Saturday’s BetMGM Clarence House Chase fixture at Ascot is already in major doubt after an inspection was called for 4pm this afternoon.
The Berkshire circuit is due to host a seven-race card, with the Grade One feature set to stage a mouthwatering rematch between old foes El Fabiolo and Jonbon after the top-class pair were both declared as part of a four-runner field on Thursday morning.
However, it appears increasingly unlikely the clash will take place this weekend after temperatures dipped even lower than forecast on Wednesday night.
“We were expecting to get down to minus 4C last night, but we actually got down to minus 6C,” said clerk of the course Chris Stickels.
“It’s still colder than minus 2C now here and the forecast for tonight is for temperatures to get down to minus 4C.
“The course is frozen under the covers and with the forecast we’ve got, I would imagine we’re going to be unable to race. There’s nothing at this stage that gives me confidence.”
An inspection has also been called ahead of Saturday’s meeting at Haydock, with officials set to check on conditions at 8am on Friday.
Clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright admits it is a “long shot” the card, which features the Sky Bet Peter Marsh Chase, will take place, but given a rise in temperatures is forecast on Friday, he will wait a little longer before making a final decision.
He said: “It’s a long shot but we have got one eye on this thaw.
“We will probably fail to race, but we think it’s worth running with it a little bit longer in case that thaw comes a bit earlier than expected.
“We got to minus 7C last night so the majority of the track is frozen, including some areas under the covers, so we have a steep gradient to climb.”
Carlos Alcaraz came through a tough four-set battle with Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego on a day of close encounters for the big names at the Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic’s struggles will have given heart to his rivals but few are finding the early stages of the tournament straightforward, and second seed Alcaraz needed three hours and 25 minutes to defeat Sonego 6-4 6-7 (3) 6-3 7-6 (3).
In a match full of shot-making, Alcaraz topped the highlight reel with two winners around the net post.
“I didn’t feel I had downs in the match,” said the Spaniard. “In the tie-break, he started to play an unbelievable game. I think he made some big returns after a good first serve from me.
“I think probably I could do something else in the tie-break. But the level that he played, it was really, really high.”
Sixth seed Alexander Zverev and 11th seed Casper Ruud both needed fifth-set tie-breaks to edge into round three.
Zverev looked in deep trouble down two sets to one against Slovakian qualifier Lukas Klein before recovering to win 7-5 3-6 4-6 7-6 (5) 7-6 (10/7).
The German said of his opponent: “I didn’t know him at all. To be honest, if he would have been in a room, I would have not known that he’s my opponent.
“But he played extremely well. He played very, very aggressive, hitting every single ball as hard as he could from both sides, I feel like. A lot of the times I was a spectator in the match. I was just witnessing whether he’s going to hit a winner or miss.
“That’s not a nice feeling to be in, especially in the important moments, but I’m happy that I managed to win.”
Zverev next faces American teenager Alex Michelsen, who knocked out last year’s quarter-finalist Jiri Lehecka.
Ruud was given a huge battle by Australian Max Purcell, who twice fought back from a set down to force a decider before the Norwegian prevailed 6-3 6-7 (5) 6-3 3-6 7-6 (10/7).
“He’s a really tricky player and a great tennis player in my eyes, even though he plays different from others,” said Ruud.
“I’m very happy with the win. He beat me in Cincinnati. The plan was to do things better from that time, and I think I did, and that was just enough to win the match.”
A Plus Tard, winner of the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup, has been retired from racing.
Owned by Cheveley Park Stud and trained by Henry de Bromhead, A Plus Tard gave jockey Rachael Blackmore a historic victory in the Prestbury Park feature as she became the first woman to ride the winner of jump racing’s blue riband.
The 10-year-old rocketed to a 15-length success that day, supplementing three previous Grade One wins, including a 22-length verdict in the 2021 Betfair Chase.
However, A Plus Tard has struggled to make his mark since that Gold Cup win, pulling up on two occasions and finishing third at Aintree in April before bowing out when unplaced in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown last month.
Richard Thompson, director of Cheveley Park Stud, paid tribute to the gelding who realised the dream of his late father, David, when winning at Cheltenham.
