive sign.
"It's a special group of guys, so you wouldn't want to miss that, that's for sure.
"I'll never forget after we won the game, the 'Great One', Wayne Gretzky, called me, because I live near him. He said, 'Hey Whit, there's only one thing better than winning one, and that's winning two'. I said I can't argue with you.
"It's going to be tough. One way or another, it's going to be a tough decision. There'd be a lot of great guys I'd be missing out on."
Jason Kenny, Great Britain's most successful Olympian, has retired from cycling to go into coaching.
Kenny has taken up a new role with British Cycling, bringing to an end his esteemed career as a competitor.
The 33-year-old won seven gold medals and two silvers across four Games, most recently triumphing in the keirin at Tokyo 2020.
But Kenny told the BBC: "A massive part of me would love to continue and try to get to Paris [in 2024] and I'm a little bit sad in a way to not do that.
"The opportunity at British Cycling to be a coach might not be there in three years. I thought I'd take it now."
Laura Kenny, his wife, has collected five golds and a silver since her Olympic bow at London 2012.
Major League Baseball has warned the 2022 season will be shortened and players will lose money if the lockout is not ended by Monday.
Monday represents the February 28 deadline the league has set as negotiations continue with the MLB Players Association over a new collective bargaining agreement.
That deadline had already been publicised to allow Opening Day to take place on March 31.
But with talks still unsuccessful to this point, MLB said on Wednesday there would be no room for manoeuvre with that date.
And if that deadline passes and games are missed, the league does not plan to compensate players.
"A deadline is a deadline. Missed games are missed games," a spokesperson said. "Salary will not be paid for those games."
Novak Djokovic condemned the actions of Alexander Zverev, but expressed his support for the world number three after he was "withdrawn" from the Mexico Open for hitting the umpire's chair with his racquet.
Zverev was enraged during a doubles clash with partner Marcelo Melo against Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara, after the umpire over-ruled a decision from the line judge.
That subsequently handed Glasspool and Heliovaara match point in the super tie-break, which was decided by an ace on the next serve.
Zverev quickly walked off and smashed his racquet against the umpire's chair three times, before shouting at the umpire that he had "destroyed the whole f****** match" and striking the chair again.
The German was then withdrawn by the ATP due to "unsportsmanlike conduct" ahead of a second-round singles meeting with Peter Gojowczyk.
The Olympic champion has apologised for his actions, explaining his regret at letting his fans, the tournament, and the sport that he loves down, and Djokovic believes Zverev will learn from his mistake.
"I saw the video, I saw Sascha's [Zverev] statement," Djokovic told reporters at a news conference after cruising into the quarter-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
"I think he said it all in that statement. He realises that it was a mistake. I understand the frustration. Sometimes on the court, you feel in the heat of the battle lots of different emotions, different things happening in your head.
"I've made mistakes in the past where I've had tantrums on the court, so I understand what the player is going through. Of course, I do not justify his actions, but that statement has handled it in the right way.
"He said he made a mistake and his actions were not appropriate. I think that the disqualification decision was not too harsh, I think it was correct under the circumstances.
"Of course, it can be harsh for a player to get disqualified from a tournament. I know a year-and-a-half ago, I had something - I can't say similar - but I was disqualified from a grand slam after unintentionally hitting the line umpire.
"I realised that it was a mistake and I had to take it. Hopefully, he can reflect on that and not let something like that happen again in his life. I'm sure that he's going to approach it maturely."
Djokovic enjoyed a much calmer outing in Dubai, where he overcame Karen Khachanov in just 98 minutes 6-3 7-6 (7-2) to tee up a quarter-final tie against qualifier Jiri Vesely.
He was then keen to stress that Zverev is not the first player to produce a raging response when on the court, and insisted that the 24-year-old will recover from the outburst.
"I'm sure that the ATP management and officials will look at the video, will probably interview the chair umpire, will take some time to decide what they want to do," he added.
"I'm never going to encourage the ATP disqualifying or fining a player because I'm not in a position to do that, why would I do that?
"Everyone is a human being, everyone is flawed and can make mistakes, but I wouldn't say that he was the only one that ever has done something like that.
"There were many examples of players hitting their racquet in the umpire's chair. It happens. Bottles, bags were thrown, a lot of things, a lot of bad words. It's not the only case."
Two of the top three seeds crashed out of the WTA Qatar Open in the round of 16 as Barbora Krejcikova and Paula Badosa both lost, though top seed Aryna Sabalenka is through to the quarter-finals, along with Coco Gauff.
Sabalenka eased past Jil Teichmann 6-2 6-1 in Doha, winning an impressive 70 per cent of her second serves as she rarely gave her Swiss opponent any hope in a match that lasted just over an hour.
The Belarusian will now play Iga Swiatek in the last eight after the seventh seed beat Daria Kasatkina 6-3 6-0.
Number two seed Krejcikova was eliminated by the winner in Dubai last week, Jelena Ostapenko, 6-3 6-2. The Czech struggled to get going and ended the match with seven double faults to her name.
World number four Badosa fared no better as she also lost in straight sets to Gauff 6-2 6-3, with the 17-year-old winning a dominant 77.1 per cent of points on her first serve.
Badosa is the joint-highest ranked player that Gauff has defeated, along with Naomi Osaka, who was also ranked fourth in the world when she lost to the teenager at the 2020 Australian Open.
