Tyrese Haliburton tallied 31 points and 12 assists and the Indiana Pacers erupted for 47 points in the third quarter to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks, 142-130 for their fifth straight win on Wednesday.
Bennedict Mathurin added 16 points and Obi Toppin and Bruce Brown each added 15 as Indiana beat Central-leading Milwaukee for the second time in three days and improved to 4-1 in the season series.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, while Damian Lillard had 23 points with five assists. Milwaukee has lost two straight for the first time since Nov. 9 and 11.
The Pacers entered the third quarter trailing 68-66 but went on a 21-6 run – capped by Haliburton’s 3-pointer – and opened a 113-97 lead after the period.
The Bucks couldn’t get closer than 10 points the rest of the way.
Surging Clippers cool Suns
Paul George scored 33 points and Kawhi Leonard added 30 as the Los Angeles Clippers won their fourth straight game, 131-122 over the Phoenix Suns.
James Harden had 22 points and 11 assists to help the Clippers improve to 13-2 in their last 15 games.
Devin Booker scored 35 points on 11-of-15 shooting and Bradley Beal added 21 but just 7 of 20 and missed all six of his 3-point attempts.
Kevin Durant missed his second straight game due to soreness in his right hamstring and the Suns had a four-game winning streak stopped.
Kings outlast Magic in double overtime
Malik Monk and Keegan Murray hit 3-pointers in the second overtime and the Sacramento Kings overcame a franchise-record 25 3-pointers by the Orlando Magic in a 138-135 win.
Monk finished with season highs of 37 points and seven 3-pointers and Murray had 31 points on 14-of-22 shooting with 11 rebounds. Domantas Sabonis notched his seventh triple-double of the season with 22 points, 23 rebounds and 12 assists.
Paolo Banchero scored a career-high 43 points with six 3-pointers to lead Orlando but missed a potential tying 3 at the final buzzer.
Jalen Suggs added 24 points, including six 3s, for the Magic.
Phil Taylor was crowned world champion for the 11th time on this day in 2004 after edging Kevin Painter in one of the greatest finals ever.
‘The Power’ held his nerve under extreme pressure to nail double five for a famous sudden-death win in Purfleet.
Taylor was on the receiving end 12 months earlier when John Part nicked a superb contest 7-6 – but he hit back in a final which even eclipsed that event.
With the score tied at 6-6 in sets and 5-5 in legs, Taylor punched the air with delight when the winning dart landed.
“I am a very lucky man, to be honest,” Taylor said. “Kevin out-played me on doubles, but he eventually let me in. I thought Kevin was the better player.
“Last year was a good final, but this is one of the best. I was not firing on all cylinders and he frightened the life out of me. He will pick his chin up and come back from this.”
A distraught Painter, who was 4-1 ahead at one point, said: “I just did not quite get there in the end – but what can you say? I gave it my best shot.
“I was playing well, but not getting carried away. When playing Phil, you never really feel comfortable.
“I gave it my best go and maybe I will come back next year.”
It was to be the only world final Painter reached. Taylor went on to claim the title 16 times.
Lukas Dostal stopped a career-high 55 shots before Auston Matthews scored his league-leading 30th goal in overtime to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 2-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday.
Dostal protected a 1-0 lead until John Tavares banged home a rebound on a power play with 5:43 left in regulation.
Frank Vatrano scored in the second period for the Ducks, who lost their third straight and dropped to 1-5-0 on a season-high eight-game homestand.
Toronto extended its streak of not being shut out to 181 games, a run that started in November 2021.
Hischier leads Devils over Capitals
Nico Hischier scored two goals and set up another on the eve of his 25th birthday to lead the New Jersey Devils to a 6-3 win over the Washington Capitals.
Dawson Mercer and Michael McLeod also scored twice for the Devils, who squandered a two-goal lead before recovering to win for the fourth time in five games.
Evgeny Kuznetsov had a goal and an assist for Washington to end a 10-game point drought. The Capitals dropped to 1-3-2 in their last six games.
Max Pacioretty went pointless in his Capitals debut, playing his first NHL game in nearly a year after tearing his right Achilles tendon.
Luke Littler says he has what it takes to return to the Alexandra Palace stage and win the World Championship in the future after his historic debut dream ended in a final defeat to Luke Humphries.
The 16-year-old has set Alexandra Palace alight over the last fortnight and was one win away from producing one of the greatest sporting stories of all time by becoming the youngest world champion.