He said in a statement: “My father and I sat down in early 2018 and agreed a plan to buy some National Hunt horses to be trained in Ireland with the aim of winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
“Just over four years later, we achieved this objective when Rachael Blackmore rode A Plus Tard to victory in front of 70,000 people at the first Cheltenham Festival post Covid.
“My father watched A Plus Tard win the Savills Chase in a thrilling finish on television on December 28, 2020. He died the very next day. It was the last horse race he ever watched.
“A Plus Tard was also the first Cheltenham winner in the red, white and blue Cheveley Park Stud colours and also Rachael Blackmore’s first winner at Cheltenham in the 2019 Listed Close Brothers Novices’ Chase. Rachael rode him to five of his six victories and Darragh O’Keeffe rode him in the other one.
“For all of the above reasons, A Plus Tard will always be a very special horse in the history of my parents’ ownership of Cheveley Park Stud.
“A special thank you to Henry de Bromhead and all the team at Knockeen and to Rachael too. To win the Cheltenham Gold Cup is the Holy Grail of National Hunt racing and we will never forget March 18, 2022.”
A Plus Tard will remain at De Bromhead’s Knockeen yard in the immediate future before returning to Cheveley Park in Newmarket to enjoy his retirement.
De Bromhead added: “A Plus Tard was our first horse to train for Cheveley Park Stud and the Thompson Family. He was bought from France by Alex Elliot and gave us many memorable days, culminating in the 2022 Gold Cup.
“He was sublime that day, not only visually impressive, but also one of the highest rated winners of the Gold Cup in the last 30 years, as well as being one of the best horses we have ever had in our yard.
“We were delighted when this very special horse won Cheveley Park Stud their first Gold Cup.”
A Plus Tard bows out the winner of eight of his 23 career starts, with over £957,000 in prize money.
LeBron James quipped that Anthony Davis was learning from him after the latter turned in a star showing against the Dallas Mavericks.
Though James did have other things on his mind as he spoke to the media in the wake of the Los Angeles Lakers' 127-110 victory on Tuesday.
While D'Angelo Russell led the Lakers with 29 points, and James chipped in with 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, it was Davis who stole the show.
Davis finished with 28 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists as he fell just short of his second triple-double in the space of three games.
Asked about Davis in the locker room after the game, James said with a smile: "He's learning from me how to pass out of the post.
"He's been working on it and it’s great. Teams are going to stop doubling him soon.
"As long as we make shots out there for him. It's our job to make sure we are in the right position at the right time when he gets doubled."
James was not wholly focused on answering the media's questions, however, as he was simultaneously keeping an eye on how his son Bronny was getting on in the USC Trojans' matchup against the Arizona Wildcats.
USC ultimately lost 82-67, with James shouting "Shoot it!" several times through his media huddle.
While the Lakers have now won six of their last four games, the Mavs have lost three of their last five, with Luka Doncic's triple-double on his return from injury not enough against Los Angeles.
Doncic finished with 33 points but was only 2-for-9 when it came to 3-pointers.
"First game back was tough with the legs. I thought a lot of 3s were going in and they didn't," he said.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd added: "We generated a lot of wide-open looks and they didn't drop for us.
"They made it a point to have pace and took advantage of the misses. When you miss open shots against a team like that, they are going to make you pay."
For Lakers coach Darvin Ham, it is now a case of his team being able to replicate the urgency they showed at both ends of the court, starting against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.
"Usually when you play good defense, it triggers good offense," Ham said.
"Everyone was having that sense of urgency to be in attack mode. We have to bottle it up and continue to work at it and sustain what we do well."
Saturday’s meeting at Haydock will have to pass an 8am inspection on Friday if it is to go ahead.
Clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright admits it is a “long shot” the card, which features the Sky Bet Peter Marsh Chase, will take place, but given a rise in temperatures is forecast on Friday, he will wait a little longer before making a final decision.
He said: “It’s a long shot but we have got one eye on this thaw.
“We will probably fail to race, but we think it’s worth running with it a little bit longer in case that thaw comes a bit earlier than expected.