Gauff will now face Maria Sakkari after the Greek defeated another American, Jessica Pegula.
Ostapenko will go up against reigning WTA Finals champion Garbine Muguruza who convincingly defeated Madison Brengle 6-0 6-2.
Number four seed and St Petersburg champion Anett Kontaveit is through after a topsy-turvy clash with Elise Mertens 6-3 0-6 6-2 and will come up against Tunisia's Ons Jabeur.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have promoted Mike Gansey to the role of general manager, with the 39-year-old stepping up from his previous role as assistant.
The change comes after previous GM Koby Altman was elevated to the president of basketball operations last month, allowing Gansey, who has occupied a number of roles at the organisation since 2011, to make the step up.
The Cavaliers have emerged as a surprise contender in the NBA's Eastern Conference this season, emerging from the All-Star break fourth in the East with a 35-23 record, just 2.5 games back of joint-leaders Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls.
Gansey has had a key role in the team's improvement, weighing in on the draft picks of Darius Garland and Evan Mobley and the trades for Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert.
In a statement announcing the move, Altman praised Gansey's previous work in Cleveland and looked forward to the pair continuing their front office partnership.
"Mike has been an incredible resource to me and this organisation, and his work behind the scenes gives me great confidence that he is ready to take on more of a leadership role," he said.
"His community roots provides a unique perspective when evaluating players and the type of commitment needed to make a positive impact in Cleveland.
"I could not think of a better person to work alongside as we continue building this team toward sustainable success."
Despite suffering back-to-back defeats to the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers, the Cavaliers remain in contention for their first playoff appearance since LeBron James' 2018 departure.
Recent speculation has focused on whether the four-time NBA MVP could return to the organisation after enjoying another fine individual season in a struggling Los Angeles Lakers team.
The FIA has expressed pride at the standard of stewarding in Formula One, in response to Lewis Hamilton's earlier comments on the need for "non-biased stewards" in the upcoming season.
Hamilton, who missed out on a record-breaking eighth title in a controversial finale to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last December, made the comments at 2022's first testing session in Barcelona.
The 37-year-old lost his title to Red Bull's Max Verstappen in the final seconds of the season, after since-removed race director Michael Masi unlapped a series of cars to permit one final lap of racing, with the Dutchman on new tyres.
Hamilton criticised the officiating of F1 in a news conference, insisting that some drivers "are very good friends with certain individuals" and claiming a requirement for "non-biased stewards".
In response, a spokesman for the sport's governing body said: "The FIA is proud of its global stewarding pathway that connects and develops the most talented stewards from across motorsport."
"This has resulted in a strong, independent and experienced group of officials who carry out their work with impartiality and the utmost professionalism."
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had earlier disagreed with Hamilton's comments, saying he did not think there was a "conscious bias" towards any teams.
Hamilton completed 50 laps in Mercedes' new W13 car in Barcelona, and will kick-start his attempt to regain the title at the Bahrain Grand Prix next month. Meanwhile, his team are looking to extend their record-breaking run of eight successive constructors' titles, which began in 2014.
Novak Djokovic is delighted to be back in competitive action after he booked his spot in the quarter-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Djokovic, whose decision not to be vaccinated against COVID-19 caused him to be deported from Australia on the eve of the year's first grand slam, eased to a 6-3 6-3 win over Lorenzo Musetti in his first match and made similarly light work of Karen Khachanov on Wednesday.
The world number one has won in Dubai on five occasions, last doing so in 2020, having elected against defending his title last year.
However, the Serbian is looking good to regain the crown in what is his first tournament on the ATP Tour in 2022, after he was unable to feature in Melbourne.
Djokovic needed 98 minutes to see off Khachanov 6-3 7-6 (7-2) and tee up a quarter-final tie against qualifier Jiri Vesely.
"I missed it [playing competitively]. This is my life," Djokovic said, with his previous competitive appearances coming in the Davis Cup Finals in November and December.
"This is what I have known for the past 20 years. Tennis is my love. I enjoy bringing positive energy and memories for people who watch."
It was not all plain sailing for Djokovic, who offered up four break points, but the 34-year-old clawed back three of them.
"I was feeling excited and motivated," added Djokovic, who has progressed to the quarters in Dubai every time he has featured at the tournament.
"But also at the same time I was feeling stressed. Particularly at the moments when I was facing break points. I thought the atmosphere in the stadium was terrific."
Djokovic, who will lose his place at the top of the ATP rankings if Daniil Medvedev triumphs in Acapulco, should have little trouble in sealing a semi-final spot, though Vesely does come into that tie on the back of a surprise 6-2 6-4 win over world number 15 Roberto Bautista Agut, who had triumphed in Doha last week.
Murray falls short of landmark win
Second seed Andrey Rublev came from a set down to defeat Kwon Soon-woo 4-6 6-0 6-3, and will go up against American Mackenzie McDonald for a place in the last four.
There was no such joy for former world number one Andy Murray, however, who fell to Jannik Sinner 7-5 6-2.
"It is a special feeling [to share the court with Murray]," said Sinner, who will next face Hubert Hurkacz, a 6-3 6-2 winner over Alex Molcan.
"He is a legend. Winning three grand slams, many, many tournaments and he has had some unfortunate moments with surgeries. His fighting spirit is incredible.
Murray was chasing a 700th tour-level win of his career but failed to muster a single break opportunity against the Italian, who made it to the quarter-finals in Melbourne last month.
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