MELBOURNE: Rafael Nadal stepped up his return from Covid and injury with a patchy win over qualifier Ricardas Berankis at the Melbourne Summer Set tournament on Thursday. The 20-time Grand Slam champion launched his Australian Open preparations with a 6-2, 7-5 win in the second round, his first singles match on the ATP Tour since August. The … Read more
ADELAIDE: Iga Swiatek showcased her Australian Open credentials with a 6-1, 6-2 demolition of US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez at the Adelaide International on Thursday. The Pole, who won the 2020 French Open as a 19-year-old, took just 77 minutes to dispose of the Canadian and set up a quarter-final clash against former world number one Victoria … Read more
CANBERRA – Australia has set a new record for COVID-19 booster vaccines amid successive record days of surging infections across the country. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday that a new record 222,565 booster vaccines were administered on Wednesday, two days after the minimum recommended interval between second and third jabs for the population … Read more
SYDNEY: Usman Khawaja scored a memorable century on his return to Test cricket to strengthen Australia’s position in the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney after a double wicket breakthrough by Stuart Broad on Thursday. The Pakistan-born Khawaja, playing his first Test since the 2019 Ashes series in England in place of Covid-isolated Travis Head, was at his … Read more
COLOMBO: Sri Lankan top-order batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa quit international cricket Wednesday just days before the start of a one-day international series against Zimbabwe at home. The 30-year-old left-hander resigned due to family obligations, Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement. “I have very carefully considered my position as a player, husband and am taking this decision looking … Read more
MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic received “no special” favours to be granted a Covid vaccine exemption to play at the Australian Open, said tournament chief Craig Tiley on Wednesday, as the move sparked a furious backlash. The nine-time Australian Open champion Djokovic announced late Tuesday he was en route to Melbourne with “an exemption permission”, ending the drawn-out saga over whether … Read more
SYDNEY: England paceman Stuart Broad again proved David Warner’s nemesis as rain dogged the opening day of the fourth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday. Broad provided the only relief for beleaguered England as rain restricted the two opening sessions to just 21.4 overs. After a third rain delay, an early tea was taken … Read more
SYDNEY: Melbourne Test hero Scott Boland held his place as Australia made only one change to their winning side for the fourth Ashes Test against England in Sydney which begins on Wednesday. Batsman Usman Khawaja was confirmed in the team announced Tuesday as a replacement for Covid victim Travis Head. Khawaja last played for Australia in the … Read more
CANBERRA, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) — Australia’s COVID-19 case number surpassed 500,000 on Tuesday. Chris Moy, vice president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA), said the government has failed to come up with a plan for rapid antigen tests (RATs) amid reports of supply shortfalls and price gouging. “There is an inability to supply at the … Read more
SYDNEY: Joe Root said Monday that he has “questions to answer” and will assess his future as England captain after the losing Ashes tour, as Ben Stokes insisted he has no ambition to take over. Root will become his country’s longest-serving Test skipper at the fourth Test in Sydney on Wednesday, surpassing predecessor Alastair Cook’s 59 matches in … Read more
SYDNEY: Veteran Roberto Bautista Agut upset world number eight Casper Ruud on Monday to give Spain their second straight win at the ATP Cup, a record matched by Hubert Hurkacz’s Poland. The 33-year-old Bautista Agut is the lead singles player for his country in the absence of 20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal and has stepped up … Read more
BEIJING: The Beijing Winter Olympics begin one month on Tuesday with diplomatic boycotts, the coronavirus and the fate of Peng Shuai all hanging heavy over the Games. The Chinese capital on February 4-20 will become the first host of a Winter and Summer Olympics, having staged the Games in 2008, seen then as a coming-out party for … Read more
SYDNEY: Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley on Monday became the latest person to contract Covid-19 during the Ashes series against England. Hockley, who is fully vaccinated, developed mild symptoms and immediately got tested and isolated, with a positive PCR result confirmed. “I am isolating at home with my family, who have returned negative results,” he said. Hockley … Read more
Australia demolished England by an innings and 14 runs in the third Test in Melbourne on Tuesday to retain the Ashes. Earlier, Joe Root’s men were also beaten comprehensively in the Tests in Brisbane and Adelaide. Let’s take a look at how poorly the visitors have played Down Under Most defeats The tourists’ defeat at … Read more
JAKARTA: The entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement will open up opportunities to catalyse the expansion of regional trade and investment much needed for economic recovery, amid Covid-19, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) secretary general Dato Lim Jock Hoi said. The Asean Secretariat announced in November that the RCEP … Read more
SYDNEY: England’s beleaguered Ashes tour went from bad to worse Thursday with under-pressure coach Chris Silverwood to miss the fourth Test in Sydney after a family member tested positive for the coronavirus. Silverwood and his family have to isolate in Melbourne for 10 days while the rest of the team head to Sydney for the … Read more
BBL 11: Pakistan white-ball vice-captain Shadab Khan is all set to make his Big Bash League (BBL) debut for Sydney Sixers, But have to follow special BBL protocols during the match. He was unable to join his fellow player as he has been in Australia for a week. The leg spinner has passed several PCR … Read more
SYDNEY: Novak Djokovic has pulled out of this week’s ATP Cup in Sydney, organisers said on Wednesday, heightening doubts over whether he will defend his Australian Open title. There has been intense speculation as to whether he will travel to Australia, having refused to confirm if he has been inoculated against the coronavirus. “World No.1 … Read more