“We got to minus 7C last night so the majority of the track is frozen, including some areas under the covers, so we have a steep gradient to climb.”
Katie Boulter came out second best in a power battle with 12th seed Zheng Qinwen at the Australian Open.
British number one Boulter has had a great start to the season and she certainly played her part in an entertaining clash against Zheng, who is one of the rising stars of the game.
Ultimately she could not secure a spot in the third round, though, losing out 6-3 6-3 to the 21-year-old Chinese star in windy conditions at Melbourne Park.
Given the weather, this was a quality encounter between two of the cleanest ball strikers in the game.
It was a nip-and-tuck contest, with little to choose between them throughout, but ultimately it was Zheng who managed to come out on top in the crucial moments.
Boulter led by a break at 3-2 in the second set but Zheng responded with a run of four games in a row.
The last game was the longest of the match, with Boulter saving five match points but unable to take any of six break points before Zheng finally clinched it with an ace.
Jack Draper’s eventful Australian Open ended with a second-round loss to 14th seed Tommy Paul.
The 22-year-old had struggled physically in his opening match against Marcos Giron, escaping in five sets and then rushing to a courtside bin to vomit.
He looked to have recovered reasonably well going into the clash against American Paul, but fell to a 6-2 3-6 6-3 7-5 defeat.
Draper took confidence from having beaten Paul in both of their previous meetings, including comfortably last week in Adelaide, but the 26-year-old – a semi-finalist here last year – was sharp from the start.
The match was delayed by blustery showers in Melbourne and, when it did get under way, Draper came out of the blocks slowly, dropping serve three times in the opening set.
He hit back well in the second, beginning to trouble Paul with his power game, but it was the American on top again in the third set.
The conditions certainly did not make things easy and Draper looked hugely frustrated by his inability to time the ball as consistently as he would have liked.
Paul looked on his way to victory when he broke serve again to start the fourth set, but Draper fought back well to force two set points with a nervous Paul serving at 4-5.
He could not take either, though, and a missed forehand in the next game gave Paul the chance to serve for the match, which he took.
Cameron Norrie staged a superb comeback in difficult conditions to beat Giulio Zeppieri in the second round of the Australian Open.
A strong wind and two rain breaks, coupled with an inspired opponent, made life extremely difficult for the 19th seed but he battled to a 3-6 6-7 (4) 6-2 6-4 6-4 victory to set up a clash with 11th seed Casper Ruud.
It is the third time Norrie has recovered from two sets down to win after his Davis Cup debut against Roberto Bautista Agut in 2018 and a first-round win over Diego Schwartzman at the US Open four years ago.
Zeppieri is ranked down at 133 but was in form after coming through qualifying and crunched 63 winners in total, but Norrie did not panic and will be hugely satisfied with the result after a testing period over the second half of last season.
For the best part of two sets, Norrie was unable to cope with the power of Zeppieri, who bullied the British number one with his serve and forehand.
Both men were finding the wind tricky to cope with but Norrie began to get a foothold in the match at 5-4 in the second set, when he broke the Italian’s serve for the first time.
He was two points away from levelling the match with Zeppieri serving at 5-6 but the Italian fought back from 0-30 to force a tie-break, where he took an early lead that he did not relinquish.
Norrie, normally a cool customer, cut a deeply frustrated figure, while he was shaking out his troublesome left wrist having previously taken a medical timeout for treatment to his right knee.
The 28-year-old came out for the third set with purpose, though, and grabbed an immediate break of the Zeppieri serve before blustery showers began to blow through Melbourne Park, twice delaying the match.
In between, Norrie clinched the third set, and an immediate break at the start of the fourth set him on the way to levelling the match.
Norrie had experience on his side, with Zeppieri playing in only his third grand slam, but the 22-year-old, who had taken a lengthy medical timeout in the fourth set, began to offer more threat again in the decider.
Norrie came through a series of tight service games before a netted Zeppieri forehand gave him the break for 5-4 and the chance to serve out the contest, which he took before leaping across the court in celebration.
An emotional Iga Swiatek survived a major scare to defeat Danielle Collins and reach the third round of the Australian Open.