But he fell at the final hurdle as Humphries showed why he is the new world number one with a scintillating 7-4 victory, which saw him lift the Sid Waddell trophy for the first time.
He may have fallen just short of achieving sporting immortality, but this is just the beginning for Littler and his time will surely come, with many tipping him to become a multiple world champion.
He said: “It’s been unbelievable, I just wanted to win one game and come back after Christmas, that was the only goal I set, so this is a massive bonus.
“No one likes losing, I have not really lost much, so to lose on that stage I can’t really be angry, the only thing I am angry about is that I lost a lot of legs on my throw and I was just chasing Luke.
“I have won six games here so why can’t I go and win seven here in years to come? I have gained a lot of experience and stage experience, I am in the top 32 now so I could be in everything.
“The past three to four weeks have been unbelievable and now I just can’t wait to go home.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t give the crowd what they wanted.”
It is a landmark success for Humphries, who has now won four of the last five major tournaments after an incredible few months.
But the 28-year-old knew he had to seize his chance because with Littler around, he might not get many more.
“I could not put into words how great this feels,” he said. “I was thinking I had to win this one because he is going to dominate world darts. When I was on the brink of winning he was relentless.
“He is an incredible talent and I had to win this one tonight, he is going to win plenty that’s for sure.
“We will never ever see the likes of him again at that age, to go up on the world stage and produce those darts in the final, I love the kid to bits, he is a real credit.
“I hope he plays in everything because it is special.”
The NFL announced the rosters for the 2024 Pro Bowl Games on Wednesday with the San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy and Miami Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa named starting quarterbacks.
This is the first Pro Bowl selection for both QBs.
Purdy led all players in balloting for the NFL Pro Bowl with 451,864 votes to be named the NFC's starting quarterback.
The other quarterbacks for the NFC are the Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott, who was named a Pro Bowler for a third time, and the Los Angeles Rams' Matthew Stafford, who was selected as a Pro Bowler for a second time.
The AFC's other quarterbacks are the Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson, who was named to his third Pro Bowl, and the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, who made it for the sixth time.
Purdy's teammate in the 49ers backfield, running back Christian McCaffrey had the second-most votes with 429,993, while Tagovailoa ranked third with 414,502. Another 49er, tight end George Kittle, had the fourth-most votes (373,750) and another tight end, the Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce ranked fifth among all vote-getters (327,263).
The NFC-best 49ers led all teams with nine Pro Bowlers - including eight starters. The Ravens and Cowboys each had seven selections, while the Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles had six apiece.
The Pro Bowl Games are a multi-day competition between players from the AFC and NFC culminating with a flag football game on February 4.
Luke Littler’s former coach hailed the 16-year-old’s efforts as “absolutely amazing” after his history-making run at the World Darts Championship ended with defeat to Luke Humphries in the final.
Tournament debutant Littler, the youngest-ever finalist, was beaten 7-4 at Alexandra Palace by Humphries, who had just become world number one.
It came after a run that had included the Warrington-born teenage sensation beating former world champions Raymond van Barneveld and Rob Cross.
And Karl Holden, co-founder of St Helens Darts Academy, which Littler attended from the age of nine, told the PA news agency: “Definitely not the result we wanted, but he’s playing the best player in the world.
“To play the best player in the world and do what he has done is absolutely amazing. How can somebody who is 16 do that? I don’t know.
“I’m absolutely delighted to watch him in the final. I’m absolutely over the moon for him.
“End of the day, hats off to him. I’ve told the kids…appreciate great darts, and that’s what we’ve seen tonight.”
Holden added: “At the age of 16, he’s one of the biggest names in world sport, never mind world darts. Just to have him in this club was a privilege.
“Obviously we put our little part in, but it’s his ability that is causing mayhem around the world.
“He’s just at the beginning of his superstar career. We’re very proud of him, we really are.”
While Littler’s name was barely known beyond his home town before the start of the world championship last month, this is no overnight success story.
Speaking before the final, which he watched as members held a party at the academy’s home, Holden said: “He has been coming here since he was nine.
“When he first came as a kid you could see he was very special and he just got better and better. Every year he was a bit better than the last.
“We put him up to the under-14s when he was nine, but three months after that he was smashing all them to bits.
“He hardly lost so we said, ‘What do we do now?’ We put him into the elite group, which is our best players and he had just turned 10.
“Obviously he puts a lot of hours in and we had to tell him to stop coming as he was so good.
“He needed to be playing at a better standard. He was good enough to win men’s tournaments at 13 or 14. And he did. His ability is second to none.