The world number one lost to Collins in the semi-finals in Melbourne two years ago and it appeared history was about to repeat itself when the American took a 4-1 lead in the deciding set under the roof on Rod Laver Arena.
But Swiatek responded with five games in a row to claim a 6-4 3-6 6-4 victory and set up a clash with Czech teenager Linda Noskova.
The Pole sobbed into her towel at the end of the match, and she said with a relieved smile: “I was at the airport already.
“I wanted to fight until the end. She played perfectly so I knew it would be hard for anybody to maintain that level. I waited for the mistakes to come. I’m really proud of myself because it wasn’t easy.”
Collins walked straight off court into the press room, where she revealed this will be her final season.
“I don’t really know exactly when (I will stop) but this will be my last season and I’m really looking forward to that,” said the 30-year-old, who also made the semi-finals in Melbourne in 2019 and reached a career-high ranking of seven.
“I have other things that I’d like to accomplish in my life outside of tennis, and would like to be able to have the time to be able to do that. Obviously having kids is a big priority for me.”
The semi-final loss was the only one of five previous meetings with Collins that Swiatek had not won, and she lost only one game the last time they faced each other in Cincinnati last summer.
The top seed edged a tight first set disrupted by a brief rain break but the aggression of Collins was troubling the top seed and the American, who also made the semi-finals here in 2019, won five games in a row to take a 5-1 lead in the second set.
She showed nerves, hitting four double faults as she failed to serve it out at the first time of asking, but she was rock solid on her second opportunity.
Swiatek found returns drilled back at her feet and she was staring at the exit door when Collins broke serve twice in succession to lead 4-1 in the deciding set.
However, the American tightened up with the finish line in sight and Swiatek came roaring back, clinching victory on her third match point with a backhand into the corner.
Swiatek applied strapping under her left knee at the start of the third set, but she played down concerns, saying: “I’ve been struggling a little bit with my knee since (the WTA Finals in) Cancun. I have ups and downs but it’s not like it affects my game. You don’t have to be worried.”
Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points and the streaking Cleveland Cavaliers rolled to a 135-95 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks, who were without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo on Wednesday.
Georges Niang shot 13 of 14 from the field and scored a career-high 33 points as the Cavaliers won their sixth straight and improved to 11-3 since they lost Darius Garland (broken jaw) and Evan Mobley (knee surgery) with injuries last month.
Antetokounmpo sat with a bruised right shoulder, an injury that sidelined him for the first time since Nov. 15.
Jarrett Allen notched his 10th consecutive double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds for Cleveland, which completed a perfect six-game homestand and now plays the next four on the road.
Damian Lillard led Milwaukee with 17 points on 7-of-20 shooting and Khris Middleton scored two points on 1 of 10 from the field.
Doncic shines in return but Davis, Russell lift Lakers
Anthony Davis came up an assist shy of a triple-double and the Los Angeles Lakers overcame Luka Dončić’s triple-double in a 127-110 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Davis had 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting with 12 rebounds and nine assists, while D’Angelo Russell added 29 points with five 3-pointers.
LeBron James had 25 points, eight boards and eight assists as the Lakers won for the fourth time in six games.
Doncic had 33 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for his seventh triple-double of the season after missing three games with a sprained right ankle.
Celtics handle Spurs
Jayson Tatum scored 24 points and Jaylen Brown returned from a one-game absence with 21 as the Boston Celtics remained unbeaten at home with a 117-98 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Jrue Holiday added 22 points and hit 6 of 7 from 3-point range as Boston improved to 20-0 at home, extending the franchise record.
Brown returned after sitting out a 105-96 victory over Toronto on Monday due to a hyperextended right knee. The Celtics played without Kristaps Porzingis (right knee inflammation) and Derrick White (left ankle sprain).
Victor Wembanyama scored 10 of his 27 points in the first quarter and Devin Vassell had 21 for the Western Conference-worst Spurs, who dropped their third straight since winning two in a row.
Dylan Larkin scored a power-play goal 69 seconds into overtime and the Detroit Red Wings remained hot with a 3-2 win on Wednesday over the Florida Panthers.
Michael Rasmussen scored one goal and set up another by Robby Fabbri as Detroit improved to 6-0-1 in its last seven games.