“The best players reach a level in their twenties that he’s reached at 16.
“We’ve produced some good players. Probably about 40 county players, but Luke is something else.”
Luke Littler has vowed to return to the Alexandra Palace stage and win the World Championship in the future after his historic debut dream ended in a final defeat to Luke Humphries.
The 16-year-old debutant has set Alexandra Palace alight over the last fortnight and was one win away from producing one of the greatest sporting stories of all time by becoming the youngest world champion.
But he fell at the final hurdle as Humphries showed why he is the new world number one with a scintillating 7-4 victory, which saw him lift the Sid Waddell trophy for the first time.
Life will never be the same for Littler, who now has a global profile as his exploits have transcended the world of darts.
He may have fallen just short of achieving sporting immortality, but this is just the beginning for Littler and his time will surely come, with many tipping him to become a multiple world champion.
He said: “It’s been unbelievable, I just wanted to win one game and come back after Christmas, that was the only goal I set, so this is a massive bonus.
“No one likes losing, I have not really lost much, so to lose on that stage I can’t really be angry, the only thing I am angry about is that I lost a lot of legs on my throw and I was just chasing Luke.
“I have won six games here so why can’t I go and win seven here in years to come. I have gained a lot of experience and stage experience, I am in the top 32 now so I could be in everything.
“The past three to four weeks have been unbelievable and now I just can’t wait to go home.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t give the crowd what they wanted.”
It is a landmark success for Humphries, who has now won four of the last five major tournaments after an incredible few months.
He has now won his last 19 matches and will be seeing this as the start of a period of possible domination as he is playing at a level no one can currently compete with.
But the 28-year-old knew he had to seize his chance because, with Littler around, he might not get many more.
“I could not put into words how great this feels,” he said. “I was thinking I had to win this one because he (Littler) is going to dominate world darts. When I was on the brink of winning he was relentless.
“He is an incredible talent and I had to win this one tonight, he is going to win plenty that’s for sure.
“It is something I never believed would happen to me. Incredibly pleased to have achieved something that I have always dreamed of.
“Luke showed incredible grit and determination.
“We will never ever see the likes of him again at that age, to go up on the world stage and produce those darts in the final, I love the kid to bits, he is a real credit.
“I hope he plays in everything because it is special.”
Former world champion John Part has warned Luke Littler that he will face a “shock to the system” following his heroic run at Alexandra Palace.
The 16-year-old debutant set the World Championships alight over the last fortnight and was one win away from making history.
But Littler fell at the final hurdle as Luke Humphries, 28, took a scintillating 7-4 victory.
Despite his defeat, teenager Littler looks set to be handed a lucrative place in the Premier League, which kicks off next month.
But three-time world champion Part told Sky Sports: “It’s going to be a bit of a shock to his system when he (Littler) goes back to the behind-closed-doors tour environment after being spoiled by all this attention.
“I know he’s done a lot of that just to get here, with the development tour and youth championships, but it’s going to be a new grind for him.”
Littler had a throw at double two to move 5-2 in front in the race to seven. Instead, Humphries stole the set and then reeled off the next five to lift the Sid Waddell trophy for the first time.
Part, 57, continued: “He (Littler) played a really good match and had one really pivotal point with the missed double two.
“But he played great throughout the whole tournament and in the final. He didn’t win it and has got to look forward now.
“He’s so pragmatic and has such an understanding of the game. You can tell he absorbs a lot watching and learning from the top pros and he’s ready to handle it himself now. Luke Littler will be a feather in people’s cap if they can beat him.”
Littler’s run to the final has transcended darts and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak posted on ‘X’ following Wednesday’s showpiece.
“Congratulations Luke, a great win tonight,” he wrote. “What an incredible final to end a historic championship.
“I know that @lukeh180 and @LukeTheNuke180 will be leading the sport for years to come.”
Luke Littler’s historic World Championship dream ended after he lost in the final to Luke Humphries.
The 16-year-old debutant has set Alexandra Palace alight over the last fortnight and was one win away from producing one of the greatest sporting stories of all time by becoming the youngest world champion.
But he fell at the final hurdle and was left in tears as Humphries showed why he is the new world number one with a scintillating 7-4 victory, which saw him lift the Sid Waddell trophy for the first time.
It is a landmark success for the 28-year-old, who has now won four of the last five major tournaments after an incredible few months.
Although this was his biggest win of all, it was not exactly the most popular as the Ally Pally crowd were desperate for their new star’s amazing journey to finish in glory.