The Red Wings snapped a 10-game losing streak in the series against the Panthers, having gone 0-8-2 since a 2-1 win on Feb. 20, 2021.
Sam Reinhart scored short-handed - his 33rd goal to put him one behind Toronto’s Auston Matthews for the NHL lead – and Gustav Forsling also tallied for the Panthers, who have lost three straight (0-1-2) following a nine-game winning streak.
Reinhart matched his career high in goals and extended his NHL-record streak of games with a goal on special teams to eight. It also broke Pavel Bure’s 2000-01 record for the longest goal streak in franchise history (seven games) and was his 500th career point.
Canadiens edge Devils on late goal
Cole Caufield snapped a tie with 4:31 remaining in the third period to lift the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils.
Luke Hughes and Alexander Holtz scored in a 52-second span early in the third period to give the Devils a 2-2 tie before Caufield’s team-leading 14th goal proved to be the winner.
Juraj Slafkovsky and Joshua Roy also scored and Sam Montembault stopped 28 shots as Montreal won its second straight.
New Jersey dropped its second in a row and is 1-3-1 in its last five games.
The Dallas Cowboys will not be making a change at coach after all.
The Cowboys announced on Wednesday that Mike McCarthy will return next season.
There had been speculation that McCarthy would lose his job after Sunday's stunning 48-32 wild-card loss to the Green Bay Packers, but he'll return for a fifth season - his final one under his current contract.
"I believe this team is very close and capable of achieving our ultimate goals and the best step forward for us will be with Mike McCarthy as our head coach," Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said in a statement. "There is great benefit to continuing the team's progress under Mike's leadership as our head coach."
The Cowboys rolled to their second NFC East crown in the past three years in 2023 by finishing 12-5 for the third year in a row. But this season ended like each of the previous two - with a play-off exit before the NFC conference title game.
With the latest post-season defeat, Dallas became the first team to lose to the No. 7 seed since the 14-team play-offs were implemented in 2020.
In four seasons at the helm in Dallas, McCarthy is 42-25. However, he is just 1-3 in the play-offs.
"Mike has the highest regular season winning percentage of any head coach in Cowboys history and we will dedicate ourselves, in partnership with him, to translating that into reaching our post season goals," Jones said.
Dallas hasn't made the conference title game since the 1995 season when it last won the Super Bowl.
"While we're all disappointed with the result on Sunday and with our play-off record, I am 100 percent supportive of him as our head coach and ability to reach our goals," Jones said.
Ali Carter will not have a grudge match with Ronnie O’Sullivan at the World Grand Prix this week after he exited to Mark Selby.
O’Sullivan and Carter have been embroiled in an ugly war of words following the former’s victory in the Masters final on Sunday, with both players saying the other had issues with their mental health.
They are both playing in Leicester this week and were on course to meet in another final, but Carter lost a final-frame decider to Selby, going down 4-3 in the last 16.
Carter looked to have the momentum going into the decider as he levelled at 3-3 with a break of 103.
But Selby delivered when it mattered, advancing to the quarter-finals in his hometown with a well-made 77.
O’Sullivan is next in action on Thursday against Zhou Yuelong.
Selby will play Judd Trump in the last eight after Trump whitewashed Lyu Haotian 4-0.
Selby, who has endured some mixed results told ITV: “I feel OK on the table, I am just so inconsistent from one match to the next which is frustrating. Physically I feel OK on the shot, which is scary because if you’re OK physically results usually follow, but I am in and out.
“I look forward to it, Judd is one of the all time greats himself, if you don’t play your best you are going home.”
Shaun Murphy was sent packing by Cao Yupeng in a 4-0 rout while Mark Williams beat Hossein Vafaei 4-1.
Defending champion Mark Allen earlier fired three century breaks in his 4-2 win over Jack Lisowski.
Ding Junhui had breaks of 70 and 81 as he came from behind to edge a 4-3 win over Ricky Walden, while Noppon Saengkham compiled four breaks over 80, including a 107 in frame four, as he overcame Xiao Guodong 4-1.
Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic has died at the age of 46.
The NBA club said the Serbian suffered a heart attack at a private team dinner.
“We are absolutely devastated by Dejan’s sudden passing,” head coach Steve Kerr told the Warriors’ website.
“This is a shocking and tragic blow for everyone associated with the Warriors and an incredibly difficult time for his family, friends, and all of us who had the incredible pleasure to work with him.
“In addition to being a terrific basketball coach, Dejan was one of the most positive and beautiful human beings I have ever known, someone who brought joy and light to every single day with his passion and energy.
“We grieve with and for his wife, Natasa, and their children, Nikola and Masa. Their loss is unfathomable.”
Milojevic was in his third season on the Warriors’ coaching team and helped guide them to the 2022 NBA Championship. He had previously been a star player for Serbia and assistant coach to the national team.
Warriors posted on X, formerly Twitter: “We are absolutely devastated by Dejan Milojević’s sudden passing.
“This is a shocking and tragic blow for everyone associated with the Warriors and an incredibly difficult time for his family, friends, and all of us who had the incredible pleasure to work with him.
“We grieve with and for his wife, Natasa, and their children, Nikola and Masa.”
Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack. He was 46.
The NBA postponed Wednesday night’s game between the Warriors and Utah Jazz earlier in the day after Golden State said Milojevic was in the hospital after suffering a medical emergency at a team dinner in Salt Lake City on Tuesday.
“We are absolutely devastated by Dejan's sudden passing," the Warriors said Wednesday in a statement.
"This is a shocking and tragic blow for everyone associated with the Warriors and an incredibly difficult time for his family, friends, and all of us who had the incredible pleasure to work with him.”
Milojevic played professionally in Europe from 1994-2009, winning the Adriatic League Most Valuable Player Award three years in a row (2004-06).
He became a head coach in his native Serbia from 2012-20 and in Montenegro in 2021.
Milojevic joined Golden State head coach Steve Kerr’s staff in August 2021 and went on to help the Warriors defeat the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals.
The Indiana Pacers are acquiring Pascal Siakam in a trade with the Toronto Raptors.
As part of the deal, which was reported Wednesday by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pacers are sending Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora and three first-round draft picks to the Raptors in exchange for Siakam.
A third team in the trade, the New Orleans Pelicans, are swapping second-round picks with Indiana and shipping Kira Lewis to Toronto.
Siakam led the Raptors in scoring this season with an average of 22.2 points per game, along with averages of 6.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists.
Siakam joins a Pacers team that averages a league-high 125.6 points per game and will play alongside All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton.
With a 23-17 record, Indiana sits in third place in the Central Division and in sixth place in the Eastern Conference as it looks to make the play-offs for the first time since 2020.
A two-time All-NBA selection, Siakam had spent his first eight NBA seasons in Toronto and helped the Raptors win the NBA title in 2018-19.
Drafted 27th overall by the Raptors in 2016, the 29-year-old was named an All-Star in 2019-20, as well as last season, when he averaged a career-best 24.2 points.
Siakam is set to become a free agent this summer, and the Pacers are reportedly expected to re-sign him. He becomes eligible to sign a five-year deal that could pay him as much as $247million.
This is the second big trade in the last three weeks for the rebuilding Raptors, who sent OG Anunoby and Malachi Flynn to the New York Knicks on December 30.
Luke Littler is ready to get “back to business” as he begins life after his sensational World Championship campaign.
The 16-year-old took Alexandra Palace by storm over Christmas, bulldozing his way to the final on debut before losing to Luke Humphries.
His life changed forever during that run as he became front-page news, enjoyed celebrity status and has been given a seat at the top table of the sport.
That begins with an appearance in the Bahrain Masters, starting on Thursday, where he takes on Man Lok Leung in the first round.
Littler, who could play Nathan Aspinall in the quarter-finals, is refreshed after a holiday and raring to go.
“It’s back to business for me now,” he said. “I’ve chilled out and not really thrown many darts since the World Championship final, but I’m sure that once I’m in the practice room I’ll be alright.
“I like playing all the time but after the World Championship I wanted to get away, which me and the family did. Hopefully I can have a good event here to get back playing.