Humphries may have been the champion, but Littler received a hero’s reception at the end of the match and he is the story of the tournament.
Life will never be the same for Littler, who now has a global profile, as his exploits have transcended the world of darts.
He may have fallen just short of achieving sporting immortality, but this is just the beginning for Littler and his time will surely come, with many tipping him to become a multiple world champion.
More immediately, he looks set to be handed a lucrative place in the Premier League, which kicks off next month.
He will not have many regrets from the last couple of weeks, but a dart at double two in the seventh set may be one of them as had it gone in he would have gone 5-2 in front in the race to seven.
Instead, Humphries stole the set and then reeled off the next five to claim glory in style.
He has now won his last 19 matches and will be seeing this as the start of a period of possible domination as he is playing at a level no one can currently compete with.
The pair have met before when Humphries beat a then 12-year-old Littler in a pub tournament in 2019 and both have enjoyed a meteoric rise since then.
Littler must have thought he was back in the pub with the way Humphries started as he won five successive legs to give himself darts for a 2-0 lead.
He missed, though, and Littler pounced with 142 and 120 checkouts to level at 1-1.
After ‘Cool Hand’ went 2-1 up, Littler hit back by reeling off three successive sets to lead 4-2.
The seventh set proved pivotal as Littler missed double two to go three up and Humphries, who had earlier taken out the big fish, capitalised to steal it and then drew level at 4-4 after a 121 checkout.
The tide had truly turned and Humphries continued his hot streak to go 6-4 up, which left outgoing referee Russ Bray consoling a tearful Littler, with his opponent finishing the job and sinking to his knees in joy.
There will be no Grand National bid for Famous Bridge in 2024, but the improving stayer will be set some stern tests as he attempts to continue his rise up the chasing ranks.
Trained by Nicky Richards, the eight-year-old is becoming a real force over staying trips and made it back-to-back Haydock victories when landing the Tommy Whittle Chase just before Christmas.
His thirst for a stamina test and sure-footed jumping makes him the ideal candidate for the Grand National and sporting the colours of the Hemmings Family, the Aintree showpiece will always be high up on the agenda.
However, Richards is keen to keep building Famous Bridge’s chasing experience in the second half of the current campaign where he will seek to add to his burgeoning CV.
“He’s going along grand and he looks like he stays well, he’s a good, tough lad,” said Richards.
“I think myself and Mick (Meagher, racing manager to Hemmings Racing) thought it was probably just a year too soon (for the National).
“It was just his seventh run over fences in the Tommy Whittle and he is a lovely horse going forward. If he gets another two or three nice runs this year, hopefully we will be able to work towards the National next year.”
Options for Famous Bridge’s next outing include a return to Merseyside in search of a Haydock hat-trick in the Sky Bet Peter Marsh Chase on January 20 or wait an extra week for Doncaster’s Great Yorkshire Handicap Chase.
“There’s the Peter Marsh back at Haydock but I don’t know if that might come a week too soon for him,” added Richards.
“I haven’t done a great deal with him yet but he’s had canters and everything and everything seems grand with him so we will see.
“Then there is the Great Yorkshire the week after and we probably need a bit of rain there.
“There are nice races about for him and he’s a grand horse going forward. We will be racing him and he will be running in good races.”
However, it is unlikely the Cheltenham Festival will enter the equation with a further Town Moor contest, as well as Aintree and Ayr taking precedence when the season enters spring.
“Mr Hemmings loved Aintree and he loved the Ayr festival as well, so that will all be discussed as we go along, one race at a time,” continued Richards.
“You also have the Grimthorpe (at Doncaster) as well which is quite a valuable race now, so there are plenty of different options.
“That one (Grimthorpe) is early March, so it would probably be too quick to then go to Cheltenham.
“But we will be keeping our options open and he’s in grand old fettle and we are very happy with the way he is going along.”
The Jukebox Man will not be seen again until the spring following his fine third in Newbury’s Challow Hurdle.
Owned by football great Harry Redknapp, he was bought for £70,000 after impressing in the pointing field and since being beaten by the well-regarded Gidleigh Park on his rules debut, he has barely put a foot wrong for trainer Ben Pauling.
Two novice hurdle victories saw him stepped up in class for the final Grade One of 2023 and although failing to come away with victory, the six-year-old was less than two lengths adrift of eventual winner Captain Teague after being involved in a prolonged battle with both the Paul Nicholls-trained scorer and runner-up Lookaway up the Newbury straight.
That gives Pauling confidence that he has a special performer under his care and after being given plenty of time to recover from his Challow exertions, The Jukebox Man will be prepared for big-race targets in the spring.
He said: “We are really lucky at the moment to have some smart young horses, but he is definitely up there with the best of them.
“He’s particularly suited by that sort of ground and I’m not saying he does not have the speed or class for better ground, but I think he handles the soft very well.
“I thought he ran a lovely race and jumped particularly well and travelled strongly. Although four of them finished within two lengths of each other, rather than say the race wasn’t that strong, I think you probably have four nice horses.
“Lookaway brought very strong handicap form to the race and the others are very unexposed horses who have done nothing wrong in their preparation and are hopefully going to be smart horses for years to come.”
Pauling continued: “He won’t run again now until the spring. I just feel the Challow is always a gruelling enough test and I don’t think we can say this year is any different.
“Amazingly, he has come out of it very well indeed and is as fresh as a daisy. However, I think we will be saving him for something in the spring, whether that is Cheltenham, Aintree or even Perth.
“We will look to run once or twice max before the end of the season and although I think he will stay three miles very well, ground will probably determine which route we went really.
“I think he will definitely stay three, but if it came up soft I wouldn’t be afraid to leave him at two and a half and I think he is an absolute belter. He has a brilliant attitude, loves his job and I think he is going to be a very smart horse for the future.”
It was an exciting few days for both Pauling and Redknapp and although they fell short in the Challow, they received the perfect compensation package at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day when Shakem Up’Arry landed the valuable Paddy Power New Year’s Day Handicap Chase by an emphatic seven and a half lengths.
It was a long-awaited victory for the 10-year-old, who had been sent off favourite for the corresponding race in 2023 and had also placed over the course and distance at the Cheltenham Festival.
“He has always been knocking on the door of a big one without quite finding what is needed to get his head in front,” continued Pauling.
“Whether that be at the Festival or whenever he ran, he always seems to turn up, but has just fallen slightly short.
“We just gave him a tinker with his wind in the summer and whether it is that or not, I’m not sure, but it looks to be paying dividends and it is great for both Harry and the horse to get on the board in a big one and reap the rewards for almost Harry’s patience really.
“Harry couldn’t have been much happier, he was gutted not to be there, but he has always adored this horse – I think because he is named after him. He has owned him with me since he was a three-year-old and amazingly he turned 10 the other day which is frightening.
“He has always been fond of this horse and it was lovely to see him go and do it.”
Harlequins prop Joe Marler’s arm injury is being assessed by specialists amid front-row concerns for England ahead of the Guinness Six Nations.
Marler’s fellow loosehead props Ellis Genge, Bevan Rodd, Mako Vunipola and Val Rapava-Ruskin are all currently on the sidelines.
And Quins are awaiting a full medical verdict on Marler, who went off during the Gallagher Premiership victory over Gloucester at Twickenham on Saturday.
England head coach Steve Borthwick has potentially been presented with a major headache just a month before England’s Six Nations opener against Italy in Rome.
His problems include a four-match ban being imposed on Saracens’ Vunipola, who was sent off for a dangerous tackle against Premiership opponents Newcastle.
Although he will be available if required for the Six Nations, experienced campaigner Vunipola cannot play again until after Saracens’ Premiership appointment with Exeter, which is only a week before the Italy clash.
Vunipola missed out on the Rugby World Cup in France, with Borthwick choosing Genge, Marler and Rodd to fill three loosehead slots.
Genge, an England captaincy contender following Owen Farrell’s decision to miss the Six Nations, last featured for his club Bristol on December 2. He has been sidelined due to a hamstring injury.
Sale forward Rodd is out for the rest of this season after undergoing toe surgery and Gloucester’s Rapava-Ruskin, who was part of England’s World Cup training squad last year, is another long-term absentee following a knee operation.
Borthwick will announce his Six Nations squad in the near future, with prop resources seemingly being stretched.
On 88 times-capped Marler, Quins rugby director Billy Millard said: “We had three big injuries in the first-half to three very influential and key decision-makers on the pitch (Marler, Dino Lamb and Stephan Lewies).
“To be totally honest, they are still seeing specialists. I think some of them have turned out alright, but I am still not 100 per cent clear on the three. We are still waiting for total clarity.
“It’s his (Marler’s) arm, but again, they are getting MRIs and there are specialists looking at it and until I am 100 per cent clear I wouldn’t want to speculate.
“God love him, he battled on for a long time, but we have got specialists looking at him as we speak. I doubt very much he will be available for selection (against Newcastle on Friday).