“I’m in this event in Bahrain, in the Dutch Darts Masters next week and then the Premier League. I don’t really have any goals, I’m just going to have to see what the darts do.”
Littler has continued living the high life during his break as he spent time with his beloved rugby league club Warrington while also getting the chance to meet Manchester United great Sir Alex Ferguson.
“It’s been crazy. Warrington Wolves invited me down and I went to the Manchester United game and met Sir Alex Ferguson,” he added.
“To meet him was amazing and he said some lovely things to me about staying dedicated and believing in myself.
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“The holiday was great to get away from everything and we did that. My life’s changed and my family’s life has changed and I’m grateful for the opportunities I’m getting.”
Michael Smith begins the defence of his title against Paolo Nebrida while world champion and world number one Humphries begins his reign against Abdulla Saeed.
Michael van Gerwen plays Hasan Haji, Gerwyn Price takes on Reynaldo Rivera, Aspinall is paired with Lourence Ilagan, Rob Cross has drawn Tomoya Goto and Peter Wright kicks off against Haruki Muramatsu.
Jamie George has been told to put his own stamp on the captaincy after being entrusted to lead a revamped England squad into the Guinness Six Nations.
George takes charge of team for the first time after filling the vacancy created by Owen Farrell’s decision to miss the Championship in order to prioritise his and his family’s mental wellbeing.
The promotion capped a special day for the 33-year-old having also signed a new two-year deal with Saracens that is to be accompanied by a central contract with the Rugby Football Union.
As undisputed first choice hooker, as well as an influential player in the English game, George was chosen ahead of nearest rivals Ellis Genge and Maro Itoje.
An element of the appointment process was instigated by Belgium manager and former Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany and now that he has risen to the top, Steve Borthwick insists George must lead in his own image.
“I was asked by somebody ‘have you given Jamie, any advice?’” said head coach Borthwick, who captained England 21 times as a second-row.
“The one thing I said is: ‘I want you to lead as you.’ And that one year, many many years from now, you will reflect and want to say you led as you.
“I’d say during my time as England captain, I don’t think I led as me. I want him to bring all his personality to it.
“Prior to the World Cup we did this study. We will do something similar again in the near future. It was a network analysis, for want of a better term. It was actually an idea given to me by Vincent Kompany.
“You basically give the players a series of questions. And then put the top three players you turn to in this situation.
“What it effectively produces is this network of how everybody connects and who connects with who the most.
“You could tell in different elements – in tactical elements, high pressure circumstances, off the field – you connect with different people.
“So I had this incredible amount of information and it said ‘I know where people turn to’. You’d be able to see and tell me who they turn to, who Ellis and Maro would turn to. And the number of people who connected with Jamie George is immense.
“He has this ability, across the whole squad, to make people understand him. That stood out to me as being exceptional.
“He’s a great people person. He’s got a positive nature. There’s always a smile very close in the way he is. And I want him to bring all of that into this role as the captain.”
Even allowing for retirement and injury, Borthwick has completed a significant overhaul in naming a 36-man squad for the Six Nations to begin the next World Cup cycle.
Kyle Sinckler and Billy Vunipola have been dropped, Henry Slade and Alex Dombrandt are back in favour and there are first time appearances in an England squad for some exciting rookies such as Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Ethan Roots.
Only 17 of the 34 who helped England finish third in last autumn’s World Cup are present.
“I look at this as the next step that we need to take. It’s the next competition and in terms of the development of the team, it’s important that we build on our game,” Borthwick said.
The NBA has postponed Wednesday night’s game between the Warriors and Utah Jazz after Golden State assistant coach Dejan Milojevic suffered a medical emergency at a team dinner in Salt Lake City on Tuesday night.
The Warriors did not provide any details on the emergency, but multiple reports said the 46-year-old Milojevic had a cardiac event.
Milojevic played professionally in Europe from 1994-2009, winning the Adriatic League Most Valuable Player Award three years in a row (2004-06).
He became a head coach in his native Serbia from 2012-20 and in Montenegro in 2021.
Milojevic joined Golden State head coach Steve Kerr’s staff in August 2021 and went on to help the Warriors defeat the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals.
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