“Fingers crossed, it is only a short-term one. Joe is Joe. He is big for us in so many ways. Hopefully, it is not a long one for him.”
On a positive note, Genge’s situation appears to be improving, with Bristol rugby director Pat Lam stating: “He is back running now, so he is on track.
“He is certainly going to make the Six Nations, whether he makes the start… the most important thing is that he gets back to playing.”
Buddy One is set to take a direct route to the Stayers’ Hurdle after he was found to be suffering from a back problem following his disappointing run at Leopardstown last week.
The seven-year-old provided trainer Paul Gilligan with a memorable Cheltenham victory in November, but has since come up short in two starts at Grade One level – finishing last of five in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse before being pulled up in the Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle.
However, Gilligan has not lost any faith in his stable star and will now look to get him back to his best for the Cheltenham Festival in March.
He said: “He didn’t scope clear after the race the other day, but I think the main thing was he had a very sore back afterwards.
“I don’t know if he took a false step or what happened, but we had him away yesterday and all will be good, so we’ll look forward to March.
“He won’t run before then and I would imagine it will be the Stayers’ Hurdle – I don’t think there’s anything else for him really. We haven’t entered him for the Dublin Racing Festival because there is no race for these three-mile horses and I’m not going to rush him back.”
Buddy One is likely to be a big price for the Stayers’ Hurdle, with Hatton’s Grace hero Teahupoo and his Christmas Hurdle-winning stablemate Irish Point disputing favouritism with some bookmakers.
Gilligan added: “I thought he ran a nice race to a point the other day, but he just didn’t gallop through the line the way he can.
“It’s horses for courses, he seems to like Cheltenham and we’ll look forward to taking him back there before going over fences next season.
“Teahupoo is a good horse and Irish Point is a good horse, but we have form around that course, which is a big plus, and there’s a reason for his run in Leopardstown.”
Novak Djokovic is confident he can recover from a wrist injury in time for his Australian Open title defence.
The world number one struggled with a problem with his right wrist and was not at his best in a straight-sets defeat to Alex de Minuar in the United Cup in Perth.
Djokovic, bidding for a record-extending 11th men’s Australian Open singles title, lost 6-4 6-4 to world number 12 De Minaur as Australia beat Serbia 2-0 in their quarter-final in the mixed team event.
“Congrats to De Minaur, he was very solid from the beginning, just played a great match and deserved to win,” Djokovic said in a post-match interview.
“I was not at my level, but it was just one of these days where you didn’t feel your best on the court and your opponent played very well, that’s all I can say.
“I have enough time to get myself in the right shape for the Australian Open and that’s what matters the most at this point.
“I think I’ll be OK, to be honest, but it did have quite an impact, particularly on the forehand and serve.
“But, again, I don’t want to be too much time talking about it and taking away credit for the victory from De Minaur, he was just very solid as he always is.
“Congrats to him and to the Australian team. It is what it is for us I guess and I move on with my thoughts in Melbourne.”
Djokovic will find out his first-round opponent at Melbourne Park when the singles draw for the first grand slam of the year takes place on Sunday.
The 36-year-old needed a medical time-out for his wrist problem in his previous United Cup match against the Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka, which he won in three sets on Tuesday.
Against De Minaur he twice needed treatment, first after holding serve to lead 4-3 in the opening set and again after he had been broken to trail 5-4.
“I knew I was probably not going to be at 100 per cent physically, emotionally, mentally game-wise in the opening week of the season,” Djokovic added.
“Neither did I expect that or want that to be honest. It’s all a part of the build-up for the Australian Open.”
Despite Djokovic’s fitness concerns, De Minaur produced an impressive performance to seal one of the biggest wins of his career in just over an hour-and-a-half.
Ajla Tomljanovic followed De Minaur’s win by beating Serbia’s Natalija Stevanovic 6-1 6-1 to clinch Australia’s semi-final place.
Cannock Park has been handed a big local target by Borders handler Paul Robson after his pleasing third in Aintree’s Formby Novices’ Hurdle on Boxing Day.
Although a winner at Cheltenham on his hurdling bow, it was a bold move by Robson – who combines training his small string with running a funeral directors business – to run the six-year-old in the Christmas Grade One on just his second start over timber.
Cannock Park gave a fine account when attempting to make all in the hands of Craig Nichol and although well held by the front two, he plugged on gamely to make the podium at odds of 40-1.
Despite being pleased with the performance, Robson believes the gap to the front two is too much to bridge at present, with ambitions of running in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle switched for a crack at Kelso’s bet365 Morebattle Hurdle on March 2, where he will seek a famous local victory.
“He’s a lovely horse and he deserved his place in the race at Aintree,” said Robson.
“He was probably a lucky third given the horse that fell, but at the same time, I would say all roads don’t lead to the Supreme. I feel he is not quite that level.
“He’s going to be a lovely, lovely horse and we might look at the Morebattle at Kelso in early March, but we won’t be going to Cheltenham.
“The Morebattle is worth a lot of money and he needs two more runs to qualify, so he is going to have to be busy between now and then.
“He will probably go to Kelso on the 14th, there is just a normal class four novice and he will obviously have a penalty. If he runs there, then we will probably run him in a handicap three or four weeks after that in preparation for the Morebattle.”
A return to Aintree for further Grade One action in the spring is a possibility granted a decent performance in his Kelso target, but Robson is already looking forward to next season where he envisages Cannock Park making his mark over the larger obstacles.
“I imagine that is what he will do and if he runs a blinder in the Morebattle, we can go back to Aintree and if he doesn’t, he can have a break and come back as a novice chaser,” said Robson.
“I’ve never been too fussed about him being too quick over his hurdles as I’ve been trying to teach him to jump correctly. We’ve always wanted him to be a chaser, we know he is going to be a chaser and we hope he is going to be a high-class two-miler. That’s what I think his forte will be.”
Cannock Park is by far the best horse to pass through Robson’s hands and although initially disappointed his first foray into Grade One company ended in defeat, the handler is now delighted to be flying the flag for the Scottish Borders with his promising inmate.
Robson added: “We were utterly thrilled and I think the fact we have never been in races like that before, I was kind of gutted finishing third, but when you come away and start looking at it, you get an understanding of what we have just achieved, which is massive.
“We’re delighted and proud of the horse and just very excited. Every trainer I have bumped into when racing since has been chuffed for the horse and for me which is lovely, and they obviously have a lot more experience than me and are delighted there is a nice horse in the north which is super.”
Rory McIlroy has conceded he was “too judgmental” in his criticisms of those who joined the breakaway LIV Golf Tour.
McIlroy took a strident position against the big-money venture, which tempted a host of top names with lavish paydays and disrupted the established order of the PGA and European Tours.
The Northern Irishman became the de facto voice of opposition to the project, which has continued to divide the sport, and said during last year’s Ryder Cup in Rome that the likes of Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter would miss being part of the European team more than they would be missed.
Now, with talks ongoing to agree a merger between the rival parties, McIlroy has taken a tentative step towards rapprochement.
Speaking to Sky Bet’s Stick to Football podcast, he said: “I think at this point, I was maybe a little judgmental of the guys who went to LIV Golf at the start.
“I think it was a bit of a mistake on my part because I now realise that not everyone is in my position or in Tiger Woods’ position. I can’t judge people for making that decision, so if I regret anything, it was probably being too judgmental at the start.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve lost the fight against LIV, but I’ve just accepted the fact that this is part of our sport now.
“At the end of the day, we’re professional golfers and we play to make a living and make money, so I understand it.”
McIlroy remains unhappy at those who criticised the established tours after leaving, but did accept that the Saudi intervention did shine a light on problems that had gone overlooked for too long.
“I don’t begrudge anyone for going and taking the money and doing something different, but don’t try to burn the place down on your way out,” he added.
“When people have played that for 15 or 20 years, and then they jump to LIV and start talking crap about where they’ve come from, that is what bothers me, because they wouldn’t be in this position if they didn’t have the career they’ve had so far.
“I think what LIV has done… it’s exposed some of the flaws in the system and hopefully golf will have a look at more.
“If we’re going to ask these people (sponsors) for so much money, we need to be able to guarantee them what they’re getting.
“Part of the stuff that we’ve been trying to do for the last two years is figure out how we can try and bring golf back together again and learn from some of the things that have happened.”
Jon Rahm became the latest high-profile LIV acquisition within weeks of helping Europe to victory in a Ryder Cup triumph in Rome, a move McIlroy chalked up as calculated move against the backdrop of negotiations between the rival tours.
“I thought it was a smart business move from Jon – it’s opportunistic,” he said.
“(He) hasn’t got any of the heat for going like the first guys got for going.
“Jon is a smart guy and I think he sees things coming together at some point so he’s thinking that he’ll take the up-front money, which is his prerogative, and if things come together he’ll play LIV for a year then come back to play on the tour.”
Flooring Porter could head straight to the Cheltenham Festival after coming up short in Grade One company over the Christmas period – but whether he will stick to fences or bid to secure a third Stayers’ Hurdle title remains uncertain.
The nine-year-old dominated from the front when claiming the Stayers’ Hurdle crown in both 2021 and 2022 and finished an honourable fourth when looking to make it a hat-trick last season.
This season Gavin Cromwell’s stable star has had his attentions switched to the larger obstacles and made an impressive start to his new career at Cheltenham in October.
However, he was well held in third in the Grade Two Florida Pearl Novice Chase at Punchestown on his next start, and while connections were hopeful a return to a left-handed track would see him in a better light in last week’s Neville Hotels Novice Chase at Leopardstown, he again had to make do with minor honours behind the impressive Grangeclare West.
Cromwell said: “He jumped really well, no excuses. The winner was very good on the day and we were beaten fair and square.
“He jumped well and he’s probably going to struggle at that level over fences.”
The County Meath handler is not ruling out the possibility of Flooring Porter contesting one of the novice chases at the Festival, but confirmed a return to the smaller obstacles is under consideration.
“It’s hard to know where we go. I will put him in the Stayers’ Hurdle,” he added.
“We could potentially go straight to Cheltenham with him, as we did when he won the two Stayers’ Hurdles after Christmas.
“I’m not saying he will go for the Stayers’ Hurdle. We could go straight to Cheltenham, but what race we go for is very much up in the air.”
Another Cromwell inmate who was placed at Grade One level at Leopardstown over the festive period was My Mate Mozzie, who filled the runner-up spot behind Found A Fifty in the Racing Post Novice Chase.
The trainer was delighted with his eight-year-old’s performance, but with hot favourite Facile Vega a huge disappointment, he does question the strength of the form.
Cromwell said: “He finished off really well, but I suppose he was ridden to do that and he may have been a bit flattered by the fact the favourite had cried enough and Sharjah hasn’t just been in form of late either, but it was nice to be second in a Grade One.
“I’m not sure where we’ll go now, I suppose the Grand Annual is a possibility at the Festival.”
Saracens and England prop Mako Vunipola has received a four-match ban after being sent off against Gallagher Premiership opponents Newcastle.
Vunipola was dismissed during the closing stages of Saturday’s encounter following a dangerous tackle on Newcastle hooker Bryan Byrne.
He will miss Saracens’ Premiership appointments with Leicester and Exeter, plus Investec Champions Cup games against Bordeaux-Begles and Lyon.
Vunipola, though, will be available for England’s Guinness Six Nations opener against Italy in Rome on February 3 if head coach Steve Borthwick decides to recall him.
And that could prove timely, given current injuries to England’s three World Cup squad loosehead props Ellis Genge, Joe Marler and Bevan Rodd.
Vunipola’s case was heard by an independent disciplinary panel.
“The player admitted that foul play took place, but not that it met the red card threshold,” the Rugby Football Union said.
“The panel upheld the charge and Vunipola received a four-match ban.
“He is ineligible to take part in World Rugby’s coaching intervention programme, having completed it in 2022.”
Had Vunipola not already done that programme, he could have applied on this occasion and then expected to have had one game subtracted from the suspension.
Novak Djokovic’s preparations for his Australian Open title defence were dealt a blow in an injury-affected defeat to Alex de Minaur in the United Cup in Perth.
Djokovic lost 6-4 6-4 to world number 12 De Minaur as Australia took a 1-0 lead in their quarter-final against Serbia in the mixed team event before sealing a 2-0 victory.
Djokovic was below his best and struggled with an on-going problem with his right wrist, twice requiring treatment from the physio.
The world number one needed a medical time-out for the issue in his previous United Cup match against the Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka, which he won in three sets on Tuesday.
The Serbian was treated after holding serve to lead 4-3 in the opening set and again after De Minaur had broken to edge 5-4 up.
Despite Djokovic’s fitness concerns, De Minaur produced an impressive performance to seal one of the biggest wins of his career in just over an hour-and-a-half.
De Minaur said in his on-court interview after the match: “It’s extra special. Novak is an unbelievable competitor and what he’s done for the sport is pretty special.
“When you go up against Novak you have to go out and enjoy it and back yourself and no matter what keep fighting until the end. Today was my day and I’m happy that I was able to get the win.”
Ajla Tomljanovic followed De Minaur’s win by beating Serbia’s Natalija Stevanovic 6-1 6-1 to clinch Australia’s semi-final place.
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